Choosing The Right Club During A Game Of Golf

Choosing The Right Club During A Game Of Golf 
By Zane Madisson 
When you are playing a game of golf, one of the ways that you can ensure good performance is to have a good discretion when it comes to picking out the right golf club. In any given situation, you are faced with 14 different choices. The trick to being an expert golfer is being able to spot these situations when they come up, and decide which club to use from there. This is how you begin to truly improve your game, since each club has a very specific hitting ability. There are many different factors to observe when picking a golf club. Here are the main ones, and how you can analyze them to choose a golf club.

The distance between you and the target is the biggest factor in choosing the club. Since you can pretty much line them all up from the least to the greatest hitting power, you will be able to choose one that is in the correct range. Irons and Wedges are usually best if you are closer. They don’t have as much hitting power as the long-range clubs, but they have the higher accuracy that you will need to hone in on your target. However, if you are still close to the beginning of the course (perhaps in the par-six or par-five zones), you will want to pick the long-range clubs. These include the Fairway woods, or the driver. These will allow you to really put your muscle into the swing and hit the ball a long way.

The wind is something that the real expert golfers really take into account, although often its importance is lost on the newer golfers. If the wind is blowing particularly hard in the direction that you wish to hit the ball, you can drop down to a less powerful club in order to allow the wind to pick up the slack. The same goes if the wind is coming forcefully towards you, in the opposite direction of your target. You will have to hit the ball extra hard in order to make up for the undesirable wind conditions, so choose a club that reflects this change. Usually it can be very hard for a beginner to determine how the wind strength and direction will affect their shot, so don’t worry if the concept is lost on you at first. It just takes experience to start to make the connections.

Besides the horizontal distance between you and the target, you also need to consider the vertical distance. Hitting to a plane that is higher than your current one requires more club power, which means that you should probably switch to the club that is one rank above the one you would have chosen. The same goes if the ground is lower. If you use a regular club to hit to a target that is 10 feet lower than you, chances are you are going to overshoot it. By using a smaller club according to the change in elevation, you will avoid quite a few lakes and sand traps. Always plan out your shot thoroughly, and consider all of the elevations and the general shape of the golf course.

The surface of the golf course is the final thing that you want to consider, and is probably the easiest. If you are in difficult terrain, your top priority is not necessarily to get the ball to the hole, but rather just to get onto better terrain that will allow a better shot. Therefore you shouldn’t try to choose the more powerful clubs. Instead, stick with the smaller ones and get yourself back into the game as best as you can. High loft irons are good for this purpose, instead of drivers or fairway woods. It may be difficult to remember all of these factors at first, but as you get more involved with golfing you will become very familiar with them.

The Correct Grip On The Golf Range

The Correct Grip On The Golf Range
By: Bentley Loveday

Golf Swing

The golf swing is probably one of the most frustrating parts of the game of golf. People are constantly modifying their swing to get more distance or to correct problems like a slice or a hook. Really, though, the golf swing is just a matter of mechanics and putting body motions together in the right way to be consistent. But experienced golfers know this is easier said than done. What are the basics of a good golf swing?

* Your stance should be about shoulder width apart and your feet should be pointing slightly out – but not too much!
* Let your arms hang naturally down from your body and place the club behind the ball. If your shoulders hunch or you have tension in your arms, you are probably too close to the ball. Stand back a little bit.
* Place about 70 percent of your body weight on your back leg.
* Straighten your spine and have a bit of bend in your knees.
* Keep your eye on the ball during your entire swing
* Grip the club as if you are holding a small, delicate bird. You want to keep the bird in your hands, but you don't want to crush it either. That's how you should hold your club.
* A good golf swing will be a fluid, easy motion with your shoulders turning slightly in the backswing and your follow-through complete.
* Make sure you keep your feet planted and slow down in your backswing. Most problems with a golf swing are cause by swinging too quickly in the back swing and then not accelerating through the ball.
* You will want to hit the ball in the "sweet spot" or the center of the club. Hitting it anyplace else will cause your ball to travel in directions that you really don't want it to go in.
* Then grip it and rip it!

It might help for you to take a lesson or two on the golf swing or even watch the way the pros do it on television. There are numerous articles that exist on the Internet that can help you with your golf swing, so always look for information and take as much advice as you can get.

Learning to swing a golf club takes years of practice as any avid golfer will tell you. There are "a hundred" things to know and they all have to be working in exactly the right ways at exactly the right time to a have a good, consistent golf swing. Sometimes this just doesn't happen, but when it does, it certainly is a great feeling!

