all about sport

In golf, a swing is a swing, but once you get a wedge in your hands, that’s where artistry comes in. When you know what you’re doing with that wedge, you will get the ball closer to the the hole than your partners thought you could, and you will never be out of the match. Here are three shots that I think you will use at least once per round, and they turn three shots into two, just like the pros say to do.

1. Say your ball is on an upslope of some kind. You have to hit over the crest of the slope with spin on the ball so it will bite when it lands and not roll all the way across the green.

Right now, you probably hit this shot with the club sweeping along the ground, which in this case is in an upward direction. That is not what to do. The slope adds loft to your club. Your 54-degree wedge is effectively a 75-degree wedge, and the ball goes almost straight up in the air. You’re lucky if it even reaches the green.

Instead, pick the wedge you would use without regard to the degree of the slope, but to the distance the ball has to travel horizontally to get to the hole. Now, instead of sweeping the club upward along the slope, swing the club underneath the ball and gently thud it straight into the slope. There will be only a small follow-through. The ball will pop up and forward, and run softly to the hole.

This is the shot that Fred Couples hit on the 12th hole on Sunday at Augusta when he won the Masters in 1992.

2. If the ball lies instead on a downslope, the fear is that you won’t get the leading edge of the club underneath the ball, and blade it across the green. That’s an honest fear, and the next shot is to make sure that never happens.

Take a wedge that is more lofted than you would normally use for the distance the ball has to travel. Put the ball back in your stance, so far back that it is outside your trailing foot. Keep your hands centered in front of you. You hit the ball by raising the clubhead up and chopping gently down on the back of the ball, driving the wedge into the ground. The ball will pop forward with lots of spin.

Practice this shot to learn how far it flies and how much it runs. Your friends have never seen this shot before, and they will be amazed at what comes out of your funny setup.

3. The third shot is for when you’re seriously short-sided and you can’t run the ball along the ground–it has to get in the air, stop in a hurry, and you have about twenty feet to work with. This is a mini-flop.

Use a sand wedge, setting up with the ball in the center of your stance and the club straight up and down, that is, not leaning toward the hole. Take the club back low and bring it through the ball low. What you are trying to do is slide the club underneath the ball without disturbing it. You can’t do that, of course, but you will get a very soft hit that makes the ball run up the face of the club and leave with lots of spin and little forward momentum. It will hit and stop.

Swing slowly. Think of sliding the club along the ground at impact, not hitting something with it. A cushion of grass underneath the ball is desirable.

A big part of being a short game master is never having a problem you can’t solve. Here are three common problems, solved. Now go get those up and downs amaze your friends.

Putting is such an important part of golf and yet most amateur golfers that do actually practice spend little or no time practicing their putting. Since putting accounts for around 35% of total shots per round for better golfers, you can seen why it’s so important to work on your putting if you want to lower your golf handicap. You know what they say, “Drive for show, Putt for the dough!” With this in mind, let’s go over some golf tips on putting that can help you lower your putts per round.

How you position yourself over a putt is very important. You want to make sure your eyes are directly over your intended putting line. This way you will see the exact path you want your ball to take and you will be able to visualize your putt rolling into the hole more easily. Ball and hand position should be just a hair towards your front foot. Keep your putter shaft in line with your left forearm (for righties). This position will allow your putter face to put a good roll on the ball.

Short putts can cause lots of tension in a golfers putting stroke. To help you have a more consistent putting stroke you’ll want to accelerate through the ball. Many times the putting backswing can become too long which causes you to decelerate through the ball resulting in inconsistent putting. To help cure this problem, when on the practice putting green place a 2nd ball about 6″ behind the ball you are putting. Stroke your putts without hitting the 2nd ball and you will be forced to have a shorter backswing with acceleration through the putt.

Once you are comfortable with a shorter backswing, here’s something you can do to help you focus in on the target. Place a coin on the practice green and practice putting to it. Using a smaller target will help you to focus your aim so that when you are putting during a round you will focus on the center of the cup and not just the whole cup. This drill can also be used to help you develop a better feel for longer putts.

These golf tips on putting can be very helpful to you if you want to lower your golf handicap. The next time you’re working on your game, make sure you devote equal time to putting as well as hitting your metal woods and irons. You’ll be happy you did because sinking more putts is the quickest way to lowering your handicap.

After leaving the work world, many retirees look for opportunities to continue learning, stay healthy, and keep active. The sport of golf can provide retirees with all of these benefits and more. Cash can be tight after retirement, especially in this economy.

