Swing Better Golf Better

Most golfers will say the hardest part of their game is focus. Often overlooked in golf is the mental game. Do you have a friend that breaks 80 on every round? Why is that? Practice makes perfect. What they usually do not share is, what they are practicing at. They practice at mental toughness; golf has often been referred to as 10% Talent 90% mental. When overcoming that mental side of golf, do you try to change your equipment, the time at which you play, maybe even they guys you play with. Here are some tips that are going to help you be, the golfer, you always wanted to be.

The tempo of golf is often a distraction for golfers, you are stuck behind a slow foursome DISTRACTING or maybe the guys behind you are rushing you DISTRACTING and you feel that pressure to golf faster. Well Tempo of the game should never affect the tempo of your swing. The tempo of your swing is so important; to achieve the desired results. How do I find my tempo you ask? A golfer can find their tempo by doing these simple things:

SLOW DOWN!! People often think that if they can swing faster and hit the ball harder they will get results, this is not the case at all. SLOW DOWN and focus on YOUR tempo not the tempo of the game. This is true is some instances, but, for the sake of this article we will not be discussing those concepts. The tempo we are talking about today, how you are going to have the same back swing, contact point, and follow through no matter what club you are using or what part of the course you are playing from. How do you practice tempo? While at the driving range your focus should only be on one club at a time. Take your driver and hit 20 balls, then take your 9 iron and hit 20 balls work your way in 3W-8I and on until you have hit them all. To perfect your back swing come to the same position every time. When you contact the ball make sure you are contacting the ball at the same rate of speed with every club. If You swing hard with woods you should swing hard with irons do not let the club size dictate you tempo. You really want to be swinging all of your clubs at the same speed, you will see great improvement on how well you make contact with the ball. Follow through is the same as your back swing you need to follow through the same on every shot. How you follow through directly affect your accuracy. When you focus on these three techniques you will find that your mental game will improve.

After the practice on the driving range is done you will want to head to the chipping green. Start by working with your wedges, then move on to you short irons. Practice 100 chips with each club. When you start in the deep stuff focus on yout tempo and making sure you land every ball on the green. If you are hitting the ball with the same tempo every time, your chipping will be more accurate. Chipping is a tool to get to the green, not a tool to keep you from having to putt. Many careers have been made from singles and doubles hitters it is not just the home run hitters that decide how games turnout. If you can keep your mind focused on the task at hand you are going to chip and hit the green every time. Now take your 8I and 9I over to the short grass and work on your bump and run. Tempo is still your main focus you are just using a club for a different shot, the tempo is still the same though. Your tempo is what matters!! Imagine you are still hitting that same wedge, Change the Club not the Tempo!!

Putting Putting Putting! This is not rocket science but yet very misunderstood? We have now gone from Driving range tempo to chipping tempo to putting tempo the TEMPO does not change only the environment. What you want to practice here is the same thing! You want to work on your tempo. You putt the same every time, you will not be changing your swing ever. The only part about putting that changes is the distance. Start with 10 balls and putt then in from 1ft away from the hole. Move your self out 1ft for every 10 balls you sink in a row. Tempo is key when you are trying to stay focused.

The goal for these exercises is to teach your to go through the same steps every time. You are trying to create a tempo that you are going to follow, now matter what is going on around you. Seeing results is going to depend on how much time you take to find your tempo!! If you want the proven results of the pros you need to create a time line in your mind (90% mental) that you will follow no matter where you are, or whom you are playing with. When your body starts to do the same thing every single time, your mind will become more focused on the task at hand.

Get Rid of the Back Swing Dip From Your Golf Game

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The PurePoint Golf swing theory points you in the right direction and gives you a system of fundamentals to measure yourself against. In golf this is really important; however situations arise where you just can’t figure out why you are having certain difficulties. Whether your problem is hitting behind the ball or hitting the ball thin, sometimes we are clueless to where the problem lies.

I teach a fairly horizontal swing plane in comparison to most. Even though there are several major benefits to this version of the golf swing certain complications can arise very quickly. This tip in particular was designed to keep golfers from striking behind the ball. My objective is to inform you of all areas of the golf swing, so that when certain situations come up, you can adjust accordingly. And ultimately checkpoints pre-established.

• The player(s) back shoulder in his/her backswing dips down; meaning that the back shoulder is dipping towards the ground. This is hard to do when you have no lateral movement or weight shift back and away from the target, as we instruct. However, this is very common among players that have a horizontal swing plane. The normal action is to lower your back shoulder as your swing plane becomes more horizontal.
• Please understand that if you dip your back shoulder in your backswing this could cause many different problems in you swing. Your timing, hand position at impact, weight shift through the ball, and the follow-through position could all be negatively affected.

