Tag: golfers

How to Play Golf – The Importance of Your Go-To Shot

How to Play Golf – The Importance of Your Go-To Shot

Article by Stephen Simmons







What Is A Go-To Shot?

Your go-to shot, is a shot you have practiced many times, and because it is repeatable has the greatest probability of success under the circumstances. You’ve seen Tiger hit his “stinger” many times under the stress of tournament conditions. You have seen many examples of the go-to shot when watching a PGA Tour telecast.

Tour players are willing to sacrifice significant distances to increase the odds of hitting the fairway. These players understand that the probability of hitting the green from 200 yards away in the fairway is much greater than hitting the green from 150 yards away in the deep rough, a deep fairway bunker, or behind the trees. They are willing to choose a club, even an iron, that increases the probability of hitting the fairway.

Finding Your Go-To Shot

Finding your go-to shot happens during a practice session on the range. This practice session needs to have your full attention and should not be part of your normal range practice.

Start by analyzing the range for structures that can be used as imaginary boundaries. Two greens or flag positions would be an example. The structures need to be the approximate width of a typical fairway on your course. One flag will mark the left rough, the left most position you can hit the ball without going into the rough. The right flag defines the right most fairway position. Your goal is to imagine a golf hole on the range that can be used to evaluate the success of several shots.

The next step is to select the longest club you think will be used on the greatest number of tee shots during a typical round of golf. Most golfers start with the driver. If you are a beginner golfer you can save yourself some time by starting with a three or five wood. Most golfers do not have the fundamentals to use the driver as their go-to shot. Even Tiger Woods has a go-to shot other than a driver. For 99% of us, the driver serves as a starting point that will not end up as our go-to shot.

Hit ten balls at your imaginary hole. Measure the results of the ten shots. How many shots stayed on the fairway and did not roll into the rough? If you hit more than 7 drives that stayed in the fairway you can congratulate yourself and then re-evaluate your imaginary hole to make sure that it is not too wide. You want this test to be difficult enough to really help you find a shot that you can rely on when the pressure is on. Your go-to shot should have a success percentage of at least 70 percent. Chances are that your success percentage with the driver was less than 70 percent, so go to the next club in your test, the three wood. Hit ten more balls using the three wood and measure the results.

Continue this process until you find a club that you can use that will get the ball into the fairway at least 70 percent of the time. You may find that you can only keep short irons in the fairway because your shot dispersion is to wide.

Identifying Your Ball Flight Tendency

The first time you try this test you may find that your shot dispersion is all over the range, some right and some left. The success of your go-to shot will be higher if you can identify your most natural ball flight tendency.

For Kenny Perry, his natural ball flight tendency is a right to left draw. The process of finding his go-to shot would be to aim down the right side of the hole and rely on his natural shot shape to curve the ball to the left and into the middle of the fairway. For a left to right player that hits a fade, the process would be the opposite.

In both of these cases the player is maximizing the space the ball can curve in the air, roll after landing, while staying in the fairway. All great players learn how to eliminate one half of the course or the other. It might seem that aiming down the middle of the fairway is your best option, however, that only gives you half of the golf hole to work with. Ben Hogan learned how to eliminate the left side of the hole which gave him the entire width of the fairway to work with. Jack Nicklaus also hit most of his shots with a left to right ball flight.

It will be much easier for you to find and practice a go-to shot if you can find your natural shot shape. If you hit a slice because you have an over the top club path, play your slice until you can straighten your shots.

Practicing Your Go-To Shot

For beginner golfers it is important to work with your PGA Professional to find your most natural ball flight pattern. Your goal should be to find a simple golf swing that repeats itself with reasonable certainty. If you want to change your pattern over time, work on that change during your practice sessions. Learn how to play golf by maximizing your opportunities for success. Learn how to play golf with your most natural ball flight tendency; right to left, or left to right.

For more accomplished players find the shot that has the highest probability for success. Your go-to shot will save you many dollars if you gamble or will help you win more competitions as a tournament golfer. Your biggest challenge will be learning a second go-to shot; the shot you can rely on if your primary go-to shot is not an option. What are you going to do if your primary right to left shot is blocked by a very large tree guarding the right side of the hole? Have you found a go-to left to right shot that can be played under these circumstances? If you can’t hit a left to right shot with any level of reasonable accuracy, what are your options for shooting the lowest number on the hole?

