6 simple and practical tips to help you become a more skilled golfer
Golf is a challenging yet calming sport that is suitable for players of all ages and abilities, allowing them to relax while staying mentally and psychically engaged. When looking to improve their golf game, most players immediately start thinking about joining a club, seeking the help of a professional trainer, or switching out their clubs.
While all of these approaches can, indeed, help you improve your skills, there are other ways to up your game without spending a small fortune. Here are six simple and practical tips you can try out today.
Practice with your worst ball:
If you want to identify your weaknesses, assess your skill level, and make accurate shots under pressure, give the Worst Ball workout a try. The concept is quite simple: starting on the tee, the player hits two balls from every position, then selects the worst ball and continues to play it until it's holed out.
Because it requires a consistent pre-shot routine, a solid strategy, and some serious concentration, the Worst Ball drill will help you develop an infallible technique and build mental toughness. It will also train you to handle the most common challenges you might face on the course and improve your ability to play trouble shots.
Adjust your stance before striking the ball:
To increase your chances of getting the ball right where you want it, you must pay attention to your stance width, the distance between your body and the club, the bend in your knees, and your overall posture. Getting these things right will improve your golf game significantly. Many novice players assume that they should adjust their stance depending on the club they’re using, but that’s not entirely true.
When it comes to full shots — not putts, chips, or pitches — maintaining a consistent stance is critical regardless of the type of club you’re using. You can make minor adjustments to your posture, stance width, and ball position, but overall, how you stand over a driver shouldn’t be too far off from how you handle an iron.
Video record your swings:
There are plenty of tricks and devices that will help you improve your golf game, but in order to know exactly which aspects you need to work on, you need to pinpoint what you’re doing wrong.
A golf swing phone holder is one of the most useful golf training aids you can invest in when you're first getting started. Instead of asking a stranger to record your swing or propping your phone up in an awkward angle against your bag, you can use this tool to record a video of your swing from any angle. That way, you can identify your weaknesses and see where you’re going wrong.
Rotate your torso along with your arms:
For an accurate golf swing, you need to harness power from your torso, not just your arms. Weak golf swings often result from inadequate torso rotation. To get the extra yards that will help you score that birdie, you need to rotate your right shoulder so that it aligns with your left foot on the downswing and vice-versa on the backswing. With this infallible technique, you’ll find yourself on the putting surface in no time.
Stretch your hamstrings before hitting the course:
Sports like golf that involve a lot of walking or stop-and-start movement may cause tightness in your hamstrings, and so can a sedentary lifestyle. Tight hamstrings can wreak havoc on your golf swing and cause injuries that will keep you off the course. Stretches are one of the easiest ways to loosen tight hamstrings. They can be done almost anywhere and require little to no equipment. You can even stretch your muscles without leaving your chair! With a quick online search, you can learn all about the different types of stretches that you can do.
Master your swinging sequence:
Most amateur golfers struggle with their swing. If you need some help in that department, just pretend you’re a sidearm pitcher. Grab a baseball and throw it sidearm against a hard surface with all the power you can muster. Note how you automatically shift your weight to the leg farther away from the wall and how your arm recoils back right before you throw.
When your arm is halfway through the windup, you’ll feel your lower body weight shifting toward the wall. You will then find yourself rotating your torso in the same direction. That is when you would normally throw the ball. This sequence is similar to how your torso, arms, legs, and club move when you swing a golf club. So, the more you work on your sidearm throw, the better you’ll be able to hit the ball precisely and with just the right amount of power.
If you’re looking to improve your golf game, these tips will point you in the right direction. However, it is important to keep in mind that improvement comes in many different forms, from your technique and strategy to your mental game and equipment. So, if you’re hoping to become a pro golfer, you must cover all of these areas. By working on your technique, choosing the right equipment, getting in the right frame of mind, and developing a solid strategy, you’ll be driving like Duval and putting like Woods in no time!
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