Being the Best Golf Player You Can Be

Just like any other game, to be considered a good golf player goes beyond having an average score of below 80. While skill at playing the actual game is commendable, a holistic view is needed to achieve a well-rounded game.

To play good golf, you have to get down past the three areas of:

- fitness,- practice,- and etiquette.

Fitness- Keeping one’s body and mind in shape is a key element to becoming a good, if not great, golfer. Looking after your body and making sure it’s in shape not only gets you to perform better on the course, it also ensures you that you can enjoy golf even well into your years.

- Achieve bodily fitness by eating right and exercising regularly. Maintain cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone that suits the game of golf. Some indicators of physical fitness are your blood pressure and your BMI (body mass index). Consult with your doctor on what levels are right for your age and body type.

- Mental fitness is also just as important. Find ways to relieve yourself of stress. Develop a regular meditation time alone or with family/friends. Keep your mind sharp by exercising it with reading or with puzzles like crosswords.

Practice- Develop a regular and consistent practice routine. Many find themselves wanting to play more and practice less when it is the opposite that gets better results as far as scores go. By practicing more, you develop techniques and muscle memory that will carry well into your game.

- A good play to practice ratio is 1:2, that is, for every hour of golf you play, you will do 2 hours of practice. This may not be done all in the same day. It is advised to alternate practice and play days so as not to work out too much.

- Continue your education on the game. Not just because you know how to play means you already know everything there is. Remember that there is always something new you can learn so either enroll in a class or take up a lesson or two with a more advanced player. Do this at least on an annual basis. Constantly wanting to level up your golf skills shows your dedication to become a better player than your were the year before.

Etiquette- Being a great player on the course and on the practice field is nothing if you are not a good person to play with. While golf may be a solitary sport, it does not mean that rudeness is condoned. As a gentleman’s game, rules pertaining to respecting others are of utmost importance.

Golf —— Swing Time!

Grip, stance, balance, posture, swing plane, backswing, downswing —— enough already! So much to think about just to hit a hard little ball straight ahead two hundred yards. So let's take it a step at a time.

No single aspect in isolation determines whether or not you have a satisfying swing. Grip is essential, so are balance and the rest. To get them all working in concert, relax and take a good deep breath. Anxious tension in the arms commonly leads to a poor swing.

Move your heels apart to about shoulder width and don't be afraid to jut your butt. Take a firm grip, but don't squeeze the life out of the club. That produces that evil tension.

Think first about three components of swing: backswing, downswing, and swing plane.

Backswing is just what it sounds like —— the part of motion when you take the club back in a smooth arc with your thumb knuckle above your right ear. When you draw it back your club head traces out a circle. Think of that circle as the rim of a round table tipped on edge.

Point your chest away from the target.

Now for the downswing, where you swing the club down and through the ball. This is where physics becomes your friend. A heavy club head, swung in a circle gains a large angular momentum. (A fancy way of saying something you knew already: when you swing a heavy thing in a circle, it whacks whatever it hits real hard.)

Take advantage of that and let your natural body motion carry the club head through the ball's position, toward the target. Swing down in the same plane as your back swing. (Remember the rim of that round table!)

Ah, so simple. Simple to say, hard to do. But here are some hints about how to achieve that smooth, forceful swing.

Keeping your left elbow straight, take the club straight back and up. That's the backswing plane. Let your left arm roll slightly clockwise at the start of your backswing. Be sure your wrists are cocked at a 90 degree angle by the time your left arm is parallel to the ground.

Keep your feet on the ground to anchor that backswing. Remember not to start your downswing with your shoulders. Start your downswing with your lower body. As you bring the club down, turn your belt buckle toward the target. Turn your hips as fast and as powerfully as you can, while retaining control.

At the bottom of the arc, your wrists 'snap' and you follow through, as if the ball weren't there. (By now, it isn't!) Your left arm has swung across your body near the right armpit.

Your shoulders will turn from parallel to the target line, to perpendicular to the target line. Your weight should end on your left foot and keep your eye on the ball.

Of course when you do it this way your shoulders will still turn but you should feel much more torque building through your body.

Instead of creating torque by turning your shoulders, turn your lower chest away from the target. (Torque is another of those handy physics terms. It just means a force in a circle. For those who like science, a larger force from a longer club creates a lot of torque. So whack hard with a short club, or not so hard with a longer club... you get the same torque.)

Your finishing position should be:

- Weight balanced on your front hip,
- Back toe on the ground,
- Hands should be up above your front shoulder and your chest,
- Back knee should be facing the hole,
- Ball much further down the course in the direction you want.

You know, come to think of it, that's still a lot to remember! Get out and practice and it will soon seem 'body' natural, and you can forget thinking about it.


More golf swing tips

Golf Swing Time!

Grip, stance, balance, posture, swing plane, backswing, downswing —— enough already! So much to think about just to hit a hard little ball straight ahead two hundred yards. So let's take it a step at a time.

No single aspect in isolation determines whether or not you have a satisfying swing. Grip is essential, so are balance and the rest. To get them all working in concert, relax and take a good deep breath. Anxious tension in the arms commonly leads to a poor swing.

Move your heels apart to about shoulder width and don't be afraid to jut your butt. Take a firm grip, but don't squeeze the life out of the club. That produces that evil tension.

Think first about three components of swing: backswing, downswing, and swing plane.

Backswing is just what it sounds like —— the part of motion when you take the club back in a smooth arc with your thumb knuckle above your right ear. When you draw it back your club head traces out a circle. Think of that circle as the rim of a round table tipped on edge.

Point your chest away from the target.

Now for the downswing, where you swing the club down and through the ball. This is where physics becomes your friend. A heavy club head, swung in a circle gains a large angular momentum. (A fancy way of saying something you knew already: when you swing a heavy thing in a circle, it whacks whatever it hits real hard.)

Take advantage of that and let your natural body motion carry the club head through the ball's position, toward the target. Swing down in the same plane as your back swing. (Remember the rim of that round table!)

