Blog.WinGolfer.com

Author: Krish Nan

Frustrated with your golf swing? Carding inconsistent rounds? Then you are not unlike millions of golfers around the world. You may benefit from some golf swing instructions. Obviously the only sure-fire way to improve your handicap is through regular practice. Turning out three times a year with all the latest gear will generally only lead to frequent episodes of tourettes, continual frustration and ultimately high scores!

You could however take numerous shots off your handicap by following these basic golf swing instructions:-

-Warm up! No need for comedy stretches, but make sure you visit the driving range before your round. Start off using a wedge and when you feel comfortable work down the clubs to the big guns. Its all about feeling so don’t try and hit the ball too hard. Relax your grip and your shoulders, and slow the stroke down. Once you’ve blown out the cobwebs it’s onto the first tee.

-It’s easy to stand on the tee and forget the basics. Evil thoughts, about trying to clear the bunker, or out-driving your partner surface. The crowd waiting to tee off is growing, and the pressure is mounting. Put these thoughts to the back of your mind, the chances are that you’ll hit the ball further by relaxing and not trying to break the ball in half!

-Try to be consistent in your approach to each shot. Address the ball in the same way, and follow the same routine. If ever you don’t feel comfortable once you’ve addressed the ball then step away and try again. Ensure your feet are in line with where you plan to hit the ball, and that they are roughly your shoulders width apart. Take a couple of practice swings away from the ball if you need.

-Relax, start your backswing, and don’t try and bring the club back too far. Ensure that your backswing is controlled, and your downswing not forced. Follow through the ball, ensuring that you are keeping your head down at all times.

If you follow these simple golf swing instructions then you should start to see an improvement in your game. However, you will need to ensure that you are playing regularly. Tiredness toward the end of your round will affect your score, so the more you play the fitter you get, and this will have an additional effect on your handicap. For further help on improving your golf swing take a look at the link below:

Take a look at this link or visit http://www.practical-help.com/golf-swing.htm to learn how you can lengthen your drive and cut your handicap by 7-12 strokes in under two weeks.

Golf equipment - what you need to get started

Like any sport golf requires you to possess the correct equipment to play from golf clubs to accessories.

There are many brands and types of golf clubs including drivers, fairway woods, rescue clubs, irons and putters. Each type of golf club has a relevant purpose on the golf course; the driver for example is used from the tee for long distance shots, the irons are used for short approach shots – approaching the green and naturally the putter is used for finishing. Which golf club you choose and at which stage of the game is a combination of personal preference and experience.

A golf bag is used to transport and protect your clubs to and from the golf course and throughout the game. There are four main types of golf bag including carry, stand, trolley and light editions – which bag you select is usually down to both personal preference and requirements e.g. number of golf clubs or how you intend to transport the bag and clubs around the golf course. If you prefer to not use a golf trolley then a stand or carry bag is suitable. A number of golf bags offer protection for graphite shafts – whilst individual dividers prevent clubs from smashing into each other. All golf bags supply a number of storage pockets for the safe keeping of golfing accessories including golf balls, towels and valuables.

A head-cover is another item of golf equipment which can offer an excellent degree of protection for golf club heads including drivers, woods, hybrids and irons.

Golf shoes are a compulsory addition to any golfing outfit and are needed to provide additional grip when performing a shot. A high quality pair of golf shoes will offer breathability and waterproofing for optimal comfort in most playing conditions. Manufacturers have replaced metal spikes with plastic ones in recent times to prevent unnecessary damage to the course – the spikes also facilitate a golf swing, preventing a player from slipping when delivering a shot. When selecting a pair of golf shoes be sure to select a durable pair which can deliver maximum comfort when walking the full length of a golf course. If you do not feel comfortable with your golf shoes you are likely to lose concentration more quickly – which is non-conducive for inspiring confidence.

Golf tees are another necessary addition to a golfing outfit. Two types of tees are available to players either plastic or wooden ones. A golf ball is balanced on top of the tee to allow players to strike the ball from off the ground – typically used for a tee-shot.

A golf glove is another addition to a players golf outfit and is traditionally worn on the opposite hand – if you’re right-handed for example a glove is worn on the left-hand. During a swing a golf glove prevents the club from slipping through the hand by offering an additional level of grip. There are many different types of golf glove – each designed to worn snugly to the hand as though it was second layer of skin.

