Water Hazard Rules

Most golf courses have a number of different water hazards such as ponds, lakes and streams that are strategically located along certain golf holes to make them more challenging to play. If you are playing golf, chances are you eventually will hit your ball into one of these water hazards. But if you know the rules regarding your ball landing in a hazard, that can help you save some penalty strokes.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) covers the rules on water hazards pretty thoroughly in its annual Rules manual. Most of the rules are covered under Rule 26-1. These rules instruct a golfer on what to do once he has determined his golf ball landed in a water hazard.

These rules state that a golfer can play the ball out of a water hazard if he has a shot, but this can only be done if less than half of the ball is covered with water. Even so, trying to hit your ball when it is partially sunk in the water is still extremely difficult to do. The better option, sometimes, is to just take a drop and incur a one-stroke penalty.

First of all, you need to find the location the golf ball crossed into the hazard. Once you find the location, you should then make your decision. You can find the closest point of relief from the spot and no closer to the hole, measure two club lengths and then drop your ball. Once you have decided upon a drop location, hold the ball at arm's length away from your body and at shoulder height, then drop the ball. You can only hit the next shot once the ball lands on the course and settles into its proper place.

Some golfers choose to drop their ball at a farther distance than the minimum, where they feel more comfortable hitting the ball. They can decide to drop the ball at any distance behind where the ball crossed into the water. As long as they can locate the spot where the ball crossed the water, and they keep the spot between them and the hole, they can drop the ball as far away from the hole as they want. This is usually done when the ball entered a water hazard at a spot they do not feel comfortable hitting from, or when there is an obstruction that will prevent them from making a shot at the green.

When dropping the ball from either one of these locations, a golfer is allowed to clean his ball or replace that ball with a new golf ball.

There are different rules that can be applied when you are unsure if your golf ball landed in a water hazard and you cannot find it. You should then treat it as if it's a lost ball. The rules for lost balls are different.

If another golfer fails to follow the rules and hits his next shot, then he will incur a one-stroke penalty. If you have questions with regards to the rules on water hazards, then ask your golf buddies; they should be glad to help you out. Make sure your golf buddies witness your measurement and drop to make sure you followed the rules.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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How to Repair Divots

If you have played a round of golf, whether you are a beginner or not, you know that every golfer has damaged a tee box, fairway or putting green at some point. As you swing through the ball, golf clubs dig into the ground, making what is called a divot. A golf ball that lands on the green also makes a ball mark on the putting surface. While playing on the course, as a common courtesy and to keep the course in top shape, it is important that golfers repair the damage they do while playing.

A lot of new and experienced golfers do not know how to properly repair a divot. When you play on the course, you should repair whatever damage you cause on the course as best as you can to keep the course in good shape and allow the players behind you to play on the best surface as possible.

Tee Box Divots

Most tee boxes have sand boxes located along the sides to help you repair damaged tee boxes. The sand box is a mixture of sand and grass and allows the tee box to re-grow the missing grass and level the surface once it's placed in the divot. Scoop out the sand and cover the divot. Press down on the sand so it will stay in play and level it off so it is an even level with the rest of the tee box grass.

Fairway Divots

Fairway divots are also increasingly common in the primary landing area of the surface. Bottles of sand are usually provided for and are attached to golf carts so you can make these repairs. The first thing you should do to repair these divots is to retrieve the original slice of grass that you cut out when you made your swing. After retrieving the clump of grass, you should place it back into the divot. Sprinkle a little sand over the top of the divot and press down with your foot to secure it in place. Make sure the clump of grass and sand is at a level with the rest of the playing surface. If, however, you are unable to find the clump of grass you sliced out of the fairway, then just fill the divot with sand and press down with your foot until it is level with the rest of the playing surface. Refill the sand bottles with extra sand on the tee boxes or at the turn.

Ball Marks on the Green

Fixing a green divot is entirely different from repairing a tee box or fairway divot. A ball mark repair tool is needed to make these repairs on the green. This device looks like a two-pronged fork, and it is specifically used to repair divots on greens.

Insert the ball mark repair tool at a 45 degree angle into the side of the divot. Gently push forward and up on the tool so the grass on the green is level with the rest of the playing surface. Using the tool will raise the divot slightly higher than the putting surface, but by gently patting that area in place with the head of your putter, you can put it in level with the rest of the surface. If you cannot cover the entire ball mark with grass and there are still dirt marks in place, then pour some sand on top of the mark and press it in place. You want to make the putting surface as smooth as possible for the other players playing behind you.

An experienced golfer knows that a better conditioned golf course is a course that is easier to play on. If you do not repair the divots you cause on the green, the tee box or the fairways, then you risk the other players behind you having a more difficult time playing the game. It may just be a matter of courtesy, but keeping the course in good shape is one of the primary aspects of golf etiquette that can keep the game fun and pleasurable for all.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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What Is Stroke Play?

Stroke play is the more commonly played game in a round of golf. Stroke play is when each player totals each stroke he uses to finish a hole, and the golfer with the lowest score wins.

This format allows for tournament play featuring multiple players at one time, even if they are not playing in the same group. An example of this is when a group of 20 golfers are split up into five groups of four players. They start playing a round of golf, playing 18 holes in total. After all groups have finished playing, the 20 players get together and see which player out of the 20 shot the lowest score, or took the fewest amount of strokes.

The player that took the fewest amount of strokes to finish all 18 holes wins the tournament. Handicaps can be added to each player's scores. An example of this is when a scratch golfer, a golfer who has no handicap or gets zero strokes, plays against a player with a handicap of 10, 10 strokes are taken off the total score of the player with a handicap. After the game is played and the scratch player shoots a 74, but the player with a 10 handicap shoots an 83, then the player with the handicap reduces his score by 10, which would mean that his adjusted score would be a 73 and he has won the game by shooting a lower score than the scratch golfer.

There are a few things to be remembered about stroke play. Firstly, each golfer must finish each hole, which is called "holing out." A player can be disqualified for a round or tournament if he proceeds to the next tee box despite not holing out.

