Do You Want to Play Better Golf?

Welcome to my golfing blog. There are many things included here that I hope will help you to improve and fine tune your game. Click Here! to learn for expert advice on how to improve all aspects of your game.

New tips and golfing strategies will be added regularly.

There is also a lighter section where, with your help, I would like to illustrate the more humorous side of the Royal & Ancient Game.

I welcome input from any who may have witnessed, or indeed suffered, anything out of the ordinary on the golf course.

Such as my favourite remote controlled trolley story.

A member at my club recently bought a state of the art golf trolley which could do everything short of actually playing the shots. It even had a range finder device to give the pin yardage.
Anyway, the member, who will not be named to save embarrassment, was extremely chuffed with his new toy; unfortunately to the detriment of his game. He was so involved with steering the wretched thing via the remote control that he lost all concentration for what he should have been doing. Namely, playing golf.
Having collided with his playing partners trolleys, driven it across the 7th green, rescued it from a bunker and demolishing a rubbish bin he suffered the final disaster. He steered it left instead of right and parked it in the nearest water hazard – a very deep water hazard at that!

Please feel free to share any amusing, or otherwise, anecdotes by adding them to the blog

Using the Golf Driving Range to Improve Your Game

Using the Golf Driving Range to Improve Your Game
By Gordon Simpson

For golfers to improve their golf game, particularly beginner golfers, they need to put in plenty of practice. Because our weather can sometimes be inclement, it is not always possible to practice on the course. This is where the golf driving range comes into it's own. These ranges are now mostly under cover and can be used to keep the rhythm in your swing in any kind of weather.

Golfers have different reasons for going to the driving range. Obviously to practice, but a lot of the time they will be trying to sort out something that is causing a problem with their game. The driving range is ideal for this as you can take your time and analyse your swing. If you were on the course you would be holding other people up plus getting frustrated with yourself. Basically, golfers use the driving range to develop and improve their golf swing.

Some golfers use the driving range to warm up before going to the course, so if that is what you intend to do here are a few pointers.

First of all, do some stretches. Just some simple bending and twisting. Nothing strenuous, just so you are warmed up and loose and you won't do yourself any damage by swinging a club with cold, stiff muscles. Next, make sure you have your golf shoes on. And your glove. Everything as it would be if you were at the golf course.

So let's start with a simple chipping drill. Nice and gentle wedge shots to ease yourself into a routine. You get the feel of the grip and a nice easy tempo through the swing. You don't need long with the wedge, just enough time to get you swinging freely.

Next, I would suggest you go with a 7 iron. The 7 iron is a kind of in between club. It sort of blends the long and short irons together. And it gives you a short iron feel with nearly a long game swing. The 7 iron is definitely a great warm up club for the driving range. Spend about ten minutes with this club or enough time to get into a good tempo.

After this, let's go to a longer iron. A 4 iron maybe. Make sure you keep your tempo and your head is steady and properly positioned throughout the swing. Spend about five minutes here as we gradually build up to the big boys. Let's swing at least a utility club or a fairway wood for maybe five or six minutes before unleashing the driver. You will probably give the driver a little bit more hitting time, but then you should start working back down the ladder. Hit a different fairway wood, and then a 5 iron in place of the 4 and maybe a 9 instead of the wedge. Finish off with the 7 iron.

There will be times when you go to the driving range when you don't want to go through this routine, maybe you just want to hit a couple of clubs to sort out some problems. But I would use the 7 iron as your go to club. Make this your main warm up club.

So, to sum up. Use your time at the driving range to make your golf swing better. Treat it as if you were on the golf course, wear your shoes and your glove, anything that you would have on the course, have with you on the driving range. Make every swing a learning experience, and try not to develop bad habits. Practice to improve, and you will enjoy every minute you are on the driving range.

Gordon Simpson

http://reduceyourgolfhandicap.blogspot.com/

A blog for the everyday golfer. Recent news and advice about all things golf

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How to Chip a Golf Ball - It's Not Fishy
By Norman Stanley

How to chip a golf ball is a skill that can be learned and when you have, you will cut strokes off your game.

There are an awful lot of golfers out there who never pay attention to the golf short. It saddens me to hear all the discussions in the club house that purely revolve around which driver is the best,how much it cost and who can drive the furthest.

The golf short game is where the most strokes are played, where the most strokes are wasted and where the most strokes can be saved. Golf in essence is a short game.

The secret in how to chip a golf ball is control. The ball should land as soon as possible and roll out to the hole, effectively a putt with a hop at the start.

To play a chip shot the stance is very important, if your set up is wrong you will never be consistent. Address the ball with your feet quite close together and your weight mostly on your forward foot, if it is on the back foot you will have a tendency to scoop the ball.

Lean slightly forward so your sternum is forward and put your hands in front of the ball. This is essentially the impact position, it feels slightly off balance but practice until it feels right.

The backswing decides the distance the ball will travel, not hitting harder. The movement has to be smooth and consistent to get the feel of how far the ball will go.

Play the golf ball from in front of your right toe, this will ensure a downward strike on the ball and take a small divot. Voila! a perfect chip shot.

Practice with a variety of clubs from a three iron up to the sand wedge, the different lofts will have an effect on the height the golf ball jumps and on how far it rolls out. With a good even tempo on all the clubs you will learn to judge the right club for any given shot.

Phil Michelson is the number one short game player in the world but he has recently produced a DVD on it and even he has said that making the DVD has improved his chipping because he had to go back to the basics.

If Phil can still be improving then just think what learning how to chip a golf ball will do for you.

Norman writes for golfamateur.co.uk. The site for cheap golf bags and discount golf equipment