Need work on your short putts? One of my favorite drills is to putt to a dime—it’s great for improving focus and concentration! Another favorite putting drill is to sink five in a row from one foot, then from two feet, then three feet, and so on. Miss one? Sorry, you have to start over! And you can’t go up in distance until you’ve made all five. That should occupy you until tee time.

I’ve found that most people with a slice problem cut across the ball on the downswing. To learn the correct path for the club head to follow, think of a rope attached to a tree above you. From the top of the backswing, you should feel that you’re pulling the rope straight down. This forces the right elbow to stay close to your side. It also gives your stroke the correct inside path, and improves your ability to swing out toward the target rather than across the ball.

Many golfers let the left knee collapse toward the right on the backswing. This causes your shoulder to drop, and makes your hips sway and overturn. To fix this, imagine your left knee going out toward the target on the backswing. You should feel tension and stability in both knees. Can’t quite get it? Try this: Imagine that you’re holding a basketball between your knees. Give it a try, you’ll be amazed!

Here’s a good image to keep in mind during your backswing: Think of placing your right hand in a “hitchhiker” position. This means that when the club is at waist height, you should be able to look back and see your thumb pointing to the sky. Here’s another trick: Imagine that your hand is in a handshake position, with the palm facing neither up nor down. These simple thoughts will ensure the beginning of your swing is correct!

Swinging too quickly is a common mistake. I’m not saying you shouldn’t swing with power and acceleration — but rather, that you need to maintain a rhythm. The best way to accomplish this is to imagine a slight pause at the top of your backswing before changing direction and beginning the downswing. Do this and you’ll find your ball in the middle of the fairway more often!

Feeling depressed over your putting? Here’s a simple drill that will put discipline back in your stroke. Place the ball atop a dime, then keep your eyes focused on the dime all the way through your stroke. This is not Foxy Bingo so don’t bet on luck.
Putting is about precision and control. Avoid the urge to follow the ball with your eyes immediately after impact – especially on short putts. Just watch for the dime, rather than following the ball with your eyes, head, and shoulders.

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. Here’s a trick to help you achieve this: Imagine that the clubface is a mirror, and that you’re going to see your reflection in it at the finish of your sand shot. This will ensure that you take the club all the way to eye level and that you’ve kept it open all the way to the finish. Good luck!

Many things can cause a slice, but most often the grip is the source of the trouble. Here’s how to fix it: Make sure that when looking down at address, you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand and a "V" formed between the thumb and forefinger pointing toward your right shoulder. With the right hand, have the "V" pointing toward your chin or slightly to the right shoulder. It works!

Three-foot putts can really mess with your mind if you let them. One strategy employed by one of the all time great putters, Seve Ballesteros, is to imagine a bullseye attached to the back of the cup. This image encourages you to accelerate the putter through to the hole and keep the clubface moving square to the hole. Try it!

Do you suffer from topping the ball or "hitting it thin?" Try to get in the habit of placing your right shoulder under your chin before looking for where the ball goes. This doesn’t mean to keep your head down forever. Let your head move, but let your shoulder be what brings it up after contact. Do this properly and you’ll almost see the club hit the ball. Try it!