Fine Tuning the Golf Swing

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Getting a new golf club

There are a microscopic few who can take to a sport of their choice and make a success of it. The typical procedure is to have an interest in the sport, then learn as much as you can and then out in quality time practicing the sport preferably with people who are well versed in the sport. Hw much time you put into the sport determines how well you play it and the same also applies to the quality of the equipment you use to play the game.

So far as beginner's golf equipment is concerned there are a vast array of equipment in the market. It is presumed that you have an experienced hand teaching you the beginning techniques of the game. If you have an instructor it is best that he r she guide you as to which of the necessary equipment you should purchase and practice with at the outset of your golfing career.

Getting a new golf club
The first in the line of beginners golf equipment will necessarily be a proper golf club, then will come the gloves if necessary and most of all the shoes because you will be doing a lot of walking. Comfortable golf shoes will help you play a comfortable game of golf, it will also assist you to develop a proper stance because golf shoes are designed not only for comfort but to help you place your feet properly whine taking a swing at the ball.

There are other golf equipment that come in handy when you are setting out in your golfing career. The most important of all is the golf club. Golf clubs are scientifically designed to distribute body weight when swinging. A well designed golf club will produce the perfect flight for the ball and you will be practicing this stance so when you are choosing your golf clubs ensure that you pick the best one and stick to the company. Because if you change your golf club manufacturer you will probably be changing the weight and design of the club and this can adversely affect your game because you stance and swing depend a lot on the golf club.

There are other golf gadgets in the market such as the wrist guard. This gadget clamps on to your wrist and keeps it at an angle that is known to produce the perfect swing. A couple of months with this gadget and you will be swinging like a pro even without wearing the wrist clasp.

Anyway, whenever you choose to go out and get yourself a set of junior beginner golf accessories it is best to take along an experienced player or your coach to get the best there is in the market - after all this is an investment in a career.

Golf is a delicate game of balance and skill and to be able to find this balance you need to have the right golf club in your hands. And each shot is different and to have the right golf club in your had each time you are going to need a whole set of clubs right? If you are new to the game of golf then you might not have realized just how important the right golf club is to your game but the sooner that you figure this out the better your game will be.

If you are a beginner golfer then you might do better with a golf club that has more flexibility to it. As you improve and your golf swing gets stronger and harder you can then think about switching to a golf club with less flexibility. This flexibility is appropriately called the shaft flex and it really does vary from golf club to golf club and it is very key to the amount of control you will have over the ball.

The golf club and really the entire golf club set that you choose will be influenced by how good a player you are so far. Different ability levels require different golf clubs, this is just a simple fact of the game. Having the right golf club will help you to learn as a much faster and more efficient, not to mention fun, rate.


Getting a new golf club
You enter a golf store and are overwhelmed with all the irons, woods, putters and wedges that you see along with the golf balls, clothing and other golf accessories. If you are just starting to play golf, the task of selecting the golf clubs that would work for you could be a bit challenging.

First, you would need to know what a set of clubs is made up of. There are four main types of golf clubs: the Woods, the Irons, the Wedges and the Putter. Today, you may also come across hybrid clubs. A hybrid club is a cross of a wood and an iron. People who are having a hard time hitting their long irons, like a 2 or 3 iron, prefer to use these clubs. You are allowed to have up to 14 clubs and could be in any combination. An example of a good combination for your golf clubs would be one driver, one 4 wood, 3 through 9 iron, a lob wedge, a gap wedge, a sand wedge, a pitching wedge and one putter. However, the combination would entirely be up to you or the golfer as different combinations work for different people.

You then need to know your available options as you buy your golf clubs. You can either buy used or new. Although you would definitely save more if you choose to buy used golf clubs, you may encounter some issues like cracked shafts, worn grips and other problems that a new set would surely not have. If you are buying your first set, it usually makes more sense to buy new ones.

After deciding on buying a new or old set, you now have to decide if you will be getting a complete set or will just buy individual clubs by your own to make one set. Putting together your own set would be a bit more expensive compared to just buying a set of clubs that is already complete. Purchasing a complete set also saves you the hassle and the time in making decisions.


