Golf Training Aids -- How to Choose the Right Ones.

Deciding which golf instruction book to buy can be very challenging. All seem pricey and you start to see the same material over and over. Some have many pictures, some are all words, some even have diagrams and formulas that you have to figure out. The goal in buying a golf instruction book is to help your game. You must find one that fits your personal needs and reflects directly on your own problems.

I have been around the game of golf for nearly 20 years. Being that I am only 24 this seems like a lifetime of knowledge for me. I have read many instruction books and visited many teachers. I want to help people locate the right books for their needs. Your first step will be to identify the need your golf game has. For example, if you tend to blow up on one or two holes a round maybe you need a mental game book. Or if you seem to three putt every hole maybe you need a book with tips on putting. Trust me whatever your need is, there has been a book written on it.

Your next step, after you have determined which section of books to look in, will be to find one that you understand. If you learn best by seeing then find some that have instructional videos or maybe you learn better by mimicking. If you learn better by mimicking try to find one with lots of pictures. If you have pictures you can use a mirror to copy their moves and feel what it is like to be in the right positions. If you learn by hearing then find some that have audio tapes. These come in handy if you travel a distance to the course, you can pop in the tape on the way to play. I have had great success with these. Whatever the case is for your personal learning experience make sure you get what will work for you!

Finally, do not be fooled by great advertising. Make sure what you buy meets the qualifications you need. If your left handed make sure it has a section dedicated to lefty's. Always make sure what you buy addresses your needs. This way no money spent will be wasted.

These are a few rules that I go by when purchasing a new instructional book. As stated before the market is full of books, videos, and gadgets to help your golf game. Everyone needs help every now and then so make sure when you are in a time of need that you purchase a product that will really help you and your golf game.

Pure Point Golf Book $47.00

If You Want to Improve Your Golf Game Then Stop Watching the Professionals.

We would all like to be able to play like Tiger Woods and many of the other top professionals and millions of golfers around the world watch television, dvds and videos or read magazine articles every day looking for ways in which they can copy the success of their chosen role model. Unfortunately however this simply doesn't work.

Unlike most of us, Tiger Woods does not fit in a quick round of golf on his way home from work or on a Saturday morning before taking the family out to do the weekly shop. For him golf is a job to which he devotes 8 to 10 hours every day either on the golf course, at the driving range or on the practice ground. He has spent years perfecting his art full time and even though he is at the top of the game he still spends countless hours continuing to improve his technique and lift his game.

So, if copying the professionals is not the answer, how can you lift your game to become the best golfer you can be?

The answer to this question is very simple and can be summed up in one word - practice.

The secret to improving your skill level in just about any walk of life is practice but most golfers fail not because they do not already know this, but because they do not really understand just what is required when it comes to practice.

If you watch most novice and intermediate golfers you will find that about 90% to 95% of their practice time is spent on the driving range where they are mainly concerned with improving distance on their long game. However, if you watch the professionals you will find that they spend a lot less time practicing their long game and a lot more time working on their short game and putting skills. Indeed, you will find that many professional golfers spend as much as 80% of their time off the course concentrating on their short game.

Yes, you do of course need to work on your long game and to improve your distance and accuracy off the tee and on the longer holes. However, you also need to spend time working on your chipping, pitching, bunker shots and putting and this means scheduling in less time on the driving range and more time on the practice ground.

Think about it for a moment. If you analyze your score card you will find that about half of your score comes from shots which are made within 75 yards of the hole so doesn't it make sense to spend half of your practice time on improving these shots?

The secret to improving your game and reaching your full potential as a golfer lies in devoting sufficient time to practicing and, more importantly, to practicing all aspect of your game and not simply your driving ability.

"It's So Easy,
A Monkey Can Do It!"

Donald Saunders has been writing articles on a range of topics for many years now. Come and visit his latest website which provides information about Club Car golf carts and Club Car accessories as well as a great deal more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Saunders

Perfecting the Pitch and Run Or Bump and Run Golf Shot in Your Golf Game.

One technique which you need to include in your short game arsenal is the 'pitch and run' or 'bump and run' which is designed to keep your ball low and run in onto the green in windy conditions.

As with all shots the first thing you need to do is to select the right club and most golfers will tell you that the ideal club for the 'pitch and run' is a 7 iron or, if you need a little less loft and more distance because you are still a long way from the green (say more than 150 feet), a 5 iron.


