How To Use Course Management For A Better Round
July 4, 2008
Course management is a skill and it’s only by gaining experience and actually getting on the golf course that you will develop your ability in this area. We all make mistakes, but you have to learn in order to avoid making the same mistakes in the future and increase your chance to score well.
You must bear in mind your own limitations and play to your strengths.
Positional Play
It may sound logical but always look for the easiest way to the hole. When you are standing on the green, look at the position of the flag. If the flag is on the right edge of the green then coming in from the left side of the fairway will leave the easier shot.
It may be that the hole is near a hazard or a bunker, in which case a shot to the middle of the green will be the sensible play. The flag may be at the top of a slope, if this is the case it is better to play below the pin as this will give you an easier putt.
Try before you start a hole to imagine where you would like your shots to be and play to those positions. We all know it is easier to hit shots from the fairway than the rough.
Hazards
Occasionally you will find a hazard in your line of play which you are unable to get over. The best play will therefore be to lay up short. All too often the error of using too much club is made with the result of ending up in the hazard. A ‘lay up’ should be exactly that, and you should choose a club which will not allow your ball to enter the hazard.
Dog Legs
When playing dog legs it it always tempting to cut off too much. Is is usually a better plan to be too wide off the tee than too narrow as this will ensure that you have a good view of the next shot without obstacles in your path.
Recovery Shots
No matter how carefully you play you will often find yourself in positions which require an ‘escape’ shot of some sort. Always take the safe option - it may be the chip out sideways - but it wont land you in more trouble, and if you play the shot correctly it will get you out of trouble. Don’t be tempted to ‘have a go’ unless you are feeling very confident or it doesn’t matter!
When you are in a bunker, your primary aim should be to get out - in one shot. If you do not use the correct club and end up back in the bunker, then you have made a silly mistake and incurred an extra shot or two!
Course management is the ability to accurately assess what your current ability is and then making the most of it. This is what keeps us all guessing and coming back for more each week…………..
Master Golf Right Away - Quick Tips For Improving Your Golf Swing
July 2, 2008
Golf can be called a royal game which demands confidence, perfection and of course some style. But it is not certainly as difficult as it sounds. You too can be a golf expert just by improving your golf swing. All that you have to do is to go through the tips listed below and follow it religiously. This would be the sure way to your success in improving your golf swing.
Positioning yourself is the most tricky part in golf and you should be certainly be able to do this as a measure to improving your golf swing. All that you have to do is to imagine a line between the flag you are targeting and the ball. You should now position yourself parallel to this imaginary line. This is the basics of golf and would greatly help in improving the golf swing.
Along with the previous point, one more essential point that has to be given enough importance in golf is the way you hold the club. There are various solutions for improving your golf swing. The different methods are Baseball Grip, Overlapping Grip or Vardon method and Interlocking Grip.
Baseball grip method best suits young children and elders who have small hands. The next method for improving your golf swing is Vardon or Overlapping method in which the smallest finger in the right hand is kept between the index and middle finger in the left hand. In the next method, which is called as the Interlocking method in golf, the index finger of the left hand and the little finger on the right hand are locked together producing a grip.
The next technique which helps in improving the golf swing is the grip of the left hand. The club should be held in the left hand with the shaft lying across the top of the fingers. The thumb can as well be placed straight across the top of the fingers in order to have a natural grip. One more point which should be noted is that the thumb of the right hand should be pointing to the right shoulder.
Maintaining a decent distance between the two legs is the next important step used for improving your golf swing. This distance between the legs should be equal to the length of the shoulder. Essential parts of the body like the shoulder, knee, hip and the foot should all be parallel. It is also essential in golf that the upper portion of the body should lean slightly. But the knees can be relaxed.
The finally talking about improving your golf swing, it should be made sure that your shoulders and the upper part of the body are rigid and do not move. Only the hands should be rotated and the body has to swing when the tee is kicked with the club. Regular practice would make the process simple and spontaneous.
The most essential point to be remembered in golf for improving your golf swing is that your shoulder and body’s upper part should never move. Movement in these areas would reduce the body’s balance and result in a bad shot. The uniqueness of golf is that just the arm has to be rotated and the rest of the body has just to rotate like a swing in the direction the arm moves. If keen attention is paid to these factors, no one can stop you from improving your golf swing.