Regardless of your skill level, you need to practice your go-to shots during every practice session. You don’t have to hit a lot of go-to practice balls but you need to hit enough that keeps your confidence as high as possible so when it comes time to use the shot your ready.

You will also want to keep searching for the longest possible shot that you can rely on from the tee box. You may start out with a 2 iron as your go-to shot from the tee and then club up to a three wood with practice.

Go-to shots should not be limited to tee shots. You need to have a go-to fairway approach shot. and you need to have a go-to short game shot. Your golf scores will be lower, if during a round of golf, you only play golf shots that have been practiced on the range. Play golf like a pro. Find and practice your go-to shot.



About the Author

Stephen Simmons is the author and publisher of the Strategic Golfer Instruction Series. Steve is a single digit golfer living in San Antonio, Texas. Find more golf tips for beginners, proper golf swing, and how to play golf lessons located in how to play golf at http://www.strategicgolfer.com. Please feel free to leave your comments or inquiries on our Contact Us page at http://www.strategicgolfer.com/contact-us.

What Should You Know before Buying Golf Clubs

What Should You Know before Buying Golf Clubs

Article by Aaliyah Green







Now, the weather will become more and hotter, so it is a good time to play golf with your golf friends or your family member. Maybe you are not happy with your old golf driver, golf irons or your golf putter, because you might buy the newest clubs to have a good golf swing.

If you are preparing to replace your old clubs with new ones, you should know a lot of things before buying your liking golf clubs. In this article, I would like to talk how to buy good but discount golf clubs.

If you want to know much more golf information or golf tips, you may read this funny article – What Legs Should Do to Strike Longer Golf Drives in my blog. Here are some useful things to keep in mind before you purchase the newest clubs.

Before buying golf clubs, you’re about to spend hundreds – maybe thousands, according to your bankroll and your level of commitment – of dollars. The most important thing when replacing your older TaylorMade SuperFast Driver with a brand new set is to be honest concerning the state of your game, and your dedication to the game.

How much money and what amount of equipment do you feel is justified because of your game and your dedication with it? Once you’ve identified the present state of your game and your future goals, you’re ready to consider how much you’re prepared to spend.

Some golfers have unlimited budgets, and there is nothing wrong with overspending should you be in that category. Most golfers have a minimum of some budget constraints. The good news is that the “value” or “budget” category of golf equipment continues to offer more and better choices every year. Choose how much you’re willing to spend, and follow it.

When you are satisfied with the nice looks of the new golf clubs, you should pay attention to the forgiving of the new lubs.

Reviews can often be as confusing as they can be helpful, given that different “experts” sometimes offer different conclusions on the same product. But reading reviews may help you get a sense of what’s out there in your price range and what matches your game. Reviews may not provide you with the perfect answer; nonetheless they can help you narrow the sector.

Do you get some useful things from my article? Thanks for reading my article; I would like to recommend the newest TaylorMade R11 Fairway Wood to you! Now, the spring is coming, you might have a good time with your new golf clubs.



About the Author

I am a golfer! If you want to buy Golf Clubs On Sale such as the Mizuno MX-300 Irons or reading golf articles in my blog – American Golf,you may also visit the Pickgf.com.

simple golf swing review

simple golf swing review

Article by flyingsheep







Having a bad golf swing is like being a fashion disaster or the whipping boy of a teenage gang for years. No golfer, even if he is not a professional, is ever able to stomach a sliced shot or an especially wayward drive. The embarrassment can be such that you would be red, regardless of how much confidence or false bravado you may possess. It is usually after an instance of such embarrassment that most golfers, professional and amateur, pick up some way to improve their game.These ways can range from hinged golf training clubs to golf swing training systems. However, it is very rare that a golf swing trainer can promise a sure shot score in and around 80. In fact, the majority of golf training systems also stop short of such promises. One golf training system that does promise this is the simple golf swing training system. In order for you to better understand it and its benefits, the following is a simple golf swing review.

