Latest news with #RainmakersGolf
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All Great Short-Game Players Do This, Says Top Teacher
All Great Short-Game Players Do This, Says Top Teacher originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Like many amateur golfers, I really struggle hitting short-game shots — which is only adding unnecessary strokes to my scorecard each round. Advertisement Off the tee? I'm pretty good, capable of using above-average club head speed for maximum distance without sacrificing accuracy. And my approach shots have improved, too, giving me solid ball-striking and distance control with my irons. But the real trouble starts once I get a wedge in my hands, often losing strokes anywhere within 30 yards. With my short-game being a real sore spot, I had to tap top-ranked golf coach Kelvin Kelley for some tips. So the Rainmakers Golf crew recently took an on-course golf lesson to help shore up my short game — which you can watch in the video below. This Simple Secret is Key for Great Short-Game Players In the video, Kelley and I walk up to my golf ball that's just sitting off the green, putting me in a tough situation as an amateur golfer — getting up-and-down to save par. Advertisement As we assess the lie together, I admit that I've got a general idea which club I want to use and which type of short-game shot I prefer. 'I like to either choke down on a Pitching Wedge [or an Approach Wedge] and do a little bump and run,' I tell him. But this is where Kelley briefs me on something simple that all great short-game players do: Avoid getting the ball into the air if you can near the putting surface. 'Good short-game players always keep it as low to the ground as possible, since you can control the distance easier,' he tells me. While using a Texas Wedge — aka putting from off the green — is out of play here given the thickness of the rough, Kelley instructs me to go with a Sand Wedge, which allows me to control the ball-flight and roll-out once my ball hits the green a little bit better. Advertisement Unfortunately, I caught the ball just a little too high on my clubface, which popped it up more than I would've preferred — leaving my ball short after landing softly, but without much roll-out. 'It just landed on that ridge and stayed up top,' Kelley says following my result. 'Had you landed that just a little bit further it would've caught that slope and run down [towards the pin].' Although I didn't execute the shot properly, the golf tip is now ingrained in me: Keeping the ball near the ground on chip shots is going to give me a much better opportunity at shaving strokes. So use this tip to your advantage the next time you've got a tricky short-game shot. Advertisement Related: This Cheat Code Will Lead to Better Green-Reading in No Time Related: How to Increase Club Head Speed With Your Driver Related: Ask a Golf Caddie: What's the Most Common Mistake Rec Players Make? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Of All the Chipping Tips, This is the Simplest One to Practice
Of All the Chipping Tips, This is the Simplest One to Practice originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When it comes to sharing chipping tips, I'm a sucker for listening to anyone who can help my short game shots. After all, when you can master shots near the green, you often score much lower. Advertisement While most amateur golfers only focus on putting practice to shave strokes off their scorecards, they're really not doing themselves any favors — since having to sink a long-distance putt to save par puts added pressure on them — which is where a masterful short game comes into play. So what's an easy way to practice chipping without buying some crazy training aid or fidgeting with your technique over and over? The Rainmakers Golf crew asked top-ranked golf coach Brian Mogg, who shared one of the easiest chipping tips you'll ever see. This Chipping Tip Will Transform Your Short Game View the original article to see embedded media. When you either chunk or skull a chip in golf — and everyone reading this no doubt has — there are a few different reasons why it might happen. Advertisement Whether you came in too steep with your club, transferred your weight wrong, decelerated on the downswing, or just totally botched the setup, these are all recipes for disaster — and they aren't easy to just quickly clean up. But Mogg offers up a simple chipping tip that can help reset your mind and feels around the green: One-handed chipping! In the video above, Mogg shares why, of all the chipping tips, practicing with just one hand is the one you should commit to using most. 'In modern golf, chipping is a lot different than 30 or 40 years ago,' Mogg explains. 