Any seasoned golfer will tell you that the short game can
be stroke-hungry, and that what happens on the green can
wreak havoc on an otherwise good score. 3-putts, 4-putts,
and even 5-putts are more common than you might think-but
there is good news. Putting drills can dramatically help
golfers hone their skills on the green, resulting in fewer
total strokes.

When it comes to putting drills, spend time concentrating
on the three essentials:

Keeping the face square

Maintaining a smooth swing

Achieving distance control

Keeping the Face Square:

If you are in the habit of hitting the ball with your
blade open or closed, try this:

Place a ball on the practice green and put a tee in the
ground about twelve inches behind the ball. Put a silver
coin on the ground about six inches in front of the ball.
Bring your putter back until it taps the tee and then
swing it forward, watching to ensure that the face stays
square as it passes over the coin.

Maintaining a Smooth Swing Putting drills should have a
specific purpose and specific goal. With this next tip,
you can learn to swing the club smoothly, which is key to
maintaining your tempo and striking the ball solidly.

Again, place a ball on the practice green and stick a tee
into the ground about 12 inches behind the ball. Bring the
club back until it just barely nicks the tee and then
immediately go into your fore-swing.

Keep your arms moving in a pendulum fashion and keep your
hands still.

Achieving distance control

One of the most crucial putting drills is learning
distance control. The only way to master distance control
is through your own touch or feel. Nothing else can
replace hands-on practice time when it comes to honing
your skills on the green.

There are dozens of practice exercises for distance
control, but one of the best is to simply stake out five
tees, four feet apart, with the last tee being 20 feet
away. Then, concentrate on getting the ball to each of the
tees consistently.

If the ball rolls a few inches past the tee, that’s fine.
What you don’t want to see is the ball stopping short of
or rolling well beyond the target tee.

Notice that you are not aiming at a flag or a cup with
this exercise, as this could distract you and cause you to
focus more on accuracy than distance. While it’s true that
distance and accuracy must work together, there are times
when they should not be learned together.

These are only a few of the many putting drills that are
available from golf pros and golfing websites. To master
your skill on the green, you will need to invest time and
energy. Learn to read the green and how to lag a putt, but
most of all, learn to love putting drills. They really do
work.

[wordbay]putting drill[/wordbay]

Thousands of articles have been written about golf topics,
including stance, takeaway, backswing, follow through, and
countless more, but recreational players may have
difficulty finding golf downswing tips.

When you start coming back from the top of your backswing,
your body generates the power it needs to hit the ball
with some authority and put some speed on the club
head-both of which are essential to creating distance.

One of the most important golf downswing tips is to ensure
a smooth transition from the top of your backswing to the
beginning of your downswing. Many players have a tendency
to jerk the club at the top of their backswing or, worse,
let their hands begin the process, which can knock the
body out of sync with the club head and cause a nasty hook
or slice.

If you lead with the hands or jerk the club at the top of
the backswing, here is a simple but effective fix. When
you get to the top of your backswing, pause for a
micro-second before you start moving. Let your hips begin
the motion, followed by your arms, hands, shoulders, and
body. A smooth transition will add yards to your shots and
help you control the ball better.

One of the best golf downswing tips is to remember to keep
your hands ahead of the club’s head as it strikes the
ball. This transfers all of the built-up energy to the
ball. If your hands fall behind the club head at impact,
that energy is all but lost. This is why you should never
let your hands begin the downswing process!

It is also important to keep your head behind the ball.
This is one of the key ways to maximize the power and
leverage you have built up with your coil. If your head
drifts forward of the ball, you may end up pulling the
club head off its intended swing path, causing a poor
shot.

The last of our golf downswing tips involves acceleration.
As your body uncoils, the club head must pick up speed.
This acceleration should begin as you start your
downswing, but it needs to continue all the way through
the strike zone. Do not attempt to “hold back” once the
club connects with the ball. Let your follow-through be
smooth and complete.

While you may not see many golf downswing tips, this is
one of the most important parts of the swing as a whole.
Until you master the mechanics of a good, smooth
downswing, your distance will be less than desired. The
good news is, you can learn the proper mechanics in a
short time with some practice and patience.

