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Golf: How-to guides

Browse SportsMonkie's how-to guides about golf, organized in one crawlable topic hub.

45 articles in this topic.

A golfer using an alignment stick drill on the range to fix swing path
Golf

8 Best Golf Swing Drills to Fix Your Swing Fast (Ranked by Fault)

The best golf swing drills fix one fault at a time: the alignment-stick drill for path, the step drill for weight shift, and the pump drill for an over-the-top move. Here are 8 drills, ranked by what they repair.

A golfer splashing sand out of a greenside bunker with an open-faced sand wedge
Golf

How to Hit a Bunker Shot: The Splash Technique That Escapes Every Time

To hit a greenside bunker shot, open the clubface, aim two inches behind the ball, keep your weight forward, and splash the sand while accelerating through to a full finish. Here is the step-by-step method.

A golfer practicing chip shots to a landing-spot towel on a practice green
Golf

9 Best Golf Chipping Drills to Sharpen Your Short Game

The best golf chipping drills train one skill at a time: the ladder drill for distance control, the landing-spot drill for where the ball lands, and the coin drill for clean contact. Here are 9 drills to lower your scores around the green.

Golfer at address for a chip shot with a narrow stance, ball back, and hands ahead of the clubhead
Golf

Golf Chipping Technique: How to Chip Crisply Every Time

Solid golf chipping technique comes from a narrow stance, ball back, weight forward, and a putting-style stroke with no wrist flip. Here is the exact setup and motion.

Close-up of a neutral beginner golf grip showing two knuckles on the lead hand
Golf

Golf Grip for Beginners: How to Hold the Club Correctly

A beginner's golf grip starts with the lead hand: place the club in your fingers, not your palm, so you see two knuckles at address. Here is the step-by-step method, grip styles, and the faults to avoid.

A golfer practicing the gate drill with two tees on a putting green to fix start line
Golf

9 Best Golf Putting Drills to Sink More Putts and Kill 3-Putts

The best golf putting drills fix one thing at a time: the gate drill fixes your start line, the ladder drill fixes distance control, and the clock drill builds short-putt confidence. Here are 9 drills that lower your putts per round.

A golfer demonstrating proper putting technique with eyes over the ball and a shoulder-driven stroke
Golf

Golf Putting Technique: How to Grip, Aim, and Stroke It Pure

Good golf putting technique comes down to four things: a light square grip, eyes over the ball, a shoulder-driven stroke, and a face that returns square. Here is how to build each one.

A golfer setting up over a putt with eyes directly over the ball on the green
Golf

12 Golf Putting Tips to Sink More Putts and Cut Your Score

The best golf putting tips start with setup: eyes over the ball, a quiet lower body, and distance control. Here are 12 simple putting tips to hole more short putts and three-putt less.

A golfer using a headcover drill on the range to train an in-to-out swing path
Golf

8 Golf Swing Path Drills to Stop Coming Over the Top

Golf swing path drills fix the direction your club travels through impact. Use the gate drill, headcover drill, and alignment-stick drill to swing in-to-out and kill your slice.

A golfer mid-downswing on the range showing correct hip rotation and hand position at impact
Golf

Golf Swing Technique: The Correct Mechanics, Step by Step

Correct golf swing technique comes down to five repeatable checkpoints — grip, setup, takeaway, downswing sequence, and impact position. Here's how to build and groove them.

A golfer rehearsing swing tempo with a metronome and alignment stick on the practice range
Golf

8 Golf Swing Tempo Drills for a Smoother, More Consistent Swing

Golf swing tempo drills train a 3:1 rhythm so your backswing is three times slower than your downswing. Here are 8 tempo drills, ranked from easiest to most advanced, to stop you rushing the transition.

Beginner golfer at address on a driving range demonstrating proper setup and swing checkpoints
Golf

Golf Swing Tips for Beginners: 9 Fixes That Cut Strokes Fast

The best golf swing tips for beginners start with grip, setup, and a slower takeaway — nine checkpoints that fix slices, chunks, and tops in one range session.

A golfer chipping onto a green with a wedge, weight forward and hands ahead of the ball
Golf

How to Chip in Golf: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to chip in golf with a narrow stance, weight forward, and a putting-style stroke that uses the loft of the club. Follow these steps to stop chunking and thinning around the green.

A golfer checking clubface impact tape after a shanked iron shot on the range
Golf

How to Fix a Shank in Golf: Causes and Drills That Stop It Fast

Fix a shank by moving the strike off the hosel: stand a hair farther from the ball, keep your weight back on your heels, and swing the club more from the inside. Here are the real causes and the drills that stop the shanks fast.

