Friday, March 14, 2008

Practice Your Basic Golf Swing

By Ferror Parker

Today, if you step into a bookstore and look around, you will be surprised that there are lots of books and videos that will teach you how to play golf better, such as the correct body posture, golf equipment, etc. Now, if you seriously want to improve your golf swing, let me give in on a simple tip. Practice! Yup, that's it... Practice, and plenty and plenty of practice! It is most effective way to improve, and it cost you nothing at all.

Practice make perfect, that's right! There is no denying of that.

If you are a newbie in golf, fret not! You just need to have some guidance that show how do you carry out a perfect golf swing. From there onwards, you just have to practice on a consistent basis if you want to see improvement in your golf. For the rest of you that have been playing golf on a regular basis, you just need to remember to make the right adjustments to improve your golf swing during your game.

Even though I have emphasize that practicing is important, many newbies fell into the trap of playing "catch up" with the latest trend. They will just follow any new methods in an attempt to improve their golf swing when they actually possess the most basic and yet powerful skillset in golf. That is to how to hit a golf ball correctly. By deciding to practice and pay attention to how you are carrying out your golf swing, you will be able to see for yourself how small adjustments can have a great effect on how well you play.

Even professional golfers know this. One of the most key factors to improve their game is practice. The same apply to average golfers too. It will not make any sense to be trying system 'X' of improving your golf swing for this week, and next week you are already trying out system 'Y' that promise to allow you to improve your golf swing in a shorter time! Don't be caught with your pants down! Remember there are just that many ways to swing a golf club.

Therefore, next time if you got some useful instructions or feedback on your golf swing, tell yourself that only by practicing will you be able to see the improvement. Playing golf does not work just by reading a book or watching a video. You got to apply what you had read or watched. Although you might be felt uncomfortable initially, you will soon get over it and give yourself a pat in the back as you see for yourself how you have improved over the time with your determined dedication to consistently practice your golf swing. Congratulations!

By just improving my basic golf swing, I am able to lengthen your Drive and cut your handicap 7-12 strokes in two weeks.

Discover today how to improve your basic golf swing and other tips at this website.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Golf Swing Tip - Dress In Your Sunday Best to Stay Connected

By Kris G Ruiter

The fashion of golf has certainly evolved over the years hasn't it? I mean the suit jackets of the Bobby Jones era, the 1970's (say no more), and those terrible stiff collared shirts of the 80's. But now...we have Under Armour, Nike Dri-Fit, or Adidas Climacool, amongst a host of others that keep us dryer, cooler, and allow us to swing freer than ever before. Clothes are not fashion anymore...they are equipment.

This article is about turning the oldest golf clothing, or your best suit into reliable golf equipment. I am going to take your suit jacket and turn it into a training aid that will help you improve both your long game and your short game.

What is the number one complaint we have when we put on a suit?

  • It's too restrictive.
  • I can't move.

What is the number one thing you hear on TV and in golf magazines about a consistent golf swing?

  • You must stay connected.
  • Your arms must stay connected to your body.

Well what does that mean...stay connected? It basically means that your arms won't outrace your body. Another way to think about it is that we don't want to let air into our armpits. It is a very hard thing to feel unless you work on it in a drill. So the irony is that a restrictive suit will help your game by keeping you connected.

There are several different drills out there that will help get this feeling. However, I like to provide tips that you can work on from the comfort of your home or office. That way you can practice everyday, even if you don't have time to get to the range.

This drill is so simple because it is about getting a feeling for how your arms should stay with your body.

  • Put on your suit jacket.
  • Take your golf stance.
  • Make your back swing until you get to the set swing position. (Left arm parallel to the ground.) For a full lesson on the set swing please click here.
  • Make your downswing and stop when your right arm is parallel to the ground on your follow through.
  • Repeat as often as you like.

