15 Top Golf Swing Tips

Golf swing tips can be found online or you can invest in one of the many golf swing instruction e-books. Most of the tips on golf swing techniques go into a lot of detail - sometimes too much detail. What most golfers with a swing fault need are a few basic golf swing tips; whether it is to fix a slice or learn more about the short game in golf.

5 Tips on How to Drive Long Off the Tee

One of the best ways to score lower is to gain more golf distance off the tee. When you have a shorter distance to the green you have more chance to score par or better. Of course, you need accuracy as well as distance; otherwise you will be in a worse situation. Here are 5 quick and easy tips to help you drive long off the tee:

1. Tee the ball up higher and position it off your leading foot's instep so that you hit the ball on the upswing

2. Don't hit the ball with all your power - use a steady rhythm and work on increasing your swing speed

3. Use the right shaft flex for your swing speed - use a flexible shaft if you have a lower swing speed

4. Cock your wrists early on the backswing and un-cock them as late as possible on the downswing

5. Turn your shoulders a full 90 degrees for maximum distance

5 Tips on How to Master Golf Irons

Learning to master golf irons is an overlooked subject. There are many resources available to improve your driving and putting but not much emphasis is placed on the golf iron play. Learn to dominate your golf irons with these 5 tips:

1. Practice on the driving range to know your average distance with each golf iron in your bag

2. Use the right iron for the distance you want to hit it and use a full swing

3. Take into account the wind strength and distance as well as other factors like height and slopes

4. Playing from the rough is different from playing from the fairway - you will need to adjust the ball position, stance, iron loft, and attack angle

5. Learn proper course management - going for the pin is sometimes not the best option

5 Tips on How to Improve Your Golf Short Game

The golf short game is one of the most important areas of the golf game. Being able to hit long and accurate drives is all well and good, but if you can't chip the ball on the green, all that effort will be wasted. The short game of golf is where you really need to practice, so check out the following 5 tips:

1. From under 50 yards, use a bump and run and get the ball rolling as soon as possible

2. Use a slightly open stance and place your feet closer together

3. Choose one club (7, 8, or 9 iron) and practice your chipping from different distances with it

4. The length of your backswing will determine the distance the ball will travel

5. When playing over a hazard, use a more lofted club with a pitching swing

These tips on golf swing technique cover three areas of the game that are important but there are other areas that you have to learn to dominate. They are bunker or sand trap play, putting, pitching, and learning how to cure a slice or hook (if you have these swing faults.) Golf is an all round game - meaning that you have to be proficient in every aspect of the game. Don't just concentrate on how to be a long driver; instead practice with every club in your golf bag.

By Mick Euan Tait

You can find more detailed golf tips at Mick's website on how to Cure A Golf Hook and How To Fix A Slice, as well as the other golf swing techniques mentioned in the above article

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How to Swing a Golf Club For Accuracy and Distance

For those folks who have come to realize that trying to hit that little bumpy sphere with that rather small club is harder than Tiger Woods makes it look, read on. If you are ever going to be under par and hang out with the big boys on the course, you simply must learn how to swing a golf club.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of power you can get when your arms, hips, and eye are all in sync and the ball goes straight down the fairway soaring ever closer to its intended target. Golf is a personal sport, even if you play doubles or as part of a golf team. There is not a single golfer alive who does not want to improve his game, and a big part of that is learning how to swing a golf club better than you did last time.

So, what exactly is involved in that perfect arcing motion that results in a solid thwack that lifts the orb into just the right path and just the right height? Well, for non-golfers, it may seem like a simple movement of the arms only, but when you begin to learn how to swing a golf club, you realize that it is not an isolated movement of the arms; rather, a good golf swing involves the whole body, from head to toe.

If you want to get the best swing, there are a variety of ways to do so; check out some books on the subject so you can wrap your head around the concept. Then, like anything else, you need to practice, practice, practice. There are classes you can take and computer simulation programs you can use when you can't actually get out to the driving range or golf course, and getting a good golfer to help you is a great idea as well.

By Barby Berlin

Hit a Golf Ball Harder, Further and Straighter! How to Swing a Golf Club is the place to visit

Check out this review of the best golf improvement products on the market! Click Here

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Why a Stance Adjustment May Help You Play Better Golf

For the first two and a half years of my golf life, I could not understand why all of my shots were sailing off in directions I had originally unintended. It wasn't until later I figured out that my stance needed corrected that I began to play better golf.

I am sure you go to the range and you see people hitting inconsistent shots. Hooking, slicing, topping, or even missing the ball. If they corrected their stance, they could correct this problem, and essentially, play better golf.

Some things you may want to do to adjust your stance include,

1. Take a step back. Nowadays, graphite shafts are the standard for woods on the golf course. They are much more flexible than steel shafts. This means that in your downswing, the head of the club is going to hit the ball later than it would with the steel shafts. Taking a step back will have the club head meet the ball where you want it to.

2. Place a club at your feet pointing in the direction that you want the ball to go. Place your toes right up next to the club, and square your body to your feet. This will lock the direction of your ball flight. If you want to play better golf, direction is key.

3. What I like to do is, before my back swing, I place the head of the club behind the ball with the sweet spot centered. I lean the club against myself and bend my knees until the tip of the club meets my belt buckle. This way, I know the position I need to be in in order for the sweet spot to meet the ball.

Golf is a very difficult game, taking years of practice, these tips will give you a good beginning to being able to play better golf. For more tips on improving your game, visit my blog, The Simple Golf Swing.

By M Scherrah

Play Better Golf
http://the-simple-swing.blogspot.com

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Play Better Golf by Improving Your Swing

One summer, I was golfing with a group of guys I have never met before. One of them had the longest drive I have ever seen, it's just, he could not control it. These drives were going 300-350 yards, but some ended up on fairways of different holes, or in the woods, etc. I had no idea that a simple tip was going to drastically improve his swing, allowing him to play better golf.

What I told him was to loosen up his grip and keep his wrists straight. I know, nothing new to anyone who has shanked a shot here or there, but you will be surprised how many people know this, but do not do it. This guy took the suggestion, and was killing the balls.

Every time you go onto the course, I am sure you get bombarded but suggestions from your golfing buddies. But sometimes this advice can help you. Do not think they are scrutinizing you, they want to help you. If you want to play better golf, try taking some suggestions, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Improve your swing, play better golf, it's that simple! Do not be afraid to take the suggestions of golfers who seem to know their stuff. You never know, they may give you the tidbit you need to improve your swing, and essentially play better golf.

If you would like some more serious tips to drastically improve your golf game in as little as two weeks, check out my blog, The Simple Golf Swing.

By M Scherrah

Play Better Golf
http://the-simple-swing.blogspot.com

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Improve Your Swing by Relaxing

Every so often, something happens, whether is is in you life or even on the course, that really gets into your head. It eats at you constantly until it is the only thing you think of. This can critically damage your game. If you want to improve you swing, you need to take some time and mentally prepare, so you can be relaxed on the golf course.

Improving you swing can be as easy as taking a few deep breaths, or as difficult as changing your whole perspective of the day. Either way, these tips will help you get through the course with a good score.

1. Like I said, deep breaths can ease a lot. Have you ever had an argument where you got so mad you thought you were going to blow up, only to take a step back, take a deep breath, and calm down? You can do this on the golf course too. Say you double bogey a hole, and you are steamed. When you get to the next tee box, you need to have the last hole out of your mind. Improving your swings for this hole depends on a clear mind. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and you will be surprised.

2. Positive thinking makes a world of difference. You hear this all of the time, but it is true, if you want to improve your swing, you need to think positive. Thinking positive helps you to visualize what you want to do, and how you want to do it. If you think positively, your mind is clearer and you think less of the poor swings you had on the last hole.

3. Concentrate on the good. So what? You had a bad hole, believe it or not, even Tiger has bad holes. Instead of dwelling on the negative, think of all of the good swings you have had. Many times I have had bad holes I would think of the holes I played perfect, and it helped me to improve my swing on the current hole.

These tips might sound like they have no place in the world of golf, but believe me, they truly help. Remember, golf is as mental as it is physical. You might be able to crush the ball 300 yards, but if you are thinking negatively, most of your game is going to be bad. If you want to improve your swing, try to relax.

