Swing | Golfing Books, Clubs, and Courses

Out of all of the mistakes you can make out on the course, a slice is probably the most common. This refers to a ball that goes to the right after you hit it, usually right into a nice stand of trees or a nearby water hazard. A slice is devastating to your game, and fixing it can be a little complicated. Here are some great tips to help you get over your slicing problem and get your score back on track.

One of the first things that many golfers try to eliminate their slice is to angle their body to the left. This is a natural compensation, and logically, you would think that it would work. However, this is a huge mistake and can actually result in slicing worse than before. Your stance may need a little work, but aiming the wrong way is not going to be very helpful.

To correct this, stand in front of your golf ball, without your club. This is an exercise that will help you get aligned properly. We’ll be adding the club in a second, but first, you need to focus on your feet and your hips. Your feet should be facing perfectly forward and should be slightly apart. As a result, your hips should also be facing the same direction.

If you notice that you’re leaning a little bit, or that your hips are not perfectly in line with your feet, bring them into line. Now, put your arms into position for your shot. If your hips move, correct them. Pretend that you are swinging your club back and again, mentally check the position of your hips. Correct them if necessary.

Repeat this until your hips are no longer pulled in the wrong direction. Once you’ve got it down, add the club back into the equation and start again. Get the feel of the right body position down until it comes absolutely naturally. This is a good exercise that you can do at home, in your backyard or even in your living room. The key is finding that “sweet spot” when your posture comes together and everything just feels right.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at some common swing issues that can exacerbate a slice. The most common problem occurs when you actually hit the ball. Instead of following through, you may pull up. This force sends the ball careening in the wrong direction.

To fix this, practice your downswing and don’t stop when you get to your golf ball. Keep the club traveling in the exact same direction for a few more inches. You’ll be using that force to literally guide the ball in the proper direction. Work on this until you have your club going perfectly straight in the right direction.

With a little practice and using these tips, you can cure even the nastiest slice and make it a lot easier to get a better score during your next round of golf.

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Few players realize just how important their grip is when it comes to their swing. If you are not gripping your club correctly, you will not be able to effectively harness the power of your swing. You may slice, you may hook, but you will most likely get frustrated. Your grip plays a huge role in the overall effectiveness of your swing, and this is the first place you should start if you are having trouble. Let’s go over some grip basics and start fixing this problem right now.

First, you may need to unlearn bad gripping techniques. This can be pretty tough, so we recommend practicing off the course. You can do this in the privacy of your own home. We recommend a few hours of this a week until you have managed to retrain yourself from your bad gripping behavior. It may take less, or it may take more, but stick with it until you are able to naturally grip the club the right way.

First, take hold of the club with your right hand, but don’t grip it tightly. A tight grip is actually a very bad grip to have. Now, bring your left hand down, but don’t touch the club yet. Your arm should be lose and your hand should be curved a little bit in towards your body. Bring your hand in line with the club and gently line it up. You should be able to draw a diagonal line upwards, following the shaft of the club, from your index finger back to your palm.

Practice this until the club is at a perfect diagonal in your palm. Now, close your hand around the club and remove the right hand. Your left hand should now be naturally positioned into the perfect grip, provided that you did not move the club in any way. Remember, the shaft should be at an angle towards your pinkie finger. Your thumb should be pointing towards the ground. Take the club back into your right hand again and repeat this process until you can just naturally grab the club the right way.

So, now that the left hand is behaving, let’s work on the right. Holding the club properly with your left hand, relax the right hand and arm and bring it in line with the club. Clasp your right hand over the club gently. A real quick way to tell if you’ve got the right grip is to imagine that you are pinching the shaft of the club. Your index finger should be on the backside of the shaft, while your thumb should be on the front.

Again, practice this until placing your right hand correctly on the club is second nature to you. You may need to go back for a little practice now and again, but this should give you a strong foundation for playing a better round of golf. Remember, don’t grip the club too tightly and you’ll be on the road to a better score.

