Tag: ball

You Don’t Have to Be Bubba Watson or John Daly to Hit the Golf Ball 300 Yards.

You Don’t Have to Be Bubba Watson or John Daly to Hit the Golf Ball 300 Yards.

Article by Sean D







The average distance of the top 100 Golfers in the world is 280 Yards….these guys are the best players in the world and they aren’t hitting it that much further than the average golfer (AND the fairways on the PGA Tour are probably the same speed as most golf courses’ greens).

SO, what does this mean for you? Well, I’ve broken down the steps you can take that will instantly improve your driving distance. There’s nothing stopping you to averaging what the pros do!

1. Get a Driver with a Higher Loft- My buddy used to have a 7.0 degree Driver (I’m not sure why exactly – maybe he thought it was cool) and used to average 270 yards off the tee. He switched to a 9.5 degree Driver and now averages 290+. – A higher loft gives you more carrying distance and the same amount of roll; however, it needs to be fitted properly to your swing in order to reap the benefits.

2. A Driver that is Custom-Fitted – Take the time to get your Driver fitted properly by going to a Golf Shop and working with a professional. If you can’t afford a new Driver or just bought one, still go and get the shaft optimized for your swing. – By doing just this, you can gain an extra 20-yards overnight.

3. Having the Proper Setup- Wide stance (just past shoulder width apart)- Shoulders at an angle (back shoulder is lower than the front) allowing you to hit the ball on your upswing (higher trajectory = more distance)!- Ball positioned off the front toe.- Flare out your front toe (at a 45 degree angle – no further) forcing you to clear your hips and lower body more quickly. You’ll notice the difference.

4. Confidence- Most of the time when golfers hit bad shots it’s because they are thinking too much about the mechanics of their swing vs. the execution or “emotion” of the shot about to be played.- Focus on your confidence – meaning that in your mind, you know that you’re going to step up and hit it long and straight down the middle. You will consistently hit better shots doing this vs. thinking about how far to take the club back or to make sure you follow through correctly.

BONUS: Learn to Hit a Draw- It’s a fact – a draw or hook travels further than a fade or slice. If you can learn to hit a draw you WILL add at least 10 yards to your drives. – Close your stance, bring the club back inside, and fully release your hands.- One thing to be cautious of is that a draw is more difficult to control than a fade, which means that the odd time your draw will turn into a hook (this happens even to the pros). My recommendation is to not hit a draw all the time, but to utilize it when you need a bit of extra distance.



About the Author

Want to learn the basic fundamentals of the golf swing that ALL great golfers use? Learn them in my Free Quick-Fix Guide to Better Golf: http://www.play-par-golf.com/quickfixguide/

How To Hit The Golf Ball Longer And Straighter With Your Driver

How To Hit The Golf Ball Longer And Straighter With Your Driver

The mechanics of a golf swing are more complex than perhaps that of any other sport on the planet. A good golf swing must be underpinned with sold fundamentals including solid grip, square alignment to the target, a solid base / stance, and a dynamic upright posture. For the purpose of this article I am going to assume that you have solid basic fundamentals.

Please try a selection of the following tips and see which ones have a positive impact on your game. I can guarantee that you will begin to hit the ball further than you have ever done before.

Tip # 1 – Adopt a Stronger Grip

A neutral golf grip is when you can see 2 knuckles of your left hand / the hand at the top of the shaft. A weak grip is when you see less than 2 knuckles on the upper hand. This action tends to promote a fade or slice as the grip returns to neutral at impact thus ensuring the face is opened if the grip is weak. A strong grip is one in which you can see 3 or 4 knuckles on your left hand (for right handed golfers).

A good way to measure a strong grip is to make the “V’s” formed by the thumb and index finger point towards your right shoulder. A strong grip will tend to promote a draw which every golfer knows is a top spin shot that travels much further.

This is especially true with their left hand. To achieve this you should see about three to four knuckles on your left hand. This gives you so much more leverage in terms of your wrist movement. You are able to wait to the last moment to release the club, which results in a surge of club head speed through impact.

