As we edge closer to the first major of the season, many amateur golfers will be dusting off their clubs and getting prepped for a big season of golf. In the pursuit of improvement, most of us will be scouring the internet for the best golf tips, but who better to learn from someone who has actually won The Masters?
In this article, 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir talks us through his five timeless tee to green tips that can help you improve your all around game...
Mike Weir's Tee To Green Tips: Driving
I would say load into your left side if you’re a left-hander or more into your right side if you’re a right-hander. I see a lot of people who have a false turn; they don’t get wound up enough. This could mean letting your lead foot come off the ground so you can get truly wound up.
As you get older, you start to lose a little of your mobility. Let that foot come off the ground to allow yourself to give a big and full turn – that’s the key thing for driving.
Iron Play
Make sure you swing within yourself. It’s not about distance and how far you hit a 6-iron and how far you hit a 9-iron. It’s trying to control those distances, so just remember to swing within yourself. Take a little more club and swing with some confident tempo and rhythm as that will help your distance control.
Ultimately, the thing with good iron players is that they control their distances very well. Playing with Vijay Singh over the years, that’s the one thing I’ve always marvelled at with him.
He is pin high so often. If you’re pin high a lot then you’re going to be close to the hole. So if you can be pin high a lot, that’s a good sign for you as an iron player.
Reading Greens
I’d say use your feet. You want to use your eyes but also feel the putt in your feet. When you’re paying close attention, you’ll get a lot of sensory perception from your feet and you can feel whether you’re uphill, downhill or sidehill.
So when you’re walking on the green, try to get a feel for whether you’re walking uphill to the hole. If you’re above the hole, it’s likely you’re going to have a downhill putt. So remember to feel it with your feet and not only with your eyes. Definitely use those other senses that you have.
Short Putts
I think you want to tell yourself to have a nice, smooth acceleration into the ball. Keep a steady head and a steady lower body. It helps to have an image of Arnold Palmer in your mind, with his knees knocked in and really bracing himself on these short putts.
Also, think of Gary Player. There was no movement at all in their lower body and I think that’s a really good mindset for short putting.
Bunker Shots
There are a lot of thoughts you could have over a bunker shot. I would say get anchored well. Get your feet dug in deep. Don’t be afraid to hit the sand. I think most people try to scoop it out. Make sure you really spank that sand, hit it an inch or two behind the ball and really be aggressive.
Without getting too technical, try to use the bounce of the club and really bounce it into the ball. When Gary Player hit them, it was like he was striking a match. You want that club to get in and out of the sand quickly and you’re striking a match to light the flame. You don’t want to slow down or that match won’t light.
