Tips

Practice
"Practice Smarter to improve faster"
"Don't make your practice routine"
"Climb the ladder to improve your consistency and Accuracy"

Equipment
"Lie Angle: The Most Crucial Spec "

On & off the fairway
"Fairway Woods - The Game Savers"
"Use Common Sence on Par 5's"
"Keep It Simple On The Course"
"Back Off In The Fairway Bunker"

Greenside play
"The Three Commandments of Greenside Play"
"Chipping to the Green"

Putting
"Keep "Rock Your Sholders To Control Your Stroke"
"Control the Direction of Your Putts"
"The secrets to judging speed and break"

A solid foundation of a good set-up.

Point The Clubface Right At Your Target

The first move of a tour-quality set up is to lay the clubface down behind the ball, pointing its leading edge squarely at your target. You then build your entire set up around that square clubface.

The goal of the set up is to put your body in a position to swing the club correctly, then return it to the same square position it was in when you first set it down on the ground behind the ball.

The first problem we need to deal with is the issue of aligning your body parallel left of your target line. For all your full shots, you want to get into a position in which a line across your toes, knees, hips and shoulders would run parallel left of the target line. Imagine a railroad track in which the clubface and ball lie on the outer rail with the target in the distance on the same rail. Now, imagine your toes on the inner rail with your knees, hips and shoulders also running along the inner rail.

Take our word for it: when shots are hit off line, its usually the alignments that break, not the swing. The set up governs the swing and when the set up is faulty, the swing easily breaks.

Stance Width With a driver,

I like to see the insides of the heels at least as wide as the shoulders, and then narrow down from there. I believe most golfers will benefit from having a stance that's on the wide side, not the narrow. The golf swing is an athletic move, and, as in most sports, a relatively wide stance gives you the base you need to make a full range of motion yet stay balanced.

Weight Distribution

I want your weight on the balls of the feet, never on the toes or heels. An important part of solid ball striking is that you hold your position in space throughout the swing. We don't want to rock back on the heels nor fall forward toward the ball.

For full shots, I prefer a 50/50 weight distribution. In the short game and with short punch shots, you should feel as if your weight is more on the left side.

Ball Position

I do not believe in changing ball position. I stick to one basic philosophy: unless you're playing a specialty shot such as a running chip or a high pitch, try to play all your shots with the ball positioned opposite your left armpit. This strategy takes the guesswork out of ball position. I believe a constant and onsistent ball position will make you a more consistent player.

What many golfer don't realise is that incorrect ball position can adversely effect your aim. When the ball is too far back in your stance, your shoulders will automatically close, pointing the right hander right of the target. If you let the ball wander too far forward in your stance, you'll end up reaching for it with your right arm and shoulder, so that your shoulders are open relative to the target and you're aiming left. To avoid these and other ball position problems, you should keep your ball position constant, at or slightly inside a line drawn to your left heel or left armpit.

Getting On Plane

The swing plane is one of the most difficult parts of the swing to understand and master. When you swing the golf club on the correct plane and hit the ball well, it is an exhilarating and powerful experience. It makes the shot seem so easy. But the business of the swing plane is one of the most elusive concepts in golf.

Here's one way you may be able to coordinate the directionally different movements of the swinging arms, cocking wrists and turning body in the backswing so the club is on the correct plane. When your hands are just past your right toe, make a conscious, but subtle rotation of your forearms as you begin to cock your wrists. The clubhead will seem light, because you will be completing your wrist cock on plane with the shaft and your left arm. Your wrists should be completely cocked and the shaft at the correct angle when your hands are shoulder high.

Eliminating The Reverse Pivot

In shifting their weight to the right at the start of the backswing, many golfers slide their hips sideways or away from the target. The movement usually slants the spine toward the target, creating a reverse-pivot - a tilting of the upper body to the left - rather than having the body behind the ball. A proper setup position will help eliminate the problem, which is a major cause of slicing, pull-hooking and hitting behind the ball.

At address, your head should be slightly right of center, with your eyes looking at the back of the ball. The spine angle this creates must be maintained throughout the swing, and the way to do this is to rotate your body in the backswing keeping the hips level. When you begin your backswing, feel your left shoulder is moving to the right and level to the ground. Do not dip your upper torso downward.

