TUITION
Eddie Doyle has been a PGA Professional for the last
twenty one years. He started out as an assistant Pro
in Carlow Golf Club. It was in Carlow Golf Club where
he made a name for himself as one of the country’s
leading young players back in the mid to late eighties.
During this period Doyle won numerous Pro-am’s and
other Irish region events.
He played in four Irish Open’s, three at Portmarnock
and Druids Glen in 1996. He also played the Volvo PGA
Championship at Wentworth which is the flagship
event on the European Tour.
In 1989 he made it to the final pre-qualifying of
the European Tour School but failed to gain a full
European tour card. Eddie then moved to The Heath
Golf Club as Club Professional where he spent 12 very
enjoyable years at the Heath. It was at the Heath
where he met Tommy Keane, the man who developed
and owns The Heritage Golf and Spa Resort. Doyle
was to play a substantial role from the conception of
the resort and The Seve Ballestoros Golf School to
the completion of the 5 star project.
Over the past 15 years, he has been a Leinster GUI
Coach and has been in the envious position of having
worked with and gained extensive knowledge from
some of the best international players and coaches
including Seve Ballesteros, Keith Williams (European
Tour Coach), Luther Blacklock (inventor of Explanar
Training System) and other European Tour players
associated with the Seve Trophy and The Heritage
International Challenge.
EDDIE DOYLE
pga professional
the natURAl
golf school
THE HERITAGE
golf & SPA RESORT
3
Secrets
to Great Golf
Over the following pages, I have chosen three
specific areas in your golf game, which if you work
on, will definitely lower your scores. Golf is a game
about numbers and the challenge and attraction is
to get around the golf course in the least amount
of shots as possible. With this in mind the key
areas I selected are 1. Practice, 2. The Short Game
and finally 3. Awkward lies. Golf is a great game
and it becomes more enjoyable as you get better
at it. So learn and enjoy.
April 2008 GOLFING 53
53-59 (tuition).indd 53
19/03/2008 17:44:36
3 SECRETS TO GREAT GOLF
SECRETONE
PRACTIsE
AT THE
RANGE
As the evenings are starting to get brighter at
this time of year, most golfers are starting to get
their appetite back for playing again, after the
winter break. As happens every year, we make
some great plans to get our golf game into shape
for the coming season but for one reason or
is the key. Practicing productively involves
constantly grooving the fundamentals that
govern the swing. This involves improving and
maintaining correct aim and grip reinforcing good
postural positions and rehearsing a good pre-shot
routine.
another they don’t always work out. However,
golf professionals see a lot more people on the
driving range and practice ground these days as
it is an essential part of developing your game.
To maximise your time there, you must plan and
analyse your practice. Remember, knowledge
DIVIDE YOUR CLUBS
POWER
ACCURACY
SCORING
Divide your game into three different parts; POWER, ACCURACY and SCORING. Now let’s divide your clubs. The POWER is your long game,
the clubs consist of your woods and rescue club. ACCURACY is your iron play, from a four iron to a nine iron and your SCORING clubs are
pitching wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge.
DOYLE’S TOP TIP
A good practice routine will involve hitting ten shots with each club in the POWER
long game (woods) and writing down percentage of targets hit and also which side
misses are on. In each session you should work to improve percentage of targets
hit. Now you will become more aware of where your shots are missed most
frequently. (This will also allow improvement with your course management also).
Repeat routine with ACCURACY and SCORING clubs.
Constructive practice will lead to improving all aspects of your game.
PRACTICE RECORD ANALYSIS
DRIVER
3 WOOD
RESCUE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
H
H
H
ML
H
MR
H
ML
H
H
H
ML
H
H
H
ML
H
H
H
H
H
ML
H
ML
MR ML
MR ML
H
H
RESULT
ML MR HIT
2
1
7
3
1
6
3
1
6
H = HIT • ML = MISS LEFT • MR = MISS RIGHT
54 GOLFING April 2008
53-59 (tuition).indd 54
19/03/2008 17:44:50
TUITION
EYES ABOVE THE BALL
GO
O
D
SP
I
NE
AN
GL
E
PRACTISE
AT HOME
NEES
EX IN K
FL
SLIGHT
Once you have
achieved the
correct set-up
position (left)
for putting, it is
then important
to practice
the correct
mechanics of a
putting stroke.
This simple
exercise using
two pieces of
wood helps
you develop a
solid putting
stroke. It keeps
your putter
head square to
the target as
you make your
stroke.
PUTTING STROKE
aDDREss
gRIP
tWO PLanKs
Of WOOD
Both palms face each other
with the thumbs going straight
down the centre of the grip. grip
pressure must be very light to
avoid tension in the hands.
stancE
You should have a wide stance shoulder width, as this maintains
stability through the stroke.
fOLLOW thROUgh
BacKsWIng
BACKSWING POSITION
FULL SWING
The putting stroke is pre-determined by the set-up position. On the backswing, the putter head stays low to the ground, while maintaining the ‘V’
formed between your forearms. On the forward stroke, the putter face returns to the ball squarely whilst travelling along the target line. Through
impact, the putter head should smoothly and gradually accelerate, with the left wrist staying firm and guiding the blade square along the target line.
PACE PUTTING
Most golfers are ‘Line’ conscious and fail to pay
enough attention to the pace required for each
putt. This simple exercise involves using six or
more golf balls. Stagger the distance between
each ball and then start with the ball nearest the
hole and work backwards. This will help develope,
feel and distance control.
