I can hear you from here! Okay, so let’s look at fixing that golf swing…Let’s look at the proper way to swing a golf club. When you initiate the downswing, your body starts to uncoil itself (literally) and releases a surge of built up energy. Beginning with your hips turning, then the shoulders, and ultimately the arms and wrists, the entire movement is like a whip snapping. Before you make contact with the ball, the worst thing that can happen is allowing your hands and forearms to release, or turn over.

Similar to a shutting door, the clubface quickly moves from an open position to a closed position as it approaches impact. The releasing movement is then caused by your hands and forearms turning. If you do not have this release then the clubface remains open and the resulting shot is typically an unwanted slice.

During the precise moment of impact, your clubface should be pointing in the direction of the target line, yet on its way to closing, or at least pointing far left of the target line (right-handed golfers). Most players that demonstrate poor shots do not release the clubface in the manner as just described, which results in lack of distance and severely reduced accuracy of the intended target.

Pay Attention To Your Grip

To ensure that you release appropriately, pay attention to your grip. It should be firm, yet light pressured throughout the entire swing. Nothing causes a terrible shot more than having too much tension coming from the arms and hands.

Next, make an extra effort to swing with a decent tempo. Too many golfers, especially beginners, swing so hard and so fast that they leave the clubface open when impact occurs.

And finally, for right-handed golfers, make a concentrated effort to keep the backside of your left hand pointing down towards the target line during impact.

Making Impact Count

The last lesson here for making the best of your golf swing is to get the impact right. You should have the feeling that your forearm (right side for right-handed golfers) is turning over your left forearm when impact occurs.

You can practice this movement by swinging in slow motion. Simply swing the club up and throughout, and pay attention to the movement that your forearms are making. At this point, make the effort to turn the right forearm over the left one.

When impact arrives, totally freeze your entire body and then check out the position of your clubface. It will either be square, open, or closed. The goal is to ensure that it is square to your target line, which is exactly what you want.

There is a good answer to both of these questions, but first let’s examined a professional golf player that is noted to have probably the best swing in the entire PGA tour, well, at least one of the best!

His name is Ernie Els and although he is over 6 feet tall, Ernie displays amazing grace and fluid athleticism. With impeccable timing, power, and amazing coordination, he makes swinging a golf club look like a piece of cake. Ernie’s shots are as smooth as silk, and never appears to be forced or rushed, as if he were swinging underwater.

A Lesson You Can Take From Ernie

If you are an average player, like myself, then don’t be too hard on yourself if you cannot swing a golf club like Ernie Els does. However, you can learn quite a few tips from the pros.

First off, do not try to kill the ball. You don’t want to chop, slash, hammer, or swipe at the ball. Even amateur golf players who have been playing for a few years still swing as if they want to kill the ball. If you put too much energy and stress into your swing, you will undoubtedly end up making poor shots and with less power than had you used more grace and fluidity.

Take It Easy

Do you want to hit the ball long and hard, enough so that it travels at a great distance and lands exactly where you want it to go? If so, then forget about using brute strength.

Professional golfers understand that hitting the ball as hard as they possibly can may actually impede their progress. Proper tempo, grace, and a solid technique will move the ball higher and longer than just using force.

The pros understand this. In fact, you will never see John Daly or Tiger Woods using all of their might to hit the ball at the expense of technique and finesse.

Everyone Has A Different Tempo

One of the interesting ingredients that make a great golf swing is an individual player’s tempo speed. Every golfer has their own tempo (speed of swing). For example, take a look at professional golf players such as Fred Couples and Ernie Els. They both swing in a very easy, almost lazy manner. Tom Watson, on the other hand, displays a more deliberate swing that comes off very fast.

It is important that you develop your own personal swing tempo. Most players have tempos that mimic their personality. If you are more relaxed and easy going, chances are that your swing will display the same attitude.

If you are more high strung, talk a lot, and move fast, then you will probably have a more deliberate and speedier swing, such as Tom Watson. There is no right or wrong in terms of tempo. Developing your own style is always the best route.

Let’s look at an example:

Step 1: Take one practice swing. Many players, especially beginners, tend to overdo this first step by taking too many practice swings. Unfortunately, taking too many practice swings can make a person more nervous and less confident about the shot.

All you need is one decent practice swing before hitting the ball. Keep it simple and try to keep your mind off of the swing as much as possible. Your goal is to simply limber up your arms and shoulders, not over-stressing the play.

Step 2: Visualize the outcome of the shot you wish to see. Once you have loosened up with a practice swing, take a few steps back and mentally visualize the clubhead hitting the ball in perfect harmony with your desired aim.

Picture the ball flying through the air, with a perfect arc, and then landing exactly where you want it to go. Literally pretend that you are making a real shot, then step up to the ball for the real thing.

