How to get started?

How to get started?

Golf for anybody?

Golf is a great game: sometimes rewarding, often frustrating but highly addictive. Getting started in it is actually not so difficult, and hopefully this article can help you avoid some of the common pitfalls.

The first steps.
The biggest mistake by people wanting to start in golf is to rush out and buy a brand new set of shiny and expensive golf clubs. While they are nice to look at you should keep in mind that today’s golf equipment comes in great varieties to cater for different golfing types and abilities. Since you're just starting out you do not know which set fits you best. Just imagine the envious looks you get at the driving range when you come with your $2000 set, and the subsequent laughter when you try and just 'hack away' - not worth the embarrassment! Once you spend a few hundred or even thousand $$ on a set that doesn't suit your style you're stuck with it or you have to sell it to somebody else at a loss.
If you feel you want your own clubs get a half set. This generally comprises five irons and perhaps two woods and a putter. Usually the irons are the odd numbers 3,5,7,9 and wedge. These clubs are more than enough to get you started.
A better alternatively: most Driving Ranges will have clubs for hire, so you can try out a few different ones. You can also borrow one or two clubs from a friend. The shortest iron (nine iron) or a wedge are the best clubs to start, practicing with it will give you the feeling of hitting the ball in the air and should be fairly straight forward.

Where to get golf clubs?
Most Pro shops and driving ranges sell second hand clubs. They will also be able to offer you advice and let you try some clubs out. Nearly all driving ranges will have clubs for hire if you want to have a go without committing to a set until you get the hang of it. Or ask other people at the driving range, you will soon find out that many have another set of clubs at home because they made the exact same mistakes I mentioned above. Make sure you try before you buy, if they fit (and only if they fit!) you can often get them for a steal. Make use of these opportunities, and also take a look at our website ‘LearnAboutGolf.com’ as to how to choose a club. I again stress that you need to have a basic understanding on which club suits you reasonably well before you buy. DO NOT buy expensive brands at this stage.

"I want to play!"
As hard as it will be to contain yourself, don't even contemplate going anywhere near a golf course. Golf is technically quite demanding, and without at least some basic training you'll end up with a lot of frustration. You've seen the top players on TV loosing their cool in frustration, imagine how you will feel if not even a single shot goes where you want it to. Besides, the other people having to wait for you will also not be happy.
As a beginner at the great game of golf, start off at a driving range, take at least four or five lessons, learn the fundamentals, progress to a 9 hole course and eventually venture out into the great unknown of an 18 hole golf course. Believe me, it will be a lot more fun for you and those around you if you follow this path.

Where to get lessons?
You'll meet lot of people at the range who will teach you the 'innermost secrets' of golf. Fact is that most of them have started playing not long before you. So the answer to the above question is: go to a Professional. As you have seen on TV, even the world’s top players have a coach. Tiger Woods, probably the best golfer the world, still takes lessons. Certified Golf Professionals are the only people qualified to teach you how to play the game. Lessons from a Pro will cost you money but will be the best investment you'll ever make. Taking the advise from the 'know-it-all' people at the range will likely screw-up your game at the very early stage, and it will take a long time to correct the faults later.
The 2 places to get golf lessons are at driving ranges and golf clubs. You don't have to be a member of a club to get a lesson from the Pro. You bring in money, so they will be glad to help. The usual cost is about $25-40 per 45 min, but you will get reductions for a block booking. If you are a bit on the budget see if they do group bookings, those are also cheaper than individual lessons.
What else to do?

The Books and the videos can be invaluable in learning the basics. To build a sound golf swing you will need the three fundamentals: Grip, Stance and Posture. There are some very good books and videos on the market that will help you to establish the three fundamentals. And watch the Pro's on the TV, or better still video them and play back in slow motion, you'll learn a lot this way. Don't get blinded by too much science, you're still a beginner. Stick to Grip, Stance and Posture and you'll be on your way. Take a look at the golf tips and golf lessons on our website ‘LearnAboutGolf.com’ for some advice as well.

Summary
1.Don't waste your money on expensive clubs until you have reached a basic level of competency.
2.Don't go near a Golf Course, again until you have reached a basic level.
3.Get lessons from a qualified professional.
4.Learn the three fundamentals
5.Watch the Pro's.
6.Practice.
7.Learn the rules of golf and the basic golf etiquette .