Solution

• Fortunately there is simple solution. Go to the range and take a golf ball. Place the golf ball underneath your back foot (please make sure that ½ the ball is in the ground so that you don’t fall). If a ball is uncomfortable use a towel or something that is at least an inch off the ground. The golf ball/object should be placed underneath your back heel in order to ensure that you have no weight transfer and that your back shoulder does not dip in your backswing.
• Then just take your normal swing. If you choose you can hit the ball or you can just take a few practice swings. Resist dipping your shoulder in your backswing (keep your back shoulder up and not down). I guarantee that if you master this drill you will make solid contact with the ball on a more consistent basis.
• This drill will force you to practice a swing with no weight shift back and away from your goal and simultaneously help you with dipping your back shoulder.

Practice this drill and be aware that if you are having difficulty hitting behind the ball at any point in your round, the problem could lie in shoulder position in your backswing. To learn more go to PurePoint Golf Instruction
PurePoint also offers great golf training aids

A Golf Fitness Coach Equals Cool Golf

Golf fitness coach. Have you ever considered one…and if so, what systematically were you looking for? There are several ‘frequent fitness’ trainers trying to get a piece of the golf fitness and training market that seems to be speedily gaining exposure together on the television and inside print thanks to Tiger, Vijay and Annika.

But the first thing you require to believe when looking into hiring a golf fitness coach or program is the trainers experience in golf.

Yes…that is high on the list of requirements. Does he/she know golf? Do they know the biomechanics of the golf swing? How about muscle function during the golf swing?

An easy test is during the initial interview or if you’re researching it online is to either ask very golf specific swing method questions; or take a look at the reality on the website. You’ll discover out real quick if this person or program can assist your golf swing, game and health.

A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate power, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

It’s simple for a trainer to have a strength component…but is it specific to golf? A quick test. Take a look at several of the exercises. Are any of them on seated machines for instance? If they are…run! This is NOT a golf fitness coach and/or program. This is considered ‘frequent fitness’.

Currently stretching. There are dozens of stretches for all citizens. But take a look at a few of them. Do they even remotely look like they will gain your golf swing?

Stretches involving trunk flexibility; lower back; hamstring; and even shoulders specific to the mechanics of the swing are what you desire. Frequent stretches are better than nothing, but will delay your results. You decide specific stretches.

Body awareness. Does several of the exercises resemble golf positions or phases of the swing? Do they look like you would be on your feet and inside your golf posture? Because stated over, if they are seated on machines, your body will learn nothing in regards to your golf swing.

Training your body specific to golf incorporates positions almost identical to what your body would be inside during some section of the golf swing.

Stability. Training your body to increase stability inside your swing can acquire a little complex if you actually decide to see results. The swing happens at between 80-100 miles an hour. One of the biggest flaws of amateur golfers is moving inside their golf swing.

Moving either laterally (sliding), vertically (up and done) or equally. This is death to your golf swing. To improve your stability involves specific strength drills most trainers don’t even know about.

I may go on-and-on about the requirements of a golf fitness coach or program. It is critical you make the correct decision. I have heard horror stories of golfers working using ‘so-called’ golf fitness experts and their game getting worse. Using the proper research this won’t happen to you. So definitely believe a golf fitness coach.

The Secret to Generating More Power in Your Game

GENERATE POWER AT SETUP

We all want more power and distance.Whether you hit the ball 200 or 300 yards, adding an extra 10-15 yards to your driver gives any player confidence and a decisive advantage over the competition.  Over the years as I have taught online golf lessons, many golfers have emailed me consistently with a breakdown of distance per club.  They also provide where they would like to get to; usually 10-15 yards increase off the tee and from the fairway with their irons. The following tip is recommended to players who want an easy way to generate greater distance off the tee.I don’t recommend this set-up from the fairway or around the green, but it will give you and extra 10-15 yards off the tee. The is a simple breakdown including different ways that power and distance is generated in our golf swing (I want you to understand what generates power):

• Solid Ball Contact:  Not on heel or toe.
• Hand rotation through the impact zone.
• Weight shift through the ball.
• Follow Through position: This is more of a check point.Club face up at follow- through = less power.  Club face down at follow-through = more power.

