The Game of Golf

The Beginning

The origin of golf is open to debate as to being Chinese, Dutch or Scottish. However, modern golf is considered to be a Scottish invention, as the game was mentioned in two 15th century laws prohibiting the playing of the game of gowf. Every game of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. Lots of people think that golf is the most boring televised sport there is, but I think it's because they don't really understand everything that goes into it. The good news is golf is very popular.

The Game

Golf is one of the few ball games that does not use a fixed, standardised playing field or area; defined in the Rules of Golf as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules. Every game of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. The game is won by the party that wins more holes than the other. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead, and thereupon immediately wins by one hole. The 2 main formulas used in the game are stroke play (also known as brutto or medal) and match play. The Stroke play formula is an individual way of playing the game as you are competing against the par of the course. The match play formula is a game during which two players play against each other.

A players handicap determines the quality of their game, making a player with a lower handicap better than one with a higher handicap. However, in practice, motivated and ambitious high handicap players strive to lower their handicaps and thus the current official one they show on their cards might not be their real current level, which consequently might put them in a favourable position when playing 'net' formula games.

Summary

Golf is played professionally in many different countries. Golf is clearly a game that is accessible to all people (provided you can pay the green fees). Golf is a mind game more than anything else. Filled with inspirational stories about the great players, great courses and great tournaments, GOLF IS A GAME OF CONFIDENCE encourages golfers, no matter what their level, to reach new heights in their games and their lives. Golf is the world's most rewarding sport.

By: Joe Dostal , Posted On: 2007-08-14

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To learn more about other aspects of Golf please visit: www.golfingresourcesonline.com I would like to invite you to some of our other sites which I'm sure you will find interesting: www.selfimprovementsmadeeasy.com

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How To Correct My Golf Slice - Simple Fixes For Every Golfer

The golf slice is one of the average golfer's most common game play mistakes. In golf, there is probably nothing more frustrating as practicing your perfect golf swing and finding out that your ball is sliced more times than you hit straight. If you are one of these golfers who suffer from the annoying golf slice, we reckon you probably want it to be corrected as soon as you can. You may probably be asking 'How do I correct my Golf slice'?

To help you how to correct your golf slice, it is important to know that are the possible causes of it. In set up, there are a number of possible causes. This include bad grip or when the club is held so tight that tension is formed at the arms of the player, causing him to perform an outside to in swing. To correct a bad grip, try to loosen up your grip. Imagine you are grasping a little bird instead of a club – make your grip tight enough to keep the bird from escaping, but loose enough not to constrict it to death. However, having a week grip will cause you to have a clubface that is open. Solve this by turning both of your hands clockwise at the club.

Bad alignment is another cause of slice. The best thing to do is to align the shoulders and feet in such a way that they will be parallel to the imaginary line from the ball to the target. A faulty ball position is also a cause of golf slice. This can be remedied by not placing the ball quite far as this can make the shoulder to open and create a swing path that is outside-to-in. You can also move back the golf ball into your stance though still a little but forward from center. This is to make sure that the club is parallel to the line from the ball to the target. The clubface angle is another factor you should look into. Make sure that the clubface is lined up squarely with the line from the ball to the target.

Problems with the swing also cause golf slice. These problems include poor transfer of weight. You should transfer your weight to the front from the back foot. A good way to eliminate slice is by using the renowned 'down the fairway' drill by Gary Player: hit your drive and take a forward step on follow through. Another drill you can use is the so-called stepping drill which is basically exaggerating your weight transfer by raising your front leg when on the subsequent backswing and transferring your weight to your back foot.

By Tim Lee

For more tips to correct your golf slice, visit http://www.curegolfslice.net

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2 Tips To Improve Your Golf Swing In A Hurry!

So you want to improve your golf swing? It's one aspect of the game common with many golfers keen to attain a golf swing good enough to form the foundation of a consistent game.

The honest truth... most part time golfers won't do anything about improving their golf swing simply because they enjoy the outing and the social aspect of the game. But if you are reading this article, then you are certainly serious about picking up a tip or two to help develop some consistency in that swing.

