Author: tomsgolftips

Golfer crouching to read the putting green

How to Read a Green Without Overthinking It

March 22, 2026 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Putt I Read Five Different Ways

I stood over a 10-foot putt and changed my mind four times.

First I saw a little right-to-left. Then I walked behind the hole and thought it was straight. Then I crouched and convinced myself it actually broke left-to-right. By the time I hit it, I wasn’t even sure what I was aiming at anymore.

Missed it low.

Of course.

That was the moment I realized I didn’t have a green-reading problem — I had an overthinking problem.

Your First Read Is Usually Right

I fought this idea for a long time.

I thought better players spent more time analyzing putts. More angles, more details, more precision.

What I’ve seen over time is the opposite.

Good putters get a read quickly and trust it.

Your brain is actually pretty good at picking up slopes and subtle breaks if you let it. The first look — the one you get as you walk up to the green — is often the cleanest one.

After that, you start adding noise.

Doubt creeps in. You start second-guessing. You look for reasons your first read might be wrong.

That’s where things fall apart.

More Information Isn’t Always Better

This is something I’d argue about all day.

Most golfers think they need more data to read greens better. More angles, more time, more checking.

What they actually need is less.

Because every extra look introduces another opinion. And those opinions don’t always agree.

Now you’re standing over the ball with two or three different reads in your head.

That’s not clarity. That’s confusion.

The Big Break Matters More Than the Small One

I used to get obsessed with tiny details.

A slight tilt near the hole. A barely noticeable slope halfway through the putt.

And yeah, those things exist.

But most putts are decided by the biggest slope along the path, not the smallest one.

If the green overall moves right to left, that’s the story. The little wiggles don’t matter as much as you think.

Focus on the dominant break.

It simplifies everything.

Speed Controls Break More Than You Think

This surprised me.

I used to treat line and speed as two separate things. Pick the line, then worry about how hard to hit it.

But speed changes how much the ball breaks.

A softer putt takes more break. A firmer putt takes less.

So if you’re unsure about the read, sometimes the better question is: “What speed am I comfortable with?”

Once you answer that, the line becomes clearer.

You’re not guessing as much.

Stop Reading From Every Angle

I see this all the time.

People walk around the hole like they’re inspecting a crime scene. Behind the ball, behind the hole, side angles, crouching, standing, walking back again.

By the time they’re done, they’ve completely lost their original read.

Pick one main angle — usually behind the ball — and stick with it.

You can take a quick look from the side if you want, but don’t turn it into a full investigation.

You’re not solving a puzzle. You’re making a decision.

The One Thing That Surprised Me

I once played a round where I forced myself to read every putt in under 10 seconds.

No walking around. No overanalyzing. Just a quick look, pick a line, and go.

I made more putts than usual.

Not because my reads were perfect, but because my strokes were more committed. I wasn’t standing over the ball with doubt in my head.

That surprised me.

I expected worse results, not better.

You’re Trying to Be Too Precise

Here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear.

You’re not good enough to need perfect reads.

And I don’t mean that as an insult — I mean it as freedom.

If you’re off by a fraction, the putt can still go in. Or at least end up close.

But when you try to be exact — to find the perfect line — you often end up less confident, not more.

A committed putt on a slightly wrong line is better than a hesitant putt on the “perfect” line.

Every time.

Trusting the Read Is Half the Battle

Once you pick your line, that’s it.

No adjusting while you’re standing over the ball. No last-second changes because something “feels off.”

That hesitation shows up in your stroke.

Your body senses the doubt and reacts. You decelerate, you steer, you lose your rhythm.

The putt was lost before you even hit it.

Commitment matters more than perfection here.

I’m Still Not Sure About Green Reading Systems

There are systems out there — ways to measure slope, calculate break, read greens more scientifically.

I’ve tried some of them.

They can help, especially on unfamiliar courses.

But I’m not fully convinced they’re necessary for most players. At some point, you still have to trust your feel and make a stroke.

You can’t calculate your way into confidence.

Look at the Whole Green, Not Just the Line

This is something that helped me simplify things.

Instead of staring only at the path between the ball and the hole, look at the entire green.

Where does the water drain? What’s the general slope? Is the green tilted one way overall?

Those big-picture clues are often more reliable than trying to read tiny sections of grass.

Your brain processes that information faster than you think.

You just have to let it.

The Putt Is Already Hard Enough

You’re standing over a small ball, trying to roll it into a small hole, over an uneven surface.

That’s already difficult.

You don’t need to make it harder by turning every putt into a mental debate.

Pick a line. Pick a speed. Trust it.

And live with the result.

The One Club Most Golfers Underestimate Completely

March 7, 2026 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Club I Only Used When I Was in Trouble

I used to treat my 7-iron like a backup plan.

Not a first choice. Not a go-to. Just something I grabbed when I didn’t trust anything else. Bad lie, weird distance, wind picking up — fine, 7-iron, get it somewhere decent.

One round, I hit it more than anything else in my bag.

And played one of my best scores of the year.

That bothered me.

It’s Not Sexy, So Nobody Talks About It

Everyone wants to talk about driver distance.

Or wedges. Or putting.

Nobody gets excited about the 7-iron.

It sits right in the middle of the bag, doesn’t do anything flashy, and somehow gets overlooked. But if you actually track your rounds, you’ll probably notice something uncomfortable — you hit this club more often than you think.

And you don’t practice it enough.

I Was Guessing My Distance for Years

I thought I knew my 7-iron.

“About 150,” I’d say, like that meant something.

Then one day I started paying attention. Not casually — actually watching where the ball finished relative to the target over multiple rounds.

It wasn’t 150.

Sometimes 140. Sometimes 155. Occasionally 160 when I tried to swing harder and caught it clean.

That inconsistency wasn’t random. It was me.

Once I realized that, it changed how I approached the club entirely.

This Club Exposes Everything

Here’s the opinion I’ll stand behind.

If you can’t hit your mid-irons consistently, nothing else in your game is stable.

Driver might hide it for a while. Short game might save you. But mid-irons sit right in that range where you need solid contact, decent control, and good decision-making.

