March 16, 2021
Golf is a magical sport. Hours in the countryside, surrounded by best mates, beautiful nature, and a nice long walk all combine to make one of the most relaxing yet challenging sports going. You use your mind and body in tandem to try to place a variety of perfect shots, whilst avoiding hazards. All the while chatting with your best friend all about the week gone by.
Golf can, however, be rather competitive – even when playing with friends! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned golfer, you might want to brush up on your skills a little. If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we are going to give a few useful tips to help you improve your golfing skills. Use them to put your friends to shame on your next Sunday round!
Get Lessons
This may seem like a cop-out, but it really is worth considering, especially if you are completely new to the game. Your local area will almost certainly have ex golf professionals now giving lessons. Searching for golf lessons in Miami, FL, for example, will bring up hundreds of pros and ex-pros, group lesson sessions, and more, you just need to decide which is for you. One-to-one lessons with ex-pros can certainly get expensive, so may not be for everyone.
Alternatives such as group sessions could be more appealing to someone just wanting a bit of brushing up on old skills. Either way, lessons are there for the very reason you’re reading this article: to help you improve your game! A teacher will tell you everything we’re about to tell you but in person. The only difference is that you’ll just have to splash a little cash to get that face-to-face lesson time in.
Technique Over Power
One of the key mistakes people make when swinging a golf club is going for power over technique. Swinging as hard as you possibly can, or swinging wildly without control, can lead to injury as well as poor performance. Before you start to apply power to your shots, you need to be able to properly connect with the ball.
It is good practice to spend some time in the driving range before tackling full courses. Spend time gently pitching balls. Work up slowly to full-swings and monitor your progress. If you are constantly hooking balls to the left, slow your swing back down and try to figure out why. Are you choking the club, opening your palms, or rotating when swinging? A friend may be able to spot these differences or tiny mistakes for you. Again, a golf teacher could be a good idea if you really can’t figure out the issue.
Once you’re able to hit balls in a straight line regularly, you can start to work on power. Driving ranges usually tell you how far you’ve hit the ball or give targets to aim at. Start aiming further, whilst keeping your swing in check. Eventually, you’ll be knocking ‘em out just like a pro!
Strengthen Up!
Another way to improve your swing – and its eventual power – is to exercise more, strengthening the muscles used for the golf swing. It may not seem the most obvious, but a huge part of the golf swing is powered by the rotation of the core. You can do simple seated rotations whilst holding a weight to help strengthen this area. Back and shoulder strength is also key, so try Y-raises with light weights for your shoulders and bent-over rows for your back. These exercises can all be done at home with minimal equipment but could also be replicated using machines at a gym. Whichever you prefer, we promise that strengthening those arms, back, and core muscles will gradually improve your long-shot.
Pitch and Putt
A key aspect of the game of golf is the short game. Pitching onto the green and managing to stop the ball, for example, could save you plenty of strokes and help you beat your buddies. This is why it’s just as important – some would argue more important – to improve your short game. A great way to try this is at a pitch-and-putt course. Here, the focus is on chipping to the green and putting. You can spend as long as you like practicing this part of your game. The more gentle and controlled swing, the backspin, and the perfect putt. Improve these and you’ll quickly impress – and beat – your friends!
These useful tips will help you slowly but surely improve your golf game. It will take time, practice, and repetition, but it will be totally worth it. As you notice your game improve, your satisfaction will increase and your love for the game will grow stronger. After all, that love for the game is why we all play.
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