Why is it so many players have difficulty maintaining a consistent swing? For new players, the ability to eliminate bad habits from their game is easy.

For more experienced golfers it's not so easy but it's doable. One tip I picked up early in my golfing career when I was having trouble with my back swing certainly transformed and helped me improve my golf swing.

In fact, this one tip not only helped me eliminate the unco-ordinated knees and falling shoulders during the process of the swing but helped me add a strong mental side to my game.

How To Improve Your Golf Swing

The back swing is a big problem area for many players and most of the time it can be corrected without too much fuss and effort. For some reason, the left knee is allowed to collapse on top of the right knee during the back swing process. The result:

- the shoulders tend to collapse and drop in the process and

- your hips will tend to go into a swaying motion

What's up with this? The result is always hit and miss. Sometimes you hit the ball flush and most times you don't. Two things you can try:

- when about to play the swing, just imagine your left knee is drawn towards the area you intend to hit the ball and

- if this is difficult to implement, grab your favorite soccer ball or basketball and place them between your knees during practice sessions.

The first tip was handy but it was the second tip which helped this author. It's amazing but after several practice sessions using a soccer ball, every time I played a round of golf for several months after it felt like that ball was always there during the swing process.

The effect can be dramatic and worth the effort if you are serious about wanting to improve your golf swing.

By Dean Caporella

Want to take your golf swing to the next level? Get these great tips and tricks guaranteed to improving your golf swingand eating up your handicap!

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Golf Clubs – Getting the Perfect Fit

When it comes to golfing, not any old golf club will do for you. You know this if you have ever been on the golf course having make up for a club that is too long or not long enough. Besides adversely affecting you game, using golf clubs that do not fit your body can cause aches and pains after using them for a while. And if you are concentrating on making up for the poor fit of your clubs, then you probably aren’t focused on playing your best gold game.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot of cash on custom-fit golf clubs, though. While custom golf clubs are one way to go, you can probably find what you are looking for at a good golf store. But there are some things think about.

Though the length of the club is important, it’s not all you need to consider. Professionals say that the size of the grip of your club should be comfortable in your hands. For this reason, clubs for younger players and women usually have a smaller grip.

If you decide that a set of custom-fit golf clubs is the way to go, there are some things to know. The aim is not just to make sure that the golf club reaches from your outstretched hand down to the ground, but also to make the most of your body and build as well. Getting a set of golf clubs custom fit is a process that takes some time.

A proper fitting session should occur both indoors and out. The best custom-fit golf clubs should be tailored so that the way swing is considered. This can become a costly endeavor.

Although many golf club manufacturers will charge a high fee for the fitting session, many offer this service on a complementary, if you buy a set of golf clubs from them. While custom clubs are more expensive than a general set purchased from a shop or elsewhere, the cost will be worth it when you see the immediate improvement in your golf game.

Think about the shots that you have been making since you started playing golf. If you’re taller or shorter than the average golfer, custom clubs can make all the difference.

You might be wondering how long it takes to get a set of custom golf clubs in your bag. Many manufacturers of custom golf clubs can offer delivery within a few days, or often no more than a few weeks.

There are few negative aspects of getting custom-fit golf clubs. If you want to buy them for someone as a gift, or resell them someday, custom clubs are probably not the way to go. More than likely, the golfer who is going to receive the custom clubs will be surprised enough to get the fitting session, and most who go to this expense and trouble don’t usually sell them.

Investing in custom-fit golf clubs is entirely up to you. If you want to perfect your swing and are planning to buy a new set of clubs, custom clubs might be the best investment you can make!

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By: Ken Snow , Posted On: 2006-04-05

To get more tips about playing golf visit www.discovergolfsecrets.info

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Synchronizing Your Arms And Body

Whatever your golf handicap is, you’ve probably experienced days when everything on the course seemed to fall into place. You’re golfing with a fun-loving foursome. You’re playing a great course on a great day. And you’re driving, chipping, and putting well. In fact, you’re doing everything well. It all seems so easy.

And, then, for no apparent reason, you lose it. You can’t do anything right. Your drives miss the fairways. Your approach shots fall way short. And your chip shots run by the hole and off the green. Good shots are far and few between. And when you finally hit a good shot, you shank the next, turning pars into double and triple bogeys. Everything feels confused, as if you’ve never hit a ball before.