By M Scherrah

For more information on playing better golf, visit my blog, http://the-simple-swing.blogspot.com

Play Better Golf
http://the-simple-swing.blogspot.com

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Golf Push Slice

If you are struggling with your swing shot and the ball in not going straight towards the target then there are chances that you are slicing or hooking the ball. In most of the cases, your friend or fellow golfers comes to you and tell you to try something. May be the advice can work for you but if it does not then you will loose confidence and your swing might get worse. You need to worry though because almost all the amateur golfers face this problem of slice in their swing. But there are only a few who are able to sort it out. One important factor to deal with the problem of slice is to know which type of slice shot is your? Either it golf slice, golf pull slice or golf push slice.

I have seen that most of the golfers don't know about their golf slice type and hence been struggling for this problem for a long time. In all three golf slice types, golf push slice is the most common. In this type of shot the golf ball follows a in-to-out path. The trajectory of the ball starts from the right side of the target line and curves further right. A push slice is opposite of pull slice in which the ball follows an out-to-in path.

The root cause of this error is open face of your club at the impact. Also your body balance can be crucial factor. Sometimes there can be problems in the ball position, grip, your stance and your swing mechanics. Well, all these factors are crucial for any swing whether you are driving or chipping.

Once you know that you are getting golf push slice then you will be able to fix this error more rapidly. For that you should try the following methods:

1. Always use a tighter grip if you are getting push slice.

2. Try to increase your upper body movement and decrease the lower body movement.

3. Make sure that the ball is properly positioned before a swing. Also move the ball a little forward for a better impact.

4. Take a look at your stance and make sure that your body and shoulders are properly aligned to the target line.

5. Finally, concentrate on the rhythmic motion of the arms and shoulder with the swing.

A slice shot is not easy to deal with and often take some time to cure. But if you try practice with all the above factors in mind then it will be easy for you to sort out the problem of slice.

By Jeff Richard

Mr. Jeff Richard is a golfer having expertise in all the golfing fundamentals. The author has also written a golf guide for the amateur golfer that will help them to learn and play the game well. The book also covers some of the golfing errors like golf push slice, golf hook, golf draw and fade, etc

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Why a Short Backswing in Golf Is Better

By most accounts a short backswing in golf is better, because you avoid the problems of over swinging and the dreaded "across the line" position at the top of the backswing. Just by looking at golfers like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, and especially Camilo Villegas have tried to shorten their back swings and quiet the excess motion in the golf swing.

So why is a short backswing better? Well the reasons are abundant, but the most important factor is that you avoid losing control of the club at the top. A smooth transition is essential to a solid golf swing, but to do that you need to have a solid back swing. So toning down on the back swing will promote greater accuracy.

Most people have to long of a backswing because they are trying to increase their shoulder turn. To turn your shoulders you do not have to take the club past parallel! In fact, i can turn my shoulder over 90 degrees without my club even reaching parallel. The key to hitting the ball long and straight is to have a big shoulder turn, and that does not mean a long back swing.

A short backswing in golf is better, simply because that is what all of the professionals are working on. Look at J.B. Holmes and Camilo Villegas, these are two of the longest hitters on the PGA tour and they do not even bring the club to parallel at the top. If the top players in the world are doing it then chances are it can help your game too!

So next time you head to the range make sure that you are not over swinging and this should help you hit the ball further and much more solid.

By Matthew Lord

See The Exact Methods I Use To Crank 290 Yard Drives Everytime I Play!

Visit http://swing-a-golf-club.blogspot.com for Instant Access!

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Your Basic Golf Swing Guide

The key to playing better golf is mastering the golf swing. Learning the basic golf swing is the first step to playing better golf. Every basic problem you can have such as fading the ball, slicing, erratic play, hitting short, flat drives, worm burners all are related to an incorrect golf swing. Fixing your swing is the first and most important step to scoring lower on your rounds. This article will provide the foundation of the basic golf swing.

The most important thing to remember when swinging a golf club is use the kiss principle otherwise known as keep it short and sweet, don't over think it just relax and swing. The basic golf swing guide starts with the setup and stance. Most individuals have a good setup and stance but it is important to relax and not grip the club too hard. The next step is to use a grip that is comfortable to you and now we move on to the back swing.

During the back swing try not to think about your arms but rather think about slightly turning your back toward the target and the club being behind your head. Next is the down swing and the best thing to do here is to just let it go as this should be a fluid motion to and through the impact zone.

The impact zone is often the point at which you know if you have hit a good shot or if your ball is going into the drink. After hitting through the impact zone the swing will go to the follow through. The follow through is the least important part of the golf swing because most of the work has already been done prior to this step. Furthermore, if the ball has not been struck properly little can be done on the follow through to correct it.

By William Temple

William Temple is an avid golfer who enjoys helping people improve their golf game by fixing their golf swing and hitting better iron shots. Fixing your golf swing will eliminate most of you bad habits

To get your copy of the golf swing fix guide visit this website CureMyGolfSwing.com

Also, to learn more about How To Hit Those Great Irons Shots this website will get you on your way HittingIrons.com

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Golf Software - Analyzing Your Statistics

So, you have purchased your golf analysis software and now have some 'stats'. But, like the terrier that chased the bus and, for once, managed to catch it, what do you do with them?

Unlike our proverbial terrier who sat waiting for the bus, the stats that you accumulated have nothing to do with chance. They are as a result of your correctly having recorded the information on which the stats are founded. So that's the first, arguably the most important, issue. Always remember the old computer adage, "Garbage in, Garbage out!"

Getting Professional Advice

To get the most out of your golf analysis software you cannot do better than to discuss your stats with your local PGA Teaching Pro. He, or she, will be able to relate what is happening on the golf course to what you are doing on the practice tee. Your Pro, as a registered PGA member, will have the knowledge and experience to identify discrepancies in the way that you strike the ball and the results you are achieving under actual playing conditions. This might mean an adjustment to your swing, your course management or simply your mental approach to the game. But what if you can't afford the expense? Perhaps the following pointers, relating to some fundamentals of the game will help you.

The Tee shot

"Drive for show and putt for dough", or so they say. But, in truth, the tee shot sets up the rest of the game. If you are hitting the fairway or first cut most of the time then scoring well is that much easier. If driving is a problem your stat will tell you where you are missing - right (the common fault), left or 50, 50 either side.

Ask yourself questions such as. "Is there a common thread to my wayward drives?" Are you trying for that little bit of extra distance; perhaps you are 'holding back' and not making a full swing when confronted with tight fairways and water hazards. The stat will tell you the "what"; you need to identify the "why". Finally, learn to live with what you have in terms of your physique and swing. Don't try to keep up with players younger, stronger or more supple than yourself. Live with your left to right fade and start the ball down the left side rather than fight it and end up with a duck hook.

The Shot to the Green

However many strokes you have taken to get there, the shot to the green is really the one to take note of. The majority of club golfers miss the green short rather than long. Yes, this can be because the wind is stronger than we think; but oft-times it is because we think we are stronger than we are. Two important stats are Greens in Net-regulation and Percent accuracy with Club Group Type (e.g. medium or short irons or wedges). Net-regulation is a term I coined to identify the average club member's equivalent of greens in regulation used by professionals and single figure handicap players. If you are hitting a high percentage of greens in 'regulation' plus your handicap stroke(s) you are doing exceptionally well and playing steady golf. When it comes to club groupings, you would expect that the percentage shots hitting the green with wedges and short irons should be higher than medium or long iron groupings. So very quickly you can focus your practice on the weaker areas and take more care in club selection during play.

The Short Game

The extent to which you get 'up and down' after chipping or pitching around the green or from greenside bunkers probably has the greatest impact on your ability to score well. Stats that are broken into subsets of 'distance from the pin' (say up to 10 feet, 10 to 15 feet and so on) will provide good feedback on how well you are managing the chip and pitch shots. The fact that you make a putt from 20 feet or more gives a warm feeling - but if you chipped and pitched more effectively you would take a lot of pressure off yourself and shave a handful of strokes off your handicap. Equally, if a good percentage of your greenside bunker shots are finishing more that 10 to 15 feet from the pin you know where you should spend a goodly portion of your practice time! Putting, well that's another story!

In Summary

Your golf analysis software is effectively another club in your bag. So use it wisely!