A golf trolley allows a player to push, pull or transport a set of golf clubs and bag across a golf course – eliminating the strain of carrying a heavy set of golf clubs and therefore maintaining the energy of the player for stronger, most accurate golf swings. An electric golf trolley allows a player to transport their golf clubs by aid of an electronic motor which is powered by a long-life battery.

A golf trolley allows a player to push, pull or transport a set of golf clubs and bag across a golf course – eliminating the strain of carrying a heavy set of golf clubs and therefore maintaining the energy of the player for stronger, most accurate golf swings. An electric golf trolley allows a player to transport their golf clubs by aid of an electronic motor which is powered by a long-life battery.

These are fundamental items of equipment for playing golf which can be purchased from various online retailers including The Sports HQ. Historically, golf equipment was expensive to purchase before online retailers like The Sports HQ offered savings of up to 85% on factory direct golf equipment.

You don’t have to understand all the ins and outs of the golf swing in order to play well, but it certainly will help.

A person usually cannot pick up a golf club for the first time and swing it with perfection.

But, the body can learn the correct way to swing a golf club.

One gotcha is to be sure to NOT lift your head to view the alignment of the club face during the back swing and/or downswing.

The best focusing points for a consistent swing are:

1) efficient golf swing mechanics and 2) the body.

By keeping your joints supple and flexible, you could help ensure the length of your golf swing and even your club head speed.

Golf Swing Mechanics and Your Body

In order to learn efficient golf swing mechanics, the golf swing has to match your body’s ability.

The ability to maintain your body in the correct “balanced” position, while going through your golf swing, requires intense neuromuscular control.

Training muscles involved in the golf swing, particularly the lower body and torso muscles, helps to hit the ball a greater distance.

The key is to play with optimal golf swing mechanics to reduce stress on your spine. If you ignore either the body or the mechanics, it would be safe to say that your golf swing and game will suffer.

It is also important to mention that the motion of a golf swing, if done incorrectly, can cause injuries in many parts of the body.

Injuries to the key muscle groups used in the golf swing can be significantly lowered by improving flexibility. Remember Your Posture

Your posture sets the tone for an unobstructed, free-flowing and uncomplicated golf swing.

Every error in your posture magnifies itself throughout your golf swing, and nowhere is that more amplified than on the backswing.

Look at your posture.

Proper posture allows you to make the golf swing and protect your back. You should focus to physically try to stay in your golf posture until the end of your swing.

Finally, The Swing

Without question the golf swing is one of the most important aspects about the game of golf.

Timing is the key to a great swing.

The set-up is the first crucial part of golf swing timing. If your swing is off, the golf ball could fall too short or go too far.

Allow your eyes to go to the ball to begin your swing. Remember your posture and your stance.

Now the backswing. The backswing does not hit the golf ball, but this does not mean that executing a good backswing is not important.

All of the motion ties into one another. It can be hard to master, as the golf swing is not a natural motion for most people.

But practicing and focusing on key aspects will go a long way to improving your swing.

Remember your body is one of these key aspects.

A strong lower back is critical to making an effective turning motion in the golf swing. And don’t rush into it. Never try to hit a golf ball until your swing is second nature.

Now that We Have the Basics, How to Improve

Practice, practice and more practice. This doesn’t necessarily mean time spent every day, but it does mean to focus on all the key aspects each time you do practice.

Two aspects require tuning and development of you wish to improve the power in your golf swing; timing and form.

You can work on drills to improve your golf swing timing, always remembering to start with a solid setup. In regard to form, powerful abdominals will improve posture at the address and help to prevent lower-back pain associated with the golf swing.

Also, by working on your stance and finishing position, your golf swing is on its way to giving you a perfect game.

Maintaining Power

As time goes on you may be losing your ability to produce power in your golf swing.

An inefficient golf swing decreases the amount of power delivered to golf swing. Great players attest that focussing on proper body stance and a smooth, focused swing maximizes your power and develops an athletic golf swing with perfect balance.

Many things go into playing a great game of golf, none as important as having the proper golf swing and body form.

This will not just increase your ability in the game, but also your enjoyment.

