golf information

How To Handle Windy Conditions When Playing Golf

2008-04-05T10:50:00.005-07:00

First of all…how does the average amateur handle windy conditions? Most swing harder and faster, but unfortunately that is the last thing you should be doing. Harder and faster swings lead to more mistakes, which are then compounded by the windy conditions. What you think would work, is often the opposite of what actually does work!

The very first thing you should do when playing in the wind is to throw up grass to see which way the wind is blowing where you are. Next, have a look at the trees around where your ball is going to be going to see what way the wind is blowing there. If there are no trees in that area, look at the flag. Lastly use your ears to hear the wind and this will help you to tell how strong it is. Once you've assessed the situation you should then follow the pointers below.

Into the Wind:

When playing into the wind you should take one, two or even three clubs more than usual and swing normally. Also grip down on the grip so your swing will be automatically shorter. Because the shorter your swing the lower the ball will go (generally).

Plus to help you keep the ball lower you should play the ball further back in your stance. And over all shots into a wind, widen your stance because this helps to create better balance and it also lowers your center of gravity, which can only help.

Side Winds:

You have two options in this situation. You can play your natural ball flight and either ride or fight the wind or you can purposely curve the ball to either go with the wind or go into it. There is no right or wrongs here so you must see what works best for you.

With the Wind:

In these situations you should use the wind and get the ball up as soon as possible. If you don't hit your driver particularly high then use a 3 or 5 wood instead. Let the loft of your club get your ball up in the air but by all means tee the ball higher. Lastly, have fun with these shots and see how far you can hit it.

One last point. Remember everyone finds it more difficult in the wind so don't beat yourself up if a few shots, or even more than a few, go astray because the same thing is going to happen to everyone else. Expect the scores to be higher and go out on the day with a positive attitude. One of fun and experimentation. Good luck!

Golf Stretches For Use After A Game Of Golf

2008-04-05T10:50:00.003-07:00

Following are stretches which can be used after a game of golf to help prevent getting sore and to also improve flexibility. Remember to hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds if you want to see a fast improvement in your flexibility. And if it hurts "Stop!"

Note: Read all instructions carefully before attempting any of these exercises & breath through your nose for all of the stretches.

1. KERB STRETCH

An effective way to stretch your calf muscles is to use a piece of wood or a step. Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of the step and let your heels drop towards the floor, feeling the stretch in the calf and breathing easily through your nose. I find it best to perform this exercise with both feet at the same time, but you can do it with one leg at a time if you prefer.

2. STANDING QUADRICEPS STRETCH

Stand behind a chair. Hold on to the back of a chair with your left hand for support and raise your lower right leg. Now reach behind yourself with your right arm and get hold of your raised right leg. Next gently ease your right foot towards your buttocks. You will feel the stretch along the front of the thigh. Repeat on the other side breathing easily through your nose.

And I must say I had difficulty at first performing this exercise and if you do to I suggest you initially begin the exercise with the knee of the supporting leg flexed slightly. Once you are stretching you can then gradually try to straighten your support leg to increase the stretch. It is important to keep good posture all throughout this stretch.

3. LYING HAMSTRING STRETCH

Lie on your back for this exercise. Now flex your knees on about a 90 angle. Get hold of your left leg behind the thigh with both hands and straighten your right leg so it is resting on the floor. Now pull your left leg towards your chest trying to get it as close as possible. You will feel the stretch along the back of the flexed thigh. Repeat with the other leg.

4. STANDING HAMSTRING STRETCH

Stand up for this exercise. Now flex your knees and bend from your hips until you can easily rest your chest on your thighs. Now reach your arms around your legs and give them a hug. From this position, try to straighten your legs as much as possible, while still keeping your chest firmly pressed against your thighs.

You will soon feel the stretch along the backs of your thighs. Let go of this stretch by slowly flexing your knees. Remember to breathe through your nose when completing this, and not only this exercise, but all the others as well.

5. STANDING HIP AND THIGH STRETCH

Stand in front of a chair or stool. Raise one of your feet up onto the chair or stool, and then ease your body towards this foot so that your chest and thigh come closer together. Keep your spine and back leg straight and try to keep your shoulders down away from your ears. Move as far forward as possible and then hold this position.

You will feel the stretch along the front of the thigh of the extended leg, and along the back of the thigh of the raised leg. Repeat on the other side and remember to breathe!

6. LYING GROIN STRETCH

Lie flat on the floor. East your legs up towards your body and place the soles of your feet together and let your knees ease out sideways. You will feel the stretch along the insides of your thighs and groin.

7. SEATED GROIN STRETCH

Sit for this exercise and ease your legs up towards your body and place the soles of your feet together. Now let your knees fall out and down towards the floor. You can place your hands on your knees to increase your stretch or you can use them to keep yourself stable while doing this exercise.

8. SIDEWAYS NECK STRETCH

You can stand or sit to do this exercise. Also ensure you keep your shoulders down away from your ears when doing this exercise. Tilt your head to one side trying to place your ear on your shoulder. Repeat on the other side. You can increase this stretch by gently using a hand to increase the weight on your neck. But be careful do not pull your head, you could cause injuries to yourself.

9. UPPER BACK STRETCH

You can choose to sit or stand for this exercise. Interlock your fingers and push your hands as far away from your chest as possible so your palms are facing away from you. Tilt your head down and look at the ground. And make sure your upper back is straight and as relaxed as possible doing this stretch. You will feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.