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Out of all of the blunders you can make on a golf course, a hook shot can be one of the most frustrating. Often, players find that they consistently hook their shots off the tees, and no matter what they try, they can’t get past it. Soon, they end up mentally defeating themselves before they even get up to the tee, certain that they are going to hook it. And, nine times out of ten, they will.

So, how do you correct a hook shot? There are actually quite a few techniques that you can use that will impact pulling the ball to the left, but first, you’ve got to get mentally prepared. Golf is 99% mental anyway, so we’ll focus on this step first. Once you’ve got your mental hook shot fixed, you can start working on the physical aspects.

Sit in a quiet place at home, where there are no distractions. Mentally go through everything you would as you go out to the first hole on your favorite course. Now, start thinking that you will have the perfect drive, right down the center. Envision teeing up, and addressing the ball. Bring your club back and watch as the ball goes right down the center line.

Repeat this in your head several times. If you have a problem with certain holes, play them in your head over and over until you are mentally hitting the shot the right way each time. This may take a few tries to get right, but visualization can have a huge impact on your game. In fact, many people that try this technique have found that the next time they go out on the course their hook is cured, without having to work on their stance or swing.

If you’re still having some hook issues however, it’s time to move onto the correct stance and how you swing your club. First, let’s look at how you hold the club. Are you gripping it as though you’d like to strangle it? This can be a major problem and will hurt your swing. The correct grip is actually pretty easy to master. When you hold the club, look at the v that is between your thumb and fingers. Do both v’s point a little towards your right shoulder? If not, this is the cause of your problems.

Work on developing the right grip until it feels like second nature to you. Then, move onto the next step. Stand with your feet facing forward, slightly apart. One should not be in front of the other and they should both be completely parallel. If you have one foot slightly back, it will pull your swing. Your entire body should be following that parallel line, from your head, to your shoulders, to your hips. Again, work on your stance until it becomes second nature.

Swing problems are a little harder to fix, but not impossible. You’ll want to make sure that you’re bringing your club back smoothly and back down with force, but not too much force. You should never break that parallel line. Keep trying and practicing and you’ll be able to put all of these together to end your hook problems for good.

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putting No matter how well you can drive or chip, the key to your score often lies right on the green. The exercise of putting a little ball in a little hole is one of the most frustrating known to men and it can be the deal breaker when it comes to getting a great score. If you’re ready to putt like a pro, there are some secrets that you need to know. These will make an enormous difference in the way that you put, and you’ll find that your score improves naturally as you begin implementing them.

The first step is to learn how to gauge distance properly. We don’t really stop to think about how far we are from the hole. We look and decide, too far or not close enough. However, there is a lot to be said to learning how to tell exactly how many feet you are from the hole. You’ll be able to fine tune your swing to reach a set amount of distance after you try these exercises.

First, let’s work on gauging distance. Off the course, set up a little test on your lawn or even in your living room. Measure off a variety of different distances and mark them with chalk, or with pieces of paper inside. Now, remove the measuring tape and try to gauge exactly how far away each one is from you. Work until you can correctly guess each measurement. Try changing it up, and moving things around until your accuracy increases. If you have natural terrain changes in your yard, take advantage of those as well.

Now, let’s work on reaching a set distance. Set up your measurements again and grab your putter and some practice balls. Work on reach the exact end of each measurement until you start to feel in your arms how much strength you need to reach a set distance. There will be some factors here that may change, such as green density and slope, but this will help you start to “feel” distance as well as see it.

After you are successfully reaching the right distance, it’s time to head out to the course and try a few more exercises. You’ll be taking advantage of a practice green in this situation, but if your course doesn’t have one, you can easily take your exercise on to the regular greens. Chip your way up to the green and then try to see how far away you think you are. Grab a measuring tape and check your distance. If you’re wrong, you’ll need to go back and work on seeing distance again. If you’re right, try to putt that correct distance, relying on your muscle memory. If you don’t make it, grab that measuring tape again to see where you went wrong.

By consistently “seeing” and “feeling” distance, you’ll be able to work up to handling terrain changes on the green as well. You may even find that your long game improves as a result of these exercises.

