You are a frustrated golfer. You cannot seem to get a long drive on your shot. You have consulted numerous golfing magazines, sports shop pros, and even the book Golfing for Dummies. As embarrassing as that was, it didn’t even work. In fact, nothing seems to work. What should you do?
Don’t fret. Improving your drive isn’t the most complicated thing on earth to achieve, although at times it may feel that way. There are basically four things that you can do to make yourself a better player in this area. Let’s take a closer look at what you need to do.
Change your stance:
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you simply widen your golf stance, you will be more stable. This stability will give you the power you need to swing the club steadily and powerfully.
When you are at the tee box, make sure that you are properly aligned on it. Sometimes a confusing layout of a tee box can throw an even experienced golfer off. Make sure that you are always standing behind the ball and looking right down the fairway. This is by far the easiest way to avoid any stance confusion.
Use your toes to aim at the target:
That’s right. If you are left-handed, simply point your right toe right at the target. If you are right-handed, then vice versa is true. This will not only help your balance, but will force your body to take direct aim.
Focus… and then focus some more:
Take your mind off every little thought in your head that does not have to do with hitting this ball the right way. Concentration is absolutely necessary to drive your ball longer. One little uninvited though could throw off your whole game… and you don’t want that, do you?
Consider your form:
Do you hurry through your backswing? Or, do you take the club back as far as you possibly can when using a backswing? Which hand do you use more power in when hitting the ball? Do you keep your head still when swinging at the ball? If the things you are trying now aren’t working, then you need to tweak or change them, so that you can get something to work right for you. If it is your form that needs to be changed, try some different positions. See what works right for you.
In the case of keeping your head straight when hitting the ball, for example, this will help you to know where the ball is going to be when you hit it. If your head is not steady, your control over the ball is not going to be there.
And lastly, before you get out on the golf course, give yourself a little piece of advice: ‘You can do it.’ Not only can you drive your ball longer, but you can also have fun when doing so. The more you are relaxed when going to play the game of golf, the better it will turn out for you!
Matthew Hick http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-tips-for-driving-longer-69575.html
I can remember the first time I ventured out onto a golf course and tried to hit the cover off the ball on the first tee. My memory of that inauspicious debut was a skewed shot which disappeared into the bushes to the right and became just another lost ball statistic. My basic golf swing technique for starters was crappy but more importantly, I didn’t really understand the mechanics of the golf swing.
The end result of that very first game was a large triple figure score and about fifteen golf balls which never saw the light of day again. Oh, I can laugh about it now but if you want to know what epitomised embarrassment I’m here to tell you it was yours truly on that fateful day.
Can you as a novice draw similar comparisons? Well, if you haven’t mastered the basic golf swing yet and you plan on improving your driving, chipping and putting then read the rest of this article.
Physics And The Basic Golf Swing
Before you can even think about using brute strength in you swing you need to understand golf isn’t really a game about power. It’s more timing and that’s why it’s a good idea to examine your clubs closely. Notice how each one is designed just a little differently than the other. The three iron has a more flatter blade than the nine iron. The three iron is designed for hitting the ball longer distances while the nine iron is designed for more up and under.
Getting into the habit of using the appropriate club for the appropriate play will get you forming good basic golf swing habits. It’s a similar story with the driving woods. In most cases, you’ll have a selection to choose from. I have four and my favorite is the fairway wood. It’s designed to be used as the follow up to the tee shot on a long range hole and used correctly, is very effective in getting a clean, crisp shot away without forcing the shot with unnecessary power.
Golf Exercise
Believe it or not, one of the keys to maintaining a good basic golf swing is fitness, or being golf fit if you like. Identifying your golfing muscles is important and if you are not sure, ask an experienced golfer. No, it doesn’t mean you need to spend five days in a gym building up to Mr. Universe levels. Simple golf stretch exercises; some involving use of a club and others just basic body stretches. You’ll be surprised how effective muscle conditioning will help your basic golf swing movement.
Enlisting the services of a short term coach is a great way to learn the basic skills. It’s like building a house; get the foundation right and you have something to build on. A coach will quickly pin point your problem areas and address them quickly. Ask at your favorite clubhouse the next time you’re there.
The basic golf swing in many ways is like a player’s “holy grail.” Once it’s mastered, you can then plan for bigger and better things, including the odd power drive off the tee!
