Beginner Golf Blog » Feet

How to Fade and Draw a Golf Ball

admin — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:26:42 +0000

How many times have you had a bunch of trees slightly blocking your balls path to the pin? Wouldnt it have been nice to be able to fade or draw the shot accordingly? It will take a bit of time at the range; but after a bit of practice, you will be confident in fading or drawing your shot.

The Draw:

A draw (for a right handed player), is when the golf ball curves slightly to the left when hit. It is less severe, and more desirable than a hook; which is when the golf ball sharply curves to the left (and often ends up in a pond or the woods).

How to Draw the Golf Ball:

Stand with a slightly closed stance. This means that if you placed your club even with your feet, the club would be pointed slightly to the right of the target. You will therefore feel as if you are aiming to the right of the target.

Close the club-face slightly, relative to how you are standing. This means the face of your club will be pointed at the target.

Play around with this. Go to the range and try playing around with how much you close your stance, this will determine how much the ball will draw.

The whole idea of closing your stance causes your swing to have a slight in-to-out swing path; which is what causes the ball to curve to the left when hit. The club will make contact with the ball slightly below the balls equator (looking down on it).

The Fade:

A fade (for a right handed player), is the opposite of a draw; when the ball curves slightly to the right when hit. The fade is the more controlled form of a slice; which is when the ball wildly veers off to the right when hit.

How to Fade the Golf Ball:

Just like you had a slightly closed stance with the draw, this time you will have a slightly open club face. Have your feet align slightly to the left of the target. You will feel as if you are aiming to hit the ball to the left.

Open the club-face slightly, relative to how you are standing. It will again be pointed at the target.

Again, practice this at the range. Test to see how much the ball curves relative to how open your stance is; the more you do this, the more confident you will be in judging how to fade the golf ball out on the course.

Opening your stance forces you to hit the ball on an out-to-in swing path. This means making contact with the golf ball slightly above the balls equator (looking down on it). The out-to-in swing path is what gives it proper spin to fade to the right.

Fading and drawing your golf shots may be tricky at first, but keep on playing around with it, and you will be able to fade or draw your shot around those trees with confidence and finesse. Those are the types of shots people ooh and ahh over, so get practicing!

By: Savannah Durbin

About the Author:

Savannah Durbin is an avid golfer and aspiring computer engineer. To read more golf tips and articles, visit: www.golfenthusiastic.com.

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Golf: Chipping and Pitching Basics

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:24:30 +0000

Having precision in the short game is the key to low scoring in golf. If you can land the ball within a close distance of the hole from inside 120 yards, than consistent pars and birdies are easily attainable. This is where accurate pitching and chipping comes in.

Pitching

Anytime a shot is about 40 to 120 yards from the green, you will most likely be pitching. As is apparent, the best club to use from this range is the pitching wedge. When pitching, set up the same as if you are hitting an iron shot, except when pitching you will have an open stance. This means positioning your feet as if you were aiming slightly to the left of the target (if you are right handed), but keep the clubface facing the target. Line up so that the ball is slightly back in your stance compared to a normal iron shot. In order to vary your distance with pitching, vary the length of your backswing. Bring the club farther back for longer shots, and vice versa for shorter shots. Just like with any normal iron shot, be sure to hit down on the ball; do not attempt to scoop it up into the air.

Chipping

Anytime you chip the ball, it should land within an easily attainable putting distance from the hole. The more accurate your chip shots are, the less accurate your putting needs to be.

With the chip, you will set up almost as if you are pitching, except your feet will be closer together. They should be less than shoulder width apart, but far enough apart that you have proper balance. Again, open your stance so your feet are positioned as if you are aiming to the left of the target. Make sure that the clubface is facing the target. The ball will again be relatively back in your stance. The key to chipping is hitting down on the ball with a solid stroke. Dont decelerate on the downswing. When chipping, the backswing will be much shorter than the pitch shot, but again, in order to vary the distance the ball is hit, vary the length of your backswing.

