- 14 hours ago
In this video Andy Sullivan offers his advice on the 5 most important golf shots to master!
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00:00Hello and welcome to this video in which we're looking at the five most important
00:11must-have golf shots. If you're playing any competitive golf at all this summer,
00:16this video should really help you out. We're going to take a look at everything from how
00:20to hit fairways on tight drives, shot shaping, how to hit those really awkward half-pitch shots,
00:25plug lies in bunkers and holding out from close range. Now the advice in this video comes from
00:31Andy Sullivan. We were given some time with Andy earlier on this year through Ping. His style is
00:36really sort of really effective but really simple and easy to put into play. Guys if you're new to
00:41the Golf Monthly channel please do hit the subscribe button to make sure that you don't miss any of our
00:45videos. Hit the like button as well if you like what you're watching but let's take a look at
00:49the five most important must-have golf shots starting with how to hit the fairway on a tight drive.
00:55Okay so this is the 18th hole here at Stratford. Your home club. My home club, yeah. It's a tight
01:06little tee shot. You have got to find the right side of the fairway to have a go at it in two.
01:11What's the process you go through when you're under pressure, when you've got to pull the big stick,
01:18you've got to hit a good drive, you've got to make a good golf swing. What's the process of making sure
01:21that you do that? I think freeing yourself up and picking a really specific target. You know,
01:27not just picking a tree, pick a branch out. You know, really try and tune in on exactly where you
01:32want to hit it and exactly what you want to do with it. So in my routine before, I'll be trying,
01:36I'll be picking the shot now. So I'll pick the shot here now. I'm going to be instantly thinking,
01:40right, I'm going to start it at that flag at the green there, right on the flag. I'm going to just move
01:45it over to that tree stump that's 10 yards right of it. So in my mind, I know exactly what shot I'm
01:50going to hit. What I'm going to do after that, I'm going to try and get in my routine thing,
01:54right. Just that five yard played, what I normally do. And then from there onwards,
01:59you know, like I said, I've done all the groundwork now. I'm into the shot. I've just got to free it up
02:05now and just commit to that swing. That's the biggest thing when you've got a tight tee shot.
02:09What do you mean by committing to that swing?
02:11To that swing is, you know, whatever you're going to do with that ball, you've got to just go through
02:16with it and free it up and just hit it. Not just go, no second questions in there. You just got to go,
02:21right, that's exactly what I've got to do. So you're almost like building yourself up to it,
02:26not just going, you can't be second guessing tight tee shots. And if you are second guessing,
02:32change, do something different. Or do something different. Hit three wood or something,
02:37hit an iron. If you've got that little bit of element of doubt. Stop. You need to change.
02:43Okay. Okay. Go on then. Hit it for us. Let's see.
02:47Good shot. Straight down the middle. That'll work. Yeah. Well, guys, there you go. There you have it. If you are faced with a really difficult drive, you're under pressure, you're feeling nervous, pick a very, very specific target.
02:52Really think about what you're going to do. Visualise the shot and commit to it. Right?
02:57A hundred percent. I mean, half of it for me is built up
03:17really think about what you're going to do, visualise the shot and commit to it.
03:21100%. Half of it for me is built up in your mind when a tight tee shot.
03:26So as soon as you can just focus on exactly what you're going to do with it,
03:30free it up and let it go.
03:31So do those things, find the fairway, make par.
03:39Okay, so we are stuck on the 18th here behind a little copse of trees.
03:43You've got 165-ish? Yeah, 165, yeah.
03:47And to be fair, you can go left or you can go right here.
03:50Yeah, it's quite an interesting one really.
03:52I mean, it's fully stymied.
03:53I mean, either way has got to be moving a long way.
03:56Right has got to be moving a good 70, 80 yards.
04:00Left is close to it as well.
04:03So, you know, the ball has got to be moving quite a lot here.
04:06So, I mean, these are really high-tariff shots that you're trying to hit here.
04:10So, I mean, the likelihood of it coming off is...
04:13Which is option number one?
04:16I mean, for me here, if I was playing this, I mean, I'd be Hollywooding it
04:21and going left towards the car park and trying to get it sliding in.
04:25Only because that's my favourite shot, obviously, is what I'd go to.
04:29Okay, good to do that.
04:30I mean, for me, I'd just try and get it left and chop it in.
