How I Tried to Improve My Golf Swing

GOLF SWING

How to improve my golf swing, has been a lifelong journey for me. I would like to share part of that journey with you, my fellow amateur golfers. My hope is, that by reading about one of the methods I used to try and improve my golf swing, you will gain some incite on how to go about improving your own golf swing.

When I first started out to try and learn the game of golf, way too many years ago to mention, the resources available at the time were very limited. Anyone with money could join a private golf club and pay for private lessons from a golf professional. That of course would have been the best way to go about acquiring a decent golf swing.

Like most of you, and other young hackers just starting out, I did not possess the monetary resources to join a country club or pay for pro golf instruction. So, I did the next best thing. I took professional golf lessons by osmosis. Books.

Golf instruction books were available, and they were cheap, especially in paperback. Every golf professional who has ever had an inkling of success has written a golf instruction book. This is both good and bad.

If there had been a golf book, book of the month club, I would have belonged. I bought every golf instruction book I could get my hands on. I no sooner finished reading one and I was off to buy another. I bought books by all the famous golfers, and some not so famous ones too.

Talk about information overload. I learned everything I ever wanted to know about golf, and a lot of things I didn't ever need to know in the first place.

The thing about the golf swing is that there doesn't seem to be a consensus on what the basic swing is supposed to be like. Everyone of the professionals instructs from their own perspective, based on what had worked for them and how they were taught and developed.

From the grip, to the back swing, and follow thru, all the way down to putting, they all seem to have varying philosophies and techniques. Talk about mass confusion for a rank amateur.

Through all this reading the method I decided to use to improve my golf swing, was to stay totally focused on the fundamentals of the golf swing.

These being the grip, stance, back swing and forward swing. Through a great deal of trial and error and practice I was able to accomplish my goals.

I felt by concentrating on these primary areas I could move on to other areas once I had these mastered.

Even though this worked for me., the point is that we are all different, and what works for one golfer may not necessarily work for another. We all have different body types, mental abilities, and varying degrees of athleticism.

Since the early days of trying to improve my golf swing, I have used many different methods to improve my swing. Although the first method I used to improve my golf swing was reading books, and then focusing on the fundamentals, this may not be the method you should choose.

If you want to improve your golf swing I believe you should take a look at all the methods available to you.

Take into consideration the following points:

1. What method of instruction works best for you. For instance, reading, video, audio
2. Seek out that type of instruction
3. Decide what area of the swing to focus on
4. Stick with one source for your instruction, and remain focused.

None of us will ever have a perfect golf swing. For many of us the enjoyment is in the journey along the road to improving our golf swing. My wish is that you will now be able to better enjoy your own quest to your new and better golf swing.

If you would like to add further enjoyment to your golf game, then improvement of your golf swing can add tons of fun to your game. Visit our Squidoo lens for some more excellent free advice on improving your golf swing.

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Golf - Improving Your Swing

GOLF SWING

What golfer doesn't want to shave a few strokes off their game? Well, the best way to do that is to work on improving you swing. With an improved swing, you will have better control over where and how far the golf ball will go. This obviously, will translate to a better score at the end of every round of golf. So, if you're sick of losing by a couple strokes, maybe it's time to work on improving your swing.

One of the most simple ways to improve your swing slightly, that is often overlooked, is to do some stretches before you swing. This will loosen up the muscles, making your swing a little more fluid and effortless. Stretching also lowers the risk of a injuries such as pulled muscles in the back.

Another thing you can do, is to try a completely different swinging technique. There are actually several swing techniques that you can try, maybe one is better suited to you, than what you are doing now. These techniques can be learned through simple research, or you could get a professional instructor to help you find the right swing to improve your game.

Being able to concentrate on your swing is another very important aspect, some people use different techniques to block out all distractions around them. Some golfers also work on their breathing, timing your breathing properly can greatly improve your swing, as well as make sure the body gets the most possible oxygen, before the swing.

Practice is the most important thing to do if you want to improve your swing, practice makes perfect, as they say. This is as true in golf, as it is anywhere else. A really great swing comes only after years of practice, as well as plenty of trial and error with different swing techniques, tips, tricks and anything else you can think of that might improve your game. Both books and the internet are great resources for finding different ways to improve your swing, a little research might be all it takes. Once you have a plan, head to your local driving range and get to swinging, find the techniques that work for you and practice as much as possible.

For more golf swing trainer tips, please go to: http://golfswingtrainerguide.com/

How To Perfect A Golf Swing

GOLF SWING

The art of perfecting a golf swing can be very hard if you choose not to learn the basics first. You do not want to be swinging at the golf ball and hitting the tee with a whoosh of gusto unless you have mastered the way the body should move.

