highcontent's Blog

You've got your golf clubs, your 18-pack of golf balls, your bag, your shoes, even one of those fancy little electronic caddies. You're as ready as Tiger Woods ever was when he stepped onto a golf course for the very first time. Maybe you're a little taller and older than he was, but you know you're just as ready. Suddenly, by the third hole, you're beginning to wonder how much you can get for all that "barely-used" equipment.

If you're having trouble with consistency and accuracy - putting the ball in the same general spot you intended, each time you hit it - then you might want to step off the course, grab a bucket of golf balls, and head for the driving range to get some practice in on your swing.

Since you're probably on your own, unless you decide to take a lesson, just learn this - the secret to improving your swing is to figure out where you might be going wrong and then practice to correct the problem. You want to make all of the major factors affecting your swing consistent, so that you can develop a repeatable swing. Once you've got that consistency, then you can fine-tune the little details. What's so nice about working to improve your swing is that you have such an easy test to see if it's working - is the ball landing in the general area you planned? If the answer is yes, it's working. Pretty simple!

Start by reviewing what you are doing now with your stance. If you could place a broom handle on the ground so that it just touched the toe of each shoe, the end heading off towards the green should point directly at the flag. Your shoulders and hips should be parallel to that line and should stay that way throughout your swing. Not keeping the whole body parallel to that imaginary line is probably the most common problem new golfers have with their stance.

Now, we're getting to the trickier parts of your golf swing - the moving parts. It's sometimes hard to tell exactly what you might be doing wrong from this point on, so it can help to slow your swing down and have a friend or golfing buddy stand in front of you to explain what they see. Compare that to what you know you should be doing, and take it from there.

The first movement you're going to look at is your back swing. Make sure you are using a smooth, even motion during your back swing - nothing jerky or aggressive. Remember, your swing won't get better just because you swing faster or harder, chances are, it will get worse! The most common mistake that novice golfers make on the back swing is to flick their wrists backward right away like they would when swinging a baseball bat. Don't! Let it be a natural motion instead. Watch any of the pros on the PGA tour - watch Woods, Mickelson, Sorenstam and Kim - most of them begin their wrist break just a little bit before the golf club reaches the horizontal position.

After looking at your back swing, take a peek at what's going on at the transition - the point at the top of your swing, just before you bring the golf club forward. Most novice golfers don't allow the club to actually stop for a fraction of a second, and it should. After that brief stop, bring the club back down in that same even, fluid motion you worked on for your back swing. Flicking your wrists forward fast and hard is, again, what we do with a baseball bat. And if you haven't noticed by now, that little white critter on the tee is a whole lot smaller than a baseball!

Now, you're at the actual point where you make contact with the ball. Don't try to power through the ball with your arm and shoulder muscles. You're probably tired of hearing me say this, but this, too, is how we are used to hitting a baseball. If you do it during your golf swing, though, it only weakens your swing and throws the club head out of alignment. Instead, using your whole torso and even your leg muscles will help correct it, as well as one other common problem novice golfers have - letting the club face close or open up. At the moment of contact, the front and back edges of the club head should perpendicular to that imaginary broom handle you laid out earlier.

Think you're done? Not yet! You still have your follow through to consider. The biggest mistake a beginning golfer makes is to slow down after they've hit the ball. To ensure a full swing, keep your club head near the ground for about six inches on the follow through. This helps you swing through the ball, not stab at it. Again, keep that smooth, even speed all the way until the club head is up behind your head - a full swing is just that; it makes a complete circle from start to finish. Remember, it doesn't matter whether you have a driver, an iron, or a wedge in your hands; the swing speed should remain the same throughout the entire swing for all of them, and a consistent swing speed will improve your accuracy noticeably!

As you can see, the most common problem most novice golfers have with their golf swing is that they try to hit the ball with the same general motion and muscles that they would use to swing a baseball bat. That's only natural, since a bat's probably the main thing most of us grew up swinging. But it's totally wrong too. Almost everything about a golf swing is different from swinging a bat, and the only way to get it right is practice, practice, practice!

