This article will share with your three points to ensure you the correct tempo and distance control to make any kind of putt look easy.
The most important part of putting is getting the pace right, as even if you don’t get the ball down the correct line you still will only be faced with a short putt. Now get the pace wrong and the line right you next shot could still require you to sink a monster putt.
Correct Stroke
The first step to ensure you have a controlled putting stroke is to concentrate on your acceleration. A quick way to ensure your putter accelerates correctly through the impact area is to make your follow-through swing is longer than your backswing.
So however far you complete your backswing make sure your follow through travels a greater distance, so if the backswing is a foot, your swing should follow-through two feet.
During your backswing you should keep the putter low to the ground and then swing slightly higher during the follow-through, this will cause topspin and ensure a better roll to the green.
Change the Backswing Length
Once you have learnt how to control your shot by concentrating on your acceleration, the only thing left to change and control your distance is your backswing.
So when you want to vary the distance of any putts the only thing to change is the length of your backswing.
So for short putts the backswing needs to be kept short, for medium sized putts the backswing should travel back level to your back foot and for longer putts the swing should travel beyond your back foot.
The tempo of your putt needs to stay the same whether you are hitting short, medium or long putts. When rocking the putter back and forth count one-two to help with the swing, this should be the same count whatever your putting distance.
Tee Putting Drill
It can be quite difficult to control your distance so it is vital for you to get yourself out to a putting green and practice.
A good drill for this will require you to have some tees, put a few of the tees into the ground at even gaps between each tee, say about 2 feet apart to start with, when you get better these gaps can be widened.
Then get a few golf balls and putt to the furthest tee and work you way back to the nearest tee. You are aiming to get the golf balls in line with all the tees.
This drill will help your swing and understand how far you need to swing the putter back to get to each tee.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Master Chipping in Golf
Are you constantly making a mess of your chip shots? Do you always dread having to make a basic chip shot?
There is no need to have any problems chipping anymore as the basic chip shot is a very easy shot to learn and as long as you let the clubs loft do the work then all your chip shots will be landing perfectly on the green.
I will share with you 4 steps to ensure you can master the basic chip shot quickly and easily, to bring the fun into your chip shots.
Back Ball Position
The chip shot should be completed with the ball at the back of your stance which will cause your hands to be sitting ahead of the ball with the club shaft leaning towards the target.
Your stance should be narrow with your feet close together, this is due to the chip shot being more of a feel shot and movement is mainly from your upper body and only little from your lower body.
This position will help you attain a hard connection with the bottom of the ball and hitting it on the descent causing a smoother run to the green.
Adopt Putting Grip
If you are continually missing your chip shots change your grip to your standard putting grip, as the chip shot should be similar to the style you complete with your putter. The shot should be controlled with your shoulders with little to no separate hand action.
Grab your wedge and make the same grip you would with your putter making sure it is sitting a little more upright than a normal iron shot. This change can eliminate a lot of the risk from the shot.
Rock Not Swing
The important thing is to ensure the club does the work and the best chippers in the game use a very simple action which makes each of their shots look so easy. Never try and help the ball on its way, which would normally be done by using your hands. Using your hands will cause you to mess this shot up.
The shot should be completed in a rocking motion the same as when using your putter, rocking you club back-forth needs to be controlled by your shoulders.
Lead With Left Hand
If you adopted the correct stance and ball position your club should strike down on the ball naturally. This can be made sure by keeping your weight on your front foot about 70% which will ensure the hands arrive ahead of the club on impact. To quickly check this make sure the back of your left hand is facing the target after the ball has been struck.
The downward hit will give greater spin control to make your chip shots more precise and roll to the pin.
There we have 4 quick steps to master the basic chip shot which once learnt will have you chipping everything on to the green right next to the pin!!
There is no need to have any problems chipping anymore as the basic chip shot is a very easy shot to learn and as long as you let the clubs loft do the work then all your chip shots will be landing perfectly on the green.
I will share with you 4 steps to ensure you can master the basic chip shot quickly and easily, to bring the fun into your chip shots.
