Tommy Fleetwood: My 5 Tips for lower Scores

Published: 08 October 2018 Last updated: 08 October 2018

Tommy Fleetwood: My 5 tips for lower scores

A selection of my favourite lessons to help you in all areas of the game.

1. I try to use as little loft as possible for any shot around the green. I like to see amateurs using fairways or utility woods to chip. Using a lofted wedge demands a lot of skill and precision. Bumping the ball forward with less loft means you use a shorter, more controllable stroke.”

2. The key thing in putting is being able to start the ball consistently on the line you want it to. If you can’t do that, you need to go back to basics to work on it. I use the claw grip because it takes my right hand out of the stroke, which is what used to cause too much rotation in the putter face for me.

This grip has become a much more popular grip now, but when you first change you worry about what people are going to think. I changed in winter when I was pretty much doing nothing except putting on a carpet so it didn’t take me very long at all to get used to. I’ve putted with it ever since.”

3. When I’m hitting a bunker shot, I turn the back of my lead hand towards the target so I can see only two knuckles. This helps the face stay open so the bottom of the club – the bounce – is the first part to touch the sand first. The open face pops the ball out high with plenty of backspin while the extra bounce helps the clubhead glide through the sand instead of digging in.

4. From the sand, I also set up with my weight on my left side and keep it there as I swing. Control distance by where you impact the sand and your choice of club, not the length or swing speed. Less loft and hitting closer to the ball will make it fly further… and vice versa.

5. Once you can deliver the club squarely, you can work some shape into your irons with two canes or clubs on the ground to help you work on body and face aim. A draw is great for working the ball to a left pin or getting more release when the ag is at the back. A fade helps you work the ball to a right pin and land the ball softer if it’s at the front.

Tommy Fleetwood: My 5 tips for lower scores

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