Golf has become a more accessible game in the last decade and is no longer a sport exclusively for the wealthy. Even retirees on a limited budget can learn this challenging game that will provide years of enjoyment.

The game of golf is an excellent way for retirees to stay in top physical shape. Older adults face increasing age-related health concerns, many of which can be alleviated or prevented with regular physical exercise. While golf may appear to be a lighter sport, swinging a golf club, carrying golf starter sets, and walking the golf course provide a good cardiovascular workout. For example, a 150-pound man burns 300 calories per hour playing golf and 200 calories per hour on the driving range. The weight of a golf club promotes strength development and may help build muscle or slow down age-related muscle loss.

The challenge of learning and mastering golf promotes mental health. Learning any new type of activity can provide mental stimulation, which can help slow the aging process and even delay Alzheimer’s disease. Learning the golf stance, mastering the golf swing, and experimenting with different types of clubs provide a challenge. However, the game of golf is largely about the challenge of improving your own scores, instead of being a competition with others.

In addition to the fact that golf is a game of self-challenge, other characteristics of the game make it ideal for older adults. Golf is a self-paced, and often slower, game. Golfers spend hours going through a golf course with plenty of time to choose the right club and line up shots. New golfers have plenty of opportunity to practice and improve through playing at driving ranges. The sport is played outside in the beauty of nature, and golf ranges are available across the globe and are often found at popular vacation or retirement sports.

Finally, golf can be played on a budget and with as little or as much commitment as desired. Beginner golf club sets are readily available from a variety of manufacturers. While full golf starter sets can be pricey, many retirees begin the game by purchasing a half golf set. A half golf set includes only the most necessary clubs, which is often a putter, three irons, two woods, and a wedge. This set of seven or eight clubs can easily be found to match anyone’s budget. Beginner golf club sets provide beginning golfers a set of essentials without more advanced clubs that can prove too challenging for new players.

Was there really a Ben Hogan golf swing secret, and if he did have one why is it we do not know about it. Was it the Hogan golf grip, the Hogan golf equipment, exactly what was his golf swing secret? Part of his secret was his ability to concentrate on his swing and adjust it as needed between the back swing and the down swing and make perfect contact with the ball each time without having to think about it.

It would be nice if I could tell you that by just reading an article and by changing a few of your golf swing habits, that you could be playing golf like Ben Hogan or today’s Tiger Woods. But, if there is a secret for beginner golfers, it is to understand that you will probably never play like Ben Hogan or today’s Tiger Woods. The secret to their kind of golf is years and years of hard work and practice. For most people like you and me, we will be lucky to break 100. But, that’s alright for a recreational golfer who is just trying to play a decent round of golf and have a good time doing it.

People like Ben Hogan took their practicing to an altogether different level. It is said that Hogan would analyze each practice ball to determine which ways he could improve before hitting the next ball. Doing so meant taking many hours of practice to hit just a few balls, but by being so meticulous with his practice he was able to eliminate any bad habits before they became part of his memory. His goal was to have the perfect golf swing and he would stop at nothing to reach that level.

He wrote several books on the golf swing and tried to pass on to whoever wanted to read about it the secret of his success. But, anyone who did read his books could never be really sure of what he was doing to obtain such consistency and accuracy. Most people felt that Hogan’s abilities were really just something Hogan himself was able to master. It was not really something that could be taught to a novice player, but was for the more seasoned golfer who was willing to put years of practice into the game like Hogan did.

To understand Hogan, it is necessary to try to understand what was going on in his mind when he played the game. For if we can make ourselves internalize the correct swing fundamentals to the point that we no longer have to think about them the rest is easy. Many experts have tried to interpret what Hogan’s secret to consistency was and have concluded that it was partly in how he kept his weight evenly distributed on his feet. Also, his power of concentration and being able to clear his mind of all outside thoughts contributed to his success.

But maybe his real secret was his dedication to the game and unwillingness to accept nothing but perfection from himself.

In today’s economy almost everyone is trying to save a dollar whenever and wherever they can, and this too includes trying to save money on supplies for your extracurricular activities.

This would include those of you who play golf as an extracurricular activity. Having the money to do the things that we enjoy is becoming more of a hardship today on everyone, and that even includes the golfer. This brings us to the question of where can we cut the costs when playing golf and one possible way of doing this may be to begin to utilize what some people term as “lake balls”.

