Free Golf Tip

Master Your Wedge


Scooping is Not Allowed.

The reason you can buy a 56, 58, or 60 degree wedge is that they are designed to get the ball in the air.

You don't need to lift the ball or help it out.

Your goal is to swing the club through the ball and let the club do the work.

1: Basic Set Up

Set up with a normal stance with the ball in the center of your stance. You may see professionals adjusting their stance to be more open but for most beginners the best thing you can do is hit the same shot again and again. That means keep it simple to start.

2: Grip and Swing

If you are at all nervous about this shot, you may find you are gripping the club firmly. You may also be worried that the club head will hit the ground thus making that dreaded sound that precedes the ball hopping 4 feet in front of you.

So grip your club lightly. Then make sure when you take the club back that you are not using your wrists. They should be firm throughout the swing. The club should move like a pendulum - back and forward. Smooth is the operative word here.

You'll need to keep things steady so that you can allow the club to pass under the ball and allow it to loft the ball in the air.


3: Follow Through

One thing you will learn is that if you don't think of the follow through the ball is going to be more unpredictable.

On a short chip a follow through is not going to look like you see on the cover of a golf magazine after a long drive. It should finish with the club face pointing to the sky--about waist high.

A smooth swing and follow through will have you moving through the ball and finishing with the clubface waist high.

These basic building blocks will have you confident close to the green that you can hit a good chip shot.

Next Issue we'll talk about how to aim your chip shot from 5, 15 and 50 yard in.

Free Golf Tips

"There is no rush. Swing as if you are working by the hour. Never make a change based on one bad shot, or even a few. If your swing is grooved, you can hit the ball with a sack over your head"

"If you are going to persevere, in golf or in anything, you need a philosophy. Harvey Penick gave us one. Stick to the one thing you can control--you. Don't get mad at the club; it's the same one you used to hit that great shot yesterday."



No two golf pupils are alike. But there are pitfalls that seem to face three types of players. There do not seem to be too many exceptions:

1: Women listen too well and too often . . . everyone wants to give them advice.
2: The average man tries to play like a tournament player.
3: Tournament players--especially young ones--try to play like someone else instead of simply being themselves.

Free Golf Tips

I found this article I thought you might be interested in. It’s from John Hopkins at suite101.com.

To break 80 consistently a golfer has to have a safe tee shot. Driving well off the golf tee is vital to break 80 as too many wayward drives means too many double bogeys

Learning to break 80 consistently demands a high skill level. To achieve that standard most golfers have had lessons and have bought the best equipment, but still something holds them back from being able to lower their scores to the magic number. Try to incorporate the following tips into your game to break 80 consistently.



• Most golfers who struggle to break 80 lose too many shots from wayward drives. To break 90 consistently power wasn’t important, but to break 80, power is necessary as a golfer needs to reach the par fours in two, therefore the driver has to be used on most tee shots. Unless under control however, shots will be dropped.



• There is a famous expression “you drive for show but putt for doe” but ask most tour pros and they will tell you that a safe game off the tee is equally as important as putting. Unless you have a safe drive off the tee it is inevitable you will hit into trouble and take too many double bogeys. Putting is important but driving is equally so.



How to Find a Safe Shot off the Tee

• There are many different permutations for a safe driver shot off the tee and this is the time to experiment.

• Try teeing the ball up at different heights, low, medium and high. Most golfers wanting to control tee shots use a low tee, which stops a golfer hitting the ball left as it demands a later release.

• Gripping down the club, almost on the shaft, allows the hands to make quicker and more accurate adjustments to square up the club head at impact.

• Make sure you finish the swing in a balanced finish position on all difficult tee shots where control is vital. The fact that you are facing a tough shot introduces tension and a likelihood you will hit ‘at’ the ball rather than swinging with rhythm. Force yourself to a balanced finish when facing a demanding tee shot.

• Make sure you use a driver with the optimum loft for your safe shot. Sacrificing one or two degrees of loft, and maybe ten or fifteen yards, is worth it if you can hit more fairways.

• Remember to work on all aspects of your game, including your putting, but develop a safe drive off the tee and you will be nearer your goal of being able to break 80 consistently.





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Free Golf Tips

Set Your Club Down

Before assuming your stance, place the head of your club behind the ball with its face square to the target.

STOP and check this. Do not rush.

This will help you maintain proper alignment and improve consistency.

Keep Your Head Down

Any teaching pro or golf instructor will tell you to "keep your head down," and there is a very important reason for this commonly offered advice.

Unless you can hold your head relatively steady during your swing, then the swing itself will not be steady.


Three golden rules of golf: If it goes left, it's a hook. If it goes right, it's a slice. If it goes straight down the course to the fairway, it's a miracle. :-)

Medicus Driver Improves all aspects of your swing from the takeaway to downswing.