Back Ball Position
The chip shot should be completed with the ball at the back of your stance which will cause your hands to be sitting ahead of the ball with the club shaft leaning towards the target.
Your stance should be narrow with your feet close together, this is due to the chip shot being more of a feel shot and movement is mainly from your upper body and only little from your lower body.
This position will help you attain a hard connection with the bottom of the ball and hitting it on the descent causing a smoother run to the green.
Adopt Putting Grip
If you are continually missing your chip shots change your grip to your standard putting grip, as the chip shot should be similar to the style you complete with your putter. The shot should be controlled with your shoulders with little to no separate hand action.
Grab your wedge and make the same grip you would with your putter making sure it is sitting a little more upright than a normal iron shot. This change can eliminate a lot of the risk from the shot.
Rock Not Swing
The important thing is to ensure the club does the work and the best chippers in the game use a very simple action which makes each of their shots look so easy. Never try and help the ball on its way, which would normally be done by using your hands. Using your hands will cause you to mess this shot up.
The shot should be completed in a rocking motion the same as when using your putter, rocking you club back-forth needs to be controlled by your shoulders.
Lead With Left Hand
If you adopted the correct stance and ball position your club should strike down on the ball naturally. This can be made sure by keeping your weight on your front foot about 70% which will ensure the hands arrive ahead of the club on impact. To quickly check this make sure the back of your left hand is facing the target after the ball has been struck.
The downward hit will give greater spin control to make your chip shots more precise and roll to the pin.
There we have 4 quick steps to master the basic chip shot which once learnt will have you chipping everything on to the green right next to the pin!!
Quickly Master Golf Bunker Shots
Getting out of a bunker can be regarded as one of the most difficult shots in golf but actually most pros would prefer to be playing from a greenside bunker than the rough.
If you master the basics you can always look forward to playing out of a bunker and not regard it as a so called hazard.
In this article I will be sharing with you four key checks to go through each time you step into a bunker, if you follow these steps it will be easy for you to hit balls out with ease and control.
Open the Clubface
When stepping into the sand make sure your clubface is open so much that it lies flat on the ground. With the face pointing straight up, with the club in position take your grip of the club.
The clubface being open will ensure it triggers bounce and the club glides through the sand, this will stop the club being dug into the ground. When in the bunker, point the clubface directly towards the target holding it above the ground about two inches behind the ball, which is where the club will enter the sand.
Shuffle your Feet
You need to ensure your feet are stable in the sand, to do this shuffle your feet into the sand. This will also give you an idea of the thickness of the sand. Your swing arc will be lowered when you bury your feet into the sand which will help you hit into the sand before hitting the ball.
Take your stance making sure the ball is just inside your left heel, with your hands in line with your left thigh, with your weight 70% to the left side (opposite for left handers). This stance will really help you to regularly hit your ball out of the sand and increase your confidence.
Aim Left of the Target
The clubface as stated in the last step should be pointing to the target, with the club in place you now need to point your body in the correct direction. So move your body about 45 degrees left of the target, with an open stance ensuring your shoulders, hips, feet and knees are aiming left. This angle is the line your swing should be following.
Swing Out-To-In
Now your swing should go along the line of your feet. With your stance open your swing will complete a slightly steeper out-to-in path in relation to the target line. Your swing should be quite short, ensuring your wrists hinge which will ensure your club is always pointing to the target line during the backswing. The downswing needs to be completed with some power and speed to glide through the sand and hit the ball out.
Follow these steps in this post and you will soon be hitting every shot out of a bunker first time.
If you master the basics you can always look forward to playing out of a bunker and not regard it as a so called hazard.
In this article I will be sharing with you four key checks to go through each time you step into a bunker, if you follow these steps it will be easy for you to hit balls out with ease and control.
Open the Clubface
When stepping into the sand make sure your clubface is open so much that it lies flat on the ground. With the face pointing straight up, with the club in position take your grip of the club.
The clubface being open will ensure it triggers bounce and the club glides through the sand, this will stop the club being dug into the ground. When in the bunker, point the clubface directly towards the target holding it above the ground about two inches behind the ball, which is where the club will enter the sand.