Ah, so simple. Simple to say, hard to do. But here are some hints about how to achieve that smooth, forceful swing.

Keeping your left elbow straight, take the club straight back and up. That's the backswing plane. Let your left arm roll slightly clockwise at the start of your backswing. Be sure your wrists are cocked at a 90 degree angle by the time your left arm is parallel to the ground.

Keep your feet on the ground to anchor that backswing. Remember not to start your downswing with your shoulders. Start your downswing with your lower body. As you bring the club down, turn your belt buckle toward the target. Turn your hips as fast and as powerfully as you can, while retaining control.

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Improve your golf swing

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the subject of golf swing is certainly no exception.

So, your golf swing needs improvement and you know it? Here are some tips in making better golf swings.

Tip no. 1. A great golf swing does not mean you have to swing with arms.
Behind your back, put your golf club while you turn your back to your target. It is like taking your club back as you hinge your arm at your shoulder.
You could also practice the drill known as no arms.

Tip no. 2. You should not forget cocking wrists. Do not forget cocking your wrists. This might be difficult at first, but it will be natural to you with enough practice.

Tip no. 3. You should let the left arm clockwise slightly when you start the back swing. It is not really something that you actually should remember. It naturally happens if you would just allow it. This just means that you should not resist this movement that is just natural. You might not notice it, but you might have been resisting this movement because this causes the head of your golf club to go open slightly when you swing it. Just allow it to happen.

Tip no. 4. Plant your feet firmly on the ground. You might have copied this from baseball. That is, letting your foot heel in front to come above the ground when you swing your golf club back. Some people think that by doing this so, their back swing feels more huge.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on golf swing now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.
It is something that seems lifting the front heel can easily make the body coil and for the tension to build that much harder. Letting the foot roll freely to the inside is fine. However, one should keep that foot on the ground to make golf back swing well-anchored.

Tip no. 5. From the bottom golf down swing.
Assuming that you accomplish all the drills correctly – from the golf stance, the golf grip you have, and your golf back swing. But you can still ruin everything if you begin the golf swing that you have with the shoulders. You might want to use a swing trigger to begin the golf down swing that you have with the lower part of your body.

Tip no. 6. And again, on your golf down swing. You should turn the belt buckle to your target.
Try turning your hips as powerful and fast as possible when you do your golf down swing, it works.

There's a lot to understand about golf swing. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.


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Golf - Perfect Putting

Ok, so there really is no such thing as perfect putting —— but you can get pretty close. Just follow some of these helpful tips:

GRIP and STANCE

Start with the correct grip. Lightly place your hands on the club. It's not a python you have to squeeze to death before it kills you. Use a very light version of your normal grip, but with the pinky on the club, rather than overlapped or interlocked. When you close your fingers, don't force the club into an angle. Address the ball squarely. Relax.

Place the ball toward the front of your stance, centered between your shoulders. Keep your hands near the top of the grip and focus your eyes directly over the ball. The target line is perpendicular to a power saw that would slice your body in half. This makes it easy to give a natural pendulum stroke along the target line.

If you're right handed, lock in your left hand. Left-handers, lock in the right. The putter face should be perpendicular to the target line, and the ball at the sweetspot, usually. As you lean over, your eyes come into line parallel with the target line. A ball dropped from your nose would land onto that line.

Feet will be generally set no wider than the hips, weight balanced slightly toward the inside of their left heel.

BALL
Your ball should be placed roughly between the center of your stance and your left instep. This squares up the path and the clubhead prior to impact. Also, it allows any approach angle to level out enough to for good follow through.

STROKE
Sweeping strokes are usually positioned slightly left, while a tapping motion should be more centered. Your goal is to strike the ball in the center (the sweetspot), unless you're putting on a downhill slope. Then, try hitting closer to the toe of the putter. This gives slightly less impact force, and lowers the odds of overshooting the hole. A smooth stroke back, followed by a forward motion in the same plane is the ideal. Remember, left hand holds, right hand strokes. (For right-handers.)

PRACTICE
If you look closely at most golf balls, you'll notice a line around the 'equator', where there are not dimples. A well constructed ball will be perfectly balanced, with equal weight on any line through the center. But not all are. Good manufacturers, ensure the cover is the same thickness all around, and the core materials a uniform density.
Still, not every ball is perfect. On a practice green (flat, dry, and level), try lining up the line on the ball with the target line toward the hole. Take a few practice putts from 3-6 feet from the hole, then ten feet. Look for any tendency of the ball to veer one way or the other that isn't due to errors in your stance or stroke. (Be honest!)

Now lay down a series of markers (strings or quarters, for example), at different distances from the hole. Try one foot, three feet, six feet, 10 feet, 15 feet. Practice shooting NOT for the hole, but to consistently place the ball within the markers. This will give you a good feel for how hard an impact at what angle rolls the ball how far.

Change the distance between the markers, making them closer together, and repeat until you can put the ball anywhere you want.
See, now you are perfect!

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Handling Tee Box Pressure in Golf

If you’ve played golf for any length of time, you have undoubtedly encountered a situation or two which made you nervous. This phenomena is called ‘tee box pressure’, or TBP for short.

Perhaps it’s happened when you were getting ready to hit your tee shot off #1 with a dozen people watching. Maybe it was when you were paired with the top golfer in your club championship. Whatever the situation, one thing is sure: every golfer will find themselves dealing with TBP sooner or later!

WHY THE NERVES?

What is it about golf that gets us feeling this way in the first place? After all, when you step onto the golf course, there usually aren’t any lives at stake. In addition, whether you perform well or not on any given day, there are a billion people in China who will not care!

This is a complicated question which will have different answers for different people. Often times, we have too much of our egos wrapped up in the game. The more we invest in something (and we all know that golf can be all-consuming), the more we expect in return. When the ‘game is on’, we fear failure. With this fear in our mind, our muscles tighten. This, in turn, makes it harder to have the free-flowing swing and effective touch game that is needed to score well.

Here are a few tips which will help you the next time you are getting ready to play a pressure round.

