Golf for Beginners enjoys getting contacted by guest bloggers looking for an outlet to share their opinions with fans of the sport. This blog was written by Chris Giolitto, a former golf pro (see bio below) and where GFB does not necessarily share the opinion of the blogger, we appreciate the commentary! Thanks Chris - on to the blog!******************
Often we are told to be mindful of the tempo of our golf swings. While I believe this to be very important, golfers tend to misconstrue this advice.How many times have you been on the golf course, lost a few balls on your first few holes and decided you weren't going to let that happen again?
Here’s what you probably do next. You get to the next tee, set up for your shot, take the club back, and on your downswing you attempt to guide the ball to the fairway. Your result? One of ten shots go where you'd hoped. The other nine? A few barely make it off the tee box, a few others still go right and lost, and the rest end up in that pond just past the tee box that you never knew existed.
My point? Trying to control your tempo can often lead to trying to guide the golf ball with an indecisive swing. It's similar to shooting a free throw in basketball. If you are nervous you are going to shoot an air ball and just aim to hit the rim, you often air the ball anyway.
Your best bet is to be aggressive. Shoot to make the shot. Swing to hit
the perfect shot.
An aggressive golf swing promotes three key ingredients to
hitting your best golf shot:
2.Focusing on your target - If you know you are going to make an aggressive swing, you know you need precision. Focus on your target and let it rip! 3.Confidence - If you are committed to hitting your shot with 100% power and focused on your target, you will have automatic confidence in your ability to hit that shot. Now a quick caveat before going out and firing at every pin and challenging every water hazard.
I am not saying here to play like Phil Mickelson – you don't have his talent and ability. Play the shot that best suits you. If you need to aim at the center of the green, find your best target and play an aggressive shot to that target. Whichever shot you choose to hit, make sure you swing aggressively. With commitment to swinging 100% while focusing your target, you will be confident and find that your shots become much more consistent. Plus, swinging at any less than 100% is no fun!