An opponent cannot concede putts or strokes, and no holes can be conceded by golfers. Every golfer must hole out to finish the holes and the round of golf. If for some reason a player is either disqualified during the tournament, pulls out of a round of golf or gets hurt, then the other golfers must still finish the stipulated number of holes to decide a winner. A player does not automatically win a round just because another golfer did not finish the stipulated holes.

Golfers can breach rules and be penalized extra strokes during a round of stroke play. A breach of any rule would usually result to a one or two stroke penalty. What this means is that they can continue playing in a stroke play tournament despite breaching a rule, but they must add the penalty strokes to their final score.

A player can get disqualified for a tournament if he wrongfully placed a lower score to his scorecard; if, however, he makes the mistake of writing a higher score to his card, then he must be content in keeping that score. It is very important that every player writes down his score for each hole; then he must total those scores up at the end of a round of golf.

As previously mentioned, almost every game played in golf is the stroke-play type. Each player is responsible for hitting his own ball and keeping his own score. This type of scoring has the golfers playing more against the par of the course than other players in the group or tournament. A golfer may play differently than he would in a match play type of golf round because the stroke play type is based on the number of total hits a golfer takes to finish a hole and the round.

Strategy is very important when playing stroke play. You must think carefully before playing any hole. For example, if you hit the ball into an area of the golf course that makes the shot more difficult, then you can choose to take the penalty stroke and drop the ball where you can easily hit it. Or you can also save the penalty stroke and play the ball as it lies.

Course management is extremely vital in a round of stroke-play golf. Playing to your strengths is key so that you can keep your score low. Keeping the ball in the fairway is very important in stroke play. So have fun and see whether you can lower your score from your last round of golf.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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Putter Heft - The Feel of the Putter and How Its Balance Affects Its Performance

Putter Heft as defined by Dave Tutelman is a combination of a putter's Feel (Swingweight) and its Performance (Moment of Inertia). Specifically how head-heavy it feels in your hands and how the placement of its mass affects the timing of its release.

Weight and Mass are different concepts. The weight of your putter is a measurement of the pull of gravity. In contrast the mass of your putter is the amount of matter it contains and the extent of its inertia - the resistance to being accelerated when acted on by an external force.

Geoff Mangum lists some qualities for good Putter Heft:

• One that matches the golfer's body for size and strength.
• One that tugs the forearms down a bit so the elbows stay relaxed.
• One that does not require any jerkiness to initiate the backstroke.

The feel of your putter is personal. It is essentially the feel of your putter's dynamic rather than its static weight. It is influenced by a combination of the weight of the putter head, the weight of the grip, the length of the shaft, and the overall balance point of your putter.

The tendency in putter manufacture is to make putter heads heavier. The greater overall mass and its distribution within the head reduces the length of the backstroke needed to send your golf ball a certain distance as well as minimising the twisting of the putterface at impact. This all helps with both distance and directional control.

The head-heaviness of your putter is also influenced by the length of your putter and the type of grip that is fitted. Shorten the shaft by a few inches to accommodate your size and you should theoretically increase the weight in the head. Similarly fit a bigger and heavier grip and your putter head will feel lighter.

Now it is important to realise that a putter that may feel right to one person may feel wrong to another. There is no one correct swingweight - how the putter's total static weight is distributed throughout its length.

If you balance your putter on your finger you will find a point where the weight in the head balances the weight at the grip end. This is your putter's balance point. (This is not to be confused with the direction your putterface points when balanced on your finger - skywards, to the ground, or somewhere in between).

A putter's balance point can be altered by the insertion of a weighting system in the shaft. A product such as the Tour Lock Opti-Vibe with its varying weights gives you the ability to optimize the overall weight and balance point of your putter to best suit your feel and performance preferences.

Putter Heft is personal. Only you know what feels good and mostly, after modifying your putter to the correct length, it is a case of experimentation.

Find out more about getting the right putter into your hands by visiting my web site.

Neville Walker has a passion for golf and is actively involved in researching information on all aspects of Putting and Putter Technology. His dedicated web site http://www.better-golf-by-putting-better.com is written specifically to help fellow golfers achieve greater success on the green with the flat stick.

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Tiger Woods Book - What Will We Learn?

The new Tiger Woods book is due out at the end of this month (March 2012) and the prospects of what we might learn is mouth-watering. At least I think so.

Not since Tiger Woods original book, "How I Play Golf", has there been this much interest in a book about him. The reason being that this particular book, "The Big Miss", has been written by none other than his former swing coach - Hank Haney.

Man this is mouth-watering stuff, it's like insider trading or being in Muhammad Ali's corner. Tiger Wood's inner circle was a sanctity that was impenetrable - Fort Knox had nothing on the secrecy of Team Tiger. We were only told what the great man wanted us to know. And make no mistake I do think he is a great man, that he has been magnificent for golf, that a lot more kids play the game because of him and that the level of golf has increased world-wide because of him. But ...

He created a persona that came crashing down on that fateful night and the revelation of the what he was up to leading up to that night. All very sordid and in my opinion has nothing to do with us but it does make us want to know more about the real Tiger Woods and this latest book by Hank Haney will give us another facet of this man's life.

I am really hoping that we will learn about his work ethic. I think youngsters who hope to turn pro will learn that being successful at the highest level is a lot more than winning your clubs weekly Stableford competition!

As far as we know Tiger Woods (and other pros) surround themselves with a team of experts who guide them. Let's hope this book tells us a bit more about that life we all speculate on.

Much has been made on the alleged desire of Tiger to become a Navy Seal and that he was supposedly seriously contemplating walking away from golf to enlist! Would he have made the grade? We will never know. What we do know is he is a superb athlete with a powerful mind. But the Seals? And of course there is the age thing.

Wanting to be a Special Forces soldier is one thing but achieving it requires a lot more than just a desire, and the completion of an application form.

While I wait for the release of this new Tiger Woods book I am going to dig out my old (and the first) Tiger Woods book, "How I Play Golf", and read it again. It may take on a different tone now that we have had two years of no wins from Tiger as he battles to get back to the previous incredible heights.

