Golf Long Game Instruction: How To Deal With 5 Habitual Errors

Many golfers are quite adept at chipping, putting, and even bunker play. But some of these players really struggle with their long play, and the reasons are often quite small. Here are five simple mistakes we have all made at some point. If you recognize any of them, correct them now and get better scores.

• Not following through

A habit some golfers struggle to get into is following through on every stroke. By not following through, you are jeopardizing two major aspects of your game. The first is that you will get very little height on your ball. Your club has been designed to lift the ball automatically, but only if there is a proper follow through after the ball has been connected. The second is that you will get less accuracy on the ball because it is travelling low instead of high. Make sure you follow through on your shots to avoid these errors.



• Lifting the head

It is more detrimental to lift your head prematurely than what most golfers realize. You will never get consistently good at your long game unless you learn to keep your head down until after the ball is air born.



• Straightening the knees

Lots of golfers lack confidence in their ability to execute a good swing. Because of this, they feel the need to unbend their knees while the ball is being connected. But all this does is lift the clubface, forcing it to connect the ball too high. If you start your stance with bent knees, keep them bent.



• No pause in midair

Learn the good habit of pausing for one second before bringing your club down again. After your upswing, you will be able to feel whether or not you are standing, gripping, and swinging correctly. Take that second every time you make a swing and learn to stop midair if something doesn’t feel right.



• Rushing the shot

All the points mentioned here stem from golfers being too impetuous with their shots. If you want to do well in golf, you will need to learn patience and how to take things slow. Think about every aspect of your swing before making it and stop to re-analyze anything if you feel the need. Become a methodical golfer who scrutinizes every point and you will soon become a better player.