Expert Golf Articles

By Allen Kelly, PGA Professional. For more info on Allen, visit our about us page.

On this page we feature articles written by Allen for various publications and other golf websites. We hope you enjoy reading the articles and also that your golf game improves because of what Allen has to teach.

Product Review – Skins

I recently started wearing the “Skins” garment while teaching, the idea for me was to hopefully keep my shirts a bit dryer so I would not have to change so often each day… The result was I bought 2 pairs…

Cobra L4V Driver (X) Model Review

I was using Cobra Speed Pro and it is an awesome driver. I tried someone’s L4V while in Malaysia and it was “wow”.

Blackmoor Golf Club

If you can get beyond the wild turkeys, the alligators, the deer, the old plantation cemetery on the 13th hole, and all the ancient cypress and live oak trees, you’ll find that Blackmoor is one fine golf course.

What’s In The Bag – Version 2

Well I have some new toys, actually mostly new toys. And loving them!

Ball In The Water, Rules Help…

Common errors when your ball enters a water hazard. What do I do? Ask the average player and they will straight away say, 2 club length drop. Yellow stake are a water hazard, and red stakes are a Lateral water hazard. From the 1st you get 3 options, from the 2nd you get 5…

Tiger’s Eye – Myrtle Beach

Set in Sunset Beach North Carolina, just up from Myrtle Beach is a group of course that are spectacular. Collectively known as the “Big Cats’ the group comprises of Lions Paw, Panthers Run, Leopards Chase, soon to come Jaguars Lair, but my favorite is Tiger’s Eye.

Farmstead Golf Links – Myrtle Beach

The site of my 2nd Myrtle Beach victory was at the Farmstead Golf Links, Located on the northern end of Myrtle Beach, SC’s Grand Strand. The course boasts one of the most memorable holes in Myrtle Beach — its looooonnnggg 767-yard, 18th hole. Myrtle Beaches only par 6, this finishing hole actually begins with a drive into a wide sweeping fairway in South Carolina and concludes on a large undulating green in North Carolina.

Unplayable Lie

From time to time I will try to highlight rules that are often misused, confused or violated by amateurs. The “unplayable lie” is a prime example. Let’s talk about rule 28, The Unplayable Lie. This is probably the rule that confuses most.

Course Review – Sebana Cove (JB)

I love the ferry ride to Sebana, the fast ferry is great but there are limited seats outside, the slower boat has a whole rooftop area you can sit outside and enjoy the ride, they have even gone up market and provide plastic chairs for you to sit on.

Some Basics

Some very basic do’s and don’ts. Maybe you know them maybe you dont, if we can save you some embarrassment then that is good.

Glen Dornoch

As hard as it is to do, I am going to try and show my top ten favourite courses in Myrtle Beach, in no particular order though. Last month was Tidewater. This month is Glen Dornoch and it has a Scottish feel as soon as you leave the highway and turn down the driveway just below the North Carolina border.

On The Road Again

The tournament world has started again and the first 4 day event is in Thailand. North of Bangkok by a couple of hours. At a golf course that if you asked Bangkok golfers where it is they would not have heard of it.

What’s In My Bag

Everything I carry around with me when I am golfing.

Tidewater Golf Plantation

If there is one course I think everyone should play at least once (not Augusta National) it would be the Tidewater course in North Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Anyone that has browsed my site here will know this is one of my favorite places in the world, and Tidewater would be one of the best courses, for layout, condition and ambiance that I think I have seen.

Lower That Handicap

7 great ways to lower your handicap.

Putting

Putting has often been called the game within a game, acknowledging that to be a complete golfer one must poses the skills to play golf from tee to green but also to be skillful on the green. Many people knew Ben Hogan was having putting problems when he started grumbling that putts should only count for half a stroke.

Legends Review

I have played here a few times before, and have always loved the Nicklaus layout, it is one of the best tracks I have played anywhere in the world.

