Irons: Breaking Up is Hard to do!

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a great car, but you've probably traded it in by now. You've also chucked the cassette tapes. Why? Because better-performing options came along, making them obsolete. It's time to apply that thinking to your irons.

The main reason golfers hold on to irons past their prime is that the technology is often hidden in a plain shape and presented in a quiet way. Such visual understatement leads consumers to believe irons are short on science and engineering, making their clubs as good as new ones. That is shortchanging the upgraded benefits of today's models.

The creative use of technology and materials has never been more prevalent in irons. Some of it you see (better-designed soles to improve turf interaction) and some you don't (optimal center-of-gravity positions).

Additionally, driver technologies, such as trampoline faces and high moment of inertia, have trickled down to irons. That wasn't the case five years ago.

You might consider your old irons to be trusted allies, but new ones will give you a better chance to get reacquainted with someone you might not have seen in a while: Mr. Green In Regulation.


Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/2010-05/obsolete-list-irons#ixzz0mW95mT4m

Starting the new golf season ...

For most of the golfers in the U.S. it is finally time to get out and play some golf again. The beginning of another golf season will bring the same old challenges as every year. Rusty swings, chunky chip shots, and terrible putts are awaiting us all. Chances are that it will take a dozen rounds or so before the swing and short game come back but there are some steps that can minimize the damage.

Average golfers tend to favor one club at the range, the driver. This is the exact opposite of any decent players. If the entire game of golf is analyzed, it is easy to see that the driver is rarely hit. The majority of shots are played from 100 yards and in. Given this information it does not make much sense to sit on the range and hit drives all day.

Start of the season at the short game practice area. The first trip to the range should consist completely of putts, chips, and pitch shots. Going to the range and shanking a bucket of drivers is not going start the season off in the correct fashion. Practicing the short game for the majority of the range session will improve your game.

In the early season, concentrate on tempo and solid contact. Find drills that address a specific problem in your swing and work on them as much as possible. If help is needed finding drills please comment with the swing or flight path problem and a recommended drill will be given.

Make the most of this season and start it out the right way. Get the short game in order straight away and your golfing buddies will be paying out all the skins.

Source: blog.americangolf.com

How to Beat the Breaks.

This story is for you if...
1. You always read your putts from behind the ball...
2. ...even on severely sloping greens

The Fault
You're missing badly on breaking putts, which leads to fewer birdies and pars and more bogeys. The simple reason for your struggle is poor green-reading technique and alignment.

The Fix
If you want to get a proper read, you need to look at the putt from behind the line you plan to start the ball on, rather than the one that runs directly from the ball to the hole. To do so, pick a spot where you think the apex of the putt (maximum break) will be and examine the putt by looking from behind your ball to that spot. Set the putterhead square to the chosen target line and then walk into your setup, always keeping in mind that your actual target is the apex of the break, not the hole. Stroke the putt to this spot without being distracted by the actual hole. Use this technique consistently, and your green-reading — as well as your results on breaking putts — will improve dramatically.

Align Design
Finding your ball-to-apex line is only half the battle — you must also be able to align your putterface square to it. Any good putter will feature effective aiming lines. If yours doesn't, consider purchasing a new model. I designed a line of Coutour putters with a large arrow on the back end to help you point your putter easily and consistently. For more info, visit coutourgolf.com.

Post by Todd Sones
GolfMagazine.com

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

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

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

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