- The Secret Art of Putting

By: David Nevogt

You super long ball hitters can smash balls at the driving range all day long, but putting is without a doubt the most important aspect to playing good golf. Let's face it though, putting is also a difficult and frustrating part of the game to master. That is why I consider putting an art form.

You can hit the ball once 220 yards to a green and then take three putts to go eighteen feet. The best putters like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw and Loren Roberts all understand the art of putting better than anyone else.

When you watch them putt it looks like an art compared to the strokes of your high handicap buddies. If you watch most people on the putting green at your local golf club you will see the two main flaws most people make when they are putting:

* Their putter looks like it is being "yanked" back and through
* They lift their head to watch the golf ball as soon as or even before they make contact with the ball

What makes Tiger, Ben, and Loren such good putters is that they each have a very smooth, consistent, and concise putting stroke. The putter looks like it is going the same speed throughout the stroke, their takeaway and follow through are the same length, and most importantly their head stays down while they listen for the ball to go in the hole. On long putts they might lift their head to watch, but only after their stroke is completely finished.

How are these four and other professionals able to conquer the art of putting? By practicing above all else and learning to make their mind quiet while they put, they do this through practicing meditation and breathing techniques.

They also learn to become masters at reading greens, and they do that through their own observation while playing. Great putters will watch other players putts to help determine the roll and speed of the greens that day.

I do realize that not everyone can putt as well as Tiger, no matter how hard they practiced. Regardless, by working on what he does you can improve your putting and shave strokes off of your score.

Putting Drills To Learn The Art Of Putting

Here are a couple of drills you can work on to get your putting on the right track. The first drill to learn the art of putting is to place two clubs down on the practice green, about six feet from the cup, parallel to each other, online with the hole creating a "hallway" for your putter as you stroke through the ball. This drill has multiple benefits to teaching you the art of putting.

Try to putt the ball without hitting the shafts of the clubs as you stroke back and through. You can also measure the length of your backswing and follow through during this drill. Also, since you can set the clubs up and move them if necessary to be perfectly on line for the putt, you can work on your alignment by lining up your hips and shoulders with the shaft of the club closest to you.

Using a putting corridor is also great for confidence because once you putt a few you should begin to make most, if not all of them. This is great for improving the mental side of the art form because you will be visualizing the positive result of the ball going into the hole over and over again.

The second drill is to place an empty 160z water bottle underneath your right armpit.(your left if you putt left handed) Make sure that the water bottle stays resting there with the same amount of pressure as you putt the ball back and through.

This drill will make your hands, shoulders, arms, and chest work together creating a very fluid stroke. This technique will also teach you how to take the putter back properly on line without taking it too far inside or outside as the bottle will fall out if not done incorrectly.

If you practice the drills above you should be able to improve your putting and get a glimpse into the art of putting. However, if you really want to learn this art form inside and out, you need to practice the mental side of the equation by learning far eastern breathing techniques like Tiger. Good luck.

David Nevogt needs no introduction. His distinguished ability to help golfers of all abilities and ages to play great golf and get more fun out of the game is legendary all over the world. Rather than hit your head against a wall after each round, let David take you by the hand and introduce you to a simple golf swing that is guaranteed to work. Visit: www.DropYourHandicap.com to learn more.

- Outstanding Golf In An Outstanding Setting

By: Lindsay Chapman

Each weekend all over the UK, people load up their cars with their golf clubs and waterproofs, and take to the golf course. A social and popular pastime, enjoyed by many ages, golf is a wonderful outdoor sport, where the setting and elements can play a significant role in the appeal and popularity of a course.

While many play the same course each and every weekend, there are times when every golfers craves a new challenge and a different view as they stand on the first tee waiting to take that all important first shot.

Situated on the stunning heritage coastline, Thorpeness Golf Club is both beautiful and challenging. Those visiting for the first time will certainly find plenty to test their game, while regular members relish the opportunity to beat the course.

It is the unique relationship between man’s creation and nature that make this golf course such a delightful place to play. The wild, unspoilt heathland provides the backdrop for the course and is a haven for wildlife of all sorts. Rare species of orchid and mushrooms flourish in the wetlands, while hedgehogs, adders and hares can be seen if you’re very quiet and just a little bit lucky.

