Improve Putting

Improve Putting the Easy Way

Having a good putt can make all the difference in enjoying a great game of golf, so taking steps to improve your putting skills can be very worthwhile. A good putting technique allows you to get your ball into the hole in the least amount of strokes.

To improve putting, you should take the time to learn how to read the golf green. Get into the habit of looking at the slopes on t

he green, the length of the grass and the wind direction. By taking all of this into consideration you can decide how much force you need to apply to your shot.

If you play at different golf courses then the condition of the green will really affect your putting ability. Even the type of grass can produce different results, from super fast shots to really slow ones.

One surefire way to improve putting is to get a putter that you really like. It should have the right length, shape and weight. Visit your local golf shop and try out a bunch of different putters. You will know instantly when you have the right putter in your hand. It will just feel right. If at all possible see if there is a way to try it out on the green first.

Putting incorporates two thirds of the game of golf. So improving your putting is a necessity if you want to become a good golfer. One easy way to achieve this is by practicing every day. Start close to the hole and when you consistently get the ball in, move back a foot or two. Do this routine every day and you will improve your putting skills quickly.

If your putting has declined only very recently, go get your eyes checked! Maybe it is time for a new pair of glasses. Not being able to judge the correct distance to the hole will have a serious impact on your golf game.

Putting requires a lot of mental concentration, so practicing games like bowling or shooting pool can be very helpful. Learn how to keep your focus while being relaxed enough to make a good shot.

You can improve putting by learning to have a nice smooth putting action. By being smoother you have much better control of both your putter and the ball. To putt efficiently you need to have a tight control over your movements. Once you can consistently putt smoothly your game will develop in leaps and bounds.

Check out this cool video of Aaron Baddley (fellow aussie!) using an aim line at Augusta. Its a great representation of how the pro’s practice breaking putts:

One thing that many golfers do is to look up too soon after hitting the ball. By not following through with their shot, the striking motion becomes shortened. Thus, the ball does not reach the intended distance to the hole. If you get into the habit of following through with your golf club, your putt will be executed correctly.

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It doesn’t have to take a huge change to improve your putting skills. By making some simple changes you can easily develop a great putt. This in turn will help you enjoy a fantastic game of golf. Of course your golf score will drop too!

Proper Putting Grip

Learn how to get the Proper Putting Grip

Learning how to play golf takes patience, and developing the proper putting grip is vital to your overall game play. Everyone loves to just go out and play golf. The secret though, is making the time to learn the basic techniques and terminology of golf. This includes learning how to hold your golf club correctly – if you dont get it right from the start, your game will not improve and you will become more and more frustrated.

Once you have perfected the proper putting grip you will notice the shots starting to drop off your round score. You will find that you hit the ball much more smoothly than ever before. You will follow through with your stroke without thinking about it anymore. Everything will start to come to you more naturally.

Both hitting the ball and holding your club correctly is key. The proper putting grip helps you automatically strike the ball better. As with anything there are variations on the basic grips. You may find adapting a certain grip works better for you. My theory is – if it doesnt feel good and natural, try something different.

Before you attempt to hold the golf club you need to decide which hand will be your lead hand. The lead hand is the hand you will use on top. By having this hand placed correctly you are able to have more control of the club’s face. Your lead hand effectively guides where the club will hit the ball during your swing.

Check out this video to help you out a bit:

Jim Farrel explains a few different variations – its worth a look.

The trailing hand is simply the bottom hand. Many golfers use their stronger hand in the trailing position. So this would be your right hand if you write with your right hand. The trailing hand is the hand that provides power to your swing. Always get your lead hand into the proper position first, then place your trailing hand on the club.

The proper putting grip is one that has you putting the grip into the palm of yourleft hand. (Depending on whether you are left or right handed). Then you need to take your other hand and wrap it around the grip. Place your right hand under your left and overlap your fingers. Ideally you will end up with palms which are opposite to each other and nicely locked together. Remember though – there is no such thing as a proper putting grip for you! Its whatever works and feels comfortable.