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For those of us that enjoy the lighter side of golf, this is a definite must read and chances are you’ll be rolling on the floor in no time at all. Too often, golfing books are so serious that it is difficult to wade through them. The industry seems to be addicted to dry tomes that are either dissecting a swing to infinite pieces or carrying on about historical figures and past events that may not be helpful to today’s golfers. If you love the game and just want to have a little fun, this is the perfect book for you. That’s not to say that the other types of books don’t have their own unique purpose, but this is truly the lighter side of golf.

The entire book reads like one big inside joke and pretty much only golfer’s will understand the humor. If you’ve ever made it out of one bunker only to land in another, this is definitely the book that will appeal to you. In fact, that’s the title of one of the 72 tips contained in the book. The list gets even more humorous as you go and without a doubt, every little problem that golfer’s face today is addressed in a funny manner.

However when you strip all of this humor away, you end up with a book that really teaches you how to improve your game. The author’s approach is a unique one - by showing you what not to do and joking about it, he’s actually teaching you the techniques you need to use to improve your swing, get past hazards and finally get the scores you really want to be getting.

I like this approach and it’s incredibly useful. The tips are not only funny but they really do work in the real world. You don’t get the impression that the author spends his life behind a desk and never really gets out there to enjoy (or not) the game. You really feel akin to him since most of us have gone through the exact same struggles. It’s a matter of feeling like you can really connect with this person and through this, the author opens the door to some really effective teaching techniques.

You’ll get the feeling of being on the 19^th hole when you read this book. It’s very relaxed and very laid back and it should not intimidate any reader. The author manages to establish a rapport with the reader almost instantly and that is carried through the entire book. If you haven’t read the first edition of this book yet, we highly recommend that one as well for even more tips and plenty of jokes.

Overall, this is a terrific book and it would make a great gift for any golfer. Whether you’re just starting out or you are a seasoned pro, there is something here for everyone to enjoy and get more than a just a few laughs.

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golf gear If you are finding that no matter what you try, your golf game is just not getting to the point where you want it, the answer may be in the tools and equipment you are using. Many players go their entire lives without a proper fitting for their clubs. Others may never realize that their feet may be the culprit. Here are some tips on how to get the best equipment and the best results for your game.

Schedule a fitting.

A club fitting is vital for any golfer and the good news, most pro shops will offer a free fitting, especially if you’re ready to make a purchase. Everyone is built differently, and off-the-rack clubs may not be suitable for your needs. For example, if you have arms that are a bit short, you will need to find a club that is longer to compensate. Otherwise, you’ll be throwing off your stance. If you are shorter in the legs than the torso, this can also affect the type of club that you should be using.

By getting a proper fitting, you’ll be able to get an expert’s advice on the types of clubs that you will need. It may be that a custom set that is built specifically for you may be the answer to your game problems. They may cost a bit more, but in the end, custom clubs are well worth it, especially if you’re trying to work towards a better score.
Wear the right shoes.

Our shoes make a huge difference in the way that we play golf. If you’re pitched wrong, or using shoes that are not intended for golf, it can completely throw off your swing. For example, let’s say that you are an overpronator. This means that your feet tend to bend in a little towards the inside. If you are not wearing a shoe that corrects this problem, you won’t be able to get as much power into your swing as you would like.

To see whether or not you may need a special pair of golf shoes, here is an easy test. After your shower, before you get out of the tub, place a towel on the floor. Get out of the tub and stand on the towel. Step away and take a look at the footprints. Do they seem like they disappear in the middle of your foot? You may be over or under pronating. Do they seem very flat? You may need special arch support to improve your posture, and your swing.

The type of spikes that you’re using can also affect your swing and how you play the game. Most courses are now switching to soft spikes, but you’ll need to play around a bit to find the spikes that are best for you. You may not need a full shoe of them, or you may need quite a few. Experiment to find the best spike configuration for your unique needs.

