Don Dirren Gives Us His Top Three Golf Tips
Golf may seem like a game of leisure, says Don Dirren, but it requires a lot more strategy, agility, hand-eye coordination, and strength than it may look like. And even after you are able to understand and grasp the basics of the game, you’ll spend the rest of your life working to tweak and improve your game.
Whether you’re new to the game, or an old golf pro, these tips from Don Dirren, an avid golfer, can help you lower your score and have more fun on the course. It’s not just about how you hold the club or follow through on your swing. You also have to take the course and weather conditions into account and master your mental game. Golf is a complex and challenging sport.
Check Your Alignment Says Don Dirren
A big mistake that a lot of players make is allowing themselves to shoot out of alignment, says Don Dirren. If you don’t aim with your body facing the target fully square, your brain will overcompensate in either direction, and you’ll miss by a mile.
So before you spend hours and hours changing up your swing, try working on your alignment to improve your shots, states Don Dirren. You can use alignment sticks at the driving range to make sure you’re shooting square. Still not sure whether it’s your swing or your aim? Have a friend record you swinging and check how you’re squaring off against the target.
Don’t Neglect Your Short Game
Everyone loves their driver, explains Don Dirren. But are you giving the same amount of love to your wedges and putters? Once you’ve made that all-important initial shot, you’ll be spending the rest of the time on the putting green. That makes improving your short game one of the best and easiest ways to shave points off of your score.
A lot of golfers would rather work on their drive shots, but if you can’t close the deal on the putting green, all that work on your driving form means nothing. It can be a little frustrating, but practice makes perfect, encourages Don. The more effort you put in on your bunker shots and bump and runs, the more improvement you’ll see in your game.
Take a Deep Breath
Golf looks like such an idyllic and leisurely sport when you watch it from the clubhouse, says Don Dirren. But once you get on the course, it’s a whole different story. Even though you’re playing against other people when you play golf, your real opponent is yourself. Your swing, your aim, your alignment…it’s a lot of pressure to perform that you’re putting on yourself.
This can make it extra frustrating when you miss that putt from a few feet away or the wind seemingly plucks your ball right out of the air and throws it into the water feature. But when you find yourself in a potentially frustrating situation, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and remember that you’re playing this game because it’s fun. Even the professionals hit bad shots – that’s just a part of the game!