To be a good golf player, it is best if you can hire a trainer. The professional Golf trainer can guide you on many aspects of Golf, from stance, golf swing and putting. He can monitor your moves and be able to make adjustments. Moreover, a trainer can provide you the guidance you need in every aspect of the game.

It is important you choose the right Golf trainer because every trainer has his own ideas and methods on how to play golf.You should interview prospective Golf trainers so that you can find the best.

Ask For Recommendation.

The reason why a Pro Coach like Dave Stockton works with many Pro Golf players is because everyone seem to recommendation. If you have friends who seem to be doing well ask them who their trainer is. You can then contact the trainer and see whether you can work with him/her.

Availability And Accessibility

A personal trainer must be able to give you adequate time. If a personal golf trainer has many clients under his wing he is not going to give you adequate attention. When choosing a golf trainers ask for information such as number of clients and his work schedule.

Track Record

Do his/her methods work? The only way to get an answer is to talk to his previous and current client. Ask him/her to give you a contact details of one of his students. An honest golf coach will gladly give you contacts. Ask him/her if he has written a book or newspaper/blog/magazine article. If he/she has published book or article you can read and gauge his thoughts and methods.

Good Communicator

A good golf trainer must display good communication skills. Golf coaching involves one on one communication and the trainer must be eloquent and clear. The only way to assess this is having face to face interview.

Honesty

A good golf trainer/coach must be honest, trustworthy and has a high ethical standard. A golf trainer is responsible for reporting accurate information to you. He should not be afraid of correcting your mistakes. If he has fallen off with previous clients it is good to know the reason. Was it an issue of integrity?

Personal Rapport

Since your are going to be spending time together it is imperative you have a rapport. A rapport depends on such things as temperament, intelligence and emotions. When you meet him/her 1 on 1 you will know whether this is a person you can work with.

Individual Programs

We are all different and unique and a Good trainer must develop an individual plan for every student. Individual programs should be selected after an assessment of your needs. He should look at your weakness and strengths and come up with a training program that matches them.

Tags: Dave Stockton, golf swing, Golf Trainer, Personal Golf Trainer, Personal Trainer, The Professional Golf Trainer

05 May 2012 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

If you play golf alone you are missing an opportunity to make Golf more interesting. Playing golf is interesting, especially if you do it together with a friend. You need to find a friend who shares your passion of playing golf, so that you can each share tips.

Helps to Boost Motivation

When you have a golf playing partner you can both boost your motivation by competing against each other from
time to time.

Helps To Make You A Better Player

A partner who you play with and compete against can only help to make you a better player.

A Golf Partner Can Be Your Counselor

Playing Golf can be a frustrating experience, frustration happens when you make a way ward hit during the swing or the putt. A partner can come in handy at those times because he can act as a counselor, consoling you in low times.

Golf Buddies: Obama & Bouhner

Your Partner As a Teacher

Your Golf partner is not a replacement of a Golf Coach or your local resident but he can offer valuable insights in improving your game.  You partner reads Golf books and you can tap into that knowledge. The good thing it is all free of charge. Remember sharing knowledge is a two way street, make sure you give back as much as you get.

Your Partner Can Be Your Best critic

A good relationship is based on sincerity, a golf partner should be honest with you and have the courage to tell you you are wrong when you do silly things. When your golf partner critiques your game, take it in the chin. Don’t take offense because he means well for you. Oscar Wilde famously said “A good friend stabs you in the front”

Someone To Talk To In the Greens

Enjoying the game is not the only reason people play Golf. People talk a lot of stuff when they are stranding up and down the greens. A Golf partner can come in handy when you want to exchange opinions on politics and business or even intimate personal problems.

Your Partner as Your Hero

If your primary goal is to improve your game, the person whom you choose as a Golf partner should be someone you are able to admire and for whom you have high value and respect. The person should be very motivating, as well as stimulating.