Your weight will transfer correctly on the backswing, and on the scientific basis that an action always creates an equal and opposite reaction, you will bring the club to impact with the body at a correct angle.

Are you aimed correctly?

Chances are you aren't!

Its amazing...if you stand and watch golfers on a driving range or tee off you will notice one very common flaw...many aren't aimed properly.

If you don't setup properly to the ball and aim yourself correctly, I can guarantee that the ball won't go where you want it to. When setting up to the ball and aligning yourself to the target, there are two important facts you need to remember:

1. Your clubface aims directly at the target

2. A line across your toes, hips and shoulders should be parallel to the line your clubface is on and should end up just left of the target line (for right handers). In order to make sure that you are aligned properly try this...

Start by standing behind your ball. Keep it between yourself and the target. Now, visualize an imaginary line from your ball to the target. Identify various "objects" that fall right on that line. Preferrably 10 - 15 feet in front of your ball (a divot mark, a leaf, a rock) Now approach your ball and place your clubface striaght down that target line. Look at your target and your club face. Now, look at the object that is 10 - 15 feet in front of your ball. Are you lined up with it?

Using the position of the clubhead as you guide, take your stance. If you follow this preshot routine each time you will find that you will be more accurate. And, accuracy leads to lower scores.

Don't make your practice routine

If you've gone to the trouble to drive to your local practice range and you've laid down a few quid for a bucket of balls, the least you can do is make the most out of your practice time.

Every time I stop by a driving range, I see dozens of golfers turn themselves into ball-beating machines. Drop a ball down, swing, observe result. Repeat. This strategy is great if your goal is learning how to most quickly transport 75 balls from a bucket onto a field. However, if you're interested in improving your swing and using this improved swing to post lower golf scores, don't just mindlessly beat balls. Instead, practice like you play.

The easiest way to do this is to play imaginary holes.
Try a 400 yard par 4. Hit your driver. Be sure to go through your pre-shot routine before making a swing. Assess the result. Did you hit it straight and solidly? If so, reach for your 7-iron to hit an approach. Did you hit a weak fade?

Then reach for a long iron. If you hit the approach shot well, move on to the next "hole." If not, hit a half or three- quarter wedge to a target before moving on.

Mix in a variety of holes: long par 4s, short par 4s, par 5s and par 3s of various distances. Always be sure to approach each shot carefully, using your normal pre-shot routine, and always hit to a target.

You'll find that, by practicing like you play, you'll keep your game sharper, avoid engraining swing flaws and more easily transition from the practice tee to the course.

Chipping to the Green

Age old advice for improving your consistency around the green.

When chipping onto the green you want to make sure that the majority of your weight is on your front side. The reason for doing this is that by putting your weight on your front side you are positioning your hands ahead of the ball that will help you promote a downward stroke at the ball.

Now, take a smooth stroke through the ball. Keep your wrists locked to ensure your hands stay positioned in front of the ball. Use a "putting stroke" to stay consistent and "quiet" throughout the shot. As you move through the ball your club will be on a downward path (as a result of your hands being out in front)...helping you to get the ball up in the air quick and down on the green. This will help eliminate the fat chips as well as hitting your chips thin and having them run through the green.

The secrets to judging speed and break

This is one of the toughest parts of the golf game to improve...and usually it takes practice and experience to make any significant change.

However, there are some things you can do to help you improve your consistency on the greens and help you to sink more putts.

First, keep the following fundamentals in your mind when judging your putts or chips.

1. Examine the "Grain:"
The term 'grain' is simply the direction is which the grass grows.
This can be determined by looking for the 'shine' or 'sheen' of the putting surface.
When the green reflects the sun and appears brighter, you are looking down grain.
Putts down grain, or with the grain, will run faster.

Another method of determining grain is to stroke your putter in the fringe just off the putting surface (make sure you are on the fringe and not on the actualy green).
Fringe grass usually has the same grain as the green.

2. Read the Contour:
When waking to the green, study the general slope of the land.
Remember, most greens are built higher at the back and lower toward the front. This will definitely impact how you play a shot on the green...or even as you approach the green.

When you are putting from the front of the green (assuming that it slopes downward from back to front), the putt will be uphill. When you are putting from the back, downhill.
Any putt across such a green will usually break toward the front lower portion of the surface.
These are simply good "general" rules to keep in mind as you approach the green.

