Archive for April 2009
The Secret and Crucial Role of Alignment in Supercharging Your Game
20. April 2009 by Tee It Up Pro Shop.
By Alastair Canaway
The alignment is an absolutely crucial and vital part to any golfer’s game. You swing round your body, therefore if your body is offline, your swing in turn will be off line and out of sync, resulting in a poor swing and a poor shot, usually ending up deep in the rough.
When setting up to the ball, firstly ensure the clubface is square to the ‘ball to pin line’ (the line between the ball and the pin), and ensure that your shoulders, hips and feet are all parallel to the ‘ball to pin line’, if these 3 are not aligned and one is out, a good body turn is ruined with a poor swing resulting.
When training, on the driving range or wherever you can practise, a useful technique for lining up is to place a club on the floor and check that you’re your feet, hips and shoulders line up with each other, the shoulder alignment is particularly crucial because your body turn starts with your shoulders.
Ideally, you should be lining your body up slightly to the left of the target (slightly to the right for left hand players), as opposed to trying to line your body up with the target itself.
On the course a simple test to see if this is the case, is to look at the target, if you can see your left shoulder, then you are lined up to too far to the right (visa versa for lefthanders), your shoulder should be just out of sight.
Poor Alignment can have several affects, these are all negative. Aligning too far to the left most commonly leads to the slicing of the ball, this occurs because you are not parallel to the line running from ball to pin. As a result the backswing is limited so an ‘out to in’ swing results. As a consequence the club face is slightly open on impact which generates side spin on the ball. This leads to the common problem which is the slice which I will explain in another article.
If you align too far to the right, the opposite will take place and a hook will occur due to the ‘in to out’ swing of the club, although quite common with beginners and inexperienced players.
Often they will subconsciously become aware of this and try to adjust mid-swing, over adjusting by opening up the clubface as impact approaches. This again results in the slicing of the ball, which is very difficult to control and usually leads to ‘the rough’.
Alignment is an often overlooked and crucial part to any golfer’s game and therefore must be addressed for you to succeed at any level of golf. For as long as you’re alignment is out, you will never be able to consistently hit straight accurate shots and will increasingly find yourself hooking or slicing into the rough, turning those pars into bogies and taking your round from a 75 to 85.
So get that alignment sorted and go shoot some birdies.
Article Source: Alastair Canaway
Golf-Tips—The Secret and Crucial Role of Alignment in Supercharging Your Game
How To Pick A Good Golf Gift
19. April 2009 by Tee It Up Pro Shop.
By C Small
If you are reading this, then you must have a golfer in your world. Great for you. Golfers are an interesting bunch, and if you can snag one, don’t let them go. Finding gifts for your golfer, however, can be an frightening task. Whether or not you know the difference between a chip and a pitch, a sandie and a snowman, I am going to help you get a great golf gift.
Don’t be anxious to ask!
Golfers always know what they want/need. So, if you are not bashful about locating the perfect gift, just ask. Golf can be expensive, so the list of “needs” for every golfer is always very long. Be ready to record the requests fast, though, because if you are not familiar with golf terminology, a great move asking for suggestions could backfire! Overall, though, this is probably the easiest way to get the right gift - your golfer will give you a long list of golf gifts they actually want and you can then sort through them and get what fits into your price range.
New golf gear is not always better.
Some long-time golfers will tell you the Ping Eye 2 irons made many years ago were and are the best irons out there. The lesson to be learned from this is not all new golf clubs are good golf clubs. If you are going to make the effort to buy a semi-expensive golf club, and you aren’t going to ask what your golfer wants, make sure you look around and ask people before buying something. Many times, for $20-$30 extra you can increase the quality of a golf club by 100%! Additionally, look in your golfer’s golf bag to see what clubs they hit and think about replacing that old beat up club with the exact same thing only in good condition. Your golfer will love it!
Every Golfer Wants Golf Balls.
If you still can’t find that special something, or you need something quick, golf balls are an easy, prized golf gift. To make this work, though, make sure you buy new golf balls. Used balls or water balls have lost their playability (think of a warped basketball or baseball and you get the idea) and will not be liked by your golfer. As for make and model of ball, anything over $25 per dozen will be playable and appreciated by your golfer. Your best bet, again, is to ask them what they like, or to look in their bag to see what they are playing. Asking a buddy of your golfer or a golfer you know would also work.
Avoid cheap novelty items unless specifically asked for.
The worst golf gifts given are those nickel and dime gifts that have great packaging and sound cool, but really don’t work out of the package. For instance, there are many different styles and models of golf tees out there on the market, but plain wood ones work the best. Again, if you are thinking of something you think might fall in this area, ask someone who plays golf - someone good. They will be honest with you and you’ll get that golf gift they love.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Small
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Pick-a-Good-Golf-Gift&id=1017929
Golf Swing - Tips To Golf Like A Pro
17. April 2009 by Tee It Up Pro Shop.
By Daniel M Falk
Your Golf Swing is such an important component of mastering this sport that it pays to work on this probably more than any other part of the game. Without a good swing as a fundamental element, the rest of your golfing game will surely suffer.
To understand what the correct path of the club head should be, try thinking of a rope attached to a tree above you. You should feel that you’re pulling the rope straight down from the top of the backswing. If done correctly, this forces your right elbow to stay close to your side, which is part of maintaining perfect form.
Another aspect of form is the position of your knees. The tendency is to let the left knee collapse toward the right during your backswing, causing the shoulder to drop. Instead, try to imagine your left knee going out toward your target on the backswing.
A very important point to note is that a good swing will pause at the top, very slightly, before changing direction. This will have the effect of keeping your ball towards the middle of the fairway, at least most of the time!
Of course, every good swing begins with the proper grip. Getting this wrong can lead to a hook or slice quite easily. Make sure when you’re looking down, addressing the ball, that you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand, and a “V” formed between the thumb and forefinger pointing toward the right shoulder.
There are more aspects to a great swing that these alone, and every reader is encouraged to check out the following resources, many of which are totally free. The enjoyment you get by working on developing a great golf swing will translate to a lot more joy during your games, for sure!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_M_Falk
http://EzineArticles.com/?Golf-Swing—Tips-To-Golf-Like-A-Pro&id=1133007
