10 Common Long Game Pitfalls & How To Avoid Them
Long game in golf is arguably one of the more important skills that you must equip yourself with. Essentially, you would be hitting quite a few long shots throughout the round and you need to make sure you hit them straight! However, amateur players tend to commit the same errors that really cost them the round. Here are 10 common long game pitfalls and some tips on how to avoid them:
- Over swinging
- Driver EVERYTIME!
- Swinging too hard
- Rushing downswing
- Failure to assess wind
- Failure to assess lie
- Poor confidence
- Choosing the wrong club
- Not playing safe
- Not rotating hips
The idea is to hit the ball longer, but you are promoting inaccuracy. Never over swing with your long clubs or you would be risking quality strike. Avoid this by having a swing thought of swinging shorter.
On the tee, it would be tempting to hit driver all the time, but that could cost you dearly. Make sure you know what’s happening. To avoid mistakes, evaluate the situation and pick the best club.
Swinging hard doesn’t mean you will hit it farther. In fact, it would put your body out of sync and you will struggle with hitting the ball! Avoid this mistake by just swinging it smoothly.
One of the more common mistakes would be to rush the downswing. Make sure you have completed your backswing before you start your downswing! That’s the swing thought – take a bit more time.
The further away from the hole you are, the more likely the ball will be affected by the wind. That’s why you must assess the wind beforehand! Don’t make the rookie mistake of being lazy.
It might be a good idea to hit 3-wood from 220 yards, but it’s certainly bad if you were in the rough! Know your own situation before you choose the club.
That’s one of the worst pitfalls! If you want to hit a shot then just hit it! Being low in self-confidence would certainly hurt your game. Improve it by repeatedly reinforcing that you can play a certain shot!
When you’re given a choice of hitting a full 7-iron or a soft 6-iron, most people would choose to hit a all-out 7-iron. But the pros would go for a soft 6-iron. The reason is simple – it gives more accuracy.
It might be good to go for the flag every time, but when you are 230 yards out with hazards everywhere; it might be a good idea to lay-up. Working on your course management would improve this!
Somehow, people’s hips just stop rotating sometimes. That’s really going to hurt your game, as it would promote inaccurate shots and even huge distance losses. Make sure you keep the thoughts of ‘rotation’ all the time!