Golf is one of the most widely played sports in the world, and is enjoyed by millions. It allows you to get outside and get some fresh air and sun, while playing a game that requires lots of skill and prowess. When you start golfing, you will need some clubs to bring along with you. There are 14 clubs in a true set, but to start off with you only need about half of these. There are three main types of clubs, and these are irons, woods, and putters. By buying the right combination of these, you can be set for an entire game. However, to call them 'cheap' would be an utter lie. Golf clubs are very expensive. If you are not sure whether you are going to stick with the sport or not, it is probably a good idea to start with used golf clubs or otherwise cheap golf clubs.
Imagine all of the more hardcore golfers, and what their new equipment looks like. They probably replaced some perfectly good clubs just a few months ago in order to get the new and the best clubs. Few people really need this level of commitment to buying the new golf clubs all of the time, so you donít need to hold yourself to the same standards that they do. Instead, you can take advantage of their constant turnover rate of golf clubs. Just talk to one of these hardcore golfers, and find out about their old golf clubs. You may find out that they have dozens of old golf club sets stored away in their garage. You can either ask to borrow them for a long period of time, or simply buy them. You may find that they are happy to let you have the old golf clubs.
If you arenít fortunate enough to have this kind of contact, you can look in other venues for used golf clubs. Many golf club stores stock used clubs in their inventory at a highly discounted rate. However, oftentimes this is more expensive than the other choices. Look on eBay to find out the selling rates for the used golf clubs that you are wanting to buy. You may also be able to find golf clubs at yard sales, in classifieds listings, or on web sites like CraigsList.com. It is best to check all of these places before you buy golf clubs. You may find it one place for hundreds of dollars cheaper than it is at the other place.
Golf can be very hard on golf clubs, especially if you are a beginner with a penchant for smacking the ground with your club. If you buy new clubs and abuse them so thoroughly, you will likely be kicking yourself wishing that you hadnít spent so much money on them. This is another reason why it is good to stick with used clubs. When you break them, scuff them, or lose them, you wonít feel too bad about it. You will find that many seasoned golf veterans are huge advocates of purchasing used clubs. If you buy used clubs rather than new clubs, you will likely have a much happier experience overall. Just be sure to buy your used golf clubs from somewhere that you can trust.
Understanding The Basic Types Of Golf Clubs
For those new to golf, it can seem ridiculous to need 14 different clubs just to smack a ball enough times to get it to the end of the course. However, as you play the game more and more you will begin to see that all of the different types of golf clubs will almost certainly come in handy quite often. Here I will outline some of the most important key things that you need to understand about golf clubs. After you understand these, you can start to perfect you own ability to choose the best club to use at any point in the game. This, along with a powerful and accurate swing, is how you can begin to win more and more games.
The first type of golf club is a wood. To the contrary of what the name suggests, the heads are not made out of wood. Usually woods are made out of hollow metal, usually steel or titanium. They are designed to allow for the greatest distance with each stroke. Out of the 14 clubs in a standard set, the woods make up less than half. They are usually used on the long and straight portions of the golf course, since they allow for the greatest distance with semi-decent accuracy. The accuracy is certainly not the strong point of the woods, and usually it takes plenty of practice to be able to keep the ball on a straight course. Woods are also the longest clubs in the set.
Irons come next, and they are used most frequently throughout the game. They are very versatile compared to the other two types of clubs, and therefore make up a larger amount of the clubs in your bag. They can still achieve fairly large distances, though not quite as far as the woods can. Depending on which particular iron you use, you can have a much higher level of accuracy and get the ball a lot closer to where you want it to be. There are many different kinds of irons that have very specific uses, such as those that are meant to get you out of the sand traps or pop the ball up over an obstacle.
