Golf Tips

Savannah Durbin asked:


Learning how to golf can no doubt be a difficult task. Even if you have played other sports throughout your life, golf is different. For instance, in soccer, it is easy to go out on a field and kick a ball around without any prior experience, even if you are not very good. With a little luck, you could even score a goal. In golf on the other hand, very few players can step out onto the golf course their first time and make a par (except of course Alex Ovechkin, who happened to get a hole in one; but that is extreme luck). Bottom line; it’s going to take some practice and a lot of determination. Take a look at some of these tips, and try not to make the same errors as many before you.

Some common errors that beginners make:

1.) Trying to crush the ball

Many new golfers step up to the tee box and think, “I have got to crush this ball as far as I can!” Do not make that mistake! If you take the biggest, most powerful swing you can, I will make a bet; one, that the ball probably will not go straight, and two, that it will not travel nearly as far as it would have, if you would have taken a swing with half as much power. If the swing is kept nice and relaxed, your club will stay on the proper swing path, and your swing will have much more rhythm. If you have a problem with trying to kill the ball, step up to the tee box, and think “nice easy swing.” Also, it may help to take a three-quarters length swing. On the takeaway, only go back three-quarters as far as you normally would.

2.) “Scooping” the ball

When hitting iron and chip shots, you may think that in order for the ball to go in the air, the club must hit up on the ball. Many beginners attempt to help the ball in the air by “scooping” it. In reality, hitting DOWN on the ball, not up, is what actually carries the ball into the air. The loft of the clubface will do this for you, if you just hit down on the ball. In order to hit down on it, your hands should be ahead of the clubface when contact is made with the ball. The club should also hit the ball first, and the ground second.

3.) “Going for it”

Imagine, you are on a par 5. You hit a nice drive straight down the middle. You are 200 yards from the green, but there is a pond surrounding the green. You can SOMETIMES hit an accurate shot 200 yards. What do you do? Lay-up, or go for it?

Beginner golfers lose so many strokes when trying to “go for it.” It is so tempting. “If I make it on the green, I’ll have an eagle putt!” But that’s being greedy. The smart choice to make, if you are not confident in hitting the green, is to lay up! In the situation I just described, if you lay up and hit the green on your 3rd shot, there is still a good chance for a birdie, and an even greater chance for a par. Don’t get greedy; play it safe, because there is nothing wrong with a par.

Dustin

Max Johnson asked:


You are interested in playing golf and are looking for beginner golf tips. You have found the right article to help you do that! As everyone knows the game of golf is not always cheap to play. However, before you fully commit yourself to the game, there are ways to get a little taste before you buy the cow. Again, reading these beginner golf tips before you dive in can save you time and money.

Beginner Golf Tips - Get A Putter That Fits You - The first thing that I would suggest that you do is to get a putter that fits you. It does not need to be fancy or the top of the line but it does need to fit you. The local PGA Professional or club-maker can help you with this. Drop balls just a few feet from the hole and start your new adventure! Do not make the mistake of trying to make a bunch of 50 foot putts.

Beginner Golf Tips - Buy A Club At A Time - You do not need a full set of golf clubs to get started. You can start to take lessons or learn the game around the greens (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) by using just a pitching wedge. As you get better, you can add clubs to your set. Most players, as they start, tend to hit many of their clubs the same distance just because they do not know how to use the club properly yet.

Beginner Golf Tips - Get Golf Lessons: To play the game so that you can enjoy it, you will need some professional instruction. Lessons can be found in many different forms. There are individual lessons as well as clinics. Obviously with the individual lessons, you are the star and all the attention will be placed on you. These lessons are more expensive but again, you are one on one with the instructor. Clinics are a great way to first get involved in golf. You will be meeting other people with your skill level and will have the potential to meet some playing partners from your class.

Beginner Golf Tips - Finding A Golf Instructor: We suggest to go about this as you would look for a doctor or any other professional. Ask your friends that play who they have had success with in the past. Also, do not be afraid to interview a new professional. They would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss where you are, where you want to go and how are you going to get there. If you are comfortable, great! If not move on to the next instructor.

Beginner Golf Tips - Training and Resources: The internet is a great place to find free golf instruction articles written by PGA Professionals as well as any full swing golf instruction aids or putting training aids that can help you quickly improve your game. Make sure the inforamtion that you are reading is from a qualified instructor which can be a little difficult on the internet.

