Working on Your Golf Swing

We all read articles and magazines with golf tips and they all make sense over a coffee in the club house, but then you have to put them into action on the course and that’s the hard bit. So, you know the basics and could probably tell them coherently to someone else, but can you train yourself to put what you know into practice at the 14th? The difference between watching an instructional video and doing it yourself is that you can’t see the whole affair - we are not blessed with helicopter vision of ourselves.

Logically then, you need to be able to see what you’re doing. When my eldest son started playing, we would find a quiet time on the course and take a camcorder with us, so that I could capture his game and we could analyze it later. The downside was that he felt the need to reciprocate, so I would have to have my fluffed shots examined in great detail too! Don’t do this on a busy course and never, ever hold up the following players.

Many people would never stop to consider that a golf pro would use any kind of teaching aid to improve his golf swing, but the real truth is that they certainly do. They didn’t get their reliable golf swing without constant work. The golf coach will introduce golf swing aids into the golf pro’s practice regime and while not all of us can afford their own golf coach, we can improvise, and learn something from the way the pros do it and that is to find a strategy that works and stick with it.

Some golf swing aids are very effective, whilst others are not so practical. There is no simple gadget that I have found that will transform your game without work. Do your research and you will uncover some good stuff that will help you; try to find practical aids and if you can, try them out before you buy.

In summary, you need to focus on something that is helping your golf swing and stick with it. Without doubt, you need to see yourself in action, so some kind of video is necessary and you can often get video analysis with the club pro in the driving range. Don’t rush out and buy the latest aid, but think about what you need, and then work at it.

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How to Swing a Golf Club – Simple Tips

The oldest golfing question of all - how should you swing a golf club? Over the years, some of the finest minds have been absorbed in discovering just what comprises a perfect golf swing. There are so many variables such as clubface angles, stance, how much power to apply, speed of the upswing and that’s just the obvious stuff.

Biomechanics opens completely new assortment of problems, with variables beyond description when you consider that every muscle in the body could influence the shot. In fact, you might ague that it is all of the variations thrown up by the research that makes it seem so difficult to hit a good shot.

Perhaps the reality is much simpler. Leaving cricket aside (because in my view, it’s even more difficult to swing a cricket bat than a golf club), it’s just hitting a ball with a bat and subject to few basics, if you can hit a baseball, you can swing a golf club! Now, a golf ball is lying quietly on the ground, just waiting for you to give it the necessary tap, whereas the bowler in a cricket team won’t be entirely happy until he has rendered you unconscious!

So, make a few adjustments, to allow for the fact the ball is on the ground, not in the air and you’re all set.

The set up is all important and if you get your body in the wrong shape here, your muscles through the whole swing will be focused on correcting this misshape in the body, and a lot of energy and direction is wasted. Click Here for full setup details and photographs

Once you’ve got your stance sorted out, the next step is the backswing. Imagine that you are turning your back on the ball and you will find your arms naturally following along. It will also allow you to produce the power required to generate a club head speed.

Don’t push the downswing, just let your body unwind and the natural torque generated by the uncoiling of your back will produce the necessary power, naturally and unforced. If you try to force the downswing, it will cause a tension in the muscles that will work against the very result you are trying to produce. Focusing on your back rather than your arms will often correct a wayward swing!

This is the bit I used to find most difficult; forget the ball is there and complete your swing-through. How many times have you seen a perfectly relaxed practice swing followed by a choppy contact swing? Keep relaxed and let the club flow – don’t force it.

By this time, your swing will be smooth, the ball almost irrelevant. Now, just keep your head down until the follow-through of the club naturally causes your head to lift and follow the flight of your ball.

That’s how good golfers get better results with less effort. Enjoy your golf!

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Coaching Will Improve Your Game

Everyone wants to play like Tiger Woods, but is he the best person to ask for golf tips?

Tiger certainly knows how to play, but does he know how to teach? There is an old saying “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach others how to do it”, which is rather dismissive of the noble art of teaching and does not allow for the different mindset required to watch, analyze and coach.

So, why not Tiger? Partly because he is a competitive professional player, not a teacher. His total focus is on being better than anyone else is and that in itself works against helping someone else to improve. He makes a living (as if he needs to) playing professional tournaments and he will be looking for coaching, not seeking to give it.

When I was starting out playing golf, I found that 15 to 20 handicappers gave me much better and usable advice than far better players. Low handicappers become quickly exasperated with fluffed shots than less able players who probably remember very well their struggle at the beginning of the endless journey that is golf. Also, they have plenty of problems of their own and that lends sympathy to others in the same boat.

All the top pros have coaches of their own and I don’t suppose many of them could play as well as their star pupils! What they can do though is bring their analytical skills to bear and formulate structured ways to address the issues (let’s not call them problems) that their pros have identified themselves or ones that have become apparent in their game.