What is a lake ball you may ask? Very simply put, it is a golf ball that has been salvaged from a lake, pond, etc. We have all been on the green and seen that poor golfer hit their ball into the water. Many of you may have wondered what happens to all of those lake balls. In order to save money and in an effort to go green, many golf ranges are now choosing to gather and refinish those golf balls as an alternative way to offer individuals a way to buy balls at a discount rate. Once refinished the lake ball presents itself as if it is a brand new golf ball.

There are many golfers who actually prefer a lake ball over the golf ball. Perhaps, it is because they enjoy the thought that they are recycling and reusing a product, thus protecting the planet that they enjoy playing golf on or it could be that they know by using a lake ball that they are in fact saving a ton of money. Maybe, they plan on using that money saved on a brand new set of customized golf clubs. Either way, balls salvaged and reclaimed from water are the choice of many golfers.

Now comes the next question of is there a difference between regular brand new golf balls and a golf ball that has been reclaimed and refurbished after sitting in the water? The answer to that is still being pondered. When the process was new, the golf industry initially had to address whether or not sitting in the water affected the aerodynamics of the golf ball. It has been found that there really isn’t a difference at all, although some golfers still question it. In the end the savings if buying a reclaimed lake ball may be worth chancing a game or two to find out for you.

Golf is a sport which is usually associated with the elite or the upper class. But, of course anyone can play this sport, besides from afar everything just looks so easy right? All you have to do is hack away! But no, like all other sports out there, it has to be learned and understood. One has to know the main goal of the sport, learn all the right techniques, and get the best equipment available in the market.

Golf can be difficult yet exciting, addictive yet frustrating. Learning how to play golf can be really easy, you just have to know where to start, and this article will do just that.

Here are a few tips to get started:

Get a good mentor.

Every great student needs a great teacher, so the first step in preparation of learning how to play golf is to find the best mentor who will teach you the basics of the sport. This mentor can be your best buddy, your Dad, a book, a video tutorial, or the internet. Any source will do, but of course a golf expert will be the best teacher. Watching golf videos can also be helpful, the internet has provided all these resources, and the best thing about it is that you can learn for free! A book can also be a good mentor, although it will never beat human interaction, and the feeling of someone demonstrating the game to you, books provide added information that a newbie should know about the sport.

Good equipment.

The best way to enjoy a game of golf is to get good equipment. For a first timer, it’s not ideal to go out and buy the prettiest, most expensive set of golf clubs available in the department store. A new, expensive and shiny golf club is useless if you don’t know the right way to swing it. If you are new to the sport, it’s best to borrow golf clubs first, or get second hand equipment, these will be great training tools for you. It is not advisable to buy expensive clubs this early. Yes, new equipment gives you that extra boost in confidence, but it is futile if you don’t fully understand the sport.

Be patient.

Like all beginners, you will often be frustrated and impatient. It is true, that from afar golf will seem pretty easy to learn, but don’t be fooled by how effortless it might seem. This sport needs practice and time, so if you are the impatient type, then this sport probably isn’t for you. Golf isn’t about just swinging and getting that golf ball into the hole, its all about technique. If you watch golf tournaments on television, you will see golfers get all frustrated and mad whenever they don’t get the ball where they want it to be. The key in achieving success in golf is perfect timing, and great posture. Everyone can have a shot at playing golf, but not just anyone can master the sport and execute it perfectly in an 18 hole golf course.

Where must you play?

For a beginner, a large golf course is not ideal. Just the large area can be very daunting and overwhelming for a beginner. One can try a small golf driving range, or a small golf course. These places offer areas where one can practice the sport in short range style. If you have already mastered your stance, posture, and correct grip of the golf club, then that is the right time to transfer to large 18-hole golf courses. Golf is a very peaceful sport, so most golf courses are located in areas where huge landscapes can be scene which is usually in the country side.

Playing golf isn’t as easy as 1, 2, 3; this game needs time and money. Time, because every aspiring golfer needs to dedicate time in learning this sport. Although it can be learned quickly, it cannot be mastered immediately. This sport can also be very expensive. From the equipment to the venue, golf entails a person to really shell out and invest to enjoy this game.

Every golfer wants to hit their driver a long way, but most recreational golfers would be satisfied, more than satisfied, with hitting it straight. While this is the most difficult club to hit straight, it’s not that hard to do if you pay attention to a few key points.