1. PREPARE MENTALLY

During the days leading up to the big game, prepare yourself mentally for the atmosphere you will be facing. You know you are going to be nervous. Being nervous, however, does not mean you cannot hit good golf shots. Think of all the times you have hit good shots under pressure before.

Picture yourself dealing with various situations that will occur during the upcoming round. Think of the feeling as you prepare to hit your first tee shot. Your heart is beating out of control. Then, you swing under control, in good tempo, and strike a solid one right down the middle of the fairway.

Next, imagine hitting one into trouble. You’re confronted with the options and weigh the risks of punching a miracle shot through the trees. Instead, you calm yourself and ‘take your medicine’ by chipping back out to the fairway. This type of clear thinking will help you to avoid those double and triple bogeys which ruin rounds.

Michael Anthony's The Mental Keys book, along with his Polish The Wheel audio CD, gives you the ultimate golf mental training program guaranteed to lower your score

2. CONSERVATIVE STRATEGY – CONFIDENT GOLF SWING TIPS

The term ‘choke’ is applied to people who don’t perform well under pressure. Who can forget poor Greg Norman losing that 6-shot lead to Nick Faldo at the Masters tournament? The main reason people choke is simply because their thought processes become illogical. They start thinking negatively as if they have never hit a solid golf shot. Or, they start to take unnecessary chances and over-swing in the process.

Before the round, make up your mind that you will not beat yourself. Let the other players beat you. Hit shots that you know you can hit. One top amateur player used this strategy in the Minnesota State Amateur qualifying round at the Lake City Golf Club. He wasn’t playing very well on the front nine and was tempted several times to ‘go for broke’. On the eighth hole, a par five, his second shot left him about 110 yards out in some gnarly rough. He had a good angle at the pin, but if the shot went long, it was obviously going down an embankment leading to a difficult chip with little green to work with. However, he felt like he needed a ‘make something happen’. So, he debated whether to try to finesse a full wedge, or to take a full swing with his gap wedge. He had more confidence in the gap wedge because he knew this club would never put him in the big trouble which was over the green. He selected the gap wedge (conservative strategy) and made a confident swing which left the ball 30 feet below the hole. He two-putted and took his par.

This strategy paid off as he made birdie on the next hole. All of a sudden, his marginal round was heading in the right direction! This may not have been possible if he had taken the aggressive route on the previous hole and gone over the green.

3. LET GO OF THE HANDLE BARS!

A player recently quipped, “You’ve got to let go of the handle bars!” How descriptive of the golfer who, when under pressure, holds onto the club as if it had “handle bars”. Unlike riding a bicycle, holding onto the handle bars is a bad thing in golf!

In other words, you’ve got to let the club swing to be effective. Holding on and trying to steer the ball down the fairway will produce less distance and less accuracy. A golfer has to feel like they are ‘giving up control’ of the swing. In other words, the golfer must trust that what he has trained will work when the pressure is on. This is called ‘muscle memory’.

Giving up control gets progressively harder as the round progresses. The tendency is to start counting your score as you try to figure out how you’re faring compared to everyone else. You must counteract that tendency by consciously trying to swing looser and freer as the round goes on. Stay focused on what you’re trying to do – forget about everyone else. You can’t control them anyway.

Keep the game simple. Pick your target, go through your pre-shot routine and let your swing go! Stay within yourself and you won’t be a victim of that TBP!

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Crazy Golf Facts!

Crazy Golf Facts!

Lighthorse Harry Cooper was at the top of his golfing fame when he took a job as pro at the Oahu Country Club in Hawaii. On his arrival at The Islands, he was made aware that the committee members weren't completely satisfied with his press clippings. They wanted to see an exhibition.

Harry obliged. Using a driver, he drove ball after ball straight down the fairway. Then he changed to an iron and called each shot for distance and direction for a full half-hour.

The Hawaiians still remained unconvinced, and Harry thought it was time to haul out the clincher. For his trick shot, he borrowed a watch from one of his audience. He rested his ball on the watch, drew back his club, and swung carefully.

The ball sailed off down the fairway - a perfect shot - and Harry bent down to retrieve the watch.

Oh-Oh! The crystal was smashed to pieces. For a brief instant Harry looked down at the fractured timepiece. Then he calmly returned the watch to its owner.

"The trick of this shot," he said genially, "is to crack the crystal without damaging the watch itself!"

Can you beat that?

Then there was the case of C. Arthur Thompson of British Columbia, Canada, who had played golf for many years. It kept him so agile that he even was able to tour the links when he was past 100 years of age.

On October 3, 1966, at the age of 97, he managed to shoot a round lower than his age. Thompson scored a 96 on the 6,215 yard Uplands course.

Can you beat that?

Out at the Inverness Golf Club in Toledo, they still call the seventh hole "Ted Ray's Hole." It is so named in honor of the great Britisher who won the U.S. Open there in 1920.

The hole itself is a 320 yard dogleg which can be straightened out to 290 yards - if you carry the forest between the tee and the cup.

Four times in the U.S. Open, Ted Ray cleared those trees; twice, he got directly on the green; once he landed in a trap beside the green; and once, he came to rest on the fairway at the edge of the green.

The British pro scored four birdie 3's at this tough hole and he won the championship by a single stroke!

Can you beat that?

Or how about this...If you ever asked the golf pro Bobby Jones what was tough about the game of golf, he always gave you the same answer. "Long putts are the greatest problem in golf"...and Jones showed everybody how to handle them.

In 1928, for 10 consecutive rounds, Jones averaged 30 putts a round. Confronted with the longest putt in the game - a 120 foot affair on a green at St. Andrews, Scotland - Bobby unsheathed his putter, "Calamity Jane", and knocked that little white ball into that far away cup for a world's record!

Can you beat that?

Remember these crazy golf facts the next time you are out there on the links, and who knows, maybe someday you will have your very own fact to share with others!

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Developing Your Own Golf Style

Developing Your Own Golf Style

You really do need to develop your own golf style. Now, that may seem like an obvious statement, but some beginners think that all they have to do is imitate Tiger Woods' every move and they'll become an instant golf success.

