Thursday, November 11, 2010

Golf Training Aids to Remove On Golf Course Frustration

There are so many golf training aids on the market, how do you choose the right one? The first thing you should do is evaluate what areas of your swing you need the most help with. Second, you should seek the advice of your golf teaching instructor and ask their advice on the golf training aids they recommend. Interestingly enough, you will find that most golf instructors use a limited amount of golf training aids in their instruction and will typically incorporate golf practice drills that you can apply with your existing equipment and swing to ingrain the same movements that golf training aids may emphasize.

To summarize, here is a four-step approach to identifying golf training aids that can help your golf game while not hurting your wallet.

Step 1: Identify areas of need.

Before randomly selecting golf training aids, have a firm grasp on the areas where you need to the most help with. Are you having trouble with the grip, weight transfer, slicing, or hooking the ball? Do you hit the ball fat or thin constantly? Hone in on the major golf swing fault that is giving you the most trouble. If you try to fix several swing faults at the same time, you will likely become confused and even more frustrated.

Step 2: Evaluate applicable golf training aids

Now that you have focused on the one swing fault that you will focus on, identify the top 2 or 3 golf training aids that are designed to help fix the swing fault. Is the golf training aid simple and affordable? Has it received highly positive reviews? If the answer to any of these questions is “No” then move on the next training aid.

Step 3: Talk to a PGA Teaching Pro

Talk to a PGA teaching pro you know and get their feedback on the golf training aids you are evaluating. Ask them what they recommend for the particular swing fault you wish to fix. Also, ask the teaching pro if there are particular golf practice drills he or she recommends instead of purchasing golf training aids. You will find that just about any swing flaw can be addressed by simply executing a practice drill with your existing equipment or no equipment at all!

Step 4: Continuously Reinforce the Golf Swing Fundamentals

There is no magic bullet to learning the golf swing and fixing swing faults. The number one golf training aid is to understand the fundamentals (and physics) of the golf swing and practice regularly to ingrain those fundamentals.

Golf training aids will give you suggestions and golf tips when you need it. Improve your golf swing and become consistent golfer.

Know how to play golf bunker shots

Golf bunker shots are not nearly as difficult as they seem to be, but are feared by many golfers. The problem with golf bunker shots is that we don’t get a chance to practice them very often and lack confidence when we play them. However, the key to successful golf bunker shots is know how to set up properly for them. Once you know how to set up for golf bunker shots, the rest of the golf swing is relatively simple.

Below are a few golf bunker shot tips (for right handed golfers) for the two most common golf bunker shots – green side bunker shots and fairway bunker shots.

Greenside Bunker Shot Golf Tips

1. When setting up for the golf bunker shot, set up with your weight 60/40 favoring the left side—maintain throughout the swing.
2. Use sand wedge—open the clubface and open your stance (with clubface facing target). If the sand feels soft underneath your feet, open the clubface a little more. If the sand feels firm, open the club face a little less.
3. Setup so that the ball is forward from center in your stance.
4. Hit sand 2 inches behind ball. Keep left arm straight and control shot with body rotation, not arms, ensuring that you rotate fully through the shot.

Fairway Bunker Shot Golf Tips

1. Grip down on club 1 inch. Take one more club than usual (i.e., a “5-iron” instead of “6-iron”) but make sure you have enough loft to clear the lip of the bunker.
2. Distribute weight evenly at address
3. Position body so that ball is in the middle of the stance.
4. Stand “taller” at address to avoid striking the sand first.
5. Swing smoothly and strike the ball cleanly.

Do not be intimated by golf bunker shots. Just remember that golf bunker shots take a special kind of set up and once that set up is achieved, they are as easy as hitting a pitch shot. If you want to practice golf bunker shots, one effective golf bunker shot drill to try at your practice facility is to assume bunker shot address without the ball, then “splash” the sand out of the bunker taking a long, narrow sand divot. Repeat this drill 3 to 5 times, then try the drill with a golf ball. You will be amazed at how well you execute your golf bunker shot!

Get perfect golf tips on golf bunker shots and become a consistent golf player. If you have problem with golf hook shot checkout golf fixes tips.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Advanced golf shot tips to hit the golf shot like a pro

Are you one of those golfers that has established a fairly decent golf swing and fundamentals, but struggle when it comes to more advanced shots like uphill and downhill shots or shots over and under trees? If so, here are a few advanced golf tips (for right-handed golfers) for those shots that can sometimes blow an otherwise solid round.

Advanced Golf Tips: Uphill and Downhill Lies

The trick with uphill and downhill lie shots is to align your body with the slope and swing along the slope throughout the shot. Here are a few advanced golf tips for uphill and downhill lies.

For uphill lies, position body so that the ball is positioned forward from center (closer to the “higher” foot) and align shoulders, hips and knees with the slope. Use less lofted club (for example, 7-iron instead of 8-iron) as an uphill lie promotes higher trajectory and shorter distance. Keep most weight on back foot. Swing along slope while ensuring good balance.