Hitting a draw means the ball will go from right to left,
similar to a hook shot but with some control and
deliberation. Many pros spend countless hours mastering
this shot, as it can add considerable distance to their
drives. When performed correctly, hitting a draw allows
the ball to fly lower and to roll more on the fairway. As
you perfect this shot, you can expect to see a marked
improvement in your game.

To learn this very useful golf shot, you need to ensure
that a few things are happening with your swing.

The first key to hitting a draw is to achieve a strong
golf grip by rotating your hands slightly to the right on
the club shaft. Do not turn the shaft, just your hands.

Next, close your address stance a little bit. This allows
your body the room it needs to turn fully and achieve the
proper inside to outside swing path.

As the club head comes into contact with the ball, let
your hands do the work. Your right hand will naturally
roll back to a neutral position, allowing the club face to
close slightly. This is where the strong grip comes in
handy.

When hitting a draw, keep your head down when completing
your follow through. If proper form is used, the ball will
naturally begin a path to the right; once it reaches its
apex, it will begin to come back to the left, stopping its
curve around the center line.

If you notice the ball is curving immediately to the left,
you are performing a shot that is closer to a hook, and
you need to continue practicing.

A good tip is to look down at the divot you leave. When
shooting with an iron, your divot should be slightly to
the left of the target line or straight in-line with the
target line. It should not be aiming to the right.

Hitting a draw correctly requires practice, and the best
club to use is a mid-iron. The 6 is a good choice for most
players. If you’re still having a hard time perfecting the
shot, examine your grips. Larger, softer grips will make
it more difficult to get the desired action on the ball.

Try not to get discouraged if you see a lot of hook shots
at first. This is to be expected. The technique of
rotating your hands to the right as you take your golf
grip takes steady, sustained practice. It is best to make
small adjustments, hit a few balls, observe what happens,
and make further adjustments as needed.

As you begin to perfect the shot with your mid-irons, move
up toward the driver. This is often the most difficult
club to master when it comes to hitting a draw, but
learning with the easier clubs first will make it much
easier to perfect the driver. Don’t give up. Once you have
the mechanics down, you’ll be able to control this shot
and your game much better.

Most players are looking for golf driving tips to improve
distance and accuracy-and for good reason. With greater
distance, birdie or eagle possibilities increase. With
better accuracy, a player can keep the ball in play
without losing strokes due to wayward hooks and slices.

To achieve both distance and accuracy, the set up must be
correct. When you address the ball on the tee, make sure
you get into the athletic stance by keeping your feet
shoulder width apart and allowing for some flex in your
knees.

The key to increasing your distance is maximizing club
head speed, which your body to coil and uncoil. Without
flex in your knees, this is all but impossible.

One of the best golf driving tips is to remember to flex
your knees. Standing too tall will cost you a great deal
of power and distance.

As part of your set up, be sure to play the ball forward.
In the proper stance, the ball will be closer to your
leading foot, and not in the center. This will help the
club get the ball on the proper path and up into the air.

One of lesser known golf driving tips is that your
backswing should begin with your hips, and not your hands.
Turning your hips properly is a key element in achieving
optimal distance off the tee. As the hips turn, the hands,
arms, and upper body will follow.

The importance of the hip turn continues as you reach the
top of your backswing. Let your hips begin the downswing,
followed by the hands. Once you have mastered proper
rotation of your hips with consistent practice, you will
notice a significant improvement in your distance.

When it comes to golf driving tips for accuracy, none are
more important than having the hands follow the club head
at impact. Your hands should keep the club face square as
it strikes the ball; otherwise, you’ll get a curve ball.

If you frequently notice your ball hooking or slicing,
take a good look at your grip. If it is too strong or too
weak, the club face will not be square as it strikes the
ball. For best results, your grip should be neutral; this
will prevent the face from opening and closing.

Another of the best golf driving tips is to maintain a
square stance as you address the ball. There may be times
when you need to open or close your stance by moving your
forward foot up or back, but a square stance (both feet in
line with the target) is generally best. The same applies
to your hips and shoulders. Keep your body square with the
target and you will soon notice an improvement in your
accuracy.

