When the average golfer decides that his or her golf swing is in need of adjustment – or a major overhaul – they are usually in the beginning phase of committing a major blunder (in my humble opinion anyway). They set off to emulate the swing of any number of well known PGA players in the hope that if they can copy that particular swing then they will start playing golf like said pro.

Wrong! Its a humbling experience but the truth is that those elite players are where they are for a whole host of reasons – natural talent, mental strength and training regimes to name but a few – and their golf swing is but one part of the whole package.

So lets get real – a Tiger Woods like swing is not going to turn you into Tiger Woods. In fact, trying to emulate his swing is likely to lead to more problems with your golf swing, and hence game, than if you just carried on as before.

What the average golfer actually needs is a golf swing guide aimed at improving the average golfers golf swing. Nobody battling to break 80 or 90 or even 100 for 18 holes of golf should be too worried about what Tiger or Ernie are doing – they would be better served by coming down to earth and concentrating on working with a golf swing guide that is aimed at improving the scores of the average weekend golfer.

So lets get real and recognise that most of us will never seriously challenge even the club pro, but with the right golf swing guide and some patience and application, we can all cut a good few shots off our best scores – and do it consistently. Now that is golfing heaven!

When the average golfer decides that his or her golf swing is in need of adjustment – or a major overhaul – they are usually in the beginning phase of committing a major blunder (in my humble opinion anyway). They set off to emulate the swing of any number of well known PGA players in the hope that if they can copy that particular swing then they will start playing golf like said pro.

Wrong! Its a humbling experience but the truth is that those elite players are where they are for a whole host of reasons – natural talent, mental strength and training regimes to name but a few – and their golf swing is but one part of the whole package.

So lets get real – a Tiger Woods like swing is not going to turn you into Tiger Woods. In fact, trying to emulate his swing is likely to lead to more problems with your golf swing, and hence game, than if you just carried on as before.

What the average golfer actually needs is a golf swing guide aimed at improving the average golfers golf swing. Nobody battling to break 80 or 90 or even 100 for 18 holes of golf should be too worried about what Tiger or Ernie are doing – they would be better served by coming down to earth and concentrating on working with a golf swing guide that is aimed at improving the scores of the average weekend golfer.

So lets get real and recognise that most of us will never seriously challenge even the club pro, but with the right golf swing guide and some patience and application, we can all cut a good few shots off our best scores – and do it consistently. Now that is golfing heaven!

If expensive equipment and lots of style were the only requirement of being good at golf, then perhaps world’s most famous celebrities and richest individuals would have been the best golf players. Remember, a good golf player ends up looking stylish and classy without any effort.

If you spend your time purchasing expensive equipment or fancy clothes for your golf game, then you can be rest assured that you are ignoring the most important aspect of the game – practice

What good is having an expensive driver in your hand only if you do not know how to swing the club? What is the point of playing this game if you spend your time trying to launch the ball into orbit when you should simply focus on getting your swing right?

Everything from your technique to your foot position matters in the game of golf. Most importantly, you should be completely relaxed because excessive strain may end up in injuries.

If you are a beginner, then it is best to completely skip the idea of purchasing equipment or getting fancy accessories. Rather, you should focus on the game so that you are good enough to start playing well. Once you are playing very well and once you are confident of competing with your friends and relatives and winning the game, you can easily go in for equipment.

If you are worried that the equipment will be too expensive, then you can always go in for cheap and inexpensive alternatives. Remember, there are many reasons why people sell their golf equipment.

One of the most common reasons is that they invested more in the equipment than in the game itself. When they end up feeling disappointed and when they feel cheated, they invariably put up their equipment for sale and try to recover the money. You can get lots of discount on these sales.

If you are making use of the internet to improve your game, the first thing that you should focus on is the technique. Reading about golf on the internet may not be the best way to understand the game. However, you can easily get explanation of the basic terms without any difficulty.

This is perfect for those who are just beginning to play the game. As far as those who have understood the basics and want to proceed ahead, there are numerous audio and video options that will help them understand the game better.

1. Work on the short game first. I suppose because we start a hole from the tee, people learning the game think that is where their training should begin. I believe proper golf swing basics begin with the chip shot, then moving up, ending with the driver. The object of any swing is what happens at ball contact, and the rest of the swing is only in support of ball contact. The closer you get to the hole, the greater number of times you will use a particular club. Then doesn’t it stand to reason the more time you use a particular club during a round of golf, the more time you should put into practicing with it? It is natural for the new golfer to walk onto the driving range, pull out the driver, and hit half a bucket of balls with it. But how many times do you hit a driver during a round of golf? Fourteen at most, and some of those swings with the driver another club would have been the better choice. Give the driver a rest.