Now, think about these 2 elements (Contour and Grain) together.
- Putts running with the grain will tend to "run" faster.
- When you are putting cross-slope and your putts are running with the grain they will break more.
- And likewise, if you are putting cross-slope against the grain, your putt with break less.
- When you putt against the grain...give it a little "more." Your putts will tend to run slower so you may leave it short more often if you aren't careful.
- When you putt downhill, with the grain, you putts will not only run faster but they will break more.
- And the opposite is also true. If you are putting uphill, against the grain, expect your putts to run slower and break less.

By keeping these very simple "rules" in mind and reading the greens as you approach you should be able to improve your consistency on the greens and sink more putts.

Plus, everyone knows...you drive for show and putt for doe.

Practice Smarter to improve faster

There are very few certainties in the game of golf but here is one:

If you're on the practice tee hitting balls, and someone walks up next to you and begins his practice session by pulling out his driver, that guy is not a player. No good player begins a warm-up or practice session with a driver-or any long club, for that matter.

All good players begin-and end-their practice or warm-up sessions by hitting less-than-full wedge shots. Half wedges are a wonderful foundation upon which to build your full swing. They demand excellent tempo and timing, and they require that you start your swing in a fundamentally sound way-you simply cannot hit a half wedge with any consistency if you pull the club too far to the inside, or lift it up abruptly to begin your backswing.

If you start your practice session by ripping drivers, you don't give yourself the opportunity to develop a sense of rhythm and timing and, if you're not careful, it's easy to allow swing faults to creep into your game-faults that you could spend the rest of your range time trying to sort out.

By finishing your range session with less-than-full wedges, you'll again have the opportunity to focus on rhythm and tempo and smooth out any glitches that have crept into your swing with your longer clubs.

In addition, you're forcing yourself to practice those tricky 40-80 yard touch shots that are so crucial to scoring well. You'll walk away from the practice tee cooler, calmer and more confident-the perfect state to start your round. Or, if you're not playing that day, you're ready to drive home happy, with your swing's tempo and fundamentals on solid ground.

FAIRWAY WOODS - THE GAME SAVERS

Fairway woods are often described as 'game savers'. On long 4s, these useful clubs allow the average golfer to 'get home' in two shots with an excellent chance at par or birdie. A basic 'long club' swing is used with only the position of the ball being slightly different.

Avoid leaning back and trying to 'scoop' the ball. Take back the fairway wood low and slow. Play the ball 2 inches inside the left heel.

Relax the forearms and shoulders. A low take-back will help you sweep the ball for the turf.

Hit slightly down into the ball and let the loft of the club get the ball airborne.

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Proper alignment is the key to your accuracy

Whether you are bowling, throwing darts or fly-fishing, using the proper technique will go a long way toward hitting your target. For golfers, proper alignment is essential if we want to keep the ball in the short grass.

Hitting your target consistently is key on the golf course, and if you’re having trouble in this area, the problem may be poor alignment. The time to practice proper alignment is on the range. Here are some tips to get you correctly aimed at the target:

During practice sessions, use an alignment aid, such as a club placed behind your heels or in front of your toes – whichever works easier for you – to assist you in developing a parallel alignment.

The heels/toes of your feet, your knees, hips and shoulders should all be set parallel to the line of the ball’s intended flight.
Before each shot, take time to assess the shot from behind the ball. Choose a spot on the ground – either ahead of the ball, behind it or both – and use that spot [or spots] as your imaginary line from the ball to the target.
Align yourself parallel to that line, just as if a railroad track was running toward the target, with one rail running from your ball to the target and the other rail running from your feet to the target.
Another important aspect of getting yourself aligned to your target is the routine you use to hit each shot. Your routine – practice swings, visualization and movements that loosen your shoulders, such as raising your arms – should be consistent with every club.

Of course, each person’s routine is unique to them. For example, some players grip the club in the left hand when approaching the ball, while others start with the right hand. However you approach your routine, here are a few more things to keep in mind:

Your routine should be simple and have as few segments as necessary.
Keep your focus on targets and not swing mechanics.
Once you get aligned, pull the trigger and swing.
If you can keep these things in mind, you can develop a routine that not only relaxes you, but also gets you aligned to the target correctly. So the next time you head to the range, make target practice and developing a routine part of your plan toward better golf.

