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New golfers spend a lot of time on the driving range to practice their swings and their shots. Even if they do keep on swinging their irons and woods as well as their put in the driving range and feel they have their place, grip and body mechanics down pat, they find that surprising when they can not translate their flawless practice sessions to lower scores when they actually play in the golf course. They're doing the exact same thing they did at practice, but they're having dogs left and right, with majority of the balls either out-of-bounds or in a water hazard somewhere.

One of the reasons why this discrepancy seems to be happening lies in how the golfer conducts his practice sessions. When a player begins to learn this sport, it is natural to hit bucket after bucket of balls. It helps practice one's swing. However, when a novice golfer is ready to play, he or she should conduct his or her practices to mimic an actual round in the course.

How can this be done?

For starters, you should not be swinging with only one club. There's a good reason why you're allowed to carry a maximum of 14 clubs while you play– you will not be using only one for the entire game. Depending on the kind of shot you will be taking and the position of the ball, you need to change clubs often in your practice as you would in any regular round of golf.

Next, you can practice like you play if you change your targets often. You do not hit the same target twice in golf, so you have to approximate the different shots you will take from different targets.

Finally, practice your putting on the green. Most go to the driving range with the intent of practicing only their long drives. You've got to practice sinking the putt as well.

By following these tips, you should be able to bring your practice play to the green and lower your score.

Happy golfing!

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Source by Kevin Hutto

Many of you guys were asking where you can purchase the training aid. It is called swingyde: http://amzn.to/2ucrXfD Our Golf Professional Aimee Cho shows you how to relax your arms through…

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When your ball finishes in a divot, your heart falls and

you are filled with dismay and perhaps a little anger

towards the inconsiderate player before you who has not

repaired after taking his divot.

So easy to throw a little

sand over the depression isn’t it?

Any way, what to do? You can play a punch shot with the

ball just inside your right toe, and run the ball onto the

green,

or, hit with your right hand, with open club face

and ball well forward in your stance to get the ball up

into the air and fly to the green..

In this article, I want to talk about other bad lies from

simple depressions to ditches and a bit more on playing

from a divot.

Firstly, if your ball finishes in a divot, you can use one

of your fairway metals to get your ball out and onto the

green.

This is a technique to use if you want distance.

It is superior and much easier than using a long iron to

achieve the same result.

This also applies not only for

divots, but small depressions whether with grassy base or

not.

Don’t use a metal with a flat sole, but pick the one

with the most rounded one.

This obviously gets into the depression better than a flat soled club.

Line up your shot a little to the left of the target, and then

open your club face a little. This gives you more loft and will aid in

getting your ball up.

If you do not open your club face, it

will meet the ball too squarely and the ball will have every

chance of running along the ground instead of getting up in

the air.

A bit like opening the face of one of your wedges

to get the ball up in the air more. You have aimed to the

left of your target because with an open club face, your

ball will fade to the right.

Have the ball 2 or 3 inches further back in your stance

than normal, and hit firmly down onto the ball.

I emphasize the word firmly.

Ok, how about hitting out of a ditch? One of those placed

lovingly by the course designer between the fairway and the

edge of a hazard.

This is a difficult, shot and you can take a drop and a one

shot penalty. This will probably allow you to get your ball

onto the green.

The danger is that you may not get your

ball out of the ditch and this will cost you a shot.

If you think it is worth a try, here is how you should go

about it.

Have the ball in the middle of your stance, and

bend your knees – I mean really bend them.

Bend them enough so that your club head can reach the ball.

Then during your shot, make sure you keep your body at this level during the

whole swing.

This is one important point.

Then next is to hit DOWN on the ball. This is so important. If you try to

sweep it, you will almost certainly fail.

The back swing should be done by picking the club up sharply breaking your

wrists quickly.

Your down swing should be a punch type shot

straight down onto the ball. You will not be able to follow

through, so don’t worry about this part of the swing.

This is for a dreadful lie in a ditch. Sometimes the ditch

is wide enough for a more orthodox swing.

In this case, bending your knees and hitting down on the ball still

applies and are a must, but the swing can be a little more

of a swing instead of a punch.

The important things are to keep your body at the same level

and your head still.

Watch the ball and keep looking at the spot where it was long

after it has left.

You will be able to have some sort of a

follow through and the ball will fly high and long.

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Source by Bill Maitland

The NEW Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 4 Wedges Review from GolfBox Reviews Professional, Alex Etches at The Vines G.C in Western Australia. The latest Callaway Mack Daddy wedges offer a brand…

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Guaranteed Old Course Tee Time | St Andrews

Guaranteed Tee times can be secured by purchasing Old Course related packages from various hotels or golf tour operator. Most of these packages include a minimum of three nights at a hotel in St. Andrews, including three rounds of golf including one guaranteed Old Course tee time, lunch and dinner. There is a premium associated with these guaranteed times and this is not cheap, but please book well in advance to secure your tee times.