Giving Back To The Game

The game of Golf has given you so much joy in life and what a better way to give back by being a mentor to an aspiring amateur player. You can choose to be a partner to beginner golfer at your club. You will ideally provide them with impartial advice, as well as coach and guide them.

Tags: Golf Coach, Golf Partner, golf tips, Interesting Playing Golf

05 May 2012 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

Watching professional golf players play the game on TV or on the Golf course is entertaining but it also an opportunity to learn how the pro do it. You can learn a lot by watching professional golf players: everything from their movement, body position and timing.

10 things You can learn when watching professional golf players play the game.

Watch The Golf Grip

There are 3 basic types of grips that golfers use; the overlapping grip, the ten finger grip, and the interlocking grip.  The most important factor in which grip you choose to use is how comfortable the grip is for you.

How They Line Up The Ball During The Golf Swing

Stance is a very important step in creating a perfect swing and is definitely a golf swing basic that you can master by watching the Pro do their swing. Watch how how they line up the ball. Watch where they position the ball between there feet.You will see the ball position changes if one uses a long iron or short iron or drivers.

Watch The Knees During The Golf Swing

Watch where the front foot knee points.

Watch The body rotation of the pros.

Watch the hips and the upper body: See the direction of the shoulders.

Watch The Backswing

The backswing is where you build your power. Keep an eye on the back foot how it bends on the knee and when the  club reaches the height of the hips, you will see it is in a straight line with the feet.

The follow through

See how after completing a swing the pros look in complete balance.

Putting In Action

When watching the pros keep an eye on the position of the head, arms, elbows and wrist. Look at how parallel they are with the body.

Eye Set Up

Proper eye setup is a key fundamental in Golf more so when putting. Watch how the eyes are positioned directly above the ball in the stance.

Chipping

See how the pro bends their knees during chipping. See how the shoulders and the arms are held together.

Tags: golf swing, Professional Golf

05 May 2012 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

The putting stroke is the easiest stroke in golf but one of the toughest shots to make in your mind. You have to believe you can make the putt, be positive and you will reap the results. If you have negative thoughts then it is most likely you will not make the putt. A positive frame of mind will ensure better putting believe me.

After you get the correct mechanics of goof putting, Correct posture, putting grip and eye vision. Make sure the stuff between your ears is in good attitude. A relaxed and positive mind will ensure you get your putting stroke right!

Positive thinking is expecting, talking and visualizing with certainty what you want to achieve, as an accomplished fact.

Tags: Correct Mechanics, Negative Thoughts, Positive Mind, putting, Putting stroke, Stroke

11 November 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

The best way to learn to hit a sand shot or hit different distances from the sand is to focus on your follow-through.

The Swing – On How To Hit a Sand Shot

Keep your backswing length and swing speed consistent but swing to a finish that corresponds to the distance and height you want to hit the ball. Start with two options: a low finish for a low, short shot, and a high finish for a higher, longer shot.

And remember, to hit a sand shot always let the clubhead pass your hands so you don’t get it stuck in the sand.

In the following clip Jay Golden shows you the fundamentals of how to hit a sand shot :-

Fundamentals of Hitting a Sand Shot

• At address, the club head should aim at the right of the target
• Avoid learning on your front leg to avoid hitting infront of the ball
• Avoid leaning on your backfoot to avoid hitting before the ball

Tags: Backfoot, Backswing Length, Clubhead, sand shot, Swing Speed

10 October 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

Our Golf tip for the day is how to hit solid iron shots. The following video demonstrates a simple drill that will help you hit solid iron shots. Watch the video and then practice. Like we say knowing is not enough, putting into practice what you know is the most important thing.

The good thing about this golf iron shot drill is, you don’t need to go out in the golf course to practice. You can practice it at home on your golf mat. Once you get the feel of the drill you can then go to the golf course and perfect the golf iron shot.