Unfortunately, it's just not that easy. There are no shortcuts to becoming a good golfer.

To begin with, no two people ever swing at a golf ball in exactly the same way. Next time you're at the driving range, stand and watch the rows of people slapping away and you'll quickly see this is absolutely true. Each person has their own unique body build and develops their own individual set of muscles. Therefore, the style of golf played by a person who is large and lanky and swings the club like a hockey player taking a slap shot has a whole different set of muscles than a person who is small and wiry.

Golf will always be an individual sport and finding a style of playing that produces the best results for you will go a long way in determining how much you enjoy playing the game.

With golf, imitation is not necessarily the best form of flattery. If you find yourself trying to copy someone else's style, and you're not having much success, perhaps hiring a professional coach for a few lessons will help you find your own groove and help you make corrections to your swing. Try to hire someone who works with the natural swing that you already have rather than a teacher who tries to teach you general rules that don't necessarily apply to every type of golfer.

It's also a good idea, if you do hire a pro, to make sure that he or she is a top notch player and teacher as well. If they just stand there and watch you swing without actually showing you how to get out of a sand trap, or hit a fade, or the proper way to putt from the fringe, then you're really not getting your money's worth. The best teachers will try to understand your natural abilities first and then adjust their advice to suit your specific needs.

Once you're ready to play a game, it's important not to think too much before taking your shot. I've played with people who stood so long over the ball trying to remember everything their coach taught them, you wondered how they ever got through 18 holes. It's impossible to make a shot while trying to think of a dozen things like your grip, where your feet are, where the ball is, keeping your eye on the ball, keeping your head straight, and so on. If you make a bad shot, don't fret. You'll get another chance to take that shot again, so get on with it an always try to use your natural way of doing things. The worst thing you can do is to keep changing your style just because you had a bad game.

As you're learning the game, however, there are some fundamental principles that need to be observed.

Here are two basic tips to help you improve your personal game.

An important foundation you need no matter what shot you're making, no matter what club you're using, is balance. You must keep your balance when you strike the ball.

And remember, of course, to always keep your eye on the ball. Make sure your stance allows you to see the ball from every point of the stroke.

Take your time and develop your own methods that work best for you. Unless you're playing golf for a living, you have all the time in the world to get it right.

Like everything else in life, golf takes time and practice and if you're patient and try doing everything as natural as possible, in no time you'll get your first birdie, and then your first chip in for par, and before you know it, you'll be breaking 80 on a regular basis.

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Make Your Golf Practice Count

Make Your Golf Practice Count

Most golfers, regardless of their ability level, are guilty of wasting their practice time. How many times have you been at a driving range and witnessed stall after stall filled with tired looking golfers endlessly beating balls. Most have selected the large bucket and think only of launching all those little pellets with the big stick.

Most of these people would have been better off if they had just stayed home and mowed the lawn. Why? They are practicing without a purpose.

PLAN YOUR GOLF PRACTICE

The first step in improving your golf is learning more about the swing. If you do not want to take lessons, there is a wealth of information available

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Golf Basics for Newbies

Golf Basics for Newbies

If you have decided to take up golf as a hobby you will be rewarded with the benefits of fresh air, exercise, and the addition of many new friends and acquaintances. Like any project you approach in life your attitude and expectations will determine your enjoyment of the game.

Take stock of your personal traits. Are you overly competitive? If you are, remember the road to a low handicap is littered with bad shots, bunkers, water hazards and triple digit scores on your round. You will invest a lot of time in practice. Welcome every hook, slice and 3 putt as a learning opportunity. Even Tiger Woods needs a coach to help him with his game.

If you like to meet new people golf provides you with opportunities for social interaction. You will get to meet new people in a setting in which you both have an avid interest. This makes for easy conversation and more opportunities to improve your game. Most clubs offer single players the opportunity to play the round together, if you would prefer to play alone just mention this to the club pro when arranging your tee time.

How much golf equipment do you actually need. Golf can be a very expensive game but there are affordable options. A high-end brand name set of clubs can set you back several thousand dollars but a good used set will cost you a few hundred dollars. Before you buy clubs it is a good idea to visit golf stores and club pro shops. You can test out different types of clubs, determine which club length is best for you, get to know the different types of grips available and learn the difference between graphite and steel shafts. You can learn about the type of golf ball that will best suit you as a beginner. Having a golf ball with the correct compression will help you make the most of your game.

If you want to increase the exercise benefits of golf you can choose to walk the 18 holes. When you are choosing a golf bag you will first need to decide if you are going to walk or ride, your choice here will be a carry or cart bag. Golf bags are available in a range of materials so choose one that is suited to the climate in which you will play most of your golf. Golf shoes are important, make sure they are comfortable and waterproof. A rain suit is also a good addition to your golf bag.

Should you take lessons from a golf professional? Your budget is the deciding factor here. Golf lessons are expensive but if it is within your budget it may be worthwhile. You will find that lessons will raise the standard of your game quickly. A more affordable way to take lessons is to purchase one of the many training programs available on video and dvd. Many seasoned golfers use these programs to raise the standard of their game and new golfers can learn at their own pace.

The above are just the basics of getting started in the game. Before you lift a club, develop the right mental attitude. Remain positive, quiet your mind and envision you shot before you hit the ball. A good mental game is half the battle on the road to a low handicap. Above all enjoy!

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Improve Your Golf Swing - Tips For A Better Game

Improve Your Golf Swing - Tips For A Better Game

There are some fundamental rules to the game of golf. Serious golfers often disagree on what the basics consist of, but if you are among the millions who desperately want to improve their golf swing, these basic tips will help you tremendously and save you a lot of frustration.

The three most important steps you should keep in mind are to keep your head perfectly still, relax your muscles, and keep your club head traveling in a straight line while making contact with the ball. The simple act of keeping your head still throughout your shot can improve your swing immediately. By keeping your club head in a straight line while making contact with the ball, you will avoid slicing and several other undesirable results.

