Golf 101 Tips

I have known golfers who actually play their best golf when they are injured simply because they are not focusing as much on their game as the injury, but by all accounts injury will hinder your game rather than help.

So how do you reduce the chance of golfing injuries that might stop you playing the game?

Well the first step is obviously to try to keep your level of fitness up. A fit person will always fare better under the rigors of exercise. For golf, the best fitness can be flexibility.

It is always wise to warm up and lightly stretch your muscles before play starts, and just as important to cool down properly after play has finished.

Once again stretching after a round of golf can assist in ensuring you don’t get injuries, particularly to your back and hamstrings.

Walking can make your hamstrings tighter and in doing so can make them susceptible to tearing and injury.

Golf also requires a lot of back movement and in the event that you haven’t warmed up sufficiently before that first swing of the day, you could do some serious damage.

When you do your stretching exercise ensure you don’t do any sudden movements. Everything should be smooth and flowing, just like your golf swing. Never bounce when you are doing your stretching movements as this can results in injury.

A few gentle side twists with a golf club across your shoulders will help to warm up your lower back and add mobility to your movements thereby reducing the chance of injury.

Even the simple task of walking your trundler, rather than hiring a golf cart, will assist in warming up your muscles.

Before your first swing of the day it is also wise to have some practice swings to activate all the muscles you will be using for the game ahead.

If you have the time and inclination during the week, I have seen many people have dramatic changes to their performance by doing yoga exercises regularly.

Not only will it assist in flexibility, it will have a positive effect on your mind control and obviously your performance as a whole.

Get Fit & Ad 30 Yards to Your Drives

Getting Out of trouble on the golf course…

It is always best to stay out of trouble in the first place and that is why learning to control the ball and place it where it should be is the fastest way to a better score rather than relying on big drives off the tee.

Unfortunately that is not always the case and as golf is constantly challenging us to perform better and better we strive to go for more distance or attempt shots that we aren’t 100% comfortable with.

Obviously the inevitable will happen and we will need to decide how to get out of the rough and salvage the hole.

All too often golfers make the wrong decision by not erring on the safe side and accepting that one more shot or a different iron might be a better solution.

You might think you can clear that tree with a 7 iron but if there are any doubts whatsoever it will be wise to select a ’safer’ 8 or 9 iron just to be sure.

Consider using a pitching wedge if you aren’t completely sure you will make the shot with the 9.

A safe shot can set you up for a good recovery by placing the ball in an easier position whereas taking risks might mean you don’t make any gains at all.

It’s like a seasoned gambler where you know the odds and playing safe often leaves more money on the table at the end of the day.

Golf is all about making the right decisions more often than not and a decision not to play safe can be detrimental to your score, particularly when the distance you might have gained with another club would probably have been minimal anyway.

Always play within your skills when you find yourself in difficult situations. Salvage bad shots and then take a few extra chances when there is less likelihood of error.

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The Most Popular Gadgets for Improving Your Putting Game

There are literally hundreds of gadgets that all claim to improve one, if not all, aspects of your golf game. The gadgets can profess to fix everything from your golf swing itself to your stance. Golf is a huge industry, especially in the United States and it seems that everyone wants to get in on the action. But, how do you know if a product that is being advertised will actually live up to its claims? That is what this article will address.

It is said that putting accounts for about 45% of your game in a round of golf. That is a huge statistic that cannot be overlooked. If you are someone who normally takes two, three or even more shots on average when you are on the green then you will definitely want to try to reduce that number. Imagine lowering your score by 18 points merely by improving your putting on each green by only 1 putt.

Many of the gadgets that help the putting game tend to concentrate on improving your stance over the ball and teaching you how to accomplish that perfect “pendulum” swing. Others have inventions that try to “train” your eye to “see” the path of the ball even before you hit it.

Before you can begin to shop for the perfect tool that will improve your putting game; you must first have some idea as to what problems you are encountering on the greens and where you are having the most difficulties. (Isn’t that always the way?

Before you can be helped, you have to become all “introspective” and perform some sort of self-analysis.) If you have no idea where your putting problems lie, I suggest heading to your closest sports supply or golf equipment store. Sure, you could head to one of your local golf courses, see the golf pro for $100 an hour, but first try the sporting goods store.

Even if they don’t have a golf “expert” on staff, there will be other golfers there who are not your friends and therefore will be extremely objective in analyzing your technique. Almost every golfing supply store will have a putting green in the department where you can practice.

