Although I started playing golf many years ago, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that if I wanted to improve there were a few fundamental things I had to learn. I asked myself these questions:
Why do I always slice the ball?
Why can’t I get more distance from my drives?
Why do my fairway shots cause me grief?
Why does it take me three swings to get out of a bunker?
Why do 50% of my chip shots go over the green?
Why do my putts always fall short?
What I will attempt to do with a series of golf articles is to explain how I concurred each of these problems one at a time. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
It’s traits like staying cool when everyone else is losing their heads that make the difference from being a good player to becoming a great player.So many people are harder on themselves than they need to be. Constantly berating yourself is a recipe for disaster. The dialog that you hold with yourself is critical to your development as a player and as a person.
Self-talk can be encouraging or it can be detrimental, according to how you present it to yourself. Remember: Your mind doesn’t have a sense of humor. If you program it to do something and the message is negative, it will respond accordingly. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessons, The Mental Gamebyadmin
No Comments »
Once you have driven off the tee box, you will probably be faced with a second shot, hopefully from the fairway. Of course, we hope that you’ve been able to make it to the green, except for par 5 holes, that’s just not realistic for most golfers.The lie of the ball in a fairway shot will dictate how you hit your next shot. In some friendly games, your opponents may allow you to put the ball up on some grass. This will emulate, in a way, a tee since you cannot use a tee with a fairway shot. In tournaments or serious money games, you will probably have to play the ball as it lies, so it’s a good idea to know how to hit an effective fairway shot. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
Some think that driving the golf ball is a simple process, it really isn’t. Some seasoned golfers just look at driving the ball as a simple process. “Grip it and rip it” is a common phrase you can hear on many tee boxes. However, there are some things you can do to get more distance on your drives.First and foremost, you need to be relaxed when you begin addressing the ball. You must be loose before pulling back the club. Do not tighten up over the golf ball. It is important to waggle the club back and forth a few times in order to create some flow to start the golf swing. This action will promote proper rhythm and tempo.
To gain more distance, tee the ball higher. By teeing the ball higher, it will help achieve better launch angle and reduce backspin at impact. This will allow the ball to be hit on the up-swing - producing more carry and distance. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
Most amateur golfers don’t spend a lot of time working to improve their putting. They don’t see putting as an important part of the game. I guess it’s because of the big difference between swinging at a golf ball and putting a golf ball. It could be an ego thing, who knows!
If you’re wondering how to be the best putter in your foursome, it’s simple. You need to eliminate those 3 & 4 putt greens. Putting is so important because it can make up 40%-50% of your golf score. Putting is the final determining factor of your score on every hole and a missed putt is a mistake you cannot recover from. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessons, The Mental Gamebyadmin
No Comments »
A “bunker” is a hazard that is a hole or depression that has been filled in with sand. Bunkers vary greatly in size and shape and depth. They are most commonly found serving as greenside hazards, but also often show up in fairways and alongside fairways.
The official definition of “bunker” from the Rules of Golf is this: “A ‘bunker’ is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
Begin the swing and be relaxed when swinging. To practice a relaxed swing, take continuous swings back and forth without stopping. Be aware of any tension you might feel during these swings. Try to stay totally relaxed and loose as you swing back and forth. Don’t be in a hurry to start or finish the swing. When you get to the finish, allow your body to be lazy in returning the club to another backswing. Try not to jerk!
Notice whether your hands and forearms tense when initiating the first swing of the series. If they are tense, then repeatedly practice starting your swing with a light grip pressure so that no tension runs through to your forearms and to the rest of your body.
It’s good practice to mentally play a round in your mind where you control the ball and place it where you want it to go avoiding all the problems such as water, out of bounds, sand, etc. Try it sometime and let your imagination run wild.
Here is a mental exercise to see if you allow bad thoughts to enter your mind even in your pretend round. Bad habits die hard and the first place to attack them is in your conscious mind. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessons, The Mental Gamebyadmin
No Comments »
This is the part of golf that many golfers have the most trouble with. Because chipping requires a bit of finesse, it’s much easier to flub a shot or overshoot the hole. The good news is that there are some good techniques you can use when chipping the ball up onto the green. (more…)
Filed under:Golf, Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
A chip shot is one typically played from within a few yards of the putting surface. Usually played with a 6-, 7-, 8- or 9-iron or pitching wedge with the ball played back in the player’s stance. This particular blend of ball position and club results in a shot that is in the air about 1/3 of the time and then rolls about 2/3 of the time before landing near the cup. Chip shots are often confused with a pitch shot which is played further from the green and meant to have a higher flight path with the ball landing closer to the pin with minimal roll. (more…)
Filed under:Golf Lessonsbyadmin
No Comments »
BlinkList
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Spurl
Stumbleupon
Google
Bookmarks
Livejournal
Newsvine