Like any other sports, golf requires that you are geared up correctly to be able to properly play the game. This article will give you an idea of basic golf equipment one requires to be able to learn and play golf.

For starters, the basic golf equipment is a golf ball. Golf balls are dimpled tiny balls, use in to play golf. They are dimpled to reach farther length when driven by golf clubs.

Another important golf equipment is a golf club or golf driver. Golf drivers come in different varieties. This is because a golf course has different landscapes and different golf clubs are required to make the proper drive. Depending on the landscape, either sand, grass or cement, a golf club is essential to make the perfect drive. Professional golfers usually have a bag or two of golf clubs to cater to their golf needs. Most golf stores and sports equipment store sell golf clubs. Some golf clubs are sold in sets while other are sold individually.

To protect your golf equipment, such as your golf club, a golf bag golf club cover is essential. A golf bag will, of course, hold your golf club in one place and will make it easier for your caddy to bring your many golf clubs. Golf bags can also hold golf balls and other golf equipment like water bottle to quench your thirst while under the sun or extra shirt or your regular shoes. On the other hand, a golf club cover covers the edge of your golf club. This is done so to protect your golf club from unwanted scratches and dents. Dents can cause your drive to go from ok to bad. Dents in golf clubs can affect the drive of your golf ball. With these golf equipment, you can take care of the state of your club and your game.

One golf equipment that you need to invest on is a good pair of golf shoes. Golf shoes are different from usual rubber shoes or walking shoes. Golf shoes are created to walk on greens - the type where the sport is played. Golf shoes usually have pointed rubber under the soles to grip the earth and sand under your feet. This way, unnecessary shaking or moving is avoided. This is important because shaking can cause you to not hit the golf ball or to hit the golf ball in the wrong direction. If you plan to play professional golf a good pair of golf shoes is a necessary golf equipment to add up to your list. Choose one that is sturdy yet comfortable enough for you to walk into. Golf is a sport that requires walking from one hole to another or to where your ball landed (you can not use golf carts on the greens) and thus, if your golf shoes are uncomfortable, you would have a hard time concentrating on your game.

A golf equipment usually provided by most golf courses (aside from the golf ball) is the tee. The tee is the tiny pin like thing that you punch to the ground to stand your ball into. The tee is use in teeing off (the start of your first drive) thus the name.

The most amazing golf equipment ever created (for me, that is) is the golf cart. Golf carts can take you from one hole to the other, though as I said earlier they are not allowed on the greens, they still lessen the burden of having to walk under the hot sun. This golf equipment can be acquired from golf courses. Golf players are usually made to use golf equipment such as this to give them a better and easier time playing the sport.

Many specialty shops and sport shops offer golf equipment. The internet is also a good source of golf equipment. Second hand golf equipment are even auctioned off the internet, if you are on a tight budget. Check out your local golf shop, sports shop, specialty shops, E-bay or Yahoo! for your golf equipment needs.

Where do you Start?

Let’s start with equipment. I’m not going to get into your set make up or equipment brand, we can talk about that later, what I’m interested in at the moment, are your grips.

I don’t care how good your equipment is, or how much it cost…if your grips are not in good shape, I, (or any Pro for that matter) cannot properly teach you how to swing a golf club.
Almost everyone I come in contact with on the range or at the club takes pretty good care of his or her golf clubs, with the exception of the grips.
The only contact you have with the golf ball is directly through the grips of your golf clubs, you have to take care of them.
A Professional golfer has their grips cleaned after practice sessions, before a round, during a round, and has them changed regularly.

Have you cleaned your grips yet? Your grips should feel slightly tacky in your hands so you don’t have to squeeze your golf club, which robs you of the ability to swing the golf club with any speed or consistency.
Most grips today are still made out of rubber or a rubber compound that can be kept in “like new” condition simply with hot soapy water.

When you play golf or practice, the dust, dirt, and oil from your hands gets ground into the pores of the rubber, clogging them up and making your grips slick and hard. Washing your grips will clean out the pores making your grips feel tacky again and ready for your next round.
If your grips have been neglected for a while, try a window cleaner solution on them, this will cut through the oils and dirt and should bring even a neglected grip back to life. If they have been badly neglected and you can’t get them back to a “tacky” state, have them replaced at your local Pro-Shop.

