Golf Tips

rock star asked:


anyone got any tips to help me beat my kids at the golf game on the wii console im desperate lol

Jessica

Erin O asked:


I am already getting lessons from a pro and have all the equitment what i want mostis tips on improving my swing and posture thanks!!!

Lydia

Jim Johnson asked:


For a few golfers improving their score is all about making small adjustments in their mechanics that can shave a stroke or two off their already great score, but for the majority of golfers, learning some basic golf tips can knock off several strokes from each round and help them play much better golf very quickly. So here are some tips that have been proven to be very effective in shooting a better golf score for the average golfer.
* Get some golf lessons. Yes, you can just go to the driving range and try to do your best on your own, but if you want to make the most progress in the shortest amount of time possible, you need to get at least a few lessons under your belt. It will get you off to a good start and help you enjoy the game instead of just feeling like you are fighting it all the time instead. And there is no substitute for having a qualified teacher give you personal attention and help adjust your swing mechanics in person.
* Use enough club to get to the hole. Its amazing how many golfers assume that they can muscle a shot up to the hole and use a club that is one or two clubs too short on their approach shot. Instead, get to know your club distances by going to the driving range first and writing down how far each club length carries for you in distance on the average. Then use that as a guide to help you decide how much club you need to get to your target instead of just using the same club that someone else just used, or making an overly optimistic guess. You can shave lots of strokes off your game if you hit most of your greens instead of come up too short and have to pitch it on all the time.
* If your ball is only a foot or two off the edge of the green putt it instead of using a wedge. A lot of amateur golfers think that they need to use a wedge at all times when they aren’t on the green, but that is not necessarily so. In fact, a lot of golfers would be able to get the ball closer to the hole if they putted the ball instead of pitching it in those situations, especially if your short game is not all that good. So if its within a few feet of the green try the putter first and see if it doesn’t give you better results.
* Keep your head as steady as you can in your swing. This is often one of the most common mistakes that golfers make on the backswing. By moving your head this causes quite a few swing flaws that will adversely affect your contact with the ball. Think of your head as the pivot that the rest of your body turns around, almost as if it were nailed into position. Of course, its not possible to keep it absolutely still, but the quieter your head is in the swing, the more solid contact you should be able to make with the ball.
* Keep your sense of humor. Golf is a trying game even for the best players in the world. So don’t expect to be perfect or even come anywhere close to it. Be able and willing to laugh at yourself and not take yourself or the game too seriously, at least not to the point that it loses its fun for both you and others who are playing with you. A little good humor can go a long way.
These tips and suggestions may seem very simple, and for the most part they are, but if you put them in practice you can be sure of both shooting a lower score and having fun every time out on the course.

Earl

Sandeep Grewal asked:


A golf tip online can save you hours out of your schedule, but can it really help your game? With more and more people getting Internet connections, golfers are flocking to the Internet in hopes to find tips, techniques and even total golf performance programs to save their golf game.

There are many concerns with taking a golf tip online and hoping it will be the silver bullet to your game. Always consider the source of this golf tip. If you read an article like this one, or find some resource online, make sure to read the resource box at the bottom of the article.

Usually the article or resource will have a mini-bio of the person who authored the information with a link to either their site or some kind of in-depth explanation of who the person is and what their credentials are.

Any golfer no matter what their ability or certifications can post a golf tip online via website, blog or article. On the Internet this is rampant! There are more so-called gurus than ever before. Every golfer probably has some valuable information they have to give, but if they are not qualified to give it, they should probably keep it for their own game.

With the Internet turning into more of a “pay-for-content” vehicle, there are many qualified people who are putting valuable golf tips online, along with reports, eBooks and even complete membership sites like my Golf-Trainer.com site that has been on the net for over 5 years now. Since then, I have seen many imitation sites and products, which is one huge drawback of the web.

Web surfers would never know what reports, eBooks and membership sites are the most credible and original in format and effectiveness. I am always hesitant with reading any golf tip online until I thoroughly look into the person behind the product. How long have they been in their profession? What successes have they helped create? And if you can personally talk to several people who have purchased and benefited from their products?