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The only way to perfect this is to practice your grip. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes each day to learn how to get the proper putting grip. At first it will undoubtedly feel strange, but you will quickly be adjusted to this new feeling.

Along with developing the proper putting grip, you need to recognize how much pressure to exert. Again this takes trial and error. A good concept to keep in mind, is to apply as much pressure as when squeezing a tube of toothpaste. When you squeeze too hard, the toothpaste comes flying out. This is too much pressure. You want just enough to coax the toothpaste out evenly. The actual handle of the grip doesn’t want to be moving around within your grip either.

All of this might sound complicated, but with time and effort it will be second nature. Don’t try and jump ahead and learn different grips and techniques. Master the basics before moving forwards. This way you will improve your proper putting grip and your overall level of game play.

Fix Your Golf Swing

Fix your golf swing with a bucket of balls and a five iron

If you are frustrated with your swing there are some great drills which will help you fix your golf swing. Actually, all you really need is a bucket of golf balls and a five iron. You dont need anything fancy – its just a matter of getting out thereon the range and putting in what I like to call a bit of ‘hard yakka’.

As mentioned, the best place to practice will be out at the driving range. It may also be a good idea to take along a friend that can watch your new swing and offer advice. if they know their stuff, even better.

Before you actually hit any of the golf balls, look at your stance. When using the five iron your feet should be shoulder width apart. If you have a longer length club, then increase this distance. Turn your knees inward very slightly and point your right foot straight ahead of you. You want your left foot to be pointing towards your left. All of these movements are small and even a minor adjustment can be very beneficial in fixing your golf swing.

Take a look at where your elbows are. Ideally you want your right elbow pointing at your right hip and the left the same. Try keeping your elbows and arms as close together as you can, this will help you achieve the correct posture.

Next you want to take a look at your grip. The correct grip will go a long way in helping you fix your golf swing. Grip your club and make sure that the line between your thumb and index finger points towards your right eye.

Now we want to concentrate on the actual swing. Envision a line extending from your shoulders to the golf ball. When performing the backswing your hands want to move parallel to this line or plane. Use your hands to begin your backswing, followed by your arms and shoulders. To develop a powerful hit begin the downswing by rotating your hips toward the ball.

Obviously, guys, this is kinda hard for me to explain in writing – I always find visual aids help. Check out the video below – this will help you along with what i have said above:

This guys mantra is pretty cool ‘inside, out and over’. If you have a look, he is descibing how to best fix that dreaded slice.

Okay, so grab that bucket of golf balls and start practicing your golf swing! With each ball, concentrate on just one of the pointers first. When you are feeling comfortable with each one, try putting all the motions together with each hit. It is going to feel strange and possibly awkward at first. The more you repeat this drill the more comfortable you will become. At some point it will become second nature to you. You will have learnt how to fix your golf swing and before you know it your score will improve as well.

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Anyone can learn to become a better golfer. Taking measures to fix your golf swing is extremely helpful and well worth the effort. Along with this basic golf drills there are several other golf tip tools that you can use for your golf game. Among these would be golf videos and DVD’s, which are becoming extremely popular. Some golfers prefer these methods to taking expensive golf lessons. Whatever your preference finding a method that allows you to fix your golf swing is key. Your enjoyment of the game will increase as well.

Improve Your Putting

How to practice to improve your putting skills

As an amatuer golfer, one of the most valuable things you can do is take the time to improve your putting skills. If you have a great drive, that’s wonderful, but without the ability to get the ball into the hole your golf score will never improve. When I first started playing, that was one of the mistakes I made – I spent all my time on the driving range, and little time on the putting green.

There are some simple drills which you can perform and practise the next time you are out on the golf green. These include:

1. Pick a distance and try to send your ball to this point and no further.
2. When hitting the ball, concentrate on your stroke and aim for the center of the ball – this sounds simple right, but you would be suprised.
3. Put down markers at different intervals and attempt to hit each marker accurately.
4. Practice your long putt by hitting across the width of the green.
5. Practice your short putts, especially those around the 4-6ft mark.