Tip # 2 – Release Tensions in Your Hands and Arms

If you were to really tense up your leg muscles and attempt to run a race, you would not be able to walk very fast let alone say run. The muscles in your hands and arms are no different. The grip pressure is perhaps the most important element to eliminating a tense rigid swing. Grip pressure should be light but firm. Professional golfers have stated that you should grip the golf club with the same pressure as if you were:

Lightly squeezing a tube of tooth paste Holding a child’s hand Holding a small bird in your hand Use which ever analogy is best for you but remember always be conscious of your grip pressure especially just before you commence your take away. It is literally not possible to grip a club too lightly. Your muscles will instinctively increase grip pressure throughout your swing to ensure the club does not fly out of your hands.

A light grip pressure will also have the positive effect of releasing tension in your arms. Build a few waggles into your pre-shot routine to further ensure there is no build up of tension.

You will be shocked an amazed how much further your ball will fly as a result of relaxed hand and arm muscles.

Tip # 3 – Increase the Width of Your Arc

Try this simple drill to realize the importance of the swing arc. Hold a golf ball in your hand 10 or so inches directly over your right shoulder. Now throw the ball as far as you can. You will notice the ball didn’t travel very far. Now extend you right hand back as far as is comfortably possible and throw the ball as far as you can. You will notice that the ball traveled significantly further. Many amateur golfers fail to realize the importance of the width of the swing arc in determining the distance the ball flies.

Perhaps the best tip that I have come across for creating a wide powerful swing arc is that of Greg Normans. Greg Norman has long been one of the longest straightest drivers of the golf ball. His tip is simple and powerful. At your address position ensure your left arm and club shaft form a straight line down to the ball. Make sure there is no tension whatsoever in the hand or arm.

Now simply push your left elbow back away from the target. Keep pushing it back, back, back all the way. Sooner or later as your swing reaches the three quarter way position, somethings going to give and your wrist will automatically cock at the top. This business of an early wrist cock advocated by some of the games teachers doesn’t work very well because it eliminates the extension of your arc which is a key source of power in the swing. With sufficient practice, this powerful technique will seriously increase your driving distance.

Tip # 4 – Delay the Club Head Release Through Impact

Many of the games greats will differ in their back swing but generate a very similar down swing sequence. Contrast “Jim Furyk” with “Tiger Woods”. One swing attribute that they all have in common is a powerful late release of the club head (also known as club head lag). In my opinion the golfer with one of the most powerful late releases is “Sergio Garcia”. He has a rather unorthodox back swing but a powerful late release ensures he hits the golf ball a long, long way. What I mean by late release of the golf club is a delayed uncocking/release of the wrists just before impact.

Many amateurs suffer from the dreaded ‘casting’ motion whereby they throw the club at the ball from the top of the swing. Thus they are releasing all their power long before the club ever nears the ball. In order to create a late release you should consciously focus on retaining your fully cocked wrists for as long as possible prior to impact. I have come across two excellent tips to achieve this goal. Please only use one or the other as you should never have two simultaneous swing thoughts prior to impact. The club head is moving too fast to execute more than one.

Insert a tee peg at the butt end of your shaft and focus on the mental image of trying to drive that tee peg into the back of the ball. To condense this into one neat phrase think “pull butt of shaft down to back of ball”. This will cause a very late release of your club and store up considerable power during the downswing.

Ernie Els uses ‘Golf’s Magic Move’, which is a swing thought devised by guru Harvey Pennick for creating a late release of the golf club. To execute this technique, one you arrived at the top of your back swing think “right elbow down to right side”. This effectively retains the wrist angle and ensures a late release into the back of the ball.

Tip # 5 – Increase Your Coil

This move is not for those who have a stiff, unsupple back or back problems in any sense of the word. Effectively one of the greatest sources of power in a golf swing is the coiling of your shoulder turn against your hip turn. The further you can turn your shoulder and limit your hip turn the more wind up you generate in the backswing. This results in a powerful uncoiling in the downswing generating substantial power into the back of the ball. The effect is similar to wrapping an elastic band around your finger. The more tightly you wind it the faster it unwinds. A good mental image to achieve this goal is to imagine you are standing in a barrel of cement. Your legs and hips are thus restricted in their movement. Now focus on turning your back fully to the target. This will create a powerful shoulder turn on top of a limited hip turn. You will create massive distance gains with this single tip alone.

