By Ian Brennan
Don’t let the relaxed atmosphere, floodlit ambience and unparalleled views of the Burj Khalifa fool you. The Track, Meydan Golf is no walk in the park, a layout that promises a stern test of your game. With eight out of our nine holes protected by water, it’s common for players to find themselves in some unusual positions. Playing lessons are incredibly popular at The Track and I love the discussions they generate with beginner and veteran player alike. A common question I receive during our time on the course is: How do I play some of these awkward lies? Here at the iconic 4th Hole I’ve pulled my tee shot and found myself in one such position, a little too close to the water’s edge for comfort. Due to the bank of the lake that my ball now lies on, you’ll notice the ball is above my feet as I take my stance. The ball above the feet lie can cause a lot of problems for amateur golfers but if you remember these tips, you’ll pass this tricky lie test every time.

ALIGNMENT
First things first, we need to understand the role alignment plays in performing this shot. The more above my feet the ball is, the more left the clubface will point. Note that the higher the loft of the club in hand, the more exaggerated this will be. With that in mind, we now need to ensure to aim far enough to the right of our target to allow for the correct start line and pronounced right to left curvature this shot will produce. As you can see, my body alignment is towards the right edge of the green. You’ll also notice my swing appears to be flatter. Again, due to the angle of the slope my swing will naturally need to flatten to match with the slope. Think of a baseball swing for the perfect pre-shot feeling.

CHOKE DOWN
We’ve spoken about alignment and the effect the slope has on the golf swing itself but in order to ensure consistent contact, we also need to adjust our grip placement slightly. Remember not only is the ball above our feet, it’s also now brought closer to our body. As noted, the swing will become flatter due to the angle of the slope. This, matched with choking down slightly on the grip, will give you the best chance of catching the ball clean and watching it curve back to target, navigating another tricky Track lie like a Tour Pro.

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To book a lesson with PGA Golf Professional Ian Brennan at the Meydan Academy By Troon, call 04 381 3733 or email ian.brennan@meydangolf.com

The post GAME IMPROVER: How to flush it from tricky lies appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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.

Tired of round-wrecking three-putts? Here’s a three-point plan to end the agony

By Ian Brennan
With a fully floodlit nine hole facility at our disposal, playing lessons are a popular option at The Track, Meydan Golf. Add some of the most highly regarded greens in the UAE to the equation and it also comes as no surprise that our team of Meydan Academy by Troon Professionals are often asked to help amateurs struggling to putt on the smooth surfaces.

It quickly becomes evident that most players don’t give putting the same care and attention as other aspects of the game. You use your putter more than any other club in the bag; it can be the difference between a career-low score and a disaster.

I always tell my students that in order to hole more putts, they need to create an environment that encourages a repeatable stroke. Let me guide you through my three point plan on the greens and put an end to three putts. – with Kent Gray

1. The Putting Setup
Although putting is perceived as straight forward by some beginners, it’s important we have the necessary fundamentals to ensure a consistent stroke and strike on the ball. The first thing I like to see is players adopt the correct grip.

– We want to have the putter handle running through the lifelines of both palms with the hands as level as possible. You may need to experiment with what feels comfortable when placing the fingers around the grip. This is partly the reasoning behind some of the larger grips we see on putters today. By placing the grip more in the palms you’ll limit wrist action in the stroke and encourage the arms and shoulders to work as one. This setup ensures your shoulders remain level and you don’t have any discrepancy in our setup.

– Once the setup has been achieved I like to see the ball position slightly left of centre. Too often I see amateurs with the ball position too close to the lead foot. This can create strike issues as the low point of the stroke occurs too far behind the ball resulting in catching it too much on the upstroke. For anyone that sees their ball bobble or skid when they strike it, this is the reason. Finally, the eyes should be roughly over the ball. This allows the arms to naturally hang from the shoulders.

2. The Putting Stroke
As mentioned, the grip will reduce wrist action in the stroke. A large part of the poor distance control I see in amateurs is their reliance on their hands to dominate. As a result, we tend to see a lot of last-minute flicking or hitting to try and generate speed. This results in inconsistent strikes and continual distance control issues.

– I know some of you will have heard terminology like “straight back and through” but the putting stroke should work on a slight arc to allow the putter to release correctly and ensure an efficient strike. The distance required can then be calibrated by simply adjusting the length of stroke. The pace at which the stroke is made should be constant and not accelerating. We want the length from backstroke to finish to generate the speed. The feeling should be of gathering the ball and not hitting it. You will feel and hear the difference on the face. Anything other than a solid sound and a soft feel could be another reason behind some of your putts skidding or bobbling which will inevitably lead to frustrating three putts – or worse!

3. Where To Focus?
We’ve worked hard on setup and stroke. Now what? Now it’s about intention. I always like to mentally categorise putts into three categories: cautious, hopeful and expectant. If I need to be cautious I’m picturing my putt finishing inside of a one to two foot circle which in turn sets up a comfortable two putt. If I’m hopeful, it means I’m faced with a lengthy putt but maybe one without any great undulations to manage. I can be somewhat aggressive. Then finally, if I’m expectant, I ensure I’m picturing myself making the putt, whether it aggressively hits the back of the hole or just falling in. Practice my three points and you’ll soon eliminate those momentum draining three putts.

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To book a lesson with PGA Golf Professional Ian Brennan at the Meydan Academy By Troon, call 04 381 3733 or email ian.brennan@meydangolf.com

The post VIDEO: 3 Points Not 3 Putts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.