The first thing needed on the way to improvement is to take a lesson and learn the fundamentals of a good swing. Practicing the wrong swing obviously causes bad habits that are difficult to break. once you take a lesson, it is your job to practice what you learned. Most of my students do not practice enough. The game of golf requires a lot of time as does any sport or hobby if you want a good outcome. If you feel you are practicing a lot and not getting any better, it is time for a lesson. It is likely you are practicing the wrong thing.

My advice is to practice a variety of clubs in your bag. You should spend equal amounts of time practicing your weaknesses, not your strengths. Always take a practice swing, concentrate on only two or three swing thoughts. Then try to duplicate the same swing with the ball. In other words, the ball should just get in the way of your swing.

I believe that practicing two or three times a week for at least one hour is necessary to see serious improvement. It is also important to continue practicing throughout the off-season in order to maintain what you have learned. Progress from the previous summer will be lost for you the next season without some practice in the winter to preserve muscle memory. (Scally’s Golf Center is open year round and has individual heaters for the cold weather.) In conclusion: Practice, practice, practice will help your game become less or a struggle

About the author:

Phil Scally Jr. is a professional golf instuctor at Scally’s Center Which is the home of Golfstuffcheaper.com

Written By: Phil Scally Jr

We know swing mechanics are very high on the list. And to achieve this takes a general understanding of the golf swing. You don’t have to become a fanatic to learn proper swing mechanics, but if you don’t have a clue, you might want to get a book or take a lesson from a credible teaching pro.

When it comes to accomplishing your best golf swing, equipment doesn’t even play a role. Remember…we are talking about your golf swing, not distance or power.

The approach you need to take to finally get your best golf swing is one that is focused on “your machine”. You! Your body dictates how effective your swing mechanics will be.

Do you agree?

When you have physical limitations such as lack of core strength or tight hamstrings; it will be virtually impossible to make your best golf swing on the course. You may hit a good one every 10 or so swings, but you won’t be able to consistently repeat it for 18 holes.

Every golfer has his/her own limitations they need to find out about. One person could be very tight from a golf flexibility standpoint, and the next person could have weak shoulder muscles and can’t control the club at the top of the backswing.

Getting a physical assessment specific to golf is your first step in achieving your best golf swing. Once you recognize what your limitations are, you can devise a program to improve them.

Now you’re on your way to a repeatable swing that holds up for 18 holes and under pressure too! The minute you decide to work on “your machine”, you won’t look back. You will become a powerful and very accurate golfer, who is beating the pants off the rest of the players in your foursome.

Golf will become enjoyable again!

You will no longer be in search of your best golf swing!

About the author:

Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance trainers in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf improvement sites. Take a look at his just released golf dvds and manual at his golf swing training site – Perform Better Golf.

Written By: Mike Pedersen, CPT

Before introducing S.A.I.D. let us discuss improvement in the game of golf. Improving your golf game requires developing several disciplines. Generally speaking you must develop proper swing mechanics, practice every aspect of the game (putting, short game, chipping, pitching, short irons, long irons, fairway woods, and driver), develop your course management skills, play practice rounds, create understanding for the nuances of the game, develop confidence, and finally develop your body.

Understand that the entire list of golf disciplines works as a unit to improve your golf game. No one facet can be eliminated from this list without having an effect on your overall improvement. For example, if I were never to practice putting, how well would I play? I may play great from tee to green, but when it comes to putting, look for my scores to go through the roof.

The last discipline mentioned was your body. Quite often this is the forgotten aspect of improving your golf game, but it is equally important. Let me ask you a question. What swings your driver? Some answers may be your swing. In reality, your body swings the club. Yes, your body swings the club, not the other way around. Developing your body in relation to the swing allows for a foundation to be created. This foundation is where you are able to develop the proper mechanics of the swing.

If your body does not have the needed flexibility, balance, coordination, or power to swing a club, how well are you going to swing a driver? Not very well. If your body is weak and inflexible developing an optimal swing will be next to impossible.

