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You Should putt like you swing
... or a little more eloquently stated, "A putting stroke is a true swing, and should be made up of the same components as your full swing;" is recommended advise in much of the instructional writing through the years. Percy Boomer, in his classic book "On Learning Golf" made a comparison when he stated that, "Anyone with a proper concept of the golf swing, who then applies those same concepts to the putt, will surely become a superb putter." Johnny Miller apparently concurred when in 1977, he blamed the loss of his full swing on the fact that he had made changes in his putting stroke a couple of years earlier, which eventually disrupted his rhythm on all shots. If you can accept these statements, you can utilize the fact that your putter swing is small, slow moving, and largely without muscular effort, to better enable yourself to grasp the concepts, and mechanics, which are equally important to all golf swings.

As published on:
http://http://www.golflink.com/golf-tips/tips/anderson003.asp

Labels: Putting

Exercise is without a doubt a very important part of any healthy lifestyle. It is also necessary to play better golf as if you are physically fit you will be able to execute the necessary golfing motions more easily and will have more stamina out on the course.

Build Shoulder And Back Strength:

One good exercise is done using just a pair of dumbbells. All you need to do is first take your normal golf swing posture, then keep the dumbbells in front of your legs with your palms facing each other and then raise the dumbbells slowly and bring them back down slowly

With this exercise make sure you are using a weight you are comfortable with and never strain yourself. This is a great exercise to build strength in your back and shoulder muscles.

Increase Wrist Strength:

Wrist strength is a very important aspect of the golf swing. A great way to strengthen the wrist is to perform wrist curls. Just take a pair of dumbbells while standing straight with the dumbbells to the side and simply curl your wrists slowly up and then back down. You should feel your wrist muscles at work and do this around 5-10 times a day to help build up your wrist strength.

Do Regular Weight Training:

Consistently doing weight training exercises that target both the upper body and lower body will help to build and maintain strong muscles that can only help you become a better player. Building stronger muscles will help in many areas of the game including allowing you to generate greater club head speed which will translate to longer drives.

Improve Flexibility:

Flexibility is another key element to maintaining and developing a great golf swing. Make sure you are taking part in regular stretching exercises. As with all exercises make sure you are comfortable and never strain yourself excessively. Actually one of the best ways to stretch your golfing muscles is to simply make several slow swing with a club but without actually hitting a ball. This will naturally stretch your golfing muscles.

Build Greater Stamina:

Cardiovascular training or aerobic exercise can also be very valuable in improving your golfing performance. Remember that walking 18 holes can be quite a challenge especially if you have to carry your own clubs and are not using a golf cart so developing good stamina will help you to play well until the very last shot. On the days you are not golfing you may want to consider spending 30-60 minutes on a treadmill or bike to build up your stamina.

Professional golfers spend a lot of time on their fitness as they understand the value it has on their golfing performance as well as to their overall health. Take the time to take part in a golf fitness program of some sort and you will definitely notice the difference it makes on your golf game. Do you want to learn the fitness exercise secrets the pros use to hit the ball far and straight with less effort?

As published on:
http://www.golfswingtips4u.com/golf-exercises.php

Labels: Exercise

Many of my students in golf work with me because they have a great practice game, but cannot get the job done in tournaments. One of the issues is that they try too hard to play perfect golf because of some perfectionistic tendencies. This golfer works too much on the course trying to hit perfect shots and not enough on getting the ball in the hole. Sometimes you have to abandon trying to fix your swing or hit perfect shot for playing what I call functional golf or winning ugly.

Functional golf is a term I use with perfectionist students that have a hard time staying composed when they don't perform perfectly or hit perfect shots. They become too obsessed with how it looks and how it feels rather than getting it done. In my opinion, this on-course obsession is counter-productive to playing your best golf. Function golf is the ability to get the job done and play to play great today instead of worrying about how you are getting the job done.

Todd Hamilton became the 2004 British Open champion by adopting the attitude of playing functional golf. Hamilton, who prior to earning his PGA Tour card for the first time in 2004, struggled on the Asian tour for many years. This year at the British Open Todd Hamilton earned his Doctorate in functional golf. He knows that he does not hit the laser iron shots like Els or Woods hit.

Hamilton relies on a superior short game and what he called playing ugly golf. "I don't hit the ball as good as a lot of well-known players, but my short game is very good. And I think when I don't hit the ball well, having a good short game allows me to at least be competitive, maybe not on a scale like this every week, but I play what I call ugly golf. I hit a lot of punch shots, a lot of big slices off the tees, or big fades, just to keep the ball in play." He really did play ugly golf on the 18th hole of regulation scraping out a bogey to get into a playoff with Els, which could have easily turned into a double or triple.

