Teach Me To Golf by Renee O’Higgins

Some lies are difficult because of the slope.

Others are difficult because the ground underneath you is unstable.

This shot had both.

Ball below the feet.
Loose leaves underneath.
No solid footing.

And when golfers get this combination wrong, the most common miss is hitting behind the ball.

Here’s the adjustment:

• Move the ball slightly back in your stance
• Start with your weight on your lead side
• Make a controlled three quarter backswing
• Then feel like you “punch” through the ground with force

The goal is to keep the club moving through the uneven surface instead of getting stuck behind it.

Stable setup.
Forward pressure.
Punch through impact.

Sometimes the lie tells you exactly how aggressive the strike needs to be.

You’ve probably heard the phrase:

“Let the club do the work.”

But what does that actually mean?

In short game shots, many golfers try to force the ball into the air by manipulating the clubface with their hands.

The problem?
The more the face closes, the harder it becomes to create loft and softness.

Instead:
• Keep the clubface feeling more open
• Let gravity help the club fall naturally
• Maintain connection between the arm and chest
• Allow the body to rotate through the shot

One great drill:
Practice with only your trail arm while keeping the arm connected to your body.

As the club moves:
• Thumb points upward
• Clubface stays more toward the sky
• Palm stays more open through impact

If the face rolls over toward the ground, you lose loft immediately.

Soft grip.
Connected motion.
Let the club release naturally.

Sometimes the best short game swings feel like the least amount of effort.

This is one of the most useful short game shots most golfers never practice.

Perfect for:
• Grain into you
• Slight elevation to the green
• Plenty of room for the ball to release

Here’s how it works:

Instead of setting the club flat, raise the shaft so the club sits much more upright — almost like a putter.

Now the toe is the only part touching the ground.

From there:
• Stand closer to the ball
• Choke down significantly
• Let the club anchor into your lead arm
• Make a putting style stroke

Because you’re striking it off the toe, the ball comes out softer and with less energy.

That means:
More control.
Less grab from the grain.
More predictable rollout.

One important note:
This shot takes roughly 25% off the total distance, so make sure you’ve got room to let it release.

Simple setup.
Elite short game feel.

Filmed on the 17th at Quail West — and this is a shot most golfers never practice.

Fairway bunker.
Long approach.
Limited room for error.

The biggest mistake?

Too much lateral movement.

When your body sways side to side, your low point shifts… and that’s when you catch it thin or heavy.

Here’s a simple way to train it:

Use a resistance band around your legs.

This creates feedback and helps you:
• Stay centered
• Reduce excessive sway
• Improve contact

You still shift pressure — but without sliding.

Stable base.
Controlled motion.
Clean strike.

And if you have the chance…
Use moments like this on the course to practice.

Because this is one of those shots you don’t get to rehearse often.

Want to hit it farther without swinging harder?

Let’s talk about lag.

Lag is the angle created between your lead arm and the shaft at the top of the backswing. When that angle is maintained in transition, you store energy — and release it at impact.

No lag?
You lose speed and distance.

Create lag?
You store energy.
You increase clubhead speed.
You gain distance.

This week on the range, focus on setting your wrists, maintaining that angle, and swinging through in balance.

More lag.
More speed.
More distance.

Three foot putts shouldn’t be stressful… but they are.

High expectation.
Small margin for error.

Here’s a drill to clean up your stroke and build confidence:

Grab any iron.

Your goal is to strike the ball with the leading edge — right at the equator.

Why this works:

The leading edge is small.
If your hands flip or the face moves, you’ll miss immediately.

This forces:
• A square clubface
• Quiet hands
• No wrist hinge
• A stable, controlled stroke

If the ball starts right → face is open
If it starts left → face is closed

Once you can control this, switch back to your putter.

Now the face feels bigger.
The stroke feels easier.

Small drill.
Big confidence boost.

Struggling with pitch shots?

Start with the clubface.

Too many golfers set the club down slightly tilted without realizing it. When that leading edge isn’t square to the target, you’re not using the loft the club was designed to give you.

Step one:
Set the leading edge perpendicular to your target line.

Step two:
Slightly tilt your body left.

Step three:
Let the clubface feel like it works up toward the sky through impact.

Square face.
Use the loft.
Let the club do the work.

If you want higher, softer pitch shots, it starts before you ever swing.

Fairway bunker shots are very different from greenside bunker shots.

The biggest key?
Treat it more like a normal fairway shot.

Setup basics:
• Play the ball in your normal club position (for a hybrid, slightly forward)
• Dig your feet in slightly for stability
• Choke down to match how much you dig in

Where most golfers struggle is contact.

Because the ball sits below your feet in the bunker, if your arms start fully extended you’re likely to top the shot or hit it fat.

Instead:
• Bend slightly more from the waist
• Soften your elbows
• Extend through impact

And one more important key — stay centered.

Too much side to side movement moves your low point and makes contact inconsistent.

Stable center.
Clean strike.
Ball first.

That’s how you escape a fairway bunker with distance.

Filmed at Talisker — but these fundamentals travel anywhere.

If you want to become a more consistent putter, start with these three basics:

Step 1: Sole the putter properly
Make sure the entire sole of the putter sits flat on the ground. The handle will naturally sit a bit higher than your other clubs.

Step 2: Create connection
Let your elbows rest lightly in front of your ribcage, then bend forward. This helps align your eyes and keeps the arms working together with the body.

Step 3: Build a pendulum stroke
Whatever distance the putter travels back, it should travel the same distance through.

Equal back.
Equal through.

Simple fundamentals create repeatable results.

Start here and watch your consistency improve.

Ball below your feet can quickly lead to thin shots, tops, and frustration.

Why?

Because the club has to travel farther down to reach the ball. If you stand up during the swing, you’ll miss the strike.

Here’s how to adjust:

• Grip normally but keep your hands high on the handle
• Bend more from the waist to match the slope
• Expect the ball to move slightly right as a right handed golfer
• Aim a little left of your target
• Make a slightly more upright swing
• Focus on staying down through impact

The goal is simple: maintain posture long enough for the club to reach the ball.

Stay down.
Adjust your aim.
Trust the strike.

Uneven lies don’t have to cost you strokes.