How To Improve Golf Swing

Improving their golf swing is something every golfer is trying to do. Part of the fun of any game is getting the best possible score. How well you score depends almost entirely on the effectiveness of your golf swing. To get a good swing, you need to work at it. The only way to improve your swing is to practice. The following tips will help you improve your swing and your game.

The idea of having to hit harder when you hit into the wind is a myth. Hitting hard into the wind tends to make the ball go higher, and it can also produce spin on it which you also do not want. All that means is you'll lose control and accuracy of the ball. Right, so then the right hitting stance is to move so the ball is closer to you, your stance, by about two inches or so. Keep your hands forward of you. You should also choose a club that is longer than the club you would usually use. Ok, when you're ready to hit the ball, just relax and hit normal. After doing it, come back and tell us how much better your accuracy plus greater control... we'll wait. Learn how to properly shift your weight during the different parts of the swing. It is true that your right knee is your "grounding point" but you need to be able to shift the weight of your body during different parts of the swing. Learning to do this properly will gain you greater distance and accuracy in your shots. Putting weight on foot and then the other does not cover the correct way to do this. To get personal advice on how to stand and shift during your swing, you should talk to a golf pro at your local course.

You should always practice before starting a game. It's important to know that just because something feels good to you today doesn't mean that it will always feel good. As with any sport, you need to take the time to warm up before hitting the course. This will help you adjust for the different elements of the day. Windy weather and other issues will require compensations and this is when you will figure out how do to so. As with any other sport, you should take the time to warm up before playing. Taking practice swings at the driving range is the same as a runner stretching before a race.

Golf is a global hobby and past-time, and huge numbers of men and women love playing it. If you love golf, then just realize that getting better will only come with learning, practice, and then time. If you really become committed to an improved golf swing, then just decide to do it and then be committed. The good news is that there are a lot of things that you can do to help you improve golf swings-yours and the people who play with you.

The Best Times to Play Golf

When is the best time to play golf on your local  golf course? There is no one definite answer because the answer depends on the situation. Are you going to play on a private golf course? A public golf course? Are you planning on using a golf cart? These things need to be taken into consideration when deciding on the best times to play golf. You also need to consider your schedule and how busy you are. Is there a certain day/ time that you can't play golf? If so, then this needs to be taken into consideration as well.

Public Golf Course
It is usually better to play later in the day on a public golf course because it will probably cost less than if you had chosen to play earlier in the day. Most public golf courses have discounted rates when you're playing near closing time. When you're playing at a public golf course, try to play later in the day as it will likely save you money.

Private Golf Course
At private golf courses the best time to play is usually pretty early in the day. This is because it will likely be less busy and won't be as hot (if heat is a problem in your region). The majority of golfers go to private golf courses in the afternoon, especially on Sundays, so your best bet is to go right after church if you go to church.

Using/ Not Using A Golf Cart
Many golf courses do not allow you to walk before 2 P.M. This means that if you are planning to use a golf cart, the best time to do so would be before 2 P.M. If you are not planning to use a golf cart, you should go after 2 P.M.

A lot of deciding when to play golf is personal preference. If money or the course being crowded isn't an issue then you can go whenever you want. The best time to play golf is when it is most convenient for you. Don't force yourself to play at a time you don't want to or you won't enjoy it. A lot also depends on where you live. If you live in a place that gets very hot during the day, I suggest that you avoid playing between 10 AM and 4 PM. If you play during these times you could get dehydrated or have a heat stroke. If you do decide to play when it is hot out, make sure that you bring plenty of water.

Mini Golf 101

Mini Golfing is one of my hobbies that I love, so I thought I would make a post about it today. Mini- Golfing is a great thing to do for pretty much any occasion. A mini golf birthday party is always fun, so is a mini golf date. There a very few instances where mini golfing would not be a good choice. Think about a mini golf birthday party. The kids there have 18 holes which means they definitely won't get bored for awhile. Most kids can play two rounds without getting bored. This is a great idea for a birthday party because most birthday parties only last two or three hours. Mini golfing is also great for a first date because you can learn a lot about your date. Are the competitive? Do they want you to let up on you? It also tells a little bit about their pride, because if they are losing they may be a bit upset. But as long as you don't take the game too seriously, you don't need to worry about ruining the relationship. That's why I think mini golf is such a great first date.