By Barry Pratt

Barry Pratt has been playing golf for over 50 years and got to single figures. He is a keen statistician and developed a golf analysis software program in conjunction with teaching pros. To get a copy please visit http://www.scoretraq.com

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Improve Your Golf Swing With These Two Great Tips

Improve your golf swing and finally achieve those low scores. That is what every golfer is trying to achieve. Regardless if you're playing three to four times a week or just a weekend warrior your goals are to get better and shoot lower scores. The best way to achieve those lower scores is to fix the core of every problem. Hit fades, fix your swing. Hit slicing or banana shots, your swing is the issue. This article will provide you with two great tips that can help you improve your golf swing.

Improving your golf swing is about learning and mastering the basics and then building on top of that. The challenge is that no two body types are the same so what works for one person may not work for someone else. So the key for every person is to adapt their bodies to perform that perfect swing in their own unique way. The first basic step you can put into action is to keep your head still and keep your eyes fixated on the ball. Doing this will help you in keeping the club face square through the hitting zone. A direct result often times when you miss hit your shot is lifting your eyes up to see how your shot was a split second before making contact.

The other basic step is to relax while addressing the ball and through the entire golf swing. A problem that many golfers have is gripping the club too tight and being too rigid in your stance both are a product of being tense. Just try to relax and loosen your grip on the club and you will see an improvement in your game. When you relax you can let the club do the work for you instead of you trying to manufacture good shots and distance. Golf is a very hard sport to master but if you keep learning and trying different things you will see improvement in your golf game and always try and have fun.

By William Temple

William Temple is an avid golfer who enjoys helping people improve their golf game by fixing their golf swing and hitting better iron shots. Fixing your golf swing will eliminate most of you bad habits

To get your copy of the golf swing fix guide visit this website CureMyGolfSwing.com

Also, to learn more about How To Hit Those Great Irons Shots this website will get you on your way HittingIrons.com

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The Six Fundamentals of a Golf Swing

Does a golf swing training regimen really work? The answer to that question depends on what you put into your training plan. How can I explain in this article how to perfect your golf swing when professional golfers have the time and money to constantly work on their swings and some still have issues with it. The answer is fundamentals. A fluid and consistent golf swing can be attained by sticking to the fundamentals of the golf swing. This article will touch on six fundamental principles of golf and how sticking to them can improve your game.

There are six fundamentals in the golf swing:

1. Grip, how you hold the club.
2. Posture, how you set up to the ball. This is a key to a successful golf swing. The width of your stance, The amount of knee flex, the straightening of the back are all aspects of posture. The angle the back maintains throughout the swing and the bending from the hip socket are also related to the posture
3. Pivoting, how you move your body from your head to your toes this excludes your hands and arms.
4. The hand and arm relationship, what the hands and arms do in the golf swing.
5. Alignment, how you pick and set up to your target.
6. The mental side, the ability to play without thinking about it. I would argue that this is the most important aspect of your golf game. Why is it when we get so frustrated with our poor play that you just go up and hit a great shot without thinking about it. Most sports are 90% mental and the rest is skill. Tiger Woods is a perfect example of this principle.

I wanted to write this article because fixing your golf swing always leads back to the fundamentals. What happens in basketball, football when you are not playing well. The cliche we are going back to the basics is often brought up and that cliche also applies to fixing your golf game when you are playing poorly.

By William Temple

William Temple is an avid golfer who enjoys helping people improve their golf game by fixing their golf swing and hitting better iron shots. Fixing your golf swing will eliminate most of you bad habits

To get your copy of the golf swing fix guide visit this website CureMyGolfSwing.com

Also, to learn more about How To Hit Those Great Irons Shots this website will get you on your way HittingIrons.com

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Are Golf Course Green Fees Out of Hand?

Golf is getting more expensive to play. I love the game but the outlandish golf course green fees and cart costs are making it harder to afford. I believe the green fees started to rise in the 1990's. Today it is hard to find a golf course that won't charge you $50 for green fees on weekdays and more on the weekends. These fees are rising ahead of the cost of living.

What happened? I believe a lot of golf courses are being built to adapt to the weekend duffer's game with plush fairways and manicured greens. This over indulgent need to provide perfect playing conditions has skyrocketed golf course maintenance budgets.

Whatever happened to the reasoning of building a course according to the lay of the land with all the slopes and valleys? Where the only maintenance being done was cutting the fairways and watering the greens? Mother Nature was in charge of the fairways and rough. I still play a few of those golf courses in Pennsylvania at $12 for green fees, $6 extra for a riding cart on a weekday. If it's mid-summer you can expect semi-brown fairways. Your game changes according to the course conditions. Isn't that what golf is all about, adapting to the course?

Also, many golf courses are being built to promote real estate in the area surrounding the golf courses. This will definitely add to the rise of green fees. Are you being ripped-off? Another thing that has changed for the worse is the use of riding carts. This is a costly added expense to your golf game and a lot of times a needless or unnecessary expense. Let's take a look at this expense.

Some golf courses make a cart mandatory which added to the green fees will raise their profits. Other courses require carts on the weekends but not on the weekdays. I suppose the thinking on mandatory weekend carts is it will help in speeding up play, which I don't agree. Think about it, with or without a cart, it will take you 5 to 6 hours to complete the round on a weekend. You are being ripped off.

There are too many bad golfers playing on the weekend which will slow down play and make you wait endlessly to hit your next shot. When this type of situation occurs it will only hurt your game. You will tighten up, lose concentration and guzzle beer after beer waiting to hit your next shot. All you are getting out of this round of golf is a buzz-on and sunburn which you could have done in your own backyard at very little cost. My thinking on this is to avoid the 6 hours trying to play a round of golf on the weekend.

The biggest rip-off of all is on those golf courses that a cart is mandatory but you are only allowed to drive it on the cart path. This kind of golf is utterly ridiculous. Let's take a look at this scenario. Suppose you hit your tee shot to the left and the cart path is on the right. Now what do you do? You don't know what kind of lie you have and you don't know the distance to the green for your next shot and it's a long walk to your ball. So you take two to three clubs out of your bag and take the long walk to your ball. After you hit the ball, you take the long walk back to the golf cart. The big problem is that this type of play goes on all day long - for the whole round. So, I ask you, why do you have to pay for a cart when you are walking most of the time anyway? Are you being ripped off?

I would like to add a page to my blog with golf courses whose fees are $25 or less to play a round of golf. Do you play one? If so, it would be much appreciated if you would share that information with me so I can post it for all golfers to see. What I would need is the name, cost to play the golf course (green fees and golf cart fees) and its location (City and State). Any other info you might know about the golf course would also be helpful.

I would then post it by state. It would give other golfers an opportunity to play your course at an affordable price. Please go to this article at Golfineer for more information.

By Walter David

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Get a Grip - Simple Golf Grip Tips

If you're hoping to improve your golf game, there's no better place to start than at the one point where your body touches the club-your grip, that is. If you watch a professional golfer, you might see how he appears to merge with the club, becoming one with it. Golfer and club should function like a single well-oiled golfing machine. Therefore, a good grip is a fundamental piece of a great golf game. Forget anyone else who tells you otherwise. Your grip is key to your playing and if you don't learn it, you might as well stop playing golf altogether.

Now, let's be clear about this. This is not an exhaustive list of useful golf grip tips (there are plenty of books of golf grip tips online and in books). What these are ARE a few quick golf grip tips to help you improve your game by fixing your grip. Did I already say the grip is key?

Establish your grip. The golf club should lay across your fingers (Not your palm! Holding a club in the palm is a common mistake that will cost you power) diagonally; the top-end should rest by the base of your pinky and the head-end should touch the first joint of your pointer finger.

Place your thumb. Once the club is in your fingers, place your thumb on the back side of the shaft of the club.

Check for the V. If you're holding the club right, you will see a "V" emerging from the base of your thumb and forefinger.

I hope you use these tips the next time you play. It can't get any more basic than this, really: improve your grip and you improve your play.

By Rob Jeffries

Rob Jeffries is on a golfer's diet: he lives on greens as much as possible. He runs the popular website MyGolfGameNow.Com as an online resource for those who wish to improve their swing, lower their handicap, or simply have fun on the range. Check out the site today for golf grip tips and more!

