Golfguiden

Whether you are completely novice golfer or a more experienced player looking to become a successful tournament player, we have useful golf tips and strategies to help you learn how to play golf, shoot lower scores and reduce your golf handicap and become as good as you choose to be.

Tip #1: The Grip
The grip is the foundation of your golf swing and developing the right grip is critical to your success in hitting the ball farther and straighter. There are many different grips out there that you can use. Here are few common grip types:

• The Interlocking Grip – With this grip the index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand combine and interlock. It is commonly used by those that have thick hands, or shorter hands. This grip is usually the best option for most people and will allow you to create proper leverage for maximum power.

• The Overlapping Grip – This grip involves having the little finger of the right hand sit on top of the index finger of the left hand. This grip is used by most male golfers because it does require strong wrists and forearms.

• The Baseball Grip – With this grip the index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand do not overlap but do make contact with each other. This is usually the default grip for most beginners or golfers with weaker arm and wrist strength. You probably do not want to keep using this grip as the interlocking or overlapping will work better in most cases

Tip #2: The Estance

Aim  clubface first. Then align your body.
At address, your hands should be about four inches from your thighs.
Keep your head up.

Bend forward from the hips about 33 degrees and tilt body toward right at address.
Let your arms hang naturally.

Elbows should be bent slightly inward at address.
Keep your chin up. Maintain minimal knee bend.
Keep right knee flexed and stable. Don’t let it slide or straighten throughout swing.
For drives, set up with 80% of weight on right foot.
Make sure the ball is not too far forward. For drives, it should be at a point below left shoulder.

Position ball under the logo on your shirt.

Play ball far enough away from body to get full extension.

The longer the club, the more the left foot should be flared out – from perpendicular for short irons to 45 degrees for the driver.

Tip #3: The Backswing
Keep the left arm straight (right handed players) during the backswing and go back as far as you can. Your tempo is dictated really by your personality, some people are naturally slow movers so will have a slower tempo while others tend to move faster so do what is most comfortable for you.

Tip #4: Drives

Think smooth takeaway, full extension, long, slow, sweeping swing and smooth acceleration on downswing.
Start with 60% of weight on right foot.
Keep body relaxed and grip soft.
During swing, think only of following through and finishing the swing down the target line.
For accuracy, pretend you are throwing a basketball down the fairway underhand with our right arm.
Hit with the same tempo you use for a seven iron.
You should feel as though you are throwing the driver straight (not far or hard) down the fairway.
Make sure your left hip never passes your left foot on the downswing.

Tip #5: Getting more distance

Maximize coil and keep body relaxed with a light grip.
At address, keep most of your weight on right foot.
Widen your stance, with toes pointed out.
Tee ball high and hit it with an ascending blow.
Use a strong grip and light grip pressure.
Waggle to relax muscles and rehearse hinging of right wrist.
Make a wide arc and strive for maximum extension.
Maximize coil and get left shoulder and hip behind ball on backswing.
To maximize coil, don’t lift left foot on backswing.
Hinge wrists fully at top of backswing.
Be sure to complete the backswing to put the club in the right position.
Don’t let your left arm bend at the top of the backswing.
Start your downswing by pointing the butt end of the club toward the ball.
Relax arms, make a shallow approach, delay turning of shoulders  on downswing, let arms extend and pull shoulders into finish.
Accelerate the club slowly on downswing.
Rotate shaft through impact.
Try to generate maximum clubhead speed when the clubhead passes the ball, not at or before impact.
Keep head and upper body behind ball throughout swing.
Try to keep your right heel on the ground longer on downswing to help keep your body back.
Hit the ball on the upswing.
Throughout the swing, the only pressure point in your grip should be at the point where the lower pad of your right thumb meets the knuckle of your left thumb.