The development of the body in relation to the swing is where S.A.I.D. comes into play. S.A.I.D. refers to the principle of “specific adaptation to imposed demands.” This principle states that the body will adapt to the demands of the training stimulus but will not adapt beyond the scope of that training stimulus (NSCA Strength and Conditioning Journal, pg. 18, August, 2005).

Did I loose you in that last paragraph?

Let me explain. This principle pertains to developing the body’s level of fitness in relation to any sport or activity. For example, if I were to perform a bicep curl with a 25-pound dumbbell 15 times the curl could be difficult in the beginning, but over time it would get easier and eventually I could crank out 15 repetitions with no problem. This is a result of my body adapting (muscles getting stronger) to the resistance placed on my body by the dumbbell.

Now here is the kicker, if I continued to only lift a 25-pound dumbbell over the period of a year what do you think would happen? I like to use the phrase “diminishing returns” to explain this situation. Once the body adapts to a resistance, the body plateaus and does not get stronger. At this point it can even get weaker!

Now how does this pertain to golf? Think about it for a moment. Greater distance off the tee is always a desire of every amateur playing the sport. Amateurs go to great length to hit the ball 20, 10, or even 5 yards farther. They will buy new drivers, new golf balls, new anything! Now if an amateur’s clubhead speed is somewhere around 85 mph, how is that clubhead speed going to improve with a new driver or new ball? The answer is it will not.

Hypothetically, let’s assume you have fairly efficient swing mechanics. How are you going to increase your clubhead speed? (Remember clubhead speed stays the same even if you buy a new driver.) Someway or somehow you are going to have to generate greater clubhead speed.

Increasing the efficiency with which you swing the club is one way. But the efficiency with which you swing a club has an end point, and once that end point is reached it won’t go any farther. What is the other way by which you can increase your clubhead speed? Implementing a golf fitness program into your routine can help.

A golf fitness program will develop the “foundation” to improve your swing mechanics. This type of program will develop your flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, and endurance capacities to improve your swing.

Additionally, it can develop greater clubhead speed. Clubhead speed is a result of power development. Power development is contingent upon your swing mechanics and body. Improving the power outputs of your body will enhance your clubhead speed. And greater clubhead speed equates to greater distance on your drives.

If you have never developed a level of golf fitness, your body is set at a certain level of power-generating capabilities. Until you force the body to increase its power-generating capabilities through the S.A.I.D. principle, your club head speed will stay the same. A golf fitness program will place resistance on your body forcing it to adapt and improve its power capabilities. The end result will be greater clubhead speed, and that can equate to longer drives.

Looking for a golf-specific fitness program to improve your clubhead speed? Look no further than my manual Your Body & Your Swing. This program is filled with golf-specific flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power exercises to enhance your golf swing. My program implements the S.A.I.D. principle with the goal of improving your scores and your driving distances.
About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA

Written By: Sean Cochran

So I decided to buy the book and I spent a few hours reading it from front to back over and over. I decided I would just print the book out and bring it with me to the golf course in the morning so I didn’t forget anything. After a short surf session with my friends, we drove across the street to our local golf course in Melbourne Beach, FL.

Let me just put it this way, my friends were amazed at my golf swings and were convinced that I had a personal golf trainer. The first day that I had tried out the tips that I got from the Simple Golf Swing I improved my handicap from a 17 to a 13. I improved my accuracy and distance hitting the golf ball as well. This was just my first time using the Simple Golf Swing tips and they were definetly helping my golf swing.

Two days later I went back to the course and had even better results. It was a rainy day, so I wanted to test out some more tips that were in the Simple Golf Swing book. My first tee I had a great hit even with the wetness of the ball and club. I have never had a ball fly this straight and high in the rain before.

