‘Target’ Articles at Golf Product Review by Experienced Golf Balls, Page 3

Simple Basic Steps Of Using Driver (Ii)

Simple Basic Steps Of Using Driver (Ii)

Step 2: Address. When it comes to addressing the golf ball make sure you stand slightly further back from your golf ball, then when using your golf irons. The swing plane you create with a driver will be a significantly larger arc so if you stand too close your swing will feel too stiff and cause you to connect with the ball incorrectly. Open your feet stance out to be the same width as your shoulders and the heel of your front foot should be in line with the ball. This is slightly further forward than when using an iron.

Step 3: Posture. After completing your address you need to get yourself ready for that swing, your head should remain still with your eyes looking straight down at your TaylorMade Burner golf ball. Never look up from the ball to early, it can be tempting to watch your ball travelling through the air. If you do look up too early you will ruin your shot and likely just top the ball causing you to lose any distance.

Your hips need to be driving your swing Callaway FT i-Brid Irons, to ensure you are doing this move your hips towards the target when you make contact with the ball, this will also help you complete the correct follow through.

Tip 4: Correct Driver. Your golf driver can be your best friend in your golf bag so ensure you feel comfortable when using it, its best to try out a number of different golf drivers before you purchase one. Never purchase a driver because of the brand name or because it’s the most expensive, always try a few drivers out and purchase the one that feels the most comfortable. Swinging to hard will cause you to lose control of your shot, so slow down and stay controlled you will have better results.

I’m still saying that, this article is an easy article and just write for beginners. so… hope you enjoy it.

Basic Steps of Using Driver (I)

Golf Swing Teaching Systems-Golf Aids-Reviewed-Proven Tips Show How To Swing Golf Effectively

Golf Swing Teaching Systems-Golf Aids-Reviewed-Proven Tips Show How To Swing Golf Effectively

Article by Rachal Bonali

Golf swing teaching: Golden Tips.

The first thing you need to master is your swing. Driving is the act of swinging your club against the air, and hitting the ball off from the tee. One very good practice is taking aim. Don’t just hit the ball on the first try. Take a few practice swings before hitting the ball right on. It is easier if you visualize the cup, which is your target, and take the aim to get that ball into the cup. The right amount of force in your swing, coupled with the direction you take on hitting the ball, will contribute to the position your ball will land on. Take note and observe your surroundings and where the ball might land and be aware of the wind blowing against that direction. A golfer’s shoulders, hips, knees, and feet should be aligned to the target. Imagine drawing a straight line to your target. Make sure your body aligns to that line and you’ll be surprised that your ball will eventually travel along that imaginary line. In doing the right swing, learn how to rotate your body and naturally swing it along as you hit the ball from the tee. The body needs to rotate in order to maximize the power of the swing especially when driving the second and the next consecutive stretches. It’s also important to bend slightly at your left knee but keep your right knee flexed, to take full power over that swing. Limit your stroke. That is the whole point of the game. So, in order to limit your strokes, the right swing is very crucial. golf swing teaching aids can actually help you eliminate the wrong swing by observing how your body is moving. Golf instructors will tell you that starting to swing your club is the most important part of learning how to get that ball where you want it to be. Keep yourself relaxed. Think before you swing. Anticipating the trajectory your ball will travel can also improve how you manage your swing. In golf, your swing calculations is everything. Sometimes, a bit of luck can help as well. However, if you can’t hit the ball with a powerful and accurate swing, chances are you will freeze and let your self be stifled with an imperfect swing.

Golf can be a simple game especially if you take golf swing teaching lessons. It can be fun and challenging, and can certainly improve your problem-solving skills when on the field. Remember, the game is between you and the golf course.

Hani Farhan

About the Author

Rachal Bonali is a fulltime author, internet marketer and prospective Aerospace engineer. He has been involved in a variety of scientific and business areas and has traveled extensively as well which gives him a decent background to write on a wide range of topics.

How Important Is It To Having A Sound Mental Health Golf Swing?

How Important Is It To Having A Sound Mental Health Golf Swing?

Golf is a great game made up of rules and standards. It’s more than that however! Golf is a mindset and self-confidence game. It’s made for those golfers who want to take on challenges away from the everyday grind and problems that we must endure in our lives.

That is why for an average golf round of 4+ hours we can forget about everything else in our lives and just focus on one’s own self interest in improving our own golf swing or scores. You can call it arrogance and self-absorption but, the original inventor of this game did come from royalty.

