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Golf swing timing is a key factor in being able to repeat a mechanically sound swing for 18 holes. In fact it is true to say that correct timing is everything. This is the main reason why golfers need to concentrate when taking a shot.

Golf swing timing has to do with the way the golfer controls their body and swiftly gets his muscles and body organs to swiftly respond to commands from his brain. Actually the identical situation any athlete or performer finds themselves in.

Interestingly enough many athletes and performers have got exercise sessions worked into their program where they condition their bodies to maintain the highest levels of performance. Yet golf swing timing is a situation that is as demanding and in many cases more so, than the situation faced by many athletes. Still many amateur golfers expect their body and muscles to respond without any exercise or muscle conditioning in preparation for their golf swing timing.

Of course it does not happen and this is the reason why many amateur golfers continue to struggle with their golf game, hardly improving over a number of years. Most professionals on the other hand, take a lot of time and care to condition their bodies and muscles for the perfect golf swing timing. The results always show.

Part of the reason why this situation has persisted for many years is because traditionally golf has been viewed as a leisure game to be played with little or no prior preparation. This view has caused numerous golfers to fail to enjoy their golf game and in some cases to acquire nagging injuries on their bodies, even as they fail to achieve any reasonable golf swing timing.

And yet golf fitness is not as tough and rigorous as some people make it out to be. Some of the exercises can even be done in your office when you have a moment to spare. 15 seconds at a time in your work station is adequate.

The bare fact is that as a golfer it will be very difficult to achieve good golf swing timing without attaining golf fitness first.

Swing thoughts on the practice range are an unquestioned strategy. They simplify a complex situation. They speed the learning process. And they help develop trust in your swing. How about during a match? Do swing thoughts help there? What are the best swing thoughts to have?

While instructors differ on which are the best swing thoughts during a match, they all agree on one thing: Thoughts like “Keep your elbow tucked in,” Finish with your belt buckle facing the target,” or “Keep your head still” only foul up your swing when playing. In fact, many golf tips on swing thoughts reject the whole idea.

It’s not that these thoughts are bad. They’re not. They’re right on target. Entire golf lessons are designed around them. And they’re great in practice. They keep you focused on what you’re doing.

But eliminate them during a match. Why? They focus on swing mechanics and that’s something to avoid when actually swinging a club. Check any golf instruction manual. They will tell you the same thing: You can’t command your body to work in a certain way when hitting the ball. Trying to do so creates more problems than it solves.

Instead, focus on your target. That, after all, is your real goal. Forget about where your hands are or where your hips are. Concentrate on where you want the ball to land and link to it creatively and emotionally. Develop a mental picture of that spot and keep it in mind as you swing.

If you must have a swing thought, keep it simple. And non-mechanical. Many PGA pros focus on a single thought, which eliminates thoughts about swing mechanics.

Ernie Ells keeps this thought in mind when he swings “Low and slow.” That’s it. He doesn’t think about where his hands are, where his weight is, or where his body is going to end up. That’s for when he’s taking a golf lesson from his swing coach. Instead, he focuses on taking the club back low and slow, eliminating everything else.

Fred Shoemaker, author, a pioneer in golf instruction, and founder of the golf school Extraordinary Golf, is adamant about swing thoughts. Replace thoughts about your mechanics with thoughts about the “feel” of your swing. Think about tempo and rhythm rather than where and when. If you must have a swing thought, says Fred, have one that reinforces the feel of your swing.

Fred has his students practice throwing clubs to emphasize this idea. At first, they throw a club 15 feet. Then, they throw one with a slightly fuller swing, about 25 feet or so. After about 200 throws, they throw one with a complete golf swing. Of course, this club throwing is done under strict supervision and safety conditions.

Once Fred’s students master club throwing, they move to the tee. The goal there is remembering how it feels to throw a club when you hit a ball. They focus on that idea and that idea alone.

Another approach is to have a thought that triggers something in your swing, thoughts that

• Mentally in-plant your target line

• Mimics the actual swing

• Produces a smooth take away

• Triggers the downswing.

• Promotes relaxation while swinging

Establish a target line for your ball flight before you address the ball. Keep that thought in mind when you hit and try to copy it with your ball flight. That forces you to keep the target line in mind, not your mechanics.

Most professional golfers take a few practice swings before they address the ball. They want the feel of the swing before they hit the ball. Recreational golfers ought to do the same. Take a few practice swings. Remember how it feels. Keep that “feel” in mind when you hit.

Focus on a thought that promotes a smooth takeaway. Slow and easy. Or, slow and smooth. Anything that produces a nice takeaway helps. Remember, the takeaway and backswing do one thing: position you for the downswing.