Like Bob Hope once said, "If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf!"

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

Once you've kitted yourself out and bought all that shiny new golf equipment find yourself a good local public golf course and set about practicing your golf swing

article source: adzines.com

The best golf training aid is pretty basic.

But first let us answer a simple question so that we're all reading from the same page.

What makes the best golf training aid? In other words what qualifies it to be the best?

I believe that the fairest answer to that question is that it must be the sort of golf training aid that has the best impact on your golf game. It has to be the sort of equipment that produces the best results in terms of improvement in your golf game over the shortest period of time possible.

Having laid down the ground rules, or made them clear, let me add that there are a number of different training products that can qualify to be the best golf training aid. But for the purposes of this article, we will focus on only one.

One of the best golf training aids has to be a weighted club. A weighted club has several advantages that makes it so effective in helping many golfers improve their swing technique and thus their golf game.

To start a weighted club enables a golfer to accomplish or practice two different aspects of their golf swing at the same time. With the limited time most golfers seem to have, this has got to be the most favored plus point that this golf training aid that is contention of being the best has.

Firstly because of the additional weight, a golfer is able to exercise and condition the muscles they use for their golf swing. Secondly the weighted club also enables the golfer to work on their swing technique. Right from the set-up to the backswing and follow-through.

Considering what most trainers say is the most common mistake made by poor or bad golfers, the weighted club can go a long way in correcting it. Some experts in golf training say that the most common mistake made on the course is golfers trying to hit the ball as hard as possible. This not only causes tense muscles and the opposite in results, but it can also quite easily result in injury.

A weighted club will help condition and strengthen muscles so that the golf swing is executed in a more relaxed and yet extremely powerful manner, which is bound to produce the best results.

Despite the fact that there are so many different types of equipment, challenging the weighted club for the title of the best golf training aid is not easy.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new golf fitness site at Perform Better Golf.

article source: adzines.com

Generally, a set of clubs off the shelf isnt likely to be a perfect fit for you. Manufacturers create clubs for folks of average build whatever that is! Not only is everyone different in their physical make-up, but no two players swing exactly the same. So one golf club size definitely does not fit all.

If your clubs are too long or too short, you're likely to have problems. To find the right size clubs for you, try swinging with a few different lengths. Basically, you choose clubs that are about as long as the distance from your navel to the floor. You don't need to decide right awaylots of courses and driving ranges have sample clubs that you can practice with until you find the perfect fit!

You can rent different kinds of equipment, too. Before you invest in a set of expensive clubs, try a variety of types at your local golf course. Test the waters for a few months. See what feels best for your game.

Now, if after youve tried out several brands of clubs, and youre getting serious about the game, its a good idea to get custom fitted by a PGA professional at a golf range. Dont do this until youre able to consistently repeat a swing. Bottom line if you cant hit worth a nickel, you dont need to be fitted for clubs yet!

A golf pro can help you find which clubs are best for you. As previously stated, everyone has a different physique. Some clubs just arent going to feel right to you. This is no reflection on your game and certainly no reason to quit playing. By getting custom fitted for your clubs, you will likely hit the ball more consistently and accurately.

First, the fitter will have you hit a few balls. This is no time to try to impress. Just hit normally, and try to loosen up. Your swing speed will be recorded to determine the right flex of shaft.

Fitters will take into account the length of the club so that its comfortable for you. Theyll look at your hands to determine if you need special grip fitting. You may need longer or shorter clubs.

The angle of the club may be adjusted for you as well. When youre done with the fitting, specific recommendations will be made regarding

Length of club Size and design of clubhead Lie angle Shaft type Grip type Set make-up

Then you can make a wise decision on exactly what clubs to purchase. You will likely see an improvement in your game overall when you have the right equipment, tailor-fitted for you.

About the Author

Want to cut your handicap by 7-12 Strokes Guaranteed? You need the Golf Swing Secret Guide right now! http://www.profitstrand.com/golfslice.htm

article source: adzines.com

Play better golf. Isn't that what every golfer thinks about 24/7? Golf can be the most humbling game you will ever play?but we keep coming back for more. To play better golf consistently you need to look at the source.

