How to Prevent a Hook in Golf

How to Fix a Hook

Learning to fix a hook golf shot is not as complicated as you might think. The trick to overcoming this wacky shot is to first determine the cause. There are several reasons a ball may travel wildly to the left. Here are some tips for those who want to learn how to fix a hook once and for all.

1. This particular shot is caused by the ball spinning in a counter-clockwise direction as it takes flight. The faster the ball is spinning, the more severe the left curve will be.

This counter-clockwise spin is created when the ball is hit with a closed club face. For right-handed golfers, a closed face points to the left; for left-handed golfers, the face points to the right. The ideal position for the club face is square and neutral, pointing neither to the left nor to the right at impact.

2. Most experts agree that for those who want to know how to fix a hook, the best place to start is the grip. Here is an easy way to check your golf grip.

Take your driver and set up as you normally would. Now, look down at your hands. If you are right-handed, you should see at least two knuckles on your left hand. This is considered a neutral grip—not too weak and not too strong. If you see three or more knuckles, you are not gripping the club properly.

Now, here is the tricky part. Let your gaze travel down the shaft of the club and look at the face. Is it square? Chances are it is. But even if you think you are square and lined up, you may not be when you bring the club down toward impact with the ball. As the club moves toward the ball, your hands will assume a neutral grip, which means the club face has no choice but to close at impact.

Anyone who wants to learn how to fix a hook should start with a close inspection and honest assessment of his or her grip on the club. Many golfers will simply refuse to modify their grip or will not spend the necessary time to get used to the new grip, eventually falling back into their old habits.

3. If your grip is fine, the next step to learning how to fix a hook is to check your balance. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet, not on the heels. This will allow your hips to turn smoothly and stay balanced. Being off-balance at impact is another main reason players see the ball flying off to the left.

4. Your left arm (for right-handed golfers) must be straight as the club impacts the ball. Ask a friend to watch you hit a few balls and let you know if your arm is bending. Remember, anything that causes the club face to close will result in a hooked golf ball.

One of the above tips will most likely solve your problem. Go through them, one at a time, hitting several practice balls as you go. Make minor adjustments until you are able to hit the ball straight. This will take some time and effort on your part, but learning how to fix a hook is a process is essentially a process of elimination.

Golf Swing Tips : How to Hit a Golf Ball Straight Every Time

Hitting a golf ball straight every time is nearly impossible, but we can control the amount of curve on the ball. Get more control on your golf ball with tips from a professional golf instructor in this free video on golf swings. Expert: Conan Elliott Contact: www.teacherofchampions.com Bio: Conan Elliott has been the director of instruction at Camas Meadows Golf Club since January 2004. He has been teaching for more than 30 years, and truly is a “teacher of champions.” Filmmaker: Lisa Fenderson
Video Rating: 4 / 5

What are the different types of golf shots?

What are the different types of golf shots?

Though it sometimes seems that there are dozens of different golf shots that a golfer must learn to be a “good golfer” (e.g., consistently shoot in the 70’s or 80’s), there really are only a critical few golf shots that matter outside of the putting game. If golfers can master these critical golf shots which can be applied and adapted for just about any golf situation, then they will certainly see a drop in their scores and more consistency in their game. Below is a listing and description of each of these golf shots and how they are applied around the golf course.

1.Straight Golf Shots: As the name implies, a straight golf shot starts straight and holds the line toward the target. It is used when the target is straight in front of you and shaping the golf shot right or left is unnecessary. A straight golf shot is achieved when all the golf fundamentals are executed and synchronized effectively including setup position, grip, swing path and weight transfer.

2.Draw Golf Shots: A draw golf shot is used to curve a shot right to left around an obstacle to the target. The basic fundamentals of straight golf shots are followed, except alignment is right of the target and the grip is rotated in a “stronger” position to encourage right to left ball flight.

3.Fade Golf Shots: A fade golf shot is used to curve a shot left to right around an obstacle to the target. Similar to a draw, the basic fundamentals of straight golf shots are followed, except alignment is left of the target and the grip is rotated in a “weaker” position to encourage left to right ball flight.

