How to Pitch like a Pro - Denis Pugh

Pitching

Good players use the length of swing and the ‘turnspeed' of their body to control their pitching distance. Using the ‘speedo' principle certainly gives you a good feeling to work on: i.e. for a 40-yard pitch shot your swing cue is 40 mph. For 60 yards, you up your speed to 60 mph. And for 80 yards – pretty much a full swing with a gap-wedge – swing at 80 mph.

While this may not be a new idea, it's still the best imagery to have in mind to control the distance you land the ball. And the key in all this is that the through-swing must always reflect the length of the backswing. So, as you see here, a 40 mph shot sees me swing from approximately hip-high to hip-high – a totally controlled motion.

Sixty takes it that little bit further, while 80 mph is my absolute max.

Next time you practise, grip down the shaft a little, establish good balance, and make what you feel is a controlled 40 mph swing. Working at that 40 mph speed will see you finish in a balanced position that ties-in perfectly with the backswing.

Depending on the loft of the club, that 40 mph swing might give you a shot of, say, 40 or 50 yards. That's your benchmark, and from there you can then up the tempo to gradually increase landing distance. A 6o mph swing with the same club might land the ball 60 - 70 yards, while 80 mph gives you a shot of 80-90 yards.

The key to all this is to recognise and get a feel for the speed of the swing that gives you this sort of control, leaving you with a professional short-game scoring system you can trust.

How to Clear a Bunker like a Pro - Denis Pugh

Sand Play

To be a good bunker player you have to learn to be fairly aggressive. And at the same time you have to have a clear understanding of the type of impact that you are trying to achieve with the sand. My advice on these regular greenside trap shots is to hit a lot further behind the ball than you have probably ever been told to do – but at the same time take a long shallow cut.

Typically, a lot of golfers struggle in this situation because (1) they aim to strike the sand far too close to the ball, and (2) they hit down too steeply – the inevitable result being they take too much sand from directly underneath the ball, rather than from either side. Without the consistency of a shallow ‘divot', there is no real control over the flight (if there is one).

The big feeling that can help you to overcome this problem is to hit the shot ‘fat-thin', and with a fairly stiff-wristed swing. Once you are set up to the shot you simply follow an orthodox in-tosquare- to-in path (i.e. swing along the line of your body). Trust it, and the ball will come out with a softer flight and less spin when it lands (so it runs like a chip). Like a pro, you are using ‘bounce' and creating much shallower impact.

How to Chip like a Pro - Denis Pugh

Chipping

The "BIG" feeling I want you to focus on with the chipping action is to turn your upper body over still legs. Nine times out of ten, mis-hits and generally poor ball control ball in the short game can be traced back to over-active legs and/or hands.

In order to develop a simple yet effective method that gives you total control over the delivery of the clubhead, you have to focus on turning your upper body over the stability of a ‘quiet' leg action.

For anyone suffering around the greens, I guarantee that this will transform your chipping action. The key is that, from the set-up, you gently turn your stomach and shoulders over fairly still legs (but not rigid).

All the wrist action you need is pre-set via the grip and in the way that you then ease your hands ahead of the ball as you settle down over the shot.
From then on you are looking to repeat this simple back and through stroke, the hands and forearms relaxed, passive throughout.

How to hit your irons - Denis Pugh

Iron Play

Golfers have heard all about the importance of getting their weight across and on to the right side in the backswing, which is perfectly correct with a driver (as per the previous page). But with the irons – and particularly the mid- to short irons – the danger is that in moving too far ‘off' the ball you risk losing the accuracy of your delivery coming back down.

Remember, you have to get back to the left side to strike the irons properly, which involves making sure that your body weight is centred more on top of the left foot as you hit the ball.
With a driver, if you can first get behind it and then stay behind it, you will enjoy flighting your tee-shots with a good powerful trajectory.

With the irons, if you get behind the ball and stay there, you are likely to hit it fat. To counter that, my advice is that you work on this feeling of being more on your left side throughout – i.e. staying more ‘on top of the ball'.

The big feeling you should go after is that of turning your upper body away from the target without consciously shifting your weight across on to your right side – i.e. turn more about the axis of your left hip.