10. CHEST STRETCH

Once again you can do this stretch while seated or standing. Place your hands behind you and place them on your lower back. Now squeeze your elbows towards each other while keeping your spine straight. You will feel the stretch in the front of the chest.

11. FRONT SHOULDER STRETCH

As with the previous exercise you can do this one sitting or standing. I prefer to do them standing. Place your hands behind you and interlock your fingers, then straighten your arms and try to lift them upwards and backwards as far as possible. Try to keep your back straight and long, with your shoulders down away from your ears. You will feel the stretch in the front of the chest.

Advances In Iron Design Cut Strokes

2008-04-05T10:50:00.001-07:00

Design advances in woods have everybody talking. From larger clubheads to the use of exotic materials, today's woods are not only designed better, they're also manufactured better. Add to these changes the advances made in shaft technology, and you have well-crafted metal woods engineered specifically to help you chop strokes off your golf handicap.

But advances in iron design are helping players as well. Golfers don't talk as much about these advances as they do about those in woods, but they're just as significant for improving your game. Iron advances, like those made in woods, help you hit the ball longer and straighter, and shave strokes from your golf handicap. Let's take a closer look as some of these design advances.

Perimeter Weighting and Investment Casting
The revolution began forty years ago when Karsten Solheim turned traditional iron design on its head by introducing the concepts of perimeter weighting and investment cast manufacturing. Since then the advances have continued apace.

Perimeter weighting (PW) creates a large sweet spot on the club. PW repositions the weight of the clubhead around the perimeter of the clubface instead of at its center. If a player always hit the ball dead center, he or she would want a small sweet spot and no perimeter weighting. That way the club would have as much physical mass directly behind the impact point as possible. However, if the player is off even a millimeter, his or her shot goes astray. By perimeter weighting golf clubs, manufacturers' create maximum forgiveness in the club.

Investment casting is another key advancement in iron production. Many manufacturers produce irons by pouring molten metal in a pre-shaped cast. Cast irons provide the user with less feel, but are less difficult to hit consistently, and are therefore better suite for players with high golf handicaps. Forged irons have a softer feel and are less forgiving to a user, but they cause the ball to turn more off line when mis-hit.

Thinner Designs
Solheim's advances were followed by the introduction of new materials, like scandium alloys, and of improved manufacturing techniques, like computer-milled faces, in iron design. These advances also took iron design and construction in new directions.

Club engineers were gaining a better understanding of how each characteristic of a clubhead, like moment of inertia (MOI) and center of gravity), impacts club performance, and were beginning to take advantage of this knowledge. Today's clubfaces, for example, are thinner than their predecessors. Thin design frees up more mass that designers can redistribute to lower the center of gravity (COG) or improve moment of inertia (MOI).

Re-positioning the COG, as I've explained in my golf tips, creates a more forgiving iron, with a larger sweet spot along the blade. Thus, a mis-hit with an iron whose COG has been re-distributed is more likely to stay on target than a similar shot with an iron whose COG has not been redistributed. Why? Because a redistributed iron twists less in a player's hand when the ball is mis-hit. The ball is also likely to travel farther on a mis-hit as well.

MOI is a property of physics that indicates the relative difference in how easy or difficult it will be to set any object in motion about a defined axis of rotation. The higher the MOI of an object, the more force will have to be applied to set that object in a rotational motion. Conversely, the lower the MOI, the less force needed to make the object rotate about an axis.

Shaft Lean and Swingweight
Shaft lean is another new design concept that has found its way into club design. Shaft lean is the angle at which the club must be delivered to the ball at impact to create optimal pressure. Keep in mind that a ball compresses when hit, which causes it to spring off the face at maximum velocity, which leads to maximum distance. A forward-leaning shaft at impact, particularly when hitting the short- and mid irons is critical to solid ball striking.

Swing weight is also a key iron design feature that affects performance. In non-technical terms, swingweight is a measure of how the weight of the club feels when it's swung. Why is it important? If your clubs do not match in swingweight, they may not all feel the same to you during your swing. That slight change in feel could affect your performance with those clubs.

Philosophy and Intent Remain Key
The introduction of concepts in club design, like swingweight and perimeter weighting, is not new in itself. Club manufacturers have always sought new ways to improve an iron's performance. What's new is their approach. They are now trying to think of ways to improve one area of the club while keeping the other areas consistent.

What's this mean for you? It means that you must decide which design ideas are worthwhile and which are just marketing hype. Next time you buy irons, don't just buy something that's on sale. Study the philosophy behind the model's design and construction and what the manufacturer is trying to achieve with the club. If you do that, you'll get your money's worth and you'll get a set of irons that will help you lower your golf handicap.

Golf Exercise To Last Your Golf Rounds

2008-04-05T10:49:00.003-07:00

Running is a great way to strengthen your legs for golf. But walking is better on your body. Personally I used to hate running and thought it was bad for the joints. So I avoided it. Then their came a time in my life when I wanted to go for a job that required a fitness element. So I had to start running.

At first I found it very hard because after every run I would feel sore and tired. But then I discovered a safe, enjoyable way to run. I found out that I was working far too hard for my body. There is an Optimum training heart rate for everyone, and it is about 50 % of your maximum. When I started training at 50% of my maximum I felt great after my runs and my fitness improved dramatically along with my golf game.

