The Ultimate 101 Guide to Beginner Golf

If you are a complete beginner or novice to golf, this article will definitely lead you to a place where starting and taking the first step becomes easy. Many golfers who have great potential fail to progress and for some that entails even making the greens. They key to having a fantastic golf career either professional or leisure is to overcome the inertia to transcend to the next level from the previous. With some expert, informative and useful advice, that step becomes all the easier.
The foundational steps of golf involves balance, power and driving, addressing the ball, grip, and finally putting (shot techniques will be covered in a different article). Below are these steps elucidated in more detail:
Balance:
For a golf swing that maintains consistency and power, balance is the primary underlying element which must be maintained throughout the entire swinging motion. The first step is to position one's posture such that the centre of gravity is centred over the ball. Subsequently, one's feet should be apart as far as the shoulder's width with a slight bend at the hip area (hip tilt of about 30 degrees or one "o'clock" upper torso position) with rear protruding a little; knees at this point should be mildly locked. Next, both hands should grip the club in such a way that they are in line with one's chin and this should all culminate in natural distribution of weight over the golf ball. The bend is one of the most crucial components of the balance position. One should not feel as though he/she is "sitting" comfortably which would imply the shifting of bodyweight towards the heels of the feet. The latter would stiffen one's body rendering flexibility impossible with the subsequent swing inevitably be wayward.
At the time of impact, approximately seventy five percent of one's weight should be transferred onto the leading foot (ie left foot for right handers and vice versa). One's head must be behind the ball and hips should be c 10cm forward vis-a-vis the initial position. Consequently, the spine is tilted to double that of the starting stance. Post impact, following the gradual motion of the body, weight shift should naturally flow back towards the heel.
Power and Driving:
The greatest problem faced by beginner golfers in driving the golf ball is that of power. Below are some pointers and steps to follow and check to ensure a great dynamic drive-through:
- Making sure the ball is not teed-up to low. This has become more of a problem of late because the contact surface of drivers (especially iron 1) have pronouncedly increased. This results in greater difficulty in locating the sweet-spot which in relative terms have shrunk. As an approximation, the ball should be teed such that the top half of the golf ball is above the club face when the club is in a stationary position on the ground. This would ensure that the contact point is on the centre of the club head. Evidently the larger club head, the higher the tee.
- Making sure one's hands are not position too closely to the body in the starting position. This mistake would invariably produce a smaller arc in terms of backswing and follow-through. The key is not reach-in slightly and not to overdo it; this is easier said than done and requires practice because the natural tendency for beginners is too hang one's hangs inward for security and comfort. Following the circumference of the semi-circle driving motion will generate quicker and more powerful drives then a path trending across the diameter of the motion-arc.
- Many beginners lift their front foot on the backswing. This inadvertently leads to a counter-productive weight shift to the front of the backswing resulting in a hook or shank nine times out of ten instead of a drive. One's front foot should be firmly anchored to the ground on backswing forcing the hip and shoulder to turn in s spring-like fashion releasing great power. One's weight should be shifted to the backside post impact.
- Accompanying the tee is the ball position. Setting the ball too far back or front would lead to premature contact on the down swing or delayed impact of the golf club after traversing the mid point below the golfer's chin. It will be near an impossible task to hit a good drive if the above occurs. A perfect position would be the ball equidistant from both feet.
- Lastly, confidence and mental approach to a drive is vital for beginners. Every single shot should be hit with full believe that the drive would go the distance and not stop short of its intended target.
Addressing the golf ball
- Ball addressing entails contacting the ball so the square of one's club head is exactly perpendicular to the ball on impact. The same swing applies regardless of whether one is on the driving range, tee or fairway; this applies for all woods and irons from 2 through to 9.
The tip post following the steps above is to keep one's head down and one's eye on the spot where the ball sits. One's head should be in this position throughout the swing. Head lifting and movements during the swing or looking up as the club hits the ball would pull one's body out of alignment making it almost impossible to hit the ball squarely.
The Golf Grip
is one's only means of connecting with the club. A sound grip is half the battle won in regards to generating power and accuracy. Wrist swerve is then the main power source and a common mistake by beginners is to grip the club more in the palm than through the fingers. Using our sensitive fingers increases wrist hinging and this produces better tee shots and puts.
One other common error amongst even the most experienced golfers is a flimsy lead-hand (left for right-handers) grip concentrated in the palm. Consequently, the golf ball is sliced rather than hit. Here are some check points:
- the club should be held a lot more by the fingers than the palm.
- the golf club should be resting on the base of the little finger and contact the index finger just above the first joint.
- Post positioning the club on the fingers, one's thumb should be parallel (in touch and pointing outwards toward the club face) to the shaft of the club.
- Finally, the knuckles of the index and middle fingers should be visible when looking from the top onto the lead hand. There should also be a "V" shape created by the thumb and index forefinger of the lead hand with its tip directing toward the other hand and shoulder.
Putting
This is the finest and most intricate part about golf play and involves finally coaxing the ball into the golf hole. In a sentence, putting is all about feel and touch. That said, putting is also a little more innovative in respect to the golfer compared with any other shot. There are innumerable styles of putting because whatever consistently puts is whatever works for the individual. The process is much less important in this part of the game.
By and large though, general principles are as follows:
- Putters should be ultra comfortable in terms of length and lie angle
- Gripping during putting should be slightly different compared to driving, chipping, slicing or teeing. The golf club should usually sit in the hollow of the palm of the lead hand with the thumb of the other resting across (as opposed to straight) the shaft.
- Ball position should be towards the forward heel with toes parallel to the target hole. One's eyes should be over the ball in order to aim and ascertain accurately the line of sight in alignment with the putt.
- Judging the putter path is something which is very hard to teach and narrate. However, one that travels a little inside on the back stroke and then down the line on the forward motion usually works wonder. On the backstroke, one has to ensure that the putter face remains square and does not fray wide open.
- Post putting with the non-lead hand, revert to putting practice using both hands however making strokes with grip pressure mainly on the non-lead palm.
The preliminary steps above should be able to get any rookie up and running at least onto the range and short game...the rest comes with heaps and heaps of club time always keeping the fundamental rules in mind.
Thomas is an avid golf fan through and through and has been enjoying the game for more than 12 years. Visit http://www.tipsongolf.org for expansive resources on the game for golfers at all levels.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Kong_Kar_Wai

