Have a go-to shot

In matchplay it’s vital to have a ‘go-to’ shot – one you can rely on and you know you can hit straight every time.

For me it’s a low cut with the driver. The lower flight and shape is easier to control and gets the ball chasing down the fairway. A lot of tight driving holes still require a driver off the tee because of their length. You can’t let loose completely, you need to have a level of control.

This shot is ideal for when you want to put your opponent under pressure with a perfect drive or put the ball in play when your opponent finds trouble.

COVER IT:

Feel like you cover the ball with your upper body coming into impact. This helps to de-loft the club slightly and send the ball out lower. Favour the left of the fairway with your alignment to allow for fade spin.

HANDS AHEAD:

Remember to keep the hands ahead of the clubhead coming into the ball. This shot requires practice and is more suited to the better player. Higher handicappers should sacrifice a bit of length and use a hybrid.

TEE IT LOWER:

Grip down the golf club for more control. You’ll lose a little bit of distance that way, but it’s worth it to hit the fairway. Teeing the ball lower helps you to get into the position where you’re going to be on top of the ball, covering it. This reduces the chance of attacking the ball from the inside, creating right-to-left sidespin, because the ball is teed so low.

SWING WITH CONTROL:

The backswing and followthrough should be slightly shorter than normal to give a feeling of control throughout the swing. The shorter the swing the better the strike and therefore the accuracy is going to be. Even if you feel like you are swinging at 50 per cent, in reality it will be more like 70, and that’s what you want to achieve.