All Putting Greens

By Gary Jack Palmer

Chipping instruction – now why in the world would I need to spend any time or money on that? Chipping’s just a short little shot before you get your putter out. Does chipping really play much of a role in an 18 hole round of golf? You bet it does, for touring pros as well as beginners.

The best players in the world only hit 65% of the greens in regulation. So what does that mean? Well, hitting a green in regulation means getting your ball on the putting surface by the first stroke on a par 3 hole, the second stroke on a par 4, or the third strokes on a par 5. Touring pros only do that about 12 times per 18 hole round. But on the other holes, they chip it close to the pin nearly every time. That’s a really big difference between average players and the guys on TV.

An 80 shooter only hits about 8 greens in regulation per round, a 90 shooter only hits 3, and a 100 shooter plays most of his rounds without ever hitting a green. So where should we spend our practice time – on the driving range or around the putting green? That’s right, grab your shag bag, get over to the practice green or out in the backyard, and work on the chipping basics that follow. You’ll very quickly see the results of your efforts on your scorecard.

Chipping Instruction – Mechanics-Based Fundamentals

Address the ball with most of your weight on your front foot

The ball should be positioned slightly towards your back foot

Place your hands ahead of the ball

Keeping your lower body quiet, make a short backswing with your arms and accelerate the club through impact

Check Point – Make sure your hands lead the clubhead through impact

Check Point – Make sure there is only minimal body movement except with the arms

A tendency of poor chippers is to allow the clubhead to overtake the hands, causing a flipping of the hands in an effort to scoop the ball into the air. Keep the hands in front of the clubface throughout the downswing, letting the loft of the club elevate the ball.

Another major cause of poor chipping is taking too long of a backswing and then decelerating the club at impact to prevent hitting the ball too far. Keep the backswing short so you can accelerate through the ball on the downswing while keeping the clubface square to the intended line.

Practice the chipping instruction above and you might just cut 5, 10, maybe 15 strokes off your 18 hole scores.

For more help with your chipping, you might want to visit Short Game Instruction. And, you might also want to get a copy of my Free Short Game Guide.

“Perfect practice makes perfect, but any practice will help.”

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Tags: Backyard Putting Greens, Home Putting Greens, Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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 By Jack Moorehouse

Today’s marketplace is flooded with training aids. You can find one for nearly every part of the game. And more and more are being introduced every day. While a training aid won’t lower your golf handicap overnight or replace golf tips, it will help improve your golf game if you work with it faithfully.

Below are five training aids golfers often ask about in my golf lessons. Designed to improve your swing or a phase of your swing, these products help correct faults, groove mechanics, and/or ingrain the feel of swing. The key, as always, is finding a training aid that works for you before investing your hard-earned money.

(And incidentally, I am in no way affiliated with these companies nor do I make money from these reviews.)

Amazing Assist Swing Trainer (www.matzie.com)

Available from Gibas & Matzie Golf Products, the Amazing ASSIST training club improves your swing and increases strength. It’s like getting a golf lesson free of charge. Its weighted head and bent shaft teaches the correct hand action. The ASSIST improves muscle memory, extension, and weight transfer as well as tempo and timing.

As the club is swung, the proper release action is exaggerated to eliminate slicing, increase clubhead speed, and produce straight shots. In addition, the training grip places the thumbs and index fingers Vs of your hands in the traditional 11 o’clock and 12 o’clock positions. You can use it at home, on the range, or before your golf lessons.

The Amazing ASSIST is ideal for pre-game or pre-practice warm-ups or for everyday use to improve your swing. The ASSIST is available for men, women, and juniors, and for right-handers and left-handers. An instructional video comes with the product. The cost is $70.

The Elbow Tac-Tic (www.4golftraining.com)

Maintaining one’s left elbow (for right-handers) as straight as comfortably possible determines the width of your swing arc, as I’ve explained in my golf tips. The wider the swing arc, the greater the power. The Elbow Tac-Tic sleeve clicks when the elbow breaks down, providing the instant feedback needed to correct the swing and keep the left elbow extended. The Tac-tic also works on the right arm, clicking when the elbow bends at the proper point in the backswing. Cost: 39.95.