Finally, you may want to experiment with one of the newer
460 cc drivers. These clubs are heavier than traditional
drivers and have larger club heads. The last of our golf
driving tips applies to those who will try a bigger
driver-remember to practice with it! These clubs require
some new skills to be learned, and this will not happen
until you spend some hours on the range.

During a typical round of golf, a player will make a
variety of shots, from driving to putting and everything
in between. To learn how to break 80, you must master your
tee shots. For the purposes of this article, tee shots are
taken off the tee area with any club, from the driver to
the pitching wedge.

One of the main reasons many golfers fail to reach this
magic number is that they lose too many strokes off the
tee.

Consider this: It only takes a few wayward tee shots to
ruin your overall score. A hard slice into the deep woods
only sets you up for a likely bogey at the end of that
hole. If you want to learn to break 80, you have to become
very proficient with all of your tee shots.

Another aspect of mastering your tee shots is achieving
controlled distance. This is what sets you up for possible
eagles on par 5 holes, and for birdies on all other holes,
giving you the scores you need to play consistently in the
mid- to high-70′s.

Here are a few tips for maximizing your tee shots:

Dedicate some quality time to practicing your tee shots.
Experiment to discover exactly what works for you, keeping
in mind that you may end up with a small arsenal of new
tee shots.

Spend time using various tee heights. Start with the tee
set high, then medium, and finally low. A low tee will
help you get some added control.

Another tip for breaking 80 is to experiment with the
various grip levels on the club. Lowering your hands on
the shaft is a good way to gain some added control and
allows for faster adjustments during the swing.

Begin a practice routine with all of your tee clubs,
including those you would use on a short par-3. It is
important that you are able to hit off the tee with any
club that is suitable for the distance ahead of you,
including your pitching wedge.

Many golfers who are learning how to break 80 will move up
to the bigger 460 cc drivers. This is fine, but keep in
mind that mastering these heavier clubs requires time on
the practice range.

Remember, the key here is not just added distance off the
tee, but also consistent control. When trying to learn how
to break 80, a long hit off the tee means nothing if the
ball ends up in a trouble spot that costs you strokes. It
is better to sacrifice distance than control.

Give yourself plenty of time to learn these new methods of
hitting off the tee. It won’t happen overnight, but with
patience and diligence, you will begin to bring your score
down, round by round. Before too long, you won’t need to
know how to break 80, because you’ll be doing it!

When trying to correct this problem, it is nearly
impossible to see what you are doing wrong without someone
else’s help. If possible, get a golfing buddy to watch
your swing, and ask him or her to be on the lookout for
the items discussed below.

If you find yourself hitting the ball fat, you are most
likely dropping your rear shoulder. This is the one that
is farthest away from the target: right shoulder for
right-handed golfers, left shoulder for left-handed
golfers.

When your rear shoulder drops, the club hits the ground
before it should, resulting in a messy shot. More often
than not, hitting the ball fat happens when a player tries
to swing too hard, causing the downswing to start with a
lot of hip motion.

As an example, try this simple exercise. Take a club and
assume your normal address. Bring the club up to the very
top of your backswing and stop. With the club at the top,
slide your hips toward the target area, horizontally, and
notice what happens to your rear shoulder. It naturally
dips down too!

If your friend is around, do this exercise again, slowly,
and ask him or her to watch your hips and shoulder and see
if your shoulder drops. If so, you’ve likely found the
cause of the problem.

To correct this issue, you have to learn how to use your
lower body properly during the swing. Your hips need to
twist, but don’t allow them to slide. A simple way to make
this happen is to concentrate on starting the downswing
with your arms, and your hips will naturally follow.

Another good technique is to concentrate on keeping your
forward shoulder down. If you do this over several
practice shots, your body will get the message and your
shots will improve.

Remember to keep your forward arm straight as you go into
your backswing. When you get to the top, think “down” for
your forward shoulder, and then move into your downswing.
Your hips will uncoil, but do not allow them to slide
laterally.

The tips presented here are easy enough to apply, but they
require some time spent practicing and experimenting. The
best place to do this is at the practice range, which is
also a good place to pick up a helper to watch your swing.

As you work on this fix, remember to go through all of
your clubs, not just the driver. Hitting the ball fat can
occur with any club, and you need to practice with each
one to truly master a solid, crisp ball strike. Many
players prefer to start with the short irons and work
their way up when learning a new skill set.