In researching these products and programs, read all the copy on the site. You will read some pretty amazing stuff that’s hard to swallow. These claims seem impossible when you look at how long they’ve been on the net and how many so-called golfers they’ve helped. Just do some math and you’ll find that these numbers are most likely false.

The bottom line with any golf tip online is if it does in fact help your game. If it does, you will most likely tell other golfing friends about it and the website and business will be successful just from word-of-mouth.

And one last piece of advice. Any person or business giving golf tips online should be reachable. You should easily be able to find their contact information, including phone number. When I answer my phone, people are shocked! I ask them why, and they say they didn’t think there was a “real person” behind it.

That’s a sad situation that shows the skepticism of web visitors. If you have to look hard for the contact information, I would not recommend using or purchasing any golf tips or programs online.

Tammy

George Gabriel asked:


Every golfer is looking for a way to better their game, and trying to improve their swing through trial and error make it a frustrating game. The majority of new golfers are self-taught, and until they take the game up seriously, it is an uphill battle trying to even learn the basics of the golf swing. So how does the new golfer find a short cut for a better game, without taking the fairways apart in frustration?

In learning a new challenge, you have to take one small step at a time. Start off with the smaller steps, or goals, and slowly working towards the bigger goals. The game of golf has a short, medium and big swing. Once you learn the short swing and game, work your way up to the big swing and game. Golf is all in finding the feel of your golf swing. This golf tip will surely improve anyone’s game, once they find the balance and feel of a pendulum golf swing in motion. The following golf practice tip will help you understand the golf swing and what it takes to make it work effectively.

Place yourself around a green or a target with a 7 iron, pitching wedge and approximately 10 to 15 golf balls. If you are on a practice range, try and find an obstacle to go over during the practice. It will boost your confidence on the golf course. Step away from the golf balls and practice short swings with your feet together glancing at your attended target. Do not attempt to hit a golf ball until you feel comfortable with your short swing. If you must, hit one golf ball with your desired club to find and feel the distance for your attended target. Use very little wrist action on the take-away and follow through creating a v shape with the arms. Try to find and feel the pendulum motion of the golf club by grazing the grass, as you swing away glancing at the attended target.

Your goal is to find and feel the pendulum motion of the golf club making contact with the ball with your feet together. You will notice how your upper portion of the body will automatically coil on it’s own, and you lower body will move in unison with your upper body. Once you find the pendulum feeling of the golf club and swing, take a bigger swing. Gradually learn to sweep the grass with a quarter, half, three quarter and a full swing. You will notice yourself losing balance as you take fuller swings, and have to gradually move your feet apart until you find a balanced comfort zone.

With enough practice and effort, your golf score will improve dramatically with the knowledge of what it takes to make a ball bounce off the face of a golf club with a pendulum motion of the golf swing, once you find the balance and feel of a short swing and game. Practicing this golf tip frequently will also help in choosing the right club and swing, for distance in your short game.

Kimberly

Stacy Solomon asked:


Michelle Wie has finally slipped below the top-fifty golfers on the official Rolex Rankings.

Obviously, Samsung World Championship officials have not had the opportunity to view the latest rankings because, if they had done their homework, I’m sure they might have discussed an alternate approach to the teenager who was given this special exemption.

Does Michelle Wie deserve an accolade designed for an elite field consisting of the defending champ, the LET money leader, the four major championship winners and the balance of the top-twenty on the money list?

But, then again, put yourself in her position. Would you give up your spot in a tournament so that Natalie Gulbis can have a shot at $250k? Not likely.

Gulbis would have been the twentieth entrant, if not for Michelle Wie’s special exemption. Annika Sorenstam recently turned down a special invitation given to an active World Golf Hall of Fame member (and five-time winner of this event) because she didn’t want to take a spot from a deserving golfer.

