onlinegolftips's Blog

Guru Golfer 

"The man who can putt can play anybody." Tom Sayers

This shows the importance of putting to the game of golf.

Golfing success demands the composite of a great player and a great putter.

Putting on the green is an art in itself. Putting is an art to be cultivated and acquired through your own individuality or personality. These personal traits may include the power of your imagination, the finesse of your touch, and the accuracy of your judgment. Of course, all these qualities may seem too abstract to most golfers, but, after all, golf is an intellectual and mental game, isn't it?

A good putter requires excellence in accuracy and strength, and, above all, an abounding confidence to pull it through during the last few moments of the game.

The art of putting requires four basic elements in a putter.

First of all, a good putter must have the capability to assess the green. A good putter must have the vivid imagination and sharp eyesight requisite in a good survey of the green to predetermine the amount of break on side-hill putts, thereby instrumental in determining the "line" of the putt. A good putter must be able to analyze the unique characteristics of a green, such as the speed of the green - fast, hard, slow or soft, and to determine the contour of the green - sloping one way or the other. An acute awareness of the particular characteristics of the green may help you decide on the strategy before you even step on the first tee.

Second, a good putter must be able to gauge the distance consistently, especially on long putts. Your accurate judgment may help you strike a "specialized" stroke.

Third, a good putter must be able to control the stroke and the placement of the ball. A good putter must putt the ball consistently and confidently, such that the ball is put within an inch or two of the targeted spot. Such confidence is often reflected in the positive attitude, the targeted concentration, and relaxed mentality of the putter.

A good artist relies on his or her tools, and this is also true of a good putter, who needs to experiment different equipment before "feeling good" on one that will inspire confidence in delivering the perfect putt.

Fourth, a good putter must know how to choose his or her equipment. The art of choosing the right size of the equipment depends on the physique, height, and arm length of the individual; while the choice of the weight of the equipment is contingent on the individual's preference for power deliverance or delicacy of touch. A heavier equipment may give you more power at the expense of being more difficult to exercise control on a slick green. You must learn the art of arriving at a compromise between power and touch in your choice of your equipment, such that your equipment may become an asset, not a liability, in your putting.

Putting green is an art because there are no hard and fast rules regarding how one should deliver the perfect putt. Putting is an art because it is a reflection of the philosophy of the putter. As such, most golfers have come to believe that "putters are born, not made." No matter what, putting is an art that can be improved on simply by changing the way you think about putting.

Copyright (c) 2008 Stephen Lau

Guru Golfer 

There are many difficult decisions to make while choosing golf clubs and especially fairway woods. Many people just look at a fairway wood and say "this looks like a great club", "it's from a name brand or from a professional golfer series", and or that "it feels like I'll have a great shot with this club". However, this is not how to purchase a fairway wood.

There are actually many factors that you should have in mind while going out to buy one. The basic categories that you will have to determine are the club head size, the size of the shaft, the loft, weight and length. You will then be able to find the perfect fairway wood for your price range. The club head has three club head sizes: standard (150-155 cubic centimeters), midsize (195 cubic centimeters) and oversized (195 -250 cubic centimeters).

The smaller the club head the easier it is to control but it also has a smaller sweet spot. The club is made from either stainless steel or titanium. This is normally more esthetic but it may have an effect on your swing and price range so it should be kept in mind.

Stainless steel brings a heavier feel to the fairway woods but it is less expensive while titanium is lightweight and it is forgiving on bad swings. The next category to take into consideration is the shaft. The shaft also comes in two materials: stainless steel and graphite. Once again, stainless steel is the best option for people on a budget and they also offer more durability and control over the club. Graphite shafts are lighter and help to provide a swifter swing for speed and power.

However, there is less control, it is less durable, and much more expensive. The loft is the next important factor to have in mind. The loft is the measure of the angle of the head. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the angle of the loft, the more control you will have over the club, but less ball distance and vice versa with a smaller angle of loft. If you have a slow swing speed (or heavier club factors) you will need a loft angle of 10 to 12 degrees, while faster and lighter clubs need a loft angle of 8 to 10 degrees.

For those who need a faster swing like high handicapped players, it is advisable to purchase a lighter weight club for a swifter swing and longer ball distance. Those golfers who have a swift swing, normally choose heavier clubs so that they have more control over the club. The weight of the fairway club is the last step in fairway wood purchasing. There are 3 lengths: traditional (43-44 in), Mid length (45-46 in) and long (more than 46 in). The shorter the club, the more control you will have. If you are in the price range of $50 to $150 for purchasing a fairway wood, here are some examples of great fairway woods: The Inemeadow Excel Strong 3 wood (starts at $49), Tour Series BLOC Fairway Woods (Starting at $49), the Dynacraft Prophet Fairway Woods (starts at $69) and the GX920 Fairway Woods (starts at $59).

If you are a right-handed golfer, the right hip can contribute a ton of power in your golf swing. The right hip has several different roles in your golf swing and I will explain those in this golf improvement article. Golfers need to understand the physical actions (requirements) of different parts of your body to maximize your golf potential.

Lets break down the right hip in your golf swing from start to finish.

At address your right hip is in a flexed position. Early in the take-away you must turn into your right side (hip) with no lateral sway or straightening. Here's where golfers screw up. They are physically weak and tight in the hip area therefore they either laterally sway to the right on the take-away, or straighten the hip up pulling your out of your golf posture.

Either way, this can cause massive swing faults.

As you continue to turn into your backswing, your right hip should remain flexed and your right leg solid with no lateral movement. This takes a higher level of strength and flexibility in your hip area, which most golfers don't have.

Now on the downswing, the right hip can REALLY generate some hip power. In fact, if you have maintained your hip flexion and knee flexion in the right let all the way to the top, you are loaded to THRUST (rotate) your hips powerfully in the downswing.

On the other hand, if you are like most golfers with weak and tight muscles, your right hip is in a poor position and all you can do coming down is compensate for it and try to muscle your golf swing. The end result is a weak slice that goes no where.

Going into impact and beyond the right hip (along with the left as well) continues rotating powerfully to create more power through the ball on into the finish position.

There are specific stretches and exercises you can do to improve your right hip in your golf swing.

Do you want to discover the secret to creating more power and consistency in your golf swing.

Download Mike Pedersen's FREE golf ebook at http://www.performbettergolf.com/free-golf-ebook.html