Everyone wants to lower their golf score and have a lower handicap. We all know how to accomplish this; you need to work on your short game. It's a fact that 40% of all shots on the golf course are made with your putter. By reducing the number of putts per round you will dramatically lower your score. How often have you added unnecessary strokes to your round by missing putts 4' and under? Truth is we all do it; most putts are missed from this range. An indoor putting green is the perfect tool to cut strokes from your game. The surface has to be non-directional to simulate a real green. There are a few different styles to choose from.
The portable type: These measure about 18" x 72", can be rolled up and transported very easy, from room to room, outside to a deck and just about anywhere. This style makes a great addition to a game room and can be purchased with your favorite NFL or NCAA team logo on it.
The stationary type: These can be purchased in different sizes, whatever fits your needs. Some of these greens you can chip to from an additional chipping mat. With this style you need a lot more area to set them up and get the added benefit of chipping as well as working on your putting.
Have some fun with your putting green, at cookouts, parties, holiday and other home occasions. You can have a little putting competition your friends and family, most guys and gals will enjoy it and it's a great way to pass time and work on your putting stroke.
Have a competition with your son or daughter. This will help your game and you get to spend quality time with your kids. and what could be better than that?
Everybody likes to play miniature golf, with some putting greens, they have the flexibility to change the hole locations and the positions, not as many as a miniature golf course but the putting surface will be more authentic.
Here are some putting tips to make sure you are practicing correctly on your indoor putting green and make those putts from 3' to 6'.
For many golfers, the 6' putt can be quite difficult in a match or good round of golf. One fault you may have is a over powering right hand (for right handed putters) which can lead to flipping the putter head, causing the putt to be pulled left of your target line.
To correct this maintain the angle formed by the back of your right hand and wrist throughout the putting stroke. First take a few practice strokes holding the putter with your right hand only, notice the angle formed by your right hand. Now with both hands on the putter, again take a few practice strokes starting your putting motion using your shoulders only, keeping the same right wrist angle throughout the stroke. This will take the hand action out your putting stroke.
Do you have trouble keeping your head down and peeking before the ball gets there? This causes your shoulders to open and usually you miss your putt to the left. To correct this imagine there's a penny under your ball, try to determine if it is heads or tails after you putt the the ball. This will keep your head down until you hear the ball fall in the cup. Another way is just look in front of your ball while making your putting stroke, this will cause you to keep your head down and the putter will release down the target line.
Practice these putting tips, have some fun on your indoor putting green and watch your golf scores and handicap drop in a short period of time.
Ken Bolin is an avid golfer and owner of http://www.kbgolfoutlet.com/. If your in the market for an indoor putting greens, or any other high quality golf equipment please feel free to visit my website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Bolin
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Putt Your Way to Lower Scores - 05/27/11
by Jonathan Prentiss
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Putting Percentage - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total score. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they over prepare their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not spend enough time on having fun and the improving specific areas of their game. We all spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet how many of us know how to apply what we’ve learned on the course?
Putts Per Round
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, sinking the ball in less putts is a way to significantly improve your overall game. How many times have you had a great drive, amazing approach shot, then "poof"; all is lost on your short game....you add 3 more strokes on the green?
For a point of reference, at the time of writing this article, the top 5 PGA TOUR pro's averaged 27.50 putts per round. The TOUR average was 29.30. That is less than 2 putts/strokes per hole on the green.
How can I lower my Putts/Round - Set Goals
During your next round, keep track of the putts by writing the number of putts on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of putts by the total number of holes played to obtain putts/hole. Use these figures to set a baseline putts/round/hole goal.
For example, during a recent 18 hole round you had 48 putts. You then have 2.6 putts per hole and 48 putts per round. Use these numbers as your initial goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently achieved or beaten it over several (3-5) rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only one or two less putts per round, leads to an immediate improvement in your scores.
This article may be used on your site as long as this resource box is included.
Jonathan Prentiss writes articles about golf and how to better your game. Articles focus on strategies to help apply what you practice, give you specific skills to practice, and how to identify goals that will help better your game. To learn more about how you can better your game, calculate your handicap, receive additional instruction, and learn how to keep track of the statistics discussed please visit us online or on your iphone at http://www.pasturepool.com
For additional information please visit http://www.pasturepool.com
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Putting Percentage - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total score. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they over prepare their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not spend enough time on having fun and the improving specific areas of their game. We all spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet how many of us know how to apply what we’ve learned on the course?
