21 April, 2008
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Lee McLaughlan & Matthew Millard
The Cast
Top Coach
Gary Alliss, head professional at The Belfry, PGA Cup captain and PGA Master Professional
Hacker 1
Lee McLaughlan (Macca) - PGA.info writer
Hacker 2
Matthew Millard (Milly) - PGA.info writer
The Challenge
Too many golfers ignore the benefits of lessons. Over the winter months Lee and Matt have received regular expert tuition from Gary to improve both the quality and enjoyment of their respective games and also to demonstrate that investing in lessons can be as valuable as money spent on new equipment.
The Bet
£10 - Macca and Milly will put all their winter coaching to the test with a one off winner takes all strokeplay challenge at the PGA National in April.
Act Six Scene II - As the big match nears Milly gets a few pointers on strategy
Over the past six months Gary Alliss has improved every area of our game but with the showdown rapidly approaching it's time to look at the mental side of golf.
While good technique is clearly important in performing well, strategy and course management could be pivotal so Gary has given us some advice on the best way to go into the match and plot our way around the challenging PGA National Course at The Belfry:
On teeing off
From the moment you stand on that tee you've got to plan how you want to play the hole. See where the pin is, if it's on the right side of the green then you want to get down the left side of the fairway so you can get a shot at it with your second.
When Ben Hogan used to play he would break all of the holes down into par threes and would aim his tee shot to land where the imaginary tee would be, then play it as a par three.
You don't have to smash the ball miles from the tee box, if you get on the short grass and into a position of attack you're fine.
It's not all about distance, if you just walked 180 yards down the fairway onto the short grass with a decent line of attack the majority of amateurs would be able hit a good shot into the green.
You can't break a hole with a great tee shot, but you can blow it with a bad one. The main thing is to keep the ball in play. It sounds obvious but keep it on the short stuff and you'll give yourself a decent second shot.
Stick to your natural game. Even if the wind starts to get up don't try and hit it harder just concentrate on striking the ball exactly as you would normally do.
Always look to see where it would be better for the ball to land if it went wrong. For example, if there are trees on either side of the fairway, but one side is like a jungle, you would prefer to be the clear side so there's less chance losing your ball.
On going for the green
When it comes to your approach shot, which will hopefully be on the fairway, you don't necessarily have to attack the pin.
Aim for the safest part of the green and in fact if you play plump safely for the middle of the green every time you'll find you will score quite well.
This is especially true if there's an obstacle like a bunker between you and the pin. By going for the safe side of the green the worst that can happen is that you'll three putt but misjudge it and end up stuck under the lip of the bunker and it can be a big problem.
If you haven't managed to find the green but just off the edge and need to chip, have a good look at the putting surface before taking the chip on.
Think about things like trying to avoid leaving yourself with a downhill putt. Also if you putt better left to right then aim the stop the ball in a position that gives you that putt - always try to be one shot ahead all the time.
Break down scoring
I think breaking the course down into three lots of six is a very good way of approaching the game, particularly if you're marking a card. A lot of top players break it into six lots of three and aim to make a birdie every three holes.
If you break it into six and look to be one under your handicap every six holes you'll have done very well.
Different games require different strategies too, for example when playing stableford you should just concentrate on your own game even if you are going head-to-head with someone.
If it was a medal then it's a little bit more like matchplay, because if your opponent gets into real trouble you can take it a bit easier as you'll still beat their score. But with stableford, if you're struggling you'll just pick up and try again at the next hole. Just play your own game and keep accumulating points."