The downswing begins the chain reaction of feet, knees, thighs, and shoulders. Any thought that triggers this chain reaction helps deliver the blow at impact. Try thoughts like, “Plant your left heel,” or “Slide your left knee toward the target.” Anything that helps you transfers your weight to your left side works well.

Also try to complete the backswing in a relaxed manner. Think of anything that will occupy the time between your takeaway and the completion of your backswing. That brief time is critical. It’s when golfers think about their mechanics instead of their targets.

Consistency is every golfer’s goal. To achieve it, we need a swing that is repeatable under pressure every time we play. Developing that swing, however, isn’t easy. It takes hard work and plenty of practice.

Having a thought process that repeats itself time and time again helps you develop that swing as well. If the metal side of your game syncs with the physical side, achieving swing consistency gets easier. More importantly, it cuts strokes from your game, which, in turn, generates a lower handicap.

You have probably tried everything, from following advice that worked for your friends to so called ‘tips from experts.’ So what else can you really do to improve your golf swing?

Actually there is plenty you can do, as long as you are prepared to change your mindset.

Thinking “outside the box” is a common expression we all like to use in boardrooms and offices these days, and yet the mindset or prejudices we have still hang heavily and hinders many people from making progress at anything.

The situation is really very much the same when it comes to any attempt to improve your golf swing.

You my have heard that professionals do work outs of sorts but your mindset keeps you from even taking a look to find out whether the exercises are really as strenuous and vigorous as you fear they may be.

Meanwhile 70 year old and 80 year old men and women continue to dramatically improve their golf swing taking simple exercises and work outs that even help to improve their general health.

Difficult to get out of the sort of mindset that emphasizes that golf is a leisure activity where workouts have no place, no matter how light. At least that’s the sort of golf you want to play. So do you really have a chance of ever getting to improve your golf swing?

I really do not think so. To improve your golf swing you really have to be prepared to look at things from a slightly different perspective. And maybe to take a closer look at why other people’s games and most important their golf swing has improved so much.

Golf swing improvement can be elusive for most golfers. I have read many articles and studies on the huge number of golfers quitting the game every year. They are tired of putting in the time, buying equipment, taking lessons, and purchasing every golf training aid on the market only to see no golf swing improvement.

You can’t fault a frustrated golfer who experiences the above and quits. Life is too short to spend 5 hours on a golf course and not enjoy it.

Let’s discuss why this happens!

First off, golf swing improvement should be approached from the inside-out. That means starting with your body. If your body has physical restrictions, you won’t ever be able to make a repeatable golf swing with any power or accuracy. It’s a physical impossibility.

You can try-and-try, but it won’t happen!

You body dictates your golfing ability. Like in any sport, raw talent is hard to come by and is only for a small percent of the athletic community.

Do you feel like you should be a better golfer? How many times have you walked off the course in disgust…knowing you should have played much better? This is a common occurrence and one that can be fixed quickly.

The right approach to golf swing improvement is one that looks at your current golf swing faults and the ‘physical’ reason behind it. I see this all the time. A golfer takes a lesson; the instructor tells the golfer what he needs to do; and the golfer can’t do it!

What a frustrating situation!

For every swing fault, there is an underlying ‘physical’ reason why it keeps happening.

Let me give you one of many examples to substantiate the above statement.

You are a slicer. That means you come “over-the-top” with your upper body. Do you want to know one of the many reasons why this happens?

Here goes!

You have poor core strength and flexibility.

If your body cannot initiate the downswing with the lower body, especially the hips rotating; it is because your core muscles are sending a message to your brain saying, “we can’t do this, so figure out another way (compensation) to get me back to the ball.”

Now the upside to this scenario.

You work on your core rotational strength and flexibility. You don’t hit more balls. You don’t add more swing thoughts to your swing. You don’t do drills at the range til your hands are bleeding. You just improve your core. That’s it!

The result?

You are able to initiate the downswing with your lower body, create and retain stored energy in your core area, and you not only stop your slice, but you add 30 yards to your drives!

That’s golf swing improvement the right way!

Again, this is just one example of a golf swing fault; and the cause and solution to eliminating it forever.

Now golf is fun again!

So when you think of playing better golf; take a new approach to your golf swing improvement.

The chip shot is one of the easiest to learn in the game. Yet, many recreational players have trouble hitting the short chip shot, even after several golf instruction sessions. In fact, they’re so bad, they substitute their putter for wedge, which isn’t always wise, as I explain in my golf lessons.

