Simple Ways to Groove Your StrokeWritten by Larry Denton
Golf is a game filled with exasperating contradictions. All golfers understand that game requires concentration, but not over-thinking, a strong focus, yet ability to see "big picture," and a rigid routine, but one which allows for creativity. As Bob Hope once remarked, "If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf." Nowhere are contradictions more apparent than on green, where a simple task--pushing a ball into a hole in ground--is loaded with tension and anxiety. Golfers have attempted everything from expert instruction to hypnosis trying to make every putt on green. Relax, even pros can't do that. Rather than making occasional monster 35 foot putt, your goal should be to master a few techniques that will enable you to sink those most important putts--those pesky 3 to 10 footers--with greater confidence and much more frequency. Three primary skills need to be mastered in order to become a proficient putter. First, keep you head down! Seeing ball at impact is a simple idea, but it is too often over-ridden by excitement of wanting to see where your ball is going. Lifting your head, even slightly, to watch path of your ball before it has been struck can mean a change in angle of your putter head, which often results in a line significantly off target, even for short putts. Just as important as keeping your head down is keeping it still. A second major skill is to learn to visualize. Amateur golfers typically read their putts by examining only immediate path from ball to hole. In fact, you should scan as broad a perspective as possible when assessing a putt. Try to develop a mental picture of entire green--where high side is located, severity of tilt, and a general idea of speed, break and ball path.
| | Tips for Finding the Right Set of Golf ClubsWritten by Larry Denton
Golf is a game of nearly infinite subtleties. A slight rotation during swing of a degree or two can mean difference between hitting green or landing in bunker. Those same subtleties are also apparent in a set of golf clubs. As President Woodrow Wilson once remarked, "Golf is a game in which one endeavors to control a ball with implements ill adapted for purpose."With continued advances in golf club technology, it is possible to see a difference in your game as a result of new clubs, whether you are seeking increased power, accuracy, or forgiveness. If, however, there are inherent flaws in your swing, new clubs will not make them disappear. Your clubs can only improve on what's already there. To improve your score, you do not necessarily need most expensive set of clubs--but you DO need proper set. Unless you stand over 6 feet or under 5 feet, standard-size clubs should be correct for most men and women. Men's clubs are generally 1 inch taller per club. The shaft is an essential consideration and, today, are usually composed of steel or graphite. While steel shafts are more durable, generally less expensive, and offer more control, they require a faster swing to generate longer distances.
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