Free Golf Tips

Weight Management

75 percent of the body weight is transferred to the back foot during the back swing. Through the downswing and finish, the weight transfers from the back foot to the front foot.

Too often, amateurs force this shift in weight by sliding and swaying from side to side during the back swing and downswing. This is not necessary! With correct footwork, you should automatically make the correct amount of weight shift.

To get a feel for using your legs and correctly shifting your weight during your swing, try the following drills.

Brace Drill:

Practice with your right leg butting against an object to get a solid feel for bracing your right side. In this case, we're using a bench. As you simulate your back swing, you should feel your knee pressing firmly against the bench, creating torque and building energy.

If your right knee isn't touching the bench during the back swing, it means you're not shifting your weight correctly to the right side. Keep making practice swings until you feel consistent pressure between your knee and the bench.

Free Golf Tips

I read a golf tip that reminded me to pay more attention on my approach shots.

The tip was to "know your distances".

To me that means two things.

One. Know how far you are from the flag. Note the yardage on the sprinkler head or where you are relative to the 150 yard markers but there's more.

Most yardage markers are to the center of the green. Where is the pin? In front or behind that? Is there wind? Know these things and estimate a distance before you reach for your club.

Two. Know how far you hit each club. If you don't know the club you hit 125, 75, 140, 155 yards with, you will be at a disadvantage if you take the time to estimate your real distance.

Free golf tips courtesy of Doug Tarr at (how to break 80.com). click below:

Free Golf Tips

Know How Far you Can Hit Each Club in Your Bag.

The first time I every played 5 rounds in 5 days, something very interesting happened. It was an accident. I hadn't read it anywhere. But suddenly when I was 100 yards from the pin, I knew that I could hit a 9 iron that distance every time. Suddenly, after 5 days I wasn't surprised at being over the green or embarrassingly short.

It occurred to me that this information was handy so I starting making some notes. How far could I hit a 3 iron, a 3 wood, a 9 iron, a 7 iron? Then every time I was standing on a par three 150 yards from the pin or on an approach shot 150 yards out, I knew what club to hit--without worrying.

Learn YOUR distance. This chart is typical. Adapt it to your game.

Pitching Wedge 70 yards
9 iron 100 yards
8 iron 120 yards
7 iron 140 yards
6 iron 150 yards
5 iron 160 yards
4 iron 170 yards
3 iron 180 yards
3 wood 203 yards
driver 225 yards

Know your distance, use the same tempo on each swing, let the club do the work and your rounds will be more consistent.

If you hit a 5 wood and a 3 iron the same distance, consider using the 5 wood more often on the fairway.

Soon you will have an easier time on long par 4s.

Free Golf Tips

Tee Box Choices - It all starts there.

You stand on the tee box and it is sunny. The day is great. You are golfing with friends or making new acquaintances. What should you be thinking about?

It should be something to do with the hole you are on.

Spend some time and think about the hole. How long? Straight or dog leg? Water? More Water? Nothing but water!

A good drive will set you up for a good score. If you are in the trees, deep grass, or a hazard, it becomes harder to save your score. Current thinking is 'grip it and rip it'. Giant head drivers encourage that thinking even more.

Follow this sequence to improve your chances of being in the middle of the fairway-often the best spot to be whether you are 100, 200 or 300 yards out.

First think about the hole and the distance you want to be at. A short dog leg left can hurt you if you simply drive as far as you can straight on. Driving too long can be a problem. So think about your length.

Based on your length decision, choose a club which is comfortable for you. A 3-wood or 5-wood is a perfectly fine choice. Tee box does not mean Big Bertha every single time.
Once you have distance in mind, then aiming is your next big decision. Do not just aim down the middle every time.

Look where the hazards are. You will find creeks, sand, trees, water, hills, rocks, cactus or other things to affect your choice. In addition, think about where the green is and what hazards are protecting it. If there is sand on the left then you want to approach from the right. So you want your drive to finish on the right.

Then consider the effect of the wind. Will it push you further left or right?

Finally, choose where on the tee box you want to stand. You can tee up your ball anywhere between the two markers. That means you can stand outside the markers if you tee up on the left side of the box (for your right hander). In addition you can move up to 2 club lengths behind the markers.

That gives you lots of choice where to stand and aim from. Pick your spot and tee up. Then pick a spot to aim at. I should remind you to aim at something not aim away from something. Looking at water, trees, houses and other distractions only attracts your ball towards them! Pick a spot on the fairway based on your choices and look at it when you aim.