Using a putter when you need a pitching wedge or a sand wedge is, needless to say, a poor decision. It can add strokes to your overall score or cost you a hole in match play. It’s a problem you must overcome to lower your golf handicap. If you can’t hit a short chip shot well, don’t despair. There’s help.

The inability to hit a short chip shot is as much mental as physical. To overcome these obstacles, you need to simplify both your mental approach and your physical technique. The next time you have a short chip shot, try using an 8 iron instead of a wedge. It’s an approach I sometimes use myself. That’s because it works.

Here are 6 keys to chipping as if you were putting that I recommend in my golf lessons:

• Replace your wedge with an 8 iron

• Take a normal putting stance

• Place hands and weight forward

• Hold the club vertically

• Hit the ball off the toe-end of the clubface

• Rock your shoulders to control roll of ball

First, set-up as if your were going to make a long putt. Use your normal putting grip and play the ball back in your stance, off the inside of the heel of your back foot. The 8 iron is ideal for this type of shot because it’s short enough to deloft without the club’s shaft hitting you during the shot.

Also, keep your hands and weight forward, favoring your front side, as you would if you were hitting a chip shot. Hold the club vertically, so that the club’s heel is raised off the ground, enabling you to stand closer to the ball. And spread your elbows

Moving the ball back in your stance and shifting your weight forward positions the ball off the toe-end of the clubhead when you hit it. Using the toe-end will deaden the ball when you make contact. It will also help control the ball’s roll.

Hit the ball with a gentle rocking of the shoulders, as you would if you were putting. This technique raises the club several inches off the ground in the backswing and forces you to hit down on the ball slightly, chipping it into the air. Concentrate on maintaining the width of the gap between your elbows as you swing thorough. It also ensures a pure arms-and-shoulders motion.

Using the 8-iron approach takes your wrists out of play. Recreational golfers who have trouble making short chip shots often have overly active wrists. With my approach, you’ll eliminate your wrists yet still strike the ball solidly—just keep your head still and focus on making a short, firm follow-through,

You can also use my approach for longer chip shots. Just lengthen your stroke to play the longer shot, as you would if you were hitting a long putt. For extra long chip shots, try using a 5 or 6 iron to get the required roll.

Chip under Target Drill

The key to accurate chipping is keeping the ball low so it runs like a putt when it hits the ground. Here’s a drill I use in my golf lessons designed to teach players to keep the ball low.

Lay a club or bag horizontally across two baskets placed about three feet apart. Then, step back a few feet and try chipping under the obstacle toward the hole, using either a wedge or an 8 iron.

To chip under the obstacle, you must deloft the club, which you can do by keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead when you swing. Having a visual obstacle to hit the ball under forces you to develop your ability to keep the ball low. Keep practicing this shot until it becomes second nature

Hitting the short chip shot well—whether you use a wedge or an 8 iron— is a start toward improving your short game, and chopping strokes of your golf handicap. And aren’t those the real goals?

Utility golf carts can be used in a variety of ways other than a trip around the back 9. For example, golf carts can be used whenever a need for transportation arises. Whether or not you are patrolling a large area or the quick trip between movie sets, the use of utility golf carts are infinite.

Many models of golf carts are available. One of the most primitive is the small personal cart, which typically has a single seat with a basket attached to the front. These are designed to help aid the elderly in getting around during their daily activities.

A contrasting to the previously mentioned golf cart are the multi-seat, four wheel drive, or even the carts that have trailers behind them.

Utility golf carts are commonly found at the workplace. These are utilized in large workplaces to cover alot of ground in minimal amounts of time. Mutli-seat carts are ideal in this situation in that many people can be moved from one place to another in a short amount of time.

Besides usage in the workplace, utility golf carts can be used on the homefront. For example, my grandfather owned many acres of land. The older he got in age, the more difficult it was for him to tend to all of his land on foot. The utility golf cart he owned aided him in getting from one end of his property to the other with ease. With the golf cart he was capable of getting where he needed to go.

Here in England we are on the verge of the new football season and there is a large amount of transfer speculation and the like occurring. With football, we often find that the players who are doing well are confident. When they are having a great spell of the season, scored a lot of goals or something like that, their competence escalates as they feel more confidence. When their confidence is knocked, they might go through a bad spell and often their skills seem to be less available. My point here is that of self image and how we perceive ourselves. This is true with our golf swing also.

Our self-image often works like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have got a great friend who won’t mind me saying that he is not classically good looking (whatever that might be) however, he thinks of himself as attractive and as a result he carries a certain way about him that people are attracted to. Anyone who truly believes themselves to be acertain way; unnattractive or lacking in self-confidence for example, sabotage their chances of being anything else. This is the same with our own internal image of our golf swing.