Practice pitching, and chipping at a driving range and on a practice green. Obviously, you will be aiming to get the ball within a very close distance to the hole. In order to become more accurate with pitching and chipping, you must get a feel for the distance you are hitting. This can only be accomplished with a lot of practice.

Sources:

Newell, Steve. The Golf Instruction Manual. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., 2001.

By: Savannah Durbin

About the Author:

Savannah Durbin is an avid golfer and aspiring computer engineer. To read more golf tips and articles, visit: Beginner Golf Tips.

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The Proper Stance For Your Golf Swing – The Solid Foundation Every Beginner Golfer Requires

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:07:37 +0000

Mastering the proper stance for your golf swing is undeniably the foundation for that powerful 300 yard drive. If you’re a wet behind the ears newbie searching for beginners golf tips, this article will help you nail the perfect stance in no time!

Quieten your mind, relax and be aware of your body alignment. Place your feet shoulder width apart. Relaxation is the most under-rated yet easily the most pertinent of all beginners golf tips. You’ll never be able to get into the proper stance for your golf swing if your muscles are rigid!

Start by standing straight. Gently bend your knees. Once again, relax.

Lean your torso forward, bend at the hips. Never bend at the waist. This would cause you to contract the inter-vertebral muscles, leading to the much frowned upon

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Grip, Footwork, and Strokes in Tennis

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:58:04 +0000

Footwork is weight control. It is correct body position for strokes, and out of it all strokes should grow. In explaining the various forms of stroke and footwork I am writing as a right-hand player. Left-handers should simply reverse the feet. Racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke, because a faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.

To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and “shake hands” with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.

The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist. This is the best basis for a grip. I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality. Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.

All tennis strokes, should be made with the body’ at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball. The weight should always travel forward. It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball. Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke. It is weight that determines the “pace” of a stroke; swing that, decides the “speed.”

Let me explain the definitions of “speed” and “pace.” “Speed” is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air. “Pace” is the momentum with which it comes off the ground. Pace is weight. It is the “sting” the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed. A great many players have both “speed” and “pace.” Some shots may carry both.

The order of learning strokes should be:

1. The Drive. Fore and backhand. This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way. Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.

2. The Service.

3. The Volley and Overhead Smash.

4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.

By: Jennifer Seaton

About the Author:

For information on tennis court dimensions and tennis scores, visit the Tennis Rules website.

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How To Swing A Golf Club – Get A Perfect Golf Swing

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:23:21 +0000

Ever wonder what it takes to be Tiger Woods? Ever wonder what techniques and methods he uses in order to shoot as many holes in one? The answer to that lies in your golf swing.

Perfecting a golf swing not only enables you to hit longer distance but also become more accurate in your swing.

The first thing that you need to learn in order to swing a golf club in the proper way is the posture of your body. You need to stand up straight, and then you should bend with your hips, with your feet a few distances apart. When you do a back swing, you need to rotate your torso and just set your lead wrist fully, in order to create a ninety degree angle between the shaft and your lead forearm.

When you are about to swing down, drag the head of the golf club so that it stays behind everything else and that you should let the ninety degree angle between the forearm and the shaft to increase, then let it go in a fast motion on the impact area.

The reason for this is that it gives the club head and the golf ball a forceful impact at the same time that the swing makes you more in control of the situation.

Just be sure that the shaft of the golf club is moving forward when you hit the ball. The reason is that the shaft would have a direct impact on the ball, and would make you move in the proper way.

After you have measured your impact, you need to follow through with a swing. It really doesnt matter how far you have swung the shaft, all it takes is that you need to follow the rhythm of your swing.

Ultimately, practice is everything in golf and you need to practice often to get a perfect golf swing.

By: Ricky Lim

About the Author:

Learn how to swing a golf club that lengthen your drive and reduce your golf handicap. Learn how the simple golf swing system can help you learn how to swing a golf club.

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