Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Elsis a South African professional golfer. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his 71 career victories are four major championships: the U.S. Open in 1994 at Oakmont and in 1997 at Congressional, and The Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield and in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. He is one of six golfers to twice win...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionAthlete
biggest factor grip keeps mechanical mechanics natural smooth surprised swing
Grip pressure - not mechanical flaws - is the biggest factor when you're nervous. You unconsciously grip it tighter, which keeps you from making a smooth swing with a natural release. Keep your grip pressure light, and you'll be surprised how much your mechanics stabilize.
balls knew
For all the fun, don't forget: I always knew when to put my golf balls down and practice.
avoid ball club dry flyer hit loft open percent shots sitting swing top trying unless
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.
coming cover estate hitting instinct power worried
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.
adjust early fooled half last playing putt rolls second slope uphill
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.
business family life serious
I've got my life. I'm very serious about my business. I've got my family. And I've got my game.
family life
There's so much more to life than golf. Family is always first.
ball careful inch iron major position
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.
ball change clubs easier high higher hit low players position sand shots
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.
arms best chest club front mechanics move setting shoulders soft swinging turn
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.
poorly putt
For the average player, most three-putts happen because of a poorly judged first putt from long range.
companies equipment several sponsored throughout
Throughout my career, I've been sponsored by several different equipment companies - Lynx, Titleist, Callaway.
along line roll somewhere spot unless
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.
european fantastic field tougher week year
We have a tougher field this year with Vijay and some of the other European stars, so it should be a fantastic week obviously.