Many pros, Tiger included, change their coach one or more times during their career. This may lead to a temporary loss of form while they adapt to a changed swing, or iron shots. One thing you can be sure of, they did not just decide to change their game on their own; it will be their coach that identified a longer-term advantage in taking a short-term hit.

Don’t forget too that pros play every single day, practicing driving, putting, chipping and fairway shots. As well as developing very specific shots that suit their style and physique, it enables them to attain a level of understanding about the game that they could never share in a coaching session.

Each of us needs to develop strokes and shots that make the very best of our individual size, musculature and age. Without doubt, most of us would benefit from regular one-to-one coaching to help us make the most of what we have, rather than try to emulate our golfing heroes.

Here’s something to help you Increase Distance, Consistency, and Accuracy and Build Confidence and Perfect your Timing. Click Here

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Fixing Your Slice

Fixing Your Slice
By Crockett




Is it cheating to use an offset driver? This argument is hard to substantiate and I'm pretty sure the R&A would have expressed some thoughts on the matter. There is a long tradition in golfing circles to find equipment, within the rules, that will provide an edge over the competition and golf clubs, particularly drivers, are regulated closely.

Once you have actually mastered the art of making some kind of contact with the ball, the most common problem that you are likely to have when you drive off the tee is a slice. Why is that? Well just imagine you are standing at the tee, about to hit the ball, the green is 400 yards away and you want to get as close as you can possibly get and you give it that extra little bit and the result - the club face simply does not hit the ball square on.

The traditional treatment is to work on the swing and the purists will argue that it is the only way. However, new developments in golf club design and technology can provide a fix for the slice, that most obstinate and public of golfing problems and this age of instant gratification, some people have begun to wonder why not just use a club which corrects the problem for you?

A successful drive, particularly on longer holes, can have a big impact on the outcome of the game. Whilst many will say that a good put is worth a 250-yard drive, a duff put will not get your ball lost in the long grass. Every shot has a major impact on your score, but if you hit a straight drive you are psychologically ahead as well as physically, whilst a slice will put you in trouble right from the off.

An anti slice, or offset driver is designed to overcome that natural tendency to hit the ball at an angle and will be shaped in a particular way so that what would have been a banana shot with a regular driver, becomes a straight shot. An added side effect is that the ball will tend to fly higher and have more backspin.

So why would you not want an offset driver if your drives are prone to slicing?

One school of thought says that covering up the problem rather than correcting it will not improve your long-term golf game. The principal argument is that that slice comes back the moment you pick up a shorter club and that is a reasonable point, but generally it is the extra length of the drive that accentuates the problem and it is less evident with the other clubs.

So, like them or not; approve or disapprove, offset, anti-slice drivers have been a boon to many, particularly those who have neither the time nor the money to correct every fault in their game. Let's not forget, the purpose of the game is to have an enjoyable and healthy day and anything that increases that pleasure must be a good for both player and fellow golfers.

And the best news of all ....
There is a golf swing guide out there that can eliminate your slice, and change your life, allowing you to feel satisfied and fulfilled after a Round of Golf


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Breaking 80 - Join the Elite Fraternity of Those Who Can Shoot Below 80 For 18 Holes

Breaking 80 - Join the Elite Fraternity of Those Who Can Shoot Below 80 For 18 Holes
By Jamie Zimmerman

Playing golf is something that most people will try at some point in their life. It's the one's that get addicted to the game that spend a lifetime trying to get better. Golf is a game that is very easy to get addicted to. The reason is because it is just you against the course. What ever happens out there, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Breaking 80 for a round of golf is something only 2% of people who ever play the game will be able to do. The mythical score in the 70's is for some only a dream to be chased. If you are tired of chasing that dream and ready to achieve it, then keep reading.

The truth is most golfers will never break 100 for a full 18 holes. Once you break 100 the goal is to then break 90. With a little proper practice, this is not a hard thing to do. Once you get into the 80's however, it is not so easy to break into the 70's.

Ask any serious golfer and they will tell you that the ones who can break 80 are looked up to at the country clubs. It's almost a kind of fraternity that there is only one way you can get into.

The good news is you can go from shooting mid 80's to shooting in the 70's in a short amount of time if you just follow a few simple methods. Any one who shoots in the 80's can easily tell you how they should be shooting in the 70's. It's just a matter of shaving off those few strokes that always put you over where you want to be.

If you can eliminate those few wasted shots such as hitting a ball out of bounds or missing a couple 3 foot putts, you'll be in the 70's faster than you think. There are some proven steps and drills designed specifically to stop you from wasting shots around the course. If you follow them you can join the elite group of people at your course who have the title of singe digit handicappers.

If you would like to learn more about how you can Improve your golf game and break 80, all you need to do is Click Here.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Golf Clubs - How to Handle the Selection and Planning of This Equipment

Golf Clubs - How to Handle the Selection and Planning of This Equipment
By Paul Kramer

It is a failing of many players that during a round they will use only one club off the tee for the 14 or so holes that are par fours or fives. For example, they erroneously reach for a driver when confronted with a hole of 500 yards or 460 meters with two deep bunkers that narrow the fairway to just 20 yards or 18 meters in width at about the distance to which they can hit.

On a hole of 320 yards or 292 meters with a narrow sliver of fairway at which to aim, owing to water down the left hand side and trees on the right, they pull out the driver and so on. It is interesting to note that the straightest drivers of all, such as Colin Montgomery or Lee Westwood, would not dream of using a driver in either of these instances unless there were three holes to play and they needed three birdies.

Even given that situation, they would probably still use other clubs. Many golfers fall back on the argument that they are just having a fun round and using a 3 wood on one hole and a 3 iron on another would go against the grain.

That is fine, of course, but on the really fun rounds that you have enjoyed you can be sure that you were playing well and scoring well. Most golfers would answer in the affirmative to both these questions. Yet taking a driver on every hole helps them achieve neither, indeed, driving into the water or into the trees can have just the opposite effect, as your score hoes haywire and your confidence disappears down the drain.

So if the fairway is narrow at the driving distance, do not look on it as an irresistible temptation, but concede a small defeat to the course and use your 3 wood in the knowledge that you will have a much better chance of winning a far greater victory by enjoying success on the hole. Or use your 4 wood if you think the situation calls for it.

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Article Source: Ezine Articles

What Specific Muscles Are Used in a Golf Swing?

What Specific Muscles Are Used in a Golf Swing?
By Christian Bayler

There are many different muscles that are actually used in a swing, though out of the 850 total in the human body, only about twenty or so are used in the execution of the golf swing. The basics are as follows:

Lower Body Muscles

These muscles will create stability, and this particular set also includes the hamstrings. Hamstrings will help your posture, though as you get older, they become more restricted, meaning that you'll be able to pull a hamstring easier or a muscle in general. To prevent such a thing, it would be helpful to exercise, stretch, and build up strength in the hamstrings.

Quadriceps maintain your knee flex during your golf swing.

Shoulder Muscles

These muscles need to be kept strong, if they become weak, you will lose control during your swing, likewise they must also be flexible or your position and stance will be compromised.

Wrist

If your lead wrist is too weak(the lead wrist is the one on the bottom of the grip), your distance will be cut in half. It may also increase your chances of having a cupped wrist which will also lead to you distance and power being greatly reduced.

Forearms

Forearms directly affect the impact with the ball, as they will control how much force you are capable of hitting the ball with.

Core

The core is basically your waist, the most critical muscles to executing the golf swing. With these you can turn and flex your back.

Upper Back Muscles

These muscles keep your upper spine straight to help with rotation.

The importance of keeping these muscles in shape and flexible cannot be stressed enough. Without muscles, you would not be able to swing a club, so while having the best equipment, the best shoes, and a fancy golf cart are all fine and good, they won't mean much of anything if you can't swing a club. The only way to improve them is to stretch and stretch often. The hamstrings and the core are extremely important, especially since they can tighten as you get older, hurting your performance on the course... and just about anywhere else.

Without constant stretching, every muscle will become too tight, and unfortunately, hitting more balls will not suffice. You will need to set up a rigorous exercise routine which should be performed every morning, and possibly once in the evening. It might even be wise to seek out a personal trainer if you have no previous experience with an exercise routine, or even acquire a membership at a local gym where you will have access to equipment and trainers. If you want to know more about improving your muscle strength, there are an infinite number of resources on the subject, a quick internet search will reveal hundreds of results.

In the meantime, you can purchase an exercise stretch band, they come in different sizes and colors, and have different levels of resistance. These simple inventions will build up your muscles quickly, and with a lot of dedication may get the results you desire. So there you have it, the muscles that are used in a golf swing, and ways to strengthen them, just remember not to get out of shape!

These Amazing Secrets Discovered By Golf Guru Turns Bogey Golfers Into Scratch Golfers By Immediately Slashing 7-12 Strokes. Improve Your Driver Golf Swing and Straighten Out Your Iron Play.

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Article Source: Ezine Articles

What makes a golf ball go straight?

Golf is a strange game and I often think it's as much to do with attitude of mind as actual ability. Of course it helps if you have good hand-to-eye co-ordination or if you are a natural ball player. I had the good fortune to play a Saracens Rugby Club "Celebrity-Am" event at the beautiful La Manga resort in Spain some years ago and played with several of the rugby team, including the then manager, Francois Pienaar. The thing that struck me was these guys could all hit a mean golf ball and hit it a long way - I suppose it doesn't hurt to be fit, strong and big as well!

Having said that, I know more than a few decent golfers who can hardly climb a flight of stairs! This can only be technique, honed over the years, allowing them to overcome their physical disadvantages with a display of style and cunning.

So, I guess it's a combination of mental attitude, aptitude, natural talent, technique and practise.

The Simple Golf Swing will unlock your hidden potential and discover the golf swing that will deliver consistent, accurate distance.

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