Let’s face it, golf has become one of the most popular sports around the world. With the numbers of players increasing every year, all of the new comers to the game will be seeking some form of golfing instruction. With the increase in players we have also seen an increase in golf tips. There may come a time when newcomers will not go to the professional for any form of golf swing instruction and instead rely on golfing guides that are easily obtainable from bookstores and the internet. I personally believe that you require that solid foundation that the professional provides at first but I firmly believe that once the basics are understood, improvement can be gained by reading books and golf guides.

The number of people turning to books for golfing instruction is on the increase. To that end there are dozens of very good instruction books available that will benefit your game. I would add however, that I am yet to come across a book that teaches correctly your address, your grip, your swing etc. It is virtually impossible to impart this basic knowledge. This has to come face to face from a professional.

While a book can be useful to help you diagnose many problems that you have with a swing, such as your ball hooking, or even not traveling far enough the book will not be able to physically look at your swing and determine what is wrong. If you are working with an instructor, then using a book to help learn some of the other finer details of the game can be very helpful. It is important to realize that you can learn some advanced skills from reading the books, but only after you have had the lessons to master the basics.

Once you have the basics, this is the best time to turn to a book or eBook because at this point you will just be looking to refine what you have already learned in an effort to reduce the number of shots that you are taking during a round. When you have particular problem, you can easily nowadays purchase an eBook for a few dollars, certainly less than a golf lesson. If you read the book and the read it again you can hone in on the problem areas. As with every part of the improvement process it will take practices & more practice.

When purchasing a golf guide you do however, have to be careful that you are purchasing a product that can improve your game. Flip through a few pages to be sure that you can learn from it. My particular preference is eBooks. There are many eBooks on golf instruction that can be obtained for the internet. These types of guides also have the added bonus in many cases that there are Hyper links to videos and interviews with the worlds top golfers.

There are also normally sold by review sites. The sales copy will normally lay out exactly what you can expect from the guide. The review site will normally have real life testimonials from golfers that have used the product. The added bonus of eBook guides is that they are normally much cheaper than a series of golf lessons, easily downloaded and many have a money back guarantee.

By: John Hawkes

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

Ball position is a critical component thats often overlooked by players with high golf handicaps. Ball position decides a shots initial direction. While theories on ball position abound, you need to find one thats right for you.

Ball position affects a clubheads swing path, as I explain in my golf lessons. If the ball is too far back, the clubhead moves on an in-to-out swing path at impact, sending the ball to the targets right. If the ball is too far forward, the clubhead moves on an out-to-in swing path at impact, sending the ball to the targets left.

Correctly positioning the ball increases the clubheads chances of meeting the ball at the correct angle of attack and on the right target path. It also helps eliminate a fade or hook, along with other swing adjustments.

Most teaching pros subscribe to the standard ball position theory as do most players and most professional golfers. This theory advocates changing the balls position depending on the club used. If youve taken golf lessons or read my golf tips, youre probably familiar with this theory.

For example, the ideal ball position for the driver is just inside the heel of your front foot. Placing the ball there ensures that the clubhead makes impact just beyond the swings lowest point, with an upward, sweeping motion of the clubthe perfect swing for the being used.

The ideal position for long irons, on the other hand, is slightly back from the drivers position. The ideal position for mid-irons is one or two balls back from this position. And the ideal position for short irons is in the middle of your stance.

These positions place the ball at the lowest point in your swing, given the length of the club used and the type of swing taken. In addition, placing the ball at these positions enable the golfer to make clean contact with a crisp descending blowthe key to hitting iron shots well.

Much golf instruction is built around the standard theory. But not every teaching pro advocates it. David Leadbetter, whos taught numerous pro golfers, like Nick Price, and written several books, offers another approach. Its one he stresses in his golf instruction books. Like the standard theory, it makes sense.

Leadbetter suggests that players with lower golf handicaps position the ball (1) just inside the left heel for woods and (2) two balls back for irons. For players with high golf handicaps, he suggests positioning the ball (1) in the middle of their stances for irons and (2) a ball or two forward from that position for woods.

His reasoning is logical. Players with low golf handicaps use their lower bodies more aggressively than players with high handicaps. Players with low golf handicaps are capable of taking advantage of a forward ball position. Players with high handicaps are not.

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus also offers a ball position theory, which he explains in his golf instruction books. It, too, make sense.

Nicklaus advocates a constant ball position, regardless of the club used. He believes that the ball opposite the left heel is the only spot where the club ever travels parallel to the target line. Any other position towards the back foot means the ball is struck too early in the downswing.

