Thursday, March 25, 2010

How A Slice Can Ruin Golf For You

Golf is a good sport as a result of it can be played by people of all ages and gets you outside for exercise and social interaction with associates and business colleagues. As nice as golf is it is also coronary heart wrenching becasue of the difficulyt of mastering the sport which many feel can't be mastered. One of the most important issues a variety of golfers face is their lack of ability to hit the ball straight down the middle hitting the ball with both a slich or a draw.

Unfortunatelythese little flaws begin when you begin hitting the ball with some authority and is often a results of you trying to hit the ball too hard. That's when the dreaded slice rears its ugly head. Slicing happens when a right handed golfer hits the ball so it has a horrible curve to the best, or a left handed golfer hits it so it curves to the left. As any fairly knowledgeable golfer will let you know, the slice is the result of "coming throughout" the ball with an "outdoors in" swing. When you strike the golf ball your club face ought to be exactly perpindicular and if it is the least bit open then you will have a slice. This motion puts sidespin on the ball and because it moves by means of the air it curves to the right (or left for a lefty). Exactly the same thing occurs in baseball when a right handed batter hits the ball down the appropriate subject line or a left handed batter hits it down the left area line. The ball curves away from the sphere in the direction of the foul line.

But in golf a slice is almost at all times a detrimental factor the golfer desires to get rid of. That's as a result of a slicing shot doesn't go as far due to the energy misplaced by the spinning, curving ball. The result's even worse in windy conditions where the increased wind resistance exaggerates the effects of sidespin. If you've gotten a slice and there's a good breeze going you will probably need to wait it out as a slice hit into a stiff breeze will generally balloon into the airt and typically go just about no where. In spite of all the magical cures touted in magazine articles and golf videos, the only way to remedy a slice is to study to hit the ball correctly - with a sq. membership face that's shifting on a natural arc from barely inside the line of flight. It takes most golfers years and hundreds of practice pictures to learn to do this.

The greatest way to try to treatment yoiur slice ought to actually be to go see your native golf pro and ask a couple of pro coaching session or two. Have him or her look for any imperfections in your swing. It's greatest to see a golf pro as quickly as you notice a slice or hook as a result of you don't need your physique to be taught any unhealthy habits on the golf course. You have to remember that golf is mainly all about muscle reminiscence and unhealthy habits are laborious to get rid of on the golf course.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

How To Drive The Ball Right Down The Middle Of The Fairway

Learning how to drive a golf ball straight down the fairway is probably the toughest challenge for the novice golfer as well as a veteran. Golf is a game of patience and skill and I would like to share with you some of the tips that helped improve my game. When a person decides they are going to take up the game of golf they usually just head out to the course with a couple of buddies and just wing it from there. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make.

The hardest place to learn how to play golf is on the golf course. Most beginners have watched golf being played on TV and they assume the game is not that difficult because the pros make it look so easy. The best place for a first time golfer to go would be the practice range. When someone tries to golf for the first time on the actual golf course it does not take long for them to see that they do not know how to drive a golf ball straight. When you start out at the practice range you don't feel all the pressure that goes along with being on the course with a foursome standing right behind you.

Any golfer, a novice or a veteran that needs to learn how to drive a golf ball straight really has to start with the basics. Sometimes this is hard for a veteran golfer to do mostly due to their ego. When someone has been playing golf for many years the chances are good that they have picked up some bad habits and the only way they will ever be able to improve their game is if they go right back to the basics. The first thing that should be looked at is the golfers stance. If the stance is not proper and consistent they will never know how to drive a golf ball straight down the fairway.

You really need to find your comfortable stance that allows you to take a complete and proper swing. There are some basic principles to follow for getting into the right stance but beyond that a golfers stance is unique to the actual golfer. Players have a hard time making changes to how they stand or their back swing or how hard they come down through the ball because they have built up all these techniques throughout the years.

The facts are the facts and if you are not consistently and yes that would be "consistently" driving the ball straight down the fairway then you need to first correct your stance. I have seen it time and time again where a veteran golfer refuses to make any changes to his golfing stance. However, having worked at a driving range for a few seasons I have witnessed more veteran golfers learn how to drive a golf ball straight down the fairway just by correcting their stance and nothing else.