'You've got so many different clubhead designs, so now when you release it, it's no longer a hit and hold to grab the grip through.' Advertisement So what's the preferred and more modernized way of chipping? Mogg says that it's more of a release of the clubhead. 'You want to be able to thump the [bounce of the club] off of the ground,' he adds. This is where one-handed chipping practice comes into play. 'A good drill to practice this is one-handed chipping,' Mogg shares. 'This teaches you how to release the clubhead, with the grip at impact almost going backwards as the club goes forward. 'Too many amateurs try to pull and drag that club forward, which produces very inconsistent results.' While there are hundreds of different chipping tips out there, Mogg's one-handed tip feels like a cheat code that can lead to softer short-game shots that sit closer to the flagstick. So give it a try during your next golf practice session. Advertisement Related: Learn How to Hit a Power Fade with 2 Simple Driver Tweaks Related: This Golf Ball Test Shows the Differences Between a New vs. Old Ball Related: 2 Little-Known Factors That Influence Your Short-Game Shots This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Want to Hit a Stinger Golf Shot? Just 3 Adjustments Make it Easy
Want to Hit a Stinger Golf Shot? Just 3 Adjustments Make it Easy originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's not always necessary to bust out the ol' stinger golf shot — which produces a low-flighted ball with lots of topspin to help avoid uncontrollable factors like the wind — but knowing how to shape golf shots is a skill that can instantly help lower your scores. Advertisement While most stinger shots are associated with links-style courses, like those hosting the Open Championship, it's also a type of shot that can be used as a fairway finder. That's because it removes the risk of hitting a driver by clubbing down to a mid-iron (like a 5-iron), adding some accuracy insurance. But how the heck does someone practice hitting a stinger golf shot? Thanks to golf content creator Dalton Joyce (AKA 'Young Dalt'), you can learn the simple adjustments to develop the technique. 3 Adjustments to Help Hit a Golf Stinger Shot While warming up on the driving range alongside the Rainmakers Golf crew, Joyce shared the three adjustments that he likes to make when practicing the stinger — and he actually uses a club with a smaller clubface to work on his ball-striking. Advertisement As he goes through his pre-shot routine, Joyce reveals his tips for hitting a golf stinger shot. "First, know your ball flight — is it going to fade or is it going to draw?" he asks. Once you identify the ball flight, Joyce says you've got to figure out your backswing and follow through length, ensuring you maintain good speed at the same time. "You're not swinging slower, you're stopping your hands faster," he adds. "I like to control the trajectory just based on where my hands are. So if I want to hit it high, I'm going to climb the ladder with my hands. If I want to hit it low, I'm going to feel as if the club's below my shoulder plane." Advertisement Finally, Joyce says that a big mistake most amateur players make is decelerating in the golf swing, which isn't going to produce this low-running shot. "You've got to punch it," he instructs. "There's no way to make crisp and consistent contact on a shot like this if we're decelerating." So if you're looking to master the golf stinger shot, start by using Dalton Joyce's easy adjustments while practicing on the range. With some repetition and instant feedback from the smaller clubface, you'll be smoking the low-runner in no time. Related: Pro Golfer Emilio Gonzalez Shares the Do's & Don'ts of a Perfect Pre-Shot Routine in Golf Related: Of All the Chipping Tips, This is the Simplest One to Practice Related: Cameron Young Shares 3 Types of Tee Shots to Better Maximize Your Driver This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2 Little-Known Factors That Influence Your Short-Game Shots