Beginner Golf Tips - Rules and the Regulations: You will need to learn some of the simple rules when you are ready to out onto the golf course. DO NOT get bogged down in them. The Rules of Golf is very complicated. You will need to learn proper etiquette and a couple of the major rules. Again, your PGA Professional should be happy to help you with that. The USGA posts the rule book posted online as well as quizzes for you to test your knowledge.

Anna

Kris Ruiter asked:


The fashion of golf has certainly evolved over the years hasn’t it? I mean the suit jackets of the Bobby Jones era, the 1970’s (say no more), and those terrible stiff collared shirts of the 80’s. But now…we have Under Armour, Nike Dri-Fit, or Adidas Climacool, amongst a host of others that keep us dryer, cooler, and allow us to swing freer than ever before. Clothes are not fashion anymore…they are equipment.

This article is about turning the oldest golf clothing, or your best suit into reliable golf equipment. I am going to take your suit jacket and turn it into a training aid that will help you improve both your long game and your short game.

What is the number one complaint we have when we put on a suit?

It’s too restrictive.

I can’t move.

What is the number one thing you hear on TV and in golf magazines about a consistent golf swing?

You must stay connected.

Your arms must stay connected to your body.

Well what does that mean…stay connected? It basically means that your arms won’t outrace your body. Another way to think about it is that we don’t want to let air into our armpits. It is a very hard thing to feel unless you work on it in a drill. So the irony is that a restrictive suit will help your game by keeping you connected.

There are several different drills out there that will help get this feeling. However, I like to provide tips that you can work on from the comfort of your home or office. That way you can practice everyday, even if you don’t have time to get to the range.

This drill is so simple because it is about getting a feeling for how your arms should stay with your body.

Put on your suit jacket.

Take your golf stance.

Make your back swing until you get to the set swing position. (Left arm parallel to the ground.) For a full lesson on the set swing please click here.

Make your downswing and stop when your right arm is parallel to the ground on your follow through.

Repeat as often as you like.

The reason this drill helps get the proper feeling is that we don’t want our arms to stray away from our body. If they do they won’t work together and it makes it much harder to have great timing. Great timing is very important for any player trying to have a consistent golf swing.

This also helps your short game because staying connected is very important when you are playing pitch shots. Your suit will not let your arms move away from your body, which makes it easier to for your arms and body to travel at the same speed. This makes a huge difference in the crispness of your pitches. For a full lesson series on pitch shots please click here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this tip. If you would like to see this tip in picture format please click here.

Good luck with your practicing and playing. May you “Play Your Golf Dreams” sooner with the help of FREE-GOLF-LESSONS.COM.

Scott

George Gabriel asked:


Playing a golf shot from behind a tree or a hazard leaves several choices for the golfer. Having several choices surely can create a big problem. Most salesmen will tell you, leaving too many choices on the table can confuse the sale. I know that I am way off topic here, but having more than a couple of choices can really slow down the decision making process, and trying to sell yourself can be quite the task at times. Especially when there is a golf stroke involved. That is were a question and answer period has to take place, and if you’re trying to sell yourself the thought of making it around, through or over the tree in front of you, good luck!

Do you attempt to go over the hazard? Do you attempt to go around the tree from either side? The other alternative would be to go under the hazard. The safe golf shot would probably be to chip out of trouble, but a lot of us have like to go for the gold. Lets chip away at our options by asking a few simple questions and try coming up with a simple solution.

I’m sure this situation is a common problem for a lot of golfers, unless you hit the perfect golf shot all the time, and even a perfect golf shot down the middle of the fairway may land you behind trees that grow in the middle of fairways on some golf courses. To make a smart decision, you have to look at all your options and come to a reasonable decision on any attempt on trying to reach the green from behind trees. Taking your time on the decision making process is of great importance. Let us put a few options out in the open and see if we can make a wise decision.

First and foremost importance is choosing the right golf club. Ball placement distance to green has to be determined if you plan on going for the green. Let us assume that you’re 169 yards away from the middle of the green and it’s the perfect distance for your 6 iron. We also came to the conclusion that in order to climb the tree in front of you, the 6 iron will not be enough club because of the height to get over the tree, therefore you may have to take a golf club with more loft and less distance and lean into the shot to make up for the distance.