Instead of re-positioning the ball, Nicholas favors changing your stance, depending on the club. Open your stance for the shorter irons, and pull the right foot back, to make the stance wider and squarer, as the clubs shaft length increases. Winner of 18 majors, Nicholas has a theory that seems to work for him at least.

Another consideration with ball position is tee height. I tell players taking my golf lessons that the balls equator should be even with the top of the driver when the ball is on the tee. Placing the ball higher enables the player to hit the ball on the upward arc of his/her swing. Players with oversize clubheads, then, need longer tees to reach the right height.

A third consideration with ball position is weather. If its windy, tee the ball higher if youre hitting with the wind to generate loft. The added loft enables the wind can carry the ball farther. Tee the ball lower if youre hitting against the wind to produce a low shot, like a line drive in baseball. This type of shot cuts through the wind and rolls farther than a shot with loft.

Regardless of which theory it is, find one thats right for you, just like Jack Nicklaus did. Test each theory out while on the practice range and under game conditions. Work on it until you find the ball position thats right for you. Then, use it every time you play.

By: Jack Moorehouse

About the Author:

Create a video blog

A few things factor into a good golf shot and amongst them are your grip, posture and swing. While all these things come into play, some consider the golf grip the most important one of all. If you don’t have a good golf grip, you can forget about your swing because no matter how hard you try to train or fix it, it will still be broken until you nail the perfect grip.

To get the perfect golf grip just, follow the 5 simple steps listed below:

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’s thumb is straight down. The point where your thumb meets your hand should be near the top of club.

3. Next, 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.

If you follow these instructions, you should be able to obtain a solid golf grip. The following golf tips will also help you improve your grip and help you feel more comfortable and confident with it.

The best way to double-check whether your golf grip is correct is to look at the amount of knuckles you can see on your left hand. If you can see three of them, it means that you’re in good shape. 2 or 4 means that your club’s face is either too open or too closed.

An important golf tip to remember is that your grip needs to be firm yet relaxed. Holding the club lightly but firmly is what you should do. Don’t try to choke it because tenseness in your golf grip will lead to a poor swing. Remember, the more relaxed your grip, the straighter and farther you’ll hit the ball.

There is a golf tip to avoid gripping too tightly. Extend your target arm and 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. Hopefully relieving you of the need to hold it in a death grip.

A common error golfers have is a weak lead-hand grip (left hand for the right-handed golfer). A weak lead-hand tends to produce slices and your shots will lack power. So take note of this golf tip if you have slicing problems.

Practicing your golf grip isn’t crucial but it can help in the long run. If you know your grip by heart, you’ll settle into it easily without much thought. For golf, the less you need to think about and the more natural your grip and swing feels, the better the shot.



By: John Lim

About the Author:

Website content

Is a single-axis golf swing the best way to hit a ball? Fueled by the success of the Moe Norman, who popularized the single-axis approach and was widely known for power, consistency, and correctness at impact, the debate rages on. He introduced a concept called Natural Golf many years ago. Its not likely to stop anytime soon.

Norman is among the best ballstrikers ever. Even the great Ben Hogan admired his swing. Hogan was once quoted as saying, Moe is the only guy that I would walk across the street to watch hit balls. Hogan was not alone. So whats behind the debate? Lets take a closer look at the single-axis swing.

While the single-axis swing isnt something I talk about in my golf lessons and golf tips, it still intrigues. Taking away and returning a club on a single planenot the two planes of the modern approach, simplifies the golf swing. At the very least, as I explain in golf instruction sessions when asked about it, it improves the most important part of the swingimpact.

Key Difference Between Swings

The key difference between the conventional golf swing and the single-axis swing is the relationship between address and impact. With the conventional swing, the player sets up with his arms and hands directly below the shoulders, forming two separate lines that create an angle between the arms and clubshaft.

With the single-axis swing, the address position aligns the club on the same plane as the impact plane. In other words, the single-axis swing starts the club on the same impact plane and stays there throughout. Thus, the golf swing is simplified. Solid ballstriking, which I emphasize in my golf lessons and golf tips, is facilitated.

Address:

With the conventional swing, the player takes a narrow stance with the lead arm on a different line than the clubshaft. The trail hand is on top of the club and the hands are behind the clubhead. With the single-axis swing, the hands are positioned in front of the clubhead with every club. This position forms a straight linethe same line that occurs at impact when the lead arm and clubshaft align. Moe Norman called it the rod.

