All golfers want to hit their tee shots as far and as straight as they can.  For many, this is where the most enjoyment playing the game is found. There’s nothing more satisfying than crushing a drive down the middle of the fairway.  I encourage you then to be aware of the following five keys
when it comes to hitting your driver farther.  Practice diligently and apply it effectively in order to increase your distance off the tee.  It will make the game more fun and you will likely shoot lower scores.  Good luck!

Fundamentals First

Sound set-up fundamentals (grip, stance, ball position, posture and alignment) is the foundation for developing the ideal distance-garnering combination – your maximum clubhead speed through impact along with a relatively square face angle. Understand and respect this. Do your utmost to ensure that you are in an orthodox starting position before you swing. Any errors here will likely manifest themselves by slowing you down and getting the clubface away from being square at the moment of truth – when you strike the ball.

Tilt your Spine to get Behind the Ball, the Reverse “K”

Tilt your spine into the Reverse “K” position. This positioning readies the body to create speed and encourages ideal club delivery possibilities. This is a classic long driver’s set-up.

Set up a Strong Triangle

Establish a preswing set up where a pronounced triangle is evident – positioning of arms and shoulders. The triangle is the strongest geometric shape. This position enables you to be as powerful and consistent as possible when striking golf shots.

Make the Shaft “Sing” through the Hitting Zone

Practicing by swinging your driver upside down – holding onto the shaft and swinging the grip without a ball present. You’re endeavouring to make
the shaft “sing,” creating as much shaft noise or “singing” through the hitting zone as possible. This provides immediate feedback on the amount of clubhead speed being generated as well as where the “singing” is happening relative to where the ball would be during the swing. Then turn your club into the normal position and try to make the shaft sing as intensely as you can through impact when hitting a ball. This drill is designed to create clubhead speed awareness and improvement. Try it. It works!

Finish in Balance, Let the Club Pull you all the way through

I encourage players to be able to stomp on an imaginary soft drink can underneath their back foot at the completion of their swing. Check yourself to see if you are finishing your swing all the way. Can you stomp on a can at the end of your swing?

Source Henry Brunton

2 Ball worst ball Challenge

Set up a 9 hole course.  The shots should be from various lies, lengths and utilise a range of clubs.  At each station hit 2 balls (you can change clubs), once you have hit the two balls pick the worst shot and finish out the hole.  Keep your score and complete the course 2 times.  See if you can improve the second time around.

Repeat at training to challenge yourself, your imagination, and creativity and improve your skills with a range of clubs.

Hit 2 balls.

Set up 2 golf balls side by side and then walk in to your putting set up with the putter head behind both balls as if you are going to hit them both at the same time.  Pick a distance it can be long or short and create a putting stroke relative to that distance.  Your goal is to hit both balls at once and see if the balls travel a similar distance.  Watch what happens.  Does one travel further than the other, if so which one.  If the ball that was closest to the heel of your putter face travelled further then your putter face was open at impact imparting side spin and backspin on the ball.  If the ball closest to the toe of your putter face travelled further then your putter face was slightly closed at impact.  This would be the preferred outcome.  It indicates that you are creating side and top spin on the ball which will keep the ball on line and rolling more smoothly.

Ideally the balls would roll a similar distance for long and short putts confirming that your putter face is neutral to the path.

Try this drill for a variety of length putts; the outcome could be different from one length to another.

Flexibility has been singled out as one of the most important components of the golf swing. Any time you have tight muscles your body responds in restricted movement. So, optimal flexibility becomes the key to freedom of movement in the swing. Any time you can enhance your flexibility, you have the potential to lengthen your golf swing and create greater club head speed. A golfer’s focus should always be on restoring normal range of motion before progressing onto more advanced strength programs.

Dynamic stretches are highly recommended prior to each round of golf. Dynamic stretches are those that keep your body in motion throughout the full range of the stretch. It should not be a time consuming process. It should only take 10 or 15 minutes of your time and should be part of a full warm up program you perform prior to play. This includes time to warm up your muscles, practice your technique and mentally prepare yourself for the round ahead.

The ultimate goal is to increase the functional range of motion around the joints affecting the golf swing. Limited range of motion contributes to improper mechanics, fatigue, and injury. Here is a comprehensive list of benefits you’ll see by increasing your flexibility through a regular stretching program.

• Increases range of motion allowing you to stretch and reach further
• Improves distance, power, accuracy and consistency
• Reduces the incidence and severity of low back pain
• Improves your power in explosive activities
• Improves circulation and blood flow
• Relieves muscle soreness after intense physical activity
• Improves posture and muscle balance
• Increases muscle coordination
• Promotes a more fluid and natural golf swing
• Increases neuromuscular coordination Increases level of golf performance
• Allows you to feel more free through the full range of movement

Source Susan Hill

Australian golf has a new number 1. For the first time since Australian Golf Digest started publishing a Top 100 ranking of golf courses in the 1980s, the West Course at Royal Melbourne has topped the biennial list. Until 2010 every previous ranking compiled by this magazine had featured the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne in top spot. Last time it was the sublime Kingston Heath that instead took first place. While the accolade was fully deserved, it was an honour that even the most passionate Kingston Heath member must have accepted was only temporary.

This is a variation of the game that Eben Dennis talks about in his Power Feel Golf Book. The game was invented by the late Ted Ball and is called “Cuts and Scrapes”. Try it and it will definitely help your mental game and lower your scores.

The game is designed to credit anything positive about your shots and your routine, so that becomes the focus. The more positive thoughts you have, the more you will suppress the negatives which is what we need to do for better performance. It is designed to teach you to focus on the process of hitting the shot at hand and to get you to stay in the present, instead of thinking about your total score.