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Stop Hooking the Golf Ball Instantly With These 3 Tips

To some golfers the slice is the biggest obstacle to playing golf, but for thousands of other golfers it is the dreaded hook. Hooking the golf ball is something that can be so frustrating that it almost caused the great Ben Hogan to quit the game before he over won a major championship. Now, after Hogan fixed his hook he went on to win 9 major championships, and here is how you can fix your hook to improve your scores.

1.The good news is that a hook is typically easier to fix than a slice. The most important thing about having your ball dive into the left hand rough is to understand why. The ball hooks because of excessive right to left spin, and this also puts some overspin on the ball causing it to crash into the ground.

2. To stop hooking the golf ball the first thing you need to do is open your stance. This means for a right handed golfer having your left foot about an inch further back than your right. This will enable you to swing more across your body which will counteract the right to left spin that you have been putting on the ball. This should help straighten out your shots by reducing spin.

3. Another cause of the dreaded hook is due to an excessively strong grip. This means that your left hand is on top of the club too much, and your right hand is under the club too much. To correct this, grip the club with your left hand first and make sure that only two knuckles are showing. On your right hand you want to be more wrapped around the club, and this will promote a square club face at impact and reduce your hook.

These three tips should help you to stop hooking the ball, and then you can learn to hit a little draw or fade and play the best golf of your life!

By Matthew Lord

See The Exact Methods I Use To Take 5 Strokes Off My Game and Play The Best Golf Of My Life!

Visit The Ultimate Golf Swing Website Here For Instant Access!

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How to Break 100 - Stop the Embarassment Today!

One of the most frustrating things in golf is not knowing how to break 100. This is often the first goal that many new golfers have when starting out, and once you learn to make contact with the ball on the consistent basis, you are not far away from breaking 100. There are really 3 keys that you should focus on in order to shoot under 100, and here they are.

1. The first thing that you need to concentrate on in order to achieve your goals is to make sure that you are able to hit the ball in the fairway. To shoot double digits instead of triple digits you do not need to hit the ball far, however it is vital that you stay in the fairway, even if you only hit the ball 100 yards. To do this do not hit a drive off of the tee. Instead, take a 4 or 5 iron and put it slightly back of center in your stance. This should allow you to hit the ball low and straight, which is great when looking to break this milestone.

2. In addition to hitting the ball straight you need to be able to putt decent. of course you are not going to putt like the pros, but being able to make putts inside 10 feet and get the other ones really close is vital to your success. If you learn to take just 2 putts on each green then you are almost guaranteed to break 100.

3. Your chipping should be pretty good. Often times new golfers struggle with this, but really all you have to do is put the ball in the back of your stance and use an 8 iron. To often new golfers try to chip with a sand wedge or pitching wedge around the green, when is reality the best way to chip is to get the ball over the fringe and on the green as soon as possible. It is much easier to control a shot that is lower to the ground.

These three tips should help you in your quest to learn how to break 100. I have many more tips, but these should get you started and with a little "secret knowledge" You will break 90 before too much longer!

By Matthew Lord

See The Exact Methods That You Can Use To Take 7-12 Shots Off Of Your Score In Just 30 Days Or Less!

Visit http://swing-a-golf-club.blogspot.com For Instant Access!

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Golf Iron Shots - Four Tips to Hit Better Iron Shots

The topic for our article today is golf iron shots. You have hit a good drive and now it`s time to hit a quality iron shot. There are many factors that come into play but, for today, we are going to review four (4) tips that will help us to hit quality iron shots and, in turn, lower our golf scores.

These golf iron shot tips will help you to go through the thought process that will produce quality golf shots. You will be amazed how quickly your golf scores will come down. Just using some common sense can dramatically effect how we play and our golf scores, plus, did I mention, your enjoyment of the game!

Four (4) Golf Iron Shot Tips

1. Stay within yourself.

Don`t try to hit your seven (7) iron one hundred and seventy (170) yards when your best seven iron shot only goes one hundred and fifty (150) yards. Hit the iron that will get to the target with a comfortable swing, no overswinging! Also, when you are determining the yardage for your iron shot, be sure to take into account the position of the pin on the green. By this I mean, even though you are standing at the one fifty (150) marker, you might be one hundred and sixty five (165) yards to the pin if the pin is at the back of a large green, or one hundred and thirty five (135) yards if the pin is in the front. You don`t want to back off of your golf swing but you also don`t want to be grunting!

2. Know how far you hit each iron.

I know you have seen this and it really slows down play. What I am talking about is watching someone pacing of their yardage to the pin and you know, full well, that they have no clue how far they hit each iron shot. So, my point is, that we need to spend some time at the driving/practice range, to find out how far we hit each iron shot. Now, we probably are not going to know how far each iron shot goes, to the yard, like the tour pros do but we can find out within a five (5) yard range. There is nothing more frustrating than hitting a good drive and following that up with a well hit iron shot and the golf ball ends up ten yards short or long. If we expect to hit the correct iron shot, we need to know how far we hit each iron.

3. Play the shot that your lie will allow.

We need to survey our lie and determine how the lie is going to effect our iron shot. By this I mean, if we a playing summer rules, no preferred lies, the lie will dictate what kind of shot we have to play. If the lie is less than perfect, we need to adjust where we play the golf ball in our stance. With a poor lie, we need to move the ball back in our stance so that we will be able to make solid contact. You also need to adjust for downhill, uphill and sidehill lies.

In general, we need to adjust our stance to follow the contour of the fairway for uneven lies, keeping in mind that uphill lies will add loft to your iron shots (hit more club) and downhill will take loft off of our iron shots (hit less club).

4. Play the percentages.

Here's a question. If the best players in the world aim away from some pins then should not we do the same? If the pin is on the side of the green near a bunker, water hazard or out of bounds, it may make sense not to try to hit directly at the pin but hit your iron shot to the safer part of the green. We have to measure, the percentages, our chances of pulling off a shot. The best in the world do it! So, next time you are getting ready to hit your iron shot, stop to think of what is your best percentage play. This alone will shave numerous strokes of your golf score.

Also, remember there is a right and wrong side of the green to miss on. You would prefer to miss the green on the side away from where the pin is placed on the green. This gives you the best chance to get up and down for your par, if you miss the green.

Those are four (4) iron shot tips. There are many more, that we will discuss in future articles. But for now, if you follow these golf tips for your iron shots, you will dramatically increase your pars and decrease those bogeys and dreaded others!

By Mike Lebreck

Mike Lebreck has been an avid golfer for over 40 years. You can find more golf game improvement, custom golf club building and discount golf information at http://golf-swing-plus.net

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How to Improve Your Golf Swing Without Lessons

Are you sick of just playing average golf? Maybe you have a goal to break 100, 90, 80, or even par. Whatever your goal is you need to understand how to improve your golf swing without taking expensive lessons. Here are some tips to help you become your best teacher.
1. You should start by video taping yourself

When you see yourself on camera you can pick out just what it is you are doing wrong and that makes it much easier to fix, then trying to figure it out without a camera. This will be the investment that will make a huge difference in your golf game.

2. Read everything you can about golf except the quick tip guides in the magazines

You need to understand what your swing should look like and what causes the ball to do the 9 different things it can do (the 9 ball flight laws). When you understand these things it is easier for you to under stand why your ball went where it did and what adjustment you need to make to change your ball flight.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

The more you practice the easier it will be for you to learn how to improve your golf swing and become your best teacher. When you are the one that understands your swing the most it is much easier to make adjustments on the course and you will start to shoot better scores. This all comes with practice and you need to practice not only your full swing, but your short game and putting as well.

By Benjamin J. Black

Are you ready to play better golf, hit the fall further and straighter, and feel better about your golf game. If you are, then click here.

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What is the Correct Golf Driver Loft For You?

I`ll bet , like most of us, the last time you bought a new golf driver you hit a demo club at the range a few times, it felt good and you bought it.

This is how almost all of us buy new golf clubs. But let`s take a look at the driver. It is probably the most important club in the golf bag. Playing golf from the fairway is a lot easier than the rough and also, hitting a 9 iron to the green is a lot easier than hitting a 6 iron. That`s pretty obvious, so what`s the point?