Tiger has enough on his hands at the moment with his leg playing up and the Europeans holding on to the top 4 spots in the world rankings.

Anyone got Steve Williams' address? Maybe we can get him to pen his experiences - now that would be a Tiger Woods book worth reading.

The most anticipated Tiger Woods book yet is due for release at the end of March 2012.
Pre-launch hype has got Tiger a bit annoyed as the press hound him.
My interest is piqued and I think every golfer will want to know what Hank Haney has to say in The Big Miss.
This will be a collector's item.

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Your Golf Swing Can Be Affected by These Important Factors

Something that can really help a golfer improve his golf swing is understanding the factors that affect the flight of the golf ball that results from the impact of the club with the ball. When you understand what exactly occurs at impact and why, you can make the necessary adjustments to your swing and even see the resulting effects on the very next shot. The ball flight will tell you if you were accurate in your assessment and if you did in fact make the correct adjustment in your golf swing. If you see that the ball flight was worse than before then just go back to your original swing and start over.

What happens at the moment of impact is a combo of factors that together determine what will be the direction and distance the ball will travel down the ever elusive fairway. The golf ball will always react to these factors. The first major factor that affects the ball flight is the horizontal angle of the clubface at the moment of impact. You must be lined up correctly pointing to the target for the clubface to strike the ball at the correct angle. The clubface must be perpendicular to the golf ball at the moment of impact for the ball to travel straight down the course in the direction you desire.

The second and related factor also involves the angle of the club-head at impact with the ball. The difference is this is the vertical angle at impact, which determines the height of the golf ball on its flight path. The horizontal angle at impact determines the direction that the ball will fly while the vertical angle at impact determines how high or low the ball will fly. Hits that cause the ball to fly extremely high or barely off the ground will cause you to lose distance in your shot as you might expect.

If the ball flight is too high, you're getting under the ball too much so move the ball back in your stance. Move the ball forward in your stance if you're hitting too low. Remember not to get carried away with this. You only need to move it an inch or less in some cases. Of course this also varies with individual golfers and the way they address the ball. For instance, if you have the ball way too forward in your stance to begin with, then you may barely be reaching it and, therefore, would send it on a low flight instead of getting it up nicely in the air. So approach this factor with some intelligence.

The third factor which is probably no surprise is that the clubface must strike the ball on the sweet spot to get maximum distance, power and direction assuming factors one and two were also executed properly. The sweet spot is really where you transfer your power from the swing to the golf ball. This transfer of power will maximize its potential when with a sweet spot hit and carry the ball the farthest possible distance down the fairway.

A golf swing is a lot more than just picking up a golf club and swinging away trying to smash the ball as far down the fairway as humanly possible. It is a combination of many factors that greatly influence what the results will be. Learning what causes a particular flight of a golf ball to travel as it does allows you to improve your swing gaining distance and accuracy on your golf shots. As always it takes a great deal of practice to get it right and, unfortunately, most "want to be" par golfers just don't take the time. How about you?

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Six Steps to Unconscious Putting With Golf Psychology

Have you forgotten how good a putter you are? Well, the older they get, the more golfers tend to forget how easy putting really is. They also forget how good they used to putt when they were younger and more carefree. You often hear the golf pundits on television talking about how some or other up and coming young professional hasn't yet learned how difficult putting really is. They sometimes go on to talk about how the accumulation of years of missed putts slowly frazzles the nerves and undermines the confidence of the older and more experienced golfers. Maybe that's how they justify their own inability to maintain their competitiveness on the tour. It's small wonder that they're now commentating rather than playing.

So is their any truth in this? Well yes there is and the good news is that for most golfers it's all in the mind and that's where golf psychology can help. However, it's not a good idea to tell anyone that it's "all in the mind" after they've just missed a putt! As with the Yips, there are a very small number of people who may be afflicted by some sort of neurological problem, but it's unlikely to have been caused by missing putts. So, assuming your putting stroke doesn't change, it's likely that you still have the ability to putt just as well as you ever did - if not better. And you can do it using the power of your unconscious mind.

Take the example of a young tournament professional who was having serious problems with his putting. He'd been struggling to put a good score together despite often hitting 15 greens in regulation in a round. It wasn't his putting stroke, because he'd already spent a lot of time working with his putting coach and everything was looking good there. So what was it? Well, he seemed to have forgotten how good a putter he really was and that was putting more and more psychological pressure on his game.

After some time working on a very undulating putting green at a local club and experimenting with a variety of techniques, he settled on the Six Steps to Unconscious Putting. He was uncomfortable at first, but after about 45 minutes following the routine, he suddenly seemed to relax. He then smiled sheepishly as he said something quietly to himself. I'm not sure what the exact words were, but it was the cheeky nickname he'd been given by his friends at college. That was when he kept holing putts as they played for candy bars and sodas on the college putting green.

That way, he remembered how good a putter he was and the following week, he went out and won his first pay cheque as a professional. He putted rather well, I'm told!

Six Steps to Unconscious Putting

Unusually for me, there are no instructions here about using any formal self hypnosis technique before following these six steps. That's because you'll be using this technique as you transition from the conscious process of planning your putt in your pre-shot routine to the, hopefully, unconscious process of stroking the putt in your shot routine. However, it won't hurt to use a brief hypnosis technique, if you're familiar with one. Alternatively, just take a couple of slow, deep breaths at this point to get into just the right state of mind.

Step 1: When you approach a putt, start following your normal pre-shot routine and doing whatever you would normally do to read and visualise the putt.

Step 2: If you haven't already marked the ball, then mark it now, clean it and replace it ready to putt. I suggest that you avoid making any particular conscious effort to line up the markings on the ball with the target. If you normally draw a sighting line on your ball, either ignore it or don't do it for now.

Step 3: Now stand 2-4 yards behind the ball on the line to your target. Face straight at the target, so that both your eyes are seeing the ball and the hole using your binocular vision.

Step 4: Recall your visualisation of the putt and do your best to imagine the feeling and/or picture of the ball rolling along your expected line before hearing it fall in the hole.

Step 5: Now, keeping that feeling and/or picture in your mind and, while maintaining your gaze at the ball and the hole, take your stance for a practice swing. Take a couple of practice swings while still looking simultaneously at the ball and hole.

Step 6: As soon as you feel the practice swing is a good rehearsal for the putt you want to play, move as quickly and smoothly as you can and take up your stance to the ball. Only roughly align yourself to the hole - your unconscious will automatically allow for any misalignment. Then take one slow look at the hole and as soon as your eyes return to the ball, notice how you automatically and unconsciously start your putter stroke and then stroke the putt. It really is that easy!

So why does this work? Well, the object is to get all the conscious thought and analysis out of the way. Then you can hand over control to your unconscious mind to finally assess the shot and hit the putt. Looking at the hole with both eyes while you get the feel of the putter stroke allows your unconscious mind to take in all the information it needs to deliver the putt that you saw or felt in step 1. Finally, the faster you can smoothly take your stance, look at the hole and start your swing, the more of that unconscious information you'll retain. It'll also mean that there's less time for the conscious mind to step in and start analysing things again - potentially sowing the seeds of doubt.

Remember that you can use this technique for chips and, with practice, for longer shots as well. It's also a good technique for overcoming the Yips for both putting and chipping.

It's good enough for Darren Clarke to win the Open Championship

Did you watch Darren Clarke winning the Open Championship at Royal St Georges? If you did, then you'll have seen him using a very similar routine to the Six Steps to Unconscious Putting. I have to admit that I was surprised and delighted, because I'd only told a few people about the technique at that time.

Now I'm not suggesting that Darren heard about it from one of my contacts. However, it obviously helped him to overcome some of the "demons" that seemed to be afflicting his putting confidence over the years. The Six Steps and his action of gripping left hand low and then re-gripping right hand low were clearly keeping his conscious mind occupied while he's just trusting his unconscious mind to hit the putts. It certainly seemed to be working for him.

Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a golf psychologist and author of a recently published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of Golf Hypnosis audio programmes.

You can find many articles on his website that address the question of how to own the putting green.

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Cool and Nonchalant on the Course With Golf Hypnosis

So what makes so many of the world's top golfers look so nonchalant, especially during the last nine on Sunday, when they are really trying to win? Well, it obviously includes technical golfing skill, course management and an understanding of the physics of golf. However, when I first work on the course with some of my new clients, I see golfers who have all those things and more. The problem is that they're not yet winning or coming in the top 10 very often.

What makes the difference is that those consistently successful players combine those skills and knowledge with a controlled and measured level of concentration; while sticking to their routines.

What do I mean by Concentration?

Although a high level of concentration seems to be the key to consistent success at the highest levels, there's more than one way to concentrate. Some players, like Nick Faldo, felt the need to hold their concentration for complete rounds or even tournaments. That's very hard on the nerves and probably one of the reasons that Nick now prefers to commentate rather than play top-level golf.

By way of contrast, Luke Donald is just as focussed when he's planning and executing his shots, but between shots he looks much more relaxed and nonchalant between shots. Maybe that's why he had the capacity to head the money lists on the PGA and European Tours in 2011.

Then there's the story of European Tour player Phil Archer. He had a reputation for winning the pro-am events on the Wednesdays before the main tournaments and then missing the cut on the Fridays. In the tournament he tried to concentrate like a Nick Faldo, while in the pro-am he'd focus, between concentrating briefly on his own shots, on helping his amateur partners enjoy their day. I bet they thought he was acting cool when they were playing with him! When he started to be nonchalant between shots in the main tournament, he started to win.

How do I become Nonchalant?

The best advice is to focus most of your efforts on consistently following your routines and only really concentrate on the shot in hand. Between shots, you can enjoy yourself and be as nonchalant as you possibly can. There's really nothing you can do constructively between shots, other than simply relax and enjoy the experience. When you are actually planning and executing your shots, it's an entirely different story. That's what I call, "Golf in the Playing Zone".

Remember to keep an eye out for nonchalance on the golf course, especially from the top players, like Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a golf psychologist and author of a recently published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of Golf Hypnosis audio programmes.

You can find many interesting articles on his website that discuss golf in the playing zone.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Fogg

Winter Rules for Golf Courses

As there are many golf courses around the world that experience the winter season, a lot of local courses have implemented what are commonly known as "winter rules." Winter rules are typically not covered by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Rules manual. There is, however, a press release that explains its position regarding the winter rules.

According to the press release, the USGA will not recognize the winter rules. As a matter of fact, the USGA recommends that all the rules outlined in its Rules manual be used exclusively. The organization points to Rule 7 (5) in its manual, covering the conditions when a golf course is under repair. However, in a compromise with local golf courses and committees, the USGA does understand that these courses and committees can make their own rules pertaining to the conditions of their golf courses.

The USGA states that it does understand that winter conditions differ from normal conditions of play, and they would affect every part of the golf course during the winter months. The Association does, however, want these golf courses to specifically outline the rule changes applied to these winter conditions. A golf course must never, on a whim, just place a sign stating "Winter rules in effect today." The courses and local rules committees must outline the specific rule changes made and make those rule changes available to all golfers.

The winter rules instituted by local golf courses usually pertain to the lie of the golf ball (also known as "preferred lies"). This means that a golfer can pick up his ball, clean it and place it near the spot where it was originally located. There are other winter rules that may apply to certain golf courses, but what you need to keep in mind is that these rules are not recognized by the USGA.

A tournament that is being played in harsh conditions is usually when rules will be set by the local rules committee. The rule changes are invoked in order to protect the course and provide a more pleasurable game and a fairer competition for every golfer playing in the tournament.

Some of the rules covered include when the ball is embedded, how far the ball can be moved from its original location, where on the golf course preferred lies can be applied and anything else the rules committee or golf course deem necessary to protect the golf course. An example of this is that some courses allow golfers to only take the preferred lies when their ball lands in the fairway, but not if their ball lands in the rough.

