More of your golf questions
Nick Bradley
It was another step on a hugely impressive journey since he teamed up with his coach, Nick Bradley.
And you can tap into Bradley’s advice and thoughts as he answers your golfing questions. each month.
Below are the questions he answered on 606 recently. Nick will return again soon to answer more of your queries.
You can see his previous answers linked on the right-hand side of this page and you can pose your questions in advance using the form below.
Congratulations to Justin for doing so well at the recent Masters. Since I don’t play golf I was wondering, Justin came so close to winning and then played a “horror hole”, do you think it will have any long term effects on Justin?
The only long term effect this will have on Justin will be positive. We contended in the first major of the year with a genuine chance to win. It was a case of close but no cigar. As a team we have no intention of focusing on the negative elements we encounter so we look forward to the US Open at Oakmont carrying forward the confidence of Augusta.
Justin is really becoming a great player now. How many majors do you think he will win in his career?
How long is a piece of string?? All we do is follow a spiritual/physical path combined with a strategic plan for the week. The results are part of the process. How many majors?? He has the potential to have more than Faldo’s six (and I have huge admiration for Faldo).
I think playing in the US has helped Justin Rose, even though it as taken some time to make things click, he’s a much more composed and confident player after his ups and downs. Do you think he should return to the European Tour now, as he is surely in the kind of form that could win matches and perhaps a European order of merit title?
Yes - coming to the US has made Justin a better player. The goal is to become a world player. There are tournaments in Europe like the PGA at Wentworth that Justin and I are very passionate about. The PGA Tour is where its at though and for the time being this is the focus. Best Nick.
What are Justin’s chances in the British Open?
We have a specific plan lined up for Carnoustie which we hope will bode well. Carnoustie will play very different this year to 1999 (thank God!), yet it is still a tough exam paper! Nick..
Hi Nick, I am a five handicapper trying to get better. Like a lot of golfers I have always struggled with an overswing / flying right elbow. I’m told that my shaft plane gets too steep on the downswing and I have tendency to hit the ball on the toe of the club. Can you give me any tips/drills that I could work on to shorten my swing and flatten my downswing plane?
1. Make sure that the handle of the club is held into the fingers of the left hand.
2. Practise hitting shots from a side hill lie with the ball above your feet.
3. Hit some 9 irons with a glove under your left armpit and focus on smoothly rotating your body through the shot.
Hope it helps - Nick.
WHO IS NICK BRADLEY? 
Nick is from Surrey, England and took up golf when he was 16, qualifying as a PGA pro aged 20He currently coaches Justin Rose on the PGA TourHe is author of the book The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing and has his own golf school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
I’m currently working hard (via gym/diet) to lose a fair bit of weight - around 3-4 stone which will change my body shape quite significantly with a lot less around the middle. Do you have any views on what that will do to my swing over the next few months and advice on how i can keep it on track? From what I’ve heard losing a lot of weight can either improve OR ruin your swing!
UberGolfer,yes it can change things. Being overweight can stabilize motion since their is more mass for the swing to hang on to! Watch for the arm swing getting out of control (i.e. too long) through the above fact. Work hard on feeling very centred (low) at address and practise 10 o’clock armswings - no more!
What do you think is Justin’s best chance of winning a major? I know he came to prominence at The Open, but personally I’ve always thought that a course that favours very high ball flights and has very fast greens such as Augusta or perhaps a US Open venue would suit him better. I’d be interested to know your opinion.
Frankly speaking we can’t afford to have favourites when it comes to majors. Each major is a different exam paper demanding different shots and strategies. Any major/s are on our agenda! Nick.
How do players tackle a course like Augusta when they know that level par over four rounds will probably win the tournament? Can those thoughts lead to a negative frame of mind compared to other courses where it’s necessary to shoot heavily under par?
The key is to get an aggressive frame of mind going. Yes the course is tough but its the same for everyone, SOMEONE has to win! Accept the situation as it is, deal with it and keep a good perspective on the situ…
Do you think the pressure of knowing that I had backed Justin at 80/1 got to him on the 17th. How far exactly did he go to the right? Regardless, really pleased to see him back at the top of the leaderboard keep up the good work.
Yep that bet you put down really got to him…what was it £2.50? I was standing midway between the tee and the tree on 17. The ball was right semi at worst - unfortunately it caught the limb of a tree, flicked it plumb into the middle of a tree trunk and shot it 80 yards onto the 15th…We will learn more about 17 for next year and be under par on it for the week in 08!
I’m a keen golfer playing off a six handicap. On my downswing I drop the club on the inside on the way down, this can lead to too much draw or a block. Can you give me an exercise that will help me get on the correct plane?
1.Go to the right hand side of your driving range and then hit balls into the left hand corner - this will give you the feeling of getting a little more on top of the shot.
2. Hit some iron shots with the ball slightly buried into the ground (slightly plugged) Sandy Lyle did this drill shortly before he won the Open in 1985!! Hope it helps,
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