Golf Tips for Beginners--Feel Like a Pro on the Course!

Swing through the ball.

Powerful accurate hitters in golf usually have one thing in common--extension through the ball after hitting it. When taking any kind of golf swing--a drive, a chip, even a put, you should think of it as swinging through the ball and not at the ball.

Tip: Place a tee about 6-8 inches in front of the ball before you hit it when practicing at the driving range. Make an effort to hit the ball AND the tee with every swing. This should help you train yourself to swing through the ball and not at it.

Swing with rhythm.

Many new golfers make the mistake of swinging too quickly, thinking this creates more power for the swing. The swing should be more of a fluid motion with a rhythm to it. To help with this, try taking a short mental pause when you reach the top of your backswing before you change direction to the downswing. Practicing swinging through the ball will help with this as well.

Creating a foundation for your swing.

Good balance and firm footing are a part of any good swing. If you don't have a decent pair of golf shoes you may want to invest in one. A good pair of studded golf shoes can make a world of difference to gain firm footing in a any length of grass. To practice balance with your swing, try taking some shots with your feet about 6 inches apart. It's more difficult to maintain your balance in this stance forcing you to focus on your balance when you swing. Switch back to your normal swing and you'll surely feel the difference.

Swing easy into the wind.

If you're playing on a windy day, take a step back and remind yourself not to swing to hard into the breeze. It's common to think you need to hit the ball twice as hard to make up for the drag of the wind, but this usually just leads to wild shots. Another tip is to hit low into the wind. Try taking a few steps back and possibly using a longer club.

Hit it hard.

New golfers commonly hit the ball with muscle and power, but they only use the muscles in the wrists and arms. The power swing should utilize the muscles of the legs and mid section as well. Remember to use the entire body with the swing for the most power and accuracy.

Keep a firm right knee.

When taking a swing, you'll want to keep a slight bend of the knee, and keep the weight on the inside of the right foot. When you take the club back on the backswing, keep your right knee solid as a rock. This will hep you hold a firm stance and keep the necessary balance for a really powerful swing

Just like with any other sport, it's important to warm up and stretch before you head to the course or the driving range. It's important to loosen and get blood flowing to the muscles, joints and tendons to help avoid injury. Some think of golf as a pretty light sport, but it can be much more demanding on your body than most people think.

Not only is it important to warm up to avoid injury, a few simple stretches and exercises before heading out to the course can greatly improve your game. Lets explore a few stretches to get you warmed up and ready for a great round of golf!

Simple warm up exercise.

This exercise should be done before you head to the course or the driving range to get the blood flowing to the muscles, and to get the joints lubed up and ready for play.

* Hold your club out in front of your body at approximately the same angle you normally hit the ball.

* Simply make gentle swinging motions back and forth to get the blood moving.

* Move the club face to about waist height and repeat the back and forth swinging motion.

Stretching exercise to improve your backswing.

You may want to spend a few minutes doing this stretch before you hit the course or driving range, and maybe every 3-4 holes on the course.

* Spread your feet 2-3 feet apart.

* Bend forward from the hips and plant your golf club into the ground about two feet in front and about a foot to right of your body (for left handed golfers place the club to left of your body).

* Place your left hand palm on the top of the golf handle, and the right hand on top of your left hand.

* At this point your arms should be straight from shoulder to wrist.

* Feel the stretch in your shoulders, and hold the pose for 15-30 seconds.

This simple golf stretch will loosen up the muscles in your upper back and shoulders for extended range of motion on both your backswing and follow through.

Simple stretch to help with back pain and improve range of motion.

* Lie on your back and extend your legs.

* Raise your right leg and bend it at the knee so the shin is parallel with the ground.

* Cross your right leg over your left leg, try to keep your shoulders on the ground while holding the stretch.

* Hold the pose for 15-30 seconds, then switch legs and do the left side.

This simple stretch will help with lower back pain and will extend the range of motion in the hips to allow for more fluid strokes.