The most common problem beginners have playing golf would surely be the slice shot.
This is where the ball curves through the air from left to right assuming the player is right-handed.
The flight of the golf ball is determined by the spin of the ball and a slice is caused by the ball spinning clockwise thereby causing it to travel in a clockwise arch.
The most common reason why this happens is people tend to lift their head when they strike the ball.The action of lifting the head causes the face of the club to hit across the ball and not through it.
By hitting across the ball, you are essentially hitting the ball from the outside in and this is the action that causes the ball to spin clockwise.
If you tend to slice the ball try to keep your head down until after you have hit the ball.By keeping your head down, and your eye on the ball to the point of contact you will play through the ball and your swing will remain straight, which will cause the ball to follow a straight path.
Keep your head down until after the ball has taken flight keeping your head and shoulders solid.
Another reason why you will get slice shots is by trying to hit the ball too hard.In doing so you could be using your arms to pull the club in and this will also cause it to spin.By hitting for less distance you can concentrate on getting the correct swing and playing for accuracy rather than length.
Try reducing your swing with these smaller shots to see if this starts to correct the problem.
As you begin to hit straighter you can begin to increase the length of your back swing and go for more distance.
Concentrate on accuracy first and distance follows. That is a good rule to always play by.
Yours for a better golf game!
Fran Watson
P.S. Instant Slice Cure
P.P.S. Here are some other links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Friday, February 1, 2008
Some Driving Tips
We don't always want our drives to be the same.If there is a strong tail wind you should take advantage of the extra distance that can be gained with wind assistance.To do this, tee the ball higher.As a general guideline a ball placed higher on a tee will gain more height.
The inverse is the case when we want the ball to stay low.Lower the tee and the ball will travel lower.This is helpful where there is a headwind and when the fairway is fast and you can take advantage of the ball running on along the ground.
Depending on the conditions and your ability to use your driver it might be more beneficial to use your iron.
When the fairway is narrow and there is little room for error it might be better to use an iron for more control and even reduce your swing to maintain a more accurate trajectory.
The driver, being the longest club, is also the hardest to control.You might find that you get better results from a driving iron.It doesn't matter what club you use provided it delivers accuracy first and distance second.
You will also need to practice drives that aren't at 100%.Lowering your position on the grip slightly and reducing your swing can achieve these ‘smaller’ drives.The additional control that you gain will help in 'sticky' situations where you aren't confident to go for a long drive.
Everything is golf is variable even when using the same club and practice will help you to know the results that can be expected from changes in speed, swing and ball height on the tee.
There will be times when you need to decide what club to use when driving because the distance to the flag is between your club range.The obvious choice is to use an iron rather than the driver, as safe shots are more productive to a good score than recoveries from overshooting the hole.
Yours for a great golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
The inverse is the case when we want the ball to stay low.Lower the tee and the ball will travel lower.This is helpful where there is a headwind and when the fairway is fast and you can take advantage of the ball running on along the ground.
Depending on the conditions and your ability to use your driver it might be more beneficial to use your iron.
When the fairway is narrow and there is little room for error it might be better to use an iron for more control and even reduce your swing to maintain a more accurate trajectory.
The driver, being the longest club, is also the hardest to control.You might find that you get better results from a driving iron.It doesn't matter what club you use provided it delivers accuracy first and distance second.
You will also need to practice drives that aren't at 100%.Lowering your position on the grip slightly and reducing your swing can achieve these ‘smaller’ drives.The additional control that you gain will help in 'sticky' situations where you aren't confident to go for a long drive.
Everything is golf is variable even when using the same club and practice will help you to know the results that can be expected from changes in speed, swing and ball height on the tee.
There will be times when you need to decide what club to use when driving because the distance to the flag is between your club range.The obvious choice is to use an iron rather than the driver, as safe shots are more productive to a good score than recoveries from overshooting the hole.
Yours for a great golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
The Right Golf Clubs For You
You invest a lot of money into a good set of golf clubs so it is a wise decision to get the help of professionals to determine which golf clubs are best suited to your style of play.
