How To Get A Perfect Golf Swing Every Time

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. When you're playing golf badly it isn't a lot of fun. 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!

Concentrate totally on your game and you'll get the best score. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also. Golf requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and is often overlooked.

Use the basic 'hitchhiker' position when you're working on your backswing. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing.

Before you swing, make sure you're relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. 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. 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. 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 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.

Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. 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.

Workouts with straight crunches won't improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead. Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you'll never underestimate golf fitness again.

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. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop.

Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.

Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you. Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find.

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. In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don't load up on them.

If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. There are a lot of places to get golf swing tips, golf game tips and golf instruction so when you do have time to hit the course, you'll have a plan in mind. Having a plan and working on specific aspects of the swing or game should be your goal.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

Best Golf Swing Improvement Tips

If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. 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. Most golfers don't know that eighty percent of the world's golfers have a handicap of 18 or more.

Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as "I play great golf all the time." Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence.

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.

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. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing.

Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. 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. 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.

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. Use the basic 'hitchhiker' position when you're working on your backswing. Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you're going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing.

Don't underestimate the value of fitness when it comes to your golf swing and your overall golf game. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you'll never underestimate golf fitness again. It's no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts.

Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop. Golf swing aids will improve your golf game. 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.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.

Now is the time to fix that golf swing forever. Practice, practice, practice! Pick out something every week to concentrate on and help you improve your golf swing and golf game.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

Take Your Golf Swing To Another Level Now

If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. The biggest concerns of golfers today are inconsistency first of all, followed by slicing and distance. You need great hand-eye coordination, balance, athletic ability and creativity to play golf.

Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as "I play great golf all the time." Don't worry about what others think or may say about your swing; work to improve it at your own speed. Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence.

After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. 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.

When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you're holding a soccer ball between your knees. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do.

The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

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. 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.

Turn to golf exercise and techniques if you want strength and power. Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power. Using some simple tips, techniques and stretches, you can increase your drives by up to 20 yards-- practically overnight.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course. Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use.

You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. 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 come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. There are a wide range of golf swing aids on the market today to help the beginning and advanced golfer. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment.

Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper.

Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro. Find and use golf aids and golf swing aids that help improve your game. Get some golf DVDs and commit yourself to a time to practice what you learn.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

A Super Golf Swing - How To Get It

It's important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. You may receive all the greatest golf tips in the world, take countless lessons and get superior instruction and still may not be able to gain consistency. As we all know, golf is probably the most difficult sport in the world.

Don't worry about what others think or may say about your swing; work to improve it at your own speed. A common mental error golfers make when driving the ball is to hit it as hard as possible. Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence.

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.

Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you're going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing.

Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you're holding a soccer ball between your knees.

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. 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.

Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do. 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.

It's no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. Many golfers have improved their golf game by concentrating on golf fitness. The state of the physical condition is very often overlooked as a possible cause of golf swing problems.

If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.

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. Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing.

Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don't load up on them. 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 will improve your golf game. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment.

If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward. Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at time. With plenty of practice, a better golf swing will be the end result.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

Golf Tips: Swing Plane Faults That You Can Fix Fast

Would you like to develop a sound, simple and reliable basic golf swing? I'm sure that you know there are countless golf lessons online as well as a great deal of video golf instruction that describes the drills golf teachers use to improve golf swing faults, but very few golf instructors actually get to the root cause of why most golf swing problems begin in the first place.

In this golf instruction article I'm going to share with you a simple way to improve your basic golf swing plane so you can hit consistently longer and straighter golf shots, increase your golf confidence and develop lower score golf scores.

The majority of golf swing faults produced by amateur golfers can be traced back to a faulty swing plane that is not aligned correctly both in terms of its alignment to the target and its alignment to the plane angle it originated on.

The engineers that designed your golf clubs understand the importance of the swing plane but unfortunately when golfers purchase golf clubs from a golf shop or pro shop, as a rule they don't get a user manual with the golf clubs that describes how the golf clubs should be used correctly.

Kind of funny really when you think about it, considering that most expensive items you purchase have some form of instruction manual with them.

Anyway, there is one inarguable fact that you need to know and trust about improving your basic golf swing. The fact is that you need to swing your golf club on or very close to the original swing plane if you want to really improve the way you hit the golf ball.

The original swing plane is the angle of the golf club you're using when you address a golf ball. From driver to putter every golf club is built on an inclined plane angle because the golf ball is positioned to the side of you and in front of you.

This plane angle is slightly different with every club in your bag and so your job is to rest it on the ground as it was designed with the club face pointing directly to your target and then build your golf swing around it.

To do this effectively you need to hold onto the golf club lightly enough that the club face doesn't aim off line. Many amateur golfers I've taught at my golf school over the years squeeze the grip so tightly that the club face is twisted which creates golf swing alignment errors leading to common golf shots like slices, pulls and even fat shots.

If your grip pressure is higher than five on a one to ten scale (with ten being too tight) then you are squeezing too tightly. Also when you hold onto the grip your right hand (right hand golfer) should be positioned on the side of the grip so that when you open the palm of your hand up it would point straight down the target line.

When your hand is placed under the golf grip (facing the sky), or on top of it (facing the ground), you will in all probability alter the swing plane direction as you swing back away from the ball. Remember to build your golf swing around the design of the golf club which means that your rest it on the ground and point it towards your intended target. When you swing it away there are two basic but very important stages that your golf club should travel through.

Basic Swing Plane Stage 1:

1. The golf club should swing directly away from the ball without lifting upwards abruptly or traveling inwards or outwards too quickly as it goes back. Imagine for a moment that your golf club was laying flat on a piece of cardboard on the same angle as the golf club and that the club simply traveled backwards and forwards along the card board until the club head and shaft was parallel with the ground.

Basic Swing Plane Stage 2:

2. Now, if the golf club traveled further back the club head would now be higher than your hands but would still be on or close to the piece of card board. As it travels back the grip end of the golf shaft would point directly to the base of the card board where the golf club once rested.

The golf shaft angle is maintained as it travels from the start of the back-swing to the top and into the down swing and follow-through phases.

The best way to learn to do this is to practice with a pitching wedge and swing it back until your left arm and golf club form an angle that would represent the letter 'L.' In this position your left arm would be horizontal and the golf shaft vertical-although it would point towards the target line.

When you swing into the follow-through you again form a horizontal arm position only this time it's with your right arm, and the golf shaft would again be vertical and pointing down towards the target line.

I call this golf stroke the 'Level 1' basic golf swing as it's the first stage of the full golf swing. Just like a house needs a strong and sound foundation to be built upon, your golf swing needs a strong and sound foundation to swing upon. By practicing the level one golf swing you are building the type of support your golf swing needs to control the distance and direction of the golf ball easily.

Remember that it's easy to just swing away without really thinking much about what you're doing. But consider that the golf clubs only real purpose is to achieve a sound impact and you will realize the importance of swinging your golf club on its correct plane angle.