You can’t fake it.

They expose your swing more than you think.

It’s the Most Honest Club in Your Bag

Wedges can feel good even when you’re slightly off.

Driver can still go far even on mishits.

A 7-iron?

It tells you exactly what you did.

Thin, fat, off the toe, slightly open face — you’ll see it in the result immediately. Distance drops, direction changes, trajectory looks wrong.

There’s no hiding from it.

That’s why it’s so valuable.

The Shot That Changed My Perspective

I remember hitting a 7-iron from about 145 yards into a slightly elevated green.

Felt perfect. Clean strike, good contact, right direction.

Came up short again.

That was the third time that round.

I wasn’t mis-hitting it. I was misjudging it.

That’s when I started questioning whether I actually understood this club at all.

You Need to Learn Your “Real” Distance

Not your best one.

Not the one you tell your friends.

Your real, average carry distance.

The one that shows up most often.

Why this matters is simple — if you base your club selection on your best shot, you’re going to come up short more often than not.

And short is usually where the trouble is.

Spend time figuring out how far your 7-iron actually goes on a normal swing. Not forced, not perfect, just normal.

That number will save you strokes.

Control Beats Power Here

I used to try to “step on it” with my mid-irons.

Swing a little harder, try to squeeze out extra distance.

It worked occasionally.

But most of the time, it just messed up my contact and timing.

A smoother swing with a slightly longer club is almost always better than trying to force extra yards out of a shorter one.

You’re trading consistency for a few extra yards, and it’s not worth it.

It Teaches You Tempo

This might sound a bit abstract, but it’s real.

Your 7-iron sits in that range where you can’t just swing all out like driver, and you can’t get away with a short, controlled motion like a wedge.

It forces you to find a rhythm.

Too fast, and everything gets out of sync. Too slow, and you lose structure.

When your tempo is right, the 7-iron feels effortless.

And that same tempo tends to carry over to the rest of your bag.

I’m Still Not Sure About “One Swing Fits All”

There’s this idea that you should have one swing and just change clubs.

I’ve tried to follow that.

But I’m not fully convinced it’s that simple.

My 7-iron swing doesn’t feel exactly like my driver swing. It’s close, but there are subtle differences in tempo and intent.

I think forcing everything into one exact mold can sometimes do more harm than good.

There’s a balance there I’m still figuring out.

You Don’t Practice It Like You Should

Be honest — when you go to the range, how many balls do you hit with your 7-iron compared to your driver?

Most people jump to driver pretty quickly.

Or they spend a lot of time with wedges.

The 7-iron gets a few swings, then gets ignored.

That’s backwards.

This is the club that shows you the truth about your swing. It’s also the one that appears in a lot of real on-course situations.

You should be spending more time with it, not less.

It Builds Confidence You Can Actually Use

When you trust your 7-iron, a lot of the game gets easier.

You’re more comfortable on approach shots. You make better decisions off the tee on shorter holes. You’re less likely to force shots you shouldn’t be attempting.

Because you have something reliable.

Confidence in driver is great, but it comes and goes.

Confidence in a mid-iron sticks around longer.

The Club You Reach for Without Thinking

That’s where this ends up.

Not the most powerful club. Not the most exciting.

Just the one you trust.

The one you pull out when you need to hit a green, advance the ball, or keep things under control.

And the funny part is, it’s probably been in your bag the whole time.

You just haven’t been paying enough attention to it.

What I Learned Playing the Same Course 50 Times

February 19, 2026 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Hole I Still Managed to Mess Up

There’s a short par 4 on that course I’ve played more times than I can count.

Dogleg left, bunker on the inside corner, wide fairway if you just lay back. I knew it. I’d talked about it. I’d even told other people, “Don’t get greedy here.”

50th time playing it, I pulled driver, tried to cut the corner, clipped a tree, dropped straight down, made double.

I stood there laughing a bit, because at that point I couldn’t blame lack of knowledge.

I knew exactly what I should’ve done.

Knowing the Course Doesn’t Mean You Play It Better

That was one of the biggest things that surprised me.

You’d think that playing the same course over and over would automatically lower your scores. You know the lines, the distances, where the trouble is.

And yeah, it helps.

But it doesn’t fix bad decisions.

If anything, familiarity can make you careless. You stop respecting the course. You start thinking, “I’ve played this hole a hundred times, I’ll be fine.”

That’s when you make the same mistake again.

Patterns Start Showing Up

After enough rounds, you start noticing patterns.

Not just in the course — in yourself.

There were certain holes where I almost always made bogey. Not because they were impossible, but because I approached them the same wrong way every time.

Wrong club off the tee. Too aggressive into the green. Bad miss in the same spot.

Once you see that pattern, it’s hard to ignore.

But here’s the thing — most people don’t actually change anything. They just recognize the mistake and then repeat it next round.

I did that for a long time.

The Course Isn’t Changing, So You Have To

This sounds obvious, but it took me a while to really accept it.

The course is static. Same layout, same hazards, same greens.

If your results aren’t improving, it’s not because the course is tricky. It’s because you’re making the same choices.

I started asking myself a simple question on certain holes: “What usually goes wrong here?”

Then I planned around that.

If I tend to miss right, I aim left. If I always come up short, I take more club. If a bunker is always in play, I choose a target that takes it out completely.

It’s not about playing perfect. It’s about removing your most common mistake.

Distance Numbers Start to Matter More

Playing the same course forced me to actually learn my distances.

Not just “roughly a 7-iron.” I mean knowing how far a solid one goes, how far a slightly off one goes, what happens when I try to swing harder.

Because when you keep hitting from similar spots, you start seeing how far you really carry the ball.

And sometimes it’s not what you think.

I once hit what felt like a perfect 9-iron into a green I’d played dozens of times.

Came up 10 yards short.

That bothered me more than it should have, because I realized I’d been overestimating my distances for years.

That changes how you pick clubs.

You Learn Where You Can Miss

Every hole has a “safe miss.”

But you don’t always see it the first few times you play.

After enough rounds, it becomes obvious.

There’s a green on that course with trouble short and right, but a big open area left. Early on, I kept aiming at the pin and paying for it.

