Welcome to the latest edition of my newsletter. 

It has been another pretty decent week here at East Devon Golf Club and another dry one to report!


 

The first competitive action to report on this week is from the Ladies Start of Season 4BBB Stableford. The event is split into two divisions with half of the field playing the front 9 holes and the other half the back. Lauren Chapman and her partner Kassy Gillioz-Taylor were the victors over the front 9 with 21 points, and Elaine Bright and Lorna Nichols took the plaudits over the back 9 with 20 points.

The Men were out in force on Saturday for the March Stableford. A bumper entry battled it out for the honours and it was nice to see Bob Horton at the top of the leaderboard with an excellent 40 points. Richard Price-Hughes continued his run of early season form to lead the way in Division 3 with 37 points, and Mark Anderson returned to form to do likewise in Division 2 with 35 points.


 

The first golfing major of 2016 takes place at Augusta early next month. I will be running my ever popular Masters Sweepstake alongside this and tickets are now on sale in the Pro Shop.


 

Is there one bad shot that cost you more than any other last season? With the prospect of clearer weather and more golf on the horizon, allow us to share a few top tips on how to cure a common problem shot - the slice. 

This shot is often caused by an 'over the top' action, in which the right shoulder starts the downswing. This throws the club outside the desired swing path on the way down, causing you to cut across the ball at impact. 

As pictured in this drill, try taking your left hand off the club and move to the top of the backswing. As you start down, your left hand should stay in place. If you have a tendency to come over the top, your left hand will move towards the target. 

   

Let your right hand release under your left and you should notice how this encourages you to remain in your posture through the impact area - essential for good ball striking. Try repeating this drill until it starts to feel natural, and then hit some shots. 

If you'd like further help, come and speak to the team or request a lesson, please click here.