The final type of golf club is the putter, and a standard golf bag usually only contains one of these. These are used on the putting green at the end of the course, or in other parts of the course that require delicate accuracy. They are meant to be the clubs with the shortest distance and the highest accuracy, usually only going a few yards to the target. Balls hit with putters are not meant to fly up in the air. Rather, they are just pushed lightly along the ground where they will roll gently to the target. Putting is arguably the most important part of the game, so it is a good idea to get a nice putter and practice a bunch with it.
The first type of golf club is a wood. To the contrary of what the name suggests, the heads are not made out of wood. Usually woods are made out of hollow metal, usually steel or titanium. They are designed to allow for the greatest distance with each stroke. Out of the 14 clubs in a standard set, the woods make up less than half. They are usually used on the long and straight portions of the golf course, since they allow for the greatest distance with semi-decent accuracy. The accuracy is certainly not the strong point of the woods, and usually it takes plenty of practice to be able to keep the ball on a straight course. Woods are also the longest clubs in the set.
Irons come next, and they are used most frequently throughout the game. They are very versatile compared to the other two types of clubs, and therefore make up a larger amount of the clubs in your bag. They can still achieve fairly large distances, though not quite as far as the woods can. Depending on which particular iron you use, you can have a much higher level of accuracy and get the ball a lot closer to where you want it to be. There are many different kinds of irons that have very specific uses, such as those that are meant to get you out of the sand traps or pop the ball up over an obstacle.
The final type of golf club is the putter, and a standard golf bag usually only contains one of these. These are used on the putting green at the end of the course, or in other parts of the course that require delicate accuracy. They are meant to be the clubs with the shortest distance and the highest accuracy, usually only going a few yards to the target. Balls hit with putters are not meant to fly up in the air. Rather, they are just pushed lightly along the ground where they will roll gently to the target. Putting is arguably the most important part of the game, so it is a good idea to get a nice putter and practice a bunch with it.
These 3 types of clubs are the basis for the game of golf. When you begin to start recognizing when you should use a wood or an iron, that is when you are beginning to get a hang for the game. Until then, you will just have to practice all you can with the golf clubs that you have.
Bringing Your Golf Accessories To The Course
You can buy all the golf accessories that you want, but none of them are going to do you much good unless you have them with you while you are playing the game. Keeping your golf accessories on hand may be a bit of a hassle, but when they come in handy you will be glad that you went through the trouble. There are many different ways that you can carry your golf accessories with you, and here I will discuss some of the most practical solutions. If you have just recently stocked up on golf accessories and you are looking for a solution to the predicament of portability, you will probably encounter some information that will be very beneficial to your cause.
Your golf bag probably has quite a few compartments that are not filled up by the actual golf clubs themselves. Do you have these compartments stuffed to the max? Since you will be carrying your golf club bag with you anyways, you might as well make the best of it and include some of the accessories that you are most likely to need while playing your game. This could include extra balls and tees, a small club repair kit, extra sunblock, a first aid kit, and anything else that you might think of. As long as it can fit, put it in there. It will be especially convenient if everything ends up fitting inside of the golf bag.
Just for the sake of making sure that you are taken care of, let us assume that you canít fit everything inside of the golf bag and you would like to take more along with you. Should you just carry it along with you and leave it in the golf cart? Well, thatís exactly what you should do. Get some sort of backpack or duffel bag that you can fill with all of your accessories that you may need in the middle of the game, and keep it under your seat in the golf cart. Before you get together with your friends to go golfing, tell them what all you have. If several people bring the same thing when only one is needed, unnecessary space will be taken up just to keep everything and everyone inside of the golf cart.
In order to bring everything you want along with you, you will need to be realistic in deciding what you really want to bring along. Do you need a golf club cleaner when you are just going out to play a couple of holes? Wouldnít a rag be just fine for touching up the club before you put it back into the bag? While these various accessories may seem worthless if you donít bring them along, you just have to keep telling yourself that you will be able to enjoy their functionality once you arrive back home. This will provide you with motivation to not bring the unnecessary items.