Tip # 6 – Widen Your Stance, Retain Flex in Right Knee

In order to generate strong club head speed, you need a stable base to ensure it is correctly delivered to the back of the ball. Ensure the inside of your insteps are outside the width of your shoulders. To ensure the correct distance apart simply hang two clubs vertically from the outside of both shoulders. The club heads should be directly over the insteps in both feet.

Tip # 7 – Retain Flex in Right Knee

A critical element in the creation of a powerful golf swing is the retention of flex in the right knee in the back swing. If your right knee straightens it’s like snapping the tension in the swing and all your power is immediately destroyed. A good tip is to bend the right knee and tilt it slightly in towards the ball. Focus on retaining this inward tilt throughout the back swing.

With practice you will build muscle memory and these swing changes will become a habit that will not require any conscious effort to execute. In the immortal words of John Daly “Grip it and Rip it.”

Claim your FREE GOLF MEMBERSHIP at http://www.hobeze.com. Hobeze is the Golf Social Network that connects like minded golfers worldwide. The site offers members; PGA Video Lessons, Golf Tips, PGA News Feeds, Equipment Reviews, Golf Forum and a great way to chat with like minded golfers worldwide. Martin O Flynn is a director of Hobeze.com, a 3 handicap, and a regular contributor of golf tips.

Slicing The Ball? Understand Why And Cure It Forever

Slicing The Ball? Understand Why And Cure It Forever

Curring a slice can seem like a lifetimes work but it doesn’t have to be that way.If you understand the mechanics of the golf swing you can get rid of the slice affliction forever. Untill the time comes when you need a great raking curve ball around a tree to half the match with your playing partners.

Ok that said what causes the slice?

The slice happens when the club comes into the impact area from outside the target line, with the club face open and with a steep angle of attack.

This is caused by the upper body ( shoulders ) starting the downswing, throwing the club out and away from the body which is the complete opposite of what you should be trying to achieve.

So if you take the club to the top of your backswing, and we’ll take it for granted that you have made a full shoulder turn ( 90 degrees ) and only 45 degrees in the hips. From here a slice would come from the hips staying still and the shoulders starting things down. This you’ll notice makes the club move away from you and travel towards the ball from about two feet away from your right toes and on a path towards around six inches from your left toes. So steep and outside the target line inside.

Now compare that to the right way.

Back to the top of the swing and now start by rotating the hips first. You’ll notice the right shoulder naturally drops somewhat. Now continue turning and watch the path this time. The club is now coming from about 6 inches from the right toes to impact, more from close to you to impact and away. The opposite to the slice.

The way I got this motion was to hold a football in both hands at your right hip and now take your golf stance and throw the ball over your left shoulder ( right motion ).

Hope this article will help to cure your slice for good.

Steve has been a keen golfer for over 30 years. He still loves the game and plays on a regular basis. His current handicap is 2. If this tip was helpful to you and you would like to see and hear more of the same. Please go here. http://easyswing.info

These Golf Exercises Will Have You Hitting It Like Tiger.not That The Golf Ball Silly

These Golf Exercises Will Have You Hitting It Like Tiger.not That The Golf Ball Silly

The old days of the unfit golfer have gone for ever .Even if you are just a social golfer doing simple routines that will improve your game make sense.

The golf strengthening and conditioning exercises I am going to give you on this page will improve your game and have you feeling fitter and stronger.

The game of golf is now played in a much more athletic way then is was in the past. Players like Tiger Woods and Greg Norman have brought athleticism and fitness to the game. The routines in the gym that modern players like Tiger and Greg use have proven to be just as important as the time they spend practising on course.

Along with some gym exercises I am also going to give you some great stretching exercises that you can do at home or the office.

 I will start with the all time best stretching exercises for Golfers.

 

 Stretch 1: The Oblique Twist

 

STEP 1: Sit down and slowly lower your back on to the ground until you are as fat as a pancake. Put your hands out directly from your shoulders to form a t shape, then lower them a little so your hands are pointing about 1 foot wide of your feet.