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Fore! While we all know that our knees and hips can have a disastrous effect on our swing when used improperly, they can actually help you hit a better drive when you use them the right way. Let’s focus on each one and work on some exercises that will help you get that swing you’ve always wanted.

The Hips

Your hips can actually control the direction of the ball, even if you don’t realize it. Most us have a tendency to raise our hips with our arms on our up swing. Try it in front of a mirror. Does one leg move slightly up, or do you notice that your heel comes up off the ground when you swing upwards? If it does, this will end up in pulling your shot to the right or the left. To fix this problem, here is an easy exercise. You want to be able to isolate your torso from your hips. Stand straight, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Swing your arms around in front of you, raise them up, bring them back down and swing them in front of you.

The “Windmill” is a great technique that can help with isolation. Stand once again with your feet planted firmly and start spinning your arms around like a windmill. Keep going until you can do it without engaging your hips.

Now, you’re ready to put it all together. Keep your feet planted firmly, knees a bit bent, and bring your club up. Do not move your feet! Now, bring the club down and as you do, rotate your hips in the direction of the shot. This will take a little practice, and you’ll need to perfectly sync the two halves of your body. With time, this will give you added power that will add yards to your drives.

The Knees

Our knees are another common problem area. If your feet are planted, it’s pretty tempting to want to lock those knees too. You need to keep your knees flexed at all times during your swing, but not overly so. Here’s an exercise to help you get the feel.

Start with both feet facing forward, and firmly planted. Now, put both arms straight down by your sides. Keep your upper body straight and bend your knees until your fingertips are at about mid-thigh. If you have long or short arms adjust accordingly. Now, hold that position and bend slightly forward, bringing your hands up. You should be in about the same position as you would be if you were holding a club.

Keep trying this one until you get the feel for the position. Your knees should be relaxed, loose and facing forward. If you pull them to either side, it will affect your shot. Experiment a bit to find the right angle for your body. It may take a few tries, but with practice, you’ll be able to line up your stance perfectly. If your knees are relaxed, and your hips are engaged properly, you will notice a big difference in the power of your swing.

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Swing Trainers Training Aids Golf

This is a book that has been the subject of countless discussions and although it’s lack of availability has hurt its success (it’s available only from the publisher, Storytrend and not in bookstores) it is still an interesting read that is well worth the time it takes to get a copy. Although it is incredibly expensive at $60, this may be a book you want to save up for. Countless books are written every year about the myth of the perfect swing and a lot of them are nothing but meaningless drivel. This book however takes a different angle and gets into the technical aspects of what makes a swing great.

For those that are constantly trying to figure out how to improve their game, this is a definite must read. Instead of focusing on players like Tiger Woods or those who are thought to have the “perfect swing,” the author looked at actual machines to discern the elements that make up this technique. By taking the human element out of it, the author hoped to break down the mechanics of a swing so that every player can duplicate it.

The book is filled with helpful diagrams and illustrations that break apart how a machine swings and what we can learn from it. Unfortunately, we are not machines and although we may have a great swing on the first tee, it’s hard to keep consistent. This book strives to help golfers discover how to get into their own groove and become a bit like a machine when it comes to hitting the ball.

That’s very hard to do for many people, since there is a lot of mental activity going on when you play golf. It’s difficult to focus on those individual components that make up a great swing when you’re focusing on avoiding the bunker, paying your bills and what you’ll be having for dinner that night. However, with time, by employing these methods most players should begin to see a change in their swing. Soon, becoming a machine will seem like second nature and that swing that many thought was unattainable will become ingrained into your being.

This is a book that we highly recommend, simply because it has a completely different approach. This isn’t a hype book that offers no real useful information. It’s definitely on the scholarly side but the author managed to keep it readable by everyone and it’s actually quite fun to go through. If you’re looking for real advice that you can put into action, no matter how new you are to the game or how good you think you may be, this is a book that is well worth the investment.

Overall, while the price and availability hurt the title, golfers should at least consider adding this title to their libraries. There is no silver bullet that will magically transform your swing, but this advice comes pretty close.

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Schedule a fitting.

Wear the right shoes.

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