4.Fairway Bunker Golf Shots: A fairway bunker golf shot is hit from fairway bunkers adjacent to the fairway. A good fairway bunker shot can position you well for your next shot and help save your score. On these shots, it is important to position the body so that ball lies in the middle of your stance and stand “taller” throughout the shot to strike the ball cleanly.

5.Greenside Bunker Golf Shots: A greenside bunker golf shot is hit from bunker adjacent or very close to the putting surface. Since loft, rather than distance, is more important on these golf shots, it is important to position the ball forward in the stance while weight is distributed (and kept) favoring the left side throughout the golf shot.

6.Pitch Golf Shots: Pitch golf shot spends more time in the air than on ground and are typically used when 60 yards or more from the putting green. The setup and weight distribution used for pitch shots are different than for straight, draw and fade golf shots and a lofted club such as a sand wedge or lob wedge is used.

7.Chip Golf Shots: Chip golf shots are typically used when the golf ball is 3 to 6 feet off the green and putting the ball is not a good option. Chip shots are miniature versions of the full swing where just enough power is applied to land the ball quickly on the surface and roll toward the cup.

Of course, there are several other types of golf shots, but most are just variations of the ones above. If golfers can focus on mastering these golf shots, then their games are sure to quickly improve.

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My Golfing Life As A Hooker!

My Golfing Life As A Hooker!

Article by David Lee

This is a warning to all wannabe golfer’s,go down this path with your golf game i can guarantee you will live a life of pain and anguish,sorry i don’t mean to start on a negative note but the fact is it’s true.

Basically throughout my golfing career i have been a hooker,how or more importantly why it started i can’t explain.It certainly wasn’t intentional.When i first started hooking it was by no means every shot,the honest truth was that it just crept up on me,over days, weeks, and even months,the problem being it just gets worse to the point that almost every shot hangs towards the left,and not just a tiny bit either,oh no we are talking 90 degrees to the left my golf shots were making a circle look tame.

I spent a majority of my days in trees searching for lost balls,my friends didn’t want to play golf with me(i didn’t blame them to be honest)I can remember this day so clearly,the dreaded day i discovered i ran out of golf balls only during a round i hasten to add!.Talk about embarrassing.

I decided that i was long overdue in receiving professional help,i walked off the course that afternoon,and spoke to the pro in the clubhouse.He advised me that he had already heard about my problem,mmnn my so called friends had talked to him the previous day to find out if it was infectious of all things!.

However i began to cheer up after talking to the pro because there is a cure.Keap reading and i will elaborate

THE PROBLEM:

Hitting the ball with a closed clubface, causing shots to curve (sometimes dramatically) to the left.

THE CURE:

Ascertain your own grip,when gripping the club the Vs in each hand need to point over your right shoulder,if they are pointing further to the right your grip is way too strong,this will cause a closed face which will cause a ‘hook’ at impact-when your hands come back to their normal position.

You may find that your grip is good but you are still hooking,if this is you then weaken your grip by gradually moving both hands to the left.Your stance is very important so make certain your feet,knees,hips and shoulders are all parallel to your target line.

Another major cause of ‘hooking’ is the position of the ball itself having it too far back can produce an excessive in-to-out swingpath,to rectify this grip the club more in the palm of your hand,rather than your fingers,this will reduce the action in your wrists and premature closing of the clubface.

Always make sure that your left wrist joint isn’t to loosened up at the moment of impact,if this is the case your right wrist will take charge and consequently the clubface will close too early.Onto your downswing now,the action should always begin with your legs and body.This stops your wrists unhinging and closing the clubface too soon.

Can you see that this problem is curable folks?Well ok maybe not TOTALLY curable,after many years it still happens to me on occasions.But at least i don’t have to spend my golfing days stuck up a tree looking for lost balls,i am quite happy with my new title-The Happy Occasional Hooker!.