Then, follow your pre-shot routine (remember-the same every time), take a smooth swing and smile to yourself as you end up where you wanted to. Then smile again as your partner picks a different spot, takes out the big wood and takes a mighty swing sending his (or her) ball 300 yards - into the trees. :-)

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Free Golf Tips

Think about your lie. Up, Down or Flat?

One common mistake many players make is they ignore the slope ofthe grass they are standing on and are frustrated at the behaviorof the ball when they strike it.

They expect the ball to do something other then what it will.
Don't be surprised on uphill or downhill shots.

On uphill shots, you can expect the ball to fly high and even drawto the left a bit. Make sure you aim accordingly. If you have asmall slice expect the uphill lie to add a bit of correction.

For longer clubs, make the following correction. Play the ballmore forward in your stance than you normally would. You will feellike you are leaning back a bit and that's ok. Then sweep the balland expect it to have a high trajectory (and go left a bit).

For shorter clubs, play the ball more forward in your stance ANDlean into the slope. Plan on keeping your weight on your left footthrough the whole swing.

Instead of a sweep, punch the ball and don't expect it to drawleft. It should go the direction you aim.

Free Golf Tips

Never Miss the 18" Putt Again! Try this simple technique. Set up to putt as described above. Pull the putter straight back 6 inches. Then push the face of the putter straight thru the ball to the hole. Forget about the ball. Think about a straight back and push through feeling. These putts drop in every time. You will never have the yips again on a short putt.

Free Golf Tips

Swing through the Ball

An all-too-common mistake made by golfers is To let up on the swing after impact. It is essential to maintain a firm grip and swing through the ball with good extension toward the target.

The Power of Positive Thinking

Always think positively. Be confident you are going to make That shot! When focused to hit over water, try to avoid thinking about the obstacle. Instead, concentrate on your target and on a smooth, effective swing.

To learn the proper putting stroke, first practice with bigger, beginner-friendly targets. Then say "one" while swinging back and "two" on the Way through. If your one is too loud, your pace won't be even. Try to make even, one-two sounds.

Free Golf Tips

A cure for the “dreaded” slice:

Today I'm going to show you a great way to get rid of your slice for good. It's a bit daring but once you try it out and get the hang of it I'm sure you'll be thanking me in no time.

Tap on the link below to check it out.

http://www.purepointgolf.com/fullswingdrills-vtip.php

Free Golf Tips

Which clubs should you be carrying in your bag? Well, that depends on your BUDGET and your SKILL level!

I've got some ideas, and they are general in nature. If you have a favorite club that is NOT listed, KEEP IT!! Results count!!!

The High Handicapper's Bag

- 3-wood

- 5-wood,

- 7-wood

- 5-iron through 9-iron

- Pitching wedge

- Putter

Most high handicappers cannot hit a driver, no matter how badly they want to. Drivers are especially dangerous in the hands of high-handicappers because many view distance as the quality they most want to have off the tee.

So they spend several hundred dollars on an oversized titanium driver that most of the time will only put them farther off the fairway, not farther down the fairway.

You need to own a driver - just practice with it on the driving range, and leave it at home when you hit the course.

Free Golf Tips

All great players have good hands, and that's why it's so crucial to develop a proper grip.

First, should you use an interlocking or overlapping grip? Someone with large hands probably should use an overlapping grip. Small hands, an interlocking grip.

Next, comes grip balance within the confines of each hand. The weight of the shaft should be balanced so you always have control throughout the swing. Another important element is the position of your left thumb on the shaft. Players who extend their thumbs hit the ball high and straight. Those who shorten the length of the thumb are likely to hit the ball low and left.

Grip pressure is another checkpoint. Try holding the club as tightly as you can, then hold it loosely. The correct pressure is somewhere in between. Finally, see how many knuckles are showing on your left hand. If you see most of them, you'll likely hit a hook or draw. Fewer, and the ball will go high and right.

Experiment with these basics and you'll find a grip that's best for your hands

Free Golf Tips

Hot Tip:

We firmly believe we have insisted upon the necessity of keeping your wrist straight / solid / DO NOT FLEX for chips shots. If you find you just can't get the hang of this, then find a pen (or a pencil). Next time you have to keep your right wrist fixed, stick a pen between your watch so that it covers your wrist and part of your palm. You'll get the hang real quick. If you STILL don't, use a pencil sharpened on both ends. OUCH!! You'll get the hang real fast!! :-)

Free Golf Tips

Tip of The Week

How hard should you grip the club? ANY club, driver, fairway, chip, putter. The real question is how EASY should you grip it!!

It must NEVER be tight. Think of your grip this way: You have a fragile bird egg in your hand. How hard can you squeeze before the egg breaks. Well, you DON'T want the egg to break, unless you are mean, and then unsubscribe, you cold hearted monster!!

That's how EASY your grip should be. This is extremely tough to master, but try and be conscience of it the next time on the course. You may be pleasantly surprised!!

