Golfing Eighteen Blog

Healthy Swinging

As the number one golf destination in the country, Prince Edward Island (PEI) is host to 10 of the top 100 golf courses in Canada.

With courses surrounded by smooth rolling greens and woodlands and crystal blue waters, there is a challenge for every player. What’s even better is that courses are all within 45 minutes of each other, which means visitors can wake up in the morning, play a round of golf, and still have time in the day to tour and enjoy the rest of the Island. More information is available online at golfpei.ca/events.

With women increasingly flocking to the greens, here are a couple tips from Golf PEI to help female golfers stay in top form this summer:

1. Do a few simple arm, hip and leg stretches before you hit the greens to get your muscles primed for playing

2. Leave the cart behind and walk the course, walking 18-holes with clubs can burn up to 400 calories an hour

3. Apply sunscreen regularly to avoid the sunburns and premature aging

4. Don’t grip your club too tightly, you’ll lose your feel for the shot and make yourself tense

5. Take breaks on the driving range, after every 20-30 shots take a few minutes to re-group and give your muscles a rest

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If you ask 10 different professional golfers or 10 different golf instructors for the best golf swing tip they can offer, you will likely get 10 different answers. While most will agree the perfect golf swing is a myth, but they will also be quick to point out that there some basics in all golf swings that make them work for that individual golfer. Watching the professionals play will reveal what some may see as unorthodox swings, but their low scores and prize money indicate they do not a golf swing tip to improve their game.

Too many good swings are lost on the average golfer, as they tend to think about each step in the process, actually confusing the issue of hitting the ball. The best golf swing tip may be to focus your eyes on the ball, your mind on the target and grip on the club. All things being equal, the ball should fly long and straight. Beginning with maintaining eye contact with the ball there is a simple golf swing tip that can help that happen.

Unless you are playing with golf balls straight from the factory before they went through the printer, there are going to be words printed on the ball. The company name, a logo or something will be visible. To help you learn to keep your eyes on the ball a good golf swing tip is to say the name printed on the ball from the beginning of the back swing until the time of impact. Reading the name either aloud or to yourself, will help you focus on the ball instead of anything going on around you.

Keep Mind Focused On Outcome Of Shot

Chances are if your mind is envisioning the ball heading into the woods, which is where it will end up. You can use this golf swing tip to your advantage by envisioning the ball going down the middle of the fairway. If it does not head in that direction, forget about that shot and begin concentrating on the next one. Thinking about it will not bring it back into play, but it could send the next shot in the same direction.

Any good golf swing tip either can be used by men or in women’s golf as the basics are going to be the same. Set up, back swing, down swing and follow through are the essential basics and by following the one golf swing tip that helps send the ball where it is intended to go will improve nearly everyone’s score.

Whether just learning the game or trying to iron out some wrinkles in how you play, getting back to the golf swing basics can help move the ball to within striking distance of the hole. There are about a half dozen elements in the basics of a good golf swing and while they will be executed differently by everyone, sticking to the golf swing basics will help prevent the golfer fro over thinking when ready to swing.

One of the most basic concepts of the game is the mental part of golf. Too many golfers will stand at the ball and worry about how foolish they will look if they drive the ball into the woods or through the windshield of that expensive car in the parking lot. One of the golf swing basics that needs to be remembered by everyone is that the only thing that should be one the mind during the swing is the target. By keeping the thoughts focused on where the golfer wants the ball to go, all the other thoughts that throw off the swing will disappear.

When a ball does sail into the woods or a water hazard, the average golfer may want to choke the club, but this may be part of the reason the ball went the direction it did. The golf swing basics indicate grip on the club should be firm, so as not to allow the club to fly out of the hands, but it should not be so tight as to cause muscle cramps after only a couple of drives.

Swing Speed Controls Distance And Accuracy

Many instructors say the back swing and down swing should be fairly constant, but if the back swing is exceptionally slow, the ball may go straight with a slow down swing, but probably not very far. It is all part of the golf swing basics that explains the down swing can be slightly faster than the back swing, but a good golf swing tip says not to force the downswing hoping to hit the ball farther. Usually this will result only in deeper divots.

