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I
hope the following tips will help your swing
but practice is of course essential
and should be done in a disciplined way
- try to take someone along with you to assist!!
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| Tips
from Online Golf Clinic |
Learn
to Stay Flexible
One of the most common complaints is a loss of flexibility and a resulting
poor turn (photo). A drill for this is what is called the hip blocker.
When you fix the knees, it forces the upper body to turn much more
correctly and slowly increases flexibility. As you swing, remember
to turn the shoulders as far back as you can until the left shoulder
is under your chin. In doing this, you'll feel a greater stretch along
your left side. Finish by doing the same thing on the follow-through,
but with the right shoulder under the chin. In time, you'll increase
your ability to coil fully without using the hips. Remember, power
is stored in the swing as a result of a big shoulder turn combined
with a minimal hip turn. |
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Turn your Way to More Distance
The key to hitting a golf ball a long way is minimizing your hip
turn and maximizing your shoulder turn. The easiest way to accomplish
this is to make sure that your left knee doesn't slide to the right
on the backswing and that the right knee stays firm and flexed throughout.
(Opposite knee for left-handed players.) Also, get your shoulder
behind the ball at the top of the backswing. This ensures good weight
shift and allows for a longer swing.
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Keep Your Head Still!
A still head is crucial to solid contact and consistent putting. Focus
on keeping your head still well after impact. Head movement causes
the shoulders to open and your putter to cut across the ball. Also,
try putting with your eyes closed. You'll be amazed at the results!
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Grip
it Light on the Right
In general, you need to keep the right side solid for a strong shot.
But don't let this carry through to your grip. Many golfers tend to
grip the club too tightly with the right hand, which leads to unnecessary
tension. It can also make you swing "over the top" and cut
across the ball. Here's the fix: Check your right-side grip, arm,
and shoulder tension before each swing. You should sense muscle tension
corresponding to a "6" or "7" on a scale of 1-10.
And remember, Light muscles are better than Tight muscles! |
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Pull
the Rope!
Most people with a slice problem cut across the ball on the downswing.
To learn the correct path for the clubhead to follow, think of a rope
attached to a tree above you. From the top of the backswing, you should
feel that you're pulling the rope straight down. This forces the right
elbow to stay close to your side. It also gives your stroke the correct
inside path, and improves your ability to swing out toward the target
rather than across the ball. |
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Swing
through the Ball, Not at it
Consistent, powerful swings usually have one thing in common--extension
through the ball after hitting it. A good way you can learn to perfect
this is to put a tee about eight inches in front of the ball you are
hitting. Make an effort to hit not only the ball but also the tee.
This will help to train you to swing through the ball, not at it.
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Have
you enjoyed reading those tips? For more great tips
visit www.onlinegolfclinic.com
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| Chase
the Ball |
| Try
for a few extra yards off the tee by making your hands "chase"
the ball as you swing through and the ball leaves the clubface. This
extension, so-called, will cause your arms to move more freely, increasing
the distance of a solid shot. |
| Talcum
Tip (To stop the top) |
| Are
you topping the ball? Given that topping is caused
mostly by trying to scoop the ball into the air instead of hitting
down and through it, try practising with talcum powder. Practice by
putting a small amount of talcum powder just in front of the ball,
then swing so as to hit the ball first and splash the powder into
the air. Any remaining talc can be used where it itches! |
| Learn
from Annika - how to use your head in the swing |
| You
don't want to take too literally the caveat about keeping your head
still during your golf swing. You should let it move back slightly
during your backswing, then let it move forward as your club swings
through. Annika Sorenstam is a good player to watch to see this happen. |
| Putting?
Try Tapping |
| Notice
how many Tour players raise and lower the putter head a couple of
times just before taking the club back? Theis helps to
relive tension and to give a feel for the weight of the club. Give
it a try. See if it helps. |
| Great
Chip! |
| Spot
a tee about two inches behind a ball, then swing back and through
without hitting the tee. By missing the tee you'll create
the best angle away from and back to the ball. After
practice, you should simply be able to envisage the tee there in order
to lock in a consistent stroke. |
| Great
Swing! (If you can't stay down) |
| If
you have a tendency to top the ball, here's a drill to help keep you
from coming out of a shot. Place a tee in the ground about
size inches in front of your ball. Swing with the thought
in mind of hitting the ball then sweeping over the top of the tee. This
will cause you to stay down through the shot - where you belong. |
| The
Water Hazard |
| Executing
a successful golf shot over a water hazard is a common complaint and
a couple of suggestions come to mind. One of them is to simply avoid
playing any courses with water hazards!!
