Justin Rose is a name synonymous with class, brilliant ball-striking and unforgettable moments, so who better to learn from than one of the best in the business? As a former US Open Champion, who has finished inside the top-3 at every major in his career, he has more experience and knowledge than most.
In this article, Justin Rose shares five tee to green tips that will help you make better decisions and shoot lower scores...
Driving
I often see people trying to hit the ball too hard with the driver, and they try to hit it hard from the top of their swing. You should try to make the fastest part of your swing feel like it’s a foot past the ball.
You’re always going to be fast at the ball, but I feel like if you make the fastest part of your swing a foot past the ball, it stops you from getting very quick at the top; you hold a little bit more angle and lag in your swing.
When you do that, you have more chance of hitting the inside of the ball and creating a draw. When people hit from the top, they tend to slice the ball. That’s not what you want.
Irons
The biggest thing with irons is the strike. A lot of people like hitting off turf or range mats, but when you get on the tight grass, everything changes. The biggest thing is you want to stay really centred in your backswing.
A lot of amateurs make their turn and then they’ll start to drift off the ball to the right, but you want to feel like you’re really extending your back and staying in a straight line. I have a tendency to move off the ball a touch, so that’s always a work in progress.
Chipping
Visualisation is key, and an important part of your pre-shot routine. If you were to throw the ball, where would you have to land it for it to have the right amount of energy to run out to the pin? The higher you throw it, the quicker it’s going to stop; the lower you throw it, the more it’s going to run off.
Having that sort of visualisation gives you the chance to pick the right club, so you can hit the right chip shot. Seeing the shot you want before you play is key, because chipping is all about feel and touch. If you give your brain some good inputs and visualisation, your body will have half a chance of executing.
Putting
Going with more of a metronomic vibe with your putting is important. I feel like people who struggle with their putting seem to be mostly out of rhythm. They’ve got a very slow backswing and then they hit the ball, or a very fast backswing and they decelerate through impact.
It’s very hard to control either of those strokes. One thing I work really hard on is the rhythm of my putting. I feel like I’m coasting through impact – there’s no ‘hit’ and the ball just gets in the way.
Also, you want to take out the hands as much as you can with putting. If you create a great rhythm, there’s not as much acceleration required from your hands, so your putting will improve as a result.
Mental Game
You want to ask yourself ‘what does a good shot look like?’ It can be that simple. Tell yourself you see a little draw into this left- hand pin placement, maybe starting on the sign behind the green and falling left.
As soon as you say that, you’re giving yourself loads and loads of positive inputs, but if you walk into the ball without much of a clue then what chance do you have? A few things will happen because you start with a good intention.
I can put the ball a little further back in my stance for the draw. When you match the sensation of a brilliantly executed shot with a picture that you’ve seen, those are the moments you take home and that keep you coming back.