One way of determining if you have enough loft is to stand behind the tree with the golf club in hand and place the golf club head on the ground with the face of the club towards you, and put the bottom of your foot on it and let the grip go. If the tip of the golf club shaft points up and over the tree, chances are the loft of the golf club is enough to go over the tree. If the tip if the golf club points at any part of the tree, chances are you need a loftier club. You may want to practice picking up the golf club head right away on the take-away to get more height from your golf clubs.

If you decide to do the opposite, and attempt to go under the tree, you have to do the extreme opposite with a more closed faced golf club, like a 3 iron, 4iron, 5 iron and maybe a low driver off of the grass depending on your lie. You may want to choke down on the golf club to take a little distance off the ball flight. Again more decisions have to be thought out, depending on how low the branches hang from the ground.

Another alternative would be to try and go around the obstacle. Going up and over or around the hazard will always make the golfer reach for a longer club because of the added distance. If you decide to go around the hazard, you have to make sure the golf ball does not go straight and you’re not going to end up in more trouble, unless you know how to maneuver the golf ball at will. Typically depending on side of the obstacle you decide to go, you may have to open or close the clubface to manipulate the direction of ball flight. If you must attempt to go around, assure yourself that you can spare the couple extra strokes it may cost you to end up right back where you started if you hit it straight out of bounds.

I know being positive is the way to think, but it’s okay to face the possibility of human error to keep us within our capabilities. Staring the situation down with the least amount of fear is the positive mindset that we all like to play. Question you have to ask yourself in that moment of greatness; what is my handicap? Once you’re comfortable and honest with your answer, think no more! Take the shot!

Taking your time and going through a couple simple questions could help you save strokes. Try to avoid making quick decisions on the golf course. Try not to forget that you are paying and playing for the enjoyment of being out on the course. You have every right to take the time on the golf shot within reason. Other golfers do not like to play behind slow golfers either. If you think you have to rush the golf shot, it does not become enjoyment any longer. Talk to your group of golfers and possibly let the group behind you play through if you feel rushed.

Randy

k3s793 asked:


I’m shooting my company’s gold tourney this spring and would appreciate any pointers on doing this task. I’ll be shooting with a dslr and have an 80-200 f/2.8 in addition to kit lenses.

Thomas

Shakil Zaman asked:


There are many factors that can contribute to helping to lower your golf scores and reduce your handicap and course management is one of them. This is an often overlooked aspect of golf as people seek to develop a perfect swing in order to play better golf. The fact is that proper course management can make a huge difference and it really is a big part of the mental game of golf.

Every course has it unique challenges and every hole is also different. It is important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are first. When you play a new course analyze each hole and come up with a game plan. Your game plan should have an element of flexibility, for instance if it is windy then you will need to adjust accordingly and hit lower shots and choose longer clubs, you may hit more punch shots that stay under the wind if the wind is in your face.

If the wind is helping you might decide to go ahead with a driver on a par 5 and go for the green in 2 shots instead of using a 3 wood. A good tip to follow is to analyze each hole from the green looking back to the tee. This view will let you see the hole better and will allow you to pick better landing spots on the fairway that will give you a better and flatter lie for easier approach shots.

When hitting approach shots into a green you are generally better being short than long unless there is water or some other hazard short of the green. Most courses are very unforgiving if you go long on a hole as you will usually find yourself in the trees or even out of bounds. The pin positions on a hole should influence how you hit your approach shots. For most amateurs it is good advice to pick the fat part of the green instead of shooting at tight pin placements that bring water and other hazards into play like bunkers.

It is important to play high percentage shots that you know you can pull off more often than not. If you find yourself 275 yards from a hole and have never hit a 3 wood that far then do not try to pull of a miracle shot on the course. Instead just lay up safely with a shorter club and then use your wedge game to get the ball close to the hole. Do not forget to take the hardness of the greens into consideration when hitting your approach shots. After the first couple of holes you should be able to get a good idea of how much roll the greens have.

You should always hit the shot you know you can hit rather than some shot you saw a pro hit on tv. Also be sure to swing within yourself and under control as this will help to promote more accurate swing mechanics. Also when checking for wind direction on a hole it is best to look at the tops of trees instead of just throwing up some grass in the air since the wind at ground level may be swirling due to trees and hills whereas the golf ball will be more affected by the wind higher up.

Before each round make sure to come up with a specific game plan and club selection off the tee for each hole and stick with it. If you made a decision to not go for a specific par 5 in 2 shots then do not change that plan and hit your driver just because some of your playing partners decided to go for the green in two. The biggest key to course management may be simply playing the high percentage shots that keep you out of trouble and allows you to hit the most fairways and greens in regulation. Use some of these golf course management tips to help you play better golf and shoot lower scores.

