BY ROBERT PARTAIN

No one likes to hit a slicing ball, unless, of course, it is a part of your shot plan. Generally, though, we don’t like them. A slice is usually a weak shot that ends up right of your target, which is all too common among amateur golfers, and many old pros too. Some of the more common causes for a slice are:

A Weak Grip — A weak grip is when your hands are turned to the left (if you are a right-handed golfer) so that the “V’s” formed by the thumb and forefinger point at, or to, the left of your chin. When this happens, the club is too much “in” your palms, so to speak, which makes it very hard to square the clubface at impact.

So, how do you fix that?

You should start by strengthening your grip. You can do this by turning your hands so the “V’s” point to the right of your chin. If you are new to golf, this may feel a bit awkward, but it’s important that you do it and get comfortable with the feel. You can confirm the right position simply by holding the club while looking in a mirror.

Another reason for a slice could be your grip is too tight. Having too tight of a grip will restrict your movement when you swing. It makes it harder to release the club through impact (right arm over left arm for the right-handed golfers), which usually leaves the clubface open and the ball ending up way right of your target.

Fixing it: A good way to judge if your grip is too tight is to take your normal stance, and using your “normal” grip, hold your club straight out in front of you, and have someone try to pull the club out of your hands. They should almost be able to pull it away from you. If they can’t, you’re holding the club too tight.

The last of the more common reasons for a slice is a cupped left wrist. With too much of a cupped left wrist (right-handed golfers) you leave yourself open for trouble. Normally, what you will end up doing is trying to correct this flaw with an over-the-top swing as you try square the clubface just before impact. On the backswing, the ideal left wrist position is slightly cupped at the top, but not majorly cupped.

One way to fix this is to stick a pencil in your golf glove (on the back of your hand where the glove logo would be) and swing slowly like this; it’s nearly impossible to have a cupped wrist or else the pencil will dig into your arm. If you feel it digging in, then “loosen” the wrist until it doesn’t anymore. Then try to remember how this new position feels to you. You’ll want to repeat (mimic) this from now on.

Try these if you have a slice problem, and you’ll be on your way to straighter shots and more enjoyable golf.

Robert Partain has been an avid golfer for over 40 years. He publishes a golf blog that is updated 4 times a week with golf tips, techniques, and information.

BY TIM GORMAN

One of the most important golf swing fundamentals is to make sure that your shoulder turns correctly and in alignment with your golf ball. Many people concentrate on the back swing and follow through keeping their shoulders in the right direction, and the act of moving smoothly and correctly is not always thought to be as significant as it really is. Keeping your swing smooth and flowing means that the power can be transferred much more easily and accurately from the head of the golf club to the ball. This is one of the most important golf swing fundamentals to learn and one that is often overlooked by beginning golfers.

Another one of the more important golf swing fundamentals is also one of the most obvious. You need to keep your head straight and look at the ball throughout the swing. In order to successfully achieve this allow your head to sit in a normal position parallel to the ground and do not try to keep your head into your chest in the hope that this will keep you all eyes on the ball. The more natural and relaxed your head position is the more likely you will be to keep your head looking downwards towards the ball for the entire stroke.

One of the most simple golf swing fundamentals is to make sure that you stay relaxed throughout the shot. This will prevent your body from tensing up and having less control over the accuracy of the swing and provide you with a greater control and accuracy of the golf shot. Taking several practice swings before your actual golf shot can help you to more easily achieve this relaxed state. Even if it is a relatively simple shot and you think that a few swings may be sufficient if you actually take several more practice swings you’ll find yourself a lot more relaxed when you take the final swing.

Learning to transfer your weight smoothly from one foot to the other in a smooth flowing manner can make a great deal of difference to your golf game. If there is any rigidity in your movements it can adversely affect your swing. As mentioned previously, by taking several practice swings you will find that the motion is much smoother and more natural flowing. Although you can spend a great deal of money on golf lessons and videos it is also worthwhile to spend a little time practicing some of the more basic golf swing fundamentals. This could greatly improve your game and make the lessons that you learn even more effective.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of the Golf Swing Improvement website where he provides more golf swing tips, putting tips and information on golf swing fundamentals that you can research in your pajamas.

