The SwingBy John Toepel

We continue with playing golf and Rick's story. It could be and will be your story. The principles and ideas you will learn about playing golf will affect your score for the better from this moment forward. Because we are not changing your swing, there is no chance for you to score higher than you do right now. There is more than a real good chance for you to score lower today and for the rest of your life. And the fun thing is that you didn't have to change your grip to shoot your lower scores. Yippee!!!

Let's now continue with the ideas that will lower your scores.

What Rick said is true. The Concept Golf way of learning how to play golf is for all levels of golfers, from the beginner to the Tour Player. You can benefit from these principles at your current playing level. The ideas in this book will immediately open your thinking to how to play the game of golf and have lower scores.

You can become a good golfer. Good doesn't mean better than your neighbor. It means making pars, some birdies and shooting in the 70's, maybe lower sometimes.

This book was written to help you improve your golf game, and consistently score lower, by making you a better player of the game. This book will reveal to you exactly what you need to do to become a good golfer. The ideas in this book will change your approach to the game -- your game -- and how you think about the game. You will shift your focus from the swing to playing the game. This book is not about the golf swing. This book is about playing the game -- and knowing how to do it well.

You don't have to be a great ball striker to be a good player.

Be aware of these two traps: First, that "fixing" your golf swing will make you a par golfer; second, that you have to be able to hit mostly good shots before you should consider learning how to play golf. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The swing is one of golf's tools. You should learn the foundation for your swing in a couple of hours. Most golfers think they will improve their golf game and shoot lower scores by "fixing their swing problems." They think getting a swing lesson will fix everything.

Fixing your swing MAY help your game improve for a period of time -- or it may not. At best, fixing your swing will result in a short term improvement in your

game. BUT, by trying to fix your swing, you do run the risk -- and it is a real risk -- that you may do serious and permanent damage to your game and ability to score. It probably seems counterintuitive that trying to fix your swing may cause irreparable damage rather than fixing your golf game -- but it is the truth. Many tournament winners on the PGA Tour have tried to fix or improve their swings after they have won -- with disastrous results.

Concept Golf's five swing principles were covered in detail in Golf Can't be this Simple-The Swing, and they will be reviewed in this book. That review will be our only peek into the swing. Instead, we are going to help you become a better golfer by addressing the playing of the game and how to think like a professional. We are not going to get bogged down by the swing. I am going to define your goal and the goal of this book as helping you to become a par golfer. You should expect to shoot par for 18 holes more often than not. If this goal initially seems unrealistic and hard to accept, I encourage you to read the entire book, then make your decision.

Isn't the swing supposed to be the most important aspect of your golf game? Many of the very best don't seem to think so. Byron Nelson doesn't have the classic swing, yet his 1945 record-low scoring average of 68.33 held for 55 years. Arnold Palmer's swing isn't a classic, but he won many tournaments and several majors. The list of winners who do not have classic swings can go on and on; Billy Casper, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ray Floyd, Billy Joe Patton, and so on.

The swing is just square one of the game of golf's matrix. The wrong aspect of the game has been emphasized for some time. To a fault, traditional golf instruction has focused on the mechanics of the swing with the assumption that the swing is the only key to the game. Very little is actually said about how to play golf.

The second trap is that you must be a good shot maker to be a good player. You don't have to be a great ball striker to be a good player. You certainly don't need a picture-perfect swing to be a good player. You don't need the latest high-tech equipment to be a good player. But you do need to know how to play the game.

You must change your thinking if you are to become a par golfer

Playing golf is not a science, it's an art. There are not hundreds of rules you "must" follow in order to play well. It is not a science that allows the golfer to choose the right club to have the shot end up exactly next to the pin more than occasionally.

How you think is everything. You express what you think - what you hold as true and real - be it wrong or right, false or true. Your golf swing reflects your

concept of the swing. Your golf game reflects your concept of the game. Watch your thoughts very carefully.

This book will give you ideas that will change how you think about playing the game. These idea may actually get you thinking more about playing the game than about fixing your swing. That, in itself, would be a revolution for many golfers today.

You must change your thinking if you are to become a par golfer. You will change your thinking about yourself, the game, what's important, and what's not important. I will teach you how to plan each round, each hole, and every shot.

Golfers have gotten away from playing the game of golf and instead are in search of the "perfect" swing that will deliver the perfect shot every time. We have stopped asking, "What is the right shot?" and "What shot will make the next shot the easiest one?"

The questions I hear these days are, "How does my swing look?" "Am I holding my hands right?" "How can I hit it 300 yards?" and "Where did you get that driver?" There is little thought about the strategy of playing the game.

Knowing how to play the game is important -- far more important than how to hold the club or how to make a backswing. Are you ready to learn how to play golf and consistently lower your score, forever? Read on!!

Palmer ....On Winning

Principles versus MechanicsBy John Toepel

How can you play your best golf? With mechanics or principal based instruction?

For about the last 50 years, people have been taught the golf swing through mechanics; infinite mechanics, highly specific mechanics. People have been taught to put their hands on the stick, the club, in a very, very specific way. Not only the positions of each finger, but the pressure of each finger. This is also true about the stance, the posture, the backswing, the downswing, impact, follow through, and any other place in the swing we can find with ultra-slow motion video cameras. All these mechanics in order to copy some great player's grip, stance, posture etc. etc. etc..

It's no wonder people think golf is the most difficult, complicated, challenging, frustrating, embarrassing game ever devised. I thought it was too, even when I was playing on the PGA Tour.

The frustration golfers feel, is by trying to be and do something that they are not. Mechanics based instruction assaults the symptoms from the outside, and never addresses the inside of the individual. It's an attack on the symptoms without ever addressing the cause of those symptoms. If there is a fix to the swing through mechanics, it is each very temporary and short-lived. It begins that vicious circle of get better, get worse, find a new teacher, get better, get worse, find a new teacher, get better, get worse, etc. etc. etc..

The underlying assumption in mechanics based instruction is obviously that if we all copy some great player's swing mechanics, that would make all golfers great players. That assumption is based on another faulty assumption: that we are all exactly the same. An incorrect basis for reasoning can only result in false conclusions. The results of all this mechanics based instruction has not been an abundance of gleeful golfers. Scores have neither gone down, nor has frustration lessened. What has been needed is a new golf instruction system. Now that new system is available.

Deming is the man who went to Japan several years ago to help them with their ailing automobile production. The advice he gave to them applies to golf as well. He said, "It's not the people that are the problem, it's the system. 94% of all your problems are in the system. You need a new system." What has been needed is a new golf instruction system. Concept Golf is the new golf instruction system. Zero mechanics, 100% principles. It is a discovery that is a result of my frustration from receiving and giving mechanics based instruction. Mechanics based instruction certainly did not improve my golf game and it never really improved my students golf games.

Principal based instruction has its foundation in a simple concept; all things are products of thought. Every chair, every computer, every glass, every pencil, every golf swing is a manifestation of a thought. Everything that we see and everything that we do was first a thought; a simple, straightforward idea that made sense to the thinker. No product can be manifested from an incomplete, confused, disorganized, illogical thought.

Each person's golf swing is a product of their thought. It is simply a manifestation of the beliefs the individual holds as true. In other words, principal based instruction works from the inside to the outside. It starts with the golfer's thinking. It rearranges the golfers thinking so that it is based on truth and reality rather than on opinion. When the golfer understands the principles that cause every positive effect, that will automatically improve the golfers swing and naturally his shotmaking. With principal based instruction, there is never a direct assault on the mechanics of the golfer's swing.

How many principles are there? If there as many principles as there are you-must-get-it-exactly-right positions. according to mechanic based instruction, golfers are still in the same fix. To all golfers great relief, there are only five, yes that's right only five, swing principles. Two static and three dynamic principles. Now, five is a number we can handle. It fits on one hand! There is Address Position, Alignment, Weight Transfer, Shoulder Relaxation and Back Leg and Knee.

Principal based instruction is very simple. It is designed simply to get the golfer to understand the principles that underlie the swing and the game. It is this understanding that will allow the body and its "system" to create a perfect golf swing for each individual. As you know, principals are ideas that are the same for every individual, changeless over time, and they create every positive effect that can be desired in the golf swing.

When the golfer accepts these principles, they become his foundation for his perfect, authentic golf swing. Every good ball striker has always utilized all five principles in their golf swing. Their swings may look quite different, as we witnessed on the Champions Tour, but they're all based on the same few principles. The fact that their swings look different is a good thing, because they are all unique individuals. It is actually a necessity that each golfer's swing looks different from every other golfer's swing.

For each golfer to function at his maximum ability he must have his own unique, perfect, uncomplicated golf swing based on the five Concept Golf swing principles. Each and every golfer must be allowed to develop his own authentic golf swing. Every swing that is based on the five Concept Golf principles will be perfect for that golfer. All good golfers use the same five principles, but all in their own way.

Golf instruction based on principles goes straight to the heart of the matter. It helps the golfer get it very clear picture or understanding of the golf swing through principles. Every positive effect at the golfer wants in the golf swing will happen automatically as a result of the understanding of the few principles. There is never any attempt to get your fingers just right on the stick, to assume hundreds of specific positions during the golf swing or to do things that would in any other sport seemed quite unnatural.

Principal based instruction also allows the golfer to have one swing, for all clubs, all shots, all the time. Nothing changes in the short game or specialty kinds of shots. The golfer always uses the same basic motion. The clubface may be adjusted slightly, or the ball position may be adjusted slightly, but the swing is always exactly the same and always based on the few principles.

Playing golf with a principled-based golf swing actually makes the game fun. I've even heard a few golfers say the game actually seems easy with a principal based foundation. A principal based golf swing requires no practice, and no fixing, because it's all the golfer's swing. It is not a swing borrowed from some one else or from a group of people.

In the future, rather than thinking that your shotmaking problem is with your grip, your stance, your address position, your backswing, your follow-through, your eyesight, your strength, etc. etc. etc., please ask yourself a few questions like these. What is my picture of the golf swing? What is my understanding of the golf swing? Is the golf swing I see inside of me, a simple golf swing? Does my golf swing express me or is it something that's been copied from other golfers? What might happen if I just forgot all the so-called swing rules and play golf my way with my own swing?

3 Dynamic Concept Golf Swing Principles

Concept Golf's five swing principles have been proven effective by countless golfers at all levels. The principles are not just theory -- they are what works and what the best players have always done. These five fundamentals cause all of the positive, desired effects you see in the Tour Players' swings. They are based upon the same fundamental athletic motion you use when you throw a ball. They are not scientific, but they do follow the laws of physics. You don't need to think about these things, but having a thorough understanding of the total concept of the swing will benefit you.

1. Weight Transfer: This is the foundation the basic athletic motion used in every ground based sport. It is simply the moving of the body to the back foot to cause the back swinging motion. Then moving the body to the front foot to cause the through swinging motion. It is movement OVER to the back foot. You can accomplish this by picking your front foot up in the air. What happens? All

of your weight moves to your back foot. That's exactly what you want to have happen.

By moving all your weight to your back foot you have gotten the mass of your body behind the ball and it is now ready to move back through the ball. To reverse the direction of the swing, transfer all of your weight from your back foot to your front foot. That is all there is to it. Stand on your back foot then stand on your front foot.

There is NO turning, just a lateral move to your back foot then to your front foot. Might your head move when you do this? YES, it will. Is this OK? It is necessary, not just OK. The still head thing is a myth, a folk remedy discussed in The Swing book.

It is the moving of your body through weight transfer that permits the swinging of your arms. This is strength, power, effortlessness, distance, consistency. Other than that its not important.

This principle is intertwined with the next principle, Relaxation. They are dependent on each other. Without weight transfer, relaxation will not and cannot occur. Without relaxation weight transfer cannot and will not occur.

2. Relaxation: This is possible for you, and every golfer, to accomplish. It is necessary for every golfer to accomplish if he is to have any real quality shots success. This is the secret to great distance. It is the secret to high consistency quality shots. Nothing works well in athletics without relaxation. It sems to be counter-intuitive in golf.

You see the green 442 yards away and you drive the ball with all your might. That's seems to be the effective thing to do to make the ball go as far as possible. What happens to the drive? It goes 157 yards slicing in to the trees. The solution? Swing harder. You're really going to kill the ball this time. The result? You do kill it this time. It dies at your feet!!

The golf swing is an expression of centrifugal force. Remember swinging the rock at the end of the string in science class in 8th grade? To make the rock go faster you had two choices; speed up your hand that held the end of the string or make the string longer. PUSHING ON THE STRING MADE THE ROCK STOP, NOT GO FASTER.

That's centrifugal force, that's the golf swing. The rock on the end of the string is the club head. The string is the shaft and your arms. The string attaches at your sternum. To make the club head move more quickly you have two choices; lengthen the string (longer shaft) or speed up your sternum. BY PUSHING ON THE STRING YOU WILL NOT MAKE THE CLUB MOVE MORE QUICKLY, YOU WILL SLOW IT DOWN.

To create maximum speed in the club head requires maximum relaxation in your shoulders. Then the club will be swung without interruption. Your job is to relax so your arms can swing freely, so your club can swing freely and at its maximum possible speed.

Trying to swing your club at the ball with all your might will keep you a 100+ shooter. I promise.

How do you speed up your sternum? With your feet just like you do when you throw a ball. Want to throw it farther, quicken your feet. Want to hit a longer shot? Quicken your feet a little bit. Don't try hard to quicken your feet a lot. A little additional speed in you feet translates to a lot more speed in your sternum and a whole lot more speed in your club head.

Relax your shoulders until it seems they are coming out of their sockets DURING THE ENTIRE SWING and you have increased your club speed exponentially. I promise.

3. Back leg and knee: This is your real source of power. During your backswing, keep your back leg flexed and the weight and pressure on the ball and big toe of your foot. Now as you reach the top of your backswing your back leg is in position to push against the ground in order to push your body forward to your front foot. The good baseball pitchers pitch with this motion. You throw a ball this way , pitch a horse shoe this way, shoot a basket ball this way, etc., etc. your power, and delicacy come from your back leg. It can and will work automatically if you have weight transfer, relaxation and keep you back leg flexed during the backswing.

Did you notice that I spent more words describing the relaxation section than the other four sections? Would it seem that I think relaxation is important?