Relaxing your muscles will aid you tremendously in keeping the proper balance. Balance is imperative to a good golf swing. Stand comfortably so you can reach the ball easily and remember that the muscles that propel the ball are the same muscles that twist the body and are the most powerful. No matter what stroke you are making or what club you are playing with, balance is the foundation to a good golf swing, and you must keep your muscles relaxed to achieve perfect balance. Balance really is the cure-all for many faults of golf. Think about keeping your head still and maintaining your balance at all times and you will have a foundation for an excellent golf game.

In the game of golf, no two people ever swing at the ball in the same way. Because of your individual body build, you develop your own individual set of muscles. A method of swinging a golf club used by one person who is of a different build and has developed a different set of muscles may not be of value to you. Golf will always be an individual sport. Find the method of playing that will produce results for you, and then go with it. When you are ready to play a game, and you are faced with a shot, make your decision on how you are going to do things. Do not be persuaded to change your methods every time you have a bad game.

Make sure you keep your eye on the ball and that any stance you take will allow you to see the ball from every point of the stroke. If your golf swing is off, go back to these fundamental rules and plan each shot in advance. Take your time and develop your own methods that work best for you, but keep in mind these basic principles and you will notice a definite improvement in your golf game.

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Kids Basics For Golf

When introducing kids to golf, you need to keep FUN as the main goal.
If you throw in all of the rules and all of the golf talk, then you will make it boring and they will not enjoy it. If you allow a child to enjoy playing golf, then they will grow to love it forever!

Making a child practice for hours and hours will quickly overwhelm a child. Let them practice for small amounts of time, such as 30 minutes, at first. This will help them stay motivated to practice.

Let them hit the ball hard at first. This will make it fun for them. Don’t stress about the correct grip when they are just beginning. Just show them how to keep the right hand under the left hand and let them swing away!

Also, encourage them to keep their feet on the ground during their follow through.

If you want to purchase a child’s set of golf clubs, that is okay, but a used set of women’s clubs will work just as well. They are light and will work great for kids. You only need a woman’s 6 iron, 9 iron, 3 wood, and a putter to start.

Let your child start by playing games chipping and putting. This will allow them to get the feel of the club and the ball. Kids will enjoy bouncing the ball off the wedge to try to hit leaves or twigs.

To keep them motivated, you might want to try some fun contests and games. You will want to avoid pressuring them too early. Allowing your child to enjoy the game will make them want to play instead getting frustrated and quitting.

Encourage your child and they will enjoy playing with you. If you start demanding them to win or overemphasizing competition, then will lose their interest in golf very fast.

Children will progress when they are ready to. If you will let them do this at their own pace, you can help prevent burnout. Don’t force a child to play golf. Playing golf should be fun and full of enjoyment. Have fun with them and playing golf!

If your child really seems to be interested in golf, then you may want to consider golf lessons or a golf camp especially for children. If you want a private instructor, make sure that you watch them teach children first. You want someone that will encourage your child and that is good at teaching children.

If is very important to teach your child golf etiquette. Teach them that it is not acceptable to talk when someone else is swinging. Stand still. Don’t walk in front of someone swinging. Don’t walk in front of someone’s line or through their line.

Don’t criticize them. Praise the shots and swings that they make. Encourage them in the correct methods, but don’t dwell on their incorrect shots.

If you completely focus on the important parts of golf – enjoying it and learning the basics – then you may have a child that can compete with you on the golf course and who enjoys golf for the rest of their life.

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A very good blog for family how2guide

Get A Grip

Golf Get A Grip

Dozens of different factors play into a good golf shot —— grip, posture, stance, balance, swing, concentration, and many more. But it all starts with the right grip. Though there are a variety of different grips for different purposes, here are some steps to start out right.
"Top hand holds, bottom hand throws" is a catchphrase heard among experienced golfers. Keep that in mind, for all the following (Notes: Steps assume a right-handed golfer):
Step #1 With the golf head down, grip using only the last three fingers and the pad of your left hand. Grasp with your left hand and adjust the club so the grip is in your fingers, not your palm.
Step #2 Make sure your left hand thumb is straight down. The point where your thumb meets your hand should be near the top of club.
Step #3 Now grip with the fingers of your right hand. Note the small vertical crease in your right palm near the wrist. Overlap the creases of your hands.
Step #4 Grab the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left. Note the index finger and thumb of right hand. You should see a 'V' where they meet. That vertex (the point where they meet) should point to your right shoulder.
Step #5 Make sure your right thumb is not running straight down the club but instead is pointed slightly toward your right shoulder.
Those are the five basic steps. Now let's check some qualifications and exceptions, and other important items.
Check #1 Players with large hands should use an overlapping grip, with the right pinky finger resting between and on top of the left hand's forefinger and middle finger. (See Step #4)
Check #2 Players with smaller hands should use a 10-finger grip, with all fingers on the grip like a baseball grip. This is an exception to the general rule of Step #4.
Check #3 Players with medium-sized hands should use an interlocking grip, with the pinky on the grip, but between the middle and forefinger of the left hand.
Check #4 To double-check that your grip is correct, make sure you can see three of your knuckles on your left hand.
Check #5 Hold the club lightly, but firmly with both hands. The more relaxed your grip, the straighter and farther you'll hit the ball.


Don't squeeze the life out of the club. To ensure you avoid this, extend your target arm. Hold the club at an angle in front of you with the heel pad of your left hand on top of the handle. This puts the club across the top joints of the fingers (where the fingers meet the hand). The heel pad supports and traps the club, relieving you of the need to hold it in a death grip.
Some final words of wisdom:
One of the most common errors among golfers is a weak lead-hand grip (left hand for the right-handed golfer). This produces a shot that slices and lacks power. So later, we'll cover how to avoid slicing.
Left wrist and forearm strength are critical to golf success, so we'll discuss some good exercises elsewhere. But for now a simple daily routine is to hold the club straight out in front of you using the last three fingers of the left hand. From the wrists, move the club up and down 10-12 times. Three controlled sets without bending the arm will strengthen your muscles and get the proper motion into your muscle memory.
Practice daily, and try to build up to a consistent grip.