STEP 2: Raise your legs up whilst keeping your torso completely still, and then lower both legs to one side of your body. The key thing is to keep your upper body quite straight and rigid, as this will strengthen your obliques.

STEP 3: Simply lift your legs back up to the centre position and then lower down again to the other side.

By holding, your legs in the centre position for 30 or 40 seconds each time you will further strengthen your core.

Think about this exercise and then think about the motion your body goes through when you are hitting a shot. The twist with each golf shot put pressure on the obliques so strengthening them up has to make sense.

 

Stretch 2: The Oblique push down

 

STEP 1: Lie flat on your back and then bend your knees in towards your buttocks. Lock your fingers and place them behind your neck. like you are about to do a sit up.

STEP 2: Twist your left shoulder towards your left knee until the middle part of your back begins to lift off the floor. Twist until you feel a strain on your abdominals and hold for about 20 seconds.

STEP 3: Return back to your starting position and repeat on the other side.

 

Dumbbell Exercises

 

 Exercise one: Wrist Grip Power

 

STEP 1: Grab a dumbbell with each hand that is light and grip tightly, then hold each weight down against your sides. Lift both weights upward until your elbows are at 90 degrees and hold for 5 seconds.

STEP 2: Whilst tensing your arms and forearms simply twist your wrists at the same time in and then out.

As simple as this exercise sounds it will strengthen you wrists quickly and give you more control when chipping and driving.

 Exercise Two: Stance Power

This exercise will strengthen your quads and your hamstrings, which both play a role when you drive a golf ball.

STEP 1: Stand with your feet shoulder length apart, and hold the same light pair of dumbbells. Lower the dumbbells down against your sides about 10 centimetres wide from your thighs.

STEP 2: Bend down at your knees and stabilize, then spring up into the air. Land down in the knees bent position when you come down and repeat for 20 repetitions.

Over the next few days, I will detail a number of additional golfing stretches and weight routines. The main muscle groups that we will cover in the routines are the hamstrings,glutes,quadriceps,trapezius,triceps,abdominals and the rectus.

Using the exercises described above with the additional ones that I would publish shortly about three times a week will improve your power and endurance quickly.

Paul Ritchie Inge runs Rank Bank.Our business rates the best business opportunities online.We try and look for things that will offer online entrepreneurs real profit opportunities and an education about how to make online profits.To see Rank Banks current Number 1 Pick just Click Here >>> Rank Banks Recommends

Improve Your Game-Your Golf Ball Tells You How

Improve Your Game-Your Golf Ball Tells You How

Article by Tricia Deed







Improve Your Game-Your Golf Ball Tells You How

Hello…hello…hello; hey you, look down. I am your golf ball trying to get your attention. Would you like to know how I can improve your game?

I have been watching you play an average game of golf. Nonetheless, I know you want to improve your game and as your golf ball I will tell you how. From my point of view the correct type of ball does matter.

Look over there. Do you see those two young children learning how to play golf?

The girl has the pink balls and the boy is playing with the white colored balls. Those balls are designed specifically for children and they fly at about 70 miles per our. The balls of the children also have dimples. The purpose of the dimples allows the ball to fly faster in the air, smoother skinned balls move slower.

As you well know golf is a game of accuracy and consistency. One does not play just to make distance shots. I noticed the other day that you were at the driving range. A one piece ball is good to use as it is a softer ball and not designed for distance. The one piece ball is a standard. It has been around a long time, and it does great for practicing.

Another practice ball is the water ball. Remember all those golf balls that you hit into the lake along with many other golfers? Well, every now and then they are fished out of the lake, cleaned up and polished and sold cheap. These are great for novices up to intermediate level to practice or to play a game of golf. Because of water damage the balls will short change you on the distance shot.

Most golfers play with a two piece design. It has a rubber core center and one outer wrap of plastic or rubber. This design is excellent for men, women, and children. The ball will shoot straighter, and it has less spin so when you hit a slice or a hook it does not look too bad. The ball is designed for durability and distance.

As an advanced golfer you would probably prefer a ball that has been wrapped three times or a hybrid design. This ball has a rubber core, covered by a layer of plastic or rubber and then a third layer wrap. It is hard in consistency and will allow for better performance. It will travel longer distances, and has less spin in the hands of a golfer with good control.