The reason this drill helps get the proper feeling is that we don't want our arms to stray away from our body. If they do they won't work together and it makes it much harder to have great timing. Great timing is very important for any player trying to have a consistent golf swing.
This also helps your short game because staying connected is very important when you are playing pitch shots. Your suit will not let your arms move away from your body, which makes it easier to for your arms and body to travel at the same speed. This makes a huge difference in the crispness of your pitches.

Thank you for taking the time to read this tip. If you would like to see this tip in picture format please click here.

Good luck with your practicing and playing. May you "Play Your Golf Dreams" sooner with the help of FREE-GOLF-LESSONS.COM.

All resources for this article are from http://www.free-golf-lessons.com Kris Ruiter is the editor of this website. All of the golf instruction is free and it covers all aspects of the game of golf.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Hit it Straight, Hit it Long, Do it Every Time in Your Golf Swing, Free Lesson For Power &Trajectory

By Paul Macleod

Everyone is looking for power in their golf swing. How far can you hit it? Can you reach the par fives in two shots? Is the 200 yard par three too much for you to hit?

There is much to be said for long and straight. I like straight better than long if I had to choose. But I do like long a lot, a real lot.

I am willing to bet that you do too. But there are some of you that have no idea how to tap into your power sources. OOOPs !

Did I say sources? As in more than one? Clickety, I guess I did. And for a very good reason. There are more than one sources for your power. You need to know them all to get the maximum out of your capabilities.

You know that I love angles. And you know that if you have no angles you have no power, no power, no distance.

You must create and maintain great angles in your golf swing in order to create power and to maintain trajectory for accuracy. Squaring the clubface at impact with lot's of clubhead speed gets you power and accuracy. Nothing else will.

Without great angles there will be manipulation of the hands and hence the clubface. A formula for frustration due to constant requirements to be in correction instead of commitment.

Ok, so once again here are the angles. The major one is the angle formed between the back of the right wrist and your right forearm.

Here is how you get it. Provided you have an excellent grip. If you are reading this, than you know what a good grip is. You may not do it, but you do know what it is. So unless you have the good grip that you know about, move along to another article. This one is not for you.

Now with the pad of your right hand, slightly push down on your left thumb. With a good grip this will tend to move your right wrist bent. And it is bent back toward your forearm, not cocked toward you.

Know the difference? If not, do this. Hold your right hand in front of you with your palm facing the target. Your thumb should be facing your chest.

Now bend your wrist back toward your forearm. See it? That is the correct angle for this portion of instruction.

Good, now re-grip the club and without moving a single thing except your right wrist. Push the right wrist bent toward the right forearm. Push with the fat part of your right hand, down on the thumb of the left hand.

You should now be able to see that your left hand has tended to turn down slightly to the ground and the back of your right hand is bent back toward your forearm as near to 90 degrees as you can comfortable. Most won't get to 90 degrees, that's ok. What's important is that you get the right wrist bent back correctly. Not cocked back toward you, bent back toward your forearm.

You have not moved another single muscle in your entire body at this point.

The shaft of the club should be almost to parallel to the ground and almost parallel to the target line.

And the clubface should not be open. It should be almost looking at the ground so that you can't see the actual clubface. Weird right?

Nothing else has moved. Very important. Nothing. This is a drill folks. This is a drill.

Here is a fun thingy. If you want to you can now take this position into a backswing and actually hit a ball quite well. Try it. It will take more than one try.

Just take the bent wrist back, without changing it's position, into your backswing.

Now a word about the position of the wrists in the backswing.

You need to pay very close attention the the left wrist so that it does not "cup" in the backswing. Cupped means that the left hand is "under" the club at the top of your backswing. When this happens the club face opens, and now "Houston we have a problem." And you will tend to loosen your grip which will cause you to re-grip on the way to the hit position. Bad Bad Bad!

You cannot have it both ways. Meaning, you cannot have a great right wrist angle and a cupped left wrist at the same time. Try it and you will see what I mean.

If you cup the left wrist you will now need to do something at impact to re-create the great angle and get the club face squared up again. This is not a good move to have to do. So don't!