Think about how many times you have taken a shot while on the course and you hear your buddy standing behind you say "you came up out of your stance" or "you didn't keep your head down or you failed to turn your hips," everyone of those actions involves your stance. I am telling you if you want to know how to drive a golf ball straight every time then the first thing you should do is get to the practice range and hit the ball over and over completely focusing on your body's stance 100% of the time. This is the biggest problem for any golfer who doesn't know how to drive a golf ball straight down the fairway every time.

I know you were probably expecting a whole bunch of other tips but the truth is when it comes to playing golf sometimes too much help will do more harm then good. Just give this article some thought the next time you are on the course and you find yourself having a difficult time hitting the golf ball straight. I know if you perfect your stance you will know how to drive a golf ball straight down the fairway with every hit.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

How To Drive Better In One Easy Step

How To Drive Better In One Easy Step

If you're like most folks that are new to golf then you're probably having trouble hitting your driver. There's are a lot of reasons for this...

The primary reason most people struggle to hit their driver is because the driver is the club that has the longest shaft in your bag of clubs. The long shaft makes your swing longer and it means that there is are a higher chance that you will not strike the ball flushly. Simply put in golf when you don't hit the golf ball flush with the face of the club the ball will not go straight. And the long shaft on the driver makes it hard to start and strike the ball in the exact same position which is what you have to do in golf.

Another reason folks struggle to hit the driver is because the head of the club in most drivers these days are quite larger meaning you have to have the golf ball farther off the ground to allow clearance for the large driver club head. Using a 1 wood these days means the difference between using a short tee and a long tee and that can have an impact on your accuracy if you're not used to it.

And finally people struggle to hit the driver because they're usually trying to kill the ball. You know they're usually trying to hit the ball harder and farther then Tiger Woods and it leads to some atrocious looking swings.

So what can you do?

If you're really struggling and you don't know what to do or try next I would recommend abandoning the driver for awhile and using your 3 wood exclusively until you develop a better stroke off the tee.

A 3 wood is a lot easier to hit off the tee since the club head is a lot smaller and it is easier to swing since the shaft is also shorter then that of a 1 wood. You may give up some distance by ditching the driver but you should make up for that loss in yardage with better and improved accuracy.

I know, I know it's a big blow to the ego but if you want to drive better in one easy step then you'll ditch the driver and go exclusively with the 3 wood.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Golf Equipment For Beginners

When it comes to learning about golf, golf equipment, is a subject sometimes greatly overlooked or something that we spend too much time on.

There are of course those lengthy books on how to perfect your golf swing, practicing tips for better consistency, and how to train to be a better golfer and you will of course find some of the best known sports stars endorsing some great products making them even more desirable to you and anyone who wants a lower golf score.

However not ever golfer is a pro so not everyone will need the same equipment that the pros use especially if the golfer is just beginning to learn how to play golf.

At the outset it is actually a good idea to not spend too much money on your first set of golf clubs for a couple of reasons. Number 1 is a good number of beginning golfers actually actually break a few clubs during their first few rounds of play. And number 2 you'll have to play a few rounds before you figure out your swing and truy know what kind of clubs will complement your swing. So better to save some money now and invest later in a quality set of clubs. A great idea for someone new to golf is also used golf clubs because they give you get quality golf clubs at a low price.

Golf clubs are usually made of steel and graphite. However, some are made of carbon fiber and titanium and composite alloys. For someone new to golf it is best to stick to steel and graphite clubs.

Clubs that have steel shafts are much more durable than carbon fibre or graphite clubs. They are much stronger but are heavier to carry and use. Steel shafted clubs are said to have much more accuracy and control compared to graphite ones.

With steel shafted golf clubs you will have to use more power and a quicker swing to make the golf ball go the distance you need it to. These work best for beginners because they help to develop accuracy and control from the start.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Putting Tips - Some Simple Putting Tips That Will Really Help

One of the issues with weekend golfers is that they do not get to practice enough. However, when they do practice they go out and pound a bucket of golf balls and accomplish absolutely nothing. This is not the way to get better at golf and most of us know that. We use our putters more than any other club in our bag and that is why you need to practice with it more than anything else. Here are some putting tips to help you on the greens.