Close-up of a golfer's hands correctly gripping a golf club at address, showing overlap grip and V alignment
Golf

How to Grip a Golf Club: The Correct Grip in 5 Steps

To grip a golf club correctly, rest it diagonally across your lead-hand fingers, close the hand so the V points at your trail shoulder, then set your trail hand so both palms face each other. Here is the full 5-step setup, pressure scale, and fixes for the grip faults that cause slices and hooks.

A right-handed golfer swinging a driver on an in-to-out path to shape a draw
Golf

How to Hit a Draw With a Driver: The Simple Setup Fix

To hit a draw with a driver, swing the club on an in-to-out path with the face closed to the path but open to the target. Here is the exact setup, path, and drills to shape it.

A golfer launching a tee shot with a driver, ball rising high off the tee against an open fairway
Golf

How to Hit a Driver Farther: 6 Proven Ways to Add Distance

To hit a driver farther, raise clubhead speed, strike the center of the face, and hit up on the ball with a positive attack angle. Here's how to add 15-30 yards off the tee.

A golfer swinging a driver off a tee with the clubface square to the target line for a straight tee shot
Golf

How to Hit a Driver Straight: 6 Steps to a Center-Face Strike

To hit a driver straight, square the face to your path at impact: neutral grip, ball off the lead heel, tee half the ball above the crown, and a path that swings out to the target rather than across it. Here's the full step-by-step.

A golfer at the top of the backswing with a driver, ball teed up on the fairway ahead
Golf

How to Hit a Driver: Tee Height, Setup, and the Upward Strike

To hit a driver well, tee the ball so half sits above the clubface, set up with the ball off your lead heel, and swing on a shallow, ascending path through impact. Here's the full step-by-step.

A golfer at address aiming left of target to hit a controlled fade with a driver
Golf

How to Hit a Fade With a Driver: Setup, Swing Path, and Face Control

To hit a fade with a driver, aim your body slightly left, keep the clubface pointed near your target so it stays open to your path, and swing along your body line. Here is the exact setup, swing, and practice plan.

A golfer sweeping a mid-iron cleanly off the sand in a fairway bunker
Golf

How to Hit a Fairway Bunker Shot: Clean Contact, Every Time

To hit a fairway bunker shot, take one extra club, choke down, dig your feet in lightly, play the ball just back of center, quiet your lower body, and pick the ball clean off the sand. Here is the full method.

A golfer hitting a high, soft pitch shot with a lofted wedge onto the green
Golf

How to Hit a Pitch Shot in Golf: Setup, Distance Control & Trajectory

To hit a pitch shot, take a lofted wedge, play the ball center, put 60% of your weight on your lead foot, and control distance with backswing length, not hand speed.

A golfer at full extension in the downswing, driver blurred through impact to show clubhead speed
Golf

How to Increase Golf Swing Speed: The Real Drivers of Clubhead Speed

Golf swing speed training works by improving sequencing, mobility, and ground force first — then adding overspeed protocols. Here is the program that actually adds distance.

A golfer setting up over a putt with eyes directly over the ball on the green
Golf

How to Putt in Golf: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sink More Putts

Learn how to putt in golf the right way: a light grip, eyes over the ball, a shoulder-rocked pendulum stroke, and speed control that reads the green. A step-by-step guide for lower scores.

A golfer crouching behind the ball reading the slope and break of a putt on the green
Golf

How to Read Greens in Golf: Slope, Grain, and Speed Made Simple

To read greens in golf, judge speed first, then slope: walk to the low side of the hole, feel the tilt with your feet, and let gravity tell you which way the putt breaks. Here is the full method.

A golfer releasing the golf club through impact with the forearms rotating and clubhead squaring to the ball
Golf

How to Release the Golf Club: A Simple Guide to Timing and Speed

To release the golf club, let your forearms rotate and your wrists unhinge naturally through impact so the clubface squares on its own. Here is how to build proper release timing, add speed, and stop flipping at the ball.

A golf bag organized with woods in the top row, irons in the middle, and wedges and putter at the bottom
Golf

How to Organize a Golf Bag: The 14-Club Setup That Speeds Up Every Round

Organize a golf bag by loading clubs longest-to-shortest from the top-back slot down: woods top, irons middle, wedges and putter bottom-front, with valuables, range, and rain gear in fixed pockets.

A golfer taking a clean divot in front of the ball to avoid a fat shot
Golf

How to Stop Hitting Fat Shots: Fix Your Low Point Fast

To stop hitting fat shots, move your low point in front of the ball: set 55% of your weight on your lead foot, keep it there through impact, and play the ball back an inch. Here is the full fix, with drills.

Diagram of an out-to-in swing path and open clubface that causes a golf slice
Golf

How to Stop Slicing the Golf Ball: 7 Fixes That Work

To stop slicing the golf ball, fix the two things that cause every slice: an out-to-in swing path and an open clubface at impact. Here are 7 fixes and drills that repair both.