            

When getting aligned to your target, first get a good visual of the target line from behind the ball (left). Then, set up parallel to that target line with your body – from your feet to your shoulders.

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Climb the ladder to improve your consistency and Accuracy

One of the most important differences between pros and low-handicappers and the vast majority of recreational golfers is the good player's ability to control distance with less-than-full wedge shots. So many players are confident with a full sand wedge from 90 yards out, but absolutely clueless from 50, 60 or 70 yards.

To gain control over these delicate touch shots, don't try to swing harder or easier to vary the distance. Instead, maintain your normal swing speed and tempo, but vary the length of your swing. For example, with your sand wedge, swing your hands from knee to knee for a 20-yard shot, hip-to-hip for a 40-yard shot, chest-to-chest for a 60-yard shot and shoulder to shoulder for an 80-yarder. Each player's individual lengths for these shots will vary slightly according to his or her strength and swing shape. To refine your technique on these touch shots and to learn exactly how far you hit each of them, try the Ladder Drill.

On the practice tee, hit a full sand wedge to a directional flag. Now, hit your shoulder-to-shoulder shot along the same line, noting how much shorter the shot flies. Then, hit your chest-to-chest shot inside of your last ball, but again on the same line. Climb down the "ladder" until you're swinging knee to knee, then climb back up the ladder again. Soon, you'll develop deadly accuracy; control and confidence on these touch shots-which will pay big dividends on your scorecard's bottom line.

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Control the Direction of Your Putts

To understand putting direction, you must first understand what the face and path of your putter is doing. A good drill you can use to help practice putting direction is to place the ball two feet away from the hole, and take a few putts from that location.

Don't make a backswing, but practice swinging the putter through impact, making sure your putter face is square all the way through the swing.

Your forward swing should follow through to the target on a nice, straight line.

Practice taking putts from six feet away, this time adding a backstroke. Make sure your stroke is still going in a straight line.

Remember, your shoulders should control your putt all the way through the stroke.

You should feel your right hand finishing the putt, helping to keep your putter face along a straight target line. Think in terms of the palm of your right hand acting as your putter face. This way, you take all thought away from the putter head and rely on your hands to maintain direction.

Now, you can easily release the putter head down the target line.

Another good drill to maintain a straight putt is by using another club to critique the direction of your stroke. Place the club in front of you, where your putt stroke will be. Keep the putter aligned with the club on the ground as you swing, using the club as a guide for a straight putt stroke.

Another good point to remember is to hit the ball slightly on the ascend for the best, straightest roll. In other words, your putter should be slightly ascending as you finish your forward stroke. The putter face should always be square on impact, so that your ball will roll end-over-end to the hole. Once you can cause the ball to roll end-over-end, your putting direction will improve dramatically.

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Use Common Sence on Par 5's

The next time you play a par 5, don't mindlessly pull your driver out on the tee and your 3-wood for your second shot. Think about it-many par 5s are between 450 and 500 yards.

A 3-wood and a 5-iron will safely set up a short-iron approach for your third shot. If you hit driver and a fairway wood, you bring trouble in play on both the tee shot and the second, and-if you do hit both shots perfectly-you'll likely find yourself with a ticklish little half-wedge approach, a shot that you rarely practice. Most of my students will have much more success with a full 9-iron from 120 yards than a three-quarter sand wedge from 65 or 70 yards.

So, unless the landing area is extremely generous off of the tee or the par 5 exceptionally long, go with a long iron or fairway wood off of the tee-whatever you're most comfortable with. Just put the ball in the fairway. For your second shot, unless you have a realistic chance of reaching the green, use a mid-iron instead of a fairway wood. Hit to the side of the fairway that provides the best angle in to that day's pin position and try to leave yourself the distance of your favorite short iron, whether it's your pitching wedge or your 8-iron. Heck, that's what the pros do.

By using this strategy rather than booming a driver and 3-wood out of habit, you'll give yourself a more comfortable third-shot approach and find yourself with more realistic putts at birdie. More important, you'll make far fewer double bogies-or worse.

