The Golf World

Featured Golf Article

Discover How Golfers Use This Simple Golf Swing eBook And Audio Course As Their Secret Training Tool In Their Quest For Lower Scores.


Cure that golf hook

By: Mister Putt

By far and away the most common fault of the weekend golfer is the dreaded slice. We have all seen it, a hundred yards down the fairway and suddenly the ball turns right and disappears into the undergrowth.There are a thousand books and articles on it, why it happens and how you can cure it.

But what if you have the opposite problem, a hundred yards straight down the fairway and oh..oh exit stage left.This is the classic hook.How do you cure that? I hear you cry.Never fear Mister Putt is here.Like most faults the quickest wayto cure it is to go back to basics.Let me clear up one myth straight away,listen up..Practice Makes Perfect , no, no, no practice makes permanent (Thank you Dave Pelz )If your practice is faulty your golf will be faulty.

The Basics

Grip;Hold the club in your left hand down by your side, arm hanging down relaxed.Lift the club head up so the shaft is parallel to the ground and then lower it to the floor again, do this three times, feeling where the tension is in your arm.
Concentrate on leaving this tension behind.Now bring the club in front of you and at the same time bring your right hand to the club.Now the hard bit , as you close your right hand around the club try not to manipulate it in any way, by which I mean the club should not turn left or right at all.Now you should have a neutral grip, neither hand being dominant.Hookers have a tendency to turn their right hand over the top .The "V"sbetween your thumbs and index fingers should be pointing up to your right ear.You can check this in a mirror.Now with your neutral grip and relaxed arms just swing the club head backwards and forwards in a small arc.This will ease tension.Golf is a moving game and tension is the enemy of motion.Keep swinging in increasingly larger arcs always being aware of any creeping stiffness( tension) in the arms.Do this every day for ten minutes or so.Remember the object is to swing rhythmically are not attempting a 300 yard drive!

Address;You should stand with your feet just under the width of your shoulders ,a slightly narrower stance helps with balance,and helps you swing more rhythmically. Your toes should be level and in line with your shoulders ,again check in a mirror at home and get used to the feeling.You line up to the target line or fractionally left of it.Ball position is level with your left heel.Further back will encourage a hooking shot.This brings us to the last point, weight transfer.

Weight Transfer;Weight transfer refers naturally enough to the transfer or shift of your weight from the right side to the left.(opposite sides for lefties).The backswing requires you to pull your weight onto the back foot and indeed you should feel this in your right thigh and as you swing through the ball that weight must move onto the left leg, if it stays back on the rear leg you will turn the club over and rotate to the left causing the ball to hook.A practice drill I use is to
address an imaginary ball while my left calf is against a low pillar in my garden, as I swing I concentrate on pushing my leg into that pillar.This also forces me to swing in time and finish in a balanced position.Try it.

I hope these tips can help you cure that hook and give you something to do in the bedroom on a rainy day.

Happy thoughts

Mr Putt is a weekend hacker and gives regular private tuition www.golfamateur.co.uk/golf

Tips On #kw1#

Now, putting pads and various practice aids have been around for a very long time. You can choose from kits ranging from a simple pad and a cup or those offering such tools as ball return. Regardless of your selection, you can get that extra advantage of some practice time right in your living room or office.
Practice anytime and anywhere with a good golf cage today!

Putting Tip
Wanna be a good putter? Here are some basic fundamentals you should be practicing.
--Get a putter with a very distinct line marked on it to indicate the target line and practice with a chalk line. You can get a chalk line at any hardware store for 5 or 6 bucks, and it's as valuable a training aid as there is anywhere. Find a putt on the practice green that is straight. Snap a chalk line down from about 5 or 6 feet to the middle of the cup. Make sure that the entire length of the line on your putter is exactly on the chalk line. Start making putts. This will train your eyes to "see square" precisely.
--Keep your the pressure in your hands soft and constant throughout the stroke. Sensitivity is obviously a huge part of putting. If your hands are tight on the grip you are diminishing your sensitivity - period. Also, if your grip pressure changes during the stroke, it's probably not "a stroke" but more likely a jab, flinch, spasm, push, hit ... well, you get the point -- good luck with that kind of technique.
--There is no independent action in the hands. Nothing could be more logical: If you do indeed have the putter face aligned precisely, as in the first point above, the last thing you'd want to do is to change the position of the face. Therefore, your hands should not be moving independently of your arms and shoulders. To see if your hands are moving, as a drill try watching your hands very carefully (instead of the ball) a few times. You'll see what your hands are doing quite easily.
There are many more (seemingly endless) details about putting, of course, but if you turn these fundamental concepts into habits it will take you a long way toward being a consistently good putter
...PGA professional golf

Today's Golf News

Louise Friberg Earns First LPGA Tour Win With Titleist

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Denis Watson Tops Loren Roberts in Pro V1 Playoff

Champion's Choice

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Jay Haas Trusts Titleist from Tee-to-Green in Back-to-Back Victories.

custom golf balls | clone golf clubs | discount golf