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Golf Tips from Harvey Penick

• Harvey Penick, known as America’s Best Loved Golf Teacher, offers the following advice for golfers.
• Practice your swing without a ball. Swing your 7-iron at a certain blade of grass until you hit that spot consistently.
• Try not to be nervous about playing your game. Change, “I have to play today” to “I can’t wait to play today!” Have fun playing golf!
• When choosing a putter to chip, try this tip. Toss a ball close to the hole underhanded. Then ask, “Which club will create the same path of flight and results?” Choose the club that will give you the same results.
• Use your intuition when choosing clubs or making a shot. The right club to use is the first club that comes into your mind. Try not to second-guess yourself.
• Try not to listen to your opponents. Concentrate on your own game.
• Many of the challenges that golfers have with their swings is due to an incorrect grip or stance. Practice these basics when your game seems to be off.
• To alleviate tension and aid in concentration, practice hitting leaves or twigs.
• After you hit a bad shot, you don’t have to make an adjustment immediately. If you start to have a pattern of bad shots, then try a grip change.
• Take your time making a shot. Don’t rush a shot. When you are ready, hit the ball.
• Stick with your decision. When you are decisive, the rest of your body will follow through with what it is expected to do.
• Keep your eye on the whole ball, not just a part of it.
• Be sure you have eye check ups regularly.
• Rotator cuff area pain is a very common golf injury. Penick says to ice it after you are done playing golf. It may also help to circularly swing your arms slowly while you are playing.
• This can help prevent your muscles from getting tight.
  
• Don’t swing too hard. Try to believe that your ball will go a far distance if you swing correctly and solidly and that will miraculously happen.
  
• It is very important to keep your left arm straight upon impact.
  
  If you are looking for an enjoyable and inspiring book to read about golf, check out HARVEY PENICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK: LESSONS AND TEACHINGS FROM A LIFETIME OF GOLF , Penick’s books will make you happy and you will get some great tips too!

Golf - Make Your Short Game Shorter (end)

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Golf - Make Your Short Game Shorter (end)

Practice a few "flamingo drill" shots by hitting some chips and pitches with the toe of your rear foot balanced on your front foot.

This puts the weight on your front leg. (Either that, or you fall down. A position from which it's difficult to hit much!) Now, put your foot down to the normal position and hit a few more. Notice how the exercise helps to prevent hanging back and lifting the ball into the air.

Remember, if your head is behind the ball, your weight will tend to be behind the ball. You want more of your weight on the front to prevent those fat chip shots. Also, keeping the ball on the ground longer will increase accuracy.

Take a 7 or 8 iron and grip closer down toward the bottom of the grip. Open your stance slightly and align the shoulders on the target line.

Using a putting stroke —— arms and shoulders do the work, while the lower body stays quiet —— draw the club back about 18 inches. The down swing should follow through the same distance after impact.

For good chipping, set your hands slightly ahead of the ball and lean a little toward the target. Flex the knees slightly and narrow the stance.

The swing doesn't require great force, if your impact is square and on the sweetspot. Aim to impact down on the backside of the ball to keep it from gaining too much height.

Accelerate smoothly. Remember, don't uncock your wrists too early on the downswing.
When your short game is as short as possible, the next best percentage play is to practice those putts.

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Golf tips Make Your Short Game Shorter part one

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Since 70 percent of shots are made within 120 yards of the hole, improving your short game can lead to better scores with less effort. One technique, mental as much as physical, to improve your short game is by starting from the hole and working backwards.

Everyone knows the frustration of missing those two foot putts, but that can be practiced off the course.

On the course, start with the right club selection. A higher shot such as a lob, will need a club with more loft, so match the distance and height to the number. But keep in mind, you want the ball on short shots to stay out of the air as much as possible.

To keep the shot low, position your chest in front of the ball, with about 75 percent of your weight shifted to the balls of the feet. When you need to make those higher shots, the chest is further back, even slightly behind the ball with only 60 percent of your weight forward.
Proper contact at impact will do more for accuracy and proper distance than a forceful swing. Most golfers hit plenty hard enough.

Concentrate on consistently connecting with the ball at the sweetspot, with the clubface square. This is critical with wedges where the loft of the club can easily encourage hooks or slices. And remember, the handle of the club should always be in front of the face at impact.

Golf swing drills (end)

A golf SWING DRILLS

Remember that a golf swing is a kind of rotational movement.
Key to that movement is to stay in the same plane on the downswing as you were in the backswing.
Think of that plane as a round table top, tipped on edge and placed on the ball.

The bottom half of the rim of that table is the arc your club should go through on the entire swing.

Practice a backswing to downswing movement, but stop at the point of impact to verify that the clubface is along the rung of that ladder.

If the clubface is open, you've rotated your right forearm too much. (For right-handed golfers.)
Place a half dozen tees in the ground a few inches apart along the rung of the ladder.

Golf Swing at one, then move forward to the next.

With practice, you should be able to consistently clip the middle of a tee while staying in the swing plane.

RHYTHM AND BALANCE

That leads us to the last important elements: rhythm and balance.
You can see it in person or on television — the greats all have beautiful rhythm.
That's key to a consistently good swing. But you can't have good rhythm without good balance and vice-versa.
The proper position and stance are static, balance is dynamic.

Start with the static — you can't do otherwise. But you need to retain good balance and rhythm through the entire swing.
Don't rush your golf swing. With the spine tilted away from the target at address, your weight should be evenly distributed between your right and left feet. Then take a smooth pull back and an easy swing down.

As you practice a few swings have a friend gently push your shoulder blades, lower back, one shoulder in one direction then alternate. In every case, you should be solid and not about to fall over at any time. (We assume you've saved the drinking for AFTER the game!)

Every portion of the swing should be smooth and on the backswing and the downswing you should feel like a well-oiled machine.