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4 simple secrets to hitting straight golf shots (while eliminating back pain caused by playing golf)

1. First, change your grip to the "palm grip." If you are having problems hitting straight shots, consistently, grip the club differently. Think about holding a hammer. When you grip a hammer you hold it in the palm of your hand. This gives you added control. Do the same with your golf clubs. Grip the clubs in the palm of your hand, not in the fingers as most golfers are taught. You will find that this grip is more natural and more comfortable. This will serve 2 purposes: first, it will help eliminate the rotation of the club face at impact (even on off center hits) and it will help you to stop thinking about your grip and enable you to relax.

2. Second, reduce your swing to 1 simple plane. To improve consistency, you need to learn to simplify your swing so that it is easily repeatable. You can do this by simply changing the way you address the ball (with respect to how you line up your arms and the club). In a traditional golf swing, when you address the ball your wrists are bent when they grip the club. This way, you need to cock your wrists as you go back, then hold that angle as you move your hands into the "slot." (this is what all the new laser trainers will teach you to do) But, if you want to simplify things, then grab the club in such a way that from the side, your arms and the club shaft form a straight line. Now, when you take the club back, hold that straight line (as if there was a broom handle taped to your forearm that ran down the shaft of your golf club). This will force you to only rotate your shoulders and only go back as far as you can without breaking your arms.

3. Third, widen your stance to get more stability. Next, I want you to widen your stance so that your feet are more than shoulder width apart. This will give you more stability but more importantly, it will limit your hip rotation. This, again, helps to "quiet" down your golf swing to improve consistency and keep the ball heading straight down the target line.

4. Fourth, make sure you are squared to the ball at impact. Finally, I want you to be sure that your entire body is facing the ball at impact. That includes your chest, hands, hips, thighs and shins. By having your entire body squared at impact you will hit consistent shots straight down the fairway because your arms will be the ONLY part of your body moving. And, they will move down the target line. (Squaring your body at impact will be much easier given the other 3 "adjustments" we have made to your swing) Follow these simple changes and you will learn how to hit straight shots and lower your score…guaranteed.

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THE RIGHT ANGLE FOR BETTER EXTENSION

By: David Leadbetter

To achieve the width that characterizes a good backswing you must encourage your right elbow to work in such a way that as it folds, it forms a right angle - or 'L' shape - at the top.

An image that might help you get into this position is to imagine that you are standing within a doorframe, and that you swing your hands into the top right-hand corner of the door. Your left arm should be 'comfortably straight' (not tense), your right elbow positioned at 90 degrees, and, assuming your wrists hinge correctly the clubhsaft should lie along the top of the frame. Try it, an`d check your position in a mirror.

The 'split-grip' drill is another useful way to train your backswing.

Split your hands a few inches apart on the grip, then swing the club back and push your right arm away to form that 90-degree angle at the elbow. (In a typical overswing the left arm tends to separate from the body too early, so as you make the backswing, feel that you exert some pressure on your chest with your left arm).

Once you are familiar with the sensation of a much shorter, 'wound-up' backswing, adopt your normal grip, and recapture that same feeling as you hit some balls. With the help of these keys you will soon learn to combine a fully coiled body turn with a compact arm swing- and believe me, that's a much more consistent formula for success.

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THE THREE COMMANDMENTS OF GREENSIDE PLAY

It is always a surprise to see how many strokes they waste around the greens. And many times, the wasted stroke is less a result of poor techique than it is faulty club or shot selection.

Here's a good general rule to keep in mind when deciding on your best play around the greens: putt when you can, chip when you can't putt and pitch as a last resort.

Whenever possible, putt the ball instead of chipping it. I don't care how many times you've heard TV commentators say that tour pros chip when they're trying to hole the shot and putt when they're trying to get up and down-for most weekend players, their worst putt is as good as their best chip. Only put your putter away when the fringe is too bumpy or sandy to roll your ball through.

Only opt for a pitch shot over a chip shot (a pitch shot is any short shot when you add loft to the club, hit the ball higher and land it softly; with a chip shot, you de-loft the club slightly and allow the ball to run to the hole) when the terrain is such that you need to fly the ball over a ridge or when the pin is cut tight on a downward sloping or extremely fast green. Otherwise, so with a chip shot; standard chip shot technique-weight and hands forward, ball back in stance, short, accelerating stroke-will leave you much more margin for error.

A pitch shot requires a much longer swing; if you don't pull the shot off correctly and hit the ball crisply, the end result can be disastrous: a chili-dip or a skulled shot that darts across the green.