Step 3: Get your aim dialed in. Now it is time to get your aim set up so that you can hit the ball directly to your desired landing spot. You must align yourself with the clubhead in accordance with the turf and the distance you need to reach your goal.

Once you are ready, select a second target that is a few feet in front of you, one that is in the direct line of fire. This second target makes it easier to hit the ball towards your destination.

Step 4: Fire! At this point, you have taken one practice swing, visualized the entire shot in your mind, and have dialed in perfectly with your aim. It is now time to swing your club. Before you make your shot, however, be sure to stay limber by wiggling the clubhead a bit. Once you’re ready, it is time to get your backswing in motion and go for the gold!

With this golf swing instruction perfect for beginners and intermediate players alike, you’re bound to see improvement in your swing.

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According to the official rules of golf, each player is allowed to carry with them a maximum of 14 clubs in their golf bag.

Beginner golfers may not be too concerned about having all of these clubs, but more seasoned players, like myself, know specifically which clubs will be used and what type of shot to make with them.

Those of you who are just starting out may only want to carry 4 to 5 golf clubs in your bag. You do not have to have all 14 clubs with you just because the rules set that number as the limit.

What Makes Up The Typical 14 Club Set?

There is a standard average number of clubs that many amateur golfers have in their golf bag and they are:

(1) Driver
(8) Irons
(2) Fairway Woods
(2) Wedges
(1) Putter

All of this is influenced by your setup. For example, if you have too much bend in the upper body, and the arms are extended far away from the body, there is a lot of tilt. This causes the golf club to get too vertical on the backswing, which will also create the steepness in the downswing, sticking the club into the ground, and the arms tend to reverse rotate.

So by standing taller at address and getting the end of the golf club pouring more toward your belt buckle, that will put you in an ideal position from address. However, this doesn’t mean that your swing will get more rounded to produce a consistent shot, so a simple drill can help.

The 15, 10, 5 Drill

First take a practice shot with the ball 15 inches above the ground. By swinging so high you have a nice rounded swing, almost like a baseball swing, and after swinging through, it allows you to square up the clubface. Next move to 10 inches above the ground, around and through, then 5, around and through, then on the tee, making sure the end of the golf club is pointed at your belt buckle.

1. Don’t just knock the balls out into the air to see how far they can fly…instead have a goal of exactly what you want out of each session.

2. Always aim for a target, whether it be someplace on the artificial green, a yardage marker sign, or a patch of grass.

3. Learn when to stop. When you come to the point on the driving range when you have reached your goal for the day, learn when to stop. Hitting too many balls can lead to injury and boredom.

4. Give equal practice time to your short game as you do your long-distance shots.

5. When practicing your short shots, never hit them from the same spot each and every time. Vary your length and distances for faster progression.

With these simple golf driving range tips, you’ll get more out of each session and progress at a faster pace.

While golf was traditionally meant to be enjoyed on foot, enjoying the exercise, getting fresh air… not everyone can or wants to walk the entire course. In that case, there are golf carts.

Are you familiar with golf cart etiquette?

1. Do not drive over the fairway because it will leave marks and deep ruts in the turf.

2. Never drive a golf cart onto the green, ever! When you approach the green, simply park the golf cart on the side of the green, closer to the next tee.

3. Try not to drive a car near any other player who is setting up for their swing. When you are getting ready to take a swing, the most frustrating experience can be a disturbance from someone else, especially an inconsiderate player driving a noisy golf cart right past your area.

Golf balls range from a soft compression number of 80 on up to an extremely hard number of 110.

A golf ball’s compression gives it a specific feel rather than distance. For example, if you are hitting a ball that has a 100 compression number, it is going to feel extremely hard when the clubface makes contact. On the other hand, a ball with a 80 compression number will feel softer.

When you’re new to golfing, one of your biggest questions might be…which golf club should I use for this shot? As you go down thefairway, you’ll be adjusting your shot each time. To start out, you want distance, but from that point on, you’ll be shooting for accurancy and precision.
This requires that you utilize different clubs for different shots. The club faces are made from either metal or wood. Different materials on a golf club will have different effects on how far the ball will travel, and how high it will go.

Should I Choose an Iron or a Wood?

Generally speaking, the higher the number on the club, such as a 9-iron for example, the higher the ball will go into the air, but with much less distance than a lower-numbered club, such as a 3-iron.

If you are new to golf and are a little confused about these numbers and what clubs to use, don’t worry, in time you will have a specific feel for each and every one of your 14 clubs when playing on the golf course.

I’m not going to break down the specifics of each club just yet, because I want you to have the general idea to start….

Higher number - more air, less distance
Lower number - more distance, less air