Later, I started aiming left, even if it meant a longer putt.

Scores improved immediately.

Because now my bad shots weren’t disasters.

That’s the key — you’re not trying to eliminate mistakes. You’re trying to make them less costly.

Comfort Can Make You Lazy

This is something I’d argue with anyone about.

Familiarity can hurt you.

When you know a course too well, you stop thinking through shots. You go on autopilot. Same club, same target, same routine.

And if something isn’t working, you don’t adjust — you just assume it’ll fix itself.

It doesn’t.

You still need to approach each shot with intention, even if you’ve hit it 50 times before.

Maybe especially then.

The One Thing I’m Still Not Sure About

There’s this idea that you should always stick to a consistent strategy on each hole.

Same club off the tee, same target, same approach.

I’ve tried that, and it works… sometimes.

But I’m not fully convinced it’s always the best way. Conditions change. Wind, pin positions, how you’re swinging that day.

I think there’s a balance between having a plan and being flexible.

I’m still figuring that part out.

You Start Playing the Hole Backwards

This was a big shift.

Instead of standing on the tee thinking, “How far can I hit this?” I started thinking, “Where do I want my next shot to come from?”

That changes everything.

On some holes, it meant hitting less than driver to leave a comfortable distance. On others, it meant aiming away from trouble even if it made the hole feel longer.

You’re not just playing the shot in front of you. You’re setting up the next one.

That’s how better players think.

The Same Mistake Hurts More the 50th Time

Missing a green in the wrong spot feels different when you’ve done it before.

There’s no excuse.

You can’t say you didn’t know. You can’t blame a bad bounce or bad luck.

You chose it.

And honestly, that’s kind of a good thing.

Because once you take that responsibility, you start making different decisions.

You stop hoping the hole plays differently.

You start playing it for what it is.

And eventually, the course starts feeling a little easier.

Not because it changed.

Because you did.

Golfer reading course layout before shot

Course Management Basics That Will Actually Lower Your Score

January 13, 2026 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Hole I Should’ve Made Par On

Par 4, nothing scary about it.

Decent drive, middle of the fairway. About 145 yards in. I remember thinking, this is one of those easy pars… maybe even a birdie look.

I pulled an 8-iron, aimed straight at the flag tucked on the right side, and hit it exactly where I aimed.

Right into the bunker.

Blasted out long, chipped back, two-putt double bogey.

Walked off that hole more annoyed than I should’ve been. Not because I hit bad shots — but because I didn’t need to be in trouble in the first place.

That’s when it started clicking for me: most bad scores aren’t from bad swings. They’re from bad decisions.

You’re Aiming at Flags Like You’re Better Than You Are

I’m just going to say it.

Most weekend golfers aim at flags way too often.

I did it for years. Felt like that’s what you’re supposed to do. You see the pin, you aim at it. Simple.

It’s not.

Pins are often placed near trouble — bunkers, water, edges of greens. That’s literally the point. If you aim at them without thinking, you’re bringing that trouble into play for no reason.

A better approach? Aim for the safest part of the green.

Middle of the green is boring. It’s also where your scores improve.

You might end up 20 feet away. That’s fine. Two putts and you’re walking off with a stress-free par.

Distance Control Is More Important Than Direction

This one surprised me.

I used to think hitting it straight was everything. And yeah, it matters — but not as much as you think.

Being pin-high but slightly left or right is usually okay. Being short or long, especially around hazards, is where things fall apart.

If there’s water short, take more club. If there’s trouble long, club down.

You’re managing risk.

And no, this doesn’t mean swinging softer or harder to adjust distance. That’s where people mess up. Pick the right club so you can make a normal swing.

Your swing is already inconsistent enough. Don’t add more variables.

Stop Trying to Recover Like a Hero

This is the opinion I’ll argue all day.

The fastest way to ruin a round is trying to hit hero shots.

Ball in the trees? Most people immediately start looking for that tiny window to thread it through. The one shot that, if pulled off, makes you feel like a genius.

But here’s the reality: you’re far more likely to hit another tree, drop it deeper into trouble, or advance it five yards.

Now you’re hitting your third or fourth shot from a worse position.

Take your medicine.

Punch it out sideways. Get back to the fairway. Reset.

It feels boring. It also saves you multiple strokes over a round.

Play to Your Miss, Not Your Best Shot

This one took me a long time to accept.

We all have a “stock miss.” Maybe it’s a fade, a pull, a thin strike, whatever.

But when you’re standing over the ball, you’re thinking about your best shot. The pure one. The perfect one.

That’s not the shot that shows up most often.

Course management is about planning for your typical outcome, not your ideal one.

If you tend to miss right, don’t aim at a flag with trouble on the right. Give yourself space. Aim left of the target so your miss still ends up in a playable area.

It’s not about being negative. It’s about being realistic.

The Tee Shot Isn’t About Distance

There’s this obsession with hitting driver on every par 4 and par 5.

I get it. Feels good to smash one.

But not every hole requires it.

Sometimes the fairway narrows at driver distance. Sometimes there’s trouble exactly where your longest shots land. Sometimes the angle into the green is terrible from that position.

Try this: pick the club that gives you the best next shot, not the longest first shot.

If that’s a hybrid or long iron, so be it.

You’re not playing for style points.

Angles Matter More Than You Think

This is one of those things that doesn’t get talked about enough.

Where you are in the fairway can change everything about your next shot.

Say the pin is on the right side of the green. If you’re on the right side of the fairway, you’ve got less green to work with and more risk. From the left side, the angle opens up and the shot becomes easier.

So sometimes it’s not just about hitting the fairway — it’s about which part of the fairway.

I’m not saying you need to overthink every shot. But being aware of angles can make the game feel a lot simpler.

Par Isn’t Always the Goal

This one might sound strange.

On some holes, bogey is a good score.

Tight par 4 with water and bunkers everywhere? Maybe your plan is just to get the ball in play, hit the green in three, and take your two putts.

Trying to force a par on a difficult hole often leads to doubles or worse.

Playing for bogey can feel like giving up, but it’s actually smart golf.

