5 Golf Tips (and 3 Drills) From Golfing Legend Seve Ballesteros

Seve Ballesteros died in May of 2011. A former world No.1 golfer, he was among the sport’s major figures from the mid ‘70s to the mid ‘90s.

Born in Spain, Seve won more than 90 international tournaments, including 50 European Championships.

He also won five majors—The Masters (twice) and The U.S. Open Championship (three times).

When Seve passed, we lost a great player and ambassador.

Below are 5 golf tips gleaned from watching Seve play.

Ingrain these golf tips. They’ll reinforce the basics. Use them to chop strokes from your golf handicap.

• Hands should work as one

Seve thought the hands should work as one when putting.

We do, too.

That’s why we focus on it in our golf instruction sessions.

Getting your hands to work together is easier if you grip the club lightly.

Grip it so lightly that even a child could take the putter from your hands.

Other golf tips on putting from watching Seve include:

A square stance offers the best view and keep your eyes directly over the ball.

You should be able to turn your head and look directly down to your desired line.

Use this drill to ingrain Seve’s golf tips on putting:

Assume a putting stance.

Position the ball just inside your front heel on the target line.

Hold a ball next to the bridge of your nose then drop it.

Adjust your head position depending on where the ball lands—either inside the target line or outside it.

Do the drill again.)

• Keep your arms close to body

Keep your arms close to your body on a full swing.

If they’re too far away, you create a big gap between your arms and body—a fault we often see in golf lessons.

The gap forces the club back too far. You must then time your release through impact to control the shot.

Release too much and you’ll hook it left.

Release too little and you’ll slice right (left for left-handers).

(Here’s a drill often used in golf instruction sessions to train students to keep their arms close to their bodies:

Place a handkerchief under your front arm. Then take practice swings without dropping the handkerchief.

If the handkerchief falls, your arms are too far from your body.)

• Play the water like sand:

Play the ball out of water only if a quarter of the ball is above the water.

If it’s completely submerged, take the penalty.

Use a pitching wedge instead of a sand wedge.

The pitching wedge has a sharper leading edge.

It’s better for hitting water shots.

Take a firm stance. Open your clubface.

Swing back steeply.

And come down sharply just behind the ball.

This is a hazard, so your club can’t touch the water before you swing.

(Many weekend golfers don’t realize they can hit from the water—especially those with high golf handicaps. But be selective. You need the right conditions to pull this shot off—a point we emphasize in our golf instruction sessions.)

• Look for the window of opportunity

When you hit into deep trouble, look for somewhere to make a swing.

Seve called it “a window of opportunity.”

Whenever a golfer can take a swing, that’s the way out of trouble—be it forward, backward, right or left.

You also have to look for a pretty good lie. If you have room to swing and a pretty good lie, then go for it.

And be decisive in the way you hit it.

(Beginners are often undecided on what club to hit. It’s something we see all the time in golf lessons. Indecision can kill you. You must be decisive when choosing a shot. Once you’ve decided on the shot, commit to it—then swing away. Commitment is just as critical as shot selection.)

• Stay in control

Your goal when hitting an iron is to hit the ball then the turf.

As you finish your backswing, your weight should be well planted. You won’t need to lift your heel.

Also, center the ball in your stance or slightly forward. Position your hands slightly ahead of the ball.

Then, swing back with your left arm straight. Stay in control when swinging.

(The following drill ingrains these golf tips:

Get in a bunker and hit several shots with any club. Now get out of the bunker and hit the same shot from the turf. This drill teaches you to maintain balance and control the clubhead.)

Seve Ballesteros was unique. He also was among the games greatest players and ambassadors. Follow his lead with these golf tips and you’ll chop strokes off your golf handicap.