If you can hit your 3- and 5-woods with confidence from the fairway, par 5s become birdie opportunities, and 420-yard par 4s are a lot less scary. Ernie Els birdieconfidencefairway Change image and share on social
I almost never hit a shot all out, and I make a conscious effort to swing my long clubs just as I do my wedges. Keep this in mind when hitting your fairway woods. Ernie Els clubconsciouseffort Change image and share on social
When you get to the tee on a really long par 5, I know what you're feeling. You want to let the shaft out on the driver and try to bomb it down there. I get the same feeling. But a big tee shot is not always the best strategy, especially on a long hole. Ernie Els bigbombdriver share on social
For a 7-iron, you never want the ball to be closer to your left heel than just slightly ahead of the mid-point of your stance. That's especially true if you're a tall player, like me. Ernie Els aheadballclose Change image and share on social
With shorter clubs, your ball position should be just back of middle, to really promote hitting the ball first on a downward strike. Ernie Els backballclub Change image and share on social
I think most amateurs dread playing a 180-plus-yard par 3 even more than a hard par 4. Part of it is psychological: You think you should be getting a breather, distance-wise, and instead, you get hit with a long iron or hybrid shot over trouble. Ernie Els amateurbreatherdistance share on social
Make a conscious effort to loosen your hands and let your arms feel soft when you're at address. Take the club back a bit shorter, and feel as if you're cracking a whip on the way down - not tensing up to smash something hard. Ernie Els addressarmback share on social
There's so much more to life than golf. Family is always first. Ernie Els familygolflife Change image and share on social
I plot the par 5s back from the green and make my plan. If I can reach the green in two shots, I'm going to be aggressive off the tee. But if 's a three-shot hole, the goal changes. You want to put yourself in position to hit your favorite shot to the green. Ernie Els aggressivebackfavorite share on social
Right before I start the putter back, I think about making solid contact. This brings your attention to the back of the ball and helps keep your head still at impact, which is a must. Many amateurs take a peek down the line too soon, and that can cause all sorts of mis-hits. Ernie Els amateurattentionback share on social
