Free Online Golf TipsFree Online Golf Tips and Discussions About Golf

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to do a quick post to say thanks for visiting this blog. I hope that all the free online golf tips that you have gathered from here will help you in the new year to improve your golf game.

Also, I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
(If you don’t celebrate Christmas then I hope you have a joyful season nonetheless! )

I’m going to be taking a little time off from the blog, but the weekly golf tips (twice a week) will continue
to arrive in your email inbox like clockwork.

What? You haven’t signed up for these great golf tips twice a week! Shame on you!

That’s OK - just go here to sign up so you don’t miss out…

So make sure that you get a lot of rest and relaxation this Christmas, and get prepared to have a lower handicap in 2009!

Happy Holidays

Ben Poston
Triangle Custom Clubs
(and numero uno blogger at Free Online Golf Tips)

The “fat shot” means that a golfer is hitting the ground behind the ball instead of the ball itself. This can be a very frustrating habit that takes its toll on your scorecard, not to mention your ego!

Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this problem.

The issue is typically nothing more than your head (yes, your head, not the club head) changing its plane during the swing, which in turn changes the plane of the swing itself. This happens from either dipping your head before impact or allowing your head to sway to the right during the backswing.

The cure is obviously to keep a steady head throughout the entire swing. If hitting fat is a frequent mistake you make, try taking some practice shots and have a partner pay close attention to your head to see if it is dipping or swaying.

 If it is dipping, then just stop. If your head is swaying, you can help yourself by pushing down hard against the inside of the right foot during the backswing, thus preventing any tendency to shift your head to the right

It is inevitable that some of your shots will not go as planned and end up landing in an area which makes it quite difficult to hit the ball out of.

Ahhh - the joy of golf

A good player with a positive attitude will enjoy getting themselves out of trouble when making an unsuccessful shot that lands in the rough or some other messy area.

It’s called recovery and if you can become great at recovery shots, you will be one step ahead of the rest of the pack to being a better golfer.

The Rough

Some of the most difficult shots you can make will be from the rough, which is typically made up of tall, unkempt grass.  Many times your ball will go right to the bottom of the grass which makes it practically invisible.

(I HATE it when that happens )
 
When you make your swing, the thick, tall grass can snag your clubhead as it comes down to the ball. This may also make your shot go far left or far right, instead of the
intended direction.  When landing in the rough, you might as well face the possibility that you will score high on that particular hole.

Working Your Way Out Of The Short Rough

Although not a desired area for your ball to land in, the short rough is definitely a much easier recovery shot than the standard rough, as described above. The short rough
has grass that is generally up to 2 inches or so and height.

Decent contact with your ball should be easy to make. Choose a club that gives you more loft so that your ball has extra airtime and roll.

Your goal is to get as much loft as possible when coming out of the rough. All you want to do is make sure that the ball is back in the play zone.  Yes, you may end up far short of
the hole when the ball hits the fairway, but a least you’ll be able to shoot for the green successfully.

Working Your Way Out Of The Medium Rough

Working your way out of medium rough areas are much the same as making shots from any other length of grass.

However, there are a few tweaks that you can make in your shot which can make a big difference when working your way out of the rough.

If the zone has grass that is medium in length, as compared to the short and long rough, attempt to hit the ball with a descending blow as opposed to a sweeping movement. 

You can achieve this by allowing for a steeper swing arc. This way, your club will hit the least amount of grass on the way to the ball.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

As you become a more experienced golf player (classified as intermediate), you will need to figure out different methods in order to find out how well you are progressing.
The easiest way to do this is by determining your score.

Your score shows your handicap. A decrease in your handicap proves that you are getting better with your game.

However, if you want to know precisely what your handicap is, you need to turn in your real score for each hole.

How Can Cheating On Your Score Help Your Skills?

The answer is that it can’t. By bending the rules of the game, you are only turning in inaccurate scores. Fabricating your handicap may look good on paper and may even impress other players, but it will not do you any good when it comes to determining
your progress with the game.

In fact, lowering your handicap can harm your play by putting you at a disadvantage in competing. If the score shows that you are a 12 handicap, although in reality you are more likely an 18 or 20, then you won’t get as many shots as you should when playing with people that match your handicap (which is based on a lie).

Long Term Effects Of Cheating

Cheating with your score also has long term effects on your competitive play. Once your golf buddies realize that you are forging your scores in one way or another, whether you are using an offbeat way of keeping scores or bumping your ball so you can better the lie, they will no longer trust you, even when you are not cheating anymore.

Worse yet, these people may decide not to play with you again. So even if you turn over a new leaf choose to start playing by the rules, you’ll probably have a hard time convincing your golf friends that you can be trusted.

In the great game of golf, keep in mind that first and foremost, you are in competition with yourself, and your score indicates how far you are progressing. By forging with your score, you are only cheating yourself of having the real feeling of accomplishment. And when playing with others, it is just as important to document your scores accurately.

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Hit ‘em straight (and TRUE…)

Ben

Golf can best be described as a journey that never ends.
Those of us who have enjoyed this sport for a long time
have come to the understanding that it is about the ride,
always improving and enjoying success, never a final destination.

Like any sport, your goal on the golf course is to get
better, plain and simple, while reaping the benefits
of the process.

Improving Your Short Game Is The Key To Advancement

There are over 36 million people in the United States
alone that play golf, as reported from the National Golf
Foundation. Almost half of these people are between the
ages of 20 and 40 years old. Over 20% of these players
are female golfers. Golf fans spend an enormous amount
of money every year on golf equipment and golf course
fees, over $25 billion in fact.

$25 billion dollars is an incredible sum of cash that
results from passionate golf players.  Ironically, of all
this money that is spent playing golf, the average scores
taken statistically have not improved that much over the years. 

The overall average score is approximately 100. Only 22%
of golfers score better than a 90 (for the 18 hole course).

And the par on just about every golf course is 72.

Don’t Be A Statistic

Not everyone who plays golf has a desire to constantly
increase their score, but it’s safe to say that most of us do.
Statistics from the National Golf Foundation also show a poll
that shows the average golfer is happy to shoot a score of
around 85. Not a bad score, but perhaps it’s time to kick
it up a notch and learned some of the secrets to improving
your short game.

What Is The Short Game?

When you think of professional golfers, the first thing
that comes to mind is the vision of Tiger Woods or Greg
Norman teeing off and sending the ball skyrocketing to
great distances. But these guys do not win because of their
wonderful long-distance tee shots. Their golf skills are
the result from making most of their golf shots from the
fairway to the green: called the short game.

The secret to improving your score is understanding and
learning techniques to master your short game. Regardless
of your score, more than half of your strokes will come
from playing the short game.

Did you know that 50% of your score stems from all shots
taken within approximately 75 yards from the green? This
percentage includes bunker shots, chips, pitches, and of
course, all putt shots.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben