How to Find the Best Discount Golf Tee Times

It's hard to believe in this day and age that anyone would still be inclined to purchase golf tee times directly from the course. The internet has changed the way we play golf. There are many opportunities online to purchase discount tee times from the best golf courses in States like Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana and no reason to contact golf courses directly and pay full price for your round of golf.

If you play golf as much as I do then you likely already know that booking a round of golf Weekend after Weekend can be very expensive. Paying $100 for a round of golf instead of $50 is not the end of the world if you are an occasional golfer, but if you play every Weekend this can add up. Over the years you are literally throwing money away by purchasing your golf tee times directly from the golf course.

Reputable Companies work with golf courses to create a network, some courses choose to participate in this network to book more golf rounds and other courses that do not need to book more golf rounds choose not to participate in this network. The point is that if these companies set up a very good network of participating golf courses with discount golf tee times then you can save up to 50% off the direct golf course price when you purchase.

Golf tee times are traded like stock and bought at 30 to 40 percent less than the direct golf course price and then the company can turn around and sell it to you at 50 to 60 percent less so that you save a lot of money over time. It's that simple and frankly I cannot imagine why any golfer would not want to purchase their round of golf in this fashion. The price of gasoline is at an all time high, groceries are more expensive than ever so this is one way you can save a lot of money over time and play more golf.

The concerns that golfers have is obvious because there are so many websites claiming to offer these deep discount tee times so how can you know which are reputable. Google and Bing provide excellent editorial judgment since fly by night Companies are unlikely to be top ranked in the organic listings. Golf media publications are another excellent source for Companies that offer a valuable network of golf courses to book discount rounds of golf.

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How Does Ernie Els Hit the Ball So Far?

When Tiger Woods swings his driver, or Bubba Watson, you can see the power and you almost hurt yourself just watching. Then there's Ernie Els, every recreational golfer's favorite player. With what seems like no effort at all, he hits the ball just as far as anyone. How does he hit the ball so hard with such an easy swing? To begin with, appearances are deceptive.

Ernie hits it harder than you think he does, but let's back up first to his development as a young golfer. The story goes that when he was a boy, he would hit plastic balls in his back yard. With an easy swing, they would go about 70 feet. If he hit one as hard as he could, it would go about 70 feet. This taught him that swinging out of his shoes wasn't the key to good golf.

What he does is obey the fundamentals of the golf swing, the first of which is the setup. The grip, stance, aim, and posture that you get yourself into before you take the club away define the movement that can follow. A good setup tends to restrict your movements to the right ones. In a poor setup, anything goes, and most of it is wrong.

The second fundamental of his swing, the one that makes it stand out so, is his rhythm and tempo. He never rushes matters, letting them unfold in the right sequence and in the right time. He really does swing hard. If you have a chance to see him live, you will get a big surprise. But his rhythm and tempo allow his swing to flow gracefully and effortlessly from start to finish. They allow all his power to be concentrated at the moment of impact in a square, in-line hit.

Imagine you've hung up a carpet and you're beating it with a tennis racket to get the dust out of it. You know that to get the maximum effect from your blow, the racket needs to hit the carpet traveling straight into the carpet, not at an angle to it, and the entire racket head needs to hit the carpet flush, not hitting the carpet first with an edge of the racket.

Now think of the carpet as a golf ball, and the racket as your club's head, and there you have it -- a square, in-line hit. That's how to hit the ball hard, and that's what Ernie does. Always keep in mind that swinging hard and hitting hard are two different things.

There is one more thing about him that try as we might, most of us won't be able to copy--talent. Ernie, along with all professional golfers, has a talent for hitting the ball a long way. You're either a long hitter or you aren't. Paying attention to the fundamentals allowed him to develop his talent fully. You can do the same thing, and hit the ball as far as your talent allows, which will be plenty.

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3 Basics of the Golf Swing

Sure, there are an exhausting number of variables that can play out in any round but there are three basics of the golf swing that you need to master every time. Learning which iron to pull and if the green is faster or slower when wet are all things you will learn with practice. In fact, you never stop learning in the game of golf, there is always going to be a new shot with a different challenge but if you can master the basics, you will be able to address everything else more effectively.

So, just what are the three most important and difficult components in the game of golf? Stance, grip and swing! If you can't excel at these three things, you'll never have a chance at becoming an exceptional golfer.

Begin with Your Stance

Is your stance really that important? Who wants to be bothered with evaluating their head to their toes, right? The funny thing is, the stance is where the majority of errors are made, and for many golfers, a few corrections can solve many of their problems.

Unless you're chipping or putting, your feet will be about shoulder width apart so you can distribute your weight a little easier. Your back needs to be straight, but your chest should be low, with your knees slightly bent. The easiest way to achieve this position is to simply tilt your pelvis upward.

Finding Your Neutral Grip

Your grip should never be tight or loose. Imagine putting masking tape from your wrists down the club, this is how your hands are meant to act, which is as an extension piece from one point to another. If you grip the club too tight, you will likely slice or hook the ball, too loose and you will lose control!

There are three types of grips which are the interlock, overlap and baseball grip. There is no right or wrong grip; you should choose one that you feel the most comfortable with. This may take a little trial and error.

? Interlock - The pinkie on your right hand will be intertwined with your left hand's index finger.
? Overlap - Your right hand's pinkie finger will rest over the area between your index and middle finger on your left hand.
? Baseball - Your right and left hand rest side by side, just like if you were swinging a baseball bat.

Perfecting the Swing

Your swing includes the backswing as well as the downswing, all the way through till the end. None of the components of a swing should be thought of as their own entity but rather as one whole piece. Everything about the swing should be fluid from the takeaway to the follow through.

Many golfers make the error of trying to generate or force power in their downswing. This is a mistake. Your power begins with your hips, not your shoulders, wrists or knees. Make the most of your hips by simply shifting your weight and the rest of your body will follow.

To see the most distance, make sure that you follow through after impact. Don't pause or stop, finishing off the arc of your swing is imperative. Most importantly, never stop evaluating and practicing the basics, regardless of how good you get. There is always room to improve in the game of golf!

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Golden Advice on How to Break 80 for Average Golfers

It can take as long as three to five years to learn to break 80 in golf. If ever you have decided to take on this game as a hobby, well, you have to make things happen by allowing yourself to practice as often as you like. Having this game as a pastime is good but you can always upgrade from being a so-so player into a pro golfer if you only know how. Learning this game takes practice (lots of it) and perseverance to make the most of what you have spent for your clubs. Think about the time that you have spent playing and still finishing with the lowest score ever.

Learning how to break 80 in golf is something that you have to take into consideration as it is one of the things that a golfer needs. For what in the world did you want to learn the sport for if you wouldn't want to be satisfied in every game that you have finished? Haven't you tried going a little above the usual scores that you have earned? Stop flipping on the idea that all you need is a little game; a game well-played is a far better than a game within a game itself. It takes physical and mental capacity and enhancement for a player to achieve the highest score desired by players and competitors.

It is not a question whether you have just taken on the game or not. Learning to break 80 could be considered as one of the biggest challenge as it is considered as the magic number in the game. Once you know how to break 80 in golf, it is no longer impossible to add up to make a better one the next time you step on the greens. Practice can take you to greater heights. If this is your aim, learning the techniques will make your score soar above the rest of the competitors' arena.

By watching other players how they do their thing makes one great observer and a good follower. You learn by the mistakes that they do and in turn, you get good ideas on how to address your own shot as well. One of the things that would make it easy on you is to think hard on where your ball should go and what you want your ball to achieve. Golf involves the brain and the heart. Focus on what you want your game should be and that would be the start of everything good for you.

Learn how to play short game. Think of your clubs as a tool and not a disadvantage when it comes to hitting your shots. With enough experience in handling different kinds of clubs, you can take on even the oldest one and still break 80 in golf. Since every golf player has had their own experiences with frustrating games before you, treat every game as relaxed as possible. Nothing comes close to being comfortable with the clubs and the game itself.

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What Is a Golf Swing in Slow Motion All About?

A golf swing in slow motion is a technique that you can use right away to see what happens with your golf swing in order to fix it. Since swinging the golf club happens so quickly, in a matter of seconds, it is very difficult to notice what you are doing wrong with your swing. If you have a slow-motion golf swing, it is much easier to notice how to improve your swing and where you might be swinging wrong.

A common mistake that many golfers encounter with their swing, if everything else is right, is called "going over the top". Going over the top is when your upper body is going faster than your lower body. The result of this is that you hit the outside of the golf ball and a slice occurs. How can you correct this basic mistake? One way to correct this mistake is to practice your swing slowly. Your swing should be carried out in one consistent motion. If you think you may be going over the top, slow down and practice your swing in slow motion.

Take notice of your lower body, your upper body, your hands, feet position and most importantly the golf club position. Practice hitting some golf balls in slow speed and gradually speed up your speed until you are comfortable with your swing at full speed. If your golf swing plane is still not correct, slow it down and practice your swing again in slow motion. It may help to have someone watch you take a swing to pinpoint where you might be swinging the golf club wrong. If you do not have the option for someone to watch you, find or buy a mirror that allows you to see yourself. If you need a more advanced approach, you can try to capture your swing with a golf simulator or related equipment that will enable you to see what your normal golf swing is like in order to analyze your swing.