You’re minimizing damage instead of chasing something that’s not there.

The One Thing I Still Get Wrong

Even now, I catch myself making decisions based on emotion instead of logic.

Bad hole before? I want to “get it back” on the next one.

That’s when I start forcing shots, taking risks I wouldn’t normally take.

I’m not fully sure there’s a perfect fix for this. It’s more about awareness. Catching yourself in the moment and asking, “Would I take this shot if I wasn’t annoyed right now?”

Sometimes the answer is uncomfortable.

Think One Shot Ahead

Most golfers only think about the shot they’re about to hit.

Better players think about the next one too.

If you’re 200 yards out, maybe the goal isn’t to get as close as possible. Maybe it’s to leave yourself a comfortable wedge distance instead of an awkward half-shot.

Same around the greens. Sometimes the best play isn’t the one that finishes closest — it’s the one that leaves the easiest next putt.

You’re not just playing one shot. You’re playing sequences.

And once you start thinking like that, the game slows down in a good way.

You stop reacting and start planning.

Golfer looking frustrated after a missed shot

The Mental Game Nobody Talks About Until It Ruins Your Round

November 24, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Hole Where Everything Fell Apart

I was one over through six holes.

Not playing out of my mind, just… solid. Fairways, greens, a couple of decent putts. The kind of round where you start doing quiet math in your head about what this might turn into.

Then I missed a short putt on the 7th.

Not even a bad stroke. Just misread it.

Tapped in, walked to the next tee, and something shifted.

I pulled my drive left. Tried to “fix it” on the next shot and pushed it right. Walked off with a double.

And just like that, the round was gone.

Not because my swing disappeared — but because my head did.

It’s Not One Bad Shot — It’s What Comes After

Bad shots happen. That’s golf.

The real damage comes from what you do after the bad shot.

I used to think I lost rounds because I hit poor shots. Now I know I lost them because I couldn’t reset. One mistake turned into two, then three, then a hole you’re trying to forget before you’ve even finished it.

It snowballs fast.

And the worst part is, it feels like you’re still in control while it’s happening.

You’re Carrying the Last Shot Into the Next One

This is the mental leak most people never fix.

You hit a bad shot, and it doesn’t stay back there. It follows you to the next one. You’re standing over the ball, but your brain is replaying what just happened.

Trying to correct it.

Trying to avoid it.

Trying to make up for it.

None of that helps.

You’re basically hitting the next shot with leftover frustration, and it shows.

The “Make It Back” Trap

This one got me more times than I can count.

You mess up a hole, and suddenly you’re trying to get those strokes back immediately. You start aiming at pins you wouldn’t normally aim at. You take on shots you wouldn’t usually consider.

You get aggressive in the wrong places.

I’ll say this clearly — trying to “make it back” right away is one of the fastest ways to ruin a round.

Golf doesn’t work like that. You don’t get to recover all at once.

You recover by not making things worse.

Your Expectations Are Quietly Killing You

I used to go into rounds expecting to play well.

Not hoping. Expecting.

Sounds like confidence, right?

It’s not.

Because the moment things don’t go according to that expectation, frustration kicks in. Now you’re not just dealing with the shot — you’re dealing with the gap between what you thought would happen and what actually did.

That gap is where bad decisions live.

Lowering expectations doesn’t mean giving up. It means allowing the round to unfold without forcing it to match some ideal version in your head.

The One Thing That Surprised Me

I once played a round where I told myself I didn’t care about the score.

Not in a fake way — I actually meant it. I was just going to hit each shot, walk, and repeat.

I ended up playing one of the most consistent rounds I’d had in a long time.

What surprised me wasn’t the score. It was how calm everything felt. No rush. No pressure to fix anything. Just one shot at a time.

It felt almost too simple.

Which is probably why most people don’t stick with it.

You Need a Reset Between Shots

This isn’t optional.

If you don’t have some kind of reset, you’re carrying emotional baggage from shot to shot.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as taking a breath, looking around, or focusing on something unrelated to golf for a few seconds.

The point is to break the chain.

Why this works is pretty basic — your brain needs a moment to let go of the previous shot. Without that pause, everything blends together, and your decision-making gets worse.

You start reacting instead of choosing.

Overthinking Isn’t the Same as Focus

I used to stand over the ball with five swing thoughts.

Grip, takeaway, tempo, weight shift, don’t slice it.

That’s not focus. That’s overload.

And when you’re overloaded, your body doesn’t move freely. It hesitates. It tightens up.

Pick one simple thought. Or none.

Sometimes the best swings happen when you’re not trying to control every part of it.

You’re Not Supposed to Feel Perfect

This is something I’m still working on.

There’s this idea that before a good shot, everything should feel right. Comfortable, confident, clean.

That’s not always how it works.

Some of my best shots have come when I felt slightly off, unsure, even a bit tense.

I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it has something to do with committing anyway. Not waiting for perfect conditions.

If you only swing when everything feels right, you’ll be waiting a long time.

The Score Isn’t the Problem

I used to check my score constantly during a round.

After every hole. Sometimes mid-hole.

And every time I did, it changed how I played. If I was doing well, I got cautious. If I was struggling, I got desperate.

Both are bad.

The score is just a reflection of what’s already happened. It doesn’t help you hit the next shot.

But it definitely influences how you approach it.

The Round Is Longer Than You Think

One bad hole doesn’t define anything.

But it feels like it does when you’re in the middle of it.

You’ve got time. More holes. More chances to play smart, steady golf.

The problem is, most people don’t give themselves that chance. They mentally check out or start forcing things way too early.

The round isn’t over just because it stopped matching what you wanted.

But your mindset might already be acting like it is.

Golfer practicing short game around the green

The Short Game Mistake Most Weekend Golfers Never Fix

August 22, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Shot I Thought Was “Good Enough”

I once hit a chip shot to about 12 feet and felt pretty satisfied walking up to it.

Missed the putt. Walked off with bogey.

Did the same thing on the next hole. And the next.

By the time I got home, it hit me — I hadn’t actually hit a good chip shot all day. I’d just hit a bunch of “not terrible” ones and convinced myself that was acceptable.