About the Author

Thank you for reading this article i appreciate your valuable time.my name is David Lee,and i write articles on golf and how to improve your skill and confidence.To learn more about improving your golf game through the use of online tutorials and dvd lessons please visit-www.LearnThePerfectGolfSwing.com

Men In Ballet – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Foot’s Demi Pointe – And Then Your Pointe Shoes

Men In Ballet – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Foot’s Demi Pointe – And Then Your Pointe Shoes

Article by Dianne M. Buxton

I am going to cover a few of the finer details in strengthening, stretching, and maintaining your foot mechanics, and health. You want to get the most out of the joints and muscles that you have in your foot for your demi pointe. If you are among the men in ballet, you may choose to try some work in pointe shoes.

I’m not referring to demi-pointe shoes in the title above, but your own demi pointe, your foot.

Whether male or female, I recommend that you view some drawing or x-ray of an ankle joint, and the foot bones. It is good to know what is under your skin.

If your ankle joint is flexible enough for you to point a straight line, or more, you can probably get up onto demi pointe so that your toes are a ninety degree angle to your instep.

If you do not have this ninety degree angle, first you can work on the big toe joint. There is a muscle going under the big toe that can be gently massaged and stretched. Just working this joint can get you a gain on the angle you need to be fully on demi pointe, and therefore able to complete the postural plumb line of the body. That means getting the metatarsal joints under your ankle joint, regardless of how the arch in between shows up curve-wise.

To maximize the ankle joint flexibility, consider the tension that builds up in the tibial, or shin muscles, practicing ballet, that could detract from your ankle joint flexibility. This tension can be released, daily, with the help of a soft rubber ball. Kneel, then sit back on your feet, making sure there is no inward sickle. Roll the rubber ball just below the knee joint, into the top of the shin muscle. Lean on it, easing down the leg. Press into the tender spots until you feel some tension release. Don’t lean too heavily on it, it is just to get a release of the tension.

Get all the way down to the ankle joint. You have now resolved some of the work-related tension and can do a stretch for the top of the ankle/foot area. Place the ball under the foot above the metatarsal joints (and you can do more than one spot here), between the big toe and second toe, and you’ll feel a wonderful stretch. You can move the ball a little more in between the second and third metatarsal area, only if it does not cause the foot to sickle. And stretch again, gently holding the stretch for 10 seconds at first. You can increase the hold time, but not to the point of pain.

Then start on the other leg. I have Deborah Vogel to thank for that rubber ball use and foot stretch.

Using a rubber ball or a golf ball on the sole of the foot releases tension in those muscles. Roll it and push gently. You don’t want to exert too much pressure on the foot joints, just feel for tension release. Do this daily, or after every class.

Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom Salts or mineral salt (sea salt) and then icing tired and aching foot muscles is a treatment your feet deserve.

Especially if you plan to dance classical ballet in pointe shoes, attend to these few daily routines. They are not pampering, but needed care for all women and men in ballet.

Click here for a resource on ballet wear, pointe shoes, ballet technique articles and The Perfect Pointe Book.

About the Author

Dianne M. Buxton trained at The National Ballet School of Canada, The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and Toronto Dance Theater. Find out how to get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, how to prevent dance injuries, how to get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and details about classical ballet technique.

Improve your Golf Swings – Lower your Handicap

Improve your Golf Swings – Lower your Handicap

Article by Tricia Deed

See yourself break 80 by improving your golf swings.Just between you and me, to be able to do this you will want to know how to improve your golf swings and in the process you will lower your handicap.

Do you hit the ball farther? Not always the case. The ability to hit the ball with consistent accuracy is the answer to lowering your handicap. Easily said, and achieveable with practice.

Reduce or eliminate slicing, hooking, and topping the ball.

A tendancy to slice the ball and doing it constantly needs immediate correction before it becomes ingrained as unwanted habits. Request to have a professional golfer observe you and offer remedies to correct your golf swing and body positioning flaws.

Hitting the golf ball and have it travel straighter is the goal unless you wanted the golf ball to curve sharply to the right or to the left. There are occasions when you want to hit the ball and direct it to either side of straight, but it takes a lot of control to do this shot intentionally.

Remember what it was like in the beginning? We all topped the golf ball because we released our flexed knees lifting the body upward causing the bottom of the club to thinly hit the top of the golf ball and it slowly rolled. We learned how to correct this flaw and proceeded successfully to the next lesson.