The winter rules that are adopted by the golf course or local rules committee must be extremely specific to prevent golfers from taking advantage of the rules. The winter rules that are applied during the winter months are usually listed on the scorecards and are outlined in detail so that every golfer playing during that time of year can go over them before beginning play.

As soon as the winter months are over, a golf course almost always reverts to the rules outlined in the USGA Rules manual.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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Putting Tips: Help With Putting

Are you looking for some golf tips that can really help with putting quickly? Let's start with one golf tip first with the understanding that just golf tips will not make you a consistent putter. The absolute quickest way to get you help with putting is to repeat one of the putting tips that was in Golf Digest. It was from Dave Stockton, regarded as one of the best putters in golf history, to Annika Sorenstam. Now if you know Golf, you know that when Annika Sorenstam was on the Women's Tour, she dominated that Tour for years. Annika knowing Dave Stockton's reputation asked him for help with her putting. Although he did give her more than one tip, the putting tip he publicly admitted giving her was this:

"You do not focus your eyes on the ball when you putt. You pick a spot one inch in front of the ball that you want the ball to roll over, and that's where you look. "

If you take this statement and analyze it, you will undoubtedly question yourself "why couldn't I think of that"? It is such a simple putting tip to put into practice that will exponentially give you help with putting. It is so much easier to aim for a target one inch away then 5 feet or 10 feet. You do have to learn how to place the spot you aim for in the correct location.

You can visualize this with another sport, Bowling. Bowling is similar to Golf in that the motions to swing and release the ball has to be repeated over and over with the same consistency. Most people see the pins down the alley and also know there are arrows that are used for targets way in front of the pins. They are easier for people to aim at because they are closer! Did you know they also have dots right at the foul line that correlates with the arrows which are even closer and should be easier to aim for. The reason for this description is purely to express the principles involving targets and target lines to help with putting.

Well, that same principle can be applied in Golf and it is emphasized by Mr. Stockton. To form a straight target line, it is best if there are at least three points rather than two. It is known that between two points are a straight line, but the line could be crooked. However, using three points, starting point, finishing point and a third point in the middle, the line from start to finish will be more accurate using that third reference point. That being the case the first is the ball, the finishing point is the hole or the target point of the break in the putt, the third would be the point you pick one inch from your ball in line with the first two points. This is just so you understand how the basic principle works, but I would rather defer all the technical teachings to the Professional, Dave Stockton, and his advice that will help with putting.

Again, it should be understood that putting tips can offer a short term solution. You should learn the proper putting technique for a proven method to maintain long term consistency and really lower your scores.

The real answer to putt consistently is to learn a proven method. Golf tips can certainly help with putting but it is best to learn putting techniques that can be ingrained and replicated with consistent results. Learn this and more from http://www.howtoimproveputting.com

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The Art of Finding the Best Golf Clothing

When you watch golf tournaments on television, you will notice how smartly dressed the competitors are. Some players are more conservative than others in their choice of golf clothing but without exception, they will be wearing well fitting sweaters and shirts, tailored trousers, smart jackets and matching overtrousers if the weather is wet or windy.

These players are demonstrating the importance of wearing the best golf clothes to enhance, not hinder the way they play. But how does the amateur golfer find the best golf clothing?

Shopping on the high street

You will not find the best golf clothing on the high street where the fashion is about looks and not performance and durability. Some sports shops will have a small range of golf clothing but to find the best choice, you will have to look elsewhere.

Golf shops

The majority of golf clubs have a shop on their premises, usually run by the club professional, where a range of golf equipment and clothing is sold. Many people think that these shops are open to club members only but this is not correct and members of the public are very welcome. The range of clothing in these shops will vary but most will stock a basic selection.

The best choice - online.

Undoubtedly the place to find the best clothing today is online where you can browse the widest selection of shirts, sweaters, trousers, shorts, jackets, overtrousers, hats, gloves and shoes before you buy. Most of this clothing is endorsed by professional players who know from first hand experience the importance of comfortable clothing which provides functionality with style and durability. Special materials are used particularly in the manufacture of waterproof clothing to provide a high level of protection whilst leaving the wearer able to play golf in the rain without feeling restricted in any way.

Recently, the importance of a suitable base layer of clothing, especially when playing golf in the winter, has been recognised leading to the development of an extensive range of specialised underwear which not only regulates the temperature of the player but enhances performance at the same time. The best range of this special underwear is to be found online.

Conclusion

The best golf clothing is smart, functional and fashionable. There are several places where it can be bought but nowadays the best range is to be found online.

Stuart currently works for the online retailer, Function 18. They supply top branded names in the world of Golf Clothing such as Ian Poulter and Galvin Green.

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Golf Mittens - Ideal for Cold Weather Golfing

Avid golfers do not want to be put off their game by bad weather, so they will look for clothes and accessories that keep them warm while still allowing them freedom of movement. Winter golf gloves are a good idea but can often be too thick and bulky to allow optimal grip of the golf club and may have to be removed for play.

An excellent alternative to this are winter golf mittens, which can be worn over traditional golf gloves for extra warmth when the golfer is standing idle or walking between shots and then removed to reveal the gloves underneath to take the shot.

An even better idea is a pair of 'pull-up' mitts, which have an opening at the fingertip to allow the mittens to be pulled back up to the wrist for the shot to be played, and then can simply be pulled back down again to cover the hands and keep them warm.

ProActive Pull-up winter golf mittens are a good example of this; available in three sizes; small medium and large, they are made from a fleecy fabric which is soft and supple as well as extremely warm, and is very easy to slide up and down over a regular golf glove.

Turtle Fur Fleece Golf Mittens are a similar idea, but instead of pushing up to the wrist, they have an opening in the palms where the hands can be slipped out. Just as simply they can be pulled back over the leather golf glove between shots.

HJ Winter Glove and Mitten combination offers the best of both worlds; featuring supple, easy grip winter golf gloves with Micro-fiber palms and attached winter golf 'mitts' to pull over the hands when needed; a very clever all-in-one solution.