Even if you can't make it out to a driving range or practice fairway, practice the level one swing often and you'll notice a considerable difference in your shot-making consistency within three months.

Every sound golf swing has a level one position built into it and so can yours so start practicing your golf swing on a daily basis and in the hours, days and months ahead you'll discover the power and purpose of the on-plane basic golf swing.

Lawrence Montague has been one of Australia's leading golf teaching professionals for more than twenty years and owns one of Australia's top golf schools based on the Gold Coast in Queensland http://www.goldcoastgolfschool.com.au.

He also co-owns Pro Tour Golf College, the only pro tour prep college for aspiring male and female golfers who want to play golf on tour based in Perth, Western Australia.

You can visit his popular golf instruction channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/golfconfidencepro where he has produced more than thirty free high quality golf video lessons to improve you golf game.

Proper Golf Swing Made Easy

As we all know, golf is probably the most difficult sport in the world. Did you know the average golfer's gross score is 107 shots? If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course.

Don't worry about what others think or may say about your swing; work to improve it at your own speed. A common mental error golfers make when driving the ball is to hit it as hard as possible. If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory.

Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. 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.

Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing. Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do. 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.

Use the basic 'hitchhiker' position when you're working on your backswing. Try not to grip the club too tightly. 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.

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. 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.

Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you'll never underestimate golf fitness again. The state of the physical condition is very often overlooked as a possible cause of golf swing problems.

There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.

If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Golf swing aids will improve your golf game.

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. 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. There are a wide range of golf swing aids on the market today to help the beginning and advanced golfer.

Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper.

If you can, sit in on a friend's golf lesson to see if you connect with the pro. If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward. Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

Super Golf Swing Improvement Made Easy

Most golfers don't know that eighty percent of the world's golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. Finding ways to improve your golf game, then applying what you've learned and practicing, is the number one way to get ahead of the game. 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!

Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing. Always be aware the mental aspect of the game contributes one way or another to the difficulty of the golf swing. If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory.

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. 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. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing. 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. Try not to grip the club too tightly.

Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. Make sure to use the proper technique. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it.

Using some simple tips, techniques and stretches, you can increase your drives by up to 20 yards-- practically overnight. Conditioning your golf muscles will reward you with straighter swings. Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. If you're a golfing novice just starting out, it's easy to become overwhelmed. 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.

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 can be found online and are often cheaper. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you.

There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment.

Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at a time. There are hundreds of useful golf tips to seek out in golf magazines, consumer magazines, sports magazines, in books, ebooks, DVDs, online and offline. Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

Tips For Correcting An Ailing Golf Swing

If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. When you're playing golf badly it isn't a lot of fun. Most golfers don't know that eighty percent of the world's golfers have a handicap of 18 or more.

Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also. Golf requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and is often overlooked.

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. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. Make sure to use the proper technique.

Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.

Pick out a spot on the course, preferably the green of the fairway, and concentrate on hitting the ball to that spot. 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. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

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. Use the basic 'hitchhiker' position when you're working on your backswing.

Most golfers don't know there are techniques that will greatly affect swing mechanics; you can get an edge by just changing your approach. Don't underestimate the value of fitness when it comes to your golf swing and your overall golf game. It's no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts.

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. If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find. 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.

You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you.

Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing.

Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course. If you're a golfing novice just starting out, it's easy to become overwhelmed.

If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. Get some golf DVDs and commit yourself to a time to practice what you learn. Pick out something every week to concentrate on and help you improve your golf swing and golf game.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips

How to Correctly Practice Swing Drills Golf Experts Use to Improve Their Confidence on the Course

The most effective practice drills golf tour player's and leading amateur golfers use are the drills that are designed specifically to help them to make the transition from the practice tee to the golf course as easily and quickly as possible.

In this golf instruction article I'll explain how performing a golf practice drill correctly will significantly improve your chances of taking it to the golf course without the usual prolonged distress usually associated with golf swing changes using what I call the "5 D Success Formula."

The less complicated a change to your golf swing is, the faster you can adapt to the changes on the golf course. The biggest challenge facing any golfer is the fear that the change to your golf technique will leave you in a kind of "golf swing limbo" where you can't go back to your old golf swing, and you haven't got enough trust in your new golf swing.

So the more elements of a golf swing you have to focus on to improve your technique the more destructive it is to your golf confidence. Quite simply, if you're thinking about more than one swing thought as you swing the golf club you will more-than-likely fail to execute your golf shots with a high degree of precision and consistency.

A helpful way to understand this is to recognize two important factors in changing your golf swing with golf practice drills. One is the actual drill itself and the second is its level of complexity. When you focus on performing one simple training drill like cocking your wrists before you swing your arms back is a relatively easy exercise to accomplish.

However when you attempt to combine two practice routines at the same time, the complexity level jumps up significantly. Basically the complexity of the drill sky rockets for every additional component you add to your training drill. The simplest example I can share with you is the golfer who performs a particular technical drill on the driving range and at the same time attempts to hit his golf shot accurately to a target.

It might seem harmful-even easy to do and yet it is arguably the single biggest reason why amateur golfers struggle to make the transition from driving range to golf course. The whole idea behind performing golf practice drills is to facilitate a change in your golf technique faster and more effectively than just hitting golf shots and attempting to change your technique through repetition alone.

Golf practice drills help you to change a portion of your technique and integrate the change smoothly into your overall technique. The key is to reduce complexity, increase competency which ultimately leads to increased golf confidence on the golf course.

So how do tour pro's practice their drills? Very carefully, and by concentrating on one piece of the puzzle at a time. Tour pro's have discovered through countless hours of practice on the driving range that attempting to focus on performing a drill and trying to hit a perfect shot at the same time is the equivalent of speaking on your mobile phone whilst driving in traffic.

It's difficult to do, dangerous, and the outcome is not likely to be helpful in the long run.

The best type of practice drill is the one that helps you to hit your golf shot straighter and more solidly time and time again. This seems logical enough and yet it's surprising how many golfers practice drills that are not compatible with their particular problem.

For instance a golfer might be practicing a split hands drill where you hold each end of the grip with a gap in the middle to help facilitate the rotation of the club-face through the impact zone to straighten a persistent slice shot.

The problem in this example is that often this drill is used to try and fix an over-the-top downswing, whereas this type of drill is actually designed for the bottom of the swing, as opposed to the top of the swing which is where an over-the-top down swing problem originates.

You can waste a lot of hours toiling away at golf practice drills that are incompatible with your particular swing needs.

Here is the "Five D Success Formula" which is a practice drill framework you can follow that will make certain that you're on the right track as you go through the golf swing change process.

1. Decide specifically on what aspect of your golf stroke needs to be improved e.g. is it a top of the swing change or a bottom of the swing change?

2. Design your golf practice drill to get to the root cause of your swing problem by identifying its cause-effect relationship and its influence on your golf shots.

