http://articles.golfclubsplusmore.com/rss.xml A blog about golfclubsplusmore.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.golfclubsplusmore.com/?a=36134 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Some people like to debate whether or not golf is a &quot;real&quot; sport. I think it's safe to say that most of us do consider it a sport. It may not be as rigorous as football or as demanding as running, but it does require physical skills and it involves competition. Sounds like a sport to me. <br /><br />As with any sport, practice is of the utmost importance. Practice right to play right. We've all heard the cliches. Practice makes perfect. Have you found that despite all the time spend practicing your golf swing, you just can't seem to improve much? Do you have nearly perfect form but you feel like your game's become stagnant? <br /><br />What could be lacking when you practice all the time? Maybe what you're missing out on is exercise. You can't just swing and swing and swing and expect to improve. As you know, you'll find yourself improving quickly at first but then your skill level plateaus and you get stuck in a rut. What you're probably missing out on is tuning your body as a whole. It's not enough to simply practice your golf swing technique. It's important to do a variety of exercises to improve your golf swing and lower your handicap. These exercises are simple ones that anyone can do. <br /><br />First you need to start stretching more. Stretch all your muscles every day, both before golfing and after. This will help prevent injuries and keep you from feeling sore after a grueling 18 hole battle with your buddies. Golf's a sport, right? Then treat it like one. All sensible athletes stretch regularly, and golfers should be no exception. There are tons of different stretches you can do that will help your game in the long run. Basically you need to stretch your arms, shoulders, neck, back, and legs. Any basic stretching exercises you do on a regular basis will improve your range of motion which will improve your golf swing and make you a better player. Stiff or tight muscles will prevent your from realizing the full potential of your golf swing. Don't skip the stretches. It's not a good idea to walk right out onto the course without warming up at all. Not bothering to stretch is a good way to get hurt. It's simple, if you want to improve your golf swing you'll exercise in addition to practicing your swing. <br /><br />Another key to improving your golf swing is strength training. I'm not saying you need to be a body builder to improve your golf swing, but I am saying that a little working out will improve your game. It stands to reason that, all other things being equal, the stronger person will hit the ball farther than the weaker one. This is pretty obvious, so it's surprising that so many supposedly serious golfers never hit the gym. As with stretching, basic strength training will help you be more resistant to injuries. <br /><br />Finally you need to consider your cardiovascular health when looking for ways to improve your golf swing. As you already know, it's not easy to knock the cover off the ball on the 14th hole. You can be pretty tired by then. But if you've been doing some aerobic exercises, then you'll be stronger in the end than your non-exercising opponents. <br /><br />Exercise is the key to improving your golf swing and lowering your handicap. By stretching, doing some strength training, and running or biking regularly you'll find that your golf swing practice will be aided tremendously and your game will improve for sure.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as golf training at <a href="http://www.golfclubsplusmore.com/">http://www.golfclubsplusmore.com</a></p> 2006-10-21T14:49-04:00 http://articles.golfclubsplusmore.com/?a=36133 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Golf is very simple when it comes down to it. All you're trying to do is to hit the ball into the hole using as few strokes as possible. Of course, we all know there's much more to it than that, but we can also agree that it really does come down to just that. The less strokes it takes you to get where you're going, the more successful you'll be at golf. To decrease the number of strokes it takes you to get the ball in the hole, it's important that your golf swing is correct. <br /><br />There are four basic components to a good golf swing: club head speed, solid contact with the ball, the angle of the club face, and the swing plane/path. The speed of the swing is important because this is where a lot of your power is generated. Perhaps this is self-evident, but many people don't realize that perfect form is meaningless if your swing is slow. To improve your club head speed and achieve the best golf swing you can, you really need to stretch, exercise, and lift weights. You don't have to be a gym rat. Just take good care of yourself and work your muscles and you'll find your club head speed will increase noticeably as will the distance of your drives. <br /><br />Making solid contact with ball is important, too. All the strength and club head speed in the world are meaningless if you can't hit the ball squarely. Related to making solid contact is the angle of the club face. This is a key aspect of developing the best possible golf swing. If the angle of your club face isn't right, you'll end up hooking the ball or slicing it. <br /><br />Fourth is the swing plane and swing path of your golf swing. Just as it's important to have your club face at the right angle, it's equally important that the angle of your swing as a whole is correct. As a general rule you want the entire path of your swing to be at a 90 degree angle to your back and 45 degrees in relation to the ground. Keeping this in mind will help you hit the ball well and true. <br /><br />Of course there is much more to achieving your best golf swing than just those four aspects of the golf swing. Your swing needs to be strong but loose that the same time. You don't want to force anything. Don't loft the ball too high when it's windy or you'll ball won't travel as far, or it'll travel in the wrong direction! Swing smoothly and confidently, with just a short pause at the top of your swing to get yourself into a good rhythm. The significance of a good rhythm and stable balance to making your golf swing as good as it can be can't be overstated. Remember to use your whole body, not just your arms and wrists. You'll gain a good bit more power if you can get your whole body into your golf swing. <br /><br />The goal of golf is to get the ball into the whole using as few strokes as possible. Along with exercise, the key to achieving the best golf swing is to practice it regularly using correct form.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as golf clubs at <a href="http://www.golfclubsplusmore.com/">http://www.golfclubsplusmore.com</a></p> 2006-10-21T14:45-04:00