Learn To Play Golf
Golf is a very nice game that could be rewarding and frustrating but highly addictive. The very first step (which is usually the very first mistake as well) is panic buying for a new set of golf clubs without knowing what kind of clubs are best suitable for their abilities. Clubs have different varieties and variations that depends on the level of ability you have.
It is not hard to play golf, as you can see you just take a swing and hit the ball. If you have a natural skill for golf, there is only a little bit to improved on like foot action, leg and knee action, hip and shoulder action, arm action and hand and wrist action. If you can do these actions properly, you can execute and perform a very strong yet effortless swing release.
Foot Action is very important. It’s your only contact to the ground and you need a good foundation before performing a swing. Distributing all your weight equally onto your foot is advisable. There are three types of stance in golf; the square stance, closed stance and open stance.
With the square stance, both feet are equally distanced from the line of flight, which is imaginary between the ball and the target. This is recommended as standard stance for overall compactness and control. Closed Stance your left foot is closer to the right foot, this stance is assumed when you desire to draw or hook the ball. With Open Stance your left foot is drawn back father away from the line of flight than the right foot. This is best utilized to fade or slice the ball to the right of your intended target.
In Leg and Knee Action, your leg should be firmly planted and knees are slightly flexed. Your left leg will naturally have to go with the the foot action that you already created, thus giving you a synchronized movement. You will look like dancing with an excellent balance. And as always, remember that your knees should be flexed throughout the swing. It is essential that you understand the overall importance in maintaining a great foundation and sequence. Foot and leg/knee action should be synchronized to perform a very good and accurate swing.
Hip and Shoulder Action is the turning of the shoulder on the back swing that sets up the plane of your swing and with the hips restricted slightly they are preparing you for the downswing. The key point of this action is very crucial, the right hip/leg has turned very little, assuring that you are building a rubber band effect on your swing. Shoulders can turn comfortably against your right hip.
Cheap Golf Clubs
Golf club are one of the most important piece of equipment in playing golf. Obviously, you cannot play without a golf club. They come in many varieties such as; iron, hybrid and wooden, wedges gap or pitching wedge, lob wedge and sand wedge. It is recommended for beginners not to buy very expensive golf clubs at first.
The best cheap golf clubs I found are the following:
Confidence Golf Power Clubs Set and Bag
( For Right Handed Men)
Over-sized 3 Wood fitted with graphite shaft with embroidered head cover
24 degrees hybrid wood with a steel shaft
6-7-8-9-PW-SW easy to hit cavity back irons with steel shaft
Putter fitted with steel shaft
Upgraded stand bag with auto pop leg and rain cover
Confidence golf clubs was founded in 1967, over 40 years they have been producing innovative and high quality equipment aimed for beginners and improving golfers. This is combined with the latest design for easier golfing experienced, over-sized wood for bigger sweet-spot, a versatile hybrid club to get you out of trouble and cavity back iron that increases forgiveness.
Texan POWER 2 Ladies Square Golf Set -1″ PETITE
(For Right Handed Ladies)
For Ladies 5 ft 3 and less
All new square design and hybrid included
Driver: All new Texan Classic Power 2 driver is 460cc has 12 degrees loft new square design for added MOI and lower center of gravity, increases forgiveness and ease of play, head-cover included.
3Wood: All new, also has new square design, head-covers included.
Hybrid: with square design 21 degrees loft and perfect for long fairway shots, easier to hit the traditional 3 or 4 iron
Iron: Set of 7 Power 2 Cavity-back, Titanium polished, reinforced irons with over-sized heads 5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW have wider sole that increases playability.
Putter: Heel and Toe weighted with traditional designs, lines up easily for added confidence
Trolley Bag: The new Power2 deluxe cart bag features 8 padded way top, 9 exterior zippered pockets, towel d-clip with Velcro glove tab, umbrella holder, bottom assist handle, matching zippered rain/travel hood and exterior putter holder. Color is chocolate and Beige.
