Golf Tips: Pre-Shot Routine

Most golfers have some sort of pre-shot golf routine, at least occasionally.

Good golfers have a very consistent one.

Pre-shot routines are more than just a ritual or habit that is performed before you hit the golf ball; they actually serve a very important purpose in your game.

When you approach your golf shots with the same pre-shot routine each time, you are significantly increasing your focus on each golf shot. And with an increased level of focus on the task at hand, your shot will be much less susceptible to any outside distractions or variables.

Whenever I get asked the question about developing a pre-shot routine, the first answer I give is very pragmatic… find one that works for you. No two pre-shot routines will look the same; and even if they appear to look the same, what is going on mentally will be different for each golfer. Having said that, I won’t leave with such a general (but true) answer, so let’s take a look at a couple of different areas and ideas.

Again, the bottom line for any pre-shot routine is to get you into a positive frame of mind for your shot. Now, how you arrive there is strictly personal preference, but most will involve, picking the target, a couple practice swings, stance, grip, and perhaps a deep breath.

The details within each of these items aren’t as important as just making certain you do the same thing each and every time.

Keep in mind that a good pre-shot routine isn’t time consuming. It is quick, concise, and repeatable. Go through your routine, trust it, and then pull the trigger with your golf shot.

O.K… I lied. Remember when I said it really doesn’t matter what your pre-shot routine is as long as it works for you.

Well… there is one aspect that I insist upon when working with people; especially higher handicappers or those just beginning to get their golf swing under them; and that is your line. Somewhere as part of your routine you must include alignment to your intended target.

I work with so many golfers that waste relatively good swings and good contact by not being aligned properly to their target. I see so many golf shots head for the rough, the trees, the traps, and the water; only because that’s exactly where the person was lined up to hit the ball!

Don’t waste your precious good swings on bad alignment.

Make alignment to your target part of your routine… and don’t just trust the fact that you ‘think’ you are lined up properly; make sure.

If you’d like more detail on ensuring that you’re properly aligned, sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive my free mini-course that covers this in more detail. Just check the menu down the right of the page for the newsletter sign up!

Golf Training Aids

There are many different types of golf swing faults so consequently there are just about as many golf training aids to help you with your swing fault no matter what it may be.

Obviously, your golf swing, and the ability to repeat it over and over with accuracy, is the key to your golf game and your handicap.

One thought that I would like you to consider before you consider investing in one or more of the golf training aids, is to first evaluate and consider your level of flexibility and strength.

I would submit to you that you should embark on a strength and flexibility program for your golf game before investing in any of the golf training aids.

Why?

Well, because I think you will find that your swing will evolve and change as a result of you gaining proper strength and flexibility in your ‘golf muscles’. And when you do this your swing is going to change (and more than likely improve just by doing this first).

One of the easiest pieces of equipment for stretching and strengthening that I found is the GolfGym PowerSwing Trainer. This equipment is great for getting started on a program of golf conditioning for your swing. I use the GolfGym PowerSwing Trainer quite a lot, particularly in the off season. And it’s great to travel with, as it packs away quite easily.

I truly feel that getting the most out of any golf training aid is greatly enhanced by the student first understanding the mechanics and the physics of the golf swing first. Without truly understanding why your golf shot does what it does, how do you really know what part of your swing mechanics needs the focus?

Of course, I shouldn’t have to mention, that once you decide on any of the golf training aids available, it is up to you to use it, and practice the concept of it. Remember, (and this is a crucial point) when it comes to changing your golf swing for the better, the short term results will be worse.

This is without exception for anyone. You must persist through the initial bad results of any change you make. Stay with it. Fight off the natural tendency to ‘just go back’ to my old swing. If you do, the better results will indeed come.

Golf Tips: Swing Timing

Once you begin to understand proper golf swing mechanics, you’ll soon realize that the key to consistency in managing your distances and as such dropping your handicap is to improve your golf swing timing.

I am often asked how to achieve consistent timing in the golf swing.

Quite frankly, if you are consciously thinking about your golf swing timing you probably aren’t going have it for that outing.

Timing in the golf swing is really a product, an end result. Not a conscious action that your brain fires to your muscles at just the precise moment. Not at all.

With all the physics involved in the golf swing and propelling the golf ball down the course with maximum efficiency, it would be impossible for us humanoids to consistently ‘pull the trigger’ on the golf club at precise moment in the swing to achieve the best results.

Not only impossible to do so consistently, but toss in all the various distances and it now becomes even more than impossible.

So, proper golf swing timing; how does it happen?