Another discription of this angle is "lag" you may have heard of that word. It's the same thing basically. Except lag tends to happen dynamically. It's not a static move. It is harder to do and, frankly, does exactly the same thing as creating great angles and maintaining them through impact. Only the method here is much easier.

There are several other power sources, I will get to them in another article. You can get a free e-book explaining this first move in more detail. Click the link!

If you want to know if there are any real magic moves in the golf swing the answer is yes, there are four. You can learn the first one here for free and take it to the range for a spin, click here: http://www.ebooksbestbuy.com/golf

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Golf Training Equipment, To Master The Art

By Cassaundra Flores

A game that is played based on an individual's thinking power and physical strength does require some amount of training. If a person were to think that they dont need any training, they are likely to humiliate themselves on the course. Golf training equipments are created by companies to help people master the game, and to judge their own playing abilities. Be it swinging, or shooting the ball off the tee, judging the speed and distance, all these can be analyzed and studied using the equipments. Since golf is a solo game, it is necessary to learn the small details before stepping onto the course to try shooting a birdie or a hole in one. It is not as easy as it looks, and requires some amount of practice and training just like any other sport.

The training equipment is basically to help the player understand his own capabilities and strengths or weaknesses. How is the game played? Where do you have to give more pressure? How far will the ball travel? How fast is it likely to go?are some questions for which answers lie within the equipments. There are a few amateurs who think too much of themselves and dont care too much for the training tools, and are unable to maintain consistency in their game. A stroke of luck might be with them during their initial games, but as they grow with the game, they will require training to keep up with others. Competition is very high in this as well, since there are players from across the globe participating in the tournaments trying to get the best handicap.

There are a few tricks and tips that every players picks up from the training sessions, which is the bottom line why training is required in the first place. Using a speed meter will assess the speed of your shot, or maybe a half swing stand will help better the way you swing your club. For every movement there is an equipment that can be utilized, it all depends on the player and their passion for the game. As you play, you will zero in on where you need improvement, and the areas that need to be focussed on. Based on this study, you can pick out equipments that will help make it better. Be it Putting, or a general rowing machine, you will need to get your golf basics and physical fitness in shape before playing serious games. Golf training equipments are found in all golf clubs, and are a boon to players who cannot afford to spend a lot of money buying them, but are in dire need of some extra assistance. These can be made use of before or after a game, or to make practice shots. Have a target in a distance, and play towards it, making sure you have your concentration corrected. Similarly, you could try every aspect of the game on the training range till you are ready for the professional golf.

Article written by Cassaundra Flores, who is the owner of skyfireproducts.com. Where we sell a large selection of sports items such as golf training equipment, Personalized golf balls and golf tournament gifts.

Monday, March 10, 2008

A Golf School Will Sharpen Your Golf Game

By Jeffrey Veal

Attending a golf school is something the average golfer really doesn't think about. Getting golf lessons from one of the local pros at a nearby golf course is all they figure they need. Also, they feel they can learn just about anything pertaining to improving their golf game by watching television, especially The Golf Channel. To a lot of people, going to a golf school would be wasting money when they can get all the lessons they need from reading golf publications and watching instructional videos.

If you think that you would like to pursue a career playing golf, or would really like to significantly improve your game, then the cost of a good golf school can be justified. Golf school will teach you the correct way to chip and putt, along with the right way to swing a club and help you improve your short game. You'll get hands on instruction out on the golf course on the things you are doing right and most importantly the things you are doing wrong. A professional golf teacher will show you how to correct the wrong things you are doing.

You may play golf for leisure, but at the same time you don't want to humiliate yourself out on the golf course. As you know, playing golf can be costly. You spend a great deal of money on green fees and on golf equipment every year, so it would seem feasible to spend just a little more to have a game that is respectable. Golf schools can be found all over the United States. Just as with anything else, some are going to be more expensive than others. You'll have to find one near you that is in line with your golf budget.