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Lie Angle: The Most Crucial Spec

When you are fitted for a set of clubs, loft, length, shaft type, grip size, style and swingweight are just a few of the variables that the pro or qualified fitting expert will customize for your body type, address position and swing dynamics. But when you’re being fit for a set of irons, perhaps the most crucial variable is lie angle. Here’s why.

Lie angle is the angle of the clubhead at impact. Ideally, the club’s leading edge should be parallel to the ground. If your irons are too flat for you, the toe of the club will be lower than the heel and you’ll take a toe-deep divot. Conversely, if your irons are too upright, the heel will be lower than the toe and the divot will be heel-deep.

Here’s why this specification is so crucial. If you are using clubs with the wrong lie angle, your clubface will point left or right of your target at impact every time, unless you make some sort of compensating move in your swing (To see this for yourself, take out a credit card to simulate your clubface. Make sure that you tilt it upward, simulating the loft of, say, a 7-iron. Now hold a pen flush against the card in the “sweetspot” area. Making sure the “heel” and “toe” are square—-parallel to the ground. Note where the pen is pointing. Now, maintaining the loft angle, lower the toe end of the card and raise the heel. See how the pen is now pointing to the right of where it was in the square position. If you raise the toe and lower the heel, the pen will point to the left.) So, if your irons are too flat, your clubface will point to the right of your target at impact and your shots will fly high, weak and right. Or, perhaps you’ve taught yourself to compensate for your ill-fit clubs by subconsciously closing and de-lofting the clubface at impact. Maybe this compensation move will work for awhile, but it’s difficult to play consistent golf this way: with one swing, you’ll compensate too much and hit a low, hot hook; with the next, you’ll fail to make the move and you hit a high, weak fade. When you have no clue which direction your misses will fly, you’re not going to have much fun on the golf course.

When you are fit with a set of irons with the correct loft angle for you, you’ll be amazed at the difference. It’ll probably take you a few swings to adjust, but soon you’ll learn to abandon all of the little band-aid compensating moves in your swing, leaving yourself with a more fundamentally sound motion that you’ll be able to repeat consistently—and shots that fly true to their intended line.

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Getting More Distance From Your Drives

By: Brad Peterson

Brad Peterson Brad Peterson has recently won the Northern California Long Ball Championship with an incredible 425-yard drive and is currently ranked 31st in the entire world for hitting it long and straight.

Recently I've seen a lot of golf magazines placing their focus strictly on the importance of the short game. Sure, it's important, but I want to make sure that the amateur-golfer remembers the extreme importance of getting a long straight tee shot. The professionals sure haven't forgotten. Every one of them knows that, without first possessing the ability to hit accurate 250-300+ yard drives every time, the short game is practically meaningless. In other words, to play a great short game, you first have to get down the fairway… and if that's requiring 3-4 strokes because you're hitting 180-yard drives into the trees, even a stellar short game won't help you save par.

I want to give you a few tips that will help you not only add yardage to your drives, but also keep that ball in the fairway. Here we go:

Set-Up: Keep it neutral and comfortable.
So many people I teach are far too tense. They're gripping the club too hard, have their hands raised high and cocked to one side, legs stiff and spread too far apart, muscles taunt and ready for action. Forget all that and just relax. Stand in a neutral position with about 60% of your weight on your right foot and in a slightly closed stance (for a draw). Dangle your arms straight down with no tension in them. A long straight drive depends that you stay relaxed and do not try to control the club with your arms or hands

Back Swing: Start with the left shoulder - keep the extension.
Starting with your left shoulder, turn your upper body, rotating your shoulders as if your torso is inside of an invisible vertical tube -- do not use your arms to bring back the club. Guide the club head straight back along the target line as if you were making a long putter-like back swing keeping your arms fully extended for maximum power. It's kind of like a shooting a rubber band. If you want it to travel far, pull it back far.

Down Swing: Effortlessly letting the club "fall."
At the top of the swing, feel as if the club is "floating" for a moment. Keep it held gently in your fingers as you begin the downswing with a rotation of your back and shoulders. Simply let the club fall effortlessly toward earth and guide it along an inside path. A big mistake I see many of my students making is jerking the club down with their arms thinking this will somehow lead to a powerful drive. Just the opposite… yanking the club down from the top results in the club head de-accelerating by the time it reaches the ball.