Putts Per Round
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, sinking the ball in less putts is a way to significantly improve your overall game. How many times have you had a great drive, amazing approach shot, then "poof"; all is lost on your short game....you add 3 more strokes on the green?
For a point of reference, at the time of writing this article, the top 5 PGA TOUR pro's averaged 27.50 putts per round. The TOUR average was 29.30. That is less than 2 putts/strokes per hole on the green.
How can I lower my Putts/Round - Set Goals
During your next round, keep track of the putts by writing the number of putts on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of putts by the total number of holes played to obtain putts/hole. Use these figures to set a baseline putts/round/hole goal.
For example, during a recent 18 hole round you had 48 putts. You then have 2.6 putts per hole and 48 putts per round. Use these numbers as your initial goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently achieved or beaten it over several (3-5) rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only one or two less putts per round, leads to an immediate improvement in your scores.
This article may be used on your site as long as this resource box is included.
Jonathan Prentiss writes articles about golf and how to better your game. Articles focus on strategies to help apply what you practice, give you specific skills to practice, and how to identify goals that will help better your game. To learn more about how you can better your game, calculate your handicap, receive additional instruction, and learn how to keep track of the statistics discussed please visit us online or on your iphone at http://www.pasturepool.com
For additional information please visit http://www.pasturepool.com
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Golf Elbow
There are a lot of misconceptions about Golfer's Elbow. Whenever you have an injury there always seems to be heaps of people who are willing to offer you advice. If you are lucky, this advice will be based on their own first-hand experience but it is more likely that their advice is something that they've heard second or third hand, or perhaps even read somewhere. If you are really lucky they will be able to recall verbatim what they have read or heard. If not then they will fill the gaps in their memory with their own misconceptions.
Golfer's Elbow, at first glance, appears no different. However there are two differences, which in fact are related.
Firstly, there are few people who are cured. Instead they find temporary relief or they are hoping that this time it is cured for good.
Secondly there are many people who live in fear of becoming afflicted by Golfer's Elbow. This is related to the first point as there seems to be no cure!
The Good News
The good news is that it can be cured for good! Also if you haven't suffered from Golfer's Elbow yet, then you can ensure that you never do have to suffer.
Even better is that the cure is simple and there is no need to spend vast sums of your hard earned money on physiotherapy, braces or anything else!
The Truth
I expect that by now, you're hoping (or expecting) me to say that you don't need to rest from playing golf, or from whatever activity has caused the injury - that's right, it's not only golfers who suffer, in fact just about anyone is at risk.
I would love to tell you that you can continue to play golf at your current frequency however, the reality is that you are likely to have to stop playing for a brief period - but this will be a brief period. You need to look upon this as an opportunity. Perhaps to watch some instructional videos or to spend time with family or doing all those jobs around the house. You can earn some brownie points for when you are ready to start playing again and you'll need them as when you are cured then you'll be able to play more than ever!
How to go about curing Golfer's Elbow
The cure for Golfer's Elbow is a 4 step process:
- reduce the inflammation (which will also reduce the pain)
- stretch
- strengthen
-diagnose and correct the fault (that caused the condition in the first place)
If any of the 4 steps are ignored then not only are you unlikely to cure your Golfer's Elbow, but the chances of it returning are dramatically increased. Claim your free report on Golfer's Elbow, details are below.
About the Author
Stephen McMaster is a professional sports coach and expert on Sports Injuries and Sports Nutrition.
Claim your free report: Golfer's Elbow: the causes and pain
Copyright - Stephen McMaster 2011 - All Rights Reserved
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_McMaster
Golfer's Elbow, at first glance, appears no different. However there are two differences, which in fact are related.
Firstly, there are few people who are cured. Instead they find temporary relief or they are hoping that this time it is cured for good.
Secondly there are many people who live in fear of becoming afflicted by Golfer's Elbow. This is related to the first point as there seems to be no cure!
The Good News
The good news is that it can be cured for good! Also if you haven't suffered from Golfer's Elbow yet, then you can ensure that you never do have to suffer.