These are the ones that you should be concentrating on. The cool thing is, that practisingg your putting does not cost anything – and it may be more beneficial thatn hitting thousands of balls on the driving range!

You will improve your putting ability by simply building confidence in yourself. Try to visualize the ball going into the hole before you actually attempt to hit it. Mental toughness is the key in golf – but mental toughness comes from repetition, ie doing things over and over again.

Please be aware though, that when you first putting alot of time in on the putting green – your body will not be used to it. Spend a few minutes doing the right thing, and stretch out the body. Possibly a few gentle squats and some hamstring exercises. If you loosen up the ‘hammies’ your back wont start to ache.

Whilst practicing if your back starts to ache or cramp. Take your golf club and use the shaft to massage your back. Make sure to take frequent breaks and stretch your muscles. Maintaining your body in good physical shape should be very important to you during the golf season. I dont know if you have noticed, but most of the top golfers coming through in this day and age all have great physiques – gone are the days of the ‘fatties’ being the best in the world. Personally, I would advise you to get in shape to optimise your chances of being a decent golfer. Of course thats easier said  than done!

You should also consider your golf equipment when trying to improve your putting ability. The correct length of shaft can play an important role in how accurate your putts are. Most golf pro shops will evaluate your equipment for free. Purchasing a new putter may be all that is required to effectively improve your putting. I bet most amateurs starting out do not know this – its VERY important.

Off the golf green a simple way to improve putting is by watching some golfing videos. How to videos are becoming really popular and are a great golf training tool. By studying a good video, you can pick up some invaluable tips on using the correct grip. Knowing how much pressure to apply is another key element in improving your putting skills, I will give you that tip for free!!

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Even going to a local golf tournament can be a great learning tool.  See other golfers in action, critique them and see what pointers you can pick up. Go to the club house after the game and ask for some advice, most golfers are only too happy to share their expertise.

To sum it all up, you can improve your putting by practicing all of the above techniques. Many can be done at home in your basement over the winter months.

Golf Putting Drills – Practice Makes Perfect!

3 Must-Try Golf Putting Drills for Proven Success

As is the case for any sportsman, an avid golfer can improve his performance by leaps and bounds when he incorporates regular golf putting drills into his practice routine. Recommended drills fall into three basic categories – stroke consistency, distance control and confidence – and to obtain the optimal level of overall performance, experts recommend regularly going through at least one drill of each type on a regular basis to have the most accurate putt possible.

1. Golf Putting Drills for Stroke Consistency

Stroke consistency can be greatly improved via regular drills. Try the following technique known as the string drill to help you with this. Tie a string between two small posts that are several inches in height. Pick a spot on the green that is more or less level. Insert the first post into the green right behind the hole. Choose a spot approximately 10-12 feet away from the hole and insert the second post. The string should be positioned around 2 inches above the ground itself. Place your ball underneath the string and position your putter directly behind the ball. Now practice putting this way, allowing the string to guide you in keeping your putter level and low to the ground at all times. Eventually, try lengthening the string and putting from further distances.

2. Golf Putting Drills for Distance Control

Golf putting drills for distance control are relatively simple and easy to perform. All you really need is a marker that you can stick into the ground and practice putting toward. (A pair of tees or posts positioned a foot or two apart gate-style would be perfect.) Try to see how close you can get the ball to your chosen marker without actually going past it. Try it from a variety of distances as well and on different parts of the green. Before you know it, you’ll instinctively know exactly how to putt the ball for the desired effect under any circumstances a given course can throw at you.

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3. Golf Putting Drills for Confidence Building

Psychologically speaking, confidence is gained by the successful repetition of a desired action and any golfer can tell you that confidence is key when it comes to playing a great round. Begin building confidence by making shorter putts that are easy and gradually increase your distance from the hole to increase difficulty. You may also want to try variations on this drill that actually reduce the size of the target instead. Does the hole seem like an impossibly small target to you? Try aiming for an even smaller target such as a dime! Imagine how much less intimidating the hole will seem once you’ve learned to hit a target that’s merely dime-sized!