Every hole after the first was the same. I would’ve never dreamed of making such solid contact thru 18 holes. The ultimate test came on the 5th hole where I’m sitting at 200 yards out in the middle of the fairway on an uphill par 4. I grab my 3 iron which still looks new from lack of use and I nail it within 15 feet of the hole. I wound up shooting 80 and the only reason that I was that high, was club selection between my sand and pitching wedge. I was getting so much action on my sand wedge that 3 times I hit the front of the green and it sucked right back off the green. That’s the first time that has ever happened to me. To top things off my playing partner, seeing me hit so well, asked me what I’d changed. I gave him a brief lesson and within two holes he’s hitting them a far and as straight as I’ve ever seen him.

I honestly recommend The Simple Golf Swing even if you already think you are Tiger Woods. A lot of people have had success with The Simple Golf Swing and you can read more testimonials on their website.

About the Author

Joseph Tierney is a golfer and a surfer. To learn more about The Simple Golf Swing please visit The Simple Golf Swing Review

Written By: Joseph Tierney

I like to use the image of a weight swinging on a piece of string to illustrate the swing plane. What would happen if you picked up a weight on a piece of string and started to twirl it? Assuming your hand was on a 45 degree angle in front of you and not tilted left or right, the weight would make a circular arc around your hand causing the weight to swing down the line. If the weight was allowed to swing freely, it would do the same thing on one side as it does on the other. That means it would be swinging on a perfect plane around your hand.

Now that you have an understanding of what the swing plane is, you have to also understand that there are 3 different planes you could have. To imagine the different planes, think again about the weight swinging on the string. We already discussed the down the line plane (hand not tilted) but what would happen if you tilted your hand to the left? If you tilted your hand to the left the weight would swing to the left. Now what if you tilted your hand to the right? If you tilted your hand to the right the weight would swing to the right. So here are the 3 different planes you can have:

1. Swinging straight down the target line.

2. Swinging down to the left (over the top).

3. Swinging out to the right (inside out).

It’s important that we keep these things in mind when we think about our swing plane with a golf club. Like the weight swinging on a piece of string, we also have a weight (your golf club) swinging around our body (axis). Your swing plane may also swing left or right depending on the tilt of your body as you hit the shot. So what would cause the club to swing to the left or right of the target line (assuming you were in a stance that was square)? There are a couple of things that will stop the clubhead from swinging down the line:

1. Hitting with your upper body causing it to tilt to left on the way down.

2. The lower body sliding too much laterally on the way down.

Starting Down with Your Arms

If you start you downswing by trying to hit the golf ball you will get ahead of the ball which means that your body will be tilted to the left. This means that the ball will start to the left of the target causing pulls, pull hooks, skyed shots and slices.

Poorer golfers tend to try to hit at the ball with their arms because they have not yet learned how to hit the ball with their legs and body. To eliminate this problem of hitting with your arms, I want you to concentrate on the moment you are about to swing the golf club down. At this precise moment, you must start down by turning your hips not by pulling your arms down. This means you have to go against human nature. At the moment you are about to start down, human nature is telling you to try to hit the ball and hit it hard. This activates your arms which gets your shoulder rotation ahead of your hips and making the club swing down and to the left.

DRILL

A great way to feel the lower body swinging the club is to hold your club off the ground at knee high and do some practice swings. If you hold the club in the air, you take the ball and any hitting sensation with your arms out of the picture. If you no longer have the feeling of hitting with your arms, you can clearly feel your body making the club swing around your body thus creating the perfect plane (like the weight on the piece of string). Remember this feeling of not using your arms to hit your shots then apply it to your shots.

The Lower Body Slide

If you slide your lower body laterally through your shot you will cause the upper body to tilt to the right too much which, in turn, will make you ball start out to the right causing pushes, push fades and duck hooks.

DRILL

If you are someone who starts the ball out to the right of your target, you have to learn to turn your hips and body more as opposed to moving laterally. At the moment you are about to start your downswing, don’t think about shifting your weight to the left. If you shift too much, you will move too much laterally which will cause your body to tilt to the right too much on the way down. Instead, start your downswing by turning. To get the proper feeling of turning, simply place and object such as a broken shaft, golf bag, chair waist high approx. 3 inches off of your left hip. When you do your swing, try to turn and miss the object. If you hit it, you are moving too much laterally. Once you do a few practice swings training your body to miss the object off of your left hip, add the ball and hit a few shots.

