Golf Clubs Guid

In golf your swing is just about everything. If you find that your long golf shots are not landing anywhere near the target, your swing is most likely the major culprit, and so here are some golf swing tips that can help you play your best.

* Make sure that you have a rock solid foundation for your swing. To improve your body foundation throughout your swing, try hitting a series of balls with your feet only about six inches apart. This may feel really strange at first, but before long you will start to develop a consistent tempo throughout the swing that allows solid ball contact. And when you start hitting the ball again from your normal stance, you will most likely carry along that solid foundation with you.

* Good golf players hit through the ball and not just at it instead. This promotes a powerful extension that ensures solid contact with the ball. In order to get the feel for this kind of contact, place another golf tee about 6-8 inches in front of your practice ball, and then try to hit not only the ball but also the tee out in front. When you can do both, you are powering through the ball correctly.

* One of the enemies of a smooth swing is swinging too fast, and it is a common problem for lots of golfers. You want a smooth, easy tempo to the swing, so when you draw the club back, imagine in your mind a brief pause at the top just before your downswing, and then consciously think of slowing the swing down. This has the effect of putting a nice rhythm in the swing instead of just a choppy motion.

* Its imperative to avoid moving your body back and forth as you progress through the swing. To counteract this, many pros envision themselves as being inside a barrel as they swing. A barrel would not allow you to sway back and forth, it would only allow you to rotate on its same axis, and that is the proper feel to develop as you go through your backswing.

* A good swing also has a low and slow takeaway from the address of the ball in your stance. To get the feel for this kind of takeaway, place a ball immediately behind your clubhead as you address the ball. When you start the swing try to roll that ball slowly back past your right foot with the back of your clubhead as you draw the club back. Doing this several times will help you get the feel for the long slow takeaway that is critical to beginning a good golf swing.

These few tips can help dramatically improve your golf score if you practice them regularly and get the right motions programmed into your body. When they are repeated over and over again your body muscles remember the motion even when you are no longer practicing the drill and they will help you put together a sweet, powerful swing.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including golf. You can find golf tips for beginners and a free golf swing tip by visiting our Golf Tips website.

Tags: golf, golf accessories, golf clubs, golf lessons, golf swing, golf tipsgolf, golf accessories, golf clubs, golf lessons, golf swing, golf tips

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There are so many clubs out there to choose from and deciding which set to get can be a tough decision. Here are some tips on how to narrow down the selection.

Decide on your levels for playing
Some players only play on the weekend or less and there are others who like to play more often. If the occasional game is your pace, a low to mid performance club can work for you, while a high performance club is suited to those who will play more regularly.

Set a budget
The notion that the more expensive the club, the better it is simply doesn’t hold water anymore. If you do enough homework and read reviews you’ll find a club that matches your level of interest. Don’t be afraid to check out used clubs as they can give you the best chances of getting the club you need at a good price.

Now that you know your interest level and have established a budget, here’s a brief run-through of kinds of golf clubs and what each one does.

Woods
A typical golfer’s bag will have a driver (called 1-wood) and a couple of fairway woods (3- and/or 5-wood). A driver is the longest club (usually 45 inches) making it the toughest to control during a swing.

Irons
Irons feature thin club heads with grooves on it. Experienced players opt for a blade style iron while beginners get a cavity-back style. A blade-style has a club head with a full back, whereas a cavity back’s club head is hollow. It is hollowed out to create a perimeter weighting effect helpful for less experienced golfers.

Irons are categorized as long (1, 2, 3,4), mid- (5,6,7) and short (8,9). Short irons are the easiest to hit while the long ones are the hardest. The shorter the iron, the more loft there is and for beginners, the more loft, the better.

Putters
Putters are the clubs most often used in the game and come in club head styles of blade, heel-toe and mallet. Lengths come in belly putters, standard and broomstick (long) putters. Which option to get is a personal choice.

Utility clubs/hybrids
The clubs combine features of woods and irons and are best for beginners who may not want to buy too many clubs at first.

Finally, as a final word before taking them out of the store, most new clubs fit individuals at the average height of 5′10″ for men and 5′5″ for women. If you are significantly shorter or taller than these figures, you should get your club fitted to your height.

Start off with these considerations to build on your research when choosing your golf clubs. The game becomes a lot more fun with the little effort you make now.

Paul Bittle is the owner of Bits N Wits an information web site. Search the web, our directories, free courses, plus add your article or URL link for free.

Tags: golf, golf clubs, recreation, sportsgolf, golf clubs, recreation, sports

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First and foremost, it is important to note the benefits of opting to walk the course rather than riding in a cart. If your significant other asked you to go for a 3.5 mile walk, would you hesitate? An 18-hole round, however, will carry you well over 3.5 miles, and is yet another reason to justify spending so much time at the course. While this in itself won’t necessarily help your game, walking a couple of rounds per week will definitely help curb your waistline.

In recent years, PGA players have made physical fitness a predominant part of the training process. While guys like John Daly or Craig Stadler may make us question if golfers are actually athletes, by in large, the Tour players have slimmed down and toned up as of late. A monster drive is not only a result of improved equipment, but is due in large part to flexibility, core strength, balance, and stamina as well.

As far as your flexibility goes, this should include more than just blindly waving your club around on the first tee. Maybe you’re not ready to sign up for a yoga class, but by regularly performing stretching exercises you will improve your flexibility. Increased flexibility translates into a bigger and more powerful swing, and will also reduce the chance of injury and soreness. There are dozens of books focusing on stretching and calisthenics, and one of which would be a good guide to work from.

Increasing your core strength is something that is going to require a little more dedication and work. It’s also important to note that before you start a serious exercise regiment you should consult with your doctor. Rather than relying on the equipment that has been sitting in your basement for collecting dust, you may find it worthwhile to join a gym. Even if you just join a gym for a short period, take advantage of their orientation service. The trainer will be able to show you various exercises to increase your core strength, from the simple yet effective crunch to more advanced use of equipment. You may even find yourself combining your swinging motion with resistance bands in order to power up your swing.

Some great resources for improving your game through some basic fitness techniques include:

1. www.golf-trainer.com, a pay-service with a wealth of workout information

2. www.golf.com, which includes an extensive fitness section

3. Yoga for Dummies by Feuerstein, Payne and Folan

4. “Golf” or “Golf Digest,” which often contain fitness articles and tips

5. Your course pro, who is sure to have some suggestions

While the benefits of getting regular physical activity go well beyond the fairway, using an improved golf game as an excuse can make it a little more palatable. Finally, be realistic about your goals and what level of commitment you are willing to make. It is difficult and unrealistic for most of us to hit the gym every single day. If you limit yourself to three days a week, however, that keeps it from becoming such a chore.

Robert Hayes is a featured author for http://www.engolfed.com, a web site that includes golf tips, golf articles, and a golf blog.

Tags: golf, golf club, golf clubs, golf tip, golf tipsgolf, golf club, golf clubs, golf tip, golf tips

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