Problem Lack of distance off the tee. Solution I am going to teach you a modified set-up that will allow for maximum power generation.Typically golfers that have a slight draw generate more distance than players that hit a fade, so this set-up will put you in a position to hit a draw.This is also true for players on the pro tour.  The following, are steps to modify your set-up in order to allow for maximum distance generation:

• Go through your normal set-up routine as we teach in the DVD.  Always remember to bend at the hips and not the stomach.
• Close your stance:  Move your trailing foot back so that the toes are parallel to the middle of your leading foot.
• Put a little more weight on your front foot: Instead of 50/50 you’ll have 40% on your trailing leg and 60% of your weight on your leading leg.In essence you’ll almost be leaning a little forward at set-up.
• Knee bend stays the same and take your normal swing, focusing on really shifting your weight & rotating your hands through the impact zone.

These modifications place your body in a more powerful position at set-up. Again please only implement this set-up off the tee.You can try it w/ your irons on the practice range, and if you see amazing results then play with it on the course, but please don’t change your entire set-up for your irons.  This tip is simply a modification to add extra distance off the tee. To learn more golf instruction and how to improve your golf swing check out my site.

Hitting the Ball with Accuracy, Confidence, and Consistency

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“Driving the Golf Ball with Confidence, Accuracy, and Consistency”

The three most important elements to the game of golf is:

1. Driving the golf ball in play.
2. Putting the golf ball with consistent speed control (distance).
3. Pitching the golf ball with loft.

Let’s concentrate on what I consider the MOST important aspect to the game of golf, DRIVING THE GOLF BALL IN PLAY. This aspect of the game is the number one confidence builder in our sport. As you probably know and have experienced, your score adds up quickly if you hit your tee shots out of play.

Here is a bold proclomation for you -if you read this article/special report every time, just before you play a round, your friends will think they are playing with Joe Durant. Joe has led the PGA Tour in driving accuracies for the past two years. So far this year, he is averaging 79% of the fairways every time he plays 18 holes of golf.

If you are going to change the way you drive the golf ball you will need to implement the following four fundamentals:

 

1. THE PICTURE
2. PROPER DRIVER
3. CORRECT TEE HEIGHT
4. CORRECT SWING PLANE

 

1. THE PICTURE

If you can see it, you can have it. Before you take your driver, or any club for that matter, out of your golf bag, you better start seeing what you want the golf ball to look like during its trip down the fairway. Of the millions of words my mother (the first female to teach at a golf school in the United States) passed on to me, the one phrase that has stayed with me all of these years is THE PICTURE. You should have a mental picture of how you want the ball to fly through the air and where you want it to wind up. When you have a driver in your hands, you have to pick out an exact area you want the ball to land on. IF YOU DON’T SEE THE PICTURE, YOU ARE HEADED FOR TROUBLE.

Important Tip: During the course of a round of golf, you can find yourself driving the ball well, but all of the sudden you are faced with a difficult driving hole. Just after I turned professional, I played a practice round with Tommy Bolt the 1958 U.S. Open Champion. We came to great par four, 435 yards long, water down the right side of the fairway from the tee to the green, out of bounds markers down the entire left side of the fairway from the tee to the green. After I teed my golf ball up I turned to Tommy and said, “What do you do here with O.B. left and water right?” Tommy looked me straight in the eye and said “Son, if you see the water and the O.B. markers, you better go find another line of work.”

That stuck with me to this day, and I wanted to pass it on to you. Don’t worry about the challenges, just think about what you want the ball to do. I have benefited immensely during my golf career, and I want you to gain the same benefit from this as well.

2. PROPER DRIVER

Now that you can see the picture, let’s see if you brought the correct brush to paint with. If you are still trying to buy 25 more yards every time you walk into a golf shop. It is time to stop-NOW! If you own a driver where the grip is new, has a graphite shaft, and is metal then you own what it takes to send the golf ball straight down the fairway.

Let’s back up a foot or two. The loft on the golf club will play a major role in how accurate you are. If you are struggling with your driver you might consider buying a driver with at least 10-12 degrees of loft. The less loft a driver has the more you are apt to slice and hook the ball. If you are driving the ball well you can buy a driver with less loft.

An important side note: If you are driving the golf ball short, low and to the right the shaft might be too stiff. If you are driving the golf ball too high and to the left the shaft might be too weak.

Another item to consider if you have small hands, have the club repair shop regrip all of your grips with either a junior grip or a small grip. If your hands are large, have the shop regrip you clubs with oversize grips.

Bottom Line – think about getting the ball in the fairway first, and then focus on distance generation. The chances are, you already own the equipment, that will give you the fairway shots you’re looking for. Remember – It’s the swing, not the equipment. The equipment helps once you have a good swing, but you’ll never FIX your swing with just an equipment upgrade.

