Archive for the 'Sports And Fitness' Category

Golf: Basics For Beginners

Thursday, March 26th, 2009
These days there are a rising number of people who are getting into gold for the first time. If you’ve been a golfer for quite some time now, you might be looking back and remembering just how frustrating it was working on that swing and simply playing good. If you’re just a beginner however, it might seem daunting at first. All it takes is some practice, and more practice!

Golf to many is a great way to relax, spend the weekend and enjoy nature. You do have to reach a certain level of proficiency in the game to fully enjoy it though, which makes it all the more challenging and interesting in the first place. There are many books on golf available, however, there is not much in the shelves today that focus on golf for beginners. So as an alternative, you may want to look into schools, which often provide and introductory class that lasts up to 4 hours and costs about 300 bucks. Still, some beginners choose to practice on their own or with their friends once they feel that they’ve already got all the basic knowledge they need.

It can’t be stressed enough though that you need to establish your knowledge in the basics first and foremost. It is well known that those who play rounds of golf too soon in their development end up with such a bad experience that can prompt them to quit golf for good! There really is no shorter way to learning golf. Take the time to enjoy your learning progress. Golf is something you need to practice and practice until you are perfect. A repetition of the swing and some accumulated skills will aid in the development of your game.

What To Expect

As a beginner, know that the competitor is only your own self. Yes, golf is a hard game to play especially if you’re a beginner, expect to be utilizing both your body and mind to manage all the potential results your hit could make. Furthermore, expect the sport to require lots of patience from you. Other sports may require you to just “go and do it.” Golf, on the other hand, will require you to start at square one and stay there for maybe a couple of months or more. In fact you may need much more time than you could ever expect. Many golfers would tell you though that that is the beauty of the game-you’ll be able to concentrate on your own pace until you are ready to progress.

Some Tips

There are just some tips you need before embarking on your new sport. The first tip is to avoid getting the latest golf clubs. As a beginner, you will not be able to take advantage of them anyway. If you’re going to focus on practicing for now, which you should be doing, you can always borrow or purchase some used equipment. This way, you get to save more in the long term plus use equipment that’s appropriate for your current skills.

Next, listen to yourself and only yourself. Your family and friends may start telling you tips that might actually work against you. As mentioned earlier, golf is a sport you develop on your own, at your own pace. Of course, you may ask golf pros for some advice, as they will often teach you how to avoid bad habits that could lead to bad hits.

Finally, enjoy the game as much as possible! Don’t think of it as an obstacle, but a challenge. Enthusiasts love golf mainly because it is challenging. If you get frustrated and discouraged easily, you may easily quit the sport that many others are truly enjoying.

A great place to practice your golfing skills is at the driving range. Practicing here will of course save you a lot of the embarrassment, as everyone else will be just be hitting a bucket of balls just like you. You can practice putting in your own room or backyard (advised not to used real balls unless you want to risk damaging your neighbor’s windows). To play, par-3 course are great for novices.

Some equipment you’ll need for gold include golf clubs, a bag designed to carry golf clubs, a set of golf balls, and a proper attire for golf. You may ask for some assistance at the shop when it comes to choosing the types of golf clubs and golf balls you might need. A good golf attire would be something light and comfortable, like a shirt or blouse that allows more movement for you to swing comfortably. Shoes should have soft spikes underneath and comfortable. And of course, sunscreen and a cap or hat are advisable, as you will be out under the sun probably the whole day!

For more information on golf tips visit http://www.easygolftips.net/



By: James Gunaseelan

About the Author:
James Gunaseelan advises consumers of leading golf tips portal regarding basic glof playing tips & techniques for beginners.



The Top 5 Mental Swing Tips

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
Have you ever stood over the golf ball to hit a shot and hear a thousand thougths running through your head? “Keep your eye on the ball,” “remember to keep your left arm straight,” “have a smooth takeaway,” “don’t slice it,” “follow through,” “swing easy.” Does this type of golf anxiety sound familiar?

Everyone gets these thoughts sometimes, but if you want to play better golf and make the game fun instead of stressful, you need to have only a couple solid swing tips to think about.

Remember this mental tip at all times - golf is a very difficult game, probably one of the most, if not the most, difficult game on earth. You are going to hit good shots, bad shots, and even shanks sometime.

It is okay and a part of the game. Much of the obsessive thinking on the golf course comes from expecting too much from yourself. Just try to stay positive, have fun and only think about the following five swing tips when you are on the course. Your anxiety and shaking knees will probably decrease, resulting in you swinging better.

Golf Swing Tip #1

Keep your head still. I can’t emphasize this swing tip enough. Nobody can keep their head absolutely still, but if you watch the pros their heads move very little. When you move your head your body moves with it, pulling your swing off line.

Golf Swing Tip #2

Have a pre-shot routine, and stick to it on every shot. Whether you take your stance and just hit the ball or if you take twenty waggles like Sergio used to do, do whatever is comfortable for you and be consistent with it, especially in tournament play. A proper routine also includes checking your alignment to make sure you are aimed where you want the ball to go.

Golf Swing Tip #3

Visualize the shot you are going to hit. Think about a very specific target, and only focus on that spot. Block out any negative thoughts, picture, and feel in your mind a good rhythmic swing.

