Lets begin this way whenever you have a chance you should use putter around the greens. Like most we chip with one club after this I hope you use many clubs. If you are a begginner to golf I would recommend that you use a pitching wedge or 9 iron for the fact that many of you Duff the ball when using a sand wedge.

This article is going to be based on the different shots around the green and how to play them. First situation, your off the back with a big slope and the flag is in a tough spot and you haven’t learned the FLOP SHOT??? How about using a 9 or 8 iron, to hit up the slope and let the slope pop it up on the green for you.

Your off the slide of the green and it’s mowed down for you but you don’t want to putt it?? Very simply pull your 3 or 5 hybrid out and use that it gets the ball rolling quickly with little effort.

Next, will call this a bump and run, the pin is in the back part of the green and you have to go over a ridge between you and the flag. I bet like most the first club you are pulling for is a LOB wedge. Hate to say it - wrong choice! Lets instead pull out a 7iron. Again take a less lofted club with very little effort and let it roll back to the pin for you.

Lastly, I learned this one from Stan Utley and watching Tom Watson win at Pebble Beach. Your golf ball has rolled off the green and the pin is close to you what club are you going to use?? I believe most would pull out their sand wedge or Lob?? But, instead we will call this the PUTT CHIP. We want to use a PITCHING WEDGE and we want to place the toe of the club into the ground with the heel up a bit. Take your putting grip swing the club like a chip the shot should pop-up a bit and roll toward the hole.

Again get out there and try those shots if you haven’t already it will come into play at some point. Aagin thank you taking the time out to read this and the other articles I have written. Try to practice these and other shots so when it happens to you, you can deal with it. Get out there had have fun.

As I had mention before the best thing you can do is get yourself fitted for the right Lob and Sand wedge. This article is going to cover the different bunker shot you have experienced or do not know how to play. Your playing and your ball comes to rest on the up slope of the bunker and the pin is tight??

Try this and I learned this one from Ken Venturi the past CBS Golf analyst. Take your lead foot and point it toward the green, you should feel like a duck, then take a sandwedge not a LOB with a square club face grip down an inch from the top swing normal by taking some sand, the ball should come out high and soft. Since you are on the up slope the ball will come out high.

Next ball buried in slope of the bunker, follow the first step know you are going to use a pitching wedge to hit this shot the reason being there is less bounce on this club compared to a sand wedge or LOB. All you have to do is grip down on the club about 2 inches swing hard and kill the face of the club into the sand. In other words hit it fat!!!!. Hitting the ball from a buried lie in the bottom of a bunker. You want to use your sand wedge for this one, remember in a normal bunker shot we play the play forward in our stance with the wedge open.

Here we what to do some different things, one play the golf ball in the middle of your stance. Now we want to turn the clubface inward a bit or at least square as though you are going to hit a full shot from the fairway. Again make a full swing and kill the clubface in the sand, also remember the ball will come out low and fast.

What to do on long bunker shots?? Do not hit your Lob or sand wedge for these shots, like most you skull it or hit the ball over the green. Try using a pitching wedge or 9 iron, just like a regular bunker shot aim left, play the ball forward a bit and open the club face. After that splash the sand and the ball should go the distance you want.

Again take a shag bag with you on the golf course or to the practice area and have some fun with it. It will only help you when you play golf.

Hope that everyone has a good winter in the northeast and are eager to improve their golf games. Over the winter I have the pleasure to go to the Honda Classic and the Masters on my way home. And I hope most of you had a chance to watch on television, did you notice what happens when the conditions get tough??

The tour players do not hit every green in those events, so they must have a very good short game to combat that. Ever notice how many greens you hit on a pretty day on the golf course on average most golfers hit between 5 to 10 greens. Or do you ever tell yourself that you can not it a particular shot around the green when playing?

If your answer to this is yes, please take the time to improve your putting especially 5 foot putts, learn how to hit bunker shots, learn how to chip and pitch the golf ball. On that special day when you shoot your best round, you may realize how many putts you had and how close you hit your bunker, chip and pitch shots.

You should realize how enjoyable the game of golf is and if you practice that aspect of the golf enough you should see you’re handicap go down. If nothing else it will help you when your not hitting the golf ball all that great, it keeps a round of golf going. If you need help with this or any other part of your game please call me at (609) 618~2467 or drop me a note at PGAK@PGA.COM. Happy Golfing in 2008.

Have you noticed the change in the temperature and in the leaves lately. For some, this indicates that winter is closing in. Golf clubs go away and the warmer clothes come out of the closet unless you have a chance to go to a warmer climate during the winter to play golf. Though this may mark the end of another golf season it is never to early to think about working out.

Remember we have two holidays to think about, besides the food we consume we have parties to go to and we have a tendency to drink more. I mentionworking out, for some we are always looking for some extra yards off the tee or from the fairway.

You do not realize. but hitting golf balls takes alot of hard work. If you go to a gym, try to partner up with an instructor that maybe more golf specific in their workouts. If not try to go to a sports store and purchase some tubes, dumbbells and a workout ball to use. You can always get a golf workout book at the library or Barnes & Noble . On top of that try running and if not try some laps in the pool to open your lungs.

Lastly try to change your eating habits and see if that helps as well. You may just see the pounds come off a bit. Remember to see your doctor before doing any of this and try to do little at a time.

I forgot to mention if the weather becomes warm get to a driving range and hit some balls, if not try to swing a weighted golf club. If you can’t do that, swing your wedges together because there the heaviest clubs in your golf bag. This is not easy just like hitting a golf ball, be patient and see what happens. If not just look at pictures of TIGER WOODS. Happy Holidays to all that have taken the time to read my blog.

If you have any questions on anything I have written please e-mail me at PGAK@PGA.com . If you are are in the Greater West Palm Beach area over the winter and would like a golf lesson please write as well.