3.CORRECT TEE HEIGHT

The tee height does not seem like such a big deal, but it plays a huge roll in whether or not you drive the golf ball consistently down the fairway. Something so simple can often be the biggest challenge.

The two major mistakes are teeing the golf ball too low or teeing the golf ball too high. You may have heard that golf is a game of opposites. This is a fantastic example. Let me explain why. If you are constantly swinging your driver too vertical into the ground in the downswing, you probably tee the golf ball to low. Most golfers with a vertical driver swing fear swinging underneath the golf ball so they tee the ball low in hopes of catching it square. For those of you with this challenge, the next time you are on the golf course, tee the golf ball up a little higher and sit back a little bit more on your heels and keep your weight there in the downswing. After your shot has landed, look down to see if your tee is still in the ground. If you are always conscience of leaving the tee in the ground, you will not pop your tee shots up anymore.

If you are topping your tee shots to the right you might have the ball teed too high because you are trying to hit the ball on the upswing. The next time you go out to play, tee the ball down a little. After the golf ball has landed, make sure your weight is on your left foot and meaning you have transferred your weight correctly.

4. CORRECT SWING PLANE

With this final tip I feel confident you will be on your way to driving the golf ball straighter and with more consistency. The golf club in your bag that swings the most vertical, (up and down) is your sand wedge. The golf club that swings the most horizontal (around you-baseball swing) is your driver. The mistake I have seen most amateur golfers make is that they swing their driver like their sand wedge and they swing their sand wedge like their driver.

A couple of things to remember when you are addressing the driver:

1. Chin up
2. Turn your right shoulder in the back swing level
3. Swing the golf club around you/not up and down
4. Leave the tee in the ground after you hit the ball

When you are ready to begin your backswing, keep your swing thoughts to a minimum. Just think about swinging more horizontal.

At the beginning of this article I promised you would drive the ball more with more consistenency, accuracy, and more confidence if you read this article every time before you tee it up this summer. This stuff seems simple, but give it a whirl and let us knwo your results. You’ll get some really good results.

If you would like to get more indepth golf instruction via golf videos then be sure to follow one of our links in this article.

Happy Golfing-

Bobby Eldridge

Head Professional-PurePoint Golf

 

 

Click Here to see The PurePoint Golf Full Swing DVD

 

Overcoming 7 Common Ball Flight Problems

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Online Golf Lessons

All golfers should know about the seven ball flight problem areas that most golfers face.Now once a golfer faces one of these problems, it is normally a recurring pattern. Falling into little “ruts” with their golf swing sometimes is common for all golfers.Some are worse than others, and some last for longer time periods.When it happens, golfers wonder where the “perfect swing” that we had just a few weeks ago went.

When we begin to understand these seven swing faults, it becomes much simpler to get our swing back when we get into one of these “ruts” with our swing.Below is a compilation of the seven different problems most golfers face (from the right-handed perspective)

1.    Fades (the ball starts straight and then curves right)
2.    Hooking (the ball starts straight and then curves left)
3.    Pushing (the ball goes straight right)
4.    Pulls (the ball goes straight left)
5.    Fat Shots (the club digs into ground before making contact with the ball)
6.    Thin Shots or Topping (the club makes contact with the top of the ball – making the ball fly very low)
7.    Lack of Distance (ball doesn’t seem to go very far)

Now you may be the rare exception that looks at this list and says “I don’t have any of these problem areas.”  However, every golfer – no matter what level – is going to have one of these problems with their swing at some point.And periodically, they show up more than we like to admit.  Some golfers spend the whole season chasing down and correcting various problems that have “popped up” in their swing.

Understanding the problem areas is only the beginning.  The real secret is identifying which problem you have and how to fix it.  I found a set of three free golf instruction videos you can check out that address some of these swing issues. The instruction in these videos will show you how to learn the  golf swing quickly and easily, its unigue because they take evaluations of real student golf swings so that you can see how easy these corrections can be identified and corrected.

Tips to Help Fix Your Golf Swing

One of the questions that I think a lot of people would like to know is, “how long will it take to fix my golf swing .In the next sections, I show you some different approaches you can take.As you read them, it will be up to you to figure out the best approach. 

Swing Fix 1 – Purchase New Equipment

Every golfer has bought new clubs at one time or another to help change their game.   Now, I don’t want to totally discount this fix because buying new clubs can help your game if you’re playing the wrong clubs, or your clubs are not properly fitted to you and your swing. What you should do, is find an experienced clubfitter and have your clubs fitted and your swing checked.