As a consequence I now love going for a run. Here is how I made the turn around from being a reluctant runner to someone who want's to go for a run. This information is equally important if you decide to do walking instead of running.

The first thing you need to do is to work out your optimum training heart rate (OTHR). To do this, use the following formula...

220-AGE + Resting Heart Rate  2.

Get your resting heart rate as soon as you wake up. To get your pulse you can either get a heart monitor wristwatch, that will take your pulse for you, or you can get it off your body manually. And the best place to find your pulse on your wrist is on the thumb side, just below your wrist joint.

To get your resting pulse from your wrist, count it for 6 seconds, then multiply it by 10. E.g. if your resting rate is 6 beats in 6 seconds, then you have a resting heart rate of 60 BPM. Taking a pulse manually when you are exercising can be a hassle, because you have to stop to take your pulse all the time, so it is worth the investment to get a heart monitor wrist watch.

Example: My OTHR = 220 - 30 + 60  2 = 125

Sample Running/Walking Workout (can be used for any aerobic exercise)

Warm-Up - 5 to 10 mins of warm-up stretching exercisers combined with deep breathing through the nose.

Relaxed Start - Begin running/walking. For 5 to 10 mins run/walk very slowly while breathing deeply though the nose and out your mouth. Keep the heart rate about 20 BPM below your optimum training rate (OTHR).

Awareness Phase - Begin to run/walk faster and be aware of your nose breathing. It should be comfortable and rhythmic. If you have to breathe through your mouth at any point, then slow down and regain your rhythmic nose breathing. Keep the pace at or below the OTHR. Keep this pace for as long as possible but you should try to do over 10 mins initially and then work up to as long as you want.

Relaxed Finish - 5 to 10 mins, running/walking very slowly while breathing deeply though the nose. Keep the heart rate about 20 BPM below your optimum training heart rate (OTHR).

Warm-Down - 5 to 10 mins of warm-up stretches to warm down (Very Important!) While stretching remember to use your deep breathing through the nose.

Trust me, if you follow this formula you will enjoy running or walking, and more importantly you won't be sore afterwards.

If you are a fanatical runner then a good sensible place to do it is at the Golf course where it normally is nice and soft, and you can also plan your games, get a different view of the course, and of course you know how far you are running. You can have breaks around the course and do some leg-strengthening exercises and other stretches.

Being physically fit is one of the best things you can do for yourself and you will never feel better, and your golf game will improve the fitter you get.

Using Sound to Improve Your Swing

2008-04-05T10:49:00.001-07:00

If I asked students who take my golf lessons how critical good rhythm is to a good swing, most would agree that it's important, but not the most important factor. Many weekend golfers would probably agree with this assessment. But a new device developed by a professor at Yale reveals that good rhythm is more important to chopping strokes off your golf handicap than many think.

Bob Grober, a professor of applied physics at Yale University-and a one-handicapper- recently invented a device for translating the rhythm of a swing into sound. Here's how it works: A small wireless transmitter inserted into the butt end of a club detects the club's movement. The signal produced is transmitted to an iPod-sized unit attached to the player's waist. The auditory signal is relayed to a set of lightweight headphones and the sound manifests itself as a pleasing organ-like tone when the player swings.

If your clubhead is decelerating through impact, your transition from backswing to downswing is too abrupt, or your mechanics are way out of sync, Grober's device tells you through sound. The faster the club travels, the louder the volume and the pitch. The idea is to make the loudest sound at impact, not before. Grober's device also registers how fast the club is moving on the downswing, and gives you a start-to-finish speed profile. It's a handy tool for serious golfers.

Swing Profiles
Using this device, Grober was able to isolate three distinct speed profiles among golfers.
Golfers with high golf handicaps (20+) are cursed with lousy rhythm. They're like dancers who have two left feet, always tripping over themselves. Golfers with golf handicaps from 20 to 5-intermediate golfers- tend to complete their swings too quickly. The loudest sound comes just before impact.

Then there are golfers with golf handicaps below 5. Let's call them tour players. They also tend to rush their swings but to a much lesser degree than intermediate golfers. Like the intermediate golfers, these players create the loudest sounds just before impact, but they do it much less often than with the intermediate golfers. More often than not, their loudest sound comes right at impact, which explains why they hit the ball so well.

Improving Rhythm
The best swing according to Grober contains a brief period when the club is hardly moving at all while the lower body begins to clear out. Unfortunately, weekend golfers tend to hurry the transition from backswing to downswing. That disrupts the player's rhythm and throws off his or her swing at impact. So the loudest sound comes just before, not at, impact.

The professor's device doesn't tell us anything new about swinging a golf club. It just reaffirms what we've suspected all along regarding the rhythm of the swing: That it's one of the keys to hitting a ball well, if not the key. So how can you take advantage of this information?

First, relax your hands at address. If they're tense or tight, the rest of your body will be tense. Whenever Johnny Bench, the great baseball player, wanted to hit the ball for distance, the first thing he did was lighten up on his grip. That relaxed his hands and his arms and body.

Second, work on swinging to a beat. Pace yourself when you practice. Think of your swing as a one-two motion. One is your backswing. Two is your downswing. You can even say something like "one-two" during the swing. "Back and through," "low and slow," or "turn and turn" also work.

Third, practice swinging with your eyes closed. By swinging with your eyes closed, you can feel the weight of the club and sense its speed gradually accelerating from the top of your swing all the way through to a controlled finish. Once you've mastered that, re-create the swing on the course. If successful, you'll see your consistency improve and your bad shots diminish.