Correcting your golf swings is also a matter of refining and perfecting your grip, the address, the take away, the top of the backswing, the downswing, and the impact to finish. Practice these basics until they are familiar and comfortable to you.

Set up a constructive drill program for yourself. Attend the practice range prepared to practice with a purpose. Here is a suggestion list to include in your practice sessions.

*Check your posture or body alignment.

*Timing needs to be rehearsed.

*Develop rhythm.

*Smoother swing from beginning to golf ball contact.

*Improve consistency and distance.

*Hit the ball directly towards the intended target.

Stop here a minute and think about the above list. Choose one item and one to two irons and design a feasible practical drill. Do not set up impossible goals to practice in one session. Practice with correct accuracy. Constructive practice is essential as the golf swing habits you develop are realities on the golf course.

Investment of time in practice will be necessary to develop the perfect golf swings that you desire. Invest in yourself by engaging a professional golfer for lessons. Play golf as often as possible to gain experience.

The result of a perfect golf swing is when you hit the club head in the exact correct spot on impact with the correct amount of speed and send the ball flying straight to the designated target.

If you have been looking for other techniques as to how to improve your golf swings with the goal to lower your handicap take a look at http://www.infotrish.vpweb.com/

About the Author

Through the years I have learned to be a jack-of-all-trades and maybe mastered one. Because my interests are many, diversity has been the road most traveled. Currently I am exploring different types of hobbies and combining thse intersts with my business of internet marketing.

Top Tips for Your Perfect Golf Swing

Top Tips for Your Perfect Golf Swing

If you desire to hold your scores even lower, you have obtained to develop to possess the ability to manage the spin in your golfing ball, and that suggests getting in a placement to curve it when you would like to. uncover how to curve the ball away from trouble – Our golfing professional factors out uncover how to go straight from trouble using the green, helping you how the curve the ball away from trouble within your golfing game. Before your golf excises, you should buy good golf clubs such as the Titleist AP2 Irons at first.

This skill is called working the ball, and it takes practice. But most low-handicappers don not rehearse this part of their game correctly—they will hit 20 draws in a row, and then hit a bunch of fades. This practice sequence does not realistically represent what you will face on the course. In golf, you only get one chance, not 20. In this article, I would like to talk some golf tips. If you want to know much more information or jokes, you may read this funny article.

Here are some golf swing tips:

Step 1: the right way to curve the ball from perfect to left. Arranged up and swing as normal, but alter the placement concerning the clubface from rectangular to closed proceeding for you grip. The terrific offer more you near the clubface, the terrific offer more the ball will curve. Closing the clubface also minimizes the loft concerning the club, making the ball fly lower. You may swing your TaylorMade R9 460 Driver to have a good golf swing.

Use a minimal to mid iron, and start by placing the club mind rectangular at the rear of the ball. Aiming in the direction of the right concerning the trees, consider your standard set-up, near the clubface based on how a terrific offer you need to curve the ball, after which consider your grip. Swing as normal, and as your arms rotate through impact, the closed clubface will make the ball curve in the direction of the left. Should you have branches even although in the way in which of your back again swing, you can prevent getting the club stuck by bending your legs so your swing travels flat near for the body.

Step 2: the right way to curve the ball from left to right. Again, use your standard set-up and swing but this time precede the clubface from rectangular to open. The terrific offer more you available the clubface, the terrific offer more the ball will curve in the direction of the right. An available clubface produces a terrific offer more loft, making the ball fly higher. Should you choose the ball to fly low, use a minimal metal or low-numbered hybrid with much less loft concerning the clubface? Place the club mind rectangular at the rear of the ball, aiming left concerning the trees, and consider you’re arranged up. Available the clubface based on how a terrific offer you choose the ball to curve, after which consider your standard grip. Swing normally, making optimistic you adhere to through to make certain how the available clubface curves the ball back again into play.

Thanks for reading my article! If you want to know much more information or jokes, you may read this funny article in my blog – Golf with My Life. If you follow my suggestions, you should have a good time while hitting the ball by your Ping G15 Irons. Do you agree with me?

Now, swing your taylormade 09 burner irons, you will not feel the same as your former swing. If you want to know much more information, you may read my other articles – Callaway X Series and Big Bertha Irons. Thank you for reading my article!