The Speed Stik (www.speedstik.com)

Most golf instruction will tell you that clubhead speed determines the distance a ball is hit. The faster the clubhead speed, the farther the ball goes. Working out with the Speed Stik increases a golfer’s clubhead speed and trains proper balance and on-plane swing. Swing the Speed Stick in a continuous motion back and forth, keeping it about 18 inches off the ground. Start slowly at first, and then build momentum. Check the speed gauge for your MPHs. Every increase of 1 MPH equals three more yards of distance. Repeat a few days a week and chart your distance. Cost: $99.99

The Impact Ball (www.theimpactball.com)

The Impact Ball develops the feel of hitting a ball properly. Available from To-M-Pact Golf, Inc., it’s easy to use and understand. It’s based on the idea that many recreational players have certain swing faults (chicken wing, flying elbows, etc.) or that they try to scoop the ball off the ground when hitting. Sometimes, even the best golf instruction can’t rid a player of certain faults.

The Impact Ball works. It’s placed between the forearms and held there through your swing. The ball is bi-colored, and the only thought to focus on is to getting the ball to change colors as the club moves through the impact area. The product trains golfers to strike the ball solidly with a square clubface, eliminating any attempts to flip or scoop the ball during the shot.

The Impact Ball addresses every phase of the game–chipping, pitching, putting, driving, and bunker play. You can hit balls on the range with the Impact Ball or practice swinging the club with it at home. The cost: $39.95 + shipping and handling.

The Swing Magic Driver (www.swingmagic.com)

Training with Kallassy’s Swing Magic Driver ingrains the proper motion into your swing. Designed to improve timing, tempo, and rhythm, the Swing Magic synchronizes the movement of your arms, hands, and body. A sliding training clip enables you to separate your right hand (for right handers) during the backswing. By separating the right hand on the backswing and reconnecting it on the downswing imprints an on-plane golf swing, essential for consistent ball striking. It prevents you from coming “over the top” as well. Cost: $89.95.

Remember, a training aid is not a panacea, as I often mention in my golf tips. It won’t dramatically improve your game overnight. It won’t make up for good course management. And it won’t take the place of a one-on-one golf lesson. But it will ingrain the fundamentals of a good swing, cut strokes off your scores, and lower your golf handicap, if you practice with it faithfully. Just make sure the training aid is right for you before buying.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

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Tags: Putting Trainers by rmvalles
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By Mark Owen

The majority of recreational golfers do not focus enough on their putting skills until the time comes for a round of golf. Yes, it’s good to practice on your full golf swing, but you can’t avoid putting during the real game. You should allocate at least one half of the time you practice on putting.

The Fundamentals

First, work on your stance. It should generally be the narrowest of all the shots you play, meaning, not wider than your hips. It should also be close enough to the ball, but not too close as to have the likelihood to force the clubhead to the outer part of your target line in the backswing. You should turn your feet open, squared or closed, considering how those alterations affect your swing’s path, with the right foot being the main influence to your ability to perform the right way. Your weight should be balanced a bit toward the inside of your left heel.

When it comes to the ball placement, play the ball in the area between the middle of your stance and the left instep. This enables both the clubhead and path to square up to the aim before the strike. As for the stroke, your aim is evidently to hit the ball with the clubhead so that it follows through to the target precisely and surely. For a good grip, lightly position your hands on the club in a manner that it is easy for you to swing the clubhead squarely, of course aiming at the target.

Preparations

Do some simple exercises to ease the play. Make sure to warm up your hips, back, shoulders, ankles and knees. It is essential to take regular breaks during long periods of practice to avoid strain and injury to your neck, back and legs. In between, do some self-massage and keep muscles relaxed instead of stiff and tense. After every session, flex your body by forward-bending.

Try Not To Look When Putting

While this should be some kind of last resort, it doesn’t hurt to practice. The best golfers sometimes even close their eyes, as this has shown to help improve putting. Why is this so? This is supposed to help one concentrate on the hole rather than on the ball, particularly when losing confidence in the game. The ideal effect of this is to gain more mental clarity and really feeling and gaining control over where the ball goes. This has been adequately researched and concluded to help with brain-muscle control.

Making Constant Improvements

Give yourself some drills. Begin with your ball in line and ascertain you are facing down straight at the ball. Utilize your judgment and analyze the green so that you can establish the force and speed that you will incorporate into your shot. The putter should be around 10 inches away from the ball. Now attempt to take your putter directly back from the ball and swing it directly through. This raises the possibility of the putt going in the right direction. Your follow through should be like your backswing as well. Distance control is the major technique in the putting stroke. Always attempt to practice the back swing and forward swing with various distances.

Mark has been an entrepreneur and business owner for nearly 20 years. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.youthgolfclubs.ws/ which explains some of the reasons to buy youth golf clubs for your young children.

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Tags: Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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 By Mike Pedersen

So you’re a busy guy and don’t have much time to practice your swing, let alone putting! How can you find the time to practice putting when you are struggling to find the time even to get on the course a couple of times a week – apart from weekends of course. Golf putting aids are your answer.