The professionals play with design having been wrapped three or possibly four times to get the high swing speed and the drop and stop action.

In case you should ask, if the beginner, intermediate, or an advanced player chooses to play with a golf ball used by professional golfers you will get the distance, however, if you lack control the golf ball will slice and hook badly or extremely.

What is the speed of a golf ball in flight?

• Beginners 90 to 100 miles per hour• Intermediate 100 to 110 miles per hour• Advanced and professionals 110 plus miles per hour.

There are many golf balls which are imprinted or have logos as companies and teams prefer the advertising. You may want a special imprint for a birthday, an anniversary, or for identity.

Balls that have been factory overproduced or have a cosmetic imperfection are excellent. These will cost you less and they work just as well as full retail balls. If the store clerk can tell you the brand name, this will give you an opportunity to evaluate the differences among brand names. Brand name selection is a personal choice.

Here is a quick aid to choose golf balls. Twelve dollars per dozen is great for beginners and novices. Thirty dollars a dozen are preferred by intermediate level and the forty-five dollars or more for a dozen is for the advanced or professionals.

Sample different models and choose what works best for you.

As a golf ball, I am looking at your club face which is about to hit me square. I see you have the correct swing. This hit will be straight, will go a long distance, and I can see me dropping into the hole. This will be the perfect shot with the perfect golf swing and the right ball. Congratulations.

Improve your game – your golf all tells you how and more information is available in the sports section of Tricia Deed at http://www.infotrish.vpweb.com/ review Welcome to the GolfSwing Book Pure Point Golf.



About the Author

I have many interests which have permitted me a gypsy-like and an out of the ordinary lifestyle. Currently I would like to introduce and share with you hobbies and business opportunities which may be used for personal recreation or as income for your financial success

How to Draw the Golf Ball

How to Draw the Golf Ball

Article by Christopher J. Johnson







The draw shot off the tee is a very desirable ball flight to have. It penetrates the wind much better than a fade and rolls out farther in the fairway after it comes down. It can be a tough shot to control though. The draw can turn into a hook very easily. Most courses favor people who slice the ball, since that is the most common swing fault of the average player. That means that most courses are more open to the right and much more penalizing when you hit it left.

The draw shot produces top spin on the ball. It is a right to left ball flight for right handed people and a left to right ball flight for left handed people.

The following instructions are for a right handed player.

Line up the face of the club with your target. Line up your feet, hips and shoulders to the right of your target. This closes the face of the club in relation to your body. Now just swing like you normally would. The closed clubface will cause the ball to move right to left. Since you set your body up to the right, the ball will start to the right and turn back towards the target.

There are other ways to create a draw. Basically you want your club to take an inside to outside path in relation to the ball. I believe this way to be the easiest since you can take your normal swing once you have adjusted your stance. Trying to adjust your swing can be much more difficult.

I would like to offer a word of advice. Be sure to try this technique out at the range a few times before using it on the course. If you over do it, a nasty hook could be the result, which will most likely put you in the water or the woods. We are trying to avoid penalty strokes, not create them right?

So there you go. With a little practice, you will be curving the ball around that dogleg in no time. Oh, one other thing. Golf is a game so remember to HAVE FUN!



About the Author

Interested in a simple method of swinging the golf club? I have looked around forever and can honestly say I improved my game using the four magic moves. Take a few minutes, go to http://www.fourmagicmoves.net and get your free info.

The Best Solution to Drawing a Golf Ball – 4 Easy Steps

The Best Solution to Drawing a Golf Ball – 4 Easy Steps

Article by Sean O’Kelly







Most of us who don’t hit the golf ball for great distance hope to improve our long game by drawing, or imparting a little hook, on our long shots. For any beginner as well as some intermediate players this might initially appear extremely hard, however with a little knowledge of what we are attempting to accomplish plus a little practice, anyone can be hitting this shot consistently.

There are two key benefits to draw the golf ball:

• Distance. Hitting a ball which has a hook spin will cause the ball to roll a greater distance than will a fade spin.