Free Golf Tips

"Approach Shots: What it Takes to Master Them."

Basically, your approach shot is your shot onto the green. One of the things I like to say is this, "You know your game is improving when you start fixing more ball marks on the green" - most likely meaning that you hit it on your approach, which is your objective.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind, and then we'll get to the heart of this article.

Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag. Pin placements and greens are getting tougher to stick all the time.

Don't be a sucker and go for a pin that you'll most likely miss, which will leave you in a bunker or some other position which will add strokes to your round.

Focus on alignment, not distance.

Alignment is the key to improving your approach shots.

Most golfers don't practice their alignment too much on the practice range, but they should.
Think about this for a minute. Generally, when you miss the green it is due to alignment, not distance. Chances are, you have your 160 yard club, 150, 140, 130, etc...
And if you hit a less than perfect shot, the ball may go a little further or a little shorter. But even if that happens, most greens are deep enough that you should be on the putting surface if you have selected the club that would leave you in the center of the green.

But...alignment is another story. If you pull the ball, more times than most you really pull the ball, correct?
When your alignment is off, it's usually off by much more than 5-10 yards!

Practice your alignment.

Take your home course for example. I would be willing to bet there's somewhere in the ball park of a 160-yard par 3 on the course. Now picture that hole. What happens if you're 5-10 yards deep or shallow? You're probably still okay, right?
But what happens if you go right or left? That shot, more than likely, has trouble written all over it.

Summary:

Go to the range, and practice your alignment. Always hit to a target.

Free Golf Tips

Play the Ball Further Back In Your Stance…

Did you know that Ben Hogan played ALL of his shots at the same
spot in his stance, from 2 iron up? Well, fact is we will never be
Ben Hogan, but there are lessons to be learned here.

Many of us fail to make good contact on the fairway because of ball
placement relative to our stance. The objective of a good ball
strike is to make contact with the ball while your club is in the
downswing. The perfect divots you see the Pros make are made IN
FRONT of where the ball lies. Which makes sense. You DON'T want to
hit the ground before you hit the ball!! Talk about a loss of
momentum and velocity. Bad.

So, what does this lead us to? The average golfer should play his
low irons in the middle of their stance, and move SLIGHTLY
backwards as you go up a club. Many of us make the mistake of
playing the ball with a 3 or 4 iron off of our left in-step (if you
are a right handed golfer).

If this is new to you, you need to also remember that because the
ball is further back in your stance than normal, it should also be
a tad bit closer to your body.

Try it the next time you are on the course. Remember exactly where
the ball was when you hit it. Adjust your body, not the placement
of the ball relative to the stance, if you miss-hit. When you finally
hit that shot that jumps off your club, you got it right. Practice
that shot until you get it down (Practice doesn't make Perfect,
Perfect Practice makes Perfect).

Bear in mind that your head must be kept down. My favorite method
is too pick out a dimple on the golf ball, and stare at that
through my back and down swing, until my natural momentum lifts my
head up.


Tip of The Week

The key to hitting low, crisp chip shots is keeping your left wrist
(if you are a right hand golfer) straight. Most errant shots occur
because the left wrist bends at impact.
It should remain straight.

By keeping your left wrist solid, the ball will stay on the target
line, and you'll find the ball rolling towards the pin. You do not
have to scoop the ball on a chip shot. Think of it as an extremely
long putt!!!

Free Golf Tips

Greenside Bunkers

The most common mistake weekend players make in the greensidebunker is allowing their lower bodies to get too active. If you shift your weight or make a turn with your lower body, your swing's shape and impact position will never be the same from one swing to the next--you'll never know whether you'll leave the ball in the bunker or skull one 35 yards across the green.

Proper bunker technique requires that you place your weight forward--and leave it there throughout the swing. Here's a great drill to engrain this feeling. Go to a practice bunker and hit 25 bunker shots with your right (for right-handed golfers) heel in the air--only your right toes should be dug into the sand for balance. This will position the majority of your weight forward to begin your swing. If you try to shift your weight back to your right side as you play the shot, you'll feel the pressure in your right toes and you'll have to fight to keep your right heel from lowering into the sand.

It might feel as though you're actually shifting your weight forward in a reverse pivot, but you're not--you're just not used to the feel of the proper bunker technique. As you learn to keep your weight forward and quiet your lower body on these greenside bunker shots, you'll begin to notice the ball flying the same distance and on the same trajectory again and again. Once this happens, you'll start to develop some touch and begin to think about not only getting the ball out, but also about getting it close.

