Guide for Beginning Golfers

In this writing I will discuss The Grip, which is Step 1 of my seven step checklist for the golf swing. After years of reading, practicing and experimenting with different methods and techniques to prepare for the golf swing I have broken it down simply to seven steps that work for me. Since I am not a professional golf instructor and I don’t claim to be, I will only present proven ideas and methodology that work for me. Every golfer is different and what works for one does not always work for someone else. On the other hand there are basic principles and techniques that can be gainfully utilized by 95% of golfers and I strongly feel that the steps I am presenting here will work for a majority of those reading this article. I have taken over thirty years of experience and assimilation of the correct golf swing to present this information to you. The seven steps in my swing checklist are 1- The Grip, 2 – The Set Up, 3 – The Waggle, 4 – The Back Swing, 5 – Tempo, 6 – The Down Swing, & 7 – The Follow Thru. I placed Tempo in the middle because it is an integral part of the entire swing from start to finish and will be elaborated on in a future writing.

As stated previously, when I first learned to play golf, it required a lot of experimenting and reading golf books and magazines in order to really get a feel for the correct golf swing for me. The grip is a very important and integral part of the golf swing. There are a number of different types of  grip methods. There is the Vardon Grip ( named after the great Harry Vardon one of the premier golfers of the early 20th century ) The Baseball Grip, also appropriately named because the grip is similar to one you may use to hold a baseball bat, and my personal favorite, The Interlocking Grip, which incorporates the interlocking of the two hands together to form the grip. Note: Many of the instructional books, DVD’s and Videos will illustrate these grips if you would like to see them in a visual presentation. If you are sports oriented and have never read or viewed any instructional information about the grip then you may have a tendency to use and feel more comfortable with the baseball grip as I did initially. Although it felt more comfortable I wasn’t satisfied with the results. One day I was playing in a group with a considerably better player, probably a two to four handicap. I took note to some of his swing techniques and one of the things I noted was his golf grip. As we were waiting on one hole I asked him about it. He showed me how to do it and I have not changed my grip since. The steps I now use in setting my golf club grip are as follows: 1- I set or cradle the club in the creased part of the fingers of my left hand allowing the top of the club to protrude approximately 1″ to 1 1/2″ past the bottom part of the same hand which will actually be facing upward and toward your waist and belt area when you set the club to prepare to swing. Note: While gripping with the left hand make sure the clubface stays closed or close to perpindicular to your target line. Also for a fairly strong grip, which I would highly recommend, make sure the first two or even three knuckles of your left hand are positioned facing up so you can see them when looking down on your hand and club. Then allow the thumb of the left hand to lay across the top of the grip on a slight angle to the right while keeping the thumb straight and on top of the club. Note: There are various ways to grip the club ( stronger and weaker grips ) to allow your swing to work the ball right or left but it is a more advanced technique should not be attempted until your game has progressed to a certain level. Next, set the club in the creased part of the fingers of the right hand and interlock the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left, thus the derivative of the name interlocking grip. The meaty part of the palm of your right hand, connected to the thumb, should be facing upward so you can also see it similar to the knuckles of the left. Note: You can experiment at the range with the adjustment of the strength of the grip that works best for you, (turn hands to right for a stronger grip and left for weaker ) Also, please note that the grip methodology noted above is for the right handed player and should be reversed for the left handed golfer. Another important thing to remember, which will also be addressed in Step 2 – The Set Up is – Do Not let your right shoulder come forward when taking the grip with the right hand. It should remain back and aligned with your left shoulder. It should also be slightly lower than your left since your right hand is set lower on the club when taking the grip.

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Welcome Back ! My plug for Lessons – Golf can be fun no matter how skilled a person may be, but it’s human nature to enjoy something more if you are good and excel at it. Wouldn’t you agree ? I know from personal experience that when I play well I feel much more exhilirated than when I have a bad round. Either way I enjoy the challenge of the game and always look forward to return and try to play better the next time. That’s why taking lessons will help you attain your highest level of skill and allow you to enjoy the game much faster than self teaching. Don’t get me wrong, I self taught as stated earlier, and learning was a real challenge but I enjoyed the ride. So if lessons are not for you right now, for whatever reason, tight budget, time constraints, etc. don’t let the joy of playing golf slip away by giving up. Self teach or learn from a friend or relative, watch video training DVD’s (check ads on this site for some excellent teaching aids) read books on golf like I did, but whatever you do don’t give up. You will be missing out on one of the greatest games ever devised by man.