Here are a couple ideas to help you play functional golf and win ugly:

(1) Abandon playing golf the right way for the functional way. Put aside judgments about your golf swing and think about getting the ball in the hole any way you can. Don't try to fix the problem either. This will probably make matters worse. At the most, use one swing cue (that has worked in the past) to help you get some tempo or feel back. Stick to the basics and don't search for a magical swing key that will "fix" your swing. You are sure to play army golf if you change swing thoughts every shot.

(2) Many pros have a shot they can trust on a tight hole. Use your "go-to" shot to keep the ball in play. Hit the shot you are confident you can get into play. This maybe a low cut or punch shot. Get the job done-do not worry if it is not the shot you should play. Get the ball in play off the tee anyway you can even if it is not the shot you prefer or expect you should hit.

(3) Save your energy for the end of the round. Do not grind between shots by thinking intensely about your next shot. You cannot possible focus for four hours straight. Instead, relax your focus between shots, kick it in for 30 seconds when it is your turn to play, and reserve your mental energy for the end of the round.

(4) Save the practice for after the round. Work on your swing after the round, not during the round. Don't get into the habit of playing golf swing on the course, play golf shots instead. If you hit a couple poor shots, put them in your back pocket for after the round.

As published on:
http://www.lowerscoregolf.com/functional_golf.htm

BEST TIP: Stay down through impact.

At address, keep left hand ahead of or over the front of the ball.

Soft hands improve feel and relieve tension.

Maintain constant pressure in both hands throughout the stroke.

Keep eyes over ball.

Keep head and body still.

Work on consistent tempo.

Make sure back of left hand and palm of right hand face target through impact.

Stand tall, point elbows toward hips and concentrate on distance.

Play ball slightly ahead of center.

Hit ball slightly on upstroke.

Take the club back slow and follow through.

Putt with your arms, not your wrists.

Accelerate into the ball.

Avoid left wrist breakdown.

Aim for back of cup on short putts.

For long putts, concentrate on speed and aim for an intermediate target.

As published on:
http://www.tomsgolftips.com

Labels: Putting

Amateurs have a tendency to take the club back too quickly with the wrists. This reduces proper extension and gets the swing off plane. Here's a great drill to help you get the proper feel for the take-away. First, get into your normal address position, and then place or drop a ball behind your clubhead. As you initiate the backswing, roll the ball backward. Continue rolling the ball until it is well past your right foot (left foot for left-handed players). When doing this properly, you'll feel the opposite shoulder move under your chin. You'll also realize how straight the left arm (right arm for left-handed players) should be when taking then backswing.

As published on:
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/swing_tips2.html

Labels: Swing Improvement

Here's a good image to keep in mind during your backswing: Think of placing your right hand in a "hitchhiker" position. This means that when the club is at waist height, you should be able to look back and see your thumb pointing to the sky. Here's another trick: Imagine that your hand is in a handshake position, with the palm facing neither up nor down. These simple thoughts will ensure the beginning of your swing is correct!

As published on:
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/swing_tips.html

Labels: Swing Improvement

Reducing your golfing handicap is a great challenge. There are many factors involved that can affect your golf scores and course management is an important one. Most amateurs start a round without any real plan on how to manage the course under different circumstances. Here are a few tips to keep in mind regarding course management that may help you:

Tip 1: Play high percentage shots

It is tempting to always try to hit the heroic shots we see the pros pull off on television. However if your goal is to shoot the best round you are capable of on that day then you need to adjust this mentality. Remember that the pros spend countless hours perfecting their game and thus the heroic shots they pull off are actually high percentage for them but not for the average weekend golfer.

You need to hit shots you know you can pull off at least 90 percent of the time. For instance, instead of going for the green on long approach shot you might consider instead hitting the ball 20 or 30 yards short of the green and then relying more on your chipping and putting to get the ball in the hole rather than hitting a risky long iron shot which can bring a lot of trouble into play especially on holes that have many hazards surrounding the green.

You need to closely evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and when you are on the course hit the shots you know you are comfortable hitting and have consistently executed on the driving range.

Tip 2: Adjust your game for different weather conditions

Weather conditions on a golf course can change quickly. If it starts to rain then you need to remember that this will soften the fairways and greens so pick your targets accordingly taking this into account. If the wind picks up suddenly then make the necessary adjustments. You may need to take an extra club or two if you are faced with heavy wind in your face. A good strategy when playing in the wind is to try to keep the ball low so hitting a lot of knock down shots can be effective.

Tip 3: Play the course and not your playing partners

If you happen to be partnered with a player that has a low handicap and hits the ball very far then do not develop an ego and try to match them. Remember that golf is predominantly an individual game so do not let what others are doing influence your strategy. Focus on playing the course and not trying to beat the other players in your foursome if you want to produce better golf scores.