Woods and irons all feature Texan Classic graphite shafts – ladies flex
All clubs come with Soft Velvet Grips
Golf Practice Equipments
Aside from the basic equipment of playing golf like golf balls, clubs, shoes, golf bag and other accessories like gloves and hats, you need to have other tools to improved your golfing skills. I have gathered the following list of golf practice equipments to helpful you during practice.
Practice Nets – helps you practice your swing skills and stance without going to driving range. If you have a wide lawn at home you can set up your golf net and practice your swinging skills, stance, balance and flexibility. The more privacy you have to practice, the more you can concentrate. Use the net as your target hole or even as a barrier for mastering a more powerful swing.
Practice Mats – lets you feel as if you are playing on the actual turf ground. It will enhance your skills through familiarizing you with the surface of the grass, thus making you feel more comfortable for shorter and accurate shots. Practice mats are recommended if you want to improved your control in using different types of wedges. There are golf practice equipment mats for indoor, outdoor and even at your office for more convenience.
Swing Groover – improves your swinging skills, stance, gripping and balance. Use the swing groover at home, indoor or outdoor for better accuracy, flexibility, control, and power acceleration. It corrects your swing movement, hand grip and holding style. You can easily see what’s wrong in your swing through the monitor and can easily determine the changes of movements and direction then correct for a better performance.
Instructional DVD – of course an instructional DVD should not be missing in your practice, specially at home and indoors. You can practice and follow the DVD using your practice mat. Practicing step by step is the best choice for mastering golf.
Practice makes perfect. If not perfect, then it will definitely improved your skills. But you also need to apply it in actual golf courses to evaluate the improvement you made during practice. Actual practice is different from home practice and for better application of your home practice you need to apply it to an actual golf course, if not for competition purposes, but for your own enjoyment. You cant go wrong with golf practice equipments.
Golf Swing Help
Have you thought about what are you going to do with your hands and forearm at the moment of impact? If not, you need to think about it because it is essential in performing your swing.
Try to get into the impact position, like you are about to make a solid impact with the ball. Flip your trailing wrist like you are casting a fishing rod. This movement is referred to as the wrist break. If you are trying to flip your hands through the balls impact, this golf swing help tip will make you understand the correct way.
There are other factors that will help your swing to improve, like the following:
Left Knee During Swing
This is a common mistake of many golfers when they allow the left knee to collapse with the right during backswing. This causes your shoulder to drop and makes your hips sway and overturn. Try to fix it like imagining you are holding a basketball between your knees. Give it a try, you will amazed at the result of how it gives you a better performance.
Hand Position During Backswing
Place your right hand in a “hitchhiker position” meaning the club is at waist height. You should be able to look back and see your thumb pointing to the sky. Or you can try to put your hand in a “handshake position” with the palm facing neither up nor down. This golf swing help tip will ensure that you going to perform a correct swing.
Pause at the Top
Swinging too quickly is a common mistake. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t swing with power and acceleration, but it is best to maintain rhythm in your swing. Try to imagine a slight pause at the top of your backswing before changing direction and beginning the downswing. If you can perfect this tip, you will see your ball in the middle of the fairway often.
Rock-Solid Right Knee
When performing a backswing, it is crucial to maintain your weight on the inside of the right foot, and keep a slight bend in the knee. If you fail to perform this tip it means there is a big possibility of poor contact and loss of power. Imagine your knee as a solid wall and it will help your upper body to coil behind the ball.
Hit Low in the Wind
Often golfers feel the need to hit the ball harder into a breeze, but it only causes more spin in the ball and hit unnecessary lob. To hit it lower and controlled, put the ball back in your stance a few inches and keep your hands forward.
Swing Easy When It’s Breezy
It always works well when playing in the wind to make a simple but good thought “swing with the ease into the breeze”. This golf swing help tip will keep you from over swinging in the wind and in return it will prevent the ball from sailing high into the air.
Solidify Your Swings Foundation
A consistent golf swing requires a smooth tempo and good balance. Practice hitting some shots with your feet close together. (about six inches apart) This tip will force you to maintain better balance, tempo and rhythm and be more effective when you go back to hitting from your normal stance.