There are many options to take golf lessons and the most important thing you can do is to select an instructor or teaching professional who is patient and doesn’t mind working with a new golfer. Some teachers may be very good but do not have the patience and fortitude required for the beginner. I would suggest to get a recommendation from someone who plays, if possible, or interview the proposed teacher and explain that you are a new golfer and get a feel or reaction if they will be right for you. I actually did take a lesson or two a few years after I started playing but I was very disappointed with the teacher. All he did was watch me swing and say “OK that looks good”, no recommendations or advice on grip, set-up, tempo, timing, swingpath, repetitive swing thoughts, relaxing techniques, grip pressure – NOTHING and for that reason I was soured on lessons for quite a time. I have to admit that I changed my mind when I saw some good pros in action so please don’t let my experience sour you on the idea. I was at the local Golfsmith store about a year ago and I noted they had a supplementary section of the store just for lessons and practice. I was a bit unhappy with my game as of late and I wondered if they might be able to help. I bit the bullet so to speak and enrolled in a series of lessons for about $700. This included about ten sessions with the pro, including Video monitoring and playback, so you could see your swing in action. He was able to point out my swing deficiencies and I had direction of what I needed to correct in order to get back on track. Since you cannot see your own swing it is sometimes difficult to correct a swing fault by yourself. A good tool to use to practice is a mirror where you can stop and look at your swing during each step of the way, but you first need to learn the proper basics or you still won’t know what you are doing right or wrong in your reflection. A new player should minimally take a series of ten or even 20 lessons and schedule a monitored practice ( which Golfsmith and some other golf schools offer ) to really put you on the right track to play. Your instructor will be able to rate your progress and you will see the results yourself as you begin to play. How quickly you improve will be the determining factor as to how many lessons an individual may need. If money is no object there are some excellent resorts that offer Instruction and Playing Packages. These can also be found on www.golfdigest.com and many are built around some of the finest vacation spots in the world. For the tighter budget but still opting for a lesson or two try the local pro golf shop or resident driving range instructor. Remember to ask them if they are experienced in teaching the beginner and let them know that this is your requirement. Well , Happy Golfing (to be continued – for more tips and information visit http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/<a target=”_new” href=”http://EzineArticles.com/” mce_href=”http://EzineArticles.com/”>
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Well, the New Year has arrived – Have you made your resolution or resolutions ? Is it to lose some of those pounds gained during the  Holidays, or maybe you would like to learn to play golf or improve on your game ? So many of us make our resolutions and after a few weeks we have forgotten what they were. So make one of your resolutions to stick to your resolutions !

As noted in my last post there are many options available to learn to play golf. At the time I started playing I opted to teach myself. I read “The Golfers Bible ” and “The Five Fundamentals of Golf” by Ben Hogan. The books were both very informative and contained valuable information to help one get started to play. In my opinion, and any one who knows about the history of golf would agree, Ben Hogan was one of the most natural and skilled golfers who ever played the game. I was confident that any book that he authored on golf could only be informative and benefit someone who wanted to learn to play. I can attest first hand that it helped me tremendously. In retrospect, depending on one’s budget and how quickly someone wants to develop their skills, I would recommend lessons from a teaching professional. Unless you are born with a natural talent for the sport, which from my experience those so gifted are few and far between, lessons are the way to go. As I stated earlier I am self taught and have been playing for about 30 years. The learning curve is different for everyone, but I noted that most golfers who are good at other sports, especially baseball and hockey have a tendency to learn to play well. Having been self taught I had to experiment with different techniques over the years to improve my game. Until today I am still reading up on the latest and greatest on Instruction and Equipment and continuing to experiment to try to play better. With the increased popularity of golf, thanks in most part to the arrival of Tiger Woods on the scene, the teaching techniques and availability of teaching professionals has increased tremendously. I would strongly recommend that lessons are the ticket. Golf is a sport which requires muscle memory for a repetitive swing. Once your swing techniques and mechanics are engrained in the subconscious it will be harder to correct if you do not learn properly at the onset. Having the proper basics is crucial for learning to play the right way. Golf will be so much more enjoyable if you play well and learn the proper techniques for the swing. There are a number of steps to master the correct golf swing and a teaching professional will be able to show each of them to you. You will learn much quicker than reading about them and experimenting for years like I did. Some of the steps are as follows: The Grip – How you set the club in your hands, The Set-Up – (How you address the ball) the positioning of your body and alignment in relation to the ball, The Waggle – This is a trigger or initial movement to allow the swing to start properly, Tempo – The speed and timing from the start of the backswing through the hitting area and the follow thru, Backswing – the move immediately following the waggle -the cocking of the wrist and  the turning or coiling of the body together with the arms and shoulders away from the target to prepare for the Downswing, The Downswing – immediately follows the backswing and is the part of the swing where impact with the ball takes place including the pronation of the hands thru the hit, The Follow Thru – the completion of the golf swing which concludes the tranfer of your weight from your right side to your left (for right handed golfers – opposite would be true for lefties)  and body positioning to face the target. If any of the aforementioned steps is not executed properly it can greatly affect the result of the shot. With the advent of Video Instruction, the instructor can  play back the video and explain and show you exactly what you were doing right or wrong during the course of your swing. You’ve heard the expression that “One picture is worth a thousand words”, well it would most definitely apply in this case. Although you can read a book on golf or watch golf teaching videos ( some are very good ) , it is still not the same as being taught first hand by a  professional. Note : You can find a list of the top teaching professionals in the country in the “Golf Digest”  magazines or visit their website at www.golfdigest.com. 

You can also visit http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/  for more info on getting started “The Right Way”

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