There are many factors that need to be taken into account including your height and the level of your game play.
Also, you will need to decide how big your pockets might be able to stretch as you can spend a small fortune on good brand name clubs.
But will they make you play any better?Well, all things being equal they certainly will assist with your playing ability.
They are the only thing between you and the ball so you had better make the right choices.
You can always try your playing partners clubs to see how they feel and whether you feel comfortable with them, but there is nothing like the knowledge you will gain by getting a golf professional to help you in your decision.
If you are getting lessons from a golf pro it will make their job all the easier as they will know where your strong and weak points are and the correct club selection might just help to counter any inherent problems that you have.
No matter how many people a golf pro might teach, they will understand that every golfer has a different swing.Everyone from amateur to professional has a different swing and their own unique way that they shift their weight during their swing.
By having a golf pro observe your swing they will understand your dynamics better than anyone else and this will help them to help you decide on your best golf club options.
Once you get a set of golf clubs that match your own unique swing you might be astounded to see how much your game can improve.
You might find that some of the 'bad' aspects of your game can be eliminated with clubs that are suited to your style.I'm sure you have already seen the vast difference you can have when you try out friends clubs. Now imagine the change you could expect if you found the optimum clubs for you.
Yours for an improved golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
There are many factors that need to be taken into account including your height and the level of your game play.
Also, you will need to decide how big your pockets might be able to stretch as you can spend a small fortune on good brand name clubs.
But will they make you play any better?Well, all things being equal they certainly will assist with your playing ability.
They are the only thing between you and the ball so you had better make the right choices.
You can always try your playing partners clubs to see how they feel and whether you feel comfortable with them, but there is nothing like the knowledge you will gain by getting a golf professional to help you in your decision.
If you are getting lessons from a golf pro it will make their job all the easier as they will know where your strong and weak points are and the correct club selection might just help to counter any inherent problems that you have.
No matter how many people a golf pro might teach, they will understand that every golfer has a different swing.Everyone from amateur to professional has a different swing and their own unique way that they shift their weight during their swing.
By having a golf pro observe your swing they will understand your dynamics better than anyone else and this will help them to help you decide on your best golf club options.
Once you get a set of golf clubs that match your own unique swing you might be astounded to see how much your game can improve.
You might find that some of the 'bad' aspects of your game can be eliminated with clubs that are suited to your style.I'm sure you have already seen the vast difference you can have when you try out friends clubs. Now imagine the change you could expect if you found the optimum clubs for you.
Yours for an improved golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Consistency Is The Key
Consistency is the hardest part of golf.It is not possible for any human, Tiger Woods included, to hit the golf ball perfectly 100% of the time.What good golfers can do however is consistently hit the ball very well most of the time, and near perfectly quite a lot of the time.
It is this consistency that sets them apart and even those at the top of their game have days when they don't get their shots right enough of the time.
There is only one thing that can really help any golfer get that consistency and that is through practice.
But there is another matter that needs to be addressed when talking about consistency and golf and that is - Consistently bad shots.
The more you do anything consistently the more it will become natural behavior and this applies to poor technique too.
The sooner you address poor golf techniques, the sooner you will be able to practice the correct methods that will replace them and make those actions second nature.
This is why it is recommended that everyone should get professional instruction before learning bad techniques that will need to be relearned at a later time.
I would even go to the extent of advising a newcomer to the sport to have lessons before ever attempting to play a round.Or alternatively, learn how to use one club well, probably the 7 iron, and play a whole round, or nine holes, using only the 7 iron and a putter.
I knew of one player who made dramatic improvements to his game by using this technique and he had been playing for years.He started playing golf with only the 7-iron and his putter, until he perfected his swing, and then introduced other clubs one at a time.
After getting his swing right with the 7-iron, mastering the other clubs was relatively simple.
Yours for a better game of golf
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
It is this consistency that sets them apart and even those at the top of their game have days when they don't get their shots right enough of the time.
There is only one thing that can really help any golfer get that consistency and that is through practice.
But there is another matter that needs to be addressed when talking about consistency and golf and that is - Consistently bad shots.