A good reason for someone to go to golf school is they may need a good golf game for their occupation. Someone entering a corporate career is likely to have a boss who is an avid golfer. This applies to both men and women. It is just as important for a woman in a corporate position to have a decent golf game. You never know when you will be required to play a round of golf with a potential client. Having a good golf game could actually make the difference in acquiring that million dollar client.

The beginning golfer would benefit tremendously from attending a golf school. They would be introduced to the proper way to play golf, without all the bad habits that a lot of self taught players develop. Someone who has just started playing golf, who at this stage isn't very good, would see better results with a few good lessons from a golf school. Beginning players and even very young players can find the right golf school to help them reach their full potential as a golfer.

To learn more about golf schools or anything else golf related, feel free to visit http://www.Golf-Stuff.net

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Winning Golf Tips - Professional Advice To Improve All Aspects Of Your Game

By Dave Furnevall

Fundamentals

Stance

A consistent position helps develop a consistent swing. A square stance will encourage a square impact. Keep feet perfectly parallel to the target line. If you imagine standing on a train track your feet are against one rail the ball is next to the other. Develop a comfortable standing position with your feet directly below your shoulders with your toes slightly outward facing.

Position the ball 2-3 inches inside the left heel for most shots. If it is too far forward you will be more likely to slice.

Moving one foot slightly forward will enable either fade (outside to inside) or draw (inside to outside). Experiment with the shot direction on how much you move your foot.

Do's and Don'ts

Do always check the position of the ball using your clubs aligned on the ground.

Do take your time to settle into your stance and get relaxed.

Do be consistent with your stance.

Grip

A good grip is the foundation of your golf swing, enabling greater control and reducing your tendency to slice. A good grip helps keep the club-head square at impact and stops the shaft from rotating in your hands.

The most popular grip used by professional golfers is the Vardon grip.

Place your little finger on the lower hand on the club (right hand for a right-handed player - known as the trailing hand) and place it between the index and middle finger on the top hand (known as the lead hand). The thumb of the lead-hand should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand (the V). Look to get a relaxed and comfortable feel, a tight grip will hinder your swing. The V's formed by the index finger and thumbs on both hands point between the chin and right shoulder. Turning hands anti-clockwise on the club shaft produces a weak grip, promoting a left-to-right flight of the ball (slice). Turning hands clockwise produces a strong grip, promoting a right-to-left flight of the ball (hook).

Do's and Don'ts

Don't grip the club too tightly

Do keep the rubber grips on your club handles in good condition. Worn grips cause problems by forcing you to hold the club too tightly.

Do get a feel for the grip by practising frequently gripping and re-gripping the club regularly.

Alignment

When you are practicing, make sure your use you clubs as alignment. Lay one club on the ground parallel to the target line and another from toe to toe indicating the direction of your stance. To indicate the ball position, lay another club at 90deg's to the target line extending backward from the ball toward your feet. Now check it all. When you are happy with the alignment you can a club across your shoulders, hips and thighs to check everything is aligned parallel to the target!

Do's and Don'ts

Do check, check and check again, it will be invaluable to troubleshoot any problems.

Don't leave the club between your feet longer than necessary but feel free to leave one club on the ground parallel to the target line during practice sessions.

Swing Path

To get a straight shot you require an inside to square i.e. hitting the ball squarely swing-path. An inside to outside swing-path encourages a hook, outside to inside swing-path a slice. Imagine a line extending through the ball to the target, your goal is a swing-path that starts on the inside striking the ball while moving slightly to the outside.

Also you can direct the ball with the club face - straight 90deg to the ball

Clubface open (>90deg) to ball encourages a slice or fade

Clubface closed (<90deg) to ball encourages a hook

Do's and Don'ts

Do take some time and watch golfers practice. If you stand behind a practising golfer you can watch the variations in swing path and club face and see how it affects the shot, note the variations in swing path path and divot direction to see the shots produced..