3. Dedicate the time needed to the change process by ensuring that you schedule a specific amount of time each week to focus on your practice drill repetition.

4. Detach yourself from the results of your drill. The idea is to perfect the drill not the ball-flight, so it's likely that your golf ball in the early stages of the change process won't be behaving like you want it to.

5. Delay the urge to use your new swing change on the golf course until you have complete confidence in it. Too often golfers hastily employ their new technique to the detriment of their performance on the golf course.

By following this practice drill framework you will keep your focus on habituating the most relevant part of your golf swing technique. You will need to repeat the practice drill you've chosen at least one thousand five hundred times before you start to reach the stage of development called "unconscious competence."

This is high trust stage of golf swing performance where you can hit golf shots without thinking about how you hit golf shots. Don't be put off by the amount of repetition required; you cannot achieve this superior level of performance without at least this amount of repetition so just give yourself the time to do the drill work.

Twenty five correctly performed drills per day for sixty days in front of a mirror at home and you'll have incorporated a new part into your golf swing technique. If you want to achieve it faster than that you can perform fifty repetitions three times per week for ten days and you'll create the same effect.

Either way, you should memorise this simple mantra; "repeat regularly to re-train and retain."

The positive side of performing your golf practice drills regularly is that they will lead you directly towards a great deal more golf confidence and ultimately much improved performances on the golf course which will translate into lower golf scores and far more enjoyment.

Lawrence Montague has been one of Australia's leading golf teaching professionals for more than twenty years and owns one of Australia's top golf schools at http://www.goldcoastgolfschool.com.au based on the Gold Coast in Queensland. He also co-owns Pro Tour Golf College, the only pro tour prep college for aspiring male and female golfers who want to play golf on tour based in Perth, Western Australia.

You can visit his popular golf instruction channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/golfconfidencepro where he has produced more than thirty free high quality golf video lessons to improve you golf game.

Clubhead Speed or Power, Which Comes First in the Golf Swing?

A question for the ages in relation to the golf swing. Golfers around the world are familiar with the term clubhead speed. It is the rate at which the golf club is traveling at impact with the golf ball. Golfers are also familiar with the term power.

They know that power is directly related to clubhead speed. Knowing the connection between the two, which comes first?

Clubhead Speed and Power in the Golf Swing

Take a moment to answer the question; which comes first, clubhead speed or power?

Write down your answer and continue reading. Before we answer this question, let us do a quick review of both clubhead speed and power.

Clubhead Speed

Again, we understand that clubhead speed is the rate at which the clubhead is moving at impact with the golf ball. The development of clubhead speed is a resultant of your golf swing mechanics. It is essentially a summation of the entire process of the golf swing, beginning with address, moving through the backswing, into transition, onto the downswing, and completing with impact.

The paragraph above should answer the question of which comes first; clubhead speed or power? Clubhead speed is the resultant of power development with the mechanics of the golf swing.

The next question we want to ask is about power:

How is Power Developed in the Golf Swing?

Power is a combination of two entities:

1. Golf Swing Mechanics

2. Body

Your golf swing mechanics is the efficiency at which you perform the golf swing. Essentially, the golf swing can be broken down into the stages. These stages are;

Address, Backswing, Transition, Downswing, Impact, and Follow Through

Each of these stages within the golf swing can be performed efficiently or inefficiently. PGA Tour players tend to perform the mechanics of the golf swing very efficiently, where as the 30 handicapper performs them very inefficiently.

If the mechanics within each stage of the golf swing are efficient. The creation of power and transfer of this power into clubhead speed is at a greater percentage.

On the flip side, if each stage is performed inefficiently. The amount of power developed and transferred into clubhead speed becomes a low percentage.

The first key in power development and the generation of clubhead speed is golf mechanics.

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics = Greater Power Development and Clubhead Speed

Once we understand that efficient golf swing mechanics equals more power and clubhead speed. We can turn our attention to the "support structure" of your golf swing.

The Body

The body is what drives the golf swing. It is your skeleton, muscles, and nerves performing the mechanics of the golf swing. As a result, your body has a direct affect on how much power you generate in your golf swing.

The mechanics of golf swing requires certain levels of:

Flexibility

Balance

Strength

Endurance

Power

Optimal levels within these body categories allow for the possibility of performing the mechanics of the golf swing at their most efficient levels.

For example, a full shoulder in the backswing is necessary for optimal power development. In order to perform a full shoulder turn, you must have a high level of flexibility.

If you are lacking the flexibility to perform a shoulder turn it will affect the amount of power you can generate.

Bottom line the body is the foundation on which the golf swing is developed.

If you have a weak foundation, you will have a weak golf swing.

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics + A Strong, Flexible, and Powerful Body = Clubhead Speed

We now know clubhead speed is a product of power development in the golf swing. Power development within your golf swing is contingent upon two entities. The first entity is your golf swing mechanics. Performing the mechanics of the golf swing efficiently elicits more power. Secondly, it is the body. Optimal power development requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within the body. Put these two entities together and you have the ability to generate high levels of clubhead speed within your golf swing.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

How to Implement Golf Fitness Exercises into Your Golf Swing Improvement Program

Over the last few weeks at BioForce Golf, we have had many questions about golf fitness exercises.

Questions such as: are these type of exercises beneficial to someone who has had a lower back injury, what are the best types of exercises to improve my clubhead speed, and what flexibility exercises can improve my back swing?

Through many of our free daily golf tips on our website, we have provided answers to these questions and many more. One area of golf fitness I get quite a few questions about revolves on how to implement golf exercises into a golf swing improvement program.

Probably one of the most-asked questions is: how do I go about introducing certain exercises into my golf fitness program?

At times, certain individuals are unable to perform an exercise in its basic form. They are either out of shape, suffering from an injury, or too stiff to perform it correctly. A Russian Twist may be too difficult for a beginner to execute correctly. It takes great core strength, endurance and flexibility to complete the exercise to the limit.

In this type of situation there are "baby steps" you can take in terms of implementing such exercises into your golf fitness program.

I like to call this the "position, movement, tolerance" training guideline. This is an easy methodology to follow in terms of implementing exercises into a training program.

We'll use the Russian Twist exercise in my book, Core Golf Fitness as an example.

When you are implementing a golf fitness exercise(s) into your golf swing improvement program, you must be able to place the body in the correct starting position of the exercise.

For example, if I were to have you perform a Russian Twist, first I would ask you to place your body in the correct position for the exercise. In this situation it would be knees slightly bent and placing your torso in a position where the "abs were turned on."

Just placing your body in the correct position for an exercise requires effort from the body. If you were able to place your body in the correct position, I would then ask you to "hold" this position for a certain amount of time. This would indicate you are strong enough to add movement to your golf fitness exercise.

