What you can learn from The Open

Anthony Wall in action at Carnoustie

Anthony Wall, 32, from Sunningdale, the Wilson Staff player who finished top Briton at Hoylake in 2006 (tied 11th), failed to make the cut at Carnoustie with rounds of 77 and 76 but says he learned from the experience as he heads for this week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Germany.

He contributed an exclusive diary to our Open coverage this year featuring practice, his exploits on Day One and his efforts to make the cut on Day Two. He also took time to answer your questions about how he adapts to links golf from normal Tour conditions.

Bearing in mind par is a good result with the Open set up, do you play safe, aim for the centre of the green and hope you err towards the hole or do you go pin hunting? David Williams

AW: What a lot of people watching The Open don't realise, David, is that par is a good score at a tournament set up like Carnoustie.

When you have the right yardage for the club in your hands and the shape into a hole that suits your eye, you must go for it. Otherwise the middle of the green is a good ploy.

Links golf means change of tempo

Do you change your swing to lower your ball flight for links golf or do you prefer to just play your normal game? Beast of Barnsley (4)

AW: The main thing that changes is the tempo of the swing - it decreases slightly and becomes slightly shorter.

The key is to keep the length the same in the backswing and the throughswing but a little shorter. My approach to the ball is slightly shallower, trying to clip it off the turf, keep the ball low, rather than the steeper angle of attack we have on normal European Tour courses, where we're trying to get spin.

When it's into wind I tend to hit perhaps two clubs extra for the distance (for example a 6-iron for a normal 8-iron distance) and also try to curtail the throughswing - what I'd call a more workmanlike shot.

I am a player who has never even set foot on a links, never mind played on one. How exactly do you hit a low shot with medium or short irons? Razzer

AW: It's certainly a different technique Razzer, and I'd recommend that you play some links golf if ever you get the chance.

It's usually windy on the links and the basic technique is to try to keep the ball low and running, boring through the wind when it's against or across you and riding it while keeping it under control when it's with you.

The simplest option is to de-loft the club in your hands which you do by 'choking down on it' - gripping the club toward the metal shaft end of the club and perhaps take two more clubs for the distance required.

For example into a links-like wind from 100 yards I'd probably choke down on a 9- or 8-iron as opposed to a wedge. Probably even look to pitch it short and let it run up. It's a technique you have to practice but links golf is a lot of fun and I recommend it to anyone.

Tell us on the forum what you learned from The Open at Carnoustie that you can take on to your local course.