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3 Simple Steps That Force the Golf Ball To Stay On Target

2011-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hit the ball where you want it to go:

Many amateur golfers have a lot of trouble getting the ball to go where we want it to.

This is a huge problem in a sport where the goal is to get a 1.68 inch ball in a 4.25 inch cup.

How can you increase your accuracy to slash your scores? Well one very common but easy to fix problem is a tricky optical illusion that makes your eyes think you are aiming one way while your feet, hips, and shoulders aim another way. The real trouble is that many golfers have difficulty with their alignment and they don't even know it. You may think your golf swing is bad because the ball goes the wrong way, but in reality you may be simply aiming it the wrong way.

Aiming a tiny golf ball is hard enough as it is, but to make it even harder on us golfers we have to aim from the side of the ball. Just think about it...in every other precision sport the players get to line their eyes up with the target. Basketball players don't shoot free throws by standing beside the ball (although it would be impressive). Marksmen don't aim their guns by standing two feet to the left of the gun either (it would make the shooting range a dangerous place).

So it is no wonder that so many of us golfers have such a difficult time aiming properly.

Luckily there are some tricks you can use to make sure you are aiming perfectly every time but to do this you have to fix your alignment.

Alignment:

Alignment is how you address the ball, mostly where your feet are in relation to the ball and your target. The heels of your feet should line up perfectly with your target.

You probably already knew that, but what you don't know is that most players only think their heels are aligned with their target. In reality 90% of amateur golfers are aiming 5 or more yards to the right of their target (for us right handed golfers anyways). And that's why 90% or amateur golfers hit a slice.

5 yards doesn't sound too bad to us amateurs but remember guys like us don't have consistently straight as an arrow shots. Guys like us routinely hit the ball 5 or more yards off of where are feet are aimed. Now add that 5 or more yards of miss-alignment and you can easily see why this can get you into the rough on a regular basis.

By correcting your alignment you could stay in the fairway on a few more holes each round. Think about what that is going to do for your score (I'm thinking 3-5 strokes at least).

How to Fix Your Alignment:

Step 1: Club Behind The Heels Trick

If you are having trouble with your alignment try the old 'club behind the heels' trick. Lay a club on the ground up against your heels. Now step away and look where that club is pointing. Chances are it is not pointing where you think you are aiming.

To fix this you have to break the illusion of thinking you are aiming one way while your heels are saying something different.

Use the club behind your heels trick until you thing you have a good feel for where your heels are pointing.

Step 2: Aim Your Golf Shot By Turing Your Head Not Your Body

Another common problem is that guys will address the ball then straighten their body and look where they want to aim. They then make adjustments to their shot based on this illusion of where they were looking from (which is not right over the ball).

To overcome this illusion you can start aiming by simply turning your head while you are down in your stance (most people have their head more over the ball in their stance) so your eyes will be more in-line with the ball. This is really difficult to explain without picture which is why I have included some here.

Step 3: Develop A Pre-Shot Routine

To make your aim and alignment even better you should implement a good pre-shot routine that you follow religiously.

Most amateur golfers have been aiming improperly for so long that any change (even just an inch) will make them feel like they are changing their aim by several feet. You are going to have to force yourself to make these changes and overcome the awkward feel they may give you (the wickedly straight shots you hit will make this change a little easier to swallow).

Here's what you should do:

Always approach the golf ball from behind. Stand behind the ball for a second and pick a target (not just the fairway), a real defined spot (by the way this is how you should be practicing on the range too).

Now imagine a straight line coming from that target going back to your ball and pick a spot (piece of grass etc.) maybe 12 inches in front of the ball that is on the target line. You now have a small segment of your target line to use as a guide to set up your feet.

Address the golf ball and align your heels on a line that is parallel to the target line.

You must use your heels. If you go by your toes you will be off target. Most golfers do not keep their toes straight forward so a toe to toe line goes in a different direction than the heel to heel line.

What It Takes to Improve Your Golf Swing

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

The majority of golf players have one thing in common. They all want to improve their golf swings. You probably have the same wish yourself. Many times, we can blame our bad games on sheer misfortune, but the reality is that most of the time, it really comes down to our inconsistency in our games. This unpredictability could also be related to your imperfect golf swing.

Of course it is not surprising that your golf swing is not correct. The swing itself goes against how the human body normally reacts. With so many elements making up the swing, it is easy to make a mistake that sends the entire shot off course. What is certain though if you hope to perfect your golf game is that you need to make sure your body is properly going through the full range of motions as you swing.

One disadvantage of having played quite a bit is your habits. If you have been doing the same wrong action for years, then your body now makes those moves automatically. You will have to work hard to retrain yourself. It is a good idea for someone to videotape you while you perform your golf swing. Being able to review your movements at a slow speed will allow you to catch the errors in your own motions.

There are other items that you should look at in addition to your golf swing if you hope to improve your game. One of the most important of these issues is the clubs you use. Perhaps your clubs are not the proper size? If they are the wrong size, then this could be a part of the reason your swing is not accurate.

Even though your clubs may be a part of your problem, you still do not want to just run to the store and buy new ones. Before you make such a drastic change in your game, you will want to check with a golf expert to see if your clubs are hindering your game performance.

Exercises created to enhance golf performance can be quite beneficial to a golfer who wants to lower his score. To know which exercises can actually help you with your golf swing, you should identify the muscles that you use while swinging. Exercises which target these muscles will help enhance the accuracy and distance of your shot.

Last but not least, clear your mind before you swing your club. For many of us, this can be very difficult because we are always judging ourselves beforehand. Many times, this propensity to rate ourselves influences our actions, and we end up taking poor swings. To avoid doing this, you should take a deep breath before swinging your club. Then you should visualize the perfect swing happening. With the proper swing and clubs, that visualization could soon become a reality.

Rescue Your Game With a Golf Swing Training Aid

2011-09-25T19:59:00.001-07:00

Golf is a game that should always be fun, but quite often for the frustrated golfer, it is far from enjoyable. The game becomes more tedious than pleasant when a golfer feels that he just can't seem to play any better.

You are certain that you are doing everything perfect, but for some reason your drives are not long or accurate. Every once in a while, you get lucky, but you wish your game was more consistent. If this sounds like your story, then a golf swing training aid could really be quite beneficial to you.

A number of golfers don't even bother to practice anymore. For a while they practiced every chance they got, but then they became frustrated when their efforts did not result in a better game. If you are practicing poor mechanics, then you certainly are not going to improve your golf swing.

All you're doing by repeating the same mistakes is teaching your body the wrong way to perform. Unfortunately after a while, the muscles you use in your golf swing will find it difficult to respond any other way. This will make it even harder for you to improve your golf game.

The easiest way to correct your swing faults is with the assistance of a golf swing tutorial. When you work on your game with an aid of this sort, you can instantly begin to eliminate the bad habits of your swing form. Using the golf swing training aid as a guide, you can replace the flaws with strong, solid motions that improve your swing. In time, your muscles will become so accustomed to the proper golf swing, that they will have a problem performing any other way.

Rescuing your golf game has never been easier because of all the technological advances. So many creative and engaging products are available because the demand for great golf training aids is huge. As a result, companies are continuously striving to respond to these demands with newer and better goods. When they are successful in creating popular products, these firms see a huge increase in their profits.

If you can afford to do so, you should work with a golf instructor face-to-face. The advantage of doing this is that you will have a person who can observe your swing motions and hopefully be able to identify your flaws during the movements.

Of course your instructor will work with you to improve your swing, but they can also help you better your game by suggesting a top-notch golf swing training aid that can help you take your game to the next level. If working with a golf expert is out of the question, you also have the option of turning to any friends and family members who play the game of golf very well.