That’s the mistake.

Most Golfers Aren’t Trying to Get It Close

They’re trying not to mess up.

There’s a big difference.

Watch any group of weekend golfers around the green and you’ll see it. The goal isn’t to get the ball within a few feet. The goal is just to get it somewhere on the green without blading it across or chunking it halfway there.

So they decelerate. They guide the club. They play it safe.

And they leave everything 10–20 feet away.

Over and over again.

I Used to Think “Safe” Was Smart

I genuinely believed that avoiding disaster shots was the key to a good short game.

No skulls, no chunks, just keep it on the green and rely on putting.

Sounds reasonable, right?

It doesn’t work.

What surprised me was realizing that this “safe” approach actually creates inconsistency. When you’re just trying to survive the shot, you end up manipulating the club, slowing down through impact, and hoping for a decent result.

Hope is not a strategy.

Deceleration Is Killing Your Contact

If I had to pick one thing I’d argue with anyone about, it’s this: decelerating in the short game is worse than being aggressive.

Not reckless. Aggressive.

When you slow the club down into the ball, a few things happen. The clubhead passes your hands too early, the bottom of your swing gets unpredictable, and your contact becomes a guessing game.

That’s why you get those chunks and thin shots that feel like they came out of nowhere.

They didn’t.

You created them by trying to be careful.

You Need a Landing Spot, Not a Vague Intention

This is one of those small changes that completely shifts how you approach the shot.

Most golfers look at the hole.

Better players look at a spot on the green where they want the ball to land.

Not “somewhere over there.” A specific spot.

Two feet onto the green. Three steps past the fringe. Just over that darker patch of grass.

Because once you pick a landing spot, the shot becomes about distance control, not survival. You’re no longer just trying to avoid a mistake — you’re trying to hit a number.

That changes your swing without you even thinking about mechanics.

The Club You Choose Matters More Than You Think

I used to grab my sand wedge for almost everything.

Felt like the “right” club. High loft, more control, safer.

That was wrong.

Using too much loft makes the shot harder than it needs to be. The more loft you use, the more precise your strike has to be. Slightly off, and you either chunk it or send it way too far.

These days, I’ll use a pitching wedge, 9-iron, sometimes even an 8-iron around the green.

Let the ball roll.

It’s easier to control a rolling ball than a flying one. That’s just physics. Less time in the air means fewer variables.

I resisted this for years because it didn’t feel like a proper golf shot.

It works anyway.

Your Setup Is Probably Working Against You

This is one of those boring fundamentals that people skip.

Ball position too far forward. Weight too centered. Hands neutral or even slightly behind the ball.

That setup almost guarantees inconsistency.

Try this instead: ball slightly back in your stance, weight favoring your front foot, hands just a bit ahead of the ball.

Why?

Because it helps you strike the ball first, then the ground. It also keeps the loft more predictable and reduces the chances of the club bouncing or flipping through impact.

You’re basically setting up in a way that makes a clean strike easier.

It’s not about making it perfect. Just easier.

The Shot Doesn’t End at the Ball

This one took me longer than I’d like to admit.

I used to think the goal was to hit the ball cleanly and let it do its thing. So my focus stopped at impact. Sometimes even before.

That leads to short, jabby swings that never quite get through the shot.

Instead, think about where you want the club to finish. Low and toward the target for most basic chips.

This encourages you to keep moving through the ball instead of slowing down.

Again, you’re not trying to hit at the ball. You’re swinging through it.

Practice Like You Actually Care About Results

I’ll be honest — most short game practice I see is kind of useless.

People drop a pile of balls, hit the same shot over and over from the same spot, and call it practice.

That’s not how it works on the course.

Try this instead: one ball, different spots, different lies. Treat each shot like it matters.

Because it does.

When you only have one attempt, your focus changes. You pick a landing spot. You commit to a club. You actually think about what you’re trying to do.

It’s a completely different mindset.

I’m Still Not Sure About One Thing

There’s this idea that you should always keep your wrists quiet in the short game.

I’ve tried it. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it feels too rigid.

I’m not fully convinced it applies to everyone.

What I do know is that excessive hand action — especially when you’re trying to “help” the ball — usually leads to trouble. But locking everything up doesn’t feel right either.

Somewhere in between seems to work best, but I’m still figuring that part out.

The Real Problem Nobody Talks About

Most weekend golfers don’t fix their short game because they don’t spend enough time missing on purpose.

They stay in their comfort zone. Same shots, same clubs, same safe swings.

They never push it.

So they never learn what actually controls distance, how the ball reacts, or how different clubs behave.

They just keep hoping the next chip will be better than the last one.

And sometimes it is.

Just not often enough.

Why Copying Tour Pro Swings Is Wasting Your Time

July 7, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Range Session That Made Everything Worse

I spent an entire afternoon trying to copy a tour pro’s swing I saw online.

Paused the video. Rewatched it. Tried to match the takeaway, the position at the top, the way the club dropped in transition. I was convinced if I could just get those positions right, everything would click.

By the end of the session, I was hitting it worse than I had in months.

Not a little worse. Completely lost.

That was the moment I started questioning the whole idea.

You’re Copying a Snapshot, Not a Swing

What you see in slow-motion videos are positions.

Not the actual movement that creates them.

That’s the trap.

You see a perfect position at the top of the backswing and think, “If I can just get there, I’ll be fine.” But that position is the result of a specific motion, timing, flexibility, and sequence that you don’t see.

You’re copying the end product without understanding how it was created.

It’s like trying to copy a finished painting by staring at it long enough.

Your Body Isn’t Built Like Theirs

This one is uncomfortable but true.

Tour players have different levels of flexibility, strength, balance, and coordination. Their swings are built around what their bodies can do consistently under pressure.

Yours isn’t.

Trying to force your body into positions it can’t naturally reach or control leads to compensation. You might get there once or twice, but it won’t hold up.

And when it doesn’t, your timing falls apart.

I Tried to “Fix” My Backswing for Months

I got obsessed with having a “perfect” backswing.

Thought that was the key.