One reason why we sometimes “lose it” is timing. In golf instruction timing means synchronizing your turning body and your swinging arms, resulting in a smooth release of the clubhead through impact and beyond. Timing helps generate control, accuracy, and distance. More importantly, it helps generate swing consistency, regardless of your golf handicap.

How do you know when your timing is right? When your timing is on, your swing is fluid and effortless. It feels like your hitting the ball on the sweet spot every time. And the ball is taking off. When your timing is off, your swing feels out of whack. You struggle to hit the ball, never mind generating distance or driving it straight. Your swing feels confused. In fact, everything feels confused.

Your confusion often begins with a loss of timing. In golf, loss of timing occurs when the upper parts of your arms separate from your rotating chest halfway through your back wing and follow-through. If you could see yourself in slow-motion, you’d see your left arm separate and lift from your chest in the backswing and your right arm separate and lift from your chest in the follow-through.

Recapturing your timing is essential to regaining that “everything is easy” feeling. It’s why we take golf lessons and read golf tips. The sensation you want to feel is that of the pressure being maintained between your upper arms and chest. The left arm should stretch diagonally across your chest on the backswing and the right arm in a similar position in the follow-through. This is called linkage. When it’s broken, timing strays and confusion reigns.

Another reason why we sometimes “lost it” is tempo. Tempo is the time it takes you to complete your full swing, from start to finish. When you’re playing well, you feel like your hitting the ball long, solid, and accurately. You find your tempo is pretty much the same on every full shot. But when your game is off, your tempo is off as well.

Generally, a player’s tempo reflects his personality. If you’re a fast moving, quick talking type of person, your swing will be fast and quick. If you’re a laid back, easy-going type of person, your swing will be unhurried, easy by nature.

When combined, timing and tempo help determine swing consistency. But neither is easy to develop. By working on both, you’ll develop the kind of swing even players with low golf handicaps will envy.

Here’s an exercise I use in my golf lessons to develop a player’s appreciation for his/her swing tempo:

Address a ball. Raise the clubhead off the ground slightly. Move it forward to a position a foot or so into the follow-through, and start swinging from there. Guide the clubhead back over the ball, complete your backswing, and swing through the ball all in one motion. Repeat this exercise a number of times. Eventually, you will start developing an appreciation of your swing tempo.

Here’s an exercise to develop your swing’s linkage:

This exercise is designed to train no more than a three quarter length swing.

1.Place a ball on the ground.

2.Take a 9-iron and assume a normal address position.

3.Next, place a head cover underneath each armpit,

4.Take three-quarter length swings with the 9-iron.

5.Repeat the exercise

You want to focus on making the swing without losing the head cover; this forces you, in turn, to concentrate on rotating your arms and swinging your body together. Synchronizing your arms and body maintains that all-important linkage between these key parts. Repeat the exercise until you feel comfortable.

Naturally, if you take a full-length swing, the head covers will fall out. So take only three-quarter length swings. Once you feel comfortable doing this, dispense with the head covers, but remember the feeling. Try to maintain it as you hit balls without the covers. Soon, you’ll feel your timing returning.

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By: Jack Moorehouse , Posted On: 2006-05-27

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately.

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Improve Your Golf Swing By Focusing On Your Finish Position

Watch the pros on Tour and notice how in-control they look at the finish position of the their golf swing. Why? Because they are!

They are in perfect balance. Even the pro who might look a little “crooked” at the end of the swing has a balanced swing. Vijay, who is slightly bent to the side at the finish position of his driver, is still in perfect balance.

How often do you think an amateur practices or even thinks about his or her finish position? Probably never. I would surmise that once contact has been made with the golf ball, most amateurs’ thoughts shift to the ball flight rather than where our body is finishing the swing.

Why is the finish position so important to a successful golf swing? And beyond that being in a balanced finishing position?

The finish position is directly related to two very important concepts involved in the golf swing. Number one is swing plane and clubhead is number two.