Something else that you may want to try is to close your eyes when you are practicing your golf swing and try to sense your balance and what your positioning is at the different levels of your swing.

The last thing about using a golf swing in slow motion technique is to remember to keep your eyes on the ball and concentrate. I know I was just talking about closing your eyes but this is just to get a sense of how to fix your golf swing. If you want the perfect swing you need to focus on hitting the golf ball and that involves keeping your eyes on the ball.

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Six Tips to Improve Your Putting Game

A friendly golf game between friends or colleagues can be quite relaxing, however no one is willing to admit that they still want a better golf swing or score than the rest of their foursome, no matter how "friendly" the game is. Luckily there are ways to improve your golf swing and your golf game that just take some basic tweaks, and some good old fashioned practice. Whether you are a novice at golf or some what of an expert, there is nothing wrong with wanting to tweak your golfing skills so that you are constantly improving.

There are various shots, strokes and swings involved when it comes to golf. You can enroll in golf swing training where you will be professionally shown how to improve your golf swing. A perfect golf swing is imperative to playing a proper golf game. If you can not get the various swings right for the various shots that you have to make, you are not going to enjoy your game.

Another aspect that is important to the golf game is one's putting technique. A putt is a shot taken on the green, and it's usually a straight shot with the intention of getting the golf ball into the hole or as close to it as possible. Putting is the most important part of the golf game when it comes to scoring. A perfect putting technique will ensure that you get more ''eagles" and "birdies" on your score card than anybody else. There are a few tips when it comes to putting and these can essentially help you make great strides to improve your putting technique.

Grip your putter in the reverse overlap (overhand) grip as this is the best way to line up your feet and shoulders as squarely as possible, keeping your head over the golf ball. The ball should be positioned between the left heel and the center of your stance with your hands also over the ball.

Feel the stroke in your shoulders and arms. By doing so you should subsequently avoid "flipping" your hands and wrists. If you have difficulty keeping your hands and wrists still, try using a long shafted putter, (it worked for me!).

Keep your body and legs still, only yours arms and shoulders should move during putting. If you find yourself moving your legs or even slightly twisting your hips, it could be the culprit for your poor finish.

Take note of the hole location, paying attention to breaks and direction of grain of the green. This will also help you determine the "speed" of the green.

Incorporate a lot of feel drills into your practice, with an emphasis on distance control when you play, as this will help you achieve optimal distance adjustment during a game, and also help you adjust easily to different speeds of the greens.

Practice, practice, practice. Spend adequate time on the green. Dedicate a good part of your time at the driving range. If your range doesn't have a green or at least a putting area, find one that does.

Remember the famous saying: "you drive for show, but you putt for the dough". Your short game is what makes the difference in being the club champ, or a serial 2nd place finisher.

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Eco Golf Balls and Eco Golf Tees - Why They Matter

Did you know that in the US alone, it's estimated over 300 million golf balls are lost per year? Yes, many balls are reclaimed, but nowhere near the volume that are lost. Now let's talk about golf tees. Stick with me, and we'll do some simple math.
486 million rounds of golf played annually(The National Golf Foundation/ US / 2009)Average golfer uses 6 tees / round75% using wooden tees(PGA estimates 90% of professional use wooden tees; using conservative 75% for general public)2,187,000,000 total estimated golf tees consumed per year!

Combine the lost golf balls with the used golf tees and you have an incredible amount of golf 'trash' left lying around on those beautiful courses where we play. Compelling, isn't it? That's why using eco-friendly golf balls and eco-friendly golf tees DOES matter.

So, you ask, what is the difference between a regular golf ball and an eco-friendly golf ball? Read on and learn about three top-sellers.

The Wilson Eco Core golf ball has a core molded from unvulcanized automobile tires instead of the polybutadiene used in 99% of all other golf balls. The packaging does away with sleeves, and uses a recycled "pizza" cardboard box approach. The net effect is a ball that uses 40% less materials and energy to produce.

The Dixon Earth golf ball is "green" to the core. The Dixon Earth ball's core is made from a proprietary polymer that maintains the playable properties of the ball, but ensures that it is 100% renewable. In addition to the core, the entire Dixon Earth ball is manufactured with materials that can be recycled and used to make other consumer products.

The Eco Tournament Sleeve contains three balls that are molded over a regulation size Recycled Rubber Core. They also feature a Recycled Plastic Surlyn cover with an improved high performance LS 432 dimple design. These balls feature the Recycled Symbol and ECO name printed opposite your branding.

As for eco-friendly golf tee options, I recommend using biodegradable tees. Our biodegradable tees are made of cellulose, starch and other natural polymers. These tees degrade in just six to twelve weeks! As for their play, you'll find these biodegradable tees won't mark up your club face, they are more durable than wooden tees, and they won't slow your swing speed on impact.

Price points of eco-friendly golf balls and eco-friendly golf tees are very comparable to their non-eco counterparts. You won't see an impact on your budget by changing to eco-friendly golf products. (Although you may realize some positive PR!)

If your business has a sustainability policy in place, eco-friendly golf products will be a natural fit for your promotional marketing. Whether or not you have a formal policy in place, choose eco-friendly golf products. It's just the right thing to do.

Jean A Braun is a promotional marketing professional, with over 18 years of industry experience. Her website, http://www.ecogolfpromos.com/ is the result of her passon for promotional marketing and the game of golf, along with her belief in being socially responsible.

When looking for unique branding methods, you can count on the experience and creativity Jean has to offer. Visit http://www.ecogolfpromos.com/ to contact Jean and request more information.

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The Reason Why You Can't Lower Your Golf Score in Competition and What You Can Do About It

There's something really interesting that happens to dedicated, serious golfers as they go about developing and improving their game. At some point of time many reach a stage of progress sometimes described as "arrested development" where they essentially reach an impasse with their golf performances and stop improving.

This level has been described many ways by sports coaches such as; plateauing, levelling out, or becoming stale etc.

Every time you come off the golf course after completing a round, your golf scores reflect your aptitude and attitude for creating your golf score. For many golfers it becomes more of a physical and psychological battle than a round of golf with their golf game taking control of them leaving them defeated, frustrated and unhappy.

I think it's one of the most fascinating aspects of golf performance psychology because it doesn't seem to matter what improvement strategy the golfer takes, they discover yet another way to produce less than desirable scores. In-fact over the years I have met golfers who have been in this frustrating and unsettling place for literally years.

Golfer's that reach this arrested development level will quite often change their equipment, change their golf instructor or even change their sport in an effort to change this condition. Quite often a change in equipment or instructor might do the trick but I have found that the problem has a lot more to do with how you go about improving your game rather than simply changing a brand of golf club.

The way many advanced golfers practice tends to be based mostly on improving the golf swing performance to improve their golf scores which ends up being the limiting factor in improving their performances on the golf course.

It's like saying that the tyres on a racing car is the only factor that determines whether the driver will win the race or not, without considering all the other performance factors in the race car, like fuel for instance. Tyres are very important on a racing car but they won't do you much good if you run out of fuel before the end of the race.

So determining exactly what you need to work on to improve your golf scores should be you starting point. If you were going to practice your golf skills on the practice range for five hours what skills would get the most attention? In other words, how much time would you allocate to each skill set and why?

? Full Swing - Technique Training

? Full Swing - Target Training

? Putting Skills - Long and Short

? Chipping, Pitching and Lob Skills

? Sand Skills - Short and Long

? Full Swing - Trouble Shots

? Short-Game - Trouble Shots

Study the skill sets above and rate each skill set in order of its importance to you right now in improving your golf scores on the golf course. Consider the makeup of your round and determine which skills have the greatest effect on your golf scores.

When you go about improving your golf skills you need to know whether the skills that you're focusing on will actually make a difference to your bottom line golf score. It's not uncommon for advanced golfers to be working on the wrong golf skills, particularly when they're in the arrested development phase.

You need to find a simple way to measure your golf skill routine to determine which of the golf skills need more of your focus. It's not unusual to hear a golfer describe themselves as a bad putter, but is the golfer a bad putter because they are missing putts that are outside of the makeable range? What is the makeable range? Well, you will discover when you test your putting skills that you will make a high percentage of the putts you attempt from 3 feet (85-95%) of the hole and almost half as many from six feet (45-55%) of the hole and almost half as many again from ten feet (15-25%) of the hole and so on.

So the question you might need to ask yourself is this; "am I a bad putter because I'm trying to hole my putts for par from outside ten feet of the hole because I don't realise that from this distance I would actually only make 15 to 25 percent (1 to 2 out of 10) of them?"

Should the question really be re-framed to something like this; "what percentage of my chip and pitch shots around the green finish within six feet of the hole?"

I bet you that if you get a high percentage of your chip and pitch shots within six feet of the hole that you will make more putts and your putting average will improve. This illustration is the same for other skills as well.