BY RICK FLETCHER

While playing golf with my own three boys since they were 5 years old (they’re all teenagers now), I experienced my share of funny, sad and rewarding moments with them on the golf course. From watching them enjoy the thrill of hitting great shots to teaching them not to throw golf balls at each other, it’s been a wild, wonderful ride.

I’m really glad I discovered golf just as I was becoming a father for the first time, at the ripe old age of 31. Its been a fun way to spend time with my kids and help them learn how to cope with the successes and failures that inevitably occur during a round of golf. If I had it to do all over again, here are 15 recommendations I would make to those lucky enough to get the opportunity to go golfing with their kids.

1. Call ahead for the best times for juniors to play and special rates.
2. Take a camera to record the fun — digital pictures make great screensavers or wallpaper on home PCs!
3. Set up junior’s bag with balls, tees, ball markers and a water bottle.
4. On the way to the course, let your junior know you will be teeing off from the tee box, then they will tee off from a closer “kid’s tee” about 100 to 150 yards away from the green.
5. Get yourself in the right frame of mind for what is about to occur. Your child is depending on you to have an infinite amount of patience and understanding. It will be difficult to show either if you are carrying concerns about other “less fun” aspects of your life. Make a conscious effort to HAVE FUN by considering yourself to be the luckiest person on earth to get the opportunity to teach a great sport to a great kid in a great place. Of all the things to do on earth and places to be, what could be better?
6. Try to rent a cart to make it like Disneyland… kids LOVE to ride in golf carts!
7. Before your first tee shot, teach your junior how to wait until the one furthest from the green hits first and to never hit if anyone is in front of you. Demonstrate by standing to the side then standing ahead of them, so they get a clear picture of what you mean.
8. When you arrive at the “kid’s tee” location, let them tee up a ball and hit. It’s OK to give them two or three tries, remind them you are not keeping score and are just here to practice. Try to use “expendable” golf balls so if they go into the woods or lake it won’t be of much concern.
9. When you reach the green, let your junior know it is not OK to run on the greens. Also, remind them the “furthest away shoots first” rule still applies and to be still while other people are putting.
10. One of the more difficult concepts for kids to learn is how to avoid walking on other player’s putting lines, so don’t be surprised if you have to remind them several times. It’s best to show them how to draw invisible lines to each ball, and how easy it is to avoid walking on putting lines by walking around behind the other players.
11. Regardless of what they have seen on TV, it’s not OK to throw clubs or balls. It can happen, but a reminder about how you don’t like to play golf with people like that can go a long way.
12. Teach your junior how to consider those behind and that it’s OK to pick up in order to keep up (their place on the course is behind the group in front). You will have to use your judgment when to pick up on any given hole, but if you pay attention to the group behind and pick up when you see them waiting, everything should go smoothly. If there is no one behind the group behind you, it’s OK to step to the side of the fairway and wave them through.
13. When the ball goes into the water or into the woods, it’s best to look for a short time, take the drop and hit right away. Trying to keep up with the group ahead while teaching a child to play golf is tough enough without adding time to look for lost golf balls!
14. It’s OK to quit when attention fades or if things just aren’t going well. If you get off the course before the child gets too whiny or upset, the chances are much higher they will look forward to coming back.
15. On the way home from the course, ask your child what they liked about golfing and what they didn’t like. You may be surprised at their answers! Make plans to try to fix the things they didn’t like and do more of what they did like next time. After a few trips, you will be absolutely amazed at how automatic the little things will become and how you can then devote complete attention to enjoying the great game of golf together!

Rick Fletcher runs All Kids Golf Clubs, which provides high quality, unique junior golf products, built to fit right, so kids can have more fun playing the great game of golf!