The swing plane is defined as the path on which the golf club should travel upon during the swing.

A quick review of the swing plane tells us that beginning with the address position, into the backswing, onto to the downswing, into impact, to follow through, and completing with the finish position, the golf club is intended to travel on a specific arch. This arch is a result of the biomechanics of the golf swing sequencing properly. In other words, everything working with the correct timing.

Think of the club traveling in a circle during the swing.

This imaginary circle is your swing plane and it dissects your back shoulder on the backswing and transition phases of the swing.

Returns to the same position as you started at impact with the ball, and dissects your front shoulder during the follow through into the finish position.

If the golfer maintains the clubhead on this path during the swing this is an indication that the mechanics of the swing are being performed properly.

What does a balanced finishing position have to do with the swing plane?

A balanced finishing position is yet another indicator that, number one, the golf club is following the correct swing plane, and number two, the golfer is performing the mechanics of the swing in the correct sequencing with proper timing.

Secondly, the finish position is directly related to what is referred to as “feeling” the clubhead.

Ask any Tour player they will tell you that they can “feel” the clubhead at any moment during the swing.

Completing the swing in a balanced finish position requires you to be “tension” free and feeling the club head through the entire swing.

Now the bigger question is, how does the amateur golfer get to a balance finish position?

Easier said than done. To develop “feel” in the swing, maintain the proper swing path, and develop a balanced finish position requires mastering three principles.

Principle number one is proper swing mechanics. In order to develop “feel” and correct swing path requires the golfer to develop the correct mechanics of the swing.

Not only do you need to learn the different fundamentals of the swing, you need to train yourself to put these fundamental in proper sequence.

Principle number two is the body. The body swings the club. Your body must have the flexibility, balance capabilities, strength, endurance, and power to perform the mechanics of the swing.

If the body is unable to take the club on the proper swing plane because of a lack of flexibility or lacks the power to develop clubhead speed. The ability to maintain a proper swing path, and finish in a balanced position will be compromised.

Principle number three is practice. In order to develop the proper swing plane, create “feel” for the club, master the mechanics of the swing, and develop a body to support the swing, you must practice the swing and train the body. Over time this will result in the development of components of a proper golf swing.

The amateur will often leave out one of the three principles. If the golfer does not practice, train the body, or develop swing mechanics, it is unlikely ou will keep the clubhead on the correct swing plane.

Bottom line, a balanced finish position is a very good indicator that particular swing was efficient. It also should tell you that your body is flexible, strong, and powerful.

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By: Sean Cochran , Posted On: 2005-11-14

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

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Are You Looking for a Free Golf Swing Lesson?

A free golf swing lesson seems a little too good to be true. But there are actually a variety of websites available that offer free videos to help you improve your swing. Golfing is a fun sport that people of all ages enjoy. Children as young as three and four years old are playing as well as older adults that are well into their 80's.

The Clubs

Having the right clubs can lead to a big improvement in your game. If you are playing with a club that is too small or too large, it will be difficult for you to get the correct angle on the ball. So the first step to being a golf sports star is to buy some clubs that fit you. You don't need to buy a set of PGA professional clubs or even some expensive name brand. Just look for a set of decent quality clubs to get you started.

The Swings

Golfers are constantly struggling on improving their swing. But it is difficult to see what needs improvement while you are swinging the golf club. A good way to take a look at your golf swing plane is to tape your swing and your stance.

You could have a friend tape you making a couple different types of shots. Then later you can go back and watch yourself and your swing. Usually you will be able to clearly see areas that you can improve. You might not be swinging a complete swing or maybe you tend to look up before you have hit the ball. The video camera is a great learning tool for beginning golfers as well as more advanced golfers.

Comparison

After you have watched your golf video, you can watch some free swing videos online. While watching the professional golf swings, you will probably notice even more areas that you would like to improve. Watching the professionals swing their clubs is a great way to see how you should be doing it.

You can write down the areas where you feel you can improve your golf swing. Then work on those noted areas the next couple times that you go golfing. When you feel like you have adjusted to the areas that you wanted to fix, then take the video camera out again.