Hopefully, Michelle Wie will not disappoint, but, as Barry mentions when asked about his thoughts on the teenager, his answer is always the same. “Want to see Michelle Wie’s name on top of the leaderboard? Just flip it upside down!”

Other features in this week’s Golf for Beginners podcast include golf tips from the latest Golf Digest magazine. We talk about Bobby Clampett’s basics which include achieving proper impact and taking a divot. Barry also discusses his round and how tips from last week’s podcast helped reduce the amount lost in his weekly Nassau.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@worldgolf.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.worldgolf.com/stacy_solomon or through iTunes.

Frank

Dirk D asked:


I like to play different courses but I would like some advice and a little knowledge of how different holes play before I play them. I play alot in Inland Empire and San Diego county. Thanks.

Julio

Savannah Durbin asked:


The short game can be the most tedious part of golf. It requires the greatest amount of accuracy and precision. The drive can be a good hit as long as it lands a decent distance anywhere on the fairway. On the other hand, a chip is only good if it lands within a five foot radius of the pin. A putt is usually only good if it goes in the hole, or on a far putt, stops within a one foot radius of the pin. Gain more precision on your short game by avoiding these common mistakes made by beginner golfers:

1.) The bunker: hitting the ball; not the sand

The shot out of the bunker is different than any other shot on the golf course. With every other shot, the club should strike the ball. Many beginners attempt to hit the ball out of the sand the way that the ball would be hit from the fairway. This is wrong. To hit the ball out of the sand, the club head should hit the sand behind the ball, and continue to pass through the sand, under the ball. In this shot, the club displaces the sand, which forces the ball to fly out.

2.) Chipping: wrists behind club face at contact

Many beginner golfers have the tendency to make contact with the ball with their wrists behind the clubface, in an attempt to “scoop” the ball, and help it into the air. In a correct chip, the wrists should be cocked on the downswing. They should travel ahead of the clubface. At contact, the hands should be ahead of the clubface. The club should strike down on the ball, hitting the ball first, and then the ground.

3.) Chipping: not accelerating the club on the downswing

A lot of times golfers will hesitate on the downswing of their chip shots, trying not to send the ball flying past the green. Usually, a deceleration of the clubface on the downswing will cause the ball to be chunked. The ball will fall very short of the green. In order to correctly chip the ball, have confidence in your swing. Remember to accelerate the clubface all the way through impact, and into the follow through.

4.) Putting: breaking the wrists

There are so many variations of putting that it is impossible to say that only one way is right. One common error though, is when golfers “break their wrists” while putting. In this case, instead of the putter making square contact with the ball, the putter strikes the ball at an angle. The ball will not travel where it was aimed. It is therefore crucial to keep your wrists locked while putting.

Doris

Steve Madigan asked:


Coming from someone who has been playing golf for over 40 years, if you are thinking about starting to take up the game start with some tips for beginner golfers. A beginner golf swing instruction set of lessons if probably the best thing that you could do. This will not only give you some confidence, but will also help you to improve your golf score right off the bat. Now there are many things that you can do to improve your golf game or even take away from your game, but speaking from experience, a good swing will usually produce some good results.

Have Good Balance is a Great Tip for Beginner Golfers

Getting the right tips for beginner golfers, is going to make the game much easier. Now whether you are trying to hit a drive off the tee or a fairway iron, having a comfortable and confident swing can help. As mentioned before there are many different aspects to playing golf well. One key is to have good balance. Taking the club head back with good balance and then delivering the club head on the ball on the downswing with good balance will produce a fine golf shot. If you try to hit the ball like you are chopping a piece of firewood is not going to produce any type of result that you want.

When taking a golf swing as a beginner is sometimes a difficult thing to do. Having a smooth transition at the top of the swing with smooth rhythm is going to produce the swing that you want. Having smooth transition will help to deliver the club with good club head speed at impact. For the beginner golf swing, instruction can teach them the correct stance and grip, the balance that is needed to hit the ball straight and very long, depending on the club that you are using.