Most golf instruction sessions focus on the mechanics of the swing, not the "intangibles," like rhythm and tempo. But as professor Grober's device reveals through analysis of sound, the intangibles are just important as good mechanics, if not more important. If you want to become more consistent and cut your golf handicap down to size, focus on improving both the mechanics and the intangibles.

Three Stroke-Saving Putting Drills

2008-04-05T10:48:00.003-07:00

Sinking more putts, as I've said in my golf tips, is the key to quickly lowering your golf handicap. You use your putter more than any other club in the bag. Think about it. Two-putting each hole during a round means you used your putter 36 times. That's anywhere from 30 percent to 40 percent of most scores. Yet the average golfer spends far less time practicing his or her putting than working on his driving or chipping.

If that's you, then you need to make the most of your time on the practice green. Develop a routine practicing your putting that makes use of every minute you're on the green. Try sinking every putt you take, unless you're practicing your lag putting. And include drills in your practice routine designed to improve your putting fundamentals. Below are three great putting drills I've used in my golf lessons over the years designed to hone your putting skills.

Steady Head Drill
Among the most common mistakes I see in my golf lessons is a player moving his or her head while putting. We all know we should keep our heads still during a putt. And many of us do. But some players still have a hard time doing it. They look up to see where the ball is going once they've hit the putt. That's only natural. Moving your head hampers accuracy. To put well, you have to keep your head down and steady throughout the stroke. The Steady Head drill teaches you that.

Assume your normal putting stance, with your eyes fixed directly over the ball. Have your partner hold your head while you hit the putt, releasing it only after you've made contact with the ball. Keep looking at the spot where the ball was after you've made contact and count to three. Then look up to see where the ball went. Some teachers recommend staring at the spot where the ball was until you hear the ball fall in the cup. That works, too.

Eyes Closed Drill
Golf teachers often talk about "feel" in their golf instruction sessions. All great putters have great feel when it comes to putting. It's among the most important attributes you can develop when it involves the flat stick Your goal, once you've determined your line and assessed your speed requirements, is to remember the feel of a good putting stroke when you hit the ball. Feel can only be developed through practice. This drill helps you develop more feel.

You'll need a partner for this drill. After you've taken your putting stance and fixed your eyes directly over the ball, have your partner putt his hand between your eyes and the ball, blocking you vision. Now putt the ball. If you don't have a partner, close your eyes just before hitting the ball.

This drill encourages you to really feel the movement of your arms. You may fined that the slower they move, the more consistent your putting. Plus. it's a great exercise for learning distance control. Hit 10 putts with someone holding their hand in front of your face or with your eyes closed. See how many you can sink. Then try another spot on the green.

Ball Between The Knees Drill
Another common putting error I see in my golf lessons is a lack of stability. To putt well consistently, you must have great stability. Unfortunately, weekend golfers tend to move their lower bodies when they putt. That's a fatal mistake, but one that an be corrected with the help of a big rubber ball.

Take your normal putting stance on the practice green. Then wedge a rubber ball between your legs. Now squeeze the ball slightly with your thighs. Keeping the ball tight between your legs creates a solid foundation for your putting. Now hit some putts. Hitting putts this way helps develop a real feel for stability, essential to achieving a consistent putting stroke.

Work on these three drills from a variety of spots on the practice drill. They encourage better putting by ingraining three key putting fundamentals. If you keep practicing them, you'll eventually sink more putts per round, lowering your scores and golf handicap. You take more shots per round with your putter than any other club in your back. Mka them all good ones.

The Science of Squaring the Clubface

2008-04-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

Swing Profiles. Using this device, Grober was able to isolate three distinct speed profiles among golfers.

Golfers with high golf handicaps (20+) are cursed with lousy rhythm. They're like dancers who have two left feet, always tripping over themselves. Golfers with golf handicaps from 20 to 5-intermediate golfers- tend to complete their swings too quickly. The loudest sound comes just before impact.

The Left Wrist. Two places exist in your swing where you must have a flat left wrist, if you're right-handed. (For left-handers, it's a flat right wrist.) One place is at impact. The other is at the top of your backswing. You generally don't have one without the other. Weekend players tend to cup their left wrists at the top of the backswing. Lifting your hands too steeply above the swing plane causes an open clubface and a cupped left wrist.

Instead, the left wrist should be in line with your left forearm t the top of the swing, putting the clubshaft in the right position to come into the ball at impact. One way I teach players to do that in my golf lessons is to imagine the logo on your glove, as well as the clubface, point toward the sky as you reach the top of your backswing. Another technique is to feel as if the clubface stays slightly "hooded" in the backswing. By hooded, I mean pointing toward the ground. Either trick assures a flat left wrist at the top of your backswing.

Rotate the Clubface. You need to rotate the clubface into the ball to square it at impact. Most players don't rotate the clubface enough on the downswing or they rotate it much too late. The clubface needs to start rotating just before impact and finish just after impact. Take a few practice swings without a ball and stop just after the impact point to see if your hands are in the right position. Your glove hand should be below your non-glove hand just after impact. If it's not, you need to rotate the clubface more.