Improve your score and cross the 100's

Improve your score and cross the 100's

If you're a golfer with average score of 100+ and want to improve your score and cross the 100's, then this tips is for you to read.

Please let me go through the characteristics of the golf game of the 100'ers. These are common characteristics that may or may not match your actual game, but I am sure that some of them will make you feel I am writing specifically about you.

1. Teeing off. Not that you can't get your driving right, but it only happen on good days. You can drive your ball straight and considerably good distance, but that doesn't happen everytime. On bad days (that happen often), the ball is either losing the loft and going for very short distance, or fading. Draw or hook is unlikely to be your problem.

2. On the green play. Picture this, you teed off perfectly on a par 4 with good distance and landed on the fairway. You reckon that another hit with a hybrid or a fairway wood will surely land on the putting green. You take your stance, do your back swing, and MIS-HIT. You're topping the ball and the ball rolled 20-30 meters away. You wasted one hit.

3. On the hazard/bunkers.OK, nothing much to say here. The ball is on the bunker, you hit, the sands are all over the place, but there it goes, your ball is still on the bunker, 2 or 3 meters away.
4. On the putting green.You can control the power of the put quite good. No need to hope that you can do the long putt consistently, that belong to the pros. You had a long putt, the ball went to the left or the right, and stopped 1 meter away from the hole. You putt it again, but, alas, you still miss.
Now if either one of the above happen in every hole, you would have wasted 18 of your score. If you score 105 with that, you could have got 87. Isn't that fantastic? If you can address half of the "problem", statistically you could have scored 96. So which ones are you going to focus to fix first?
adapted from golfsingapore.net

Align to the apex, not the hole, to make more putts

Align to the apex, not the hole, to make more putts

By Todd Sones, GOLF Magazine Top 100

This story is for you if...
1. You always read your putts from behind the ball...
2. ...even on severely sloping greens

The Fault
You're missing badly on breaking putts, which leads to fewer birdies and pars and more bogeys. The simple reason for your struggle is poor green-reading technique and alignment.
The Fix

If you want to get a proper read, you need to look at the putt from behind the line you plan to start the ball on, rather than the one that runs directly from the ball to the hole. To do so, pick a spot where you think the apex of the putt (maximum break) will be and examine the putt by looking from behind your ball to that spot. Set the putterhead square to the chosen target line and then walk into your setup, always keeping in mind that your actual target is the apex of the break, not the hole. Stroke the putt to this spot without being distracted by the actual hole. Use this technique consistently, and your green-reading — as well as your results on breaking putts — will improve dramatically.

