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
Ball position is everything in iron play. If you aren’t careful about it, you can create some major problems in your game just by getting an inch or two off. – Ernie Els
For the most part, when you play a full shot from the primary rough at your course, you’re gauging how close to a standard shot you can hit based on your lie in the grass. – Ernie Els
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
From the rough, I’d use a 6-iron, play the ball back an inch or two and swing down on a steeper angle to catch the ball first. It also helps to aim slightly left and open the clubface at address. You’ll get more height on the shot, and the club will cut through the grass more easily. – Ernie Els
There have been so many majors that got away, starting at Riviera in ’95, taking a three-shot lead into the final round of the PGA and not winning. – Ernie Els
Spin is a tricky thing. When you’re trying to avoid it – say, on a tee shot, where sidespin puts you in the trees – it’s easy to make it happen. – Ernie Els
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
When I’m swinging the club at my best, it’s because I’m not thinking about mechanics at all. I feel like my body is loose. My arms are soft in front of me when I’m setting up, and my chest and shoulders feel as if they can move and turn easily. – Ernie Els
For all the fun, don’t forget: I always knew when to put my golf balls down and practice. – Ernie Els
I’m sure you have a hole at your course where you love to hit the tee shot. You can’t wait to get up there and bomb away because the fairway is wide, or the hole always plays downwind. – Ernie Els
When I stay athletic with good posture and get the club away in a good position, I get through it better. – Ernie Els
I never thought I’d be comfortable living outside South Africa, but we love London. Our two kids were born here. – Ernie Els
In 2002, the 2000 Engelbrecht Els wine was released in South Africa and received high ratings. – Ernie Els
Contours on the second half of a long putt have more impact on how the ball rolls because it’s going slower. Adjust your speed if that last part is playing uphill or downhill. Don’t get fooled by an early slope or break. – Ernie Els
Brushing up on your short game at the practice area is fine and good, but taking it with you to the golf course – when your score is really on the line – is another story. – Ernie Els
Some players like to change clubs around the green to hit high or low shots. I play all of my short-game shots with my 54-degree sand wedge and change my ball position to hit it higher or lower. I think it’s easier to learn one club than four. – Ernie Els
You probably don’t hit as many fairway-bunker shots as you do the greenside ones, and that unfamiliarity might make you a bit nervous. – Ernie Els
When you’re hitting a fairway wood, you’ve got a lot of real estate to cover to get to your target. Your first instinct is probably to give it a little more power because you’re worried about coming up short. – Ernie Els
Unless it’s a dead-straight short putt, you should focus on a spot somewhere along the line you want to roll the ball on. – Ernie Els
You should never get set over the ball and then aim your putter face. If you do it in that order, you can easily lose sight of your intended line. Instead, aim the face down your line first, then settle your body into position. – Ernie Els
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
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
I have to believe that if I keep doing what I’m doing, the results will reflect that, and I’ll give myself plenty more opportunities to win. – Ernie Els
Because of the grass and open face, I take one more club for shots from the rough, unless the ball is sitting on top of dry grass. Then, I use more loft and swing softer, trying to hit it about 70 percent to avoid a flyer over the green. – Ernie Els
The biggest mistake is trying to pinch down on the ball and ripping out a big divot, often hitting the ground before the ball. You’ll dig up some turf, but you won’t create much backspin. – Ernie Els