For downhill lies, position body so that the ball is positioned back from center (closer to the “higher” foot) and align shoulders, hips and knees with the slope. Use more lofted club (for example, pitching wedge instead of 9-iron) as a downhill lie promotes lower trajectory and more distance. Keep most weight on front foot. Swing along slope while ensuring good balance.

Advanced Golf Tips: Over and Under Trees

Here are a few advanced golf tips for hitting the ball over and under trees.

For advanced golf shots over a tree, choose a longer club (i.e., 6-iron for 7-iron shot), play ball farther ahead in stance, and assume a slightly open stance. Open the clubface slightly and take a normal swing. You will be amazed at the increase in trajectory with this shot!

For advanced golf shots under a tree (such as a tree branch), use lower lofted club (i.e., 5-iron for 6-iron shot) and play ball further back in stance. Place more weight on the front foot and slightly close the club face. Take a ¾ backswing and keep left arm straight and hands in front of clubface in downswing. This will promote a shot with a lower trajectory.

Advanced golf tips will help you to enhance your golf skills. Get the golf guides to improve your golf slice.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Three tips to lower your golf score

When you ask a golfer what their number one goal is with respect to their game, the answer you usually get is “achieve a lower golf score.” The challenge is to focus on just a few critical areas of your game at a time that will lower your golf score the most efficiently. The following are three golf tips to lower your golf score that are highly effective:

1.)Practice With a Purpose

Many golfers do not practice regularly nor have a clear idea what to practice. If you are serious about your game, you do not need to spend hours every day on the range hitting countless balls to lower your score. You simply need to reinforce your strengths and work on your weaknesses efficiently. In other words, practice with a purpose and define your practice agenda, needs and focus areas before you practice.

To get a clear grasp of your strengths and focus areas, you should first track key golf shot statistics to monitor your progress and identify development needs as you play. Key stats to track include number of fairways hit, greens in regulation, “up and down” percentage and number of putts per round. If you track these stats regularly, you should get a good feel of which aspects of your golf game you should work on now which will directly lower your golf score the most. Make sure to analyze your statistics and overall play after your round to set basis for practice agenda.

2.)Focus More Time on the Short Game

It is a well known fact that sixty percent or more of your golf score occurs within 100 yards of hole. To lower your golf score, you should devote half or more of your practice time to the short game including pitch shots, bunker shots, chip shots and putting.

3.)Devise a Solid Practice Plan Before You Practice

Devise a solid practice plan and routine – even if you are at home or have just 15 minutes or so to practice on the range – that reinforces the golf swing fundamentals and trains your focus areas. Here is a sample practice routine that, if followed regularly, is sure to lower your golf score.

a. Conduct pre-swing stretching and warm-up
b. Perform 5 to 10 slow motion swings and stop at certain “checkpoints” to evaluate positioning and mechanics including takeaway, top of backswing, downswing transition, impact position, release and follow-through
c. Start your practice sessions by establishing tempo with short chip and pitch shots
d. Once you are warmed, select one or two practice drills to practice your full swing mechanics for four shots.
e. For next 4 shots, use your regular swing and hit normal shots emphasizing fluid swing motion.
f. Continue alternating between a few practice shots to instill practice mechanics and a few normal shots.
g. Work on short game for half of session.

If you follow the above three tips to lower your golf score, you will be amazed at how fast your game will improve and your score will drop!

Get perfect golf tips to lower your golf score and to increase your confidence. Golf training aids will help you to improve your golf slice.

How to take golf lessons to become pro golfer

Golf is a fantastic game that can be played your entire life with friends, family and colleagues. So, how does the beginner golfer learn the game? More importantly, how should the beginner golfer think about, choose and participate in golf lessons to develop solid golf fundamentals? The focus of this article is how beginners should take golf lessons including getting yourself ready for golf lessons, how to choose the right provider and how to get the most out of your golf lessons to accelerate your development.

When preparing to take golf lessons, you should first identify your golf goals. Do you simply want to learn the basics of golf and be “serviceable” around the course? Or do you want to become a good golfer as quickly as possible? Do you anticipate playing only a few times per year? Or are you going to commit yourself to the sport, practice several times per week and play every weekend?

Also, what is your time availability to take golf lessons and work on your golf game? Can you commit 3 to 5 hours per week to your game or only a few hours per month?

The answers to these questions will play a large role as you seek the proper golf lessons program, instructor and approach.

Once you have identified your golf goals, you should identify the right golf pro instructor that can help you achieve your goals. A good golf pro should provide golf lessons tailored to your goals within your time and budget constraints. To find such a pro, talk to your friends or local golf course and seek their recommendations. Then, when evaluating pro instructors, ask them about their teaching style and approach. Do not sign up for a package of lessons right away, but take a lesson or two to gauge the degree of fit between the teaching pro’s style and your goals.

