The Golfer's Online Handbook

Golf Swing Series: How To Get Off The First Tee.

2007-05-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Go to the practice fairway and hit some shots and end with

your driver.

Usually, this is great fun and you are well pleased with

the way you hit your driver.

Then have a few puts and head for the first tee.

Now, the nerves start.

You are about to hit your first shot and you wonder why you

feel as you do.

When you hit off the second tee, you have far fewer nerves

and anxiety is almost nonexistent. Right?

Well, your first shot sets the tone of the day. If you hit a

good tee shot, you will probably have a good day. A bad tee

shot bodes ill for the rest of your round and you may be in

for a bad one.

For your first tee shot, be even more conscious of your pre

shot routine.

Stand behind our ball and take some deep breaths.

Go through your pre shot routine by seeing your swing,

seeing where the ball must land and see the line of flight.

All in your minds eye.

Then forget all this, step up to your ball and take your

stance.

Relax right down into your bladder.

Think of one thing during your back swing, and I suggest it

is turning your chest and not your arms.

Then on the down swing, keeping your head behind the ball

and watching the ball.

If you try to see the tee after the

ball has gone, you will certainly watch the ball.

Make sure your swing is slow and controlled. Just hit the

ball and have faith.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Get Back To Golf After A Lay Off

2007-05-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

If you have been away from golf for some time, you should

have a plan of attack to get yourself back into playing as

you did before your lay off.

If you go to the practice fairway and hit a heap of balls,

you will certainly benefit. However, you will go through

the usual routine of going from pitching wedge to driver. A

plan, yes but perhaps not the best one.

Wouldn’t it be better and more enjoyable to go out onto the

course and have a good time. No sheep stations, and just

relax and enjoy? You bet it would!

However, to make this time productive and help you get

back, take notice of all your bad shots and weaknesses.

Have a couple of rounds like this and THEN go to the

practice fairway.

Here you start working on your weaknesses as found during

your rounds.

If you duffed your chips then start with your pitching

wedge. Hit long shots, short shots, hit over bunkers, hit

high shots that stop quickly etc. and become skilled with

this important scoring club again.

Then go to your next weakness and so on.

This means you have a pretty effective plan. When faced

with similar situations on the course, you will be filled

with confidence. You will be able to fill your mind with

the good shots you hit at practice.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: What Does It Really Mean To Play The Percentages?

2007-05-02T01:48:00.000-07:00

Always have the percentages at the front of your mind. Look at the

situation if front of you and ask yourself what are the percentages

and how can I make the best out of this situation.

If you have a narrow fairway in front of you with trouble on each

side, use an iron for accuracy. You will be surprised how far you

can hit an iron when compared with the drivers of your playing

partners if they do manage to hit the fairway. You will only be

about 50 metres behind. Not far at all and easy to make up.

If there is a situation where everyone goes to the left or right

into the trees, take an iron. First for accuracy and second because

if you do hit in the direction of trouble, the ball will not reach

the trees or what ever and you will have a well placed ball for

your next shot. Make sure you use an iron that will not reach the

trees. Think about this one.

If you are in the trees, hit out sideways, or have a look at a shot

towards the green. If you decide that at worst, if you do go for

some distance, your ball will finish up on the fairway and be no

worse off than if you had hit out sideways, go for it.

Then, on a green that slopes steeply towards the hole, make sure of

two puts. If your first goes in, then good. However, concentrate

almost totally on getting your ball to stop near the hole.

Otherwise, you will surely three put.

Grooved Golf Seing Series: How To Hit Your Target If You Have a Slice Or Hook.

2007-04-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

The hardest shot in golf is the shot that is hit

very straight. Professionals and top golfers

don’t even try to hit a straight shot. They

either draw or fade the ball into the target.

If you have a huge slice of hook, then play for

it. Don’t try to hit the ball straight every time

you hit it, hoping that this time it will go

straight.

No, if it is a slice, aim at the left side of the

fairway (right handers) and allow the ball to

come back towards the target. The same for a

hook, aim to the right.