I shortened it, lengthened it, tried to get the club more on plane, less on plane. I was chasing this idea that if it looked right, it would work.

What surprised me was how little it mattered compared to what happened on the way down.

My contact didn’t improve. My ball flight didn’t stabilize. I just became more mechanical and less athletic.

That was frustrating.

You’re Ignoring What Actually Matters

Here’s the opinion I’ll defend all day.

Most golfers should care less about how their swing looks and more about what the club is doing at impact.

Face angle. Path. Low point. Contact.

Those things decide where the ball goes.

Not whether your backswing looks like a tour pro’s.

You can have a swing that looks unconventional and still play great golf if you control those impact conditions.

Plenty of good players do.

Timing Is Doing More Work Than You Think

When you copy a pro’s swing, you’re also copying their timing — or trying to.

That’s the problem.

Their timing is built from thousands of repetitions, their physical abilities, and how they sequence their movement.

When you try to force their positions, your timing changes. Now you’re trying to match something your body doesn’t naturally produce.

That’s when you get those swings that feel completely out of sync.

One shot feels okay, the next feels awful, and you have no idea why.

You Don’t Need Perfect Positions

This is something I wish someone told me earlier.

There isn’t one perfect way to swing a golf club.

There are patterns that work, sure. But within those patterns, there’s a lot of variation.

You don’t need your club to be in the exact same spot as a tour pro at every checkpoint.

You need something repeatable.

Something you can rely on when the pressure’s on, or when your timing isn’t perfect.

Because your timing won’t always be perfect.

The Range vs The Course Problem

Here’s where copying swings really falls apart.

On the range, with no pressure, you can sometimes get close to those positions. You can slow things down, think about every movement, try to make it look right.

Then you get on the course.

One ball. Real consequences.

Suddenly you don’t have time to think about five different swing positions. Your body reverts to what it actually knows, not what you practiced for an hour.

That’s why it feels like your swing “disappears.”

It didn’t disappear. It was never fully yours to begin with.

What You Should Be Doing Instead

Focus on ball flight first.

What is the ball doing? Starting left, right, curving, flying too low, too high?

That tells you what the club is doing at impact.

Then make small adjustments based on that.

If the ball starts right, your face is likely open. If it curves too much, your face and path relationship is off.

You don’t need to fix ten things. You need to influence the outcome.

That’s a much more direct way to improve.

I’m Still Not Sure About “Feels”

There’s a lot of talk about swing “feels.”

Do this, feel that, imagine this movement.

Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it confuses things even more.

I’m not fully convinced there’s a universal set of feels that works for everyone. What clicks for one person might do nothing for another.

So I treat feels as temporary tools, not permanent solutions.

Use them if they help. Drop them if they don’t.

The Swing You Trust Beats the Swing That Looks Good

I’ve seen players with technically beautiful swings struggle to score.

I’ve also seen players with unconventional swings play consistently solid golf.

The difference isn’t aesthetics. It’s trust.

If you trust your swing, you commit to it. If you’re constantly trying to adjust it to match something you saw online, that trust never builds.

You’re always in between versions of your swing.

And that’s a tough place to play from.

You’re Chasing the Wrong Goal

Copying a tour pro’s swing feels productive.

It looks like improvement. It gives you something concrete to work toward.

But it’s not the goal.

The goal is to hit the ball where you want, more often.

And that doesn’t require your swing to look like anyone else’s.

It requires you to understand your own tendencies, build something repeatable, and stop chasing positions that don’t belong to you.

That took me way longer to figure out than it should have.

Golfer at driving range during practice session

How to Practice Golf When You Only Have 30 Minutes

May 18, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Day I Rushed 100 Balls for No Reason

I once had exactly 30 minutes before sunset and decided to “make the most of it” by smashing through a full bucket.

Driver, iron, wedge, repeat. No plan. No pauses. Just swing, grab another ball, swing again.

By the end, I was sweating, slightly annoyed, and somehow hitting it worse than when I started.

That was the moment it hit me — more swings doesn’t mean better practice. It just means more swings.

You Don’t Have a Time Problem

You have a focus problem.

Thirty minutes is actually plenty of time to get something meaningful done. The issue is most people treat short practice sessions like mini versions of long ones.

They rush.

They skip thinking.

They turn it into speed golf on the range.

And all that does is reinforce whatever you’re already doing — good or bad.

Pick One Thing. Just One.

This is the rule I wish I followed years earlier.

If you’ve got 30 minutes, you don’t get to work on your driver, irons, wedges, putting, and mental game. That’s not practice, that’s chaos.

Pick one thing.

Maybe it’s solid contact with your irons. Maybe it’s starting your driver on line. Maybe it’s distance control with wedges.

One focus.

Why this matters: your brain actually needs repetition with intention to learn anything. If you keep switching, you’re resetting that process every few minutes.

You end up busy, not better.

Slow Down Between Shots

This feels wrong when you’re short on time.

You think you should hit more balls, faster.

Don’t.

Take a few seconds between shots. Step back. Pick a target. Rehearse what you’re trying to do.

Because on the course, you don’t get rapid-fire attempts. You get one shot, then you walk, think, and hit again.

If your practice doesn’t reflect that, you’re training a different game.

Start With Something Easy

This is one of those things I’d argue about with anyone.

Don’t start your 30-minute session with your hardest club.

Start with something you can hit reasonably well — a wedge or short iron.

Why?

Because you need to build some kind of rhythm first. If you start with driver and immediately hit a few bad ones, your brain goes into panic mode. Now you’re trying to fix everything at once.

Starting easy gives you a baseline.

You’re not trying to impress anyone. You’re trying to settle into something repeatable.

The 10-10-10 Approach That Actually Works

If you’ve got 30 minutes, break it into three chunks.

First 10 minutes: contact.

Pick a club and focus purely on clean strikes. Don’t care about distance or direction too much. Just solid contact.

Why this matters: without good contact, everything else falls apart. You’re building a foundation.

Next 10 minutes: target.

Now start picking specific targets and trying to hit them. Not just “out there somewhere.” A flag, a marker, a distance sign.

You’re training your ability to aim and execute.