There are always things that can help you out in the middle of a game, and you will need to simply recognize which ones they are. Once you have figured out what will really be helpful while golfing, you can start to figure out the method of getting them around with you as you traverse the golf course.
Your golf bag probably has quite a few compartments that are not filled up by the actual golf clubs themselves. Do you have these compartments stuffed to the max? Since you will be carrying your golf club bag with you anyways, you might as well make the best of it and include some of the accessories that you are most likely to need while playing your game. This could include extra balls and tees, a small club repair kit, extra sunblock, a first aid kit, and anything else that you might think of. As long as it can fit, put it in there. It will be especially convenient if everything ends up fitting inside of the golf bag.
Just for the sake of making sure that you are taken care of, let us assume that you canít fit everything inside of the golf bag and you would like to take more along with you. Should you just carry it along with you and leave it in the golf cart? Well, thatís exactly what you should do. Get some sort of backpack or duffel bag that you can fill with all of your accessories that you may need in the middle of the game, and keep it under your seat in the golf cart. Before you get together with your friends to go golfing, tell them what all you have. If several people bring the same thing when only one is needed, unnecessary space will be taken up just to keep everything and everyone inside of the golf cart.
In order to bring everything you want along with you, you will need to be realistic in deciding what you really want to bring along. Do you need a golf club cleaner when you are just going out to play a couple of holes? Wouldnít a rag be just fine for touching up the club before you put it back into the bag? While these various accessories may seem worthless if you donít bring them along, you just have to keep telling yourself that you will be able to enjoy their functionality once you arrive back home. This will provide you with motivation to not bring the unnecessary items.
There are always things that can help you out in the middle of a game, and you will need to simply recognize which ones they are. Once you have figured out what will really be helpful while golfing, you can start to figure out the method of getting them around with you as you traverse the golf course.
The Golf Bag: The Most Underrated Accessory
Golfers always love to try out different courses, and traveling is the best way to do that. Golf vacations can be had in almost any part of the world, and if you are planning on going one ever then you will probably want to bring your clubs along with you. When you bring a laptop on a trip, you are always careful to keep it safe from being crushed, sat on, stolen, or any of a number of other unpleasant things. If you buy a sturdy golf case that can hold its own against other luggage, your golf clubs will have a much higher chance of making it to your destination intact.
A proper golf club carrying bag can also improve your game at home by keeping all of your clubs organized. As you trek around the golf course setting your personal records, you will likely need to switch clubs many times throughout the course of the game. Get all of your golf courses into one bag that will not only protect them from any hazards that might arise, but will also keep them in a neat and organized fashion. You will quickly get used to the way they are laid out, and be able to switch one club out for another in a matter of seconds. The golf club bag will also protect your clubs in the unlikely event of some sort of crash.
Golf club bags are very helpful if you carry a lot of other gear around with you during your golfing expeditions. Most of them come with other pockets and sections besides the main one where the golf clubs go. You can use these for water bottles, extra golf balls, cues, first aid kits, or any other things that you wish to bring along with you to ensure for a happier and smoother game. If you have something specific in mind that you would like to bring along, check out the bag beforehand to make sure that the item will fit. Look for golf bags that will fit your items, not items that will fit your golf bag.
As you can see, having a golf bag is much preferable to simply tossing all of your golf clubs somewhere where they could suffer all sorts of horrible fates. Therefore if you do not already have a golf club bag, you should go out as soon as possible and begin searching for one. They are very cheap compared to the actual golf clubs that they will be housing, so thereís no reason not to get one.
How to Play a Par 5 Hole the Right Way
On every par 5 hole a par is there for the taking if you think your way down the fairway and give every shot a purpose. Think of these holes as long par 4s with a free extra shot.
First, make your plan for the entire hole before you tee off. Too many golfers just hit the ball and deal with what they have left as they go along. Develop a better plan than that.