04:32Right's probably the better shot where the pin is, but we'll go left first.
04:36We'll go left, fine.
04:37So, talk to me about how you play the shot.
04:39I mean, you're just trying to put as much left to right spin on it as possible,
04:42but here we've got to deal with height as well.
04:44I mean, we can't go over it and move it that much,
04:46so we've got to keep it down low and get it cut in.
04:49So, I mean, it's a really tough shot.
04:51I'm going to put it more in the back of my stance, really work the club,
04:54miles outside, and then try and swing as far left as I can
04:57just to get the revolutions going on the ball.
04:59But because you need to keep it low, you can't open the face, or can you?
05:02You can, yeah.
05:03You've just got to make sure you cover the ball.
05:04So, when I mean cover the ball, your spine angle's still got to be over the ball.
05:08You can't back out of it because then you're going to put loft on it.
05:10So, by getting the back of the stance and cutting across it as much as I can,
05:13it's going to get the revolutions going that way.
05:15Right, I'm looking forward to this.
05:16Yeah, I bet you are.
05:17Go on.
05:18What a golf shot.
05:29Go on, skip through the...
05:30Oh, that could be money, by the way.
05:33Is that on the green?
05:35Got to be.
05:36I think it's just on the left side.
05:37What a shot.
05:38What a shot.
05:39Right, now I'm going to ask Andy to do it again, but with the opposite ball flight.
05:43We'll go for exactly the same divot.
05:45This divot is...
05:46No editing here, guys.
05:47No editing here.
05:48Look at that.
05:49Right, go on.
05:50Right, so if I was going the other way, I'd actually take less club,
05:53because you're shutting down a draw anyway.
05:55Yes.
05:56So, I don't need...
05:57I mean, I hit that with four iron, just trying to really work it low and cut it round.
06:00Here, I'd probably go six iron.
06:03I mean, I say six iron.
06:05I mean, I've got to try and keep it under that tree.
06:07But the ball's got to move quite a long way, so...
06:10Is it easier to move it with a straight face?
06:12Yeah.
06:13I think...
06:14No?
06:15When you're drawing it, you're shutting down the club that much, it's going to move.
06:18Yes.
06:19Fade is almost a harder shot to keep it low there.
06:22Yes.
06:23When you're trying to draw it low, it's almost easy because you're shutting it down anyway.
06:25It's more of a natural fit.
06:26That's why I've just gone up a few clubs just to promote it again.
06:29Same similar thing.
06:30I'm just going to get it back of the stance.
06:32Really close the club face down, because I've really got to get this moving.
06:35And I'm just going to literally come so far inside.
06:38I'm going to try and go past my right heel here and then just swing it so far out to the right.
06:42Okay.
06:43And I'm hoping that I don't hit that guy's mansion on the right there.
06:47Go on.
06:48This will be impressive.
06:49Two out of two.
06:50Yeah.
06:51I'm looking forward to seeing where this divot goes.
06:55What a shot.
07:00Might be a bit long, but...
07:03Lacking a bit of control on landing, but apart from that.
07:06What a golf shot.
07:07Guys, thank you very much for watching.
07:09That really is an interesting insight into somebody who's competing out on tour and having to sort of...
07:14You get yourself in the odd situation where you need to manufacture a shot.
07:16You do get them shots, yeah.
07:18But just quickly, look at them divots.
07:20You've got one going this way and one going completely opposite the way.
07:23I mean, it's literally a 90-degree angle, that.
07:25Isn't it?
07:26So, for me, if you're going to move the ball, just swing as far the other way as you can that you want to move it to.
07:30So, when you're out on the golf course, playing with your mates, be creative, try a few of these different things.
07:35You never know.
07:36You might just pull it off.
07:42This is a 50-yard pitch shot.
07:43This is absolute meat and drink to you.
07:45This is instilling real fear in my game.
07:48What advice would you give me?
07:50How do you play this shot so that you take...
07:52For us, you're taking bogey out of play and giving yourself a chance of making birdie.
07:57For me, if you're going to learn from the best, I'd say you watch the types of your Luke Donalds, your Ernie Elves.
08:04You know, the rhythm they play these shots with and you hardly ever see them take a divot.
08:09The divot is minimal.
08:10So, they're taking the ground out of play for me.
08:12So, all that is for me is just getting a little bit shallower and just brushing that grass.