How to Fix A Slice With A Driver

How to Fix A Slice With A Driver

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It’s one of the biggest obstacles golfers face and that is how to fix a slice with a driver. Specially players who are relatively new to the game. In this short article I would like to provide you with a few slice tips you should use on the range to help you do away with that nasty curve on the golf ball and start to hit longer, straighter shots each time.

The very first thing you have to realize before you can learn how to fix a slice with a driver is why you slice in the first place. You see in order to hit a slice there are a few major factors which are involved.

1) To much spin off the driver head at impact (right spin for a right hander & left spin for a lefty)
2) Club head is open at impact

In order to be in a position to fix a slice that you need to remove these two factors. How can this be done?

Tip No. 1 – How to take the spin off the driver at impact

If your slicing a golf ball it shows that when the club connects with the ball at impact it’s coming through the hitting zone on a cut angle. Having a cut angle on the club is sometimes called coming over the top and can make you dramatically slice a golf ball or dead pull it.

If you come over the top of the golf ball it means that when you take the club back on the back swing your taking it to far inside the target line. What you ought to do to correct this issue is to focus on taking the club back on a straight line.

Imagine as your bringing the club back that there is a catcher crouched down behind you in a position to catch a fastball from a pitcher in baseball. Take the club straight back to hit the catchers mitt and then straight up on your turn.

*Note: A good drill to work on this really is to simply stand with your back against a wall and make your swing. The wall will not allow you to be able to take the club inside and you’ll be one step closer to learning how to fix a slice with a driver.

Tip No. 2 – How to get the club head back to square at impact

The next reason you could be slicing a golf ball is because at impact the club head is still open. If your club head remains open at impact there is no way you can do anything but slice the ball. As a way to learn how to fix a slice with a driver that you must work on these 2 things:

a) Your grip:

Your grip is a huge part of the golf swing and probably the most overlooked reasons why people are having issues. You must use the proper grip in order to allow the hands to release the club properly to insure you are making solid contact with the golf ball. In this short article it would be tough to go over all the different sorts of grips and the way to apply all so I would like to give you simply a quick overview so you can make a quick change.

When you initially grab the club you need to be able to see two or three knuckles on your left hand-or if you cannot see any knuckles at all-your grip isn’t correct. Make certain when you grip the club all eight of your knuckles are showing. This will make a huge difference when it comes to rotating the hands at impact.

b) Over Swinging

If you are having troubles slicing a golf ball maybe it’s because you are over swinging. Consider this the game of golf is called the sport of opposites. People believe the harder they swing at the golf ball the further it is going to go. That’s not the case in golf. Actually the smoother and more in rhythm you are through out the swing the further and straighter you will hit the golf ball. Sounds crazy I know but it’s true.

Have you ever sat down on a Sunday afternoon and watched the PGA tour pro’s swing at the golf ball? The large majority of them look like they are hardly swing at the ball and then the announcer just says they just hit that drive 305 yards off the tee! Well, if you want to learn how to fix a slice with a driver you must work on being more in rhythm and work on your timing to get the club face back to square at impact. If you are able to do this you will be much closer to meeting your goal.

To Learn Added Ways How To Fix A Slice With A Driver & One Covert Golfing Guidebook That Will Help You Improve Your Scores By At Least 7-10 Shots! Hurry Over To >>> www.LearnHowToPlayGolfBetter.com

The Golf Swing Slice

The Golf Swing Slice

Article by Garry Booton

The slice is often a very common problem among golf players and once you have an understanding of what creates the slice you are in a better position to remedy your golf swing slice.

The slice is caused by the face of the club looking to the right of the course the club is moving through at the time of impact with the ball. This leads to clockwise spin on your ball making it curve towards the right. Typically the club will also be travelling towards the left significantly increasing the angle on the glancing contact even more.

To begin with we need to distinguish between a slice and a hook shot. If you happen to be right handed and the ball is going to the right when you hit it that’s known as a slice. If the ball is moving too far to the left then this is a hook. One of the causes of your slice is that you may have been trying to hit the ball far too hard and you had no feel for what the club face was really doing.

So what can you do to cure the slice shot?