Impact: Use everything you've got to explode.
The secret to my winning long-drive championships is in the area of 4-7 inches from the ball. That's where I put all my effort. After letting the club fall effortlessly from the top, wait until you're only inches from the ball before pulling your right hip back (or left hip forward) and putting every ounce of energy you've got into hitting the ball. Hold nothing back. Remember; as you explode through the ball keep your wrist and hands completely loose. Getting "handsy" will only result in a vicious slice or a snap hook.

Follow Through: Keep the extension and don't let up. If you are properly implementing your power, you will receive immediate feedback in the follow through. First, remember to keep the extension of your arms through an "inside" path across and through the ball. If you've really exploded through the ball properly, the club should whip around and hit you in the back. You're doing something wrong if, at the end of your follow-through, the club is stopped and pointed straight up at the sky.

Grab a bucket of balls and practice these simple tips on the range. I'll bet that before the bucket is empty you'll be hitting longer and straighter drives. Next, take your improved power swing to the course. Don't forget to invite a couple of your regular golfing buddies so you can win back some of those "skins."

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KEEP IT SIMPLE ON THE COURSE

by: David Leadbetter

It's very easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of golf, and problems can arise when you try to combine working on your swing with working on your score. The two are not always compatible. Out on the course you must discipline yourself to 'let go' of detailed theory. Flush your mind of unnecessary 'jargon'; carry no more than two swing keys on any swing just to help reinforce your feel - and keep those keys simple.

Think more of swinging the club rather than positioning it. If you are too 'position conscious' your swing will get stilted and jerky. Instead, focus on those swing thoughts that help you sense the swing as a continuous movement, and not as a series of moves which require careful assembly. Good keys, for example, would include:

(1) 'complete', and (2) 'swing to the finish.'

These types of thoughts, in general, will help your rhythm by keeping your body and mind relaxed - and in that physical and mental state you will zero in, focus on your target and play your best golf.

Ultimately, all the hard work you put into your game will pay off - your natural instincts will take over and you'll be in what the tour players call 'the zone.'

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"ROCK YOUR SHOULDERS TO CONTROL YOUR STROKE"

In putting, the fewer moving parts there are the simpler and more consistent your method will probably be. To that end, I encourage you to work on building a stroke that is controlled by the shoulders.

To promote this pendulum-type action, try the following exercise. Take your address position, and place your palms together in a downward praying position. Focus on the triangle that is formed between your hands, arms and shoulders, and then, keeping your head and lower body perfectly still, rock your shoulders so that you move the triangle smoothly back and through (1). Create an under-and-up pendulum motion with your shoulders, where your chest stays square to the target line, as opposed to opening your body to the hole. Feel that your left shoulder works down on the backswing, then up on the throughswing. This will control the path of the putter-head and keep the putter on line through impact (2).

On the follow-through - particularly on the longer putts - allow your head to rotate down the line towards the target after you have completed your stroke. That enables your triangle to work correctly, and thus allows you to follow the progress of the ball all the way to the hole without lifting your body out of position.

Today's tip provided by: David Leadbetter and comes from his book "David Leadbetter's Faults and Fixes."

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Back Off In The Fairway Bunker

The fairway bunker shot is one of the most difficult-and least practiced-shots in golf. The margin for error is practically non-existent. Hit it a bit thin and your ball will catch the lip of the bunker.

Hit it the slightest bit fat and the ball won't go anywhere.

You probably know the basic principles of the fairway bunker shot: Take one and a half to two extra clubs, play the ball back in your stance (about halfway between the center of your stance and your rear foot) and put 70% of your weight on your left side (for right-handed golfers). Keep your head absolutely still and take a three-quarter swing. Keep your weight forward-don't make a weight shift-to help you make clean contact.

These are all solid, time-tested fundamentals. However, I'd like to add one more that you might not have heard of before: stand about a half inch further away from the ball than you normally would. By standing further from the ball and "reaching for it," you'll minimize the chances of hitting it fat. The ball will come out of the bunker slightly lower and hot. Remember, other than these adjustments, make your ordinary swing motion-don't try to help the ball out of the bunker or hit down on it. If you do, you'll just make this difficult shot even harder.

