Posts tagged "Playing Golf"

Amazing Ways To Improve Your Golf Swing

It’s important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. When you’re playing golf badly it isn’t a lot of fun. It takes a great deal of skill, mental fortitude and perseverance to excel at golf.

If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Always be aware the mental aspect of the game contributes one way or another to the difficulty of the golf swing. It’s been proven that thinking positively about bettering your golf game will benefit you more than playing to compete with your partners and trying to win for winnings sake.

At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.

Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you’re holding a soccer ball between your knees. As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip.

The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that’s applied to it. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing.

The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

It’s no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible. Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf aid from, for advice on the right aid for you. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today.

You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Overall, investing in aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing. If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. Keep in mind that with some aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert.

Most of all don’t waste your money on an aid you don’t need or will never use. Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims.

Get some golf DVDs and commit yourself to a time to practice what you learn. Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at time. If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward.

Helen Hecker
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/amazing-ways-to-improve-your-golf-swing-133774.html

Pre-Swing Fundamentals Reduce Golf Handicaps

Vijay Singh works harder than anyone on the Tour. He spends hours and hours every day working on his game, practicing every facet of it—from putting to chipping to driving—so that he can be the best he can be. In fact, his practice sessions are legendary among the world’s best players. Needless to say, his determination has paid off. He’s earned millions and millions of dollars in prize money.

While you’d probably like to spend more time practicing and playing golf, you can’t always do it. You have too many responsibilities. But hitting balls at the range or taking golf lessons from a pro isn’t the only way to cut strokes from your golf handicap. You can also do it by working on key pre-swing fundamentals—fundamentals that many a weekend player overlooks. By ingraining them, you’ll trim strokes from your golf handicap without ever picking up a club.

Below are six pre-swing fundamentals that help you cut strokes from your scores without going to the driving range:

1. Acquire The Right Mind Set

Having the right mind-set before swinging the club is crucial. It’s even more crucial when driving. Hitting a good opening shot gets you started on the right foot. So work on having a positive attitude before hitting the ball. Don’t think, “Don’t hit it in the water.” Think, “I’m going to hit it right down the middle.” That way, you’ll create positive images of successful shots in your mind. That develops self-confidence.

2. Perfect Your Grip

Many golfers—especially beginners—overlook the importance of having the right grip. These players don’t fully understand how the grip affects your swing. Since your hands are the only part of your body touching the club, how you grip it is critical. It determines clubface position. If your grip is incorrect, your clubface will mirror it and be either open or shut. The perfect grip has both hands rotated 45 degrees to the right for right-handed golfers.

3. Develop Good Posture

Posture is another pre-swing fundamental weekend golfers overlook. Golf is an athletic activity. You must be in the optimum starting position to be able to “explode” when you need to. If you’re slouched over or too straight at address, you can’t generate the kind of swing discussed in golf lessons and golf tips. In short, good posture lets you make a good pivot. Use a full-length mirror to examine your posture. Make sure you’re in the right position at address.

4. Apply Proper Grip Pressure

Work on holding the club with the right grip pressure. If you grip the club too hard, you’ll “strangle it,” preventing you from swinging fluidly. If you hold the club too loosely, you’ll lose it during your swing. You must apply the right grip pressure to strike the ball well. Good swings come from good, free-flowing pressure, not death grips. More importantly, applying the right grip pressure produces the right tempo during your swing.

5. Align Your Body Properly

If you’ve ever shot a gun, you know there’s no point in pulling the trigger if you don’t aim the gun properly. The same thing is true in golf. If you don’t aim yourself properly, you won’t hit your target. When your bodylines cross, your chances of making a free flowing swing greatly diminish. That means anything can happen. Work on aligning your body to the target line and let your swing flow. Good alignment produces a good swing path.

6. Find The Right Ball Position

All good swings start with the club descending into the ball—even when you hit driver off the tee. But playing the ball too far back or too far forward in your stance when driving throws your swing off. You’ll pop the ball up, dribble it off the tee, or hit some other type of ugly, embarrassing shot. Good ball position results in good contact. Lay a club down so the toe is against the heel of your front foot. The shaft will stick out two inches from your heel. That’s where your want to position the ball on a drive.

These six pre-swing fundamentals are as critical as any swing fundamentals you work on in golf instruction sessions or read about in technical articles offering golf tips. They are timeless. Work on them in your home or at the office as often as you can and make then an integral part of your pre-shot routine. Ingraining them will impact your golf handicap more than your think.

Jack Moorehouse
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/preswing-fundamentals-reduce-golf-handicaps-1018719.html

Golf Etiquette – How To Be A Gentleman On A Golf Course

Golf is considered a gentleman’s game and has always been associated with prestige and the elite. As such, there are certain unwritten rules pertaining to the game of golf. Of course these are not hard and fast rules which affect the game directly, but more of good etiquette when playing golf. If you practice good golf etiquette on the greens, it shows that you have respect for the game, as well as the other golfers that you play with.