The course is truly unique and a warm Suffolk awaits all those who visit Thorpeness. The Golf Club also specialise in organising group or corporate days making it the ideal place for an awayday or perhaps enjoy a round as part of a meeting day. The restaurant serves excellent food prepared from fresh, locally sourced produce and will certainly hit the spot after a day in the bracing Suffolk air.

A range of golf breaks are available throughout the year and some include lessons from the PGA professionals, Frank Hill and Christopher Oldrey, who form the Suffolk Golf Academy and know the game of golf inside out.

Whatever time of year you decide to visit, this wonderful course set in a rather special part of the UK will be enjoyed by beginners and more seasoned players.

Golf breaks in Suffolk from Suffolk Coast Golf. Thorpeness is an unique golfing destination on the Suffolk Heritage coast, boasting one of the most challenging and enjoyable golf courses in the area.For more information visit Suffolkcoastgolf.Co.Uk

- How To Lower Your Golf Handicap Quickly

By: Mary Chillders

Learning how to lower your golf scores can be quite a challenging task. For most high handicap players the short game presents the best opportunity to shoot lower scores. Mastering the wedge game and putting may be the fastest way to play better golf.

However there is no magic solution to playing better golf since it will still require consistent practice. You do not need to spend hours and hours practicing each day. One hour of practice done four to five times a week can often be enough to see good improvements. Be sure to spend a lot of time on short shots inside of 120 yards.

These shots can make a huge difference in reducing your scores. Also remember that the longer shots are simply an extension of the shorter shots so if you are struggling with your wedge then you will almost certainly also struggle with the longer clubs. This is another big reason you need to hit more short game shots as this will also make you a better ball striker with the longer clubs.

Many of the top players in the world first learned how to putt, chip and hit wedge shots before they learned the driver and long irons. Also being confident in the short game also will take pressure off your long game since you will not be too concerned even if you miss occasionally since you have a great short game that can help you to get up and down most of the time.

Putting is a very important aspect of the game of golf. Hit a lot of short putts as they are very important in reducing your scores. Also when you do hit many short putts you will inevitably make a lot of them and this will help to build confidence. Never lose your confidence when you are on the green or anywhere else on the golf course otherwise this will adversely affect every area of your golf game.

You must learn to focus on all the great shots and putts you have ever hit instead of all the misses. Thinking of yourself as a great golfer is critical especially if you are looking to become a tournament professional because success at that level is all about how you think and your ability to build and maintain confidence.

It is important to learn how to think when you are about to strike the golf ball. Just before hitting a golf shot your mind must be focused on a target. You need to block out all other external thoughts and stay sharply concentrated on the target. Before you hit any shot pick a small target and then hit your shots with the target in mind.

You must trust your swing and putting stroke when you are on the course. Train your swing and putting stroke off the course but then you need to believe in your game on the course. Also when you are on the golf course, always play within yourself and hit the shot you know you can pull off easily. Do not try shots you have never been able to hit consistently during practice sessions.

Sometimes backing off on a hole and laying up can be the best thing to do in order to shoot lower scores so do not get caught up in trying to hit heroic shots. The professionals on television can hit those flashy shots because they have practiced them and they know they can pull them off but the same does not apply to most amateurs. Keep practicing and learning from your experience and in time you will lower your golf handicap.

Mary is an online researcher and avid golfer. Visit her site to get more useful golf tips and also be sure to visit the section on putting tips to help lower your handicap.

- How To Swing A Golf Club For Maximum Effect

By: Dean Caporella

If you have been playing golf for some time and don't know how to swing a golf club yet then you've got to consider whether you're really serious about improving your game.

When we say how to swing a golf club we mean using the correct fundamentals. It's amazing how even the slightest tweak can make a noticeable difference to your game. In this article, we are not going to explain the entire procedure of swinging a club but will give you some tips on how you might improve both your golf swing and your game.

Improving Your Golf Game

All the techniques in the world will do you no good if you either:

- don't identify your swing problem areas and
- don't get the correct advice

Identifying your problem areas is a nightmare when trying to work things out on your own. One of the best ways to do this is to take a video of your golf swing. Ask a friend or someone you play with regularly to video you while you are teeing off or playing approach shots to the green.