Shuffle your Feet
You need to ensure your feet are stable in the sand, to do this shuffle your feet into the sand. This will also give you an idea of the thickness of the sand. Your swing arc will be lowered when you bury your feet into the sand which will help you hit into the sand before hitting the ball.
Take your stance making sure the ball is just inside your left heel, with your hands in line with your left thigh, with your weight 70% to the left side (opposite for left handers). This stance will really help you to regularly hit your ball out of the sand and increase your confidence.
Aim Left of the Target
The clubface as stated in the last step should be pointing to the target, with the club in place you now need to point your body in the correct direction. So move your body about 45 degrees left of the target, with an open stance ensuring your shoulders, hips, feet and knees are aiming left. This angle is the line your swing should be following.
Swing Out-To-In
Now your swing should go along the line of your feet. With your stance open your swing will complete a slightly steeper out-to-in path in relation to the target line. Your swing should be quite short, ensuring your wrists hinge which will ensure your club is always pointing to the target line during the backswing. The downswing needs to be completed with some power and speed to glide through the sand and hit the ball out.
Follow these steps in this post and you will soon be hitting every shot out of a bunker first time.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Quick Steps To A Winning Golf Pre Shot Routine
There are so many different ways to try and improve your golf swing with countless articles explaining the different steps that you need to follow to achieve a perfect golf swing.
In this article I will be explaining how a golf pre shot routine should be added as one of your techniques to improve your golf swing and when done correctly and consistently can really change your golf game.
When you first get started adopting a golf pre shot routine it can really be time consuming and challenging to concentrate and consistently go through the steps. The thing to keep in mind is that the more times you go over the steps practicing as much as possible the quicker it will become natural to you.
Golf Pre Shot 1:
The routine begins with the ball on the ground, so if at the tee, place your ball into the ground as normal. Step back behind your ball and get an image in your head of how you want to play your shot, really imagine how you want the ball to travel through the air and the exact place you want it to land. This technique will ensure you keep focused when taking the shot.
Golf Pre Shot 2:
Still from behind your ball pick out the target you are aiming for and then step up to the ball and align your clubface square to the target. This can be sometimes be tricky when your target is so far away, to resolve this locate a closer object on the ground which is on the same target line but a lot closer. This could be a leaf or twig which is lying on the ground, this is vital to ensure your clubface is pointing towards the correct direction.
Golf Pre Shot 3:
Now hold your club with your correct grip and complete your stance and address while keeping the clubface in line with your target. Always adopt the correct posture bending from the hips with your knees slightly bent and quite springy.
When you are in your stance have a quick check to ensure your body is square as possible to your club face, this is vital to ensure your body is aligned correctly and your ball will travel along the intended path.
Golf Pre Shot 4:
When you are sure you have the correct stance and your clubface is aligned correctly towards your target start a few practice swings to relieve any tension in your arms or shoulders. If you feel everything is ok and you are ready to take your shot, start your swing and hit the ball. If you followed these steps then your ball should travel along the intended target line.
There is a lot to think about there and yes it will take some practice until you feel comfortable completing this golf pre shot routine. If you keep doing this with each and every shot you can drastically improve your shots and after a while you will be doing it naturally.
In this article I will be explaining how a golf pre shot routine should be added as one of your techniques to improve your golf swing and when done correctly and consistently can really change your golf game.
When you first get started adopting a golf pre shot routine it can really be time consuming and challenging to concentrate and consistently go through the steps. The thing to keep in mind is that the more times you go over the steps practicing as much as possible the quicker it will become natural to you.
Golf Pre Shot 1:
The routine begins with the ball on the ground, so if at the tee, place your ball into the ground as normal. Step back behind your ball and get an image in your head of how you want to play your shot, really imagine how you want the ball to travel through the air and the exact place you want it to land. This technique will ensure you keep focused when taking the shot.
Golf Pre Shot 2:
Still from behind your ball pick out the target you are aiming for and then step up to the ball and align your clubface square to the target. This can be sometimes be tricky when your target is so far away, to resolve this locate a closer object on the ground which is on the same target line but a lot closer. This could be a leaf or twig which is lying on the ground, this is vital to ensure your clubface is pointing towards the correct direction.