On the other hand, if you were only able to hold the starting position of the Russian Twist for 15 seconds before your lower back started to bother you, this is an indicator to me that this is where we begin your golf fitness program. I would have you "hold" the start position of this golf exercise for a certain number of seconds and sets. This would, over a period of time, develop more strength and endurance in those golf muscles.

Once we have reached a good "hold" time on a golf exercise, we then progress to adding "movement" into the equation. Movement simply stands for range of motion (how much movement you can do). Every golf exercise has a certain range of motion you move through to get the greatest benefit for your golf game.

In the Russian Twist example, a full range of motion would be a full shoulder turn to the left and right of center. Again, at the beginning you may be unable to make a full shoulder turn. So what do we do? We slowly work on increasing the "movement" within the golf exercise until you are at a point of full range.

As with the idea of "position," we do the same with the idea of "movement." We gradually increase until you have achieved a full range of motion in the golf exercise. Once this is achieved, we move on to the final stage of implementing a golf-specific exercise.

The final stage of implementing any golf exercise into your golf swing improvement program is "tolerance." Tolerance can be defined as performing the correct number of sets and repetitions of a golf exercise for it to be beneficial to your golf game.

The idea of "no pain, no gain" does not work in this situation. Rather, you want to be able to perform a self-prescribed number of sets and reps of every golf exercise in your program. This prescribed amount of work is up to you, the individual golfer, and what you feel is best for your body.

Too little work will provide you no benefit. Too much work or following the "no pain, no gain" mind-set can increase the possibility of injury greatly.

You need to use your best judgment on every golf exercise in your program. This will allow you to perform each golf exercise with the correct technique, develop (maybe over time) the correct range of motion of each golf exercise in your program, and finally take each exercise to "your own level of tolerance."

It is very easy to implement golf exercises into your golf swing improvement program. Follow the simple rule of "position, movement, tolerance," and this should help you dramatically in the development of your golf fitness program.

Once you've mastered the exercises and routines in your current exercise program, you'll be ready to take it to the next level, a more advanced program.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Keep Your Golf Swing in Shape All Year with a Golf Fitness Program

Some PGA Tour players have been playing for a couple of weeks in Hawaii and California. Others like Vijay and Ernie have been playing on the European Tour. Regardless of how many tournaments the pros have played this year, they have been working on their games for more time than most of us realize. Make no mistake about it: in golf - or baseball, football, basketball or any other pro sport - there is no longer an off-season.

So while this may be the first official shot of the season for some, the training process to get ready to make that shot has been quietly going on for months.

The amateur can learn a great deal from the professional golfer. Many parts of the world it is not possible to play golf year around, but there are ways to keep your golf game in shape all year long. Professionals know how to do it and so can you.

Realistically, there is very little time to take a break and do absolutely nothing for professional golfers. While every pro is different, there is a generic blueprint most will follow. After the pro finishes his last golf tournament, they take a little break. A few weeks off to give the body and mind a little rest. Every pro athlete needs that time to just recharge and give the body - both physically as well as mentally - time to recover. The PGA Tour season is one of the longest in sports and even though they may not play every week, it's very taxing on the body and the time off is essential to ensure positive results when we begin training for the next season.

I would recommend the same recipe for the amateur. Regardless if you are able to play year around or not, take a period of at least 2 weeks to put the golf clubs in the closet. The break away from the game will do wonders. You may even find after you return you are playing better golf and shooting lower scores.

Following the rest time - and like I said, it's longer for some, shorter for others - its time for the tour player to begin ramping up for the next season by physically improving the parameters of the body for the upcoming year. Just like any other golfer - from the Sunday hacker to the scratch golfer to the club pro - the professional golfer will work on trying to increase flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power.

The amateur during this time of the year (usually the winter when snow is on the ground) can implement a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program will entail developing the physical capacities of the body around the golf swing. The program will look to develop flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power in relation to the golf swing. This is the first step for the amateur to keeping their golf swing in shape all year long.

The amateur during this time of year can also implement swing drills into their training program. The professional may or may not incorporate swing drills into their program at this time year. But for the amateur I recommend it, why? This is the time of year in addition to developing the body for the golf swing. The amateur can work on swing faults that hindered their scores the previous season.

The swing drills can be simply performing "mirror drills" to work on posture and the phases of the golf swing.

You should start putting drills this time of the year. If you are lucky enough to live in a region you can play golf year around, a couple short sessions at the range every week is a good idea. I would recommend the range sessions be kept short and focused on fixing the "problem" areas in your golf swing. The important point is the off-season is a time the amateur can take advantage of working on both their bodies and their golf swing

Professionally when the PGA Tour season approaches, we begin what is essentially the preseason. This is when the player starts to practice the fundamental mechanics of the sport. If it's a golfer, he's on the range working on his swing, if it's a pitcher, he's throwing getting ready for spring training. Physically, we're still training the body, but we tone it down while the player fine tunes his game. But make no mistake about it, even though working on the golf game is 75 percent of the focus of this pre-season training program, we're still working on the basics of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power training.

The pre-season for the amateur marks the time of year when the snow is beginning to melt and the "itch" to play golf comes around. I would suggest the amateur follow a similar program as the professional during this time of year. Start spending more time at the range. Working on all aspects of your golf game. Continue with your golf fitness program, but you may want to back off it a little as a result of the increased practice time. Again, keep in mind the body swings the golf club and we must keep the body in shape to do so.

The pre-season program of increased golf practice and a little less golf fitness continues with the professional golfer until their first tournament. This marks the point when we shift to an in-season golf fitness program. The golf fitness exercises don't stop, but we back off on the intensity. The program doesn't change much. We're still focused on flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power, but the amount or volume of work is much less to accommodate the physical and mental strain of competition.

Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training. The amateur during the golf season is probably in a little different of a situation. They are probably not playing 4 competitive rounds of golf per week plus practice. At most, they may be playing 2-3 rounds per week with a couple practice sessions. As a result of the lower volumes of golf they can spend a little more amount of time with their golf fitness program.

Essentially, the amateur can pretty much stick to pre-season volume of golf fitness training unless they are playing quite a bit. Just make sure the right balance of golf fitness training is in place in relation to your golf practice and playing. This is necessary so that you do not physically over-tax the body. Bottom line if you are looking to keep your golf game in shape and improving year around, I recommend following what the pros do; take a break at the end of the season, implement a golf fitness program, work on your swing faults during the winter, increase your practice time at the range before the season, and during the season keep a good balance of playing, practicing, and working out.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

The Core and Improving Your Golf Swing

The concept of "core training" is a "buzz word" in today's fitness and training community. It has also become a prevalent idea in the game of golf. In regards to golf it has been noted by many individuals that the core area of the body is where the "power" comes from in your swing, and in order to make a full turn you need flexibility in the core. This article will discuss the function of the core in relation to human movement and the golf swing.