Now, relax your shoulders and go play golf. The five Concept Golf swing principles are not five things to do but a whole concept to understand.

The Five Concept Golf Swing Principles

The discovery of the five swing principles is a real breakthrough for golfers. They not only define the golf swing and the athletic motion used by all ground based sports, but make all the positive effects every golfer wants in their swing to happen automatically.

I want to talk about how the Concept Golf swing principles create the swing positions that make high quality shot-making common place rather than an accident. It occurs to me that I know and understand the connection between the principles and the positions that cause excellent, consistent shot-making but that it may not be so obvious to many golfers.

Today I am connecting the dots between one of those important positions and two of the Concept Golf swing principles.

One of the necessary positions for excellent ball striking is for the hands ahead of the club head and the ball as the club hits the ball. This is a truth-position for all clubs all the time. Especially the wedge, the putter, the 7-iron, the driver, the 3-wood, the 1-iron, the chip shot, the pitch shot, the sand shot and any other club and any other shot you can think of.

ONLY with the hands ahead of the club head will the ball be struck squarely and fairly. If the club head ever gets ahead of the hands during the swing, many unpleasant results can be expected. Such as: fat shots, crooked shots, very short shots, high aimless shots, shots that no one could love.

As an example, did you ever try to make that little wedge shot near the green only to have the club get some dirt before it got to the ball? The resulting shot is a short dribbler causing an occasional utterance of golf words.

What caused that manly shot? The club head got ahead of your hands. That made the bottom of the arc before the ball rather than beyond the ball. We could focus on what caused the poor shot or what's wrong with this swing, but we are going to focus on the truth that will eliminate that ugly little shot from your quiver forever. OK with you? Good. Let's go on.

The Concept Golf swing principles are only five, but none can be ignored. Remember, too, that your job is to understand them, not just try to specifically apply them. Only through understanding will they seep into your being and your swing in a way that lets you benefit to the maximum. The only way you can reach your ball striking goals is to express these principles in your own unique way. That is the only way you can have your own authentic swing, your own homemade swing.

Having your own authentic swing is a way good thing for many reasons. Have your own swing - don't copy someone else's swing.

What principles are involved in the hands being ahead of the club head at impact? Just these two, weight transfer and shoulder relaxation. And if I was to put emphasis on one of the two - and I'm going to - it would be RELAXATION. (Didn't mean to raise my voice.)

I will usually demonstrate relaxation when I am teaching new students. The way I do this is to hit a few shots with my shoulders relaxed to the point of ridiculousness. My arms appear to be uncontrollable string at best. My shoulders are so relaxed that it's not possible to even sole the club behind the ball before I swing. The students are usually quite amused while I'm preparing to make the swing. They KNOW there is no chance to make any kind of a reasonable shot with that much relaxation.

The look on their face after the first shot is total bewilderment. How in the heck could you have hit a shot that good, that solid and that straight with arms made of rubber bands?

That's the amount of relaxation that is NECESSARY for high quality, consistent shot making. When your shoulders are that relaxed, how can you have a backswing?

The ONLY way is to let the legs make the body move so your arms will be flung or swung in what we know as the backswing. That is to say that the complete shoulder relaxation necessitates the weight transfer to cause the swinging of the arms and the club. Other wise you will be standing still at the address position with very relaxed shoulders. Not a very effective method of good shot-making.

When your shoulders are completely relaxed during the entire swing, the club head at the end of the stick actually has some weight. Because of the complete shoulder relaxation your arms have become followers of your body. Both of these effects are good. Now with your arms following your body and the weight of the club head sufficient to cause the club head to follow the hands and arms, you are going to move your body to the finish. At impact your hands will be well ahead of the club head. GOOD SHOT!!!!!!

As you can see, it is only through relaxation of your shoulders and the needed weight transfer of your body that you will ever be able to have your hands leading the club head at impact and enjoy the resulting crisp, solid shots.

Trying to create the "hands leading at impact" through muscular activity or a sense of swing control will NEVER work. I mean never. I have tried it so many times and so many ways that I can tell you absolutely that it can't work except

through complete and trusting shoulder relaxation. The Concept Golf principles work and they will cause the correct positions to be automatically created without any conscious thought on your part. That is the best possible situation.

When your shoulders are completely relaxed, your backswing will start with your legs and leave the club head behind the ball until the body finally drags it into the backswing. That's exactly how the great Bobby Jones swung - and people didn't understand it then either. As you start forward through the ball with your legs, your arms will be dragged through the ball to the finish. With that incredible relaxation at the top of your backswing, you will sense your arms dropping in behind your body as your body moves through to the finish. You will love the shots you hit!!!!!!

I hope this helps you understand the positive, desired effects the Concept Golf principles cause.

Your Own Swing, The Foundation, & How Low You ScoreBy John Toepel

Golfers tend to give a huge amount of importance to the swing. A good swing produces a low score is their rationale. George Knutson had a great swing. Tom Purtzer is another. Arnold Palmer is not another, yet Arnold is a house hold name and the other two are well known by only a few. I played with both Tom and George and they could really hit some shots. Arnold's record stands for itself. I think I saw a stat on TV that compared all the good players for their top three year period and it was Arnold with 27 wins from 1960-1963. Don't quote me on this stat but I'm close.

The moral of that paragraph is that it's not how pretty the swing is that's important but how low you can score on a consistent basis. So give up trying to have a perfect swing and hitting nothing but perfect shots. Concern yourself with figuring a way to score low with the game and ball striking you have right now.

Nicklaus was never great with the wedge around the green. The rest of his game made up for the weakness. Did he try to get better with the wedge? Yes, but not at the expense of the rest of his game. His strength was thinking well and making putts when he absolutely needed to. Jack has always had a solid foundation for his golf game and he did nothing to upset that foundation. Leave things the same. That way he knew what to expect from himself, his equipment and his game.

This is true about any of the greats of the game. Byron Nelson, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Hogan, Snead, are some of the greats that won for many years. They don't change anything in their swing or playing style. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. They don't do anything that would upset their foundation.

Rather than seeking a swing fix or trying a style of play that doesn't suit your personality, learn to play golf your way. Recognize your strengths and your weaknesses and play toward your strengths and away from your weaknesses. Quit trying to change everything so you can be just like..........what's that pro's name?

If you are hitting your driver 155 with an uncontrollable slice, you have some shot quality issues that need to be addressed so you can have a foundation.

Solid Foundation

What would happen to a two-story, 2,800-square-foot house built on sand with no footings? The weak foundation would cause the house to collapse and fall down at some point. There would be nothing solid under the house to hold it upright over time. Why am I talking about houses? I'm not. I'm talking about foundations. A house needs a solid foundation. So does every golfer.

The principles which under gird your ideas of the swing and the game must be solid as a rock. They must be timeless and unchanging in all conditions and situations and at all times. If this is not the case you will likely be frantically searching for quick fixes and solutions every time you hit a bad shot or get into a bad stretch. The player who wins occasionally does not have a solid foundation of swing concepts and playing concepts. He will become a consistent winner only when his constantly changing ideas are replaced by a solid foundation of changeless, timeless principles.

A golfer whose game has a solid foundation is not disturbed by a bad shot. He is not deeply upset by a poor round or a bad tournament. He is willing to adjust his game plan on the day he is not hitting crisp shots, but he is not looking for a quick-fix swing change. This is fundamental to long-term good play. If your foundation is shaky, your scores over time will be erratic at best. The player who scores well one day, then scores poorly the next couple of days, then has a good day is one whose foundation is built on shifting sand.

The five swing principles of Concept Golf give you the rock-solid foundation you need to become a consistent ball striker. They eliminate the swing as a variable in your game. The ideas in Golf Can't be this Simple - Playing the Game will put you on solid footing to consistently play the game well. Concept Golf will teach you how to actually play the game.

The Golf Swing Is A PuzzleBy John Toepel

The golf swing has been a mystery for decades. It's a puzzle for most.

In the beginning the golf swing was simple and very personal. It was the goal that was important; the score. Eventually, adults came to the conclusion (bad mistake) that golf swing instruction would be the answer to better shots and better golf. Welcome swing teachers and everyone that has ever thought about holding a golf club.

With the advent of high speed photography, split screen video images and all the techy stuff available to the swing teachers today, the golf swing has been divided into millions of positions and components. And now the swing is even more of a mystery.

My evolution was no different. In the beginning (age 8) it was easy to play golf. Just go play golf. Eventually I thought I could avoid hitting any bad shots by fixing my swing.

Thus began my downward spiral. Even though I continued to improve and compete on the PGA Tour for five years, my game was never going to reach the level it should have.

That's what this e-zine is all about, avoiding the trap of "fixing" your swing to fix all your golf problems. It's very tempting to think you are not entitled to any more poor shots and there is a solution. Just change your grip, adjust your feet, bend your knees a bit more, use your master eye, etc. You see what I mean about the swing being a mystery?

Our subject this week,

Don't Try to Fix The Swing - Solve The Problem

What do you do when your game is not up to par? How do you "fix" it? What do you do when it breaks while you are playing? What do you do if your game stays sour for weeks or months? Most often the mistaken "solution" to all the golfer's problems is to try to fix their swing. Often a direct assault on your swing in an effort to make it look like some good player's swing results in a life-long disaster.

I have repeatedly seen golfers seek out golf teachers and ask for help to get back on track. Sometimes it's a teacher they have worked with before. Many times the answer to the player's problems is sought from a teacher who is new to the player.

In any event, the assumed solution to the golfer's problems is to fix their swing. The teacher and the golfer head to the range to diagnose the swing problem and "fix" it. You hit some wedges to warm up and then some seven irons to show the teacher a fuller swing. Finally the teacher pronounces that the problem is in your grip or your left arm, or your butt is not out far enough.

You try to make the change. You are completely absorbed in thinking about that specific part of your body while you are hitting shots for the teacher. And, like magic, your shots are now flying longer and truer. The teacher may mention one, two, or three things you are doing wrong with your body that are causing all your problems. Great! You feel "fixed." You know what the "problems" are and what you "must" do to your body to fix the swing so that your shots are once again good ones.

You head to the course with great expectations. You start out with a drive down the middle, right off the sweet spot of the driver. Your confidence soars. You hit your 6-iron on the green, but it isn't quite as solid as the drive. In the very back of your mind, the question light goes off and you are almost imperceptibly asking yourself "What went wrong?" What was different about this swing and the driver swing? You lip out the birdie putt and head for the next tee.

As you stand on the tee you are making practice swings trying to regain that "feeling" that you had on the range with the teacher, but you can't seem to get it back. You try several things to no avail. You finish the nine and aren't feeling all that good about your swing and your game. The bright idea comes to you that the problem was with the teacher. You've heard about another teacher that has helped some players. You give him a call and set up a time.

The new teacher watches you hit some shots and tells you to focus on your rhythm and "take away." The rest of your swing is fine. You start to hit some pretty good shots. They are solid, long and true. This feels good and you're feeling on top of the golf world.

You go back to the course to play a quick nine to cement the new ideas. You hit it good for a couple of holes and then once again you start hitting some shots that don't feel right. You search for the answers based on the ideas from the new teacher. The feel doesn't return, and once again you end the nine holes thinking this game is a mystery.

I've compressed this experience, but you understand what is being said here. What has really happened? You were asked to focus on your body to fix your swing in an attempt to improve your game and lower your score. You went to two teachers that gave you conflicting things to think about to "fix" your swing.

They worked on the range but disappeared on the course. You could never recapture the same feeling that you had on the range on the course.

The bottom line is that your game did not get better. What's worse, because of the conflicting opinions you were given you now are confused about your swing. You are thinking full-time about your body and not at all about playing the game. You haven't been fixed. In fact, you may be headed for a wreck.

The solution to your swing problem may very well have been to simply stop playing golf for a while. Do something else for a week then come back to it. If you continue to have a swing or shot-making problem, take another week off. Eventually you will find that the "good-old-you" has returned and all is once again well.

Golfers without a solid foundation, or clear understanding of the swing, try any and every "fix" for their golf problems. They want immediate solutions to problems with their game. Trouble's brewing when you're looking for a quick fix.

When I asked for help, even when I was playing on the PGA Tour for a living, this is exactly the type of instruction I got. It didn't help my game. Sometimes my shot quality improved, but the instruction was never designed to improve my golf game.

You want your game to improve. You want ideas that are permanent. You may need to become a better ball-striker, but your big quest is to consistently score lower. To accomplish that, you need a teacher who is really a coach. Your coach needs to play golf with you, or at least watch you play. It would be best if he can watch you play tournament golf.

This is the only way he can assess your golf game and find out what is really causing your scoring problems. Your coach needs to assess what your problem really is. It could be your short game, course management, fear, doubt or confusion. If you have a swing problem, your coach needs to fix your swing problems without telling you to focus on a part of your body or on what your body is doing. Your swing and game are an outward expression of your thinking. If your game is to improve, you must address your thinking.

Only after your real game problem has been identified by a qualified, detached coach should solutions of any kind be suggested.

What do you do if you are in a tournament and your warm-up session went poorly? I was always tempted to try to "fix" my swing before I went to the first tee. What about you? Are you tempted to try to fix it?

I have a lot of wise friends. One of them, Dave Graebel, saw that happening to me in an amateur tournament in Wisconsin. He took me aside and asked me to consider the idea of a situation he was going to present. He set up the situation. "You are a good shot with a rifle. You are given three bullets and asked to hit the bull's eye. Your first shot is high and to the right. You have two bullets remaining and need to hit the bull's eye with one. Do you adjust the sights or aim low left?" That's right: "Dance with what brung 'ya." You can try to fix the problem later, but not as you are headed to the first tee.

Moral of the story; understand the five Concept Golf swing principles because they are the solid foundation to a consistently good shot-making. Develop your own authentic swing and play golf to enjoy the game.

Weight TransferBy John Toepel

This article focuses on the third Concept Golf principle, weight transfer. Before I explain weight transfer and its importance, I would like to discuss the whole Concept Golf idea of what the golf swing is really all about.

The five Concept Golf Swing Principles are the definition of the golf swing. They create a total, complete definition of the swing. They create an understanding that allows you, the golfer, to make an effective swing without thinking about your body or the process. The focus of the five principles is never on the mechanics of the five principles; it is always on the understanding of the total idea of the athletic motion or, in this case, the golf swing.