When you video tape yourself this time, make sure and get all varieties of swings so you can see what your driving, chipping, and putting all look like. You may be surprised the first time you watch the video because you will see plenty of areas that will need improvement.

Don't let that get you down. Improving your golf game is an ongoing process that requires a lifetime of dedication. You will not be a professional after one afternoon of video watching or even one year of trying to improve your game. Golf is just one of those sports that takes a lot of time to develop your game. So enjoy yourself and play some golf, every time you play you will be working on a better game.

www.goimproveyourgolfswing.com/improve_your_golf_swing_resources.html

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Some Serious Help For Golfers

The golfing world is a funny world - many people on the sidelines watching, but a few actually playing. And among those who actually play the game, most would admit that their game leaves much to be desired.

Why is this so? Because improving your golf game requires time and a genuine commitment to making some changes in how you play your game. What I am trying to do here is outline a few things that you can do to help take your game to the next level.

First recommendation: Before you get caught up in the next golfing craze (i.e., "this is the best putter ever designed") concentrate on mastering the fundamentals. What are the fundamentals of the sport of golf? Simply these things: stance and posture, your backswing, your downswing, and your putting game. Get the fundamentals down pat before you focus on anything else.

In fact, you need to promise yourself to stay away from the pro shop altogether -- except to sign up for some lessons. Those lessons will help you where you need it most - when you are out on the course. You can't take a training video or DVD out there can you? So don't waste the money.

But if you DO get the itch to buy something, there is one thing that will do you a world of good: a training aid. These are devices that will strap around your hands, feet, legs -- and they will restrict and direct your body movements as you swing and put. Put one of them on and just start practicing. After a while you will forget that you have it on. And long after you have taken it off, your body will remember what you have taught it, and will respond the correct way. A good training aid can become your secret weapon.

Well, what's after that? I would recommend some further lessons at this stage. You need him/her to look you over carefully as you play the game, and tell you about things that you were already told about but have forgotten. In addition, your pro can give you some advanced lessons on distance putting, chip shots, playing in the rough, etc. After all, you weren't ready to learn about those things earlier - you just needed to learn how to hit the ball straight.

Golf equipment -- big bucks for little return. That's true in most cases -- especially for the beginner and intermediate golfer. So when you are just getting started you can simply rent a set of clubs for your first couple of times out. For your first purchase I would recommend you buy a set of USED clubs. You'll save yourself a ton of money -- and you can put the money you save into lessons with your pro.

And my final recommendation? Unless you are trying to go for the Masters or the U.S. Open, try -- please try -- to keep the game on a FUN level. When you are having fun you will be more apt to keep on playing, even on those days when your score is not what is should be. And consistently returning to play is the key to becoming a great golfer. Here's to your success!

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Author: Ken Blaylock offers commentary about Sports and Golf Tips Learn more about Biomechanics of the golf swing by visiting his website at www.golfers-style.com

This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

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Check Your Golf Backswing With This Simple Golf Drill

Often on the driving range I see golfers swinging and then stopping at the top of their backswing to see if the club is in the correct position or not. But this is a very hard and not very accurate way of telling if your top of the backswing position is correct or not.

So if you've struggled to tell whether your golf backswing is correct then today I'm going to give you a great exercise that will allow you to quickly tell if your golf backswing is too upright, too flat or just right.

To do this golf drill you simply have to swing back to the top of your backswing and stop and hold your backswing position for a couple of seconds.

Then from this position simply slowly loosen your grip and let the shaft fall down. And if the club hits you on the tip of your right shoulder that tells you that your golf backswing is in a good position. If the golf club misses your body when you do this then that is a sure sign that your backswing is too flat. And conversely if your club hits your head or neck that indicates that your swing is too upright.

Now if after doing this backswing exercise you find that your top of the backswing position is not where it should be then please don't do this:

Do not try to manipulate what is happening near the top of your backswing to get the club in a good position, because you must understand that the golf swing is a chain reaction. Let me explain that some more by looking at what happens when you impact the golf ball.