We will discuss categorically the functions of the core and how improvements in these areas can assist in the improvement of your golf swing. Before we begin discussing the functions of the core, let us define it. The core can be defined as an anatomical area of the body. The core is includes all the muscles from below the chest to the hips. Separated out into body parts the core includes all muscles of: the hips (glutes, hamstrings, glutes), abdominals, obliques (side abdominals), and low back. These muscles groups essentially comprise the core region and are involved in the majority of movement elicited by the core.

Now that we have a brief understanding of what exactly the core refers to in terms of a reference point, let us begin to discuss the pertinent connections between the core and the golf swing. We will be discussing the following topics in relation to the golf swing: 1) range of motion, 2) speed of motion, 3) balance, and 4) coordination. All four of these categories are related to the core of your body and have a direct effect on your golf swing. We will first begin by discussing range of motion and move forward from that point.

Range of Motion

Most of us have probably heard of this term before and may have some type of definition for it. Let us first define range of motion. Range of motion is essentially a distance that the body or body part moves during an activity. For example, walking down the street requires all segments of the body to move through a certain range of motion. In addition to the entire body, specific body parts move through a specified range of motion. The knee for instance, when you are walking, moves in a linear range of motion to create movement in the legs.

The golf swing is similar to walking when discussing range of motion. The entire body must move through a specified distance to perform the golf swing correctly. The core as a segment of the body also has to move through a specified distance to perform the golf swing correctly. Relating the core and the golf swing range of motion is very important. It is the primary body segment that allows for the rotation of the body to occur. The back swing, down swing, and follow through require an extensive range of motion to be provided by the core. If limitations exist in terms the distance that the core can "move through," then limitations will occur in the golf swing. On the flip side, a greater range of motion (distance that the body segment moves through) generates greater amounts of power. This gets into what can be termed as the "X" factor in the back swing. The more turn (range of motion of the core) you can get in the golf swing, the greater ability the body has to generate more power.

Range of motion is quite a relevant topic when reviewing the golf swing. It becomes quite apparent that a connection exists between the range of motion available to the core and what the end results are in the swing. A brief synopsis would indicate that a greater range of motion in the core results in a more powerful swing, and less range of motion decreases power in the golf swing.

Speed of Motion

Connected to range of motion is the speed of that range. Speed of motion is essentially adding a time component to range of motion. It is connected to the speed at which an object would move.

If you have a large range of motion created by the body over a short period of time, the speed of the motion is fast and power production is high. On the other hand if you decrease the range of motion the body moves through with the golf swing and slow the movement down, power production will be less.

The core is again at the center of this discussion pertaining to the golf swing. At this point, we know that a large range of motion creates a greater "X" factor in the golf swing. This will ultimately result in greater power output. Add into the equation a high speed of motion, and the power component of the swing becomes greater. The point to be made is that range of motion and speed are interconnected in relation to the golf swing. The core is connected to these two entities in that it is the segment of the body that creates the greatest range of motion in the swing.

Balance

Balance is a key component of the golf swing that we hear about quite often. Balance can be defined as the amount of stability within the body during a movement. The greatest amount of balance by the body can be achieved if it maintains a center of gravity around the middle line of support. If you have ever taken a golf lesson you know what the above sentence is talking about. The body including the core must rotate around a center axis in the body. If rotation is moved to far away from this center axis, balance in the golf swing will be lost. As a result of weight shifts in the golf swing, the axis which the body rotates around does move, but movement by certain body segments beyond a certain point reduces stability.

Research indicates that accuracy and consistency is connected to stability in the golf swing. In addition, EMG studies indicate that the core is involved to a high extent in the stabilization of the body in any human movement, including the golf swing. We could probably make the connection that the core is a relevant body part in the ability to maintain balance in the golf swing.

Coordination

The final point of this discussion of the core and the golf swing is coordination. Coordination is essentially the ability of the body to activate body parts in a sequential order to create a desired movement. Go back to the walking example, and the body must coordinate all parts of the body to create this movement. The golf swing is essentially the same. The body must "fire" the muscles of the body in a certain order with the correct timing to create the movement of the golf swing. The core is actively involved in the coordination of the golf swing, as is the rest of the body. The two points to focus upon in terms of coordination are: 1) timing and 2) sequence. Both of these terms are essential for a mechanically efficient golf swing. The sequence in which muscles are "fired" in the golf swing require a certain timing for an efficient swing to occur.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Build a Consistent and Reliable Golfing Swing With These Three Principles

When Australian and international golfers arrive at my golfing school one of the first things I explain to them is that there are just three principles they need to fully understand and learn to help them develop a powerful and repeating golfing swing. I'm sure that as you read this you might be a little skeptical because let's face it, there is a lot of conflicting and ambiguous advice surrounding the best golfing swing method to learn.

It can be quite mysterious, and with all the advice on offer the question that might be running through your mind right now is "why should you listen to me?" Good question. Like you, I've read lots of golf instruction books, golf magazine articles and I've been to countless golf websites looking at the systems, methods and techniques on offer.

The difference is that I have spent more than twenty thousand hours on the golf range (you read correctly) helping golfers like you to improve their game. So I'm not confused about what you need to do to develop a consistent and reliable golfing swing. I've tried and tested many approaches in my search to find a straightforward, rational and well-organized way to improve the golfing techniques of my students.

The answer I discovered is that you begin your quest for improvement by defining the ground rules of the game. Since golf is a stick, ball and target game the place to start would be to understand how the stick (golf club) influences the ball to fly towards your chosen target. You see, learning how to build a consistent golfing swing need not be confusing or difficult because every single golfer from a novice player to a PGA tour professional has to do just three things.

Since the ball is on the ground and to the side of you, you can appreciate why the golf club when rested upon the ground behind the golf ball is built on an inclined plane angle. From driver to putter the shaft of the golf club is on an angle of inclination. Think about a house for a moment and you can imagine a floor which is a horizontal plane; next add some walls which is a vertical plane; and finally add a roof which is an inclined plane.

This inclined plane guides the direction of your golfing swing as it goes backwards and forwards. Every golf club in your bag follows this plane. In fact because the golf club is built this way it becomes a law unto itself.

So the first principle is to control the direction of the golf club as it swings backwards and forwards in relation to your target by keeping your golf club on or as close to this plane as you can. You can do this by placing a flat piece of cardboard (or similar) the width of your seven iron shaft from the bottom of the club head to the base of the grip on the same angle the seven iron is built on. Prop it on its angle against something so that it will stay there as you practice swinging your golf club backwards and forwards along it slowly.

The second principle relates to the club heads relationship to the golf shaft that it's attached to, and its ability to rotate on the end of the golf shaft as it travels backwards and forwards. When your golf club travels backwards to the top of your golf swing it turns a little bit like a door turns on hinges. When it swings forwards towards the golf ball it rolls back to its original position, which should be timed precisely as the ball departs from the club face.

