Oct 20, 2023

T-Time Podcast // Ep. 79: How to Make Golf EASY with Justin Klemballa

beginner golfers golf drills golf routines golf tips and tricks mental hurdles of golf on the course podcast

In this engaging episode of T-Time, Tori interviews returning guest Justin Klemballa, a golf coach. Justin shares insights about his busy summer golf season at Forest Highlands and looks forward to the equally bustling winter season at Paradise Valley. He discusses the difference between golf seasons in different locations, but they both agree summer attracts more golfers because of school holidays and major championships. Justin reveals that one of his summer highlights was running his successful in-person version of the 'Breaking Bogies' program. Together with Tori, they explore the misconception that improving golf skills depends exclusively on technical adjustments, arguing for the importance of decision-making and a better practice plan. Using Tori's own golfing experience, they illustrate how simple strategic decisions can significantly improve a player's round, reaffirming their advocacy for making golf an easy and enjoyable game. And that’s what this episode is all about. Tune in to learn how to make golfing easier!

Smarter Tee Shots - Game-Changing Strategies for Every Golf Player

The art of golf becomes easier and more inviting when players adopt a mindful approach without obsessing over switching techniques. Players often work hard to polish their golf swing, sometimes under the guidance of teaching professionals. This article aims to address how to use already acquired skills more efficiently and score best with existing skills.

The Key To Improved Tee Shots

Looking at golf holes as a whole and approaching them with a strategic plan greatly improves tee shots' performance. It's not about familiarity or repetition; it's about preparation and strategy. Whether playing a familiar or new course, developing strategies and trying new approaches can indeed bring in a differential gameplay experience. When it comes to tee shots, the primary objective is getting the ball in play. The idea revolves around choosing a go-to club that guarantees this, even if it means sacrificing some yardage. The efficiency of the club, whether it's a three-wood, five-wood, seven-wood, or a hybrid, is crucial in keeping the ball in play.

Identifying Opportunities and Implementing Strategies

There might be holes that are wide open, where you have the luxury of letting your driver swing at its utmost capabilities, but this approach doesn't apply to all scenarios. Certain holes pose potential risks of getting the ball out of bounds or into hazards like water, trees, or bushes. Identifying these challenges can help formulate customized strategies for each situation and aid in minimizing the possibility of taking unplayable shots. A pragmatic approach would be to break down the course into different levels of difficulty. This segmentation can help players set realistic scoring goals for each level, which could immensely boost their overall scores.

Approaching Golf Holistically

To play better and improve at golf, it's crucial to accept that factors such as the ball's trajectory are often out of a player's control. However, a golfer can refine the decisions they make, the clubs they use, and how they play each hole. This player-controlled facet of the game is a game-changer when well executed. Letting go of the aspiration to overly control the ball's flight, which even the best professional golfers can't perfect, can lower stress levels and potentially enhance performance.

The Importance of Tee Box Positioning

An illuminating instance from a club championship vividly illustrates the importance of positioning on the tee box. With the pin positioned to the left and the golfer hitting from the right side of the tee box, the visual field appeared cramped, causing tension and resulting in a poor shot. In contrast, teeing off from the left side allowed the whole green to be visible, seeming like a larger target and consequently imparting confidence. This discussion emphasizes the fact that the choice of position on the tee box can have a significant impact on the approach to the game and the eventual outcome.

Lessons from a Pro

Justin also throws light on the technique of teeing up on the opposite side of where you want to hit the ball. When aiming for the right side of the green, for example, you would ideally want to tee up on the left side. This strategy helps to open up the course and makes it easier to aim where you want to hit. Interestingly, golfers often do the opposite, teeing up as far as possible from an obstacle, such as water. However, this ironically points the golfer directly at the hazard. This insight should lead golfers to rethink their strategies on the golf course.

Going for the Green

The tendency of golfers to aim directly for the flag can put them in troublesome positions. A fascinating anecdote about playing an 18-hole game without flags reveals that the lack of a visible target resulted in lower scores for all players, highlighting how much golf is about mental acuity as much as it is about technique. Ironically, not setting the flag as a target often results in better results.

Navigating Fairway Bunkers: Key Strategies and Techniques

Fairway bunkers can often be daunting and intimidating for many golfers. However, with the correct approach and techniques, a fairway bunker no longer needs to be a golfer's nemesis.

The Key Rules

One crucial rule when confronted with a fairway bunker is to ensure you have enough loft to get the ball over the bunker's lip. Determine the lip's height, and choose your club accordingly, ensuring that the ball can clear the lip. The primary aim is to hit the ball first and then the sand, not the other way around.

Strategies for Hitting from a Fairway Bunker

There are specific strategies and suggestions to employ when your ball lands in a fairway bunker. One effective approach is to play the ball a little back in your stance. Moreover, try just digging in your forward foot, making it probable that you'll hit the sand in front - something that is key when hitting from a fairway bunker - as opposed to bunkers around the green where you aim to hit the sand first.

The Importance of Loft and Club Selection

When you land in a fairway bunker, it's crucial to select a club with enough loft to clear the bunker's lip. A shot with wood from a fairway bunker, unless you are highly skilled, could lead to the ball being unable to clear the lip, leading to suboptimal outcomes. Thus, it's useful to keep these considerations in mind when selecting the right club to extricate yourself from a fairway bunker.