Poor bunker players have a far-too-active lower body. If you make a turn or weight shift, your swing's shape and the club's impact position will change from swing-with inconsistent results. To quiet your lower body bring consistency to your greenside bunker game, practice hitting sand shots with your right heel raised. Your swing's shape and club's impact position will be the same-shot after shot. When you are in a greenside bunker, and you need to get out (like you would need to stay in??), the most common mistake made is taking a half swing, and not following through. Try this: Pretend the ball is lying on a pancake, or sprinkler head. You want to aim FOR THE FRONT EDGE of the 'pancake' that the ball is lying on. DO NOT stop your swing upon contact. FOLLOW THROUGH to get the ball out. By hitting the sand first, and hitting through the ball, you will not 'skull' it. The ball will pop up gently, with the sand, and roll right into the cup (ok maybe not, but it will be much closer). Do you watch pro's, or other good golfers? Wonder why they 'take so much sand' with them? Now you know! Remember, don't hit the ball, hit the front edge of the pancake, and follow through. Let your backswing determine the distance you need to go, not your follow through! And always count to one one thousand before you lift your head.

That will insure that you KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!!



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Golf tips on golf swings, golf grips and golf setups.

Here's some pretty good tips on Bunker shots I thought I would pass along.

Bunkers - How to Play Them

Fairway Bunkers

The fairway bunker shot can be an intimidating shot for many inexperienced golfers. For starters, when playing out of fairway bunkers, it is wise to take one to two clubs more than normal. Begin by setting up normally, with your feet slightly dug in for stability and the ball positioned more toward the middle of your stance. Next, grip down slightly on the club for greater control. Right before you begin your backswing, lift your chin off your chest. That raises your center of gravity and increases your ability to hit the ball first, which is crucial in executing the shot.

Swing at 70 percent of your normal speed and there's a good bet you'll hit a clean, solid shot. So, Hitting a shot from a fairway bunker poses no great problem if the ball has a good lie.

(Well, I am really just trying to buildyour confidence. I could say, you are in a bunker, you're score just went up three strokes!!!)

Long or middle irons as well as 3, 4, and 5 woods can be used with confidence in this situation. Take a open stance, wider than normal. Work your feet into the sand for better balance. Play the ball back 1" to 2" to assure that the club hits the ball before the sand. Choke down on the shaft. Close your eyes (just kidding).

From an open stance, aim slightly to the left.
Swing Normal Speed

Pray




On long fairway bunker shots, try a 5 wood in preference to a long iron. Don't try to overpower this shot. Restrict your body turn and swing easy. Now, if it is a BAD lie, then you need to play the course. Grab your club you are confident with, between a 7 and SW. Observe the course. Realize that you are not Tiger Woods. Realize the average golfer will clunk it out about 75 yards. Aim for a safe fairway shot to get you back into play. Shoot for the MIDDLE of the fairway, not left or right, 75 yards 'down bunker'. Most importantly, follow through on your swing. Most weekend golfers, whether near the green or in a fairway bunker, STOP their swing on impact. Golf is simple. You ALWAYS need to follow through. Again, swing easy and follow through.

The Take Away

Notice: See my "Hot Tip" at the end of the article.


We've covered the Golf Grip, The Golf Stance, The Golf Setup and now before we get into the Golf Backswing, I think we should look at a very important aspect of this game. The Take Away:

The Take Away

Standing to the Handle

As you address the golf ball there are some critical parts of the setup that must be in place before you start the backswing.

1. If you look down and see the grip-end of the golf club across from your belt buckle there is a good chance you have MOST of the critical parts in place.

1. Across from Belt Buckle

Having the grip-end of the golf club across from your belt buckle assures you of having your head in the correct position, not tilted too far to the left side or the right side of the golf ball. The second part is your spine is probably in the correct position, if the grip end is pointing towards you chin, your spine is too long. If the grip end is pointing lower than your belt buckle, your spine is bent over too much. Lastly, the most crucial part is the golf club is soled on the ground with the correct amount of loft.

The golf club being soled correctly on the ground is the sure guarantee that you are in the correct set-up, after you confirm all the positions that we discussed above.

The Key to Starting the Golf Club Back

One of the top five most asked questions in the past 25 years has been, “What starts the backswing?” The answer is a bit complex, so grab your Hi-Liter and let’s get started.

2. When you are ready to start the backswing, the clubhead, shaft, your hands, arms and right shoulder move in ONE PIECE at the exact same time.
   
   
3. The clubhead starts back on an arc (we will get to that in the next section). The right shoulder starts turning backwards.

2. One Piece Take-away

3. Right Shoulder Turns as Arm Swings Club

The take-away is one piece all the way until it arrives at the 9:00 o’clock position (we will get to that in two sections).

As you start back, both knees are flexed and during the backswing- the right knee NEVER changes positions. It does not flex more, nor does it straighten out and it does not slide back away from the target.

