How to Drive the Golf Ball Straighter and Longer with Golf Fitness Exercises by Sean Cochran

This is probably a burning desire of most every golfer on the planet. The desire to drive the golf ball farther and straighter, allowing us to lower our golf scores on the golf course. One of the keys to driving golf the straighter and longer is a golf fitness program. This type of a training program incorporates exercises to improve your golf swing. An amateur recently sent me an e-mail describing how he is driving the golf longer and straighter than ever before. He plainly states the reason for the improvement is directly connected to a golf fitness program he implemented 10 weeks ago. Here is what he had to say; “Sean, Thought I’d drop you a note to let you know I am still enjoying the BioForce workout exercises and I’m getting closer to the goals I set 10 weeks ago. I still track my workouts and I am encouraged by the progress I see, not only on the chart, but also with my swing. As a reward for my efforts and progress, I bought a new Ping Tour wedge. Why a wedge? Because I can already see I am hitting my drives consistently much straighter – This, of course, is giving me more distance and great enjoyment. And, I am much more consistent with my pitches and chips. So, a good wedge that will give consistent distance and allow me to try different types of shots to expand my skills seemed like the right reward. The only thing I am unsure of is “am I pushing myself enough? Could you please have a look at my workouts and advise the best schedule for me to meet my goals. I know I haven’t pushed myself on some the exercises like Side Holds as I should have; the result being no progress with this. For my initial goals I have 5 weeks to go, if I miss these then Mid-May is the next deadline I have set.” ColinColin, let me first congratulate you on your progress, determination, and results you are seeing. It is because of your hard work and dedication to the golf fitness programs your golf game is improving. I always like to say; “I have the easy part, all I have to do is teach you, and the hard part is following through with what I teach you.” I tip my hat to you. Before I answer your question about “pushing yourself”, I would like to make a note of your goal setting. Goal setting is extremely important. I know Phil and almost every athlete I work with sets goals. On one hand, it allows you to measure yourself and see how you are progressing. I think all amateur golfers do this to some extent. Aren’t we all trying to lower our handicaps, make more birdies, and overall improve our golf game? The answer is yes, and on some level, we set goals to measure our progress. Additionally goals have another benefit.It provides a “mark” to achieve, keeps you focused, and provides a sense of accomplishment when met. We as golfers often set goals of lowering our handicap to single digits, drive the golf ball 280 yards, or not make any three putts. These are all “marks” we are trying to hit, and these “marks” are essentially goals. Once the goals are set, a plan can be put in place to reach those goals. For example, if the desire is to lower your handicap to single digits, part of the plan may be practicing at the range three times per week. On the other hand, if the goal is add an additional 20 yards to your drives, part of the plan may be the implementation of a golf fitness program to increase your flexibility, strength, endurance, and power. I will also say at times goals are not met, and that is okay. If a goal is not met, it provides us a point to reflect, make adjustments in our current program, and set new goals.Additionally, Colin you bring up a very good point on how much should you be “pushing yourself” on the exercises. We all probably are aware that in order to improve in any task, golf swing included, we must put forth an effort. How much is very important, and this is of the up most importance in relation to golf fitness exercises.Let me first say there is a very fine line between the correct amount of exertion and too much exertion. Too much exertion can lead to poor exercise technique and a possible injury. Too little exertion will limit the benefits received from your golf fitness program. A term I use as a guideline for the correct amount of exertion on each exercise is: “Perform each exercise to your own level of tolerance”. Essentially this states every exercise you perform should be done with the; 1) Correct technique And 2) Performed for the number of repetitions in which you can maintain proper exercise technique. This requires you to “push yourself”, but in addition maintain an awareness of your exercise technique. For example with the golf fitness exercise Side Holds, once you set yourself up in the correct position, you should “hold” the position for the amount of time you can until your technique falters. This guideline can be followed for almost every golf fitness exercise. Another golf fitness exercise, the Jack Knife should be performed for as many repetitions with the correct technique. If you find your technique starting to falter this is the point at which you stop. To summarize, we know a golf fitness program can assist a golfer in driving the golf ball longer and straighter. In the bigger picture longer and straighter drives is a goal. In order to achieve a goal in the sport of golf, a plan must be put in place. The plan can include golf fitness exercises as part of the steps for us to meet that goal. Additionally, when we talk about any golf fitness exercise the correct amount of effort must be exerted, but not exceeded. Following the guideline of “perform every golf fitness exercise to your own level of tolerance” will help you maintain this fine line of effort.Sean CochranCopyright, BioForce, Ltd 2006 **The contents of this daily email are not to be considered as medical advice. Always consult a physician before beginning or changing any fitness program.** This email is protected by copyright, 2006, BioForce, Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of BioForce, Ltd. Bill Mooney BioForce, Ltd 7866 SW Nimbus AveBeaverton, Or 97008