Be aware that when you work on this you are going to feel more weight on your left side during the backswing than you have done before – even though your left heel may still come up off the ground a tad, as mine has (inset). That's perfectly OK, provided the left knee retains its ‘braced' position and that your weight is then fully on top of your left foot as you proceed to unwind through the ball.

How to Drive like a Pro - Denis Pugh

Driving

The key to solid driving is that you first get fully behind the ball as you wind up your backswing. Only then can your truly stay behind the ball as you unwind on the way back down. With the driver, one of the problems that I see a lot of amateurs struggle with is they get too far ahead of themselves on the way down, which results in the swing being too steep coming in to the ball.

For you to create the shallow swing path that you need to catch the ball at the very bottom of the arc, or even as the club begins to swing up, you have to make sure that you first get fully ‘loaded' up, then wait a moment, and be patient from the top.

Next time you play, think about turning over an axis that runs up through your right foot and right hip as you turn your upper body and really wind up your backswing. Get the left shoulder under your chin and fully behind the ball, your weight across into your right side.

From the top, the first move down is key: you have to ‘settle' into a position that frees the right side, and gives you the room then to accelerate the whole of your right side as you rotate hard through the ball.

As you change direction, a good feeling to have is that as you ‘squat' on to your right thigh you swing your right hand away from the right shoulder. Trust me, it won't actually happen, but a feeling of doing that – of ‘casting' the right hand and the club will encourage you to establish fantastic width as you make your way back to the ball.

Putt Like a Pro 3 - Pete Cowan

Blend backswing and through-swing into one smooth and continuous on-line stroke

What I most like about the Zen putter is that it teaches you not only to understand the basic principles of good putting but also to recognise the symptoms of basic faults as and when they creep into your stroke. The ‘Tracker' exercise that you see here is another example of the information the Zen can give you. The idea is that as you lengthen your stroke (and ideally you would rehearse this from further out, say 10 or 15 feet from the hole), you release the ball held within the aperture away from the hole to check the path of your backswing. The two faults pictured (Below) illustrate the problems that the Zen can help you to solve. We would all agree that the laws of physics dictate that the stroke runs very slightly inside the line going back (progressively so the longer the backswing) but this is much too severe (top left).

Fault: Too far inside	Fault: Outside the line
Ordinarily you would rehearse this ‘Tracker' exercise from 10 or 15 feet, where the length of the backswing would enable you to release the ball that is within the aperture away from the hole. But hopefully you get the drift; releasing the ball in this direction tells you all you need to know about the path of your backswing. Here it is too much inside the line, the released ball running severely inside the string.	Another common fault: the putter has this time wandered slightly outside the line going back, a fact that is immediately confirmed as the ball rolls under and to the outside outside of the string. Faults such as these require that you make compensations to get back on track – compensations that are never consistent.

I'm moving the putter too much on the inside and the released ball confirms it. In contrast, if the released ball cuts across the string and goes outside the line, that tells me I am taking the putter back outside. This instant feedback tells me what the problem is and what I have to work on. If the path of my stroke seems to be OK and yet I was still missing putts, I
would check the alignment of the putter-face. This will provide some more valuable information that you will be able to act on immediately.

Making that solid pendulum stroke – built up on sound fundamentals – sees the putter track beautifully back and forth (above). The ball that is released backwards runs just slightly inside the line, while the ball that is struck just as it should be (on the up) rolls straight in the hole...

Roll 'em in, one after the other . . .

The ‘Tracer' exercise is designed to improve your acceleration through impact and again provides immediate feedback on your accuracy. From the four- to six-foot range, you simply place a ball in the aperture, then set up to a putt as normal, and with a smooth stroke set about rolling both of the balls towards the hole. The trick is to maintain the gap between them, and the guys on tour who are really good at this are able to do this perfectly as they roll the two balls at the same speed into the middle of the hole – just another exercise that not only makes practising with the Zen fun but, ultimately, more rewarding.