The good news is they’re very inexpensive, starting at around $2.00, and while you’re there you can have them sized to fit your hand perfectly.

This will help immensely when you learn to swing the golf club using the C.O.G. effortless power method. OK, now that you’ve got your grips cleaned and looked after, keep them that way, like I said earlier, every Professional golfer has new grips or has their grips cleaned before every round.
If you have a high tech grip material and you’re not sure what to clean them with, simply contact the manufacturer and ask, they will last longer and perform much better. Notice at the top and the bottom of your grip. There is a small hash mark that indicates the center mark of your shaft, these are very important marks, take notice of them now, and we’ll talk more about them later. Now that we have that looked after, we can talk about the BOSS of the golf club.

The BOSS:

Your target side hand, (the one with the glove) is the Boss of the golf club, that’s why we wear the glove on that hand. On the target hand, (the left hand for right handed golfers) the top three fingers assume control of the golf club. This is the Pinky, the Ring, and the Middle finger, (2) leaving the index finger and thumb to rest lightly on the grip. When these three fingers are in control of the golf club, you will be able to swing the club at a high speed with very little effort and fire your “Piston” *(release the club head), however, if your trail hand (right hand for right hand golfers) gets involved, it will slow down the swinging process and turn the action into a “hit”. Work on keeping the target hand the BOSS of the club, this will help prevent two other common problems,
1)The hole in the glove…
2)The “fat” shot…

Hole in your glove?

1)If you are the golfer that always has a hole in the heel of your golf glove, not only am I going to save you $50 to $100 dollars in golf gloves this year alone, but also should save you a quite a few strokes as well. The hole in your golf glove comes from the BOSS fingers giving up control of the golf club. When you take your back swing, if at the top of your swing, the BOSS fingers have let go, creating a gap between your fingers and the heel of your hand; the hole in the glove is soon to follow.
* (Piston) refers to the action of releasing the club head.

Why does this happen?
head of a swinging golf club weighs about a pound for every mile per hour it moves through centrifugal force. A typical golf professional moves the club head from the address position to the top of the backswing in approximately 1 second. At the point of transition to the down swing, the club head weighs about 14 pounds. That’s the equivalent of a 14-pound weight being held by the top 3 fingers of the target (gloved) hand. Most people can hold this weight OK but if the club travels to the top of the swing faster than that, the transition weight of the club head becomes heavier and the separation of the top 3 fingers (or the GAP) occurs. When the (GAP) happens, you transfer control of the club head to the Trail hand (right hand) and the butt end of the grip rubs or tears the leather of the glove on the transition to the downswing. This all happens very quickly and is hard to catch if you don’t know what to look for or what is actually happening. The dreaded hole in the glove is NOT a normal occurrence in golf; it is the product of a change of control of the golf club from your target hand, to your trail hand during the course of transition from the top of your back swing to the beginning of your down swing. This action can and even MUST be controlled if you are to learn to swing a golf club like you see your favorite Professional swing it every day. We’ll discuss how to control this little later on in the book when we set up the easy 3-piece golf swing and discover that 1-move can solve 4 problems we have in the backswing alone and set us up for consistency and power in our swing towards the target.

2.) The other benefit of learning to control your golf club with the top 3 fingers of the BOSS hand at the transition point to the downswing is controlling the “FAT” shot. The fat shot is the one where you stick the club head into the ground before it touches the golf ball, sending it trickling mere feet from where you’re standing. The fat shot is a totally wasted stroke as little or no ground is covered and we have to hit the same shot over again. At the transition point of your golf swing when the club changes direction back to the ball, if your BOSS hand loses control of the golf club, the weight of the club head rests on the trigger finger (index finger) of your Trail hand (right hand) and that hand becomes the BOSS of the golf club at that moment. Once the trail hand becomes the BOSS of the golf club, the down swing motion becomes too steep and your trail hand throws the club head into the ground behind the ball. If this is the case, you may have noticed your ball position creeping back in your stance and your shots traveling too low and too far for the club you’re using at the moment. This is a side effect of a weak BOSS hand; you have to change the geometry of your golf swing in order to make contact with the ball. When this condition develops, all kinds of mistakes can happen as you try to judge where the bottom of your swing is going to happen. Always remember, when your target side hand (the one with the glove) is the BOSS of the golf club, the bottom of your golf swing will always be on your Center of Gravity (shirt-button) so you can predict proper ball position, trajectory, and distance control of each club in your bag, and eliminate the dreaded FAT shot.