Getting a new golf club
When you buy first car or your own house, the feelings are very priceless. This is similar to buying golf equipment also. You have to invest your in a best possible way. So, you have to get something which comes along with you for years together. So, you have to choose the best clubs too. It should perfectly match with your own swinging style. When you plan to buy for your club, you need to put a checklist in advance. You have to utilize your money in an effective manner. Your purchase should be very comfortable and conservative too. The quality of your products should be high. So, with the help of checklist you can save your money and satisfy your needs also. So, avoid spending money on the product in which you are not fully satisfied with. Your needs should be satisfied to some extent.

Your golf club should also swing with you. Choose it very carefully. If the store permits you then you can strike it and then choose to pay for it. Spend in your money for worth products. Hit the ball and give some test swings unless you are satisfied with it. The weight and height of the club also helps you to choose the best. Even the flex of shaft helps you to decide on the best club. Try out many clubs; this may help you to choose the ideal club for you. The one made for you. You can choose club with higher shaft length or lower length according your satisfaction. The above specific features help you to choose the best club for you. So, your money is also spent efficiently.

The material is dependent on the flex needed by you in the shaft. The best suited material for the beginners is the club made of graphite. It is more flexible compared to others. This is followed by steel shafts. These are cheaper and reliable. But steel clubs are heavier. Some may prefer these steel shafts only. But you have to try the best shaft for you by giving yourself some test swings in the store. And buy it until you feel comfortable with it.


Getting a new golf club
Most beginners go out and buy a set of clubs based on a friend’s recommendation or a television commercial with a famous personality. This is a bad idea for many reasons. First of all, just because your friends clubs or sets of clubs work well for them doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have a better game with a different club or set of clubs. Second, what works best for your friends may not be the best for you. And finally, you can bet that your favorite golfer, while endorsing a companies product, is going to have his or her clubs custom made by that company rather than using the off the shelf variety.

You may also find that you need different levels of controls for different clubs. A pre-made, mass marketed set is not always your best choice when it comes to purchasing golf clubs. Of course you may not want to go to an incredible amount of expense in purchasing a set if you aren’t sure you’ll enjoy the sport (trust me there will be days you hate it, then you’ll hit that one perfect shot and remember why you love it so much). At the same time, the right equipment can help you enjoy playing that much better.

If you can’t justify the expense in your mind, then you may want to start out with an inexpensive beginners set and add one piece at a time as your skills and love of the game improve. That’s the way I did it, though now I wish I had had the better equipment to begin with. Whatever you decide to do, don’t overlook the impact that a good set of clubs will have on your golf game.

After the golf bug has bitten you and you have developed a good golf swing, you naturally will start shopping for a new set of golf clubs. You have several options to consider in the quest for the best golf clubs that fit your needs. A good place to initiate your search is the local teaching pro. Remember you are not just looking for the best clubs; you are also looking for the best price as well. Sometimes you will find the best deal at your local pro shop. The price may not be the lowest but a distinct advantage to going local is that you can usually physically handle and try them out. In addition if there are problems or you need some adjustments you have a local location to get the problem solved.

Good golf clubs can be purchase at larger sporting goods stores. These large sporting goods stores have good prices but generally have a limited selection of brands. If you are satisfied with a good standard set of golf clubs then you most likely will be able to find something that will fit you at these super stores. Again if have a problem with the clubs you can always go back and get a replacement. One major problem with going to a super sporting goods store is that the staff more than likely has little or no expertise in helping you make a sound selection. Basically you have to make your purchase decisions base on your own knowledge. If you are a beginner to the game of golf you may not be able to make an informed and intelligent purchase.

Purchasing new golf clubs from a website is also a good idea. Always use a credit card when making an online purchase. If the item is not what you want or not as described you can always send the item back for a refund. If the seller does not honor their return policy you can contact your credit card company and they will most likely get all or most of your purchase price back. Always look for a guarantee and the placards given by the various online retail associations and the better business bureau. Credit card transactions are many times safer on line using SSL encryption technology than making a purchase at your local retailer. You can tell a site is secure by checking the Web address for an "https" instead of an "http." The extra "s" stands for secure. Also, some sites will appear with a little key symbol in the browser to let you know it's safe. In addition you can always do a quick background check on any online seller by simply typing the words problems or fraud next to companies name and hit search. Despite all that you hear purchasing items on line including golf clubs is relatively safe.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Putting tips in golf

Most duffers could do more to lower their scores and handicap by improving their total putts per round than focusing on any other aspect of the game. As you think about your last round or two you will come to understand my point.