Golf Pre Shot 3:
Now hold your club with your correct grip and complete your stance and address while keeping the clubface in line with your target. Always adopt the correct posture bending from the hips with your knees slightly bent and quite springy.
When you are in your stance have a quick check to ensure your body is square as possible to your club face, this is vital to ensure your body is aligned correctly and your ball will travel along the intended path.
Golf Pre Shot 4:
When you are sure you have the correct stance and your clubface is aligned correctly towards your target start a few practice swings to relieve any tension in your arms or shoulders. If you feel everything is ok and you are ready to take your shot, start your swing and hit the ball. If you followed these steps then your ball should travel along the intended target line.
There is a lot to think about there and yes it will take some practice until you feel comfortable completing this golf pre shot routine. If you keep doing this with each and every shot you can drastically improve your shots and after a while you will be doing it naturally.
Drills To Improve Your Golf Swing Quickly
One the most important things to do when learning how to complete the golf swing or trying to improve your golf swing is to constantly practice. The great thing is with these drills you do not need to go down the golf course or driving range to practice.
The downside to going down the driving range is deciding what you focus on while down there, as there is no point just turning up hitting a few balls, as this will likely not improve your swing.
So in this article I have provided a couple of dills to improve your golf swing which you can complete from the comfort of your own home, as you do not need clubs to complete these drills.
Golf Swing Drill 1:
Adopt your normal stance and pretend to address the golf ball, hang your arms naturally down over the top of your stance. Move your hands together with your palms facing out and the back of your hands facing each other. Your front arm should be on top of your back arm when the hands are in position.
Now start a practice swing and try to forget that you are not holding a club, ensure your hands stay together for the entire swing. Move with your hips rotating your body to the right, your lower part of your body should respond.
Complete the swing follow through and feel how the weight in transferred from your right to your left hand side, your right heel should lift off the ground.
If practicing at home, you can complete the drill in front of a mirror to really understand how your body should be moving during the swing.
After you have practiced for a while, take the swing action to the golf course or driving range and recreate the swing action but now with a club in your hand.
Golf Swing Drill 2
This drill is designed to focus your mind on how your golf swing should feel like which you can after a while recreate when using your club and hitting some balls.
As with the first drill adopt your correct stance and address position. Your arms this time should make a cross over your chest with your hands holding the top part of your arm not your shoulder. This drill needs you to keep your eye on the ball, so it maybe a good idea to place a ball in the centre of your stance.
When you begin your backswing feel how your upper body turns first and then followed by your lower body, then the downswing completes vice-versa with your upper body following your lower body.
As I mentioned earlier always keep your eye on the ball during the full swing, your eye should be looking directly down at the ball and over the front shoulder on the backswing and back shoulder on the downswing.
If you are looking to improve your golf swing quickly then practice these drills as often as possible, as no club is required then you could even spend 10 – 15 minutes each day practicing them. The more you practice the quicker you’ll feel how your golf swing should be completed, and then you can transfer this to when you're hitting a golf ball.
The downside to going down the driving range is deciding what you focus on while down there, as there is no point just turning up hitting a few balls, as this will likely not improve your swing.
So in this article I have provided a couple of dills to improve your golf swing which you can complete from the comfort of your own home, as you do not need clubs to complete these drills.
Golf Swing Drill 1:
Adopt your normal stance and pretend to address the golf ball, hang your arms naturally down over the top of your stance. Move your hands together with your palms facing out and the back of your hands facing each other. Your front arm should be on top of your back arm when the hands are in position.
Now start a practice swing and try to forget that you are not holding a club, ensure your hands stay together for the entire swing. Move with your hips rotating your body to the right, your lower part of your body should respond.
Complete the swing follow through and feel how the weight in transferred from your right to your left hand side, your right heel should lift off the ground.
If practicing at home, you can complete the drill in front of a mirror to really understand how your body should be moving during the swing.