TaylorMade Cold Weather Golf Mittens are specially made, fleece lined golf mittens which are intended to be perfectly suited for play. They are made of water resistant nylon, fleece lined with 3M Thinsulate, and have Rubbertex palm and thumb inserts for extra grip. Some golfers may find it is perfectly easy to play while wearing these mitts, while those who prefer to remove them will find this a simple task; with the elastic wrist cuff and Velcro fastener.

Whatever the individual golfer's needs or tastes; there are winter golf gloves and golf mittens to suit everyone. One thing is for sure; a real golf enthusiast is not going to be deterred from their game by a little cold weather!

Victoria Vohn, also known as My Granny Geek has been researching potential purchases online since the early days of the internet. Now she is sharing much of that research with you. Check out her latest website at Winter Golf Gloves, where she provides information about winter golf gloves and golf mittens. Learn more about My Granny Geek.

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Choosing Winter Golf Gloves

Some golfers are lucky enough to live where the weather is good all year around, or are wealthy enough to be able to follow the sun. The majority however, live in parts of the world where they have to deal with the seasons and so it becomes necessary to kit themselves out with cold weather attire and while it is easy to find clothes which are warm but still allow freedom of movement; choosing winter golf gloves which are right for them can be a little more complex.

Most sportswear manufacturers offer a line of winter golf gloves many golfers have their personal favorite manufacturer of accessories. Finding the perfect pair may mean looking at numerous suppliers. Some gloves which are extremely warm may not give enough maneuverability or grip for some golfers, while others may not keep the hands adequately warm between shots.

Listed here are a nice variety of winter golf gloves currently on the market; each with their own particular feature and all designed to help the golfer enjoy their game all year round.

FootJoy WinterSof Winter Golf Gloves have palms of water-resistant Cabretta leather and 3M Thinsulate insulation for added warmth even in the coldest of conditions. The microfiber fleece of this WinterSof glove is incredibly lightweight which means it will not hamper a golfer's style.

Forgan Winter Golf Gloves have a double fleece, water repellent top and synthetic palms to aid grip. These gloves were designed with the winters of St Andrews in Scotland in mind, so they should stand up to very adverse conditions.

Mizuno ThermaGrip Gloves feature very soft, supple Cabretta leather palms which are water repellent as well as providing warmth. A Velcro fastener fits snugly at the wrist for a secure fit to keep out both cold and rain.

Etonic G-Sok Winter Golf Gloves are perfect for the cold weather, even in stormy or icy conditions. While providing warmth and protection from the elements with their Dri-Fleece microfiber; these gloves have uniquely patterned leather palms and leather fingertips which allow enhanced tactile grip on a golf club, no matter what the weather. An extra-length knitted cuff ensures a cozier fit to keep in the warmth and keep out the cold.

HJ Weather-Ready Rain Gloves are high-performance microfiber winter golf gloves, with the added bonus of being waterproof; made from a mesh material which dries rapidly and provides extra reliable grip. The gloves fit so snugly and comfortably; without the discomfort of seams often associated with gloves, that consumers declare them not only excellent for driving golf balls, but also perfect for driving cars.

These are just a small selection of the many winter golf gloves available for the golfer to choose from. Every golfer has their own style of play and also of dress, so the wide array of choices means that there is something to suit every golfer.

Victoria Vohn, also known as My Granny Geek has been researching potential purchases online since the early days of the internet. Now she is sharing much of that research with you. Check out her latest website at Winter Golf Gloves, where she provides information about winter golf gloves and golf mittens. You can also learn more about My Granny Geek.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victoria_Vohn

The Wedge - The Scoring Weapon of Tour Players

Next to the putter, wedges are the second most important group of clubs in the bag to consider having custom fit when it comes to the number at the bottom of your scorecard. There is no better proof than a quick look at the statistics of the European Tour and PGA Tour. The average Tour player hits 11 to 12 greens in regulation per round yet still shoots par or better. How? By getting the ball close enough to the hole with their wedges to make the putts for par to save their round.

When being custom fit for the best wedges for your game, specifications such as wedge loft, lie, length, sole width and sole angle are certainly important. But what most golfers don't know is that choosing wedges on the basis of the design and condition of the course(s) they play is very important for getting the complement of wedges that improve their ability to "get the ball up and down" more often.

Sand Conditions

The fluffier and/or deeper the sand in the bunkers, the wider the sole and/or the more bounce sole angle will be required on the sand wedge. Conversely, the more coarse and shallow the sand, the more narrow the sole and/or the less bounce sole angle you should have on your sand wedge. These points are true because the wider the sole and more bounce on the sole, the more the sole can resist traveling deep into the sand.

In addition, the golfer's swing technique for sand shots is very important to evaluate. The more steeply the wedge is swung down to the sand, the deeper the sole could dig under the ball. Hence the more steep the golfer's angle of attack, the wider the sole and/or the more bounce should be on the sole of their sand club.

Grass Conditions

Longer grass and softer turf around the greens as well as the more "creeping grasses" like Bermuda and Kikuyu found in hot weather climates, the wider the sole and the more bounce sole angle your wedges should have. Likewise, the shorter cropped the grass or more firm the turf around the greens, the less bounce sole angle and/ore more narrow the sole should be on the wedges.

Green Design

The more elevated the greens, the steeper the bunker faces, the smaller the greens and the more "dead elephants buried" under your greens (multiple tiered greens!!), the more loft should be advised on the wedges to help your golfers get the ball well up to stop the ball on the tier on which the hole is cut. The flatter and larger the greens, the more that conventional or lower lofts are better on the wedges to encourage enough run-up to the hole.

Wedge Specifications

The loft angle between each wedge should not be less than 3 degrees, or more than 6 degrees. This way the golfer always has a club for the distance of the shot and they'll never have to over-hit a wedge, a practice which can destroy wedge accuracy. Always, always have the lie angles of your wedges adjusted dynamically by noting the point of impact with the ground to the sole. The more the lie is off from being accurately custom fit, the more off-line you'll hit the wedges. If you want to score better, make sure your search for your perfect custom fit golf clubs always includes accurate clubfitting analysis of the wedges.