Remember, I started out with the premise that you have begun to understand proper golf swing mechanics and you have and are applying them through practice.

If so, you are becoming aware of timing’s closest friend and ally… rhythm. Just like the pendulum is to an old reliable grandfather clock, so is rhythm to your golf swing. Tick – tock.  The proper timing of your golf swing won’t show up with out his good friend rhythm.

Your golf swing should be executed with your shoulders and your upper arms taking the club back on your target line with your forearms and hands remaining quiet and enjoying the ride. Your legs control your weight shift and distribution and they anchor your full turn inside your body line.

As your legs begin to transfer your weight from your back foot to the front your hands must

remain quiet and calm. It is at this critical juncture, that you must resist the urge to ‘fire’ the hands and club head at the golf ball. Be patient. Your hands and club head will catch up; and catch up in a big way.

Remember, your rhythm will bring your timing in your golf swing and as a result evoke the immutable laws of physics. This will bring everything together and release a vast amount of stored energy at the precise moment with very little conscious effort on your part.

Its tick-tock, back foot-front foot; Tick-tock, back foot-front foot. It’s the comfort of a metronome like swing that your golf swing timing will consistently flourish in.

Work to establish a consistent rhythm in your golf swing. Learn to trust your swing timing as a product of your mechanics and rhythm.

Golf Swing Help

All golfers agree that working on and refining your golf swing fundamentals so that they can be consistently repeated over and over, and that will hold up under the pressure of those nerve racking $5 Nassau’s is the key to long term improvement in your golf game and your wallet.

The fundamentals of the golf swing itself are the takeaway and backswing, the transition to and the downswing, and the impact and the follow through.

Within each of these segments are sub actions and categories but let’s take high level look at these basic foundations of golf swing fundamentals.

The takeaway and the resulting backswing is where it all begins. This is what sets up the rest of your golf swing and the results that your swing will produce. Tempo, body rotation, and arm extension are three very important aspects of this part of the golf swing.

Tempo is established at this point. The tone of your swing is tempo. Even with all other physical aspects in reasonably good shape, bad or inconsistent tempo will only allow for spotty results at best. Work on a smooth rhythmic tempo.

Probably the most difficult part of golf swing fundamentals (from a physical aspect) for every golfer is making the transition from the backswing into the downswing.

At the top of the backswing, and poised for striking the ball, the biggest mistake made (especially by higher handicap golfers) is to initiate the downswing by accelerating the hands and forearms toward the golf ball. This is wrong end of the body and nothing much good can happen when you do this.

The backswing to downswing transition is always… always initiated from the ground up with

your weight beginning to transfer from you back foot to your front. This is followed by your hips beginning to rotate with the occurring weigh shift. In fact, your upper body and ultimately your hands and arms should feel a slight delay behind the actions of your feet, legs, and hips.

Although certainly an important part of the golf swing fundamentals, the impact and follow

through are a result of the backswing – transition – downswing.

If you haven’t completed the first actions in good fashion, your impact and follow through have little chance.

If however, you’re still on track, at impact your weight should be just on the outside of your front heel and on the inside of your back foot with your left hip rotated and clearing the path for your right hip, arms, and hands to track down the target line.

The physics and fundamentals of the entire golf swing is an exercise in creating resistance and tension in the body then transitioning it and releasing it at the most precise time; all the while being effortless, smooth, and with good tempo.

By definition this is an awkward movement for your body to create with great consistency. But with great consistency and dedication to your practice routine, your golf swing fundamentals and your score will improve over time.

Golf Tips: Golf Swing Consistency

Golf swing consistency improvement is what every golfer at every level is in constant search and stability thereof.

It is indeed an elusive animal, but let’s take a look at what gives you the best opportunity to improve your golf swing consistency.

The first aspect that comes to most people’s mind when trying to improve the consistency in their golf swing is to immediately start looking at and discussing the mechanics of the golf swing.

Although this is indeed a vital part of swing consistency, let’s take a small step back and consider what it is that executes your golf swing and what it is that effects your play more than any knowledge you may posses or any equipment that you may carry in your golf bag.

I am referring to your body and the physical condition that you are in.

Now don’t run off… or should I say ‘click’ off just yet.

I’m not going to spend a vast amount time suggesting or laying out an exercise routine for you.

But, if you are seriously looking at your game and you know that golf swing consistency improvement is a goal for you then I simply suggest that you honestly evaluate your current strength, flexibility and stamina.

Honestly, even if you completely and competently understand and can even replicate excellent golf swing mechanics; can you maintain that precision throughout an entire round or rounds of golf?