Now the choice of clubs is always something of a thorny subject so here is my advice. Do not worry about what the experts say and, whatever shot you are trying to make, take the club which you are most comfortable with and in which you have the most confidence. Practice with all of the clubs in your bag in a wide variety of different situations and then choose whichever club works best for you in each case.

Once you have chosen your club position yourself to take your shot just as you would for any normal pitch shot. Remember that you want to address the ball so that your front foot is at a 45 degree angle to the target line and your shoulders and body are open and almost facing the target. The ball should also be positioned in the middle of your stance.

When it comes to taking your swing imagine that you are looking at a large clock face straight in front of you. Now the arc of your swing will depend upon the distance you want your ball to fly, remembering that you want your ball to land in front of the green so that it can then run up onto the putting surface.

To begin practicing this shot you should aim to take your club back to no farther than 4 o'clock on your imaginary clock face and then follow through to no more than 7 o'clock. You can then adjust this arc to suit your own style of play and will find that the farther back you take the club the farther your ball will fly. The secret however is to keep the arc as small as possible.

Two other things to remember. First, you must ensure that the arc of your swing, on the back swing, down swing and follow through, remains on your target line throughout. Second, your swing must be relaxed and fluid and you must not slow the club head as it strikes through the ball.

As with all golf shots the 'pitch and run' is something which you must practice over a range of distances and in differing wind conditions. The secret however is to choose the right club for you, stick to the simple rules of the shot and, above all, relax, swing naturally and let your club do the work.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Saunders

Golf Tips: How to Improve Your Irons Golf Game.

One complaint I hear a lot from golfers is that they have no power with their irons. Their approach shots balloon weakly to the right and fall short.

That high-right miss comes from trying to help the ball in the air -- exactly what many people think they have to do. Their instincts are to hang back on the right foot and scoop the ball. The left wrist bends backward or cups, which adds loft, turning an 8-iron, for example, into a 9-iron or wedge. And there's that weak shot they hate.

To be a good iron player, you must hit down and through the ball without trying to help it up. Here are two good swing thoughts: (1) Keep everything moving forward through impact -- your weight, your hands and arms, the grip end of the club; (2) hit with the back of your left hand facing the target. Feel as if you're backhanding the ball at impact. You'll deliver the club with the correct loft, so an 8-iron behaves like an 8-iron, and you'll hit more greens.

Butch Harmon
Golf Digest, November 2009

Golf Tips: Grip Down on Short Irons to Improve Your Accuracy.

Think of your 8-iron, 9-iron and pitching wedge as pure accuracy clubs. If you want to hit the ball close consistently with these short irons, grip down about an inch. In most situations, you don't want your short irons to fly too high and balloon -- typically a result of overswinging and trying to hit them too hard. This makes it difficult to control their carry distance, particularly in windy conditions.

Gripping down not only helps you make a compact swing, it allows you to better control the trajectory -- you want your short irons to pierce the air. Be sure you can see a piece of the butt end of the grip (right), and focus on swinging through smoothly.

David Leadbetter
GolfDIgest.com, November 2009

Golf Tips: How to Escape the Rough.

If you shoot about 100, your best bet is to pitch out and set up your next shot. To get better out of the rough, try this drill: Drop a golf ball in long grass, then place a second golf ball a foot behind it and practice hitting out without touching the second golf ball. Play the ball back in your stance, lean on your front foot, and hit down hard.

-- Dave Maga
Golf Digest Schools Instructor

How to Correct a Golf Slice -- Golf Training Aid

The golfers slice has more than one cause, and if you want to know how to cure a slice in golf you need to identify what is causing you to slice. In general terms, the problem could be an incorrect grip, the body alignment could be wrong, the ball position in the setup might be wrong as well, so might the angle of the club face.

In view of these many factors coming in to play, your job is to find what is making you slice, by eliminating each one of these causes.

The golfers slice is a common fault among handicap golfers, and can be very destructive if left uncorrected. When you play holes with an out of bounds on the right, or a selection of hazards down the right fairway, you will soon see what I mean. It is not only the trouble the shot puts you in, but it takes a lot of length off your shots as well.

Bear in mind that the slice in golf can be caused when the swing is in progress, rather than have its cause in the setup. This cure for the golf slice deals with the address position only.

1. Do not grip the club too tightly as this can prevent you from pivoting fully. What happens next is the hands and arms pull the club across the ball from an outside to in swing plane. The result is a sliced golf shot.