So what should you look for in a mini golf course? The first and most obvious thing I look for in a mini golf course is a course that looks like it would be fun to play on. There should be neat obstacles and the course should be well- kept. There are plenty of interesting mini golf courses, just check the local phone book or Google "mini golf courses in _____" You may be able to find the mini golf course's homepage and possibly see pictures of the holes. If you're picking a mini golf course for a birthday party, I suggest looking at the theme of the golf course. A Dinosaur- themed mini golf course might be heaven on earth for 5 or 6 year olds.

If you are going on a date to a mini golf course, the first thing I would look at is how well the course is kept. Taking your date to a nice, well- kept mini golf course will show a little bit about you. Also, make sure you check the weather forecast before deciding when you are going to go on the mini golf date. It wouldn't be much fun if it started raining during the middle of your outdoor mini golf game. Pick a day that is supposed to be sunny and warm, with little to no chance of rain. Bad weather could ruin your mini golf date if you don't.

Your Road To Becoming a Great Golfer

So do you want to become a good golfer? Maybe even a professional? If so, you need to ask yourself one question:
Am I willing to work hard enough to become one?
Most people will say yes to this question, but few will actually do so. If you're willing to work hard, you can become a great golfer. But this is true if and only if you're willing to work harder than 99% of the other golfers out there who think that they're willing to work hard enough to become a great golfer. Becoming a great golfer requires a lot of practice, playing, and learning. You need to do these things consistently in order to become a great golfer. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, practice makes perfect. This is especially true for golf. If you can practice your technique until it is near perfect, then you will become a great golfer.

Think about everyone out there who wants to be a professional golfer. There's lots of people out there who have more talent than you. So how do you beat their talent? The answer is surprisingly simple- you have to work hard. One of my favorite quotes is "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". This is a great quote in my opinion. Someone can have all the talent in the world, but if they don't work hard and practice then they won't be successful. In order to be a great golfer, you need to work hard.

How hard do you need to work? That depends on how good you want to be? If you just want to be better than your buddies you golf with every Sunday, then you may just need an extra hour or two of practice every week. If you want to become a professional golfer then you need to work on your golf game every day.

Now get to work! Go do what you need to do in order to become a better golfer. I have quite a few tips posted in this blog, I suggest reading through some of my blog posts. You might just learn something new.

Replacing Your Golf Grips

In order to keep your clubs in tip- top shape, you need to replace your clubs' grip often. You can have this done professionally, or you can do it yourself. Personally I prefer doing this myself since it is cheaper and actually pretty easy. I wanted to share with you how to replace your golf club grips. Doing it saves money, as well as a trip.

Putting new grips on your golf clubs is actually not hard. It only requires five things and only takes five steps. here are the things you'll need:

1. New golf grips
2. A sharp knife
3. A roll of double sided tape
4. Cleaning solvent
5. Work bench vice

To replace your clubs' grips follow these simple steps:

1. Put the club in the work bench vice and tighten with the grip being fully exposed. Take your sharp knife and cut the grip off the club. Starting near the club head and working toward the top. Be sure to cut away from your body so you don't cut yourself.
2. After the old grip is taken off, clean the shaft using the cleaning solvent and an old rag or brush. Make sure you clean your golf club thoroughly and to dry it off when you're done.
3. Now wrap the shaft with double sided tape. Try to cover the surface as thoroughly as possible. How well you do this will greatly influence how long your grip lasts. 
4. Pour some of the solvent over the top of the club. You now should be able to slip the grip onto the club after ensuring it is aligned properly. Now you can remove the club from the vice and make any adjustments to the grip. Make sure you're comfortable with how the grip feels in your hand.

