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a day ago
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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
a day ago
- Sport
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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.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Secret to Shaping Golf Shots Like Rory McIlroy and Other Great Players
If you watched this year's Masters Tournament, you witnessed some of the most spectacular golf shots in recent memory. Sure, there was Justin Rose's epic putt that ultimately led to a playoff, but it was eventual champion Rory McIlroy who really showed off his superb ball-striking ability, shaping golf shots like only a few players in the world can. Advertisement Whether it was McIlroy's 'shot of a lifetime' on No. 15 — a big, sweeping draw that rolled to a few feet of the pin — or his impeccable strike on No. 17, the five-time major winner put on an absolute ball-striking clinic. While 99% of us can only dream of hitting it like McIlroy, we can at least learn some fundamentals to help! That's why the Rainmakers Golf crew tapped top-ranked golf instructor Kelvin Kelley to share some pro-level tips on shaping golf shots — which you can see in the video below. How to Shape Golf Shots - Hitting a Draw Shaping golf shots might be an elevated skill, but when you understand the concept and what changes you need to make in the golf setup, it's actually easier than you might think. Advertisement Kelley acknowledges this, and explains how to shape golf shots by simply repositioning your feet. 'Shaping the ball is an important skill in golf, and it's actually pretty easy if you understand the physics of how the clubface and shaft work,' Kelley says. To get started, Kelley sets up an easy drill on the driving range that can help you practice shaping golf shots, simply laying down a golf club on the ground between the ball and his feet. He then explains how to position your feet based on the desired ball-flight. 'If I want to draw the ball, I just drop my trail foot back, which closes off my body and promotes a more in-to-out club path,' Kelley instructs. 'The face starts it in the golf swing and the path will curve it.' Advertisement When using your feet to shape golf shots, Kelley reminds players the importance of swinging along the body line — helping to promote the proper swing path — and ensuring the face is square at address. He then offers a quick trick. 'A quick trick that'll help you get that feeling is taking a range ball and [using or drawing lines] on it,' he shares. 'I'll take those lines and, for my draw, point them out to the right. So when I drop my right foot back, I'm going to picture the path coming from the inside and hitting that line.' How to Shape Golf Shots - Hitting a Fade Now that you understand the fundamentals for hitting a draw, conversely, Kelley explains what adjustments to make when shaping golf shots for a fade. Advertisement 'To hit a fade, I'll take those lines on the golf ball and get them pointed to the left,' he explains. 'I'm now going to open my stance, so my feet, hips and shoulders will be pointing left of the target.' Just as you would when hitting a draw, Kelley reinforces the importance of swinging along your body line, which will ensure your path is correct as it comes through impact. By making the suggested adjustments and dialing in your fundamentals, Kelley says you can use his golf tips to work on shaping shots during golf practice. 'So alter your feet the next time you're on the driving range to shape it, but also use the golf ball to get a feeling of the path,' he states. Advertisement Related: Xander Schauffele's 3 Keys for Putting Killer Backspin on a Golf Ball Related: Cameron Young Shares 3 Types of Tee Shots to Better Maximize Your Driver Related: Try Nick Dunlap's Easy Practice Drill for Straighter Putts