Backswing

Since the conventional swing starts on a different plane at address, the player must hinge his or her wrists to get the club back on plane. The address position also creates a steeper shoulder plane. Also, the spine tilts forward a little, away from the original spine angle going into the downswing. Since the single-axis swing starts on the same plane, the player keeps the club on plane by maintaining the relationship between the lead arm and the lead shoulder established at address. The spine tilt remains the same as at address and the shoulder remains on plane.

Top of the Swing

The traditional swing forces a steeper, more vertical arm movement to the top of the backswing. The spine moves toward the target, in a reversed C position, and the right elbow (for right-handers) has been lifted and will need to drop down to get the club back on plane in the downswing. With the single-axis swing, theres no need to drop the arms into the slot. Theyre already there. The wrists are cocked and ready to deliver as much power as possible into the back of the ball.

Downswing

With the conventional swing the lower body rotates with the lead leg straightening and the back foot lifting to create room for the lifting of the clubhead into impact. The trail elbow is slightly behind the trail hip, which can trap the arm behind the body. With the single-axis swing, the head remains behind the ball, the trail foot is on the ground, and the players spine tilt maintained. The lead leg remains flexed and stable. Nor is there any need to move the body to make room for a steeper shaft.

Impact

The impact positions of both the conventional and single-axis swing are similar at impact, as they should be. The key difference is, as we have pointed out, how they arrived therethrough multiple planes or on a single plane. Whats more, the single-axis swing produces minimal movement throughout the swing, compared to the traditional swing.

Release

The conventional swing requires a full release of the entire body, with excessive hip rotation and the need to lift the trail foot off the ground. Also, the forearms must cross to square the clubface. Thats unlike the single-axis swing, where the arms power past a flexed, yet posted lead leg and moves straight toward the target, like a pendulum.

Thats the single-axis swing in a nutshell. Many of the fundamentals of the single-axis swing can be seen in todays Tour players, like Craig Perry, Tom Lehman, and Mike Weir, while Mark OMeara is almost a carbon copy of Moe Norman in the release position.

So the debate rages on. The conventional swing has many proponents, but the single-axis swing also has its share of advocates. If you struggle with consistency, you may find it worth while to investigate, what is at the least, a simpler way of achieving a solid impact position. It certainly cant hurt.

By: Jack Moorehouse

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

What is Putting? What you must do to become a great putter! Please visit www.joeputtergolf.com for more golf lessons, tips, and instructions! … “Joe Putter” Golf Instruction “Golf Humor” “golf instruction” “How to putt” “how to golf”

By: JoePutter

About the Author:

golf instruction

A lot of people have a tendency to get on their computer and search the internet for golf lessons or tips that can lower their score in even the slightest way. A not so well known media for learning how to play golf or just learning how to improve your game is golf video instruction. It allows people that are visual to see everything as well as control what they are seeing.

One of the biggest advantages of golf video instruction is that you can pop it in your DVD player at anytime and watch the videos. You can switch around chapters or DVDs to find the thing that you want to focus on. Then whenever you have it switched to that and you are watching it happen you can pause the video or slow it down so you can get an in depth look at what you are trying to learn.

Another big thing is that a lot of people simply cannot understand something in a written down pallet they need pictures, or even better they need moving pictures. This is where golf video instruction comes into play. It allows the watcher to focus on certain things whether that means straightening out their left arm or the approach.

The possibilities of golf video instruction are endless. As they are today they can benefit any kind of player whether you are a beginner shooting well above par or a pro who just wants to shave a shot or two off of the score card.

By: Lee L Campbell

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

Drills are very important in developing your overall game. They do not have to be saved only for the range but can be practiced in your own backyard. To prevent boredom and help to speed up your rate of learning, try to avoid doing the same drills at similar times each day.

A favorite drill of mine is simply heading out onto the range and swinging to hit the 150 yard flag. Don’t concentrate on anything else except doing this 1 thing. If you go to the range with a single purpose, it becomes simpler to absorb a method.

This next drill is used in developing your swinging rhythm. Your aim is to swing at the golf ball in slow-motion. You’re gong to use only a fraction of your overall power to knock the ball off the tee. Do this about 10 times before adding more power. As you begin to reach your maximum power again, you’ll notice your rhythm developing.

Here’s a great drill that can be done at home to develop your balance. You will want to position your body as if you’re about to do a push-up. Push your body up as you would normally do and then lift your left hand and right foot off the ground. Stay in this position for about 10seconds. You should then proceed to do the same thing with your right hand and left foot. Strive to do this at least a few times a week and you will notice a significant improvement in your overall strength and balance.