How To Reach The Proper Impact Position

How To Reach The Proper Impact Position.

It's All That Counts!

Keep in mind that when someone slices the ball, their body is moving faster than their arms and club. A person who hooks the ball too much is doing the opposite. Their hands, arms and club are moving faster than their body. Since most people slice the ball, it is easy to see that it is almost impossible to swing your arms too fast.

The Swing Plane

The swing plane is the angle at which the club travels throughout the swing. There have been numerous theories about which swing plane is the proper or best swing plane. After viewing thousands of golf swings, both amateur and professional, our conclusion is that
the swing plane has not been properly described to date.

Most golf instructors today draw a line up the golf shaft and consider that the plane.

We believe that the line drawn up the shaft is an indicator of where you want the club to be at impact, (within about three degrees to allow for the bowing of the shaft). If you are able to maintain a swing path that is parallel or directly on the original shaft angle at address then your chances of returning the your address position at impact increase.

For example, if you were to swing the golf club very steep to the plane, or original shaft angle at address, then you must make a rapid adjustment to reroute the golf club back to the plane or address angle. Not impossible to do but far more difficult.
Here is a good example of keeping the golf club traveling on a proper plane. Notice that the address plane and the impact plane are not exactly alike. The golf club is in motion and your thrust toward the target will make the golf club attack the ball from an angle slightly higher than the address position. This is why the toe of your club head should be slightly off the ground at address to accommodate the higher plane at impact.

Impact:

The impact point is simply another location along the swing path. Of course, in mechanical terms, impact is the moment that matters. However, it is not the thing that should matter most in the mind of the golfer. It is more useful to imagine where you are
going in the swing rather than where you are at a given moment. This is the reason we would like to limit your focus on impact.

I have found that most great golfers end up in an impact position that is slightly higher than that of the address position.
A more accurate measurement is a line drawn from the golf club head through the elbows.

The most important thing to understand is that the golf club head must be as close as possible to 90 degrees from the path of the golf club in order to hit the ball straight.

Your left wrist should feel slightly bulged at impact. The left leg also straightens at impact.

Immediately after the impact position, the forearms rotate, allowing the golf club to remain square to the follow-through path and allowing the left arm to bend. One might need to feel as though this is happening before the impact area, in order to accomplish the club face passing the hand position through impact.

If these principles seem a bit abstract to you now, do not worry. They will become much clearer as we analyze your swing in more depth with the video camera. Just keep them in mind now and refer back to this section as you proceed through your instruction program.

The Faulty Movement

Scooping
Typical Cause: Body too far in front of the arms, falling back on your right foot.
Remedy: Keep the left hand bulged at impact, limit the body movement in the swing, get your upper body to move forward on the follow through.

Starting Your Down Swing For Power

Starting Your Down Swing For Power

The Transition:

The transition from loading to unloading should be smooth and rhythmic. The tempo may vary form person to person but it is important not to make the transition too “jerky.”

The downswing is always initiated from the ground up. Most people feel that they initiate the swing with the body.
Cause the body has a small circumference around which to travel, verses the very large circumference the club has to travel, it will feel like the arms must begin the downswing rather than the body. This is only a feeling. The video will show this to be the case.

Some players have described the downswing as pulling down on a rope. Some may describe the downswing as a driving of the knees toward the target or swing path.

In any case, the one thing a golfer must avoid is an unwinding of the shoulder in the downswing. Since the body does have less territory to cover in the downswing, a premature unwinding of the shoulders will cause the body to be either ahead of the arms or open at impact. This may cause a pulling of the golf ball or a pull slice if the club face is open to the path.

Faulty Movement

Starting Down with the Shoulders
Typical Cause: Beginning as if in a baseball swing, with a turning of the shoulders.
Remedy: Pull down with the hands and arms first, and begin the downswing with the knees driving toward the golf ball.

How To Lower Your Handicap

How To Lower Your Handicap Over The Winter

An excellent time to make lasting changes in your swing movement. Why? Because it takes slow deliberate repetitions to teach your body to change motions or patterns which you probably would not be willing to do during the season because you want to play.

1) Must Have a Good Grip.