St Andrews | Ballot | Lottery

Another option open to visiting golfers is to apply for a time through the Ballot (or lottery) which is drawn each day. This is the best way to secure a good value tee time but offers no guarantee of success and therefore is often not considered ideal for overseas visitors planning in advance. However, if you want to take your chances in the draw the local B&B’s or hotels can make the application on your behalf. You can ballot for 2 – 4 golfers at a time.

Single Golfer

If you are a single golfer; may I suggest to you that you should approach the starter on the day you wish to play and let him know that you are willing to join in any groups that are not playing in fourballs. He will seek to accommodate you, should a tee time spot become available. Or if you want, why not hang around the first tee box at St. Andrews and you notice two or three golfers going to the tee, ask can you join them?

Golfing in Scotland

The beauty of playing golf in Scotland is that the country is full of the traditions and the Scots national pride from hosting the various British Open Championships down through out the year.

Perhaps you have your own memories of your favourite great golfers of the past or of recent times that have walked the 18th fairway knowing that the trophy will be his! I can remember Nick Faldo’s 18 straight pars to win the Open Championship at Muirfield and wow, Sir Nick Faldo was indeed the best player in the world for a time.

If you have played golf in Scotland and perhaps you were lucky enough to have played some of the British Open courses? That is great and you have some fantastic memories. If you have played Carnoustie? Can you remember how much course knowledge was needed? If you played that course again, you would play it differently… I found that Carnoustie was flat in parts but very tricky and the last six holes played very difficult the day I played.

But like everything else in golf, you must play the golf course to experience how the course plays and then imagine yourself in the position of winning the open championship!

Why not enjoy a golf trip by Concierge Golf!

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Source by John Joseph Dooley

Scientific validation that power doesn’t come from the hips!

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Learn golf tips for beginners, such as the baseball swing, in this free instructional video series on baseball swing and golf technique and curing your golf swing. Expert: Jay Golden Bio:…

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I have told you the secret of how to turn your body during

your whole golf swing. However this is not quite enough.

Almost but not quite.

As I have mentioned already, the back swing is made by

pressing your arms just below the arm pits against your

chest for all of the back swing, and down swing too. If you

watch Peter Lonard, you will find he uses this method. His

swing is so simple it is almost elementary. He has stripped

the swing down to its skeletal form.

However at the top, he cocks his wrist to get his club

horizontal before beginning his down swing. He is so quick

that one can easily miss his action.

You can do this too if you so desire. However, believe me;

from personal experience this is not necessary.

Just turn your chests as previously described until your left chin

is beneath your shoulder in a very comfortable position – don’t strain –

and then go into your down swing.

Now if you depend totally on turning your body to complete

your down swing, you will hook your golf ball. So, make

sure your hit is slightly away from you. Hit out on the

ball.

No, it will not go to the right and finish in the

trees. Yes, it will start a little right, but because you

have hit the ball like this you will have imparted an anti

clockwise spin to it and it will draw back onto the line

you want.

Your hooking days will be over. Your accuracy

will improve out of sight and so will your distance.

Of course you must watch the ball.

This becomes much easier

with this swing and lifting your head will become a thing

of the past too if you concentrate.

Your short game will have to come into the equation to allow you to

get a good score of course but that aspect of the game is outside the

scope of this article.

There are some other important aspects to the golf swing I

have described. However these are very basic and must be a

part of every single golf swing, no matter how you do it.

The first is the straight left arm. You must keep your left

arm straight at all times during the swing. This is basic

and absolutely essential.

It is a common fault to have the

left arm straight at address and for part of the back swing

only to have it bend at the top and collapse on the down

swing.

Any one who does this has no hope of consistency of

action. The swing will be different every time. This is

because swing path and degree of bend at the elbow will not

be consistent. It just can’t be. Of course the arm bends at

the elbow at the finish of the swing.

The next thing is the elbow. There are some who advocate

turning the elbow in an anti-clockwise direction at address

and then maintaining this position during the swing. They

argue that this makes them keep their left arm straight

during the whole swing. It does too and if you like it and

it works for you then please continue. However, it is not

technically correct.

Try to keep your stance and swing as natural as possible.

This means not turning your elbows in any direction at

address.

Just let the arms hang naturally and have no

strain at the elbows.

When you let your arms hang down

naturally, your elbows will take up the position they have

when your arms hang naturally at your side. This is the

orthodox position.

The next thing is the action of the hips.

Actually the hips will look after themselves.

The only thing I must emphasize is the action of the left knee on

the back swing. The movement of the left knee must be

forward. That is out in front of you. Do NOT move your left

knee to the right. It must move straight forward.

That is all you have to worry about with regard to your hips during

the swing. As you turn your chest, the hips will follow. If

you try to emphasize the hip movements, things will not go

as you would like.

Have a look at the Korean and Vietnamese women on tour in

the USA. I am sure they have been coached along these

lines. I would not have known this if I had not worked out

all this stuff I have been telling you. Then knowing what

to look for, it has become glaringly obvious that this is

the swing they are using with such success and brilliance.

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Source by Bill Maitland