Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Drive For Show

Anyone who tells you, that he or she would not like to hit the golf ball further is either a liar, or Tiger Woods. Drive for show and putt for dough maybe sound advice, but if you ask the average weekend golfer whether they would like to putt like Brad Faxon, or regularly belt the ball like Tiger, most would opt for Tiger's power off the tee.

It is this fascination with power that prompt's me to write this article. A couple of facts first, that were discovered two or three years ago, by the teaching profession in the USA. These were, that by using the test robotic arm generating a club head speed of 100 mph, then the golf ball, on average, would go around 265 yards. However, if the club face is open by 2 degrees only, then the distance reached was only 225 yards, with the same club head speed. Again by opening up the face to 4 degrees, the distance covered was only 185 yards.

This shows that distance is not just about power, and clubhead speed, but also hitting the ball squarely. This may sound like common sense, however many golfers are trying to hit the ball with the incorrect golf swing. So, what is the secret of achieving maximum power?

Speed, can be increased, by setting the wrists into a cocked position early, and on the downswing keeping the wrists cocked for as late as possible, and then swishing through the ball. This is similar to flicking your wrists, when using a badminton, squash, or tennis racket.

Power, comes from having as full and flexible a body turn as possible, plus creating a wide arc. The powerful muscles of the legs will also help. To generate maximum power, it is essential that the start of the downswing be calm and unhurried. This enables the golfer to build up speed, so that the golf club is still accelerating when it reaches the ball. Finally, ensure that the arms are fully extended through to a high finish.

A key point to note is that the hands control the position of the clubface, keeping it square at impact. Golfers, who are inclined to hit at the ball with their hands rather than swinging through the ball, find that they lose a lot of power, and hence distance. Slow, smooth tempo wins every time.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Common Mistakes Made By Beginners

Learning to play golf for the first time can be really difficult but you can reduce the learning curve by being conscious of some common mistake an errors that beginners make. You have to be aware of some of the more common mistakes that beginners are prone to committing if you want to get off to a quick start.

One common mistake made by amateurs is that they tend to look up (towards the sky) when they are striking the golf ball. It is of utmost importance that you keep your head down and your eyes focused on the ball when you are swing your club to hit the ball. You can penalized a stroke if you swing and miss the ball as well. To train yourself you may want to keep your eyes on the tee for a count of three before looking up to find your ball.

Another big problem for beginners is the number of strokes they use on the greens. You can dramatically improve your putting by envisioning a three foot by three foot square around the hole and jhust aim to get the golf ball in that "square" with your first shot. You can use your second shot to sink the completely makable putt after but the point is to focus on getting the ball within "makable" distance before taking your shots at it. Leave the miraculous putts to the pros and watch your scores soar.

A third common mistake is bad form prior to striking the ball. Prior to setting to strike the ball you should envision a golf club laying on the ground with the grip pointing to where you are aiming to hit the ball. Your feet shyould be perfectly perpindicular to that imaginary club to give you the best chance at hitting the ball flushly with your club.

Hooking and/ or slicing can also be a result of over swinging. In golf it's important to take easy swings and to let your golf clubs do the majority of your work for you. Afterall, that's why you spent a fortune on them!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Correct Your Backswing Golf Shot

Looking for ways to correct your backswing golf shot on the web can be a bit hard. It's not that there is a lack of info on the subject, though. It's actually because there is so much "conflicting" info. Every websites has a different set of tips, techniques and guides and there not way to tell which ones are better. Here's how to bypass that mess, while finding tried and true ways to correct your backswing golf shot.

I have seen it so many time and I was even one of the golfers who go lost in the tons of conflicting information on the web. It doesn't matter what you are looking to improve upon. You could be looking for ways to improve your driver distance, to easier ways to get out of the bunker. No matter what you search for, tons of conflicting pages of info comes up. This is especially true if you happen to be one of the 95% who uses a search engine to find this kind of knowledge. It's just not a good way to find reliable ways to fix your backswing golf shot.

I will even take it a step further. It's actually the #1 reason so many golfers get pounded with conflicting info on the subject. Every website seems to have something different for you. How do you know which ones are tried and true? How do you know which ones are complete garbage and will just be wasting valuable time?

