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.

How to Golf and the Importance of a set-up Routine

How to golf for beginners and having your own set-up routine is important. Whether your a beginner or intermediate player you have to have your own unique set-up routine that you use to prepare yourself for every shot.

Everyone has their own perspective and outlook about golf. It is how you approach the game that will determine how good a golfer you will become. You have to prepare yourself for failure when playing golf because it will happen. It is the greatest game there is and if your willing to put in some practice and develop your own routine while your playing you can become very good at this game.

I am going to explain to you how I set-up for my shot and it should help you as well. For myself, golf is a very relaxing game. it doesn't matter to me if I shoot a good score or a bad score, I just like playing. I enjoy the beutiful scenery, the smell of the fresh cut grass, but the one thing that attracts me to golf the most is the fact that this is a game that can never be mastered. You always have room to improve.

I always go to the golf coarse early enough so I have time to warm up on the practice tee. I cannot stress enough the importance of getting loose and warmed up before you start play. This is when the mental preparations begin. I
have been playing golf for so long that I have my own personal set-up routine for addressing the ball. You should develop your own personal routine as well.

Once I'm at the practice tee I will usually place a 4 iron on the ground to assist me with my alignment. This helps me when I set my feet to make sure they are placed properly. I will position myself behind the ball so I can visualise the shot in my head. When I am setting up for a shot I will start with my feet together and I will check my distance from the ball first. Once that is done I will position the club face behind the ball, making sure it is square to the ball and aligned with my target.

I then set my left hand first making sure it is in the proper position. If my left hand is in good position than my right hand fits right into place. I then spread my feet apart starting with my left foot first. I continue to start with my left foot because it determines where I place the ball in my stance. This will also make it easy for me to make any adjustments of the ball to my stance.

After I have placed my feet correctly, I will slightly open up my left foot towards the target. This will allow me to clear my hips easier since my flexibility has tightened up over the years. It is not as easy to turn my body through the swing as it use to be.

With my set-up now complete I am prepared to deliver my swing. If I execute everything correcty the end result will be the ball going where I aimed it.

Golf is all about repetition and repeating the same swing over and over. If you develop your own set-up routine this will take you one step closer to being a more consistent golfer.

Ralph Miller is the author of this article and the owner of How To Golf For Beginners and Advanced Players. You can visit his site at          http://www.HowToGolf-RM.com and while your there you can register to recieve 7 Free Swing Lessons.