The left knee also plays a major role in the backswing. It does not move towards the line of flight and it does not straighten out. As the golf club starts back, the left knee moves towards the right knee as a RESULT of the upper body turning and the lower body resisting this turn. The left knee never passes the golf ball in the backswing.

The Correct Path in the Backswing

4. As the golf club starts back away from the golf ball the club head must swing back on an arc which is inside the straight line to the target.

4a. Correct Arc

4b. Correct Arc

If the golf club travels outside in the backswing the right shoulder will tilt up in the backswing and the golf club will swing vertical to the ground in the downswing. If the golf club travels too much to the inside of the arc in the backswing, the golf club will travel too level to the golf ball in the downswing. If the golf club swings too straight back you will have a tendency to hit the ball in the heel of the club at impact.



Too Much Outside

Too Much Inside

Too Straight Back

When the golf club travels back on the correct path the combination of the arms and hands will be able to swing the golf club back to the correct position at the top of the backswing as long as the right shoulder turns out of the way.

From Address to the 9:00 Position

When the shaft of the golf club is level to the ground and parallel to your intended target line- we refer to that position as 9 o’clock.

5. The first check-point in the backswing is the 9:00 o’clock position.

When you reach 9 o’clock, you are half-way back and this is a great time to stop and take a look around, as long as you know what you are looking for. The first thing you want to take a look at- is the golf club in the exact correct position? The club should be parallel to your target line and level to the ground. The second part to take a look at- is the right shoulder turning and not tilting? It is very difficult to get to 9 o’clock with a tilted right shoulder.




Right Shoulder Tilted Too Much

Right Shoulder Turned Too Level

If the right shoulder is tilting up the golf club will most likely be outside the path and pointed up. If the right shoulder turns too much in the backswing the golf club will swing around you too much. If you are in the correct position, it is time to head back to the top of the backswing.

From 9:00 to the Top

6. From the 9 o’clock position the golf club must continue up on an arc.
   
   
   
   
   
   

This can only happen if you continue to turn the right shoulder out of the way. As the right shoulder turns out of the way, the arms, hands and golf club will continue to swing inside, however, after the golf club passes the 9 o’clock position, it will have to swing up. This combination is what I believe is the most difficult part of the backswing.

You can not stop turning the shoulder. If you do stop turning the golf club will start to swing up to much. If you continue to swing the golf club around with the shoulders the golf club will swing too much around.

7. The proper combination is when the shoulders turn and the golf club swings up. When you reach the top of the backswing with this combination you will be in position to swing the golf club down on the correct path and with clubhead speed.

*-----------Hot Tip----------*


How far should you stand from the ball? Take your regular left hand grip. Hold the club straight out. Slowly lower to the ground. There you go. Set up to shoot. You should have no more than a fist and a half between the end of the club and your body. Feel uncomfortable? GOOD!! You know it must be right.

Golf Backswing

Here's a lesson on how to start the Backswing.

Golf Backswing - How to Start the Club Back
One of the top five most asked questions in the past 25 years has been, "What starts the backswing?" The answer is a bit complex, so grab your Hi-Liter and let's get started. When you are all ready to start the backswing, the clubhead, shaft, your hands, arms and right shoulder move in ONE PIECE at the exact same time. The clubhead starts back on an arc (we will get to that in the next section). The right shoulder at this time is turning backwards. The take-away is one piece all the way until it arrives at the 9:00 o'clock position (we will get to that in two sections).
Golf Backswing - The Knees
As you start back, both knees are flexed and during the backswing- the right knee NEVER changes positions. It does not flex more, nor does it straighten out and it does not slide back away from the target.The left knee also plays a major role in the backswing. It does not move towards the line of flight and it does not straighten out. As the golf club starts back, the left knee moves towards the right knee as a RESULT of the upper body turning and the lower body resisting this turn. The left knee never passes the golf ball in the backswing.

This article written by Bobby Eldridge of PurePoint Golf.

Fix that Golf Slice

Golf tip: Curing your slice may take nothing more than a Band-aid.