Tip #1 - Line your eyes up with your intended line over the ball

When you address the ball you want your eyes to be lined up over the ball and on your intended line. They can be just a little bit inside of the ball if you want, but they absolutely cannot be outside of the ball. To find out if your eyes are lined up correctly just hold a golf ball in between your eyes, line up, and drop the golf ball. Wherever it lands is where your eyes are lined up.

Tip #2 - Keep your head still

Most amateurs find that they have inconsistencies with putting and they often times are linked back to what is called rocking. This is when you are using more than just your shoulders to move the putter. Usually this is caused by not keeping the head still. You can work on this by setting up against a wall with your head and taking putting strokes. This will keep your head still and you will form a habit of it eventually.

Tip #3 - Line the ball up with your sternum, in your stance

You should not have the ball too far forward or too far backward because it will effect the angle of the putter face at impact. You should be able to draw a straight line down from your sternum to the ball when it is in your stance. This is where it needs to be and it needs to consistently be there every single time you putt. This is one of the better putting tips that will be able to help those that pull or push putts on a regular basis.

Do you want to improve your scores and show your golfing buddies that you are better than they are? Discover more Putting Tips, drills, and tricks to lower your handicap and become a better golfer here:

Putting Tips

Saturday, November 1, 2008

How to Cure Your Golf Slice

Golfing is a great sport because it can be played by people of all ages and gets you outdoors for exercise and social interaction with friends and business colleagues. But it can also be a frustrating game because of the difficulty of hitting that little white ball with any degree of consistency.

One of the most frustrating problems most golfers face is the tendency to "slice" the ball. Usually the slice develops after the beginning golfer has started to hit the ball reasonably well and a fairly good distance. That's when the dreaded slice rears its ugly head.

Slicing happens when a right handed golfer hits the ball so it has a horrible curve to the right, or a left handed golfer hits it so it curves to the left. As any reasonably knowledgeable golfer will tell you, the slice is the result of "coming across" the ball with an "outside in" swing. As the club sweeps across the ball, the club strikes the ball in a slightly "open" position. This action puts sidespin on the ball and as it moves through the air it curves to the right (or left for a lefty).

Exactly the same thing happens in baseball when a right handed batter hits the ball down the right field line or a left handed batter hits it down the left field line. The ball curves away from the field towards the foul line. This slicing action also happens in other sports where a bat or racquet is used to strike a ball - sports such as tennis, ping pong, racquet ball, and cricket. And even in sports where simply throwing the "ball" with clockwise sidespin makes it curve to the right - think of bowling, lawn bowling and curling for example.

In many sports curving the ball like this is an important part of the game. Ping pong and tennis players, for instance, want the ball to curve as it approaches their opponent and then bounce off the paddle or racquet at an odd angle making it more difficult for the opponent to control the return.

But in golf a slice is almost always a negative thing the golfer wants to get rid of. That's because a slicing shot doesn't go as far because of the energy lost by the spinning, curving ball. The result is even worse in windy conditions where the increased wind resistance exaggerates the effects of sidespin. A slicing ball hit into a stiff breeze will often "balloon" up into the wind and almost appear to be coming back towards the golfer.

In spite of all the magical cures touted in magazine articles and golf videos, the only way to cure a slice is to learn to hit the ball correctly - with a square club face that is moving on a natural arc from slightly inside the line of flight.

It takes most golfers years and thousands of practice shots to learn how to do this. That's because there is such a natural tendency to begin the swing by throwing the shoulders out at the ball. That gets the clubhead out there on the wrong side of the target line of flight - on the "outside" - and the only way to actually hit the ball from that position is to bring the clubhead back inside at an angle to the intended line of flight. That's what is meant by "coming across" the ball.

Most beginning golfers have a difficult time understanding and visualizing this process. They think they are swinging on a perfectly square line straight through the ball and down the intended line of flight. But an experienced golfer who has already learned all about slices from his own struggles with the game can usually tell an inside out swing from 50 or 100 yards away without even watching the clubhead at all. There are certain moves that are so typical of a slice that they can be picked up almost immediately by an experienced observer.

