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Golf Tips: 4 Tips From Nelly Korda to Copy For Better Ballstriking
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
Lottie Woad is stealing headlines at the Women's Scottish Open. The 21-year-old English phenom leads at 17-under through two rounds at Dundonald Links, making her professional debut look effortless after recent wins at the Women's Irish Open and a 3rd-place finish at the Evian Championship.
But here's what caught my attention: just a little further down the leaderboard five shots back, Nelly Korda is putting on a ball-striking clinic that every golfer should study. The World No. 1 isn't making flashy headlines, yet her precision under pressure reveals exactly why she dominated 2024 with seven victories.
The stats from her first two rounds were staggering:
- 24 of 28 fairways (86% accuracy)
- 32 of 36 greens in regulation (89% accuracy)
These numbers expose something crucial. Korda isn't just hitting good shots — she's operating with a level of consistency that most golfers never achieve, even on their best days. And after watching Korda for years, I'm convinced her greatest strength isn't her swing mechanics or physical gifts. It's her absolute commitment to target lines.
Most golfers glance toward their target, then immediately shift focus to swing thoughts. Korda does the opposite. She identifies a specific target, visualizes the complete ball flight, and commits fully before starting her swing. No second-guessing. No mid-swing adjustments.
This sounds simple, but it's revolutionary for most amateur golfers.
Where Amateur Golfers Go Wrong
I see these target line mistakes constantly:
- Aiming at "somewhere over there" instead of specific spots
- Switching targets halfway through the pre-shot routine
- Getting distracted by swing mechanics after target selection
- Never visualizing the actual ball flight path
Professional golfers understand something most amateurs miss: when your target is crystal clear and your commitment is absolute, your body naturally delivers the club where it needs to go.
4 Steps to Korda-Level Target Focus
- Pick Targets You Could Hit with a Rock. Choose something specific — not "the middle of the fairway" but "that dark patch of grass 15 yards left of the bunker."
- See the Complete Shot. Stand behind your ball. Trace the entire flight path in your mind, including any curve you want.
- Use an Intermediate Target. Find something 2-3 feet ahead of your ball on the target line — a divot, discolored grass, anything that sits directly on your intended path.
- Commit and Execute. Once you've selected your target, trust it completely. No changing your mind over the ball.
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Try this at your next practice session:
- Pick a target 100 yards away
- Stand behind your ball and find your exact line
- Place a tee 3 feet ahead of your ball on that line
- Hit 10 shots focusing only on starting the ball over that tee
- Hit 10 more shots using just the distant target
The difference will shock you. The intermediate target creates a commitment that your brain can actually handle.
Why This Works When Everything Else Fails
Target line mastery transforms your golf immediately because it bypasses the technical complexity that paralyzes most golfers. Instead of juggling 12 swing thoughts, you give your subconscious one clear job: get the ball to the target.
Korda proves this every week. Her swing isn't perfect (though it's pretty close), but her target commitment is unshakeable. That's why she finds fairways and greens while others spray shots despite "perfect" techniques.
Stop overthinking your swing. Start thinking like Nelly about your targets.