Do you really think it's your equipment? How much money have you invested on new equipment only to see the same game show up on the course? No it's not your equipment.

How about lessons? I am a firm believer in swing mechanics to play better golf. If you don't have a clear understanding of them, you will never improve. But have you taken lessons only to get more frustrated with your game? What I mean is?you just took a lesson and you're excited to go play. You get to the course and can't "find your swing". You're thinking of too many tips and become locked up on the course.

So what's left?

One guess? You're looking right at it. YOU!

In order to play better golf your body has to have a reasonable level of strength, flexibility, endurance and ENERGY! You can't get this hitting more balls; taking more lessons; or buying more equipment.

You attain this "off the course" through exercise. I know what you're thinking?ugh.

No?wait?it doesn't have to be that way.

You don't need to get a gym membership. You don't have to spend hours a day. You don't have to kill yourself. You just have to devise a plan that is efficient and tailored to YOUR needs.

If you really want to play better golf?this is the only way to achieve it quickly.

How many times have you walked off the course in disgust? You know you can do better, but your body just won't do what your brain wants it to do. I hear this all the time. In fact, I've received hundreds of emails saying just that.

My answer is the same every time!

To play better golf you've got to improve your range of motion specific to golf, as well as your strength for all phases of the golf swing.

The most important aspect for improving distance is rotational strength and flexibility. The ability to rotate back to a full 90 degree shoulder turn; store up all that energy in your core; and then unleash it during the downswing?crushing that ball.

Now that's a fun game when that happens.

So focus on improving your range of motion and strength from a rotational standpoint. That doesn't take a gym or fancy equipment. All it takes is simple equipment like dumbbells (hand weights), an exercise ball and exercise tubing.

With this equipment you can literally break down the swing into multiple phases and do golf exercises for each phase. You won't find many of these exercises in the "so-called" golf fitness books in the store. All you'll see is the golfer "sitting" in a machine in a gym.

That's not fitness for golf; that's "general fitness" Not altogether a bad thing, but won't help your game at all.

I hope I've given you food for thought.

The ultimate goal is to "play better golf!"

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Mike has just released his Ultimate Golf Fitness Dvd's at his golf fitness site - Perform Better Golf.

article source: adzines.com

Sir Issac Newton was one of the world's most influential thinkers. He tackled what most people would consider to be complicated topics. But most things when explained in layman's terms become a slot simpler.

For example one of Sir Issac Newton's Laws of Physics states, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'. In simpler terms, if you run at a brick wall at full speed, what do you think the equal and opposite reaction will be?

In golf we can apply this theory very easily in regards to your golf swing. If you are having difficulty in getting the ball in the air, or you hit "worm burners", or low shots you may be using his theory backwards without knowing it.

What some people may think about how to get a golf ball off the ground, by swinging up on the ball, or trying to lift it off the ground, actually produces the opposite result desired. Remember the law, an equal and opposite reaction. Swinging up produces an opposite reaction, a downward reaction of the ball. In contrast, swinging down on a ball, or hitting the ball on the downswing, produces the opposite reaction, the upward reaction of the ball.

The other factor that comes into play here is the golf club. The clubs are designed to achieve a degree of lift according to the loft of the club. The loft on a four iron is less than the loft of a nine iron. The four iron will get the ball in the air enough to allow it to go longer where the nine iron will get the ball a lot higher for closer shots you want to land softer.

Read more articles by this author, about this and other subjects, here.

About The Author

Bob Power has been an Internet entrepreneur for longer than he would like to remember. He is currently on a voyage of learning, thanks to his readers, who have asked him to answer questions about topics they want more information on. You can see some of the surprising, and at times exciting results, and variety of topics and paths this has taken him on, or to contact Bob Power please click here.

These articles may be reproduced exactly as shown above. No revisions or changes are permitted.

article source: adzines.com