As published on:
http://www.golfswingtips4u.com/golf-course-management-tips.php

Labels: Game Improvement

The average player is said to take 2/3rds of his total shots from less than 100 feet from the hole. With this in mind it's clear that you can't score well without putting at least adequately.


The "art" of putting, although no more easily perfected than the other parts of your game, has certain characteristics which make it the ideal discipline with which to both start and finish every practice session. In fact, putting can be practiced without ever leaving your house, and you should hold every expectation that this "carpet" practice will pay dividends to your golf game. I know dozens of top professionals who spend hundreds of hours practice putting on carpets to either improve,or maintain, their putting stroke.


It's generally accepted that you're a bad putter only if you use more than the allotted 36 putts per round, but better players actually use about 32 putts per round. This then should be your goal. A goal which you should continually be monitoring and striving for.

As published on:
http://www.golflink.com/golf-tips/tips/anderson002.asp

Labels: Putting

Here's what one golfer had to say about Westchase Golf Club:

Westchase is located in an upscale area of Tampa, which was very convenient to where I was staying (Grand Hyatt). Interesting and challenging layout, lots of water, wetlands make it scenic. Good value also. It is also close to the airport so I was able to play when I arrived. Friendly staff. Played from the back tees which have a 71.6 rating so it is a good challenge.

Book a discount tee time at Westchase Golf Club

As posted on:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34678-d561253-r4689801-Westchase_Golf_Course-Tampa_Florida.html

Labels: Course Reviews

Now we're on the right track. To manage your weight properly, the majority of your body mass must shift to your back foot during the backswing. It's imperative to remember that "shift" and "slide" don't mean the same thing. A proper weight shift is due to a proper weight turn, or "coil." As the body turns away, the weight should naturally shift to the back (my right) foot. Any contrived weight shift is probably a weight slide, which inhibits the body from turning properly. Turning is key for power! Here, you can see I've loaded up my back leg with torque and that my trousers are tightened. All that's left for me is to continue turning my upper body until my club is parallel and then unwind in unison on the downswing. Due to centripetal force, the upper body will unwind faster than the lower, even though both are initiated at the same time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD BALANCE

The most important ingredient in a sound golf swing is good balance. There are many movements going on during the swinging of a golf club. Hence, there are many opportunities for you to lose your balance. Your weight goes back and forth laterally while your body, arms, and club move rotationally. The timing of the sequence of actions that your body performs is of paramount importance to a well-balanced swing.

Improper shifting of your weight will upset your balance. Your center of gravity is located near the end of your backbone when you are assuming the proper set-up position. Any lateral action that is initiated above this point will cause a loss of balance.

So you don't want to shift your weight during your backswing by leaning away from the target. Never let your shoulders drift outside of your feet. Rather, shift your weight back by using your legs and hips. Your left leg and hip move away from the target, while your right leg acts as a brace and an anchor. Your weight should stay on the inside of your back leg and foot. Do not allow your weight to rock over to the outside of your foot during the backswing.

Start your forward swing by getting your weight moving towards the target. The proper motion again is initiated with your legs. Plant you left heel, then turn your right knee towards the target. This will start a chain reaction. Your right hip will begin turning towards the target, then your torso, and finally your shoulders. Your upper body does not catch up with your lower body until after you have hit the ball and are well into your follow-through.

When executed properly, the momentum from the swing will allow you to end up in a well-balanced finish position. About 95 percent of your weight is centered over your left foot. You should easily be able to pick up your right foot and step towards your target.

As published on:
http://www.bbrd.org/golfcourse/lessonarchives.html

Labels: Posture

The short game of golf can make the greatest difference in helping to lower your handicap the fastest. In fact developing a solid short game will indirectly help your long game since you will swing with greater confidence knowing that even if you occasionally miss a fairway or a green, you have the short game skills to be able to recover from mishit longer shots.

This is one of the keys to a better golf game and learning the short game well can help every aspect of your game. When hitting wedge shots you want to place the ball in the center of your stance. If you are hitting flop shots then you will want to move the ball further up in your stance so that you can get under the ball better and thus hit a higher shot.

Be focused on your targets with wedge shots and always pick a small target like an imaginary circle with a radius of one to two feet. There are unfortunately no shortcuts at getting good at wedge shots and only consistent practice will help you to develop the feel and distance control for great wedge play. Make sure that you spend as much time as possible practicing these wedge shots from 150 yards to 40 yards.

Chipping, flop shots and bunker shots are also very important and require regular practice also. Make sure to pick different lies and look for especially tough lies as this will help you to be more confident on the course since you will be ready for any lie that you are faced with.