Balance in the swing should have the golfer transitioning the weight from the back foot to the leading foot throughout the swing, but equally important in the golf swing basics is the follow through. The club head striking the ball must continue on the straight line it held at impact to propel the ball in that direction. If the club moves slightly at the point of contact, the ball will head in that direction as well.

In the game of golf, there really is no such thing as the perfect golf swing that can be used by everyone on the course. Each person is built differently and has different methods of controlling their muscles, which will result in a different type of stance and swing when wielding a golf club at a little ball. While there in no one method of swinging a golf club that will work for everyone, each individual golfer can work on developing the perfect golf swing that works for them.

One of the first things to consider when looking for your own perfect golf swing is the clubs you have in your bag. Fitted clubs may be out of the budgetary question for many golfers, but they need to be at least close to the golfer’s size. A person over six-feet tall for example, would not fare too well using clubs designed for junior golfers. They would tend to swing over the ball and if any contact was made, it would probably be to drive the ball into the ground.

Conversely, short golfers who try to find the perfect golf swing using clubs made for really tall people will probably dig out more divots than the local farmer and their plow. Adjustments can be made by bending the knees or standing up straighter, but the movements and stance needs to be close to natural in order to develop a perfect golf swing.

Remaining Balanced Helps Golfer Stay Upright

Once the right size clubs have been obtained, learning to remain balanced through all parts of the swing will help the golfer with their own perfect golf swing. Weight at the beginning of the swing should be equally divided between both feet. In the perfect golf swing it will shift to the leading foot during the back swing and as the club goes through the down swing, the weight will shift gradually to the other foot. These are just a few of the golf swing basics that can be used by everyone to develop their own perfect golf swing.

The speed of the club should remain fairly consistent during the back swing and the down swing in the perfect golf swing. Too many golfers tend to speed up the down swing hoping to get more distance from the strike. In reality, this usually throws them off balance and sends the ball off into the distance, in a direction other than straight.

What many golfers do not realize is that there is more to golf swing training than knowing how to sing the golf club. There are certain muscles in the body that play major parts in the type of movements required for a good club swing and too many times golfers ignore them as part of the golf swing training. At the end of 18-holes of golf, many golfers complain of back pain or leg pain, and it is mainly due to forcing the muscles to perform in ways they are not used to performing.

Consider the amount of twisting and straining that goes into the average golf swing and the stress that is placed on muscles. Without the appropriate golf swing training not only will the muscles tire easily, they can also cramp up in the middle of the round and put an end to that day’s activities. While the weight of the club and ball is light, how they are used together to score low on the course, will benefit greatly by good golf swing training.

Balance is one of the key aspects of golf swing training and working on the leg muscles to help them maintain balance will improve the score. Additionally, by performing the same golf swing training every day, the muscles will also become trained in how to work with other muscles to achieve the individual perfect golf swing.

Muscles And Mind Trained To Work Together

For most people golf swing training will involve more than one aspect of the golf swing. From the grip and club speed to the proper stance and achieving the balance needed to achieve the proper swing. More importantly than the physical aspects of golf swing training is the mental part of the game. Thinking too much often results in frustration when the ball sails into the woods or into a nearby lake.

Too many golfers however, tend to think too much when they address the ball on the tee or when in the fairway. In order to make the best contact possible under many different conditions, the swing should come naturally without having to think about all the little things that have to be done to insure good ball striking. This is where golf swing training can come into play. The golfer will learn to do many things without having to think about them and can use their concentration on keeping their eye on the ball.

Depending on your golf partners no matter from whom you may have received golf swing instruction, it may pay not to say anything. If you tell your golfing buddies you have taken some lessons to help your swing and then smack the first ball of the tee and into the woods, some may end up the target of unmerciful comments about money well spent. However, if you consistently slice or hook the ball off the tee, some golf swing instruction may be just the ticket to land closer to the fairway.

