"Approach Shots: What it takes to master them".

Basically, your approach shot is your shot onto the green. One of the things I like to say is this, "You know your game is improving when you start fixing more ball marks on the green" - most likely meaning that you hit it on your approach, which is your objective.

Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind, and then we'll get to the heart of this article.

* Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag. Pin placements and greens are getting tougher to stick all the time. Don't be a sucker and go for a pin that you'll most likely miss, which will leave you in a bunker or some other position which will add strokes to your round.
* Focus on alignment, not distance.

As you know, it's not an easy task to master the approach shot, but there are some ways in which you can drastically improve the accuracy of the shot. Alignment is the key to improving your approach shots. Most golfers don't practice their alignment too much on the practice range, but they should.


Think about this for a minute. Generally, when you miss the green it is due to alignment, not distance. Chances are, you have your 160 yard club, 150, 140, 130, etc...

And if you hit a less than perfect shot, the ball may go a little further or a little shorter. But even if that happens, most greens are deep enough that you should be on the putting surface if you have selected the club that would leave you in the center of the green.

But...alignment is another story. If you pull the ball, more times than most you really pull the ball, correct?

When your alignment is off, it's usually off by much more than 5-10 yards!

And if you push the ball, you generally are pushing it for much of the round, correct? Bunkers, water, and uneven lies are the obstacles you face.

How are you supposed to compete? The answer is simple. Practice your alignment.

Take your home course for example. I would be willing to bet there's somewhere in the ball park of a 160-yard par 3 on the course. Now picture that hole. What happens if you're 5-10 yards deep or shallow? You're probably still okay, right?

But what happens if you go right or left? That shot, more than likely, has trouble written all over it.

Summary:
Go to the range, and practice your alignment. Always hit to a target. The Simple Golf Swing makes staying down the middle easy, and in a few weeks, I'll be releasing a new tool that will make it much easier on you to work on your alignment. It's a pretty simple device really, but the package is really geared towards improving the alignment for every type of shot. Putting, approach shots, and drives.

Diablo Edge Irons The longest stainless steel irons we’ve ever created. The Diablo Edge irons provide increased distance without compromising feel or performance. The lower, deeper center of gravity (CG) makes the sweet spot more accessible and is in line with where amateurs most commonly hit the ball on the clubface, generating longer, consistent distance and improved accuracy. Maximized Distance: A lower, deeper CG is designed to make the sweet spot more accessible at lower impact locations. This generates longer, more consistent distance and improves accuracy for more greens in regulation. Set Options: Get more distance through the entire bag by opting for matched hybrids in the set where you begin to struggle with your irons. Solid Impact Sole: Delivering smooth turf interaction, the sole is designed to mitigate the effects of heavy and thin shots and improve the impact location on the face for greater distance. Enhanced Feel and Performance: Callaway Golf core technologies like VFT, S2H2, a 360-Degree Undercut Channel and Modified Tru-Bore work together to maximize distance, feel and playability.

Thanks for visiting...


Bill St. Onge
"The NAFTA Refugee"