KeepMyGolfScore.com 19th Hole Golf Blog

Golf Stretch To Improve Shoulder Turn And Rotation

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:21:15 -0700

The majority of amateur golfers are looking for the secret golf stretch to improve their shoulder turn or rotation on their backswing. Are you one of them? Can you make a full, 90 degree shoulder turn with minimal tension? Or, do you struggle to get their and feel bound up trying to make it happen?

If so, there is hope. I don't think there is a secret golf stretch to improve your shoulder turn, but I do know there are many golf stretches that can greatly improve this situation for you.

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Chipping and Pitching - Playing the Percentages Game

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 14:14:11 -0700

Pretty much everyone will tell you that the goal when chipping or pitching in golf is to get the ball to travel the least amount of distance in the air and have it roll along the green. Most beginners will aim a foot or two before the hole and then get upset when they hit a perfectly struck ball past the hole and off the back of the green. Yes they hit a great shot, but they did not account for how much the ball would roll once it hit the green.

The reason is that the green rules the ball. Very rarely do you have a straight, level path to the hole, which means that slopes and undulations on the green will affect the roll of the ball. The quicker the ball is rolling and conforming to those slopes and undulations, the better the chance you'll have of sinking of the shot. That being said, your goal should be to hit the green about half way between the edge of the front of the green and the hole. You could even try to hit 1/3 of the way in from the front of the green. Your aim will depend on the club you choose.

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Golf Tips to Increase Driving Power

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 09:29:48 -0700

Instead of analyzing a successful driver's swing, let's focus on what beginner golfers, or golfers who have problems generating power on their drives, do incorrectly.

The first thing is that the ball is teed up too low. This has had more impact recently as the size of driver heads have dramatically increased. Years ago driver club heads, and clubfaces, were much smaller, resulting in a much smaller sweet-spot. The driver heads simply were not large enough to warrant a higher tee height. General rule of thumb says to tee the ball up so that the top half of the ball is above the clubface when the club is resting in starting position on the ground. Naturally with a bigger club head, you need to tee the ball higher to achieve the top half ratio. This will ensure you are still striking the ball with the center of the club head.

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Number 1 Chipping Tip (Plus a Chipping Drill)

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:25:19 -0700

We've covered using different clubs (besides a pitching/sand/lobb wedge) for chipping in past articles, and that in and of itself is a great tip. However, the number one chipping tip in golf is to ensure that your hands lead the club face.

One thing you can do to try and ensure that your hands lead your swing when chipping is to position the ball pretty far back in your stance. I've even seen some golfers position the ball behind their back foot. It is literally impossible to swing the club with the ball positioned this far back in your stance without having your hands lead the way. This will also promote a "descending blow" when you make contact with the golf ball. It is the angle of the clubface in combination with a downward stroke when you make contact that lofts the ball.

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Putting Drills to Improve Confidence

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 07:12:51 -0700

Putting drills are something you can practice just about anywhere. You don't need a lot of room, and basically just a smooth surface with a true roll. We've already covered some other putting drills in past articles, however below are several that will definitely improve your confidence on the green. Once you start becoming a better putter, it really becomes addictive and instead of being unsure about a putt, you'll soon start enjoying the challenge of putting and approach each shot with anticipation instead of uncertainty.

The Wall Drill
We've highlighted this one before, but it is really an eye-opener! Stand facing a wall with your feet parallel to the wall. Place the putter so the toe of the club is only about an inch from the wall. Set up a ball and take your normal swing. Does your club move away from the wall on your backswing? Does it brush up against the wall? The correct conventional swing has the club staying the same distance from the wall throughout the entire swing.

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Golf Swing Speed Vs. Swing Tempo

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:23:25 -0700

The number one problem with any golfer's swing is that they try to swing too hard. This may be a bold statement, but I think it is true for just about every golfer at some point in time. Unless you are a very seasoned golfer that has tremendous control over their body and swing, it is often difficult to even tell you are over-swinging.

The reason golfers swing too hard or try to swing faster is simple, people equate speed with power and distance. The faster you swing, the more power you strike the ball with, and the farther it will go. This is correct! However, you do not need to be swinging your fastest your entire swing, for the only time speed truly matters is at the moment of impact.

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Stop Pop-Ups When Driving in Golf

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 10:43:12 -0700

Raise your hand if you've ever hit a "pop-up" off the tee in golf. Mine was raised, how about you? Pop-ups have to be one of the more resentful shots in golf, especially when you're on a long par 5 and you're counting on some extra distance. Instead of hitting a nice long shot down the center of the fairway, you hit a mile-high shot that just barely clears the tees.

The problem with some golfers might actually be trying to go for extra distance and then modifying their swing. Most pop-ups occur because your downswing arc is too steep. What ends up happening is that your arms and hands don't extend far enough on your backswing and your hands end up coming in on more of a vertical line on your downswing as opposed to more of a circular or arched path. This often results in scuff marks on the top of your driver head as it is more difficult to turn your wrists and your driver may actually be pointing towards the ground at impact with the ball.

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Eye Position Key for Putting Success

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:47:04 -0700

One of the main ingredients to a successful putt is proper alignment. Your feet must be aligned properly, your hands and clubface need to be aligned properly, and your eyes also need to be properly aligned. Proper eye setup is a key fundamental in your aim.

I know of two different "schools of thought" when it comes to eye alignment and putting. One, which I believe most golfers concentrate on, is to keep your eyes positioned directly above the ball in your stance. Keeping your eyes directly over the ball promotes a "straight line" approach, that is everything is on the exact same straight line from your eyes to the ball to your clubface, backwards and forwards. Keeping your eyes aligned over the ball will promote a straight back-and-forth swing, and should help most golfers follow through straight to their intended target.

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Fairway Woods - Where to Position the Ball

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 12:47:06 -0700

Fairway woods are one of the more useful utility clubs in a golfer's bag. They can be used off the tee, in the fairway or rough, even around the green and in a bunker. Each of those circumstances requires a different setup and use of the club, however we are only focusing on the fairway/rough shot in this article.

Most people think fairway woods are difficult to hit consistently because you are using a club out of its normal "element" (thinking goes you hit woods off the tee, irons off the ground). This may be true if you try to hit your oversized driver out of light rough, but a fairway wood is designed to do just that...hit out of the fairway. Fairway woods may have a less steep angle than a driver or 3-wood, and are able to slice through the grass and dirt better. And, because they are larger than irons and may have a bigger clubface, you may get more distance and more accuracy with a fairway wood.

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Correcting Shank Golf Shots

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 12:25:10 -0700

At some point in time it's happened to all of us...you have the perfect lie, perfect view, perfect wind, and everything is right for a fantastic shot at the center of the gren. You survey the green, drop some grass to get just the right feel for the wind, set up in your stance, give it one last look, and then...you shank the ball! All that work for nothing.

Simply put, a shank is when you hit the ball with the nosel of your club instead of the actual clubface. So, you are hitting the ball too close to the heel of the club, rather than the center of the clubface. Most likely your shot will fly off as a line drive directly away from your body.

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