Even better is that the cure is simple and there is no need to spend vast sums of your hard earned money on physiotherapy, braces or anything else!
The Truth
I expect that by now, you're hoping (or expecting) me to say that you don't need to rest from playing golf, or from whatever activity has caused the injury - that's right, it's not only golfers who suffer, in fact just about anyone is at risk.
I would love to tell you that you can continue to play golf at your current frequency however, the reality is that you are likely to have to stop playing for a brief period - but this will be a brief period. You need to look upon this as an opportunity. Perhaps to watch some instructional videos or to spend time with family or doing all those jobs around the house. You can earn some brownie points for when you are ready to start playing again and you'll need them as when you are cured then you'll be able to play more than ever!
How to go about curing Golfer's Elbow
The cure for Golfer's Elbow is a 4 step process:
- reduce the inflammation (which will also reduce the pain)
- stretch
- strengthen
-diagnose and correct the fault (that caused the condition in the first place)
If any of the 4 steps are ignored then not only are you unlikely to cure your Golfer's Elbow, but the chances of it returning are dramatically increased. Claim your free report on Golfer's Elbow, details are below.
About the Author
Stephen McMaster is a professional sports coach and expert on Sports Injuries and Sports Nutrition.
Claim your free report: Golfer's Elbow: the causes and pain
Copyright - Stephen McMaster 2011 - All Rights Reserved
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_McMaster
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The importance of greens in regulation
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Greens in Regulation - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they focus too much on their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not enough focus on having fun and improving specific key areas of their game. We spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet we don’t always know how to apply what we’ve practiced on the course. A key assumption I make in my articles is that you play golf somewhat consistently and practice your fundamentals at the range when you can.
Greens in Regulation
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, when you consistently hit greens in regulation, you are almost guaranteed to eliminate golf strokes from your game. For beginning golfers and even bogey golfers, I truly believe it is not always how far you hit the ball, but how accurate you are in hitting the fairway and then setting yourself up to hit the green in regulation. When you learn this skill, you will also begin to see all your range practice begin to pay off. Remember, focus on the specific skill and your fundamentals will follow.
Hitting a green in regulation means that your ball is touching any part of the green and the number of strokes you took to get there were 2 less than par. For example, on a par 4 you must hit the green in 2 strokes. Yes, that means on a par 3, you must hit the green in 1. Can you now see how you have a better than average chance of instantly improving your game? Unless you average 3 putts or more per hole, you have a high probability of par or birdie every time you can hit a green in regulation.
What to do
During your next round, simply keep track of the greens you hit by writing an "g" on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of greens hit by the total number of holes played. Use this percentage as a baseline to set your "greens in regulation" goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently beaten it over several rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal. For example, if after 17 holes you hit 4 greens in regulation, your baseline percentage will be 23%. You could set a goal of 30% fairways hit or 6/18 holes. Just two more greens.
Once you consistently hit 30% of greens it's time to change your goal. Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only two additional greens per round can lead to an immediate 2 stroke improvement in your overall skill set. Ultimately, you should strive to hit 100% of possible greens during the course of a round and even hitting just two or three more over 18 holes will help improve your total strokes and better your game.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they focus too much on their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not enough focus on having fun and improving specific key areas of their game. We spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet we don’t always know how to apply what we’ve practiced on the course. A key assumption I make in my articles is that you play golf somewhat consistently and practice your fundamentals at the range when you can.
Greens in Regulation
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, when you consistently hit greens in regulation, you are almost guaranteed to eliminate golf strokes from your game. For beginning golfers and even bogey golfers, I truly believe it is not always how far you hit the ball, but how accurate you are in hitting the fairway and then setting yourself up to hit the green in regulation. When you learn this skill, you will also begin to see all your range practice begin to pay off. Remember, focus on the specific skill and your fundamentals will follow.
Hitting a green in regulation means that your ball is touching any part of the green and the number of strokes you took to get there were 2 less than par. For example, on a par 4 you must hit the green in 2 strokes. Yes, that means on a par 3, you must hit the green in 1. Can you now see how you have a better than average chance of instantly improving your game? Unless you average 3 putts or more per hole, you have a high probability of par or birdie every time you can hit a green in regulation.