If you consider yourself a bad driver of the ball and you hit say 40 percent or less of the fairways that you attempt to hit when you use a driver, is it possible that by testing your driver skill on the driving range to a set of targets that are placed twenty yards apart at 200 yards that you achieve a forty percent success rate (4 out of 10 shots) with a driver and a sixty five percent success rate when you use a three wood, however when you set the targets on the range at twenty five yards apart you now can achieve sixty percent success rate with your driver.

So whenever you play a hole that has a fairway twenty yards wide at your driving distance you will take a three wood from the tee instead of your driver. If the fairway is twenty five yards wide you can confidently take your driver and swing away confidently.

By measuring your different skill sets in this manner you can accurately determine which skills need more of your attention and which need less. Every golfer uses a formula for producing their golf scores and by measuring the elements that make up your golf score you can change the formula so that you break free from your arrested development and go on to produce better and more consistent rounds of golf.

Author Lawrence Montague has been a leading golf teaching professional in Australia for more than twenty years and co-owns Pro Tour Golf College in Perth, Western Australia.

If you enjoyed reading this article then you can visit Lawrence's free golf video channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/golfconfidencepro where you will find more than forty high quality video golf instruction lessons to improve your game.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Montague

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Golf Tips - How To Avoid 3 Putting

By Maurice Campbell Maurice Campbell
Level: Basic

My name is Maurice Campbell, and I'm a PGA Advanced Golf Professional. I spend much of my time, in fact most of it, as head ...

No-one likes 3 putting! The most common reason for 3 putting (even with the professionals) is not getting the first putt close enough. If your first putt doesn't finish within the 'magic 8 feet' circle, then the chances of holing the second putt are low. Of course ideally you always want to leave yourself with a really short 'tap-in' putt. If you can perform well under pressure then you'll be a tough opponent! Here is a great golf tip which will improve your distance control and also help you to practice under game-like conditions. I.e. It will put you under pressure. You need to work on this golf putting drill on a practice green because you need to work between two golf holes. Here's how it works:
Pick two holes on the putting green that are a 'reasonable' distance apart - say 15 to 20 feet
Use one golf ball only
The aim is to either one-putt or two-putt to the other hole
When you have holed the putt, take the ball out then work back to the other hole, again taking only one or two putts
Every time you hole in one or two putts, add one point to your score
When you 3 putt your score resets to zero and you have to start again
Each time you re-start from zero try to improve on your best score

As your score starts increasing you will start to feel the pressure. That is why this golf tip is such a good one - it's very difficult to re-create game-like pressure when you are practicing. Once you feel 'comfortable' with a particular putt then choose two more holes to work between varying the length each time. You can make this golf putting drill harder and more fun by introducing these elements:
Use two golf holes at different levels. This will make the distance judging harder since you'll be working on an uphill putt immediately followed by a downhill putt
Practice with a partner and compete against them - whoever 3 putts first is the loser
If you have a large enough practice green, work your way around it and see how far you can get without 3 putting. Again as you progress around without a 3 putt the pressure will start to build!

This is a really good golf tip that you'll have fun working on and will quickly improve your distance judging. This in turn will significantly reduce the number of times you are 3 putting - which is something every golfer wants to achieve!

This article has been viewed 49 time(s).
Article Submitted On: May 18, 2011

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How to Hit the Golf Ball Farther With a Simple Adjustment

There are many factors affecting distance in the golf course. In this article I will resume all possible in one.

The single most important factor in increasing your distance is your mind.

You may have the best swing in the world, the best driver, the best ball and the best conditions by your side and still not making that extra yards you have been looking to reach. Some times you make it, yes!, but for any reason, you can't repeat the action over and over, it looks as if it was just a spark of luck... or was not? The truth is that your game at any stage is a mental one. So, what are the conditions your mind must have to improve your game?

1) Clean Your Mind of All the Clutter:

You came to play, so don't bring up that "extra" stuff you left at home or at work: "Today is my monthly payment due", "I promised my wife I would take her to...", "I'm going to call Fred", "I'm dumping my girl", " What I am going to do with that employee", "After I finish the game, I'm going to the golf store to check some clubs". "I'm the worst person in the world, my wife caught me cheating with dozens of women, and now the media is all over me (sorry Tiger)". All those thoughts come to your mind without your permission, because you have your door open to them. It is not your fault, it is simply the way our minds work, and we have the power over our minds. It will probably take us some time to master it, but we are capable of doing it, because we have done it before. So, when you are in front of the ball, preparing to hit it, there is nothing else in the world, but you, the club and that ball. Forget about the dealing you are closing in the afternoon, forget about your worries. Close the door to your thoughts and be one with the golf ball, being your golf club an extension of your body.

2) Stop Negative Thinking:

You cleaned up your mind of all "external" influence, now you have to stop the "internal" influence. Those blood sucker thoughts that drain your energy, energy that should be focused on your game instead.

Once and for all, take over your thoughts, hold the wheel of your mind and drive your it where "YOU" want it to go, and not where your thoughts want you to go.

Negative thinking is a learned skill. You weren't born negative, you just learned negative behaviors.

There you are in front of the ball and dozens of advisors begin to talk to you: "You can't have that", "Who do you think you are? Tiger?", "Everyone is watching you", "There are people waiting", "John maybe thinking I'm not good enough", "I'm still learning, what if I miss the ball?", "Everyone play better than me, they will laugh at me", and the list goes on and on and on.

3) Don't Let Guilt Tell You What to Do:

Guilt is all over the world of a golfer, but it shouldn't be that way.

You feel guilty for not giving time to your loved ones, for spending money in your favorite sport, for being caught while cheating on your wife (Again, no Offense, Tiger). Add your own guilt to the list. This could be one of the worst golf destroyers in the world, because you are punishing yourself for being such a "bad person". So, you have to distinguish a justified guilt from an unjustified guilt. If you are using your game to avoid your family at all cost, then you have the right to feel guilty, but if you really have a balance between your game and your family, then there's no reason to feel guilty at all, by all means, enjoy your game to the fullest.

The truth is that you have to play your best golf. It doesn't matter if you took your fist lesson today, or you've been playing for years. What is your best golf?, the one where no interference from outside or inside yourself, can affect your performance.

Putting it in practice: The next time you play or practice try the following:

First, do it while letting your thoughts intrude in your game. Your thoughts don't have to be negative to affect your game. Try it a few times

Then, do it, while giving all your concentration to the game, don't try it too hard, just play your best. If an intruder thought come to you, welcome it and then, let it go.

In the end, your mind will be more focused in finding ways to improve your game, than criticizing your performance. With time, you will notice that your game will have improved.

Enjoy your game.

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The Best Equipment For a Recreational Golfer

One thing about golf is that it offers more equipment options that any other sport. If you play softball, for example, you need a bat and a glove, but even a novice could find ones that fit after a few minutes of looking at the local sporting goods store. Golf? There are enough different clubs and balls out there to confuse even an experienced golfer. Here's how to find the equipment that is best for you.

Let's say you're just taking up the game. Borrow a set of clubs. Hunt the thrift stores to find a set with a bag. It doesn't matter that much, really, what you come up with, but get a few woods, some irons, and a putter. Go to the local variety store and buy some golf balls that cost about $15 a dozen. That will be all you need to start playing golf to see if you like it.

If after a few months you think golf is here to stay, then you definitely need better equipment. You could buy a set of used golf clubs from a pro shop or second-hand sporting goods store, or you could buy a new set. The used option would be cheaper, about half the price of a new set, and would be satisfactory until you decided to make a commitment to golf as your pastime of choice.

If you decide to go new, stick with the major manufacturers. The quality of their clubs is guaranteed. Other manufacturers make what are called "knock-offs," which are clubs designed only to look like a major brand. Their playability and durability are poor, and they are a waste of your money.

As for golf balls, there's no reason to play one of the high-end balls that professionals play. It takes a much higher swing speed than the large majority of recreational golfers have to take advantage of the ball's design. Stick with a ball in the $25/dozen range.

Golf balls come in three basic types: distance, accuracy, and spin. A distance ball will go farther, but only 5-7 yards at best. Accuracy balls spin less and thus go straighter, but they won't cure your slice. Spin balls, also called tour balls, stop faster (run less) on the green, but their higher spin rate might exacerbate your slice. Buy a box of three of each kind of ball, play a round with each, and stick with the one you like the best. That's really the only way to decide.

So far, you have a set of irons and some golf balls. You still need a putter, some wedges, and a driver (maybe). First, the putter.

About one-third of your shots will be played with this club, so you should definitely get one fitted when you buy it. There are so many design schemes, the only thing you can do is try one of each to see which one feels best in your hands, gives you confidence over the ball, and is easiest to swing. Appearance is important here. If the appearance of a putter is distracting, don't buy it.

You should have a sand wedge in the 54- to 56-degree range. This club is designed not only for escaping bunkers, but for pitching onto the green from shorter distances. The question of how many wedges you should carry is the subject of another article, but a sand wedge, in addition to the pitching wedge that comes with your set of irons, will be enough for most golfers.

