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Thursday, April 12, 2007

Basics!

Keep It Simple

When you're not sure which club to use, stick to what you know. For your first tee, use a wood. When it's a close shot, use a low iron or a pitching wedge. Whenever you're mid-range, use a middle iron. Finally, use a putter when you're on the green.
Don't try to use a fancy club unless you know what you're doing. When in doubt, stick to what you know. Oftentimes, simplest is best!


Keep Your Stance In Line

When you're using middle irons, your feet should be about shoulder length apart or a little wider. The bigger an iron you use, widen your feet. If you go smaller, keep your feet closer together.
Always remember that address and grip often influence the outcome of a shot much more than the actual swing.


Use A New Ball


When you are making a difficult shot, especially if there's water around, use a new ball. Take out a shiny new one and toss that old one aside. This is a mental trick. It makes you value the shot more.
You can hit that old crummy ball any which way and who cares, right? But you don't want to lose a shiny new ball, and you'll think a lot more about where that ball is going to go.
Use A Little Psychology

A Mental Image

The fairway is so vast and broad. Sometimes it can be distracting while you are putting, just looking all around and seeing how far it can go in either way.
Here's a mental imagery exercise some pro golfers do: They imagine that the fairway is just a narrow strip. All that green on either side doesn't exist at all. It's just a straight shot from the tee to the hole.
Try this next time you golf. Imagine it's just you, the ball, and the hole. Make all that extra green disappear.

Picture The Track

Another mental trick that helps many golfers make their shots is to picture the ball coming backward from the hole to the tee. This is a trick many bowlers and players of other sports use. Just imagine the ball rolling backward in a straight line from the hole.
One More Tip Using Your Eyes
Beginners often lose speed on their putts. They end up slowing down and getting the ball close to the hole, but not quite there.
When you're putting, try to put the ball just past the hole. This is an especially good tip if you have the habit of getting short of the hole. Picture it going further than the hole, and that will help you keep your speed going through the swing. Your swing will be more solid.

Extras - Chipping

Easy Chipping Drill

When you're practicing chipping, use a chair or lean against a wall to brace yourself. You can use anything at all, as long as it's hard and solid.
Just lean your left leg against the chair or wall or whatever, and put your weight into the forward foot. This is a great drill to practice getting a good downward swing and chipping just right.

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