International Golf Site

by Greg Hanson

Learning how to hit a golf shot with backspin is one of the most important skills in golf. There’s nothing more frustrating than hitting an approach shot that lands on the green and just keeps on going past the pin, through the fringe, and into the trouble behind the green.

Of course it’s no less frustrating to hit a chip that seems to land on ice, running past the pin, leaving a simple 10 or 20 foot putt for par!

Plus it’s just plain cool to hit shots that land past the pin and back up towards the hole. So let’s go over 3 tips to help you achieve backspin every time you want.

Backspin Tip 1) Prepare Your Set-up For a Descending Blow to the Ball- In order to hit a shot with back-spin, you need to hit down and through the ball. This becomes easier by setting up with the ball in the correct position in your stance. The ball needs to be more towards the middle of the stance with shorter irons (the irons that will be creating backspin).

Putting the ball more towards the middle of your stance will increase the chances of hitting the ball with a descending blow. If it’s too far forward, then you will hit up on the ball. Hitting up on it causes fat shots with no spin, weak shots to the right, high shots with no power, and other problems.

Backspin Tip 2) Lean the Shaft Forward at Impact- Most beginner and intermediate players will think that they need to flip the wrists through in order to create spin. The opposite is true. You want to make sure impact position is correct with the left hand leading the shaft through impact.

This, again, helps with the descending blow. Lead with your left forearm. You will hit the ball with more spin, whether with full shots for with chips.

Backspin Tip 3) Speed + Holding the Face Open = More Spin- On short chips where you want the ball to stop on a dime, you need to swing normally on the backswing, but through impact you want to hold the clubface open.

So think about this. Instead of swing speed coming from the wrists, you are going to need to generate speed with the bigger muscles, keeping the wrists more or less quiet. Leave the club face open, but turn the chest through the shot to achieve this.

There’s 3 good tips to help you hit golf shots with backspin. Follow these and you’ll be able to keep the ball on the green with your approaches, and cozy the ball closer around the green with your chips.

Greg Hanson is a golf professional who also works as a website content developer. You can check out his latest website about Forklifts and fork lift parts at http://www.forkliftcountry.com.

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

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Alan Steward

How to stop a slice in your golf swing using 5 simple steps, following this guide will stop your slice for good.

Cure your Slice for Ever!

Ok so the first thing we look at in how to stop a slice is the address position.

Step 1:

When you address the ball, position your distance so that the heal of your clubhead is lined up with the ball. A quick check at your grip here will be good - do the V’s created by your left and right hands point to your right shoulder? Yes excellent, if not just release your grip on the club and move both hands together towards the right. You should see 2 knuckles at this point, or for a stronger grip 2 ½ knuckles. Also you should not grip your club too tightly, as this will create tension in your forearms and prevent you from releasing the clubhead through impact.

Step 2:

Start your backswing with your shoulders by rotating them around your spine - let your arms and hands follow as one unit. Allow your left knee to move towards the centre of your stance. This should put about 80% of your body weight on the INSIDE of your right foot. Also keep your head positioned over the ball, moving only slightly behind it. You are now in a position to power through your impact zone.

Step 3:

You are now ready to start your downswing. Your first movement in your downswing is to slide your hips towards the target and for a split second, pull your hands straight down, as if pulling a rope from the sky. This will allow you to attack the ball from the inside.

Step 4:

At the impact zone keep your shoulders square to the target line. At this point your hands and arms should roll over each other, imparting draw spin on the ball. At this stage your weight should also be moving to your left foot.

Step 5:

Your follow through begins as your hands rotate through the golf ball, allowing your right arm to straighten. Visualize your clubhead going down through the ball then towards the target. Allow the motion of this to take your hands to a nice high finish. Your left palm should be facing up towards the sky. I hope these 5 simple steps help you with, “How to stop a slice”.

- So would you like to move on with your game and take it to the next level?
- Are you embarrassed by your slice? Would you like more help to fix your swing?.
- Discover the perfect fix and forget solution here, Stop a Slice.
- Also discover some more great cures for your slice at http://www.thesimpleswingreview.info/the-simple-swing/

Wishing you all the best in your game of golf, remember practice makes perfect
Regards Alan
“Happy Golfing”

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

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Troy V

Sooner or later during a round of golf you are going to find yourself in a green side bunker. This normally scares most weekend and amateur golfers alike, but golf bunker shots aren’t really that difficult a shot to play once you learn the basics. The sand can be a very unforgiving place to be in if you don’t apply the correct fundamentals to ensure a successful outcome.

Believe or not most professionals and low handicap golfers prefer landing in a bunker rather than the rough beside the green. The reason being, they feel they can control the shot a lot better out of sand rather the unpredictable long grass. In the bunker they can control how far they hit it, amount of spin or whether they want it to roll further.

With all that in mind here are the 4 basic fundamentals that you must do to ensure you play great golf bunker shots.