Mind you, you only need enough rotation (turn and roll) around the shaft to achieve this straight clubface post-impact position. Any more or less and you're in big trouble. You can achieve this by making sure that your left hand (for a right hand golfer) is positioned in such a way that you can roll the head more than you can turn it. If you held your golf club in front of you in a horizontal position and you turn it, the clubface would turn towards 2 o'clock. When you roll it, it will roll to nearly 9 o'clock. In other words, you want your club face to close more on the follow through than you can open it on the back swing.

The majority of golfers I've worked with at my golfing school over the years tend to open the club face more than they should in the back swing and as such they find it difficult to close it enough in the forward swing. This leads to shots that travel off to the right of the target.

The third principle relates to delivering sufficient force at the correct time in the down swing so you can hit your golf ball a satisfying distance. This principle relates to developing sufficient speed of the club head as close to impact as possible. When you watch a PGA tour golfer on television, if you look carefully you will notice how the left arm and golf club work in unison with one another during the back swing and forward swing phases.

In the address position they are almost in line with one another, but as they travel backwards the left wrist starts to hinge and the golf club moves out of line with the left arm. Ultimately an acute angle is formed between them at the top of the back swing. This angle has stored up the potential energy of the golf swing and is waiting briefly before it transfers it into kinetic energy in the down swing.

The key is to maintain this acute angle for longer so that the energy that's being released into the down swing is released slowly like a slow release fertilizer for your lawn. If the energy releases too early you move into the deceleration phase too early which will lead to shorter-less powerful drives and irons.

You can store this acute angle for longer by following this advice. Since a force can be defined simply as a push or pull, you need to decide how your hands (which are in front of your golf club at the top of the back swing) move down the plane (see principle # 1) towards your golf ball. Some golfers at the top of the swing will push on their golf club more with their right hand to accelerate the golf club into the down swing, whilst others will pull more with their left hand to accelerate the golf club.

So which is right? Well, image for a moment a line that extends vertically upwards from your golf ball at address; we'll call this the impact line and it's a point of reference for us to determine which is the best hand to use to maintain the angle between the left arm and club shaft. At the top of your swing how far would you say your hands are from the impact line? Try it now and find out. You will discover that they're anywhere from three to five feet.

If you pull the golf club past this impact line the golf club and its energy will be released later than if you push on it with your right hand. In other words, hands first-club head second. You do not want your club head to catch up to your hands before you strike the ball. The best way to do this is to keep the club head following your right elbow in the down swing for as long as you can. The further that your right elbow travels across the front of your body the more likely that the golf club will strike the golf ball at the correct time. Also, you'll find that by positioning your hands just above your waist at about 9 o'clock that it's easier to get your hands to pass the impact line well before your golf club can strike the ball.

So there you have it, three principles that will help you to develop a consistent and repeating golfing swing.

If you enjoyed reading my article you can visit my golf blog at www.golfconfidence.org or for information on my golfing school you can go to www.goldcoastgolfschool.com.au where you can find out about my golf improvement programs.

Lawrence Montague has been a leading golf teaching professional in Australia for more than twenty years and runs one to five day golfing schools for golfers of all levels of ability on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia.

The Principles of the Pro Golf Swing

Developing consistency and confidence in your golf game begins by firstly developing a better understanding of how the golf club's design influences your golf balls behaviour. Each golf club is engineered to very fine tolerances and has been built to help you to gain a level of control over trajectory, curvature and ball speed. Your job is to use the golf club correctly, which is to say use it in such a way that you strike consistent golf shots that you're satisfied with...most of the time. But this as you already know is definitely a challenge given the amount of conflicting information you have to sift through to find the best way for you to use the golf club correctly.

We all want to hit the ball better and learning how to apply the principles of the pro golf swing will definitely help you to develop consistency and confidence. Following are the pro golf swing principles that I believe will help you to strike the golf ball more solidly and consistently leading to more confidence on the golf course.

Principle # 1 - Control the angle of the golf shaft as it strikes the golf ball.

Controlling trajectory begins by understanding the relationship between the head or striking end of the golf club and the handle or holding end as the golf club strikes the golf ball. There are three conditions that the golf shaft can be in as it strikes the ball. The shaft can lean forwards towards the target, it can have no lean, or it can lean backwards away from the target. When using an iron or a wood we ideally want the golf shaft leaning slightly forwards as the golf ball departs from the clubface.

How do you do it?

Practice punching your golf shots by trying to hit your golf shots as low as possible using a seven iron without moving your upper body towards the target until the golf ball has left the clubface. Practice hitting golf shots under low tree branches and bushes and focus on hitting the ball before the ground. You might have noticed that PGA tour professionals use the punch shot quite often when they hit their approach shots into the green.

Principle # 2 - Control the clubface angle as the club head strikes the golf ball.

The clubface can be in one of three conditions as the golf ball is struck. It can be open to the target line, square to the target line or closed to the target line. It is helpful to know that the golf club should not be square at impact but actually slightly open. The reason for this is that there is a very important distinction that you should be aware of. Rather than thinking of impact as the time when the club comes into contact with the golf ball, think of it as two distinct times in your golf swing - impact or collision and separation. When the golf club makes contact with the ball the clubface should be slightly open not square, and during the time that the golf ball is in contact with the clubface it "squares up" and the ball departs or separates from the clubface.

How do you do it?

The key to achieving this is to make sure that your hands when applied to the handle are positioned so that the pressure is behind the handle rather than on top. The best example I can give you is to imagine that you are pushing a shopping cart or lawn mower and think about where your hands are positioned on the handle. The strongest position for your hands is behind the handle when applying pressure to move the object forward. This is no different on a golf club where the objective is to apply pressure to the rear of the golf ball. If you want to hit stronger and longer shots, make sure that both hands are rotated slightly behind the handle of the golf club.

Principle # 3 - The accelerating golf club should decelerate as late as possible.

A golf club at the start of the downswing accelerates, achieves peak acceleration and then decelerates until it stops. Every golf club swung by a human being does this. You may have heard commentators describe how pro's "accelerate through the ball" which is a nice thought but actually it doesn't happen quite like that. In fact the golf club is slowing down as it comes into contact with the golf ball and for some golfers it's slowing down quite rapidly. The key is to reduce the deceleration so that it happens as late as possible.

How do you do it?

Make short backswings with a full and complete wrist cock. Swing your arms back to about 9 o'clock with the club head pointing directly upwards. From this position swing the club to the finish position and create a loud whoosh sound on the target side of the golf ball. As you whoosh your golf club swing into a perfectly balanced finish position. The key to this practice method is to only focus on developing the whoosh in front of the golf ball rather than at the golf ball. Now transfer the feeling into your golf swing by still focusing on creating the whoosh in front of the golf ball.

Practice developing the pro golf swing principles and incorporate them into your golf swing. With some consistent practice you will start to notice improved results leading to more consistency and golf confidence.