Here's a technique from Jack Nicklaus I've written about in my golf tips and used in my golf lessons. It helps you rotate your clubface properly and shape your shots. Jack used to turn the toe of the clubface past the heel at impact to draw the ball from left to right. He felt that having the toe beat the heel to the ball encourages the clubface to close through impact. It's a great technique for correcting a slice.

Although the problems are different, slicing and hooking have a common cause. If your clubface is off at impact, one of the two swing flaws will result. If your serious about improving your game and lowering your golf handicap, you must eliminate these swing flaws as much as possible. Make sure you have the right grip, maintain a flat left wrist at the top of the backswing, and rotate the clubface sufficiently and you'll hit the ball long and straight every time.

Here's The Quickest & Easiest Way To Improve Your Golf Game

2008-04-05T10:47:00.003-07:00

If I had to pick just one way to score better I'd say, "improve your putting." Because it's a simple formula. If you shot a 100 in your last game of golf and you had 8, 3 putts in that score then it doesn't take a genius to work out that if you could turn those 3 putts into 2 putts then you'd score 8 shots better.

Ok, we've worked out that you need to practice your putting, but how?

Well it's been proven that the better the putter is the better they are at long putts, so that's where you should spend most of your time practicing. And you shouldn't just practice you putting line but instead you should practice hitting putts the correct weight. Because it doesn't matter if your ball is on the correct line if it's 10 feet short or long. And think about how often your putts are 10 feet wide of the hole. It's not often is it?

So you need to practice long putting. And one of the best drills to improve your distance control is to putt balls to the edge of the putting green. Get about 5 balls and start about 30 feet away from the fringe and try to putt the balls so they end up as close to the fringe as possible.

During this exercise don't worry about direction, only speed. Keep doing this and change the distance from the fringe every 5 balls you putt. Do this at least 6 times so you practice at least 30 putts.

Also, to make this exercise more effective, putt with your eyes closed. And after you've hit each putt guess how close the ball has come to your target (i.e. the fringe). Once your ball has stopped rolling, open your eyes and see how correct you were.

Now here's another great distance control putting drill.

On a practice putting green measure 30 feet from the fringe. Then place about 15 balls down there. Then putt your first ball and try to get it at as close to the fringe as possible. Once you've done this then hit your second putt and try to get it to finish as close to your first ball as possible without going past it. Then hit your third putt and try to get it to finish as close to your second ball as possible, without going past it.

Keep doing this and see how many balls you can get between yourself and the fringe. But if any balls go past the previous ball then it's game over. You have to start again.

This is a fun putting game to see how many balls you can get between the fringe and yourself and it will improve your distance control at the same time. Plus you can keep record of your personal best and try and beat it.

By practicing putting drills like this it allows you to concentrate solely on feel and weight of putting without being concerned about whether the ball has gone in the hole. And if you improve your long putting your scores will improve and it will be easier than working on your swing.

You see, there's no point in hitting the ball great but then 3 putting. So improve your putting first and then work on improving your swing.

How Jim Stopped Pulling The Ball

2008-04-05T10:47:00.001-07:00

Students taking golf lessons often trigger ideas for articles. Jim, a new student with a good swing and a low golf handicap, wanted to eliminate a bad case of "the pulls." A right-handed player, everything he seemed to hit lately went left, whether on the tee or in the fairway. It was costing him strokes and hurting his golf handicap. He had gone from a 4 to a 7 in just a couple of months.

Slices and pulls, as I've written in my golf tips, result from basically the same fundamental swing flaw. In each, the clubhead approaches the ball from and out-to-in swing path-one of the most common faults in golf. Whether you slice or pull depends on the position of the clubface at impact. If it's open at impact, you pull. If it's closed at impact, you pull.

Jim's Problem
Different flaws cause golfers to pull the ball. In Jim's case, it was his spine angle. Jim had such an aggressive swing that he would often lean toward target when he addressed the ball. His shoulders were nearly level and his body tilted at an angle where his spine was parallel with his right leg.

This stance put too much weight on Jim's left foot, which promoted a swing path that moved from outside the target line during the down swing to inside the target line past impact. As a result, he would frequently would pull shots left of the target. The key to fixing Jim's problem then was to adjust his spine angle.

Uphill Battle
Naturally, Jim's spine angle problem at address had to be corrected. One way to do this was to imagine his ball was on an up slope, and then address the ball with this lie in mind. That would place the club shaft at an angle. Jim could then match his shoulders to the shaft's angle. By getting his left shoulder higher than his right, Jim was in a perfect position to hit the ball.

Another way to teach a student to adopt the right spine angle in this case is to step on the player's clubface. That tilts the up. Now all the player has to do is match his shoulders to the shaft angle. Either approach, works well.

With the spine angle point away from the target, his weight shifts toward his right foot. From his starting position, his downswing now comes from inside the target line and arcs back inside the line past impact, with the club face square to the target at impact. Sometimes, this set up also adds distance to your shot because you are hitting the ball at a better launch angle.

Jim address is now perfect. He sets uo behind the ball, with his spine tilting away from the target. This address is what a golfer means when he says "sets up nicely behind the ball." It's where players must be to hit the ball squarely and eliminate pulled shots.

Additional Causes
Occasionally, your grip is the reason you pull. Make sure you grip the club properly at address. Move both hands to the right side of the club (left side, for left-handers) until you can see three knuckles on the back of your left (right for left-handers) hand. Make sure the V's between both thumbs and forefingers are parallel.

