Accuracy dramatically lowers golf handicaps. Hitting a ball where you want when you want time and time again chops strokes off your scores and golf handicap. To help golfers improve, golf lessons on accuracy usually focus on swing mechanics. That’s a great place to start. The better a golfer’s mechanics, the better are her chances of hitting the ball exactly where she wants.

But perfecting swing mechanics is only half the battle. The other half is mastering the non-mechanical fundamentals, for lack of a better term, that also help determine accuracy. Golfers don’t always work as hard on these fundamentals as they do on grooving the right swing mechanics. But make no mistake about it. They’re as important to accuracy as having the right grip or swinging on plane.

Start Off In Balance

A good golf tip on achieving accuracy is to focus on balance. Balance is among the most overlooked of all swing fundamentals. Every big name swing teacher agrees that it’s critical to maintain balance throughout the swing. The best way of doing that is to start out in balance. A balanced starting form sets the tone for a good swing. It also promotes feelings of simplicity, freedom, and confidence.

Determine The Shot’s Key Factors

Another good golf tip is to always determine a shot’s direction before hitting it. Too often golfers address the ball without determining direction. In addition, determine other key factors like distance, trajectory, and curvature. All these factors must be considered to hit a target. Determining a shot’s purpose, also essential to accuracy, greatly influences those other factors.

Visualize Ball Flight

Once purpose and direction are determined, golfers must visualize the ball’s flight path. They need a mental picture of how the ball will reach the target. Once they have that, they can let their subconscious take over. Visualizing ball flight includes drawing a target line mentally. Focus on starting the ball on the target line and getting the ball to do what you want it to. Use any visualization technique that works.

Focus On Striking The Ball

A fourth golf tip for achieving accuracy is to focus on striking the ball. That’s especially true when it comes to driving. Once a golfer picks out a target and determines the ball’s flight path, he or she needs to focus on striking the ball. Too often a golfer tenses up in an effort to blast a 300-yard drive only to lose focus on hitting the ball. That usually results in a flubbed or an off-target shot.

Maintain Target Awareness

Target awareness is probably an important factor in accuracy. Some consider it even more important than confidence or good swing mechanics. While that’s debatable, there’s no doubt that it’s among the top keys to accuracy. But choosing a target doesn’t mean picking out a spot “somewhere out there.” It means picking out a very specific target and aiming for it.

One day when Ben Hogan was practicing on the range, a colleague challenged him to hit a ball into a clump of trees. Hitting it into the trees wasn’t specific enough for Hogan. He asked the colleague which tree he wanted him to hit. While no one expects you to be as accurate as the legendary Hogan, the story is a great example of what picking out a target means.

These five golf tips help improve swing accuracy. When combined with the proper mechanics, they help golfers pinpoint their shots with consistency. Practice also helps. Hitting a shot exactly where a golfer wants to-over and over again-not only grooves mechanics, but also builds confidence. Together, confidence and accuracy shave strokes off your golf handicap.