That's the problem most golfers face. What's the way around that mess? The way around most of it is to use the valuable knowledge that golfing forums contain. They are vital tools for finding out the exact things other golfers have used and done to fix any part of their game. If you need to find info on how to correct your backswing golf shot, there will be tons of topics on the subject because you know it's a popular subject.

It's where you can see what other golfers have done and used to not only improve their game, but also what didn't work. It takes so much of the guess work out of it for you. Heck, you can even start your own topics and ask a few of your own questions if you need to.

For every golfer looking to correct their backswing golf shot, there are 1000's of them who have found the ways that work, which his why I like this method so much.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Sound Advice For Golfers

Like most golfers, I enjoy watching golf on television. Its great to be able to learn from the best players in the world. An even better way to learn more from those players is to watch the golf tournaments with the sound on mute!

Without getting academic on you, in the past decade, neuroscience has recently discovered and have been learning more about human structures called 'mirror neurons'. A mirror neuron is a premotor neuron which fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of another animal, as though the observer were itself acting.

In sports, there has been anecdotal evidence amongst sporting champions that modelling and what we now know to be called mirror neurons have played a significant part in those athletes learning their craft. Below is one example as explained by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus:

"As with Snead, watching Hogan's swing sort of stuck with me, and I played like Hogan, or thought I did, for most of that summer, trying to take my left side and keep it ahead of my right and never let it catch up. To me, Hogan looked like he played that way, and I tried to imitate that, kids do those kinds of things. He was always an inspiration to me every time I watched him hit golf balls. I never got tired of watching Hogan play or even just practice"

It is also well known that the father of Tiger Woods, Earl Woods, began Tiger's tutelage of the golf swing by sitting him in a high chair as a young child, allowing him to observe Earl hitting golf balls. There is further evidence on the professional tour of modelling and the use of mirror neurons from noticeable similarities between the techniques of great players. The synergy of Adam Scott and Tiger Woods' golf swing is one example.

Observe players from the same college or same area as juniors, and you will see similarities in their techniques, suggesting the use of modelling and mirror neurons.

To use this knowledge effectively, complete the following exercise:

Watch a replay or live showing of a major golf tournament, and as I mentioned, place the sound on mute. (This will take away some otherwise distracting commentary and crowd noise). Commentary can be entertaining, but is not useful for the purposes of this exercise.

Take a moment to allow yourself to come up with what it is that you would like to model, or observe from a particular player during the golf showing. For example, it might be the rhythm of their golf swing or their technique when putting. State what it is softly to yourself, and then spend 5 minutes observing that player in the following ways:

Watch them as though you were a spectator on the course, or even their caddy, and pay closer attention to what it is you want to learn from them. Following that pretend as though you were actually stepping inside their shoes and playing golf as they are. Pay particular attention to how their technique feels to them. As mentioned earlier in this article, you are capable of doing this!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Read A Golf Club Review Before Buying A Set

Golf is a connoisseur’s game and those who play golf know that if you want to be a good player you need to use various types of golf clubs to be able to play well. Golf aficionados may well put twelve to fourteen golf clubs in their golf bags. Beginners may use only ten golf clubs. This is because the swing should be steady, even though distances, while hitting the ball, may well be different. Deciding which golf club to use for which stroke is of prime importance.

Why You Can’t Use Only One Club

Unlike most games using variations of the bat and ball, golf is not a game you can play with only one golf club. Though it may be possible, it is highly impractical because then the golfer would need to change the direction and speed for each stroke he plays. Invariably different golf clubs are used for diverse types of strokes, because their weight, size and manufacturing materials are different.

Various golf clubs have assorted names because they are made of different materials and are also dissimilar in weight. For instance a wedge looks like a normal golf iron but is used for particular strokes in certain conditions. When you go to buy a golf club set, you will find a wide variety to choose from. The top brands are Spalding and Callaway, but you can get a whole lot of options at different price points.

When you are buying your first golf club set, you must be very particular about which one you select. It is a good idea to check out reviews on the internet so that you can narrow down your choices and find out what exactly you are looking for in your golf club set. Different brands offer many variations in golf clubs and when you see what people have to say about various brands, your research will help you buy something will be more than satisfactory for your requirements

These reviews, usually written by professional golfers, will be able to better guide you as to the choices available, depending on your need and ability, whether you are a starter or an accomplished golfer. Golf club reviews may be found on many internet sites and forums, particularly those specializing in golfing equipment. You may also find it interesting to go through reviews written by individual users apart from the professionals.

