Here is a useful rule of thumb: Play your wedge shots with the ball in the middle of your stance, then move the ball progressively further forward in your stance as the club gets longer.

As a guide, the 5-iron is just over a ball’s width forward of center; the 3-iron is further forward still, inside your left heel.

The reason for doing this is that it helps encourage the correct angle of attack as the clubhead approaches the ball – relatively steep with the wedge and progressively more shallow as the club gets longer. It is one of the keys to iron play.

In terms of how far away from the ball you stand, again it depends on the club you are using. Quite simply, you stand progressively closer to the ball as the shaft of the club gets shorter.

It’s common for many amateur golfers to flick at the ball with their iron shots, believing this will help the ball into the air and lead to getter shots. It doesn’t – its’ one of the worst faults in the game!

Just look at the top professional players. Their hands lead the clubhead into the ball, generating a downward angle of attack.

The key aspect to have in mind is making sure that there is a degree of forward lean in the shaft at the moment of impact. This will compress the golf ball, and means that your shots will have a much more effective trajectory.

Rock steady: Your head stays behind the ball, representing a fixed axis point for the swing.

Keep the arc: The left arm straightens to maintain arc of swing.

Shoulder line: Your right shoulder stays “under” to promote good swing path into impact.

Clear a path: Left hip clears out of the way to make room for a free swing of the arms.

Descending blow: The club approaches the ball on a slightly descending angle of attack.

If you are serious about lowering your score and becoming a better golfer, then you should be hitting more of the latter type.

However, I realize you can easily reach a lot of holes out there in two shots if you hit a good drive, and you you will most often try to do that.

So if you’ve got anything more than a 5 iron in your hand and you’re playing toward the green, consider the following advice

The first thing to think about is club selection. Many golfers are not big fans of long irons, but I realize that most players carry at least a 4 iron. You might even prefer the 3 iron for all I know.

I just suggest a green light for long irons when the situation has all of the following attributes:

• There is no trouble in front of the green that is going to prevent the ball from running onto the green if you mis-hit it.
• You’re playing into the wind.
• The hole is cut in the back of the green.
• The green is at least average in depth, preferably even deeper than normal.

Notice Anything Odd About Those Suggestions?

They make an assumption – and that assumption is that there a big chance that you are going to hit the ball thin. That is the most common mistake with long irons. But if you play them only when the shot has all of the above characteristics, you’ll be fine.

If you hit it well, you are in business. If you hit it badly, you’re still in business. I also suggest that you aim for the side of the green that will offer you the most room between you and the hole in case you miss the green to that side.

In other words, if the hole is on the left, aim for the right side of the green, and if the hole is on the right, aim for the left side of the green.

If you mis-hit the ball, you’ll probably miss the green on the side you aimed at, and you’ll be facing an easier up-and-down situation.

Now if it is a toss-up between a long iron and a fairway wood, you should always reach for the fairway wood if:

• The green is elevated, that is, it’s higher than the fairway.
• There is a bunker or other hazard directly fronting the green, or close enough that it presents only a narrow gap that a ball would have to get lucky to run through.
• You are downwind or there is virtually no wind.
• You need the ball to stop almost immediately when it hits the green.

1. Aim the clubface where you want the ball to finish – that is, straight at the target. Then align your feet in the direction you want the ball to start, while maintaining the position of the clubhead.
2. Make a normal swing along your aim lines.
3. As you approach impact, delay the release of your hands – the opposite of rolling your hands – to make sure that the face stays open through the hitting area.
4. Proceed with your follow-through to a balanced finish.

With this shot, the key is to practice it enough so that you can control the movement through the air. Your aim is to be able to shape the ball to suit different situations on the golf course.

1. Play the ball in the center of your stance (being sure to use your body as your reference point and not your feet) or maybe even slightly to the right of center.
2. And the most important part – when you address the ball it’s no problem to have the butt of the club pointing at the center of your body, but as you turn your shoulders and, indeed, your entire upper body, this can be a little tricky if you think of this relationship solely in terms of pointing the butt of the club at the center of your body.

The basic swing path for a three-quarter wedge is the 11-to-1 swing. What we mean by that is that you should picture yourself as a giant clock.

Your head is at 12 o’clock and your feet at 6 o’clock. So the ball and the club are at 6 o’clock as you prepare to play the shot.

What you are aiming for with this shot is to swing the clubhead back to 11 o’clock and through to 1 o’clock.

It’s important to make the distinction between swinging the clubhead that distance and swinging your hands that distance.

If you swing your hands up to 11 o’clock you would be making a bigger swing than you normally would playing a full wedge.

Nevertheless, just to get the clubhead to 11 o’clock you’ll have to turn your hips and shoulders.