If you are confident enough in your own ability to swing a golf club, then you will have no fear of sending that golf ball where ever you want it to go. Confidence is simply knowing that the golf ball will fly towards its intended target.

The opposite of confidence is fear. Lack of self- confidence in golf is knowing before hitting the golf ball what the consequences of the end result is going to be. When you are afraid of hitting your golf ball into trouble, you are no longer in the present moment. You are now thinking about all of the negatives of hitting the golf ball and what the final consequences is going to be. Loss of pride, loss of strokes, loss of match, loss of money and tournament.

Most professional golfers have one shot that they hit more or less religiously, whether it be a fade, draw, straight, whatever. While some work the ball on most shots, very few try and work the ball in a different direction for each shot, and this includes the best golfers in the world.

So what is the biggest difference between an amateur and a professional? The golf swing is built on belief, self-confidence and trust. They own their shots and feel most comfortable when they stay consistent with their grooved golf swing. It becomes instinctive, second nature and they feel most comfortable with it.They don’t ever veer from their money maker golf swing.

They don’t cut into the quality of their practices by trying to maintain three different ball flights. They don’t try and hit a golf shot that they haven’t practiced for thousands of hours. They stick with one and that gets all their attention and focus. They know they can count on it because their game was built around that one shot, rather than hitting shots they are less comfortable with in order to fit a particular hole. Why reinvent the wheel, when your golf swing has held up under pressure.

Many of the greats, from Ben Hogan to Jack Nicklaus have had one ball flight that they preferred to hit over any other and they have stuck with it. Always being the majority of their golf shots, and not trying to hit something on a consistent basis that was against their behavioral instincts.

Focus in golf is critical to successfully executing a golf shot to the best of your ability. The mind works best when a golfer narrows his focus to the smallest point possible. Often times amateurs will freeze up and get tense when trying to narrow their focus to such a specific point and say “they can’t do it!” Immediately, they realize that they’re simply trying way too hard to concentrate and must simply allow the mind to wander away from its intended target.

For a weekend golfer it’s very difficult to put your everyday life on hold while playing and only think about golfing. During play many thoughts do run across your mind and it only results in bad swing flaws. This can creep into your mind at any point on the golf course, and the end results normally is bad scores. For trained elite golfers they will often focus on only the small tasks at hand. Their focal point is that every golf shot counts and one bad mishit can cost them thousands of dollars.

A positive mental attitude creates emotional stability. Golf is one of the very few sports where you can go from pure joy to absolute devastation with one golf swing. A golfer with a positive mental attitude living in the very moment takes the great shots with the bad, knowing that full well everyone hits horrible and great shots everyday. P.G.A. Tour pros will only hit 12 or 13 greens per round on the average. So cut yourself some slack.

A golfer must stay in the present moment at all times. He must never deviate and get way ahead of himself, adding up his score or thinking about the next shot. How many times have you seen a golfer add up his score after 9 holes and say well, “I shot 39 on the front so I’m looking to shoot a 78?” The score you shot on the front has absolutely nothing to do with what you can or will shoot on the back side. Staying in the present moment keeps the golfer from fearing the consequences of this shot or the next, or remembering the last time he double bogeyed a particular hole.

He is only concerned with what he can control in this very moment, freeing up his mind from doubts and fears. Being tense is the perfect way to ruin a great golf swing. Tension in the muscles removes their coordination, suppleness and flexibility. Tension is most often caused by fear, doubts, poor golf swing mechanics, or all of the above. The greatest issue with tension is that it is controlled by the conscious mind, whom happens to be a horrible golfer.

Your conscious mind is amazingly capable of handling the demands of such things as the mechanics of your golf swing. On average the golf swing is said to be completed in less than 2 seconds. During that time, how many thoughts do you really think you can process and communicate to your body what to do next? Your mind must filter on average about two seconds of the full mechanics of your golf swing. This is simply an impossible task to ask of your mind and body. You’re not wired that way, no one is. Swinging the golf club is not about getting the club and body into certain positions, it’s about swinging the golf club. That’s it!

One of the most important processes in a golf shot is visualizing the golf shot. For many, this seems difficult or they don’t believe they can do it. Visualization is like programming a computer to perform a task. In this case, the computer is your subconscious mind and the most efficient programming language for this computer is imagery.

Visualizing goals gives us direction, motivates us and creates an internal drive that gives the momentum to achieve some thing big. Visualize what it will be like when you break 70 or 80 for the first time. Whatever your goals are they must be something that drives you to achieve.