You will need to have a feel for squaring the club and there is an easy exercise you can apply to achieve this. You need to use a 5 or 6 iron and hit the ball softly so that it travels no more than 30 yards. You need to make sure that you square the face on the shot so the ball goes straight. When you can achieve this you need to use the same club and hit the ball so it is travelling about 100 yards. Remember to be sure that the club face squares up with every shot and that the ball is moving straight.

Keep carrying out the same exercise in time moving up to your driver. Do exactly the same procedure as before by hitting the ball no more than 50 yards in a straight line. It will pay off if every now and then you move through your downward swing in slow motion and slow it right down so that you stop right behind your ball, feeling and seeing the position of the club face at that stage.

By taking some time to generate a feel of squaring your club your body will adapt for the swing you are working on, and soon it’s going to become second nature for you to present the club face correctely to the ball consequently preventing a golf swing slice.

About the Author

I also developed a slice shot in my game and put up with for months before finding a simple way to eliminate it.http://thegolfswingslice.com

How To Develop A Brilliant Golf Swing

How To Develop A Brilliant Golf Swing

Article by Gerald Mason

For a good golf swing we have not only to bring the club head down through the same line time after time; we must bring it down so that the club face is square with the ball at the instant of impact–and because the path of the club head is a curve, this means that impact must be timed correctly to an infinitesimal fraction of a second in the sweep of the swing. Also the club head must be accelerating at the moment of impact.

So we have not only to set up the mechanism to make a good swing, which we can all soon do if we only swing at the daisies, but we have to time this swing to the fraction of a second. Now I think that most of us overrate the value of good mechanics in golf and underrate the value of accurate timing. I was once watching, with a pupil of mine who had a most perfect swing, a fellow whose action was not pretty–to put it kindly.

But he kept hitting nice long shots down the middle. “Not much to look at,” I remarked to my pupil. “I would not care a damn what I looked like if I could repeat like that chap!” he replied.

The awkward one could repeat his best shots time after time. His mechanics were ungainly but his timing was near perfect.

Well, you may say, if that is so, why should you go to so much trouble to give us a good mechanical swing? The answer is that good timing plus a good swing is better than good timing plus an awkward swing.

The best swing, mechanically, is the one that pulls the ball a little and then makes it turn a bit to the left at the end of its flight, but if you get your maximum golf happiness out of a swing which slices the ball all around the course, there is no reason to alter your mechanics!

If you do want to make an alteration, it may not be an extensive one. I remember one day at St. Cloud an someone came and begged me to give him even fifteen minutes–which I did out of my lunch time as he seemed so insistent.

His trouble was that every now and then his iron shots to the green would finish in the bunker to the left of the green. For three years he had failed to find a permanent cure. So on the advice of a friend he came to me. It did not take me long to see what was wrong and to explain to him that now and again his foot-and-leg work was sluggish, and in consequence the club head came in too soon–to put his ball a little to the left.

After that brief lesson I never saw him again, as he was on his way back to the States from Paris. But he left me a note of thanks and a handsome present, and when I inquired of the caddy who had been out with him in the afternoon learned he had broken 70. Some time later I saw his photograph in the American Golfer with the news that he had won the West Coast championship.

Too much thought about the mechanics is a bad thing for anyone’s game. Now the reason why golf is so difficult is that you have to learn it and play it through your senses. You must be mindful but not thoughtful as you swing. You must not think or reflect; you must feel what you have to do. Part of the difficulty arises because, apart from simple things like riding a bicycle, we have never learned to do things in this way.

The beginning of the swing movement is in the feet; the movement passes progressively up through the body, through the arms, and out at the club head.

What we try to do is to make the club head come down in the same path time and time again–in such a way that the face of the club comes squarely into the back of the ball every time.

We have one fixed point (the feet) and one moving point (the club head) which we desire to move along the same line time after time. So the golf swing might be compared to the drawing of arcs with a pair of compasses. The reasons why we cannot be so precise in our stroking as the compass can, are that we are supported on two legs instead of one and we are full of flections and joints!

About the Author

For Free Original PLR Articles please visit: Free PLR Articles http://www.bestplrarticles.com