This is the point at which you want to maintain the butt of the club/body-center relationship. If it helps, you can think about your hands instead of the butt of the club.

All we are really talking about here is keeping your hands in time with your body turn. The best way to monitor this is to keep your hands in the same position relative to the center of your body from address and throughout the swing as you turn away from and through the ball.

When you follow-through, turn your body through and swing the clubhead to the 1 o’clock. This will produce a shot that flies shorter than a full wedge, but it will still have spin on it if played from the fairway.

Use This Method In Practice

Using this 11-to-1 method, you can practice creating shots that carry different distances by making small adjustments in how far you swing the club in relation to 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock. The key is to always swing the club back and through the same distance.

There is good reason for this: The natural inclination when hitting a partial shot is to attempt to add a little extra “hit” through impact, especially if you’re not used to playing this shot. The fear is that the ball won’t travel far enough, so you try to give it a little added thrust at impact.

The first thing you need to know about playing a three-quarter wedge is that there is nothing abbreviated about it. It has a clear beginning and end, and if you cut either part short, you’re not going to like the result.

In essence what we’re doing here is pointing out the downside before we tell you how to play the shot. That’s because the greatest number of mis-hits in attempting this shot occur because the player cuts the swing off before it’s finished.

Do Not Confuse This Shot With The Punch

There are an awful lot of players out there who confuse partial wedge shots with “punch” shots. There is a good reason for this: Punch shots involve a short backswing and crisp feel at impact, and it has no follow-through.

So, the punch shot is easy to execute and it feels good. It’s also a basically useless shot unless you are playing out from the trees to get your ball back in play. It’s difficult to judge the distance a punch shot will carry, and it won’t have any backspin on it.

The reason for the confusion is that players hear or read the words “partial swing” and their brain says “punch shot” because of the lack of follow-through on a punch shot and because it’s one shot almost every golfer knows how to play.

Well, if you are 80 yards from the green and you take your wedge and slam it down on the back of the ball with no follow-through, one of two things will happen: You’ll either hit way behind the ball and take a divot the size of New York, or you might catch the ball clean.

And, if by some miracle, you catch the ball clean and have guessed correctly about how hard to hit it , you’re still out of luck, because when the ball hits the green it’s going to bounce over the back of the green.

All that, by way of saying, is to simply learn the difference and do not confuse these partial shots with punch shots.

New players may not have the same connection, but in time you will notice that even the smallest new challenges need to be addressed. Here are a few good tips to keep in mind:

Match Putter Loft To The Speed Of Greens

In general, many professional golfers say that a putter with less loft is more effective on dry, fast greens, while a more lofted putter works best on slow greens.

Of course this may not be your experience if you have not been playing golf for a while, but most of you can relate, and you should heed the advice and work it into your next few putting sessions.

When It Rains, First Line Up Your Putts Without The Ball

The first rule of thumb when playing golf in the rain is to keep your ball as dry as possible. So in order to keep it dry before you putt, line up your putt with a ball marker in place instead of the ball.

Wait until the very last moment before placing your ball on the green and taking your stroke.

Keep Your Shafts Dry

During the rain also be sure to wipe down the shaft of the club with a dry towel after hitting each shot. Otherwise, excess water will run down the length of the club and onto the grip when it is replaced in the bag.

Dress In Layers During The Cold

Although it can be very tempting to slip on a couple of heavy duty sweaters plus a waterproof jacket to play in the bitter cold, heavy or thick items of clothing can restrict your swing.

Many top golfers prefer to play in several thin layers of clothing – a vest, a couple of light T-shirts, and a sweater – rather than one thick jumper or overcoat.

This allows them to keep their mobility and freedom of movement while staying warm.

Know Your Grains When Reading The Green

The grain affects the break as well as the speed of a putt. Always remember:

- Down grain putts move faster.
- Putting into the grain is slower.
- Cross grains will break more or less than usual.

Check out the following tips that just may come in handy whenever your game gets confronted with unplanned events:

Think Of Shots As Breaking Putts In The Wind

During windy conditions, on every shot you just try to let the wind help your ball toward the hole rather than blowing your shots off line.

To that end, think of your shots as breaking putts. The old theory on the greens is that every putt is straight as far as you are concerned. You simply aim for a point and let the slope and/or grain take the ball to the hole.

Keep Your Head, Hands, And Feet Warm

The extremities of your body – head, fingers, and feet – are susceptible to the cold. Playing golf with cold hands and/or feet is a miserable experience.

Invest in some golf mittens that you can slip on in between shots and use to remove the clubs from the bag so that you can avoid touching the clubhead or shaft.

Thermal socks will make a huge difference to the warmth of your feet. And finally, most of your body heat is lost through your head, so a woolly hat or a cap will improve your body’s insulation.