Making time in your schedule for golf putting drills that cover all three of these bases will rapidly improve your game in ways you won’t believe. You’ll be cooler under pressure, better able to focus on your game, and significantly more precise. Give it a try for yourself!

Golf Swing Help

Expert Golf Swing Help for Golfers’ Most Common Problems

While practice is without a doubt the best way to improve not only your golf swing, but your overall technique, you can provide yourself with some valuable golf swing help by using everyday household items as tools to correct bad habits and replace them with good ones. Give the following tips a try for yourself and watch your golf swing begin to improve immediately.

Golf Swing Help to Improve a Slice

One of the most widespread problems among golfing enthusiasts is the issue of the slice. A golfer with a slice has a bad habit of improperly positioning his hands and shoulders during the backswing, causing consistent problems with accuracy, not to mention a lot of frustration. Like many golf swing problems, this is an issue of improper positioning and posture. However, golf swing help for a slice can easily be obtained by using a few simple household objects to not only make the golfer aware of what he’s doing to cause the slice in the first place, but help him develop a proper technique that will be more effective in the future.

Try swinging a broom at home while holding it using the same grip you use on your clubs while you’re out on the green. Pay attention to where the bristles and handle are pointing at various points in your swing to judge your technique. The broom’s bristles should be pointing at the target line during the backswing, while the handle should be pointed at it during the downswing. If you practice with your broom until this is the case, you should eventually be able get rid of your slice.

Golf Swing Help to Make Better Contact with the Ball

Many golfers also find that they need golf swing help to improve their ability to make solid contact with the ball in a way that offers more reliable, consistent results than they are currently enjoying. Good golf swing help in regards to this issue starts with realizing that it’s again a matter of proper form. Analyze the positioning of your hands as you swing. If you are like many golfers who have trouble making good, consistent ball contact, then you are likely to see that your right hand has a tendency to flip and then straighten out at impact as your left wrist bends. You actually want to achieve the opposite of this.

Try taking a ruler and attaching it to the outer side of your left wrist with a strong, sturdy rubber band. Now go out and practice a few swings with the ruler in place for some highly effective golf swing help. This will help to keep your left wrist straight as it should be, allowing your right wrist to bend instead. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it now is to make proper contact with the ball now.

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Good, effective golf swing help is always about learning how to identify your bad habits and swap them for good ones instead. It’s about overall body awareness and proper understanding of what makes established, proper techniques effective at producing the results you want. As always, practice makes perfect. Once you’ve got your swing going in the right direction, be sure to keep working on it until you get it exactly right.

How to Improve my Golf Swing

How to improve my golf swing the easy way

I just love the game of golf now (after years of frustration), and learning how to improve my golf swing greatly contributed to this love in a big way. If you read on below I will tell you some of my secrets and also show an inspirational video which played a great part in how I improved my golf swing finally.

I wasn’t always good at golf, but for some unknown reason I just took a huge liking to the game. I think I used to hit about one or two good shots a round which made me want to come back ;)

It may also be that I loved being outside, or meeting new people. Maybe it was the satisfaction of just being able to hit the ball and knowing I had good hand to eye coordination.

I wouldn’t say I had the best handicap, but I was content. I guess I was what you would call a weekend golfer. It was great to get out and enjoy the fresh air.

In time though, I noticed that my handicap was getting worse. Of course I had gotten older and I put it down to this. I tried to improve my golf swing, knowing this is a very common issue. It didn’t seem to work. I even went as far as to have a couple of lessons with the local pro in Burgess Hill, England. The instructor said I was doing fine. So as much as I didn’t want to I put my faults down to getting older. Who wants to admit they are becoming a senior golfer? mmmm thats not much fun.

Unfortunately my enjoyment of golf started to diminish. I was getting worse and it was frustrating to me, at times even embarrassing.

As luck would have it I visited my local driving range. I figured I would practice before my next and possibly last round of golf. I really wanted to learn how to improve my golf swing.

I bumped into a wonderful lady at the driving range. We started chatting and I expressed my feelings about not knowing why my golf game seemed to be going downhill. Well, she told me she was a golf pro and actually coached a lot of junior players. She offered to watch me drive a few balls.