BY ROBERT PARTAIN

Ever notice how many players neglect to practice the long putt? And then taking it one step further, how many players are “faced” with a long putt during their rounds? A long putt, in general, is any putt over 10 feet from the cup. Even the pros get a little antsy when they have to make a putt from this distance or beyond. There’s a good reason the pros (and we) get antsy at this distance — it’s because we usually miss the cup! And in some cases, we end up with the next putt being more difficult than the first.

But there are a couple of things we can do about this.

First, on a long putt the key factor is speed. Too hard and the ball will roll right on past the cup and who knows where it will stop. This is especially true if the green has any down slope on the far side of the cup.

The flip side of speed is that a ball that isn’t hit hard enough will die before it gets close to the hole. In this case, the player doesn’t even give himself a chance to sink the ball. Pure physics- — the ball has to at least reach the hole in order to fall into it.

A great little practice drill for improving speed is to get on the practice green and then putt a handful of balls to the furthest edge of the green. You’re trying to get as close to the fringe as possible without actually getting “on” the fringe. By putting to the fringe instead of to a cup, you’re focusing only on speed — there is no cup to distract you, only the far fringe.

Now another tip (and this one incorporates using the cup) is to play a little trick on your mind. Tell yourself, and believe it, that you don’t care if you sink the ball on your next long putt. All you want to do is get within 5 feet of the hole, and you’ll putt out from there. Forget the hole, just try to get within a five foot radius of the cup. Now, the trick of course, is you still aim for the cup, you still want this miracle putt to sink, but release the pressure from yourself. If it sinks, great! But if it stops within your five foot radius, well, that’s great too.

Try these tips on the practice green and then take them with you on the course. You’ll be pleased you did.

Robert Partain has been an avid golfer for over 40 years. He publishes a golf blog that is updated 4 times a week with golf tips, techniques, and information.

BY TERRY VERMEYLEN

Get a Golf Instructor today

We’ve all been coached by our friends who believe they play like Tiger Woods, and then proceed to wallop their ball into the next fairway, braining some poor soul. Or complete strangers give you well meaning advise in the middle of your swing. “Wiggle your waggle more!” We’ve heard it all. The very best advice I can give you is to ask around and find a good golf instructor. Whether it’s group lessons, private or Butch freaking Harmon himself, this is the single greatest investment you will make for your golf game.

I took eight group lessons for a measly $169 dollars and began to play in the 80s that season. A current back injury has stopped me from going for the 70s. Sometimes it takes only one tip from an instructor to make a gigantic difference. In my case it was to begin rotating my hips before my driver downswing. I drove the ball straight and true right away. I was happier than John Daly at Caesars Palace on a rainy day.

Get a putting aid

Putting means placing that little white orb in an annoyingly small hole from various distances and levels. If you don’t practice your putting then give up your dreams of being a great golfer. After my instructor gave me a few grip techniques I practiced my putting in my basement on a Mike Weir putting carpet. On the course that day I putted calmly, with confidence and of course gleefully trounced my friends. It doesn’t matter if it’s carpet, or a piece of felt, getting the feel for your putter will payoff big, big time on the course. Huge.

Practice your short and sand game

Ah, how we have all tried thrashing the crap out of a ball while perched precariously in a nasty sand trap, only to end up with hoots of laughter behind our back. After your Instructor has given you some basic instruction, go to a course, and before or after your game, practice your sand trap shots and chipping. It’s all about developing a feel and relaxed confidence for your game. There is nothing worse than heart tremors, clammy palms, and nerves like popcorn popping, to ruin your game. Get confident and calm down. Or bring beer in your cart.

1. Get a Golf Instructor now
2. Get a putting aid
3. Practice your short and sand game.

Terry Vermeylen is one of those rare people that is passionately driven to help others unlock their own barriers toward fulfillment, meaning and purpose. He is the founder of My Life Changes, an Internet value identification and goal setting enterprise.

