In the final of his interconnected series of videos, McConnell works on an impact drill. Check it out and be sure to scroll down to follow the series from the beginning.

Riggs shows you how to avoid a common problem for amateurs, early extension, in the latest of his easy to follow tips.

Don’t forget to scroll down and check all the contributions to our #PLAYINGTHROUGH series. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the pros involved for the collection of tips and drills that will remain an invaluable resource to help keep your game sharp even now we can return to the region’s top courses and practice ranges.

ALEX RIGGS – PXG Middle East Ambassador

Pivot Checkpoints with ALEX RIGGS (PXG Middle East Ambassador)

Groove your putting stroke with ALEX RIGGS

Transition with ALEX RIGGS 

Swing Sequencing with ALEX RIGGS

Putting with ALEX RIGGS

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Ben Cannon- The Track, Meydan Golf 

Shoulder turn with BEN CANNON (The Track, Meydan Golf)

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Pitching drill with MIKE KINLOCH (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)

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Claudine Foong-Riggs – PXG Middle East Ambassador

Stretching with CLAUDINE FOONG-RIGGS (PXG Middle East Ambassador)

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JAMIE MCCONNELL – Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy Director of Instruction

Drill No.1: Sort your posture problems with JAMIE MCCONNELL

Drill No.2: Solid Takeaway with JAMIE MCCONNELL

Drill No.3: Controlling your backswing with JAMIE McCONNELL

Drill No. 4: Tempo with JAMIE McCONNELL

Drill No.5: Impact with JAMIE McCONNELL

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IAN BRENNAN – The Track, Meydan Golf

Slicer? Check these takeaway tips with IAN BRENNAN (The Track, Meydan Golf)

Clean up with this drill from IAN BRENNAN

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(Original post): These are extraordinary times with the majority of courses across the Middle East closed as golf plays its role in the global fight to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The problem is our passion for the royal and ancient game knows no bounds even if heading outside our homes is out of bounds for all but essential services. Which led to this, our #PLAYINGTHROUGH series of tips and tricks that you can practice within the safe confines of your apartment or villa.

Golf Digest Middle East has enlisted the expertise of the region’s best professionals to share their best, bite-sized tips from their own living rooms and backyards to help you, our loyal readers, keep your game in shape for when golf returns. And it will, if we all play our part in ridding the world of this invisible adversary by staying within our family bubbles.

You may even find your game improves post the coronavirus pandemic if you work on the drills and tips we intend sharing throughout the lockdown period. Better still, the tips are timeless; even when things get back to the new normal, you’ll find these videos useful to return to.

Without further ado, welcome The Track Meydan Golf’s Ian Brennan, PXG Middle East Ambassador Alex Riggs and Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy Director of Instruction Jamie McConnell into your home for the first #PLAYINGTHROUGH videos.

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Clean up with this drill from IAN BRENNAN

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Swing Sequencing with ALEX RIGGS

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Sort your posture problems with JAMIE MCCONNELL

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Do us, and the pros who have given their time (more to come in the next days and weeks), a favour by liking and sharing this post and your favourite individual drills/tips with a @golfdigestme tag on your favourite social media channel. We’ll update it daily so make sure to check back for more great tips. Together, we will get through this. And take advantage of the downtime to work on our games.

Happy home golfing!

By the way, make sure to check out the awesome homemade putting/chipping green idea below from former Al Zorah Golf Club Professional, multiple UAE PGA Tour title winner and now South African-based Sunshine Tour player Stefan Wears-Taylor. Genius.

STEFAN WEARS-TAYLOR

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Spent a bit of time with my Polystyrene Green today. Starting to enjoy the challenge! ? ? ?? #lockdown #stayhome #staysafe

A post shared by Stefan Wears-Taylor (@stefwt1) on Apr 6, 2020 at 8:09am PDT

The post Tips and drills to improve your game from home appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

This dramatic, skyscraper-framed shot of an inverted glider flying low over the heads of Sergio Garcia and Anirban Lahiri as the Masters champion and Indian star hit shots down the Skydive Dubai runway in May to promote ‘Golf in Dubai’ immediately springs to mind.

Even the mighty PGA Tour has had to up its social media game in light of the European Tour’s efforts in the past year. Who can forget the epic Mannequin Challenge ahead of last year’s DP World Tour Championship or Little Billy roasting Rory McIlroy at Jumeirah Golf Estates, not to mention the brilliantly funny “Awkward Reporter“ at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship?

The Challenge Tour isn’t on the same level, of course, but kudos where it is due in the on-going efforts to promote next month’s Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) enlisted defending champion Jordan Smith to sell the sizzle of the Oct. 25-28 event and the choice of vehicle, a stand-up paddleboard, is certainly a novel way to deliver the message.

You can enjoy the Englishman taking on PXG Middle East ambassador Claudine Foong-Riggs in a game of “PaddleGolf” at Al Hamra G.C. here:

Related content: Golf Fitness with PXG ambassador Claudine Foong-Riggs

As Golf Digest Middle East’s fitness guru, we reckon Claudine, a former professional golfer turned wellness/performance coach, took it easy on Smith in the 1000m paddle race. But Smith did hole one of (the many) shots from the floating pontoon to a makeshift pin cut 140 yards away on Al Hamra’s 18th green, so lets call it an honourable draw.

“I was a little cautious at first because I had never tried stand-up paddle boarding before,” said Smith. “After a few quick tips on the beach, it was a relief to get straight on to my feet once we hit the water. It turned out to be really fun and it was comforting knowing the water beneath me was warm!

“Once we got on the pontoon, it was a little more familiar – well, as familiar as playing golf shots off a floating platform in the middle of a lagoon can be!”

The 24-year-old Englishman, who currently sits 17th on the Race to Dubai standings after claiming his maiden European Tour tour win at July’s Porsche European Open in Hamburg, Germany, also shares thoughts on his remarkable rookie season and the upcoming RAK Golf Challenge here:

Having graduated to the main tour as Challenge Tour champion, Smith will not be back to defend the title he won 10 months ago as we explain in this earlier back-grounder:

Related: He won’t defend the RAK Golf Challenge but Jordan Smith can’t stay away from Al Hamra

Instead, he’ll tee it up in the European Tour’s season-ending $8million DP World Tour Championship at JGE from November 16-19. We await the European Tour’s next social media ditty at JGE with baited breath but first the focus will be on Al Hamra and the penultimate event on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman. The UAE’s northern most emirate will see the next generation of European Tour stars edge ever closer to graduating to the main tour, and undoubtedly marking themselves as potential social media cannon fodder for 2018. Bring it on.

The post Jordan Smith tries his hand at “PaddleGolf” ahead of RAK 2017 Golf Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.