Strong Winds Can Blow A Putt Off Line

Be conscience of the wind and alter your stroke accordingly. A mild breeze is unlikely to knock a well-struck putt too far off line, but a howling wind can move the ball several inches.

For example, Tony Johnstone, when playing at the Open Championship at St. Andrews in 1995, had a dead-straight 3-foot putt that missed the hole by some six inches, and finished a further 4 feet to the right.

Use Your Wedge From Against The Collar

Whenever the ball is located right against the collar of the fringe, do not get worried as most new golfers do.

And do not grab the putter either, which is another common mistake made by new players. Instead, make the shot with a wedge and use this technique:

Line up the leading edge of the clubhead with the ball’s equator. Now using a firm wrist, make the putting stroke, hitting the ball right where it rises over the long grass.

You will make impact smooth and solid due to the heavy flange of the wedge, making the ball roll ever so smoothly just like a regular putt.

Even playing the same golf course throughout the year can still present a variety of changing conditions where even the smallest tip can help keep your score on track and your game in check.

From changing weather conditions to unique styles of course, learning how to be versatile is important to enjoying your game.

Match The Putter Weight To The Speed Of The Greens

Here is an outstanding tip given by Jack Nicklaus in his book “The Best Way To Better Golf”.

In it Jack states: “If your course has fast greens, a light putter would be best. A heavier putter, on the other hand, is usually the most appropriate on slow greens.”

Keep The Ball Dry For As Long As Possible

For those rainy seasons on the golf course, it is paramount to keep your ball as dry for as long as you can.

Otherwise, the dimples fill up with water and the ball then has the tendency to slide off the clubface at impact with very little control.

Stretch Those Cold Muscles By Swinging Your Clubs

Playing golf in the winter season means having to warm-up a little extra than when playing during the warmer months.

However, most amateur golfers just jump right into a stretching routine in the dead of winter which can actually be dangerous. Stretching cold muscles hard and fast can cause injury.

The best way to warm up when the temperature is cold is to swing your clubs gently. This will help warm up the muscles you use for your strokes in a slow, yet effective manner, thus diminishing the chance of injury.

Also add to this practice jogging in place to get more blood flowing into the legs and upper body.

Allow Extra Time To Warm Up In The Winter

In addition to learning how to properly warm up those cold muscles by swinging your clubs, it is also smart to give yourself more time to do so, long before your first tee-off.

This is one of the top reasons why amateur players score significantly worse during the winter months – they do not warm up before they play, and if the do – it is rushed too fast.

They stand on the first tee freezing cold and then take more holes than normal to get warm, by which time the damage to the score is already done.

Take the time to get in plenty of practice swings before you head to the first tee so that your muscles are loose and warm before you hit the opening shot.

But when you dig your feet it shouldn’t be an absent-minded process that you do simply because it’s fun to wiggle your feet around in the sand.

What you are actually doing when you dig your feet into the sand is lowering yourself in relation to the ball.

How far down you dig with your feet and how close you stand to the ball are inextricably linked. When you want to play a high shot, you want to stand farther away from the ball and also have feet dug farther down into the sand.

The further you stand from the ball and the more you dig in, the steeper the resultant angle of your swing will be. When you want to hit a high soft shot, you want the club to approach the ball from a steep angle.

The higher the shot you wish to produce, the steeper the angle of approach should be.

Hence, the steeper you want the angle of the approach to be, the farther you should stand from the ball and the more you should dig in.

And the further you stand from the ball and the more you dig in, the wider apart you should set your feet.

How far you dig into the sand with your feet and how far you stand from the ball should be proportionate to each other.

If you dig down into the sand an inch with your feet, you should stand an inch farther away from the ball than you would for a normal wedge shot.

Also proportionate to these things is how far down on the shaft you grip the club. The farther back you stand from the ball and the farther down you dig your feet, the more you want to choke down on the club, thereby shortening the length of the club as you move the ground “closer” to your hands.

The opposite of this is also true in that if you wish to play a lower, longer shot, you should stand closer to the ball than normal and not dig your feet in quite so much.

The Pace Of Your Swing From The Sand

The pace at which you swing the club on a greenside bunker shot determines the amount of velocity a shot has on it, and also the amount of backspin.

So when the ball is close to the hole, you want to open your body in relation to the clubface and target, and choke down a few inches on the shaft.

You also want to move back from the ball, dig in more with your feet, and swing at a fairly slow pace. When the hole is what you might call medium distance from the ball, you want to stand pretty much square to the clubface, stand the normal distance from the ball that you would for any wedge shot, and swing at a medium pace.

When you want to produce a lower, longer shot – stand closer to the ball, don’t dig in at all with your feet, and swing the club at a slightly quicker pace back and through.