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3 ways for… making a hole-in-one

hole-in-one can happen everywhere
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In the week when the Masters saw three golfers make a hole-in-one at the 16th hole, we asked golf journalist Matt Cooper to give his tips on how to shoot one yourself.

Visualise

My first two aces were both superb shots. But more than that I did everything top golfers (and mind coaches) say you should: I had a strong mental vision of the shot I wanted to hit. In the case of the first I was playing a hole I must have played at least 100 times and yet the pin position was one I had never seen before. Instead of hitting my shot by rote, something we’re all guilty of, that change forced me to think about the shape and trajectory I needed to hit.

Hole in one is about visualisation practice and luck

Get lucky

Many world class tour professionals have never made a hole in one. While I’ve made four, I know these pros hit more tee shots on par-threes than I have hit in my lifetime and 90% of those professional shots (minimum) would land closer the hole. So even if you hit a quality effort you need plenty of good fortune for the ball to drop.

Fluke it

My most recent hole in one was absurd. I spooned the tee shot in the air, it hit a manhole cover, rocketed forward, did a wall of death round a greenside bunker, at which point I turned away in disgust, only to hear my playing partner say “It’s going in”. I turned round in time to see the ball hit the flag, pop in the air, and drop. Like I said, pure fluke.

You can follow Matt Cooper on Twitter for more tales from the green @MattCooperGolf

Practice, still the best way to succeed and make a hole in one

Improve your game

Taking a holiday far from the stress of daily life can be a great way to introduce yourself to the game or refresh your skills with the help of some one to one coaching. Visit our website to find out more about golf holidays, including lessons at our Golf Academy with our golf pros. We offer two beautiful championship golf courses in Mauritius and the only golf course in the Seychelles.

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