Most of the amateurs I play with hit the ball well from tee to green, but when they get within 50 yards of the green they seem to struggle. "I don't have time to practice these shots," they tell me. "The pros have all the time in the world to stand and work on these shots, so they develop feel."

The 7-8-9 Method requires a little practice initially, but once you have established your distances you will be able to rely on it in the future.

Imagine as you address the ball that you have a large clock in front of you. Learn to swing your left arm (right arm for left handers) to the various "hours" of the clock. The 7 o'clock position is pictured above.

Notice in the photo above that there is a slight wrist cock. This is important as you need to cock the wrist to help deliver a slightly downward blow through the shot. Practice hitting shots like this until you can consistently hit shots a certain distance. This will become your 7 o'clock shot.