What to do
During your next round, simply keep track of the greens you hit by writing an "g" on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of greens hit by the total number of holes played. Use this percentage as a baseline to set your "greens in regulation" goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently beaten it over several rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal. For example, if after 17 holes you hit 4 greens in regulation, your baseline percentage will be 23%. You could set a goal of 30% fairways hit or 6/18 holes. Just two more greens.
Once you consistently hit 30% of greens it's time to change your goal. Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only two additional greens per round can lead to an immediate 2 stroke improvement in your overall skill set. Ultimately, you should strive to hit 100% of possible greens during the course of a round and even hitting just two or three more over 18 holes will help improve your total strokes and better your game.
Monday, May 2, 2011
How Far Do You Hit Your Golf Ball?
If you want to score well, you need to know precisely which club to take to get the ball to where you want it. That is, you need to select the club that, with most probability, will propel the ball the distance you require it to go, in the direction you want it to go in.
Golfers love to tell you how far they hit the ball. However what they are really referring to is how far they can hit their best drives, and even then most golfers like to (slightly) exaggerate how far they can really hit the ball. It makes for great banter in the clubhouse!
When I ask "how far do you hit the golf ball?" I am not referring to how far you could hit the ball. I am not talking about long drives. What I am referring to is how far you hit the ball with each club in your golf bag.
You need to know how far you hit the ball with each club in your bag.
Calculate 'carry' distance.
When you are calculating how far you hit with each club, make sure you take the average distance. You need to know how far the ball will go with a club most of the time
Well watered or wet fairways get little or no run. Good greens will hold a ball very well. So what is more important is how far the ball carries in the air before it hits the ground.
The advantage of this is you will know, give or take a few yards, precisely where you expect the ball to land. This is critical if you are to fly the ball over hazards such as bunkers. It is not important that the ball goes a total distance of, say, 100 yards. It is far more important to know that the ball will clear the bunker at 95 yards!
You need to know how far the ball carries with each club in your bag.
Plan your way round
To score better you need to spend a little time on each shot calculating the distance to the target. When you know how far you have to go (to avoid hazards) then you can select the correct club more easily.
If you start to plan your way round the course based on how far the ball needs to carry on each shot you may find that you get closer to the pin more of the time, and your scores start to fall.
MARK PEARSON plays and coaches golf professionally in the UK. With over 25 years golfing experience, Mark teaches a combination of good technique and proper course management techniques to enable golfers to get the most from their games. Mark is the author of "How to Master Putting and Putt like a Pro" and offers a FREE 7 Day E-Course on "Course Management Keys". More information is available at http://www.masterputting.com/
(c) Copyright - Mark Pearson. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pearson
Golfers love to tell you how far they hit the ball. However what they are really referring to is how far they can hit their best drives, and even then most golfers like to (slightly) exaggerate how far they can really hit the ball. It makes for great banter in the clubhouse!
When I ask "how far do you hit the golf ball?" I am not referring to how far you could hit the ball. I am not talking about long drives. What I am referring to is how far you hit the ball with each club in your golf bag.
You need to know how far you hit the ball with each club in your bag.
Calculate 'carry' distance.
When you are calculating how far you hit with each club, make sure you take the average distance. You need to know how far the ball will go with a club most of the time
Well watered or wet fairways get little or no run. Good greens will hold a ball very well. So what is more important is how far the ball carries in the air before it hits the ground.
The advantage of this is you will know, give or take a few yards, precisely where you expect the ball to land. This is critical if you are to fly the ball over hazards such as bunkers. It is not important that the ball goes a total distance of, say, 100 yards. It is far more important to know that the ball will clear the bunker at 95 yards!
You need to know how far the ball carries with each club in your bag.
Plan your way round
To score better you need to spend a little time on each shot calculating the distance to the target. When you know how far you have to go (to avoid hazards) then you can select the correct club more easily.
If you start to plan your way round the course based on how far the ball needs to carry on each shot you may find that you get closer to the pin more of the time, and your scores start to fall.
MARK PEARSON plays and coaches golf professionally in the UK. With over 25 years golfing experience, Mark teaches a combination of good technique and proper course management techniques to enable golfers to get the most from their games. Mark is the author of "How to Master Putting and Putt like a Pro" and offers a FREE 7 Day E-Course on "Course Management Keys". More information is available at http://www.masterputting.com/
(c) Copyright - Mark Pearson. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pearson
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