Our self-image is very important to mention here; remember, you can never be better on the outside than you believe yourself to be on the inside. So you need to believe in your golf swing.

If someone feels negative, sad, angry or frustrated with their golf swing when they enter certain circumstances, events or situations, especially when taking to the golf course, it is very likely that they are going to feel lacking in confidence and this leads to lacking in competence with the golf swing. You need to change your self-image and paint a better picture of yourself in your mind as to how you believe your golf swing to be and what you feel capable of doing and being. No other person can reach inside us and change our feelings for us. If you really want to feel more confident about your golf swing, your self-image needs to be changed in relation to your golf swing. If you see yourself as successful, skilled and confident, you can enter any golf course with your head held high and standing tall and feeling safe and protected by it. You are feeling good about yourself and your golf swing.

We all react automatically to life according to our inner sense of ourselves. Our self-image is our inner sense of ourselves and we refer to that part of ourselves all the time to see how to behave or perform in certain circumstances. In other words, your reactions are founded in your self-image. Building and developing and creating a progressive, positive self-image with regards to your golf swing ensures that your automatic reactions come from a sense of freedom, confidence and are powerful.

I once attended a course whereby the facilitator had devised a wonderful technique that I use a lot with many of the individual clients that consult with me to better their golf swing. The reason I like it so much is because it makes you instantly feel good about your golf swing. This simple technique can be done absolutley any time that you are in a room with a mirror.

So many people I meet condition themselves to feel uncomfortable or bad when they look into a mirror by looking into it and thinking about fat, wrinkles or a blemish or how poor their golf swing is! I have noticed several of my friends look into a mirror and “tut” at themsleves while reminding themselves of all the bad things that attack our confidence. So this technique interupts that process and allows you to recondition yourself to feel better and more confident about your golf swing.

Ok, so first up, take a seat or position yourself comfortably in view of a mirror so that you will be able to see your entire self, however, do not look into it straight away. Just wait and look away for a moment.

Then, think about an occasion when someone you know was being sincere when they paid you a compliment following a shot you played. It can be any compliment what so ever of any kind related to your golf game.

Thirdly, remember what it was that they said and hear it again in your mind and remember how it made you feel. Locate where abouts in your body those feelings were. Really tune into them.

Now, imagine that feeling of being complimented, feeling good about your golf swing and feeling talented spreading through your system, working its way into your cells and into your mind, really imagine it spreading and travelling through you. Imagine that the more it spreads, the more intense the feelings become, this is going to make your golf swing awesome.

Now, turn or look up and into the mirror. Really look at yourself while feeling that feeling.

Spend some time enjoying this feeling.

Lastly, imagine taking a picture of yourself just like that image in the mirror. Imagine taking that picture right into your heart. Keep it there, right there, so that you can look at it whenever you want to remind yourself of how good you can feel about your golf swing.

Please remember; self-confidence is innate. It is built into us from the day we were born. We can often lose touch with it and learn to worry or lessen it, however, confidence is simply hard-wired into you. It is there all the time underneath your worries. Worries and lack with regards to your golf swing are things that can go up and down, can be learned and unlearned. Your confidence is always there beneath all that. Let it permeate in to your golf swing.

It is like when a baby keeps on wanting to walk and keeps on falling down and keeps on at it. However may times they stumble, they get up and they learn and they benefit from it. The persistence is rewarded. Your confidence is hard-wired into you. We all have it. Every technique in both parts of this confident golf swing article are just ways of reminding you all of what you already have.

Good luck with getting that confident golf swing.

As with most sports, the more you use a piece of equipment, the more wear and tear it will sustain. Since this is the case with golf as well, many players will find that they will eventually need to repair their golf equipment. So, too, will youths that golf. In many instances, youths will need to repair their equipment more than individuals that are older, simply because they may not understand how delicate the instruments are.

Junior golf club repair equipment can help these youths when they run into trouble with their golf clubs. The price of junior golf club repair equipment pieces can vary, but for the most part they are able to save individuals money in the long run, since parents and youths will not have to purchase new golf clubs, since they will just be able to repair some of the damaged items. Some people may be curious about the different types of junior golf club repair equipment pieces and what they can accomplish. Others may wonder how effective junior golf club repair equipment is, and what problems they can fix as compared to which problems will not be resolved with the use of any junior golf club repair equipment.