Now, the driver. Most recreational golfers should not have one. This is a difficult club to hit, and it creates more problems than it solves. Instead, buy a 14-degree fairway wood and use that off the tee. You will get all the distance you need, and hit the ball into many more fairways than you ever will with a driver, at least until you become a very good player.

What all this comes down to is to use golfing equipment that makes the game as easy as possible to play. If you buy equipment with who you are in mind, rather than who you dream of being, you'll spend less money and have more fun.

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Golf Tips - Golf Putting Drill To Improve Your Distance Control

The most important three factors in any putt are pace, pace and pace. If you can control the pace correctly then your distance control will be good. Anyone with good distance control will be a formidable putter.

Controlling the pace of the golf ball when you are putting is quite easy - simply hit it harder to make it go further! But knowing how hard to hit the ball to impart the correct amount of pace on the ball is a lot harder and can only come from experience and feedback.

In this golf tip I have a simple golf putting drill that will help you improve your distance control very quickly:

Golf Putting Drill To Improve Your Distance Control
Work with three golf balls at a time to start with
Set up a small target approx 6-8 feet away such as a tee peg or a coin
Set up ready to hit your putt
Close your eyes
Take your stroke
Without opening your eyes (this is the key to this golf putting drill) think to yourself 'did I hit it too hard, too soft or just about right?'
Open your eyes. Were you right about how hard you hit it?
Close your eyes and repeat with the next two balls trying to get your distance control perfect

As you repeat this golf putting drill to the same target you should be able to hit three shots in a row with perfect distance control.

By removing one of your senses (sight), you should notice how much more you feel the putt in both your hands and your whole body. This is also a good golf tip for working on short putts since it stops your head from moving.

Now let's make this golf putting drill harder

Clearly when you're out on the golf course you only have one shot, so how can you make this golf putting drill work on the course when you only have a single shot? The key is to make it harder...

Make the following changes to make this drill progressively harder:
Practice with longer putts
Practice with downhill and uphill putts
Practice with curving putts
Reduce the number of balls from three to two and then down to one
Place the three balls around the target at different lengths / types of putt. Then you only have one putt to try and get the distance correct - just as you do when playing out on the course.

As I mentioned at the beginning, if your distance control on the putting greens is good then you'll be a good putter.

This simple golf putting drill will improve your distance control surprisingly quickly and is FUN - which is what golf is all about!

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Guidelines to Properly Prepare You to Play Golf

Golf Preparation - What Exactly is It?

Are you wondering what exactly golf preparation is? You probably hear the term a lot but if you're a new player, it's likely caused you a bit of confusion. Contrary to what you may think or have been lead to believe, golf preparation is not the process of getting your cart, stocking up on beverages and making sure that you have enough balls and tees to get you through the round. Golf preparation is actually the steps that you take before you practice or play.

Stretch

If you don't think stretching will have a positive effect on your swing, think again! A little warm-up allows you to introduce more oxygen into your blood to feed your muscles so they're ready to work. A responsive muscle is a flexible one. Not getting enough height in your backswing? Maybe your torso isn't stretched out enough. Take a couple of minutes and just stretch a bit so your body will move the way that you want it to.

Placing the Tee

Your first swing can often set the pace for the rest of your game. Since golf is influenced so much by your mental thoughts, if you bomb your first hole, you'll often second guess your shots for the rest of the round. Placing the tee at the right height can ensure a gorgeous drive on the first hole.

Ideally, the top of your club head should line up at the middle part of your ball. Picture if there was a line drawn around the ball like the equator and use that to line up to your club head and adjust the height of the tee. If your ball sits too low, you will drive it along the ground, too high and you will look like you're hitting a foul ball in a baseball game.

Evaluate Your Grip

How you hold your club will determine both accuracy and distance. Many new players put a death grip on the club which causes a whole lot of slicing. Then, there's plenty of seasoned players who have been told so many times that their grip is too tight that now they have a weak grip which results in sloppy play.

Your hands should be neutral and while this sounds simple enough, many people really have to work at it. Practicing your grip at home and getting used to holding the club properly will go a long way when you get out on the course.

Posture and Alignment

The last part of golf preparation to address before you swing is evaluating your posture and alignment. Your knees should be soft, pelvis tilted and chest low. Many players make the mistake of bending from the waist rather than their knees which usually means that they'll break their posture when they reach the top of their swing.

When you line up to drive, your left heel should be lined up with the ball, stance fairly wide and weight distributed slightly more on your back foot. Due to this slight variation in weight distribution, your spine will be tilted just a bit which will also cause your left shoulder to be just a little bit higher than the right one. None of these characteristics should be forced, they should all be the natural result of distributing your weight properly.

It may seem as though there are a lot of confusing things to remember to prepare for your first swing, but with practice these are all things that will come naturally. The better preparation you have each time before you play, the smoother the rest of your game will be.

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Electric Golf Trolleys Improve Both Your Health and Your Game

Gone are the days when electric golf trolleys were considered a costly luxury as increasing numbers of golfers discover the benefits both to their game and to their physical health. Golfers of all abilities agree that electric golf trolleys are a big help to their game by carrying all their clubs, balls and accessories thereby conserving the energy needed to focus on the game itself.

Golf has a number of health benefits, whatever your age. Apart from the skills of balance and coordination, the exercise you'll get on the green is surprisingly beneficial. Should you get to play golf on a regular basis, including a pre-game stretch and warm-up session, you are likely to provide your body an overall workout, as evident in the best physical forms that players boast throughout golf. In addition to this, golf provides a terrific release from the demanding challenges we face on a daily basis. Golf, as a sport can be hugely therapeutic, particularly when walking through stunning landscape and fresh air, which help to lower levels of stress and anxiety.

The time we spend golfing is precious so it is important to look at the role of the electric golf trolley and the way in which they enhance a golfers game. Carrying a bag or pulling a conventional trolley full of golf equipment around the course and preparing yourself for your shots can be very stressful and back-breaking, plus it defeats the purpose of relaxation while playing the game. Spinal and shoulder injuries do occur through poor technique in pushing and pulling a trolley and can happen with inappropriate lifting and handling of the golf bag. Inevitably, this may affect your golf swing, which may result in further muscle strains as a consequence. However, when equipped with a motorised trolley it is possible to focus on the game rather than each of the aggravating things that carrying or pulling can bring.

Another advantage of electric golf trolleys relates to the pace of play as they help you navigate around the golf course in a timely fashion, thereby limiting slow play. Electric golf trolleys are battery-operated and can be either manually or remotely controlled. The technology of both has improved over the years and there are now a number of brands and models available on the market. With the increase in availability and competition amongst suppliers, there are more affordable ones available but of varying quality and after sales service, so it is advisable to do your research before making a purchase. With trolleys becoming more affordable and the full appreciation of the benefits to a golfers game, there is an increasing number seen on the course.

Finding a solution to moving your equipment around the course can help your game and increase the health benefits. So, if your goal is to play regularly and improve your handicap, then it may well be worth investing in a motorized trolley.

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Improve My Golf Game

Most golfers are fanatical about improving their handicaps and are constantly asking themselves "How can I improve my golf game?" There are a lot of things that can go wrong with a golf swing and sometimes it's hard to know what part of your swing to focus when you are ready to work on improving your swing. The most important basics to the golf swing are your set up stance and balance throughout your swing. Without a proper set up stance and good balance through the golf shot it is much tougher to consistently the ball where you want it to go.

A proper golf set up stance is critical to facilitate a consistently good golf swing. Since your stance does change a little for each club in your bag, learning a good stance with your driver is a good place to start. Your feet should be in line with your shoulders on most shots, moving closer together on shots under seventy five yards or so. With the driver you want to hit the ball on an upward swing path. To achieve this you want to set up with the ball just inside your left foot with your right shoulder slightly lower then your left (for righties). Move the ball back in your stance as you move down your irons. This gives you a steeper angle of attack you will need for loftier clubs.

One of the most important aspects of a proper golf swing is balance. Do you ever see pro golfers lose their balance during a golf swing? You won't unless they are playing in very strong winds. Good balance is needed whether you're driving the ball or looking to sink a putt. The main cause of an unbalanced swing is either swinging too hard or the incorrect transfer of weight from your back foot to your front foot. One way to think about this weight transfer is to look at the mechanics of throwing a baseball. This is done by coiling away from the target which shifts your weight to the back foot. Then in a forward motion turn yourself back to the target transferring your weight from the back foot to the front.

The golf swing unfortunately has many different parts to it, any of which if done incorrectly can ruin your chance at a good shot. If you start with the fundamentals of a good set up stance and good balance throughout your swing, you will give yourself a much better chance of hitting a good shot. Try to resist the temptation of swinging too hard. Instead, focus on a good set up stance and a swing that has good rhythm and balance and you'll be on your way to hitting better shots.

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Golf Tips - How To Chip Out Of Trouble With Your Putter

Many amateur golfers find chipping one of the harder shots in golf - especially if you have a tough lie or there are low branches to shoot your ball under. It is easy to thin the ball, duff the ball or hit an obstacle.

