Ever wonder what’s the toughest shot in golf?

Candidates abound. There’s the restricted swing, the controlled fade, and the feet inside/ball outside fairway bunker shot, as well as the ball in the rough on an upslope, the double breaking putt, and the traditional flop shot. Truth is, every one has his or her own set of tough shots.

You may have covered them in golf lessons or read about them in golf tips, but you still can’t hit them. They intimidate you and add strokes to your golf handicap. Below are my candidates for the five toughest shots in golf. See if you agree. Some players consider driver off the deck the toughest shot in golf. Many golfers never use this shot. The just read about it in golf tips.

But in the right situation, it can help.

The problem is your driver has the least amount of loft, so it’s hard getting the ball in the air. If you hit up on the ball, you’ll probably mis-hit. The only way to get the ball in the air is to cut the shot. Play the ball off your front heel and aim 15 yards left of your target (right for left-handers).

Then swing across the ball, instead of down on it. Feel like you’re pulling your right hand toward you’re left hip on the way down.

The Plugged Bunker Lie

Other players consider the plugged bunker lie the toughest shot in golf. It’s certainly a candidate. Since you’re ball is buried in the sand, you can’t hit the typical sand blast you learned in golf lessons. There’s too much sand. Instead, come down hard into the impact zone.

You should feel like you’re jamming the heel of the club into the bunker with the toe pointed at the sky. If you keep your hands low to the ground through impact, you’ll create an explosion big enough to unplug the ball and escape the bunker. Then there’s the severe downslope from the rough. The hill’s slope moves the bottom of your swing arc back, making it easy to catch the ball fat or thin.

The rough compounds any errors you make. Set your body level with the lie by tilting your torso to the left (right for left-handers) until your front shoulder sits lower than your back shoulder. Now swing. Don’t hang back to fight the pull of gravity. Doing that moves your swing arc back even farther and makes missing the ball a real possibility. This shot isn’t always addressed in golf instruction sessions, but it’s so tough maybe it should be. One of Two Bunker Shots For my money, the toughest shot in golf comes down to one of two shots.

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1) Pitch It Close Every Time

Forget about those booming drives. If you can’t pitch it close, you’ll never go low. Ask any pro. But some weekend golfers hit short pitches because they don’t know how to control the distance of their shots. So from 30 yards, they’re vulnerable. If your pitch shots fall short or fly too long, you maybe using the same swing for every pitch or you consider the pitch swing the same as a small full swing.

Neither method works. Below is an alternative to these methods:

1. Set the club early in the backswing

2. Then turn all the way through

3. Hold your finish at backswing height

4. Open the face for high pitches

5. Close the face for lower pitches

The set and hold method encourages consistent contact and consistent distance control—exactly what you need to pitch it close. Follow these steps: Take the club back as you normally do, but hinge your wrists early in the process. For a 30-yard pitch, that’s about hip high.

Once you’ve done that, commit to accelerating through the ball. Not accelerating through the ball is a common pitching mistake. Keep the angle between the clubshaft and your front forearm. Then, use your body to do the rest. For a high pitch shot, play the ball forward in your stance and open the clubface the appropriate distance. Aim a few feet to the left of your target (right for left-handers).

For a lower pitch shot, play the ball toward your back foot and close the clubface down a few degrees. Aim a few feet to the right of your target. The set and hold technique gives you a consistent, predictable shot. You don’t need to release or use a lot of arms. Practice the shot from about 30 yards out and before you know it, you’ll be pitching it close almost every time.

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“Band-aids” are a necessary part of the game—especially if you want to keep your golf handicap low. Band-aids are quick on-course fixes that correct swing flaws. They’re not permanent solutions.

Designed to work only one day, band-aids help you salvage a bad day on the course. They also help tide you over until you can take some golf lessons to correct your problems. Once the round is over, you can consult your teaching pro or review your library of golf tips to see what you should change.

When weekend golfers have a bad day, the cause is often found either in their set-up, their take away, or at the top of their swing. For example, weekend golfers often flex their knees too much when setting up to hit the ball. This can play havoc with your swing. Fixing set up flaws on-course can turn what could become a bad day into a not so bad day. The key is finding the flaw first, as I say in my golf instructions sessions.

Once you’ve done that, you can then make the proper adjustments. Below are the key checkpoints to review on bad days: CB Advertisement Shoulders And Hips To increase the chance of a solid, on-line shot, you must set up with feet, knees, and shoulder parallel to the target line. It’s easy to allow the shoulders to rotate open at address when you’re having a bad day. Take one of your long irons from your bag and line up the shaft at a target, with the butt end positioned where you would normally place a ball. Align your body parallel to the club.

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1) How To Drain 15-Footers

Alignment is a precursor to your shot. If you’re not aligned properly in the box or on the fairway, you’ll be away with your shot. The same holds true in putting—especially when it comes to mid-range putts. If your putterface points open just a degree left or right of your intended target on a 15-footer, you’ll miss the hole by three inches.