Golf Putting Aids Should Relate To The Problem

Heck, you see them all the time on TV shows, movies, adverts. Guys standing in their office trying to putt a ball into a floor trap or elevated hole. But are these putting aids really useful in helping you to improve your putting?

Well, the simple answer is yes, assuming that your specific problem is relevant to the type of practice they give you. If your problem is your stance, or even your grip, no amount of trying to hit balls into tin cans lying on your office floor will help you. Your practice must be related to curing your problem. Golf putting aids are the same as any other golf aid: the must be designed to resolve the problem that you have. Otherwise there is no point in you using them.

Putting Aids Can Be Simple

Golf putting aids need not be substantial pieces of kit. An indoor putting mat is a simple piece of equipment that allows you practice indoors on a surface fairly close to that of a real putting green. All you need then is a target: a tin can or drinking glass makes a great target. No need for fancy golf hole simulators. A putting mat and a tin can or glass can be used at home or in the office so you can’t complain about having no time.

Other golf putting aids help you with your alignment. Some use lasers while others use a series of dots on the putter. A simple aid to ensuring your stance and eye alignment are right is to get yourself aligned till you are just about to putt, then drop a ball from between your eyes. This will show exactly where your eyes were lined up to.

Use Golf Putting Aids Frequently: Practice Makes Perfect

The important factor with golf putting aids is to use them frequently. It doesn’t matter how simple or complex they are. Practice, practice, practice. That’s how to get consistency in any golf shot, and the putt is just as important a shot as a 250 yard drive – in fact it is more important. A wayward drive might not cost you a stroke, but a wayward putt definitely will! Practice Makes Perfect!

If you are looking for more information on golf putting aids, visit the golf swing training aid site today!

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Tags: Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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I am guessing that all of us can relate to the title of this article. I am sure you have bent over for that 4 footer (can’t give you that 4 footer, sorry), and felt that lower back feel tired, sore, painful or tight. Regardless of what the word is, you feel it! I also am guessing that some of you have changed to belly putters for the reason that your back hurts when you putt! Even if you are one of those players that has switched to a belly putter because of back pain, that pain is an indicator of something else going on within the body. I am sure we could use [Read more →]

Tags: Putting Greens, Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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The majority of the game of golf is putting – pure and simple.  It looks so easy – rolling that little ball into a nearby hole. But mastering the skill has threatened many a golfer’s sanity.

Here are a few tips to help improve your putting skills.

• Use just one ball when you practice your putting. This is closer to what a real game is like. You tend to concentrate better this way than if you have a bucket of balls to keep digging into. And be sure to practice your putting daily.

• Putting isn’t all in the wrists. When you’re putting, the palms of your hands face each other. This prevents one hand from dominating and ensures that both work together for you.

• Make sure you’re totally relaxed before you strike the ball. Loosen up your muscles so they feel flabbyand jelly-like. Never tense up your muscles when putting!
[Read more →]

Tags: Putting Greens, Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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To begin golf game, your golf practice game or your golf putting practice; study the art of keeping your eye on the golf ball.

When putting it seems to be just natural to let your eyes follow the backswing. To correct this you might turn the golf ball until the brand is on top. Then just keep your eyes on that.

When putting, think of the golf swing as a pendulum and as you move through this area, strike the golf ball with the sweet spot only. What? Huh?

How do you find the sweet spot? Hold your putter using the thumb and forefinger. You are dangling it now and letting it swing. With the other forefinger tap the putter blade until the putter head rebounds straight back in perfect alignment. That is the sweet spot for this putter.

Some players mark it.

To judge the distance of the backswing try this exercise. Use your right big toe as a guide and take the putter back to your right big toe. Now, being consistent with your speed accelerate the club head through the ball and watch how far that ball rolls. You might try this in both wet and dry conditions. This gives you the ability to gauge from there how long the backswing should be for the putt you are facing.

If your distance is shorter, adjust for how far inside the right big toe your swing should be. Adjust outside the toe for a longer putt. Get a feel for this and you will know how
far to take the putter back.

Again, it is a feeling. Accelerate through the ball and make sure your follow through is longer than your backswing. Concentrate on feeling the putter accelerate through the putt.

In summary; You are trying consciously to get a feel for the art in your golf game. You will succeed. It just takes practice.

About the Author

Written by Tom Downward, researcher, widely published author and freelance writer. Contact address is …

info@golfequipmentworld.com

This article courtesy of http://www.golfequipmentworld.com

Tags: Putting Greens, Putting Practice Tips by rmvalles
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