Too many over-enthusiasts go to the range to practice lopping the golf ball at uncontrollable swings that result in careless putting. They miss it completely, hook it on their shoes and hit the ball upwards. It is not a good look.

You can often spot a beginner from the way he attempts swinging at the golf club and failing miserably because the immediate result from his bad posture made his swing miss the ball.

Learning the basics first is vital before attempting the 'golf swing' and in doing so elevating your body in a certain way will benefit your entire swing and the distance in which you can hit it.

Let me give you an example.

1. First stand with your feet apart. Make sure there is sufficient space between your two feet and that you are balanced well. If not you could topple over or worse shoot the golf club into your foot.

1. Take your golf club into your hands with a firm but flexible grip. Relax your wrist movements so that you can take a calculated swing.

1. Next, bend your knees slightly so they are flexed. The hips, knees and legs should be nicely synchronized if you are to take the first shot. Your right leg should be flexed.

1. At the same time, your arms will be coming into play. Your shoulders should be turning into your right hip. You will know you have the right stance when your chin is hanging above your left shoulder.

1. Finally, with a swift and firm motion, take your swing. Practice these shots in the air to gain a little more confidence.

There is not much else I can tell you before entering the advanced techniques the intermediate golfer would use.

I hope you enjoyed my article. If you want to learn advanced strategies to improve your consistency, slice and distance then please visit http://www.articlewatch.info/golfswing.htm

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Perfect Golf Swing Drills For A Better Golf Swing

GOLF SWING

If you're a long time slicer, then these are perfect golf swing drills to help you build a solid swing and teach you how to correct your slice. A straight ball goes much longer than a hooked or sliced shot, and research done by Golf Digest proved this fact to be true. Many professionals such as Jack Nicklaus and the legendary Ben Hogan have had great success by learning to hit a consistent controlled fade. Unlike those legendary players, most players just want to hit straighter golf shots. If you have problems pushing or slicing the golf ball then you're not alone. Slicing is the number one problem that plagues most golf swings.

If you want to stop slicing one golf swing drill perfect for helping to correct a slice is to practice on the range with a club, usually around a five iron to seven iron that has a molded golf grip to make sure your hands stay in the correct position all the way thru your golf swing. Hand position is extremely important throughout the entire swing and a molded golf grip will help to build the proper muscle memory in your hands, wrist, and forearms for a correct swing. The great Harvey Penick once said, "If you're slicing, then look to the hands." That's good advice because the typical slicer can correct their problem by making sure their hands are properly positioned on the golf club throughout the entire golf swing. If the hands aren't positioned correctly the club face can remain open at impact producing the dreaded slice.

One of the most common and affective golf drills for straightening a slice is to turn your hands a little counter clockwise on the golf shaft. Just move your hands around just a bit more than a normal grip would be in the counter clockwise direction. You're slicing because your hands haven't turned over at impact so the club face is still a bit open. Although this tip doesn't work with all golfers you may find that this swing drill will help you close the face of the club at impact and hit a much straighter golf shot.

Another common mistake golfers make is that they don't keep their left shoulder down through their swing. If your left shoulder comes up before impact the tendency is for the arms to turn outward towards impact which opens the face of the club and produces a sliced golf shot. Golfer who tend to raise their head up before impact often find themselves slicing because they also raise their left shoulder and turn their chest too quickly. A great golf swing drill for keeping your head and shoulder down through your golf swing is to turn your head back to your right (this example refers to a right handed golfer) and look back at the ball with your eyes instead of looking straight down. This will give you an extra split second over the ball during your swing and help you keep your head down.

Breaking it down simply, if you want to stop slicing then you're going to have to stop spinning the golf ball clockwise. Whatever is causing you to slice is probably now a habit within your swing if you've played for any length of time. In order to stop slicing you'll have to identify what part of your golf swing is causing you to leave the club face open at impact. You may want to spend an hour with a golf professional who will video tape your golf swing and will help you pinpoint your problem area. There's also a ton of inexpensive literature on the Internet that will show you the swing drills that work and that will help you develop a better golf swing.

On your next outing to the driving range take your video recorder and a friend and tape yourself hitting a variety of your clubs just like you would on the golf course. Video taping your swing is one of the most effective ways of finding your swings weak or problem areas. Get a good book of golf swing drills and sit back on your couch and tear your swing apart. Not only will you learn more about proper swing techniques but you'll be on your way to a smoother more consistent swing and lower scores.

You can find out more about Golf Swing Drills by visiting Perfect Golf Swing

Zach Micaels has a great section of recommended books, videos, and tapes that will help you perfect your golf swing.

