25 quick golf tips

1. Check your grip and alignment before every round. Most bad rounds start there.
2. Warm up. Even 5 minutes of stretching and a few swings helps.
3. Aim at the middle of the green, not the flag.
4. Take one more club than you think. Most amateurs come up short.
5. Keep your head steady and swing through the ball.
6. Putt to a spot, not just a hole.
7. Practise short game more than driving.
8. Play from tees that suit your length.
9. Take a few deep breaths when you are tense.
10. Use a pre-shot routine, and keep it the same every time.
11. Read the putt from the low side of the slope.
12. Chip with a putting-style stroke when you have little green to work with.
13. Hit a provisional ball if your first one might be lost.
14. Replace your divots and fix pitch marks.
15. Keep a spare ball and tees in your pocket.
16. Carry a towel and clean your clubs.
17. Check the wind with a few blades of grass or a look at the flag.
18. In cold weather, balls feel firmer and fly shorter. Take extra club.
19. Stay hydrated and eat a snack by the turn.
20. Mark your ball so you do not play someone else’s.
21. Play ready golf to keep pace.
22. Laugh at bad shots. It helps the next one.
23. Track fairways, greens and putts for a month. You will see where your game leaks shots.
24. Take a lesson. An hour with a pro is often worth more than ten hours alone.
25. Take a mulligan when it is a friendly game, and enjoy yourself.

General guidance for casual golfers. For personal coaching, book a lesson with a golf professional at your club or range.