For more ideas on how to choose the perfect wedge for you, pay Tom Wishon Golf Technology a visit today! Get the perfect wedge and get the ball up and down again and again.

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Has Golf Technology In Drivers Hit A Brick Wall?

Taylormade drivers are generally considered the most highly advanced and best golf drivers in the industry but I have recently begun to wonder what they will do next. Taylormade have been the guys to first introduce customization into the game. They introduced moveable weighted technology in their R7 quad drivers and since then drivers have leaped forward with other customization features to the point where I think they have hit a brick wall.

Taylormade have recently launched the R11 golf driver which has been considered the best and most adjustable driver in golf. It is a very handy piece of equipment as you can adjust it to get the absolute most out of the driver. There are so many options on it so you can virtually change anything including the shaft. This is where I think that they have hit a brick wall or where driver technology should at least slow down. I think this is because drivers nowadays are virtually already maxed out to the limits that are legally allowed and now with the customization features there is almost nothing else that they can do to them. The way I look at it is that the latest drivers are pretty much for life until some massive improvement in technology comes out.

For example say you buy a customizable driver right now I reckon you will not need to change it for a very long time. If your swing gets out of tune you can change the features on it. If your swing starts to get faster or slower you can again adjust it to counteract it. If you really had to or wanted to you could even buy a new shaft and simply swap them around. So because of this I really think golf drivers are hitting a brick wall. The only other advancement I think that they can make is via the discovery of a new technology. Off course in the mean time they can paint them white or pink or red but that is all just a marketing stunt to resell a product that already exists.

As for now I am really curious as to what will happen in the future for golf. Unless the rules for equipment change which I don't think they will then I doubt we will be seeing anything completely new for quite some time. I hope that you have enjoyed my article. If you are interested in learning golf tips and improving your game please visit my golf tips website.

If you liked this article you may be interested in my Taylormade R11 review.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connor_McBroom

Overcome Your Bad Golf Habits Forever And Play Great Golf

Many golfers have developed golf bad habits over the years. This can range anywhere from an improper grip to having too much tension in the swing, or to simply having swing plane errors or difficulties. Overcoming your bad habits on the golf course with your swing happens when you know what you are doing wrong and have an exact plan for how to fix it.

There are ways to figure out what you are doing wrong with your golf swing. You must have a clear grasp of your fundamentals and be able to notice if any of these things are off. It's always a good idea to start by checking your grip and setup position. These things alone can cause significant swing errors if they aren't correct. Once you've made sure you golf setup is correct, the next thing is to check the basic swing checkpoints in your golf swing. This includes the halfway back position, the top of the backswing, your downswing transition, and impact with the golf ball.

Oftentimes, an error in one area of the swing causes another problem in a different part of the golf swing. It can be helpful to go in order to check your golf swing by starting with your backswing and then checking your downswing. If you know your impact position is off, you can use golf drills to work on this particular area. A lot of times working on one thing will improve other areas of the swing as well.

Then there are bad habits in golf related to tempo or balance issues and even having too much tension in your golf swing. These problems can lead to errant golf shots. Too much tension can lead to improper swing sequence or not squaring up the clubface properly at impact. Getting off balance in the golf swing will cause the club to swing off the intended path or plane and lead to shots going right or left of your target as well.

To get your game and swing on track, first become aware of the direction of your golf ball flight and the quality of your content at impact. This will give you ways to figure out what your potential swing bad habit or error is. Some golfers are aware of their bad habit and this is the first step towards fixing the problem or issue. A good way to combat your problem in the swing is to find a way to do the opposite. Golf swing drills can aid this process. Say you have developed an out to in swing path near impact and are struggling with a golf slice. To fix this, try and correct your path by exaggerating the opposite and trying to swing on an in to out swing path instead. This will be difficult to do at first but trying to exaggerate the opposite will usually have you end up in the middle right where you want to be.

The Golf Swing Genius is a top golf instructor who will show you how to eliminate your Golf Bad Habits. Learn a complete system of Golf Swing Tips and start playing your best golf now!

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How a Golf Handicap Is Calculated

When two golfers with different skill levels play against each other, a golf handicap is used to make them competitive despite their differences in skill levels. What this means is that better golfers can play against average golfers and both will still have an equal opportunity to win.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) developed the formula for calculating every golfer's handicap, but it cannot assign handicaps to every golfer, so the Association will license a "golf club" in a golf course, and that course will utilize the USGA formula to calculate a golfer's handicap.

In order for you to get a handicap, you need to first play 20 rounds of golf and give each one of your scores to the golf course so it can calculate your handicap. You still need to turn in your scores even after the course has calculated your handicap, so it can maintain your handicap.

The formula used to calculate a golf handicap is complicated, which is why the USGA licenses courses before they can perform this task. If you want to approximate an unofficial handicap, there are several websites that have handicap calculators you can use.

In calculating a player's handicap, the first thing the course takes into account is the golfer's raw scores for the 20 rounds. Once the 20 raw scores are provided, the course translates them into adjusted scores, which are the total scores after applying Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). The ESC caps the maximum score a golfer can receive on each hole. Once this is established, the golf club calculates a Handicap Differential for the adjusted score. The Handicap Differential is the difference between the course difficulty, which the USGA assigned to that specific course, and the adjusted score.

These 20 differentials are then inserted into a Handicap Index calculator by the licensed golf club and a handicap is established. Once the golf club has a Handicap Index for one golfer, it can easily establish the handicap for each golfer, no matter what course he plays. This is why golfers who play multiple courses take all their scores, along with the score card that shows the slope and rating of the course they played on, to the licensed golf course.

The way handicaps work can be confusing. Each golf course's score card lists its holes, but the card also ranks each hole from the most difficult to the easiest. An example of this is when a number 1 is placed next to the most difficult hole; a number 2 is placed beside the second-most-difficult hole; and so on until the easiest hole, which will have a number 18 placed beside it.

A 10 handicap golfer playing against a golfer who has a zero handicap (otherwise called a "scratch" golfer) will receive one stroke on each of the 10 most difficult holes. A golfer with a 20 handicap playing against a scratch golfer will receive one extra stroke on all 18 holes, as well as one extra stroke on the two most difficult holes.