2. Work on contact, not club speed. Controlled contact will serve your game much better than working to generate club speed for distance. This is why we start with the chip around the green, as it has the shortest length in the swing, and therefore is the most controlled of any club. When the new golfer practices this shot, he should always here a crisp “click” on the ball at contact. Also, practice eliminating any sidespin which on the longer clubs will cause a slice or hook.

3. As you move up from the chip when developing proper golf swing basics, think “smooth and under control” rather than “fast and aggressive”. Swinging the club harder might send the ball further, but only if you strike it solidly. But even if you strike it solidly but impart a great deal of sidespin, the ball will be in worse position than if you hit it 50 or 100 yards less, but with more control.

4. It would be very difficult for the new golfer, or that matter any golfer, to maintain proper golf swing basics without being in decent physical shape. Muscles used for a proper golf swing are not used on a regular basis, so they should be maintained with an off-course program.

This is just a primer course in proper golf swing basics. The new golfer should always be patient in his progress and above all try to maintain a correct rhythm and tempo. But above all, have fun, and understand that playing this game better is a journey, not a destination.

You have been playing golf for some time, perhaps even for years. You have achieved a fairly consistent swing. Your handicap is probably between 12 and 20 but you are not able to get it any lower. You seem to have reached a plateau. Finally, you decide to take a lesson from your local Professional. What should you expect? Is there anything you could or should do before the lesson?

Here is what you must ponder? You have come a long way. You learned the basics of the game, the grip, stance, posture, alignment, backswing and downswing. You recognize that golf is not an easy game. You understand that the golf swing has “many moving parts.” So in a 45 to 60 minute lesson you cannot expect the pro to diagnose and correct all of those “moving parts.”

Tip #1

The first thing for you to do is to analyze your game or your swing and try to identify one part that is giving you the most difficulty. Are you pleased with the way you are driving the ball off the tee? Are your fairway woods or hybrids causing you the most difficulty? How about your short irons? Pitching? Chipping? Perhaps you’re putting? Whatever, try to identify that part wherein you seek improvement and let the Pro know that you want to focus in that area.

The Pro will ask you to grab a club, warm up and take a few swings. Unless your basics are totally incorrect, the Pro will begin to zero in on the aspect you identified. Hopefully the Pro will be able to identify your problem. The Pro will suggest that you execute a different and hopefully the correct movement to fix your problem and improve your swing. The Pro will ask you to continue practicing this new movement until s/he feels that you can do it on your own.

Tip #2

Jot down on a piece of paper exactly what it is that the Pro suggested to you to improve your swing. Ask the Pro if your understanding of the suggestion is exactly as the Pro suggested. Make certain that you and your Pro are in agreement.

Tip #3

You now must remind yourself that it has taken you as much time as you have been playing golf to have acquired this incorrect aspect of your swing that the Pro suggested you must change. Improper muscle memory has set in. To improve your swing in accordance with the Pro’s advice, you must develop the new muscle memory required for the desired movement. Such requires repetition. To get the most benefit from your lesson, review your notes and practice the movement as frequently as you can. Do not change any other part of your swing. It is best to perform short periods of practice than to practice for an extended session.

You MUST practice that new movement until you are able to execute it unconsciously. That is when muscle memory has taken over the movement. If and when you can perform the suggestion, you are ready for your next lesson. If you don’t practice that new movement, you will have wasted your lesson. Should you decide to continue your lessons and you can demonstrate that you can perform the suggested movement, your Pro will be able to give you useful critique or suggest your next lesson. Your swing and game will continue to improve.

Maintain a positive attitude about your swing and your game. Remember that “golf is NOT a game of perfect.” As Tiger Woods reminds us, his swing is a constant work in progress.

Does you son or daughter have an interest in trying out for the golf team? I want to give you some golf tips to help them. What a great sport for anyone. This is a sport where your child does not have to be the biggest, the fastest, the tallest or any other gift that many sports require. Especially for girls. the opportunities for college scholarships are tremendous. If your kids are going to golf practice Great!! My question is, are they getting better and are they getting better fast enough to be successful at this sport? How can you help, let’s talk about that.

If you have a young child, golf is about having them swing away. This is your opportunity to teach them good etiquette and learn basic rules. They will imitate the people they play with naturally. Until they are at least ten or older most young kids do not have the ability to learn perfect skills. If they seem to have the ability to pay attention then take advantage of this. If you get them hooked young, they’ll be hooked forever.