2. Make sure the club head is square to the ball at the address. It is easy for the novice golfer to inadvertently open the club face at the setup, and from there it is likely to stay open through the rest of the swing.

If you do not know what a square position for the club face looks like, stand opposite someone who does, then go grip the club from them , without moving the club. You might be in for a surprise when you try this.

3. Your body must be aligned square to the intended target. That means you shoulders, hips and feet must be square to the chosen line of flight. If the stance is open or closed, your body will try to compensate for this during the swing, and the shot will be sliced.

4. Ball position. You must know the correct ball position for each of the clubs in your bag. If the ball position with the driver, for instance, is too far forward, the impact is delayed and the swing path is to the inside track. The club face is no longer square to the line of flight, rather it is travelling to the left as the club face passes from the outside to in, causing a slice.

I hope this article helps you in some way to cure your golf slice.

For more golf swing tips and advice on how to improve your golf game, visit: How To Be Better At Golf, or see http://i-golfswingtips.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Woodrow

Choosing the Correct Golf Training Aid to Improve Your Golf Swing.

Choosing the correct golf aid to help you improve your swing comes down to choice. You can either hire a pro golf instructor or try a golf trainer. New gold aids such as a dual hinged golf clubs are unique in that they enable you to master correct timing and tempo and ensure that your swing in falling into the correct plane.

Another unique feature is their ability to provide instant feedback if you hit outside the parameters just mentioned. The design and the way that a dual hinge golf trainer works is very interesting. If you swing out of tempo, or without correct timing, or are swinging outside the correct swing plane, the dual hinge opens and the club instantly breaks at the hinge. Therefore, if you have a flaw in your swing, either on the take away, back swing, down swing or follow through, the golf trainer instantly recognizes this and breaks at the hinge to provide you with instant feedback. This is great as it allows you to know exactly where your flaw is and what to work on, on your very next swing. Learning to hit with the club without breaking it is the correct way to ensure you are on your way to a better shot.

The tightness of the dual hinge on the golf swing trainer is adjustable and therefore the sensitivity can be decreased or increased based on skill level. These golf aids are therefore ideal for beginners and professionals alike and a great way to improve your game.

Weighted golf clubs are also great tools to help you swing better. These clubs are scientifically designed and engineered to fall into the correct plane each time you swing them, teaching you correct timing and tempo. By practicing with these clubs you train your muscles and ingrain good technique into your muscle memory that carries over to the course. The next time you want to improve your golf game consider golf aids like swing trainers to help you do it!

Learn more about Golf aids and golf swing trainers and how they can instantly help improve your golf swing!

John spends most of his time traveling to the very best golf destinations playing on and reviewing golf courses and the latest golf products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Senaca

Golf Equipment: Selecting The Right Golf Putter For Your Golf Game.

Buying a golf putter that’s right for you isn’t easy. You need to do your homework to find one that fits both your golf budget and your golf game, which means learning the different types of golf putters and golf clubheads available and their advantages. But doing your homework is worth it because having a good golf putter, as I often say in my golf lessons, shaves strokes off your golf handicap.

The key considerations when looking for a golf putter are price, quality, type, golf clubhead, and alignment system. Face insert, loft, and hosel are additional considerations. I’ve talked about these considerations in my golf tips, but here’s some additional information about them.

Price/Quality

Prices for golf putters range from $30 to $250 or more. Usually, the higher the price, the better the quality. While buying quality is nice, you don’t have to overspend to find the right golf putter. Consider putters from all price ranges before investing, but look for one that feels right to you and fits your budget. That can take time, but if you look hard enough, you just might find a good but inexpensive golf putter that will work as well as an expensive one.

Type

Golf putter types include traditional, belly, and long. Most players use a traditional golf putter, which allows for the best blend of feel and mechanical precision. Traditional putters demand “quiet” wrists, a big hurdle for some. They also affect golfers with bad backs. Hence, the increased use of the belly and the long putters. Nevertheless, they’re easier to master than the belly or long putters, which is why I cover them in my golf lessons.

The belly golf putter provides a third point of contact - the abdomen— between the putter and the player, the other two being your hands. This golf putter adds stability and balance to your golf stroke. The belly putter enables a golfer to control his wrist action and assume a near perfect position for golf putting, but the club’s longer shaft and generally thicker grip inhibits feel and feed back. Distance control is also a problem.