You want the same consistency on the last tee box as you had on the first don’t you? Consider getting yourself on some stretching exercises 3 to 4 times a week. And do some walking a few times a week as well.

You should take a look at GolfGym PowerSwing Trainerif you want to personalize specific exercises, or if you are seriously dedicated to your game take and want a more comprehensive fitness approach thenFitness for Golfin an excellent resource and would be the best for you.

Either way, improving your strength, flexibility, and stamina, is the first step toward golf swing consistency improvement. Your body is the machine that’s swings your golf club.

Golf Tips: Range To Game II

After you have hit your driver, put the driver down, and imagine that you are on an actual golf hole and you now have 180 yards to the pin.

O.K. so pick out a target of your scenario distance and get that golf club,

Do your pre shot routine and go after the target.

Then go back to the driver and pick out a different target line that gives you a different visual perspective.

Do this each time as part of your golf practice routine aiming for targets that are to the left of you natural line and to the right and so on.

The point here is to change targets and golf clubs frequently; get yourself comfortable and confident with going from a long shafted golf club to a shorter one and vise-verse.  As I just mentioned, changing your visual perspective of the target is important as well.

Tee boxes on golf courses aren’t so magnanimous that they align you perfectly with the fairway so you must get used to these visual changes that courses throw at you. You always here the expression of how a golf hole fits or doesn’t seem to fit a players eye. Golf course architects are like that.

I’ve mentioned your pre shot routine a couple of times.

If you’re not sure you have one work on finding one that feels comfortable to you and use it before every shot.

This doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be some long and drawn out routine that adds another hour to your (and everybody else’s) round of golf. Keep it simple and easy to replicate and get into the habit of doing it.

Hopefully you’ve gotten the gist of this part of your golf practice routine.

You’ll note that I said ‘part’ of your practice routine. Certainly if you are just starting to learn the golf swing you will spend more time with just one club in your hand.

But as you advance in your swing and your game there may come a time when you begin to lament that you can’t seem to get your golf game from the range to the golf course. If this is the case then these tips will certainly help you get over that hump.

Golf Tips: The Pitch Shot

The pitch shot in golf is a close cousin to the chip shot and certainly a shot that you must develop your competency with this shot to complete your short game arsenal.

The biggest problem that I see time and time again with people who struggle with executing any type of pitch shot is that they decelerate their clubhead just before impact.

One concept that will help you begin to execute crisp pitch shots is to think of a shorter backswing with a longer follow through.

Now, I don’t mean to take an abbreviated short backswing and then a rapid jab at the ball with a semi manufactured follow through, but we do want the concept of a consistent lengthy follow through.

Many times the cause of deceleration just before impact is because the golfer has taken much too big of a backswing… and at the last moment the brain tries to adjust to the perceived too much distance by decelerating the club……. and yuk… or is that yak.

As you practice your pitch shots work to keep your backswing as short as necessary to get the job done with a smooth tempo. With the longer pitch shots make sure that your left hand leads the club through the shot and you don’t ‘flip’ the club at the golf ball.

As we mentioned in a previous lesson work your pitches to a static target using different clubs so you’ll begin to develop that all important ‘feel’ for your clubs and what they are (or aren’t) capable of. As you do this you’ll begin to develop a nice rhythm to your pitch swing and your confidence in this shot won’t be far behind.

The key to developing those deadly pitch shots lies in how much practice you allot for this part of your game. Remember, work to shorten you backswing and extend that follow through. Deceleration is the kiss of death for a pitch shot.

Your success is directly related to your time spent working on this shot.

The Best Golf Training Aids RU

Really… the game of golf should be so simple. Golf, the game you can enjoy for a lifetime.

But if you’re struggling with your golf game and your golf swing, looking at the prospect of playing golf for a lifetime may seem more like a sentence than a vacation.

Look, you know there are all kinds of golf training aids out there. We offer many of the most effective and popular training aids and practice equipment.

Including the very popular – in fact chosen by golf pros as the #1 swing trainer club in the world Medicus 2000 Dual Hinge 5 Iron and the Medicus Dual Hinged Driver

Many of them are very useful and if used prudently will lower your golf score. Golf-ology.com will hopefully help you as you navigate around. But, let’s be frank. The best golf practice aid for you is you.

There is no amount of money spent on golf instruction that is going to by default suddenly improve your golf game. If this were the case, my game would be impeccable and all the millionaires would be scratch golfers!

So you see the common denominator is you.

Golf is like any other activity. The more consistent time you are willing to spend on improving your golf game the more your game will improve. And only you can determine this.