For example, most par 5s measure less than 500 yards from the white tees. If you don't have the length to reach the green in two, you can play three easy shots of 200 yards, 175 yards, and 125 yards to get you those 500 yards. That's a 3-wood, a 3- or 4-hybrid, and a 9-iron. Simple.
Second, make sure you get your tee shot in the fairway. Tee off with the longest club that you feel confident will get that done. This might not always be your driver. A fairway wood might be a better choice because it gives you a reasonable amount of distance and you can hit it straighter. As a rule, save your driver for when you absolutely need the distance it gives you. If you're not going for the green in two, you don't need a driver's distance unless the hole is a really long one.
The second shot is the key to getting your par, because it sets up your approach. Figure out the spot from where you want to hit your third shot into the green, and hit your second shot to that spot. Don't just try to eat up yards with your second. Play it to a spot. Hitting an iron instead of a fairway wood makes so much sense. There's nothing to be gained by hitting a fairway wood for the second shot unless you know you can get on the green with it.
Aim your third shot into the green for halfway between the pin and the center of the green. Give yourself lots of room for error. All you want to do here is make sure your next shot is a putt, at a reasonable distance from the pin.
Finally, start paying attention to which shots you normally use to play into the green on par 5s--9-iron, 75-yard pitch, etc.--and get very good at those shots. That's how you secure your par, and on occasion, give yourself a good birdie chance.
Bob Jones is dedicated to showing recreational golfers the little things that anyone can install in their swing and game, that make a big difference in how well they play. For more FREE golf tips, and Bob's complete guide to playing good recreational golf, go to http://www.therecreationalgolfer.com/books.html
First, make your plan for the entire hole before you tee off. Too many golfers just hit the ball and deal with what they have left as they go along. Develop a better plan than that.
For example, most par 5s measure less than 500 yards from the white tees. If you don't have the length to reach the green in two, you can play three easy shots of 200 yards, 175 yards, and 125 yards to get you those 500 yards. That's a 3-wood, a 3- or 4-hybrid, and a 9-iron. Simple.
Second, make sure you get your tee shot in the fairway. Tee off with the longest club that you feel confident will get that done. This might not always be your driver. A fairway wood might be a better choice because it gives you a reasonable amount of distance and you can hit it straighter. As a rule, save your driver for when you absolutely need the distance it gives you. If you're not going for the green in two, you don't need a driver's distance unless the hole is a really long one.
The second shot is the key to getting your par, because it sets up your approach. Figure out the spot from where you want to hit your third shot into the green, and hit your second shot to that spot. Don't just try to eat up yards with your second. Play it to a spot. Hitting an iron instead of a fairway wood makes so much sense. There's nothing to be gained by hitting a fairway wood for the second shot unless you know you can get on the green with it.
Aim your third shot into the green for halfway between the pin and the center of the green. Give yourself lots of room for error. All you want to do here is make sure your next shot is a putt, at a reasonable distance from the pin.
Finally, start paying attention to which shots you normally use to play into the green on par 5s--9-iron, 75-yard pitch, etc.--and get very good at those shots. That's how you secure your par, and on occasion, give yourself a good birdie chance.
Bob Jones is dedicated to showing recreational golfers the little things that anyone can install in their swing and game, that make a big difference in how well they play. For more FREE golf tips, and Bob's complete guide to playing good recreational golf, go to http://www.therecreationalgolfer.com/books.html
Approach Putting
As much as we would like our first putt to be from six feet away or closer, most of the time we begin putting from twenty feet or more. That brings the three-putt green into play. Three principles of approach putting take it out of play.
Three-putt greens are caused in the main by leaving the approach putt too far away from the hole, not because of poor aim. Putts that roll five feet past the hole often miss the hole by only a few inches. First principle: it's speed, not line.
Develop a feel for speed by rolling the ball with your right hand (left hand, if you play left-handed). Once you have the feel for a particular distance, hit some putts from there with the same feeling in your hand. I tried this with my 9-year-old grandson one day at the executive course. It took him about four holes to get it, but when he did, his approach putting got scary good.