First let’s talk about being a teenager. For most of us, remember how hard it was. You are trying to find your identity, deal with peer pressure, adjust to growing faster than your coordination and all the other emotions that come along with being a kid. I would’t want to go through that again. With your kids you have a window and many times it is a small one. So many times we can’t help them at school but in golf you do have the opportunity to help them be better.

Next let’s talk about your golf coach. Some coaches are good and experienced golfers. Some of them are not so experienced and are trying to develop a successful program with limited resources. Whatever their experience, you have to understand that they are there to build a winning team. The other thing to remember is they cannot develop top-level golfers in a couple of months and a couple of hours a day. Being a good golf instructor is a skill you learn over years of experience. If you want your kids to have an edge then I encourage you to get them some private lessons from your local professional. Until or during this time here are some Golf Tips to help your Junior Golfer get better.

Basic Golf Skills: If your Junior Golfer is not making good contact with the golf ball talk to their coach and see if they can give them a few private minutes or get them a private lesson from your local professional. If you help them early they will improve. If they don’t have the correct basics they will perfect that bad shot and very likely get frustrated with golf and quit. Nobody wants to be bad at anything and it is so important that Junior Golf builds their self-esteem. Not make good contact is many times not watching the back of the golf ball. Put the range stripes or logo at the back and have them keep their eye on that mark until after contact is made. The other main cause is not getting the club down to the ground. They seem to be afraid to hurt the grass but if they are not making a clean divot they will most likely top the ball. Seed and sand is available for repair the tee area so no worries. If getting the club to the ground is hard start with a short swing, brushing the grass and get bigger and bigger until they find that spot. If you want more information on how you can help your son or daughter enjoy and excel in golf as a young person visit my website or email me and I’ll try to help a little more.

Practice: There is not one skill that we can improve at if we don’t practice. For more golf tips read my article on Warming Up At The Range through my Home Page. Even learning to ride a bike, you kept trying until you got your balance. Someone helped you at the beginning and you kept trying until you got it! There are so many parts to the golf game and they all require practice. Our kids may be involved in one or more sports and of course their school work so practicing smart is important. The biggest mistake all golfers make is they practice with the club that they hit the best. It makes them feel good and this is important to practice here. It is, however, more important to practice with the club or clubs that you struggle with the most. Also, make sure they spend some time on their short game too. Because many juniors get bored fast and are pretty concerned about people watching them I encourage them to listen to music while practicing. If they have ear headphones they can run their headphones down the back of their shirt without them getting in the way of their swing. I do it! Makes it easier for me to stay out there longer and to stay in my own little world of practice.

Remember being a kid is hard. Find a course with a good junior program. If there is not one then start one, you can do it. Praise them for their good shots, forget about the bad ones and teach them good practice habits. It’s just like study habits!

See You On The Links,

Cindy

There are several swing components to consider. To hit that iron correctly, we need to commit to a V shaped swing. We will hit down on the ball and clip the shot sharply. To help accentuate this move, we should control our backswing a bit. Instead of taking the hands to 12 o’clock, let’s hold firm at ten o’clock. At ten o’clock the beginning golfer must be careful not to hold the weight back on the right side. Begin the downswing rotating the lower body and moving that weight to our left hip. Many professional players think this is the most significant part of the iron swing. The beginning golfers need to get the weight to the left side early to generate the downswing. There is one drill to emphasize this move at the practice range.

When beginning the downswing, the beginning golfer can intentionally shift the eye focus from the ball down the target line. The weight will definitely transfer to the left side with that simple eye shift. The player will notice that the head may seem ahead of the club, but what the player will also notice is that the weight transfer is ahead of the club. That proper weight transfer will pave the way for a crisp downward strike and vertical follow through. This is a drill. The beginning golfer should try the concept and feel the weight move ahead of the club. The shift will be noticeable right away and so will the increased distance.

Blades, or more correctly, muscleback irons, have a fairly flat back with extra weight on the bottom of the clubhead, which helps get the ball airborne. The weight distribution of a muscleback, though, lets a mis-hit be a mis-hit. A cavity-back iron, with weight distributed all around the perimeter, tends to smooth out mis-hits and keep the ball going straight. This works against the intentions of players who like to work the ball. They tend to be the better players, and they use blades. Hence the rumor.

But there are other reasons why blades have a devoted following. More weight is concentrated behind the ball because the clubhead is smaller. This means that when the ball is struck it has more authority, and the sweet spot is thus much sweeter. You also get more feedback with a blade, since you can feel exactly where on the clubface the ball was struck.