1. Comprehensiveness: Any golf training system or golf training apparatus needs to be analyzed on how comprehensively it covers every component related to golfing and golf swings. As per thisreview, this training system is extremely comprehensive which means that it pays due attention to all the aspects related to golf swings including grip pressure, swing plane, takeaway consistency, wrist release, backbone position and the overall correlation.

2. Moldability: As any other professional golfer will also tell you, there is no perfect recipe of a golf swing that every golfer can adopt and be successful at. People like Tiger Woods and Ernie Els are legends in golf because they found and cultivated swings that were perfect for them. This shows how important your natural swing needs to be in the overall scheme of things. This is why thisreview has paid so much attention to the moldability i.e. adaptability of the system to individual players. This training system, surprisingly, prides itself in being able to give every golfer tips and advice on the basis of his particular needs instead of one established recipe.

3. Timing: If a normal person keeps playing golf consistently for an extended period of time he will show improvement. Therefore, if a golf training system boasts at improving the skill of a golfer or cutting down his handicap then the time period that it is able to do it in is very important. The simple golf training technique is able to produce significant results in two weeks.



About the Author

simple golf swing review

The Ultimate 101 Guide To Beginner Golf

The Ultimate 101 Guide To Beginner Golf

If you are a complete beginner or novice to golf, this article will definitely lead you to a place where starting and taking the first step becomes easy. Many golfers who have great potential fail to progress and for some that entails even making the greens. They key to having a fantastic golf career either professional or leisure is to overcome the inertia to transcend to the next level from the previous. With some expert, informative and useful advice, that step becomes all the easier.

The foundational steps of golf involves balance, power and driving, addressing the ball, grip, and finally putting (shot techniques will be covered in a different article). Below are these steps elucidated in more detail: 

Balance:

 For a golf swing that maintains consistency and power, balance is the primary underlying element which must be maintained throughout the entire swinging motion. The first step is to position one’s posture such that the centre of gravity is centred over the ball. Subsequently, one’s feet should be apart as far as the shoulder’s width with a slight bend at the hip area (hip tilt of about 30 degrees or one “o’clock” upper torso position) with rear protruding a little; knees at this point should be mildly locked. Next, both hands should grip the club in such a way that they are in line with one’s chin and this should all culminate in natural distribution of weight over the golf ball. The bend is one of the most crucial components of the balance position. One should not feel as though he/she is “sitting” comfortably which would imply the shifting of bodyweight towards the heels of the feet. The latter would stiffen one’s body rendering flexibility impossible with the subsequent swing inevitably be wayward.       

At the time of impact, approximately seventy five percent of one’s weight should be transferred onto the leading foot (ie left foot for right handers and vice versa). One’s head must be behind the ball and hips should be c 10cm forward vis-a-vis the initial position. Consequently, the spine is tilted to double that of the starting stance. Post impact, following the gradual motion of the body, weight shift should naturally flow back towards the heel.

Power and Driving:

The greatest problem faced by beginner golfers in driving the golf ball is that of power. Below are some pointers and steps to follow and check to ensure a great dynamic drive-through:

– Making sure the ball is not teed-up to low. This has become more of a problem of late because the contact surface of drivers (especially iron 1) have pronouncedly increased. This results in greater difficulty in locating the sweet-spot which in relative terms have shrunk. As an approximation, the ball should be teed such that the top half of the golf ball is above the club face when the club is in a stationary position on the ground. This would ensure that the contact point is on the centre of the club head. Evidently the larger club head, the higher the tee.

– Making sure one’s hands are not position too closely to the body in the starting position. This mistake would invariantly produce a smaller arc in terms of backswing and follow-through. The key is not reach-in slightly and not to overdo it; this is easier said than done and requires practice because the natural tendency for beginners is too hang one’s hangs inward for security and comfort. Following the circumference of the semi-circle driving motion will generate quicker and more powerful drives then a path trending across the diameter of the motion-arc.   

– Many beginners lift their front foot on the backswing. This inadvertently leads to a counter-productive weight shift to the front of the backswing resulting in a hook or shank nine times out of ten instead of a drive. One’s front foot should be firmly anchored to the ground on backswing forcing the hip and shoulder to turn in s spring-like fashion releasing great power. One’s weight should be shifted to the backside post impact.