Dean Caporella http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/guaranteed-basic-golf-swing-tips-to-improve-your-game-92535.html
my golf game is fairly good. i shoot in the low to mid 40's and everyone i play with just blows the ball way past mine off the tee. i hit the fairway 70% of the time but i only hit it about 220 to 230. i want to at least hit it 250. i have before but on very rare accations. i dont make solid contact with the ball. are there any tips to solve my distance and accuracy problem. i have had lessons where they tell me to swing at the ball picturing a clock. but i dont no what hours to swing at like …. 6 and 3 something like that. those tips really help me. if you can get me to drive straight and far …you'd be awesome. help please.
Let me just say: Distance is important, but accuracy is key. There is no point in being able to hit the ball far if you can't keep it straight. Your driver, that is, the brand or type, could be the problem. The reason I say this is because the rest of your game seems pretty solid. Or, it could just be your muscles are not strong enough. There are tons of exercises to gain muscle in arms, hips, and legs-all things used in the swing. Make sure simple things such as having the tee high/low enough are taken care of.
I'm supposed to start golfing with some guys from work. All I can do is drive the ball. I'm not good at chip shots, par 3s, approach shots, or anything other than hitting it with a driver. I guess I just get carried away at the range with it…what can I do? I try watching the folks on tv but I still hit the ball too far everytime and blade it. I can't get the spin or the high arch or anything…help!
If you are worried about it and get drug into a game before you are ready suggest you play a scramble. That way you can show off your drive and let your team mate worry about the chipping and approach shots. You might get lucky on a few other shots but most golfers would love to have someone who can whack the ball a long way on their side.
If you have more time then leave the driver in the SUV and take your irons and pitching wedge to the driving range. Take aim at other balls or surely they have targets to aim wim. Keep your head down and just let the weight of the club carry your swing through the ball….figure out which club you should be using for each distance…to get the ball up in the air stand with your left foot behind the ball and strike slighty behind the ball and you'll loft it…for a chip shot stand with your right foot parrallel to the ball and hit directly under the ball.
you'll catch on….watch more golf and concentrate on their moves…then go copy them
I've really been trying to get back in the groove of competition golf and I just can't seem to shave my strokes down, its for sure my drive because i keep hooking it right or left. My friend told me to bring my shoulders up before my club and that worked for a little bit then for some reason I just started messing up. I'm 14 years old and trying out for my high school golf team and I would really like some tips on how to fix my drive. thanks!
Good driving technique isn't any different than good ball striking technique (except the driver is the longest club in the bag).
For me, it's all about "TEMPO" (swing rhythm & speed) and keeping the head very still!
The "tempo" should be:
Draw club back (i.e. takeaway) and shift most of your weight to the back foot (70%).
Once you've hinged and reached the "top" of your swing, start the downswing.
START downswing with hips THEN arms follow, shifting weight back to front foot.
If you are hooking, that means your clubface was "closed" at ball contact; which usually means you rolled your hands over too quickly on your downswing.
Be sure to START your downswing with your hips rotating toward the "target" and let your arms FOLLOW your hips.
That's the BASICS for most golfers. Once you've found your "tempo" (rhythm & speed) you may find you need to "tweek" little things here & there. Good luck!
There are some GOOD Golf advisors here on Y!A, maybe some of them will post their insightful answers!
I was working on my horrible slice time before last at the driving range and thought it was fixed…now the next time when I went to the driving range the balls all went straight, but almost all went about 150 yds on the ground…ugghhh!!! I really do try to keep my eye on the ball and not pop my head up, backswing slowly, and try to follow through well - I dont know what else I'm doing wrong!!! Do those cheesy looking golf videos at the video rental stores help??
I would appreciate any tips that you could give me that I might could concentrate on when I go back out to the driving range tomorrow. Thanks!!!
Here are a few things to think about:
1. Grip. This is the most important part of the swing, and is the only thing that connects you to the club. Make sure that your grip is right — just because your grip is "comfortable" when you are holding the club does not make it necessarily the correct grip.
2. Weight distribution. Many people think that you should have most or all of your weight on your right side when you take your back swing (assuming you are a right-handed player). No. More of your weight should be on the left side, which leads to #3:
3. The reason to have more of your weight on your left side is because you want to ensure that your body is as quiet as possible during the back swing and down swing. What I mean by this is you want to limit movement of your body as much as possible. Putting a little more weight on your left instep will greatly help you avoid swaying your body.