This is a tactic more and more players are employing and one which can easily show you where you might be going wrong. If you are not experienced enough to pinpoint the problem areas then it's on to plan B.

Get Some Coaching

This is an area many will resist simply because of the cost factor. Again, how serious are you about shooting lower scores? A coach will quickly identify the areas of your swing which need attention.

Remember that video you took. Take it with you to your coaching lesson and look over it with your tutor. The attractive thing about coaching is it doesn't have to be a long term exercise unless you want it to be. The primary reason you're enlisting the services of a coach is to identify the area of your golf swing which is giving you problems. Once this has been done, it's then off to the practice fairways to work on it.

Your coach may pinpoint your deficiencies within the first few minutes eliminating the need for future sessions. There is no point in thinking coaching will cost you a fortune because it doesn't. For the sake of a few bucks, your game can improve to the next level within a short period of time.

Getting advice on how to swing a golf club shouldn't come from your playing partners particularly if they are at the same level as you. A qualified tutor is a much better proposition.

Want to take your golf swing to the next level? Get these great tips and tricks guaranteed to improving your golf swing and eating up your handicap!

- Selecting Photos Of Golf Tournaments

By: Jim Brown

A certain type of golfer might play professionally but still might need photos to reach a certain level of inspiration during a golf game. Golfers like Tiger Woods might get a certain inspiration to play golf better by glancing at photographs of his beautiful wife occasionally. When charging for the lead scoring position in a golf game though, Tiger Woods might just glance for a while at a photograph of his newborn child to get all the inspiration he needs to win another title.

Some amateur golfers get their inspiration to play golf in the same manner. They might be totally inspired by the way Tiger Woods plays golf and will study videos and photographs to learn the right stance that worked for Tiger on the course just a few weeks before. They might be inspired by the brand of golfing equipment that any professional golfer uses during a tournament and will be motivated enough to purchase a set of clubs that match.

Selecting certain photos of golf tournaments that are held throughout the year could inspire some amateur golfers to play an amazing game of golf on any morning. The photos that offer stellar views of fairways with galleries of spectators migrating from one hole to another might put them in a dream state for a while as they fantasize that the professional golfer in the photo is actually them in real life. Other aspiring golfers might just visit the clubhouse and take photos of the trophy cases.

Some dreams that center on professional golfing goals are vividly colored and suitable for real life situations. These dreams of greatness will most certainly be captured in many photo opportunities that are spaced out along the golf tournament trail. Some fans might ask a professional golfer to pose for a photograph after they have sunk a birdie on a difficult round of golf. These professional photo opportunities might seem glorious at the time but will still not present any daydreamer with a check at the end of the tournament he is viewing.

The pleasing applause offered by the crowds in the gallery at every golf hole will be the only form of realism that some new golfers might be exposed when they are following an idol around during the day. The photos that picture the fan with the golf pro are the photos that will serve as a support system for the amateur that will make his daydreams of becoming the king of golf seem real. Some fans get so inspired from these treasured photos that they will often practice more and see their golf score improve dramatically over the course of a few weeks.

The victory photographs taken at the 18th hole or at the clubhouse might allow the amateur golfer to dream some more about how great they will play the game of golf one day. Photos that allow amateur golfers to dream will always be surrounded by helpful commentaries of sports writers that might contain useful hints and tricks that will help them improve their golf game. An avid golfer in training will take any type of information they are given and use it to improve their skills each week.

- GOLF--Find Out How To Get A Grip Of Your Golf Swing

By: Justin Flowers

Have you attained the consistency you are seeking in your golf swing? A golf swing you can count on will make a significant difference to your golf game. But to master the golf swing, it's essential for you to master the fundamentals. One of the essentials of a reliable golf swing is your grip, or the way you hold the club. If you can't develop the proper grip, you should practice yelling "Fore!"

So what's so important about the grip? Your golf grip is how you connect with the golf club. What your club face is doing at the point of impact all depends on your grip. Golf swing power can also be traced back to the grip, better-grip equals more power.

Three basic types of grip cover what the majority of golfers are doing: the overlapping grip, the interlocking grip and the two-handed or baseball grip.

