Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Golf Advice: Learning About The Equipment

By Brad Morgan

For most beginning golfers, the game of golf may seem simple, yet upon closer inspection, it quickly becomes overwhelming.

The beautiful rolling green hills of golf courses belie the hazards that lurk there: Sand traps, water hazards, trees, and more stand in between your ball and the tiny, far-off hole you are trying to get it into.

And then you have the choice of which club to use during each stage of the game. When is it appropriate to use a driver? What is a wedge? Should you use your woods or your irons? At least you feel pretty confident about when to use the putter.

Your success in the game of golf depends on skill, how you hit the ball, and a certain amount of good luck. Your clubs are an integral part of your game, and they serve different purposes as you move through the course. Depending on how you want the ball to travel, you will use the appropriate club.

You can begin with this basic knowledge, and suddenly the game of golf will make much more sense. You can actually enjoy yourself instead of worrying about what to do.

The first step is to find clubs that fit your body. If the length is incorrect, it will affect your swing. This in turn can cause you a backache or the course to have big tufts of dirt being chopped out of it.

To become comfortable with the game of golf, you must begin with the proper equipment. A professional golf shop will be able to size your clubs accordingly.

While there are many different clubs, your three most important will be drivers, woods, and putters. When you see those amazingly shots on television that go a few hundred yards, the players are using their drivers. These, and woods, are made for long distance shots.

When you are on a green, you can pull out your putter to closer shots. These three clubs are the most important to the success of your game, so it is a good idea to practice and feel confident with each.

Before you tackle the course, you can practice at a driving range. This is a great place to use and experiment with your equipment and swing. It can also be less intimidating for beginners than a golf course.

Grip the club with your prominent hand below your other hand. The butt of the upper hand should rest at or near the end of the club assuming your clubs have been appropriately fitted to your height.

Posture-wise, you should stand to the side of the ball. Do not hunch over it or the fluid motion of your swing will be severely impacted.

Keep your arms bent slightly and place the club at the back of the ball. This is the perfect distance between you and the ball.

Practice your posture and your swing by setting up an empty tee in your yard. As with a driving range, doing this is an unintimidating way to get familiar with the clubs and the proper stance and grip. Feeling comfortable and relaxed will help you with your game.

Certain clubs are designed to aid you in hazards such as sand traps. Mastering these tools will help you upon the misfortune that you land in one of these fun golf course elements.

There are a lot of factors that go into deciding which club to use and how to hit the ball. You even have to take into consideration the consistency of the sand as well as other elements. You will want to use a wedge for sand traps. They are designed to help you hit the ball in this type of terrain.

With practice, you'll gain familiarity with your equipment. Once you understand how each club works, and how you should use them, you can turn the often mystifying game of golf into a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. - 16887

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