You go south? Do this for an emergency fix

When a round starts to go south, there’s only so much you can do when your head is rolling on the 5th tee. Sometimes, for the day, you just have to work with what you’ve got.

But there are some Band-Aids or quick fixes you can use. Or as a top 100 GOLF teacher Joe Hallett says there’s a “pull this in an emergency” lever that he likes to teach his students.

“When you’re playing and it starts to feel a little bit like the wheels are coming off, it’s very easy to say, go for a three-quarter swing,” says Hallett, while at the Top 100 GOLF Teachers Summit in Cabot Citrus Farms earlier this month. “If you look at some of the greatest players in history, like Tiger when he was playing his best, the club failed to match. But the secret to getting to the three-quarter swing is to take practice three-quarter swings.”

Hallett explains that while the three-quarter swing is a good technique to use on a poor swing day, most amateurs may think they’re doing it, but they’re still making full practice swings. It makes a big difference, and it’s important that you’re doing it the right way.

“Do your three-quarter swing practice and do it with your feet very close together,” Hallett says, adding that they should be about six inches apart. “It forces you to maintain balance and timing. That simple little thing of feet together and a three-quarter swing, if you can do that without falling over, it promotes balance and timing and now you can walk into that shot and have half a chance of hitting it .”

When you’re ready to hit the shot, Hallett says to take your normal setup and then use the three-quarter swing. The shorter swing will minimize swing and minimize swing length, meaning the face will stay square a little longer.