Golf Tips from Min Woo Lee: His Answers to Golf Enthusiasts

In his first video, Min Woo Lee answers questions posted on his social media accounts. Between lighter-hearted questions, he offers some simple tips: a slow backswing, hitting long-iron shots off the heel, an exercise to correct an “over-the-top” swing, and a method for speed control on long putts.

Min Woo Lee · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

What the lesson shows

His favorite exercise: a slow backswing, without coming to a complete stop. As soon as he rushes his swing on the upswing, his downswing gets out of sync. He recommends starting the session with soft chips using a wedge, on a “one, two, three” rhythm, before reaching for the driver. With long irons, a weak shot often results from a contact on the heel, which produces more spin and a ball that rises and fades. His solution: step back a little from the ball, with your hands under your shoulders. Against the swing over the top (slice or a wide swing for a right-hander), he places a second ball on the outside: if you swing over it, you’ll hit it first. The drill involves exaggerating an “under-the-ball” swing, from right to left.

Ball position: driver at the left heel, 3-wood with the ball inside, long irons slightly to the left of center, wedges more toward the middle. He also explains that a drive with too much spin is often hit low on the face: You need to tee it higher—about a quarter to half the height of the ball above the driver head. Around the green, he starts with the lob wedge but uses a club with less loft when there’s a lot of green left, to minimize backspin. For putts that tend to run left, he places two tees on either side of the putter head, then moves them closer together for speed control. To gauge the distance, he aims about 60 cm behind the hole, at approximately 4.5 m, 6 m, and then 7.5 m.

The Exercise, Step by Step

1. Start the session with gentle wedge chips, counting “one, two, three.”.
2. Take a few swings with a deliberately slow backswing to feel the contact.
3. For long irons, check your stance: hands under your shoulders, a little farther from the ball if you’re touching the heel.
4. To avoid hitting the ball too high: place a second ball outside your own and exaggerate a low swing so you don't hit it.
5. When using a driver, place the ball against the left heel and tee it up high enough to hit it in the center of the clubface.
6. When putting, place two tees on either side of the putter head and swing the putter between them.
7. For speed control, aim for distances of about 4.5 m, 6 m, and then 7.5 m, aiming about 60 cm behind the hole.

Key Takeaways

Mistakes to Avoid

• Use the driver right from the first shot.
• Rushing the backswing.
• Standing too close to the ball, which leads to a heel shot or even a shank.
• Aim too low with the driver and hit the ball low on the clubface.
• Use the lob wedge for a chip shot when there's plenty of green left.
• Leave the long putts short.

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Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Min Woo Lee). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.