When considering golf swing instruction you will want to insure the person from whom you obtain the lessons at least knows of what they speak. There is an old saying that those who can do and those who cannot, teach. This is not the kind of thinking you want when looking for some quality golf swing instruction. Many professionals at public and private golfers are par golfers, meaning they can shoot close to par regardless of the course or its conditions. It may indicate they are good at the game, but may not understand how to teach.

When it comes to getting golf swing instruction, patience on the part of the golfer and the instructor will be a major part of the lessons. If the instructor has no patience, then they will be a lousy teacher. Conversely, if the student cannot accept criticism, they will not receive any value for the cost of the golf swing instruction.

Instruction Can Help Beyond The Tee Box

Most people receive golf swing instruction to help them drive the ball further and straighter from the tee. They may forget about the need for a good swing while on the fairway and a botched shot from the grass goes wide from the green can ruin an otherwise perfect tee shot. When looking for golf swing training, it should include different circumstances than only the flat tee box. Hitting from a hill or from dry areas of the rough should also be part of the instruction.

Considering that many people believe the game is called golf because it was the only four-letter word not in use at the time, golf swing instruction might help take some of the sting out of lousy rounds. You should also consider the many different shots needed in a round of golf and get golf swing instruction on all of them. Knowing how to hit off the tee probably will not be beneficial if you cannot hit a mid-range iron, a wedge or even the putter.

Nearly every golfer wants to improve their golf swing, and while instructions may be financially out of the question, it may be possible to develop a golf swing aid with materials lying around the house or garage. While many use small weights on the head of the club improve their swing, this type of weighted golf swing aid can also throw off their swing. The idea of a good golf swing is to have the club face aimed at the ball’s destination at the point of impact, which is often not the case as the club travels in a circle more than a straight line.

Persons can develop their own golf swing aid by using two other clubs out of their bag or with a couple of pieces of wood or pipe. Simply lay the two strips or clubs parallel on the ground, about 10-inches apart, pointing to an area representative of the green’s location. It is best to start with a slow, deliberate swing and watch the club head as it passes between the two clubs on the ground.

The club head should pass through the middle of the two parallel lines and if it seems to cross one line or the other, your ball will either slice or hook as the club head is not striking the ball when aimed at the hole. Using this simple golf swing aid you should be able to adjust your stance or grip so the club head is in the middle of this golf swing aid every time you swing, not matter how hard you swing.

Viewing Swing From Many Different Angles

One of the best tools used as a golf swing aid may be the video camera. You can video yourself while swinging at the ball, or have a friend who promises not to laugh do the taping. The swing should be taped from front, back, left and right in order to see the swing from all angels. When taping from the front, the camera operator should stand to one side to avoid injury. Video is often used during golf swing instruction classes to help people see their swing and hopefully see what needs to be corrected.

Many golfers simply adapt their stance or position to make the ball go where they want it to go as opposed to changing anything about their swing. While there are many elaborate and usually expensive items sold as a golf swing aid, in most instances keeping it simple will reward the golfer with a lower score.

They key to a good game of golf lies in the golf swing used by each particular golfer. As such, there are no two golfers who will swing the club in the exact same manner as each person will develop a golf swing that works for them and provides the best results. An even tougher part of the game may be getting unsolicited tips from on how to adjust the swing to get more distance and accuracy from the shot.

In many instances, a lesson or two on how to achieve the basic needs for a good golf swing, including club head speed and balance can help improve the swing, and the use of a golf swing aid can help muscles in the body remember how they are supposed to work. When looking for professional help to develop an individual golf swing, many instructors will watch the person swing their club to see what they are doing wrong, in so far as achieving balance and club speed in order to see what needs to be corrected.

As stated, there are no two people who will swing the club exactly the same, and watching ten professional golfers hit long, accurate drives with each having a different golf swing can be used as evidence that the swing is a personal tool in the game. Balance, swing speed and concentration are a few of the needed things to help each person perfect their own golf swing.

Conditions Only Marginal Factor In Golf Score

Too many times golfers will come of the course after a lousy round and blame the course conditions as being too wet or too dry, when in reality it was probably their golf swing that kept them hacking at the ball. The proper stance at address is the starting point for achieving the correct balance needed throughout the swing.