If you are a good golfer, you will still have a

natural draw or fade. Cherish this and play for

it. This will result in far greater accuracy for

you and your enjoyment of the game will be

enhanced too.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: What It Means To Visualize Your Golf Shot.

2007-04-09T03:07:00.000-07:00

What is meant by visualization before a golf shot?

Is it just seeing the ball fly in a beautiful trajectory towards your target or is it more than this?

For years I had no idea what was meant by visualization of a golf shot. I thought it was an over rated pastime because it made no difference to the outcome of any of my golf shots.

Then I changed my golf swing, and incorporated a number of new aspects to it.

This meant that every time I hit my ball, I had to get things right.

Because some things were new, it happened that often I left something out.

So, I tried standing behind my ball and going through the complete check list before stepping up and hitting my ball.

The difference was staggering.

The trouble was that it took too long and then trying to hurry made me a bit tense. Not a good thing to happen.

So, for you to overcome this, go through the check list at odd moments away from the course.

What is the check list? Well, it is the stance, take away, position at the top of your swing, keeping your head behind the ball at all times and keeping your moving parts to a minimum. Hitting down on the ball and seeing its flight.

Push both feet out during your swing and you will stabilize your lower body. Your weight transfer will take care of itself.

If you do this enough, you will be able to stand behind your ball and the visualization will be a series of fleeting pictures in the correct sequence which will take only a few seconds.

Your subconscious mind will do the rest and you will improve your game immensely.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Play Well After A Bad Shot.

2007-03-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

If you hit a bad shot, or hit into trouble, the worst thing you can

do is to reprimand or chastise yourself.

How many times have you heard a player in your group call himself

stupid, idiot, fool, when he has duffed a shot or hit into the

trees? So many time that you have lost count.

To talk to yourself like this is to tell your subconscious mind

that you are indeed a fool etc.

You will become negative in your thinking and in your play.

No, you must continue to tell yourself that you are a great golfer,

and that you have made a mistake. Then, think of a remedy and what

you have to do to overcome the mistake.

Blank the mistake out of your mind as soon as possible and get on

with the next shot.

Never become angry and throw clubs into your bag. It reflects on

your game. Also, people will not want to play with you if you do

this too often.

Grooved Golf Swing Series:Adopt Proper Strategy And Play within your capabilities

2007-03-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

When confronted with a golf shot, always have the percentages in

mind. Always play in a way that you can be sure of the outcome.

Have a look at the shot in front of you. Think about the shot you

would like to play, and then think about the shot that is well

within your capabilities. If the shot you would like to play is hit

or miss and would take some luck to pull it off, it is the wrong

shot. You could pull it off once out of five or ten but too often

you would fail.

Always stick with the shots that are well within your capabilities,

and you will score better and better.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Why Are You Missing So Many Short Puts?

2007-03-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

If you start to miss a number of short puts, have a look at your

back swing. It is probably too long. If you hit the ball from an

exaggerated back swing, with the normal putter head speed you use

for all puts, you will be away past the hole. So, when you take

your putter head back, you are aware of this. What do you do? You

allow for the longer back swing by slowing your putter head as you

get to the ball. Instead of accelerating through it, you are doing

just the opposite. I know you don’t mean to but it happens just the

same.

If you have a tendency to do this, work out how far back you should

go and then put something there to stop your club at the right

place. Then, if you finish with a long follow through, you will

accelerate through your ball and you will be on line too.

Start placing the object say four inches behind your putter head

and see what happens. Don’t forget the big follow through. By

starting here, you will be able to feel the speed of the putter

head as you hit those puts. Move your stop a little further back

and hit some puts. Then, using this method, hit some slightly

longer puts until you move up to twelve feet. Then you can get the

feel for longer puts (more than twelve feet) to get the ball next

to the hole.

Grooved Gof Swiong Series: Before a Game What Is The Best Way To Practice Putting?

2007-03-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

Before your game of golf, practice the puts that you should expect

to sink during your round. Practice two foot puts and when you sink

several of these, (actually, I hope you don’t miss any), go to

three feet. Continue moving away from the hole until you reach

about twelve feet. I have found that practising long puts is not

very productive before a round. The greens are probably different

from the putting practice green surface, and hitting too many long

puts could program you incorrectly. The shorter puts are not

affected in this way to any marked degree.