Tour players can often be seen on the practice green using a mirror to check their posture and to make sure that their eyes are over the line of the putt. That is crucial. A lot of golfers stand with their eye-line too far inside the line to the hole, which means they are not viewing their subject properly. The Xtend-Align system seen here is perfect for keeping these fundamentals in check. And because the string is supported a few inches above the surface, it is never in the way and gives you terrific feedback on every putt.

With your left hand behind your back, it's amazing how quickly using the right hand only improves the quality of the strike. Because the right hand doesn't ‘drive' at it, you release the whole of the shaft down the line. That's what Tiger Woods does when he putts well – which is pretty much all the time. People perceive that he releases the head, which would mean the butt-end goes backwards and cannot go up. He doesn't. He releases the whole of the shaft. Which means the butt-end comes up. So work on this exercise as often as you possibly can.
Don't bother with aiming at a hole. This is all about the quality of the strike. Work on releasing the putter and focus on the quality of your strike. I guarantee that if you spend some time doing this you will notice a great improvement in the way you roll the ball.

Putt Like a Pro 2 - Pete Cowan

The Reflex Drill

In a solid stroke, the left shoulder works down and then up – just like the handle of the putter.

Hands remain neutral on the grip and passive throughout the stroke, enabling you to maintain this controlling unit while developing good tempo with the gentle rocking of the shoulders.

How the Zen can help you develop your feel for the stroke, and a sense of true ‘release'

Hitting at the ball with the putter is often the cause of poor ballstriking on the greens (and likewise in the full swing). You see it everyday: flicking at it with the putter-head can cause a player to pull a putt, while hitting at it with the hands (i.e. ‘driving' a putt) can result in a block.

Either way, the ball's not going to drop.

The key to long-term consistency is that (1) you learn to develop a repeating pendulum-type stroke that is controlled by the upper body and (2) that you then fine-tune that stroke to produce the smooth upstroke that (as far as is physically possible) eliminates the ‘hit'.

And that's where this putter really comes into its own. With its unique design, when you work on ‘holding' and then releasing the ball from within the aperture of the Zen Oracle putter there is no impact, and so immediately you get a true roll towards your target.

To get accustomed to the feel of the head and the sensation of rolling the ball back and forth, we kick off with what we have termed the ‘Reflex' exercise (above).

This involves simply holding the ball within the aparture of the putter as you move it just a few inches gently backwards and forwards under the line of string (and whatever putter you play, practising with a taut line of string like this is a no-brainer; all of the best putters do it). Tour players who use the Zen repeat the Reflex drill for a couple of minutes and then move on to releasing the ball and rolling it into the hole.

When you have a perfect roll, it's all about following the correct path

To keep the ball in the aperture of the putter on the backswing, you must make the handle go down to keep the putter-head low to the ground (and so immediately we're back to the value of the exercise I demonstrated on the previous page). In other words, simply spending a few minutes rehearsing the Reflex drill, or stroking a few shortish putts with the Zen, reinforces this specific feature of a correct, repeating stroke.

Here's another thing. When you know that you are going to get a pure roll on the ball as it leaves the putter, the quality of your path is exposed. The exercise you see me working on here (above) is known as the ‘Release', and it is designed to help you get the path of your stroke running perfectly at the target.

In my experience, too many golfers go on thinking they are putting well when in reality their stroke is hampered by a (usually) fundamental fault which forces them into making compensations.

Some days those compensations work (hence players feel they are putting OK), but more often than not their performance is inconsistent and the stroke is not a confident one.
What I really like about the Zen Oracle is that, via these various exercises, it basically teaches you the fundamentals and simply does not tolerate compromise. In the case of the ‘Release' drill, the quality of your path through to the hole is immediately revealed. Because you have eliminated the ‘hit', the roll is true, and if you miss the hole from this range (on a dead-straight putt), then clearly the path of your stroke needs some attention.

The students that I have coached with the Zen – and they include a number of good tour players – have been amazed at the way the putter becomes their own best teacher.
It enables you to work on your stroke and groove solid mechanics..

Putt Like a Pro 1 - Pete Cowan

Just like the golf swing, there are basically only three things that make the ball go on line or off line: the path, the position of the clubface and the quality of impact.