A good golf grip is essential to playing a good game of golf. If you are gripping the club incorrectly or too hard, you will end up with shots that go places you don't want them to go. There is no one exact science to the golf grip, but there are three basic golf grips that golfers use today:

* The overlapping grip is the most common golf grip used. It is used mostly by male golfers and those with strong wrists and forearms. The little finger of the right hand lies on top of or overlaps the index finger on the left hand.

* The baseball grip is most commonly used by younger golfers, females, seniors, and those with weaker wrists and arms. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand meet but do not overlap or interlock.

* An interlocking grip will be used by golfers with shorter hands and fingers, those with thicker or chunkier palms, and golfers who have difficulty with the overlapping grip. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand overlap each other and interlock. Here is the basic way to grip a golf club no matter which grip you use. Start by holding the club directly in front of you with your right hand with the club head pointing away from you at about a 45 degree angle.

Next grip the club with your left hand. The club will be mainly in the palm across the pads at the base of the fingers. However, the club will lie across the first section of the index finger. The thumb will be positioned straight on top of the golf club shaft. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in the twelve o'clock position.

Now, with your right hand, grip the golf club just above your left hand with the fingers, not the palm, of your right hand. The thumb will be positioned slightly off to the left. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in an eleven o'clock position.

If you have gripped the golf club correctly, only the first two knuckles of your left hand will be visible. Also, your left thumb should be completely hidden under your right hand. The index finger position of your right hand will look and feel like a gun trigger finger. If your golf grip pressure is right, the club could almost be pulled out of your hands, but not quite. The confidence you will get from holding the golf club in the correct way will make you feel as though you are holding the club mostly in the palm and the last three fingers of your left hand. Regardless, both hands should hold the club with equal pressure. A correct golf grip doesn't guarantee a successful golf swing; however, a defective golf grip will almost always result in a failed golfGolf Driving Range

Many golf courses have driving ranges. These driving ranges are instrumental in helping you improve your game, and you should use them as much as you possibly can. Even though it's called a driving range, you can practice all of your golf shots on the range. By taking advantage of this valuable tool offered by your golf course, you are sure to improve your game.

It is most important to know how far consistantly you are able to hit the ball. By taking advantage of the golf driving range, you will get a great idea of how far your driver can go as well as your 9 iron. Once you know how far you can hit your clubs, you will be able to practice some great course management skills when you are out on the course.

Start out with a bucket of balls and your driver. To help you drive the ball farther try out various stances. Hit a lot of balls and pay close attention to what works and what doesn't. When you find a shot you are pleased with, hit several more balls using that same technique to see if it was just a fluke or if you can replicate it over and over again.

You should then move on to other ckubs such as your fairway woods and irons. Practice the same technique with these clubs. You may have to buy another bucket – or bag on some courses – of balls, but believe me, it will be well worth the money when you are able to effectively know what clubs will give you the yardage you need and want.

Many golf courses have lighted driving ranges, so even if you can't play the course, you can still work on your swing in the evening hours. Many people find that having a lighted driving range can help them work on their swing at inconvenient hours when daylight has left but they still feel the desire to swing a club.

One point you need to keep in mind when on the golf driving range is that you are playing in perfect conditions. Sand traps bunkers and hazards dont exist you are now focusing to the best of your ability. Just because you can hit a 300 yard drive on the range doesn't necessarily mean you can do the same on the course.

However, you can certainly learn a lot about your golf game when you are on the driving range. Don't pass up the chance to practice as much as you can. Practicing is best done on the golf driving range, so buy a bucket of balls and whack away. What youll find out you will never know! swing

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Choosing Between Graphite And Steel Golf Clubs

Choosing Between Graphite And Steel Golf Clubs 
By Zane Madisson 
Choosing the right golf club is an extremely important part of improving how you play the game. If you are able to get golf clubs that work extremely well for your golfing style, you will notice an immediate improvement in your game. Usually beginner golfers don’t put much thought into the clubs they use. Perhaps you have just been using your grandfather’s old clubs that you dug up out of the attic, or maybe you bought some cheap clubs at a yard sale. If you ever want to be a serious golfer, you will need to buy clubs for yourself and choose some that will compliment your playing style. You can accomplish this by changing the shaft length, the head size, and many other details. One of the choices you will have to make is between graphite and steel, the two most popular materials. The one you choose can greatly affect your swing (or work with what you have already learned).