Your feel for distance matters only if you hit the ball consistently. By that I mean do you hit the ball on the same spot of the putterface every time, the sweet spot. Second principle: hit the sweet spot. Miss the sweet spot, and some of the energy of the stroke is used to rotate the putterhead. The ball won't roll as far.
Find the sweet spot on your putter by laying a board on the ground. Put the toe of the putter against the board. Now place a golf ball on the ground so it touches the putter right in front of the manufacturer's center line mark, or one you drew with a felt pen
Slide the putter back and forth against the board as you hit the ball. When you hit the ball on the sweet spot, you won't feel the contact at all, the ball will shoot off the face of the club, and you'll hear a distinct sound. You might have to adjust the position of the ball a few times to find it.
Most golfers read the green and pay attention to what's happening near the ball. That's backwards. Third principle: pay attention to the slope around the cup.
Since the ball will be traveling slowly when it gets near the cup, slope will have a great affect on it. It's not unusual for there to be a slope on one side of the hole and a flat spot on the other. The slope could easily carry the ball six feet away. Aim for the flat spot. But you'll only know it's there if you walked up and looked for it.
Develop a feel for speed by rolling the ball with your right hand (left hand, if you play left-handed). Once you have the feel for a particular distance, hit some putts from there with the same feeling in your hand. I tried this with my 9-year-old grandson one day at the executive course. It took him about four holes to get it, but when he did, his approach putting got scary good.
Your feel for distance matters only if you hit the ball consistently. By that I mean do you hit the ball on the same spot of the putterface every time, the sweet spot. Second principle: hit the sweet spot. Miss the sweet spot, and some of the energy of the stroke is used to rotate the putterhead. The ball won't roll as far.
Find the sweet spot on your putter by laying a board on the ground. Put the toe of the putter against the board. Now place a golf ball on the ground so it touches the putter right in front of the manufacturer's center line mark, or one you drew with a felt pen
Slide the putter back and forth against the board as you hit the ball. When you hit the ball on the sweet spot, you won't feel the contact at all, the ball will shoot off the face of the club, and you'll hear a distinct sound. You might have to adjust the position of the ball a few times to find it.
Most golfers read the green and pay attention to what's happening near the ball. That's backwards. Third principle: pay attention to the slope around the cup.
Since the ball will be traveling slowly when it gets near the cup, slope will have a great affect on it. It's not unusual for there to be a slope on one side of the hole and a flat spot on the other. The slope could easily carry the ball six feet away. Aim for the flat spot. But you'll only know it's there if you walked up and looked for it.
Good approach putting takes practice. Practice the right things, the three principles I mentioned, and you'll always leave the ball where you have an easy second putt, you'll avoid three-putt greens, and occasionally the first putt will go in!
Bob Jones is dedicated to showing recreational golfers the little things, that anyone can install in their swing and game, that make a big difference in how they play. See more at www.bettergolfbook.com. See Bob's blog at http://recgolfer.blogspot.com
Bob Jones is dedicated to showing recreational golfers the little things, that anyone can install in their swing and game, that make a big difference in how they play. See more at www.bettergolfbook.com. See Bob's blog at http://recgolfer.blogspot.com
Quick Improvement the Easy Way
No matter what your usual score is, you can improve it in a matter of weeks. I mean that. You'll be able to count on your best shot coming out each time you swing, getting those short shots on the green the first time, and getting the ball into the hole in two putts. It takes practice, and all of it can be done at home.
Practice only counts, though, if you're practicing the right things. Go get a lesson on your swing. Maybe two lessons. Learn what it takes for you to hit the ball straight, then go practice those things thousands of times, like this.
Go to your back yard and swing twenty times, with, say, a 7-iron. No ball, just swing. Then swing twenty more times, but with your left hand only. This strengthens that side of your body and teaches your left arm how to move. Then swing twenty more times with both hands on the club.