If
you are unable to do that, then the suggestion is that you try hitting
the ball "down into the water" rather than "up and
over it." Most golfers with this problem try to help the ball
up and over the water by lifting. This is a natural reaction as
in most round ball sports or games in order to get a ball "up
and over" something we must lift it.
In
golf the loft of the clubface does the lifting, any lifting on our
part totally defeats this purpose. When facing something like a
water hazard, where we want the ball to get up and over, we instinctively
feel this need to lift and automatically do it. However, when we
lift, we lift all of the club including the clubface and head, which
then hits only the upper portion of the ball, resulting in a topped
shot. Consequently, a topped shot goes downward and directly into
the water.
The
opposite of lifting is to feel like you are hitting the ball downwards
and into the water. When you do this, you actually drive the clubhead
down under the ball and the lofted clubface lifts the ball up and
over the water.
So,
on your next round, try to hit the ball directly into the water.
Once you successfully do this, you will know it works, and your
fear of water hazards will stop.
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Charlie
Boast, (a PGA Qualified Professional) is the resident Professional
at Tewkesbury Park Golf Club
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| Charlie
says: |
I
have been working at Tewkesbury Park for 9 years and my main duties
include giving individual and group tuition, as well as organising
and running golf events on the complex. I also play tournaments
on the PGA west region.
Tewkesbury Park is a great place for developing your golf game with
facilities of a golf range, short game practice area, putting green
and a 6 hole par 3 course. After becoming accomplished
in all areas of the game you can then take your new skills onto the
18 hole parkland course for a testing round of golf.
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| Charlie's
Tip: |
One
of the biggest problems a lot of lady golfers have is creating power
in the golf swing. You don't have to be big and strong
(or hairy!) to create clubhead speed in the swing. Distance
will come from the right technique.
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Two
parts to a release
At
impact the body and club should release creating a burst of club speed. The
power mainly comes from the arms, as they rotate, and the hinge of
the wrists. Let this motion happen naturally.
As the arms pass the body on the downswing, the right forearm should
rotate over the left. This adds speed and encourages
a square club head at impact.
Try also to allow the weight of the club head to hinge the wrist on
the backswing and unhinge on the downswing.
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Swing
in Cement
To make the most of the relase you need leverage from the body. Try
to get the feeling of the left foot being stuck in cement which will
keep the left leg firm. This will give you more power
through the ball.
Many short hitters slide towards the target as the club approaches
the ball.
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Drill
Place the left foot inwards at address and take some controlled practice
swings. You should be able to feel the left leg staying
firmer and left knee staying braced through impact.
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| I'm
a Golfer! Get me out of here! |
Sarah
Claridge, PGA Teaching Professional
based at
The Kendleshire Golf Club
gives some tips on how to get out of a greenside bunker.
For
more details regarding tuition etc., visit www.sarah-claridge.co.uk
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First
decide how you are going to play the shot.
Is it a high lipped or a low lipped bunker?
Do you need to get the ball up in the air quickly or how long is
the shot?
For example, a short greenside bunker shot with a high fronted bunker,
I would open the club face and decide to do two thirds of a swing.
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| 1. |
Stand
square to the ball with the ball in the middle of your stance
then open the club face accordingly. |
| 2. |
The
club face will be aiming to the right so walk your feet anti-clockwise
around the ball until the club face is square to the target
and the feet are now aiming left. The ball position
should appear to be forward in your stance or closer to your
left heel. This will create a steeper backswing. |
| 3. |
Wriggle
your feet an inch into the sand, this will lower the base of
your swing arc allowing you to take sand. |
| 4. |
The
secret of how to get out of a bunker is to place your weight
70% on your left foot. |
| 5. |
The
bunker swing should be slightly steeper. Concentrate
on hitting 2 inches into the sand behind the ball keeping your
weight favouring the left and follow through as much as you
can towards the target. |
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Remember
the secret!
Keeping the weight on the left, hit down to Australia
and through to the sky!
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