You'll find most golfers using the overlapping grip. It's especially well-suited for golfers with larger hands. The overlapping grip is accomplished by placing the little finger of your trailing hand in the middle of the index and middle fingers of your leading hand (for right-handed golfers, your trailing hand will be your right hand). You should take care to ensure that the golf club is held more in your fingers rather than in the palm of your hands. This should assist you to get a better feel. The improved wrist action you obtain with the overlapping grip will help ramp up the power of your golf swing. Should you end up slicing the ball or don't seem to have power, look and see if your club has moved into the palm of your leading hand.

You'll notice golfers on the LPGA using the interlocking grip rather often. It is because this grip happens to be a useful solution for players with medium-sized hands. However, don't let anyone tell you it's for ladies only. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are two golfing greats who have used this grip at some time. The interlocking grip helps by locking the hands together, but there is a risk that the golf club will end up in your palms. The light grip pressure is the key to effectively using the interlocking grip. Gripping too tightly might result in weak slices. You should realize the lightness of your grip is what will provide the required amount of club rotation. What's the best way to tell if your grip is too tight? One clue is that your hands begin to ache before you finish playing.

You may know the intertwined grip is also known as the ten finger grip or baseball grip. It's the less popular of the three grips but it does have a few advantages. It is especially suited to golfers with small hands, or if you are prone to suffer from stiff joints. Key advantages are more power and improved golf swing support. Unfortunately control of the club head is not so easy.

The best way to improve your grip is to spend enough time at the driving range. Regular, dedicated practice will assist you to be more confident with the feel of your grip and help with your swing. Whenever you're under stress, you tend to squeeze harder, which is always bad for your golf swing. You will find the sure way to reduce tension and perfect your grip, and your golf swing, is to make a regular appointment at the driving range.

- Putting tips

Putting is perhaps the most difficult golfing stroke as a golfer has to take into account the curvature of the green and various criteria while putting. The reason why putting is considered such a vital stroke when compared to other aerial strokes, is because putting requires more skill and concentration. If you are looking to improve your putting skills, here are a few tips that will help you improve your putting from the ground up. Make contact with the centre of the putter faceThe most vital aspect of putting is striking the ball with the centre of the putter face. Not only will the force applied be distributed evenly, the ball will be free from any spin when it is struck. To practice hitting the ball from the centre face, place the ball between two tees that are aligned with either end of your clubhead. Practice hitting the ball without striking any of the tees. Practice the drill regularly and don’t worry about making the putt each time, just make sure you are striking the ball cleanly and not touching the tees. With time you will automatically start finding the centre of the putter. Keep the clubface square on impactOnce you start finding the centre of the putter, the next step is keeping the clubface square on impact. To achieve this, place a shaft next to the tees and start putting without touching the tees while keeping the putter perpendicular to the shaft. The intended purpose of the shaft is to give you a better idea of how square the clubface is on impact. Once you start striking the ball with the centre of the putter and the putter is perpendicular to the shaft you are ready for the final step. Accelerating the clubhead through impactA common mistake made by most golfers is pulling back the putter and then decelerating the club before striking the ball. A proper technique should be the opposite of the above mentioned; the idea is to strike the ball while the clubhead is accelerating. To make sure you do not pull back the putter too much, place a tee behind the putter. Practice swinging the putter without hitting any of the three tees now. If you are not striking any of the three tees and also keeping the putter perpendicular to the shaft this means you are now striking the ball at the right angle and not decelerating the clubhead at time of impact. If you are still striking down the tee placed behind your putter, you can try something a little more radical and try putting your back to a wall. This will ensure that your club cannot possibly go back more than it should.Once again, remember that accurate putting only comes after you have started striking the ball in the correct way. Once you are confident that your swing and strike is perfect, start putting over short distances and then slowly move up to longer distances like 12 to 15 feet. For more golfing tips visit www.free-golf-tip.com

Article Source: http://www.1articleworld.com

- Developing Your Golf Routine

By: Jeff Austin

People seldom realize how many things in their lives have become routine, from getting out of bed in the morning until you retire to bed at night there are several routines you perform.

A routine is simply a series of motions that you do so often that it becomes second nature, in other words, you dont even realize that you do it that way every time.

As with other things in life, there is a need to develop a routine for your golf game, some golfers will start by standing behind the ball, aligning it with the hole, and then you may choose your plan of flight for the shot.

