Ernie Els Quotes
-
The good kind of spin - backspin - comes from hitting the ball cleanly, then making a divot after impact.
-
Swinging harder with a longer club almost always leads to bad shots.
-
Throughout my career, I've been sponsored by several different equipment companies - Lynx, Titleist, Callaway.
-
It is just a crazy life as a sportsman. My daughter, Sam, wants to go into tennis, and I tell her, 'No, you don't want to go into professional sport.'
-
For the most part, when you play a full shot from the primary rough at your course, you're gauging how close to a standard shot you can hit based on your lie in the grass.
-
Michelle is 14. Give her a couple of years to get stronger. I mean, she can play on this tour. If she keeps working, keeps doing the right things, there's no reason why she shouldn't be out here.
-
In 2002, the 2000 Engelbrecht Els wine was released in South Africa and received high ratings.
-
For all the fun, don't forget: I always knew when to put my golf balls down and practice.
-
You have to know how to read your lie and take a calculated risk when you hit out of the rough.
-
Make a conscious effort to loosen your hands and let your arms feel soft when you're at address. Take the club back a bit shorter, and feel as if you're cracking a whip on the way down - not tensing up to smash something hard.
-
Your longest drives will come when you feel you're swinging at 75 percent.
-
Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday.
-
There have been so many majors that got away, starting at Riviera in '95, taking a three-shot lead into the final round of the PGA and not winning.
-
I prefer old-world wines like Lafite Rothschild and Margaux.
-
For a 7-iron, you never want the ball to be closer to your left heel than just slightly ahead of the mid-point of your stance. That's especially true if you're a tall player, like me.
-
Check the card before you play. If you have a couple of long par 3s, put an extra hybrid in your bag. You'll be glad you did.
-
I almost never hit a shot all out, and I make a conscious effort to swing my long clubs just as I do my wedges. Keep this in mind when hitting your fairway woods.
-
From a good lie in the middle of a fairway bunker, I'll make the same swing as I do from an average fairway lie. I'll dig my feet in slightly and keep my lower body stable so I won't slip, but I don't change my club selection or setup. It's only when the ball is sitting down in the sand that I'll make some modifications.
-
I think most amateurs dread playing a 180-plus-yard par 3 even more than a hard par 4. Part of it is psychological: You think you should be getting a breather, distance-wise, and instead, you get hit with a long iron or hybrid shot over trouble.
-
I use a 1994 South African 5 rand coin to mark my ball. It reminds me of my '94 U.S. Open win at Oakmont.
-
Ball position is everything in iron play. If you aren't careful about it, you can create some major problems in your game just by getting an inch or two off.
-
Grip pressure - not mechanical flaws - is the biggest factor when you're nervous. You unconsciously grip it tighter, which keeps you from making a smooth swing with a natural release. Keep your grip pressure light, and you'll be surprised how much your mechanics stabilize.
-
Some players like to change clubs around the green to hit high or low shots. I play all of my short-game shots with my 54-degree sand wedge and change my ball position to hit it higher or lower. I think it's easier to learn one club than four.
-
I'm sure you have a hole at your course where you love to hit the tee shot. You can't wait to get up there and bomb away because the fairway is wide, or the hole always plays downwind.