Once you have found a teaching pro you are comfortable with, become a good listener and really hone in on the 2 or 3 areas that the teaching pro wants you to work on as you take each golf lesson. Between golf lessons sessions, it is critical that you practice those 2 or 3 areas, improve them and work on the next stage of development in subsequent golf lessons. Remember, you will not become a master golfer overnight, and must be very patient and pragmatic to develop the fundamentals one step at a time. Over time, the fundamentals you have learned will all flow together seamlessly.

Get golf lessons and golf instructions to become a perfect golfer. Golf slice and golf swing are most common faults in golf.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Know how to correct a golf hook shot

A golf hook is a shot that starts right of the target and curves left of the target. The golf hook is one of the most common swing faults. The golf hook most commonly occurs when the clubface is closed relative to the swing path and/or when the swing follows an excessive “in to out” swing path. Other common causes of the golf hook are too strong of a grip (which encourages a closed club face) or body alignment that is too far right of the target.

Quick Fixes for the Golf Hook Shot

Here are a couple of quick fixes that address the golf hook.

• Align parallel to target line. To help visualize, think of standing on railway line.
• Swing down the target line—not in-to-out.
• Check your golf grip and ensure it is neutral – not too weak or too strong.
• Take some practice swings and ensure that your club face is square at impact.

Practice Drills to Fix the Golf Hook Shot

To help fix the golf hook shot, top PGA teaching professionals recommend practice drills that help incorporate the proper golf swing mechanics into the golf swing and ingrain the correct “feeling” of a well-executed golf shot. Here are several popular practice drills to fix the golf hook.

LEFT TOE BACK DRILL

Corrects golf hooks caused by excessive IN-OUT swing and encourages proper IN-SQUARE-IN swing path. Also promotes strong balance.

• Assume setup with 7-iron and without ball.
• Draw left foot back and keep toe on ground. Keep weight on right side.
• Staying balanced, take 5 to 10 practice swings.
• Continue drill by hitting balls off tee at half-speed.

HOOK TEE DRILL

Corrects golf hooks caused by excessive IN-OUT swing and encourages proper IN-SQUARE-IN swing path.

• Place two tees and ball left to right diagonally, creating an IN-SQUARE-IN swing path. Allow about 4"x 4" spacing from each tee to ball.
• Assume normal setup and ball position with 7-iron.
• Hit ball crisply without hitting tees.

To quickly get rid of your golf hook, incorporate both of these drills into your practice routine whenever a golf hook creeps into your golf game.

Golf hook shot is one of the common swing faults in Golf. Get perfect golf training aids to correct all your golf swing related issues.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Basics of golf for the golf beginners

There are many elements to the game of golf and specifically to the golf swing. You have the rules, the equipment, what to wear, where to play, the list goes on and on. But what are the core golf basics of the fundamental golf swing? What are the key golf basics tips to simply make successful contact with the golf ball and get it airborne? This article covers the basics of the golf swing including grip, posture, stance, backswing golf basics and downswing golf basics.

Golf Basics: The Grip

The recommended golf grip is what is known as the Vardon Overlap grip. It is used by the vast majority of golfers. Here are the golf basic tips for the Vardon Overlap grip (for right handers):

• Take little finger of right hand and place it between index and middle finger of left hand (leading hand).
• Left hand thumb should fit in lifeline of right hand.
• When looking down at grip, knuckles of the left hand forefinger and middle finger are visible.
• Check that the creases of thumbs and forefingers point between right side of face and right shoulder.

Golf Basics: Posture and Stance Checkpoints

• Body weight in middle of feet.
• Tilt from hips approximately 30 degrees to achieve proper spine angle.
• Knees slightly flexed.
• Keep back straight. Visualize an "axis line" down spine. Rotate around this axis line throughout swing.
• Arms hang freely.
• Chin up and off chest.
• Stance: shoulder-width for mid-irons; slightly wider for longer irons and woods; slightly narrower for shorter irons and wedges.

Golf Basics: Ball Position

• Driver - three balls forward from center (aligned with heel of left foot).
• 3, 5 Wood and Hybrid (also 1-4 Irons) – two balls forward from center.
• 5,6 and 7 Iron - one ball forward from center.
• 8, 9 and Wedges - ball in center of stance.

Golf Basics: The Backswing

1. Shift body weight to inside of right leg as club is taken back.
2. As hands approach waist, wrists start to hinge/cock.
3. At the top of backswing, left arm is straight and 80 percent of weight on right leg; keep right knee flexed.
4. Shoulder turn—90 and Hip turn 45

Golf Basics: The Downswing

1. First movement of downswing is weight shift of body to left, then hips, arms and shoulders unwind to impact.
2. At impact, club is released by unhinging wrists and delivering club square through ball—keep head behind ball at impact.
3. As body turns to target through impact, arms and club extend down target line.
4. At finish, belt buckle faces target, club is wrapped around shoulder; 90 percent of body weight on left leg with right foot on toes.

If you got the golf basics and the golf instructions then why you waiting select any golf course to bring your learning in to practice. Buy golf books to enhance your golf skills.