If you have control of your path, then you have control of your initial direction; if you have control of your initial direction (with a putt), you can then let the green do the work (in a full shot, you let the spin do the work). The way I teach putting and the full swing is to focus on these three principles – and the Zen Oracle Tour putter helps me on all counts on the green..

People forget that the quality of the strike is everything in putting. Within a fraction of a second of hitting the ball, you know whether or not you have struck it on the correct line. It's instinctive; you feel it off the putter-face.

Another thing people tend to forget is that there is a vertical as well as a horizontal sweetspot on every putter-face. The ball is 1.68 inches in diameter, so the sweet-spot on your putter needs to be 0.84 inches above the ground to strike the equator of the ball, which is your goal. You want to get the sweet- spot of the putter meeting the sweet- spot of the ball.

In the case of the Zen Oracle, the face is just under an inch in height, and the sweet-spot is probably only 0.5 inches up the face.

And you can see that when I match the sweet-spots, the putter is raised up a little. In other words, the putter has to be released on the up as it works through impact in order to strike the equator of the ball. The whole of the putter – i.e. head, shaft and grip – has to be released (not ‘blocked' or manipulated) as it swings up through impact.

Rock the handle down then up, and roll the ball like the game's greatest putters

Years ago, I remember reading about an experiment that was conducted to determine the common denominators of the really great putters. And the only thing that was discovered (other than the fact great putters holed lots of putts) was that the handle of the putter went down and then up through the course of the stroke. In other words, the butt-end of the grip could be seen to work down a little in the backswing before working up as the putter was released through the ball. That single finding is something that I have stressed to all of my pupils ever since, whether they be aspiring tour players or keen club golfers.

The fact is, good putters strike the ball so much more sweetly than poor putters. They get the ball rolling and hugging the green. Poor putters tend to ‘trap' the ball between the putter-face and the surface of the green, and never really get the ball running true off the face. What you have to remember is that the pure weight of the ball on grass causes it to sit down into the surface of the green.

On these firm and quick Wentworth greens, probably 3-4% of the ball sinks into the green (more on slow greens), and so to get it out of that small indentation it has to be struck on the equator as the putter works up. And that's why you have to work on hitting it with a little loft and slightly ‘on the up' – as all the great putters do.

So there's a first principle to keep firmly in mind. We talk a lot about checking matters of alignment and ball position – quite rightly but when it comes to effectively improving
your putting stroke, this is a critical element of technique that you need to be aware of.
So work on the exercise above; get the handle of the putter working down and then up for that slightly ascending through-stroke that gets the ball rolling true.

Here I am rehearsing the ‘release' drill with the Zen Oracle putter that allows you to hold and roll a ball from within the aperture the head. But whatever putter you use, repeating this exercise will transform your stroke and help you to hole more putts.

T-Off

Tee off, anyone? With perfect weather nearly all year round, Singapore is the ideal destination for golf. Organisers hold international golf tournaments here, such as the Caltex Singapore Masters. With superb golfing facilities and an extensive selection of clubs - some of which have signature courses of their own - you'll be spoiled for choice on our beautiful fairways. You need not worry about your handicap either, as most courses have multiple tee off positions. You can play golf at almost anytime of the day – and even at night! - as some courses are open for play in the evenings. This means you can enjoy the courses at a wide variety of clubs, regardless of your skill level.

Review on Executive Golf Course

This is a public course. Very short - no par 5s. It's ideal for the beginners who just obtained their proficiency certificates and would like to get their confidence before proceeding to the actual golf courses and also for those who would like to sharpen their short game skills. There are even three tee off positions. Blue, White and Red. The longest is hole no. 5, 300 metres par 4 and the shortest is a par 3 no. 3, only 85 metres all from the blue tee. It's a nine hole course and all are par 3s except two holes which are par 4s.




