Making Tough Shots, Improving Your Golf Game
Author: Steve Wilcott
For some of us, they come way too often. Shots that leave you wondering how on earth youre going to stay balanced enough to hit the ball. Shots that arent as simple as the instruction videos make them appear. Lets look at some ways to handle some of these tricky shots.

If you have to make an awkward shot, first think about how you can swing without losing your balance and moving your head. Secondly, think of the line your club travels along.

Before assuming your stance, note where the club head will travel for the greatest distance along a straight line. Remember that the ball is in contact with the club head for several inches. After a few practice swings you can see what relation your feet have with regard to this line and then determine your stance.

When youre about to hit the ball, dont sway from one leg to another. When youre about to swing, check to see if theres the slightest difficulty in keeping your balance. If so, keep shifting your position slightly until you feel comfortable and are sure there wont be any stiffness in your swing. You want to feel as free as possible in your muscles and in your mind so you wont be disturbed during the swing. If you wiggle and move your weight from one leg to another as you address the ball, youre likely not going to see the ball clearly. Keep your feet still.

No matter what kind of shot youre attempting, to make sure you control your effort to the point where you actually see the ball from the start until you hit it. Dont shift your gaze not for an instant. Then youll not have any trouble hitting the ball.

Your swing wont be stiff, or back too far or too short. The ball wont be hit too soon. Remember, dont look up for one second or shift your gaze until your club head reaches the ball. If you have a hard shot to make, put your whole mind on just watching the ball. Practice this and youll quickly gain confidence.

Now lets talk weather which can make any shot awkward! When the wind is blowing hard, you should bring your feet closer together. You might think that you just need to hit the ball harder when driving into the wind. But the key is to be more careful at this point to hit perfectly true.

The more difficult the shot, the greater freedom you need for the play of the muscles to bring it off. Heres a tip. The shorter the shot the nearer your feet should be brought together. The key is not to hit the ball as hard as you can. If you hit the ball hard when you first meet it with the club head, it will bounce away quicker. This reduces your distance.

Uncomfortable shots plague every golfer from time to time. Learn the basics of handling them, and youll be swinging with more confidence and lowering your score significantly.