The point is that most of us are not playing with a driver that has the proper loft to provide us with maximum distance and accuracy. The simple reason for this is that golf club manufacturers are not making drivers with the lofts that are correct for most golfers.

Here`s an idea of the range of lofts that we are talking about to provide optimal loft: (source: Golf Engineering)

Clubhead Speed............Estimated Optimal Loft .................Category

• 130-150.......................... 4-7 degrees.......................................men long driving champs

• 110-125........................... 8-9 degrees.......................................men touring pros

• 95-105............................10-11 degrees....................................strong men & women

• 85-90...............................12-13 degrees...................................most men golfers

• 75-85...............................14-15 degrees...................................senior men & most women

• 65-75...............................16%2B degrees.......................................most women golfers

As you can see, most men golfers should be using a 12-13 degree loft with their driver, senior men and women even higher and we know that this is not the case.

Also, what this validates is the fact that the average male golfer is better of driving with his 15 degree three wood. We have known this for years but we really did not know why, now we do. It is all about the optimal loft! There are more factors that control golf driver distance and accuracy, other than loft, but for our purposes today, this is one variable that we can easily control.

Now, we know that we are not going to give up hitting the driver. The grip it and rip mentality is too deeply ingrained in us to give up our driver. But, at least now we can give up trying to hit an 8 degree driver and maybe change to a more sensible 10.5 degree or, even better, a 12 degree driver. The fact is that the lower degree of loft has been working against us and we never knew it!

So, stop fighting gravity and starting using a loft that will provide you with the optimal launch angle. Give it a try I think you will like it.

By Mike Lebreck

Mike has been an avid golfer and single digit handicapper for over forty years. You can see more golf information on his blog at Golf-Swing-PLus.

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Why You Should Shorten Your Backswing

I'm sure you've all seen it. Let's be honest, many of you probably do it yourselves. You move up to the ball. You get yourself all balanced. You make sure you're in line for solid contact. Then you start your backswing and wrap that club so far around your head that you can see it on the other side!

And what happens? By the time your club head gets back to the golf ball, everything is so far out of whack that you're lucky to make contact at all. I know Tiger Woods does it. I know John Daly does it. But we're hardly Tiger or Big John, are we? we need our timing to be perfect. We need our body to be balanced. And what better way to accomplish this than by shortening that mighty backswing? I know you'll be worried about distance, but I assure you that once you shorten that backswing and start hitting the ball solidly more often, the little bit of distance you may lose will be insignificant.

I discovered the magic behind a shorter backswing quite by accident. Since I live in a colder climate but don't want to stop golfing just because of the temperature, I'm forced to wear layers in order to play sometimes. Naturally, if you're dressed in multiple layers of clothing it's difficult to take such a big backswing. What I noticed was that I with my shortened backswing I was hitting the ball solidly and straighter much more often. Any distance I lost was more than made up for with accuracy. In the end, my scores were lower than normal.

Now, for those who don't have to wear layers, consciously shortening your backswing may be a bit tricky. You'll have to work out a little system where you can mentally stop the backswing before you usually do. I would suggest trying to stop it even sooner than you may want to because momentum will take you a little farther than your stopping point most of the time.

I know it may not look as cool. And I know that decreasing your overall distance isn't something most golfers strive to achieve. But straighter shots and lower rounds certainly are. The next time you're at the range, give a shorter backswing a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

By Ken McCarron

This simple tip is going to save you tons of frustration on the golf course.
If you're interested in a more complete swing system that could potentially knock 7-12 strokes off your score in a couple weeks, go take a look here... http://masteryourswing.blogspot.com

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Green Mapping - An Essential Tool For Making More Putts

Green Mapping can be likened to preparing for a long road trip. The more thorough your preparation, the better chance there is that you will reach your destination safely and on time.

In putting the same dedication to detail is true. The more you know about the greens that you will putt on, the more accurate will be your reads, and the greater probability you will have of making more putts.

To have any chance of holing a putt you must be able to assess accurately the:

• Slope, particularly at the Hole.

• Line your Ball must take.

• Speed your Ball must travel to the Hole on your Chosen Line.

Certain characteristics of all greens are fixed:

• Shape and Size of the Green.

• Type of Grass.

• Direction of Grain, if any.

• Moundings and Tiers.

Other characteristics change on a day-to-day basis:

• Speed of the Green based on the Mowing Height.

• Moisture content of the Putting Surface.

• Growth Pattern of Grass according to the Season.

• Overall condition of the Green.

For every putt there are always a number of variables that you have to consider. The more you can nail down beforehand basic information about the green and its contours, the less you will have to do when it is your turn to putt.

If you play the same course regularly, it makes sense to get a better handle on how your ball will break on each of the 18 greens. Relying on your memory to recall if a putt breaks left to right, right to left, or is straight is fraught with error.

Professional golfers know that they will putt with greater confidence when they have done their homework before the tournament starts. They make written notes during their practice round of the different breaks at different parts of the green for every hole.

Green Mapping, or green charting as it is sometimes called, involves more than having a sketch of the green. However this is the first step.

On tour there is a yardage book available that shows what is considered to be public information - distance from various markers, depth of greens and so on. For the amateur golfer most courses sell a similar, less detailed, yardage book.

When it comes to the greens the direction of breaks at possible pin locations is not provided. The pros together with their caddie will putt at pin locations previously used for the tournament, either to update their record or to gather the information for first time.

Many of them will use a Putt Reading Device to show the local fall line at each location and the degree of the slope.

For weekend amateurs whose income is not dependent on their putting skill, knowing which way the ball will break in different parts of the green is less essential. That is unless they want to have fewer misreads and hole more putts.

There are a number of GPS systems available to golfers that show distances from Point A to Point B anywhere on the course. They show the hazards and the shape of the greens with depth measurements. On some of the Tours they are now allowed in an effort to speed up play.

However, despite their sophistication the GPS systems don't give you essential information about how your putts will break. This information you must still gather yourself.

This is why Green Mapping is essential to putting better. You should prepare a Green Map for each green and then carry it with you to help you improve your reads and make more putts.

By Neville Walker

Neville Walker has a passion for golf and has played golf on hundreds of golf courses all over the world. His particular interest is writing about how to improve your putting. He runs a web site on the subject which can be found at http://www.better-golf-by-putting-better.com

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Golf - 5 Top Bunker Shot Tips to Help Lower Your Handicap in 2009

Greenside Bunker Shots

Top Tip No.1

Good Lie in Bunker

Open your stance a little by keeping your left foot back ( right handers) and also open the clubface slightly. Swing the club parallel with your feet with an out to in action causing a steeper swing which makes the ball rise quicker and also produces backspin which means the ball will stop quickly on the green. Aim slightly left of target as the ball should tend to fly to the right.

Top Tip No.2

Plugged Lie in Bunker

Instead of opening the face of the club you should keep the club face square.
This shot should be approached with reasonable speed following through keeping the clubface square and therefore digging into the sand behind the ball with the sand and the ball coming out of the bunker together. The very action required to come out of the bunker from a plugged lie means that there will not be any backspin and the ball will roll on some distance.

Top Tip No.3

Downhill Lie In Bunker

If the ball finishes on a downhill lie in the bunker open the clubface and adopt an open stance with the weight on your left foot. The shot should be played near to your left foot trying to follow the slope of the bunker. At impact the weight should be focused on your left foot allowing the ball to be sliced out of the bunker providing you complete a full follow through.

Top Tip No. 4

Uphill Lie In Bunker

For this type of shot you do not need to adopt an open stance or open up the face of the golf club. Instead follow the uphill slope of the bunker and position your body parallel to the slope and swing solidly also parallel to the slope.

The golf ball should come out of the bunker with a higher trajectory and therefore not run on too far

Top Tip No.5

Stating The Obvious!

Whether you are playing out of a greenside bunker from a good lie, a plugged lie, on a downslope or on an upslope or however you are placed in the sand one of THE most important tips is to keep your head still, eye on the sand 1 or 2 inches behind the ball, until the shot is executed.

You could otherwise have an excellent technique but it will probably go wrong if you come up to look for your golf ball too quickly.