Improper body alignment also causes you to pull. Close the overall alignment of your body a little by aiming your feet, hips, and shoulders to the right of the target. Then move the ball back in your stance. In some cases, you need to straighten your right arm (left arm for left-handers) early in the swing.

One drill to help eliminate pulls is to practice hitting shots from a sidehill lie. Position the ball several inches above the level of your feet. Now, swing away. This drill promotes a more rounded swing plane and a more powerful in-to-out swing path, eliminating pulled shots.

A variety of flaws cause golfers to pull shots. It could be your spine angle, as in Jim's case, your grip could be off, or you're not straightening your right arm early enough, if your right-handed. To eliminate pulls learn to swing the club on a more in-to-out swing path and square off the clubface at impact. Practice hitting balls on an upslope to help eliminate "the pulls" and you should see your golf scores and golf handicap drop.

Extension = Power and Control

2008-04-05T10:46:00.003-07:00

Power and control define a good swing. Unfortunately, you don't often see these things together in a single swing. Judging by the weekend players who take golf lessons from me, you find one and not the other. Usually, weekend payers who belt the ball a mile don't know where it's going. While weekend players who hit precise drives, don't exactly crush the ball.

So how do you combine power and control in a single swing in a way that will cuts scores and shave strokes off you golf handicap? Extension.

If you've played golf long enough, you've heard the old saying "Extension means power." Well, it's true. To generate power, you must get your arms fully extended. But there' only one-way to achieve the kind of extension you need to produce great power and control. You must keep your arms from crossing past your chest as you swing. If let them cross your chest too soon, you'll short-circuit power and minimize control.

The Chicken Wing
During my years of giving golf lessons I haven't gone a single day without seeing at least one player folding his or her left wrist and arm at impact. This fatal flaw is known as the "chicken wing." Collapsing your left arm and wrist at impact does two things, both of which are bad: It not only prevents you from making consistently solid contact, it also causes inhibits control. So what creates the chicken wing?

The root cause for most players is a weak grip. With a weak grip the V formed between a player's right forefinger and thumb points up the golfer's left arm, if he's right handed. At the same time, the left arm is turned toward the target, so that the player can't see the knuckles on his or her left hand.

A weak grip causes the clubface to open during the backswing and remain open in the downswing. So instead of the clubface being perpendicular to the ground as you move to the top of your swing, it points skyward. This is known as the "open" position. I see this fault in golf instruction sessions given to players just starting out and to those who've been playing for a while. So no one is immune from it.

Power Drain
The chicken wing drains power. If a player swings down from the open position, he must square the clubface at impact to hit the ball straight and with power. The most common way for a golfer to do this is simple. She stops turning her chest. Instead, she passes her hands past her belt buckle and folds her left arm and wrist. In short, her arms outrace her chest. This flaw short-circuits power and hinders accuracy.

The most obvious way of eliminating this fault is correcting your grip. With the proper grip, the V formed by the right forefinger and thumb points up the right shoulder, not the left, an fundamental I've discussed in my golf tips. You should be able to see the brand name on the back of his or her golf glove and at least two knuckles on the left hand. You can easily monitor both positions when you look down to your grip in the address position.

Using the correct grip keeps the clubface square during the backswing. As a result, the club's toe-not the face-points skyward. A good way to practice finding this position is by looking at the club as you take it back. Finding the correct position puts you into a good situation at the top of the backswing to execute a good downswing.

Using a stronger grip helps you achieve better club position on the takeaway. That in turn eliminates the need to stall your body and employ the chicken wing to square the clubface through impact. All you have to do is turn your body through the ball. Your arms will extend and the club will release automatically, the key to longer, straighter drives.

The Body Drill
A good way to ingrain the chest turn and arm extension is to practice the body drill. Take the club back to a position where your wrists are cocked and your left arm is extended, parallel to the ground. Now just turn your body all the way through the ball and try to stop half way through your follow through, with your arms fully extended and the club's butt pointing at your belly button. Centrifugal force automatically makes the club release properly.

If you want to shave strokes off your golf handicap, you must develop a swing that exhibits power and control. You can only achieve that by fully extending your arms through impact, a position hampered by a weak grip. Check your grip the next time you're at the practice range. If it's weak, correct it. And work on the body drill described above. With practice, you'll hit the ball longer, straighter, and with more control.
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90+ Shooters -- This Article Is For You!

2008-04-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

The advice I'm about to give you in this article goes for any golfer who wants to score better but it is very much aimed at golfers that score consistently over 90 for 18 holes of golf.

What you need to work on to score better is the following and this list is from the highest priority to the lowest…

1. Putting

2. Chipping

3. Pitching

4. Bunker Shots

5. Driving

6. Irons

7. Fairway woods

You should work on improving your putting first because if you normally have 38 putts per round and you improve by 5 putts per round you've just knocked 5 shots off your score. This same philosophy applies to chipping and pitching. The more you can improve those two aspects of your game the better you'll score. And finally, you must get really good at bunker shots.

Now when you're practicing putting you should mainly work on distance control. So practice longer putts first and then leave the shorter putts till last. But don't practice your putting for too long. Just get some good feel for distance and then go and practice your chipping and pitching.

And when practicing your chipping you should concentrate on landing the ball where you want and then assessing how far it's going to roll to the hole. Then select a club that will be the most efficient at getting the golf ball close. Then when you practice your pitching you should mix up the distances you practice from so that you get a good feel for distance control. But experiment. Make practice fun. Play some games. And this applies to bunker shots as well.