Long golf putters provide a stroke with a true pendulum arc, are great for players with bad backs, and completely eliminate wrist action, but they inhibit feel, feed back, and distance control even more than belly putters. Many players consider them the “last refuge” for players with highly active wrists, but you’ll often see them used by pros on the tour who are having trouble with their golf putting.

Clubhead

Golf putters come with blade, cavity back, and mallet clubheads. A blade has the clubhead’s weight distributed to the heel or bottom of the putter, leaving a thin top line to view when addressing the ball. It is harder to control than a cavity back or a mallet. A cavity back features a hollow area in the middle of the club- the golf clubhead’s back, creating a larger sweet spot. A golf mallet putter is bigger than traditional putter’s clubhead but its shape varies widely. Also check out the face-balanced and the heel-toe-weighted mallets, which promote a straight stroke and minimize mishits.

Alignment System

Aligning the golf putter to the hole is critical to sinking the putt, as I emphasize in my golf lessons. If the putter isn’t lined up properly, the ball won’t go in regardless of how well it’s hit. Try finding a golf putter with a visual aid to help you line up the club with the hole, one that you feel comfortable and confident with. There’s no research showing that one alignment system is better than another, so choose one that feels right to you. But make sure you buy a golf putter that has one.

Additional Considerations

Face inserts are available in a variety of materials including metal, rubber, ceramic, plastic, glass, and wood. They provide more feel and feedback, better define a club’s sweet spot, and increase heel-toe weighting. They are nice but not necessary, which I’ve often mentioned in my golf tips.

Believe it or not, golf putters come with about 4 degrees of loft, which keeps the golf ball from bouncing when struck. Most golfers use a putter with standard loft because their hands are vertical to the ball at impact. Loft can be added or taken away depending on where your hands are when you hit the ball.

A golf putter with an offset shaft or hosel appeals to many recreational golfers. The offset helps them address the ball with their forward eye over the ball and a good line of sight to the hole. More importantly, the offset helps them keep their hands ahead of the ball when putting, increasing accuracy.

Golf instruction aside, a good golf putter is critical to improving your golf handicap. But choosing a putter is mostly a matter of feel, so look for one that feels comfortable. If you find a golf putter you think fits your game, try it before purchasing it. Some golf stores have small putting greens that allow you to test a putter. Others will let you take the putter home to test. By all means, do so. It’s the only way to really know.

Putting Secrets Revealed $37.00

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. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

Article Source: Adapted from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Moorehouse

Golf Apparel: How to Choose Golf Apparel and Golf Shoes

Wearing the right golf apparel can have a large impact on how much you enjoy the game. Really, you should consider the golf clothing that you wear for each round as part of your golf equipment. It's just that important!

Acceptable golf apparel has changed radically over the years since golf's birth, as early golfers used to wear jackets and ties as they went around the course. In fact, many modern-day observers of the golf game feel that the kind of restrictive clothing that the early golfers wore had an adverse impact on their scores, simply because the apparel did not allow for much freedom of movement.

As golf continue to make progress and become more popular, the styles began to change and knickers became very popular golf apparel for a long time. In the 1960s and and 1970s a shift to more comfortable golf clothing was made by many of the top players, although some of the styles would be considered loud by today's standards.

Since that time, a lot of progress has been made in developing fabrics and materials for golf apparel that make the golf game more comfortable to play under most conditions. And so today, there is a wide range of style that is acceptable on most golf courses, as the emphasis has shifted more to comfort instead.

Many of the newer, more modern fabrics are very good at wicking moisture away from the skin as we perspire. This has a tendency to make the golfer feel much more comfortable as they complete their round. So when looking for golf apparel, try to look for some of these newer fabrics as they will most likely have a positive effect on your enjoyment of the game. And make sure to buy golf apparel that will allow for easy, freedom of movement throughout your swing.

Golf shoes are an important part of your ensemble, as they not only contribute toward your appearance but also can substantially help improve your game. The golf swing calls for a lot of torque and motion in your body as it rotates to build that the energy needed for the golf shot. And because of that rotation, it's very easy for your footing to slip out of place. Having a good set of golf shoes helps solve that problem by anchoring your feet to the ground instead.

These days, golf shoes come in all kinds of styles and designs so it's easy to find something that fits your personality. But the most important part of the golf shoe is what is underneath that holds you to the ground. In the past you could expect to see metal spikes on the bottom of almost every golf shoe made, but more modern golf shoes employ dimpled plastic spikes instead that still do a good job of giving you a solid foundation for your swing, and yet are easier on the golf course itself.

