8 basic mistakes most golfers make… and how to fix them!

By following these simple drills you will stop making errors on the course that are costing you shots

1 Play the percentages

Golf is often a game of managing mistakes. If you can minimise the damage when you don’t hit the ball exactly where you are aiming, your handicap will quickly improve. A great way to approach this is when you pick your target, imagine the centre circle of a football pitch around that target. If that circle comes into contact with any trouble (sand, water, thick rough), move your aim until it doesn’t. This means that often you are aiming slightly away from the flag or the perfect spot on the fairway. That’s fine - this is the smart way to build a score.

2 Knowing your distances

Every golfer needs to develop a clear understanding for how far they hit each club. The mistake that often gets made is that people base their club selection on their longest shot with each club. If you have access to a practice ground, hit a series of ten shots on a calm day with your 9-iron and walk out onto the practice ground and place your bag in the middle of the bunch of shots. Then walk back to where you hit from and laser the yardage. Repeat that for each club. The key is to take your yardages not from your best or worst shot, but somewhere in the middle.

3 Backswing stability