Beginner Guide to Golf, Keep the Golf Swing Simple

When trying to hit a golf ball, you are going to find that it is a lot of hand and eye coordination. Having good hand/eye coordination allows the golfer to strike the ball at the right moment at the bottom of the golf swing. What will happen over time is that each golfer is going to find a swing that is comfortable for them. When they find this swing that is when their game is really going to start to improve.

If you watch professional golfers, you will see that not all swings are the same. They have found a swing that is comfortable and repeatable for them and that is what they have developed. When you are getting beginner golf swing instruction, they teach you how to square the club at impact. This will help you to avoid hooking the ball or slicing the ball. Now what you do see in all professional golfers is that they all have fantastic balance taking the club back as well as great balance while delivering the club head on the golf ball. When you watch their follow thru swing, they are in perfect balance. So you want some tips for beginner golfers, then practice your balance through the golf swing.

Maintaining good balance and having good fundamentals thru the golf swing is going to help eliminate your frustration and aggravation time on the course. This will allow you more time on the fairways and greens, rather than spending most of your time in the woods or rough looking for your lost golf ball. This will also make the game nice for the group that is playing behind you. There is nothing worse than playing behind a group of beginner golfers, who have never practiced anything, and really have no business on the golf course. They should be spending there time on the range practicing their swing and finding that balance point. Now if they don’t hold anybody up, well then I guess it is ok.

So now you have some tips for beginner golfers to help you enjoy yourself more and have some fun with this great game that is called golf. If you are looking for more great beginner golf tips visit: http://puttlightsout.com/golf-tips/golf-tips.html

Carl

Joel L Nelson asked:


Practice is important in any sport and golf is no exception. To really improve your game you must spend time fine tuning your swing. But many golfers simply “hit balls” on the practice range without checking to see if they are improving. Here are some tips to help measure the effectiveness of your practice sessions on the driving range.

First, you must identify your objective on the range. Some people are trying to fix a slice or a hook while others are trying to add distance to their shots. If you do not know what your objective is you will not know if you have achieved it. You may not have a noticeable flaw to correct but you need to train your muscles so you can make good shots consistently. So hitting consistently is your objective in that case. Just make sure you have a clear idea of your purpose.

Second, it does not matter too much if you quit slicing or hooking the ball, or if you add 30 yards to your drive if your shots are spraying to the left or right. You may have eliminated the slice in your ball flight, but did the ball actually go towards your target? I have heard people “oooh” and “ahhh” over their practice shots even though one went well to the left of what appeared to be their target line and the next went just as far to the right. Make sure you identify a target and gauge if you are hitting the ball within a few yards on either side of that target until the balls rolls to a stop.

Third, always hit a variety of clubs in a random order on the range. This will better reflect how a real round of golf is played. You never hit your seven iron fifteen times in a row on a normal round of golf so do not get locked into hitting only your seven iron on the practice range even if it is your seven iron that needs the work. For example, to work on your seven iron try hitting your seven a few times, then hit a 3-wood a couple of times, then hit a four-iron, then a wedge, then back to the seven for a few shots. This will help you practice your set-up routine for various shots since usually you address the ball and take your stance slightly differently for woods, low irons and high irons respectively.

Fourth, do not be in a hurry. Take a break for a minute or two after hitting a dozen balls or so. If you exhaust yourself you may begin making poor swings due to your tiring out that would almost never happen in a round of golf because on the course there is almost always a few minutes between shots that require a full swing.

Finally, take time at home some evening to write down on an index card the swing keys that help you prepare for taking a golf shot. Most people will have a list of five to eight things. Go through your set-up routine in your mind and jot down, in order, what you do to check your alignment, grip, stance, weight distribution, etc… and take that card with you to the practice range. Then read it over before EVERY practice shot for the first ten or fifteen shots. Train your mind to go through that list so it becomes a habit when you are playing a round of golf.

Hopefully you will develop your own list of golf tips from your time spent on the practice range and you will graduate from just “hitting balls” to actually tuning your swing by having a yard stick by which to measure your results on the practice range.

Carmen