This may sound like stating the obvious but it is a very common error made by many mid to high handicap golfers and is often brought about because the player is anxious and nervous about playing bunker shots. Have you ever said "How unlucky was that!? The ball hit the top 2 inches of the bunker face and almost came out!" Now the golf ball is lying way deep down in the imprint of your shoe! Game over!

The fact is that if you had not lifted your head too early you would not have seen the golf ball hitting the face of the bunker. If you had kept your head down until after impact with the sand then the chances are that the golf ball would be heading for the green. Take a look at an image of a professional or low handicap golfer on the TV or pictured in a golfing magazine and you can clearly see that nearly every time after impact the golf ball is travelling upwards towards the green and the golfer is still looking down to where the golf ball had been.

I hope that you found the article to be helpful.
By Roger Thomas Carter

Please take a look at my blog for more golfing information to help you break 80 during 2009
http://playbettergolfnow.blogspot.com/

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Golf Training Aids and Why Mental Imagery Is the One That Will Lower Your Golf Score

Golf training aids, we all have succumbed to the glossy adverts. Buy this whatever new club and you will reduce your score guaranteed,buy this video of golf lessons etc etc. I don't know about you but I have fallen for it time and time again. What happens? well I use them for a while then forget or more than likely try something new I have seen advertised. Is this you as well?

The golf training aid we all seem to ignore is our mind, if things start to go wrong our mind and thoughts just seem to get worse. You know the scenario, you have just played the last hole in one over par so you are flying. You stand at the next tee full of confidence you don't concentrate just swing and shock horror your ball flies off into the trees.

This is where the mind set comes in and the use of mental images to keep your golf game consistent.

You are positive and full of confidence so your pre shot routine probably went out of the window hence the duff shot but if you had used your thoughts properly this would be less likely to happen.

When next on the tee try the following:

- Clear your mind and say to yourself positive affirmations like I will hit another good shot, repeat it over and over. This will clear all the subconscious doubts and your predominant thoughts will be positive.

- Now breathe deeply stand on the tee and close your eyes, now picture your next shot in your mind, concentrate on it, so it burns into your brain. It's very important to have a clear mental picture of your next shot, picture the swing, the flight of your ball and where it will land.

All you have to do now is trust your swing and go for it. It works so believe in it.

This golf training aid is now being used by all the major players, the difference is they have mind coaches. Now you can have a your own personal mind coach.

By Michael Potter

Everyone under estimates the hidden power of the mind and how it can affect your game of golf. Even the top professionals all have mind coaches so what's good for them must be good for you. If you try my new product Golf Swing Mastery I am so confident that it will knock strokes of your score that if after 30 days you are not happy then I will refund you in full, no questions asked. I will take all the risk so you really have nothing to lose.

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Good Putting is a State of Mind

There's nothing really hard about putting. The average hacker has the physical skill needed to make a ball roll ten feet on the line they intend to roll it on. It is the mental side of putting that lacks for most golfers.

Too many golfers, especially the ones who play once or twice a week, are focused on making a good putting stroke. They assume, I guess, that by making a good stroke they will hit a good putt. Sounds reasonable.

But really, putting is not about making a good stroke. The best way to putt badly is to focus on a stroke you never get to practice. A golfer is far better off to focus their full attention on hitting the ball on the proper line.

Is it really important how good your stroke is if it gets the ball started on line every time? And aren't you far more likely to hit the ball on the line if that is what you focus on the most?

Think back to your best putting day. You will likely remember how the line just jumped out at you. You could see every break and knew it was right. But you probably don't remember how the stroke felt. You probably have no mechanical memories at all of your best days on the green.

That's because they come from the mind, not the stroke. Good putting is a state of mind. For most it comes and goes on its own will. Golfers tend to search for the physical key to their putting stroke while ignoring the mental side that is more important for putting a golf ball into a hole consistently.

Putting is just like any other target game. You will only succeed once you get past the technique and learn to actually play it. The vast majority of all golfers never learn to play the game of putting. They just keep aimlessly searching for the perfect stroke.

By Darell Mckissick

Let me show you the unknown fundamental that will make your stroke automatic so you can focus on playing the game of putting. Putting has never been easier.

http://www.targetputting.com

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The Roaring Nineties

The 1990's offered unprecedented levels of revenue and growth to the golf industry. From the late 1980's through the end of 2000 the golf industry benefited from the convergence of three unique phenomenons. The ingredients leading to significant growth in new golf practice facilities and the size and scope of facilities during the 1990's were:

-A Great Economy
-Tiger Woods
-Technological Advancements in Golf Equipment

The nineties turned out to be a great time economically. The proliferation of dot-com companies, the strength of the stock market, and the amount of disposable income many folks enjoyed created a cash rich environment. The golf industry benefited greatly from this free-spending era.

Tiger Woods provided an excitement never seen in the golf industry ever. Yes, we grew up watching Arnie and then Jack dethroning Arnie, but the excitement generated by Tiger was unprecedented. Many people who never thought about golf as a legitimate participatory sport considered the possibility. Many tried for the first time to hit a golf ball. Golf could be for anyone. Ranges saw many new faces on the tee line. Instead of coming out for recreation only, many people used ranges to take the plunge into the game of golf. Practice, group and private lessons, first excursions to golf courses with your instructor resulted in a ranges bottom line growing to new extremes.

For golfers the technological advancements of the nineties were truly awesome. Golf actually became easier for the common person. Clubs became easier to hit and the love affair with distance (fueled in great part by Tiger) became cemented in our psyche. From over-sized metal woods to cavity-backed perimeter weighted irons and next best thing in putters. The changes came fast and furious. Club designers and manufacturers were putting out new designs annually. Golf club marketing reached new heights in creativeness and sheer volume. Golfers were replacing clubs at a record pace. Before the nineties clubs were replaced every eight to nine years. Through the nineties, this number declined by three quarters. Buying more than one driver in a year made sense to many. Putters were dispatched to the basement without any remorse after one or two bad rounds. We were convinced that technology would solve all of our problems. A few visionary retailers and manufacturers decided to break the mold and offer golf equipment traditionally reserved for sale at "green grass facilities" to the common person at sporting goods stores. Dick's Clothing and Sporting Goods pushed hard for the right to sell the best equipment. Additionally, Dicks realized the value of having PGA pros on staff to fit and sell clubs. Once again, the paradigm was broken. Now PGA pros could retain their certification away from a "green grass facility." Major manufacturers got the marketing right. We all knew we needed whatever was the newest wedge, putter, utility wood, custom-made clubs, etc, etc.

Ranges benefited from prolific sales in several ways. First, those ranges prepared to plunge into retail, custom fitting and custom club-making were able to capitalize on the excitement and energy in the industry. Second, people practiced more. They had new clubs and had to get used to them. They wanted to try new clubs. Finally, many people just wanted to try golf because of the Tiger-mania. Ranges became the natural place for people to try hitting the ball and taking some lessons.

By Paul Ciminelli

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/9/7a1/1b3

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Golf Swing Tips - How to Get a More Consistent Swing and Lower Your Score

Whether you are just starting out as a golfer or you have been playing for years, chances are that you are interested in finding away to cut a few strokes off of your scorecard. One of the best ways to actually do this is to create a solid swing that will allow you to know exactly where you are sending your ball every single time.

The first thing that you have to understand is that each swing is different for each type of shot, driving the golf ball and putting it are obviously quite different but so is chipping and hitting your irons. There is no one swing that can do everything there are multiple types of swings that excel at a certain shot. You just have to learn how to do each one properly.

The first part of the swing that you will have to begin working on is your grip. You have to be able to find a grip that is most importantly comfortable to you. The key thing to remember is that your palms should always be facing each other, no matter what.

The next thing to address is your stance, you must keep your chin up, shoulders square, and knees always bent never straight, and understand that your power is coming from your hips. This will set up the consistent part of your shot because if your body is in the same position it will allow you to recreate the same stroke.

From here you must create the backswing itself be sure not to twist or turn too much in the process as this will create a shot that will hook or slice which is something you want to avoid unless your into that sort of a thing. Keep your right leg exactly in the same position and be sure that your backswing has a slight arc to it. Be sure that both your feet are evenly distributing your weight and that when you are pulling your club back that your arms and hands of both sides move as one piece.

In your downswing be sure that your right arm stays straight till the very end where it can slightly unhinge. Your left hip should turn slightly in the direction of your target and your right knee may turn just a little at the end as well. In this process your left arm should be long and relaxed as well.