The Significance of Practice

One common reason golfers experience difficulties with fairway bunkers is that they rarely practice such shots. Though a lack of practice facilities designed to assist with fairway bunkers plays some part in this, golfers can nonetheless utilize any available fairway bunkers during recreational rounds.

Embracing the Layup Strategy

The concept of laying up instead of trying to get as close to the hole as possible is another strategic approach useful in dealing with challenging shots out of fairway bunkers. One suggestion is to use the rule of eight out of ten - if you don't think you can execute the shot successfully eight out of ten times, choose a different strategy. Consequently, instead of attempting a risky shot with a fairway wood, you could select a hybrid club and aim for a less risky part of the fairway, laying up for an easier next shot.

Mastering the Greenside Bunkers

The primary rule in Greenside bunkers is to focus on getting the ball on the green rather than on the flag. Many golfers make the error of trying to hit their shots towards the pin, aiming to get the ball near the hole. However, this strategic shift from a standard bunker shot can often lead to overlying soft hits or striving for excessively hard pumps to get closer to the flag. The recommended strategy is to aim for a large part of the green, ensuring that the ball gets on the putting green regardless of the flag's position. By adopting this strategy, amateur golfers have a fair chance of equating their performance with tour players, who get up and down 50% of the time from just ten yards from the green.

Maintaining an Aggressive Shot

Discussing technique, it's observed that many golfers do not exhibit sufficient aggression in their greenside bunker shots, primarily out of the fear of failure. However, professionals argue that speed is essential for a high soft shot, making it crucial for golfers to swing faster and harder. This increased speed is especially effective in generating lofted, yet controlled bunker shots. Justin is a live testament to this strategy's effectiveness.

Practicing Different Shots

The fear of unpleasant past experiences, such as blading a ball 50 yards over the green, can create mental blocks for golfers. Consequently, it's advised to spend considerable time practicing in the bunker, experimenting with different shots and lies. A useful recommendation is to scatter the balls around the bunker, hitting shots from different positions. Such practice drills can help amateur golfers overcome their fear of the bunker and develop the much-needed confidence for successful greenside bunker shots.

Essential Practice Tips

Lastly, the emphasis is on consistent practice. To foster improvement, golfers should spend at least 10 minutes in the bunker before each game, hitting shots from various lies. For struggling beginners, starting from the safer areas with standard bunker shots is crucial. However, with gained confidence, they can then move to more random shots sprinkled around the bunker. The end goal should always be to ensure that every shot lands somewhere on the green.

The Art of Chipping

When it comes to chipping, Justin advocates for the strategy of putting the ball from off the green wherever possible. He strongly recommended this simpler alternative to chipping, especially when there are no obstacles to bypass.

Justin also introduced the technique of "putting with loft" using a club with less loft, like a seven iron or a hybrid, and allowing the ball to gently roll onto the green. This method saves effort and yields excellent results, even among players who have not practiced it before. The strategy has led to lower scores even though it doesn't appear as impressive as more complex shots.

Making the Most of Golf Inside a Hundred Yards

Justin highlighted an intriguing perspective on golfing inside a hundred yards. He likened it to playing a par three course, the ultimate aim being to make par. His advice centers on getting the ball onto the green and two-putting, shifting focus from the elaborate shots to the simple yet effective ones. This simple game plan can drastically lower your scores.

Confidence and Mindset in Putting

Putting often arouses fear among many golfers leading to either short shortfalls or excessively long shots. Justin advises golfers to concentrate on the type of shot they want to make, instead of what they're trying to avoid. This mental approach relaxes the body, allows for a smoother stroke, and can significantly improve the quality of the shot.

He also emphasizes the importance of positive visualization before any putt. Any negative mental thought can lead to jerky and inefficient strokes. Consistently practicing short putts can also significantly boost confidence and make the hole appear larger in the golfer's perception.

Mastering the Short Game

The One-Third Practice Rule

Justin champions the merits of the one-third practice rule. This practice regimen suggests dedicating equal amounts of time to full swings, putting, chipping, pitching or bunkering, and putting again. Despite the conventional allure of perfecting the long drive, it turns out that two-thirds of all strokes during a typical golf game are short-range shots; this makes the short game just as, if not more important to master.

Regardless of this fact, Justin observes that many golfers tend to focus predominantly on their full swing at the driving ranges, arguably because it provides more immediate satisfaction. However, he reiterates that if the aim is to reduce one's handicap and improve overall scores, it is essential to spend significant time on short game practices.

The Importance of Decision-making and Adaptability

Making smart decisions, as per Justin, contributes significantly to a golfer’s score. E.g., choosing to lay up instead of taking a high-risk shot or accepting to play “boring golf” can lead to better results in the long run. Furthermore, being able to adapt to your playing style on a given day is crucial to success. Recognizing when you're having a bad swing day and having a robust short game to fall back on can mitigate any potential damage to your score.

Directive decision-making paired with a reliable short game has been likened to a well-defended football team. It may not make the exciting plays but gives the team space and opportunity to make ground. Consistency in golf may be elusive, but these tactics can help lead a player in that direction.

Conclusion

Justin's profound wisdom underlines the transition of a golfer's journey from merely being a player to a strategist, with a seasoned arsenal of skills that can navigate through the unpredictability of the game. The strategies and insights shared in this podcast pose a definitive game-changer for any golf enthusiast and will undoubtedly compel them to evaluate their gameplay, enabling lesser exertion and more enjoyment in the process. So, tune in, absorb these genuine insights, and let's make golfing easier!

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