If you’re like me, you waste a lot of time commuting back and forth to work. So while you’re driving, why not practice golf.

No. Really. My pro friend offered me this tip for making the most of drive time:

When driving (and where it’s safe), grip the steering wheel with the fingers that are supposed to hold the club —the last three fingers of the left, and the middle fingers on the right. This will help develop strength and get you used to using those fingers to hold something in place. If you’re like me, the impulse is to grip too firmly with the thumb and forefingers. I have very strong fingers—which, when growing up in Maryland, I put to good use cracking crab claws. Unfortunately, the same strong thumb and forefingers also prevent me from properly releasing the club. I have to work on loosening my death grip on the club.

The key to good putting is not seeing the line, but distance control. Think about the last time you three putted. In all probability you left one short, hit the second too far and then had to make a comebacker. Or you hit the first one way too far, left the second short and had to hit it again.

On the other hand, with good distance control, you can miss left or right and still have only a short putt for a finish.

An article by Don DeLorenzo, a PGA professional at the Gilroy Golf Course has some good tips on controlling your distance.

To this, I’ll add my own tip, which was given to me by a PGA professional friend of mine: when taking your first putt, you must absolutely get the ball within an imaginary three foor circle around the hole. If you’re putting well or if its a short putt, aim for the hole. if not, aim for that three foot circle. Your second putt will then be a short tap in.

It works. If I ever three putt, I am having a very bad day, indeed.

I recently got an email from a reader who wanted to know what a Nassau was, and whether he should let his buddies talk him into playing one.

The answer is 1) the Nassau is a type of bet and 2) it can be a lot of fun if you put some limits on the game

In fact, the the $2 Nassau is probably the most popular betting game in golf. It’s a two-sided bet: player against player, or team against team. Nassaus lend themselves to a variety of team play formats. Scramble, four ball and alternate shot matches are common. Teams also can decide to play with, or without handicaps.

The Nasssau gets its name from the Nassau Country Club on Long Island, where the format was invented in the early 1900s. The game also is known as “2-2-2”, and “Best Nines.”

I got Jim McLean’s The 8 Step Swing on video a number of years ago and though it was very useful, especially for instructing beginners, such as the non-golfing girls who came out for my high school team. Its now out on DVD.

Short Game wizard Dave Stockton has some video tips on improving your game.