After settling in over the ball you may wiggle a few times to get yourself comfortable, and then take a deep breath and swing.

This is routine for you, and you should always follow your routine each time you prepare to take s shot.

You wont always follow it exactly, but it will be close enough that both you and other golfers will recognize it as your pre-shot routine.

What a routine does is get you mentally and physically ready to take a shot, your best possible swing on the ball.

It prepares your mind to get ready to swing as it shuts down all other distractions, you focus on the conditions and the shot, using all the motions you have spent hours on the driving range developing.

There is no particular pre-stroke routine that works for all golfers; as a matter of fact you will find your own which allows you to get ready to take your shot.

It should involve a couple of glances at the hole, along with a trigger that allows your mind to go into auto-pilot before taking your swing.

It could involve any number of things, a slight forward movement of the hands, a swing of the hips to settle in more comfortably or a final glance at the hole.

When you find yours, always use the same pre-shot routine.

- Specific Goals And Objctives Of GOlf

By: Ranju Kumar

All the parts of golf that may be used in playing a round of golf. By improving a few or many of these parts reflects in your overall score.

So if you have a goal to improve your scores, first work out what your personal par is for a course. Use your handicap or an average of your last five scores. Then have a look at these scores and work out how many birdies, pars,bogeys, double bogeys or worse you have.

Eliminating your bad holes is usually the best way to reduce your scores. Work out how many tee shots you hit in the fairway, greens you hit in regulation, up and downs, total putts, putts per green in regulation, number of greens you can hit from 100 and 50 metres, and sand saves. Then set goals for improvement in each area.

If you are 18 handicap or above and your scores are over 90, your green in regulation calculation will be one more as your par score is really a bogey.

Next, work out how well you can play shots to targets. If you know your percentages of success with certain shots, it will help your decision making on the course. You will avoid the high risk shots that if missed will put you in areas where you face a difficult shot with a low success rate and therefore make higher scores than taking a conservative approach.

If you see that there are shots that are difficult for you or you see areas that need improvement, then you can start to set technique goals. The better your fundamentals, the more consistent your game will be. Then there are small adjustments to the way you play a shot that add variations to help in certain situations.

You might go to your pro to find out some new shots or play with better players and ask them. Wherever you get your knowledge, you'll need to do some practice to master them. So that's the next area to set your goals.

What are you going to practice? How long are you going to practice? Where are you going to practice? How can you tell if the practice is working? That's a lot to keep track of, but it is the only way to get better.

There are lots of books on golf which give you a better idea of where your game is at and help you decide what to work on.

- Golf Driving Tips To Help You Hit The Ball Farther

By: Shakil Zaman

Driving a golf ball well can be a great challenge. The driver is the hardest club in the bag to hit and requires a lot of skill to master. The first key to driving the golf ball well is to swing well within yourself. Many players when they are trying to drive a golf ball far try to use their muscle power thinking that using more muscle will mean more distance.

This is a common misconception, remember that there are many players out there that have very thin builds and they hit the ball very far. How is this possible? These golfers have learned that distance is a function of an accurate golf swing combined with club head speed. Swinging easy or within your limits will give you a better chance of making a more accurate golf swing.

The key to greater club head speed is to create more lag or leverage. Lag is defined as the angle that is created between the club and your left hand. You want this angle to be small and you need to hold this angle for as long as possible before impact. This will allow maximum energy to be released through the hitting zone and will translate to greater distance.

One simple way to create more lag is to think of the club as a whip and use a whipping motion through the hitting zone. Also starting the downswing with a weight shift toward the target before bringing down the club can also help to produce greater leverage. It is important to stay fully under control when executing your golf swing. One way to check if you are under control is whether or not you are balanced at the end of the swing.

If you see that you are losing balance then you may need to slow things down a little and not try as hard. Relax and let the club do most of the work. Another important thing to keep in mind is that the driver you are using should fit your swing type. If you have a slower swing speed then you should use a driver with a regular flex. However if your swing speed is higher then you will want a driver with a stiff flex.

Also make sure your driver is not too long, usually 42 to 45 inches is the ideal length for most people. Another good tip to help you hit the golf ball far is to think of your left shoulder driving straight up towards the sky when the downswing starts. This will help to get the club on the right plane for the downswing and will also help to create more lag.