Golfer demonstrating the correct golf swing sequence from setup through follow-through
Golf

How to Swing a Golf Club: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

How to swing a golf club starts with a solid grip and setup, then a one-piece takeaway, a controlled backswing, and a downswing led by the hips. Here is the full sequence.

Golfer's hands demonstrating a proper neutral golf grip on the club handle with V's pointing to the trail shoulder
Golf

Proper Golf Grip: What a Correct Grip Looks Like and Why It Matters

A proper golf grip has neutral hands, matching V's pointing at your trail shoulder, light pressure, and unified hands acting as one unit through impact.

Close-up of a golfer's hands in a reverse-overlap putting grip on the putter handle
Golf

Proper Golf Putting Grip: How to Hold the Putter for a Steadier Stroke

A proper golf putting grip runs the handle up the lifelines of both palms, keeps both thumbs flat down the top, and unifies the hands so the wrists stay quiet. Here is how to grip a putter, plus when to switch to cross-hand, claw, or pencil.

A golfer demonstrating a proper setup and stance at address with square alignment and athletic posture
Golf

Proper Golf Setup and Stance: A 7-Step Checklist for a Solid Address Position

Proper golf setup and stance means shoulder-width feet for irons, ball position matched to the club, a tilt-from-the-hips posture, square alignment, and 50/50 weight. Here is the 7-step checklist that builds a repeatable address position.

Down-the-line view of a golfer's club moving outside the swing plane on the downswing
Golf

Over the Top Golf Swing: Why It Causes Your Slice

An over the top golf swing throws the club outside the line, cutting across the ball. What it means, why it slices, and the drills that fix it.

A golfer at address with the club shaft and lead arm forming a single straight line
Golf

The Single Plane Golf Swing: Moe Norman's Method

The single plane golf swing, made famous by Moe Norman and taught by Todd Graves, keeps the club and lead arm on one line. How it works and who it suits.

A golfer demonstrating the weight-forward, centered position of the stack and tilt swing
Golf

Stack and Tilt Golf Swing: The Method Explained

The stack and tilt golf swing keeps weight forward all swing for centered contact. How the Bennett-Plummer method works, its costs, and who it helps.

Overhead view comparing a strong golf grip and a weak golf grip on the club handle
Golf

Strong vs Weak Golf Grip: What Each Does to Ball Flight

Strong vs weak golf grip: a strong grip closes the face for a draw, a weak grip opens it for a fade. What each does to ball flight, and which to use.

Comparison chart of country club membership initiation fees and monthly dues across national tiers
Golf

Country Club Membership Cost: National Averages and Real Examples

Country club membership costs $50,000 median initiation and $10,700 a year in dues nationally. Real tiers, plus honest pricing on 7 named clubs.

Golfer being fitted for a driver using a launch monitor and shaft testing rack in a golf fitting bay
Golf

How Much Does a Golf Club Fitting Cost?

Golf club fitting costs $30-$150 free-to-cheap at a retailer or $175-$475 at a specialist studio. Real 2026 prices for driver-only vs full-bag fittings.

Multi-story golf entertainment venue with driving range bays and tracking technology at dusk
Golf

Cost to Build a Golf Venue Like Topgolf

Building a Topgolf-style golf venue costs roughly $15M to $50M. Here's the full cost breakdown, why you cannot franchise one, and cheaper options.

Vintage-style illustration of a golf grip and stance in the scratchboard style of Ben Hogan's Five Lessons
Golf

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: What the Book Still Teaches

What Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf actually teaches, whether Ben Hogan's grip and swing plane still hold up in 2026, and which edition to buy.

Golfer receiving a swing lesson from a PGA professional inside a Golf Galaxy hitting bay with launch monitor technology
Golf

Golf Lessons at Golf Galaxy: What They Cost and What You Get

Golf Galaxy lessons cost about $80 for 30 minutes with a local PGA or LPGA pro, cheaper in packages. See what's included, who teaches, and how it compares.

Patrons walking the grounds at Augusta National during Masters Tournament week
Golf

Masters Tickets at Augusta: Real Cost and How to Get Them

Official Masters tickets run $125-$525, but the patron waitlist has been closed since 1978. Real lottery odds, resale prices, and honest expectations for 2027.

Grandstand seating and fans at a Ryder Cup golf course, representing 2027 Ryder Cup tickets at Adare Manor
Golf

Ryder Cup 2027 Tickets: Prices and How to Get Them

Ryder Cup 2027 tickets run €89 to €1,999 at Adare Manor, Ireland. Real prices, ballot status, hospitality tiers, and why SeatGeek/TickPick resale is risky.

US military service member and guest walking through the gallery ropes at a Ryder Cup golf course
Golf

Ryder Cup Military Tickets: Eligibility & How to Apply

Does the Ryder Cup offer military tickets? What was confirmed at Bethpage 2025, what's unconfirmed for Adare Manor 2027, and how to apply through GovX.

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