With that being said, let's examine the weight transfer principle. The first two principles, Address Position and Alignment, are the static principles that take place before the swing motion begins. Weight transfer is the first of the dynamic principles.

Weight transfer is the foundation of the entire swing motion. Without proper weight transfer, nothing else in your entire swing will work properly! This is the foundation upon which the whole golf swing is built. If the foundation of your swing is made of quicksand -- such as the several hundred so-called "perfect" positions in which you "must" hold your body -- a slight shift in the wind will cause the entire swing to crumble. If your swing is built on a rock-solid foundation comprised of sound, fundamental ideas, you can withstand all that the world throws at you and still hit good shots.

The great players have that solid foundation. Nicklaus, Hogan, Nelson and a few others have that unshakable underpinning that they can't be talked out of. When the principles of the swing make sense and work, it is very unlikely that you will try to "fix" your swing because of a few bad shots -- or even a few bad weeks.

Weight transfer is simply the moving of the body's weight to the back foot and then back to the front foot. The baseball pitcher moves his weight to the back foot and then to the front foot in order to utilize the strength of his body and his legs in moving his body around. In the same way, you must use the strength of your body to move your body around. You use your legs to cause the trunk of your body to move, which in turn causes your arms to be moved so that they don't have to move themselves.

Virtually all athletic motions are based on the legs using the feet to move the body. Once again, consider the earlier example of the pitcher throwing the ball. What does he use to cause the body to move? He uses his legs, through his

feet. The ground provides the resistance for the feet so that the legs can do all of the work. The arm does not move itself in order for the pitcher or the golfer to be effective.

Without proper weight transfer the other principles are meaningless. The whole purpose of having the feet and legs move the body is to keep the arms relaxed and allow them to have maximum speed and consistency, returning the club through the ball for a true shot. Most bad shots are a result of the arms trying to do all of the work.

If the arms try to work independently of the body and move themselves, the muscles will tighten and thus move more slowly. When the arms tighten, the immediate result is a real loss of club speed which results in poor shots. Very frequently the club will hit the ground before it can get to the ball.

For good, consistent shots the arms must be followers, not independent leaders. The arms can (and will) follow the body effectively because they are attached at the shoulders. They will be swung along the path through the ball to the target. Weight transfer is a simple concept: weight to the back, weight to the front. When working with students, I have them assume a good address position, then simply pick up the front (left) foot, followed by the back (right) foot in order to understand the concept and the rhythm of the weight transfer motion. One hundred percent of your weight goes to the right foot, and then one hundred percent to the left foot. This creates the swing; the arms simply follow.

Some will say that the problem is that the head is moving with the body and not staying perfectly still. Now, that is a real problem -- especially for Curtis Strange, a back-to-back US Open winner. He has a very generous lateral movement of his whole body to the right. We've been told that the head MUST stay perfectly still during the swing or you will miss the ball. Or worse than that, your buddies will say, "Youlooked up." I think we have been taught this "Myth of The Still Head" because the good ball striker "felt" like his head didn't move when he swung. This myth started before the advent of movie cameras and it became a "law" that the camera could not undo. People tend to accept what they are told -- not what actually takes place -- as truth. We have accepted the myth of a perfectly still head because it has been told to us so many times. However, it is not true and never has been -- so feel free to move your head with your body as your body moves to the right and to the left. NEVER try to keep your head still; it will ruin your whole swing.

Proper weight transfer is a pure lateral movement to the right and then to the left. It's a very simple motion with no attempt to turn. Don't try to turn the body, just move your weight over to the right foot and then over to the left foot, keeping the front of your body facing the ball. Some of you may ask, "That's just fine, but don't I have to try to turn?" I would say, "No." Most golfers

think of a turn as the whole body (the shoulders and the hips) turning. The shoulders will rotate without you consciously attempting to make them turn. There are a couple of reasons you don't want the hips to turn.

The "coiling" (creating greater strength) of the body comes when there is resistance. The shoulders rotate but the hips and lower body resist and the body gets stronger. You want the hips to remain facing forward so that the right leg and foot can stay in a position of strength. If the hips turn, they will pull the right foot out of position and put your weight and pressure on the outside of your heel, rather thankeeping it on the inside front part of your right foot. You cannot throw a ball with any speed or power if your weight is on the outside of your right foot; it deadens the lower body. Try throwing a ball and getting your weight to the outside of your right foot. You have no power. You don't want to try to turn the entire body; just let the shoulders rotate.

Since proper weight transfer is so important, how do you begin? Stand as if you were having a conversation, but with your feet spread shoulder-width inside your heels. Next, simply pick your left foot up in the air. Notice how all of your weight goes to your right foot. Now lift up your right foot. Notice how all your weight goes to the left foot. It's not overly complex, but it is very effective. That's all there really is to the weight transfer principle. Stand on the right foot, then stand on the left foot -- without any attempt to turn.

If you are still convinced that weight transfer is not for you because it breaks too many "rules," let's examine a swing with the body turning and one that uses the proper lateral motion of weight transfer. With the "turn swing," the swing is made with a conscious effort to turn in one spot while keeping the head still. Notice the path the club travels with that type of swing. It goes inside very quickly and returns to the ball, then back to the inside very quickly (See the illustration below). It is on line to the target for only a moment.

The "turn swing" also makes you have a reverse weight shift: weight to the left, then to the right. A reverse weight shift is a "power robber" and has the club on the line to the target for a very short time. On the other hand, proper weight transfer makes you powerful and will keep the club on the target line a long time. This works (See the illustration below).

Weight transfer is one of the five fundamental principles which form the foundation of an effective golf swing. In fact, it is the foundation of the entire swing motion. Without proper weight transfer, nothing else in your entire swing will work properly! Build your golf game on the rock-solid foundation of the five Concept Golf swing principles. Concept Golf is a revolutionary golf instruction system unlike any other, producing immediate, life-long, dramatic improvements in any golfer from beginners to Pro's.

John Toepel is a Veteran PGA Tour Player, instructor, author, and professional speaker. He is also the discoverer of Concept Golf, the quickest way to immediate, life-long lasting improvements to anyone's golf game. To learn more about Concept Golf, including the most comprehensive golf instruction system ever, "The Concept Golf Perfect Shot Making System", please visit [http://www.conceptgolf.com/PSMS.htm] and Discover the Par Golfer in You!ghgb

Golf Swing Physics & Technique

By Patrick Foley

The physics and technique of a golf swing can be discussed for countless days. There are so many different theories and ideas to what is correct and how a golfer should swing. The truth is that there is no correct answer and that multiple facets are essential to having a proper golf swing. The way people reach certain points may be different, but at that certain point, they are much alike.

Setup

A golfer places the club behind the ball, holding it comfortably, and stands perpendicular to his target line. The ball can be played anywhere in the stance depending on the shot the player is trying to execute.

Backswing

In the backswing, a golfer should try to rotate his shoulders to the maximum, to the point where his lead shoulder is almost pointing at the ball. The torso and hips also rotate backward, but the shoulders should rotate more than any other part of the body.

Swinging Through Impact

To swing through impact, the golfer should first begin with a movement of the hips back into the ball. The shoulders and arms should follow, leading the clubhead back into impact.

Follow-through

The hips, shoulders, and arms should all push through the ball, shifting your body's weight to the front side. Allow the momentum of the club to go through impact and around the back for a smooth finish. Trying to stop the club after

impact puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on the shoulders and can lead to improper swing techniques.

Weight Shift

It is important to reiterate the importance of the weight shift in the golf swing. Shifting your weight through the ball to the front side of the body greatly enhances a golfer's swing speed and power, therefore increasing distance.

Head Movement

The head should stay basically still through the swing and impact. Many great golfers have a little drop of the head as they reach impact and go into and through the ball. Do not lift your head until impact has been completed and you have followed through--it greatly increases the chance of a mis-hit.

How to Improve Your Golf Swing Mechanics

Step 1 Grip the club in your fingers and not in the palm of your hands. On a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the firmest, hold the club with a grip pressure of about a three.

Step 2 Aim the club face toward your target, then set your body into position. Your feet, hips and shoulders should be parallel to the target line. Proper alignment is critical to achieving a straight shot.

Step 3 Stand slightly wider than shoulder-width apart at address. For a right-handed swing, place the ball just inside your left heel. Your hands should be placed about an inch behind the ball with the shaft in line with your hands. The extended club and your stance form a triangle.

Step 4 Begin the takeaway, or backswing, by maintaining the triangle you made at address. Your hands, arms and shoulders should all move together in one piece. Halfway back in your takeaway, your club should be parallel to the target line.

Step 5 Create the letter "L" with your right elbow at the top of your backswing. Make sure the club face is square at the top of your backswing.

Step 6 Stay on the same plane in your downswing. As you begin your downswing, the butt of the shaft of your club should be pointing at or near the ball. This will optimize your

Keep the rhythm and tempo in your backswing and downswing smooth and steady. Finish in balance with a full follow through with about 90 percent of your weight on your front foot. Practice these six fundamentals at the driving range as often as possible, to groove a swing pattern that is consistent and reliable.

Slices and hooks occur for several reasons. Always check your alignment, slow down your tempo, release tension in your hands, and make sure your club stays on plane in your downswing

THE PROPER GOLF SWINGBy Jack Moorehouse, Author,

Some people who listen to my golf lessons think the swing is all about moving the right body parts.  But knowing which parts to move isn’t enough.  You also need to know what sequence to move them in, when, and how uickly.  Building rhythm, timing, and tempo into your swing is a prerequisite to hitting good golf shots time and time again.

Helping players develop swing consistency is a priority in my golf instruction.  I work diligently with them, to help them learn both the components of a good swing and the “feel” of one.  Once they learn these, they’re well on their way to hitting good shots consistently.

Below is the swing sequence I recommend in my golf tips. Following it builds rhythm, timing, and tempo in a golf swing. Practicing it builds consistency

Initiate the swing trigger.

Player, Palmer, and Nicklaus all start their swings with a little move that triggers the action.  Player kicks in his right knee. Palmer waggles his club one final time.  And Nicholas turns his head to the right.  These movements help each player make a smooth, fluid start to the backswing, preventing any jerky movements that destroys critical swing linkage.

Start the takeaway.

Requiring a one-piece movement, the takeaway determines the swing’s shape and tempo.  Moving the club, hands, arms, and chest in unison keeps the clubhead low and the backswing full.  It also starts a wide and a powerful move away from the ball.

Set the clubhead on the right plane.

During the first few feet the swing, the club must move gradually inside the ball-to-target line.  At the same time it must stay outside your hands.  The key to setting the clubhead on the right plane lies in starting the swing with the

butt of the club.  Moving the club in toward your right thigh helps set the club on the right path.

Open the clubhead slightly.

I recommend in my golf tips that you think of the clubface as a gate that opens slowly clockwise in conjunction with the turning motion of your body.  Open it slowly as you set the clubhead on the right plane.

Check the club at the mid-point of the backswing.

At this point your left arm should be close to your body and the right elbow splayed out slightly, pointing down toward the ground. Your wrists should be fully cocked, forming a 90-degree right angle between your hands and the club.  From here, it’s an easy move to the top of the backswing, also known as the slot.

Turn your head right.

Here, you should be aware of some tension in your right knee. Your left shoulder should be comfortably underneath your chin. Allowing your head to turn to the right as you swing the back to the ball encourages your spine to rotate.  It also gets your weight moving in the right direction. The club should be as parallel to the target line as possible when it reaches the slot

Start turning the lower body.

The body as a whole is then able to unwind in one motion.  The movement produces a swinging motion of the arms, hands, and club, allowing the clubhead to peak through impact. Think about swinging the clubhead, not hitting the ball.

Straighten and release your right arm.

Do it as early as possible from the downswing, maintaining the 90-degree angle at the back of your wrists.  Gradually opening up your body the target widens your downswing arc and puts the clubhead on a square path to the ball. In my golf lessons I tell players to drive the right knee toward the left -- but to

delay the club’s release as long as they can, creating solid contact.

Firm up the left side of your body.

It needs to both support and resist the release of the clubhead as your torso unwinds.  At the same time drive your right side through the ball as hard as you like.  Your arms should be fully extended and your weight going forward, sort of like a lumber jack chopping down a tree, to generate optimum impact.  I have players in my golf instruction sessions practice swinging the club like a baseball bat.  Then, I have them lower the club to the ground, but continue to swing the club the same way.

Rotate the body fully through impact.

Most of the player’s weight will end-up on the left side of your body and your right heel will be up.  At this point, the knees touch lightly, the hips are fully turned, and the right shoulder is pointed at the target.  Accelerating the clubhead through the swing carries the player through the swing.

Finish with hands high above left shoulder.

The player will be in a straight up, balanced position when the swing is completed.  Your hands will finish high, just like you see in golf instruction manuals.

Producing good golf shots requires not only knowing which body parts to move in isolation but also examining the swing holistically.  Practicing the steps I describe above in the sequence encourages this holistic look.  Successfully linking them together into a smooth swing, with rhythm, tempo, and the right timing, builds a coordinated, repeating action, and generates consistency and accuracy.

TIPS AND INSTRUCTION ON FULL SWING GOLF SHOTS

BEST TIP: It's like throwing a frisbee with your left arm.

Strive for a "one-piece" takeaway. Move shoulders with arms and hands. Extend left arm.

Take club back low and slow.

Let your body start the backward movement of arms and club.

On backswing, coil with your shoulders first, then hips.

On takeaway, when club is halfway back, shaft should be lined up with toes, and right arm should be a little higher than left arm.

At top of backswing, keep weight on inside of right foot.

Feel "lazy" at top of backswing to promote the right tempo.

On backswing, keep arms in front of your chest. Make sure left arm stays with your chest on downswing. If arms go slack on downswing, club will fall behind, producing weak pushes or slices.

Drop arms into downswing by gravity alone.

On downswing, right elbow should lead right arm to impact.

On downswing, pull rather than push the club along the swing plane.

Start downswing by transferring weight to left foot and by moving body toward target. On downswing, chest leads arms to create pulling action. It's like throwing a frisbee with your left arm. Forget the hips on downswing. Level rotation of chest squares clubface without conscious forearm rotation or wrist-flipping.

On downswing, try to keep shaft at 90 degree angle when arms are waist-high.

On downswing, keep the hinge in your right hand as long as you can.