Hopefully you have a new and better understanding of the swing plane and how if can greatly effect the direction of your shots. The next time you go to the practice range you may want to try an experiement to see how your upper body tilt affects the direction of your shots. All you have to do is simply tilt your upper body to the left and see where the ball goes. Then, tilt your upper body to the right so you can see the opposite result. Once you see this relationship between the direction and your body work on the proper uncoiling of your lower body until your shots start straight down the target line.

Paul Wilson

About the author:

Paul Wilson is the author, and creator, of Swing Machine Golf which teaches people how to copy the perfect swing of the Iron Byron swing machine. Please visit http://www.paulwilsongolf.com or http://www.swingmachinegolf.com for more information.

Written By: Paul Wilson

The are many aspects to golf swing consistency that can make it seem overwhelming and unachievable…but there is one aspect that every golfer should consider, that will have a dramatic impact on golf swing consistency.

We know golfers hit hundreds of balls every week. They take lessons with some success, but not 100% satisfaction. It’s fun buying new clubs, but did they really make a difference? Did you lower your score by 4-6 strokes?

When trying to achieve a higher level of golf swing consistency, the mechanical component comes in to play. But digging a little deeper will get you to the ‘real’ answer to your lack of golf swing consistency.

If it’s not hitting more balls…or taking more lessons…or buying more equipment what could it be? What’s left to work on? Am I getting warm yet? Are you following where I’m going with this? We’ve just eliminated what seems like everything haven’t we?

We haven’t! There is ONLY one thing left! Your BODY! Your “golfing machine”. The one and only thing that can make a direct and almost immediate impact on your golf swing consistency and power.

When you step onto the golf course, do you feel like your body moves efficiently during your golf swing? Do you feel like you can make a full turn with minimal tensions? Can you stay in balance throughout your entire golf swing for 18 holes?

If you answered no to any of the above…it’s time to “get it going!” It’s time to become a “golf athlete!” No longer will you step onto the tee box and feel like an out-of-shape, has-been. You’re going to have an intensely higher level of confidence, and your golf performance will show it.

When you get your body moving better, your golf swing mechanics and golf swing consistency will happen naturally. You won’t have to stress out about it. You can let it go and just play.

It’s time for a new approach to your golf improvement…and it starts now!

You will reach new levels of performance and golf swing consistency.

About the author:

Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance trainers in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf improvement sites. Take a look at his just released golf dvds and manual at his golf swing training site – Perform Better Golf.

Written By: Mike Pedersen, CPT

I’m sure we’ll agree that all the players in the professional ranks have incredible talent. I also know that talent alone will not win tournaments at this level. It is often said that any one of the players on Tour can win any week.

What I have noticed over the years of what separates the professional from the amateur golfer is not only talent but the intense desire to improve.

Every single player at this level has a burning desire to compete and win. In order for the wins to pile up, a certain mind set must be in place.

The mind set is one of constant improvement. You’ll probably agree that any successful person or business has the same mindset.

Highly successful people and businesses review their current state of affairs and determine where they can improve. It is no different on the PGA Tour.

The best of the best review their current golf game and determine where they can improve.

I would suggest as a golfer, you do the same. Take a good look at your overall golf game.

Ask Yourself:

1) “What is my current golf and body reality?”

2) “Where do I need to improve?”

3) “What plans must be in place to improve?”

4) “How am I going to go about implementing that plan?”

5) You also need to ask yourself, “If it were easy, what would my golf game and fitness level look like?”

The answers to these questions could be plentiful and may include:

§ Improving your swing mechanics

§ Increasing your golf fitness

§ Performing putting drills 3 times a week

The point to keep in mind is the answers are yours.

The answers will allow you to develop goals for your golf game. The goals are marks that you set to achieve.

The goals can be as simple as going to the driving range 2 times per week or more demanding to the point of lowering your handicap by 5 strokes.

