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Archive for January, 2010

Fun Golf Game: Horse For Golf

Golf is mastered, and won, by consistency more so than any other tool of progress.

The golfer who is able to sink six-footers while under intense pressure is not talented, he is gifted! And being gifted comes from practicing your skills, such as what the following fun game can do for you, known as

Warming Up When You Are Late For Tee-Off

If you come running to the golf course late, and you have to race to the tee, you need to change your strategy to find a way to prepare yourself. So what is the best way to use the last 5 to 10 minutes you have to prepare?

If you are running late for your game, take several minutes to slow down. Stop and relax. Do not think about hitting any balls. Depending on your situation and how much time you have, follow these practice guidelines:

If You Have At Least 10 Minutes

When you have 10 minutes to get ready, do several stretches specifically designed for golfers. Limber up your back, arms, shoulders, and hips. Warm up right next to the putting green so that you can grab your putter and calmly knock a few short putts once you are done stretching.

If You Only Have 5 Minutes

5 minutes is not a long time to warm up, so when you are running this late just work on your stretching exercises. Forget about putting altogether. The key here is to get rid of as much stress, frustration, anxiety and anger as you possibly can. You are late, but at least you are there, so make the best of it. Stretch, relax, play, and above all - have fun!

Putting Stroke Tip

After you read the break of the green, find your target line, choose a spot, and get your eyes over the line, you need to concentrate on swinging the putter back and forward along the line, always keeping the following three fundamentals in the back of your mind:

1) Throughout its entire movement, keep the putterhead exactly on the target line. The putter needs to travel straight back on the target line and then straight forward on the target line, never going off the mark.

Note: To help your stroke stay on the line, keep your head, shoulders and legs as still as possible. This will help you swing the putter with mostly your arms and hands.

2) The putterhead must be kept square and aimed directly at the target. The face of the blade should be kept perpendicular to the target and stay that way throughout the entire stroke.

Note: The blade face should not wobble. It should remain true to the arc of the putterhead. (You can help maintain the direction of the putterhead by keeping your wrists solid).

3) During the swing, never decelerate the putter. As you often hear in golf:

How To Avoid Pulled Shots By Tweaking Your Follow-Through

A pulled iron shot is a nuisance, mainly because when you pull one you tend to repeat the mistake, much as you do when you start shanking. Of course the pull doesn’t look too bad, as it does not hook or slice, and it feels firm coming off the clubhead, but it ends up 25 to 30 yards to the left of the green.

There are 3 common causes for pulling an iron:

1. Hitting the ball with an outside-in swing.
2. Closing the clubface somewhere during the swing.
3. Starting with the ball too far forward in the stance.

The first thing to do is check your stance. Every iron shot should be hit off the left heel, but no further forward than that. Now concentrate on taking the clubhead back in a straight line and bringing it onto the ball on that same straight line.

Finally, make sure that the follow-through throws the clubhead out towards the hole and that you finish with your hands high. A proper follow-through like this makes it almost impossible to pull the ball.

A Sound Follow-Through Technique

It is obvious that you can hit a good shot even if you follow through awkwardly, for nothing you do after the ball leaves the clubhead is going to influence where the ball goes. But a sound follow-through is still a vital element in a golf swing because it helps insure that everything that went before was done properly.

What is a good follow-through?

In general, there are three important elements to look for:

1. How the hands finish.
2. How the right shoulder finishes.
3. The position of the head.

Ideally, the hands should finish high. This indicates that you have brought them straight through the impact area and out toward the target. If the hands finish past and below the left shoulder, it usually means the swing has been too flat or the wrists have rolled over excessively at impact.

At the same time, the right shoulder should stay down and underneath the left. This indicates that you have hit straight through the ball with all your power, and not pulled the face of the club across it.

Finally, the head should be kept down but slightly tilted, to the point where you watch the flight of the ball almost entirely out of the corner of your left eye. This means you have maintained a steady position throughout the swing and stayed down on the shot.

Dirty Clubs = Increased Scores

Too many weekend golfers ignore what seems to them to be a forgotten part of the game: Taking care of their golf clubs.

Dirty Clubs Can Impact Your Score

As often as not they keep their clubs at home and they find it quite easy not to clean them. But this costs strokes. If the grooves of the iron are not clean the clubhead will not put maximum backspin on the ball.

Always Carry A Towel

During every round you should have a towel available so that the clubface can be cleaned after each shot. You should also clean the grooves by running a sharp object through them before every shot.

How To Keep Your Woods In Top Shape

Caring for woods presents a different problem. Woods pick up moisture and are affected by sharp changes from very moist to very dry climates.

To prevent any problems, you should soak your woods periodically in linseed oil. This seals the heads of their irons, presumably to keep them from rusting.

More Swing Tips: Not Enough Distance

There isn’t a single golfer in the world that would not like to add more distance to the ball. Ask Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, or Steve Stricker if they want more distance and I guarantee you they would all say yes!

Here Is A Tip

A very simple tip on helping you get that extra yardage out of your drives is to learn to turn your shoulders during the backswing.

You will have a much better chance of hitting the ball longer if you learn to turn your shoulders during the backswing. Stretch your torso and make it a goal to get your left shoulder to be positioned over the right foot when you have reached the top of your swing.

If You Are Having Trouble

For those if you who have tried this and are having trouble moving your shoulders through enough on the backswing, you can turn your left knee clockwise, just enough so that it is pointing behind the ball during the backswing. This will help free up the hips and aid in turning your shoulders enough.

Consider Your Grip

To help increase the flexibility needed to extend your shoulders during the backswing, pay attention to your grip. Too much tension with your hands can cause the chest and forearms to tighten up, which lessens the speed of your arms.