Shotmaking



Featured articles: 

Golf Driver Tips For Longer And Straighter Shots - ...right kind of driver can really make a big difference as you need to make sure you select the right stiffness and loft for you swing type. If you generate high club head speeds over 100mph then you should consider getting a 9 to 9.5 degree loft driver and a stiff or super stiff shaft. If your swing speed is under that then you should get at least a 10.5 degree driver with a regular or senior flex for best results. Developing a good pre-shot routine can also help you to be more consistent off the...

Tips To Hit The Driver Further - ... swing speed is under 100 mph then you will want a driver with more loft (at least 10.5 degrees) and a less stiff shaft either a senior or regular flex. If you have a higher club head speed then go for something with less loft around 8.5 to 9.5 degrees and a stiff or ultra stiff shaft for maximum distance. Also try to stick with a proper length driver, something around 43 to 45 inches should work best for most people. A driver that is too long will be very difficult to hit accurately on a ...

Make Golf Easier - Don't Think!

You may think the title of this article is a bit crazy but let me explain why I believe you can play better golf without thinking too much.

Golf is an unusual game because of the pace the game is played at. It takes hours to complete a round and this may just give us too much time to think. Most of the time is spent walking between shots, watching others play and setting up for your own shot... The ball is in contact with the club anywhere between 68 (for the really good players) and over 100 (for the majority of golfers).

Each strike or contact is for the briefest period - say 1/100th of a second. Ok so maybe I have that wrong but you know what I mean.

The point is the ball is only being "played" for about 1 or 2 seconds over four and a half hours.

Take a look at some other sports that are played over a much shorter time and at a much higher speed. Football, ice hockey, hockey, baseball, basketball, polo, tennis etc. are all played at high speed where the participants have to act instinctively or it is too late.

There just isn't time to sit and ponder what to do next - you have to react to the situation with whatever means you have at hand.

In golf there is too much time to think and too many options:

  • Which club to use (with 14 to choose from)
  • Which shot to play (a fade or a draw, a bump and run or should I fly it to the stick?)
  • What is the best angle of approach?
  • Where is my partner?
  • Where is my opponent?
  • Do I have the ability to play this shot?

And then there are the other thoughts racing through your mind:

  • Thoughts relating to your score for the day
  • How this particular score will affect your handicap
  • Will you lose the bet?
  • Are you up or down in the match?
  • Can you hang in there or claw your way back?

I have just finished reading a couple of books relating to the mental aspect of golf and they make for fascinating reading. They also make a lot of sense.

It has been said many times that golf is 90% mental or that the game of golf is played over 5 inches - the 5 inches between your ears.

How true this is.

Tiger Woods has often said that he is the strongest golfer - mentally - and we all know how his late father worked on this part of his game.

When you first learn to drive a motor vehicle there are so many things to think about but after a while you drive (hopefully well) without even thinking about it. You do it so often that eventually it becomes second nature and your subconscious mind takes over.

If you can train yourself to do the same on the golf course you will find you play much better.

There are several ways to do this:

  1. Play more often
  2. Practice regularly or
  3. Train your mind.

The nicest way would be to play and practice more often but do you have the time?

By far the easiest is to train your mind because you can do this anywhere and at any time. All the top players, including Tiger, have a mental coach - even though they play and practice all day long

If you want to make golf easier for yourself I will say it again: "Don't think." Or at least train yourself to play on auto pilot.

Clearing your mind of all thought when executing your shot is not that easy to do and takes a bit of training. It can be done but you need to work at it regularly until it becomes second nature.

The Mental Keys to Improve Your Golf is a great little book (with a CD as a back up) that will help you do just this. It is easy to read and implement and you can get started straight away.

Read more about The Mental Keys and how it all works in getting your mind into the zone for better golf.

You can get more drills and tips on all aspects of the game by going to my website at http://makegolfeasier.com.

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


Click here to learn more on how to improve at golf.

Related articles:

What Does It Take To Become A Scratch Golfer? - need to practice ideally 5 times a week and you definitely want to give yourself at least 2 days off to recover from all that golfing. Rest is important so do not get over enthusiastic and practice every day otherwise you will wear yourself out and become ineffective. The way you practice also matters a lot, you want to spend time on the range working on your wedges at least 30% of the time and your driver at least 40% of the time. Also be sure to spend at least 15 to 20 minutes around the greens hitting various chips and bunker ...