The impact position you get into when you swing is a result of the downswing position that you were in. The downswing position you get into when swinging is a result of how you transitioned from your backswing position to the downswing. The position you get into at the top of your backswing is simply the result of the position you were in half way into your backswing. Where the club is half way into your backswing is simply the result of how you took the club away. And finally, the way you took the club away is largely a result of your setup.

You see, you can't take one position in your golf swing in isolation and then try and fix that because the positions that you got into before that determined the future positions. Instead what you need to do is systematically work on getting each phase of the swing the best it can be, working from the setup, take away and on from there. If you do that you'll naturally and automatically get into a great top of the swing position.

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By: Nick Bayley , Posted On: 2007-08-17

Professional golfer Nick Bayley has found just one golf swing fault that could be stopping you from ball striking consistency and success. But now you can take a simple 2 minute golf swing test to see if you have this swing fault or not. Go here to take The Golf Swing Test now.

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Avoiding Golf Injuries - An Amateur Golfers Guide

To the uninitiated, Golf it is merely hitting a little white ball whilst going for a Sunday stroll in park like surrounding. For the golfing enthusiast Golf is a fascinating lifetime pursuit of physical and mental challenges, that little white ball merely representing a fine balance of knowledge, skill, physical ability and mental stamina and temerity.

This pursuit of excellence does not come without a price. And I am not referring to the countless dollars one can spend on golfing equipment, golf lessons, golf club membership and green fees. I am referring to the physical injuries sustained in attempting to get the body to perform in perfectly aligned movements in perfect balance, co-ordination and timing.

A golf swing is a total body movement, and any single point of weakness can not only result in a poor result, but in bodily injury.

Our body is not naturally designed for the explosive power of the golf swing. The torque built up in the backswing turn is unleashed with controlled fury to send that little white critter down the middle of the fairway at speeds exceeding most open road speed limits. With all the horsepower delivered by a car engine, none compares with the 0-5 second acceleration of a golf ball. No wonder the body of the typical golfer takes such a hammering.

And it’s not just amateur golfers who suffer. It is estimated that over 30% of the pro golfers playing at any one time are playing with injury.

So what are the most common injuries sustained by golfers [excepting existing medical conditions].

Back Pain - golfing back pain results from poor posture and muscle co-ordination during the golf swing. Poor flexibility and muscle strength can cause minor strains in the back that can easily escalate to severe injuries.

Knee Pain - Knee pain occurs from the strain placed on a week knee to stabilise the rotation of the hip axis at the beginning of the swing.

Tendonitis - tendonitis [inflamed tendons is more common at the start of golf season and in new players. There are a number of different locations of tendonitis common to golfers.

- Golfers Elbow - pain is felt on the INSIDE of the upper RIGHT forearm near the elbow

- Tennis Elbow - pain is located on the outside of the LEFT elbow in a right handed golfer. Strangely, tennis elbow is more common in golfers than golfers elbow. Both golfers elbow and tennis elbow can result from a single violent action such as hitting to boards/mat at the driving range or hard fairway surface. However, it more commonly results from repetitive stress from smaller shocks.

- Rotator Cuff - Pain may be felt in the shoulder or upper arm at various phases of the golf swing, or following play, often during the night and when extending arms overhead.

- DeQuervains Tendonitis - inflammation in the tendons that control the thumb, resulting in pain in the wrist near the base of the thumb. Pain typically occurs at the left wrist at the top of the backswing [for right handed golfers].

Shoulder Pain - in addition to rotator cuff tendonitis, shoulder pain may also signal a tear in the rotator cuff or arthritis in the joint resulting from joint and scapular instability.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - a repetitive stress disorder in the nerves of the hands, resulting in pain in the tendons where though to where they pass through the wrist to be inserted in the lower forearm. Typical symptoms include weakness, numbness and tingling of the fingers, particularly at night.
Trigger Finger - when the flexor tendon of the finger locks up, causing the finger position to mimic that of being 'on the trigger'. The condition is caused when the flexor tendon sheath, through which the finger tendons run, is inhibited.

Wrist Impaction Syndrome - another repetitive stress condition where the bones of the wrist bang into one another. Pain and tenderness on the top of the wrist [usually on the right side] at the top of the backswing is a common symptom.