The more you do anything consistently the more it will become natural behavior and this applies to poor technique too.
The sooner you address poor golf techniques, the sooner you will be able to practice the correct methods that will replace them and make those actions second nature.
This is why it is recommended that everyone should get professional instruction before learning bad techniques that will need to be relearned at a later time.
I would even go to the extent of advising a newcomer to the sport to have lessons before ever attempting to play a round.Or alternatively, learn how to use one club well, probably the 7 iron, and play a whole round, or nine holes, using only the 7 iron and a putter.
I knew of one player who made dramatic improvements to his game by using this technique and he had been playing for years.He started playing golf with only the 7-iron and his putter, until he perfected his swing, and then introduced other clubs one at a time.
After getting his swing right with the 7-iron, mastering the other clubs was relatively simple.
Yours for a better game of golf
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Add Variety To Your Practice
I see many golfers practicing the same shots over and over again.That's Ok if it is an area that needs concentrated attention, and the more you practice a shot the better you will become at it.If you practice a shot enough you will virtually do it on autopilot when you get to the course, but you must also remember that variety will make you a better all round golfer.
The more techniques that you can master the better you will be on competition day.You can do this by trying new techniques when you practice.Observe the results you get when you use different clubs or try different techniques.Try adding some spin to the ball and see how this affects the flight.Use different types of golf balls to see whether your level of expertise has changed and allowed you to get more benefit from the different ball compressions.
Even consider testing new golf clubs.As your game progresses, so will your need to change equipment accordingly.You won't want to be using the same clubs you had when you started playing and you will probably not want to be using the same golf balls either.
Better equipment will allow you to make shots that weren't possible before, and practice will help get you to the next level where you can take advantage of this equipment.
Try adding more backspin to your shots and see if this helps position the ball better for the next shot and offer more control on faster courses.
Your practice time should also be a time where you allow yourself the opportunity to experiment and try to broaden your game.
Having the ability to add spin to the ball might be the difference between hitting a tree and landing on the green.
You can never learn too much in the game of golf.
Yours for a better golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
The more techniques that you can master the better you will be on competition day.You can do this by trying new techniques when you practice.Observe the results you get when you use different clubs or try different techniques.Try adding some spin to the ball and see how this affects the flight.Use different types of golf balls to see whether your level of expertise has changed and allowed you to get more benefit from the different ball compressions.
Even consider testing new golf clubs.As your game progresses, so will your need to change equipment accordingly.You won't want to be using the same clubs you had when you started playing and you will probably not want to be using the same golf balls either.
Better equipment will allow you to make shots that weren't possible before, and practice will help get you to the next level where you can take advantage of this equipment.
Try adding more backspin to your shots and see if this helps position the ball better for the next shot and offer more control on faster courses.
Your practice time should also be a time where you allow yourself the opportunity to experiment and try to broaden your game.
Having the ability to add spin to the ball might be the difference between hitting a tree and landing on the green.
You can never learn too much in the game of golf.
Yours for a better golf game
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Unique Putting Tip
Here's a simple technique to improve your putting.Before you can expect to putt well on greens with a slope, you need to learn to putt well on the flat.This will train you to swing your putter through a straight line and hit the ball squarely on the face of the putter.
Now you need to get a putter that has a line on it that you can see clearly, as this will be the line that you will follow through to the center of the ball.
On the practice green (preferably one that you have at home, as this technique might not be appreciated) you will mark straight lines with a builders chalk line in several directions from the center of the hole spanning out around the green.
Getting someone to hold the chalk line at the center of the cup will make the process easier.Now move around the green flicking the line to leave chalk marks along the ground.
Next - place your golf ball on the line leaving some of the line on the ground visible behind the ball.This will help you to guide your swing.You will then be able to swing your putter using the line on the ground as a guide and the line on the putter itself to connect with the center of the ball.
In a very short time you should find that you are managing to putt from a relatively good distance and get the ball in the hole most of the time.
This will help you to develop the correct posture and consistency to putt well.
After doing this for a while from different positions on the green, move the ball off the line and visualize that there is still a line on the ground by creating it in your mind, looking from the ball to the cup and back again several times.