Green Fees:
Weekdays:
9 holes S$20.60 (0645 - 1800) / 18 holes S$30.90 (0645 - 1500)

Weekends:
9 holes S$30.90 / 18 holes S$61.80

How to get there
Proceed along the Seletar Expressway (SLE) and exit at the turn off to Upper Thomson Road. Thereafter get keep right to get on to Sembawang Road. Proceed along this road until you next turn into Mandai Road where signboard direction will guide you to the course which is in the compounds of Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Address:
Upper Seletar Reservoir
Mandai Road, Track 7
Singapore 779384
Tel: 453 2700
Fax: 453 3158

Golf and Country Clubs

Here are some of the golf and country clubs in Singapore...Most golf and country clubs have stopped taking in new members, so the only way to obtain a membership is to buy a transferable one from an existing member. Check the classified in the newspapers or contact the clubs directly for information about membership availability. Almost all the clubs are located away from the city and are generally inaccessible by public transport, unless you are travelling by taxi. Unless otherwise stated, all clubs have facilities like a swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurants and tennis courts. All membership prices quoted here were obtained in March 2002, please check with individual clubs.

Singapore Island Country Club
180 Island Club Road, S578774
Tel: 6459-2222 Fax: 6458-3796
Latest membership price: $130,000 - $140,000.
The oldest and still the most prestigious (and expensive!) club in Singapore, the SICC was recently named in Fortune Magazine as one of the top 5 golf clubs in Asia. There are four 18-hole courses spread out over two sites, three swimming pools and a whole host of other facilities.

Tanah Merah Country Club
25 Changi Coast Road S499803
Tel: 6549-3040 Fax: 6542-9294
Latest membership price: $115,000 - $120,000.
Two 18-hole courses

Sentosa Golf Club
27 Bukit Manis Rd, Sentosa S 099082
Tel: 6275-0022 Fax: 6275-0005
Latest membership price: $90,000.
Two 18-hole courses

Laguna National Golf and Country Club
11 Laguna Golf Green S488047
Tel: 6542-6888 Fax: 6542-1132
Latest membership price: $83,000.
Two 18-hole courses

Jurong Country Club
9 Science Centre Road S609078
Tel: 6560-5655 Fax: 6567-1900
Latest membership price: $61,000 ($8,000 social membership).
Fully-lit 18-hole course + one 5-hole beginners/practice course

Orchid Country Club
1 Orchid Club Road S 769162
Tel: 6755-9811 Fax: 6752-7147
Latest membership price: $52,000 ($6,500 social membership).
Three 9-hole courses

Seletar Country Club
3 Park Lane Seletar Air Base S798273
Tel: 6481-4745 Fax: 6481-3000
Latest membership price: $45,000 ($13,000 social membership).

Raffles Country Club
450 Jln Ahmad Ibrahim S639932
Tel: 6861-7649 Fax: 6861-5293
Latest membership price: $43,000.
Two 18-hole courses

Keppel Club
Bukit Chermin Road S109918
Tel: 6273-5522 Fax: 6278-1148
Latest membership price: $32,000.
18-hole course, first 9 floodlit

Warren Golf Club
Folkstone Road S139599
Tel: 6777-6533 Fax: 6778-5502
Latest membership price: $45,000 ($12,000 social membership).
One 9-hole course

Changi Golf Club
20 Netheravon Rd S 508505
Tel: 6545-5133 Fax: 6545-2531
Latest membership price: $13,000
One 9-hole course; no swimming pool

MyGolfKaki Day @ Marina Bay Golf Course

Starting from 6th March 2007, tee times at Marina Bay Golf Course on all Tuesday afternoons will be reserved specially for MyGolfKaki Ordinary/ Senior/ Junior members!

Enjoy waivers of advanced booking fees when you book for a tee time (on Tuesday afternoons only) a week in advance of your day of play.

Various fringe activities such as Monthly Medals, novelty games, free golf clinics, free wine sampling, etc. will be organised for you on Tuesday afternoons! You will also get to enjoy special merchant discounts!

MyGolfKaki has tied up with Marina Bay Golf Course to offer discounted golfing rates to our Ordinary / Senior / Junior members who are Employment Pass / Work Permit / Dependant Pass holders!

With immediate effect, these members will enjoy the following golfing charges at Marina Bay Golf Course:-

18 holes Weekday : $80*

18 holes Weekend / Public Holidays : $145*

9 holes Weekday : $60*

9 holes Weekend / Public Holidays : $80*

*inclusive of green, buggy and shower / locker fees

+ all rates have yet to include prevailing Goods & Services Tax