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PRE-SET THE PERFECT GRIP PRESSURE

To get a feel for the correct grip pressure, squeeze the club as hard as you can. Yup, you heard me correctly, strangle that grip.

Take your normal address position and your regular grip and, just before you take the club away from the ball, squeeze the club as hard as you can for three or four seconds.

Now, relax your hands, let all of that tension and pressure go and immediately start your backswing.

Do you feel that softness on your hands and forearms? That's what allows you to swing rhythmically and tension-free, yet snap or sling the clubhead powerfully through the hitting area. If you have tension in your hands and arms, your tempo will usually be too fast, and yet you'll drag the clubhead weekly through the hitting area.

The great thing about this tip is that it's one you can use on course if you sense tension starting to creep into your hands and forearms, as it so often does. Just squeeze that club like you're mad at it, then relax and make a swing. There's no better way for banishing tension from your swing-and for putting some zip back into your release.

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PRE-SET THE PERFECT IMPACT POSITION...

In order to strike your shots solidly, certain criteria must be met at impact. Specifically, your lower body should be open in relation to the target line, while your hands should be ahead of the ball.

The best way that I know to ensuring that these conditions are met on a regular basis is to preset them at address. Accordingly, take a fairly narrow stance, and set your lower body a little open (aligned left) to the target line. (Your shoulders and the clubface, meanwhile, should be square.) Position the ball just forward of middle in your feet, so that your hands lie comfortably ahead. Finally, settle approximately 60 per cent of your weight on your left side, flex your knees and push them gently toward the target.

This setup is essentially the position that you want to achieve at impact. Rehearse it in front of a mirror; get used to the feeling of 'impact'. Taking it from here you can then swing confidently and hit quality pitch shots.

Today's tip is courtesy of David Leadbetter and comes from his book "David Leadbetter's Faults and Fixes."

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Here's the ultimate golf drill that absolutely unlocks the ONE secret to the golf swing

(Yes, there IS a secret. In the next three minutes you'll see it… feel it… then experience it for yourself… and you'll be the judge.)

From world renowned golf professional
Jim Flick
now comes golf's

ONE MASTER FUNDAMENTAL
Before we go any further, go grab a golf club, like your 7-iron.

Tension is the ruination of the golf swing. Nothing good comes from tension. The drill you are about to perform will allow you to:

1. Remove tension from the golf swing
2. Swing the club substantially faster
3. Generate much more clubhead speed
4. Square up the clubface at impact
5. Create much better trajectory.

In short, you'll hit it longer. You'll hit it straighter. You'll hit it with pro-like trajectory. You'll hit far more consistently.

Yes, this simple, little drill can make you a total player of the game.

Now, hold the club straight out as Jim is doing. the clubhead is too heavy isn't it? It's even creating tension, not easing it.

Holding the club in the Stp #3 position, I want you to close your eyes and focus 100% of your attention on the weight you feel. Soften your grip pressure...relax your arms... wrists and hands... and feel the weight of the club. Lightly waggle the club to get a better feel of the weight.

Spend some time getting in touch with your feel system. Get a vivid understanding of how that weidht at the end of the club feels.

Do a few more waggles.

Now, here's your task:

I want you to make a golf swing with the golf club...
and I want you to feel that weight from start to finish

Don't introduce a golf ball yet. Just make little swings at first, maybe shouljdder high to shoulder high. You have passed the "tension test" when you can feel the weight of the club from start to finish.

You may need to lighten your grip pressure. That's a good thing. You may need to soften your arms. That's a good thing too. You amy need to let your shoulders kind of sag and relax. Get in touch with the weight and feel it from start to finish.

Step #5

Get your pitching wedge. Maybe even a 9-iron. Introduce the golf ball. Now hit slow, s-m-o-o-t-h three quarter shots feeling the weight from start to finish. Don't try to hit the golf ball more than 50 yards. Your only goal is to feel the weight of the club.

Step #6

Go to your practice range. Get a bucket of balls. Find a target out there 50 or 60 yards. Now start hitting shots at the target, feeling the weight of the club from start to finish. As you go deeper into the bucket, you may experience a virtual transcendence. Your swing becomes incredibly smooth. It is effortless. The ball literally jumps off the face. The ball dispersion get tighter and tighter and tighter. You can almost feel yourself in the zone.

That is the golf swing I want you to take on the course.

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