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Category Archives: Putting Tips

beginners golf lessons – golf lessons for beginners | improve my golf swing

beginners golf lessons, golf lessons for beginners, professional golf swing, improve my golf swing

Golf Lessons For Beginners and Others
By Art Kavanagh

If you have seen my article entitled Beginners Golf Lessons you will have been left in no doubt that learning the basics properly is the right way to start learning about golf.

In this article I will try to tell you a little about the important fundamental skills necessary for the game of golf.

1. Driving: There is no doubt that driving is one of the very important skills you need to play golf properly. There are a few fundamentals to driving that you must master – gripping your club properly, addressing the ball correctly, holding your elbows close to your body, pivoting your body and the follow through which is probably the most important element of any shot including the putt.

2. Fairway shots: Depending on the length of the hole it is definite that you will use a variety of clubs. On all par 5s and on many par4s you will have to use a fairway wood. Again addressing the ball, pivoting and follow through are all very necessary ingredients for a good shot.

3. Keep your head down: Of course the old chestnut of keeping your head down is true of all shots. Keeping your head down really means keeping your eye on the ball until it has been struck. Then it is permissible to raise your head to follow the flight of your ball. Many beginners forget to watch the ball as they strike it. That is why they have so many bad shots. Keeping your head down also applies when putting.

4. Chipping: Assuming you are chipping from about 20 yards off the green, or less, it is probably advisable to use an 8 iron. People use 9 irons, wedges etc. but I have found over the years that with practice the 8 iron is probably the best. When you are chipping it is imperative not to flex your wrists. Think of your shot or chip almost as a putt. You don’t break your wrists putting so don’t do it when chipping off the green with the 8 iron. Another thing that is important is to keep your weight on your left foot (if you are right-handed) and keep your feet close together. If it is a short chip reduce the length of the back swing. And don’t forget to follow through.

5. Bunker Shots: We all know that playing good bunker shots can really improve your chances of winning competitions. But this is such an important part of the game that I will have to deal with it in a separate article.

6. Putting: Everyone knows that good putting is the key to making a good score. Remember the old saying Gary Player had “I drive for show and I putt for dough”. Putting is so important that it deserves the full treatment in another article.

Learn how to launch your golf career from an expert. Don’t delay – Visit http://urgolfswing.info

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Add comment | August 10, 2009 - 6:24 pm | cloverron

Bad Round Of Golf Fix – Better Putting

18th green; taken from the

Image via Wikipedia

Fix Bad Round of Golf with Better Putting
You will know it is time to address your putting deficiency, when you are serious about bumping up your game to a new level or if you feel that your green reading and putting techniques are dragging your entire golf game down. It is said that putting accounts for 45% of the game. How can you ignore it when that much of the game is on the line and in most cases, can be improved with just a few lessons?

There isn’t one putting stance that will work for all golfers. The stance that a golfer takes when putting can be as different from one another as swings off the tee. You only have to look at the different stances that you see on the PGA tour. Someone who is an avid follower of golf can recognize many of the golfers on tour while they are putting even if their back is turned toward the camera. Who wouldn’t recognize Jack Nicklaus’ hunched over putting stance if they saw it?

That isn’t to say that there still aren’t some general rules of thumb that should be practiced when addressing the ball on the green. First, remember that the longer the putter’s shaft the faster and further your arc will be when the ball is hit. You will have to adjust your calculations in relation when reading the greens. The most important aspect of the stance that you take when you are putting is not that it has to look like everyone else’s, but that you are consistent. Getting into the same routine and stance each and every time you putt will take care of most of the difficulties on the green.

A very important part of your stance is how you grip the club. You should be very comfortable with your putter and “should have perfected a grip” that prohibits you from “twisting your wrists” which will, in turn, twist the club face direction and make the ball go everywhere but in the cup.  Many golfers practice a grip that incorporates one of their fingers pointing down along the shaft. This small adjustment acts as a pointer and helps the brain to target the ball and hit it squarely on the clubface.

Where you place your feet in your stance must be what is most comfortable to you and whichever footing allows your brain and your eyes to correctly line up the put. Most putters stand parallel to their putting line with their feet about a foot to a shoulder width apart. Some, however, find that they like to stand with one foot slightly ahead of the other. Whatever you choose, the important thing is that you get into the habit of having your feet in the same position every time. Your grip and your feet should position themselves without you even having to think about it.

Consistency is the key. Find the putting stance that works for you and practice it until it becomes second nature. When your stance is one that allows for a productive swing, you will find that the rest of your short game will show “vast improvements” and your golf scores will go down.

Bad Round Of Golf Fix

free golf tip every few days from a teaching pro – with online videos to illustrate the lessons!

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Add comment | September 24, 2008 - 11:22 pm | cloverron