Golf Tips - The Importance of Shoulder and Foot Alignment

In my earlier article I talked about foot alignment and being square to the target. I mentioned the 3 basic stances, but focused on the square stance. In this article I will discuss the open and closed stance in detail, explaining when and how to use them. Also, we must not forget how important our shoulder alignment and the role they play in a golf swing.

The shoulders play the same role as our feet in aligning the ball to the target. If alignment between our feet and shoulders are different, we will never be able to get the ball to the target. Being square to the target (parallel to target line) allows us to aim straight at the target.

The target line is like the scope of a rifle. An imaginary line you draw through the ball towards the target is the target line (ball flight). Think off a rifle, if the barrel is point at the target, but the cross hairs are miss-aligned to the barrel, you'll never hit the target. They both have to point at the target to get the bullet to go straight. It's the same cause and effect between your feet and shoulders.

The square stance is the alignment we use 99.9% of the time. This is the only alignment that will allow you to hit a straight shot. However, there is a time when we need to adjust our stance for the lay of the land or a desired shot shape. These are the open and closed stances.

For the average golfer an open or closed stance is helpful when the ball is above or below your feet.

An open stance is when you take your left foot (right-handed golfer), from parallel and bring it back 1-2 inches. When the ball is above your feet (on a up-slope lie) the shot shape is a natural draw/hook shot shape. To control the flight of your ball and allow a straighter shot, take an open stance, to compensate for the lie. This gives you more control and the ability to aim at the target without guessing on how much of a draw/hook the lie will give you.

A closed stance is just the opposite. It is when you bring back your right foot from parallel and the ball is below your feet. A downhill lie will cause the ball to fade/slice to the right, this will again compensate for the lie.

It gets a little confusing to the average golfer, to meet these compensating stances, because it goes against the basics. When you first take your stance take a square stance to target. Then dropping your foot (only), while keeping your shoulders square to the target is how it works.

To further compensate we aim a little left or right of the target, depending on the lie. But we still aim and how do we aim, by being square to the target.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7745981

Golf Tips - How to Hit Out of a Sand Trap

Hitting out of the sand trap takes a lot of practice to master and there is a proper way to do this. There is something you might have heard of called the five dollar drill. If not I will explain in this article. I will also discuss how stances, posture and weight distribution is different. Also how the hands may play a different role, as well.

When we learn about swinging a golf club, we get taught about balance and proper posture. When playing a sand shot these basics early teachings change. In balance means to have our weight evenly distributed between both feet and when we swing the club, we load our weight on our back foot (hip) to generate our power.

When we play a sand shot this fundamentally changes and we stack are weight on the front foot. By this I mean we lean forward shifting our whole body and weight ahead of the ball. This will allow us to really come down on the ball to grab the sand and make a good shot. It is the sand that will force the ball out of the trap, not the club face. The less sand we take the more distance the ball will travel, in turn, the more sand we take, the shorter the distance is. But you need to understand it is the sand not the club face that does the job.

For fairway traps it is a little different, we want to take our normal stance and swing. The trick here is to choke up on the club and take as little sand as possible. Pick the ball clean is the saying in golf.

Around the green is where we want the sand to make our shot and this is where we think of the five dollar bill drill. Take a five dollar bill or a piece of paper cut to similar length and place it in the sand. The size of the bill is the size of the impression we leave in the trap after we swing.

Now, how much sand we take to go the different distances required around the green is a trial and error drill. Go to a practice facility with a sand trap and just experiment. This is one shot in golf (like putting) you need to get a feel for through practice. The basic set-up is all one can give you and some guide lines. Just remember to take a little wider stance and set your feet. Then shift your knees forward getting your weight up front, make sure your hands are ahead of the ball as well.

This is the tricky part, don't quit on your swing. Take a full swing, commit to it and learn to trust the sand to do its job. I'm sure we all have had rocket balls out of the sand,that is why we must practice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7788626

Perfect Golf Swing - the Simple Golf Swing Review

Does dropping your handicap by AT LEAST 7 strokes in a week sound impossible? This downloadable e-book, The Simple Golf Swing by David Nevogt, guarantees to do so. I thought this might me a load of crap at first, but I was pleasantly surprised.

So what makes The Simple Golf Swing so different from other books?

The Simple Golf Swing is about using the spine as an axis to promote consistency and to keep you on the correct swing plane. You'll learn the correct hand action so that you can add distance to every shot. You'll learn the correct timing to get straight ball flight, and consistent direction. You get a step-by-step guide on the full swing, a step-by-step guide on the short game, a mental guide, and personal coaching to make all of this happen quickly and easily.

Some of the things that you will learn:

• Unique setup
• Grip
• Timing Drill
• Alignment Drill
• Backswing (2 unique steps)
• Downswing (1 unique step)
• Follow through (1 unique step)

You will be able to learn and embrace each of these steps quickly. They are each crucial to lowering your handicap and making solid impact with the ball. The Simple Golf Swing will teach you a controlled swing. The advantage of a controlled swing is that you will be able to increase or decrease your swing speed, according to the current situation, and yardage variances.Whether you are hitting a driver or a nine iron, you can put the exact same swing on the ball and know that you are going to make solid contact with the ball. Consistency is the goal with The Simple Golf Swing, and that's why you will benefit from it.

The Simple Golf Swing is also different because it was built for the Bogey + golfer. It's developed for the majority of golfers; the golfers who want to break 80, 85, or 90. It brakes down the golf swing, and builds it from the bottom up so that the average golfer now has a solid reference point for every component of the golf swing.

What you really gain from The Simple Golf Swing:

• You will find a step-by-step guide with detailed photos that will teach you the correct way to grip the club. Instructions for the interlocking and the overlapping grip are included. This will let you experiment to see what works best for YOU.
• Learn a method to check that you grip the club in the same manner for every shot to promote consistency.
• Learn a detailed procedure that will ensure that your grip promotes straight ball flight, and not a hook or a slice.
• Learn a secret on how to align the club face so that you don't push the ball right.
• Discover an easy method to hit more greens.
• Learn the revolutionary setup. "The Simple Golf Swing" setup allows you to swing around your spine. The key is to limit the amount of horizontal and vertical body movement during the swing. This setup will automatically give you the correct swing plane that promotes consistency and power. It's given to you in a step-by-step procedure that is easy to remember on the course.
• Discover the easiest way to make perfect impact with the ball on every shot.
• You may have heard of the one-piece takeaway. Learn the method that will help you master this move, and keep your swing connected. This is the most beneficial part of the system. It provides consistency, and gives you a controlled swing that results in increased distance.
• Learn how to get to the top of your backswing, and how to get into the same position for every shot. "The Simple Golf Swing" teaches you a method that promotes an inside-out swing that you can use to automatically hit the fairway.
• Learn where to stop your backswing. A short backswing promotes consistency, and increased distance.
• Discover the distance secret that many instructors don't even address because it's so hard to teach. Here's a hint: Hand Action that can increase your swing speed by 10 mph.

The Simple Golf Swing really impressed me so much that I purchased their new apprentice program which works wonders on your golf game. Start off with the book first to see if it works for you. It's risk free with the guarantee. You also get a free sample chapter of The Simple Golf Swing that the site gives you which is very informative. After reading and applying the techniques in the book consider checking out their apprentice program. You won't be sorry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1247409