Learning to putt well consistently begins with sound putting fundamentals and proper putting mechanics. Stroking the putt well is only about half of what it takes to make more putts.
What is the fastest way to ruin a well stroked putt? If you fail to understand how to read the green even your perfectly struck putt will miss its' target most every time.

Knowing how the slope, grain, gravity, wind and speed will affect your putt is vital to making the correct allowances that gives your putt a reasonable chance of dropping into the cup.

How well do you read greens? Can you easily and quickly predict the fall line for each putt? Can you tell which direction the grain is running? What other factors could affect the putt as it moves toward the hole?

7 Tips to Reading the Greens" below:
1. Greens are generally sloped back to front. Putts are slower going front to back; faster back to front.

2. Take a general survey of the green as you approach it noting the contours between your ball and the cup.

3. Notice your surroundings, which direction is the lake or river? Where is the high ground? These land features will influence the roll of your putt.

4. Also take not of the color variances on the green from behind your ball. Darker areas mean your putt is into the grain and will be slower. Shiny areas mean y you putt is with the grain and will be faster.

5. Grass grows toward the sun. If your shadow is between you and the cup, you will be putting into the grain. Is your shadow behind you? Then you are putting with the grain.

6. Is there moisture on the surface of the green? Are the greens soft from rain or watering? If so your putts are slower.

7. How windy is it? If the wind is sufficient to disturb your clothing or the trees nearby then you can expect the green to be dry and fast. Also the wind will affect the speed and direction of your putt.

I suggest you begin to apply these tips to see your putts per round improve. Even just one of these seven tips could help you to lower you score on your very next round. Think about it this way. If each tip saves you just one putt per round then this information could lower your score by seven strokes.

Most duffers would give their last dollar for seven fewer strokes.
Save some strokes off your next round and take these tips with you to the course the next time you play. Who knows, it may be your lowest round ever.

Every now and again some enlightened golf teacher will mention the obvious fact that putting and golf are really two different games. Even then, they don't really address the differences required in the techniques.

In golf, you have very large targets. They can be fairways, or they can be greens. Either way, there are a nearly infinite number of places on each that your ball can end up and still be in good shape.

The target shrinks down to 4 ¼ inches once you reach the green. The hole. There are no longer an infinite number of acceptable places you can finish. And not only is the target substantially smaller, but you must also hit it at the correct speed if you want the ball to fall in.

Fine tune golf swing

The key to golf is consistency. Problems like slicing the ball or hooks have golfers crying in agony all the time. Maybe your problem is hitting the ball short distances, you step up to the tee only to drive 140 yards. All these golf problems can be related to inconsistencies. To achieve consistency you must improve your swing which can be related to your form, but you can accomplish these goals through study and practice.

To learn more about your golf swing the best thing you can do is receive instruction on it. This can be in the form of a book or golf classes. Nothing beats a proper education. The best bet is to receive classes from a golf pro but these can become expensive very quickly, however a book can be quite inexpensive and teach you just as much as long as you follow what it says.

Different Strokes. Different Folks. Every golfer is created differently. There are lots of different ways to hit a golf ball, so you need to find out what is best for you. Everybody has a different swing that is right for themselves, so you need to practice as much as possible until you find your perfect swing. Keep studying and keep practicing and in no time at all I am sure you will be ready for that next pro-am golf tournament.


Here are some tips that you can try the next time you hit the range.
1. Swing easy when you first start out. The natural tendency for almost every golfer I know is to try and swing out your you know what and crush the ball. Guess what the results will show. When you are trying to re-work your swing. Focus on solid contact by swinging at 75 or 80%.


2. One of biggest mistakes I see for those golfers who slice the ball is to compensate for it by turning left or turn right for lefties. The tip here is to understand why you slice and take corrective measures to fix the slice instead of trying to compensate for it.


3. Most swing issues people have is a derivative of improper arm mechanics. Keep it simple guys and gals. On the back swing keep the wrists from breaking at any time. Keep the lead elbow straight and the trailing elbow tucked into the side.


4. Weight transfer is also very important to consistent play. On the back swing your weight should be evenly distributed between the lead and trailing foot. On the down swing the weight should transfer onto the front foot. Weight transfer is the key to power in the golf swing.