4. Address. make sure that, on the tee shot, if you are hitting driver, the ball is forward in your stance (near the instep of your right foot (again, assuming you are a right-handed player).
5. Your head. Do not move it until you count to 2 after making contact with the ball. Many people think that they are watching the ball, when in fact they are looking up far too early.
6. Slow down Most golfers, when driving the ball, try to crush it as far as they can (even if they maintain that they are taking an easy pass at the ball). If you think that you are not swinging hard, you probably still are swinging too hard — make your swing even slower.
7. Don't go past parallel. Most golfers, when taking the backswing, extend the club WAY WAY past paralell on the back swing. What I mean by this is that they take the club back so far that it goes much further than paralell to the ground behind them. If you watch the best players, they take the club back and behind them, but the club never goes past that prallel line with the ground. Just look at Tiger — he never brings the club over his head too far. On the other hand, John Daly takes it so far past parallel that he can easily see the club out of his left eye when he reaches the apex of his backswing. However, none of us has his skills.
Most golfers don’t know that eighty percent of the world’s golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. The biggest concerns of golfers today are inconsistency first of all, followed by slicing and distance. Golf is a difficult game to master and most golfers don’t have the time it takes to practice, practice, and practice to significantly improve.
Keep the good energy flowing and don’t give in to any negative thoughts. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as “I play great golf all the time.” Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing.
Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Make sure to use the proper technique. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.
Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing. As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that’s applied to it.
Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do. It’s difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility. Try not to grip the club too tightly.
Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed swing.
To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible. It’s no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. The state of the physical condition is very often overlooked as a possible cause of golf swing problems.
Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Aids can be found online and are often cheaper. There are aids that will help you with swing alignment.
Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims. Golf swing aids will improve your game. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you.
If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. If you’re a golfing novice just starting out, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one aid and go to work on your swing. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.
With plenty of practice, a better golf swing will be the end result. Practice, practice, practice! When you play a round of golf, concentrate on improving your golf swing, putting or something specific that day; have a plan in mind.
3 time Re/Max long drive champ Sean “The Beast†Fister advises you to use your knowledge and experience with other sports to maximize your golf ball driving distance.
i stopped playing solf ball this year and now I'm playing golf.. i haven't played golf at least 5 years so now i feel like I'm a rookie again (use to play it all the time).. I'm interested in knowing some tips? to driving to putting and holding the clubs right? i was driving last night, a dude came up to me and said to me THIS ISN'T BASEBALL, you will never hit the ball straight.. well i proved him wrong, i hit fairway 7 out of 10 times and hitting the ball 238 yards but the 3 time i sliced it big time!!! Any help!! Thanks
Good News May is Free Golf Lesson Month. go to www.playgolfamerica.com to sign up for a free lesson from a local PGA pro.
www.pga.com Improve your game section has very detailed information. You can watch video clips, see pictures, and learn some drills to help you practice.
A proper grip requires a sound understanding of how the placement of the hands impacts the direction of the clubface
http://www.pga.com/improve/tips/setup/improve_najar100504.cfm
http://www.pga.com/improve/tips/setup/improve_najar100504.cfm
Good Luck
Even the guys who play golf for a living and get the best golf instruction in the world still struggle to improve their golf; and they practice each and every day! It’s important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. You need great hand-eye coordination, balance, athletic ability and creativity to play golf.
It’s been proven that thinking positively about bettering your golf game will benefit you more than playing to compete with your partners and trying to win for winnings sake. Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also.
At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.
The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing.
At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left. Make sure to use the proper technique. It’s difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility.
Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you’re holding a soccer ball between your knees.
Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. Most golfers don’t know there are techniques that will greatly affect swing mechanics; you can get an edge by just changing your approach.
Workouts with straight crunches won’t improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques.
Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. If you’re a golfing novice just starting out, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Golf swing aids will improve your golf game.
Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today.
Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.
In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don’t load up on them. If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find.
If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. Practice, practice, practice! Having a plan and working on specific aspects of the swing or game should be your goal.
Advice on the drive, from Hopkinton C.C. head golf pro Dave Lane
3 time Re/Max long drive champ Sean “The Beast†Fister advises you to use your knowledge and experience with other sports to maximize your golf ball driving distance.
2004 Senior ReMax Long Driving Champion Bobby Wilson teaches you how to hit the golf ball her by increasing width in your swing.
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