The best way for you to observe your own golf swing performance is by watching a videotape of you practicing your swing. Using a slow motion feature to review the tape, you should be able to see some of the errors in your game. Once you have identified the flaws in your swing, you will be able to take full advantage of a golf swing training aid.

Nail the Short Putts

2011-09-25T19:58:00.001-07:00

In my opinion, making putts that are inside five feet is all about having confidence in your abilities. The best short putters in the world all have incredible confidence in their putting and their ability to drain short putts. Tiger Woods was, at one point, the best putter inside five feet in the world and that was because he had confidence in himself and his putting.

It all starts with your stroke. You must have a putting stroke that is easy to repeat, achieves the best results for you and that you are comfortable with. Your stroke can be any kind of method; straight back and through, inside-to-inside, out-to-in, whatever works for you. The important part is that you trust your stroke and know that you can make putts with it.

The second key to making short putts is to check your grip pressure. Most golfers get very tense over short putts because there is that expectation that your putt must go in the hole. There is a stigma of embarrassment associated with missing a short putt, but you have to put that to the side and not let it creep into your head when over a short putt. When addressing the ball, make sure your grip pressure is very light all the way through the stroke and impact with the ball. This really helps to make sure you are not getting too tense over the ball and trying to steer the ball in the hole.

The third key to making short putts is the KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN. I see so many amateurs lift their head up at impact or just before impact because they are too anxious to see if the ball is going in the hole. Lifting your head is the worst thing you can do because it alters your stroke and pulls your whole body away from the target. The best thing to do if you are having trouble with keeping your head down is to just listen for the ball to go in the hole. If you are within five feet of the hole, you will be able to hear the distinctive rattle of the ball falling in the cup, there is no need to lift your head. Practice keeping your head down until you hear the ball fall in the cup and then you can lift your head.

Finally, don't get caught up in the stigma that is involved with missing a short putt. The best players in the world miss putts from inside a few feet all the time, it is going to happen. You just cannot let it shake your confidence in your stroke. Practice those three keys next time you are out on the putting green and then take it to the course with you next time you play and you will be on your way to better scores and fewer three putts.

Learn And Maintain Proper Golf Alignment To Help Your Golf Swing Path

2011-09-25T19:57:00.001-07:00

Golf alignment is a fundamental of the golf swing setup and it is very important if you want to have a swing that is consistent and on the proper golf swing path. Misalignment with the golf setup, on the other hand, can cause errant golf shots due to swing path problems.

There are a few helpful tips which will get your golf alignment on track so you can hit straighter golf shots. First of all, when we talk about alignment in the golf setup, we are referring to the clubface, the feet, hips, shoulders, and even the forearms. As you setup to the ball, everything should be parallel to your target line with regards to your body. The clubface should be facing your target or where you want the ball to start out after impact.

It's helpful in your preshot routine and as you set up to the golf ball to first align your clubface as you set it directly behind the ball. Once you've set the club head down, then it's time to get your feet and the rest of your body square. The goal for correct golf alignment is to get everything parallel with your target line of where you want the ball to start after you've hit it.

It's easy for a golfer to get misaligned without even being aware of it. It's a good idea to check your alignment from time to time and even work on it at the driving range every so often. A great way to work on alignment at the range is to lay a club down on the ground in between your feet and the ball so that it is parallel with your target line. Then you can check your feet so that they are each the same distance away from the golf club. This drill will get your feet in alignment and it is then just a matter of squaring up your hips and shoulders so that they are over your feet and aligned in the same direction.

To check the alignment of your shoulders or your hips, just get in your setup position and then take a club and put it across the line of your shoulders and hips while maintaining your posture. You then want to look and see if the club points just parallel of your target. If it's not you can make the adjustment and get everything square. This will really help you start the club on the correct path and promote swinging the club on a good path especially in and near the impact zone. Good golf alignment will help your swing path and get your hitting better golf shots.