The tips that work best are usually the fundamental ones and so I would like to share a few tidbits before the season warms up and golfers are too busy thinking about swinging the club than improving the basics.
Let's get right to the golf tips, shall we?
GASP Before Every Swing:
An oldie but goody which I received from one of my first instructors was the term G.A.S.P., an acronym for Grip, Aim, Stance and Posture. G.A.S.P. is what your pre-shot routine should be on every shot you take. Make sure your grip is not too tight, Aim the bottom edge of the club square with the target, align your club properly and stand tall to the ball but don't rise up.
Tempo, Tempo, Tempo!
There are so many different components to a golf swing and tempo is, by far, one of the most important parts to practice. Tempo is different for all golfers - for example, according to an article by Brian Hill, in Jack Nicklaus' prime his swing tempo was clocked at 1.96 seconds but Arnold Palmer's was a much speedier 1.36 seconds.
If you think you need to swing faster in order to get the golf ball farther down the fairway, think again. Both men were the best golfers in the world so what is important to remember about your tempo?
- Relax...tension is the killer of the best golf swing.
- Great video from Paul Wilson Golf in which he describes tempo, how the body tells your arms how fast to move and more:
You Got it on Now You Need to Get It IN:
Two Ideas for Putting - Getting Down the Correct Speed and Line, (also how fast the greens are and the direction of the sun, how the grass is bent, but let's stick to the basics). Sounds simple doesn't it? Should be for most golfers but, according to James Parker Golf, players think too much. "We don’t want to be thinking about things like taking the putter back and through a certain amount of inches." What we want to do is "roll the ball a certain speed on a certain line into the hole – that’s it."
Tom Watson's easy putting tip from his father? "Don't peek to see where the ball is going. It's a great way to make sure your head stays still and to develop a consistent stroke."
More Putting Tips In this Link.
Practice from Different Lies:
When you're out on the golf course, you don't always have the best lie - this is NOT a game of perfect conditions! Instead of practicing your short game or iron shots from the short stuff or from a flat surface, vary the lie from hardpan to waste areas, says Stan Utley. In this Golf Digest Tip of the Week, Utley teaches how to get out of bad lies with your dignity.
Golf tips to share with our readers? Feel free to post them below in the Comments section of our golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.