Showing 1 - 10 of 157
Free relief, OB stakes and the one-club drop
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 11/02/2026
» Please allow me to try and explain what is an immovable obstruction once more. They are basically artificial, fixed objects like cart paths, sprinklers, or fences -- they allow for a free, one-stroke relief drop if they interfere with a player's lie, stance, or swing. Relief is not permitted for line-of-sight interference. Players must find the nearest point of complete relief, not closer to the hole, and drop within one club-length.
One wrong move, two strokes gone
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 31/12/2025
» Giving or asking for advice like "What club did you use?" from anyone except your caddie or playing partner results in a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Unsolicited advice from strangers or spectators is okay, but the player must not encourage it.
One wrong score for a hole can end your round
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 15/10/2025
» If you return a scorecard with a wrong score for a hole; the score you entered stands if it was higher than your actual score. However, you are disqualified if you return a score that is lower than your actual score or if you fail to return a score for a hole. Putting down a lower score is considered a serious breach of the rules and results in disqualification, unless an unknown penalty was the cause. Some professional tours have adopted a rule that gives players a 15-minute window to correct an incorrect score after leaving the scoring area.
Golf made simple: Key rules every player should know
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 01/10/2025
» Carrying on with some basic 'easy to understand' golf rules that we all need to know well. To correctly drop a golf ball, you must release the ball from your hand at knee height, allowing it to fall straight down without touching your body or equipment before hitting the ground. The ball must then land and come to rest within the defined relief area for that required situation. Should it bounce away from the dropping area you can try two more times. If still unsuccessful -- you can then place the ball. If you drop the ball incorrectly, you simply must re-drop it without penalty, but you incur a penalty if you play the ball from a wrong place after dropping it.
From divots to bunkers: Clearing up rules
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 10/09/2025
» Feedback always comes back thick and fast when l mention the rules of golf as our rules can be confusing for many. Last week, l discussed the situation of if your ball embeds itself and from the feedback came the helpful comment that there's no relief if your ball comes to rest in another pitch mark or divot.
Find fairways more often by going against the grain
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 23/07/2025
» When it comes to hitting it long off the tee, go with your normal shot shape. When driving the ball well, most of us play a slight draw, so no matter what the conditions, we'll always have this natural shape. Getting off the tee is the hardest part of the game for new golfers. I've seen many golfers fight their natural shot shape.
Trigger is what every golfer needs for a perfect swing
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 09/07/2025
» It's not for the first time that I've mentioned how every golfer should have some sort of swing trigger to start off their swing. Many times, I've watched an average golfer take a few beautiful practice swings before approaching the ball, tensing up, then freezing for a few seconds before eventually executing a stiff looking swing that looks nothing like their practice swings.
Keep your chin up, save your sanity and your swing
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 14/05/2025
» To keep checking your posture and distance from the ball is important, so don't get complacent. The way you stand to the ball dictates how you swing the club, so getting the correct posture governs the distance you'll be standing from the ball. To do this, simply hold out the club in front of you, with the butt of the club pointing into your belly button. Lock your arms and knees. Then, retaining the angle in the hands, bend from the waist until the club head touches the ground.
Anger management a vital key to success
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 16/04/2025
» The vital importance of having a great brain box that's sparking and works well under all the problems thrown at a golfer during any round, is perhaps just as vital as the mechanics of a good golf swing. Just think of all the rubbish that Rory had to face in winning last week, the constant mundane old boring useless questions that he had to answer whilst smiling and showing interest in replying to what he had for breakfast and what he watched on TV last night.
Hard work is essential for great swing
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 03/04/2025
» Most of us who've been playing for a long time picked up the basics of the game from watching carefully the swings of good players. Imitation has started many of us off in the game but this alone does not allow you to fully understand the swings inner workings. I must be honest here and say that watching only good swings will not make a good player. There is no shortcut, that I'm aware of, that will make a good player other than some hard work on the practice range. Imagining a nice-looking swing whilst hitting balls will help but we're all made differently, and as one well known player once told me 'we all have to work out what works on the course through blood, sweat and tears' so all the many movements required becomes muscle memory.