Many people say that the reasons the pros can visualize their shots is because they have such great physical control over their golf ball. The truth is they have such great physical control is because they visualize their golf shots. If you don’t have an image of what you want the golf ball to do, then what do you expect the ball to do?

You must know where you want to go and the path of how to get there. In golf, the where is the target and the path is the flight of the ball. You know where you want to end up and there are many ways to get there. You need to consider the best way possible for you to get to your destination given your abilities and the elements. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Trust is something that must be built and nurtured through both mental and physical practice in golf. Trusting in your golf swing and your ability is one of the most important principles in golf. Without trust, there can be no confidence and fear is the first thing to replace trust. Trust is believing in your ability to hit the perfect shot. Trusting in yourself requires that you block out the past negative thoughts of golf swings that had poor results and believe in yourself now, in this very moment.

If you’ve ever hit one good shot with the golf club in your hands, then you are capable of hitting a thousand more like it. A bad attitude sees a bad shot and says that I am a horrible golfer, “I can never get off this tee”, and “I can’t hit this club.” Speaking positively about oneself is a method to creating your own reality. It is the self-fulfilling prophecy that we have all seen fulfilled in life and on the golf course. A positive mental attitude will allow you to enjoy the game and have fun at the same time.

The article is all about having a positive mental attitude and how it relates to your ability to swing a golf club. There are many different parts of a golf swing besides mechanics, What Are They?
Website:http://www.A-Zgolfswingmechanics.com
email:ParshootersTips@gmail.com
Author:Scott E. Kowalski

How Can You Develop a Proper Golf Swing? Listen To This Important Advice!

How Can You Develop a Proper Golf Swing? Listen To This Important Advice!

The first question you have to ask yourself is – What is a proper golf swing? All golf swings have the same three main components – the backswing, downswing and the follow through. Sounds simple, but to develop these three components into a strong, powerful swing takes a lot of practice on the course, as well as some training off the course.

In the game of golf, no two people ever have the same golf swing. The way one person swings a golf club may not work for another person, even if they are near in body types. Every golfer has to find the playing style that fits him or her to help them produce the results that they want. Practicing the fundamentals of golf will build a solid foundation upon which you can build upon to create that powerful swing. All the great golf players of the world did this and now it is simple and easy for them to drive a golf ball down the course.

One of the essential things that will affect all three of the golf swing components is your grip. Many golfers feel tension when they address the ball and get ready to execute their golf swing and this results in a tight grip on the club and stiffness in their arms. After the first swing that did not go as they wished it would, the tension builds and starts a vicious cycle that will affect the rest of their swings.

The first thing you can do to help develop a proper golf swing is to relax. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and visualize the result of your swing – the ball screaming down the course.

Next, take a firm but not tight grip on the club and think about the golf swing sequence.
The backswing – draw your club back in a smooth arch until the knuckle of your thumb is above your right ear. As you draw back, the club head will trace out a large circle and at the top of your backswing your chest will be pointing away from your target.

The downswing – this is where you swing your golf club down and the club head makes contact with the ball. Let the natural motion of your body carry the club head through the golf balls position down the range toward the target.

The follow through – your body continues and completes the swing arc after contacting the ball. Your finish position is part of your golf swing, so do not stop abruptly and try to keep your motion fluid.

When you start your backswing, take a deep breath as you draw back and release it slowly as you start your downswing. Holding your breath will create stiffness in the upper body that will affect the fluid motion you are trying to develop in your golf swing.

Here are some tips to remember while visualizing your golf swing:

– Keep your left elbow straight during the backswing as the club goes straight up and back.
– Let your left arm roll slightly clockwise at the start of your downswing.
– Your wrists should be at a 90-degree angle when your left arm is parallel to the ground.
– Start your downswing with your lower body, NOT your shoulders.
– As you bring the club down, turn your hips as fast and powerful as you can towards the target.
– At the bottom of the swing arc, your wrists should snap and you will start the follow through.
– Your right arm will swing across your body and end up near your left shoulder.
– Your shoulders will be perpendicular to the target.

At the completion of the follow through portion of your golf swing, your weight should be balanced on your front hip and your back toe should be on the ground. Your hands will come to rest above your left shoulder and with your left knee facing the hole.
Now, going back to the original question What is a proper golf swing? First off there is no simple golf swing as many people try to believe. People who have never played golf will tell you that hitting the golf ball is easy. Just take a club and hit the ball as hard as you can. However, as any golfer will tell you it is never that easy because there are quite a lot of variables and small nuances that go into developing a good golf swing. Therefore, a proper golf swing is one that you can execute repeatedly, and feel good about the results.