Within minutes she stopped me. She told me that my golf swing was wrong! After all these years I was hitting the ball wrong, why hadn’t anyone told me before? Including the pro that I had seen recently? I was fuming at the instructor whom I had paid for lessons. He should have seen that my swing was wrong and shown me how to improve my golf swing. I guess it just comes down to personal preference. This lady also told me that Tiger Woods’ swing was not brilliant and that he has one of the worst fairway hit records on the PGA tour! Wow, I wasnt aware of that!

Anyway, once I had calmed down, this nice lady spent some time offering me tips on how to improve my golf swing. She gave me some drills to practice at home as well. I have to say this was the best afternoon ever. I made a great friend and learnt how to improve my golf swing and how to improve my handicap.

I made sure to practice hard and the next time I played a round of golf, my score had improved. Even my fellow golfers were surprised.

So the lesson I learnt was not to be afraid to ask for help. Research who you choose to give you lessons and above all don’t give up. If you are having trouble with some aspects of your golf game then you can learn methods to improve them.

I have seen a pretty great video describing a few of the more important tips the old lady taught me that day. Check it out below:

Golf Swing Plane Tips

Golf swing plane tips – use these to improve your swing plane

Any good golfer will realize that they need to have a good swing plane because without it, you will be spraying your golf shot all over the place. If you read on, I will be able to help you with a few golf swing plane tips – you will be able to shave a good few strokes off your handicap.

First, understanding what a swing plane is, is vital. Basically, the swing plane relates to how straight, high and far you can hit the ball. The actual swing plane refers to the angle of your arc in relation to the ground. Try swinging your club around you at different angles and you will see different results. These are swing planes. Understand?

When I first started playing golf I had a very vertical swing plane, as I used to play alot of cricket growing up. And the result was that I consistently sliced the ball – my swing plane was too vertical, but I didnt know any better. The way I visualise my swing now is to imagine hitting a tennis ball with topspin. If you can relate that to hitting a golf ball, you will never slice the ball.

Everyone’s swing plane is going to be different. There are many factors which affect our swing plane. Your height, posture and body type amongst them. Even the length of your golf club will have an impact on your golf swing plane.

If you are tall, you need to have your clubs lengthened – there are no two ways about it.

These following golf swing plane tips will help you learn how to overcome some of these obstacles.

First, imagine a line that goes from the ball, up along the shaft of the club and past the grip. This line is your swing plane. Your club wants to remain on this angle until it becomes parallel to the ground. At this point the club will move slightly and it is perfectly natural for it to do so.

This small movement allows the club to drop back down onto the imaginary line. The club head will now be approaching the ball face on. At impact you rotate your forearms to keep the club on its line and past the finish point. The club should stay close to the ground until it is 2 feet past where the ball originally was.

Some players will try to compensate for their swing and turn their body away from the club. This is forcing you out of the correct swing plane, the end result being a sliced ball.

The biggest golf swing plane tips we can offer is to practice your swing plane. Understand where the line should be and attempt to achieve this with every shot.

Try to have someone evaluate your golf swing plane. There are basically three variations that golfers seem to have. The first is swinging straight down to the target line. The second is swinging down towards the left side. The third would be swinging out to the right side. Once you know which you have you can take steps to learn how to achieve the correct golf swing plane.

Some inexperienced golfers try to hit the ball using their arms for power. You need to learn how to hit the ball with your legs and body. The best golf swing plane tips to remedy this is to turn your hips at the moment you start to play the shot.

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By attempting to understand what a swing plane is and by using these golf swing plane tips you will learn how this directly effects the direction of your shots. Try moving your body in various angles the next time you are out playing golf. Then watch the ball closely to see where it lands. Once you make the connection you can apply these golf swing plane tips and improve your swing plane.

How To Fade a Golf Shot

How to fade a golf shot correctly and efficiently

Knowing how to fade a golf shot correctly is a big advantage in the game of golf. Being able to bend the ball to get around an obstacle will give you an edge out on the golf course. It will also get you words of praise when played to its full potential! Your friends will be very impressed if you can fade a golf shot on que.