2 Little-Known Factors That Influence Your Short-Game Shots originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Ask most amateur players what they love most about golf practice and very few will tell you it's hitting wedge shots. That's because it's more fun to try and bomb the driver like a PGA player does on the driving range. Advertisement In order to see real golf improvement and to score lower, though, the Rainmakers Golf crew knows it starts with conquering golf shots from 100 yards and in — meaning you need to have masterful touch on wedge shots. Before heading to the range to hit a bunch of balls, make sure you listen up to top-ranked golf instructor Kelvin Kelley, who has a few short game golf tips about certain factors that influence your results. These Short Game Golf Tips Are Crucial To Understand There are lots of short game golf tips that promise better results. While most of them focus on club choice, setup, or ball position, Kelley actually suggests an even higher level tip — two factors that impact your shot results even if you've perfected those other pieces of the golf swing. Advertisement In the video above, Kelley discusses what a golfer needs to do to generate spin on wedge shots. 'Everyone loves the spinny wedge shot, and here are the ways to get that spinny chip or pitch,' Kelley says. 'The first thing, which is often overlooked, is having clean grooves. 'So before going out to the golf course [or practice area to work on the short game], make sure your grooves are clean. Just take your bag towel and finger and make sure the grooves are nice and clean — which will give me the required friction to produce spin.' Unlike most pro golfers — who have their sponsors ship them fresh, new wedges anytime they need them — amateur players need to maintain their equipment. So always be sure your grooves are clean and ready for action. Advertisement In addition to having a tidy clubface, Kelley shares another important short game golf tip that can be overlooked — use a good golf ball when you're looking to produce spinny wedge shots. 'The golf ball also has a major influence on the spin,' Kelley adds. 'If you're playing a harder ball or a driving range ball, you're not going to get a lot of spin. Always make sure you're playing a premium golf ball.' Now that you know those two crucial short game golf tips, you're primed and ready to execute your desired wedge shot. 'I'm going to take a high-lofted club [Kelley's using a 60-degree wedge], and will play this one as a low-spinner,' Kelley says. 'I'm going to put the ball back in my stance, I'll put my pressure and weight leaning forward, and I'm going to have the leading edge open — which adds more loft.' Advertisement With clean grooves and a premium golf ball, you can start to see more success on wedge shots, leaving you closer to the pin for easier putts. Related: How This Funky Practice Club Helps Improve Your Golf Game Related: Master 100-Yard Golf Shots With This Simple Course Management Tip Related: Dominate Tricky Greenside Bunker Shots With These Golf Tips, via a Top Instructor This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
This Golf Ball Test Shows the Differences Between a New vs. Old Ball
This Golf Ball Test Shows the Differences Between a New vs. Old Ball originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Every golfer has asked a simple question at some point in their playing days: How much does a used golf ball impact performance versus a fresh golf ball? Advertisement While most people don't take it upon themselves to do a golf ball test, the Rainmakers Golf crew has nothing but time on its hands, so we figured we'd have some fun to gather info and determine how a used ball performs versus a new golf ball. The Results of the Rainmakers Golf Ball Test In the video above, Rainmakers' Nick Peres does a fun golf ball test that's meant to give some guidance for players everywhere. While it's not overly scientific, it's a simple way to see how used balls perform versus new balls. Peres explains his testing method. 'I'm going to hit 20 shots with both balls [old and new], and will compare the differences in carry, ball speed, and spin rate,' he shares. 'I'll then take the averages of the five best shots from each ball.' Advertisement So how did the old and new ball hold up in this simple golf ball test? Peres says he didn't feel much difference when hitting both, but that the data showed some significant contrasts. 'The brand new ball carried six yards further on average, had 3 miles per hour more of ball speed,' Peres discloses. 'Lastly, and the most interesting part, is that the old golf ball actually had a little bit more spin than the brand new one.' While Peres admits his ball-striking isn't pro-level — which may have an impact on the golf ball test results — nonetheless, the data suggests using an old ball during rounds may, in fact, negatively impact your overall performance. So if you're someone who just grabs the first used ball from your bag before teeing off each round, make sure to make some adjustments in club choice in order to avoid being short on every shot! Advertisement Related: 2 Little-Known Factors That Influence Your Short-Game Shots Related: Master 100-Yard Golf Shots With This Simple Course Management Tip Related: Try Nick Dunlap's Easy Practice Drill for Straighter Putts This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