There are two versions of the game:

It’s club championship time shortly. It’s an exciting time for many but it can also be a nerve-wracking experience that, for many players, ends in disappointment.  A lot of golfers perform far below their potential and expectations in the club championship because they’re not as prepared as they could be.  They don’t arrive on the first tee with as much confidence as they should.  Also, many golfers aren’t sure how to be their own best coach – how to effectively execute shots and a sound game plan under tournament pressure.

1.Plan ahead.  Give yourself the necessary practice and playing time to prepare for the club championship. Be clear on your preparation for this event at least three weeks prior – write it down. Block your calendar and plan sufficient practice time and pre-event rounds.

2.Practice effectively. Good performance in tournament golf is largely attributable to consistent tee shot execution: minimal errors and penalty strokes, high percentage putting conversions in the 4-10 foot range, and sound wedge play. Spend a high percentage of your pre-event practice time and effort on these skills to build competence and confidence.

3.Hole out in casual rounds don’t fall into the trap of not holing your short putts in casual rounds before the club championship.  The habit of accepting “gimmies” – short putts in the 2-5 foot range – is common place.  Expect to be nervous and miss a lot more of these critical length putts in competition if you don’t practice holing them out in your regular social rounds.  If the putts are in fact that easy, then putt them in the hole.

4.Coaching check a week or two before the event it is a good idea to have a coaching session with your Professional – not a technical session but rather a session on key scoring skills and to discuss your game plan and execution strategies.  Tap into your professional’s experience and expertise.

5.Set realistic goals in sports, less than 10 per cent of participants can expect “career” performances in major events.  Preparing your best beforehand makes this highly probable.  Know your skill and performance level, for example, a typical 12 handicap may likely have a 79-85 scoring range. Set up a game plan and shot strategies that are in alignment with your range.  Don’t try to play a game that you don’t have.  Don’t force shots – let the magic happen!

6.Create a written game plan.  Write down how you plan to play each hole. Know your tendencies and where you feel the most confident and the most vulnerable on the course. Be appropriately aggressive and don’t be shy to play cautious on holes that are potential blow-ups for you. your plan should be focused on enabling you to hit as many greens in regulation as possible and planning for the most probable up and down conversion spots when you miss greens.

7.Focus on deep breathing to get relaxed over your shots.   When golfers peak perform they are in a calm and relaxed state over the ball.  Focus your energy and attention on using your breathing.  Here’s a technique.  Breath-in deeply through an imaginary straw and completely empty your lungs when you exhale; soften your body tension and lower your mental tension when you are over the ball. as the great George Knudson said, “don’t play golf to relax – relax to play great golf.”

8.Think the “right” stuff.  Players perform their best in competition when they engage the right side of their brain – this is where the athlete lives.  Right brain thoughts are “external” on the target, tempo, desired flight and simple performance cues like “full back and through” or “smooth roll.”  Be careful not to play “golf swing” in competition: this can be a deadly performance buster – it is left-brained thinking on technique or a “to do” list.  Leave this thinking on the practice tee.

9.See yourself succeeding.  Visualize and imagine yourself executing your game plan – escaping from trouble and hitting good shots.  Winners see themselves winning before they begin.  Moe Norman always said that Jack nicklaus had the Green Jacket on his breakfast plate on Thursday before the first round of the masters.

“Players perform their best in competition when they engage the right side of their brain – this is where the athlete lives.”

10.Just play, enjoy the opportunity to compete and challenge yourself. expect some mistakes and deal with poor shots.  Don’t make the tournament bigger than it is.  Your identity and personal self-concept are not related to your golf score in the club championship. Smile and have fun!

Source Henry Brunton

You can, however, practice concentrating your mind, or mindfulness. Why? Well, when you play well, you probably notice a quiet calmness comes over your mind. Sure, you are swinging the golf club well, but your mind is also very focused.

Would it be worth practicing taking your mind into more focused states? Continue Reading→

The players who get it done in the wind are the ones who don’t try to fight it. They don’t swing harder or moan about bad luck. They focus on hitting the ball solidly, because a solid shot will fly true in a pretty stiff breeze, but a weak shot is hopeless.

Let’s focus on playing into the wind, because that’s the shot that gets most golfers. Obviously, you want to keep the ball low to neutralize the conditions. Best advice? Take a couple extra clubs, and swing at 75 percent. Fast swings create more backspin and send the ball higher, so resist the urge to smash it.

Play the ball an inch farther back than normal in your stance, and squat a little at address for stability. Then make a three-quarter swing, and try to stay more “on top of” the ball. Feel like your nose is ahead of the ball at impact, and your right hip and shoulder stay high through the strike. You’re hitting down on it, trapping it against the turf.

Last point: Wind in your face will exaggerate any curve. If you play a draw or fade, give the ball more room to turn. But don’t forget my big key: Take more club, and go easier.

Source Butch Harmon Golf Digest

Good footwork deserves more attention than it gets, because it’s what puts you in the best position to deliver the club consistently for solid contact.

You should feel the weight transfer in your swing in terms of load on your feet–not just the back or front foot, but where on each foot that weight is falling. It starts with a 50-50 distribution across your two feet at address, with the weight concentrated on the balls of your feet–not the heels.

As you swing back, your weight should transfer to roughly 65 percent on your back foot, specifically on the inside arch area. The first thing you should feel on the downswing is a slight left-hip bump to shift weight from the arch of your back foot to the base of the big toe on your front foot. This move will help you set the club on the correct inside path and prevent the common over-the-top sequencing problem many players fight. Swinging down and through to a full finish–where 90 percent of your weight is on your front foot–will help you make solid ball-turf contact instead of striking the ground too early.

Source Hank Haney Golf Digest