Swing Through the Ball, Not at the Ball
Power usually comes with one thing, extension through the ball after hitting. To perform this tip, put a tee about eight inches in front of the ball you are hitting, make an effort to hit not only the ball but also the tee. This tip will help you strain your swing through the ball not at the ball.
Golf Training Equipments
For better enjoyment and to improved your golfing skills and abilities you need to have the essential golf equipments. I listed below the basic equipment you needed such as:
Golf Ball – tiny dimpled balls that are created as such to increase the length at which they move when struck by a golf club.
Golf Club or Drivers – shaft with lance for better grip and a clubhead at the bottom to hit the ball. There are different kinds of clubs; wooden, iron and hybrids. Basically you need to have a set of 9 to 14 golf clubs intended for different kinds of shots. Clubs comes in different shapes and styles created for different playing fields. If you play on grass, cement or sands, it allows you to perform different lengths of shots.
Golf Bag – holds your clubs and carries everything you need on the course like drinks, balls, clubs and different kinds of accessories. An essential piece of golf training equipment.
Golf Club Covers – it is a very good idea to invest buying golf club covers, to avoid risk of clubs to get dented and scratch when you are moving around. Scratches and dents can affect you swing output performance. It is best to take good care of your clubs to maintain the excellence of your performance.
Golf Shoes – helps to keep you stable when golfing. It is very important that you wear proper golfing shoes. They usually come with spikes or cleats to grip onto the ground. Golf shoes can affect your swing as you need to pivot in a position when doing a swing. If you do not have a good grip on the ground, you could do unnecessary movements that will affect your swing accuracy.
Golf Tee – elevates the golf ball for better mounting and will help you to achieve better, long distance swing release.
Golf Cart – a wonderful golf training equipment. It gives additional enjoyment and luxury while playing golf. If you cannot afford a golf cart it is advised to rent one. It will save your energy from walking and carrying your golf bag around.
Golf Accessories – hats, gloves, clothing, glasses and any thing to make your golfing experience more comfortable. Hats and glasses provide good vision and covers your eyes from too much sunlight. Clothing is for more comfortable playing conditions and Gloves are for better grip and hold when performing golf swings at tee times.
For beginners there many golf training aid equipments you can chose from, like mats for indoor and outdoor training, swing and grip trainer, golf launcher, instructional DVD and many other tools to enhance you golfing skills. Professional golfers did not become a professional in an instant, talent and perseverance of practice are their key to success.
Practice may not make you 100% perfect and accurate, but dramatically you will improved your skills, techniques and accuracy.
Golf Tee Time
Golf Tee in old times refers to the mounting of dirt or sand to elevate the ball, but golfers find it messy.
Different varieties of golf tees have been invented since 1889. The first known tee to to pierce the ground was a rubber-topped peg sold commercially as the “Perfectum” by Percy Ellis of England in 1892. In the year 1899 when Dr. Franklin Grant invented the first patent tee, he carved a wooden peg that could easily push into the ground. The top is concave to accommodate the ball’s curvature. It was know as the “improved golf tee”. But it was not reported to be out on the market.
The development of tee failed as most golfers, whether because of tradition, habit or concerns of rules, continued the use of heaps of the sand.
In 1925 it took a strong marketing effort by Dr. William Lowell Sr to get the widespread use of the manufactured tee the “Reddy Tee.” (a simple wooden peg with a flared top) Lowell hired professional golfers like Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood Sr to promote the product during exhibition matches. It was a success and was copied around the world and remains the most common type of golf tee.
There are factors to consider in choosing the best tee time, such as:
* How many groups? If only 4 people are to play, the best time is 7:00 in the morning. (specially if it’s summer, you will finish at the right time when it’s not too hot) You can also try to consider 1:00 in the afternoon during winter when it’s not too cold. But if you have 30 to 40 golfers it is best to consult a professional golfer for the best tee time.
