Colin Montgomerie has spent an impressive 37 years as a tour professional, amassing a truly astonishing 54 wins and eight order-of-merit titles. Monty has cemented himself as a legend of the game, and the former World No.2 is someone all amateur golfers can learn from.
Whether you are struggling to get your handicap to come down, you keep leaving putts short on the green, or you are finding it difficult to add power and distance to your tee shots... Monty has got you covered.
In this article, World Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie shares five tee-to-green tips that can help you to play better golf this weekend...
1. Driving
When driving, the first thing you should do is find the perfect golf grip pressure, specifically by having light hands at address. Most amateurs strangle the club and don’t allow themselves to get back far enough to turn and hit the ball properly.
If you’re not turning fully, you’re not going to be able to generate the speed you need for that club. With the driver, you have to be able to turn properly to get it out there and give it a proper stripe. It’s a speed game right now, and a solid shoulder turn is key.
2. Keys To Good Scoring
I think the key is to not get ahead of yourself, first and foremost. You’ve got to do your best on every shot. I averaged around 68 shots per round in my career, and it’s always great to average that – as you’re going to win a few tournaments. But, it’s a matter of starting your rounds off strongly and you do that by consistently hitting fairways.
I was never the longest in my day and Bernhard Langer was never the longest out here on the Champions Tour. But if you hit the fairways and you hit the greens then you’ll have a birdie putt, and that’s what I was doing. I think I gave myself a birdie putt about 16 times a round, and I would hole four of them.
You add that up over four rounds and you’re looking at 16-under each week, and that would often be good enough for a top-five and sometimes a win. For you at home, you just want to eliminate the big mistakes and that’s the key thing to scoring well each time you tee it up.
3. Bunker Shots
With bunker shots, unfortunately, a lot of people walk the 150 yards towards the bunker in a complete panic. They get overtaken by a great fear about what’s going to happen on their next shot.
It’s actually quite an easy shot as long as you open the clubface. People go into a bunker with a closed clubface and either dig the ball or thin it. Amateurs are just too fearful of opening the clubface up – so making 60˚ of loft about 80˚ and then swinging from there. It’s amazing the difference that makes.
But a lot of amateurs also don’t follow through on their bunker shots. You can do all the right things you have to do in the bunker, but if you don’t follow through, the ball’s not coming out. Just be confident enough to follow through when you stand over your bunker shots – it’s imperative.
4. Chipping
In chipping, it’s so crucial to have light hands. People strangle the club – they’re short in the backswing, then quick and jerky. You especially need to have a deft touch and great feel when chipping.
I would encourage anybody to go and practise with very light hands. It takes the strain and stress out of the forearms and allows you to really feel the weight of the clubhead.
If you can feel the weight of the clubhead, you can swing with purpose, allow yourself to follow through and accelerate through impact – that’s the key with chips. But you can’t do that with heavy hands on the grip of your wedge – you’ve got to have light hands.
5. Putting
A lot of people say ‘I knew I was going to miss that’ after they miss a putt on the course. To a professional, that kind of thinking is no good. That self-fulfilling prophecy mindset doesn’t work when you have a putter in your hands.
We have to start with a belief that it’s going to go in. If you’re confident of doing anything in the game, you’re half way to achieving it. If you’re confident over a putt, you can then make it.
So, please be over the ball thinking it’s going to go in, as the ball has no idea who’s hitting it, whether it’s Tiger or just some guy on a golf course. The ball has no memory, so be confident and let yourself believe on each putt.