Having said that, let us take a look at some of the general golfing etiquette that you can put to practice, regardless if you are an amateur or a professional. These will be followed by some rather specific rules that you should be aware of at particular times during a round of golf.

Keeping Quiet

Having respect for other players means that you should be quiet whenever other golfers step up to the ball. This allows the golfer to concentrate on the swing. After all, you would want to demand the same level of respect from the other golfers.

Another thing to remember is to avoid running on the golf course. Even if this doesn’t affect your game or the other golfers in your group, running around the course will distract others from their game.

Practice Playing Safely

When you step up to the ball and just before you take your swing, look around. Check if there is anyone standing in the vicinity of the area where you predict your ball will go to. Never take it for granted that the other golfers will be on the lookout to see if they’re standing in your way.

Similarly, whenever you are practicing your swings, never do it when there are others around. It is very rude to take practice swings in the direction of other golfers.

Also remember, make it a point to never swing your club when someone is walking nearby. And vice versa, never walk around a golfer who is trying to take a swing.

Keep To Your Pace

At any given time, remember that you or your group are not the only golfers on the golf course. Thus, keep in mind that you should at all times try to keep to your pace of play at a comfortable rate. This means that there should be enough time to keep up with your group, but not too much time that you’re holding up other golfers and cutting into their time.

Never hit into the group playing ahead of you. This is considered to be very very rude. If it was done unintentionally, then you should realise that you have failed in observing the common courtesy of golf. Even if the group ahead of you were playing slowly and you had intentionally done so, bear in mind that it is not a reason to commit such a rude act.

Should you need to play through the group ahead of you, have some courtesy by asking for their permission first. However, before asking, do check if the next hole is vacant so that there will be enough space for you to pass through.

If and when permission is granted for you to play through the group ahead of you, make sure you finish the hole in the least amount of time possible, so that you can move onto the next hole immediately after that.

On the Teeing Ground

Do stand out of the golfer’s line of sight as well as his peripheral vision so that he can concentrate fully as he prepares to take his swing. The best way is for you to stand behind the golfer and to remember to keep quiet as you do so.

On the Fairway

Avoid hitting too many divots, though some is acceptable. Moreover, try to put a few of the divots back in place by replacing and stepping on them into the hole.

Also, avoid spending too much time looking around for a golf ball that is lost. The golfers behind you might not enjoy being delayed. Should you lose a ball, and fail to locate it in a few minutes, just replace the golf ball with another.

On the Bunker

Do make use of the rake that is provided to clear off all marks made by you or your golf ball after you have taken your shot. Make sure you rake out all marks and footprints, and then leave the rake outside the bunker with the handle place parallel to the fairway.

On the Green

Do not step on any ball paths of the other golfers as this can affect the putt. What you should do is to walk behind the ball on its direction to the hole. Or you could step over the imaginary line between the ball and the hole.

Take time to repair any marks made by force of the ball which landed on the green. Your courteous ways will reflect your respect to the other golfers as you have left them with an unmarked green to play on.

It is important to place your ball back on the green before you pick up the ball marker. This will erase any doubts on other golfers as to whether or not you have positioned your ball in the proper manner.

On the Practice Grounds

Do remember to continue observing the general etiquette of playing golf as you would do on the golf course.

The rules or golf etiquette above are but a few of the good golfing practices that you can incorporate into your day at the golf course. These are basic common courtesies that are founded on mutual respect for one another’s safety as well as having respect for a game that you love. By practicing these simple ways, you will have a greater and more pleasant golf experience with other golfers.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-etiquette-how-to-be-a-gentleman-on-a-golf-course-140462.html

5 Keys For Your Success In Playing Golf.

1. Always use same swing pose every time you shift the ball from sand bunker.

Every time you have to shift the ball from the sand bunker, always use same swing pose, then adjust only the position of the ball, and also consider to adjust the weight of down swing whether it should be harder or lighter, in order to estimate the distance to the target. Unless you are in the really difficult situation such as the ball sinks into the sand , or in any circumstances that normal approaches could not be applied, then will use special techniques. Normally, the factor use to decide how deep the sand you should dig into is depends on individual experience in sand bunker shifting, but the basic approach is addressing openly , keep the putter floating a bit above the sand, then swing down to the same line where you are addressing. It is also useful to keep in mind that you should hit the ball on the left and slices from outside reach in and the power must come from the upper part of the body while your feet buried into the sand and do not be afraid to hit the sand.