Line up your putter as before and look at the line on your putter to hit the center of the ball with this spot on your club.
You are now retraining yourself to see an invisible line from the ball to the cup that you can use on any green you play on.
Yours for a better game of golf
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Now you need to get a putter that has a line on it that you can see clearly, as this will be the line that you will follow through to the center of the ball.
On the practice green (preferably one that you have at home, as this technique might not be appreciated) you will mark straight lines with a builders chalk line in several directions from the center of the hole spanning out around the green.
Getting someone to hold the chalk line at the center of the cup will make the process easier.Now move around the green flicking the line to leave chalk marks along the ground.
Next - place your golf ball on the line leaving some of the line on the ground visible behind the ball.This will help you to guide your swing.You will then be able to swing your putter using the line on the ground as a guide and the line on the putter itself to connect with the center of the ball.
In a very short time you should find that you are managing to putt from a relatively good distance and get the ball in the hole most of the time.
This will help you to develop the correct posture and consistency to putt well.
After doing this for a while from different positions on the green, move the ball off the line and visualize that there is still a line on the ground by creating it in your mind, looking from the ball to the cup and back again several times.
Line up your putter as before and look at the line on your putter to hit the center of the ball with this spot on your club.
You are now retraining yourself to see an invisible line from the ball to the cup that you can use on any green you play on.
Yours for a better game of golf
Fran Watson
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
A Balanced Approach
Golf is all about balance.You need to get the right balance on your feet, in the movement of your body, in the swing of the clubs and so on.
Balance goes further than just the body however.You need a balanced approach to the game with your mind in sync with your body.
You need to only consider the one stroke that you are playing and not let other holes impact on your balance.
When we get golf lessons we're taught about the distribution of weight on our feet and the weight distribution when we swing to strike the ball.
Many of the techniques seem foreign to the beginner but it is all about training the player to find balance in their game so the actions are effortless and natural.Our balance should flow through with the movement of the swing in one fluid action to the striking of the ball and even after the ball has been hit with a balanced follow through.
It is a natural feeling that will become second nature with practice.
It is through finding balance in your mind and body that you will start hitting consistently good shots.Without this it will be very difficult to find any consistency in your game.
Once you get your upper body correctly positioned behind the ball, you will find that you are naturally placing more weight on the back foot.
Try it next time you have a practice swing. Stand balanced on your feet with no more pressure on the front of the foot than the back.Position yourself behind the ball and gently swing through without making any effort to concentrate on the distribution of the weight on you feet.
You will find that this will come naturally with no effort at all and that is precisely how you should feel when you are striking the ball.
Yours for a better golf game
Fran Watson
Amazing Golf Mind Mental Audios
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
Balance goes further than just the body however.You need a balanced approach to the game with your mind in sync with your body.
You need to only consider the one stroke that you are playing and not let other holes impact on your balance.
When we get golf lessons we're taught about the distribution of weight on our feet and the weight distribution when we swing to strike the ball.
Many of the techniques seem foreign to the beginner but it is all about training the player to find balance in their game so the actions are effortless and natural.Our balance should flow through with the movement of the swing in one fluid action to the striking of the ball and even after the ball has been hit with a balanced follow through.
It is a natural feeling that will become second nature with practice.
It is through finding balance in your mind and body that you will start hitting consistently good shots.Without this it will be very difficult to find any consistency in your game.
Once you get your upper body correctly positioned behind the ball, you will find that you are naturally placing more weight on the back foot.
Try it next time you have a practice swing. Stand balanced on your feet with no more pressure on the front of the foot than the back.Position yourself behind the ball and gently swing through without making any effort to concentrate on the distribution of the weight on you feet.
You will find that this will come naturally with no effort at all and that is precisely how you should feel when you are striking the ball.
Yours for a better golf game
Fran Watson
Amazing Golf Mind Mental Audios
P.S. Here are some links you can check out
www.golftipsmag.com
www.golflink.com/tips/videos
www.pga.org/improve/tips/
www.pgaprofessionals.com
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