Left side should start the downswing and right side does the hitting.

On downswing, let right elbow fall to right side to keep ball straight.

Make a shallow approach to the ball. For shallow, inside-out swings, start downswing with body.

Proper sequence on downswing is shift weight, rotate hips, release hands and arms.

Hands should be in front of ball at impact on all fairway shots.

Think about swinging only the handle of the club to get a smoother swing motion.

Keep height level and left arm straight throughout swing.

Maintain flex in right knee throughout swing.

Keep arms and shoulders loose throughout swing. It generates extension and speed.

To help square clubface, try to touch your left forearm with your right forearm at impact.

Keep clubhead moving along target line.

Keep your elbows together throughout the swing.

Keep spine angle (the forward bend) constant throughout swing.

Divots should point toward target.

keep head and body behind ball throughout swing.

Hit with 80% of power.

When in doubt, use more club.

Point your chin at a spot just behind the ball throughout the swing.

To get correct feel for swing, practice with right foot drawn back and flared to the right.

Swing path controls the direction of ball flight. An open or closed face controls fades or draws.

Accelerate through shot.

Make sure left shoulder and arm are in the same position at impact as they are at address.

Keep body behind ball to prevent "skyed" shots.

Move the ball with the clubhead, not your body.

Drill to promote correct feel: Freeze midway into downswing and make sure that handle of club points to target line, right arm is pressed against side of chest and shoulders are lined up to right of target.

Keep both feet flat on ground longer throughout swing for better balance.

Control shot with speed at which you unwind your body, not with hands and arms.

The Basic Golf Swing Is Pure Physics

If you've been on a golf course and have tried to use all your strength in the basic golf swing so that you hit the ball as far as possible, then you will have already understood that this does not quite work.

One of the reasons is that although the basic golf swing requires strong conditioned muscles, this hardly means hitting the ball with all your strength. In fact the basic golf swing is much more physics that strength.

Look carefully at the way your golf clubs are designed. You will have already noted that each club has a different job to do and part of the basic golf swing is selecting the right club for the right job in the right conditions.

Power will emerge from your body only from exercised and conditioned muscles applied in a controlled and relaxed manner in your basic golf swing to drive the ball in the right direction and far enough to keep your scores low. In other words, the basic golf swing is really pure physics more than anything else.

Interestingly enough, to be able to make long drives you need to hit the ball at the correct angle which has a lot to do with your positioning and the way you follow through.

The entire basic golf swing movement is the sort of awkward movement that can only happen if you have stretched your golf muscles to their limit and also used strength exercises with dumb bells and other equipment to further strengthen the same muscles so that you can stretch them even further for better results on the course from your basic golf swing.

Good golf specific exercise programs have been known to be very effective in helping golfers make full use, to their advantage, of the physics in a basic golf swing.

Do You Have A One-Plane or Two-Plane Swing?

by Jack Moorehouse

The concept of plane confuses some players. It also confuses some players that come to me for golf lessons. Many are unclear about what it is and what its impact is on your golf swing. Whether you understand the concept of plane or not, swinging off plane is never good.

Focusing on two points—spine angle at address and the position of the left arm on the downswing—clears up the confusion about swing plane and explains its effect on your golf swing and your golf handicap.

Several reasons exist for swinging off plane. Picking the club up with your hands or rolling the clubface open during the swing are two. The most common reason for swinging off plane is adopting the wrong spine angle at address, as I’ve often pointed out in my golf tips.

The Spine angle forms the natural axis around which your shoulders should turn at a 90-degree angle. The spine angle you set at address is critical because it decides the shape and plane of your swing. It’s the reason why I focus on adopting the proper spine angle in my golf instruction sessions.

If a player tilts too far over at address, the flatter spine angle causes the shoulders to “tilt” during the swing. As a result, your left arm comes off your chest during your swing, your backswing becomes upright, and your swing plane too steep. Fat shots, deep divots, and pulls and slices are symptoms of a steep plane.

If a player leans too far back at address, the more erect spine angle causes the shoulders to flatten during the swing. As a result, your left arm squeezes too tightly against your chest, your backswing becomes flatter, and your swing plane too shallow. Hitting behind the ball, thin shots, and loss of power are symptoms of a shallow plane.

Keep in mind that a taller player has a naturally steeper swing plane than a shorter person does, and a shorter player has a naturally flatter swing plane than a taller person does.

While your shoulder turn and arm swing are related, a good backswing requires a left arm swing that’s on a slightly higher plane than your shoulders. This arm angle allows your shoulders to have more of a free passage to the ball on the

downswing. If your left arm swing is off, you’ll automatically be on the wrong plane with your swing will be off.

Here’s a test I use in my golf lessons to tell if a player is on plane with his/her swing. Take a club, assume your normal posture, and swing to the top. Hold that position for a second. Now, loosen your grip and let the shaft fall.

If the shaft hits you on the top of the right shoulder, your swing is on plane. If it hits you on the head or neck, your swing plane is too steep. Conversely, if it falls behind your back without hitting your body, your swing plane is too shallow.

Employing a simple move at the top of your backswing ensures that you’re taking the right swing plane as you start into the downswing. As you begin your downswing shift your weight onto your left foot while, at the same time, bringing your right elbow back down to your body. Remember to retain the angle of your wrist as you complete this move. It’s the seat of power and the key to maximum distance.

As the weight shifts to the left and the elbow drops down, the club falls automatically into the right slot for the correct swing plane. This movement flattens the swing ever so slightly. It’s the ideal position from which to swing the club down at the ball, delivering the clubhead squarely to the ball.

n essence you’re actually employing two swing planes to hit the ball correctly, one slightly different than the other. The first comes from executing the correct take away. The second from dropping down your right elbow just before the downswing.

That slightly different swing plane is crucial. It runs right through the correct angle of your spine, the natural axis around which your shoulders should turn, enabling you to deliver a clean crisp blow to the ball with a square clubhead and good power. And that’s the goal of all golf instruction on swing plane.

I hope this article clears up the confusion about swing planes. If you work on taking the club back on the right plane and on dropping your right elbow down during your swing, you’ll see results. That, in turn, will help you lower both your individual golf scores and your golf handicap.

  

Foundation for Your Game

by Frank J. Peter

When a baby takes her first steps, she is learning to walk using the fundamentals, building a lifelong ability from the ground up. Perhaps golfers need to remember the baby who balances herself and proceeds slowly before taking even a step without assistance.

The average beginner golfer tends to rush headlong into the game, perhaps taking some time to discuss the basics with a more senior player but otherwise making ill-advised alterations along the way.

Most recreational players may learn the basics about the back swing and follow-through, but they have little idea about how to grip a club or where to look while swinging. Months later they still don't have proper footwork and their hands and arms are all over the place. It's likely they did not start from the ground up and take the time necessary to build a complete game, or even a strong swing.

Don't fret if you are saying to yourself, "Oh oh, that's me. I haven't done the proper legwork." Instead, change your bad habits now with a few simple exercises that should help build a stronger foundation:

Stand and Deliver: How you stand determines how you deliver your golf shot. As you address the ball, consider your spine angle as this is crucial. Your back should be straight throughout your swing with your feet slightly apart. Let your arms hang loosely at their sides and lock your knees. Look straight ahead and push your backside backward until it is over your heels and your head is over your toes. You can help keep your spine straight by loosening up your hips and bending from there rather than from your waist. Imagine you are about to sit down in a chair but are inches from the seated position. This will help you maintain correct posture. Keep practicing this position and you'll soon have it right.

Getting 'set' for your shot is the next step. Keeping your back straight is of utmost importance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart plus an inch or two, and bend your knees and hips as indicated above. Have your hands in front of you just over waist high with your arms half extended but relaxed and dangling.

Relax and practice shifting your weight from one foot to the other while swinging your arms from side to side. Memorize the free-flowing feeling before you practice with a club or ball, because it will be easier to repeat this process when you actually go to hit the ball.

Remember that there is no single way to improve your game. All parts of your body go into creating a good swing and having even one - a foot, a hand, an elbow, a knee, your head - out of position means throwing your whole swing off, even if only by a bit. The key is to discover the best position for your body in relation to the ball. All the above advice is a good guide fro ma strong foundation but the best way to discover your best position is through repeated practice and constant adjustment.

What Every Golfer Needs to Know About Establishing Their Swing Plane

The swing plane is the path that the clubshaft follows when a golfer swings his golfclube. However, and this is unfortunate, but there are a number of other factors that affect a golfers swing plane. Theses other factors are, a players weight, height, posture, flexibility, the thickness of your torso,and the dew point. A players swing plane can get complicated, especially if they are try to cover all of the possible variations in the plane from address to the end of the follow through.

New golfers shouldn't think about the plane of their swing, they should be concentrating on the shape of their swing. The golf swing consists of a number of different planes, which will be shifted during the course of a players swing. It is important for golfers understand that there is no one swing plane in golf. The plane is constantly changing with the swing. The golf swing is an on going thing that can get really complicated. Think of the swing as a shape and not a plane.

The plane of a golfer swing will be dictated to a large extent by the angle of the clubshaft at address. For instance a swing that you take with a wedge should naturally be more upright than your swing would be if you were using a driver. This is due to the fact that the driver has a longer shaft than the wedge and a flatter lie.

Most golfers will maintain the plane that they establish at address throughout their swing, but this is not always the case. If your favored shot happens to be one that bends in the air, your swing plane is going to be tilted to either the right or the left to compensate for the balls flight. Although whenever you are hitting a straight shot, your swing plane needs to remain consistent.

It doesn't matter what level of experience you are at in the game, you can always improve your swing by watching other player. You can learn a lot from other player that have some of the same characteristics that you have. You should pay attention too other players that have the same body size, pace, and swing shape as you, and note the kind of mistakes that they make when they are under pressure. When it comes to shapes every golfer is going to be different, but they will all have something to illustrate. Pay special attention to

golfers that swing the same way that you do, and try to figure out what they are doing to make their drives sail 300 yards down the fairway.

The Four Main Features Of Your Golf Swing

Golf can seem such a technical game but in reality, it's pretty simple. Let's face it, all you need to do is get the ball from point A to Point B, eventually guiding it into a little cup. Go figure! But it's played by millions around the world and one common denominator is they are all trying to improve their golf swing.

It's just about the most talked about aspect of the game... the golf swing, how can you improve it, are you standing right, is your grip okay?

The Stance Is Vital

It's the foundation of your golf swing. Build a solid foundation and the rest of the house has firm ground to stand on. The golf swing is no different. Try these simple steps.

Get your feet right in relation to the pin. As you stand at the tee in your normal stance, lay the shaft across your feet so it's touching the toes on either foot. This will give you a good idea of where your feet are in relationship to the pin. Make sure the club is aiming directly for the pin. If not, then simply adjust the shaft until it is and position your feet accordingly so your toes touch the shaft.

That's the first part of your stance. The second involves the shoulders and hips which should also be in line with the club. The idea here is to get you used to being in a parallel angle to the target your aiming for. Practice this with the aim of making sure the shoulders and hips are parallel with the imaginary line running across the tip of your toes towards the flag.

Did You Know?

Many golfers are turning to the pyschological aspect of the game. What does this mean? Well basically, players are getting extra training in the area of mind and body control. It's an interesting aspect as it's often said the game of golf starts in the mind. The idea is to train golfers to concentrate on techniques such as the golf swing so it becomes habitual.

Golf Swing Rotation

Practicing the golf swing is the only way you will commit it to memory. Golf is a game of memory and once you master a particular facet, it's amazing how it seems to come to you naturally everytime.

The golf swing is exactly that... a swing. You are not actually hitting the ball and this is where a lot of amateur golfers come unstuck. The whole motion of

the swing involves hips, shoulders, arms and wrists. Don't be mis-led into thinking it's the hands which commence the swing process.

Tiger Woods is a perfect example to watch when learning the rotation aspect of the golf swing. He gets his power simply through faster rotation. It's the hips and torso which begin the golf swing movement and they lead the shoulders and arms into motion. The back swing should be executed in a fluid style and the feet firmly planted. It feels ungainly at first and uncomfortable but master this aspect and the battle of developing a better golf swing is just about won.

The only time the right foot begins to move will be at just about the point of impact. The down swing movement is at least 20 per cent quicker than the back swing, and in the follow through, the body should just about be facing the flag. All the time, the hips will be leading the shoulders during the course of the golf swing.

Golf Swing Basics

The golf swing can be mastered through solid practice. Initially, ask someone to watch you go through the motions and point out any flaws so you can correct them. Remember, once all the preliminary work is perfected and it's time to swing the club, think rotation.

Beginner Golf swing instruction

The beginning golfer has no reason to expect consistency, because there has been no learning period. The established golfer who has a history of inconsistency shows evidence of a learning period that was either too short, incomplete, or did not include sound basic fundamentals. .

There are many aspects of golf that could be termed basic. However, in the interest of simplification and clarity, I feel there are only three basic fundamentals of great importance. The Grip, The Stance or Address, and The Swing Plane, and it is these three which we shall discuss.

In the order in which they are accomplished, but not necessarily in the order of their importance, we will first take up the grip, then the stance, and finally the swing plane.

The Grip

The proper placement of the hands on the club, besides securing the club against slippage, allows for the greatest degree of mobility in the wrists and, at the same time, provides the best combination of speed of club head, and control of face alignment, both so important in acquiring power and directional control.

For right-handed players, the left hand is first placed with the bell-like end of the clubs grip snuggling under the fat heel of the hand. The clubs grip then runs diagonally across the palm, touching the last joint of the middle finger and thence across the middle joint of the first finger.

The left hand is then turned over the top of the shaft until the inverted "V", formed by the thumb and forefinger points diagonally across the body toward the right shoulder. Strong players, those with exceptional hand action, may point the "V", between the right shoulder and the right cheek.

The thumb of the left hand acts as a set screw, pressing against the shaft at an angle of about 300 behind the top of the shaft.

With the left hand in the proper position, we now place the right hand against the back side of the shaft in a vertical position.

Twine the right-hand fingers around the shaft so that the shaft crosses each finger at the middle joint. The little finger of the right hand should overlap the first finger of the left hand, but not hook completely. This is called The Vardon, or overlapping, grip.

For weak-handed women, and the occasional narrow-handed man, a grip in which all eight fingers are on the shaft may be advisable.

