The James Andrews School of Golf

Golf tips from the top

Golf is a difficult game at the best of times and there are a million different theories of how to go about it.

The BBC asked a number of top players for their one tip to help the average amateur get the most out of their game.

Here's what they had to say.

The fundamentals are more important than most amateurs realise. They   tend to ignore stuff like good posture and grip.

Also, work on developing a nice smooth rhythm. Most amateurs that I play with tend to try to hit the ball too hard, especially off the tee. They'd be better off swinging at about 80% and concentrating on making solid contact.

Short game, short game, short game. If you miss greens, like we all do,   you're still going to have to get up and down. So if you practise your    chipping and your putting it's going to make the game a lot easier.

If I could go back in time, I would spend more of my younger years practising my short game, because if there's any area of my game that's a little bit weak it would probably be this.

The one tip I always give my amateur partners in pro-ams is not to hold    the club too tightly. It's a simple tip, but a good one.

I'd recommend you concentrate on your alignment first of all. Every time    you hit the ball into the trees, guess where you were aiming?

Know your yardages - how far you hit each club. For instance, I hit a    pitching wedge 135 yards in Europe, but up to 140 yards in America    because of the heat.

Make sure you warm up properly. So often you see club golfers arriving    in a rush, only just in time for their tee-off.

Getting to the club in time to spend 15-20 minutes hitting some balls on the range and stroking in a few putts can make all the difference.

Listen to advice your coach gives you and work hard at it. I have had to    hit a LOT of balls to get here, and I continue to do so as the swing needs    fine tuning all the time.

It's always a good idea to take more club - amateurs always seem to end    up short. And practise your short game more.

Tempo before temper, in other words, find your rhythm. Everyone has    their own ideas about hitting the golf ball but if you've got good rhythm,   you can get away with an awful lot.

Emotions can go sky high on the course so concentrate on maintaining your rhythm come what may.

My tip would be to spend more time on your short game. Everyone goes  to the driving range and whacks the ball and has a laugh doing that, but practising your short game will save you shots.

When I was a junior I used to spend hours and hours on the putting green and my dad, Pip Elson, always told me that within 100 yards is where you save shots and make your score, so it is very important.

The best tip I got when I was young was if you hit your ball into trouble,    weigh up the percentages - "Can I get the ball on the green if I hit a    perfect shot?"

The answer is generally no so just play out with a wedge, or whatever, take your medicine and move on. As much as you'd like to recover with a real beauty, the odds are probably against you.

Learn to grip it properly and then learn to aim it properly.

Learn the Vardon grip. It's the most uncomfortable thing for a beginner to   achieve but is the only thing that will guarantee that your bone structure    and joints will perform correctly.

Without the benefits of the Vardon grip it will put the swing out of shape.