You can practice these long puts more when you are having a

practice session on the green. Try to get your ball to within three

feet of the hole. Also try to get your ball past the hole still

within the three feet area. Shorter if you can.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Can't sink your puts today? Here Is A Drill For You

2007-03-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

If you keep missing the hole when you put, no matter what you do,

it is time for a drill to get this out of your head.

Place a tee in the ground and try to hit this with the ball when

you put.

Start from a couple of feet and then gradually move back until you

reach about twelve feet.

This is the length of put that you should expect to sink on your

games of golf.

You will find that you are no longer thinking of ‘golf hole’. You

will find that your mind will go back to the right attitude for

putting.

When you start putting to the golf hole again, the hole will look

much bigger and it will be much easier.

This is a good drill to use even if you are not having major

problems. It hones your putting skills greatly.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Keep Your Putter Head Square And Hit Accurate Puts

2007-03-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

One reason for hitting your puts off line is that you have not got

your putter head online when you hit the ball.

That’s a bit obvious I can hear you saying.

OK, lining up is one thing. Another reason for having the putter

blade closed or open at impact is the movement of your hands. You

may rotate them without knowing. This will of course close or open

the putter blade and make you put to the left or right of the hole.

Have a look at the ground a couple of inches in front of the ball

and make your swing. See where the putter head is pointing. Is it

open? Is it closed?

To overcome this problem, rotate your right hand a little

anticlockwise so the back of the hand in facing more towards the

hole. This will stop you rotating your hands at impact. A dreadful

habit to overcome once you start.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Use Your Follow Through To Hit An Accurate Put.

2007-03-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

One reason for hitting the ball off line is that you do not follow

through enough. Hit every put with an exaggerated follow through.

This means that your putter head must follow a particular line. If

it is the line to the hole, the ball must drop. If you do not

follow through to an exaggerated extent, you will decelerate or

quit on the put, and you can easily pull your putter head off line.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Shorter Back Swing For More Accurate Puts

2007-03-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

When you put, try shortening your back stroke a great

deal.

This means that to get the ball to the hole, you have to hit a

little harder. What this will do, providing you hit smoothly, is

make you hit the ball with authority. You will accelerate through

the ball and will have no choice in the matter. You won’t have to

think about accelerating, but to get the ball to the hole, you will

have to.

Have some puts (preferably a great many puts) on the practice

putting green and try different lengths of back swing. Do this

right down to the ridiculous. Suddenly, to your surprise, you will

start to sink more puts. Put from say ten feet in. This is the

distance you have every right to expect to sink on a round of golf.

Then take your new skill out onto the golf course.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Hit Straight Puts

2007-03-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

Blog: How to hit straight puts.

If you lift your head, even the slightest bit when you hit your

put, the ball will go to the left of the hole.

OK, I have said this already. However it is so important that I am

saying it again.

To avoid this, imagine a nail sticking out of the very part of the

ball you want to hit with the sweet spot of your putter blade.

Now when you hit the ball, you are trying to drive the nail into

the ball. This means you have to concentrate hard on the very

dimple you want to hit. Watch the blade hit this spot and when you

do, you will realize you have not been doing this. You have not

really been watching the ball at all. Your view of the ball has

been too generalized.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How Not To Be Short Putting Up Hill Or From Off The Green.

2007-02-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

If you are putting up hill, estimate how far short you will be if
you hit to the hole on level ground.

Yes, that’s right; you hit your put to reach a point
past the hole the same distance.
This takes courage! However, commit to these two situations and
distances, and hit your puts.

You will be very impressed with your
efforts.
Similarly, if off the green, say 4 feet, and the grass is a bit
rough, but not too long, use your putter.

Hit your ball with enough power to stop at a spot
say five feet past the hole.
You will find, to your delight that your ball stops beside the hole.
This takes courage as well.

