Golf Tip Swing

Archive for February, 2012

Putting Guide

The putt is without doubt the single most important shot of any golf game. On average, when playing 18 holes, around 40 per cent of all shots involve the use of the putter. This means a player who learns to putt well has an excellent chance of beating someone who has superior skills for the long shots but putts badly.

In order to perfect your putt, you need to learn how to read a green so that you know whether the shot is moving uphill or downhill and whether the ball is likely to move to the left or the right. The more skill you develop in this area, the more accurate your putts will be and the more your handicap will fall.

Begin by looking at the general lie of the land as it is highly likely that this will affect the slope of the green and therefore the forces on your ball during your putt. In particular, look out for any water features as balls tend to break towards ponds, rivers or lakes whenever they are present. Note whether the water feature is on the left or the right and be prepared to adjust your putt accordingly.

Check the condition of the grass on every green as to how wet it is. Putts break more on dry greens than wet ones but this can change from one green to another during the course of a game, particularly if you begin playing early in the morning or late in the evening when the grass is more likely to be covered with dew.

The next step is to stand behind the ball so that you are in line with the hole and then crouch down as low as possible. This will help you determine whether the green slopes to the left or right. Follow this up by moving to a spot halfway between the hole and the ball and crouching once more. This perspective will enable you to work out if the green slopes up or down.

When it comes to actually hitting the ball, be sure to make your putt as smooth and fluid as possible. Try to use a gentle rocking motion with an equal amount of swing and backswing, creating a movement which is rather like the pendulum on an old fashioned grandfather clock. To help maintain correct body position, do not look up until after you have hit the ball.

As with all aspects of golf, practice is the key to perfection. Confidence-boosting drills like placing a series of balls around a hole at a distance of three feet and hitting one after the other in sequence, or placing a club on the ground behind a hole and hitting balls towards it to ensure your strokes have sufficient power are excellent ways of developing your game.

Practicing your putts with a friend helps create an atmosphere of competition which can help push you to try harder and gives you the benefit of objective feedback on your progress. It also allows you to take advantage of the many 2 fore one deals that are available on many greens, meaning you can cut the cost of your games in half.

Allow yourself to imagine a scene of you  hitting the ball into the green side bunker and your playing partner says to you looks like you got yourself a fried egg.

Now imagine you going up to that fried egg knowing exactly how to get that golf ball to go up close to the pin for a tap in putt.

By the end of this article you will have a step by step guide that will save yourself a shot or two the next time you have a fried egg lie.

Steps to Hitting the Fried Egg from the Bunker

1.  Align the ball to the middle of your stance or just slightly forward as opposed to off your left heel for the normal bunker shot.

2.  Align your feet slightly left of the target.

3. Square the club-face to the target line just as you would your normal bunker shot.

4.  Aim the club face at the edge of the egg.

5.  Swing along the line of your feet (slightly across the target line) and into a nice full finish.

6.  The ball will pop up and out of the bunker.  The ball will tend to run out a bit so allow for that when planning your spot to land the ball.

Now remember this and the next time you have a fried egg.  No Problem.  Just follow the steps described above.

Now go score low!

Wanna know the secret to a great golf score?  See if you can find it by clicking the tabs above.

Today I watched Tiger Woods play at pebble beach and it just reminded me that the most important part of a good score is your putting.

I have put together 5 important tips to help Tiger and you putt.

5.  Set aside 40% of your practice time to putting

Since 40% of your score comes from putting would it not make sense to practice 40% of your time on putting.  Come up with a practice routine for your putting and stick with it.

4.  Learn how to read the green.

Reading the green is important to get a feel for how it moves.  The best way is to play the course in different positions so you get to know how the green moves.  Remember the slope and the grain.  Learn to control your speed.

3.   See the ball going in the hole before you make the stroke

Visualize the putt before you strike it.  Have you ever seen the tv play before the putt drawing a line.  Draw that line in your mind and imagine your putt going in the hole.

2.  If you miss a putt, debrief yourself and focus on correcting your mistake but don’t dwell on it.  Fix it and move on.

Finally, remember you are the best putter and putting is easy!

1.  Confidence in yourself to make all your putts is the key to success.  Doubt breeds failure.

Now go out and score!