BY MONICE DULCINEA

It is no secret that golf is one of the most popular games in the world today. It is favored by the business world for the overall skill that is involved in the game and the many things that it brings to the table. People are in love with the game and that means that you will find golf vacations on top of people’s lists the world over. The golf vacation package is rapidly becoming the number one type of vacation that people are seeking the world over.

For the US, there is little better than Florida when it comes to a golf vacation. Featuring some of the oldest and most difficult courses that can be found anywhere, Florida has long been a state where the top golfers of the world travel. If you make the trip at the right time of the year you may be able to catch some of the Pro tournaments that go on throughout the year. Take along a fair amount of money, as the courses tend to run high in the greens fees.

For the ultimate golf vacation you could travel to Europe. As a game, golf has grown in popularity in the past years for the Europeans and that means that there are some exciting courses available for even the most advanced player. You can expect to find a few masters on the links in Europe as it has become one the most popular destinations overall.

California is also a great spot for your next golf vacation. Because of the wonderful weather, the golf courses stay open year round. There is a whole host of great masters tournaments that come through the state and the greens fees are well below the normal range. There is a wide variety of difficulty levels for all to enjoy and some of the most breathtaking scenery that one could ever find.

Las Vegas is not one that you would think of normally for the golf vacation, but it’s now time to rethink that. One must remember that some of the world’s most powerful people reside in Las Vegas, and that means that they demand some of the best golf courses to foster their business deals locally.

Monice Dulcinea writes for fit4golf.net where you can find more information on golf vacations.

BY SEAN COCHRAN

We all know the clubface must be square at impact and the club releases thereafter. Generally speaking a large amount of golf swing mechanics center upon returning the clubface to square at impact. Additionally, the golf swing is a “total body” movement incorporating every joint in the body. In order for the clubface to be square at impact all of these joints must work in coordination to allow this to occur.

In relation to the body, specific muscles are very active in returning the clubface to square. One joint directly involved in the squaring of the clubface at impact with the golf ball is the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is a “ball and socket” joint allowing for the arms to move through a large range of motion. Review of the biomechanics of the golf swing, it becomes very evident the arms move through a large range of motion.

That being said, there are specific muscles involved in the rotation of the arms. Again, these are not the only muscles involved in squaring the clubface, but from an anatomical perspective, these muscles are active in the internal and external rotation of the arms during the golf swing.

Going back to squaring the clubface, internal and external rotation of the arms is required. To get a sense of internal and external rotation, simply stand up with your arms hanging at your sides. Rotate your hands inward and outward. This is a simple description of internal and external rotation of the arms. Now if you relate this movement to the golf swing you can see how the arms internally and externally rotate during the backswing, downswing, and follow through.

Certain muscles within the shoulder complex have a direct effect on internal rotation, external rotation, and stabilization of the shoulder complex in the golf swing. The muscles we are talking about are the rotator cuff muscles. Yes, the rotator cuff.

Not necessarily a group of muscles that go “hand-in-hand” with the golf swing and probably more thought of when we talk about baseball and pitching. Nevertheless, these muscles are active in the golf swing. The rotator cuff is a reference to four muscles in the shoulder complex. For those of you that love the science behind this stuff, the four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff are; supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

The rotator cuff has a couple primary functions when it comes to the shoulder complex. First off, they act to stabilize the shoulder capsule. The skeletal structure comprising the shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The “socket” part of this joint is very shallow. As a result the muscles of the rotator cuff in addition to muscles in the “back-side” of the shoulder assist in stabilizing the shoulder during movement. An over simplification would state these muscles assist in keeping the arm in the socket. If the rotator cuff muscles did not assist in stabilizing the shoulder, the arm would literally come out of the socket every time you swing a golf club.

Secondly, these four muscles are actively involved in elevating, internally, and externally rotating the arms. All of which are movements involved in the golf swing. Beginning in the take-away and completing with the follow through, the muscles of the rotator cuff are active in every phase of the golf swing. That being said, we know the muscles of the rotator cuff are under stress in every golf swing.