Putting is all about confidence so you need to learn to think of yourself as a great putter and also to forget bad putts. Learn a putting style that you feel comfortable with and stick with that. When you are ready to hit your putts make sure that your mind is sharply focused on the target and only that and simply hit the putt trusting in your bodies natural ability to repeat an accurate putting stroke that you have trained that will send the ball with the right direction and speed.

As published on:
http://www.golfswingtips4u.com/golf-short-game-advice-and-strategies.php

Labels: Strategy

Maintain a Consistent Spine Angle through the full range of your stroke and you will be delighted to produce a great shot. Keep your eye on the ball as you swing and notice how your posture changes. Be sure to keep your head up and maintain your viewing position by appropriate flexion of the hip and knee joints. Keep your spine straight at all costs. Bending the spine causes the chest to collapse and the neck and shoulders to rotate forwards and inwards. This not only distorts the natural arc of your swing but it makes it difficult to turn your head through the range of motion required to keep your eye on the ball. The accuracy of your shot goes to hell in a hand basket. So keep your back straight and you'll maintain a solid base from which you can accurately aim those long drives.

Core Stability and Flexibility is the key, and a little practice on the core stability ball with some simple yoga or Pilates exercises can help you develop these much needed attributes for a great golf swing. Abdominal crunches are an excellent exercise for developing core strength and endurance. But that's a subject for another article.

The 3 Tenets-So the next time you're enjoying a gorgeous, sunny round on the fairway, be sure to practice the 3 Tenets of Great Golf Posture, keep your back straight, adjust your spine angle by hinging at the hip and most important, keep it constant through the execution of your swing. You can look forward to hitting, longer, further and with more accuracy. What's more you'll feel great at the end of the day with far fewer aches and pains from improper posture.

As published on:
http://www.bettergolfarticles.com/

Labels: Posture

There are many important facets to a good golf swing, but maintaining the bend in the right knee is one that simply can't be overlooked. When a student comes to me with a common complaint (slicing, poor ballstriking or a general lack of consistency), I always take a close look at his or her body angles, and make certain that their posture and knee position are constant throughout the swing. If the student is having problems with posture or knee position, it's not worth spending a lot of time working on other aspects of the swing. Solid results just can't be achieved without correcting these problems first.

Typically, golfers who straighten the right knee suffer from a sliding or swaying of the hips in the backswing.

Of course, these problems, along with the reverse pivot, are extremely common faults for recreational golfers, so it's no surprise that a straightening of the right knee is also very common. The only way to prevent right-knee straightening is to keep the lower body centered and acting as a base of support. This way, the upper body will have the freedom to get behind the ball without affecting the angle or bend of the right leg.

It's important to understand that trying to restrict the movement of the right leg while making your regular backswing won't remedy the problem. The ideal situation is one in which the swing works without mechanics that affect the bend of the right knee.

The key to achieving this effortless backswing is keeping the spine angle you establish at address a constant. The spine angle and right-knee bend are closely related, and it's necessary to maintain both angles for a solid golf swing.

My favorite drill for developing a solid backswing is the two-club drill. To practice the drill, you need two extra clubs and the help of a friend.

First, assume your address position, and have your friend stand behind you, placing the head of one club against your left shoulder and the head of the other club against your left hip. Then, take a backswing. If your hip moves off the club, then you've swayed, and your right leg and knee have straightened to some degree. Instead, you want the left shoulder to move off the club to the inside of the right foot, and the left hip to rotate while staying in contact with the club. This will ensure that you've maintained your original spine angle throughout the backswing, while also helping retain the original angle of the right knee.

Continue practicing this drill until the proper position feels natural. It might take some time, but if you can learn to maintain your right-knee flex and spine angle throughout the swing, you'll be well on your way to developing a more solid, consistent golf game.

Losin' It
Losing your right-knee flex during the backswing usually results from a straightening of the right leg, a move that also generates a reverse-pivot. From this position, the likelihood of producing a slice increases dramatically.

No!
When performing the two-club drill, it's important to turn correctly while maintaining your spine angle. If your left hip moves off the club on your backswing, you've swayed or tilted your spine-disaster.

Yes!
A solid backswing turn, one in which the right knee retains its flex and the spine angle doesn't change, is evidenced in the two-club drill-at the top, the left hip is still in contact with the club while the shoulder has moved off the other.

As published on:
http://www.golftipsmag.com/instruction/iron-play-quick-tips/maintain-the-bend.html

Labels: Posture

BEST TIP: Play ball far enough away to get full extension.

Aim clubface first. Then align your body.

At address, your hands should be about four inches from your thighs.

Keep your head up.

Bend forward from the hips about 33 degrees and tilt body toward right at address.

Play ball far enough away from body to get full extension.

The longer the club, the more the left foot should be flared out-from perpendicular for short irons to 45 degrees for the driver.

As published on:
http://www.tomsgolftips.com/stance.html

Labels: Posture