The main purpose of golf training ebook reviews is to offer the reader a good insight into the various golf training ebook tutorials available on the Internet. Every golf training ebook has something different to offer in it’s approach to a workable system. Some will offer tips and techniques of swinging, chipping and putting and others will concentrate on golf fitness training or the mental approach to the golf game.

The benefits in reading golf training ebook reviews are many and varied. Firstly, they offer readers the opportunity to assess the potential of a cross section of the most popular golf training ebook tutorials, highlighting the features and strengths of each product. This is extremely useful for any golfing enthusiast who is seeking to better his/her game and needing some quality golf training advice. Deciding which of the many available golf training ebooks would be more likely to provide the most useful advice on techniques to raise the level of his/her play, can be a daunting task, so perusing through golf training ebook reviews can help the reader to make the correct decision.

As most golf training ebooks will typically offer advice on the different aspects of how to improve one’s golf, the reader should first identify the parts of his/her game that require the most improvement. Then, by refering to the golf training ebook reviews, they are able to narrow their search down to the golf training ebooks which offer the most relevant help and advice. Also, by visiting the product sales page they will soon get a clearer picture of the one golf training ebook containing the advice on techniques the reader will need to improve his/her golf game.

Of course, there are many so called ‘review sites’ that simply copy and paste relevant information from the product sales page, maybe changing a word or two here and there and the review ends up reading much like an advertisement for that product. This type of golf training ebook review will offer nothing in the way of credible advice. A good golf training ebook web site will typically be constructed by those who have obtained copies of each of the golf training ebooks on review, and actually test drive the systems described noting the effects of the techniques taught in each tutorial.

Apart from highlighting the useful content described in the various golf training ebooks, a good reviewer will also offer comments on many of the other strong points of each product, for example, how easy the lessons are to follow, does the tutorial offer step-by-step instruction, are the training tips accompanied by sketches, diagrams and illustrations and whether the product is supported by a 100% guarantee with a full refund if the system fails to make a difference.

Reviews of ebooks generally will often make a point of mentioning the number of pages in the complete publication. Although an interesting fact, this information typically has little bearing on the usefulness of the tutorial’s content. For example, a golf training ebook with as little as 20 pages will maybe teach you techniques that will slice 7 or 8 shots off your score, whereas a 100 page similarly presented golf training ebook may describe a system in much greater detail that will only cut your score by 3 or 4 shots. The number of pages in an ebook tutorial is mostly irrelevant!

Another obvious benefit of reading golf training ebook reviews is that the review sites often contain a comprehensive listing of all the golf training ebooks available on the Web, which can save the reader countless hours in searching the Internet. The web site reviewer/owner has already done the hard work of finding products and they are now all listed together which makes it far easier for the reader to make instant comparisons of the various available products.

So for those golf enthusiasts who are searching for quality golf training ebooks in an effort to lower their scores, they are well advised to find and use the information offered by a good golf training ebook reviews web site, which will often point them in the direction of the right tutorials to suit their own personal needs, rather than investing in a product that either fails to cover the particular aspect of golf that interests them, or worse still, teaches nothing they didn’t already know!

Trevor Taylor

Have you been wondering what hybrid golf clubs are, or even what a hybrid golf set is? Have you also wondered what golf hybrid club may be best for you? I hope after reading this article you have a better understanding of what a hybrid golf club is and are prepared to take the plunge to adding one to your bag. Or maybe you will end up with a complete hybrid golf set.

One never knows when you may drive a hybrid car, but now is the time to golf hybrid style with your own hybrid golf set. If you are like me and have played golf with somebody who is playing golf with you, praise that hybrid golf club. How often have you seen this person hit a gorgeous golf shot only to learn the shot was made with a hybrid golf club? I would witness this shot and say to myself, wow I wish I could hit the golf ball like that. There is talk everywhere on the course about the latest hybrid golf clubs from makers like the Nike Sasquatch, the Callaway Fusion or the Ping and how easy these golf clubs are to hit a golf ball. You know you want one, you know it is time to take that swing and select the hybrid Golf club, but just need a couple of questions answered. Well then this article should be the final stroke in the game to put the right club in your bag.