Get a salesperson or other golfers to help you to see where you are going wrong. Other people who shop there will completely understand what you are going through and will be more than happy to help you. A golf shop is very similar to the old general store where people are willing to strike up a friendly conversation with anyone who walks in.

Once you have an idea where you need to improve, then you can begin to shop for a teaching aid that can help you. It may be as simple as getting a new putter. The sporting goods store may even have a product that you can try. There may even be others there who have tried the product and can give you some idea of its effectiveness.

Your other option is to search the Internet. Be very careful and try to purchase items from recognizable or well-known sites. As I stated before, the money generated from golf in the US is in the hundreds of billions. Because of this popularity there are many scams – including from infomercials. Even golf channels will air programs for gadgets that may not be as effective as they claim.

Once you have purchased a product remember to practice as much as possible in order to train your muscles and brain to eventually perform those actions without any assistance. Practice, more than anything will help you to turn your short game into something that will be admired.

No More 3 Putts

Improve Your Golf Swing And Play Better Golf

This article reviews a popular product on how to improve your golf swing so that you can become a more consistent player and play better golf.

David Nevogt wrote The Simple Swing in 2006 and in a short space of time was read by people from all over the world. The claims the author makes about what you can achieve by reading this book are pretty substantial. Claims such as an average golfer will be able to cut 7 strokes from their game and a high handicapper even more. David even claims a 95% success rate for these results.

David maintains that the three biggest problems that people have when playing golf are being inconsistent, hooking or slicing the ball and not getting enough distance. As a result he set about trying to develop a simpler and more effective golf swing, in a scientific way, that could eliminate these problems for good. And The Simple Swing was born.

A golf buddy of mine first introduced me to The Simple Swing about 6 months ago. We both started playing golf a couple of years ago and were always of a similar standard - not very good. We used to score in the low to mid nineties but couldn’t break the 90 barrier. Anyway, I hadn’t seen my pal for a while so we arranged a round at our local club and boy did I get a surprise.

My friend had a round of 84 which I thought must be just sheer luck. However, he told me that he had recently bought a new golf book and that he had been practising the tips like mad at the range and that it was really paying off. Well I could see that, so I thought I’d better get myself a copy and see what it could do for me.

I put some practise in over the next month or so and and was able to take about 9 or 10 shots off my game. My drives had more distance and I was generally a lot more consistent - I was thrilled. What you learn in The Simple Swing isn’t always what you expect. One technique involves shortening your back swing and this actually makes your drives go further! Another is a really cool way to hit more greens.

The Simple Swing website has loads of rave reviews on it from players who say they have had fantastic improvement in their golf with David’s system. What’s good also, is that he offers a money back guarantee if after 8 weeks you are not totally happy for whatever reason.

All in all, I’d say The Simple Swing is an excellent guide for your average golfer and definitely stands out in terms of the clarity and simplicity of the explanations. If I had to give it a rating it would have to be 10/10.

Will Davies is a freelance writer and avid golf fan. If you would like to play better golf then please visit my website for more advice on how to improve your golf swing

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A Golfers Short Game Is The Secret To A Lower Score

Playing good golf is about weighing the odds most of the time and this applies to all aspects of the game but none more so than your short game.

This is where many Golfers become undone.

There are few simple rules that will help you decide what clubs to use and these are all based on the principal of least risk.

1) The first rule is to always use your putter if the ball will roll.

2) Even if you are slightly off the green and there is no possibility of the ball bouncing then it is wise to use the putter.

3) If there is a possibility of the ball bouncing with the use of your putter then opt for a chip and run.

4) This will get the ball in the air just long enough to clear the rough ground then back on the green and running along the ground.

5) The direction of the ball is easier to control if it is rolling along smooth ground.

6) And the final rule comes into play when the two previous rules aren’t practical. Get out your pitching wedge.

Unless you are an experienced golfer the wedge offers less control and more room for error as many factors can determine the outcome of the shot such as the lie of the ball.

When practicing you should devote time to perfecting the chip and run technique as it can be a savior if used effectively.

Get a bunch of balls and scatter them around the outside of the green in varying distances and practice chipping them onto the green as close to the outside as possible and with enough momentum to reach to the back of the cup.

This will be the area of play that can often make the most progress for your handicap so it is well worth the time you devote to it.

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