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Fix your game with CNN's golf guru
 Chris Meadows -- 25 years experience as a golf coach. GOLF MAILBAG
ON CNNI TV
LONDON, England (CNN) -- This week CNN.com launches the Golf Mailbag -- your chance to put all your golf questions to CNN's resident professional Chris Meadows, one of the UK's best-known golf teachers. In 25 years working with a wide variety of players, Chris has built a reputation as a passionate and committed coach. His teaching books have sold well over a million copies, while his coaching videos are also bestsellers and Chris is a regular contributor to CNN. He says: "I always feel privileged when players give me the opportunity to work with them in their quest for better golf. The Golf Mailbag gives you the chance to fire questions at me and I'll do my best to answer them to help you enjoy the game more. "When I was 12 years old, in between collecting range balls, I would watch Nick Faldo having his regular golf lessons. I began to see how even a great talent such as Faldo needed structure, based around commonsense, and more than just a little encouragement to fulfil his real potential. "So from now on you have your own golfing coach here at CNN.com. No matter what standard of golfer you are, I can help you become a better player. So come on, if you want the answers to your game -- ask the question! In the meantime, on with the Mailbag... Q: Dear Chris, I have two real problems in my game. When I'm hitting short irons I persistently pull my ball left of the green (I am a right-handed player). Conversely when I play my longer irons and woods (especially my driver) I find myself slicing the ball. Could you tell why this is happening and how to correct it. A: Dear Andy, Your fault is one of the most common to the game of golf. Generally this is caused by players trying to keep their head down. If you false your head too low, you will automatically block the passage of the left shoulder as it tries to move backwards. If the left shoulder cannot move across the arms will be forced to move independently. When this happens the arms move upwards. Weight transfer is also an issue in this type of swing. The weight will often stay on the front foot (left foot for the right handed player). As you swing forwards the weight rocks back to the right foot causing a severe loss of body leverage and thus less power. The club swings left across the ball, with the shorter iron the ball will go left, with the longer clubs your club stays open resulting in the serious slice shot. So the correction. Ensure that you have a gap between your chin and chest so that your shoulder can move across. Then check at the top of your backswing that your weight has transferred to your right foot and when you complete your swing that your weight has moved through to your left foot. Hold your club lightly throughout and allow the club to swing freely. Good luck! Q: Dear Chris, When I'm playing from the bunker I am so inconsistent. The ball either flies across the green into another bunker or it doesn't get out at all. Please help me!! A: Dear Graham, It's often stated by pros that the greenside bunker shot "is the easiest shot in golf." And yet for most golfers this certainly is not the case. The reason that pros believe this shot is easy is simply that the margin for error is much greater that a normal golf shot. There are a few of "golden rules" when playing the bunker shot. 1. When you set up to the ball place your weight on the left foot (for the right hander) and keep it there throughout the stroke. 2. Practice making a 3/4 backswing and followthrough. Too often players try to chip the ball out of the bunker -- this is disastrous. 3. Ensure that you strike the sand around 1 1/2 inches behind the ball. Never try to "nip" the ball of the sand. 4. Keep a smooth rhythm throughout -- feel calm as you're playing the shot. 5. And be positive mentally when you're playing the shot -- visualize a good result and you'll soon be playing excellent shots. Send your putting problems and etiquette issues to Chris at golfmailbag@cnn.com. 
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