Author Lawrence Montague has been a leading golf teaching professional in Australia for more than twenty years and owns one of the top golf schools based on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

If you enjoyed reading this article please visit my golf blog at http://www.GolfConfidence.org. Or for information on my golfing school you can go to http://www.GoldCoastGolfSchool.com.au where you can find out about my one to five day golf improvement programs.

The Optimal Recipe to Improve Your Golf Swing

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of articles about how to improve your golf. Just pick up any weekly or monthly issue of any golf magazine. You will read page after page on how to get better at your driving distance, how to improve your putting, how to improve your short game. The list goes on and on and on. (I could probably fill this whole article with the titles of the articles that are "supposed" to fix your game). This tells me a few things about golfers: 1) we all want to get better, 2) we are anxious to absorb all the information possible to get better, and 3) golf is a game of continual improvement.

The question that may be running through your mind at this point is: "Why is this article any better the ones I read last week?" The answer is that it is not. It is different, not necessarily better or worse. The difference is the perspective from which this article is written. Let me explain.

I currently work on the PGA Tour as a personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach. Previous to my position on the tour I worked in professional baseball with the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers training elite athletes. This article will look at improving your golf swing through the "my" eyes, which is a perspective different from players, swing coaches, and sports psychologists. This article will not speak directly about specific drills or mental thoughts that should be incorporated into your swing. We will look at golf from a broader perspective and provide some insight on how to approach improvement in your golf game on a day-to-day basis.

I see improvement in the sport of golf contingent upon three ideas. These ideas are categories that any golfer or any other athlete can apply to their daily lives for improvement in their sport of choice. The three keys to improvement in any athletic endeavor, golf included, are:

1) physical,

2) biomechanical, and

3) mental/emotional

Realize that entire books are written on these three subjects, and the point of this article is to present these keys to pique your interest for more information to help you improve your game.

Biomechanical (Golf Swing Mechanics)

Biomechanics is essentially physics applied to the body. The study of biomechanics concerns itself with how the body moves and what allows it to perform certain human movements. For example, biomechanics studies how the body moves to throw a baseball 95 miles per hour or how to swing a golf club to create club head speed of 120 miles per hour. Biomechanics looks at how the body moves to perform these actions efficiently. Biomechanics in relation to the golf swing concerns itself with how the body swings a golf club to get the most efficient and effective swing possible from the human body. I would estimate that probably 95% of the books, articles in golf magazines and television programs deal with the topic of biomechanics. When it comes to the biomechanics of the golf swing, the research is pretty solid, and "they" (swing coaches, instructors, etc...) know mechanically what the golf swing should do, and how the body is suppose to work to perform it correctly.

Biomechanically, the human body is not perfect. The perfect golf swing or the perfect pitching motion has yet to be achieved by any human. The professionals in such sports get very close. Their efficiency ratings when it comes to these athletic actions are in the 90's in terms of percentages, but there is yet to be a human who has achieved 100% biomechanical efficiency in any movement. Don't expect to be near 100% efficiency. To get better swing mechanics the bottom line is that you must find quality information, instruction and practice, practice, practice. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Physical "Golf Fitness" Recipe

The physical side of golf has to do with preparing the actual physical body to perform the athletic movement you are asking it to do. Every movement that your body performs, be it walking down the street, playing catch, or swinging a golf club, requires effort from your body. Your body has to perform "work" to complete these physical actions. To swing a golf club with the correct biomechanics in an effective and efficient manner, your body needs to be flexible, balanced, strong, have endurance, and power.

It becomes obvious that to swing a club on the correct path you body has to have the "platform or base" to do it correctly. Your platform consists of the flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power we discussed in the previous paragraph. These 5 pieces to the golf fitness puzzle are developed through training which create what is called a "transfer of training effect" into the golf swing.

Quite often I see amateur golfers lacking the necessary amounts of flexibility, balance, etc. and it hinders any possibility of developing the correct biomechanics of the golf swing.

So simply put, you have to develop a better swing; you need to develop more flexibility into your body, improve your balance, become stronger in your overall body, improve your muscular endurance and what we are all after, and improve your power.

Think of your golf fitness as a cookie recipe. If you leave out any one ingredient, your cookie will taste terrible.

Don't leave out any ingredients in your golf fitness plan.

Mental/Emotional

You have probably read articles of "the mental side of golf," which I think are great reads and have a significant benefit to your game. I know personally when I am confident in my swing, hitting the fairway off the tee is much easier. That has to do with confidence in my game in addition to success on the course. I would like to interject a point that I have seen from working with numerous professional athletes.

Let me begin by asking you a question: "which occurs first, success or confidence?" The answers I hear half the time are success and the other half of the time confidence. Let me first tell you that it is a trick question. The answer is as follows: "Proper preparation precedes success and confidence." So with that said, I found through experience that both success on the course and confidence in your game are a direct result of being properly prepared physically, mentally, and biomechanically for competition.

So just thinking about making a putt usually does not work. Making that putt or putting that drive into the fairway is more a result of days upon days of physical and biomechanical preparation of your swing. This will then foster what is required to make those shots on the course. One additional observation: I have found that creating the mental focus required for golf is much easier when you have developed the physical foundation for your swing. If you trust that your body will do what you ask it do, when you want it to do it, mentally the game becomes much easier.

Where can I learn more?

Again, remember my perspective is from a different corner. I also believe that if you put these three philosophies to work on a daily basis your golf game will improve by leaps and bounds.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Develop "Feel" in Your Golf Swing with a Golf Fitness Program

Probably what separates the PGA Touring pro and the amateur golfer is "feel." Every pro I know can "feel" where the club and clubhead are at any point during the swing.

Not an easy task, especially for the weekend golfer.

Many amateurs struggle with the idea, concept, or understanding of how to develop "feel" for the swing. It is a process that requires time, patience, and practice.

Part of the process of developing "feel" for the golf club is through proprioception. This may or may not be a term you have heard, but it is vitally important to the golf swing.

Proprioception is a big word that, simply put, is defined as "knowing where your body is in space." Essentially, it means consciously knowing where your body is when moving, what your limbs are doing, and in what order. To simplify it further, it is feel. Some of us are better at it, others worse.

The good news is that you can improve your proprioception, or your feel.

Think about this for a moment: what is one of the most important aspects of improving your golf swing?

It is "feel" for the golf club at every position within the golf swing. Beginning with address, into take-away, your backswing, downswing, and follow through. "Feeling" where the club is at every moment is key.

PGA Tour pros "feel" the club during the swing, or in other words they have excellent proprioceptive abilities. As a result, they have the ability to make the little adjustments that are crucial in the golf swing. Additionally, their outstanding level of proprioception allows them to know what is going on with their golf swing the majority of the time.

How do you develop your ability to better "feel" the golf club and clubhead?

First and foremost, your development of better golf swing mechanics is center stage. Understanding the mechanics and where the clubhead should be is the first step.

