I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Cody Wheeler, a respected PGTAA Teaching Professional and the creator of The Ultimate Short Game.

Like most golfers, I am always looking for a way to improve my golf game. There is so much instructional information on golf; it’s hard to sort through it all.

Cody’s eBook titled The Ultimate Short Game has been helping hundreds of golfers improve their short game and I know it will help yours.

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As golfers, we have all had to play under windy conditions. The wind changes directions from hole to hole and always seems to be blowing in the wrong direction.

Playing in windy conditions can be a very trying experience for many golfers, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Growing up in Ohio, we had to deal with hills and trees more than the wind. When I moved to S. Florida I discovered a whole new challenge because of the windy conditions. When you live near the ocean, there is always wind to contend with.

Here are a three tips that I learned for playing under windy conditions.

Keep the Ball Low – this may sound like a no brainer, but unless you have had to play into 25 mile an hour winds you don’t really appreciate how important this really is.

I found that by choking down on the golf club about a half an inch and shaping my swing with a shorter follow thru that I was able to keep my golf shots on a low trajectory.

Choose you Golf Club Wisely – it is natural to want to pull out the driver when you are teeing off. You want to drive the golf ball as far down the fairway as possible. Under windy conditions this may not be the correct choice of golf club.

The most important thing is keeping the golf ball in play. If you get the golf ball in the air off the tee and there is any fade or hook, the wind will exaggerate that movement. This will usually end up with your next golf shot being out of the rough, in the trees or worse, out of play.

Play the Wind – throughout your round, the wind will be blowing in different directions. Take time to assess wind direction.

If the wind is against you, then you will need to play more club than you normally would. What I have found, is that we tend to underestimate the effects the wind will have on the golf ball. Play one more club than you think you will need, choke down a bit and shorten your follow thru.

If the wind is with you, then you will need to play less club than normal. In either case, most amateur golfers will miscalculate the effects of the wind. When the wind is to your back, take one less club and shorten your follow thru to keep the golf ball from getting up in the wind.

When you are out playing under windy conditions, give these tips a try.

For more tips on improving your golf game, check out: Trouble Shots

Having to play a shot out of deep thick rough has to be one of the hardest trouble shots in golf. Depending on how the lie is there is so much that can go wrong, you are never sure how the ball is going to come out.

There are some things you can do to escape the rough. You will need to make adjustments in your setup to accommodate the type of lie you have.

Here are 5 tips you can use when playing out of the deep stuff

1. Club Selection – If the grass is growing away from the target, take one more club than you would normally play for the distance if you were in the fairway. Position the ball a little further back in your stance. If the grass is growing towards your target, then take one less club than normal.

2. Stand closer to the ball – This will help you swing the golf club more vertically. This will get the golf club in and out of the grass more quickly, reducing the overall effect the grass will have on your golf club.

3. Open the club face – You cannot stop the grass from grabbing the hosel and closing the club face, so this will help offset the effect the grass will have on the golf club.

4. Grip the club tighter – Because the grass will grab and twist the golf club on the downswing, you need to have a tighter grip on the golf club to minimize the effect.

5. Cock your wrists – When playing out of the deep rough, you want to come down sharply to minimize the time the club face is in contact with the grass before striking the golf ball.

Having to play out of the deep rough is never an easy task. Follow these 5 tips for playing out of the deep rough and you will find these golf shots a bit easier to deal with.

For more tips on playing those trouble shots, Click Here!

Golfers are always trying to develop consistency on the golf course. We spend hours at the driving range working on our golf swings. When you are at the driving range your golf swing thoughts are an important part of your routine.

Although golf instructors may differ on which golf swing thoughts are best when playing, they all agree on one thing: Thoughts like “Keep your elbow tucked in,” Finish with your belt buckle facing the target,” or “Keep your head still” only foul up your swing when playing.

It’s not that these thoughts are bad, they are helpful and you will find that when practicing these thoughts will help you develop a more consistent golf swing. Many instructors will design entire sessions around focusing on one of the thoughts above.

The problem is that many golfers will carry these thoughts out to the golf course with them. Many times when we are playing we start to focus on golf swing mechanics. This is definitely something you don’t want to do when you are playing golf.

When you are out playing, focus on your target and don’t worry about your golf swing mechanics. If you have put in the practice, your subconscious will do the rest. Create a mental picture of what you want to have happen with your shot. Visualize the flight and landing of your golf ball and keep that thought in your mind during the swing.

If you are the type of golfer that needs that golf swing thought as a reminder, keep it simple. Many PGA pros focus on a single thought, which eliminates thoughts about swing mechanics.

For example, when Ernie Els is preparing for his next shot, his thoughts are “Low and slow.” That’s it. He doesn’t worry about where his hands are, or where his body is going to end up. Instead, he focuses on taking the golf club back low and slow, eliminating everything else.

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