Benefits of this drill

Learn how to hit solid iron shots

Avoid staying on your backfoot

Learn the perfect set up angle to hit the ball

Get the elusive spin on the ball

Hitting Solid Iron shots

Tags: Backfoot, golf course, Golf Iron, Golf Mat, Golf Tip, Iron Shots

10 October 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

Ben Hogan is known as one of golf greatest hitters. One reason for his success was his perfect golf grip. Ben Hogan discussed his views on putting, golf swing etc. in his book Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.

On Golf grip, Hogan advised on the importance of unifying your hands. In a good grip, both hands act as one unit. To ensure yourself a firm two-handed grip, get your left hand on the club absolutely correctly. By unifying your hands you are able to strike the ball by using maximum energy from both hands.

There are many ideas on the correct golf grip but the idea is the same: how to unify your hands. Whichever way you decide, make sure the hands are unified.

Tags: Ben Hogan, Golf Grip, golf swing, Perfect Golf, Putting Golf

08 August 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

Jack Nicklaus won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 24 years and is widely regarded by golf critics and analysts as the greatest golfer of all time. The reason he was that successful was because he knew something about Golf that we don’ t know.

Jack Nicklaus Golf Tips

The following is a top ten collection of Jack Nicklaus golfing tips. It is collected from some of his most famous golf quotes.

1. A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke.
2. Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.
3. Don’t be too proud to take lessons. I’m not.
4. Focus on remedies, not faults.
5. Concentration is a fine antidote to anxiety.
6. I’m a firm believer that in the theory that people only do their best at things they truly enjoy. It is difficult to excel at something you don’t enjoy.
7. Resolve never to quit, never to give up, no matter what the situation.
8. Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. You’ve got to believe you can play a shot instead of wondering where your next bad shot is coming from.
9. Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game’s two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.
10. Lastly, don’t take the game of Golf too serious, the game is meant to be fun.

Tags: golf tips, Golfing Tips, Jack Nicklaus, Nicklaus Golf, Pga Tour, Straight Shot

07 July 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

If you wondered why Rory Mcllroy choked at 2011 Masters at Augusta, you can find a good answer at BBC Article, the Psychology of choking.

According to the article the cause of the choke was thinking too much or over focusing.

Cause of Choking,

It is triggered when we get so anxious that we seize conscious control over a task that should be executed automatically.

06 June 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments

Luke Donald rise to the top of golf world ranking has been an exciting ride. Donald success in the greens has not just been a matter of better putting, the secret has been his partnership with anew mental coach, Dave Alred.

Luke Donald started working with Dave Alred in January 2011 when Donald was ranked outside top 30. In six months Donald has been a reborn man, he has shot himself to number one Golfer in the world.

Dave Alred Approach : Get Used To Working/Playing Under Pressure

Dave Alred, and Donald have been hard at it on the practice green. The focus has been on the mental side of playing golf. This is how Donald described what they have been doing:-

“We try to look at ways of making my practice more efficient and at ways of practising more under pressure, rather than going through the routine of just hitting balls and not thinking about it. We are trying to make it a bit more front-footed. Dave doesn’t want me out there for hours and hours, but he wants to look at every part of my game and do as much as I can to maximise my game. It is hard to quantify but if you look at my results it seems to be working.”

The result is Luke Donald has developed a mental stamina that has propelled him to the top of golf rankings.

Dave Alred Sports Psychology Experience

• He first made a name for himself during the victorious Lions tour of South Africa in 1997.
• The PhD. graduate helped with the kicking styles and mental stamina of Matt Dawson, Charlie Hodgson and Jonny Wilkinson, pushing all three into the top 10 points-scorers for England.
• Worked with Premier League clubs Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, and advising the England goalkeeper David James.

Source, Courtesy of Independent UK.

Tags: Charlie Hodgson, dave alred, Dawson Charlie, Golf Psychology, Golf World Ranking, Jonny Wilkinson, Luke Donald, Mental Stamina

06 June 2011 in Golf Tips 0 Comments