Play some bunker shots out of unusual lies. For example, play a shot that's plugged, play another shot where you have to stand out of the bunker but the ball is in the bunker. Just have some fun. Even try a "Seve" and get out your 3-iron and try to get the ball out of the bunker with that. Doing this forces you to use your imagination.

If you just worked on these four areas of your game consistently then your score will drop. It has to. Because it's been scientifically proven that shots inside 100 yards make up about 70% of golf. So therefore it makes sense to work on that part of the game the most.

Unfortunately most golfers work on their game the reverse of what I'm saying, and I suppose that's why there is so many "DRIVING RANGES" around! So remember this 70% practice rule when you next go out to practice and if you spend all of your practice time hitting long shots and you're not improving, then don't say I didn't warn you!

The 1 Hour Golf Practice Plan

2008-04-05T10:45:00.003-07:00

If you have an hour to put towards improving your golf game here's what I suggest you do to get the most out of this time.

When you arrive at the practice area the very first thing you should do is a few stretches to warm up and you should do this for anything up to 5 minutes or until you're warm.

Once you're loosened up the next thing you should do is to start off hitting a couple of wedge shots and then slowly go through each club in your bag, hitting a few shots with each one until you reach your driver. This should take about 20 minutes. When hitting these shots you should treat each one as though it's a real shot on the golf course. In other words, choose a precise target for each shot and then go through your normal pre-shot routine.

Once you've finished the 20 minutes of hitting full shots you should now practice pitching for 15 minutes and you should do this by hitting shots to all different distances.

What I mean be hitting shots different distances is that you should aim to hit one shot 30 yards, the next one 60 yards, one 75 yards, the next 40 yards etc, etc. And remember to treat each shot, as you would on the course i.e. pick a target and do your pre-shot routine.

Now practice your chipping and bunker play for the next 10 minutes and once again pick a target and go through your pre-shot routine for each shot. It's important that you treat each shot as a real one and not some practice shot that doesn't matter.

When practicing you should get yourself into the mindset that you have on the golf course. That way when you get to the course you'll be better prepared.

So now you've got 10 minutes left to work on your putting. And I suggest you practice putts outside of 10 feet, concentrating on your distance control and then end the practice session with some short putts (e.g. 2-3 footers). Do this so you leave your practice session on a successful note. Here's a summary of your 1 hour practice session…

1 Hour Weekly Practice Session

==> 5 minutes of stretching to get warm.

==> 20 minutes of hitting a couple of shots with each club, starting with the wedge and then progressing through your clubs until reaching the driver.

==> 15 minutes hitting pitch shots different distances i.e. 15 yards, 30 yards, 50 yards, 40 yards etc. Never attempt to hit a shot the same distance during this 15 minutes period.

==> 10 minutes of chipping and bunker shots.

==> Final 10 minutes of putting, mainly working on distance control on putts outside of 10 feet and then finishing off this time with some successful short putts.

Remember To Approach Each Practice Shot As Though It's Real Shot On The Golf Course

Great Golf Alignment Tips

2008-04-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

The alignment you setup at address has a large affect on the results of your golf shots. But don't believe me....instead read what this great golfer has to say on the alignment issue...

"It goes without saying that it is no good having a perfect setup, perfect grip and perfect golf swing if the whole thing is misaligned. It sounds obvious but many players simply do not spend enough time getting themselves on target."

Nick Faldo - Winner of 6 Major Championships

So hopefully you now understand the importance of golf alignment. And if you do, here's a simple exercise that you can quickly and easily do to check your feet alignment.

To do this golf alignment exercise I want you to setup to a golf shot as normal and get comfortable. Then just before you're ready to hit your shot, get two golf balls and without moving your feet place them directly behind your heels so they're touching your feet. Now take your feet away and go back behind your ball down the line of your target and see how good your alignment was.

The beauty of doing this golf alignment exercise is that it shows you exactly where you are aligning your feet and then you can simply change the golf balls so they align correctly and then setup with these balls touching your heels. If your feet have been aligned incorrectly for a while then it will feel quite strange when you align them correctly. But keep practicing and before long, your new feet alignment will become second nature.

So that is a great and easy way to check the alignment of your feet. But you still have to check the alignment of your knees, hips and shoulders as they also have a big affect on your golf shots success. And the absolute best way of checking this is to get a person to get a golf club and lay it across each part of your body once you've setup to a shot. But remember, you want each part of your body to be aligned parallel to the starting line of your golf shot.

You do NOT want your body to be aligned directly at your target. A good way to picture this is to imagine yourself setting up to hit a golf shot on railway tracks. Imagine the golf ball on one rail and you're standing on the other rail.

Golf alignment is critical to your success and consistency so check it often, because it's very easy to align yourself incorrectly without even knowing. But now you know exactly what you need to do to check your alignment so you have no excuse. So please make an effort to check it often...because it can only do your golf game good.

The Natural Swing: Completing the Swing

2008-04-05T10:44:00.003-07:00

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Natural Swing. The previous articles provided golf tips on the swing's fundamental principles, its starting form, and its backswing. Here, we examine the completion of the swing, providing a short golf lesson on what advocates of the Natural Swing call the "unloading" of the swing, and the finishing form.