1. This particular shot is caused by the ball spinning in
a counter-clockwise direction as it takes flight. The
faster the ball is spinning, the more severe the left
curve will be.

This counter-clockwise spin is created when the ball is
hit with a closed club face. For right-handed golfers, a
closed face points to the left; for left-handed golfers,
the face points to the right. The ideal position for the
club face is square and neutral, pointing neither to the
left nor to the right at impact.

2. Most experts agree that for those who want to know how
to fix a hook, the best place to start is the grip. Here
is an easy way to check your golf grip.

Take your driver and set up as you normally would. Now,
look down at your hands. If you are right-handed, you
should see at least two knuckles on your left hand. This
is considered a neutral grip-not too weak and not too
strong. If you see three or more knuckles, you are not
gripping the club properly.

Now, here is the tricky part. Let your gaze travel down
the shaft of the club and look at the face. Is it square?
Chances are it is. But even if you think you are square
and lined up, you may not be when you bring the club down
toward impact with the ball. As the club moves toward the
ball, your hands will assume a neutral grip, which means
the club face has no choice but to close at impact.

Anyone who wants to learn how to fix a hook should start
with a close inspection and honest assessment of his or
her grip on the club. Many golfers will simply refuse to
modify their grip or will not spend the necessary time to
get used to the new grip, eventually falling back into
their old habits.

3. If your grip is fine, the next step to learning how to
fix a hook is to check your balance. Your weight should be
on the balls of your feet, not on the heels. This will
allow your hips to turn smoothly and stay balanced. Being
off-balance at impact is another main reason players see
the ball flying off to the left.

4. Your left arm (for right-handed golfers) must be
straight as the club impacts the ball. Ask a friend to
watch you hit a few balls and let you know if your arm is
bending. Remember, anything that causes the club face to
close will result in a hooked golf ball.

One of the above tips will most likely solve your problem.
Go through them, one at a time, hitting several practice
balls as you go. Make minor adjustments until you are able
to hit the ball straight. This will take some time and
effort on your part, but learning how to fix a hook is a
process is essentially a process of elimination.

One of the best golf distance tips is to never sacrifice
accuracy for length. Hitting your ball a long way down the
fairway means nothing if the shot is wild or ends up in
the water hazard. For most recreational players, accuracy
should trump distance.

To gain some added yards, try angling your left foot (if
you are right-handed). The hips are your primary source of
power-although your hands hold the club and your arms
swing it, your hips generate the energy you need for long
shots.

When you angle your left foot just a few degrees toward
the outside, your hips have a better chance of completing
their full turn. The boost in power will result in an
increase in yardage.

Another of the more effective golf distance tips is to
watch your posture as you take your stance. In order for
your hips to generate as much energy as possible, you must
flex your knees at address. This enables your weight to
shift smoothly from the right to the left side as you hit
the ball.

Up until now, your hands have played only a minor role in
the golf swing. Now, as your hips move through the strike
zone and the club head approaches the ball, you need to
release with the right hand. Just as the club makes
contact with the ball, your right hand should snap
forward. This is one of the best golf distance tips, and
also one of the most challenging. But once you do master
this technique, you can gain a good ten to twenty yards.
This works with tee shots as well as fairway shots.

When trying to get extra yards, many people make the
mistake of hitting the ball with the arms, attempting to
muscle their way through the swing.

The trick to adding yards to your shots lies in club head
speed. It may be true that players with more muscular
strength have a slight advantage, but when a player tries
to use his or her arms as the source of power, they often
fail. Nine times out of ten, they end up allowing the club
face to close or open, resulting in a hook or a slice and
decreasing their distance. Avoid the urge to rip the ball.

You’ll also want to add the draw shot to your arsenal. A
draw is when the ball leaves the tee heading right and
curves back to the left. This shot normally has a low
trajectory and will roll a considerable distance once it
lands on fairway. Many professionals consider the draw to
be their favorite shot.

To sum up our golf distance tips, remember the importance
of practicing. To improve your yardage and your overall
game, you simply have to get out to the range and put
these techniques into use. There is no substitute for
hands-on training when it comes to perfecting your swing.