It is important to understand the muscles of the rotator cuff are very small. They are not big muscles such as your quadriceps or deltoids. They are very small muscles asked to perform a myriad of activities. As a result of the size and workloads placed upon these muscles. They can become fatigued quite easily. Once muscles become fatigued they begin to falter in performing their required activities. In addition once muscles are fatigued, they can easily become injured.

During my years on tour, I have never seen someone injure a cuff muscle from swinging a golf club. I have seen rotator cuff injuries impede a golf swing, and if you have ever injured a rotator cuff muscle you know how debilitating an injury it can be. The point being this: The rotator cuff muscles are actively involved in the golf swing. Injury to a rotator cuff muscle can be very debilitating to your golf swing or any activity for that case. Knowing what we know about the mechanics of the golf swing, the rotator cuff, functions of the rotator cuff, and how they affect the golf swing. This information invariably indicates to us it is necessary to keep the rotator cuff healthy and strong. How can one achieve this goal? Simply by adding a golf fitness program incorporating rotator cuff exercises.

Rotator cuff exercises will focus on these four muscles. These types of exercises will develop higher levels of strength and endurance within these muscles. This will assist in these muscles handling the workloads placed upon them during the golf swing or any athletic activity. So I strongly suggest, if you are an avid golfer or a weekend warrior, add some golf fitness and rotator cuff exercises to your training program. This will help keep you in the game and off the sidelines.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on his BioForceGolf website.

BY RICHARD C. MYERS

Golf is excellent exercise. It helps you strengthen and tone your arms and provides a good cardiovascular workout. But if can also induce injury if you’re not careful.

Golfers enjoy spending money on their game. They’ll think nothing of paying high greens fees at a “top” course or spending a couple of thousand dollars on a new set of superior clubs. But one thing that’s often overlooked is the importance of fitness to the game. Yet lack of basic fitness leads many golfers to report strained arm muscles, sore backs, sore shoulders and elbows.

Before setting out for your golf game, it’s important to warm up. That doesn’t mean swing your driver around for 5 to 10 minutes. It means approaching a game of golf in the same way you would a jog or walk. Start with some simple stretches to get the muscles limber, and then add some jumping jacks or a quick walk. If you’re inside, spend 5 minutes on the treadmill, and swing your arms while you do it.

In between games, there are many things you can do to strengthen your muscles and ultimately reduce injury. Experts recommend working out with weights 2 to 3 times a week. This will, of course, strengthen your muscles, but will also reduce the risk of injury. If the muscles are tight and toned, you’ll be less likely to suffer shoulder injury or elbow soreness.

Many golfers report sore backs after a day on the greens. You can reduce back pain by having a strong core. This term is a new one in fitness, but it basically means strengthening your back and abdominal muscles. This “core building,” fitness experts believe, helps people conduct their daily business with a minimum of discomfort (i.e., no sore back after a day of sitting or riding in a car). Building this core also helps the golfer because a day at the greens includes twisting, which uses both back and ab muscles. If untrained, they both can be sore at the end of a day of golf.

Richard Myers is a keen golfer and his websites Think and Reach Par and Golf for Leftys contains many free tips and great golfing advice plus training videos and DVDs to help you improve your swing and lower your score using some very simple exercises.

BY ANDREW McNAUGHT

Unlike a lot of the other aspects of the game of golf, putting technique can be a matter of personal preference. However, there are some fundamental aspects of the set up and stroke that all good putters adhere to. If you are struggling sinking those 10-footers then try practicing these simple tips:

1. Your grip should be reverse-overlap. In other words it will be the same as a normal overlapping grip except the left index finger lies over the right pinkie rather than the other way around.

2. Your eyes should be directly over the ball. You need to line up the ball with the hole and if your eyes are not over the ball then you cannot hope to line up properly. Try addressing the ball and taking another ball and dropping it from your right eye. It should land just behind the putter if your eye’s positioned correctly.

3. Ball position is also important and should be played off the left toe. Some players will have the ball more central, and this is fine if your upper body is leaned back behind the ball. Playing the ball from the right of the stance is a definite no-no unless you enjoy three-putting.