Since the 12th century, golf has been around and played with all sorts of equipment. This 12th century sport has seen its share of golf balls, drivers, putters and even clothing. Golf has undergone significant modifications over the years and the equipment played today is allot different from the beginning of the sport, it is even different what was used just 10 years ago. The courses are different, the players are different and the most change has been in the equipment and the golf clubs of today. Equipment changes in golf almost happen as frequently as technology, each year there is a new computer, phone or video game, well in golf it is almost the same thing. Well maybe not like technology, but awfully close.

We all know that every player that is playing golf today needs to have their own equipment, with their own bag with their own golf balls. While most sports require some sort of equipment to play during games, golf perhaps requires the most individual equipment. When you start to play golf you will need different types of clubs that include putters, drivers and irons. Each and every club the player carries are used for different shots; for example the drivers are primarily used off the tee box to try and get the ball into the fairway, after you get off the tee box the player would then use an iron, the irons which are the most versatile clubs are used for various kinds of shots on and off the fairway in an attempt to get onto the green, and the last club used on each hole, providing you did not get a hole in one or hole out on the previous shot is the steel putter, this club is to drop the ball into the cup.

Golf equipment has undergone many changes over the years, but none as much as we have seen over the last couple. Most recently the equipment changes we have are a new class of golf clubs, known as the ‘Hybrid Golf Club’. The hybrid golf club has been designed to improve your score and your game. There is not one player using a hybrid who has not seen an improvement in their game and has been able to lower their overall. Players using a hybrid club are adverting for the major companies like Nike, Callawy and Ping simply by praising the htbrid clubs they are using. While there are plenty of reviews from the major golf magazines and most of the big golf magazines are recommending their use, it is the recreational golfer who should get the credit for getting the word out. True, just about every professional golfer has a hybrid in their bag and are using them during tournament play, but the recreational golfer is proving them as great clubs for any handicap. In addition, almost all big names in the golf club industry are manufacturing them.

So what does all this lead us to believe? A hybrid golf club is a club every rereational golfer should have in their golf bag. To understand what a hybrid is, the term ‘hybrid’ originated from genetics, which means a combination of two different species in order to get the desirable characteristics of both. With golf equipment a Hybrid Golf Club is simply a combination of the advantages you will get from an ‘iron’ and ‘wood’. In other words a hybrid golf club is a cross between a long iron and a fairway wood, and is comprised of some positive features from both clubs. You will now have the ability to combine the charateristics of both clubs into one swing. Think about that, one stroke for the wood then one stroke for the iron, equals two strokes. Now one stroke of a hybrid may be possible and that my fellow golfers equals one stroke. I smell club championship?

Hybrid golf clubs are primarily used when you need to hit the golf ball in the air for long distance and pinpoint accurate shots. There was a time when these clubs didn’t show good results and thus, weren’t well accepted by players both pro and recreational. But in recent times with a few modifications these clubs now easily outperform ordinary irons or woods.

So you ask just how does Hybrid Golf Clubs work?

A HybridGolf Club is chiefly designed for distance control and accuracy. Therefore the club makers have shifted the ‘center of gravity’ to the bottom of the club to attain a better level of perfection. This particular arrangement helps in launching the ball in the air in case of long distance shots. They have also given it a higher launch angle and a flat face which gives the golf ball a higher spin and helps it stop faster with more precision.

The Hybrid Golf Clubs will have flatter club faces and shorter shafts that make them easier ti swing and control. Unlike fairway woods they do not have round and bulgy face with a long shaft. It is often seen that a hybrid club has rails or runners at the bottom that helps it react positively with the grass whether it is short fairway, long rough or sand. These rails or runners will not allow grass or sand interfere with the club as you swing through the plane. Hybrid Golf club lofts also vary from 16 to mid 20 degrees like the long irons.

So, to conclude, a Hybrid Golf Club can almost replace every club in your bag. Once you try one you will be looking to see what club you can replace with your next one. Remember the main point of a golf hybrid golf club basically combines the best qualities of both woods and irons and takes them a step further to lower your scores and raise your game to a whole new level! Good luck with your hybrid golf set and enjoy your next round of golf.