Remember that the fade ball will always curve from left to right (for right-handed players).

The swinging action needed to create a fade shot is the same as for hitting the ball straight. The difference is how you set up your body at the address position.

Here are some basic terms you will need to know when learning how to fade a golf shot.

  • Target point – this is where you want your ball to come to rest.
  • Target line – the point where you aim your ball initially.
  • Open address – your shoulders and feet are aligned to a point that is to the left of the target point.
  • Parallel to the target line – the direction that you aim the ball.
  • Make sure to understand the difference between the target point and the target line.
  • How to fade a golf shot – the play

You will want to stand in the open address position. Make sure your feet, hips and shoulders are parallel to the target line. Take a look at your feet and at the ball. You should see that they form a triangle shape. Your body position should now be aligned in a direction that is left of your target area. You are now in the correct stance to play a fade shot.

When it comes to the swing, the only adjustment you need to make is to open the club face a few degrees. This alignment will cause the club face to cut across the ball at the point of contact.

Saying all of thabove is great, but its kinda hard to visualise. The best video I have seen in a while on ‘how to fade a golf shot’ is below – it might help a little bit as well.

When learning how to fade a golf shot, take a look at your golf club. The loft of your club is going to affect how far the ball will run. A higher loft will give the ball more lift, so when it lands it will not roll as far, in essence traveling a shorter distance. You can fix this by using a club which has a lower degree of loft.

Learning how to fade a golf shot can be tricky at first. If you keep on playing around with it you will learn how to fade a golf shot around a tree or other obstacle. These are the shots that really impress people. So get practicing if you want to get some great applause when you are out on the golf course.

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Even though all of this might sound hard, it is not. As you slowly go through the steps you will see that it makes sense. Once you have mastered the techniques of how to fade a golf shot, you can teach all of your friends. With patience and hard work the fade shot will not evade you for much longer.

Stop Topping a Golf Ball

Is it possible to ever stop Topping a golf ball?

Are you at the point where you wonder if you can ever stop Topping a golf ball? If so, then don’t despair; help is closer than you think. Follow these tips and watch my video and your golf game should begin to improve immediately. I know, its frustrating, but its not the end of the world folks!

First you want to understand the reason why the golf ball is not performing for you. Then you can work on a solution to stop topping a golf ball permanently.

Actually topping the golf ball is very common especially for newer players. If you take the time to learn how to hit the golf ball from the middle of the club, you will effectively have learnt how to stop making the same mistakes over and over again.

The number one reason for topping the ball is that the new golfer thinks they must help lift the ball into the air. This is so wrong. It is the loft on each golf club that will automatically hit the ball up. So your first tip is to learn to trust your club and allow it to work for you, not against you. Trust your swing and trust your club.

To get the loft to work effectively for you, keep the club head as close as you can to the ground after you have hit the ball. This one simple tip can really help you stop topping a golf ball. So take the time to understand that each golf club is designed with specific reasons in mind. Ultimately to help you play a better round of golf.

The next major cause for topping your golf ball is how you use your legs. If you tend to straighten your legs on the downswing, you move your head, which in turn affects the arc of your swing, resulting in you topping the shot.

To solve this issue, and stop topping the ball, learn to keep your knees soft and constant throughout the entire swing. If this is difficult for you, try bending your knees a little more next time. Not too much though – check out a video below which I think is brilliant:

How you hold your grip can impact your shot. If your grip is way too tight you will be unable to move your hands correctly. To stop Topping a golf ball you must have the ability to swing your club close to the ground after you have hit the ball.

Click Here to Discover how to STOP Topping the Golf Ball and Watch your Handicap Drop!

Practice your grip and use a little less pressure. Check your grip, the ‘V’ should be pointed towards the right shoulder. Ensure that your thumb is on the right side of the grip as well.

Also, its also important you concentrate on your foot positions. Make sure you are not putting too much weight on your back foot. Allow your weight to transfer to your front foot at the finish of your swing. This will allow you to develop a good swing arc and your instances of topping the ball will diminish.