4. The club should be flat on the green or with the toe up. You must make sure not to have the heel off the ground.

5. Hands should be held high. This is to allow the left side to lead the putting stroke and ensure the club head does not move ahead of the left hand causing pushes and pulls.

6. Keep the club head low to the ground during the putting stroke. Lifting the club head too high will result in a tendency for the wrists to break and the hands becoming too involved in the stroke. Watch any good putter and you will see that their hands do not move independently but only as part of the movement of the arms and shoulders.

7. Have a pendulum motion. Think of the pendulum on a clock, it moves back and forward in an even, consistent movement. This tempo is exactly how your putting stroke should be. The backswing and through swing should be of the same distance and speed.

Like any other part of the game, perfecting putting requires lots of practice and it is important to be practicing good habits and techniques such as those I have described.

Andrew McNaught is a successful webmaster and keen golfer. His website Golf World Online helps golfers with swing drills and other tips to improve their games.

BY GEORGE STARK

Can you take anything from Tiger’s style of play to better your golf game when you go out with your buddies on the weekend?

Okay, lets face it, neither you nor I will ever be a Tiger Woods level caliber player. But that does not mean you can’t use Tiger Woods type tactics to improve your level of play. Using Tiger Woods as a model, here are the 5 tactics you need to employ right now to take your game to the next level ala Tiger Woods.

Tactic 1: Take chances from time to time on the course. Sometimes Tiger uses a club that does not fit the situation in order to get more distance so that his next shot can be done with more accuracy. You can do the same thing but you are going to have to be careful about going up or down too many club sizes. Stick with one up from your buddies and measure the results.

Tactic 2: Don’t get frustrated or disappointed about a bad shot. Tiger never lets a bad shot get him down. He just has a supreme confidence in himself that his next shot will make amends for his errant shot. As Tiger does you have to learn to just grind it out to the end. Just keep in your mind that every time you make a bad shot, your next shot will be better. Don’t become a victim of “badshotitis.”

Tactic 3: Never watch your competition. If you notice, Tiger never has any concern about his competition, he just plays. Whether he is playing with Els, Mickelson or Singh in the final round, he could care less. Tiger focuses only on his game and does not scoreboard watch. Therefore to get better and win more, you must concentrate on what you are doing on the course, not what your buddy is doing. Focus on beating the course, not your buddy or buddies and you will come out ahead. Tiger focuses on beating the course every time and not his competitors. That is the reason he is the number one golfer in the world, and by subscribing to this tactic you can be the number one golfer at your level.

Tactic 4: Understand the course you are playing. This is a unique skill that Tiger possesses in that he can adapt his golf game to the course he is playing at any given time. He expertly matches his skill set to the course he is playing as he did in this year’s British Open. As you will remember, Tiger never took his driver out of the bag and won handily. It’s called course management and you can do it too. All you have to do is study the course in which you are going to play. Notice what clubs work and what clubs don’t work for different ball positions. Don’t overplay or underplay the course. Use your brain and not your brawn. Pick the clubs that suit the course conditions and play intelligently.

Tactic 5: If you are ahead stay ahead. Tiger has never lost a tournament after being in the lead at the 54 hole mark. And you don’t ever have to lose the lead either in your weekend golf outings. Once you are comfortably ahead you can protect your lead by not taking foolish shots or shots that are way above your skill level. Remember, it’s all about winning and being able to puff your chest out in the clubhouse after the round is over. There is nothing worse then having one of your golf buddies tell you that “if you had not taken that ridiculous shot on 16 you could have easily won the golf pool.” So if you are ahead coming down the stretch, stay ahead by playing within yourself.

So there you have it golf buddies. Five tactics that Tiger Woods uses to vanquish his competitors and that you can now use on your next golf outing to beat your buddies. Happy golfing!

George Stark is a golf fanatic who writes extensively on golfing issues and events. If you want to fix your golf swing visit George’s website.