In this article I am going to tell you how to chip from tricky situations but using your putter. This is a much 'safer' shot than using an iron or a wedge for a number of reasons which I explain below.

Many top golf professionals believe putting is often the safer shot than chipping, and in some situations it cannot be avoided. But you'd be surprised how often you can use your putter to get you out of trouble and through some tricky obstacles.

When should I consider using my putter to chip?

This shot won't work in all situations, but if you find yourself in amongst the trees then it is quite likely that the ground will be fairly bare. This is especially true if there are pine trees since the grass cannot grow due to the acid in the pines.

You can also consider using your putter when you've missed a fairway and need to get the ball back in play. I'll talk about this in more detail a little later, but in either of these situations you should consider using your putter.

How To Chip out of trouble situations with your putter around the green

Your putter has only one or two degrees of loft, so this means it will keep the ball nice and low to avoid hitting any low lying branches.

Before you attempt the shot make sure that you remove any loose impediments. In simple terms this is anything that is not growing, but be careful not to move your ball if it's lying on any loose impediments.

In terms of the actual stroke itself:
Set yourself up as per any other putt but make sure you have a good footing if the ground is looseHave the ball a little further forward than you normally would - this is to promote a very slight 'topping' of the ball to help it roll over the top of the impediments a little betterDon't be afraid to give it quite a good 'whack'. Judging the pace with these shots needs some practice

This is a much better way to chip the ball and reliably get yourself out of trouble. It is also easier to thread the golf ball through tight gaps with a putter...

There are a number of other advantages to using your putter when you're faced with a shot of this type, especially if there is trouble at the other side of the green such as water. All of your irons are designed to make the ball 'shoot' off the face, but your putter doesn't work this way - it has a slightly 'dead' contact and is therefore less likely to shoot the ball across the other side of the green.

Try using your putter to get your ball back into play

As I mentioned earlier, another great golf tip is to use your putter as a recovery club if you need to get your ball back onto the fairway. If you take a really good swing at it you can really get some distance going. 50 yards is certainly possible, but try not to damage your putter!

Good luck with this golf tip. I've seen the best scrambler in the world use this shot from a bunker once - the great and sadly missed Steve Ballesteros. If it worked for him I am sure it will work for you too.

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Trackman Pro - The Ultimate Golf Launch Monitor

Launch monitors, and in particular golf launch monitors have been around for a few years now. They were designed primarily to help golf club manufacturers improve equipment. The Trackman Pro launch monitor is truly the "Cadillac" of all launch monitors designed to this point. Using patented high tech tracking features, the Trackman Pro launch monitors provide an incredible array of highly accurate and dependable data. Many launch monitors can create data but it is often less than perfect, and even downright inconsistent.

The Trackman Pro is the launch monitor chosen by the USGA, PGA Tour, and the R&A (Royal and Ancient, the governing ruling body for golf outside the USA and Mexico). The cool visual replays of ball flight tracks and the accompanying statistics such as ball speed, club head speed etc. that you see on the pro golf telecasts these days are created with the use of Trackman Pro readings and software analysis and interfaces. Also major golf manufacturers use Trackman to help with club design analysis by creating data on results with a variety of equipment ideas. And now some touring pros, club fitters, teaching pros and some colleges and universities are taking advantage of the best launch monitor made, the Trackman Pro.

The Trackman is perfect for club fitting. You will test your swing with various clubs and collect data on which clubs produce the results that will best fit your swing and playing style. Often people can add 20 or more yards to their average driver shots by getting a good "fit" after testing a few driver with a Trackman. This is without ANY swing improvements.

The Trackman Pro is also now being utilized as a teaching tool. Some golf pros (not to many at this point, so you have look for one in your area if you want to take advantage) are now seeing the benefits of teaching lessons with the Trackman providing accurate data. When you add the new video interaction software Trackman has developed you have an incredible combination of data and visual context with which to help students see and understand just what is happening with their swing, and what corrections need to be made. One top 100 instructor has gone so far as to say he feels It is a waste of time to hit balls now without using his Trackman launch monitor.

The Trackman Pro can be used both inside and outside. Although it can "extrapolate" data from watching a partial flight (indoor readings), the Trackman Pro actually tracks the entire ball flight when you use it outside. Most launch monitors do not work this way, they make a reading on impact and then do calculations to determine what has happened. Regardless of the method the Trackman is known for its high level of accuracy where most launch monitors cannot sustain the levels of precision most would desire.

When taking golf lessons there is nothing like confirmation of what you are really doing. When your pro tells you something like "your swinging from outside to in" it is sometime simply hard to believe him because you can't "feel" it. If he was using a Trackman Pro golf monitor he can immediately show you visually with a video replay and also precisely thru the data provided. When you try to correct you will know immediately EXACTLY how much you change. Often as players we "feel" like we make a drastic change, but the reality (as Trackman will show) is that it might be a very small change. Knowing the facts will be of great value for the student and the pro as you can more quickly adjust the swing and the data helps the student gain trust and belief in what the pro is seeing.

If you take golf lessons in Los Angeles, or visit the area you can get access to a Trackman Pro launch monitor. Golf Pro Steve Pratt is now offering lessons, club fittings and simple "training sessions" (for people who just want to see their swing stats) with the Trackman. It is his goal to "bring Trackman to the masses" allowing golfer of all levels access to the state of the art equipment that the pros use to enhance their equipment and improve their swings.

The Trackman Pro launch monitor gives you an incredibly accurate array of useful data from every swing you make. This total package allows a player to analyze his swing for many different perspectives. Trackman gives readings for the following (get ready!):

1) club speed
2) angle of attack
3)club path
4)swing plane
5) swing direction
6) dynamic loft
7) spin loft
8) face angle
9) ball speed
10) launch angle
11) launch direction
12) spin axis
13) spin rate
14) smash factor
15) height
16) carry
17) side (ball result left or right of target)
18) total distance (roll is calculated by parameters which you can adjust for the conditions)
19) landing angle
20) hang time.

As you can see it is an incredibly detailed analysis of a golf swing and the ensuing flight of the ball the really give a clear picture of what happened. The Trackman Pro is very accurate. For example it will track the carry within an accuracy range of 1 foot and 100 yards.

If your in the Los Angeles area you can now access the Trackman Pro launch monitor and get great information to help you with you golf swing and golf equipment from golf pro Steve Pratt (www.hititlonger.com). His motto "Bringing Trackman Pro to the masses in Southern California". You can take lessons from Steve and take advantage of the incredible information the Tracktman can add to your learning sessions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Edwards

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Are You Looking For A Golf Caddie App For Your iPhone?

Did you ever imagine that your iPhone could actually replace your golf caddie? Well, I certainly never did. But I had read a few write ups about it, so I thought I would give it a try. Let me tell you that I downloaded a new golf GPS app onto my phone. When I opened up this app it zoomed in right on my location! I was at my house at the time. All of the sudden, as quick as I could blink, my house and surrounding property popped up right on my iPhone. This gadget knows exactly where I am!

I was very impressed, needless to say. The GPS feature on this app is amazing. This iPhone app claimed to "know every golf course worldwide" and I can see why! The pictures and features on the screen are clear as a bell. I started investigating to find that this app even knows the wind and weather at my very location! There is an option to insert your distances (or launch data). After this information is obtained this little gadget knows what club I need to use, how far it will go, how hard I need to swing and where to aim my golf shot!

Another neat feature of this app is that it I can say to myself, "I know it's 184 yards to the pin...BUT what club should I hit??" This app actually tells me what club to hit! It is also much more than a club selector. It is an interactive range finder with accurate distances to any spot with the "Get Distance" action on the tool bar. It is by far the easiest aerial map I have used and the best part is you can take it off GPS so it tracks quickly and it doesn't drain my battery. Nothing worse than being out on the green and the phone is dead for the ride home.

I have paid my caddie big bucks for this information in the past. This is the most intelligent golf caddie I have ever used! Now I call it my iPhone caddie, though that is not the name of the product. To be honest, I have searched and have not found another GPS golf app like this one. This app factors in how a golf ball is launched plus the actual weather conditions at the time. Most apps will let me (the user) define club distances but this is usually only entered in as a basic distance and it does not factor in the weather. My very cool iPhone pocket caddie even factors in the weather conditions at the very moment, at the very spot, on the very golf course where I am standing. Knowing my club distances better has solved a big problem for me in my golf game because before I never knew how far I was hitting my clubs. Now I am able to know this data with the help of my iPhone!

Go check it out for yourself HERE.

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3 Simple Tips To Lower Your Golf Score

Everyone who picks up golf clubs and starts golfing sets out onto a constant journey to lower their score and get closer to becoming a scratch golfer. Most golfers will never achieve it but that won't stop them from continually trying. Here are 3 simple ways to help you lower your score that most golfers do not use.