(1) Get very comfortable footing in the sand. Wiggle your feet into the sand about an inch or so to maintain balance. Bunker sand can easily throw you off balance so this is important. Good golf bunker shots involve mostly upper body, so it’s vital to keep your legs quiet. A solid base is a must.

(2) Because you have lowered your position by digging your feet into the sand, it’s necessary to then adjust the length of your golf swing. You do this by gripping down on the golf club lower towards the metal part of the shaft.

(3) Open your stance and open your club face so that you are aiming about 3 feet left of your target. This helps promote the steep takeaway and downward impact that is vital for almost all golf bunker shots. Your body should be aligned left and your club face should be open pointing towards the target.

(4) Don’t focus on the golf ball but instead focus on a spot about 2 inches or so behind the golf ball. It’s a hard concept to grasp but when hitting golf bunker shots you don’t actually hit the golf ball but just before it and allow the sand to move it forward.

Give these tips a try next time you are out on the golf course or driving range and you should start to see some impressive results.

Troy Vayanos has helped thousands of golfers play their best golf using simple, easy to follow techniques.

Get your copy of his FREE eBook Golf Swing Secrets which shows you how to ‘fix the 6 most frustrating areas of your golf game by 3:15 this afternoon’.

Go to http://www.GolfSwingSecretsOnline.com.

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

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Michael Zavor

A strong short game is necessary to have success in golf. Having a solid chip shot in your arsenal will dramatically improve your short game. With a solid chip you can hole out or at least leave yourself with a tap in putt. The chip shot is low running shot that is used within five yards of the green. Use the chip shot when you are too far away to putt but a pitch shot is not a good option.

Chip shot club selection is varied; golfers have been known to use anything from a sand wedge to a four iron. Try different clubs when you practice chips to see what works for you. Every situation is different be sure to pick the right club, don’t use the same club every time you chip. It all depends how long you want the ball to remain in the air. Use a more lofted club for shorter chip shots. A less lofted club can be used for longer distances.

A chip shot is essentially a putt with a lofted club. Visualize the shot before you take it. Chip shots should be planned as if they were putts. Pick a place on the green that you want your ball to land adjusting for the slope and break of the green. Don’t hit chips any higher off the ground than you have to. If the ball flies too high it will be more unpredictable when it lands.

Don’t position the ball any further forward than the middle of the stance. Stand about six inches from the ball. Grip the club the same way as you would for a putt. When setting up make sure you equally distribute your weight. Stand with your shoulders level and make sure your head is facing straight down. Keep your arms extended at address.

The backswing should all be in your shoulders and arms. Let your hands lead the club head through impact. Hit the ball with a slightly descending swing. Keep your head still until after impact. Maintain consistent grip pressure and keep the wrists firm throughout the swing.

Practice chipping every opportunity you get. Before your round take a couple chips at the practice green to get the feel for your shot. Once you have mastered the chip shot you will have more options around the green. Follow these chip shot tips and you will be on way to lower scores.

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Michael Zavor

Every golfer would like to add at least a few yards to their drives. You can spend hundreds on the latest driver, which may or may not improve your game. Without the proper technique it doesn’t matter what kind of equipment is used. The best way to add distance to your drives is to maximize your swing. Master the following tips and you will be on your way to monster drives.

1. Make sure your left knee doesn’t go in front of your left hip. At the beginning of the swing keep the left foot still to give yourself a solid base of power.

2. Stand close enough to the ball. If you are standing too far away you will be unable to maintain optimal balance. Bending over too much can rob your swing of power.

3. Don’t try to kill the ball. Trying to swing too hard will result in tensed muscles. In order to drive the ball far concentrate on a smooth swing and solid contact.

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Michael Zavor

During a round of golf as many as half of your putts can be over 3o feet. If you want to improve your score you must improve long putting. The goal is to leave the ball within a couple of feet of the hole so the next putt will be easy to make. Here are some tips for long putts:

1. Take a longer backswing, this will ensure a smoother stroke with enough distance to get the ball close to the hole. Make sure the stroke is even throughout.

2. Make sure the putter stays close to the ground so the contact will be solid. Too high of a stroke will result in a poor strike.

3. Take your time reading the putt. Longer putts tend to have more break; gauging the proper distance is also key.

4. Try to sink the putt. If you aim to get it within a few feet you will end up with more sloppy shots. If you are focused on the hole you will be more likely to hit the ball with the correct speed.

5. Setup as normal, do not make any adjustment to your address.

Follow these simple tips and your long putting will improve immensely.  Getting better at putting is the fastest way to improve for score.

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »

By Michael Zavor

So you have missed the fairway and are going to have to play out of the rough, no need to worry with these simple tips you will be on your way.

1. Use more club, go up one or two more clubs than you would if you had a better lie.

2. For longer shots you may better off using a lofted wood or hybrid as opposed to a long iron.

3. Grip the club tighter than usual.

4. Position the ball in the middle of your stance.

5. Keep the clubface open and swing in more of an abrupt, downward fashion.

Tags: Golf Tips by Intl Golf
No Comments »