Align Design Finding your ball-to-apex line is only half the battle — you must also be able to align your putterface square to it. Any good putter will feature effective aiming lines. If yours doesn't, consider purchasing a new model. I designed a line of Coutour putters with a large arrow on the back end to help you point your putter easily and consistently

Jurong Country Club - A Golfer's Paradise

Jurong Country Club - A Golfer's Paradise

The Jurong Country Club heralds a new era of golfing excellence and welcomes the golfer with new and improved facilities.

Besides housing a majestic two-storey clubhouse of regal comfort, it also has one of Asia’s best 18-hole floodlit golf courses.

The Jurong course, redesigned in 1992, measures 6,219 metres and plays to a par 72.

With a top class layout, the golf course is a favourite of many golfers who have had the privilege of playing on it. Despite the heavy usage, the course has been constantly manicured to a good playable condition. The zoysia grass on the fairways provides an excellent playing surface to the delight of even the most exacting golfers both professional and amateur.

An excellent auto irrigation system ensures that the turf is maintained to excellent playing conditions even during the hot and dry months of the year. A good drainage system also helps to drain off excess water from heavy showers very quickly thus enabling golfers to continue with their enjoyment of the game without further delay.

The course is divided into two very distinct halves, each on opposing sides of the capacious modern clubhouse. The front nine is laid out over hilly, heavily wooded terrain with one major water hazard. The back nine, by contrast, is virtually level with wide open fairways, running out into the Jurong Lake with water affecting play on most holes.

You Are What You Eat, So Eat Healthily!

You Are What You Eat, So Eat Healthily!

Do hunger pangs hit you midway through your golf game very often? Does thinking about that sumptuous meal back at the clubhouse and that ice cold glass of beer make you lose focus on your putt for the 17th hole? Maybe it's not just cravings. It could very well be that you need help with eating right!

Diet plays an important role in fuelling your body while you are exercising. Regardless of whether you are recreational golfers who enjoy a social round of nine to eighteen holes on weekends or competitive golfers who can spend up to eight hours a day on the golf course, meeting the demand for fuel and fluid - essentially those of a healthy eating plan – must be your highest priority.

Thankfully for you, we have experts such as Png Wei Leen, Head of Sports Nutrition at the Singapore Sports Council, to provide you with some insightful tips on having a healthy diet.
Golfers of all levels require a diet, which provides a wide variety of foods. The diet should focus on carbohydrate and be balanced with moderate amounts of protein and a little fat from all food groups:

Rice & alternatives
Meat & alternatives, including dairy foods
Fruits
Vegetables

Tips For A Healthy Diet
Enjoy a variety of foods each day - Priority should be given to nutrient-rich foods.
Focus on nutrient-rich, high carbohydrate foods - Bread, cereal-based foods (rice, pasta, breakfast cereal), fruit, vegetables and sweetened low fat dairy products such as yoghurt and flavoured milk.


Consume small quantities of high fat foods - Butter, margarine, oil, cream, cakes, biscuits, pastries, fried foods and many takeaway and processed foods.

Consume moderate amounts of protein (where possible choose low fat protein sources) – Lean meat, skin-free chicken, fish, eggs, low fat dairy products, breads, cereals, legumes and tofu.

Look after fluid needs - The body needs to be hydrated to perform optimally. (This especially is required for the long hours of time spent on the golf course and in particular, highly important in Asia’s tropical climate!)

Consume alcohol sensibly – That's right, control those mid-game / post-game beer guzzling with your mates!

Here is an example of a dietary plan that one could follow:
Breakfast
- 2 slices toast with thin spread fruit jam- A cup of hot Milo/ coffee/ tea/ juices
Lunch
- A bowl chicken noodle soup with generous serve of vegetables- 1 medium banana
Snack
- 3 pieces plain biscuits- A cup tea with milk
Dinner
- 1 plate rice- 1 serve steamed fish- 1 serve stir-fry vegetables- 1 serve steamed tofu with minced meat- 1 wedge water melon

* Make sure you consume adequate fluid (at least 8 cups) throughout the day.
Whether you're a professional golfer or a recreational Sunday golfer, the commonly heard maxim of "Your Health is Your Wealth" applies. Gain greater stamina on the golf course for improved scores, be free of the unwanted paunch and ultimately live longer! Start fuelling up the healthy way today!

Taken from Golfgreedy.com

Author Png Weileen is the Head of Nutrition (Sports) at the Singapore Sports Council. She is an expert in her field and regularly contributes to sporting magazines and the Straits Times. She can be contacted at The Singapore Sports Council, 230 Stadium Boulevard, Singapore 397799. (More information from website: www.ssc.gov.sg)