Buying new clubs can fix your swing in a way you may not realize. New club give you a different feeling from your old clubs.Because they feel different, hitting shots with them causes you to take your mind off of your swing.This new feeling totally clears your mind but it doesn’t last long.Using your new clubs for a couple of weeks and they won’t feel all that different so you go right back to thinking about your swing.The best thing to do would be to stop experimenting with new clubs. 

As I mentioned earlier, try to find a professional clubfitter and get fitted.  Then, work on your swing.

Swing Fix 2 – All Those Swing Tps

We’ve all picked up the latest golf magazine and tried the latest free golf tips hoping they will magically get our game back on track.  The problem is, most people don’t know their swing well enough to determine if, in fact, these tips would apply to their swing. If you don’t know your swing well enough, and you try these tips, you may actually be making your swing worse. Plus, a tip is just a tip.  It’s not necessarily going to improve your fundamentals. 

An example of a tip would be to move your hands into a stronger grip positon.A tip like this may help you square the club a little better but it’s is not helping your develop a proper grip.Make sure you’re very careful the next time you experiement with one of these tips from your friend, or in magazines.  A good idea would be to discuss the tip with your head pro or teaching pro first to see if it would be a good fit for your game.Only then should you try it.  If it makes your swing better, great!

Swing Fix 3 – Lack of Focus

So many people are looking for the instant answer that they fall into the trap of trying way too many things all at once.This approach will never work.Unfortunately, this will be too confusing.Also, you may have attempted so many different things that you don’t remember what actually worked.It may have been luck even if you did find something that worked.The way you can truly know if this approach is working is if your game improves well into the future.

Swing Fix 4 – Change One Thing at a Time

The best way to work on swing changes is to work on one thing at a time.If you do it this way, you will keep your focus and not be trying to work on all sorts of different things at once.   In order to work on your swing this way, you need to follow a method or work with a swing coach.By working on your swing this way, you solidify the changes because you are only focused on one thing at a time.Now, I know that you’re probably thinking this is going to take a long time.  When compared to the other fixes I mentioned, this really will be the fastest. 

The reason is, the other ways I described only present a short term fix whereas, isolating one part of your swing develops the right fundamentals that will stay with your long into the future.

The Top Online Golf Instruction Program

Golf is a difficult game to master; the beginner golfer needs a lot of instruction and tips to get started. I believe that it is best to start of looking for reliable free golf tips to begin your golf education. That way, you can learn about the different golf equipment options, grip styles, swing techniques, and other things like course management – all without spending a single penny.

One-On-One Golf Lessons

I would then move on to taking a few golf lessons with a professional coach. After that, you will need to practice at the range and then on the golf course. By this stage you should be at a level where you can play some decent shots, and not so many duff shots. But to take your game to the next level, you should continue your golf education.

Golf Lessons Online

By taking Golf Lessons Online, it could make the difference from shooting scores over 100 or in the 90′s to being able to break 90 or even 80. You will learn how to play golf with much more consistency and accuracy, and really start to enjoy your golf game.

Some benefits of taking online golf lessons are time and cost. The first benefit is that you can fit the program into your schedule by practicing the lessons at home or in your office anytime you want. For the same amount of money that you would pay for a half hour lesson, you will get 2 or more months worth of golf instruction online.

A Complete Golf Lesson Every Month

The top golf lessons online that you can find are programs run by professional and experienced coaches. For a really low monthly fee, these programs will give you a ton of information that will take you from a beginner to an advanced golfer. The key to a successful program is that the information is well organized and easy to follow.

Each month, you will get lessons on just one area of golf. By the end of the month, you will perfect and master that area – whether it is chipping, putting, driving, or bunker shots. Every single area of the game is included; from the different types of shots to stretching and flexibility training, different training aids you can use in-doors, and learning the mental game of golf.

Different Types Of Golf Resources

The best golf lessons online have many resources for you to learn from. These include DVD clips, breakdown sessions and practice drills on online video, tracking worksheets, live teleseminars, worksheets and assignments, evaluation of training aids, and access to a private apprentice forum to get more answers.

Master The Game Of Golf

So, if you want to improve, lower your score and master the game, I would suggest that you check out one of these Online Golf Lessons programs. You will get expert help to improve your game in a convenient and very affordable way. Remember, you can go at your own pace so that there is no excuse that you don’t have time to practice – you will get a specific practice plan that can be done anywhere and at any time.

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