The first way is to find the right golf ball for your game. Not all golfers should be using the same ball and what works for one golfer will not necessarily work for another. You need to fit the ball to your own swing and the best way to do this is with golf ball fitting. This will help you assess your game and find the golf ball that best suits your needs. Most golf retail stores will offer this service for a nominal fee. There are also tools online from most major golf ball brands that will help you choose the best golf ball for your own game and swing.

Next is to be custom fitted for golf clubs. If every golfer is different then why do they all play the exact same clubs? They shouldn't be and doing so is hurting their game. Getting custom fitted for your golf clubs will help you get clubs that work best for your swing speed, your setup and for your body. For example, your driver should be custom fit so you can optimize the shaft length, the shaft flex and also the loft. Doing this alone will help add more yardage off the tee than any golf ball can.

Lastly, is the way you practice. Most golfers will only hit their driver about 14 times per round. Yet you probably spent hours on the range hitting your drive until your hands bleed. Or you spend hours on your long irons even though you can save more strokes by mastering your short game. If you want to shoot lower scores than you should be spending at least 40% of your practice time working on chipping and putting because this is where you will make the biggest improvement in your game and lower your score. The majority of shots are taken from 100 yards and in, so that is where you should put a heavy amount of your practice time.

Put these 3 tips to use and you will be on your way to lowering your golf score and having more fun playing golf, which is we play this game anyway.

Do you know what golf ball is best for you? The only way to find out is to get fitted for a golf ball and now you can do it online. Our online golf ball selector will ask you several questions about your golf game and then show you which balls are best suited for you. It's pretty slick and can help you shoot lower scores!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Howard_Kurt

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Learn to Play Golf

I went out to the range this afternoon to try a few things I have been reviewing and bumped into someone who is just starting out in golf. The enthusiasm was palpable and it got me to thinking about when I decided I wanted to learn to play golf.

Sadly it was late in life - I was 27 when I picked up a golf club for the first time. I do remember I was hooked instantly. Maybe it was a good thing that I decided to learn to play golf so late in life because I may well have left school early if I started as a youngster.

Hang on what am I saying?

How could it have been a bad thing to start while I was at school? I may have had enough talent to turn pro - what a life I might have had.

Back to my story.

What would I do differently today in my bid to learn to play golf?

Hindsight is a wonderful tool isn't it?

I think the first thing I would do (assuming of course I could rein my enthusiasm in) would be to find the best golfer at the club and caddy for him/her for a month or two.

There is no way the guy I met at the range today was going to do that. No siree! He played this morning, practiced this afternoon and is playing tomorrow and Sunday! If he has a girlfriend I feel sorry for her!

The next thing I would do is spend every available hour on or around the practice green chipping and putting the afternoons away. And yes I would get into the bunkers and learn how to play out of them too!

Another good way to learn to play the game is to ask the local pro if you can "hover" whenever he is giving a lesson. Why pay for something when you can get it for free? I would even bet such willingness to learn would get you a free lesson.

Of course all of this practice and knowledge gathering would be totally frustrating if you couldn't go out on the course to put it into practice and at some point I would succumb - probably day two of my well intended resolution!

Golf has that sort of effect on you!

Another way to learn to play golf quickly is to grab the score card every time you play (and especially during the time you are caddying for your good player) and keep the scores. This is a really beneficial exercise. There is nothing more frustrating than playing golf with people who have been playing for years but still don't know the various methods of scoring!

If you want to learn to play golf then learn all that there is to learn - not just the fun part of hitting the ball.

Study the golf swing and especially the players that make it look easy. The guys with the easy swings, the simple, economical and consistent ball striking swings are the ones to imitate.

Forget about trying to smash the ball. Learn to keep the ball in play with a short functional swing and you will soon be able to power it out there - with control.

Listen to the commentators when they talk about professional golfers who have swings that "very little can go wrong" with. That's the swing you want. The golfers that come to mind are Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Hunter Mahan and the like.

Players like Bubba Watson, Jim Furyck and Tiger Woods have complex swings that require extremely good hand-eye co-ordination. I would not suggest you try to copy them.

Why learn to play golf?

Because it is a game that all ages, sizes and sexes can play for a very long time. I have played with kids and I have played with guys over the age of 80! Imagine that - a sport you can play into your 90s!

Handicaps make us all equal. There isn't another game to match it as far as I am concerned.

Come on do yourself a favor - take the plunge and learn to play golf. You will have a lifetime of fun, a never-ending challenge and a lot to look forward to each week.

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Cheap Golf Range Finders

Within the world of golf there are numerous remedies that are designed to profess they'll lessen your golfing handicap when you purchase personal development products and services or perhaps by using specific clubs or even exclusive golf balls. Nonetheless the main difficulty many golf players go through is undoubtedly analyzing the actual yardage from exactly where they are currently located to exactly the place they need to wind up being. Definitely one solution to this problem would be to employ a laser range finder. It happens to be completely legitimate to work with these units and one of the much more preferred items is definitely the golf rangefinder, which generally uses a laser in order to precisely establish the distance from an individual player towards the targeted area.

A whole new substitute for the laser beam range finder is definitely the GPS for golf system rangefinder which can be similar to bringing your own personal golfing caddy out there on the golf course. These types of units service up to 25,000 golf courses inside their random access memory and you could additionally enter your very own data for every single golf course or green. For that reason, whenever you play the game you will have data for helping with golf shot selection. Typically the GPS range finders are helpful in every climate condition and don't need direct line of sight towards the particular target location like the laser variants. An additional advantage of this kind of item is because they can even provide you specific facts of just about all hazards like sand traps, ponds, water ways together with suggested lay-up areas.

The actual "Bushnell" unit is just about the most in demand from consumers and so highly regarded of all the unique variations of range finder available on the marketplace. Because, the particular Bushnell trademark was in fact the original manufacturer to develop the remarkable pin finder element which in turn will allow you to acquire the precise yardage to the green as well as the incline in direction of the target. This provides you with the conviction to select the appropriate golf club for the distance and therefore reduce the degree of uncertainty. All you have to do at this point in time is actually strike the golf ball competently in the direction of the pin!

Despite the fact that its not as renowned as the Bushnell model, the Leupold range finder collection is an excellent substitute for the far more prevalent Bushnells. The Leupold system provides precise data from your position to your target together with slope and even will take into account the temperature and height above sea level and how it will impact your golf club selection. The Leupold provides the extra characteristic of golf club selection as a result it will be able to advise the consumer of which is the ideal golf club to apply for ones specific strike. This allows the Leupold rangefinder to be among the most informative and functional of the many golf rangefinders.

Presently the fact that golfers are legitimately able to employ Golf range finders, the market keeps growing amazingly quickly and there's a diverse selection of rangefinders readily available both Laser and GPS versions. The price ranges of such devices are dropping consistently plus one particular locale to evaluate and buy such kinds of golfing equipment is actually via the internet. Numerous businesses have got their very own website having Golf range finders on all of them however, a cheaper alternative is usually to obtain one originating from a web-based auction or even an internet site like Amazon to obtain a discount. You shouldn't hold off, enhance your current golf game and standing by purchasing a golf range finder. You won't be sorry so when your rankings go up you'll imagine how you got by prior to having one.

Check out our reviews at www.cheapgolfclubstore.com

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The Important Parts of a Golf Game - Drive for Show, Putt Dough

I have been a golfer all of my life since the age of 5. I have spent countless hours learning and understanding the game of golf. Over the years one of the most common misconceptions I have found to be prevalent in the majority of golfers minds, is that a golfers "short game" is not the most important part of a golfers skill set. The phrase "Drive for show, putt for dough" does in fact have a great deal of truth and relevance. It is a common misconception that the best golfers in the world are always the best ball strikers and are able to hit huge tee shots. When you think of players like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicholas, and Arnold Palmer, one typically thinks of a great golf swing or long iron shots from the fairway. Images that don't come to mind when thinking about great players is a great chip shot just off the green, or a great 75 foot lag putt. Although, its very likely that these great players are some of the best balls strikers in the world, ball striking is not the aspect of their golf game that makes them great. What makes these players stand out over everyone else in the world? Putting and their ability to get the ball in the hole from 100 yards and in.

The best example out there that proves short game and putting are the most important parts of golf, is Tiger Woods. In Tiger Woods' prime, when he was ranked as the best golfer in the world and constantly the favorite to win any and all golf tournaments, he was not ranked #1 in driving distance, fairways hit, or even greens in regulation (GIR). Why was Tiger ranked #1? Simply because he was the best putter on tour. Being the best putter on tour is the only consistent factor in Tiger's stats while he was ranked #1. You can also find stats that prove Tiger is always one of the best at getting "up and down". In other words, when he is 100 yards or closer to the green, he can hit it onto the green close enough to the pin, to make his putt in one shot.

Most of us will not ever participate in a PGA event or even shoot a round under par. However, that does not mean that the phrase "Drive for show, putt for dough" isn't as equally as important for the average golfer. The difference between golfers who consistently shoot in the 80s and the golfers that consistently shoot in the 70's is a better short game, plain and simple. Therefore, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if a golfer wants to drastically improve their golf game, they should practice their short game. This would include putting, chipping and shots from 100 yards and in. I can guarantee that anyone who puts some time in on the practice green chipping and putting, will show huge improvements in their golf game immediately.