Let’s begin with the disclaimer that there are many types
of chips you can make when you get close to the green. In
other words, there is no single approved method for
getting the ball closer to the hole. The effectiveness of
your chipping will depend on the lie you have, the length
of the grass, how far you are from the hole, and the
condition of the green.

Let’s start our golf chipping tips with a standard chip.
This shot is played when you are close to green but not on
it. Generally, you play it with either your nine-iron or
any wedge you are comfortable using. The rule of thumb is
that a good chip will fly about 1/3 of the way to the cup
and then roll the rest of the way. This shot should be
played in the center of your stance with your hands well
ahead of the ball and the club face square.

As we proceed with our golf chipping tips, we’ll take a
look at the soft shot. This type of shot allows the ball
to fly farther and land softly close to (and hopefully
rolling into) the cup. The most common club used for a
soft chip shot is the lob wedge, but the sand wedge can
also be used.

For the soft shot, you should address the ball with your
club face open a bit. Play the ball forward and keep your
hands behind it during the swing. It is imperative that
you learn to accelerate the club head for this shot. When
performed correctly, the ball will fly high for a short
distance and then land softly and roll just a little.

If there is a lot of green between you and the hole, you
might try the low chip shot. This shot is normally done
with a mid-iron, such as the six- or seven-iron. You must
play the ball toward the back of your stance to get the
descending type of impact you need. Again, keep your hands
ahead of the club head and the club face square to the
target.

This shot creates the most roll once the ball lands on the
green, and is good to use when you can aim right at the
hole but are worried about going too far past it. This can
occur if a sand trap or water hazard is close to the rear
side of the hole.

Above all, the best golf chipping tip you can get is to
practice by regularly using all of your chip clubs, from
mid-irons to wedges. Each requires its own setup and
swing, and the only way to master all of these options is
to get to the range and put them to work.

Start with the standard shot and move on to the soft shot,
the two shots you will use the most on any given day. Once
you have these mastered, move on to the low shot. This may
take more time to learn than the others, but it is well
worth the investment.

By putting these golf chipping tips to work for you, you
can begin to master your short game and achieve a lower
score, time after time. Be patient, and keep practicing.

If you are just learning how to hit fairway woods, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Tip 1: Do not confuse these clubs with your irons. While the distance is often comparable, the swing mechanics are not. When you play your long irons, you often want to take a big divot. That is not the case with these fairway
woods.

Tip 2: Unless you are planning to play a fade or a draw, always line your feet up with the target, about shoulder-width apart. Play the ball a little forward, just about in line with your left foot (for right handed golfers). Keep your arms extended and your spine straight, allowing a little bit of knee flex.

Tip 3: If you are playing out of the rough, tap the club head behind the ball (without touching the ball) to tamp down some of the grass between the head and the ball. This is legal as long as you do not make contact with the ball
itself.

Tip 4: When learning how to hit fairway woods, remember to keep your forward arm as straight as possible during your swing. Turn your hips as you go through the backswing and downswing to generate power. Keep your head down and your eyes on the ball.

Tip 5: Resist the temptation to scoop the ball off the ground. Your job is to hit the ball cleanly, and the loft of the club will do the rest. Also, resist the common urge to hit the ball too hard. Many golfers, especially those
just learning how to hit fairway woods, are inclined to smack the ball with maximum force, but this can be a big mistake.

The better option is to make a smooth, controlled movement that stays on the right swing path. This is the best way to get the ball up, off, and on target.

Tip 6: There are times when you may think the fairway wood is the right club to use, but stop and consider the situation before you grab one out of your bag.

If you are in the trees and a long way from the green, consider using an iron to get back into play, rather than trying to make the green. One of the keys to learning how to hit fairway woods is knowing when to use them. Using
one of these specialty clubs when you should be using something else can cause more trouble than you might think.

Tip 7: The only way to understand these clubs is to take them to the practice range and put them into use. You need to know what distance you can get from each one, and become proficient in striking the ball cleanly. Practice
is the only way to achieve this. And don’t forget to practice hitting out of sand traps whenever you have the opportunity.

One thing is certain: if you learn how to hit fairway woods properly, your game will improve and your scores will be lower. These clubs can be powerful tools when you need them.