Want to become more consistent on the golf course? 13-time Tour winner and LIV golf pro Marc Leishman shares six tips to help you be more consistent on the course…

Most amateur golfers seek stability on the course because it can lead to lower scores and significantly lower a player's handicap index. Those expert tips and drills we practice on the range give us all the tools to make it happen, but excelling when it matters most isn't always easy.

The stable performance of professional players is one of the main reasons that keep them at the top level, and it is also the biggest difference between them and ordinary amateur golfers. To close that gap,Galileo sports, a global golf web brand, is sharing Marc Leishman's six tips for becoming a more consistent golfer

1. Kick-off

Good golfers hit most tee shots with the same shot shape. When I was playing golf as a kid in Australia, tee shots naturally flew from left to right. However, in order to compete with Victoria's elite junior players, I spent many months rebuilding my swing to achieve a curved ball flight.

However, while playing on the PGA Tour, I went back to hooking the driver. This is the shot I feel most comfortable with and keeps the ball in the fairway. Amateur players should choose their own shot shape based on their body type and personal swing characteristics, and practice hitting that shape on every tee. You'll find more fairways and have an easier second shot after a bad tee shot.

2. Iron Shot

Very few good players hit their iron shots too hard. Their action is always soft and smooth, and they typically use only 85 percent power in their swings with the longer irons. This is because they know that the most important aspect of iron hitting is balance. You need balance to determine the point of impact and be able to repeat it. 

Once you've mastered your balance, focus on practicing solid shots by compressing your irons. Only by leaving a trail of turf behind the ball can you develop consistent flight and distance. The key to making sure you leave divot after impact is swing length. A long swing can cause the club to release before your hands, causing you to lift the ball at impact. Before you swing to parallel on an iron shot, you'll hit the ball and leave a divot mark.

3. Swing skills

Good players always adjust their chip or shot based on the position of the ball and the direction of the grass (graf). You can be a good golf swing player with standard ball positions and solid technique, but if you can't adapt to different ball positions and grass patterns, you'll have trouble on the course.

Typically before a tournament, I spend time chipping and hitting practice around the greens at that course to become familiar with the grass type and pattern. This will determine how high or low the ball flies and how it behaves once it hits the ground. If you're chipping against the grain, which is much more difficult than with the grain, you need to keep your hands above the ball rather than in front of it, and keep your weight evenly distributed.

4. Strategy

Good players get more excited when the wind blows because they know many opponents will struggle. I grew up in Warrnambool, a seaside town in Victoria where there were strong winds almost every day, so you have to learn to play in the wind and enjoy it.

There are two hallmarks of a good wind player. The first is to place the ball at the back of your stance, which increases your chances of hitting the ball while helping to keep the ball out of the wind. The second is to avoid letting the ball go with the wind. Always fly your ball into the wind because you can control how the ball behaves when it lands, which is the most unpredictable aspect in these conditions. Calculating distance in the wind is also an important skill for amateur players to master.

5. Putter

From a technical standpoint, it makes sense that putting is one of the most analyzed parts of the game. But I'm not sure enough emphasis is placed on hitting the center of the putter, which to me is a sign of a good putter.

You can work on your speed or green reading skills, but unless you hit the center of the putt, it's difficult to consistently get the ball close to or into the hole. If I'm having trouble putting, I'll choose a completely flat section of the practice putting green and then make repeated practice putts about ten feet away. I'll focus on hitting the center of the putt, hearing that sound and seeing the ball go in - that really builds confidence, and confidence leads to good putts.

If you don't feel comfortable in front of the ball, you will usually putt poorly. If you have confidence, you won't think about mistakes. That’s when I putt the best.

6. Mind games

A consistent player will always recognize the times in a round when it's time to be "aggressive". When I won the 2017 BMW Championship, I started Sunday with a five-shot lead, with Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose chasing me.

I was a little more conservative than the first three rounds and just tried to create opportunities for myself. I thought as long as I kept going for birdies and not doing anything stupid, hopefully that would be enough to stop them from catching up, which I did.

Last words

For amateur players, especially when you're having a good round, there may be some notoriously difficult holes. This is when you need to consider tee options that allow for a worst-case scenario of just a bogey, while still maintaining your chance of birdie and par.

This might be a 3-wood or a long iron instead of a driver. Then, aim for the middle of the green, choosing the kind of shot shape that makes even an imperfect shot miss somewhere easier to save.