Learn How to Pitch the Golf Ball Correctly

11:50 am January 17, 2010

If like most golfers, you want to get more distance with your driver off the tee. So they go to the range and hit a bucket of balls with their driver and forget about their short game. The fact is that the majority of shots in a round of golf are from within 100 yards from the green so they should be practicing more their short game. You can in reality lower your handicap by improving your pitching than you could by increasing your drives by a few yards.

Perfecting the art of pitching can lower your score and your handicap. With a good pitch you can take 2 strokes instead of 3 by pitching next to the flag. Learning to pitch precisely from the fairway is vital to improving your game but it requires good distance control which is difficult to achieve, even for a Golf Swing Guru!

How to Pitch

To accomplish a winning pitch shot you must place the ball in the middle of your stance so that you can get under the ball and get it up in the air. Stand with your feet closer together, adopt an open stance, and with more weight on your left foot. Aim the club face at the target and make sure you strike the ball with a perfectly square clubface. The height of your backswing will establish the distance the ball will travel – it could be waist height, shoulder height or a full swing. Hit the ball with a crisp, descending stroke to ensure ball then turf contact.

Although you feet are in an open position, aim the club-faceat the target, just as if your feet were parallel. By opening your stance you are shortening your backswing; also, you can lower your grip on the club which will also decrease your backswing as well as give you more control. Release the clubhead openly through impact and then move smoothly into your follow through position.

Select a Club for Pitching

Some golfers make the mistake of using too many different clubs for each distance. For distances up to 100 yards you could effectively use a full sand wedge, pitching wedge, or you could even use a 7, 8, or 9-iron by adjusting your backswing. But there’s no need to complicate matters; the best strategy is to choose a distance that you are comfortable with and one club that you can constantly use to reach that distance.

For instance, let’s say that you are an expert at hitting the ball 95 yards with an 9-iron and using a shoulder length backswing. The scheme is that you use this distance as your pitching zone. If you hit a wayward drive on a par-4 you will want to hit the ball out to the fairway so that your ball ends up in your pitching zone. When you have practiced enough you will be able to get the ball close enough to the pin to give yourself a chance of a par. A similar thing can happen on a par 5; instead of going for the green in 2two which is a difficult shot, you should hit a smaller club to your pitching zone which still gives you a putt for birdie.

Pitching Distances

Obviously, there will be many times that you will be faced with an approach shot of anywhere between 30 and 100 yards. In these situations you will have to know your pitching distances. Yet again, it’s a good idea to choose 1 club that you can dominate and alter the length of your backswing for each distance. You will need to practice this many times until you can calculate the distances constantly. Pitching, like chipping, is more about finesse and control but it is very important because you can lower your score a lot with a great short game. Remember to also practice your putting and The Simple Swing!

Mick Tait has been a golfer for many years until he had major back surgery. After several years without playing golf he discovered a Golf Swing Guru that teaches a Simple Golf Swing that is suited to people with back problems.

categories: golf distance,golf practice,pitch,pitching,chipping,short game,putting,golf,sports

“Wait! We Need Your Opinion About This Article – That’s What Makes This Site Different Than The Other Golf Blogs Online…” What do you think about this article? Do you agree with any of the points made? Rate & review it right now in the space below:

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tags: chipping, golf, golf distance, golf practice, pitch, pitching, putting, short game, sports

Warming up For a Round of Golf

11:23 am January 14, 2010

While warming up for a round of golf, most golfers assume that all they have to do is blast a few drives down the driving range. In essence, before each round of golf you have to work on swinging different clubs and get up to date with the weather conditions. Golf on a windy day is much different than if the day is calm and your game of golf is also influenced by the temperature; whether it is hot or cold. Here are some warm-up tips to practice before beginning your round of golf.

When you visit the driving range to warm-up you should first do some stretching exercises. Then use a long iron and swing the club back and forth numerous times without hitting a golf ball; you are just looking to warm-up and stretch your muscles. Do a full golf swing but don’t stop after the follow through; continue the swing in the opposite direction and so on.

The Driving Range and Putting Green

You should not start off with a driver because you will want to begin gently. Instead, select a short iron to begin hitting some golf balls so that your muscles loosen up. Gradually continue with your middle irons, long irons, woods, and to finish your driver. Whilst using your driver, keep in mind that the objective is not to try and hit the ball as long as possible; instead you will want to be practicing control and accuracy. Like on the course, you have to use control from the tee box; you will no be using your driver from each tee, so on the practice range you have to learn how to control your shots.

The bulk of the golf shots in a round of golf are made from under one hundred yards from the flag. Therefore you need to also practice your chipping and putting before your round of golf. Preferably, you should spend less time with the driver and more time on your short game. The reason for warming up for golf is to get into a repeatable swing so that you can take it onto the golf course.

The Mental Game of Golf

The golf mindset is normally overlooked as a warm up method. When you arrive at the first tee, the purpose is not to take any frustrations you may have out on the golf ball – that won’t help your game in the slightest. Take time to focus on your game, get calm, and put out of your mind your problems. Worries or a bad temper can have harmful effects on your golf game.