In either grip, the inverted �N�s� of both hands should be closed to prevent the club from slipping toward the palm of the hands during the swing. In other words, the thumbs should act as set screws against which the fingers can securely pull the shaft of the club.

The Stance or Address

In the stance or address position, we are attempting to encourage two fundamentals.

First and most important, the address position should provide a suspension point that remains constant during the swing. This suspension point is found at the base of the players neck. It represents the center of the swing arc, the radius of this arc equalling the length of arm and club shaft.

Second, the stance or address position provides the distance the players head is situated from an imaginary line that extends upward vertically from the ball.

The taller and thinner the player, the closer his head will be to this imaginary vertical line. The shorter and stouter the player, the farther away his head would be. Also the heads position, either behind or in front of the ball, is influenced by the stance or address. This makes it possible for the player to either pinch or lob the shot as the need arises.

With a driver you play the ball opposite the inside of the left heel with the weight evenly balanced on the insides of the feet. Thus, the head is positioned somewhat behind the ball This is correct because with the ball teed, the player will strike it about two to three inches after the clubhead reaches the bottom of its arc. This reduces the backspin on the ball to provide maximum distance.

When the ball is lying on the turf as in the case of the 2- 3- and 4-woods, it is advisable to strike the ball nearer the bottom of the swings arc. If fairway woods were to strike the ball well after reaching the bottom of the arc, as with a driver, a portion of the ball would be below the bottom edge of the clubface. The result would be that full compression of the ball could not be obtained and some power would be lost.

If the ball is played about even with the left heel on the drive, the bottom of the swings arc comes at a point about two to three inches behind the baIl. Thus if we moved the ball back toward the center of the stance by about two inches, this should cause the bottom of the arc to come directly at the ball. This is what we want with the fairway woods, with the 3- and 4-woods being fractionally farther back in that order.

The long irons are almost as straight of face as the 3- and 4-woods. However, these irons do not generate the same velocity of propulsion on the ball as do the woods. It is not easy for most light hitters to get the ball airborne with long irons as readily as with fairway woods. Therefore, it is inadvisable to play long irons any farther back toward the center of the stance than the fairway woods unless the player desires a very low, hard-flying type of shot.

I advise that the 2-iron be played about two inches inside the left heel with the weight fractionally more on the left foot than on the right. Then each succeeding iron from the 3 to the 9 should be played slightly farther toward the center of the stance until, with the 9-iron for an ordinary type shot, we would find the ball at about the very center of the stance with the weight remaining fractionally more on the left foot than on the right.

If the player desires an unusually high-flying shot for any of the irons, he should move the ball farther forward toward the left foot, keeping the weight evenly balanced between the left and right foot. In this way the ball is swept up

off the turf in what is known as a lob shot. Generally, this type~ of shot requires a reasonably good lie.

One must keep in mind that these high flying lob shots have relatively little reverse spin and therefore do not stop well unless the greens are of sufficient softness for the balls high flight to bite into the turf.

On the other hand, should a lower-than-average flight of the irons be desired, the ball should be played back toward the center of the stance, with the weight slightly more on the left foot than usual. Then the ball is pinched more into the turf, giving a lower flight with more backspin. One advantage of this type shot is that it works well from a great variety of lies off almost any type of turf from the soft-lush to the hard-packed.

The proper Golf Grip must be mastered, by J. Victor East

Like all golf instruction, learning the "correct" way to grip the club depends on who is doing the instructing. There are three basic golf grips: The Overlapping (Vardon) Grip, The Interlocking Grip, and the 10-finger grip or Baseball grip. Great amateurs and top pros have had success with all of them.

Try each of these out after getting the basics as shown in the photos below and then go with what you feel you will be more confident with. You can always change and experiment later as many very good golfers do.

These photos and grip instructions are from one of the top teachers of all time:

J. Victor East. Interlocking golf grip instruction:

1. The club poised diagonally alongside the left hand.

2. The left hand closed.

3. The right hand alongside.

4. The right hand closed, with the thumb of the left hand snugly fitted in the groove of the right palm.

Overlapping Golf Grip.

Pinky is diagonal but can also rest in the groove between index and middle finger of left hand

Checkpoints

The following grip advice is from a different instruction pro:

The proper grip has an infallible check point - the V's made between the thumb and index finger of both hands. Pro golf teacher's instruction says these V's must point over the right shoulder at about the neckline. When these point correctly, the grip is ideal since neither hand can obtain too much control.

Another excellent check of a good golf grip is the hand position on the club. Properly taken, the player should only be able to sight one knuckle of each hand - the forefinger knuckle. Left hand should be slightly over to the right of the shaft, with last three fingers gripping.

Golf Swing Instruction

How can we explain the golf swing here when professional players spend all their lives working on their swing? Because the fundamentals of the golf swing don’t change. They’re based on scientific facts such as power, thrust, centrifugal force, levers, and more.

If you take the tour players and break their swings down to the fundamentals; (like what happens at address, back swing, impact, and follow through), about 95 percent of what they’re doing is the same. Their swings look different, because each player’s swing has its own personality. But, fundamentally, their swings are very similar. They have to be, or they wouldn’t be playing on the tour.

We’ve taken the golf-swing fundamentals and made them easy to understand, without the technical mumbo jumbo. It’s like electricity - - you need to know how to work a light switch. But you don’t need to be an electrician to use it.

You’re looking for results, and we’re going to put you on the right track to getting them. Incorporating these ideas into your swing will take time and practice. But as long as you’re working on the fundamentals, you’ll be working toward developing a consistently good golf swing.

What about Quick Fixes?

There aren’t any. Everyone wants results now. It’s human nature. But that same human nature requires time to learn a new physical skill. If you’re slicing the ball, a common fix is to adjust the grip to a stronger position or a hook grip. It might make your ball go straighter today, but it’s like putting a bandage on a bleeding artery.

You’re slicing the ball because you have something fundamentally wrong with your swing, not just your grip. If you don’t identify and fix the real problem, it will lead to other problems, too. A slice can be caused by a hundred different things. If it’s your pivot, you may end up with back problems too. Not just a hooked ball.

You have to identify the true problem and treat it, not just the symptoms.

We hear the same thing over and over again. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther and straighter. When you improve the fundamentals of your swing, you’ll hit the ball farther, and you’ll also hit it straighter. Power and control go hand in hand. With the proper fundamentals, you’ll have more power and control.

Do's and Don'ts

* Watch good players and tournaments. People learn by imitation. When a husband and wife come to me, they often have very similar swings. They’ve imitated each other unconsciously.

* Don’t watch struggling players. You don’t want to imitate their swings.

* Practice.

* Practice on the driving range, in your living room, or even your backyard. You don’t have to leave your home to get quality practice.

* Focus when you practice. It’s much better to spend ten minutes and concentrate on what you’re doing than spend an hour just whacking balls.

* If you’re hitting a bucket of balls, take breaks.

* Think about what you’re doing, and rest when you’re tired and frustrated.

* Don’t wear sun glasses they impair your depth perception. Most professional golfers don’t wear them as a result.

* Don’t give unsolicited advice to your friends when you’re playing golf, and never give unsolicited advice to strangers - - not even if they’re very attractive and you’re sure you can help. It is extremely rude.

* Try walking the course. The tour players always walk. There’s a reason. It gives you much more time to concentrate on your next shot. And it actually improves the speed with which you play.

* Have a professional videotape your swing, then watch it, and analyze it.

The Four Stages of Learning

1. Unconsciously incompetent.

You don’t know what your problems are, and you don’t know how to identify them.

2. Consciously incompetent.

You see a lot of your problems, but you don’t know how to correct them.

3. Consciously competent.

You know how to correct your problems, but it will take time and practice.

4. Unconsciously competent.

You play well without thinking about it!

Each stage takes time, but with practice they’ll go more quickly. Even if you practice in your back yard or living room, you’ll be developing the skills to be “unconscious”.

Don’t Learn to Hate Golf Before You Learn to Love it

When you’re learning to play golf, have fun, and don’t torture yourself out on the course. If you hit your ball into the sand bunker, try to hit it out once. If you can’t get it out with your club use your foot wedge (kick it) or pick it up! But don’t sit in a bunker for 10 minutes racking up strokes and your blood pressure. Take it easy on yourself in the beginning. Give yourself breaks, and if you need to put a ball on the fairway, you’re learning a game. Never forget, games should be fun!

Six Fundamentals of Golf

There are six fundamentals in the golf swing:

1. Grip:

How you hold the club.

2. Posture:

How you set up to the ball. This is a key to a successful golf swing. It includes:

•Width of stance.

•Knee flex.

•Straightening of the back.

•Bending from the hip socket.

•The angle the back maintains throughout the swing.

3. Pivot:

How you move your body from your head to your toes (excluding your hands and arms).

4. The hand and arm relationship:

What the hands and arms do in the golf swing.

5. Alignment:

How you pick and set up to your target.

6. The mental side:

The ability to play without thinking about it.

There are five physical fundamentals and one mental fundamental.

Grip

Grip is how you hold the club. Your hands should be fixed on the club; they don’t move. Their only job is to hold on, like clamps. They don’t manipulate it by snapping the wrist or forcing the club. We’ll discuss the hand and arm relationship more later.

There are three conventional grips, in order of preference:

1. The overlap, called the single overlap:

The pinkie of your right hand overlaps the index finger of your left hand.

2. Interlock:

The pinkie of your right hand and the index finger of your left hand intertwine (interlock), or wrap around each other.

3. Ten finger, commonly known as the baseball grip:

All eight, actually ten, fingers touch the grip of the club; they don’t overlap or interlock.

Any of these grips are fine as long as you also meet these basic guidelines:

* The grip is neutral, so the backs of both hands oppose each other, and the palms are facing each other.

* The club is held in your fingers, the middle digits of the fingers, and not the palms.

* The butt end of the club is held down by the palm of the left hand.

* The thumb of the left hand is extended right down the center of the shaft.

* When you close down with your right hand, the “V” formed by your thumb and index finger points towards your right shoulder, or somewhere between your chin and your right shoulder.

* Grip pressure needs to be medium. So on a scale of one to ten, ten being a death grip on the club, and one very loose, you want between a four and a seven. Your wrists, however, need to be relaxed.

A grip that’s too strong is when the hands are turned to the right too much. If the hands are turned to the left too much, the grip’s too weak. Crossing yourself up is when your right hand is turned to the left too much, and your left hand is turned to the right too much - - that’s death.

If you develop blisters, it’s probably not because you’re holding the club too tightly or too loosely, but because you have a problem with the quality of your grip.

The grip is something you should evaluate right off the bat. Make sure you have a proper grip, and then check it every time you set up to the ball.

Your grip isn’t something you should be playing with and changing all the time. If you mentally need a new start, go buy a new driver, or putter, or something fun.

Posture

Posture is how you set up to the ball. Everything is built on this foundation. If you have a problem here, it’ll show up later in your swing, possibly disguised as something else. This, like your grip, is one of the first things you think about when you set up to the ball.

Stance: Feet should be shoulder width, both feet slightly flared, toes pointing out about five to ten degrees.

Knee flex: Minimal knee flex. If you lock your legs and then unlock and slightly bend them, that’s all the flex you need.

Bending from the hips: It’s important to bend over from the hip sockets, don’t slouch from the shoulders.

Back: Your back remains straight, then bend with that straight back from your hips. Proper posture allows you to make the golf swing and protect your back.

Hands and Arms: Your hands and arms should hang directly below the shoulders. To check the location of your hands and arms, set up to the ball as described above. Then let your left arm hang loose. See where the hand is, that’s where you should be holding the club.

Posture isn’t negotiable. It’s a requirement to being able to make a good swing. Without it, you’ll always be coming back to that and never be able to move on and progress. It’s basic from a physical stand point, protecting your back, and from a motion stand point, being able to make a good swing.

Nothing good can come from poor posture. Good posture protects the back and puts the body in the right position to make a good swing.

I’ve seen a lot of people with poor golf posture, primarily because they don’t know any better. That keeps them from being able to work on more sophisticated issues. Remember your posture when you’re setting up; in particular, keep your back straight and bend from the hips.

Grip and posture are two things you can quickly check because you work on them while you’re standing still. They should be the first two things you cross off your list. The other aspects of the golf swing take much more time and concentration because you’ll be working on them while you’re swinging the club.

Check your grip and your posture, and move on.

Pivot I

Pivot is how you move your body. It’s how you move from your head to your toes without using your hands and arms, so pretend your arms are invisible for a moment.

As simple as the word “pivot” sounds, the motion is very complex. The pivot moves every muscle in your body, and all this happens in less than two seconds. Your mind can’t key into what’s happening that quickly.

Because it’s so complex, we’re going to make it easy by breaking it into four segments with a drill, called the elbow drill. The elbow drill slows everything down so you have time to think, and train your muscles.

The elbow drill is an exact replica of the pivot you should make during the swing. As a result, it demonstrates and reinforces the motion you should make during the swing. It’s a mechanical drill that will give you a sense of feel that you can then repeat.

It’s an excellent drill, and one I still do everyday. I do it before a practice session and before I play to stretch and mentally prepare my muscles. Even if I don’t actually hit a ball during the day, I still swing a club in my living room, or backyard, and I still do my elbow drills.

You can obtain feel through mechanics, but you can’t obtain mechanics through feel.

Elbow Drill

Position 1 - Address:

* Place something on the ground to represent the ball.

* Put the golf club behind your back and through your elbows. The golf club will help with your posture. It keeps your shoulders back, insures you’ll bend from the hips, and not slouch from the shoulders.

* Spread your feet about shoulder width.

* Equal weight distribution front to back and right to left.

* Bend from your hip sockets keeping your back nice and flat, with knees slightly flexed.

Position 2 - Back Swing:

* Shift your weight to your right foot.

* At the same time, tilt your shoulders vertically so that the left shoulder points down, and the right shoulder points up. The left end of the club will be pointing approximately at or behind the ball position.

* As you’re shifting your weight to your right foot, release to the instep of your left foot, so you can get “behind” the ball.

* Your head does not move up in the back swing, just to the right.

* Check to see if your right foot, right hip, and head are in a vertical line.

* If you drew a line from the ball up, you’d be behind the ball now.

Position 3 - Impact

* Start with your hips.

* Shift your weight to your left foot, by leading with your hips in a slight lateral motion.