The different materials which go into the manufacture of golf clubs define the usage of the golf clubs. Here again a golf club review will help you decide which set you should choose to buy. There are people who are so much in love with the game that they don’t mind paying extra for a customized golf club set so that they can play a better game.

If you want to play golf at your best possible level, you will need to buy a good set of golf clubs.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

How Golf Swing Training Is Significant To Achieving Golf Accomplishments

All golfers know that developing a good golf swing is pivotal to becoming a good golfer. As a golfer improves his swing, he gains more confidence in his game and soon sees his scores dropping, as shooting under par becomes more and more common. In light of the fact that golf is such a popular sport and hobby these days, it is not surprising that golf swing training is also very popular, especially with beginners.

One of the simplest approaches to golf swing improvement is to use a special golf training club. This type of club can help to increase the golf swing speed and the power behind the swing as well. If you really want to improve your golf swing, then you cannot really find a golf training device that is more specific or effective.

It has been proven over the course of many years that the best way to undertake golf swing training is to use a golf swing trainer. This is a club that is specially weighted. The additional weight of this golf trainer provides resistance and if you repeatedly practice your swing with this resistance, then you have the potential to quickly improve your overall swing.

The most apparent and direct result of using a golf training club correctly is an increase in driving distance that a golfer will notice almost immediately. This is because the golfer is training the muscles that he uses during a swing to work against the resistance of the weighted club, which provides an element of strength training. When the golfer picks up a standard club, his muscles will have been readied to hit the ball harder than ever before because of this strength training.

Training to improve the golf swing is primarily a function of repetition combined with muscle training. It is helpful to go through the complete range of motions for a standard swing, or an even bigger range of movement if possible, with as many repetitions as possible.

However, it is more important to make sure that you are also practicing the correct stance during this training. Using a golf training club, or any other type of golf training aid, without taking the time to learn how to use them correctly will only result in frustration and disappointment. Practicing a swing that has poor form will not improve your game. If you are not sure whether or not you have proper form, then you should seek out the help of professional golf swing trainers.

Golf swing training is also very helpful in making your backswing better, as well as the follow through of the stroke. Consistently using a good golf swing trainer club can strengthen your entire swing, from beginning to end, and this will result in more power when the club meets the ball. It is also very beneficial to incorporate other types of strengthening and stretching exercises because that will also improve your overall strength, which is important to the game as well.

playing the game of golf is a relaxing recreation for numerous people. They love to spend a Saturday out on the golf course just having a leisurely game. While everyone may want to believe that they are a great golfer, only a few actually are. For thos people who aspire to be great at golf have to go through some degree of golf training if they wish their game to be exceptional. Discovering the ways to play golf or educating yourself on how to better your swing is not an impossible task. You will need to put in some effort as well as quite a bit of practice yet with some time you can become good at the sport of golf.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Get Help With Your Golf Swing

Improve Your Swing With Golf Swing Software

What do you do when you want to improve on your golf swing? Find a teacher of course. In these days we live in information is really at our fingertips. You have newspaper columns, magazines, ezines, and golf swing software, golf for learners books, and so on. So, the thing to do if you are a computer person is find you some good golf swing analysis software.

There are many types of golf swing software, like XBOX, Golf Simulator, and V1 Sports golf swing software. You could even set up your own digital video camera and film yourself, a friend, or a professional. Either way there is software that can help you.

Studying your golf swing mechanics with the use of software can open your eyes to some things that may be frustrating you. Look, listen, and learn. Using golf swing analysis software is only good if you take the time and practise after.

I have bought computer software before without the aid of a teacher, much more difficult. With a teacher skilled in the software and the game of golf itself you get the best of both worlds at your fingertips. Someone that can instruct you using the golf swing software to help analyze your game and help you improve. With a teacher will come usually a demonstration handling the golf equipment.

Golf Swing Tips:
1. Obtain Golf Swing Analysis Software
2. Find a Golf Instructor or Golf software trainer
3. Practise makes perfect
4. Find your own Rhythm to your own golf game


There is no sense in not enjoying the game. I have friends at work during golf season and wherever they can play otherwise, that it is important to them to not just have fun but a good golf game. So, it is worth using some golf swing software or equivalent to help you enjoy the game as well as learn the game of golf.