If you want to drain more 15-footers, aligning yourself to the hole is key. Below are six keys to a dead on alignment method:

1. Hold your putter with your dominant hand

2. Stand behind the ball with your putter

3. Walk to the ball holding your putter in one hand

4. Set the putter behind the ball

5. Keep your eyes on your line the entire time

6. Turn your eyes down to the ball If your read is right, you have a good chance of draining mid-range putts.

The best way to make sure your read is right is by aligning yourself with the hole. Start by taking the putter in your dominant hand. Then walk behind the ball to determine your line. Make sure you’re directly behind the ball. Now walk to the hole, holding the putter in your hand. Keep your eyes on your line.

Set your putter behind the ball and point the face at the target. Keeping your eyes on your line, take your stance and place your other hand on the grip. Once you’re settled in, turn your eyes down. Look at the hole to identify distance and pull the trigger. Once you set the putter down, don’t re-aim it. You’re already aligned it dead straight. Practice this method a few times to you nail it down. Once you do, it will help you drain more 15-footers.

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1) How To Squat For Power

There are certain techniques that pro golfers weekend golfers you shouldn’t use. The reason: Weekend golfers lack the athleticism to use them. On the other hand, there are certain techniques that pro golfers make that weekend golfers can—and should—copy. Squatting for power is one.

Many pro golfers make this move to add yards to their drives. It’s Tiger Woods signature move and a key reason he’s able to drive the ball a ton. Here are seven keys to making an effective power squat:

1. Squeeze your shoulder blades

2. Keep your arms near your body

3. Drop your hands straight down

4. Turn your hips to the left

5. Flex the knees slightly

6. Throw your arms past the ball

7. Point your right shoulder at the target Once your set up, flex your knees slightly and move your weight over the balls of your feet.

Then, squeeze your shoulder blades together and relax your neck muscles, encouraging your arms to extend naturally. Keep your arms close to your body as you go into your backswing and rotate your left arm as you near the top. At the top, keep your torso turned by the same amount as you start to pivot your hips toward the target. This sends your torque sky-high. Flex your knees downward ever so slightly, as if you were going to sit down.

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1) Perfect Your Posture For Better Swings

It gets harder to change bad habits the longer you have them. So you need to correct them as soon as you discover them. Otherwise, they’ll become ingrained and you’ll never root them out. If bad habits plaque your swing and you’re looking to make a change, the best place to start is with your posture.

Good posture increases the chances of striking the ball solidly. Below are five keys to good posture:

1. Keep your spine straight through the swing

2. Bend forward from your waist

3. Keep your knees flexed but not too much

4. Place your kneecaps over your insteps

5. Point your fingertips outside your shoes You address position greatly impacts your swing.

If your looking to perfect your swing or get rid of bad habits, a good place to start is with your posture. Good posture increases your changes of hitting the ball on the sweet spot. To check your posture, set up to an imaginary ball. Relax your body and let your arms hang straight down.

Your posture is good if your kneecaps are over the insteps of your feet and your fingertips point to the tips of your shoes. If your fingertips point inside the tips of your shoes, you’re too upright. If the point outside the tips of your shoes, you’re bent over too far and your too flat.

Also, keep an eye on your knees. Many golfers don’t flex their knees enough. In addition, make sure your spine is straight and that you’re bending forward from the waist to avoid slumping your shoulders. If you’re unhappy with your swing or you’ve developed bad habits and you’re looking to make a change, start with your posture.If you’re set up with good posture, your chances of hitting balls crisply greatly increase.

2) Putting Up A Tier

A long putt of about 40 feet up a tier is tricky. We tend to leave the putt short on the first tier well below the hole. If the slope is high enough, the ball may even roll back to you. Either way, you’ll probably three-putt or four-putt. If you play on a course with numerous tiered greens, leaving these types of putts short can really cost you. But staying true to your stroke fundamentals provides the solid contact you need to get the ball to the hole.

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1) Draining Breaking Downhill Putts

Has this ever happened to you: You blew past the pin on a breaking downhill putt on one hole, then on the next breaking downhill putt, you leave it short. That’s because you probably were focusing on the hole, which can get you in trouble. Breaking downhill putts can intimidate you. But they don’t have to.

You can conquer them if you make a slight re-adjustment in your thinking and make some adjustments. Below are six keys to sinking slick downhill putts:

1. Forget about the hole

2. Read the slope carefully

3. Try envisioning the break

4. Identify the speed spot

5. Make a commitment

6. Use a nice rhythmic stroke The key to draining slick downhill putts that break is to forget about the hole.

Aiming for it increases your chances of blowing past the hole. Instead follow these steps: Start by walking halfway between the ball and the hole to get a sense of the green’s slope. Try envisioning how the ball will behave. Where it will break? How far will you need to hit the ball before the slope can carry it the rest of the way?

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