The Sum

Golf is a sport and recreation. This is one sport where you can find people of all ages and background. So is it right for you - of course, it is right for you. There is no age too late or too early for golf. Once you have the time and little investment in training and equipment, you can enter the golf club and very soon you will find social circle growing and the networking improving. There is greater liaison done in the golf course than in the offices.

You can learn golf at local golf club where professionals would provide you lessons about every aspect or you can buy training material such as DVD or Book through which you can become a self taught golfer. For equipment, you may buy preowned or new. There are several resources but I have found this website very useful. A similar useful site is http://www.book-cheap.com where you can get a variety of sports goods including that for golf.

Here are instructions which will help you through the elements of golf swing - an approach that may maximize swinging strength for straight shooting. Perfection requires a lot of practice but can be achieved. It may seem a little hard at the beginning but with practice you, too, can be swinging like a pro.

Choice of a club: Depending upon the shot you are making, one needs to choose to use a wood, an iron, a chipper or wedges, or a putter. Woods are used to hit long distance, irons are for height and accuracy, chipper or wedges for high and short shots such as shots from sand or high grass. Putters are used only on the greens or where the need is to roll the ball into a hole.

Line up for shot: Take position behind the ball so that you may be able to see your target line and direction in which you want the ball to go.

Correct Grip: Hold the club with left hand just about half an inch from the end. Now wrap fingers on the club with your left thumb downwards and in line with the head of the club. Now place right hand, just below the left hand. Place your smallest finger on top of index finger of left hand. Your ring finger of right hand should now be touching the left thumb. This is for right hander. The left handers need to adjust, accordingly.

Stance: Make a stance such that ball is lined up between the feet. Spread your legs and adjust the stance to a comfortable measure. The ball should be in the center, but parallel or slightly closer to front leg.

Set the Stance: Now bend the knees and hips, a little, but keep back straight. Keep your weight on heels, making the arms comfortably hanging.

Waggle: Line up as if you are ready to take the shot but go through the starting motion, few times, without actually hitting the ball.

Backswing: Pull the club straight back, behind the ball. Keep left arm staright and back up as fas as possible.The club would end up being over the head. For this posture, your torso should be twisted back with left leg inward bent and weight on right leg. Left arm should be pointed towards the ball. It is best to practice backswing with left arm, alone as it is supposed to carry the club. Do not pull the club nad back with right arm.

Downswing: Kepp the ball, constantly, in your view, start with shifting your weight onto left leg (just opposite of backswing). Begin the swing with moving arms staright down and towards the right knee. Ideally, the downswing ends up being closer to the body than the backswing.

Impact: Guide the club with left arm and provide power with right arm. At time of contact, the left arm should be staright and extended and the right hand index finger pointing at the ball.

Follow Through: After the impact, continue in motion and bring the club up and over your head. Extend your right arm and bring the swing behind your back. Your weight should, at this point, be on the left leg and right leg bent and foward.

Buying the equipment is an option at the early stages but eventually has to be done. Most player find it better to upgrade the equipment as their game improves and self-confidence improves.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 13th, 2007 at 11:56 pm and is filed under Uncategorized | . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.