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Golf Swing Analyzer

GOLF SWING

Your golf swing is key to taking your golf game to new heights. Your swing tells us if you are on your way of hitting the ball right or not. No wonder golfer, beginners and the experienced ones alike, take much time to work on their swing.

A golf swing analyzer as well as other training aids can help raise the level of your game, score better and derive more satisfaction from the golf course. All of this can happen by first honing your golf swing to perfection.

Of course one way of improving your game is take professional golf lessons or enlist in various golf clinics. But this approach can take so much of your time, not to mention the cost it entails. A golf swing analyzer, in contrast, entails you to spend only once. You can also use it to practice your game whenever you are free and even at home. You can easily shop for this equipment online, and choose from many golf swing analyzer models being offered at various price ranges. Visiting your local sports shop, golf club or golf retail stores may also help you find a golf swing analyzer that is just right for you.

A golf swing analyzer allows you to see with the help of a video camera what adjustments might be needed in your swing to improve it. Your swing can be seen from various angles, thus it becomes easier for you to detect the flaws in your movements. If you own a video camera, you can set it behind you and document your swing yourself, using different golf clubs.

There are many types of golf swing analyzer. An impact indicator type is easy to use and quite popular. It is a piece of strip that you can put on the face of any club. It tells you exactly where your club face impacted on the golf ball after hitting it. An accurate swing results in the golf ball being squarely hit by your club face. The swing's impact will register on the sweet spot or right in the middle of the club face. This golf swing analyzer thus tells you if your club face stays square or not. Practicing to hit the golf ball with the sweet spot of drivers or irons can develop a swing that puts in greater distance and power to your every shot.

A basic exercise is one more golf swing analyzer technique that can be applied even without spending for equipment or expensive lessons. You can do this by taking a coin and placing it atop your right shoe if you are right handed, and on top of your left shoe if you are left-handed. You can tell if your swing is well balanced if you try one normal stroke and see if the coin stayed on the top of your shoe.

Hermilando Aberia is an expert in social development work with at least 22 years of professional experience as either consultant or key staff member of health, community development, education and local governance projects. He has a Master's Degree in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management. Contact Information: B21 L59 Kassel Kristina Heights, Tacloban City, Philippines. Mobile: (+63) 9058664106; Website: http://www.freewebs.com/ahd114

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Golf Swing Tips

GOLF SWING

Watch out for these 5 golf fallacies that will absolutely destroy your golf swing!

These 5 golf swing falsehoods have ruined more golf swings than I care to imagine. I believe these 5 so called " golf swing tips" are the reason the average golfer's handicap has stayed the same for the past 20 years - Even with all the advancements in golf equipment technology.

I will be pulling the curtain back on some golf swing tips you may consider as gospel...so please keep an open mind.

Top 5 Golf Fallacies That Are Ruining Golfer's Game:

1. RELAX - Pure rubbish! How many times have you heard this golf swing tip from a golf pro or a playing partner? The golf swing is a violent action - is there any other violent action you take when you relax? - of course not - This is foolish advice.

2. Be Loose. This is the second cousin of "Relax". When you are "loose" in the golf swing your hips are NOT restricted therefore you will NOT have that important coil in your backswing robbing you of much power.

3. Take The Club Back Inside - More rubbish! I'm sure you've heard many times how the correct golf swing is from the inside. So some golfers yank the club way inside early in their backswing thinking this will allow them to hit from the inside. These golfers are shocked when they still hit the golf ball from the outside. Hitting the golf ball from the inside comes from proper hip and shoulder action at the start of the downswing. You can take the club back way outside and still hit the ball from the inside - look at Jim Furyk - he takes the club way back to the outside however his move from the top of the swing is pure and from the inside.

4. The Golf Club Is On The Same Plane Going Back As It Is Coming Down. Again, this golf swing tip has been misguiding golfers for generations. The path of the clubface is much more to the inside during the downswing than during the backswing in a sound golf swing This is because a proper golf swing has a lateral shift of the hips which drops the club into the all important "slot" early in the downswing. This action of the left hip automatically puts the path of the clubface much more to the inside than the path going back.

5. Rotate The Hips To Start The Downswing. This one piece of golf swing snake oil has probably ruined more swings because the golfer spins out of the swing when starting down. Turning the hips to start the downswing forces you to throw the golf club to the outside causing terrible mis-hits. Again, the correct move is a lateral shift of the left hip to start the downswing and the hips will then turn automatically. It is possible to NOT have this lateral shift and still turn the hips from the top - however, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have the lateral shift of the left hip to start the downswing and the hips NOT turn.

Hit 'em Long and Straight!

John Lynch

To read reviews on Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf which expose these fallacies in detail, John recommends you visit: FourMagicMovesReviews

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