Be sure that your club follows the exact same path going down, that it did when it initially went up, another way that your shot will become more consistent.

In order for you to fully maximize the potential of your swing you must practice it every single day whether you are in your backyard or out on the golf course. Also I highly recommend looking into getting some videos or books that can help you go more in depth on the entire swing giving you step by step instructions.

By Lee L Campbell

Click here for more great tips and lessons on how to improve your golf game Including seven lessons on a better swing that are completely free!

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Improve Your Golf Swing Simply and Easily Today

If you have ever plaid golf you know how important your swing is, if it is hit the wrong way in the slightest bit that ball will be no where near where it was supposed to be landing. Often that means that your balls taking a swim or you going to be out taking a walk in the sand.

The key to avoiding these situations is to create a swing that is not only going to be great but something that is consistent and that you could repeat on command. After all what is the point of having a good swing if you can't do it every single time that you are hitting the ball?

The place where people really concentrate on their swing is the drive because you don't have to worry about hitting it on a surface that isn't perfectly flat - you just have to think about where you want the ball to be sitting on your next shot. If your shot is consistent then you can worry more about course management and ball placement then whether or not the ball will be in the trees or not.

You will find yourself having a whole lot more fun out on the links with a good swing. It tends to let you avoid those afternoons of searching the high rough for the ball that you hooked, as well as the itchy legs that tend to accompany those days. As well as letting you have more of a chance in a real competition with your golf buddies.

By Lee L Campbell

It takes some practice and effort to actually achieve a consistent swing but it is something that anyone can do if they put their mind to it. For some great lessons on how to improve your golf swing and lower your score click here now.

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Subliminal Affirmations Are Powerful - But Can They Improve Your Golf Game?

The game of golf is 90% a mental game, so learning to dominate the inner game of golf is important. Many golfers struggle for years until they learn how to use mental golf techniques to their advantage. So don't spend any more money on the latest golf driver, golf training aid, or lessons until you know how to implement the mental game of golf.

So, what do subliminal messages have to do with golf, you may ask? Tiger Woods has used subliminal affirmations since the age of 13. Many other top PGA professionals also use powerful mental techniques - in fact, it is what separates the top 5% of golfers from the rest of us.

What is Subliminal Affirmations?

The way this technique works is that the (audio) messages go straight into your unconscious mind and bypass your conscious mind. The unconscious part of our mind controls our habits and behaviour.

Your mind is sometimes filled with negative garbage that tells you that you can't do this or that, and it is persistently putting you down. But, since the affirmations are subliminal, they sidestep your conscious mind and go straight into your unconscious mind, where there is no resistance.

Your brain will then pick up any messages that get through to it, and immediately use them to construct new thought patterns and behaviours. In the case of subliminal affirmations for golfers, the complex movements of the golf swing will become a natural habit, just like riding a bicycle. Once your unconscious mind is trained properly, your golf game will work on autopilot - so you don't have to think about it.

The Power of Subliminal Affirmations

Did you know that subliminal techniques were used in advertising? They were so powerful and effective that they have in fact now been banned. You have also probably seen subliminal programs that put you through a complete sleep cycle in only 20 minutes or others that you listen to before going to bed that make you sleep deeply all night long.

Other audio programs use subliminal messages to help you with business success, self confidence, relationship building, or love life. So, you can see that these are powerful techniques - but if you are reading this, you probably want to know more about how this can help you improve your golf game.

Amazing Golf Mind

There is in fact a program called Amazing Golf Mind that can indeed help you take your golf game to a higher level. By listening to this program for just 20 minutes, three to four times a week before going to bed, your golf game will improve and your score will drop - and all without practicing! Learning the mental game of golf techniques can be difficult, but with the Amazing Golf Mind audio program it is easy as falling off a bike!

By Mick Euan Tait

Mick Euan Tait is a golfer who writes about different golf techniques, including the mental game of golf. Visit his website to learn more about Subliminal Affirmations for golfers and to read a review of the Amazing Golf Mind audio program.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mick_Euan_Tait

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Golf Swing Tips - Learn How To Be More Consistent

Are you a golfer? Do the green grass, the challenge of the sport, the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts, the nineteenth hole and the other eighteen too, the sunshine, and the fun of it all beckon to you? Let's face it, there is nothing quite like a day on the links. There are no golf-haters, just people who haven't picked up a club yet. And whether you are a seasoned professional or a newbie, you will always be seeking a better swing. That is part of the fun; challenging yourself to get a better golf swing all the time is part of the allure of this amazing sport.

If you are like most of us, however, you have your good days and your bad ones. Your swing will be great on Tuesday evening's guy's night at the course, but when Saturday rolls around and it comes time for a couple's game, your swing seems as if it has curled up and died. What you need to do is learn to make a repeating swing and be more consistent so your game improves more and more as each day goes by, rather than getting better one day and back to the same-old same-old the next time.

If this circumstance sounds like yours (you know it does), there is a place you can turn to in order to get the best advice ever and really learn how to make a repeating swing and be more consistent in your swing. You can pick up the book Creating a Perfect, Consistent Golf Swing: Discover the Secret to Hitting a Golf Ball Perfectly Every time You Swing.

By Wesley Kennedy

If you are ready to go to the next level and be more consistent, visit http://TipsforPlayingGolf.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_Kennedy

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How to Create a Lag in a Golf Swing

Have you ever had the opportunity to go zooming around curves in a sports car with the top down on a beautiful spring day? You know that feeling you get as the car responds to your touch and you feel like the vehicle is really just an extension of yourself? You become the car and the car becomes you? Well, that is kind of similar to how a great lag in your golf swing feels.

Every golfer, even the most green one out there on the greens, knows that you need to be able to hit that tiny little ball straight and far. In fact, a great deal of energy is invested in straightening out the path of the ball, and having a successful lag in your golf swing is the way to get that ball to follow that narrow path.

If you want to know how to make a lag in your golf swing, here is the secret. Learn from the apes. One of the things that makes us very different from the apes (all animals really) is the fact that we have an opposable thumb. The thumb, along with the index finger, allows us to do all sorts of things that the apes have much more difficulty doing.

Unfortunately for us golfers, that opposable thumb also makes us lazy. We rely on it for everything. It dominates us if we are not careful. So, what does this have to do with how to make a lag in your golf swing? Simple. Don't use that thumb for a while. Pretend you have only your last three fingers on your right hand and hold the club with them and swing.

By Wesley Kennedy

Practicing this unusual grip will lessen your dependence on the thumb and make that golf club an extension of your body, just like that expensive sports car that hugs the curves so well. For more free tips for golf swing improvement, visit http://TipsforPlayingGolf.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_Kennedy

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Feel a Proper Golf Swing - Rhythm, Balance, Swing Plane, Core Strength and Power

Golf is a beautiful game because we never stop learning. While visiting several fellow golf professionals in Palm Springs to play and practice I immediately fell in love with a new tool called the Orange Whip. Working with over 40 students a week on their games I could not stop thinking about how many different swing faults I see. Common swing errors include: grip, coming over the top, casting, balance, rhythm, tempo, timing, swing plane and most of all developing more power (which all golfers want) through core strength and proper sequencing of the golf swing. Simplicity in golf instruction has always been a focus for me when sharing information. Rather than getting a dissertation of what to do the new tool immediately provided the feeling as to what to do.

When working with my students I explain it (audible), demonstrate it (visual) and get them to feel the difference (kinesthetic). The greatest improvement takes place when my clients understand why we are addressing the required change (creating trust and confidence in the change) because our bodies will not do anything properly until the mind can visualize it. We must be able to feel the correct motion and only then, almost instantly, drastic improvement takes place.

I feel this training tool is so revolutionary that I personally contacted the owner and developer so that my clients and students could order the tool at a discount. As a fellow student of the game I am always researching, experimenting, studying new swing theories, buying various training aids, furthering my own education and putting it to test with my own game in three arenas: practice, playing and the ultimate test tournament golf.

I love this game and am very particular which golf products I personally recommend. I believe in this one and have already seen an incredible change in my clients and my own feel. I would love to hear your feedback. I just wanted to share this with all fellow golfers.