To develop your own golf swing, it will take practice and training both on and off the golf course. Take some time to build your body off the course through a golf specific fitness training and conditioning program, and then get onto the course to develop your own proper swing by practicing the fundamentals of golf until they are second nature. Anything you do in life, your overall attitude and expectations of yourself, will ultimately determine your enjoyment of the game. View each golf swing, water hazard, hook and slice as another opportunity to improve. Remember, great players are not born; they work at becoming a great player through training and practice.

To learn about pruning blueberries and cedar berries, visit the Types Of Berries website.

Golf Tips From The Pros

Golf Tips From The Pros

When weekend golfers watch the pros hit unbelievable shots their amazed. The typical reaction is often “How do they do that?” It’s not magic. It’s solid fundamentals, plus hours and hours of practice and constant attention to their swings. Or course, the fact that most of the pros have been honing their swings since they were kids doesn’t hurt either.

Weekend golfers can learn a lot by studying the pros. They just need to look closely. Below we describe some golf tips derived from watching various players over the years. These mini golf lessons may not help you hit the long, straight drives, towering long irons, and delicate wedge shots the pros do. But they will improve your swing and cut strokes from your golf handicap.

Power and Accuracy In The Swing
Chip Beck isn’t nearly as famous as Tiger Woods. But he is a respected member of the Tour. Beck’s known for his accuracy off the tee. It stems primarily from an on-plane swing. He swings his arm up the plane rather than around his body. That keeps the club moving toward the target, generating accuracy. If you were to draw a line from his hands to the ground when he’s in his finish position, it would point exactly where the ball was at address—a sign that he swung up the plane.

Mark O’Meara is known for his power. He generates it by making a complete shoulder turn at the top of his swing. A right-hander, he keeps his back pointing at the target as long as he can before committing to his downswing. Keeping his back facing the target allows his right elbow to stay close to his body, dropping the club inside. This starts his shots to the target’s right. When combined with the proper clubhead release, this swing draws the ball back to the left. It’s a good way to eliminate a slice.

Brad Faxon is known for his putting. But he also excels at getting off the tee. The secret to his swing’s success is in his right elbow. A right-hander, he keeps the elbow bent and close to his right hip as he approaches impact. This delivers the club to the ball from the inside, eliminating pulls, pull-slices, and pop ups. In addition, Faxon keeps his right shoulder markedly lower than his left before impact. That keeps his head behind the ball. It also produces more leverage, which in turn increases clubhead speed.

Tips On The Downswing
Vijay Sing is among the world’s best golfers. He’s also among the world’s highest money winners annually. His classic swing combines precision and accuracy. It includes a narrow downswing with the clubface close to his left shoulder. A wide follow-through with the club and arms launched from his shoulder sockets also contributes to his classic swing. To create this swing, he keeps his arm and hands relaxed. His legs and hips power the downswing as the club’s weight lags behind until impact. Once the club is released, his arms follow the club’s wieght into the finish. This creates a free flowing swing.

Although he’s small, Shigeki Maruyama generates enough power to play with the big boys. How does he do it? He does it with solid mechanics. Most notably, he keeps his hands high at the top of his backswing. High hands expand the swing arc and increase clubhead speed. Meanwhile, a massive shoulder turn allows him to keep his head behind the ball. It also allows him to shift his weight properly and sets up a more powerful and athletic downswing. To better rotate his hips, Maruyama flares his right toe out at address.

Watch the pros whenever you can. It’s like getting a free golf instruction session. So use the opportunity wisely. It can provide valuable golf tips, like those discussed above, that can cut strokes from your golf handicap. They might even transform your game. So keep a close eye on the pros on Sundays.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. Free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, lessons and instructions.

Titleist Scotty Cameron California Sonoma Putter

Titleist Scotty Cameron California Sonoma Putter

Article by Mary

Titleist Scotty Cameron California Sonoma Putter at Online Golf Shop expert thegolfdiscountsale.com

Scotty Cameron California Sonoma PutterA compact mallet with a plumbing neck.

Classic Design with Modern Weighting Provides clean aesthetics while offering better balance and higher inertia for solid feel.

Select Weighting Technology Provides greater choices for length and weight to enhance performance for all types of players.

Milled From Soft, 303 Stainless SteelFor a soft sound and feel that promotes precise distance control.

Draft Sole DesignKeeps the putter square in the playing position for proper alignment.

High-Toe ProfileAids alignment and eliminates the tendency to raise the toe at address causing a player to aim the putter to the left of the target.