Consider a 9-iron. The relatively extreme loft of the 9-iron puts much more backspin on the ball compared to a less-lofted club like the driver. This backspin swamps the sidespin that a less-than-perfect strike creates. Thus almost everyone hits their short irons straight, even chronic slicers of the longer clubs.

With the driver, relatively little backspin is created, allowing sidespin to do its damage. This means that it is crucial for the clubface to be square to the club path when the driver meets the ball. A square hit like this does not generate sidespin, but sends the ball right down the fairway. To get that square clubface at impact, examine three parts of your swing.

1. When you set up to the ball, the face of the driver points right at your target. If the ball doesn’t go straight, there must be some point in your swing where that face gets out of square. For many golfers, this happens on the backswing moments after the club is taken away. The clubhead has moved less than three feet away from the ball and the error is set.

There is a temptation to keep the clubface pointing to the ball as the club goes back. This actually closes the clubface, causing a hook. Or, winding up for a big hit causes you to rotate your hands too far around, opening the clubface. Hello, slice.

Take the club away and stop when your hands get to hip height. Keeping your hands exactly where they are, turn toward them and lower the clubhead to the ground. If you’ve rotated the face, it will show up and you know what you have to change.

2. How far back to you take your hands on the backswing? Your clubhead alignment could be fine up to a point, but if you continue taking the club back, things could fall apart.

There was a time when professional golfers took their hands back as far as their flexibility would allow. Though they were highly skilled players, even they eventually realized that a shorter backswing provides the same power and much more accuracy.

At the top of your backswing, you should have a maximum shoulder turn, but keep your hands low–about as high as your head is enough. You won’t lose any power, but you’ll eliminate errors caused by trying to get more out of the swing than is needed.

3. Hitting with your hands means trying to square your clubface with your hands as it comes into the ball. To pull this off, your timing must be perfect and your feel for the clubface must be highly developed. When this works, it works really well, but it is hard to do consistently. When it doesn’t work, you have nothing else to rely on.

Here’s where you use your mind. You’ve started the club back square, you kept it square by not taking it too far back, now trust that it will stay square as you bring it down and through the ball. That is, don’t try, from any point, to hit the ball with your hands. Just swing the club down and through. Anything extra you add is bound to cause you problems.

The common thread in all these tips is that trying to do too much with your swing to make it right actually causes it to go wrong. The driver is your power club, but it must be swung with care.

Can online golf lessons really work? People are always looking for the right pro, or the right swing that fits their game. Well, most golfers are simply looking to get better, hit longer drives, and shoot lower scores.

When we look for ways to improve, the following methods are employed:
1) Having a friend show us how to swing.
2) Getting tips from better players on the range.
3) Reading a golf instruction book.
4) Watching golf channel.
5) Taking a group clinic.
6) Private lessons from the local pro.
7) Going to a golf school. And now,
Taking golf lessons online.

Most everyone will tell you that private lessons from your local pro is the best solution. This is probably right but can be costly, and sometimes you do not find the right pro and can wind up worse off. Most of the other options on that list will usually hurt your game in the long run because they will mostly be golf tips. Golf tips without a structure around them will make a mess out of a golf swing.

So, what about golf lessons online? Well with the sophistication of the internet these days this can actually work with the right instructor. You can get a lesson program that includes video examples and instruction. Once you start practicing you can video tape your swing and send it to your online golf pro for analysis. You can also fire away with emails, phone calls and chat sessions.

Amazingly, golf lessons online in some cases are approaching the quality you get from private lessons at your local club. Of course you have to find a pro that really gets involved and takes a “hands on” approach to the services he offers. Just getting a couple of DVDs with a swing system to learn is not enough. You need to be able to ask questions and get feedback. Your online golf pro needs to see your swing and give you analysis to move you forward.

The advent of the online golf lesson has created some positives for people learning the golf swing. You now have a viable way to choose amongst a larger group of qualified pros. You can find a good teacher who teaches the swing method you would prefer to learn. The local pros are definitely being challenged by good online golf instruction.

A few months back I decided to try an online golf lesson. I joined a site and started to study the material. I wanted to learn the Mike Austin swing and there was no pro in my area that I felt could properly teach this method. So I went to Hit it Longer dot com to learn the Mike Austin golf swing.

All I can say is that if it is done right, online golf lessons can be very successful. I found a pro that provided incredible service and feedback from the start, and hasn’t let up for a second. I have improved steadily and even added a couple of private lessons with my online pro when I was able to visit his area. Although not essential this only added to the experience.

