13 May Get your shoulder to starting position

This tip works on golfers of all levels — it’s about positioning your left shoulder so that you catch the ball first and the ground second when swinging an iron.

1: Take your normal address, visualise the position of your left shoulder and don’t forget it.

2: Swing the club back. Regardless of whether you make a big or little turn, or a wide or narrow arm swing, your left shoulder will move out of the position

it was in at setup — and this shoulder movement is perfectly ok. Ideally, your shoulder should move under your chin, but that’s not critical.

3: Here’s the important part. As you swing down, concentrate on returning your left shoulder to its starting position. Don’t worry how you do it — just try and do it.

Returning your left shoulder at impact to its address position does two things: First, it gives you clean contact, allowing you to trap the ball between the turf and the clubface. Second, it stops you from “hanging back” on your right side, or ‘swaying’.

Out of Bounds: An Irishman walks into a railway station and presents himself at the ticket counter.

“I’d like a return ticket,” he says.

“Where to?”

“To here!”

One more — Billy stops Paddy in Dublin and asks for the quickest way to Cork.

Paddy says: “Are you on foot or in the car?”

Billy says: “In the car.”

Paddy says: “That’s the quickest way.”