The Golf Slice

Here’s a few more tips for those of you working on your swing and posture:

Visiting a golf course
Visiting the nearest golf course and country club and finding out whether they offer instruction on improving golf swing can also work wonders for you. It has often been observed that many amateurs had actually benefited a lot from the valuable guidance provided there.

Surfing the web
Surfing the web is another good option and you will be surprised by the number of websites offering free tutorials on improving your golf swing. Some of the sites even lets you the option of accessing videos, which in turn helps you to review your performance from time to time. These sites are extremely valuable in improving the three essential pillar of golf swing – stance, grip and posture.

Are you confident about your golf swing postures? If not, then you must be having trouble in achieving the perfect golf swing. Many golfers face problems in adjusting their postures, but care little about it. Instead they are more conscious about their forward tilt, weight distribution and other such factors.

However, this is not the right way for achieving a perfect golf swing. You should be extremely careful about your posture. Keeping the club in its exact swing path is impossible without a perfect posture. It can be also said that if you are the best in your posture, then developing club head power and speed is easier. Let’s discuss some tips for attaining perfection in your golf swing posture.

Importance of maintaining a perfect balance
The foremost feature of an ideal posture is allowing a balanced motion in all directions, for which you should have to be dynamic and athletic in your approach. Center your entire weight on to your feet and flex up your knees to allow an ease to the movement. Keep the upper body lean a bit from your waist forming an axis. This axis will facilitate your shoulder twists. Now, keep your hands relaxed, and let them hang naturally from the shoulder sockets. Now you have the perfect posture. Continue practicing in this form, you will definitely achieve your goals.

Are you regularly going to the driving range and just hitting golf balls, one after the other? Then leaving and going back and doing the same? You’ll be surprised by this but you’re not actually practicing. Yes, you’re learning how to make the same swing but there is so much more you can do!

Your practice session could consist of different stages and before you go to the range you should definitely have something in your mind that you wish to work on. You range routine should consist of three steps through out and it will help you benefit more from those golf balls because after all you want to make the most of what you paid for them! Let’s take a look:

1. Firstly hit balls with just the swing thoughts that you wish to improve in mind, do not pick a target and concentrate on what you want to feel when you hit a good golf shot (Hit 2 balls).
2. Next you want to some what aim towards something and you need to still be focusing on swing thoughts and taking a quick peak to see whether your shot is heading in the right direction (Hit 2 Balls).
3. Finally you need to be hitting the shot like you would on the golf course, build a pre-shot routine and align yourself, take a few practice swings and hit the full shot and watch every movement of it!

You’ll find this process will help you a lot in the future.

The first tee can be nervous for anyone, especially if you’re playing in a competition! It’s the start of your round and can determine your momentum for the rest of the round. Making sure you get away comfortably and down the middle sets you up and gets your nerves settled for the rest of the hole and inevitably and hopefully a great round.

Take it step by step:

• Take deep breaths and control your breathing so you don’t allow the nerves to take over, they lead to a bad shot!
• Focus on your target and visualise your shot.
• Don’t allow anyone else to distract you from your pre-shot routine.
• Act relaxed and casual around everyone else so that the atmosphere does not build up.
• Don’t procrastinate about the rest of the round, you haven’t tee’d off yet.
• Remember what you’ve learnt, practiced and go for it!

Do these steps every single time and I can guarantee your first tee nerves will be much smaller than what they currently are. I was once an extremely nervous person but over the years have concentrated on practicing with distractions and managing my nerves to keep the same swing over and over.

The scorecard, the piece of card you write your scores on even if they are really high! It stays with you the whole round and is the card of information that determines whether your handicap is cut or put up so it’s important you make full use of it and write it correctly.

Yardages, Par and Stroke Index
If you haven’t got a stroke saver then the chances are you will want to get familiar with what holes are coming up by having a look at the yardages and stroke indexes to prefer for what is thrown at you. A common one by my playing partners is “Is this a par 4 or par 5?” and we’re walking down a hole that is 350 yards long. Tell them to get a scorecard, you and they will now be able to know the stats for every hole!

Local Rules
This part of the score card is a serious must read before any competitive round! This piece of card holes the difference between whether you can do a certain action to stop you being penalized for no reason. Present it to your playing partners and show them the correct ruling and get the relief that you are able to receive.

Make the most of every part of the scorecard by jotting down little notes on your own card and also make sure you keep your partners scorecard neat if you’re marking it for him/her!

There’s a big difference between all the big named golfers and that’s they are all different in their golf games in every single way. I won’t even attempt to go in to Tiger Wood’s game but I think we all know where we stand there. You’re approach on the game can determine your result and what your playing partner does determines on what he does differently.

Temperament
The difference between you and the next golfer in regards to this subject is you’re managing your game a lot better in regards to hitting bad shots. If they happen you’re moving on and seeing better results from your next shots because you’re not letting those bad shots affect you.

Time Management
You are taking much more time compared to other golfers. You are running your pre-shot routine and following the guidelines of your coach. Rushing in to your shot can mean you forget to think about your shot more thoroughly and you’ll make mistakes from this.

Pressure
One of the biggest things to deal with in this game is pressure. Having pressure is all part of it and is a thrill if managed great, and you can hold everything together. Developing the skill to deal with pressure and make your head deal with everything it has thrown at it is something that you’ll find out is a great determinant of whether you can make the putt or the next golfer who can’t.

This post is mainly for a competitive golfer and is extremely important for managing your golf schedule and the tournaments you wish to play in. There are many things to think about whilst actually trying to concentrate on your game. It’s important you set your schedule up right and outline your dates so you know when you should be practicing before a competition. You don’t want to overdo it so leaving rest days in the period before a competition is essential.

Choosing what Competitions
If you’re raring to go and start playing competition golf, a common mistake is to throw yourself at everything! Don’t be tempted to play golf competitions at your club, 36 holes at an open and then the same again for weeks on end, you’ll simply burn yourself out. Choose what are the most important to you and base your decisions on other priorities and also money! Nothing’s cheap, especially golf competition fee’s added up.

Send Early
It’s important when you’re preparing, and that’s making sure you get your application forms off very quickly! Make sure you don’t have to phone up for late entries as this really puts pressure on preparing your game and being ready.

Handicap Certificate
A common mistake is forgetting your handicap certificate! Many competition organisers require this to confirm your handicap just in case you say you’re off 20 and you’re actually off 2! There’s quite a difference there.

All I can say is, I wish you the best of luck!

Have you ever been sitting in the clubhouse whilst the elements start to take over and it rains, snow, you name it? Well this is a primary opportunity for you to go one up on the course and your opponents. Taking your clubs and move yourself shiftily up the first tee and put on your waterproofs (very much needed!) and start to play golf and lots of it. You’ll most likely be the only one on the course but the dedication you’re showing and the power to succeed in any weather will show to the members of your golf club. They might think you’re a bit mad but you’ll be the winner.

Your Game Becomes Stronger
Let’s think about your competition day. It is sunny and the forecast is rain for later on in the day. You’re in a 3-ball and you’re playing the round and all is going well for the players in your group and then you see a rain cloud come over. You hear your playing partners go “Oh no, rain!” and this is where your brain kicks in and you know how to manage this weather! Just say you have a good score going, the practice you’ve put in will help you battle through the elements and keep it going as you know how to handle the rain. Just watch your playing partners fall apart, it’s not pretty and you’ll know why practicing in the heaviest of elements has benefitted you!