That is why a golf simulator can be such a valuable tool in the struggle to overcome a slice. You may have noticed commercial locations that offer virtual rounds of golf, or facilities in some of the larger golf equipment chains that have an area that allows the buyer to try out golf clubs before making an expensive purchase.

Most golfers go to an indoor driving range or a virtual golf location and just bang away at the simulator as if they were out on the range pounding out drivers. But the fact is, a really good golf simulator can do much more than just tell you how far you have hit the ball. It can be a great tool to show you the exact shape of your swing and tell you exactly why you are slicing or hooking the ball.

Equipped with sensors, cameras, and a big-screen display, the golf simulator translates the details of a golf swing to ball motion on the display. Once the data on your particular swing is collected, you can view the results on a display. You can see an accurate representation of your swing, the actual flight path of your ball, your club face angle at impact, and exactly where and when the ball begins to turn, given all the variables that went into a particular swing. Most of the better units allow you to hit an untethered ball, and virtually play golf courses from all over the world

If you are serious about curing your slice, there is no doubt that taking a analytical, objective look at your actual swing is the place to start. And there is no more effective way to get that kind of swing analysis than with a golf simulator.

There are now even high quality units that you can set up right in your home. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars at an indoor driving range or virtual golf facility for an hour or two of practice every week, you can have your own quality golf simulator right in your rec room, basement or garage.

A good home system will let you work on your game for hours and hours till you groove the correct swing path. It will give you all the analytical tools you need to improve your swing. The better units will tell you your clubhead speed, your clubface angle at impact, your clubhead's angle of approach to the ball, and how far the ball would have gone out on a real golf course.

Of course the technology cannot simulate the foul weather, wild winds, and rugged terrain that come into play on a real golf course. But perhaps these are factors that you can do without when you simply want to concentrate on grooving a new more effective swing.

The proponents of this exciting new technology claim that for a committed student of the game, such a device can correct errors in swing mechanics better than traditional techniques or even lessons from a professional teacher.

Using a golf simulator is a great way to cure your slice. Dancin' Dogg home golf simulator gives you everything you need to improve your game. Play golf in your home on some of the best golf courses in the world.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Golf Training Equipment Will Improve Your Round

Much like a bowl of dried up leaves left out on a wind blown day, opportunities can quickly dissipate and disappear when you fail to take steps to equip yourself with the golf training equipment that you need. Mastering golf is something that takes a good deal of time, a lot of patience, and consistent practice, just like virtually all other sports. If you have the right golf training aids and combine them with conscientious and persistent practice, then you will undoubtedly see rapid improvement in your golf game.

If you happen to be a golfer who has aspirations to do more than just play the occasional round of 18 holes with your buddies every couple weeks, then you will want to take advantage of every opportunity to improve your golf swing, including your golf swing speed and your golf swing plane. Online golf tips can benefit motivated golf enthusiasts in many ways and can even help them move from the rank of amateur into the pros, if that is the desired goal.

Any golfer who is interested in making it in the competitive world of golf, or anyone who simply wants to have the best score every week amongst their golfing budding, should plan on purchasing top rated golf training equipment. There are plenty of golf aids and accessories available that can address virtually every aspect of improving your game.

If you find that your golf swing speed is unusually slow or that your golf swing just doesn't have the power that you would like, then there are golf swing training devices and videos that are designed specifically to help you improve. As with most equipment for physical improvement, proper form is very important during the course of practice. Good quality golf equipment can help you to practice the proper form whenever you are involved in golf swing training.

Other golf training aids that can be very beneficial are things for perfecting your swing like golf swing plane coaching devices, golf swing speed radars, golf training clubs, golf fitness programs, and golf instruction video programs. All of these are various tools have been developed by golf professionals to help you excel and hone your skills as much as possible, so that you can progress to the degree that you want in your golfing career or hobby.

There is simply no question that amateur and professional golfers alike can garner a great deal of benefit from using golf training equipment. There is a huge selection of golf training aids available regardless of the particular area of the game that you need to work on. It is a good idea to seek out the advice of your local golf pro for recommended equipment and read golf equipment reviews in golfing magazines or on golfing websites. These reviews can help you avoid ineffective products and spend your money more wisely on better products.