* Point the club end in your right elbow down at your right foot.

* At the same time, release to the instep of your right foot.

* You now have 90 percent of your weight on your left foot.

Position 4 - Follow Through, Post Impact

* To finish the drill, release your hips by rotating them through, so your hips, belly button, and shoulders are facing the target.

* Almost all your weight is on your left foot; your right toe is simply balancing you, it isn’t actually supporting any weight.

* Your eyes are looking down the target line, not down at the ground.

If you can make a proper elbow drill, you’re pivoting correctly. Now you need to learn to pivot with the club in your hand, and not behind your back.

Hand and Arm Relationship

Hand and arm relationship is based on proper grip, posture, and pivot. If you have all three, you’ll probably have a good hand and arm relationship. If you have a problem in any of those areas, it’ll show up in your hand and arm relationship.

Picture a bicycle wheel. The hub turns the spokes, which turn the rim. The hub generates the power to turn the spoke. The spokes simply transfer the power; they don’t increase it or decrease it by any movement of their own. They just stay straight. These spokes then give the rim the power to move much more quickly than the hub.

The golf swing works on a similar concept. The body is the center of the wheel, the hub. The arms are the spokes. The hands are simply connectors between the spokes and the rim. The club head is the rim. The body generates the power, and the arms and hands transfer it to the club and club head.

That sounds simple, but many people instinctively snap up the club with their hands and arms in the back swing and flip, push, snap, crackle, and pop, in the down swing. Manipulating your hands isn’t necessary. It actually decelerates the club (which is bad), and the leading edge of the club will start moving up (which is also bad). All the hands and wrist have to do is hold on.

There is a certain amount of hinging and unhinging that automatically happens as a by product of the force generated by swinging the club. It’s a basic part of the swing, but don’t force it in any way.

From Address to the Top

At address, the left arm is straight, the right arm is slightly bent, the elbows are close together. You don’t want your elbows to look like they are bowlegged. You want the elbows to be turned in.

At the top of the back swing, the left arm will be as extended as possible. The right elbow will be bent in and pointing down at the ground. Similar to a waiter’s arm when he carries a tray.

The arms will go back as far as the tilting of your shoulders will allow. It is different for every person depending on the size of their chest and the length of their arms.

Down Swing - Maximum Club Head Velocity

At the top of the back swing, the club and your left arm are at a 90 degree angle. In order to reach your maximum club head velocity, you need to maintain that angle as deep into your down swing as possible.

The way you do so is to start the down swing with your hips, not your hands and arms. When your hips are pulling, your left arm is the primary lever, and the club is the secondary lever. The centrifugal force caused by your hips will then pull your arm, which in turn pulls the club. The angle between your arm and the club will actually get tighter at the beginning of the down swing because of the weight of the club head and the changing of the direction.

The law of the lever states that the club will move as far and as fast as it has to in order to catch up with your left arm. The club is moving fastest when it does catch up with your left arm. This happens at impact.

The club is automatically released as a result of the combination of the angle your arm retains and the power caused by centrifugal force. You don’t have to force the club to release, or catch up with your arm, the motion your body is making forces it to do so.

From Impact to Finish

At impact, the left arm is straight, and the right arm is almost straight. The hands are slightly in front of the ball.

Both arms stay straight about one-quarter of the way up in the forward swing. Then the left arm starts to imitate what the right arm did in the back swing. It will start to hinge, and the right arm will hinge with it.

That leads us into supinate and pronate.

Supinate and Pronate

Supinate and pronate, big words you’ll hear a lot in the golf world. Supinate comes from the word supine - lying on the back. Supinate means the right arm is lying on its back. Think of carrying a bowl of soup in your right arm, it would make your right arm lay back. Pronate comes from the word prone - face down. It’s when your right arm is face down.

The right arm supinates going back, and pronates coming through. That keeps the club moving at a right angle to your target line at impact. This motion or rotation of your arms is much more efficient than pushing with your hands and

wrist. By supinating your right arm on the back swing and pronating it on the down swing, your arms create the only motion necessary to release the club.

Supinating and pronating also allows you to make one fluid movement while making sure the club head is moving down on the ball at impact. People are surprised when they find out the club head is moving down on the ball at impact. It’s natural to think that the club head would be moving up. However, when the club head is moving down on the ball, it creates a more efficient spin, and causes the ball to go up.

The Quarter Shot

I do quarter shots every day, right after I do my elbow drills. I originally used the quarter shot to warm up, then I realized how valuable it is in making changes to my swing.

The quarter shot is the next progression after the elbow drill. It is a mini-pivot, but the quarter shot is more advanced than the elbow drill because it includes the club.

The quarter drill helps you implement changes in your technique. It allows you to take the full swing and break it down into a much more controllable swing, the quarter shot. When you’re making the full swing, things are moving so quickly that you don’t have an opportunity to focus on the changes you’re trying to make.

Technique

Take your sand iron and set up to the ball as you would in any other shot. After addressing the ball, start your pivot by shifting back to your right foot. Tilt your shoulders so the club is parallel to the ground and the target line, and the toe of the club is pointing up.

Start your down swing by shifting your hips to the left. Once you have shifted your hips, rotate them towards the target. Allow your shoulders and the club to move with your hips. As you tilt your shoulders, the club will move to a point where the shaft of the club will be pointing to your target, parallel to the ground, and the toe of the club would be again in a vertical position.

How do you incorporate this? Let’s say you’re trying to make a better weight shift to your right foot. When you’re doing the quarter drill focus on getting your weight shifted early in your swing by releasing to the instep of your left

foot. The drill allows you to move slowly enough that you can think about it, feel it, and reproduce it.

To Make a Quarter Drill

* First - make a swing and stop at a quarter position going back. Focus on the change you want to make. Then start your down swing by shifting through to the left, letting the club brush the ground. Continue in a forward swing coming to a stop at a quarter position. The toe of the club is up, and the weight is on your left foot.

* Second - make a quarter swing where you don’t stop. Go back and through, without hitting a ball, thinking about the change you want to make.

* Third - Step up to the ball, make the swing and hit the ball.

First, you’re stopping the action, and consciously thinking about it. Second, you’re trying to reproduce that sensation in a continuous motion. Third, you’re adding the ball. This keeps the ball from becoming so intimidating.

Don’t judge how you hit the ball, but whether or not you made the change you were trying to make. This drill will eventually allow you to hit the ball differently. You can see how this drill can be valuable to warm up with, or even to work on a very sophisticated change in your swing. Work slowly and simply, it doesn’t always have to be hard work.

Pivot II

In the back swing, think of your back. It connects your hips, torso, and shoulders. It allows you to make a one-piece motion when you shift your weight, and tilt your shoulders to get to the top of your back swing. Your back has the large muscles that allow you to raise the club with minimal force from your arms, which have smaller muscles.

Pivot and weight shift happen and work together. In one motion, you need to:

* Shift your weight with your hips and back directly over your right hip and foot, not beyond them. This is a slight lateral motion from left to right. If your hips or head go anywhere outside your right foot, it’s considered a sway, and it wasn’t a slight motion, you went too far.

* Tilt your back (which is still flat), so that the right shoulder points up and the left shoulder points down. Your flat back will actually now be behind the ball.

* Don’t come out of your posture by raising your head when you move into your back swing. Your head moves horizontally as your shoulders are tilting.

* Your hips and back move together. Rotate your left hip down, forward, and to the right, so that it moves with your back.

* Don’t over rotate your hips, or twist them too much. If you don’t force it, it’s likely to come naturally. If you keep your back flat, when you tilt your shoulders, your hips and shoulders will move together.

All these things need to happen at the same time. They really can’t be separated because they work together. I’ve listed them here separately for sake of clarity. That’s the back swing, now on to the forward swing.

Forward Swing

Your hips start the forward swing. Your left hip shifts all your weight directly over your left foot. This produces a whip-like effect, where your hips are pulling your shoulders, which pull your arms, and finally the club. As a result, the club head is moving much more rapidly than your hips, arms, or hands.

Your shoulders follow your hips, and your arms follow your shoulders. Follow means they come behind. Never push with your hands or arms. The arms must come behind the hips and shoulders to reach their maximum velocity. Maximum club head velocity is good, very good. Because this is where you get distance.

At impact your back and legs look like a letter “K.” The left side of your body is straight, and the right side is angled in.

After impact, your hips will continue to rotate toward the target, your shoulders and arms will follow. About 95 percent of your weight will be on the left side of your body now. Your hips, belly button, shoulders, and eyes are facing the target.

The Head: Fact versus Fiction

A lot of golf instructors say, “Don’t move your head!” What they’re trying to communicate is, “Don’t come out of your posture by raising your head and shoulders during the back swing.!” Since that’s an awful lot to say, many people just say, “Don’t move your head.”

The concept is good, it just doesn’t completely explain the issue. As a result, people often develop other problems because they’re trying to make sure they don’t move their head.

The head does move, and has to in order for you to shift your weight. Power comes from thrust. Thrust is shifting your weight from your right side to your left side. Therefore, your body has to move. If your body is going to move, your head has to move also.

The average pro’s head moves approximately two inches to the right to get to the top of the backswing. Then at the start of the forward swing, it moves an additional inch to the right. It then moves three inches down, and eleven inches forward through the forward swing.

Many people develop a problem in swing because they’re trying to keep their head from moving. As a result, they cripple their swing because they don’t release their hips through impact. In trying to keep their head down, they don’t look up after impact. Then their hips can’t rotate forward because of the placement of their head.

If you think your head is moving too much, it’s a symptom of another fundamental problem such as, coming out of your posture. Your head is moving as a result of another problem, it’s not the cause. Your head will move, that’s a requirement of a proper golf swing. If, however, you think it is moving too much, you need to look somewhere else for the problem, don’t just focus on your head.

Alignment

Alignment is how you line up to your target. It’s important in achieving your goals, because a great swing and poor alignment does not make for a happy golfer. In putting, it’s particularly important, and the better you get, the more crucial it becomes.

Once you’re comfortable with grip, posture, pivot, and hand and arm relationship, you can work on alignment.

When you’re setting up to make your shot, make sure you’re focusing on your target, not a distraction, such as a water hazard or sand bunker. If you’re thinking about a hazard, your body is naturally going to focus on that point. Acknowledge the hazard, but focus on your target.

There are a lot of ways you can properly align yourself to your target. When you look at the target and away from the ball, you loose all your orientation. So use an intermediate target. Something between the ball and your target. Make sure you can see it when you’re looking at the ball. It’ll usually be a discolored blade of grass, a twig, a clover, anything that stands out. It must be something that’s already there; you can’t place something on the ground to help.That’s illegal!

To pick your intermediate target, stand behind the ball and look through it at your target. Pick something you’ll be able to see when you’re looking at the ball. It should be about six to twelve inches away from the ball.

Keeping your eyes on your intermediate target, move to the ball. Set your club directly behind the ball, with the club face pointing at the ball and your intermediate target. Take your stance with your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line.

Most people think their body should be pointing directly at the target. But if your body and your club face are both pointing at the target, then you have a “shut” club face, and you’ll probably hook the ball. The ball would travel from right to left and not toward your target.

The direction of the club face and the ball should point and extend all the way through your target. The line the ball will make is a straight line. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should be on a parallel line that would end just left of your target line.

Like a railroad track, your feet, hips, and shoulders are on one track, and your club face and ball will be on the other track. Your body will actually be aligned just a little left of your target.

Picture your target in your mind’s eye. Positive thinking and visualization will improve your game.

Proper alignment: Like a railroad track, your feet, hips, and shoulders are on one track, and your club face and ball on the other track. Your body will actually be aligned just a little left of your target (parallel left).

Mental: The Ability to Play Without Thinking About it

True confidence comes from knowledge and experience. Think of something you do very well, basketball, snow skiing, tennis, playing the piano, using a

computer, anything. You have confidence in your ability because you know what you’re doing, and you’ve had lots of experience! You can achieve the same thing with your golf swing.

You’re getting the knowledge right now, and practice will give you the experience. Quality practice will give you confidence out on the course, and it doesn’t require “hard” practice. It’s working smart, not hard, that counts in your practice time.

Quality practice means:

* Practice on the driving range, not out on the course.

* Always take a practice swing, even if it’s a half one, before your full swing.

* After your practice swing, walk up to the ball and hit it. Don’t think about what you’re doing during the actual swing. Thinking is what you do in the practice swing.

* After your swing, evaluate the shot. Were you pleased with what your body was doing? Don’t worry about where the ball went. Focus on the aspect of the swing you’re working on.

* Try to relax, make sure you’re breathing regularly.

* If you get frustrated, take a break. If you keep working while you’re tired and frustrated, you’ll loose focus and be building bad habits.

Golf needs to be something you enjoy. Five or ten minutes of quality time is much more valuable than an hour of poor practice!

On the practice tee, you should be working on the fundamentals, focusing on one thing at a time. You can’t work on several things and have any success. Pick one aspect, and focus on it until it’s right.

Working on the fundamentals is done on the range, not on the course.

The range is where you work on your golf swing; the course is where you play golf. Many times, I’ll see people on the range, and I’ll ask them what they’re thinking about, and they’ll say “Nothing, I’m just trying to groove my swing.”

That’s a vague answer, which means they’re just whacking balls. The range is very forgiving. It’s a wide open area that doesn’t penalize your shots. As a result, that’s where a lot of people “play” golf.

Then, out on the course, I’ll ask what they’re thinking about, and they’ll say, “I’m thinking about staying in my posture,” or “I’m thinking about keeping my left arm straight,” or a number of different answers. They’re working on their swing because the ball went in the rough, or missed the green, or something else unpleasant.

If you work on the fundamentals on the range, you won’t have to out on the course. Practice on the driving range. Play on the golf course.

Out on the course, all you have to think about is getting the ball in the hole, being mentally tough. Placing it on the tee and getting it in the cup with as few strokes as possible. That’s all.

"Key Elements for a Successful Swing"

Two of the most basic fundamentals of a great golf swing are rhythm and balance. In fact, if these two elements of the swing are implemented correctly, it is still possible to strike the ball successfully even with an unorthodox golf swing.