After you have practiced for a while, take the swing action to the golf course or driving range and recreate the swing action but now with a club in your hand.
Golf Swing Drill 2
This drill is designed to focus your mind on how your golf swing should feel like which you can after a while recreate when using your club and hitting some balls.
As with the first drill adopt your correct stance and address position. Your arms this time should make a cross over your chest with your hands holding the top part of your arm not your shoulder. This drill needs you to keep your eye on the ball, so it maybe a good idea to place a ball in the centre of your stance.
When you begin your backswing feel how your upper body turns first and then followed by your lower body, then the downswing completes vice-versa with your upper body following your lower body.
As I mentioned earlier always keep your eye on the ball during the full swing, your eye should be looking directly down at the ball and over the front shoulder on the backswing and back shoulder on the downswing.
If you are looking to improve your golf swing quickly then practice these drills as often as possible, as no club is required then you could even spend 10 – 15 minutes each day practicing them. The more you practice the quicker you’ll feel how your golf swing should be completed, and then you can transfer this to when you're hitting a golf ball.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
How To Use a Golf Driver
When you are just starting out playing golf you tend to use irons until you get the knack of hitting the golf ball correctly. Then one day your golf buddies or coach suggests you start to use a golf driver.
If you were anything like me then your swing seemed to go to pot each time you use the driver and you forgot everything you were taught when using an iron.
So In this article I want to share with you four quick tips on how to use a golf driver correctly and take away that fear of playing with your driver. Use the tips regularly and you will be hitting longer straighter shots each time you use your driver.
Tip 1: Grip
Your grip is the first part to look at when using your golf driver, your grip should be the same as when using your irons. Do not feel the need to change your grip when using the driver. Your strong hand should be nearer the bottom of your club shaft and your weaker hand near the top. So if you’re a right handed player, the right hand near the bottom and left hand near the top, vice-versa for a left handed player.
Tip 2: Address
When it comes to addressing your ball make sure you stand slightly further back from your golf ball, then when using your iron. The swing plane you create with a driver will be a significantly larger arc so if you stand too close your swing will feel too stiff and cause you to connect with the ball incorrectly. Open your feet stance out to be the same width as you’re shoulders and the heel of your front foot should be in line with the ball. This is slightly further forward than when using an iron.
Tip 3: Posture
After completing your address you need to get yourself ready for that swing, your head should remain still with your eyes looking straight down at your ball. Never look up from the ball to early, it can be tempting to watch your ball travelling through the air. If you do look up too early you will ruin your shot and likely just top the ball causing you to lose any distance.
Your hips need to be driving your swing, to ensure you are doing this move your hips towards the target when you make contact with the ball, this will also help you complete the correct follow through.
Tip 4: Correct Driver
Your golf driver can be your best friend in your golf bag so ensure you feel comfortable when using it, its best to try out a number of different golf drivers before you purchase one. Never purchase a driver because of the brand name or because it’s the most expensive, always try a few drivers out and purchase the one that feels the most comfortable. Swinging to hard will cause you to lose control of your shot, so slow down and stay controlled you will have better results.
Follow these tips in the article to ensure you use a golf driver correctly. Very soon you will not feel the fear of using your golf driver and you will be hitting longer and straight drives than your playing partners.
If you were anything like me then your swing seemed to go to pot each time you use the driver and you forgot everything you were taught when using an iron.
So In this article I want to share with you four quick tips on how to use a golf driver correctly and take away that fear of playing with your driver. Use the tips regularly and you will be hitting longer straighter shots each time you use your driver.
Tip 1: Grip
Your grip is the first part to look at when using your golf driver, your grip should be the same as when using your irons. Do not feel the need to change your grip when using the driver. Your strong hand should be nearer the bottom of your club shaft and your weaker hand near the top. So if you’re a right handed player, the right hand near the bottom and left hand near the top, vice-versa for a left handed player.
Tip 2: Address
When it comes to addressing your ball make sure you stand slightly further back from your golf ball, then when using your iron. The swing plane you create with a driver will be a significantly larger arc so if you stand too close your swing will feel too stiff and cause you to connect with the ball incorrectly. Open your feet stance out to be the same width as you’re shoulders and the heel of your front foot should be in line with the ball. This is slightly further forward than when using an iron.