– Accompanying the tee is the ball position. Setting the ball too far back or front would lead to premature contact on the down swing or delayed impact of the golf club after traversing the mid point below the golfer’s chin. It will be near an impossible task to hit a good drive if the above occurs. A perfect position would be the ball equidistance from both feet.

– Lastly, confidence and mental approach to a drive is vital for beginners. Every single shot should be hit with full believe that the drive would go the distance and not stop short of its intended target.

 Addressing the golf ball

– Ball addressing entails contacting the ball so the square of one’s club head is exactly perpendicular to the ball on impact. The same swing applies regardless of whether one is on the driving range, tee or fairway; this applies for all woods and irons from 2 through to 9.

The tip post following the steps above is to keep one’s head down and one’s eye on the spot where the ball sits. One’s head should be in this position throughout the swing. Head lifting and movements during the swing or looking up as the club hits the ball would pull one’s body out of alignment making it almost impossible to hit the ball squarely.

The Golf Grip

is one’s only means of connecting with the club. A sound grip is half the battle won in regards to generating power and accuracy. Wrist swerve is then the main power source and a common mistake by beginners is to grip the club more in the palm than through the fingers. Using our sensitive fingers increases wrist hinging and this produces better tee shots and puts.

One other common error amongst even the most experienced golfers is a flimsy lead-hand (left for right-handers) grip concentrated in the palm. Consequently, the golf ball is sliced rather than hit. Here are some check points:

– the club should be held alot more by the fingers than the palm.

– the golf club should be resting on the base of the little finger and contact the index finger just above the first joint.

– Post positioning the club on the fingers, one’s thumb should be parallel (in touch and pointing outwards toward the club face) to the shaft of the club.

– Finally, the knuckles of the index and middle fingers should be visible when looking from the top onto the lead hand. There should also be a “V” shape created by the thumb and index forefinger of the lead hand with its tip directing toward the other hand and shoulder.

Putting

This is the finest and most intricate part about golf play and involves finally coaxing the ball into the golf hole. In a sentence, putting is all about feel and touch. That said, putting is also a little more innovative in respect to the golfer compared with any other shot. There are innumerable styles of putting because whatever consistently puts is whatever works for the individual. The process is much less important in this part of the game.

By and large though, general principles are as follows:

– Putters should be ultra comfortable in terms of length and lie angle

– Gripping during putting should be slightly different compared to driving, chipping, slicing or teeing. The golf club should usually sit in the hollow of the palm of the lead hand with the thumb of the other resting across (as opposed to straight) the shaft.

– Ball position should be towards the forward heel with toes parallel to the target hole. One’s eyes should be over the ball in order to aim and ascertain accurately the line of sight in alignment with the putt.

– Judging the putter path is something which is very hard to teach and narrate. However, one that travels a little inside on the back stroke and then down the line on the forward motion usually works wonder. On the backstroke, one has to ensure that the putter face remains square and does not fray wide open.

– Post putting with the non-lead hand, revert to putting practice using both hands however making strokes with grip pressure mainly on the non-lead palm.  

The preliminary steps above should be able to get any rookie up and running at least onto the range and short games…the rest comes with heaps and heaps of club time always keeping the fundamental rules in mind.   

Thomas is an avid golf fan through and through and has been enjoying the game for more than 12 years. Visit www.tipsongolf.org for expansive resources on the game for golfers at all levels.

The Utility Golf Club – Do You Own One?

The Utility Golf Club – Do You Own One?

The utility golf club, or hybrid as it is sometimes known, is a relatively new addition to the golf club family. The utility club is designed to be easier to hit for the weekend golfer and is becoming very popular because of this. In fact, it is not uncommon now to see the utility club in the bags of many touring pros.

For advice on choosing and buying golf clubs please click HERE.

These clubs are a cross between irons and woods in design ( hence their sometimes being called hybrids ) and because of this design many golfers find them easier to hit than long irons. Most of these clubs are made to replace a 3 or 4 iron which ordinary golfers can struggle with, so if the utility club feels more comfortable and is easier to hit, it’s not surprising that many golfers are acquiring them.