08:16Just clipping it off the top.
08:18I mean, you see it with a lot of amateurs and the first thing they want to do, they want to get the club in the ground, they guarantee the strike.
08:24Yes.
08:25Well, you do lost in the club then, so you're wasting your time with your lob wedge already.
08:28Yeah.
08:29You might as well play it with a 9-9 if you're going to do that.
08:31But for me, it is literally as simple as you've just got to be very, you know, feel like it's a very rhythmical swing, shallow it out a little bit, just a nice body turn.
08:40But a lot of us, and I'm sure a lot of people watching this will have been taught, I was taught, for a lot of short game shots, you know, ball back, hands forward, drive it in a bit.
08:50It's very, I mean, you know, it's a very old school way of doing it, that was the way you'd guarantee a strike.
08:55Now, you know, everyone's trying to play the shots at the back of the club, using the bounce more.
08:59So, you're taking the leading edge out of the play, and the back of the club here is hitting the ground.
09:03So, you've got loft on the club the whole time, you've got de-lofting it.
09:06Yes.
09:07Which is giving you more, you know, using the loft that you've got in the hand instead of just taking it away from you.
09:12Yeah.
09:13If you're going to use a 60 or a 54, well, you're using the loft for a reason, you know what I mean?
09:18But when I mean rhythmical as well, I'm not about someone just going, oh, it's nice and slow and not moving your body.
09:24You watch the best guys do it, and they're still, their body's turning onto it, face onto it, even from 50 yards.
09:30You see a lot of guys in 50 yards, and they're stuck.
09:34They get stuck.
09:35Yeah.
09:36You've still got to rotate onto it to make that continuance.
09:39Yeah.
09:40That's the biggest thing.
09:41But for me, again, like I say, it's just, it's that rhythmical feeling and just trying to clip it off the top.
09:46Yeah. And the club you're going for?
09:48I've got a 60 degree here from 50 yards, so, I mean, again, you're not going to get a massive amount of spin on it,
09:53so you're going to pitch it five yards short and just let it trickle out.
09:56Right. No excuses. Go on.
09:57No excuses.
09:58Well, there you have it. Lovely shot, Andy. Very nice. A really good demonstration about how to sort of take the fear out of some of those short game shots.
10:15Definitely. I mean, I think that, I think what most people get scared of is the leading edge, but you're not trying to hit it with the leading edge.
10:20You know, you're trying to use the loft that you've got there. I mean, I've took a minimal divot. That's the biggest key.
10:25As soon as you're taking less divots from there, you're going to get cleaner strikes, you're going to get a more consistent flight, less spin on the ball,
10:32and hopefully, you know, you'll be able to control them distances a lot better from that area.
10:40Now, Andy, you threw your bunker, you brought into this bunker, and then you've made it even worse for yourself.
10:45So, frankly, I don't know how you're going to get this out.
10:47Yeah, I mean, we might as well exaggerate if we're going to do it.
10:51It's a weeb one. There's all kinds of methods. People think you should shut the face down to get it coming out.
10:58Yeah, that's how I would have been taught.
11:00Yeah, I don't really like that because, generally, it's going to come out left,
11:03and you're not getting it the direction you want to get it going.
11:06Yeah, and it's fast as well, isn't it? It's running.
11:09Yeah, exactly. I mean, a lot of the time when you're in a plugged bunker shot,
11:12you actually just want it just pretty much just plopping just out of the bunker and releasing down to the flag.
11:17I mean, this is an extremely difficult one. It's straight down the hill.
11:21So, you just want it just landing on this fringe and just releasing down.
11:24Yeah.
11:25But me and my friends started playing this shot a few years ago,
11:27and it was weird that we just thought we'd try something different.
11:31And I was hitting these plug bunker shots and I was going in so steep and so hard
11:36and I was trying to recoil the club out and the ball just come popping out.
11:40So, we just took it to another level and just thought if we just hammer it in and just see what happens
11:44and just leave the club in there and it just pops out every time.
11:47So, it's a weird way of doing it, but that's the way I've created it over a few years and it's been working.
11:54So, it's a bit of problem solving. Do you do that sort of thing a bit?
11:58Sometimes. If I'm struggling with a shot that I haven't really got something to go to with,
12:02I would like to find something that I think, well, I can go with that and I'll stick to that.