Proponents of the Natural Swing conceive of the backswing as a "loading" motion. This idea differentiates it from the traditional swing. Unlike that, which divides the activity into discrete parts, the Natural Swing sees the swing as a loading and an unloading of energy, a seamless moving from one phase to another. The term loading, according to the Naturalists, implies energy and commitment, as well as something vigorous and energizing.

With the Natural Swing, the backswing gathers and stores energy, accomplished by transferring your weight to your back foot while rotating the body around your trunk. While you seem to complete these motions in unison, you actually start them by shifting your weight to your back foot. The upper body and shoulders follow, without a sense of urgency. The motion feels relaxed and comfortable. And the "picking up" of the club, which often ruins balance and compromises arc and plane, disappears.

The Downswing Motion
The Naturalists conceive of the loading (backswing) and unloading (downswing) of the swing as one motion. But we divide it into parts for instructional purposes. For the Naturalists, you begin the unloading of the power stored in your swing before completing the loading phase.

In transferring your weight during the loading phase, your front foot may or may not have come off the ground to a slight degree, depending on your flexibility. Now. as the golfer transfers weight to the downloading phase, the left foot returns to the ground, taking the weight off the body. Following the stabilization of the front foot is the front knee, hips, shoulders, arms, hands, and clubhead.

As the stabilization occurs, a natural event takes place without any effort on your part. The clubhead lags behind your feet and body-a natural reaction to centrifugal force. We call this clubhead delay or clubhead lag. It's an involuntary result to the force putting the clubhead in motion.

Your right arm straightens during the unloading phase from its folded position during loading. Your weight transfer to the finished from while in balance and with full extension ensures that this occurs. You are allowing the arc of the swing to be maximized. Again, this happens naturally, without you having to think about it or do anything.

At Impact and Beyond
Other good things happen naturally as a result of the transfer of weight. First, the wrists are put into a maximum cocked position. At impact, the arms are full extended. The hands and arms return to their natural position, square to the target line. And the right elbow for right-handers-left elbow for left-handers-returns to a fully extend position.

Beyond impact, the front elbow folds midway to the finishing position while the back elbow extends forward. Eventually, the back elbow folds at completion of the swing, setting you up for the finishing form.

The unloading motion is a responsive act to what has come before. It's a natural result of what you originally began in the loading phase. If what you've done there is correct, the unloading motion and its individual actions will be correct. It's a matter of trust.

The Finishing Form
If there's one point at which the traditional swing and the Natural Swing intersect, it's at the finishing form. Both swings emphasize the importance of the finishing form, which includes four key elements:

* Natural height
* Facing the target
* Position of wrists/hands
* In balance

The finishing form is one in which you face the target at your natural, full height. Your body faces the target. There's a natural flex in your knees, and your back foot, having shifted forward due to the weight transfer to your front foot, has come up. Your wrists and hands are in front of and close to your chest. Above all, you are in balance.

In addition, both swings emphasize the importance of evaluating your swing after it's completed. Are you in balance? Are you at your natural height? Are you facing the target? How you finish, as I've pointed out in my golf tips, is a key indicator of the quality of your swing. If you finish with the correct form, chances are good you've had a quality swing, whether you've used the traditional swing or the Natural Swing.

This article completes the discussion on the basics of the Natural Swing, which sees the swing is seen as a result of naturally occurring body motions. In our last article we will examine some of the misconceptions of the swing as seen from the perspective of the Natural Swing.

Ball Positioning For Consistent Ball Striking

2008-04-05T10:44:00.001-07:00

When you hit your best golf shots you do so without conscious thoughts. Or put another way....you swing the club automatically using your subconscious mind. Now the better and more consistent your setup then the more you'll be able to swing automatically just like you did when you hit your best ever golf shots. And to back me up on this read this quote from the great Tiger Woods:

"Poor ball position is a silent killer. If you don't place the ball precisely in relation to your stance, the ball will be playing you instead of you playing the ball. You'll have to conjure up some type of weird swing movement just to get the club on the ball, and because of that you'll never be consistent."

Tiger Woods

So one huge determining factor as to whether or not you become a consistent ball striker will be where you position the ball in your stance and how consistently you get the ball positioned where it needs to be for each club. If you position the ball poorly in your stance then you'll need to make a lot of compensations as you swing and this will mean you'll greatly lack consistency.

So here's where you need to position the ball in your stance to become a consistent ball striker.

==> For your Driver and 3 Wood your ball should be positioned directly off your left foot instep.

==> Then for your 2-iron through to 6-iron your ball should be positioned a ball width inside your left instep.

Important Note: If you're using high lofted woods or hybrids then here is what I suggest. Anything up to 19 degrees in loft, e.g. a 5 wood should, simply use the driver ball position. Woods/Hybrids over that, e.g.a 21 degree 7 wood, should use the 2nd ball position that I suggest for 2 - 6 irons.

==> Finally for your 7-iron through to 9-iron your ball should be positioned two ball widths inside your left instep.

After reading this you might be wondering why I teach my students three ball positions when it would seem easier just to have one ball position.

Well, here's the reason.

When you swing a driver you need a more sweeping motion than you do with say a 5-iron. And if you had just one ball position for both of these clubs then you would have to adjust your swing consciously to produce the correct swing motion (i.e. a sweeping one for a driver and a more downward blow with a 5-iron) and that's not good.

So work hard on getting the ball positioned correctly and consistently for each club you're using and you'll give yourself a great chance of becoming a consistent ball striker.

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