Lessons - Long Fairway Shots
You will play this shot on more than half the holes in a round. If you can nail down the technique for this shot you will see a tremendous difference in all areas of your game. Before you read this you should ensure you have swing nailed down. For more information on the finer details of your swing, visit our Learning the Basics section.
The most important thing to remember here is to swing naturally. Time after time, I see beginners, trying to murder the ball when they have to hit a longer shot. Almost every time, this will have an adverse affect on your shot. To start with, as you should do every time, visualize your shot. Imagine, the exact path and direction you ball will take. Then take your stance, with your feet just a bit further apart than usual. Focus on you target. The slightest inaccuracy in the direction of your ball will be magnified because of the distance of you shot. It can be fairly difficult to line up your ball with a target two hundred yards in the distance. As you gain experience, this will become easier. In the mean time however, a good tip to get round this is to pick your target, then track the line back to your ball. Whilst doing this, you should look for another object in line with your target. You can then line you ball up with this object which is closer, making it easier to gain a higher level of accuracy. Now you have your ball lined up, settle yourself. Then slowly swing back, and sweep the ball away into the distance. Another important point, is do not hover over the ball for too long. Once you have taken you stance, and lined up the ball, do not waste time. This only gives negative thoughts the chance to sneek in.
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