Great Golfing,
Paul Holtby, PGA

By Paul Holtby

http://www.paulholtbygolf.com

805-208-5055

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Holtby

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Golf Tips For Beginners! 3 Powerful Tips!

These golf tips for beginners will help you out if your just getting started playing golf. Remember that any sport can have a learning curve so do not stress it if things do not go as planned as soon as you start playing.

I will go ahead and tell you that golf is one of the games that requires the most skill of them all. This is great because it gives you a chance to truely master and outshine your peers in the game! With that being said lets go ahead and go over 3 powerful golf tips for beginners that you need to know!

- The grip is important! Sure it might not seem to be important but it is! Hold the club and make sure the club head is lying down on the ground. When you close your first your club should be held with your first two fingers and palm.

- Your stance is also very important. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart. This is known as the square stance and is a great way to get started.

- Last your golf swing is really important for beginners! You didn't see that coming did you? Ok so you need to start the backswing with your back and shoulder muscles mainly. When you go back to swing you need to shift your weight to your right foot for balance. Once you have around 90% of your weight on your backfoot you should release.

Ok so I know these directions were a little vague and I advise you to check out my bio box below for a free guide. I hope this short little guide has helped you see the 3 powerful golf tips for beginners that you need to use!

By John J Thompson

Get A Free Golf Self Improvement Guide At My Site http://golfhelpslice.com And See How To Become A Great Golf Player Plus Learn Even More Golf Tips For Beginners which shows you a simple step by step way of bringing paradise to your backyard.

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The Nicklaus Neck

For a long time golfers mimicked the way that Jack Nicklaus held his head and neck during his swing. However, when he began to work with a physical therapist, it was discovered that he had very limited range of motion and his neck posture was a way of compensating for this.

One thing that should be considered when dealing with chronic tendinitis is to what degree neck stiffness and arthritic changes play a role. If tendinitis is a recurring problem in both arms or shoulders, there is a high likelihood that neck dysfunction is also a factor.

If the nerves that control the muscle of the neck and shoulder are compressed by tight muscles or vertebral dysfunction, then the muscles that these nerves control will fatigue quicker and not work as efficiently. This also increases the potential for muscle inflammation (myositis) and tendinitis.

Neck dysfunction, like tendinitis may be the result of cumulative trauma. Prolonged holding of poor postures while sitting at the computer, in front of the television or when driving will contribute to neck problems.

The resulting tightness and loss of motion in the neck create the need for compensatory postures elsewhere in the body.

As always, consult your physician before starting any exercise program. If you have shooting pains in your arms and/or pins and needles feelings in your hands or fingers, seek medical attention immediately.

If you were to take one of your fingers and pull it back while you read this post, you would probably find that by the end of your reading, your finger joint would be getting pretty sore. When I am talking to groups about posture, I usually have them do this while I speak and it isn't very long before they are releasing their finger and shaking their hand.

When we hang on the end of our ligaments for extended periods, a lot of changes begin to take place that result in joint and tissue damage if held there too long. When we sit for long periods in a slumped posture, we hang on the ligaments between our spinal vertebrate. Just like holding your finger back causes pain and discomfort, we set up the same scenario in our spine.

A slumped posture means that we have to extend our spine in the neck in order to hold our head level. This is a real problem for those who sit at a computer for a long time - especially for those who were bifocals.

So here is a simple exercise: Imagine your spine is suspended on a string, then try and straighten your spine along that string. This requires that you sit up tall and hold your head level while pushing your head back slightly over your shoulders. The neck motion is somewhat like a bird when it walks - first moving forward and then back. The trick is to hold your head level while you do this.

Without this freedom of motion, it will be very difficult to keep your eye on the ball during your back swing. That means that you will compensate usually by losing rotation in the spine and trying to make up for it in the arms and shoulders. This is very difficult to do consistently.

If this exercise causes any pain other than a stretch at the base of your skull or across your shoulders, then you need to stop and consult your physician.

Paul Callaway was the first director of physical therapy on the PGA tour. Some years ago, I completed one of his courses on body balance for performance and it began to open my eyes to the challenge of golf and why I like the game but stopped playing.

He points out that there are two main reasons for quitting and those are; 1. injury and 2. Frustration with the game. It is a hard game. His main emphasis that I took away from his course is that our bodies are the most important piece of equipment that we have.

He had become involved with the PGA through a mutual friend while he was working as an athletic trainer for professional athletes in other sports. He was not a golfer but he, like other physical therapists are movement specialists and could easily apply what he knew about body mechanics in other sports to the game of golf. His first PGA golf client was Jack Nicklaus.

As we took our coursework to the practical application of the driving range, (oh, I how I hate these kind of courses) he demonstrated how he applied golf specific exercises to achieve impressive consistency and accuracy with his shots. Impressive because he had learned to play golf later in life.

His five secrets to success are as follows:
1. A customized and sport-specific physical training program
2. Professional instruction in your chosen sport
3. Proper mental skills
4. Training equipment.
5. Talent to enjoy the sport

The blending of these is what allows us to play our best.
If you are reconsidering playing the game again, do it right this time by getting the right kind of help

Have a Great Game!

Steve McMurray

By Steve McMurray

http://www.ezgolfrx.com

If you love the game of golf but are frustrated by a seeming inability to swing consistently or have been sidelined by injuries, then you absolutely must sign up for the ezgolfrx insights and solutions monthly newsletter. With your subscription you will also be given a link to a years worth of free golf videos with no further obligation. You also have the option of receiving a daily blog in which I share insights on how the mechanics of the golf swing relates to your body.

The information that I share includes: What stretches you should never do before you play a round of golf. How to improve your "x" factor safely, Why back and shoulder pain are the most common injuries in golf; and much, much more. Your body is a fantastic piece of golf equipment that you must learn how to protect and use in order to enjoy the game of golf again!

Thanks for reading and... Have a Great Game!

Steve McMurray MPT

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How to Choose the Perfect Golf Ball For Your Game

Golf Balls come in an array of different dimple patterns, multiple layer constructions, and compressions. What does this refer to and how do you pick the perfect golf ball for your game?

Specifications of a golf ball

What a lot of people don't realize is that golf balls have no maximum size as well as minimum weight. Producing a golf ball that could be made to go so much further than a regular golf ball is possible through modifying its characteristics, size, and weight.

All officially authorized golf ball s are now made based on USGA specifications to make it fair for all those who play golf:

• The ball should be spherically proportion. It should be round.

• The total distance of the ball must not go beyond a particular distance when tried in particular conditions on official device.

• The ball's weight should not be more than 1.620 ounces.

• The ball's diameter should not be lower than 1.680 inches.

• The primary speed of the golf ball must not go over a particular limit, when quantified on official testing device.

So, what can be carried out in order to make the ball unique and give off well-defined results for your game, considering these standard specifications imposed on the ball?

1. The ball's compression

The hardness or compression a golf ball pertains to how simple it is to compress the ball on impact plus make the ball to gather speed off the club. A high compression rate is harder while the low rate of compression is softer.

In other words, if the ball is very soft, you will not be able to obtain as much launch velocity as that of a harder ball. A ball that is very hard will not sufficiently compress and will not launch at best possible speed.

2. The dimples

The ball's dimples are designed to produce drag while the ball is flying through the air. The drag makes aerodynamic lift while the golf ball spins. It also makes the ball stay longer in the air than a perfectly smooth ball would go. Makers of golf balls adjust the number of dimples and pattern to enhance the distance and route of the ball.

3. The ball's multi-layer composition

In the past, the wound core of the golf balls is made of elastic. These were quite soft and easy to manage with the spin that can easily be imparted on them. By the year 1966 the first ever hard one-piece golf ball was made. These were discovered to soar much further; however, they were harder to manage on shorter shots.

What was looked-for then was a mix of the two to achieve the distance of the hard one piece ball and the soft wound ball's feel. This is how the multi-layer ball were made.

A multi-layer golf ball has a soft surface layer to provide a good feel on shorter shots, and a hard core to produce distance and ball velocity. Golf balls now ranges from two to four piece balls.

By Sean Matthews

Sean Matthews has been playing golf for about 5 years. His current best score is 78. For more golf tips, visit his blog at http://www.seanmatthewsgolf.com Check it out today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Matthews

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