It is important to be effective with your wedges and short irons first before you try to master the driver. Remember that the driver swing is simply an extension of the smaller swings so if you are having problems hitting a wedge then you will almost certainly struggle with the driver. Many of the best players learned how to hit short clubs first before trying to master the longer ones so follow their lead.

To consistently hit the driver far and straight will require consistent practice on your part.
There are now many home golf simulators for under $200 that you can purchase. Just make sure you have some free space to swing your clubs freely. These simulators can allow you to practice regularly right at home and can be effective. Of course try to go to the range and the course as much as you can too. There are no shortcuts to becoming a better golfer so put in the time and effort necessary to learn how to drive a golf ball far and straight.

- Why This Target Technique Will Give You A Better Golf Swing!

Achieving a better golf swing takes practice coupled with good technique. That sounds pretty simple doesn't it? Trouble with most social golfers who aspire to a better game is by the time they get around to learning some golfing technique, they've reached a stage where they have consigned themselves to immortal mediocrity!

Are you in this category or are you just interested in achieving a better golf swing? Believe me I was in the former category at one stage and I know how most non-professional players are thinking. But do you know it didn't really take much coaching to swing my game around quickly and in the end, not only did I achieve a better golf swing but I saved myself walking an extra five miles around a golf course!

Better Golf Swing Techniques

A better golf swing is achieved through habit forming. What I mean by this is by committing the action of the swing to thought, continual practice of the technique will eventually be committed to memory and you'll find in time, your natural instinct will be to swing the club the correct way without thinking about the shot too much. When you're on the course during a game however, your thought process should shift more on where you intend landing the ball.

One of the problems with most inexperienced golfers is they think too much about their swing. Standing over the ball and wondering whether you are going to swing the club correctly for too long a time will only delay the inevitable. A skewed shot, left or right or even worse, completely missing the ball. Embarassing!

Target Technique

A technique taught to me which had a profound effect in my achieveing a better golf swing was choosing a spot down the fairway where I wanted to land the ball and then trying to land as close to that spot as possible. I had to train my mind away from how I was going to swing the club and to say it wasn't easy is an understatement. Eventually, after many hours of practice, I began to think more of where the ball was going to be hit than my swing technique and the transformation was enormous.

The aim of this technique was to get me concentrating more on the projection of the ball; in other words, it got me thinking ahead and took my thought away from my swing. Sometimes a golfer can try too hard and forget to relax. This method will teach you how to relax more instead of gripping the club handle too tightly wondering whether you will get enough backlift on your swing or whether the club head will connect with the ball cleanly.

It won't happen overnight with this method however, with plenty of practice, a better golf swing should be the end result.

By Dean Caporella

Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/author-articles/11607/1.html

- Pitch Shot

Let's talk about the backswing when you're pitching. This could be one of the most misunderstood parts of the weekend golfer's short game or pitching problems. I own three pitching wedges. I own three wedges.

I own a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and one that's sort of in the middle. They go three very different distances.

But let me explain something to you about the backswing that will help you a lot. Most amateurs that miss/hit their pitch shots make a big windup every time, and then they slow down to match up how far they want it to go.

So, if they have a pitch shot, they wind it up and slow down and hope they match up how far they needed to go. Two holes later, if they have to pitch it a little bit further, they make a bigger windup and they try to slow down.

The only way to hit a pitch shot is to make sure that the backswing is broken down into three parts. And this is what I mean. This is a small pitch shot. I take the golf club back where the shaft is parallel to the ground, but I have a nice followthrough that continues on after I make impact.

If I want the ball to go a little bit further, then my next length swing is where the shaft is pointing into the ground, and this goes a little bit further, but it's the same followthrough.

And lastly, if I have a pitch shot and I want it to go all the way to the back of the green, I make a full swing with the arms, not with the body, with the same followthrough.

Now, let me start with the next part. The direction that you swing the golf club is very important.

So, after you get your setup, the arms swing the golf club just slightly up and down on an arc. The arc has a little curve inside, not inside to your right foot and not away from your body in the backswing. The weight stays left and the arms swing up and down.

Thanks, and have a great day.

By Bobby Eldridge

Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/author-articles/9704/1.html