So what advantages does the utility club have over regular irons? Because a normal iron doesn’t have much of a back to it, you can’t move the weight further back. Yes, you can have perimeter weighting, but you can’t put the weight further back if there is nothing there to put it. So to be able to put weight along the outside of the club and further back, the designers started to “fatten” the back of iron. So the utility club looks like an iron but a little bulbous at the back. Some manufacturers have actually designed their utility clubs to be more like fairway woods, enabling them to move the weight further back again, as the club is larger.

Another plus point of the utility golf club is that it’s centre of gravity is lower. This makes it easier to get the ball in the air. By lowering the centre of gravity, this increases the launch angle of the ball, without actually increasing the loft of the club. If you have a 3 iron with 20 degrees of loft, and a utility club with the same loft, but with the weight further back and a lower centre of gravity, then the utility club will launch the ball higher. That is why you should realise when buying a utility golf club that the loft will not directly compare to the club you are replacing.

If you haven’t already tried a utility golf club, get down to your local pro shop and give it a go. These clubs are not everyone’s cup of tea, but in my experience they can be a good addition to your golf bag. They do get the ball in the air easier, and down the fairway. Any club that does that is worth a try

This article was originally published at this site.

Click HERE for some solutions and ideas for your next set of golf clubs or golf equipment and accessories.

Golf,How To Buy Affordable Equipment

Golf,How To Buy Affordable Equipment

Article by Noel Halpin







It is a fact that golf beginners seem to think that they must start off with the best equipment they can buy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is not necessary to go out and spend small fortunes on top brand clubs and bags. Purchasing golf gear is a very personal thing, and if one feels that they want to purchase the, Callaway, or the Ping, or Mizuno because they feel that these clubs will make them progress quicker then go right ahead. I am only saying it is not necessary to start off with top brand equipment.

There are hundreds of other brands out there which you can start off with which will not cost you a fortune and still improve your game just as quickly.

I know that if one looks the part then there is a certain confidence factor which is derived from this aspect of the game, but there is one vital factor missing here, and that is ability.

It will not make a whit of difference what gear you have or how you look if you cannot hit the ball off the tee box. So for golf beginners it would be more beneficial to buy clubs that were well made, but not necessarily top brands, and go spend the money saved on professional lessons. Then when enough progress is made, when ones handicap is at a respectable level, then it would be time to consider upgrading your equipment.

The perception of most beginners is that golfers who have all the expensive gear are great golfers. Well let me tell you, there are thousands of golfers playing with the best of equipment and are still on high handicaps, and the reason for this is because of their ability level. They go out and spend money on the best, rain gear, shoes, range finders, tees, golf clubs, golf bags, and they look fantastic, but they ignore vital aspects of the game, such as learning set up routines, drill practice, professional lessons, the list goes on and on, but they certainly look like golfers when they arrive on the tee box, then they begin their set up and straight away it is obvious that it is all for show.

They are all over the place with their driving, their fairway shots are landing everywhere except towards the green and their whole game falls into the mediocre class. If you are intent on spending small fortunes on your golf equipment, Then I will leave you with these final words, please make sure you can play well enough to warrant the expenditure.

For more information on this subject, please click below now.



About the Author

Golf can be a very frustrating game at the best of times, especially if you are just beginning or moving up the ladder to becoming a decent amateur, everyone needs a little help from time to time.<atarget=”_new”href=”http://novouniversal.com/index.php?c=10&n=3580501&i=B0026YA8B4&x=Petite_Ladies_S5_Complete_Golf_Club_Set_Perfect_Fit_for_someone_50_55_Tall_Womens_with_Bag_Square_Drivers_Hybrids_Putter_Etc_750_Retail”>Great Golfing system

How to Hit the Golf Ball When it is Positioned Above Your Feet

How to Hit the Golf Ball When it is Positioned Above Your Feet

You get to your ball and you see that it lies above your feet at address. You smile to yourself and think of the fantastic shot you are about to play. Why, because this is considered to be one of the easiest shots in golf. If you follow the steps below, you will not hit the ground behind the ball anymore, and this shot will become your favourite shot in golf. So here we go.

Step 1: With this kind of shot the ball will always tend to draw so make sure that you compensate for this by aiming a little to the right.