Now make twenty swings with the right hand only. Follow that set with twenty swings with both hands, but with your heels together. This is an old exercise that teaches your upper body how to move and how to keep your balance during the swing.
Finish up with twenty normal, two-handed swings. There. That's 120 swings, and it took you only fifteen minutes at most. If you were to do that every day, you would make about 3,600 swings in a month. Your swing would get good.
Once a week, go to the range and do this exercise, hitting a ball every tenth swing, but no more often. It's a swing drill. If you hit one you don't like? Let it go and stick to the drill.
Putting? This is just as easy. Get ten or so golf balls and putt at a target maybe two feet away. Work on having a smooth stroke and hitting the sweet spot on the blade. This is the spot where you feel no impact and the ball just shoots right off.
Go to your back yard and swing twenty times, with, say, a 7-iron. No ball, just swing. Then swing twenty more times, but with your left hand only. This strengthens that side of your body and teaches your left arm how to move. Then swing twenty more times with both hands on the club.
Now make twenty swings with the right hand only. Follow that set with twenty swings with both hands, but with your heels together. This is an old exercise that teaches your upper body how to move and how to keep your balance during the swing.
Finish up with twenty normal, two-handed swings. There. That's 120 swings, and it took you only fifteen minutes at most. If you were to do that every day, you would make about 3,600 swings in a month. Your swing would get good.
Once a week, go to the range and do this exercise, hitting a ball every tenth swing, but no more often. It's a swing drill. If you hit one you don't like? Let it go and stick to the drill.
Putting? This is just as easy. Get ten or so golf balls and putt at a target maybe two feet away. Work on having a smooth stroke and hitting the sweet spot on the blade. This is the spot where you feel no impact and the ball just shoots right off.
After a few rounds of two-footers, try some three-footers. Now put a secure backstop behind the target you're putting for, and hit a few putts that would go 30 or 40 feet if you were on a putting green. The ball should roll directly over the target on its way to the backstop.
That's all the putting you need to do, and it took five minutes.
That's all the putting you need to do, and it took five minutes.
Short game is a little tricker, but keep that backstop up and chip some balls into it with a 6-iron. What you can learn off the carpet in the den is to chip the ball straight and make clean contact every time.
If you get some plastic practice balls, you can practice pitching. Hang a thick blanket over a curtain rod and hit the plastic balls into the blanket. As with chipping, you're practicing how to hit the ball straight and make clean contact. Five minutes would be all you need for the chipping and pitching combined.
In less than one half hour you have practiced the major skills that will help you play better golf. If you can that every day, you'll see results in a week, and a big improvement in two or three. Golfers who are pressed for time could alternate the swing drill on one day with the putting and short game practice on the other day.
But by all means, do something every day. As Ben Hogan said, "Every day you miss practicing is one day longer it takes you to get good."
Bob Jones is a golf researcher who can show you the reason why you don't strike the ball as consistently as you would like to. It's a little thing, and anyone learn to do it right, in just minutes, right at home. Find out what it is in this FREE download at www.therecreationalgolfer.com
If you get some plastic practice balls, you can practice pitching. Hang a thick blanket over a curtain rod and hit the plastic balls into the blanket. As with chipping, you're practicing how to hit the ball straight and make clean contact. Five minutes would be all you need for the chipping and pitching combined.
In less than one half hour you have practiced the major skills that will help you play better golf. If you can that every day, you'll see results in a week, and a big improvement in two or three. Golfers who are pressed for time could alternate the swing drill on one day with the putting and short game practice on the other day.
But by all means, do something every day. As Ben Hogan said, "Every day you miss practicing is one day longer it takes you to get good."
Bob Jones is a golf researcher who can show you the reason why you don't strike the ball as consistently as you would like to. It's a little thing, and anyone learn to do it right, in just minutes, right at home. Find out what it is in this FREE download at www.therecreationalgolfer.com
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