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