Golfing Basics - How to Play Golf.
02/01/2014 19:44
Golfing Basics - How to Play Golf.
Stroke and Swing.
People think that in order to play golf and be good at it, they just need to be able to hit a little ball a long way. But instead of learning to hit long distances, you need to be able to hit accurately over short distances – after you master this, hitting long distances accurately comes naturally. If you can get the ball in the cup when it is close, then by simply increasing the distance between you and the cup, you should be able to get the ball in the cup at long distances. Starting small and working up to strong swings will help with this.
By learning how to properly ‘stroke’ rather than ‘hit’ the ball you’ll get a strong powerful swing – and this can be seen when someone is putting the ball a short distance. Perfect the technique for putting – ‘stroking’ the ball, using a swinging motion rather than a ‘hit’ – and you’ll be able to get the ball in the cup whether it be close, or not so close.
A great way to learn this technique is to pretend the ball is in your way, and let it get carried away with your swing. To not ‘hit’ the ball, and try not to swing at the ball and let it get hit. In fact, when you practice swing you’re doing exactly the right thing, pretending the ball is not even there – the trouble is, as soon as you actually swing, you change how you swing. It’s a subtle difference, but if you can understand it, you’re well on your way.
Another way is to visualise the ball getting into the cup – after all, this is the object, not the hitting of the ball – and this is done with the mind’s eye. The optical eye sees where the ball is sitting. Don’t concentrate on this. However, know where the ball is. Just don’t make this the focus of your efforts.
Once you have this mastered, you need to work on the hips. Most people think the correct move their hips make should be a simple turn of the hips from the top of the swing, and this puts their right arm and shoulder over the top of the plane. This is wrong! What they should be doing is actually the opposite: a slight lateral shift, or ‘bump’, and then a turn. Studying top players like Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo, you won’t see them turn their hips at the top. They shift their weight laterally to the left side, which drops everything into the slot – their arms and shoulders – and then they can just turn and fire through the ball as hard as they want.
Next time you’re on the green, follow this checklist to develop the correct hip movement:
1. From the top, feel that you "bump" your hips laterally and slightly out to the right (out to right field). Your arms should drop into the inside slot, and then you can attack the ball.
2. Once you achieve that nice inside position, you’re set! It's now just a matter of turning your hips and firing through the ball aggressively.
Keep in mind not to shift your upper body along with your hips – shift your lower body only.
Alignment.
No matter how good you are, poor alignment can ruin a golfer. So as a beginner, you really need to get it right before you go any further.
There are two things to think about when you line up a golf shot – target line (the line that the golf club is actually on) and the stance line (also known as the body line). Although both are important, the stance line must always be determined by the target line.
Your head should not stay down and still – it should go slightly back. With great players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods it is noticeable, but with others such as Steven Elkington and Tom Purtzer it is not very noticeable at all (it will vary from person to person).
As with shifting your weight, head movement should come naturally – it should not be a conscious movement.
You should have a little weight shift on the back swing, as you should have a little natural head move – this is perfectly okay. Think of when you throw a rock into a lake – you don’t think of anything other than the rock and the lake, and you automatically shift your weight and head. If you throw the rock two feet it will be a slight movement, but if you throw it 200 feet the movement will be much much greater.
The downswing is the key – your head should remain behind the ball at impact. Look at any good player face-on and they will all have their head behind the ball as the club connects. Players such as Nick Faldo and Greg Norman even move their head to the right to start the downswing – this creates a more powerful, underneath impact position. If, before impact, you move your head laterally left before you strike the ball, the shot will be ruined. You will be too steep and over the top.
After impact, your head will follow the rest of your weight to the left side. If you don’t, you’ll hang back through the entire shot and break your back in half! A good impact position will make it easier for this natural head movement to happen.
To wrap up, head movement is the same as weight shift – you shouldn’t even think about it. Before you start your downswing, if you want to hold your head still, that’s okay.
Practice.
For practice to be productive we need to work out what aspects of our game need the most work. For example, how many drives hit the fairway, how many fairway wood shots are reaching their target, how many iron shots are hitting the green, how many putts we use per round etc. When you’ve worked out what you need to work on, get a professional – this can save time, and more importantly, strokes. All practice should have a goal (usually, to improve score and get more enjoyment as a result), and you should chart your progress on a notepad – this will help you avoid following the wrong path. But make sure your practice sessions don’t run too long – just while you can be strong mentally and physically, any longer and you get too tired and fall back into bad habits.
Lessons.
There are many ways to learn golf – taking lessons is just one way. Some halfway decent players have never taken lessons. Some start at the driving range, hitting balls with their friends or on their own. Others read books, watch videos, subscribe to golf publications, internet searches, or watch the pros on television - be aware that there is a lot of conflicting information out there, though. And, learning to feel what is the correct motion in your golf swing is much more important than having pure knowledge of what to do.
Before you take lessons, give thought to the type of golf experience you are looking for, and the level of commitment (money and time) you are willing to make. For example, group lessons versus private lessons. Group lessons are great if you’re just starting out and haven't really made a commitment to the game yet you want to learn more If you just want to test the waters, you’ll also see some other benefits (camaraderie, for one). Some of the advantages are:
- Lower cost, by sharing your time with an instructor.
- A more relaxed atmosphere from less pressure – the instructor is dividing their time among several students. You can also practice while the instructor is seeing to other students.
- Meeting new golfers – usually at the same skill level as yourself. A lot of new golfers don't stay with the game because they don't have someone to play with. Unfortunately, many times better golfers don't like to play with beginners.
As golfers begin to improve they require private lessons, so they can focus on their own needs. Private lessons cost more, however if you have decided to stick with it, there are many advantages. They include:
- Individualized attention – one-on-one time with your instructor, which helps to eliminate any bad habits you might be creating.
- Lessons are tailored to your needs and abilities - you can work on a particular skill area that you desire. You can take lessons to work on correcting a problem you might be having with a particular shot.
- Private lessons are often videotaped – by watching your swing and having it correctly dissected by an instructor, it can be an extremely valuable experience.
This is by no means an exhaustive, all-encompassing guide to golf. But reading it should give you a start. Remember, though, that practice is the best way to improve. Reading books and watching videos might be a beginning, and lessons will certainly go a long way, but only with practice will you be well on your way to playing well.