Factory Custom WeightsCircular heel-toe weights provide greater stability by reducing head rotation on off-center impacts. Weights can be factory customized to make the head feel heavier to suit specific putting green conditions.

Honey Dipped FinishProvides a deep, rich, non-glare appearance.

Stepless Steel ShaftProvides a clean, uninterrupted look at the ball in the address position and promotes better putter head feel throughout the Ardently welcome to golf discount sale shop! All kinds of cheap but best golf clubs will catch your sight. Since 2005, we have been a dedicated and perfect online retailer ofcheap but excellent golf clubs. At the past five years,we pride ourselves on our excellent customer satisfaction records and high value of ourworld famous cheap golf clubs,and we also strive to maintain our high grade services to satisfy your requirements in the subsequent days and years. Our aim is to help you make an informed onlinepurchase of cheap golf clubs at cheapest prices. Our excellent Services includes 7*24 online help service,7*8 phonehelpand every day email help, and we also can level up our services as your advice. That we providethe information could help you review what cheap golfequipments you really need and we also recommend hot sale of cheap golf products for you,such as,R9 driver,Cobra S2 Offset driver,Titleist AP1 710 irons,X24 irons, R7 CGB MAX irons, ping k15 and so on. Our company specializes in top quality branded golf clubs such as TaylorMade Golf,Ping Golf,TitleistGolf,Callaway Golf etc.Furthermore,we will also provide as your requiry.All the cheap golf clubs are ordered directly from authorized manufacturer,ensuringthe first-class quality.Sincerely expect you can find your required products from the website.Onceyour required products are not been found,please donnothesitate to contact us at your earliest time.We use DHL, EMS and UPS to ship all our packages within 5-8 working days.stroke.

Black Cameron Tour GripCreates a soft, controlled feel for precise feedback.

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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.

Choose perfect golf training aids to lower your golf score. Golf tips and golf fixes available in Golf Genie’s golf pocket guide.

Scotty Cameron Golf Putters

Scotty Cameron Golf Putters

Scotty Cameron Putters are among the best putters in golf today and with the likes of Tiger Woods using them it is easy to see why Golfbuyitonline carry huge stocks of all the latest Scotty putters including Red X, Newport and Kombi range, circa 62 putters and all the accessories you’ll ever need to go with them. All Scotty Cameron putters are constructed of solid stainless steel, with a desire to give the golfer a soft yet solid feel, all leading to increased ball control.

Take the Titleist Scotty Cameron California Del Mar Putter, part of a fantastic looking range of Scotty Cameron putters that come with matching head covers, and with full custom options available at Golfbuyitonline – Europe’s leading Titleist Custom Fit Centre. With classic soft lines and pure blade characteristics, the California Del Mar is a must buy for any Scotty enthusiast.

The Scotty Cameron Studio Select line is another popular range of Scotty Cameron putter, inspired by a desire to create a putter with the finest technical performance and the utmost in aesthetic appeal and overall feel. These putters are again available for standard or custom fit from Golfbuyitonline.

This is what Titleist say about their Studio Select line:

“The Scotty Cameron Studio Select family of precision milled 303 Stainless Steel Newport-style putters features bold red tour graphics, an improved high toe profile, and heel & toe circular sole weights that allow for multiple length options in each model. The circular heel-toe weights provide increased stability by reducing head rotation on off-center impacts for a larger sweet spot. The factory adjustable weights are set to provide the proper headweight-to-shaft length combination. The improved high toe profile of Studio Select helps eliminate the tendency to raise the toe at address thereby causing the player to aim left of target. Studio Select also features a stepless shaft for a clean look at address and soft but solid feel, as well as a new red Cameron cord grip.”

Scotty Cameron putters are a product not to be missed by golfers, amateur and professional alike. Call us on 0844 4488508 to speak to one of our PGA professionals for help and advice; they will be very happy to help you make the right choice of Scotty Cameron putter.

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How to Drive the Golf Ball Properly

How to Drive the Golf Ball Properly

My driver has always been the club that I have been most confident with. In order to drive the golf ball properly, you must first master the fundamentals of the swing.

When setting up to hit a drive, stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder length apart, in an athletic stance, with your knees bent. The ball should be teed up in alignment with the inside of your left foot (for right handed golfers). Stand so that you do not need to reach too far in order for the clubface to be lined up with the ball. Your back should be slightly bent at an angle relative to your legs.