To learn the answers to the queries, it is very important that we consider the type of equipment that is currently available on the market. Some items are more popular than others and by focusing on the most popular pieces of equipment it is possible to make sure that the instruments that are better known are explored for consumers to consider.

There are many types of cleaners that are available in order to help the owner of the golf clubs keep them free of damaging nicks and scratches, as well as pieces of dirt, dust and grass. Since youths are for the most part inexperienced when it comes to playing golf for their first few times, as sports can take a while to understand completely, there may be a period of time in which the individuals using the junior golf equipment may need to have these types of cleaners on hand to ensure that they take the best care of their equipment possible.

It is important to keep the clubs clean because even the slightest bit of dirt or debris on the end of the golf club can cause the individual to swing off when they are trying to play. There are also of junior golf club repair equipment pieces that will enable an individual to restore the grip on the handle of their golf clubs. This is vital to the game of golf. When a player can not hold their club correctly, they are more likely to have a bad swing. This is just a result of inappropriate conditions in terms of the equipment being used. The positive thing is that there are junior golf club repair equipment pieces that can be easily implemented into fixing the club, and potentially improving the youth’s game, instead of purchasing an entirely new club, which may occur to some individuals that either have children that are interested in golf or who are interested in the game themselves.

If you’ve been thinking about taking up golf, or if you’re a golfer in search of a better game, you may have considered golf lessons. But are golf lessons really beneficial? And how do you find a pro who will offer good advice?

There are some who swear that lessons are vital and others who say that practice is the only thing that will improve your golf game. The truth seems to lie somewhere in the middle. But before you drop your coach or sign up for lessons, consider what it is that you hope golf lessons will accomplish. Outlining your goals may help you decide whether you truly need lessons or simply more time on the course.

If you play with others who play exceptionally well, you may want to find someone to give you some help with your game. Whether that’s a paid coach or merely a friend who plays well is strictly a personal choice. Getting some pointers and tips may be a good way to ensure that you don’t totally embarrass yourself in front of other players.

If you’re serious about the game, you’ve probably been involved long enough that you don’t need advice on whether to get a coach. But if you’ve only recently discovered the joy of golfing, you may find yourself looking for a way to improve your game. Golf lessons could very well be the answer.

Some people say that lessons give them a set time to practice and an opportunity to completely focus on the game. You’ll typically be less interrupted than if you were playing on your own, stopping to chat with friends along the way. But others say the simple fact of having someone scrutinizing every move and offering constant advice is more distracting than helpful. Decide whether you’re one of those who accept direction and works well in that situation. That’s a major clue as to whether golf lessons are a good idea.

Remember that a golf coach’s job is to teach you to golf correctly. That means that there are some habits that he (or she) will be trying to ingrain and others they’ll be trying to break. While golfing correctly is a terrific goal, many golfers have some bad habits that they tout as benefiting their game. Changing your grip, adjusting your stance or even using different equipment may be among the “must do” list from your coach. You may resist those changes. You have two options. You can do your best to follow the instructions, or you can explain that you aren’t planning to change that particular habit. If you don’t plan to change, you may need to reexamine your decision to take lessons. Without following directions, lessons may become a waste of time and effort on both parts, and money on yours.

Golf lessons are great for some people. It’s a personal decision whether you are one of those who will benefit from a coach – formal or informal. But remember that the most important thing to improve your golf game is simply practice.

Every avid golfer has got to be the sort of person who enjoys the game immensely. It has been proven that we tend to be very good at doings things that we enjoy doing and this should be no exception to the case of the avid golfer of today.

This also means that the avid golfer tends to constantly improve their game and handicap all the time.

This whole picture must seem like an impossible dream to the majority of amateur golfers struggling in courses across the country. Many have often left a game deeply humiliated and swore to themselves that they would never set foot on a golf course again. Sadly there are some who have kept to that vow they made to themselves.

In most cases their opponent was this avid golfer with a secret that has improved their game so much that there are able to easily run circles round an opponent, almost at will.

So what is this secret of most avid golfers?

It is simply preparing their bodies and the muscles in their body better for the game. Some of this preparation actually takes place in the comfort of the office or home.

These are specifically stretch exercises designed to improve on the golf swing and also helps to strengthen the back muscles for golf. Actually the truth of the matter is that a golfer who does not exercise will hardly stand a chance against an avid golfer who does.

Most avid golfers will do anything to improve their golf game, and it usually shows quite clearly in dramatic improvements on their game. Thus exercise and in particular golf-specific exercises do not frighten them.

Not that they should put terror into anybody. They are actually fairly easy to go through because they are being done by folks of all ages who are avid golfers.