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Article Submitted On: May 24, 2011

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Which Golf Shoe Bag?

Shoe Bags for Corporate Golf Days

Golfer's shoe bags are perfect giveaways at your company's corporate golf events. There are a wide variety of colours and designs to choose from. Your company logo may also be printed or embroidered according to the bag that you choose. There are smart bags to suit every budget and requirement.

The Braemar nylon shoe bag features a simple, yet wide design. The large bag is available in black, navy blue and dark green. The very affordable price includes the printing or embroidery of your company logo on to the side panel.

The Grampian is made from the most durable materials, this bag boasts of its superior quality. The bag is wide enough to contain every golf shoe size whilst the padded handle provides comfort and ease of transport. This 350mm x 230mm x 120mm bag is available in black and navy blue.

The Highland is designed not just for your golfer's shoes but it also has a front pocket which can be used for your other golfing essentials. Made from quality leatherette material, this executive size bag may be embroidered to 7,000 stitches to your design and is available in black and navy blue.

If you are looking for a golfer's shoe bag with a unique yet high-quality design, then the Flare Bag will perfectly fit your requirements. It has rubber mesh Air-Flo panels that provides great ventilation. The bag features a padded interior to prevent damage from spikes and a padded handle for added comfort. The Flare shoe bag is available in blue, pink, red and silver all with a matching black trim.

The Flame Bag design features two shoe compartments. Protection is not taken for granted with its padded base and Air-Flo panels, again for added ventilation. This product is also available in blue, pink, red and silver all with a matching black trim.

This stylish Wilson Staff Bag features a full length center zip for convenient access. Aside from being made from lightweight materials, it has mesh, breathable panels that provide good ventilation. This bag is available in a combination of red, grey and black.

The Nike Club Shoe Tote - Nike sporting goods are always known for their stylish yet durable designs. Made from high quality nylon, this branded golfer's bag has suitably-positioned mesh to provide ventilation. It is available in a silver and black combination.

The Callaway Bag features a smooth and professional design. This simple yet high-quality black shoe bag has holes for ventilation and a front pocket. The padded handle adds comfort to the stylish design.

The Nike Departure Shoe Tote is another high quality golfer's shoe bag from the world-class sports brand Nike. It is especially-made in woven 1480 denier nylon and has a fleece-line shoe compartment and pocket. This 36cm x 16cm x 21cm black bag may be embroidered with your company's logo to 7,000 stitches.

The FootJoy Bag is made from a durable nylon and is a great choice for quickly carrying your golf shoes. Available in classic black with white accents, this bag may also be embroidered with your company's logo.

The affordable Rainham Bag is available in a simple black design. It has an internal divide for keeping the shoes in place and a front pocket for your valuables. It has also sufficient ventilation features to prevent accumulation of moisture.

The massive Barnham Bag has an innovative design and is made from high quality 600d polyester and features air holes for ventilation. Available in classic black, this reasonably priced shoe bag may be embroidered with your logo.

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Golf Laser Range Finders and Other Ways to Improve Your Golf Game

1. Practice putting.

One way to improve your putting is to become target oriented. If you are right handed this can be done by holding your putter with right hand only and swing your putter down the target line and feel it release. Imagine you have a ball in your hand and just throw it down your target line. You will develop a feel for the correct distance and become a better putter, not having to worry about the proper take away or any other bad thoughts, you're just thinking about the target. With this practice method you will become much better at distance control and this eliminates three putts.

2. Buy better equipment.

Most golfers want to lower their score and improve their golf game by buying the latest high-tech driver on the market. So year after year they spend anywhere from $350.00 to $500.00 for the latest driver and they're handicap doesn't improve at all. Instead they should spend the $350.00 to $500.00 and by a good laser range finder. This will lower their handicap quicker than any new driver ever will. Nothing is more helpful than knowing the correct distance, so that you can hit the shot with confidence.

3. Practice Chipping

The secret that all great chippers have is the ability to maintain the correct angle formed by the right forearm (if you're right handed) and the club shaft at address through the entire chipping motion. Many golfers try to add loft through the shot by flipping their hands upward, this almost every time leads to poor contact of the golf ball. At setup position, open your left foot slightly, play the ball off your right instep with about 70 percent of your weight on your left foot. This will cause the shaft to lean forward slightly, and cause your left wrist to straighten. Keep the left wrist straight all the way through impact, never letting the club head to get ahead of your hands. This ensures a crisp solid contact of the golf ball. The best chippers keep their hands and arms close to their body throughout the stroke.

To achieve this there is a great drill to use at the putting green, or at home in the yard. Get a broken shaft, alignment stick or a club. Attach or hold either one of these to the club you use for chipping. The alignment stick, shaft or club should extend past your left hip. The thing you are doing is making the club you use for chipping longer. When the club extends up past your rib cage you have to make the proper stroke or you will hit yourself in the ribs.

Another drill is to put a towel between your right elbow and your rib cage. The set up position is the same. Open your left foot slightly and play the ball off your right instep with about 70 percent of your weight on your left foot, place a towel between your right elbow and rib cage. Practice chipping without the towel dropping to the ground and you will become a lot better chipper of the golf ball.

The two drills accomplish the same thing however, I like the extended club method myself, you get better feedback. Practice either of these drills will save you a lot of strokes around the green, and what could be better than that?

4. Speed up play

Every golfer I know hates slow play. It interrupts the flow of the game and no one wants to play a round of golf that last longer than 4 1/2 hours. A good laser range finder can speed up play more than any piece of golf equipment on the market today. The laser range finders take the guess work out of the distance, nothing is worse than playing behind a group of guys and one guy has to step every yardage from every marker on the course. We all have experienced this at one time or another. If every golfer playing had a laser range finder the speed of play would be back to a 4 hour round or less again, which would greatly improve your golf game.

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Golf Trouble Shots - It's Time to Get Creative

Have you ever complained about how unfair the game of golf can be when faced with a bad lie? Thought that the golf gods had placed a curse on your game? Most of us have been there.

Bad lies are just as much a part of the game as pars and birdies. It will do your golf game a world of good to concede the fact that you are not exempt from the occasional bad lie and figure out the best way to cope with them.

One thing for sure when you find yourself in a bad lie situation is that you've got to have both skill and imagination.

Every bad lie is a little different from anything you have ever dealt with before. There is more or less grass behind the ball, the sand is a bit wet, the tree limb is hanging lower, the wind is blowing differently and the pin is in a different location.

To achieve your desired result you must recognize and adjust for all of the variable that come into play. That is where my analytical mind is at its best. And that is why I am better at these kinds of shots than many of the guys I play with. That's no brag, it's a fact.

Once the situation has been assessed properly the next step is to determine what type of shot the lie requires and how to flight the ball to land it on target. This is where you need to use your creative side. You'll need to imagine the shot, how it will fly under that limb, over the lake or over the trap and onto the green close to the pin. The knack for using your imagination is something each golfer has to develop for themselves. I can't teach that. Don't know if anyone can.

You've seen countless examples of this while watching the pros play. Phil Mickelson's now famous shot from the woods with the ball lying on pine straw to the the 16th green on Sunday during his 2010 Master's win is one that quickly comes to my mind. Who else would have both the imagination and courage to attempt that shot?

The other key element for applying creativity to your bad golf situations is skill. You need to know that you can handle the circumstances that makes this shot difficult. Skill comes from having the knowledge of the proper technique or adjustments to apply to the shot and lie combination you are now faced with to create the desired outcome and the confidence of having done it before either on the course or the practice range.

Skill is just what "How to Conquer Golf's Trouble Shots" is all about. It can teach you the specific skills required to play the wide variety of escape shots you might face. Like finding your ball in a bad lie, when its windy or when your ball is found buried in a bunker. You need specialized skills to handle those golf situations. Skills you can learn when you read "How to Conquer Golf's Trouble Shots".

The next time you are facing one of those troublesome lies there will be no need to curse the golf gods. Just turn on your creative mind and fashion just the kind of escape shot you need. You'll be proud and your scores will shrink.

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5 Steps to Properly Analyze Your Golf Swing

Analyzing Your Golf Swing - How to do it Right!

Quite often, becoming a really exceptional golfer requires nothing more than learning how to analyze your golf swing techniques the right way. While this certainly isn't the easiest thing to do, once you learn the little things to look for, the process gets easier and your game gets much better. If you can have someone video tape your swing or snap an abundance of pictures in a row, this is ideal so you can actually see what your entire body looks like throughout the whole swing.

Address

If your head is positioned toward the right, your weight will follow, which will promote a high trajectory. The inside of your feet and the outside of your shoulders will ideally be in line. If they are wider, you will slide at impact, if they are narrower, you're probably a turner. Also, the ball should be lined up with your left shoulder.

It is important to understand that if you have a wide arc too early in your backswing, you're making it harder on yourself when it comes time to transition into your downswing. If your left knee moves out, you have an overly long backswing which could cause you a few problems.