Golf Swing Tip # 4

Take your time. Many people are in a rush when it is there turn to hit. This results in swings and strokes that are off tempo. Take your time and relax yourself. I am not asking you to slow down your foursome, but you need to be calm on the golf course in order to play well consistently.

Golf Swing Tip #5

Forget about the last shot. Play every shot like it is the first of the day. I can’t stress enough how important this swing tip is. Most of the mental mishaps on the golf course happen because you are emotionally charged about the last shot or the triple bogey you made four holes ago. Once a shot is done it is over with and you can’t change it, so “hit it and forget about it.”

When you are playing a round of golf you just can’t afford to obsess over various swing thoughts. Most people have a million things running through their head as they stand over the ball, which causes most of the bad shots they stress over.

Most of golf is mental confidence, which is instilled by using consistent and simple swing tips to remember out on the course, no matter how well you are or aren’t playing that day. If you follow the above swing tips, I bet you will shoot better scores.



By: David Nevogt

About the Author:

David Nevogt needs no introduction. His distinguished ability to help golfers of all abilities and ages to play great golf and get more fun out of the game is legendary all over the world. Rather than hit your head against a wall after each round, let David take you by the hand and introduce you to a simple golf swing that is guaranteed to work. Visit: www.DropYourHandicap.com



Golf Courses

Thursday, February 12th, 2009
Golf is a sport that is originally thought to have originated in Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland. In this game, a player hits the ball into each hole using many different types of clubs by using a minimum number of strokes. It is a game that is not played on a standardized area, but instead it is played on golf courses, and each golf course may be different and unique from other golf courses.

A golf course will contain a chain of holes that are scattered around the ground. The course also consists of a fairway, teeing ground, rough, and other hazards that will act as obstacles, which the player has to overcome. Usually a basic round of golf will consist of 18 holes. But some golf courses also have nine holes, and the game is played in two rounds, or in some other courses there may be 27 or 36 holes and the player can choose two different sets of nine holes each and the game may be played.

The first section of every hole will consist of a small area known as the teeing box or the teeing ground. While some teeing areas are mostly as level as possible, others are raised slightly above the surrounding fairway. After the initial teeing, the player then again hits the ball from the place where it came to rest. The area that is in between the teeing ground and the putting green is known as the fairway. The putting green is the ground on which the player will putt, or play by hitting the ball with a putter. The grass in the putting green is cut very short. This is done to allow the ball to roll for a longer distance.

Also included on the golf courses are various hazards, which can be mainly of three types, water hazards like lakes or rivers, man-made hazards like bunkers or sand traps, and natural hazards that can be the dense vegetation on the golf course.



By: sreejith

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Useful Golf Swing Tips to Help You Reduce Your Handicap Fast

Saturday, February 7th, 2009
The golf swing can seem complex and difficult to master. If you are learning the game for the first time then it is important to get started on the right foot otherwise you could spend a lot of time and money doing things that are just not effective and will not help you play better golf. Here are some simple golf swing tips that you can follow to help you on the road to shooting lower golf scores quickly.

Tip 1: Use the right grip

The grip is the first fundamental of golf swing mechanics you need to master. There are many types of grips you can use and the most popular one is the interlocking grip which works well for people with smaller hands. The other grip types include the ten finger grip and the baseball grip which is used by many beginner golfers.

Grip pressure is important and it is ideal to use a very light grip pressure in most situations unless you are in deep rough in which case you may need to use a slightly stronger grip. Gripping the golf club too tightly can result in a poor release which will send the ball off target in most target with a loss of distance as well. The interlocking grip is used by most good players and involves simply locking the small finger of the right hand with the index finger of the left hand and this applies to right handed players.

Tip 2: Setup the right way

The setup to the golf ball is important. A good setup will make it more likely that you will execute a good golf swing which will send the ball far and straight. Make sure your feet are aligned directly at the target so check for this by using a golf club on the ground that points to your target on the driving range or have a fellow golfer check your alignment for you.

Your stance should get wider with each club until roughly shoulder length for the driver. If you are really tall then your stance may exceed shoulder length slightly as you will need the wider stance for more stability. The ball position should start at the center of your stance with the wedge and gradually move up to line up with the right foot for the driver.

Tip 3: Use a proper backswing

Do not rush your backswing and at the same time do not go too slowly either. Move at a pace that fits your personality. If you are generally a fast talker and walker then you will probably have a backswing that is relatively quick. It is best to start the backswing in one piece and keep the left arm as straight as you can for the entire backswing. At the top of the swing you should feel some tension in your right hamstrings and keep both feet planted on the ground.

Tip 4: The right downswing and follow through

Start the downswing by pulling the club with your left hand and do not get your right hand involved too much otherwise you will end up casting the club and releasing it too early which will result in loss of power and accuracy. Keep your head down and let the momentum of a complete follow through bring your head up instead of trying to peek to see where the ball went. Try some of these golf swing tips to help you reduce your handicap and shoot lower scores.



By: Joe Kensingtons

About the Author:
Joe is an author and webmaster. Visit us and discover useful golf swing tips and the best putting tips to help you become a better player.