12:06You know, it's not often you get a plug ball. I mean, if you do, it's very rare,
12:11but I would want something in place to have that scenario covered. Do you know what I mean?
12:15I wouldn't want to be there going, well, do I play it that way?
12:17Because then I'm going to be in a bit of indecision.
12:19Yeah.
12:20I'd rather just go, right, that's the way I'm going to play it.
12:22This is how we do it.
12:23Yeah.
12:24So, you're going to swing really hard at it and leave the club in there.
12:26I'm just going to get all my weight on my left side again because I want the club coming in steep
12:30because I've got to get through the sand and get to the back of the ball somehow.
12:33So, I want to get all my weight on my left side, so I'm going to get steep on it,
12:36but I'm just going to leave the club in there.
12:38I'm just going to, literally, I'm just going to go like that.
12:41Right.
12:42And hopefully, because I'm putting that much force in,
12:45the sand is going to move the ball as well
12:47because I'm going to be hitting a good three inches behind the ball here as well.
12:51Okay. Let's have a look.
12:56That is a great shot.
12:58It's come out with a bit of height, a bit of control.
13:01Yeah.
13:02It's not going to run on for 50 feet, is it?
13:04But the big key is there is not to decelerate into it.
13:07You have got to hit that hard, get steep on it, get down,
13:09and just leave the club in the ground there.
13:12And for me, it's been quite successful with that.
13:14The ball comes out pretty consistently high every time
13:17and you've got something that you feel like you can go to with that.
13:20You're not questioning yourself over it so much.
13:22Talk us through how to hole out from close range.
13:29Obviously, it's an area of the game that a lot of people like me get very nervous about
13:33and people can make some mistakes.
13:36So what's the process for you?
13:37What's the right way of looking at these and thinking about them?
13:40Again, read it as a normal putt as you read it.
13:43And then for me there, again, it's about that little word commitment from here.
13:47You know, for me, once you've picked that line, you've got to commit to that,
13:51what you're going to hit there.
13:52And again, a lot of people like to hit them in firmly.
13:55I'm not a big fan of ramming them in firm.
13:58I like to see it just going a foot by because then if it does hit the edge,
14:01it's still going to go in.
14:03If you hit them firm and it hits the edges, you're going to lip out
14:05and you're probably going to get the same distance back.
14:07Yeah.
14:08So for me, working on a foot by pace, picking your line.
14:12So I've got a line on my ball here.
14:14Commit to your line.
14:15And then this is going to sound like a really silly process,
14:18but this is what I think when I'm over the ball,
14:20all I'm thinking about is keeping my knees as still as possible.
14:23So it's like I'm wedged into the ground.
14:25My feet are wedged into the ground and all I can move is my rocking of my shoulders.
14:30So I've picked my line, knees planted in the ground, feet in the ground,
14:35and then just stroke it on your line nice and smooth, back and through.
14:39In we go.
14:40In she goes.
14:41And what's your attitude towards pin in or pin out?
14:43So a lot of guys, we're getting used to seeing players out on tour putting
14:47even from quite close range with the flag in.
14:49What's your take on it?
14:50For me, I think the pin can only be an advantage
14:54of when the ball's going in with too much pace.
14:56I don't see it being an advantage if your ball's going in a foot by
15:01or two feet by.
15:02I just don't see how that can be an advantage because the ball's generally going to go...
15:07Well, no, the ball is going to go in.
15:08It's going to go in.
15:09With a foot or two foot of pace in.
15:10It can only help when it's going six, seven feet by.
15:12It's going to hit it and go stone dead.
15:14I mean, there's been a few scenarios this year where I've seen the ball
15:17that's going in at a nice pace like a foot, two feet by, hit the flag,
15:21wedge the hole and come out.
15:23So for me, I prefer it out visually.
15:27It's just the way that I've been doing it for so long,
15:29I don't really want to change that.
15:31So for me, it's a pin out.
15:33Unless you're 50 feet away and you just leave it in,
15:36that scenario probably plays out for me a few times.
15:39But pin out and every putt's going about a foot pass.
15:42Yeah, that's my key with putting is everything a foot by.
15:45You work on that and then green reading becomes a lot easier.
15:48There you go, guys.
15:49I hope you enjoyed that.
15:50Really simple advice there from Andy.
15:52Use that next time you play and hole out a little bit more consistently
15:55from close range.
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