This allows you to consciously know and practice the positions of where the golf club and body should be at any moment in the golf swing. Mentally understanding golf swing mechanics allows you to have a "map" to refer to when developing your golf swing.

Secondly, when it comes to golf swing mechanics we look at practice. We all know the body learns a new movement through repetition. The mind and body learn either the correct or incorrect golf swing through practice.

This is the point where the proprioceptive or "feel" abilities of your body for your golf swing begin to form. The movement pattern begins to be ingrained as you continue to practice your golf swing.

This is where the third component of developing "feel" comes into play. The third component of developing "feel" is the body.

Golf swing mechanics are performed by your body, and, as a result, the body is critically involved in developing feel in your golf swing.

Developing feel is linked to your nervous system and the ability of the brain/nerves to input/output information efficiently.

Improving the process by which your brain and nerves input (learning the golf swing mechanics) and output (execution of the golf swing) has a direct effect on your ability to feel the club.

How do you improve the proprioceptive qualities of the body that directly affects your ability to feel the golf club? Improvement in this area lies within performing exercises that increase the efficiency with which the nervous system operates.

Exercises that improve proprioception and "feel" during the swing are called balance exercises. Balance exercises challenge the nervous system, creating more efficiency in the input/output system of the body.

Better balance allows for the body to learn new movements (i.e. golf swing) more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, these exercises increase the ability of the body to "feel" athletic movements like the golf swing.

In summary, we have three components that improve our "feel" for the golf club. Number one is an understanding of golf swing mechanics. You must have a conscious "road map" of the golf swing. This allows you a reference point to develop the correct swing mechanics.

Secondly, practice is required. The body learns through repetition. Practice allows the brain and the body to learn the movement sequence of the golf swing. Practice is also the point where the body begins to develop the proprioceptive qualities required for the golf swing.

Finally, you need to develop the proprioceptive capacities of the body itself through balance exercises. These types of exercises improve the input/output system of the body allowing for improved learning capacities by the body, better "feel" of where the body is in space, and a greater capacity to "feel" the golf swing.

All in all, it is a combination of developing these three entities within your golf swing and body that creates "feel" for the swing. They all work together and cannot be separated.

If you truly want to develop a PGA-Tour-type swing, you will need to have a better understanding of the golf swing, practice, and development of the body.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Golf Workouts Will Increase Your Golf Swing Speed and Distance

I'm sure by now you've heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It's no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?

Vijay Singh Does Golf Workouts

Either way...the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like it's hurting his game? I don't think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you know who I'm talking about.

Tiger Woods Golf Workout Routine

Tiger took golf to another level. A real eye-opener for the veteran players who were hitting the 19th hole after every round...and the last thought on their mind was "exercise". What a wake-up call to be totally dominated by a player who was only 20 years old at the time.

Annika Sorenstam Credits Her Golf Exercises

How about the year Annika Sorenstam shot a 59 and totally dominated the LPGA? Do you know what she attributes it to? Golf workouts! She hired a trainer and got serious about her fitness. And look what happened? She hasn't looked back since. She just recently came out with an instruction book and devoted a chapter to golf workouts.

To my recollection, that's the first women's instruction book to include golf workouts. Working out to playing better golf isn't just for the guys; Annika has proved that. Now more LPGA players are working out to try and catch her, just like the guys did with Tiger.

Senior Golfers Now Do Golf Fitness Programs

How about the senior tour? Now players are realizing they can still make good money, even after they've turned 50 and can't really compete with the young guys anymore. With the money at stake, they too are all working out. This group of players both amateur and pro is the biggest demographic that needs it the most.

With age comes a decline in both flexibility and strength. When the body declines, the swing goes right along with it. The result is a big loss in yardage, more mishits, and ballooning scores. The end result...frustration! I can't tell you how many times I've played with and received phone calls from older golfers who are just about ready to quit the game.

They are SO frustrated at this rapid decline, that golf's not fun anymore. But there is hope. The answer? Get your body moving just a little better. How? By participating in workouts for golf program that focuses on golf-specific strength AND flexibility. It's amazing to see golfers in this age bracket dramatically improve their driving distance, accuracy and scores.

You don't have to accept that with age, your body declines. No way! You've got to fight it all the way! I'm dead serious. The ones who do, are the ones who are enjoying the game again and taking all the money in their foursome.

What Is A Golf Workout

What is a golf workout anyways? Is there such a thing? You bet there is. The golf swing is an awkward movement that puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible specific to the swing.

I could spend dozens of pages describing what this entails, but for the sake of this concise article, let's keep it simple.

Golf Is Rotational

The golf swing is a rotational movement, with your body in golf posture. Slight flex of the knees and a bending forward at the hips. Since the golf swing is primarily rotational, wouldn't it make sense to focus on rotational strength and flexibility? That is improving your turning ability related to range of motion and speed.

So anything involving twisting with resistance such as a medicine ball, a dumbbell, or even a weighted club would work. You need to have a resistance to take your body beyond where it normally goes.

For instance, if you took a club and placed it behind your neck, got in your golf posture and rotated back and forth; do you think that by itself would improve your range of motion or power?

Use A Weighted Golf Club

No, you need to add resistance to accomplish this. Take a weighted club and make golf swings. Now you'll be making a bigger turn AND improving your power. Same thing with a medicine ball. Make turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball and you'll see a BIG improvement.

In fact, most of your abdominal work should be rotational. Doing straight crunches won't improve your driving distance. Doing rotational movements with added weight will. This is where I could go on and on, but I won't overload you.

Golf Workouts Will Transform Your Golf Swing

I hope I've convinced you to take a real serious look at what all the other successful professional players are doing to stay at the top of their game. Doing golf workouts can and will dramatically change your game forever. Now get out there and get it started. No procrastinating. Do it right now!

Do you want to discover the secret to creating more power and consistency in your golf swing... and eliminating ALL your swing faults?

Download this: performbettergolf.com/free-golf-ebook.html

Mike Pedersen helps golfers' improve their golf swing power, consistency and golf swing faults by addressing the physical limitations in their golf swing.

Fix Your Cranky Golf Swing Forever

You may receive all the greatest golf tips in the world, take countless lessons and get superior instruction and still may not be able to gain consistency. If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. It's important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball.

Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. 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. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as "I play great golf all the time."

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. Try not to grip the club too tightly. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

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. 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. Before you swing, make sure you're relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them.

Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you're going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. 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. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

Don't underestimate the value of fitness when it comes to your golf swing and your overall golf game. It's no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power.

There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. Golf swing aids will improve your golf game. There are a wide range of golf swing aids on the market today to help the beginning and advanced golfer. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert.

There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today. 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.

Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at time. Practice, practice, practice! Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro.

For more information on golf swing improvement golf swing aids and golf swing fitness go to http://www.Best-Golf-Guide.com specializing in golf tips, help, advice, resources, and instruction including information on golf swing tips.