Almost all novice golfers have this same problem. Heck, most golfers have this problem. It takes a lot of practice and concentration to overcome it.
Golfers who slice have no idea of why they do so. Most think it's because their swing path comes from outside in, (the dreaded over-the-top move) while many even blame their equipment. The one area most overlooked is the angle of the clubface as it makes contact with the ball.
The slice is a shot which usually starts off slightly to the left, then swerves to the right in the air. The slice is a common fault that occurs in many beginners game and has to be one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a golfer. In most cases, the slice is uncontrollable and is destructive more often than not resulting in the ball being sent deep into the rough. It is also far more common than the hook which occurs when the ball does the opposite through the air.
Even if your alignment, swing and grip are perfect, the positioning of the ball in the stance can make a good straight shot into a shot that slices wildly out of play. This occurs when the ball is placed too far forward in the stance.
The plain and simple fact is that if the club face is open at impact, the shot will move left to right. The clubface must be square to the target upon impact. An easy way to achieve this is to rotate your left forearm through the impact zone.
To achieve the correct rotation, try this simple drill using a piece of tape or a Band-Aid:
Place a piece of tape or a Band-Aid on the underside of the wrist of your lead arm (the left arm for right-handed golfers, the right arm for left-handed golfers).
Allow your lead elbow to be a couple of inches from your side and rotate your forearm so you can see the tape or Band-Aid as you swing the club through the impact zone. Your left wrist should be flat, (if you are a right-handed golfer). This will help you visualize the proper rotation of the club head during your swing.
During your swing it is important to rotate your forearm, not just your wrist, so you can see the entire piece of tape or Band-Aid as you swing through the hitting area.
Try this drill with your lead arm alone before practicing with both hands on the golf club.
Continue to work on this movement until you see the tape or Band-Aid consistently. If you do this properly your slice will be gone for good. You can practice this drill in your backyard several times a day or in the evening when you get home from work. Then take it out to a driving range and practice some more. Practice – Practice – Practice

The Golf Setup - The Address

As we move through the address position section I want you to wrap your head around the idea that we are going to construct a building. The building is four to six feet tall and not very wide. Of course I am referring to the human body. The first place you would start is the foundation, so let’s talk about the feet first. Let’s see how far apart they are supposed to be and exactly where we place the weight once we get the feet planted.

The feet have to support the upper body and once the golf club, the arms, and the body get moving in the downswing there is a lot of force that the foundation has to support.

The feet have to be just slightly further apart than shoulder width. This distance is far enough apart to maintain a solid base.

Slightly More Than Shoulder Width

As the club begins to build up speed and the left hip makes the first move down the target line before it turns backward, the width of the stance will hold up just fine. If you have a tendency to lose your balance, your stance might be to narrow.

After impact the golf club swings back around your body and up towards your left shoulder. As the golf club comes to the end of the swing your weight has moved from the right side over to the left side. The width of your feet will accommodate this move. Your weight needs to be evenly distributed between your toes and heels.

From the feet we are going to move up the building to the knees. The knees have played a huge role in most sports- golf is no exception. The knees are going to come into play in two different parts of the golf swing.

The first part is the address position.

As you address the golf ball your knees will have a slight flex in them.

You are NOT going to “sit” on your knees and they are NOT locked straight.

For a long time instructors taught students to have the feeling you were “sitting” on a bar stool. I always believed we should have been teaching people to feel as though you were “leaning” back on a stool. The last thing you would ever want to do is sit in golf. Sitting will cause the golf club to swing too level to the ground in the downswing, and you will have a tendency to hit the ground behind the golf ball.

Before you start to “straighten” your knees to a “locked” position, which is just as wrong as sitting, let me give you a bit of advice. The knee position is what I refer to as “slightly” flexed. Because we are all different heights, I cannot give you an exact degree you should flex your knees- however; if you simply relax your knees, you will find the correct amount of bend on your own.

The second roll the knees play in the swing is when the golf club is in motion. As the golf club swings back, the single most important thing for you to remember is the RIGHT knee never ever moves from the original position. If you think of the two knee caps as head lights shining in front of you as you drive along a road, you might make some twists and turns but the headlights are always in front of you. As you start the backswing the right knee does not slide, bend or straighten out- it stays very quiet and solid during the entire backswing.

Both knees must remain flexed during the entire backswing and until impact.

The Hips

If your chin is in the correct position, and your spine is long (don't worry we'll talk about these shortly), and your knees are flexed the correct amount, the golf club will not sole correctly on the ground until you tilt or bend over from the hips. You do NOT want to bend at the waist. You ALWAYS want to bend from the hips. The difference is if you bend at the waist your spine will bend (not good).

If you bend at the hips you can maintain the spine angle and sole the club on the ground correctly.

If you do not bend at the hips, you will not be able to sole the golf club correctly.

When you bend over from the hips you have to make sure you do not straighten out or lock your knees. When you bend at the hips you have to pay close attention to making sure you do not bend at the bottom of the spine.

The hips play another role not related to their position.

Your hips must be parallel to the line of the ball flight at address.

If your hips are open at address you will have a tendency to open the hips too soon in the downswing. The clubface will be open at impact and the golf ball will start right. If your hips are closed at address the golf club will swing too much from the inside in the downswing and the golf ball will either start right or you will struggle with a quick hook left.