Most golf professionals have a golf club along side they’re sofa. After all, we do have to make any television viewing productive. When a silly commercial message comes on you hold the golf club in your hands right up in front of your face so you so you can see your grip. Grip the golf club slowly.

Notice where your fingers are and how it feels to you. You need to grip the golf club in your fingers. If you have one of those training grips that would be a good idea as a reference. One commercial use the training grip, and next commercial use the golf club. Compare the too and keep doing it until the golf club grip feels and looks very similar to the training grip.

Once you think you have the two grips feeling similar then stand up and make a stance. After you make a stance lift your grip up in front of your face again so you can see and feel the proper grip.

2) Drills for Your Address Position.

It would be best if you could do this in front of a full length mirror. You’ll also need a helper the first time to help put masking tape on the mirror.

Stand before the mirror as in the picture below. Then place the tape where I have the lines drawn. If your address position does not match the one in the picture below, please put your masking tape according to my picture and now follow those lines and angles in setting up to a golf ball.

Step back and set up to the ball again once the tape is on the mirror. Once you think you’re set up properly swivel your head up so you can see where you are. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LIFT YOUR BACK OUT OF POSITION! Just slowly swivel
your head. If the angles are perfect step back and do it again. You can’t do this too much. If you can’t set up to the golf ball perfectly every time, how can you expect to produce the same ball flight every time.

Next get to work on your down line view. Look at the picture below and follow the same procedures. The big key here is the 90 degree spine angle found in every successful golfer.

3) Top of the Back Swing Position.

Remaining in the down line view make a back swing, hold the top of the back swing position, turn very slowly and swivel your head looking at the mirror to see if you have lifted your spine out of position. You MUST maintain spine angle to be consistent! You may need to feel as though your chest is working downward on the back swing in order to stay level. Many golf professionals talk of the back swing as being down hill.

Go for the frontal view and see if you remain in the proper position at the top of the back swing. Also notice if your head moves slightly backward at the top of the back swing. Moving your head laterally if fine just avoid any upward or downward movement.

4) Starting the Down Swing.

Once you’re at the top of the back swing position, stop and look at the mirror, then very very very slowly start your arms straight down toward the ground while holding your body perfectly still. The more you do this the better.

The arms and golf club have more territory to cover on their way to the impact position so they must get a head start on the body. This drill will really help in
your creating a feeling of the arms moving first on the downswing without the body helping or shifting laterally prematurely. An early turn of the body is the killer of many a good golf swing.

5) The Finish.

Go ahead a make a full golf swing now. Once you make a swing hold your finish. If you have trouble holding your finish position you have a problem somewhere in your swing motion.

Once holding the finish swivel your head over to the mirror and see if your back is nice and straight and that you’re balanced on your front foot. Any bending in your spine, (the reverse “C”) is not desirable.

Golf Tips for Beginners

The Important Golf Tips for Beginners

Starting in the game of golf can be confusing with all of the equipment available, people offering you free tips, and the feeling that you have to take everything so seriously.
There are three golf tips for beginners that I was given by my instructor when I started, and that has really been a big help to me.

1. Don't Break the Bank With Your First Set of Clubs

As a beginner, you are not going to get all of the benefits that come from a top of the line set of golf clubs. As a beginner, you are not going to have the consistent contact or club head speed needed. Instead, think about buying a cheaper set, or better yet, get yourself a used set. You may also be able to use a free set from one of your more experienced friends until you figure out which clubs would be best for you.

2. Be Aware of Who is Giving You Instruction

Your friends, relatives, and sometimes people who don't even know you will think they have the golf tips for beginners that will fix all of your problems. Granted, if you have friends who are pretty good golfers, it may help to listen to them when you are first starting. However, to really understand the game, as a beginner, get your instruction from a professional. Golf pros are experienced in fixing swing problems and explaining things to you in terms of how they affect ball flight. Lessons are available at most any golf course, and even just a couple will really help set a good foundation for your game.

3. Enjoy Yourself

It may sound simple, but one of the best golf tips for beginners is to just have fun with the game. Keep in mind that you are probably not going to be getting your PGA card. Being competitive is fine, and of course you are going to want to continue to improve, but golf is a leisure game. Take your time out there and have fun with your friends.

These 3 golf tips for beginners can make all of the difference in the world. If you just get the right clubs to start, take instruction from those who know the game, and have fun, then golf will be a great way for you to spend your leisure time.