By: Golfing555

About the Author:

golf tips

If you’re like me or most people, I would imagine that there are times were you experience first tee jitters.

Although, I’m much more comfortable that I used to be, I still occasionally get nervous on the first tee of a tournament, especially if I haven’t been in competition for a while.

Here are a few quick tips to help get more comfortable:

1) Get to the Tee Early to Visualize and Get Comfortable

When I played in my first PGA-sanctioned event, you can bet I was a bit anxious before my round. However, I was able to mitigate those feelings quite a bit because I went out to the tee box early to “make friends” with the tee box and get comfortable.

As I got there, I noticed there was quite a gallery around the box. The public address guy was announcing the names and I felt some chills. To calm myself, I started visualizing myself up on the tee box and it being my turn to hit. Right away, I felt more tense, but then I forced myself to feel calmer. I knew that the more relaxed I could be, the better I would start. I kept going back and forth between calming myself and picturing it being my turn to hit until I could do so feeling calm.

When it came to actually be my turn, I focused on feeling the same way that I had just rehearsed. Sure enough, it worked and I made solid contact on my drive and started off the tournament with a good par.

2) Educational Kinesiology

A second thing I do when I feel nervous is to put my hand over my stomach. If you’ve ever heard of educational kinesiology, you’d know that by performing certain movements, things like acts of speech, hearing, vision, coordination, etc, are enhanced. As an example, by placing my hand on my stomach, I experience a drop of energy from my head to my stomach, which in turn helps ground me, clears my head, and puts me in a calmer and more relaxed state..and as I’m sure you know, hitting a shot under a calmer and more relaxed state will produce more consistent results than if you are amped up and all over the place.

3) Getting Grounded

A third trick I sometimes do when I’m stirring around in my head too much is to imagine roots growing out of my feet. When I focus on this for a few seconds, all of a sudden I’ll feel the bundle of energy stuck in my head drop down and I’ll enter a more zen-like state. As I mentioned in the previous example, playing in this state is much more conducive to lower scores.

Hope that can help you get your round off to a better start.

By: Jaacob Bowden

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

I decided to begin this series of free online golf tips & instructions with the lessons and methods my grandfather taught. My grandfather was a Golf Professional for nearly 50 years and competed in many tournaments. His career highlights include qualifying for two U.S. Opens and being invited to play in the British Open. Although my grandfather was an accomplished golfer, he felt most rewarded when teaching others how to play and enjoy the game. Although golf instruction has come a long way since my grandfather’s time, these golf lessons still include very important fundamentals to be learned and remembered. Sometimes the best golf lessons come in the simplest form and are made easier to understand and execute. The following instructions have been taken from my grandfather’s notes entitled, “Improve Your Golf”, and I am very happy to share these with anyone wanting to learn how to play golf, or revisit the basic fundamentals of the game.

Improve Your Golf – Swing Is The Thing

The swing begins with your setup at the ball with the proper grip, stance, ball position, proper distance from the ball, weight and head position as we discussed previously. When you are ready to swing the club, it is encouraged that you waggle the club first. This will help with rhythm and grip pressure as your grip should be secured, but not too firm. The majority of your grip pressure should be with the last 3 fingers of the left hand (middle, ring, small). These 3 fingers are where you should feel most of your control from when pushing the club back and pulling the club through the shot.

Your head is the hub of your swing and you must swing with your arms and body moving together under your head with a one piece motion back and through the shot; maintaining a easy, controlled rhythm & balance. This is done by turning your left shoulder down towards the ball with the club head’s path going back inside slightly, and with your hips coiling in unison with your shoulders as you turn and bring the club up to the top of your swing. Your wrists should feel firm at the top of your swing and your left arm should be fairly straight. Once you have completed your backswing, your first move should be with your legs and hips with your weight shifting towards your left side and pulling your arms back down though the downswing. Arms and body still moving together following the same inside-out path you began your swing with.

As you continue to pull through your shot, you should feel your wrists release (roll back over) as you make contact with the ball, keeping your head still and feeling the clubhead continue out towards your target. As you finish your swing, your body continues to turn and face your target as you bring the club up at your target and then around the backside of your neck. As you are shifting your weight from your right to left side, your right foot continues to turn up up onto the toe as you finish. It is very important to finish up on your right toe, otherwise you cannot rotate your hips out of the way of your swing, causing you to lose proper form and power.

By: Scott Powers

About the Author:

Website content

Brady Riggs shows you how to properly setup and use the legs in the golf swing. For more tips and free swing analysis software go to www.inpractis.com

By: mfbrown1

About the Author:

golf instruction