The Transition

Analyzing the transition where you go from your backswing to a downswing is important and you could find all the answers that you're looking for to improve your game. If you're right arm happens to be too close to your side, your left arm will likely bend at the elbow. Also, if the face of your club is open, you need to rotate your hands to square it (correct this before you swing).

Referencing your elbows once again, you will notice that your body turns excessively if you're right elbow is too tucked into your side. Lastly, if your left heel is up at the transition point, this also indicates a large turn and that your power is more reliant on speed rather than control. If that heel remains down, you create your power from leverage coming from your hips, not your feet, which is ideal.

Downswing

If your club directly covers your right arm on the way down, you are more likely to push the ball. Alternatively, if it's shadowing your left arm, you will pull or fade. Ideally, you will show a bit of a lift in your right heel because at this point, your weight should have shifted to your left foot.

Making Impact

If the shaft of your club is at 90 degrees, there is a very good chance you had a great shot. Your shoulders should be open at impact to cause less strain on your back. If you show an obvious shoulder tilt you probably had to actually try to correct something to keep the face of your club square.

Follow Through

Don't stop analyzing quite yet! The follow through is just as important as any other part of your swing. If your shaft is vertical, you likely hit a draw but if it's too horizontal, you are probably what they refer to as a fader. If your hands end high, they should have been equally high on your backswing. You should be creating a perfect arc from your two highest points which means they should be even at both ends.

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Is Golf Irrelevant Without Tiger?

8 Starts, only 48% of Rounds Under Par, 1 Top 10 Finish and ZERO Top 5's Yes that's Tigers 2011 Record so far....not very good especially by his standards but that's just it...it's Tiger if it were anyone else the answer would be a no-brainer.

Maybe we need to go back to the beginning...not Golf's beginning but Tiger's. That would be the 1997 Masters where he won by 12 strokes, with one of the best golf swings I have ever seen. How many people became Golf (insert Tiger) Fans that Sunday? They stayed tuned in because he consistently took his game & the game of golf to the next level. Nike who didn't even have a Golf Ball endorsed him in 1996 for $40m along with $20m from Titleist, unheard of sums of money especially to a Player who had just joined the Tour. He made headlines then and is still making them 15 years later.

Unlike the NFL I don't think there are many "avid" golf fans ie will watch almost any game for many different reasons, or will plan their weekend/evening around the game, let's face it many are Tiger fans or Phil fans who don't tune in unless these guys are in contention, just ask the TV Networks or more importantly the Advertisers. Golf is just not that kind of game where you can't watch the round if you know the score unless it's the Masters or the US Open many people will simply DVR it and watch it later if at all.

Even as we get ready for the "almost Major" the TPC this weekend the buzz is around Tiger be it the fact that he is playing (just announced today) OR the unflattering comments made by Bubba Watson (rarely in the news for his play) about Tiger. On a side why is the Press asking player's at last week's Wells Fargo Tourney what they think is wrong with Tiger, again the focus shifts from GOLF to TIGER.

Most players will agree that he has revolutionized the game with his stellar play and his ability to pull-off amazing shots not to mention his ability to increase Purses to the insane (vs the LPGA ) levels they are today and of course there are the huge endorsement deals. You could liken Tiger to Bill Gates both have helped make many millionaires around them Bill in software and Tiger in Golf because without him Purses would not be anywhere near current levels, for instance assuming most majors keep their purses near the same as last year the total for 2011 will be $288m! Breaking that down a top ten golfer between 1996-2000 earned just under $2.2m, the Purse at next week's TPC is $9.5m with the winner receiving around $2m. That has led some to say that Tiger could start a competing Tour " T3 The Tiger Tour" arguing that the Networks, Players and endorses would follow....interesting thought.

I don't believe anyone is BIGGER than their sport but there are a few athletes Michael Jordan comes to mind that become the sport ie people watch them first and their sport second, and I think that is where we are with Tiger. Unless other players can step up their game consistently Golf is in a very precarious position as the casual fan & Tiger fan will simply stop watching unless there is something compelling happening, case in point how many people were riveted last week watching the potential Rules violation by Padraig vs the Leaderboard...just asking?

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5 Tips to Becoming an Excellent Golfer

Secrets to Conquering Golf

From a distance, golf looks simple. We only see the player swinging his club, not even knowing where his golf ball will land. Yes, it is true; golf is simple and easy to learn, one just needs to master the perfect posture and stance, and with a good golf club you will surely go places. But learning golf isn't the end of it, anyone can learn how to play golf but only a few will be great players.

Here are a few tips to learn to become a great golf player:

? A great mentor. Even though you already know how to play the sport, it is always good to have a continuous learning experience. A great mentor will always be there to show you new tricks, tips, and even lend you his or her golf equipment. A golf player will never be a great golfer without the help of a good mentor.

? Invest on good equipment. At first, it is not a good idea to purchase expensive, brand new golf clubs since you still don't know how to play. Once you've mastered the sport, and you truly know how to use each golf club, then this is the best time to go and invest on a good golf set. You can ask around, or ask your golf buddies about the best recommended golf brands available in the market. It is also important that you buy a golf club which is suited for you. Golf clubs are available in different sizes; each golf club has a different grip suitable for a specific size of hand.

? Practice. Nothing beats mastering your craft, and the best way to do this is to keep practicing. Although golf can seem easy from a distance, the moment you hold that golf club, you might change your mind. Golf is about technique, posture, and perfect timing. Learning golf cannot happen overnight, so you have to keep swinging and keep trying until you have mastered the right way to play the game. You can start by playing at small driving ranges and work your way up to larger golf courses.

? Mastering the 3 key elements. When playing golf, one should always have in mind the 3 key elements in playing golf: Posture, stance, and grip. A golf player should always have perfect posture before swinging that golf club. Back should be straight and shoulders should be upright, and your focus should be on the ball. Just the right stance is also vital when making that swing. Your feet should be properly distanced and your weight should be balanced. A good grip finishes the perfect swing. When purchasing a golf club, one should consider the right club, there are tons available in the market, and not all clubs have the same type of grip. Some golf clubs are designed for men and some for women. Some clubs are also specially made for people with smaller hands. So golf is all about precision, and getting every little detail correct.

? Enjoy. Never force yourself to play golf if you really don't want to. Some might find the sport amusing, while others will find it boring. The main key is to enjoy it. No sport will be exciting if the players don't enjoy what they are doing. You can invite some of your friends to play with you, this way you can enjoy the game more.

Golf may not be for everybody. Never think that golf is only for rich people, it is true that learning the sport will cost you some money. Even maintenance and purchasing of new equipment can be expensive. But there are a million ways to learn the sport without spending that much money. You also have to be very patient since this sport entails a lot of silence and concentration.

Those are the secrets to mastering golf, they are just simple steps that anyone can do but will surely bring you to greater heights once you have achieved each step.

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3 Useful Pointers on How to Stop Hitting The Ball Fat - For Average Golfers

Hitting the ball fat in golf is one error that leads to a lot of problems when on top of the greens. This is primarily because of hitting behind the ball with your irons. It is more like hitting the ground and not the ball and the blame is placed on the golf swing. Do not make a scape goat out of other things that you think you have done wrong; it is always the player that commits the error and he has to know where the bad part of the move came and what has caused it. It is very important that the player knows the possibilities of the shot outcome and what he wants the shot to be and it is very vital to learn how to stop hitting the ball fat to achieve your dream of entering the upper crust of the golf elite.

Considered as one of the worst shots in the game, is the fat shot. Addressing the ball just a little distance from where you stand can make it so frustrating. Once you hit the grounds, your body would feel jarred with your hands, wrists, and body as a whole, aching. Looking at the appearance of the broken lawn can earn you the ire of the golf club management as well. So, now you know that it is not good to swing your club down on a steep plane.

It is much better if you are able to mark your ball by placing a tee from your golf ball estimating it at one inch outside from it. You will be able to see if you have hit the ground and in doing so, you would know that your ball is not headed to your desired target. Trying to swing the ball to the left is not a good idea. There are golfers that who think that by means of hitting the ball down, the tendency of the ball would be going up. This is a wrong estimate but if you can teach yourself to stop hitting the ball fat, things may turn out differently.

Most errors occur during address and it is imperative that the player maintains keeping the chin up in order to improve contact. Choosing a particular groove or dimple from a ball can improve focus. Bending forward 20 degrees from the hips with knees slightly on a bend is good while maintaining an almost straight back would do even better to promote clean contact. Focus on your arms and hands, swinging around your body and not the straight line up and down movement. You should learn how to feel your forearms rotating away from your ball and eventually on your through-swing.

Learning how to stop hitting the ball fat would make you avoid committing a steep fat type of swing. You need a flattened out swing if the divots are deep with the irons that you are using. This can also be done if you are taking divots with a driver. Flatten the shoulder turn to achieve the shallower plane and keep the right shoulder up and do not resort to a dip. These are the things that could enlighten you and help you avoid imminent fat shots.

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