Your pre shot routine

These tips may seem very time consuming at first but soon they will become second nature. When planning the shot ahead, look from behind the ball. Pick a target a few feet away (e.g. a leaf or divot) is easier and more accurate than aiming at 200 yards away. Stand about a foot behind where you will make your next shot and take a smooth practice swing or two focusing all your attention on the shot. Check the advice you have already learned above and build it into a routine, apply the thoughts and techniques in a particular order. Then and only then, take your final stance and start your shot. It is important to develop your own routine but make sure it is consistent for every shot, it enables the brain and muscles to develop memory.

Do's and Don'ts

Do practice your pre-shot routine on the range you can 'zone in' without too many distractions. It is more difficult to develop when playing with other people or on the course.

Fault Fixing

Do's and Don'ts

Do firstly identify the problem (whether it is slicing, hooking, lack of distance, etc).

Do verify the problem is there by asking another golfer to watch you take a few shots or video'ing yourself.

Don't ignore it, it bad habits can be difficult to shake off over time.

Do find the cause of the problem. Start with the fundamentals of grip, stance, balance, alignment, etc. Take some shots changing each fundamental one at a time.

Do plan your course of action.

Do practice it again and again, repetition will help you build confidence.

Do try to give it enough time to fix.

Don't be afraid of taking further advice.

Do look at the best golfer you are with and observe carefully. Check out for body position, stance, how high they lift the club and the motion used when they swing the club. Then apply it to your own game.

Golf swing

You really do need to have a handle on the fundamentals before you will be able to move to perfecting your swing. Although there is no such thing as a perfect swing, every golfer does it slightly differently. Once you have read the tips and advice, you need to put those techniques to work. Practice as often as you can until your you have found what works for you and best swing has become second nature. You can never practice too much!

Observation

Observe other players whether on the range, course or TV, you can always buy an instructional video. What are they doing that you are not?

Do's and Don'ts

Do speak to other players, they will usually be happy to share some tips with you.

Do video tape golf on tv and watch them in slow motion.

The Mirror

Practice your own swing in a mirror or video yourself so you can see the differences between what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing, you may be surprised!

Do's and Don'ts

Do check back on a regular basis to see if any bad habits have developed over time.

Head Position

Keep your head still and look straight at the ball. The position of your head should be straight in line with your spine, and your nose should be raised up a bit so that when you start to swing, your left shoulder fits under your chin. Don't tuck your head into your chest as you will not be able to perform a proper swing.

Do's and Don'ts

Do try to lean your body slightly forward to try to find the best place to keep your head so it doesn't impede your swing but you can see the ball clearly.

Relax

A very basic step but crucial to your swing and your game in general, easier said than done I know, especially when tee-ing off with an audience. However, relaxing your muscles will enable your body to perform exactly as it needs to perform a great golf swing. When you have lined up your shot and taken your stance, systematically think about relaxing every muscle group in turn from your feet, lower legs, upper legs, lower back... all the way to your head. Continue this flexibility through your swing and it will work wonders.

Do's and Don'ts

Do try on and off course techniques, consider cardio exercise, yoga or meditation.

Balance

Balance is very important through the whole duration of your swing, just like everything else it needs to be practiced. A good way to practice improving your balance is to get in the address position with your club (in stance with the club out in front behind the ball), relax your body and try holding it completely still for about 30 seconds (closing your eyes may help). Does it feel unbalanced like you have more weight on one foot or the other? Is one part of your body tighter or more tense than another? Adjust your balance accordingly so everything feels balanced.

Do's and Don'ts

Do try slow practice swings to see if you get off-balance at any point during the swing.

Wrist Strength

The wrists play several roles the wrists in your golf swing, but the two most important are:

Controlling throughout the swing and with the proper clubface alignment.

Adding extra power at the point of impact.

You need to resist temptation to tighten your grip, so your wrists need to be strong to control the club throughout your swing. A simple exercise to improve wrist strength:

ท Stand with a club at your side

ท Lift the club up to 90deg by keeping your arm by your side, only using your wrist.

ท You should feel the wrist and forearms taking the pressure, repeat 15-20 times as often as possible. Try longer clubs for more difficulty.