Last 10 minutes: pressure.

This is where most people skip, and it’s a mistake.

Create a small challenge. Maybe you have to hit three shots in a row within a certain area before you leave. Or land two wedges inside a target zone.

Now your brain is engaged differently. There’s something on the line.

Practice without pressure doesn’t translate well to the course.

Stop Hitting the Same Shot Over and Over

I used to drop five balls in the same spot and hit the same shot five times.

Felt productive.

It wasn’t.

On the course, you don’t get five tries from the same lie. You get one. Then the situation changes.

So mix it up.

Different targets. Slightly different clubs. Change your intention between shots.

You’re training adaptability, not just repetition.

The One Thing That Surprised Me

I once spent an entire 30-minute session hitting half-swing wedge shots.

Didn’t touch a driver. Didn’t even hit a full iron.

That weekend, I played one of my best rounds in months.

Not because my wedges magically fixed everything, but because my contact improved across the board. My tempo felt better. My confidence was higher.

It carried over.

That surprised me.

You Don’t Always Need the Range

I’m not fully convinced the range is always the best place for a short session.

If you’ve got access to a putting green or chipping area, that might give you more value in 30 minutes.

Short game improvements show up in your score faster.

Ten solid chips and putts can save you more strokes than ten decent drives.

That’s not a popular take, but I stand by it.

Leave Before You Get Tired

This is a weird one.

If you only have 30 minutes, don’t stretch it to 40 or 50 just because you’re “in the groove.”

Fatigue changes your swing. Your timing slips. Your focus drops.

And now you’re practicing something different from what you started with.

It’s better to end on a few solid swings than to grind until things fall apart again.

What You Think About Matters More Than What You Do

You can hit 100 balls with no intention and get nowhere.

Or you can hit 30 balls with a clear focus and actually improve something.

Every shot should have a purpose. Even if it’s a simple one.

Start line. Contact. Distance. Tempo.

Something.

Otherwise, you’re just passing time.

And golf is already frustrating enough without wasting the little practice time you actually have.

Why Your Driver Is Not the Problem (And What Is)

March 22, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Day I Blamed the Club

I once bought a new driver on a Saturday morning and took it straight to the course.

First tee, wide open fairway, no pressure. I swung hard, watched the ball start left, curve even more left, and disappear into trees that shouldn’t have been in play.

Second hole, same thing. Third hole, worse.

By the turn I was convinced I’d made a mistake buying it.

So I switched back to my old driver on the back nine.

Exact same shots.

That was the day I started realizing something I didn’t want to admit: the club wasn’t the problem.

You Keep Changing Drivers, But Nothing Changes

This is the pattern I see all the time.

New driver. More forgiving. Bigger head. Better shaft. Supposedly more distance, tighter dispersion, whatever the marketing says this year.

And for a round or two, it feels better.

Then the same slice shows up. Or the same pull. Or that weak fade that goes nowhere.

Because the club didn’t cause it.

Your swing did.

I know that sounds obvious, but people will spend hundreds trying to fix a problem that comes from a movement pattern they’ve repeated thousands of times.

The Face Is Everything

If your drives are going left or right, it’s mostly about the clubface at impact.

Not your path. Not your stance. Not the brand stamped on the head.

The face.

If it’s open, the ball goes right. Closed, it goes left. The path just influences the curve.

I ignored this for years. I kept trying to “fix my swing path” because that’s what everyone talks about.

But my face was wide open at impact. It didn’t matter what my path was doing.

Once I started paying attention to the face, things started making more sense.

You’re Probably Trying to Hit It Too Hard

I’ll say it — most golfers swing their driver too hard.

Not in a controlled, athletic way. In a tense, all-or-nothing way.

And when you do that, your sequencing falls apart. Your timing gets rushed. The clubface becomes harder to control.

You might hit one bomb out of ten.

The other nine? Wild.

Try this: swing at about 80% effort and focus on making solid contact. Not faster, just better.

Why it works is simple — when you’re not maxing out, your body can stay in sync longer. The face has a better chance of returning square.

Distance comes from good contact, not just speed.

Your Setup Is Quietly Ruining Everything

This is one of those things people overlook because it feels too simple.

Ball position, tee height, alignment — they matter more than you think.

If the ball is too far forward, you might be catching it with an open face. Too far back, and you’re hitting down on it, which kills distance and control.

If your alignment is off, your brain will try to compensate mid-swing.

That’s chaos.

A good baseline: ball just inside your lead heel, tee it so half the ball sits above the driver, and make sure your shoulders are aligned where you actually want the ball to start.

It’s not glamorous, but it removes a lot of unnecessary problems.

The Slice Isn’t a Mystery

I used to think my slice just “happened.”

Like it was random.

It’s not.

A slice comes from a face that’s open relative to your swing path. That’s it. There’s no magic behind it.

The frustrating part is that your body often reacts to that slice by swinging more left, trying to compensate. Which actually makes the problem worse.

Now you’ve got an even more open face relative to your path.

Bigger slice.

Understanding this doesn’t instantly fix it, but it stops you from chasing the wrong solutions.

The One Thing That Surprised Me

I once spent a whole range session trying to fix my slice by adjusting my grip.

Stronger grip, weaker grip, neutral — I tried everything.

Nothing stuck.

Then I slowed my swing down and focused on where the face was pointing halfway through the downswing.

It was still wide open.

That’s when it clicked — the issue wasn’t just my grip. It was how I was delivering the club.

The face wasn’t magically squaring itself at impact. I had to actually learn how to control it through the swing.

That realization changed how I practiced.

You Don’t Need a Perfect Swing

This is another hill I’ll die on.

You don’t need a technically perfect swing to hit good drives.

You need a repeatable one.

If you can consistently deliver a reasonably square face with a predictable path, you can play good golf. Even if it doesn’t look pretty.

Chasing perfect positions, copying swings you see online — that’s a long road with no guarantee at the end.

Control matters more than aesthetics.

I’m Still Not Fully Sure About Equipment

To be fair, equipment does matter… a bit.

The right shaft can help. The right loft can help. A forgiving head can make mishits less punishing.