At address the hips are parallel to the ball flight line. As the golf club swings back down from the top, the first move from the top is for the left hip to move an inch or two parallel to the target line and then the left hip should begin to turn backwards out of the way so the golf club can swing back to the inside after impact.

When you arrive at the finish of the golf swing your belt and shoulders should be level to the ground. Your belt buckle will aim at the intended target and your hips are level to the ground.

The Shoulders

The shoulders play three major roles in the golf swing. The first two roles are static and the third is a moving role. In the address position the shoulders compliment the spine angle.

If the shoulders are opened up and back at address the spine angle will be in the correct position as long as the chin is up.

If the shoulders are rounded the spine will be bent over too much.


The second role the shoulders play is they must be parallel to your intended line you want the golf ball to travel on. When you look down your toes, knees, hips and shoulders must be in line with each other. Parallel means they have to be on the same line going to the left of where you want the golf ball to start. If the shoulders are aiming to the right of the target the golf club will start too much inside the correct path in the backswing. If they are aiming to the left of the target the golf club will start too much to the outside in the backswing. For the golf club to start back on the correct path the shoulders must be parallel from the start.

The shoulders play yet another role in the backswing. As the clubhead, shaft, hands, arms and (shoulders) start moving backwards, the right shoulder has to move out of the way to give the hands, arms and golf club a place to swing to at the top of the backswing. The right shoulder does not slide back. Instead – rotates around your body.

The shoulders play a huge role in distance and direction. The shoulders have to turn as much as possible in the backswing. Once your back is facing the target (this for the 30ish and under crowd) or as much of a turn as possible, you will be in position to swing the club down with maximum club head speed.

The Spine

The spine has taken on an all important part in the golf swing in the past 10 years. Not many words were written about the spine and its role in the golf swing until then.

If the spine stays long during the backswing, not rigid, you can make a much bigger turn.

If your spine is curved at address the shoulders will have a tendency to tilt and not turn. In the downswing the shoulders will have a tendency to turn on top of the golf ball instead of moving under. If the shoulders can move under, the golf club will stay on the path in the downswing (producing an inside to out swing). As the golf club swings back the right shoulder has to turn to allow the golf club to swing up, if the spine is too long the club will swing around too much and not up enough.






There is yet another role the spine plays in the golf swing. At the top of the backswing the spine supports the upper body, the golf club, the arms and most importantly the speed at which we swing the golf club. If the spine maintains its length in the backswing, you will be able to swing the arms at a greater speed in the downswing.

The golf club is at its maximum speed as it nears the golf ball and the spine is supporting the “frame of the golf swing” - your upper body. As the club head passes the impact zone the spine is at its most vulnerable position and from that point to the finish is when the spine is taking a real beating (physically).

Maintaining the correct spine angle will play a major role in club head speed and, the direction the club actually swings (swing path). The spine maintains the same angle from address to one foot past impact and it is critical that it starts from the correct position.

If you are in the correct posture at address no changes are necessary.

If you are standing too tall at address, bending at the hips will solve this problem. If you are bent over too much at the top of the spine or your shoulders are too curved, you will have to take a very serious look into changing your spine angle. Opening your shoulders and lifting your chin will be a great place to start.

The Chin

After you address the golf ball there is a check-list of things you need to go through to make sure you are ready to take off. I am not going to tell you the position of the chin is the most important- however, it ranks up there for sure. The chin controls what happens to the shoulders in the backswing.

If the chin is down in your chest at address, the shoulders will have a tendency to pop up in the backswing. The right shoulder will NOT turn out of the way to make room for the arms to swing around. If you continue to leave your chin down in your chest you might have some success with the shorter clubs, but the long clubs will be very difficult to hit. You can get away with the arms swinging up and down with the short clubs, you might not be so lucky with the longer clubs.

If you have a tendency to top your shots or hit thin, your chin might be up too much.

If the chin is down in your chest at address, the shoulders will have a tendency to pop up in the backswing. The right shoulder will NOT turn out of the way to make room for the arms to swing around. If you continue to leave your chin down in your chest you might have some success with the shorter clubs, but the long clubs will be very difficult to hit. You can get away with the arms swinging up and down with the short clubs, you might not be so lucky with the longer clubs.

If you have a tendency to top your shots or hit thin, your chin might be up too much.

So now you want to know how much you should lift your chin up. I have some advice that is not the answer of all answers, but it is a wonderful starting point.

Lift your chin up just enough to get your fist under your chin and touch your throat.

When you start experimenting with this new position you will want to start with a club you like to hit. You will know right away if the correction is going to help you or not. Give it a chance. If you top a lot of shots, you have lifted the chin up too much. The first few shots you might want to start with half a fist so you can ease into it. Keep in mind it is an extension of your spine. You might have to bend over at the hips another inch or two; this will compliment the chin position.