This very point can be recognized in the swings of LPGA Hall of Fame member Nancy Lopez and PGA Professional Jim Furyk. Both of these players have positions in their golf swings, which for the average player make it very difficult to strike the golf ball with any type of consistency. However, because of their tremendous rhythm and balance, they are able to return the club to a perfect position at impact and hit precision shots consistently.

Rhythm can be defined as a flow, movement or a procedure. It is the regularity in tempo. Tempo is the rate of speed at which a person performs their swing. In other words, a person who possesses good rhythm in their golf swing is one who repeats movements consistently in the same sequences during their swing.

"Find Your Rhythm"

There is no doubt that it is awesome to watch a Fred Couples, John Daly or a Tiger Woods send a golf ball 270 yards or more. It is quite another thing for the recreational golfer to attempt to emulate them.

All three of these great players are different ball strikers, but they have a common element in their golf swings—rhythm.

The mistake I often see golfers make is to perceive that distance is predicated on swing speed. The truth is, solidness of contact is the main determining factor in regards to distance. Club head speed is a distant second. I could place two golfers side by side, one swinging the club in excess of 100 miles per hour, the other say 90. If the player with the greater club head speed strikes the ball all over the club face, they will not be as consistent with length or accuracy than the player with the slower speed who strikes the ball in the center of the face.

So my tip to you is this: Find "your" rhythm that allows you to center the ball consistently. You may notice that it is a slower speed than you are used to, but the results will be positive, straighter and more solidly struck golf shots. AND remember, "THINK MOTION, NOT NOTION!" Have fun.

Balance is when there is bodily equilibrium or stability. Balance in a golf swing must start at address. A golfer is in perfect balance at address when his/her weight is equally distributed between both feet right through the middle of their feet. If a person finds that they are leaning more toward their toes at address then the tendency is for the downswing to be an outside-to-inside swing usually referred to as "coming over the top." This causes the ball to start out to the left of the target and for the majority of golfers this is usually accompanied with a slice.

Conversely, if the golfer were out of balance with the weight too much toward their heels, the tendency would be for the swing to come too much from the inside to outside that would create a push. This causes the ball to start out to the right of the target and for the majority of golfers this is usually accompanied with a hook.

A golfer should remain in balance throughout his/her swing. The position in the golf swing that is most telling if a player is in balance is the finish. To be in a good balanced position at the conclusion of the golf swing, the player should be able to hold their position for a count of three or long enough for someone to focus their camera and take a picture of you. If you can not hold your finished position at the conclusion of each swing consistently, then you most likely will find yourself hitting errant shots throughout your round.

Remember, making a concentrated effort to implement rhythm and balance in the swing will result in striking the golf ball with consistency. This will make golf more fun and lower those scores.

"Shortcut to Tee Shot Alignment"

Many students ask, "How can I get more accurate with my tee shots?" The following shortcut can develop confidence off the tee and at the same time place many more shots in the proper place to play your best golf.

The tip I use is to place the brand name, i.e.: Titleist, in such a way on the wooden tee that the name is aligned towards the potential area that the player would like the ball to come to rest. When the player addresses the ball the trademark or name on the club will be directly behind the brand name creating a straight line to the intended target. This allows the player to place their grip on the club, swing forward, and follow through towards the desired target selected by the alignment of the brand name.

This point and shot concept will have you hitting more tee shots where you want them to go, increase your confidence off the tee, and bring your game to the next level. Try this shortcut on your next round and you will see a difference almost at once.

"Hit it Farther and Look Like Tiger"

One of the most recent improvements to the golf swing is the "two-pivot swing" exemplified in players such as Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo. Thirty years ago the "two-pivot swing" would have been considered swaying. Today it is the model swing to hit it further.

During your backswing as your upper body turns, allow your left shoulder to move across and to the right so that your left shoulder is above your right foot at the top of your backswing. Your head will move behind the ball and it might feel that you have "swayed." Start your forward swing as you always do but try to finish with your right shoulder above your left foot, as if you are moving slightly ahead of the shot. You will finish in a more vertical position and look like Tiger!

It is simple, effective and you will probably start hitting it further.

"Ignoring those Water Hazards"

Executing a successful golf shot over a water hazard is a common one and a couple of suggestions come to mind. One of them is to simply avoid playing any courses with water hazards.

If you are unable to do that, then I suggest you try hitting the ball "down into the water" rather than "up and over it." Most golfers with this problem try to help the ball up and over the water by lifting. This is a natural reaction as in most round ball sports or games in order to get a ball "up and over" something we must lift it.

In golf the loft of the clubface does the lifting, any lifting on our part totally defeats this purpose. When facing something like a water hazard, where we want the ball to get up and over, we instinctively feel this need to lift and automatically do it. However, when we lift, we lift all of the club including the club face and head, which then hits only the upper portion of the ball, resulting in a topped shot. Consequently, a topped shot goes downward and directly into the water.

The opposite of lifting is to feel like you are hitting the ball downwards and into the water. When you do this, you actually drive the clubhead down under the ball and the lofted clubface lifts the ball up and over the water.

So, on your next round, try to hit the ball directly into the water. Once you successfully do this, you will know it works, and your fear of water hazards will stop.

"Head for the Woods"

I know, I know...you thought:woods were made of wood;woods were difficult to hit;In the woods is where you often ended up when you hit a wood!

Well, all that has changed. Look in the bag of the leading golfers on the Senior and LPGA tours...there are lots of woods. (I know, I know...you’re not a senior or a woman? Trust me, as long as little 5’4" Annika Sorenstam can beat you this also applies to you.) Fairway woods especially those new 7 and 9 woods can and should be your best friend. It’s really quite simple...more loft and greater club head mass combine to make a club that is easier to hit further and straighter. The added loft also produces a higher ball trajectory making it easier to hold the green (making your next shot a putt rather than a chip). Can you say birdie?

So next time you have a spare hour try out a few fairway woods. Compare the 7 wood to your three iron...and the 9 wood to your 4 iron. Be honest now...no comparing the best 3 iron you ever hit in your entire life to your average 7 wood shot that day. Take your time, there certainly are lots of clubs to choose from. I’m sure heading for the woods will lower your score.

"Angle of Approach"

The clubhead should be descending at impact with the exception of the driver and the putter.

What is meant by the descending angle of approach? Many players do not truly understand this term, and its meaning. Some think it is hitting down on the ball. Not So! Trying to get the ball airborne is the move that disturbs this clubhead path. The loft of the clubface is sufficient to lift the ball. Attempting to lift the ball tends to open the clubface, which will slice the ball and lose distance as well.

To have a good angle the left leg passes the ball first, hands second and clubhead last. This motion automatically moves the clubhead in the descending angle of approach. Having the clubhead passing the hands prior to impact creates an ascending angle of approach. Most of the time with this action the clubhead will hit the ground behind the ball (Chill dipping) or the swing bottoms out early and the ball is struck on the upswing, topping it.

To check your clubhead angle practice the 'hit and hold' drill. This will give you immediate feedback in determining whether the clubface is preceding the hands at impact. Hit a few balls and hold, not allowing your hands to go past waist high on the follow-through. If the left wrist or hand is bent forward this indicates the clubhead was ascending rather than descending at impact.

Final note: You cannot cheat this drill, as it will clearly show you where you are in regards to your angle of approach on your golf swings.

Putting: The Short Game

An average of 43 percent of the strokes you make in a game of golf will be putts. The next highest is your woods, at 25 percent, followed by 13 percent chipping, 10 percent irons, and 5 percent hazard shots.

Putting is incredibly important. Most people want to hit the ball farther and straighter. That’s important, but effective putting makes the difference between an average golfer and a good golfer.

Don’t forget the mental side; tell yourself you are a great putter, and you’re going to sink every putt you look at. Then practice to gain confidence in that belief.

False confidence is when you believe you can do something, but you don’t have the experience to back up that belief. So first believe in yourself, then practice so that you’ll be confident in that belief. Eventually, you’ll be making your putts and loving it.

Good golfers enjoys working on their putting. They work on their three to four foot putts until they’re confident they’ll always sink them. They learn how to read the green to see which way it will break, and when they do get bored, they work on 20 - foot putts! Try to hit five of those in a row!Enjoy working on your putting, it can make a difference to 43 percent of your game!

The Mechanics of Putting

* Posture is generally the same as in a full swing: Back straight, bending at the hips, your knees may flex a little more than in the full swing if you like.

* Stance can vary from shoulder width to feet almost being together. There is a lot of flexibility here.

* A neutral grip is preferred. A grip is very individual in putting, there isn’t one particular grip that is best.

* Your arms and shoulders form a triangle. Whether your arms are straight or bent doesn’t matter. It’s that you maintain the way you’re holding your arms throughout the stroke. So if they’re straight, keep them straight; if they’re bent, keep them bent. Don’t change the angle of your arms during the putt.

* Ball position: There isn’t one prescribed ball position, but most of the better players have a ball position that is toward the instep of the left foot.

* Eyes directly over the ball.

During the Stroke

* Putting is a pendulum motion. Only the shoulders and the arms move. The hips and legs stay still.

* Your wrists don’t cock or hinge. Remember, they’re only clamps holding the club!

* There isn’t any weight shift in putting.

* Eyes are looking at the ball, not tracking the putter. If your eyes are on the ball, you’ll see an after image of the ball after you hit it. If you’re tracking the putter, you won’t.

* Learn to have real confidence in your putting by practicing, even in your living room. It’s fun and rewarding!

How to Read a Green

Reading a green is surveying a green, and determining how you need to hit the ball to make it go into the cup.

How do I determine the way the ball will roll? You have to be able to use your imagination here. I frequently imagine a rain storm, and how would the water flow? The water, and your ball will always go toward the lowest side of the green. It will go from the high side of the green to the low side.

If the green appears to have a lot of undulation, and you’re not sure which way the ball will break, just remember, a hill always has a high side and a low side. The ball will naturally go towards the low side.

Picking a Target

You’ve determined the pitch of the green, and the way the ball will roll. Now you need to pick a target that will start the ball on that line. That target will be an intermediate target.

If you think the pitch of the green will naturally make your ball roll a little to the left of the cup, pick an intermediate target that will aim a little right of the cup.

I actually get behind the ball, about three to four feet, and crouch down so that I’m looking through the ball at the cup. This is a very effective way to pick your intermediate target and determine the slope of the green.

Depth Perception

Now that you’ve determined the break in the green, and selected an appropriate intermediate target you need to figure out how far the ball has to go, and how hard you have to hit it to make it go in the cup.

When you throw a ball to someone, you don’t have trouble getting it to them because you can see them. You can even throw a ball to someone who is moving without difficulty. But when you putt, you can’t see the hole. So I encourage people to take a few practice swings looking at the hole. This gives them the ability to estimate the stroke they need to make when they are looking at the ball and not the hole. It gives them depth perception.

To keep your depth perception fresh, you need to look at the cup within about five seconds of hitting the ball. At first, it will feel awkward to be looking back and forth between the ball and the cup, but eventually it will become comfortable.

You’ll notice the professionals look back and forth between the ball and the cup. They’re trying to keep their depth perception accurate and fresh.

Chipping

Chipping is very similar to putting in that there is no body motion, it is simply shoulders and arms. There is no pivot. If you can learn the proper technique in chipping, you are guaranteed to take strokes off your score.

Technique - your feet and hips will have a slightly open stance. This will allow your hands and arms to move through impact without hinging your wrist. Your feet will be close together. The ball position will be back towards your right foot. Choking down on the golf club with your hands over your left thigh. This insures that you hit the ball first on the down swing.

Don’t break your wrist, or flip your hands, it is simply a pendulum type stroke. With the goal of getting the ball on the ground and rolling toward the hole as soon as possible.

Don’t confuse a chip with a pitch. They are very different techniques. A chip is more like a putt in that there is no pivot. A pitch is more like a regular shot there is a pivot.

Professional Instruction

You may want to work on your game by taking lessons from a professional instructor. One of the best things about taking lessons is it will speed up your results. An instructor can help you identify root problems instead of just the symptoms. That way you’re not spinning your wheels working on the wrong issue.

I was, and still am, a very good golfer. But the first time I taught a golf lesson, I realized I wasn’t a good instructor. I have since remedied that situation, and I am now an excellent instructor, of course.

A warning about taking lessons from a friend, who’s a fantastic golfer, but not a professional golf instructor. Good golfers aren’t necessarily good instructors. They play golf intuitively. They may be able to describe the way their swing feels, but that movement may feel differently to you. And what they think they’re doing, may in fact be very different from what they’re actually doing.

Whether you look to your local golf course or driving range for instruction, I have some general recommendations for choosing a golf instructor.

Golf instructors training may vary from years of apprenticeship to none at all. Some instructors have no other qualifications to teach other than their own ability to play, and some don’t even have that.

If your instructor is a PGA Professional, you can be assured they’re qualified to teach. PGA professionals go through an extensive training program and testing process. All you need to find out about a PGA professional is if your personalities work well together, and do you like their particular style of teaching.

Does the Instructor

* Want to teach you and believe you will improve? If the instructor is more interested in showing off, find another. You need an instructor who can properly demonstrate the swing. But they should focus on the mechanics of the

swing in a demonstration, not how great their own swing is. When they’re giving you a lesson, you and your swing should be the number one priority.

* Act like a professional?

* Have a good grasp of the fundamentals?

* Recite clichés like, “Keep you head down, and keep you eye on the ball?” These clichés do have truths in them, that’s why they’re clichés. But you need an instructor who can explain why you’re moving your head, since it’s usually the symptom of another problem, not the true problem itself.

* Focus on one area with you, and conquer it? If the instructor gives you ten things to work on in each lesson, you’ll never be able to focus and improve.

* Tell you what your lesson plan will be, and how long it will take to get results? If they tell you they can fix a problem in one lesson, run! That means a quick fix, and that only adds to your problems. An instructor should evaluate your swing and work on the fundamentals. That may take a summer, instead of an afternoon, but the results will last. Short cuts may seem to help temporarily, but they can destroy some of the good things that you do.

Ask the instructor if you can observe a lesson. A good instructor will be pleased to have you watch a clinic or lesson, if the student doesn’t mind. The instructor’s actions during a lesson will tell you more than anything they say about the way they teach.

Improving your swing is rewarding, fun, and fundamental. With a proper golf swing, you’ll be able to enjoy and play golf the rest of your life.

