The Bladed Wedge – Warren Thomas

Have you ever hit a great shot to a back pin and found your ball lying right against the back rough??? If so, this is how you should approach that shot. Take your highest lofted club which most likely will be your lob wedge, take your putting grip, and hit the shot like you hit a putt. Make sure to put the ball in the middle of your stance, choke up a bit and make sure to stay really still when taking the shot. Generally this will allow the ball to gentle roll towards the hole and you should have a chance at your par. A lot of golfers will try to chip it or use their putter and the club gets caught in the rough which generally creates a bad outcome. So take your lob wedge and hit it like a putt for better results….

Picking the right club is the key – Andrew Baines

Ever hit a shot that you thought was great, only to have it sail over the back of the green, or plug into the front bunker?
Most players when their ball it at the 150 yard marker, will automatically reach for their 7 iron or their 150 yard club, however, rarely is that shot actually 150 yards.
Before picking what club to hit, we must take into account several considerations.
1. Pin location – a front or back pin could add or subtract up to 15 yards
2. Slope - a gentle uphill slope would be about 1 club or 10 yards a more severe slope may add over 20 yards. The opposite will happen when faced with a downhill shot
3. Wind – a gentle breeze is usually worth an extra club, a moderate breeze could be worth 2 clubs and a “Cobble Beach breeze” could be worth 3 or more clubs

From the 150 yard marker to an uphill green, into the breeze to a back pin could play more like 180 yards. That’s a long way to hit a 7 iron!
Taking all of these factors in to consideration will help us hit our approach shots consistently closer to the hole

Visualize Short Game Shots – Mike McHardy

When chipping and pitching it is important to draw a picture in you head and visualize your ball reacting on the green. Start by picking a spot that you intend to land your golf ball. By visualizing your shot first, you will have already chosen your desired trajectory and speed. Do this every time to instill added confidence and consistency around the greens.