Keeping your ball below the hole as much as possible allows you to
hit your puts firmly.
There are a couple of things to know about
this too.
Because you are hitting your ball firmly, there will be
less break.
So the ball will not curve as much as it would for a
slower put down hill.
A firm put up hill will not go a long way
past the hole either and so you will not be faced with a long put
back if you miss.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: More Putting Problems and Their Solutions

2007-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

You were unable to keep your ball below the hole on a fast sloping
green.
You are faced with a down hill put and you are filled with
trepidation.
You hit your put, and to your amazement, it is too short.

How could you hit such a short put on such a down hill run?

The answer is that you were too tentative.
You decelerated so much through the put
that you almost stopped the putter head.

OK, here is a solution that you can apply next time you are faced
with such a down hill put.
The trick is to forget about the down hill aspect of the run to the
hole.
The trick is to put for a spot well short of the hole.
This way, you will still hit your put with authority.

Work out in your mind how much further past the hole your ball will
travel if you hit your put on level ground.
If for example you estimate that the ball will go six, ten, twelve
feet past the hole, then hit your put to stop this distance short
of the hole.
This may only be four or five feet in front of you for
a fifteen foot put.
You will have to practice this because, boy, does this take some
courage!

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Putting On Fast Greens - Up Hill, Down Hill - With Authority

2007-02-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

Some greens you will encounter, especially on tournaments, will be
very fast indeed.
I have played on greens where if the ball was set
in motion, it did not stop until it reached the other edge of the
green on a down slope. Pretty impossible.

The trick here is to try to keep your ball below the hole at all
times so that you have an up hill put for all your puts.

You have to have this thought well in your mind at all times.
Make sure of your two puts and play for this.

You will find you will put your ball into the hole sometimes
without really trying to hole out.

The important thing is to avoid the very fast down hill puts.

A put across a slope is preferable to a down hill put.

This means that you leave your chips below the hole too.
Also your long puts.
Play your long puts and chips for position at all times.

Because you have such a plan and are sticking to it, you will find
your confidence will soar.
I know I have said this before, but put
for two puts every time you are on the green.

Not for the one footers of course, but for the middle and long distance puts.

I remember having a five foot put for birdie, and because I tried
to sink the put, I was too aggressive and put my first put too far
past the hole. Result – a three put green and instead of one under,
I was one over. Dreadful feeling!
It is funny how one remembers these painful lessons.
Out of the many, many puts one makes in a
life time, one or two remain in one’s mind for ever.

These are seldom the really good puts.
The really painful ones always remain
don’t they?

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Deal With Those Putting Problems

2007-02-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

If it starts to rain while you are out on the course, how will the
ball would run on a wet green?
Do you hit the ball harder?
Will it break less? Will it stop sooner?
It totally depends on how much rain has fallen and how wet the
greens have become.
If they are very wet, the ball will not roll as far, will not break
as much and you will have to hit your puts a little harder meaning
a longer back stroke.
However, the usual thing is that the greens are still firm but the
grass is wet from the recent shower.

Believe it or not, the wet grass will have very little effect on
your put.
The break and roll will be the same and the put will not
have to be hit differently from a put on a dry surface.
This is because the grass is so short that it can not hold much water.
The ball may stop a few inches shorter if the rain has made the green
wetter than a light shower, but the difference will be very small.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Grain Factors explained and How To Read Them

2007-02-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

Grain is the direction of the growth of the grass on the green.
It can either be away from you or towards you.

Determine direction by looking at the grass in front of you.

If it is light with a slight sheen, it is away from you.
If it is dark, it it towards you.
The dark colour is due to the
grass tips pointing towards you and showing
the dark area between
the blade and the ground.
These tips act as a brake to your ball and it will pull up short.

If you have a problem determining the direction of the grain, it
will help to know that grass will grow towards the nearest water,
or in the direction of drainage.
It will often also grow towards the setting sun.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: Miscellaneous Putting Tips

2007-02-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Squatting is the best method to see the lie of the land.

You will be able to see each and every little slope to the right or left
along the line to the hole.
If you are in doubt even after this,
have a look at the lie of the land around the green.
Does it slope in a particular way?
From the front of the green to the back or
from back to front?
Does it slope from the sides? If it does, it will be a good bet
that the ball will break this way.

If you have a long or middle distance put, once you have worked out
the line of the put, the only thing that remains is distance.