Of course the standard approach to playing better golf is to seek out and take some lessons. Getting some qualified golf instruction is a good place to start.

Starting out on the right track with a good understanding of the golf swing and the physics of it will help you to begin to develop the right muscle groups for the golf swing and your balance.

Once you have an understanding of the mechanics of the golf swing, then it’s time to practice. Don’t take on too much information early on. I can’t emphasize this enough. Get a basic understanding of the golf swing then work to reproduce the swing consistently. By this I mean don’t worry about different golf shots, drawing, fading, hooking, or slicing the golf ball. Don’t worry about what club does what. Focus on the reproduction of a solid golf swing.

Get your swing to a good comfort level by developing the proper muscles used in the golf swing. There are many great strength and flexibility exercises you can do. Golf exercises are very, very important. Don’t put a high value on results early on. Learn just the swing. Get your body comfortable with the golf swing. Not golf shots. The shots will come with a consistent swing.

Even now, when I am not getting the results I want from my game, I get back to the swing. Not the clubs, not the golf shot. I work to get comfortable and confident with my swing. The irony is that I work to get my swing back to where I am not thinking about my golf swing when I am standing over the shot. I want to know the swing is there, so I can then focus on the specific shot.

If you’d like some help from some of golf’s greatest, players and instructors such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, and many more. Simply choose your favorite from this fabulous list of Golf Instructors!

Also, take some time to look around the website. We have many helpful articles on many aspects of the golf game both physical and mental, and for all levels. But remember, the best golf training aids start and end with you.

Golf Tips: Getting Up And Down

The quickest, easiest, surest way to shave strokes your golf score is by improving your short game… and if it’s not with your putter…

then you’ve gotta get up and down when you’re around the green.

This becomes even more amplified for the mid to higher handicap golfer simply because by definition the higher handicapper won’t be as accurate with their approach shots, hence they will miss more greens… when you miss more greens; you need to have a short game that can get you up and down from off the green.

A good short game is a great remedy for earlier misguided shots…

not to mention a good short game will put more pressure on your opponents.

A good practice drill for you is to take a handful of golf balls and from just off the practice green play a round of par 2 golf. Chip your five or so balls at the hole…

once done putt your chips in starting with chip that came the closest. If you’re down in 2 then you par… if not… you bogey.

A couple of benefits will happen here. First your chipping and putting will begin to improve. Secondly, you’ll be simulating what really goes on when you’re playing your rounds of golf.

Now if you want to even more accurately what reflects an actual round of golf, get together with one of your playing partners and work this drill with a bit of friendly competition added to the mix.

No matter what the stakes (or steaks) are, this will assuredly heighten your focus or even make you pucker up a bit… but this is what we want…

to get you to a comfort level with some real time pressure and game like environment. The more you put yourself in this type of situation the more comfortable you and your game will become. Don’t under estimate the value of this.

Now get out there and start getting better!

Golf Tips: Your Footwork

When you work to improve your golf swing, like any other motor skill, the fastest learning curve happens early on in the endeavor.

This is why when you’re first starting to learn the golf swing or you are first starting to get serious about improving your golf swing, it is so very important to develop good golf swing habits right out of the gate.

If you have been playing for a while and have bad habits, it’s probably because they were never corrected early on.

I can’t stress this enough.

Stay with what you know are good habits until they become natural habits and you‘ll get your golf game off to the proper start.

The first thing every new golfer wants to do is drop the ball down and take a whack at it without any thought to the basics that greatly improve one’s chance of actually hitting the target.

Your aim, your alignment, your set up… I find it incredible how many people either pay no to little attention to this, or they aren’t even lined up where they think they are lined up. I mean after all, when you’ve hit a bad shot into the trees only to find that is exactly where you were lined up.

I see this over and over again. There is absolutely no way that you are going to consistently hit good golf shots (even if you have a decent golf swing) if you aren’t lined up and aimed at your intended target.

Having said this, don’t rely initially on picking out your target and aligning to it by only using your own sight.

When you practice, if you don’t have someone behind you letting you know where your stance, your shoulders, and ultimately your clubface is pointing, then lay one of your clubs across the tips of the toes of with the handle of the club pointed down your target line. It is crucial that you get in the habit of doing this and getting into the habit early on in improving your golf swing.

I see so many people that think the key to improving their golf swing is to hit more balls and work on their golf swing.

The reality of the situation is; you can vastly improve your golf swing without even swinging the golf club. In other words, let’s get you lined up properly at your target and get you set up to the ball and your target on a consistent basis, then with your body properly aligned, we can permanently improve your golf swing.

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