In order to consistently have a clean tee shot, don’t try to kill the ball! I see so many beginners walk up to the tee box, and swing at the ball with all their might. Usually the ball will end up sharply slicing or hooking, in either case, loosing a considerable amount of distance. Take a nice easy swing, especially on the backswing. Also, bring the club back so that it is parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing. It may even help to take a three quarter length swing to ensure that your club remains on the correct swing path.

Remember that most of your power will come from your torso; not your arms. It is therefore crucial to be conscious of keeping your swing in rhythm with you weight shift. Just like when hitting a baseball, your weight should shift from your back foot to your front foot as contact is being made with the ball.

Also, be sure to follow through completely. Do not try to stop the club right after making contact, as much power will be lost. When finishing, your left (front) food should still be planted onto the ground, and your body should be facing the target.

Savannah Durbin is an avid golfer and aspiring computer engineer. To read more golf tips and articles, visit: www.golfenthusiastic.com.

Smashing It Straight

Smashing It Straight

Some players drive the ball 250 yards or more every time, but they can’t keep it on the fairway. The harder they try to stay on the fairway, the more they hook it. As a result, they find themselves in a clump of trees or under a bush, without a good second shot, hurting their golf handicap. They’ve taken golf lessons and read golf tips. And they’ve tried throttling back. But they still can’t cure their big hook.

If that’s you, read on. There’s a simple way to cure the problem. All you have to do is make a minor change in your grip—one pioneered by golfing great Ben Hogan. The change takes a little getting used to, as most adjustments do, so you’ll have to hit a few buckets of balls to get comfortable with it. But once you do, you’ll hit the ball straighter than before with just as much power. And you’ll shave strokes off your golf handicap.

A Smasher’s Instinct

Hogan had a smasher’s instinct. When he was on the tee, the right-hander didn’t want to just drive the ball well. He wanted to crush it. He wanted to hit it out of sight. And for a small guy, he hit it a long way. But like many big hitters, Hogan had problems with direction. Whenever he tried to throttle back, he just made things worse. Throttling back just wasn’t in his nature.

But a simple change in his grip transformed him from Captain Hook to Captain Power Fade. Hogan realized that by weakening his grip a bit, he could control his hook and still hit the ball as hard as he wanted. Rather than fight a strong, three-knuckle grip, he decided to change grips. He turned his left hand so that he only saw one knuckle at address while his right palm faced the target. The change let him smash the ball without hooking it.

The change was exactly what Hogan needed. It transformed his game. By the time he retired in 1971, he was not only one of the most feared golfers of his time, he also one of the best of all time. After turning pro in 1929, he won 64 PGA Tour championships. Of these, nine were major championship wins—4 masters, 2 U.S Opens, 1 British Open, and 2 PGA Championships.

Strong Forearms Helped

Keep in mind though that Hogan had very strong forearms. They allowed him to take a weak grip and still square the clubhead at impact. If you don’t have strong forearms, you may want to adjust your grip so that you see one and one-half knuckles on your left hand at address. Then place your right hand on the club so that the palm is facing the target, like Hogan did.

Like most changes, this new grip takes getting used to. Hit balls on the practice range with the grip before trying it on the course. You’ll probably slice a few before getting the hang of it. But the more you let your right side in the swing, if you’re right-handed, the smaller the slice will be. Vice versa for left-handers. And since you can’t hook it, swing as aggressively as you like. You’ll still hit a fade. And you’ll probably still end up on the fairway.

Henry Cotton’s Tire Drill

To get used to hitting the ball with a weak left-handed grip, try one of Henry Cotton’s favorite drills. Cotton was a great player and teacher. He got his students used to hitting with a weak left-handed grip by having them hit an old tire. Here’s how:

Grab an old iron. Grip it with your left hand, so that no more than one and one-half knuckles show. Lay the tire down where you’d tee the ball. Now take some swings with your left arm only. If you’re left-handed, use your right arm.

How can you tell if you’re closing the clubface when you hit the tire? Don’t worry, you’ll know. If the clubface is closed, you’ll feel solid contact. If it’s open, you’ll feel an extra shock in your arm. Use this drill sparingly to prevent injury. You don’t want to injure yourself during a practice session.

Mastering this change in grip conquers the hook for big hitters. Of course, taking a few golf lessons and reading golf tips can’t hurt, either. But the change in grip is something you can do right now. Just have a little patience. The change feels strange at first, but once assimilated, it helps lower golf handicaps. It also puts the fun back in driving the ball.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. Free weekly newsletter available with the latest golf tips, lessons and instructions.