When first looking into a better golf swing, the key is to slow down. The back swing and the down swing should be about the same speed. The tendency is to swing harder on the downward motion of the golf swing to achieve more club head speed at impact, hoping to improve distance. Usually, this type of golf swing may improve distance, only the wall will sail further into the woods or onto another fairway.

By maintaining balance and a comfortable speed, the ball will go straighter and probably farther than trying to kill it with the club. The nature of the golf swing may be to grip it and rip it, but knowing where the ball is going is much more satisfying.

If you are a committed golfing enthusiast and you are dissatisfied with the way you have been playing on the course, and if you have the required equipment the first thing you need to do is look for some basic golf swing tips. Even if you have tried out golfing videos and online tutorials, there may be something still missing from your game that only basic golf swing tips can help in improving your basic game.

Improve Your Score

No matter that golfing is no more than a hobby for you there is still a pressing need to know the proper golf swing and if you are able to master the required techniques, you will beat your golf partner and see a marked improvement in your scores. With the help of basic golf swing tips you will understand what is required and as you get more comfortable with making the right swing your confidence will grow and your overall comfort level will rise.

Typically, there are certain essential and basic golf swing tips that every golfer must be familiar with and one of them is understands the need to always keep one’s eyes open in order to see how the better players swing their golf clubs. By studying the moves of more accomplished golfers you will get the general idea as to what makes a perfect golf swing and it will surprise you how much you can improve your own golf swing by following this simple and basic golf swing tip.

The second simple basic golf swing tip is to remember to always practice your golf swing as much as you can, and in addition, it will also pay to watch how you swing the golf club by perhaps making a video recording of the swings that you make. By playing back videos of your own golf swing you can identify where you are making mistakes and then do something to rectify them.

Of course, the basic golf swing tip that will prove to be the most valuable to you would be one that shows you how not to make the elementary mistake of slicing the ball. Thus, by correcting your golf swing with the help of basic golf swing tips, you should learn enough to ensure that you are able to prevent your shots from veering off to the right and instead derive satisfaction in seeing them at least land on the fairways.

In any case, there is no denying the value of getting useful tips to improve golf swing and in this regard emulating your favorite golf players by watching their videos can be one way of learning how to make the proper golf swing.

To own a perfect golf swing requires a lot and so, every little tidbit that comes your way in terms of even the most basic golf swing tips should be given serious attention and with practice there is no reason why you should not soon be able to improve this most essential part of a golfer’s arsenal.

There are a lot of golf swing video analysis software packages available and they all have their good points and bad points.  But the best golf swing analysis software will have some of the very basic functions needed to really analyze and potentially repair a golf swing.  If you are really looking for quality golf swing video analysis software then you need to make sure that whatever golf swing video analysis software you get has the very basics you need and that it also has them in a format that you can easily use and understand.

The first thing a good golf swing video analysis software package will be able to do is analyze your stance.  A proper stance is essential to the mechanics of a good golf swing and a good piece of golf swing video analysis software will be able to analyze your stance and make recommendations for repair when needed.  Your stance changes depending on the kind of shot you are trying to make and good golf swing video analysis software will show you the different kinds of stances you should be using and then let you know what you are doing wrong so that you can correct it.

A Slow And Fluid Motion

A good golf swing, as any teacher will tell you, is all about proper rhythm.  Your whole body needs to be in proper rhythm and everything needs to be working together to give the best possible result.  One of the key elements to establishing proper rhythm in a golf swing is the proper speed of your swing.  Swing too fast and everything is off balance.  Swing too slow and nothing is in sync and everything goes horribly wrong.  A good piece of golf swing video analysis software will look at the speed you are generating with your club and compare that to the rest of your body’s motion.  If you are using the wrong club speed then your golf swing video analysis software will let you know and make suggestions on how to adjust it.

A good golf swing relies on everything from the way you place your feet to the age old adage of keeping your eye on the ball.  A good piece of golf swing video analysis software will look at your swing and let you know where you need improvement and make suggestions on how you can get the most out of your golf game.