Another piece of golf apparel that should not be overlooked is a golf rain suit, as it's very easy to encounter rain in most parts of the country while you are playing a round of golf. If you happen to be far away from the clubhouse when the rain begins, having a good golf rain suit to put on can be really handy.

If you use the practical considerations that are listed above for golf apparel and golf shoes you should be able to make a good choice on the golf eqipment that you buy.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including golf. You can find ladies golf apparel and mens golf apparel by visiting our Golf Tips website.

Article Source: adapted from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steadman_Issenburg

Golf Tips: Put Your Best Foot Forward To Improve Your Golf Game.

Golf shoes are an important part of golf for both the golf game and the golf player. On a Game Level, different golf shoes and their respective golf spikes cause daily damage to the course. The traditional metal golf spike was the major offender and has been banned from most golf courses. The introduction of golf softspikes in the early 1980s has helped reduce wear and tear on the fairways and greens. The most promising shoe is the new generation spikeless golf shoe which minimizes damage to all playing surfaces.

For the average player, golf course damage is key for a couple of reasons. First, the resulting maintenance adds to the golfers playing fees. Second, it affects the playing quality of the turf and respectively the golfer’s score for the money paid to play. Neither is a good thing.

USGA.COM reports that golf is one of the few games, perhaps the only one, where the player's own golf equipment [specifically] spiked shoes -- directly, undeniably, and significantly affects the most critical playing surface of the game - the putting green.

The growing market trend is to promote spikeless golf shoes and there are some very good reasons why. From a Player Level there is no residual maintenance fees for spikeless golf shoes. Additionally, the golf shoes offer the same if not better technology related to comfort and play. Finally, they are kind to the golf course.

GolfIllustrated.com reports that there are a few primary players that make up the market for spikeless golf shoes. That is good news [since} they are focused on bringing golfers the best golf equioment possible, including incredible technology, fantastic fashions, comfort never imagined possible just 10 years ago and [with ]game-enhancing designs.

While each golf manufacturer has done special research and testing to enhance their respective golf products all have tried to improve golf shoes in a number of key areas: outsoles durability and traction; insole comfort related to fit and feel AKA athletic last; and, materials related to endurance and flexibility. GolfDigest.com and the websites of the manufacturers highlight the following:

Adidas Golf Shoes: Adidas spikeless golf shoes are known for their unconventional coloring, styles and technologies. One of Adidas main features is the Clima Cool system that keeps the foot cool and dry through their waterproof technologies. They also feature Z-Traxion technology with lateral and linear design to maximize grip on surface areas. And, the manufacturer’s patented torsion system helps to control excess movement and maintain stability for the golfer through play.

Etonic Golf Shoes: Etonic offers a durable spikeless mens golf shoe that is innovative in providing comfort and traction. Its new G-SOK features a wide-platform outsole made from a high-abrasion Goodyear rubber that's 20 times more durable than conventional rubber. This makes the gripping nubs super strong, and since they don't require receptacles, the shoe is even more lightweight and flexible. Etonic also offers a spikeless womens golf shoe with the same quality features.

Footjoy Golf Shoes: The FootJoy offers spikeless mens golf shoes in a variety of styles and colors. Most are of leather construction with a durable rubber outsole. They feature of the EVA Fit-Bed®, a lightweight removable insole that does not set, so the cushioning will remain the same for the life of the shoe. FootJoy spikeless shoes also feature Slip Last Construction. a technique often used in running shoes. This technique offers more contour and flexibility for comfort in the shoe. FootJoy also offers spikeless womens golf shoes with the same quality features.

Nike Golf Shoes: Nike goes From Air to Zoom. Nike spikeless mens golf shoes combines a deep heel Air-Sole unit together with cushioned forefront Air unit to provide lightweight comfort with enhanced feel and performance through your weight shift. Their ultra-flexibleT@C4 (Traction at Contact) Spikeless outsole technology provides maximum traction, stability and flexibility. The Nike spikeless shoe has an athletic last built for well-rounded toe and fuller forefoot area for room to waggle and a standard instep. Nike also offers a spikeless womens golf shoe with the same quality features.

Whatever you choose to wear golf shoes are the most basic part of your golf equipment. Old or new, spiked or spikeless, expensive or inexpensive golf shoes will make the difference in how you play. If you are in pain, slipping, sliding and swearing through eighteen holes what good does it do? Visit HOT LINKS. to put your best foot forward to improve your golf game.