April 2008 GOLFING 55
53-59 (tuition).indd 55
19/03/2008 17:45:10
3 SECRETS TO GREAT GOLF
SECRETTWO
SAVE
SHOTS
AROUND
THE
GREEN
REDUcE YOUR LOft
This is the key area to
lowering your scores on
the golf course. Over
the last four years, I have
spent some time with
Seve Ballesteros, picking
his brain and getting some
ideas on how he sees
and plays different shots
around the green. It is
amazing how simple and
effective his approach to
this part of the game is
and here is some of his
advice.
SA
ND
W
ED
GE
LEss LOft
N
RO
9I
7 IRON
KEEP YOUR TRIANGLES
KEEP BACK OF
LEFT WRIST FIRM
SAND WEDGE
9 IRON
7 IRON
sanD WEDgE
7 IROn
LanDIng sPOts
Choosing the correct club is the most important part of this shot. The choice of club determines ‘flight’ and ‘roll’ on each shot. A seven
iron will produce 25% ‘flight’ and 75% ‘roll’. A nine iron will produce 50% ‘flight’ and 50% ‘roll’ and a sand wedge will produce 75% ‘flight’
and 25% ‘roll’.
DOYLE’S TOP TIP
Always select the least lofted club that will carry your ball to
the pre-selected spot on the green where it will allow your ball
to roll the remainder of the way to the hole.
With a less lofted club, for example the seven iron, the stroke
is quite short, requiring minimum power, allowing you to focus
on accuracy. If the pin is cut close to the edge of the green,
select a more lofted club, so the ball lands softly and gently
rolls to the hole.
56 GOLFING April 2008
53-59 (tuition).indd 56
19/03/2008 17:45:37
TUITION
BUNKER
PLAY
STANCE AND BODY ALIGNMENT
AIMED LEFT OF TARGET
T
E
AC
BF
AT
E
RG
TA
U
M
AI
CL
The bunker shot can be the most difficult shot for amateur golfers. Seve Ballesteros told me a great story of when he was a boy
playing on the beach in Pedrena, Where he used to skim stones across the water.
He worked out that if you used the back edge of your sand wedge - not the leading edge, the club head would skid through the
sand and the ball would pop out much easier. This thought process should help you to become a more consistent bunker player.
SWING SEQUENCE
Club face open, ball positioned slightly left of centre with your weight favouring your left side. Create a wrist hinge in the backswing
and then swing forward with the back edge skidding through the sand. Keep your shoulders and hips turning to the left on the
downswing. This will help keep the loft on your clubface.
COMMON FAULTS
A
B
A If you have your weight on your back foot, the
clubhead bottoms out behind the ball to soon
causing a ‘thin’ or ‘heavy’ shot.
B If the ball position is too far back in your stance,
this will cause the leading edge of the clubhead to dig
into the sand and the ball will remain in the bunker.
April 2008 GOLFING 57
53-59 (tuition).indd 57
19/03/2008 17:45:56
3 SECRETS TO GREAT GOLF
SECRETTHREE
OVERCOME
AWKWARD
LIES
ADDRESS POSITION
SP
I
NE
AN
GL
EF
O
RW
AR
D
CORRECT
POSTURE
FLE
S
NEE
NK
XI
GRIP TOP
OF CLUB
BALL BELOW FEET
When the ball is below
your feet, grip your club
at the top of the shaft
and widen your stance.
This will help you reach
down to the ball while
maintaining a good
posture. Create good
flex in the knees and
aim your clubface, feet
and body to the left of
the target. This will help
compensate for the
effect of the slope. The
ball will move from left
to right in the air, which
causes a weak ball spin,
so you always need to
take one or two clubs
more to reach the target.
DON’T LEAN BACK
Don’t lean back in the shot, as too much
weight on your heels causes bad posture,
with your spine too upright. This will
cause a poor contact with the ball
BALL ABOVE FEET
Good posture
and body
alignment,
aiming right of
target.
Good
take away
position
and body
rotation.
GRIP DOWN
THE CLUB
When the ball is above your feet, grip down the club a couple of inches, aim the clubface,
feet and body to the right of the target with the ball positioned in the centre of your
stance. Stand slightly taller with the weight more towards your toes. The ball will fly right
to left, due to the gradient of the slope. Your right hand will also tend to over-power your
left, resulting in the club face closing over through impact and the ball moving right to left.
58 GOLFING April 2008
53-59 (tuition).indd 58
19/03/2008 17:46:15
TUITION
DOWNHILL LIE
With a downhill lie, the ball will come
off the clubface with a lower flight and
tends to move from left to right in the
air. Therefore, you must aim left of target
and select a club less than you would
normally use, with your weight favouring
your lower foot.
COMMON FAULTS
Avoid leaning back as this
causes ‘heavy’ or ‘topped’
shots.
FOLLOW THROUGH
This correct set-up position will allow
you to swing with the slope. Do not
try to get the ball up into the air by
scooping it with your hands, as the loft
on the clubface will do it. Swing down
and through the ball with the angle of
the slope.
UPHILL LIE
With an uphill lie, the ball tends
to draw to the left in the air. To
counteract this, aim a little to the
right of target. The steeper the
slope, the more the ball will move
right to left.
COMMON FAULTS
Don’t position the ball too far
back in the stance and don’t
lean into the slope with your
weight on your left side. This
will cause the clubhead to
dig into the turf resulting in
a fat shot.
FOLLOW THROUGH
The weight should favour your lower
foot and your shoulders should be
set parallel to the slope. From an
uphill lie the ball will fly higher, so
remember you will need to select
one or two clubs more.
April 2008 GOLFING 59
53-59 (tuition).indd 59
19/03/2008 17:46:51