This is so important as you have to get the ball up to the hole to
make sure you only have two puts.

So have a couple of practice puts while looking at the hole and
determine how much back stroke you need to hit the ball to the
hole.
Make your back stroke very slowly to make sure it is enough,
even stop briefly and then make a purposeful put.

Don’t try to sink these put, but concentrate on getting the ball
close to the hole.
You could three put if you try to sink your put.

Grooved Golf Swing Series. Believe In Your Putting And Succeed

2007-02-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

You should have a routine that you go through for every golf shot.
This includes putting too.
Incorporated into this routine should be your assessment
of the breaks and line to the hole.
Is the grass dull or bright between your ball and the hole?
If it is bright, it means the light if reflected
from grass that is growing in the direction of the hole.
The grass is growing towards the hole
and light is being reflected from the back of the blades.
If the grass is dark, it means the light
is being reflected from spaces beneath each blade
and this will not shine as does the bright look
from grass growing away from you.
The blades are growing towards the ball
and do not present a shiny surface and will slow the ball down.
With this in mind, you can work on assessing the speed of the put.
This will tell you how far to take your putter blade back.
Then commit to the put and hit it.
Picture the ball dropping into the hole,
and picture the route it must take to do so. Never think about missing.

With a totally positive attitude, you will sink more puts.

Grooved Golf Swing Series. How To Hit Your Puts With a Square Solid Hit

2007-02-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

You want your ball to roll to the hole in a head over heels manner.
End over end don't you?
You do not want back spin side spin or any other spin.
You want your ball to roll truly to the hole.
To do this, you must keep your putter head close to the ground on the back stroke and the forward stroke.
This means you do not lift your putter head on the back stroke.
To do so causes you to hit with a chopping down stroke which can cause back spin and side spin.
Also keep your putter head close to the ground after you have hit the ball. To lift the head after hitting the ball is to lift it while hitting the ball, resulting in a thin or topped shot.
When you keep your putter head close to the ground on the back and forward stroke, there is a totally different feel.
You are hitting the put in the sweet spot. This is almost impossible if your are hitting up on the ball or down on the ball.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Use Your Elbow While Putting.

2007-01-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

How do you keep your putter head on line
and stop it deviating away from you or towards you?

Answer: You use your right elbow.

When you put, (right handers), make sure your right elbow
is tucked into our right side
and touching your body during the whole put.

You use the shoulders and big muscles when you put,
and not your wrists. Correct?

So, when you put,
your elbow stays in contact with your body at all times.

This means that the putter head stays along the correct line
during the whole put.
A bit like a compass allows you to draw a perfect circle.

If your elbow comes away from your side during the put,
you will move your putter head away from the line
and you will miss to the left of the hole.

Grooved Golf Swing Series: How To Be A Better Putter - Some Tips

2007-01-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

If you have the shaft of your putter behind vertical,
you will hit the ball with more top spin and will get more roll.

However, you will not be consistent with distance
as the tendency is to top the ball.

If you have the shaft in front of vertical,
you will drive the ball into the ground slightly
and the result will be a slight skipping of the ball
and inconsistent roll and so distance.

So, have your putter shaft vertical.

Your stance has to be well balanced.

Side on or slightly or markedly open is fine. I like a more open stance.

You also must have your head directly over the ball.

Once in this position, your head must be held absolutely still during the put.

Have your weight on your left foot (right handers) and more on your heel.

Greooved golf swing series: How To Hit Your Puts With A Square Putter Head

2007-01-16T01:49:00.000-08:00

How do you hit our puts with a square putter head?

Answer: with your grip, your stroke and the manner in which you
use your hands while making the stroke.

So, taking these features of the put in order, let us look at the
grip.
There is no right way to hold your putter.

The way for you is that grip that allows you to hit the ball with a square putter head.
Have the palm of your right hand and the back of your left hand facing the line of the put.
Another way is too hold your putter as you do any iron with a straight left arm etc.

Then there is the reverse grip which is a good accurate method.
You have to get used to it however, as the tendency is to hit your ball too hard.

Use your right hand to stroke your ball along the line of the put.