Step 2: If you are one of those golfers that always seems to hit the ball a bit fat when it is above your feet, there is a very simple fix. Make sure that you are standing taller and straighter than your normal stance.

Step 4: This is one of the most important things to remember for this shot. Do not bend your knees. You should stand as straight as you possibly can.

Step 5: The other most important thing to remember is that the club will always want to swing flatter and around your body, which is exactly the type of swing you want for this shot. Do not try to make a normal swing as you will not get a good result.

That is all there is to it. If you can remember to follow these steps then this should become one of your favourite shots in golf. I hope this helped.

Jakobus Nel is the owner and editor of a successful golf instructional website. Do you want to play your best golf ever? Claim your two free golf ebooks here at http://www.thegolflesson.co.za that will improve your golf.

Reasons Why Hybrid Golf Clubs Can Foster You To Perfect Your Game

Reasons Why Hybrid Golf Clubs Can Foster You To Perfect Your Game

Golf club makers have done another wonderful innovation in the name of hybrid golf clubs. They are one of the golf clubs that are commonly used by many golfers these days. This type of golf club makes wonders on how easy to hit a golf ball.

 

The name hybrid golf club is derived from the combination of two types of golf clubs, the iron and the fairway wood clubs. The good features of each club such as the long distance hit and the perfect swing are all combined in hybrids.

 

With hybrid golf clubs, golf players are can enjoy both the ease of long ball trajectory and the swing for good target.

 

Internal weight distribution of the hybrids is strategically well distributed. In return, the golfers are able to hit the ball airborne in straight path consistently and with higher accuracy.

 

Unlike the long iron club wherein the center of gravity is located near the club head, hybrids center of gravity is located more towards the end of the head. This change results to the increase in momentum of impulse as the ball is launched

 

In some cases, the type of golf club you use depends on your golf skills but with hybrid golf clubs it is a different story. This is because anybody who plays golf regardless of his skill can enjoy this piece of art. They are even more popular with less experienced golfers because of the ease they provide in hitting the ball.

 

Hybrids are also designed with almost identical head as the fairway woods with convex face made of either hollow steel or titanium. However hybrids have shorter shafts than the fairway woods. They are also designed just like the long irons in terms of lofts which can vary from 16-20 degrees. They also have an additional runners or trails that make these clubs ideal to use in roughs, sand or short fairways.

 

In conclusion, the use of hybrid golf clubs offers a lot of advantages to any type of golfers. If you want to enjoy them yourself, then get a hybrid golf club now and experience how precise and accurate your hits can become.

 

To see informative contextual pages, have a look at these links underneath:

 

hybrid golf clubs

 

golf club clones

 

golf club

 

 

 

Besides hybrid golf club sets, this writer also regularly publishes information on family and sports.<p>

Three Interesting Tips For Choosing The Right Golf Equipment For New Golfer

Three Interesting Tips For Choosing The Right Golf Equipment For New Golfer

Article by Steve Gilbert







Great Tips to Help You Choose the Right Beginner Golf Equipment

Golf channels and the internet advertise all sorts of beginner golf equipment pieces and sets. The problem is that most of these packages include a lot of equipment that beginning golfers aren’t ready for or won’t benefit from. It’s best to start with a few basics pieces of beginner golf equipment and add to it as your game improves.

The first thing you need to invest in is a good driver. The first thing you need to be aware of is that there are some “specialty” drivers which aren’t quite certified by the PGA. Reliant upon where you are and what your aims as a golfer may be, this might not be an issue for you. Everybody has their own needs when it comes to drivers. Most of the time drivers with flexible shafts permit for more distance although less power. If you have difficulty with hooks, slices, or rogue balls you may wish to let go of distance for more control by using a steel shafted driver.

You should also take a little time to explore the most comfortable shaft length for you to use before you make your purchase too. This will take some testing to ascertain what the best length is, yet it will be time well spent in terms of lower amounts of back pain after 18-holes.

Your next investment should be in a golf ball finder. Special eyeglasses make it easier to spot your ball by eliminating the grass from your field of vision so your ball shows brighter. Golf ball finders help beginners for two reasons. You will save money by losing fewer balls as you learn the game, for one. You will be better able to see where your ball goes after you hit it, as well. This can help you identify problems with your swing like hooks or slices if your ball is consistently veering off course to the left or right of where you believe you are hitting it.