Chad

Victor Lensora asked:


The slice is a shot which usually starts off slightly to the left, then swerves to the right in the air. The slice is a common fault that occurs in many beginners game and has to be one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a golfer. In most cases, the slice is uncontrollable and is destructive more often than not resulting in the ball being sent deep into the rough. It is also far more common than the hook which occurs when the ball does the opposite through the air.
Ways to cure the slice:
Firstly, make sure your body alignment is correct, your shoulders, chest hips and feet should all be parallel to each other as well as parallel to the ball to pin line. If your body is not aligned correctly and is aiming too far to the left, the upper body can not and does not rotate properly. This leads to an ‘out to in’ swing which means that the club will not be hitting through the ball but instead will be moving from outside the ball to inside the ball as the impact takes place. The consequence of this is side spin being generated on the ball and the dreaded uncontrollable slice follows.
Even if your alignment, swing and grip are perfect, the positioning of the ball in the stance can make a good straight shot into a shot that slices wildly out of play. This occurs when the ball is placed too far forward in the stance.
Once again the slicing of the ball occurs because the club face is no longer square on at impact with the ball. This is because the club face has come past square and is moving in from the ball to pin line, this again generates side spin resulting in the ball slicing again.
Ideal ball placement is different for every club, but this is a rough guide:
For woods and long irons, the ball should be placed inline with the inside of your left heel (opposite for left hand players), for short irons place the ball in the centre of the stance, for medium irons the ball should be placed between two positions mentioned above.
Posture should be checked as weight distribution can also have an affect. Having your weight too far forward can encourage the slice so be wary of your weight distribution.
If all else fails, try strengthening your grip. Do this by moving your hands slightly clockwise around the club, then adjust your grip so you’re holding it more in your fingers and lighten the pressure, this should help reduce the affect of the slicing.
Happy golfing!

Jacob

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Basic golf swing tips may simply be all you that you require to keep you from striking those heavy shots, hooks, or slices. For instance, merely shifting the ball location may set right that thin shot, which you tend to hit off the tee. Rather than getting dejected and vowing never again to turn up at a golf course, contemplate on a couple of tips regarding golf swing and strive at perfecting your golf swing.

Now tips on golf swing can be collected from a number of sources. A fine place to begin is with recent golf books or golf magazines. Here it is possible for you to come across golf swing tips from experts or teachers and instructors of professional golfers. Orders for magazines and books containing tips on golf swing can be placed online.

In case you are extremely earnest regarding getting a few vital tips regarding golf swing, and you possess the necessary money and the time at your disposal, think about registering for a few golf lessons or joining a golf clinic where a professional gives you expert advice.

In order to put you on the track of learning the appropriate golf swing tips, the following are some golf swing tips, which deal with the fundamentals of a golf swing.

1. Amongst the most vital tips on golf swing is to maintain a square clubface. Hitting the golf ball by means of a square clubface ensures that the ball goes straight and a long way. In order to maintain the clubface square, you require to keep a steady golf swing plane. Practice bringing the golf club right back and subsequently follow through on the very same swing plane.

2. Next, timing is of the essence in the case of your golf swing. Now you may wish to possess a steady swing speed all through the whole swing. In fact it does not help out with your golf swing if you tend to bring the golf club right back slowly and then speed up right through your swing.

3. Then, golf fitness is an essential factor for developing your golf swing. Doing some easy golf exercises can vastly enhance litheness and power.

4. The kind of golf grip that you have is a further factor in honing your golf swing. Ensure that you do not have a very rigid golf grip, or else it will hamper your golf swing action. A fine way of determining whether your golf grip remains very tight is if your arms and hands become sore after you have finished playing a game of golf.

5. In fact, the best tip on golf swing may not exactly be to your liking but it is nothing but practice, and more practice, that will assist you with your golf swing the most. The greater the time devoted to practicing, or being out there on the practice green or driving range, the greater the development you will find not just in the golf swing, but also in your total performance as well as scoring.

Joyce

bumindabum asked:


Me and my friend are juniors in high school and we are going to try out for the golf team. The downside of it is we are the first girls to ever join or even tryout for the golf team. We have never played a full game of golf either. This week was vacation and we have putted and swung a lot. I hope we are ready. The only thing we really need to do know is play a 9 - hole game, we have played on the wii though. Does anybody have any golf advice, tips, or even words of wisdom which we can think about for when we tryout??