* What kind of course? There are broad categories of golf courses like parkland, links and heathland. Parkland are typical inland courses resembling British parks with narrower fairways, lawn-like fairways and have many trees.
Links courses sometimes called as “seaside link” is the oldest style of golf course. It is characterized by uneven fairways, thick rough and small deep bunkers known as “pot bunkers” that are hidden from sight. And due to coastal location it is frequently windy that force golfers to play low, short and accurate shots, full of challenges.
Heathland courses are large open area, usually with sandy oil and scrubby vegetation.
* How many holes to play? You need to consider 9 or 18 holes to play. To play 9 holes give at least 4 to 5 hours to finish the game for smaller groups. For 18 holes, it could require a whole day to play, specially if in large groups. So the earlier the better for larger groups,
It is not hard to find where to play golf because there are a variety of golf courses offering packages, vouchers and discounted tee time. If golf is your favorite past time or hobby, browsing the Internet and considering the sites offers is the best idea I can suggest.
Golf Swing Lesson
For beginners when you say golf swing lesson, I bet they are already tense thinking what kind of golf stance and golf club grip they are going to use before launching their very first swing. Relax, it’s not that difficult to learn. I have noted below a few lessons that you need to know, such as…
Golf Grip – This is the main factor that can affect your swing. Before starting make sure to check your grip, is it becoming hard, slick or slippery? If not then you are set to go.
Golf Stance – A good balanced and relaxed stance would result in a good swing. It may not be perfect but it will help if you through the facets of the game.
For a good stance, start with placing the inside of your foot just ahead if the ball. The front and back feet should be shoulder width apart. Next, bend at the top but keep your back straight and then bend slightly at the knees.
Tip: the knee cap is directly above the balls of your feet. The angle of the back should be 45 degrees and your arms is hanging straight down from your shoulder. And keep your feet align every time you are about to perform a swing.
Back Swing- This is all about coiling up your body and creating the muscle torque needed to release a powerful downswing. Specifically, the resistance is created between the greater turning of the upper body and shoulder.
Tip: Do not perform in a hurry, it will not make the downswing any faster. Not real fast and not real slow, just the right tempo, take your time. Take 1 or 2 trial swings before hitting the ball.
Release- This is the term used in golf when you are going to hit the ball. You cannot make the impact by yourself. Your swing should reach it’s momentum to execute it effortlessly and release, then it will surely result into a good shoot.
Ideally, you want to square the clubface through impact by rotating your right forearm if your right handed and left one if your a lefty. After impact your arms should extend fully as your lower body rotates to the left while the club remains to the target line. Your arm passes your body through the impact zone, your head should remain behind the ball.
This isn’t a position that you just put yourself into, you have to learn it to let it happen automatically.
Golf Instruction DVD’s
Nowadays, the power of using DVD has became very common and extremely powerful tool in teaching golf. With the instructional DVD the beginners can easily break down swing and analysis if they done it correctly. It allows the golfer to learn face to face exact steps of what they should and should not do. It will always teach you how to cut handicaps and techniques in all facets of the game.
Do you like playing golf but don’t know how to to do it properly? Here I listed a few DVD’s that can help you with your search for learning how to play golf, from basic swing to techniques for appropriate swing type for different obstacles.
Jack Nicklaus: Golf My Way
This DVD is based on Golden Bear’s famous instructional book with the same title “Jack Nicklaus: Golf My Way.” This is a series of videos that Top 100 instructors selected from “Golf Magazine” and rated as the best instructional videos of all time.
It is a multi-volume series, but if you cannot find the full set, you can find two of the DVD’s that have been considered as the best as well the “Hitting the Shots” and the “Playing the Game.”
Phil Ritson Video Encyclopedia of Golf
This DVD is the only golf instructional DVD that received 10 stars by “Golf Magazine,” 5 stars for instructional and 5 stars for production value. It was produce by the founders of Ritson-Sole Golf Schools, which is considered as one of the top golf schools in US.
Phil Ritson and Mel Sole are the founders of the golf schools. Phil Ritson produced the DVD and Mel Sole is the contributor in About.com Golf. These videos cover all facets of the game and are compiled into 11 volumes.