All you need to do after this is let the club dry and you're done!

I strongly suggest that you try doing this with at least one of your clubs. This can be a good money- saver and it will help you learn more about your golf clubs. Who knows- maybe you'll do a better job replacing your golf grips than a professional!

Good Golf Sportsmanship

You'll probably ignore this post, but to be honest it is extremely important whether you are a veteran or a new player. Remember golf is just a game. How you react to the games events says more about you than how you play. You'll gain respect if you keep composure at all times, whether things are going well or not. By showing good sportsmanship you can also make friends with your opponent (and possibly somebody to golf with in the future)

Be a Good Winner
When you lose a game, be it golf, basketball, or water polo, aren't you upset? Consider that your opponents likely feel the same way when they lose. Don't gloat or boast when you win, all it will do is make your opponent want to punch you in the face. Whenever I win, no matter what I'm playing, I always go over to my opponent and tell them good game and shake their hand. This shows that you aren't all about winning and also helps to console your opponent. Your opponent will likely tell you good game as well and shake your hand as well. If they don't then they're probably just a sore loser, which is what I'm covering next.

...And a Good Loser
Let's face it. You won't win every golf match you play. Since you will likely be losing quite a bit throughout your golfing career, you need to learn how to be a good loser. After you lose, walk over to your opponent and tell him good game. Don't say anything else. Don't tell them about how you were "off your game" today or how they got lucky and beat you. Saying something like this just makes you look like a jerk. Depending on the stakes of the game they may be very excited. If they are so excited that they ignore you, just leave them alone and walk away. Be the bigger man. Show that you have class. Even though you may not be the better golfer on that particular day, at least you have better character.

Having good sportsmanship is extremely important. Treat others well and they will treat you well in return. Always remember the golden rule and make sure you follow it. By doing this, you will find that you will have better golfing experiences, as will those you golf with.

What Lines and Colored Stakes on a Golf Course Mean

Do you pay attention to the lines and colored stakes on a golf course? If you don't you should. Crossing certain lines could mean a two stroke penalty for you. Are you afraid of getting penalized for doing this without knowing what you are doing? Don't worry, with a little bit of knowledge you can avoid penalties. In this post I will be discussing the lines and colored stakes of a golf course and what they mean.

White lines or white stakes are used to designate the area that is out of bounds. Stakes or a fence can also indicate out of bounds, and when they do make sure to note that out of bounds begins at the nearest inside point of the stakes at ground level, not including any kind of angled support. And when a line is used to designate the out of bounds area, the line itself is considered out of bounds.

When a ball lands out of bounds a penalty is enforced, leading to the golfer having to return to where he hit the previous shot and also take a one stroke penalty. In some cases, when a golfer's ball is out of bounds, it may be better for him to hit a provisional ball. For more information, you can check out Rule 27.

Now for the next golf course color- yellow. What do yellow stakes and yellow lines mean on a golf course? In most cases they mean a water hazard. Usually a water hazard is pretty obvious, but sometimes there may not be any water in a usual water hazard because of repair, drought, etc. so these yellow lines and stakes indicate that it is a water hazard and normal rules apply if you hit the ball into the area. The penalty for this is one stroke and a drop within two club lengths from the hole. For more information on water hazard penalties, read my last post.

Red lines or stakes on a golf course indicate a lateral water hazard. But what is a lateral water hazard and how is it different from a normal water hazard? Lateral water hazards run alongside the golf course, not through it. A good example of this is a stream that runs parallel to your course to the hole. The rules differentiate between a normal water hazard and a lateral water hazard because dropping behind a lateral water hazard would often be extremely difficult and unfair.  When the ball is hit into a lateral water hazard, the golfer can choose to try to play the ball, or take a one stroke penalty and a drop.  This drop can be within a two club length of where the ball crossed the margin of the hazard, or you can elect to take the drop behind the hazard.