Ultimately, you’ll want to buy a buy marker. Truly, if you play golf with others you want to know which ball is yours, especially when the others you are playing with landed in a really bad spot. Ball markers will assist you in saving money as you can more simply making out your ball from others although it will furthermore aid you in keeping a more correct record of where your ball is ending up. This lets you to maintain better records of how correctly you’re hitting the ball and in what direction it has an inclination to go off course.

Beginner golf equipment doesn’t have to cost a fortune but buying the right equipment can add years of enjoyment to your game. It can be easy to get distracted by all the fancy bells and whistles available, whether you’re new to golf or returning to this great game. If you stick to the beginner equipment discussed above, however, you’ll be in great shape.



About the Author

Steve’s website: Dog Rehoming, Dolphin Cup, Ebony Wood and How To Do Acrylic Nails.

Reading Putting Distance – An Essential Golf Technique

Reading Putting Distance – An Essential Golf Technique

Article by BQ Browning







How often have you been so close to winning a game of golf – there’s just the final putt. You take your time and breathe deeply, you concentrate and contemplate your stroke – and then you come up short! Worse still, you just miss the hole and have to watch your ball go rolling past the hole, leaving you with a return putt that is further than the original to which you gave so much thought and effort. Putting is one of the basic golf techniques that is sadly neglected by beginners and experienced players alike.

A huge number of games are lost on the putting green and in most cases it is down to the wrong distance, rather than to the direction of your ball. One of the great truisms of golf is that ‘You drive for show and putt for dough’. The weight of your putt is just as important as direction. Many new golfers rapidly get a ‘feel’ for the direction their ball will travel and how it will roll, even on the most unpredictable of greens. No doubt you have seen it yourself when a relative newcomer to the game leaves the ball within inches of the hole even on a sloping green time after time, getting more and more frustrated as the game goes on. What you don’t see quite so regularly is a miss with the ball coming to rest a few inches beyond the hole.

Learning to read the distnace on the green is one of the most basic golf techniques there is. So many factors come into play when making up your mind about the distance your ball will travel on the green. You need to factor in the slope, the quality of the green, is it wet and slow or dry and fast. Even the number of players that have been through the green ahead of you has an effect depending on how well they repair their pitch marks. Fortunately with the increase in the use of soft spikes we don’t generally have so many spike marks to contend with these days. Not least among the factors you must consider is the time of day – greens inevitably speed up as they dry off from the morning dew and the difference by afternoon on a warm day can be quite astonishing.

The main factors you have to concentrate on after taking the conditions into account are reading the line and the distance. Reading the line comes with experience of the game and the course. There are a couple of greens on my course that have deceptive swings which always give the local player the advantage as they are very difficult to spot when you’ve not played the course before. Reading the distance should be a great deal easier but it requires one thing that many new golfers don’t like to do – putting practice. Going to the range and bashing balls a huge distance with your driver is great for the ego but it won’t win you a game, and there is nothing more frustrating than leaving those putts on the edge of the cup, even if it’s a friendly round with your regular partners.

Time spent on the practice green is never wasted, especially if you are playing in a tournament. You should always practice on the day, in the conditions that you will be playing and on the type of grass that is on the greens of that course. You will never see a Pro go out on the course without spending time on the putting green and those guys don’t waste their time practicing golf techniques they don’t need to. Even ten minutes on the practice green will give you a feel for distance in the current conditions.

One of my playing partners learned the hard way never to leave the ball short. As a small boy, who didn’t get a great deal of pocket money he occasionally played with some members of his father’s regular fourball. They had a simple but effective system. If your ball didn’t reach the hole, you paid a ‘fine’, not much to them but a lot to a small boy. The winner took the ‘pot’. These days he never leaves a putt short! Quite simply if the ball doesn’t reach the hole – it won’t drop. I was always taught that you should aim about two or three inches beyond the hole and that way it should just roll gently in.



About the Author

BQ Browning grew up in a Golfing family and has been involved with the game for many years. News views and information are willing shared with fellow addicts at Golf Techniques and Tournament Tips. You will find a treasure trove of golf information written with wit, humour and wisdom.