The 8-Step Swing by Jim McLean
An 80 minute video of steps from point to point. It has been broke down into 8 points, 10 minutes for each point in order to check your swing. This would be the best dvd for beginners.
How I Play Golf by Bobby Jones
This DVD was created by the first man who created gold instructional tapes in the 1930’s, which was shown in theaters. Sad to say that they are long neglected. However they were rediscovered by golfers of all skills and talent to be very useful.
If you want to learn golf, nothing can go wrong if you use this instructional DVD created by Bobby Jones. You can buy it individually and also in gift packages.
Lessons with Leadbetter
This video is created by David Leadbetter an uber-instructor. This is a 10 disc series covering all the facets of the game.
David Leadbetter: Simple Secrets for Great Golf
In this video David Leadbetter discusses the flaws found in “regular” golf swing and helps us “regular” golfers to figure out what to do.
This is a series of lessons that are geared to recreational and amateur golfers.
Arnold Palmer: Play Great Golf
This DVD features the “King” going over golf fundamentals, the “scoring zone” short game and the right way to practice. This multi-volume set of disc’s came out in the late 80’s.
Fred Couples on Tempo
Sweet swinging Freddie is the coolest customer on the course with a tempo that can’t be topped.
Butch Harmon DVD Series
This DVD covers short shots, long shots and course arrangement. Harmon focuses on fundamentals and basics, making this a very useful video for less experienced golfers.
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Video
This Harvey’s video version of “Little Red Book” features his longtime pupils, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite, demonstrating the simple, straightforward tips found in the book.
The Full Swing DVD
If you are looking for a fast and effective solution to your golf swing, look no more. I found a the DVD right for you, the Full Swing DVD. It teaches you how to add distance to your drives, lower your handicap and play the best golf of your life as short as 2 weeks.
This DVD had helped golfers in 36 countries hit further than before, cut 7 to 12 strokes off their handicaps and take their games to a whole new level. Plus giving you additional points to a pure golf full swing such as.
- overcome the three biggest swing-related problems
- automatically gives you the correct swing plane
- hit the ball with more accuracy and distance
- backswing that is 99% different from “average” golfer that holds consistency and distance
- simple solution that automatically makes your timing perfect
- trick to maintain perfect balance
- trick to hit the ball where you always want it to go
- how to lose the fat as well as the thin
- value of proven system behind you will find new confidence and a fresh outlook in your game.
Beginners Golf Equipment Tips
Spending a lot of time and effort practicing to perfect your golf game won’t help you achieve your desired goal if you have ineffective golf equipment. So its time you consider checking the quality of your golf equipment.
If choosing used golf clubs as a beginner, being picky before purchasing is a must. Grips, Club heads and Shafts should pass inspection before becoming a part of your golf game. Make sure the used set of golf clubs have set consistency.
For a golfer that plans to regrip clubs, a word of caution. Grips are the only contact points you can access to affect your shot. Before regripping, you should check your hands grip size and the core grip of the club. Measuring the diameter of the butt of the shaft will determine your core size grip. The grip’s core diameter should match the diameter of the shaft. Keep in mind, when determining your hands grip, the sizes range from regular, medium, large and extra large.
Consider body type when choosing the best fitting equipment to support and deliver effective backswings. The perfect fit can avoid too steep of angles.
Custom fitting golf clubs is a worthy investment. A custom fit produces golf clubs specifically designed to fit the height, swing characteristics, strength and club head speed of the golfer.
Club shaft type helps predict if you will or will not be successful in a golf game. You can choose between a graphite shaft and a steel club shaft. Make sure you realize which type will benefit your game. Professionals prefer steel club shafts while woman, beginners and seniors tend to prefer graphite.
Golf clubs must suite your sill level. It would not be wise to use just any golf club lying around. Also don’t forget you can only bring a maximum of 14 clubs to a game.
A good combination of golf equipment and the right moves will help you become the best golfer you can be.