Golf for the Adult beginner

An introduction to Golf for the Adult beginner

Every day more and more people are taking it up for the first time. I was once a beginning golfer myself and I remember the frustrations of learning the swing and playing well. And that was with a Golf Pro Father.

There are a lot of books and other information products available for established golfers, but not a lot for adults who are brand new to the game. Amongst all the tour talk, long drives and 400cc drivers, it seems beginners are left out.

A golf is a great game providing a lifetime of enjoyment and when you finally achieve a certain level of proficiency, a whole new element of the game appears, ensuring there is always a challenge.

Many schools offer an introductory 4 hour class - usually for around $320 - on the basics of golf, but you are better off to work on those yourself, then pay for lessons when you are comfortable with the basic knowledge. You won't be effective until you have mastered at least the basics, so by doing it at home, by yourself can remove much of the embarrassment that is often felt by beginners.

I have seen beginners made to play rounds of golf way too early in their development. The result is a bad experience that can, in some cases, turn them off golf forever. A much better strategy is - you guessed it - get the basics down first.

There are many opinions on the golf swing but we can agree that without doubt, the most effective, not to mention quickest way to improve is to study, then practise what you have studied.

You've heard it all before - there are no short cuts... Well, for golf it is especially true. Study and practise will get you there. Repetition of the skills and the swing will help develop your game, playing will help you develop the magical quality called 'touch.'

Having the right knowledge is the key.

Just as there is a technique to hitting a ball in tennis, or throwing a football, golf has a correct motion which must be learned. The swing can be broken down into phases to assist with learning where the body should be for each phase of the swing. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can start to enjoy playing the game of golf.

Some of the basics you need to know in order to get started.

The game: etiquette - You need to know about the game and the things you shouldn't ever do on the golf course. It is a game with rules of conduct. This is listed first, because respecting the traditions of the game is vital.

The swing - The fundamentals of the movement and how to repeat it. Knowing the plane the club should swing on and getting familiar with where things should be at the various stages of the movement.

The grip - The point of contact between the hands and the golf club takes some getting used to - I am yet to meet a person who doesn't think it feels strange at first.

The address position - How to line up with the ball for both hands and feet.

The back swing - The check points to ensure a correct back swing and proper setup for the Down swing.

The down swing - Knowing how it is initiated and where the club needs to be at impact.

Club and ball positions - Where you should play the ball in your stance for different clubs.

The short game - Handling shots around the green, including basic putting technique.

Difficult lies - The adjustments you need to make for a non-level lies and other tricky situations that exist on the golf course.

Rules of play - The most common encountered rules on the course.

Most people start out in golf with no knowledge whatsoever. They watch the PGA tour and expect to be able to play just as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. It takes knowledge and practise. Lot's of it.

Having an understanding of all these things is the key to experiencing some early improvement. If you don't understand the basics, then golf lessons won't help you. If you do have some knowledge, then you can consciously understand the instructions you'll be given and will well on the way to getting the basics of golf together so you can start enjoying this wonderful game.

Taking Up The Game of Golf

Taking Up The Game of Golf

Golf has always been a popular sport among many different people.
It's often associated with executive businessmen and while it is true that golf is a particularly popular choice with many businessmen, it is also popular in other walks of life.
There are a number of good reasons to take up golf but the only real way to find out if it is a good choice for you is to give it a go.
You should be able to borrow or rent some clubs in order to play a couple of rounds of golf because a set of clubs can prove fairly expensive if you only use them a couple of times before putting them in the attic.

Golf is a healthy sport.
As well as getting you out in the fresh air it also exercises the heart, the lungs and many muscles when you are walking round the course.
It may not seem much, but playing a round of golf every week is a very good way of helping to prevent heart disease and other illnesses.

A Golf can be a good way to socialize. Visiting the clubhouse after a round of golf gives you the opportunity to meet new people and chat to friends about how your round went and your life in general.
As another aspect of this, it also gives you the opportunity to network if you are a businessman.

The modern golf game is centered around perfect shots, scientific practice and ability.
Gone are the days of wearing plus fours and cloth caps and in are the days of larger heads, metal woods and graphite shafts.
While talent and ability are obviously the most important factors, there is certainly a lot of equipment around that claims to improve different aspects of your game.