• Accuracy. If we are able to consistently strike the ball with a controlled draw, we could aim to the right of our target and allow the golf ball to shape toward our target area.

So to understand how to draw a golf ball, we have to first consider the grip. The main elements, then, to get a hook grip are as follows:

1. Place the grip of the club along the base of the fingers. This permits you to produce increased power as a result of greater wrist hinge, while doing so enhancing your control, or feel, for the club.

2. Do not grasp the club too hard. As the great Sam Snead once said, “If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they’d starve to death”.

3. When gripping the golf club using a normal grip, the “V” between your thumb and forefinger points at the right shoulder for right-handed golfers, and the left shoulder for left-handed golfers.

4. To draw a golf ball, make use of a strong grip, which can be achieved merely by moving your hands on the club so the “V” is to the right of your right shoulder (and of course to the left of your left shoulder for lefties). This will automatically shut the face of the club as it approaches the ball, imparting a counter-clockwise, or hook spin.

These simple methods to draw the golf ball are only general, as each golfer will have to experiment how strong his grip must be for the ideal effect. For example, those with naturally strong hands might find a stronger grip unnecessary to bring the club into proper position.

The final component that must accompany the hook grip to properly draw the golf ball is correct swing path. In the event the club on impact doesn’t go through the ball, that is, if it cuts across the ball on an outside to inside path, the closed face of the club will result in a “pull” shot. This for a right-handed golfer will cause the ball to go far to the left. The path of the golf club head needs to be on a slightly inside to outside plain. The desired result will be achieved when the grip and the swing path of the club work together.



About the Author

My name is Sean O’Kelly, for more tips and information on how to improve your long game, click HERE, and for an interesting perspective on how to play golf for free, click HERE for a 50 page guide.

How to Stop Slicing the Ball

How to Stop Slicing the Ball

For recreational golfers, no part of the golf game is more frustrating than getting great contact on a drive…only to see it slice 50 yards into the woods. To compensate, many golfers make “on-the-fly” adjustments that usually make the problem worse! In this article, I’ll give you FIVE FAQ’s on key swing fundamentals that will help you to stop slicing a golf ball. (These FAQ’s are for right-handers..for left-handers, reverse the directions)

FAQ 1:

The Setup — When a basketball defender is guarding his man, he tries to be perfectly balanced so that he can quickly react to the direction that his opponent is going. If he is leaning right, the offensive player could easily exploit that. In a similar way, you must be properly balanced as you setup to the ball. Bend your knees, get set and avoid leaning to the right or to the left. If you aren’t set properly, your swing is doomed before it begins! If you are perfectly balanced, you’ll be less likely to slice the ball.

FAQ 2:

The Shoulders — When you swing a club, your right shoulder should be LOWER than your left shoulder at the moment of impact! This is a common mistake of many golfers who have problems with slices. When you examine your swing at the moment of impact, if you find that you are one of the many golfers who keeps your left shoulder lower than your right, than you have found the probable cause of your slice!

FAQ 3:

Proper Grip — A quick test to make sure you have the proper grip is to insert two golf tees between your thumb and the webbing of your hand while gripping the club. If the tees point toward the target, than your weak grip is a typical slicer’s mistake. Make sure both tees are pointing straight in front of you.

FAQ 4:

Flat Left Wrist — At the top of your swing, make sure your wrist is flat. A loose wrist or a wrist that is at an angle will cause you to slice the ball. Many who slice the ball find that they have a tendency to cup their wrist at the top of their swing. Keeping that wrist flat and straight will help keep the slice out of your game.

FAQ 5:

Proper Hand Rotation — After you have hit the ball, where are your hands? Your right hand, or ungloved hand, should rotate over and be on top of your left hand after you have struck the ball. If you’re not rotating your hands in this manner, you will find it very difficult to keep your ball straight!

If you are able to implement these five FAQ’s, you should soon stop slicing the ball, see your drives heading down the fairway, and you’ll definitely see your scores start improving dramatically..

 

Please see my popular website in the field of golf tips. Visit my website here!

Learn how to fix your golf slice today!

purepoint Golf Video Lessons – A Simple Tip on How to Fix Your Slice

A couple simple tips to help you try to fix your slice.

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