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Golf swing tips (part one)

There are dozens of sometimes clever, sometimes ridiculous tricks for improving your swing. We'll review some shortly. And hope they're viewed as clever, not ridiculous! But, first, some basics.

Golf tips - swing

STANCE AND BALL POSITION

Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart (unless you are Mr. Universe); slightly less for short irons, wider for long irons and wedges. Aim the club directly at the target and imagine a line between your position and it. That's the target line. Your body should be parallel to the target line, with the line of the shoulders perpendicular to the club face. Imagine you're standing on a ladder on the ground, with your feet on one side, the target line on the other. One rung connects you to the ball. If you're driving, you know you have the ball teed correctly if the top of it is slightly above the club's head. For a putt, since the common putter has a short, flat face, it should align along the ladder rung.

WRISTS AND GRIP
The grip should be firm, but not tense. You want control, not muscle. Your wrist position is essential to creating maximum impact at the proper angle. That does a lot more for distance than brute force. The most common mistake is to allow the lead wrist to collapse at impact. To firm up the wrists, take a club and raise it just using the wrist, keeping your arm at your side. Point the toe parallel to the ground and hold for five seconds. (Tough, isn't it!?) Repeat until your forearm feels used, but not sore. Switch arms and repeat. Take some swings with one hand/arm only. It's not a natural thing and doesn't improve your swing by itself; it's too different from a two-handed swing. But it helps develop control.

BODY
Take your normal address. (Address: the stance and position with respect to the ball before the swing.) Hold a club across your shoulders, then turn as if you were making a backswing. Get someone to watch you and verify that the club points four feet or more beyond the ball.

Golf tips , get a grip (part two)

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Don't squeeze the life out of the club. To ensure you avoid this, extend your target arm. Hold the club at an angle in front of you with the heel pad of your left hand on top of the handle. This puts the club across the top joints of the fingers (where the fingers meet the hand).

The heel pad supports and traps the club, relieving you of the need to hold it in a death grip.
Some final words of wisdom:
One of the most common errors among golfers is a weak lead-hand grip (left hand for the right-handed golfer). This produces a shot that slices and lacks power. So later, we'll cover how to avoid slicing.

Left wrist and forearm strength are critical to golf success, so we'll discuss some good exercises elsewhere. But for now a simple daily routine is to hold the club straight out in front of you using the last three fingers of the left hand. From the wrists, move the club up and down 10-12 times. Three controlled sets without bending the arm will strengthen your muscles and get the proper motion into your muscle memory.
Practice daily, and try to build up to a consistent grip.

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Golf Tips Get A Grip part one

More golf tips, golf swing, golf lesson

Dozens of different factors play into a good golf shot , grip, posture, stance, balance, swing, concentration. But it all starts with the right grip. Though there are a diversity of different grips for different purposes, here are some steps to start out right.

-Top hand holds, bottom hand throws- is a catchphrase heard among experienced golfers. Keep that in mind, for all the following.

#1 With the golf head down, grip using only the last three fingers and the pad of your left hand. Grasp with your left hand and adjust the club so the grip is in your fingers, not your palm.

#2 Make sure your left hand thumb is straight down. The point where your thumb meets your hand should be near the top of club.

#3 Now grip with the fingers of your right hand. Note the small vertical crease in your right palm near the wrist. Overlap the creases of your hands.

#4 Grab the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left. Note the index finger and thumb of right hand. You should see a 'V' where they meet. That vertex (the point where they meet) should point to your right shoulder.

#5 Make sure your right thumb is not running straight down the club but instead is pointed slightly toward your right shoulder.

Those are the five steps. Now let's check some qualifications and exceptions, and other important items.

#1 Players with large hands should use an overlapping grip, with the right pinky finger resting between and on top of the left hand's forefinger and middle finger. (See #4)

#2 Players with smaller hands should use a 10-finger grip, with all fingers on the grip like a baseball grip. This is an exception to the general rule of Step (See #4)

#3 Players with medium-sized hands should use an interlocking grip, with the pinky on the grip, but between the middle and forefinger of the left hand.

#4 To double-check that your grip is correct, make sure you can see three of your knuckles on your left hand.

#5 Hold the club lightly, but strongly with both hands. The more relaxed your grip, the straighter and farther you'll hit the ball.

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Golf RULES & ETIQUETTE

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RULES & ETIQUETTE

RULES
Like any game, the official rules are many and complex. But the simple version is this: Tee up, hit the ball toward the flag. Try to get the ball in the hole the flag is in. (When you get close, take the flag out!) The fewest strokes over the course of all holes wins. Hit your own ball and count every stroke.

ETIQUETTE
Don't endanger another player by standing too close them when you or (s)he swings. And don't make excessive noise when someone is hitting. Avoid holding up players behind or with you. If you lose your ball, let them 'play through'. Replace 'divots' (chunks of earth and grass you dug up by using the golf club — accidentally — as a shovel.) Fix other damage made. In short, be courteous to those around you. Golf is one of the few games where civilized behavior is actually enforced!

WRAPPING IT UP
For the novice, golf can be enjoyed from the start. For those interested and motivated, there's an inexhaustible supply of information about the physics and physiology of swing mechanics, grip, stance, and other arcana. Tiger Woods has been practicing and playing from a young age and he still takes lessons. For the beginner, there's a large amount of knowledge to absorb and physical movement to practice right at the outset. But don't get so overwhelmed that you forget the primary purpose: to have fun!

Golf tips, golf swing, golf lesson and much more

Golf — Getting Started: Learn, But Enjoy!

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Since a game of golf can cost anywhere from $5 to $100 dollars, sooner or later you're going to get the urge to do more than whack a ball around a hundred times. Good!
But before you rush out and spend hundreds on your own clubs, invest $50 on a lesson or two. That investment, if made with the right instructor, will get you started on correct grip, stance, posture (the essentials!), swing mechanics and exercises, as well as proper equipment selection. Start with putting practice, and a few weekends on the driving range. Move up to nine holes, then onto 18 after a few weeks. During the week, do some of the basic exercises, while you learn the rules and etiquette.