The golf handicap not only makes the game fairer and more fun to play, it allows golfers of different skill levels to play against one another and still be competitive. This is one of the reasons why golf has become a very popular sport to play: anyone can play against anyone else, and with the establishment of a handicap, even a less-experienced golfer can win some tournaments.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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Golf Dress Code

Golf courses usually have a strict dress code that you must follow in order to play a round on that course. Usually, the more exclusive the golf course, the stricter the dress code. If you have never played golf at a specific course before, you may want to call the course first to find out the proper attire. You wouldn't want to go to the course and not be able to play because you were unable to adhere to its dress code.

Many golf courses require collared shirts, such as polo shirts, and long, non-denim pants. Other courses may only require the collared shirts. Municipal courses may allow golfers to play as long as they are dressed reasonably and aren't trying to take their shirt off on a hot day. But if you are an experienced golfer, you also know that certain clothes will prevent you from performing your best on the golf course.

Generally, you will want to wear loose-fitting collared shirts and lightweight pants on hot days. Everyone knows that clothing gets heavier more moisture it retains, and hot days tend to make you sweat more, so you will want to wear clothes that are as cool as possible. This does not include mesh shirts or pants, however.

Footwear also comes into play with the dress code in some courses. You want to wear a pair of shoes that is comfortable for you and is sanctioned by the course you are playing at. Some courses only allow you to wear proper golf shoes, either spiked or spike-less. Other courses only allow soft-spike shoes, while others do not have a shoe policy. Try to get a pair of shoes that has soft spikes but is not a tennis-type shoe. This type of shoe is commonly allowed at most any golf course and is comfortable enough to allow you to play freely on the course.

Playing in tennis-type shoes will make the game more difficult. Your foot can easily slip when making a swing, causing you to either make an errant shot or miss the ball all together.

Jeans are another type of clothing that you should not wear on hot days, even if the course allows them. Jeans are made from a heavier material and can weigh you down if you start sweating a lot. Jeans are usually not allowed on most golf courses, as the required dress code is slacks or khaki pants.

Golfers often have a preppy look on the golf course. They wear a nice polo shirt (whether long or short sleeves depends on the weather) and a nice pair of khaki pants. A lot of golfers also wear baseball caps to keep the sun and their hair away from their eyes. Other golfers choose to wear different types of hats, while still others choose to not wear hats at all.

Always bring a rain suit with you in case of bad weather, as well as a sweater for when the weather turns cold. Many golfers decide to wear a windbreaker on windy days, but you always have to be sure that the jacket is in reasonably good shape.

Think carefully before deciding on the clothes you will wear to the golf course. You want to wear clothes that are comfortable but are presentable as well. You can also show your personality through the colors you wear, as most golf courses don't have strict dress codes on the colors of clothing you wear on the course.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_L._Faidley

Common Golf Terms

Like every other sport, golf has its own language. Terms and slang heard by a beginner or spectator can be misconstrued if they don't know the meaning of the words in context. A word may mean something totally different on the golf course than when used in everyday vocabulary.

There are a few terms that golfers usually use when talking about golf. As a beginner or spectator, you must know these basic terminologies to help you better understand and enjoy the sport. However, these words are but a small number of the terms used in golf.

#1 Tee Box (Teeing Up)

The tee box is where a golfer usually starts to play his hole from. Teeing up the ball is when a golfer places the ball on a wooden or plastic peg (called a tee) so it sits up off the ground. This can only be done on the tee box.

#2 Fairway

The fairway is the easiest place to hit from, as it is the part of the hole that has the shortest grass. It typically runs from the tee box to the green and a golfer's goal is to keep the ball in the fairway.

#3 The Green

The green is the area the golfer tries to reach by hitting his golf ball. It is usually circular in shape and has a flag stick and a cup. It has the shortest cut grass of any place on the golf course. This allows the golfer to easily roll the ball across the green to reach the cup, or hole. The hole is completed once the players get their golf balls inside the cup.

#4 Rough

The rough is an area of the golf course that runs along the sides of the fairway and has longer grass.

#5 Par

Par is the number of strokes or hits a golfer is allowed for one particular hole. The total par for all the holes when added up is usually about 70 or 72 for 18 holes. A golfer is said to shoot par if he uses that exact number of shots to hit the ball from the tee box into the cup on the green.

#6 Ace (Hole-in-One)

When the golfer took only one shot to get the ball to go into the cup from the tee box on any given hole, this is called an ace. This is also called the hole-in-one.

#7 Eagle

If the golfer used two fewer strokes than the par granted him to hit the ball into the cup, it is called an eagle. This is commonly seen on par 5 holes.

#8 Double-Eagle (Albatross)

A double-eagle is when you use three less strokes than the par granted on a hole. In Britain (and some parts of the United States), this is called an albatross.

#9 Birdie

When a golfer uses one less hit, or stroke, than par granted to him on any hole, this is called a birdie. An example of this is when a golfer takes only three strokes to put the golf ball into the cup on a par 4 hole.

#10 Bogey

When a golfer takes one more stroke than the par on that hole, then it is called a bogey. An example is when a golfer needs five strokes to put the golf ball inside the cup on a par 4 hole. This word is also used to describe additional strokes required, such as double-bogey, triple-bogey, etc.

#11 Handicap

Based on a player's skill level, he is granted a number of additional strokes or hits. This is what they call his handicap. Basically, it is the number of strokes a player can take off his total score at the end of a round of golf. The handicap allows golfers of different skill levels to compete evenly against each other.

#12 Hazard

The obstacles or obstructions that are strategically placed on the golf course are called hazards. The designer of the course created these hazards to make the game more challenging to play. Hazards include ponds, lakes, streams, bushes, sand traps, grass bunkers or any other obstacles that are set along the sides of each hole and surrounding the green.

Improve your game with our golf swing tips provided at Easy Pars. We have everything from the full swing to how to putt in golf to help you lower your scores.

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