Do's and Don'ts

Do try other gym based exercises to maximise your wrist, arm and torso strength.

Try reducing your backswing

There is a tendency for inexperienced players to have too long a backswing. You may lose accuracy or balance by swinging too far. Try varying your backswing from very short to very long to see what suits you best. Twist your shoulders until you feel tight, this should be the place to start, don't rotate your hips to try to lift the club further. You can increase power by hinging your wrist up to 90deg to make them more flexible rather than keeping them locked. Keep it relaxed and you will notice the difference.

Do's and Don'ts

Do experiment with different combinations of backswing and wrist flex.

Slow it down!

If you swing your arms too fast, your body can't keep up, therefore you do not get the full power of your trunk and legs. You will also have difficulty keeping your club straight as it swings through impact.

Try this technique: hold the club at about waist height and swing the club, do it a few times and note how your body feels while doing it. As you swing, the club makes that sweet swishing sound, make a note of how it sounds. Now the challenge is to make the club swing faster, shift your body weight during the swing from the right leg to the left leg allowing your body to turn. By letting your arms swing freely you will notice the swishing sound is faster as you increase the speed of your body. Apply this now to your actual hitting swing, by increasing your trunk rotation but keeping your arms free.

Do's and Don'ts

Do keep trying this until the swing becomes second nature.

Don't think about putting power into the ball, this will only speed your arms up again. Just think about body rotation and shifting body weight your arms will follow your body through. The body is where the real power comes from.

Trying too hard - topping the ball

You really want to whack this next ball 100s of yards, but all you do is 'top' it and send it dribbling down the fairway. Why does this happen? It is usually one of two reasons. The first is down to poor stance (see above) because your body was not balanced when you assumed your stance position, leaning over too much. Your body instinctively tries to re-balance, raising up mid swing, your club comes down off the ground higher than you started, causing you to hit the top of the ball.

Another reason is because you set up with your arms extended, then bending your arms during the swing.

To stop this from happening, don't try so hard, stop trying to get too much power in the shot. Focus on getting the ball in the air rather than power. If you get every ball airborne, rather than on the ground, you will be consistently hitting shots correctly, this will give you more confidence.

Do's and Don'ts

Do try to get it up in the air before concentrating on extending the distance.

Do keep your arm extension the same throughout the swing.

Short Game and Putting Tips at http://winning-golf-tips.freehostia.com

Saturday, March 8, 2008

The Golf Grip - How This Simple Fundamental Of The Golf Swing Can Impact Your Game

By Michael Kosmala

One aspect of the golf game that is often overlooked by beginner-intermediate golfers is the golf grip. Mismanagement of grip tension, how loose or tight you grip the club, and hand position could throw off ones entire swing. Having an incorrect golf grip can significantly decrease a golfer's power and accuracy. And for the advanced golfer, it can hamper their ability to shape shots.

There are two basic types of grips that are universally accepted: interlocking and overlapping. The interlocking is where the golfer slides his left index finger between the ring and pinkie fingers of the right hand. The overlapping grip occurs when the golfer lays his left index finger on top of his right pinkie or on top of the notch between his pinkie and ring fingers.

These grips allow the hands to hold the club steady while cocking and rolling the wrists throughout the swing. The grip should begin about one finger width from the end of the club, or more, for shorter controlled shots. When the hands are together, the club should lie along the callous pad line of the hands and not in the palms. When the hands are closed around the club, the thumbs should be aligned straight down the club grip. Your forearms should form a V down toward the club. Although there is no hard fast rule as to how firmly the golfer should grip the club, the prevailing belief is that it should be loose, yet firm enough to keep it from moving in your hands. The swing will naturally cause the hands to strengthen the grip, so try to keep loose grip in your mind throughout the swing. Because there is no rulebook on the grip, it is just one of those aspects of the game that the golfer will have to experiment with, and adjust, through repetitive practice and play.