For a long time, every golfer played blades because that was the only type of club there was. Unfortunately, unless you have good hand-eye coordination, it is hard to hit the sweet spot, or sufficiently near it, every time. Off-center hits resulted in wasted shots. Hence the introduction of game improvement irons.

Modern blades do have some forgiveness built in, so an off-center hit can still give you a useable shot. In addtion, hybrid irons are becoming fashionable, and for good reason. They are lots easier to hit than long irons. They now replace long irons for many golfers who now carry nothing longer than a 6- or 5-iron.

That makes it quite sensible to have your 6-PW be blades instead of cavity-back irons. It is really not that hard to hit a short iron in the center, because the swing is not that big. Blades at this end of the set are now a reasonable option. The other benefits of blades listed above can be available to you.

No golfer should be reluctant to try out a set of blades and find out how it feels to hit them. True, there is a bit of snob appeal — they are the sports cars of golf. But there are serious benefits to using them and you should not be dissuaded unless you have tried them for yourself.

He’s not eager to reveal his handicap;Around the truth he would often tap.They told him his game was taking a nap;That it never showed up; it needed a map!

Of his golf apparel he was Oh so proud!But people thought it was just too ‘loud’.Often suggesting it needed a shroud;This caused a fight; a rolling dust cloud!

To his heart, golf was the key.It was on the green his soul felt free.He could hardly await the time for ‘tee’;But club dues must be paid; this ride’s got a fee.

Once in a blue moon he made a birdey;Though he knew much about golf (a little nerdy).About to tee off- his feet stood sturdy;But only took up a divot–brown and verde.

It didn’t take long for his eyes to in-take;The path of the ball; the flight it must make.”Easy!”, he thought. “This is gonna be cake!”But the fish all braced for it’s entry into the lake.

In secret, the rules he would often bend;From his mind, a rationalization he would lend.To him, the means justified the end;Like the fiercest warrior, his handicap must he defend.

Into his ‘golf life’, sand traps would rain;Bogeys rolled in like some ghastly train.Cancelling out any birdeys he’d gained;”Another golf game”, he sighed. “Oh, the pain!”

Shuffling into the house, his face fell. It tapered.His wife smirked, “You lost again, didn’t you?” And imagined the caper.With an outstretched hand that ‘said’, “Pay her!”;Into her purse his $20 went. It vanished like a vapor!

“No dinner for me, thanks. I’m heading in early.”"Awww, it’s just a game,” she said. “No need to be surley.”"I’m not”, he said. “I need to rise early.”"Suuurrre!”, she said. “You and the proverbial ‘birdy’.”

He took a shower to wash away the day;It didn’t help much. That golf game would ‘stay’.His spirits were lifted, though, when he thought, “But hey!”And danced around saying, “Tomorrow’s another ‘golf day’!”

Copyright 2005 by Kevin D. Rolle. All rights reserved.

To make any kind of gift to anyone, the first and foremost factor is to know the preferences of the person. If you know the person well and know about their personality and preferences, then the rest becomes easier. While selecting gift(s) for the dear golfer, keep in mind the brand they follow while selecting their golf equipments and other accessories. According to the selection of the gift(s), these can be easily categorized as practical, personalized, Memorabilia or corporate golf gift(s).

There are a number of golf gifts that can be termed as practical gifts for the golfers. The term practical gifts denote the usability of the gift for the receiver. As practical golf gift(s) we can buy golf balls, head covers and other relative accessories that are used frequently by the golfer. While making selection of golf balls as golf gift, the specifications of the golf balls preferred by the golfer should be considered. For accessories, the brand used by the golfer is very important.

If you want to gift something with a personal touch to the golfer, there are several options available for the purpose. There are several accessories that can be personalized and can make excellent gifts for the golfers. There are golf balls, golf shirts, caps, bags and other accessories. One can print a few lines of personal message for the golfer on any of these accessories that can make it a perfect personalized gift.

Golf Memorabilia is another option that can make a great gift for any golfer. These are really unusual golf gifts and can make any golfer feel really thrilled. These are generally autographed by well known golfers and come with guaranty. Before buying any of these Golf Memorabilia as a golf gift, make sure that these are authentic items.

Corporate gift is yet another option that can be considered for a golfer on special occasions. These golf gifts are generally offered by those who have some business connection with golf itself. Here also the golf balls, golf bags and other related accessories with a company logo is the best option to consider.