What to Do and Not to Do

Before playing a round of golf, a warm up routine is not the moment to experiment with new clubs, change your swing, or try out any other new techniques. It’s a moment when you endeavor to play your best game as if you were on the course. It is alright to attempt a new technique but only if you have been already practicing it, and you want to try it out in your first game. The chief point of the warm up session is to stretch your muscles, build your assurance, and become focused on the game at hand.

If you think that you do not need to warm up before your round of golf, think about how you generally perform when you do not warm up. Did you spend almost all of the round trying to make up for poor shots in the beginning of the round? The warm- up is your opportunity to make your blunders before your game of golf and end up on your scorecard. By making the time and effort to loosen up your muscles and focus your mind, you will play a superior round of golf.

Mick Euan Tait is a golfer and the webmaster of golf-online-tips.com/pages/home">Online Golf Tips, a golf site where you will find useful articles on golf-online-tips.com/articles/golf-swing-practice/the-proper-way-to-practice-for-golf">Golf Practice, golf swing tips and golf fitness training.

categories: golf practice,practice for golf,golf mindset,putting,golfers,golf,golf course,sports

“Wait! We Need Your Opinion About This Article – That’s What Makes This Site Different Than The Other Golf Blogs Online…” What do you think about this article? Do you agree with any of the points made? Rate & review it right now in the space below:

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tags: golf, golf course, golf mindset, golf practice, golfers, practice for golf, putting, sports

One-Armed Swings For Faster Improvement

3:50 pm May 28, 2009

A great practice technique that can be a remarkable way to help
develop a better swing is to try one-handed swings.

Here is what to do:

1. Stand over the ball with your normal stance and grip a wedge or
9-iron.

2. Let go of the club with your dominant hand. Keep it at your side.
(Remember, this drill requires only one arm).

3. Start by taking one armed chip shots. These small chip shots help
you develop a better feel for getting the clubhead on the ball. This
will also let you see how the ball moves when it comes off the
clubface.

4. Continue this drill & work your way up to taking ¾ swing pitch
shots, still using just your non-dominant hand.

If you keep practicing, you will find your confidence in one arm
swings improving. Therefore, when you go back to making normal
swings, they will seem stronger & the ball will fly farther. Also,
normal swings will seem MUCH easier too!

B. Hit The Wall

One of the most common swing errors occur when golfers take their
clubs too far inside of the target on the backswing.

This move is typically caused by having a backswing that is
controlled more by the hips and the dipping of shoulders away from
the golf ball.

This move leads to many bad shots like duck hooks, topped shots, &
slices. Stuff you definitely don’t want.

A. The Simple Solution

To fix this problem, there is a simple practice technique that you can
use: try balancing yourself against a wall. Simply situate your body
with a wall behind you & pretend to address the ball while your
backside touches the wall.

Now simulate your backswing (in slow motion).

If you find that your club is touching the wall, this means that you
are moving too far inside.

By practicing the above drill with a wall, you will correct your
backswing path as well as be alerted to any other problems that you
might have.

For instance…you may be “laying off.” This term describes when a
golfer’s hands have moved the club under the plane on the
backswing (sometimes due to having weak wrists).

Adjust as necessary.

“Wait! We Need Your Opinion About This Article – That’s What Makes This Site Different Than The Other Golf Blogs Online…” What do you think about this article? Do you agree with any of the points made? Rate & review it right now in the space below:

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tags: beginners golf, drill, Explosive Drives, golf biomechanics, golf how to play, golf practice, golf swing 100, golf swing and hitting off, golf swing instructions, golf technique, golf tournaments, golf video lessons, good reasonably priced distance finder, hitting off back foot, maximum distance, one armed swing, online golf instruction, practice, practice drill, practice for the golf swing, secret to golf distance, secret to more distance, topping the golf ball

Eliminating Shanks In Golf…

11:25 pm May 25, 2009

Of all of the messed shots in golf, the shank is probably the most
dreaded. The shank happens when you make contact with the ball
using the hosel of the club.

One of the main causes of a shank could be that you are standing too
close to the ball at address.

The second factor that could be causing you to shank is that you may
be shifting your weight forward on your left foot before making
impact. This also may cause the hosel of the club to hit the ball.

A. The Setup

One way to fix this is to set up evenly. And, when you hold your
club, be sure that there is just over a fist’s length of space between
the end of the grip and your body.
Now you are on the right track.

B. The Shaft
The second thing you can do is practice by using a shaft. Place the
shaft 3 inches in front of your leading foot and then back 3 inches.
Check your distance so that a fist is perfectly measured between
your body and the grip.

Now, take a few practice swings. Make sure that your left hip
brushes against the shaft (for right handed players). Now hit a couple
of shots and put it all together.

This advice will help you in minimizing the number of shanks you
experience!

Just try it. You’ve got nothing to lose!

“Wait! We Need Your Opinion About This Article – That’s What Makes This Site Different Than The Other Golf Blogs Online…” What do you think about this article? Do you agree with any of the points made? Rate & review it right now in the space below:

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tags: downswing golf, first tee golf accessories, golf analysis software, golf perfect swing distance, golf practice, golf secret for straight shots, golf secret skills, golf swing on plane, golf swing trainer the coach, golf swing weight, hole in one plaques, keeping your head down, open club face at impact, practice swings, right arm in golf swing, shank shot, shanks, tee accessories, use your practice golf swing, watching the ball in golf