With practice, your grip should become something of a natural reflex; it should not play into any of your pre-shot routine swing thoughts. That said, a successful golfer will know when to self-police ones self to make sure that this fundamental aspect of golf is sound.

Michael Kosmala is not a golf professional but an average joe with a great love for golf. Take the next step to a lifetime of enjoyment of golf - http://www.yourgolffix.com/golf-secrets-revealed.html

Friday, March 7, 2008

Swing Easy

By Adam Hurley

When I get a golf club in my hand, I get that feeling of wanting to knock the cover off the ball. It feels good to put all of my strength into hitting the ball. Just hitting the ball as hard as I can does not mean that I play good golf though.

If you just need to relieve a little stress, then swinging with all your strength may accomplish your goals. However, if you want to play golf well, then you are going to have to hold back on the power a little.

One of the most frequent mistakes is to swing the golf club too hard. A hard swing shows that you have power, but accuracy is the name of the game in golf.

You need to relax when you are swinging. This will help you swing easily and will help to reduce your power. If you put your feet closer together, then you can further reduce the strength of your swing. Tensing up will also cause you to use too much effort.

Your center of gravity is also very important. Keep your center of gravity the same and your head will stay still. If you keep both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing, then your center of gravity will be stable.

If you jerk your body then your head will move and you will not be able to focus on the ball. This can also change your center of gravity. It is imperative that you keep your feet planted so that all your weight will be concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball.

Expending very little effort should be your goal. If you hit the ball correctly, then it will feel smooth and easy.

Don't tense up when you are about to make contact with the ball. If you tense up, your balance will be thrown off. You want the club head to travel in a straight line to make contact with the ball.

To help correct slicing, see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can send the ball. If you send the ball too high, it gets into the wind and can go left or right on rough ground.

You want to only use the amount of power that you are able to control. The goal of the game is not power, but accuracy. You want to be able to control every facet of your swing so that you hit the ball cleanly and it goes where you want it to go.

The distance will come from your clean and correct swing, not how much power that you put into it.

You want to try to gradually increase your speed during your swing until you connect with the ball solidly. If you do not have a smooth swing, then you are pulling your hands somewhere during the swing. Keep your head as still as you would if you had a glass of water balanced on top of it. This will help to improve your swing and help you to swing more smoothly and fluidly.

Swing at a decent enough speed to keep yourself from becoming tense and stiff. Don't swing too slowly or so hard that you feel the effort of the swing. Stay relaxed.

Try to keep the idea of power out of your head. Keeping your power under control so that you can be more accurate is what counts!

Adam Hurley has a passion for writing, travel, sport and photography. He has worked in Vietnam for nearly 8 years, check his blog at http://vietnamtravelnotes.com for useful travel advice on Vietnam!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Improving Your Golf Game

The golf swing is a skill that can be difficult and frustrating. There are so many affecting aspects. With practice and perseverance the golf swing can greatly improve your game. The golf swing can be broken down into 3 different components.

The first component is standing correctly. Feet need to be shoulder length apart. Right leg should be at a right angle with the body and lined up with the ball. Keep shoulders square, back straight, and knees flexed. Arms should be straight and relaxed... Grab the grip with your right hand. The left hand she be above the right hand. You need to hook the right little finger over the left index. When looking down at your left hand you should see the third knuckle. If you do not, this will cause a slice in your swing and the ball will go to the right.

The next component is the slicing of the ball. The mistake that is made is the swaying of the hips, either back and forth or front and back. It is important during the swing that the waist twist but the legs stay still. The only movement is the weight transferring from the right leg to the left leg. By practicing your swing and hitting the ball squarely you will see less slicing in the ball.

The last component is speed and distance. The heavier the golf club the further the ball will go. The follow through is very important. The golfer needs a complete up swing with and even hit on the ball. A full swing will cause the ball to go further. The louder the sound of the club swishing will greatly affect the speed of the ball...

For more exposure to golf skills visit my blog http://golfingtipscom.blogspot.com/