Tip 3: Posture
After completing your address you need to get yourself ready for that swing, your head should remain still with your eyes looking straight down at your ball. Never look up from the ball to early, it can be tempting to watch your ball travelling through the air. If you do look up too early you will ruin your shot and likely just top the ball causing you to lose any distance.
Your hips need to be driving your swing, to ensure you are doing this move your hips towards the target when you make contact with the ball, this will also help you complete the correct follow through.
Tip 4: Correct Driver
Your golf driver can be your best friend in your golf bag so ensure you feel comfortable when using it, its best to try out a number of different golf drivers before you purchase one. Never purchase a driver because of the brand name or because it’s the most expensive, always try a few drivers out and purchase the one that feels the most comfortable. Swinging to hard will cause you to lose control of your shot, so slow down and stay controlled you will have better results.
Follow these tips in the article to ensure you use a golf driver correctly. Very soon you will not feel the fear of using your golf driver and you will be hitting longer and straight drives than your playing partners.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
The Golf Swing Basics
It is widely thought that the golf swing is very hard to complete correctly and yes without practice then it’s not something that can be picked up instantly.
Swing Step 1: Be Relaxed
Relaxation is vital when completing your swing, so ensure your body is relaxed with your knees and legs feeling quite springy when addressing your ball. If you feel tense then this will show in your swing causing you to not connect with the ball correctly as you’ll be too rigid and stiff.
Swing Step 2: BackSwing and DownSwing
Your backswing should be controlled and started with your hands, move those hands back and then naturally follow with your shoulders and hips. Make sure it’s completed in one single motion and not a series of steps as that would lose any control.
From the top of your backswing your downswing should begin, by moving your hips first which pull through your hands and shoulders. Keep your head completely still looking straight down at your ball, do not be tempted to look up too early.
Swing Step 3: Hand Control
Keep a thought on your hand movements during your swing, it is easy to try and control shot with your strong hand (right for right handers and left for left handers). Make sure your strong hand is just a passenger during your swing.
If you use your strong hand to get more power into your swing you will lose all the control of the swing and end up slicing or hooking your ball.
Your swing needs to be controlled by your weak or front hand, this will help you complete straighter shots which will really help lower that golf score.
Swing Step 4: Swing Tempo
It’s easy to put all your power into your backswing thinking this will ensure you hit longer shots, now sometimes this could be true but more often the more power you put in the less control you will achieve.
So its better to slow down you backswing into one single motion then you can let go with the energy on the downswing when you can have more control even with loads of power.
Swing Step 1: Be Relaxed
Relaxation is vital when completing your swing, so ensure your body is relaxed with your knees and legs feeling quite springy when addressing your ball. If you feel tense then this will show in your swing causing you to not connect with the ball correctly as you’ll be too rigid and stiff.
Swing Step 2: BackSwing and DownSwing
Your backswing should be controlled and started with your hands, move those hands back and then naturally follow with your shoulders and hips. Make sure it’s completed in one single motion and not a series of steps as that would lose any control.
From the top of your backswing your downswing should begin, by moving your hips first which pull through your hands and shoulders. Keep your head completely still looking straight down at your ball, do not be tempted to look up too early.
Swing Step 3: Hand Control
Keep a thought on your hand movements during your swing, it is easy to try and control shot with your strong hand (right for right handers and left for left handers). Make sure your strong hand is just a passenger during your swing.
If you use your strong hand to get more power into your swing you will lose all the control of the swing and end up slicing or hooking your ball.
Your swing needs to be controlled by your weak or front hand, this will help you complete straighter shots which will really help lower that golf score.
Swing Step 4: Swing Tempo
It’s easy to put all your power into your backswing thinking this will ensure you hit longer shots, now sometimes this could be true but more often the more power you put in the less control you will achieve.
So its better to slow down you backswing into one single motion then you can let go with the energy on the downswing when you can have more control even with loads of power.
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