Jeffery

Joel L Nelson asked:


The two most common problems golfers seem to struggle with are a) slicing the ball and b) inconsistent ball striking. Perhaps you blister it right off the sweet spot one time, and the next you hit it fat (behind the ball) or thin (on top of the ball) even though you are absolutely sure your set up, grip and swing were virtually identical between those same two shots. Or maybe you find yourself aiming way to the left (if you are right handed) hoping that by the time your ball finishes its impressive banana-shaped flight it will end up somewhere near the fairway. Then, low and behold, you line up like that only to hit it straight into the trees. After struggling with the same two problems for many years I have found what I believe is the root cause of both problems, and would like to share with you what has helped my golf game immensely and hopefully can help yours also.

We all know that the key to a consistent golf shot is returning the club head to a square position at the point of impact. If your club face is open at impact, the ball will slice. If it is closed at impact, you will hook your shot. Also, if you do not return the club head so it contacts your ball cleanly on the ground you will either be hitting fat or thin, neither of which you want to do. Although a lot of things can contribute to those problems the one thing that I have noticed in my own game and in observing others who have these two problems is this: too much lower body movement during the golf swing. Very simply put if anything below your waistline is “loosey-goosey” when you are swinging the golf club the likelihood of making good shots consistently is almost nil.

Watch the professionals on television some weekend and concentrate on their knees while they swing, especially when they are hitting a driver off the tee. You will immediately see that no matter how hard they swing, their lower body is very, very still during their entire swing motion. In some cases the distance between the inside of their two knees does not even change until after the club impacts the ball. Try to catch the ladies tour on television and watch their knees. Since many of them wear skirts when they play the lack of lateral movement in their knees is readily apparent.

When you sway back and then forward, or if your hips move laterally more than an inch or two at most when you shift your weight you are probably too “noisy” with your lower body when you swing. Fixing this problem does not require a lot of strength or special skills, but it does require getting used to what will at first feel like an unnatural swing, but one that will be your best friend once you get accustomed to it and your muscle memory is trained to do it automatically.

One practice drill that you can do in your back yard to learn to shift your weight, instead of sway it, that does not even require hitting balls is to get a couple of quarter-inch diameter wood rods that are long enough to be waist high after you push them into the ground (3 to 3 1/2 feet long). You can buy them for very little at your favorite hardware store. Push one into the ground about an inch to the right of the back part of your right foot when you take a stance like you are addressing the ball, and one about an inch to the left of the back part of your left foot. If you have set it up correctly you are now pretending to address a golf ball with your normal stance, and you have two wood rods pushed into the ground in such a way that the top of each rod is about even with your waist and they are positioned just outside the heel of both your shoes respectively. Then take some practice swings. You should be able to make a complete swing without touching the rods with either of your hips or with the outside of your knees. This drill will also help you learn to make a full turn in your follow through while maintaining good balance. Do not stiffen up so much that you do not follow through. Just concentrate on shifting your weight to the inside of your back foot on your backswing, then shifting it to the inside of your front foot on your forward swing, while making a full turn at your waist without moving laterally during any part of the swing.

After a while you will be shifting your weight back correctly on your backswing but you will not be swaying your body when you do so. Likewise you will be shifting your weight forward correctly on your downswing but you will not be swaying in that direction. Just remember: shifting does not mean swaying! Now the concept of “coiling” your weight back and shifting it forward will make sense. Many golf tips will refer to coiling against the inside of your back leg on your take away, but for years I had no idea what that meant so I was swaying. Now, I shift, and my game has improved considerably.

Once you get used to how this new swing feels head to the practice range and hit a bucket of balls with your favorite iron without regard for distance. Any iron will do but a five or six iron would be a good choice if you are not sure where to begin. Just get used to your new swing while you hit real shots. At first, slow down both your backswing and forward swing. You are not trying to set any distance records. You just need to get the feel of your new swing. As you begin to get used to your new swing, start swinging at your normal pace, but do not swing any harder than you did before applying these techniques. If the driving range allows you to hit off real grass go ahead and push your wood rods in the ground and hit some shots that way.

Keeping your lower body “quiet” applies to all the shots you take whether it is a driver off the tee or a wedge from 15 feet off the green. By limiting your lower body movement and learning to shift, not sway, you will consistently return your club head squarely to the ball, thereby eliminating slicing and inconsistent ball striking.

Randy