2. Your swing must be smooth and continuous.

There are so many people who see a friend can drive far more than oneself , then try to follow his approach by trying to use as much power as they can , as a result , they won’t be able to control the ball’s direction. The one of important thing for golfer is to maintain equilibrium between the body and the swing and keep it stable. Up swing with gentleness , not fast and jerk, then transfer the weight to right leg, when down swing, transfer the weight down to your hip while your eyes still watch at the ball , and hit the ball to the desired direction. The most important thing is you must maintain your position the speed of the swing at the same level every time.

3. When shifting…the head must be still.

One important cause that affect to the changing direction of the ball is tottering head when shifting , which will change the balance of your body. Therefore, to do effective shifting you must keep your head still and stable throughout the process. the basic approach when doing shift is stand open, lay the ball close to the right leg, maintain the weight to the left leg, hold the grip in short figure and do the stroke like when you are putting. About which size of putter should be used is really depends on individual experience and expertise. You should get much training enough to decide which size of putter suit you the most.

4. When up swing, make sure that your left shoulder aligned with the right foot.

Address in correct posture when up swing will bring the most effective and powerful to the hit. You must always remember that when up swing turn left shoulder to align with the right leg. This pose will draw the power from muscles between the shoulder and the waist while full speed of the swing being generated. The enough and proper training will develop you swing very quickly.

5. Find the focal point where the putter hit the ball.

The technique that many pros use to find the proper focus to hit the ball is to keep putter a bit away from the ball and leave the small gap between the ball and the putter. This gap will allow you to know where the putter will hit the ball, as a result, you can decide the right focus.

Dr.Team
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/5-keys-for-your-success-in-playing-golf-79318.html

how can golf impact your life?

positive or negative?

♥sc

It can get you in shape (if you don’t use carts). I’ve also noticed that as you get older everyone seems to start playing golf, business executives, doctors, salesmen. A lot of company’s do business on the golf course, its a nice laid back setting to negotiate deals. I’ve played my entire life and have met a lot of lifelong friends through the game

Electric Golf Trolley – No More Pulling Around

The electric golf trolleys have successfully replaced the old style golf trolleys that need to be tugged around, and more and more players and golf clubs are using electric golf trolleys today. An electric golf trolley is no longer a luxury and is considered as an indispensable item for the regular golfer. Even if you are a keen amateur, these trolleys can actually improve your performance by helping you to conserve your energy and focus more on your game.

Golf in the main is a gentle and, most of all, a very good sport for our bodies. Playing regularly provides the body with an overall work out, which in a short space of time is evident in our physical appearance. A number of health benefits from playing golf are discussed briefly in this article.

Combating the stresses and strains, Golf in the main is not too physically demanding on the body, but it does require the concentration levels to be high. This provides a great outlet from the everyday challenges we are faced with and can often be very therapeutic, with surrounding scenery and the fresh air helping to relieve tension.

In most places electric golf trolleys are fairly common and are almost the norm. These days you hardly ever see people walking the course, pulling on their traditional trolleys filled with golf accessories. However, over the years as golf has gained increasing popularity, now more and more people play golf. These electric golf trolleys are relatively fast and help to cover the course faster, thereby substantially reducing the wait time on the tee.

An electric golf trolley also contributes to your performance by helping you to maintain muscle control, balance and body symmetry throughout the entire game. Pushing or pulling a heavy trolley strains your muscles and people who pull their carts have the maximum chance of getting a back sprain. The ultimate result is that you fail to make the best strokes that might have got you a birdie.

If you want to give your best when you are on the greens then you definitely need an electric golf trolley. Golf is a game that requires players to constantly pay attention to the smallest detail and maintain high level of fitness. Wasting energy pulling your golf clubs can seriously affect your game.

These electric golf trolleys definitely help you to keep your strokes above par and out perform your competitors as it saves valuable energy and stress caused by walking the course and pulling your clubs along. . An electric Golf trolley, as the name suggests, is a battery operated automatic cart that could be either manual or remote control. It provides easy transportation of clubs from tee to green and allows a normal upright posture while walking. This reduces the risk of strains and injuries. This also provides added comfort and helps the golfer to concentrate on his swing.

Fortunately for us, these electric golf trolleys no longer cost you the earth and are actually affordable. There are many websites that sell electric golf trolleys, however you should always ensure that the trolley is safe and reliable and the buyer you are buying from is reputable.

Michael Stollery
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/electric-golf-trolley-no-more-pulling-around-95726.html

Golf Swing Improvement – Super Tips That Work For Your Golf Swing Now

It’s important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. Most golfers don’t know that eighty percent of the world’s golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. When you’re playing golf badly it isn’t a lot of fun.

Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing.

As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. Make sure to use the proper technique. At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.

Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you’re going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball. Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid.

Before you swing, make sure you’re relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing.

It’s no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques. Don’t underestimate the value of fitness when it comes to your golf swing and your overall golf game.

Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. Overall, investing in aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. There are aids that will help you with swing alignment.

Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course. You can find aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one aid and go to work on your swing. Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Before buying any aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example.

If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. In any case, stick to just one aid at a time; don’t load up on them.

When you play a round of golf, concentrate on improving your swing, putting or something specific that day; have a plan in mind. If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. Now is the time to fix that golf swing forever.

Helen Hecker
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-swing-improvement-super-tips-that-work-for-your-golf-swing-now-119355.html

Golf-Easiest/Easier part of the game?

When I began playing in high school,noticed many friends had much better ball striking ability compared to me but had same experience playing as me. They werent any good (105-110?),but struck ball decent with driver and irons. I couldnt hit it 10 feet with irons. This lead me to more many hours at putting and chipping/pitching green where I knew I’d at least hit ball.

I know everybody is different, but for average bogey golfer ,how many out of 10, 150 yard 5 iron shots hit the green? Is this the bread and butter for a average player? or at least a shot where they rarely chunk or top?

I have been in mid 80′s for a year with so/so ball striking,so curious where I measure up/or is my short game just that good(3 putt maybe 1 hole for dbogey per round,most chips/flops go to at least 3 feet)

you can get your answer with the experience guy who is playing golf from high school.if u r a average bogey golfer then practice of shots make u good player.

The Best Start With Beginner Golf Swing Instruction

Coming from someone who has been playing golf for over 40 years, if you are thinking about starting to take up the game start with some tips for beginner golfers. A beginner golf swing instruction set of lessons if probably the best thing that you could do. This will not only give you some confidence, but will also help you to improve your golf score right off the bat. Now there are many things that you can do to improve your golf game or even take away from your game, but speaking from experience, a good swing will usually produce some good results.

Have Good Balance is a Great Tip for Beginner Golfers

Getting the right tips for beginner golfers, is going to make the game much easier. Now whether you are trying to hit a drive off the tee or a fairway iron, having a comfortable and confident swing can help. As mentioned before there are many different aspects to playing golf well. One key is to have good balance. Taking the club head back with good balance and then delivering the club head on the ball on the downswing with good balance will produce a fine golf shot. If you try to hit the ball like you are chopping a piece of firewood is not going to produce any type of result that you want.

When taking a golf swing as a beginner is sometimes a difficult thing to do. Having a smooth transition at the top of the swing with smooth rhythm is going to produce the swing that you want. Having smooth transition will help to deliver the club with good club head speed at impact. For the beginner golf swing, instruction can teach them the correct stance and grip, the balance that is needed to hit the ball straight and very long, depending on the club that you are using.

Beginner Guide to Golf, Keep the Golf Swing Simple

When trying to hit a golf ball, you are going to find that it is a lot of hand and eye coordination. Having good hand/eye coordination allows the golfer to strike the ball at the right moment at the bottom of the golf swing. What will happen over time is that each golfer is going to find a swing that is comfortable for them. When they find this swing that is when their game is really going to start to improve.

If you watch professional golfers, you will see that not all swings are the same. They have found a swing that is comfortable and repeatable for them and that is what they have developed. When you are getting beginner golf swing instruction, they teach you how to square the club at impact. This will help you to avoid hooking the ball or slicing the ball. Now what you do see in all professional golfers is that they all have fantastic balance taking the club back as well as great balance while delivering the club head on the golf ball. When you watch their follow thru swing, they are in perfect balance. So you want some tips for beginner golfers, then practice your balance through the golf swing.

Maintaining good balance and having good fundamentals thru the golf swing is going to help eliminate your frustration and aggravation time on the course. This will allow you more time on the fairways and greens, rather than spending most of your time in the woods or rough looking for your lost golf ball. This will also make the game nice for the group that is playing behind you. There is nothing worse than playing behind a group of beginner golfers, who have never practiced anything, and really have no business on the golf course. They should be spending there time on the range practicing their swing and finding that balance point. Now if they don’t hold anybody up, well then I guess it is ok.

So now you have some tips for beginner golfers to help you enjoy yourself more and have some fun with this great game that is called golf. If you are looking for more great beginner golf tips visit: http://www.puttlightsout.com

Steve A Madigan
http://www.articlesbase.com/extreme-sports-articles/the-best-start-with-beginner-golf-swing-instruction-272329.html

Is it ok to wear sunglasses when playing golf?

I have heard it bothers with your perception of the greens when you wear sunglasses playing golf. Is this true or do you find it does not bother you at all?

I wear prescription shades when I play. I have very dry eyes so I need the protection from the wind not to mention the sun. Sun can do a lot of damage to your eyes.

I did have a pair of off the shelf shades (cheap) and I noticed while on the tee one day the ground looked like it was slopping up behind the ball. I didn’t wear those anymore for golf.