You can’t buy a golf swing with a new gadget, or an expensive set of clubs, although it’s a lot of fun to buy those things. But you can buy good instruction. Then take the time, even five quality minutes a day, to practice properly. With an excellent approach, you’ll get excellent results.

The Clubs & Club Fitting

Do you need to make a different swing with each club? No, that’s why they make different clubs, so you don’t have to make different swings.

Before you go out and spend thousands of dollars on new equipment, you need to make sure that the equipment you buy is the equipment you need. How do

you determine if a club works and fits you? The most important aspect is the flex of the shaft. There are four different categories: Regular (R-flex), Ladies (L-flex), Stiff (S-flex), and Extra-Stiff (EX-flex). Most women fit in the L flex, most men fit in the R-flex. But some men do take the S and EX shaft. There are exceptions.

You want to err on the flexible side. If you’re debating an S or R, take the R. You always want to err on the soft side.

The lie of the club.

Not the opposite of the truth, it is the truth. The lie of the club is important because it determines how the face of the club will move through impact. It’s how the club lays on the ground, meaning lie. When the club lays on the ground, the toe of the club should be up approximately one to two degrees. This allows a slight flattening out of the club as it moves through impact.

Length of clubs is determined by the length of your arms, the length of your legs, and how tall you are. Again, your professional club maker will be able to determine this.

The size of the grip is fairly easy. It depends on the size of your hands. But one of the keys you’re looking for is that the ring finger on your left hand is slightly touching the palm of your hand as you’re gripping the club and not digging into it.

A professional can fit you for clubs either statically or dynamically. Statically means you set up as though you were going to hit a ball with a club in your hands. They can tell by the way you set up the way the club should lie.

Dynamically fitting requires you taking a particular club out and hitting balls with it. A professional can watch you and tell what clubs you need. First have a static fitting, then a dynamic fitting. There is so much to choose from out there. You need to determine the flex of the shaft you need, the lie of the club you need, the length of the club you need, and the size of grip.

* Flex of shaft

* Lie of club

* Length of club.

* Size of grip

Whether it is a PGA professional or a professional club maker, you should be in good hands with either.

Golf Terms:

Birdie

One stroke less than par.

Cart path

It’s the path provided on the golf course on which you drive your cart. It’s intended to make sure the traffic moves in a consistent pattern and protects the rest of the golf course.

Chipping

The stroke used when just barely off the green. It is in between pitching and putting. It is a similar technique as putting (no pivot), but instead you most likely use one of these clubs: sand iron, ten iron, wedge, nine, eight, or seven iron.

Draw

The ball moves right to left. It starts out right of the target, then moves back towards the target. It is much more subtle than a hook.

Driver

This is the club you normally tee off with, meaning that the ball may be placed on a tee. It is considered a wood. It is the longest club in the bag, and it has the least amount of loft (except the putter). As a result, it is the hardest to control.

Eagle

Two under par.

Fade

The ball moves from left to right. It, like the draw is much more subtle than it’s counterpart, the slice.

Green

The area that surrounds the hole (cup). It is the most manicured part of the golf course.

Handicap

A handicap is used to make players of different calibers equal. After playing the same course ten times, the course can assign you a handicap.

Hook

An exaggerated ball flight moving from right to left.

Irons

Irons got their name because they were made of iron, in contrast to the woods. Today they may be made of steel, iron, or graphite.

Par

Par is how many strokes you have to get the ball in the hole in regulation.

Pitching

Pitching comes after chipping. It is a pivot oriented shot. It is used when it’s too far to chip, but does not require the full swing. It’s a similar motion, just not as powerful.

Putter

The club used when putting on or around the green. The putter has the least amount of loft, about 2 degrees. The putter is the single most important club used. You will use this more than any other club.

Putting

Putting is the stroke used to advance the ball on or around the green. Only the hands, arms, and shoulders are involved; there is no pivot. It is the most conservative golf swing made.

Slice

An exaggerated ball flight moving from left to right.

Tee

What you place your ball on when you tee off from the tee.

The tee

The start of every new hole.

Tee markers

Tee markers indicate where you should tee the ball up when you begin a hole.

Woods

They are the longest clubs in your bag. They get their name because they were originally made of wood. Today, they may be made of another substance, such as, metal, graphite, or titanium.

The effect of "head still" on the swing

"Head down...never"

A common phrase heard on the golf course is "keep your head down." Keeping the head down and still is the number one cause of reverse weight shift in a golf swing. With the head down, your leading shoulder cannot turn under your chin on the backswing. Therefore, the weight stays on the same side as your front foot. On the downswing, the weight moves back to the rear foot. It's impossible to hit a golf ball with any force with your weight moving away from the target. The head should move with the swing, allowing a full shoulder and weight shift.

More Articles

In years gone by the adage of "keep your head still" was often used by golf instructors (whether they be a qualified PGA professional or a friend "helping" you at the range). Many golfers have ended up doing some considerable damage to their bodies as a result of this "tip", because of the pattern of movement that a still head promotes.

The Wrong Way

Firstly, if the head is kept still on the backswing, the only way that you can get your weight to transfer to your back foot is to allow the hips to slide away from the target. Whilst there are a number of consequences of this sway, the most important one is that the back knee has to move laterally rather than being a solid foundation on which to place the weight of the body. Furthermore, the weight tends to be more toward the lateral aspect (outside) of the right foot rather than towards the medial (inside) side of the foot.

From this position at the top of the backswing, the golfer then has the difficult task of transferring his or her weight to the lead foot but keep the head still. In order to achieve this goal, there must be a large lateral slide of the hips. The large slide makes rotation of this part of the body difficult. Thus, the left leg tends to extend and the momentum of the is "slammed" into the leading hip joint. Once again, this blocking action is necessary in order to push the considerable energy of the lower half of the body upward, toward the arms and ultimately, into the club.

Whilst the body is designed to move this way, repeated loading in such a way can lead to hip joint integrity being compromised. The professional and amateur golfers who developed this type of technique and exposed the body to many thousands of repetitions of such a pattern often developed hip soreness (e.g., Jack Nicklaus). I think that we would all agree that it would be better to avoid this type of situation.

A Better Way

A much better movement pattern is to allow lateral motion of the upper body (and head) throughout the swing. That is, the head should move away from the target on the backswing as the upper torso winds up and rotates on the rear axis. On the downswing, the opposite should happen as the body rotates back toward the target. The head in this case should be allowed to rotate and move toward the target. Good examples of this type of pattern of movement are Annika Sorenstam and Robert Allenby. Their heads move beautifully during the swing. However, the real benefit of this action is that the left hip is not loaded to the same extent and thus there is considerably less risk of long term, chronic injury to the hip joint.

Breaking 80-90-100 - golf techniques

There are a lot of differ-ent ways to lower your score. You can improve your short game. You can learn to hit the ball longer -- or straighter. You can make every six-footer you look at. What all of these have in common is that you're making some part of your game better through practice, lessons or old-fashioned trial and error. And you're usually working on it in the practice area. But just because you can now hit the ball longer doesn't mean you're going to go out the next time you play and shave 10 strokes off your score.

In my opinion, playing golf is quite different from practicing it. No matter how good your swing or your short game, you have to learn to play golf to shoot lower scores.

Look at it this way: When you take piano lessons, you don't learn to play con-certos right away. You learn the skills you need first. Your fingers have to find the keys for the notes you want; you practice scales, chords, arpeggios.

But just because you know how to play scales doesn't mean you know how to play music. There's a lot more to music than just playing notes.

Golf is the same way. Knowing how to hit the driver doesn't mean you can shoot lower scores. Sure, it's going to help, but you'll need much more than that.

I like to stress playing as much as practicing. Don't get me wrong. You should practice to devel-op your skills. The key is being able to take them to the course.

If you find you're not shooting lower scores right away, don't get discouraged. It doesn't mean your work was wasted. Take the good from what you're working on and learn from it. It's all part of the process of getting better.

To make the transition from the practice ground to the course easier, I try to make practice as much like playing as possible. On the driving range, hit toward imaginary fair-ways and greens instead of at a huge field. Try shots you're likely to face on the course. Remember, if you're going to play golf, play it. Don't worry about how long your backswing was. If you can just play, you'll make beautiful music on the golf course.

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Curve balls

There are many things you can do to improve your scores. Keeping the ball in play is just one of them. But you can also do a lot simply by developing a better understanding of your own game and your tendencies. Only then can you use them to your advantage.

Off the tee:

Aim to one side

Everybody has a natural ball-flight tendency. Some hit the ball right to left; most go left to right. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you allow for it. Aim down one side and let the ball curve into play. You'll hit more fairways, a key to scoring lower. Also, tee off with a 3-wood. It's more forgiving; the ball curves less.

Balance your finish

It's hard to make solid contact if you're off balance. Hold your finish position. If you can, it means you probably hit a good shot.

The best play is the safe one

If you have any doubts about your ability to hit it over a hazard (water or sand), take the conservative route. Lay up in front of the trouble. Your score will thank you.

Putt whenever possible

The easiest shot to hit is a putt. When you're just off the green, don't automatically use the wedge. Take the putter. You'll have a better chance of hitting it close.

Into the green:

Play the 'break'

If you had a putt that sloped from left to right, you wouldn't aim straight at the hole. Then why aim for the flag when most of your shots curve to the right? Give yourself a better chance of hitting it at the target by aiming away from it. Also, take at least one more club than you think you need.

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One of the keys to breaking the next scoring barrier is learning to hit the ball longer. That means developing more clubhead speed. You won't do that with tight muscles. They need to be free and relaxed to generate speed in the swing. It all starts at address.

Tension is the enemy

The picture below shows a player who won't hit the ball very far. When you're that tense, there's no way you can make the full, fluid motion necessary for developing clubhead speed. You need to look more like the picture at left: arms and hands loose, body relaxed, chin up. This position makes a free swing possible.

Customize your sticks At this stage, your game has reached a point where your swing is fairly consistent. For better results, consider clubs that are fitted to your swing.

Tone down your shot shape

Big hooks or big slices need to be brought under control. Improved technique will let you play down the fairway, not around to the fairway.

Sand-play imagery

Never take more than one shot to get out of a greenside bunker. Think about swinging so you take the sand just from under the ball. The ball will come out.

Put your tension behind you

Tension often manifests itself in how you hold the club -- a death grip, with white knuckles and arms of steel -- but it comes from the bigger muscles of your back. Ease the tension in your swing by loosening the area between the shoulder blades just under the neck. The looseness will trickle down to your shoulders, arms and hands. A relaxed address position will allow you to make a bigger, freer swing. The result: more clubhead speed and longer shots.

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On the green

You have the swing down. Your next step is making your putting as good as your full swing. Make missed birdie opportunities and frustrating three-putts a thing of the past by improving your efforts with the putter. Focus on distance control and more efficient practice.

Equalize your backswing and follow-through At this level, what often makes the difference between a good round and a mediocre one is your putting. The key to good putting is distance control, which depends on the length of your stroke. It should be the same back and through, allowing for an evenly paced motion and consistent contact. That way, all you have to worry about is matching up the stroke to the length of the putt. The longer the putt, the longer the motion. Read the book The Rules of Golf can help you. Knowing the rules can take strokes off your game. So read The Rules of Golf, understand them and carry a copy in your bag.

Never pass up a chance to play with better players. ay attention to their games, and learn from what they do. Also, competing in tournaments will help sharpen your skills.

High, low and between Make your game more sophisticated by hitting the ball on different trajectories. Experiment with ball position, stance and release to make the ball obey your every wish.

Take the course to the practice green

On the course, you get only one chance to make a putt or, at the very least, get it close to tap-in range. The best way to avoid three-putts is to simulate on-course conditions on the practice green by randomly throwing your ball various distances from the hole. Then treat each putt as you would during the course of play, going through your entire preputt routine.

On the practice green, the tendency is to throw down three balls on the same spot. That's not practice; that's a waste of time. MY FIRST TIME

Editor's note: Few things in golf are better than the first time you break a scoring barrier. Every month, as inspiration, we'll print stories of such "First Times," from players both famous and not. This month we hear from Jack Nicklaus and Justin Leonard.

Breaking 70

As might be expected, Jack Nicklaus was a natural. He first played nine holes when he was 10 and went through the scoring barriers rapidly, as described in The Greatest Game of All.

"The summer I was 12, I broke 80 for the first time. It was odd how it happened. I shot eight straight 80s, and just when I was wondering what I had to do to break that barrier, I shot a 74.

"The following sum-mer, when I was 13, I reached the next goal I had set for myself: I broke 70 for the first time. I remember that afternoon as clearly as if it were yesterday. I was working at the drugstore that summer, and my dad and I went out to the club around 4, as we often did. ar at Scioto was 36-36 -- 72. I was out in 34. I don't know what my father could have been thinking of, but at the end of the nine he said to me, 'That was wonderful golf, Jack. Well, now, home for a good dinner.'

Wood Game Tip

Many people complain about not being able to hit the ball well with their woods (or metals), and in particular their driver. From what I've seen poor quality contact is a major problem for many of these players.

Put a tee in the ground (without a ball) sticking up approximately 1 to 1.5 inches. You should be able to strike the tee consistently without hitting, or even brushing, the ground at all. If you miss the tee, or touch the ground in any way, don't wonder any longer why you can't hit your driver. Remember -- the longer the club, the more precision required. Practice this exercise until you can consistently clip the tee without touching the ground (or even the grass).Once you get quality contact handled the feedback you get from your shots becomes meaningful. Then you can work on directional control.

Clipping the tee

Short Game Tip

The chip and run should be the workhorse of your short game. It is the most reliable shot around the green when you can't putt. I would estimate that at least 95% of my short game shots (from within 20 yards of the edge of the green) are played with a chip and run technique, and the other 5% is made up of putts from off the green, pitches, and bunker shots.

Getting the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as possible greatly increases the chances of the ball's behavior being predictable. That is not to say that a chip and run is always very low to the ground; just as low as possible. A chip and run style shot can be played with the most lofted wedge in your bag, in which case some people might refer to the shot as a "pitch and run." In many cases where the average golfer tries to pitch the ball up in the air, the "risk vs. reward" and the uncontrollable nature of a pitch (especially from a marginal lie) make it a poor choice.

Short Game General Rules

o Putt whenever feasible (i.e., IF the ball will roll rather than bounce)

o Chip and run when you can't putt

o Pitch only when you have no choice