So what are some of the basics?

CLUBS
There are three basic categories: irons, woods, and putters. Woods are used to hit farthest, irons intermediate distances, and putters for up close. The lower the number club used, the farther (we hope!) the ball travels. On average, a 1 wood used correctly whacks a ball about 170 yards or more, a 5 iron about 100 yards, a 9 iron about 60. Putters are used to push the ball a few feet to a few yards across a much smoother grass area called the green. Pitching and sand wedges are special, sharply angled clubs for chipping up steep hills or out of sand traps. Get clubs with grips that are neither so small the club twists in your hands on impact, nor so large you can't wrap your fingers easily around it.

STARTING GRIP

To get started, remember the grip is vital. There are a dozen different kinds, but the most common is the one in which the index finger of the left hand hooks the pinky of the right. (For right handed individuals.) Then for proper alignment, "check the V's": The V's are the angle between your thumb and forefinger on each hand. These should point between your chin and back shoulder. Make sure that when looking down, you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand and a "V" formed between the thumb and forefinger pointing toward your right shoulder. With the right hand, have the "V" pointing toward your chin or slightly to the right shoulder.
SWING
Start at address with a Nine iron. (A term for standing near, and ready to hit, the ball. Who knows where these words come from!) With your heels about shoulder width apart, take a few practice swings. You want to hit the ball squarely in the middle of the club left to right, but slightly up from the bottom. Take a firm grip and balance stance, but don't crush the club nor dance on your toes. Try to keep the swing in one plane. (A plane is a flat surface; think of swinging alongside the top of a round table tilted on end. Curve with the table edge.) Follow through after making contact with the ball. Keep the ball in the center of your field of vision.


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Golf Get A Grip

Golf Get A Grip

Dozens of different factors play into a good golf shot —— grip, posture, stance, balance, swing, concentration, and many more. But it all starts with the right grip. Though there are a variety of different grips for different purposes, here are some steps to start out right.
"Top hand holds, bottom hand throws" is a catchphrase heard among experienced golfers. Keep that in mind, for all the following (Notes: Steps assume a right-handed golfer):
Step #1 With the golf head down, grip using only the last three fingers and the pad of your left hand. Grasp with your left hand and adjust the club so the grip is in your fingers, not your palm.
Step #2 Make sure your left hand thumb is straight down. The point where your thumb meets your hand should be near the top of club.
Step #3 Now grip with the fingers of your right hand. Note the small vertical crease in your right palm near the wrist. Overlap the creases of your hands.
Step #4 Grab the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left. Note the index finger and thumb of right hand. You should see a 'V' where they meet. That vertex (the point where they meet) should point to your right shoulder.
Step #5 Make sure your right thumb is not running straight down the club but instead is pointed slightly toward your right shoulder.
Those are the five basic steps. Now let's check some qualifications and exceptions, and other important items.
Check #1 Players with large hands should use an overlapping grip, with the right pinky finger resting between and on top of the left hand's forefinger and middle finger. (See Step #4)
Check #2 Players with smaller hands should use a 10-finger grip, with all fingers on the grip like a baseball grip. This is an exception to the general rule of Step #4.
Check #3 Players with medium-sized hands should use an interlocking grip, with the pinky on the grip, but between the middle and forefinger of the left hand.
Check #4 To double-check that your grip is correct, make sure you can see three of your knuckles on your left hand.
Check #5 Hold the club lightly, but firmly with both hands. The more relaxed your grip, the straighter and farther you'll hit the ball.

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Golf lesson (end )

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Start small and don't take everything too seriously too soon.
Many pros will advise against spending many weeks on a driving
range when first beginning, because they want you to avoid
developing bad habits which are hard to break. But, some time
on a range can be a cheap way to get your muscles moving, find out
if you have an aptitude or interest, and give you an idea of the
types of clubs and balls to use.Find an inexpensive course and
wear comfortable, loose clothing that doesn't bind your arms
and shoulders.
Save that $1,000 you'd spend on pants, shoes, and shirts for later.
Start with a simple three club set borrowed from a friend or rented
from the clubhouse. A Nine iron, a wedge, and a Number 5 wood is plenty.
Actually you'll use the wedge less on a driving range, but you can add
a putter and move to the putting practice area later. Some have
miniature sand traps to practice escaping.Relax, observe those
who hit well and imitate their grip, stance, and posture.
Tee up, keep your eye on the ball as you swing, and give it a firm whack.
If you miss a few, so be it. Enjoy. You're teaching your body
what the swing feels like, what angle and impact produces what
kind of flight.On the putting green, start very close to the hole —
no more than a couple of feet. When you can make 25 putts in a
row more or less consistently, move back to six feet, 10 feet, 20 feet — no farther.
'More or less' consistently — even the pros sometimes miss a
two-footer!Whether driving or putting, stand so that a casual push
wouldn't knock you over. Golf is about balance, concentration, and
some simple physics. Now, go have a cool drink in the clubhouse
and enjoy the day. You did well your first time out.

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Golf Lesson — Getting Started: Learn, But Enjoy

Golf lesson

In 15th century Scotland the game of "gowf" was born. Around 1744, the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, established in Edinburgh, then codified the first rules of play. And the world has never been the same since. Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world; played in countries as far flung as Mexico and Ireland, South Africa and China. And, of course, Scotland. There are even universities that offer a major in Golf.
So, for the novice getting started, the game entails entering a world with rich and varied history, a potentially major investment of time and money, a steep physical and mental learning curve — and enormous fun! The best way a beginner can begin is by learning what NOT to do.
First, don't rush out and spend a large amount of money on course fees, equipment, lessons, clothing, and so forth. You don't yet know which courses are worth it, what equipment is quality and which suits you, and lessons can wait a short while.
Part of the excitement is the newness and the joy of finding a sport that you can play alone, with friends and spouses, or even with the whole family. But golf is a difficult game to play well and can be frustrating and expensive if you don't invest a little time finding out what you need to know.


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