Goals allow focus, create motivation, and lend themselves to improvement in your golf game.

I have found it best to set up a series of goals.

For example, one set of goals are focused towards improvement of your golf swing, a second set is related to improving your fitness levels, and another set on improving your scores.

In addition to setting up a “tier system” of goals, a time line in terms of meeting your goals is of great assistance.

This creates an opportunity for better focus to develop within your mind. In addition, it creates motivation and an uplifting experience once a goal is met.

After asking the hard questions and setting goals it is time to “get the ball rolling.” This happens through the development of a plan.

The plan is intended to create a structured approach to improving your golf game. It sets a path to follow in reaching your goals of improvement in your golf game.

Certain thoughts to keep in mind when developing your plan are realistic time commitments, physical abilities, and playing time.

A plan must realistically fit into your life, direct you to your goals, challenge you, and be an enjoyable process.

If the plan you set up requires immense commitments of time, is “not fun”, and is not results oriented. The plan will ultimately fail.

Once the plan fails, the goals become unachievable, your golf game suffers, and mentally you become defeated.

It is of the utmost importance your plan is realistic and focused on you achieving your goals.

For example, a plan to improve your golf game could look something like the following example:

Name: Joe Golfer

Goals:

1. Improve Driving Distance by 20 yards.

2. Become More Flexible.

3. Improve Putting Stroke

4. Loose 10 lbs.

5. Lower Handicap 4 strokes

Weekly Plan:

Monday:

§ Flexibility Exercises

§ Driving Range Practice Session

Tuesday:

§ Aerobic Exercise

§ Putting Drills

Thursday:

§ Flexibility Exercises

§ Driving Range Practice Session

Friday: § Aerobic Exercise

§ Putting Drills

Saturday:

Play Round of Golf

As you can see, the plan creates a structure around Joe Golfer’s goals. Over time if he sticks to his plan. He will achieve his goals.

Remember, at the professional level of golf, improvement is a key to success. If you desire to become successful at the game of golf, determine how you can improve your golf game. Ask yourself the “hard questions” and answer them truthfully. Set up a series of goals for your golf game and implement a realistic plan to reach those goals. Stick to your plan and your golf game will improve.

Sean Cochran

About the author:

About the Author Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Written By: Sean Cochran

Improved distance off the tee or with any club on the course requires increased clubhead speed. Clubhead speed is a product of power in your golf swing. Increasing the power in your golf swing will improve your clubhead speed. Equaling more distance on every shot you desire.

The question to ask is how do you increase the power in your golf swing? Three components exist directly affecting the power in your golf swing:

1) Efficiency of Your Golf Swing Mechanics

2) Power Generating Capacities of Your Body

3) Equipment

Review of the list indicates three integral components exist that directly affecting your clubhead speed. First and foremost are your golf swing mechanics. Golf swing mechanics can either be efficient or inefficient.

Efficient golf swing mechanics allow for you to input the greatest amount of power developed within your golf swing into the club and golf ball.

Inefficient golf swing mechanics result in the exact opposite. Inefficient swing mechanics create what is described as “energy leaks” within your golf swing. “Energy leaks” cause less power to be translated to the club and golf ball. This is because large amounts of energy are lost during the mechanics of the swing.

Again, to improve your clubhead speed and the power outputs within your golf swing. It is necessary to develop efficient golf swing mechanics.

Secondly, equipment does play a role in your clubhead speed. The technological advances in both club and golf balls have an effect. The key to increasing your power outputs in relation to equipment is to get the correct club and ball for your swing.

Matching up your swing and swing speed with the correct equipment will allow you to get the most clubhead speed out of your swing. For example, if your average swing speed is 95 and you are using extra stiff shafts. This could easily result in a loss of clubhead speed in your swing.

It is strongly recommended you get fitted for your equipment. Getting fitted matches up the correct equipment with your swing. Allowing you to get the most “bang for your buck” in terms of your golf swing.