Steel is the cheapest choice of the two. Because of its lower price, many view it as inferior to graphite. However, this is not true at all. If you have a golfing style that works well with steel clubs, there is no reason to go for the more expensive graphite. Steel is much more durable, so you can expect steel clubs to have a longer lifespan than graphite clubs. Steel is heavier than graphite; some view this as a negative point, but some prefer to really feel the weight of the club as they swing it. Steel is also quite a bit stiffer than graphite (which has a higher flexibility). This is partially your personal preference, but your pre-developed swinging style may also tell you something that you wouldn’t otherwise know. If you tend to have rather fast swings, you will want to stick with clubs that are stiffer. Steel offers this, but fast swings coupled with heavy clubs can be potentially dangerous, so make sure you always have a tight grip.

Graphite is the other choice, and it is best known for being a lighter and more flexible material. Again, this does not necessarily make it a better choice, since it all depends on what kind of golfing you do. If your strokes are a bit slower than average, a flexible graphite club could be the best choice. The flex of a club can be classified into 4 different ratings: Ladies, Regular, Senior, and Extra Stiff. Graphite clubs rarely fall under the Extra Stiff rating. If you feel that you need the extra stiff clubs, you would probably be better off with a steel club. The best thing you can do is to simply give a few test swings at the club store, and figure out what feels the most like what you have used in the past. Make sure it is something you could use for an entire game, and won’t be come uncomfortable.

It’s likely that you are feeling a little bit overwhelmed at making these important choices about your future clubs. This is normal for a beginner, especially since each of the materials has a lot to offer. If you really want to make sure that you make the right choice, you can get in touch with someone who is more experienced in picking out clubs. This might be a seasoned golfer or just a club store employee. Either way, they will be able to give you good advice simply by watching you swing at the ball a few times. The speed of your swing and several other things about your method will give them hints as to what you should choose. But as long as you think hard about your choice and then stick with it in the future, you should be able to choose clubs that are ideal for you, and are made out of a material that feels natural when you swing it.

Choices You Face When Picking Golf Clubs

Choices You Face When Picking Golf Clubs 
By Zane Madisson 
With so many new types of golf clubs hitting the market every year, it is an understatement to say that it can be a challenge to pick new clubs. If you are new to the world of golfing, you will be shocked at the sheer number of options that you will have when picking your clubs. Everything about it can be changed and customized to fit your own needs. Choosing the right golf club is very important in order to ensure that your money is well-spent and your game will hopefully improve as a result of the new clubs. Therefore you should pay attention to the following factors when trying to choose the right golf clubs.

Some would argue that the most important part of the golf club is the shaft. This is the metal rod that connects the grip to the head. You can change many things about this, including the length and the density. Usually you will have learned to golf with clubs that have certain properties, so you may want to stick with these. However, if you are fine with coping in order to improve your game then you may find it worth it to completely grow accustomed to a new style of golf club. There are many different ways to find the correct length and density for you, and you should pay attention to all of them.

The size of the head is also a very important factor in your purchase (and your swing of whatever clubs you end up purchasing). The smaller it is, the more control you will have over it. However, the larger it is, the more you are able to hit the ball since there is a larger area available on the side of the club. The type you choose can also affect your swinging, since different materials have significantly different weights and feels. Give each of them a test swing before you commit to any size, so that you know what youa re dealing with for every single type.

The handle of the club is another important part. You will probably be faced with a few different choices, and hopefully you will be given the chance to try out a few of them before you make up your mind. The handle should be comfortable to grip, but you should always make sure that it allows you to grip it tight enough so that it doesn’t fly out of your hands when you make your swing. If your palms tend to sweat more than the average person’s, then you might look for something that can combat this more effectively. It all depends on your personal needs.

Last but certainly not least, you will want to carefully consider the cost of the clubs that you are looking at. If you are not much of a player and you only go out for the occasional casual game, then you don’t want to spend an obscene amount of money on your clubs. However, if you are looking to improve your game to the best of your ability and perhaps play in tournaments, then a nice set of clubs could be a worthwhile investment. Just consider how much you think they can help you, and how much time you will be spending using them to make sure that it is worth the money.

All of the things mentioned so far will play a huge role in your choice. If you visit a decent club store and speak with them about all of the things you are looking for in a golf club set, they can probably help you greatly in narrowing down the specifications of what you are looking for. Try out as many clubs as you can, and don’t settle until you have experimented with all of your options. This will lead to you choosing the best golf clubs possible.