But I’m not convinced it solves the core issues most golfers have.

It might reduce the damage. It won’t fix the cause.

So yeah, get fitted if you can. Use something that suits your swing.

Just don’t expect it to fix a face that’s consistently open or closed at impact.

Practice Needs to Change

Most driver practice is just hitting balls as hard as possible and hoping something clicks.

That’s not practice.

Try hitting a few shots where your only focus is starting the ball on a specific line. Not distance. Not curve. Just start direction.

Why?

Because start direction is heavily influenced by the face. You’re training awareness and control.

Then build from there.

You’re not just trying to hit it far. You’re trying to hit it where you intended.

The Real Problem Nobody Wants to Admit

It’s easier to blame the driver.

Easier to think the club is outdated, not forgiving enough, not suited for your swing.

Because if it’s the club, you can fix it with a purchase.

If it’s your swing, you have to put in the work.

And that’s where most people stop.

They’d rather swap equipment than deal with the frustration of learning something new.

I get it.

I did the same thing.

How to Stop Chunking Your Irons (And Why It Keeps Happening)

February 14, 2025 / tomsgolftips / 0 Comments

The Shot That Made Me Want to Quit

I once hit three fat iron shots in a row from the middle of the fairway.

Same distance. Same club. Same lie. Three completely different disasters.

The third one barely made it past the ladies’ tees, and I remember looking down at the ground thinking, how is there even that much dirt attached to my club?

That was the moment it hit me — chunking irons isn’t random. It feels random, but it’s not. There’s always a reason. Usually the same one, over and over again.

You’re Not Hitting the Ball — You’re Hitting the Ground First

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you’re chunking your irons, your low point is behind the ball.

That’s it.

Everything else — your swing thoughts, your grip, your tempo — might matter, but if the bottom of your swing is happening before the ball, you’re going to hit the ground first. Every time.

The goal with irons is simple: ball first, then turf.

Not at the same time. Not “kind of close.” Ball first.

Most people know that. I knew that. Didn’t help.

Because knowing it and actually doing it are two very different things.

The Mistake I Made for Way Too Long

I used to think chunking meant I was swinging too steep.

So I tried to “sweep” the ball more.

That made it worse.

What surprised me — and I’m still slightly annoyed it took me so long to figure this out — is that chunking is often the result of trying to help the ball into the air. Leaning back, flipping the hands, trying to lift it.

You’re basically telling your body: “Don’t hit down.”

And your body listens.

So it moves the bottom of the swing back… right behind the ball… straight into the ground.

Weight Shift Isn’t Optional

If your weight is hanging back on your trail foot when you hit the ball, you’re asking for a chunk.

Simple as that.

At impact, your weight should be mostly on your lead foot. Not slightly. Mostly.

This is one of those things people hear all the time and still don’t actually do. I didn’t. I thought I was shifting forward, but on video I looked like I was waiting for a bus on my back foot.

Here’s a quick feel that helped me: try hitting a few half shots where you start with about 70% of your weight on your front foot and keep it there the whole time.

No shifting back. No swaying.

It feels weird. It might even feel wrong.

But suddenly the ground contact starts happening after the ball.

That’s not a coincidence.

Your Eyes Might Be Lying to You

This one is strange, and I’m not 100% certain why it works, but I’ve seen it help a lot of people.

If you’re chunking, there’s a good chance your head is drifting back during the swing. Not dramatically — just enough to move your low point.

Try this: focus on keeping your head more centered or even slightly forward through impact.

Not dipping. Not lunging. Just… not drifting backward.

For some reason, this alone can clean up contact almost immediately. I’ve seen it happen in one range session.

I don’t fully understand all the mechanics behind it, but I know what it does.

Stop Trying to Be “Smooth”

This is probably the opinion I’d argue with anyone about.

People chunk irons because they’re trying to be too smooth.

They slow everything down, guide the club, try to “place” the ball. It sounds controlled, but it usually kills your ability to get through the shot.

Good iron strikes aren’t gentle.

They’re committed.

You don’t need to swing harder, but you do need to swing through. There’s a difference. When you decelerate or hesitate, the club bottoms out early. That’s when you get that heavy, thudding contact.

A better thought: swing to a finish, not to the ball.

The ball just happens to be in the way.

The Ground Is Telling You Everything

If you pay attention to your divots, they’ll tell you exactly what’s going on.

No divot at all? You’re probably catching it thin or picking it clean (which isn’t always good with irons).

Big chunk before the ball? Low point is behind it.

A shallow divot starting just after the ball? That’s what you want.

I ignored this for years. I’d hit five bad shots in a row and never once look at the ground pattern.

It’s like trying to fix your car without opening the hood.

One Drill That Actually Helped

Forget complicated drills for a second.

Draw a line on the ground — or use a natural mark on the range — and practice hitting the ground after that line.

No ball at first.

Just swing and try to make your divot start in front of the line.

This forces your low point forward. You can’t fake it.

Then put a ball just behind that line and try to replicate the same thing.

If you can consistently strike the ground after the line, you physically can’t chunk the shot.

It’s one of the few drills that directly targets the real problem instead of dancing around it.

It’s Not Always One Thing

Here’s the part nobody likes: chunking usually isn’t caused by just one mistake.

It’s a combination.

A little weight staying back. A bit of early release. Maybe some tension. Maybe a slight sway. None of them look dramatic on their own, but together they move your low point just enough to ruin the shot.

That’s why it feels inconsistent.

You’re not hitting it fat every time, just often enough to lose trust.

And once that doubt creeps in, things spiral quickly.

The Fix Isn’t Pretty, But It Works

You’re going to have to exaggerate things at first.

More weight forward than feels normal. More commitment through the shot than you’re used to. Maybe even a few shots that feel like you’re hitting down too much.

That’s okay.

Because right now, your “normal” is producing chunked shots.

You’re not trying to find perfect. You’re trying to move away from what’s not working.

And when you finally catch one clean — ball first, then turf, that crisp sound — you’ll know exactly what you did differently.

The frustrating part?

You’ll wonder why it ever felt so complicated in the first place.