Ernie Els

I plot the par 5s back from the green and make my plan. If I can reach the green in two shots, I'm going to be aggressive off the tee. But if 's a three-shot hole, the goal changes. You want to put yourself in position to hit your favorite shot to the green.

The biggest mistake is trying to pinch down on the ball and ripping out a big divot, often hitting the ground before the ball. You'll dig up some turf, but you won't create much backspin.

The good kind of spin - backspin - comes from hitting the ball cleanly, then making a divot after impact.

Contours on the second half of a long putt have more impact on how the ball rolls because it's going slower. Adjust your speed if that last part is playing uphill or downhill. Don't get fooled by an early slope or break.

You probably don't hit as many fairway-bunker shots as you do the greenside ones, and that unfamiliarity might make you a bit nervous.

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.

The key is to hit the ball first, then the sand. Even if you catch it a bit thin, you'll still get plenty of run. Hitting it fat is what you want to avoid.

When I'm swinging the club at my best, it's because I'm not thinking about mechanics at all. I feel like my body is loose. My arms are soft in front of me when I'm setting up, and my chest and shoulders feel as if they can move and turn easily.

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.

From the rough, I'd use a 6-iron, play the ball back an inch or two and swing down on a steeper angle to catch the ball first. It also helps to aim slightly left and open the clubface at address. You'll get more height on the shot, and the club will cut through the grass more easily.

Playing from deep grass is a fact of life in professional golf.

You have to know how to read your lie and take a calculated risk when you hit out of the rough.

Because of the grass and open face, I take one more club for shots from the rough, unless the ball is sitting on top of dry grass. Then, I use more loft and swing softer, trying to hit it about 70 percent to avoid a flyer over the green.

When you get to the tee on a really long par 5, I know what you're feeling. You want to let the shaft out on the driver and try to bomb it down there. I get the same feeling. But a big tee shot is not always the best strategy, especially on a long hole.

Spin is a tricky thing. When you're trying to avoid it - say, on a tee shot, where sidespin puts you in the trees - it's easy to make it happen.

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.

Swinging harder with a longer club almost always leads to bad shots.

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.

Brushing up on your short game at the practice area is fine and good, but taking it with you to the golf course - when your score is really on the line - is another story.

During a tournament, I'm not thinking about mechanics at all. I'm in scoring mode.

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.

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.

One of my tendencies is to let the ball drift too far forward in my stance, and it's something I've been working on with David Leadbetter.

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.

With shorter clubs, your ball position should be just back of middle, to really promote hitting the ball first on a downward strike.

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.

If you can hit your 3- and 5-woods with confidence from the fairway, par 5s become birdie opportunities, and 420-yard par 4s are a lot less scary.

You don't have to be long off the tee, and we know the amazing effect an Open crowd can have if you're on your game and how they can lift you.

You should never get set over the ball and then aim your putter face. If you do it in that order, you can easily lose sight of your intended line. Instead, aim the face down your line first, then settle your body into position.

Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday.

When you're hitting a fairway wood, you've got a lot of real estate to cover to get to your target. Your first instinct is probably to give it a little more power because you're worried about coming up short.

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.

For the average player, most three-putts happen because of a poorly judged first putt from long range.

For all the fun, don't forget: I always knew when to put my golf balls down and practice.

I've got my life. I'm very serious about my business. I've got my family. And I've got my game.

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.

There's so much more to life than golf. Family is always first.

When I stay athletic with good posture and get the club away in a good position, I get through it better.

I have to believe that if I keep doing what I'm doing, the results will reflect that, and I'll give myself plenty more opportunities to win.

I never thought I'd be comfortable living outside South Africa, but we love London. Our two kids were born here.

Your longest drives will come when you feel you're swinging at 75 percent.

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.'

I'd like to win the Masters and the PGA and complete the career Grand Slam.

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.

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.

Throughout my career, I've been sponsored by several different equipment companies - Lynx, Titleist, Callaway.

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.

Something I've really enjoyed learning more about is course design.

Unless it's a dead-straight short putt, you should focus on a spot somewhere along the line you want to roll the ball on.

Right before I start the putter back, I think about making solid contact. This brings your attention to the back of the ball and helps keep your head still at impact, which is a must. Many amateurs take a peek down the line too soon, and that can cause all sorts of mis-hits.