Aim & Alignment

One of the biggest differences I see between better players and social golfers is how they align their bodies and clubfaces to their targets. The better player gets it perfect nine times out of 10 while only a small percentage of social golfers can consistently aim their body and clubface correctly.

Breathe Easy

What is the most important part of a golf swing? Is it the takeaway, the first 18 inches of the backswing? Is it the backswing itself? The club position at the top of swing? Is it the start of the downswing? Or the follow through? Of course these are very important parts of a successful swing, but the most important part has to be what you do BEFORE you start the swing.. I’m talking about Setup.

Clean Your Clubs

Your golf clubs cost you a lot of money, here are some tips to extend their life: Do not leave your clubs in the boot of your car, it can get up too 60 degrees in there. All that holds the head on the shaft is a small amount of glue, if it melts the clubhead will fly off.

Consider Playing Smart Golf

The idea of golf in a perfect world is to hit the fairway, then hit the green, maximum two putts, go to the next hole and repeat. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Who lives in a perfect world?

Don’t Ignore The Short Game

A student at his lesson told me he did not want to concentrate on his ball striking, as he hits the ball ok. Then why are you here,” I asked. “Because I don’t hit enough greens” was his reply. Well, the number one golfer in the World averages only 11 per round, so how many is not enough? There are two choices here, practice hitting more iron shots so you hit more greens, or concentrate on the short game and make more up and downs.

Eye On A Coin

Feeling depressed over your putting? Here’s a simple drill that will put discipline back in your stroke. Place the ball on a coin, then keep your eyes focused on the coin all the way through your stroke. Avoid the urge to follow the ball with your eyes immediately after impact – especially on short putts. Just watch for the coin, rather than following the ball with your eyes, head, and shoulders.

Get Some Rhythm

Regardless of whether your tempo is fast or slow, you need to have good rhythm in your golf swing. A typical symptom of poor rhythm is a golfer who has trouble with the longer irons and woods. The takeaway is slow to the top, then a quick lunge back down to the ball in an effort to hit at the ball with maximum clubhead speed.

Golf Swing Made Simple

Really really simple…

Hit Further With Ball Forward

Your position over the ball should vary according to the club you’re using. For instance, the ball should be just forward of middle of your stance with the shorter irons (7, 8, 9, PW). As the loft of the club decreases, the ball should be incrementally farther toward the front foot, until it’s just inside the left heel when hitting the woods. Also, remember that if you want to purposely hit lower shots, the ball should be back in the stance. For higher shots, it should be forward.

In The Sand Again

This is a bunker shot tip that will help develop two very important factors of your bunker play. If you are past the beginner stage e.g. you can get the golf ball out of a bunker, but now want to be more consistent from the sand, here are two factors to work on and a practice drill…

Junior Golf

“What age is a good age for my child to start golf lessons”? This is a common question, there is no real answer, only opinions, and of course as with all opinions, they vary. Hale Irwin was once quoted as saying, “If a parent brings a young child to a Pro and says I want him/her to be a Golf Professional, chances are they won’t be”

Kauri Cliffs

Kauri Cliffs is about 3 and a half hours north of Auckland, just out of Kerikeri, believe me it is worth the trip, if you have a bit of spare cash you can get a helicopter up there or fly to the Kerikeri airport and be collected from there.

Putting

There are lots of golf putting tips, but, unlike the full-swing, there is very little help available to show people exactly what they should be practicing. In my opinion, two of the most important requirements for good putting are, “Face Loft at Impact” and “Point of Impact”.

See Yourself in Clubface

One of the keys to getting out of greenside bunkers is to keep the clubface “open.” When you close the face, you get a lower trajectory and the club tends to dig in the sand.

Take It Back Low & Slow

High handicappers have a tendency to take the club back too quickly with the wrists. This reduces proper extension and gets the swing off plane. Here’s a great drill to help you get the proper feel for the take-away.

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