Of course you want to avoid the online pro who only gives you something to study and learn on your own. We all need feedback and interaction with our pro. Often this part of the service is minimized and the lessons become way less valuable and sometimes even lead to more problems and frustration. In the end it is only like reading a golf book unless the pro keeps close contact with you and sees your swing.

The internet is providing us with more and more options in all aspects of our lives. Golf instruction is no different and taking golf lessons online is showing promise. The advances in technology are making it easier for people to do things like this even though we are thousands of miles apart. Pretty cool IMHO.

Golf lessons online are becoming more and more popular. They can work, and work very well, with the right pro and a good “hands on” service. Make sure you get what you pay for and don’t settle for a couple of DVDs and a “good luck” from the pro.

When you are looking for quality golf clubs then TaylorMade equipment should be at the top of your shopping list. You might be worried about the cost but if you are looking for accurate distance from your driver then the TaylorMade R11 Driver should be heading to your bag soon. The R11 is for serious golfers that want to take their game to the next level.

The R11 Driver has added new technology to field of drivers to help improve your game with your first day with the driver. First they have developed Flight Control Technology that allows you to decrease and increase the launch angle on the driver. Next up is the Adjustable Sole Plate Technology with Movable Weight Technology which will allow you to adjust the face angle to give you a face or draw on your drives. These improvements put the R11 a head of its class in the driver markets. You probably have noticed more and more of them out on the course as this has become one of the bestselling drivers from TaylorMade.

The technological advancements did not stop there. They worked on bringing a more aerodynamic shape to the club head to allow more speed and to increase distance. The head also has up to 100 yards on side trajectory each way with a plus minus of 1,000rpm backspin each way.

The first day you hit the course you will notice a difference. Testers have found they were getting 20+ yards compared to their older driver. The first swing will show off the sound of an electric driver that everyone on the course will seem to notice.

Once you get a chance to adjust the club to your swing you will find that your accuracy will increase dramatically. Many users when they to a higher level need to learn how to tune their driver for the first time. With TaylorMade you will find step by step directions to cater your driver to you each time you are on the course. There also is a set of videos that will allow you to get more of a visual on how it should be done. Also you will be able to see the pros that drive with the R 11 and see how they have configured the driver to their swings.

If you are curious if the R 11 is worth the money the answer is yes. You will find unmatched support with a driver that can adjust to the course and to your swing like no other on the market.

If there is anything that the average golfer can do just as well as the pros, it is in taking their set up positions. Specifically, I’m referring to using the proper fundamentals before swinging the golf club.

Then why is it that so many of us either do not take the time to understand the fundamentals, or are ignorant to their benefits?

Simply put,we set up to the golf ball at address and then wish to return the club head to the back of the ball in that original place where we started. How a golfer sets up when addressing the golf ball usually determines whether the outcome of the shot to be performed, will be successful or not.

I see so many golfers in hunched positions over the ball. Many stand much to close to the golf ball, and many have their knees flexed far too much and their right shoulder dipped way down. (I am speaking of the right handed golfer). Still others stand tall and stiff, while numerous others have their stance wide open and terribly off the target line. I could describe several more incorrect set ups, but I know you get the picture.

So many golfers’ shots are doomed from the start, because they have, through their own accord, set themselves up for failure.

Any golfer can and should develop a perfect grip. So too, all golfers are capable of easily establishing a correct stance and posture, just like the pros. And it doesn’t take any unreachable, professional skill, for the golfer to monitor if they are properly aligned to their target at address.

Done appropriately, the proper set up for all golfers is easy to achieve.

But by setting up improperly, you give yourself a very low percentage of being able to correctly execute the golf shot at hand. Why is that?

Well my standard answer, if you have read any of my other posts, is that their golf backswing will immediately take them off of their desired swing plane and path. And if they are ever to salvage the shot, they will have to somehow manipulate the golf club back on the proper golf swing plane. And with so many movable parts to the swing and the timing that is required to coordinate them, there is absolutely no way that a golfer can be consistent.

If you relate to any of the above, the quick, cheap and easy fix is to get a copy of Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. But your best bet is asking for a lesson with your local pro. He or she can easily teach you the proper fundamentals in one lesson, and then it is up to you to get rid of your old habits and get comfortable with your new, correct fundamentals.

See the difference in your ball striking when your golf swing is set up to succeed, not set up to fail.