| This week I’m going to talk about something I read on Twitter. It was an interview done with several European Tour caddies who work with the likes of Shane Lowry, Thornjorn Oleson and Thomas Pieters. The link to the article is here for those that want to read more, but the one point I wanted to discuss is the art of laying up. | |  |
Most see this as a skill only required on par 5’s, but in reality, a lay up can occur at any time on any hole. This skill is often overlooked by amateurs and in many cases really badly thought out. There’s more to it than just keeping the ball short of a hazard, tour players know their strengths and play to them even if that means laying up when you’d least expect them to.
For example, at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in 2016, I watched Charl Schwartzel hit his tee shot short of the green on the par 3 7th hole on both Thursday and Friday. I asked Branden why he had done this and apparently this has been a tactic of Charl’s over the years on that hole. (Remember he has won that event a few times, so knows the course better than most). Charl sees the hole as a really strong par 3 and by laying up just short of the green (there’s water to the right and a tough bunker to the left) he’s in essence taking the big number off the card and playing to his strength of a routine chip and putt. Charl’s choice to lay up on a par 3 might come as a surprise to many of you, but what you should be asking yourself is if a Masters Champion is making such a decision, then surely there must be certain holes where a more prudent approach might be far more rewarding.
The art of laying up comes down to three key principles in my opinion. You can use these at any time in a round. Maybe it’s the tee shot on a long, tough par 3. Maybe it’s the second shot on a par 4 where you have a wood in your hand and the chance of pulling off the shot is really low.
 | | 1. Look at the hole in its entirety and not just the shot you have in front of you. Having a plan on a hole can really help you score better.
2. Know your strengths and play to them. If you’re good with a wedge in your hand then plot your way round where you give yourself as many wedges as you can.
3. Know the distance to the trouble and always stay short of it. Too many times I see amateurs hit their lay ups straight into the hazard they were trying to avoid in the first place. If you can get to the trouble with the club in your hand then choose another club. This could be a change of club on the tee box and in the fairway. |
So, the next time you’re playing think about the above and maybe use that opportunity to try something different. As I always say, you might get it wrong at first but without failure one can never learn to get it right. It’s a about trying to improve.
Our weekly deal this week is an absolute cracker with 20% off all Rudy Project Sunglasses. If you’re looking for some golf shades or even just a casual pair for your day to day life, then come down to the store and see what we have in stock.
Andy’s weekly review sees him take a look at the latest cart bag offerings from Callaway Golf. There’s some really good info on these bags, so definitely worth a read.
In closing I’d like to wish Morten and Altus the best of luck as they head to Johannesburg for the PGA Nationals at Ebotse Links in Benoni (picture). This is the biggest event on the calendar for PGA Professionals and both of our boys are playing really good golf at the moment, so here’s wishing them an awesome week ahead.
Bring it home gents.
Until next week,
Pete | |  |
The promotion on all our Peter Millar clothing is still running! So come down and take advantage of our buy-1-get-1-at-half-price deal.
Peter Millar does come with a slightly higher price tag than other brands, but always remember that you get what you pay for in this world, and with Peter Millar you only get excellence.
Hey Golfers!
Welcome to this week's review.
I have recently come across some seriously good information regarding golf bags. Don’t you just hate it when you pull your pitching wedge out the bag, but your 7, 8 and 9 iron come out as well?
The reason this happens is due to the fact that your grips rub up against one another and all your clubs come up at the same time - there is absolutely no divider between the golf clubs, separating them from one another. Some golf bags come with part dividers, but not full length dividers in all 14 dividers.
There is some good news though - the Callaway Org 14 and Org 15 carts bags come standard with full length dividers. Not to mention they also have funky colors available. The bag has 12 individual pockets for all your storage needs and it is extremely light.
The colors available are:
• Purple/Black/White
• Black/Grey
• Black/Blue/ Camo
• Blue/White/Red
• Red/Grey
• Grey/Blue
• Grey/White/Lime
If you are in the market for a new bag, then you should definitely consider this bag as one of your choices. A nice variety at a good price, what more could one ask for?
Till next time,
Andrew | |  |
XXIO will be joining us on 14 May for a not-to-be-missed demo day. That’s right, we’re giving you the opportunity to try out the latest and the greatest from some of the best in the business. What’s more, it’s totally free! There will be experts to help you find your perfect fit, so why not come down and bring along your old clubs for comparison? We guarantee the difference will surprise you. We only have two spots available, so book your spot today.
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