ECU Tendon Subluxation - caused when the sheath holding the wrist tendon to the ulna begins sliding in and out of its groove. Painful clicking in the wrist near the knobbly bump at the end of the ulna bone.

Fracture Of The Hamate Bone - The hamate bone is a small bone on the pinky side of the wrist. Most golfers grip their clubs with the butt-end of the club right up against the hook of the hamate during the swing, leading to fracture of this tiny prominence. Pain and tenderness in left palm, numbness in ring and pinky fingers.

Sunburn - an injury commonly overlooked by the amateur golfer. Four hours in direct sunlight with the penetrating UVA rays passing through clothing and overpowering sunscreens after one hour, is a lifetime injury. And this is one no amount of physical fitness can prevent. Wear proper golf clothing, use a broad spectrum sun block and wear protective eyewear and a hat.

More details on Common Golf Injuries can be found on golfswingclub.com

Causes Of Golfing Injuries

Golf injuries generally result from a combination of poor posture, lack of muscle flexibility and co-ordination and incorrect equipment. All of these causes can be avoided with a golf specific fitness program started BEFORE you ever start playing golf and before every single game.

Golf is not an aerobic sport but the demands on the body are unique. The duration of the game can lead to fatigue, which in turn leads to poor posture and lack of co-ordination. Combined, this lays a perfect ground for injury.

Preventing Golf Injuries

Physical fitness helps prevent fatigue and ensures the body has sufficient strength and flexibility to withstand the demands of the game, for its full duration. The golfswingclub.com website provides a full range of exercises to prevent each of the above injuries. For instance, simple stretches and exercises can be helpful in controlling the symptoms of golfer's elbow. To prevent golfers and tennis elbow you need to build up your forearm muscles. This can be done using a hand grip or squeezing a tennis ball fro 5 minutes a day.

Wrist curls using a lightweight dumbbell are also effective. By strengthening the muscles and tendons involved with golfers' elbow, you can help prevent the problem from returning. More details on Preventing Golf Injuries on golfswingclub.com

To avoid playing with incorrect equipment, get your golf clubs fitted by a professional. Ladies, don't just grab your partners clubs and head for the course. The shaft flexibility of men's clubs is stiffer than a ladies set; and in most cases will not only give a poor result but tennis/golfers elbow as a bonus.If you buy second hand clubs, take them to the pro-shop for proper fitting.

In upcoming articles we will give you advice on how to get custom fitted for your golf clubs, and exercise drills to correct posture, build muscle flexibility and strength to prevent these common injuries.

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By: Nicola Carr , Posted On: 2007-08-19

Nicola Carr is a fitness and anti-aging Editor for Antiaging-wellness.com. She is also guest golf fitness and golf mechanicsadvisor on GolfSwingClub.com

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Increasing Clubhead Speed for Your Tee Shots

Increasing clubhead speed basically hinges upon two factors; factor number one is your swing mechanics and secondly is your body. The more efficient you become with your swing mechanics, the greater amount of energy you will be able to translate into the club head. And the more powerful the muscles of your body become the larger amount of power you will be able to create. It is the integration of these two components that will allow you to increase the clubhead speed of your tee shots.

Golf fitness training assists with the second category of these components, your body. Keep in mind it is the muscles of your body executing the mechanics of the golf swing. And when it comes to clubhead speed, if the muscles of your body are more powerful, they will be able output higher levels of clubhead speed within the confines of the golf swing.

Power, which is defined as the ability of your muscles to output the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time can be improved with a specific type of golf fitness training. This type of exercises will improve the ability of your muscles to develop force in a short amount of time through the movement patterns of the golf swing.

In order to achieve this outcome we must utilize power training exercises placing your body in the anatomical positions of the swing, and ones which are rotational in terms of movement. This will develop the power component of your muscles specifically to the requirements of the golf swing.

Power training exercises for the golf swing will again focus on the core area of your body. Recall from last weeks article, the core is a reference to an anatomical area of the body where the majority of movement occurs in relation to the golf swing.

Keep in mind as it relates to the body three major components are prevalent in tee shots: flexibility, strength, and power. All three must be developed within the body for optimal success when hitting your driver.

By Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

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