Finally, we come to the topic of this article and that is your body. Your body has a direct affect on clubhead speed. It is your body swinging the club, and generating power within the mechanics of the golf swing.

That being said, developing power within your golf swing is directly related to the ability of your body to generate power. Often times this is the forgotten component by many amateurs in relation to developing power.

In order to increase the power outputs in your golf swing it is necessary to implement golf fitness exercises into your training program.

Golf fitness exercises increase the ability of your body to generate power within the golf swing. Resulting in increased clubhead speed.

What is the best golf fitness exercise to increase power in your golf swing?

Before answering that question we must look at the mechanics of the golf swing. The golf swing is both a linear and rotational movement.

Composed of finite biomechanical movements performed in a specific order. In addition to performing the biomechanics of the golf swing in a specific order, timing each movement is also required.

In order to perform the mechanics of the golf swing correctly it is necessary for the body to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power built within the body.

If one does not have these physical parameters developed within the body to a certain level. The ability to perform the mechanics of the golf swing efficiently, and generate power will be compromised.

The answer to the question of the best exercise for improving the power in your golf swing is not one specific exercise.

Improving power in your golf swing requires a “basket or exercises” including flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power training.

A combination of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power exercises are the key to enhancing the power in your golf game.

To summarize, improving the power in your golf swing consist of;

1) Efficient golf swing mechanics, 2) Proper equipment, 3) Golf fitness training.

The combination of these three components result in increased clubhead speed in your golf swing.

Not one single golf fitness exercise can improve the power outputs in your golf swing. It is rather a combination of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power training exercises that enhance clubhead speed.

Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

Sean Cochran

About the author:

About the Author Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Written By: Sean Cochran

“My local driving range do a special ‘off-peak’ offer of a hundred balls for the price of thirty from 07.30 to 09.00 Mondays to Fridays. So I drop by on the way to work and hit a few balls.”

“The other morning when I got to the driving range I did my warm-up exercises the way you say in the book, then I played my mind movie, addressed my ball and fired off a six iron. There’s a small mound like a golf green with a flag on it 160 yards from the tee. My six iron screamed off the face of the club and landed right by that flag. It felt so good I just couldn’t wait to play another shot.”

“It went on and on; just about every six iron I hit landed on that small green. My golf swing felt absolutely right. I didn’t want to hit another club. I must have hit fourty balls and only two or three missed the green.”

“When I eventually persuaded myself to try my rescue club the results weren’t quite so good. They were still better than normal, but they weren’t all clean strikes like the six iron shots I’d been hitting.”

“So I was not feeling as confident when I plucked my five wood from the bag. It didn’t matter, the first one flew right to the end of the range. I’m here to tell you that every single shot I hit with that club went straight as an arrow.”

“By then I couldn’t wait to get the driver out. I knew that this would be the acid test. If the driver went straight then I’d know for sure that my golf swing had moved up to a whole new level. The first drive went arrow straight.”

“I took a break and just stood there resting on my club. I felt so good inside I wanted to enjoy the moment. Part of me could hardly believe that I could hit so many good shots one after the other. I kept telling myself over and over, “you’ve got a proper golf swing, at last.”

“Now I have to tell you that I did pull a couple of shots with the driver. They still flew straight but they would have finished in the semi-rough on the left of the fairway. The rest just honed in on the flag I was aiming at. What a great feeling!”

“After that I didn’t want to go to work. I just wanted to go out and play golf because I know that from now on it’s going to be greatest fun every time I play.”

“If you ask me what I think now, I think that every golfer who wants a good golf swing, and you’ve got to have a good swing if you want to hit the ball straight and true, should get themselves a copy of The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack.”

This article is taken from an e-mail sent in by a delighted golfer who had been playing for 12 years before he purchased The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack.
About the Author

David Ferrers wrote The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack, one of ClickBank’s top selling publications; learn more about it at: http://www.The-golf-bandit.com/golf-swing-Mind-Movies.htm He researches and writes about quick, easy-to-use way to play golf well.

Written By: David Ferrers