How To Correct a Golf Slice

For a golf slice to happen, two conditions must be present. Firstly, the club face is open when it hit the golf ball. Secondly, the golf club travels a out-to-in path. In other words, the golf club cut across the target line instead of moving along target line.So to cure your golf slice, you have to eliminate these two conditions during impact. There are few ways to overcome the problem.1. Use a stronger gripSlicing is caused by a open club face. A stronger grip will make it easier to close the club face during impact. To adopt a stronger grip, first grip the golf club as you normally would, then turn both your hands toward right. You should be able to see two to three knuckles of your left hand (assuming you are right-handed player).2. Check your body alignment.Make sure both your feet is parallel to the target line. If you left feet is more behind than you right feet, you have a open stance. An open stance will make you swing the club in a out-to-in fashion. This type of swing path will cut across the golf ball resulting in a golf slice. What you want is the club head to travel along the target line not cut across it. To check your proper alignment, place a golf club on the ground point toward the target with the shaft touching the tip of both your feet. If the club is parallel to the target line then your alignment is correct.3. Check your club head alignment.When you setup to the golf ball, make sure the flat edge of the club face is perpendicular to the target line. This is the most simple and basic check. Yet a lot of golfers forget to do it or do it wrongly.4. Do not try to hit at the ball with your hand.A lot of beginner golfers slice the golf ball because they try to hit at the ball instead of swinging through the ball. When you try to hit at the golf ball, you create too much tension in the arm and griping the club too hard. As a result, you will hold the club face open during impact because the hard grip and tension prevent the proper and timely rotation of the hands to close the club face. In a proper golf swing, you swing through the ball. Your target is the flag not the golf ball. So do not try to hit at the ball. Instead, swing toward the target and let the ball get in the way.Depending on what is the cause of your golf slice, you may need one or more of the above fixes. But try only one fix at a time. Trying to making too many swing changes at one go will cause confusion and create other swing problems. Many times, one simple cure will fix the problem. Use the ball flight as your guide. Author Info:The best way to lower your golf score is to adopt the simple golf swing. For more golf tips, please vist www.golf-swing-and-clubs.com.

How to Practice by Paul Wilson

In a normal day of teaching golf I walk back and forth to the range numerous times. On this journey, I usually watch the different variations people have when they swing the golf club. Some of the swings are quite good and others need a lot of work. I usually think to myself that if only they could change the way they practiced they would become so much better so much faster. What do I mean exactly? Well ... 99.9% of all golfers I see on the range are just whacking golf balls out there. If this is you, I've got some bad news ... you will never improve. So what should you be doing? If you are working on your swing, you have to work on your swing. This means you should forget about trying to hit every shot perfectly on the range. No pro can do this or even attempts to do this. It is called a practice range because you are there to practice what you have learned so you can take it to the course without having to think about it. If you have just been whacking balls on the range and not improving you should follow the outline below.
Find a Teaching Method That You Can Relate To
If you think you can figure out the golf swing on your own without lessons, books or videos you're kidding yourself. What you think you're doing is never what you are actually doing. Just when you think you have it, it's gone. Wouldn't it make sense to follow a step by step method that takes you through the various parts of the swing and explains them in a manner you can understand. There are many different teachers out there with many different thoughts on how to swing the club properly. I myself, teach the golf swing based on the 3 elements of the Iron Byron swing machine that was modeled after the swing of Byron Nelson. In my many years of trying to figure out the swing, I didn't see it clearly until I say Iron Byron hit a golf ball. Once I understood the simplicity of the machine and I related it to my own swing, the pieces started to fit together. If this sounds appealing to you then following my method would be a great idea. If not, lessons from your local pro or a quick search at a bookstore or on the internet will give you many other choices.
Create a Neutral Grip
Your grip is your connection to the club. If your hands are not placed on the club in a neutral position you're really making the game much more difficult. I say this because if you have a faulty grip your shots will spin one way or the other. If this is the case, how do expect to consistently hit the fairways or greens? Once you learn the proper grip, you will not only be copying the pros but you will also narrow down the possible cause of your inconsistent shots. If the grip is not the problem, it must be something else that is causing your wayward shots. So now you can move on to fixing the other parts of your swing.
Square Alignment is Critical
In my last tip I explained the importance of proper alignment. To sum it up, it's vital that you align squarely to your target. I say this because if you are aimed way out to the right or left and you hit a perfect shot it would go in the trees, water, bunkers or out of bounds. This means you need another flaw in your swing to get the ball on target with a faulty alignment. To make sure you are aligned squarely to your target, lay one club down on the ground pointing directly at your target, then place another club parallel to the first club about 1 foot away. Finally, pick up the first club you placed on the ground and hit balls from that spot with your feet parallel to the second club. This is known as being aligned parallel left of your target.
Do Tons of Practice Swings
Once you have chosen a teacher and a method it is time to practice what you have learned. Again, it's not as simple as just whacking balls out there. You have been shown certain positions that you need to incorporate into your swing. The best way to do this is by doing tons of practice swings in a mirror or at the range. By doing plenty practice swings, you will re-enforce your new swing positions so you can do them consistently when you hit actual shots. The whole point of making a change is to make the change. By just whacking balls out there you will continue to do your old swing that's full of flaws.
Hit Different Shots
Once you have made the necessary changes to your swing it's time to hit various shots. Golf is not a just a game of hitting the ball 300 yards down the middle with your driver. The game also requires good fairway woods, long, mid and short irons as well as a great short game. Try to practice all parts of your game with all of the clubs in your bag especially the clubs you dislike the most. If you keep ignoring certain clubs you will continue to hit them poorly.
Take Your Time
Building a great golf swing takes time. If it could be achieved in a week everyone would be pros. If your changes are minor a few weeks or a month of consistent practice and practice swings should ingrain these new positions. If you are totally re-building your swing it may take you a couple of months or longer. This is because your new swing will present new problems like hitting the ball over the green or through the fairway because you are not used to your new distances. Once you have hit enough better shots you will be able to choose the appropriate club for the situation and you score will finally come down.
If you want to become a good golfer it's time to change how you are currently practicing, understand what it takes to get better and create a game plan that you will follow religiously. If you start to make these changes now, you are on your way ... if you start next week, you are week behind.Paul WilsonDirector of InstructionNicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate

Credit Crunch Advice for Golfers: Focus on your swing! Paul Thornley

In times of economic hardship everyone is looking for ways to tighten their belts and golfers are no exception. Why then do so many of them persist in investing their hard earned cash on the latest drivers when all they really need to do is focus on improving their golf swing with some measured practice?The past fifty years have seen considerable developments in golf technology, yet the average regardless of the equipment you use, whether it is top of the range or not.golfer’s handicap has seen no improvement. It is obvious then what this shows: the problem does not lie with the golf club – it lies with the golfer!Which leads us to the importance of practice, and more specifically, measured practice. There are several golf practice systems on the market designed to help you improve your golf skills and one of the most important of these is the swing training aid. Golf swing training aids are vital because they help you develop a good technique and improve your game, Practice, however, is pointless unless it is measured practice. This means that your swing training aid must, without fail, offer feedback on your swing otherwise you will not know what you are doing wrong and you will have no idea how to correct it. You must therefore choose a swing training aid that allows you to take full power swings as if you were on the course, and the system must tell you how you have hit those shots, where your faults lie and how to correct them. Once you know what you are doing wrong you can focus your practice on fine tuning your action and adding power and accuracy to your shot.Stop wasting money on expensive golf equipment! Instead, invest in a swing training aid that offers measurability, and focus your attention on the thing that will make all the difference to your game – your swing!
Author Info:Paul Thornley is a PGA Professional, golf coach and director of Targetline Limited. Targetline is an indoor golf system which offers the ultimate corporate hospitality solution and is also widely used by golf industry pros and amateurs worldwide as an indoor practice and training aid. Combined with Leaderboard, Targetline forms the Golf Gym concept.

Can Golf Swing Tips Online Improve Your Game? by By Phanasol Yolpak

Some new golfers believe that religiously practicing the golf swing tips online would significantly improve their golf swings. So many tips are offered online that you just need to practice until you are satisfied with your swing and eventually, you'll see an improvement in your game or not have a sliced shot anymore.
Sliced shots can be very frustrating even if you're a new golf player. A sliced shot is an uncontrolled shot, where instead of flying straight ahead, the ball goes on a curved path to the right.
What causes sliced shots? The real solution for this sliced problem is the correct understanding of its causes. Correcting the causes based on online golf swing instructions would eventually reduce the occurrence of sliced shots.
Sliced shots result from an incorrect swing, through the wrong coordination of the golfer's body and arms. Other players say that they see an improvement in their game when they tried following golf swing tips online.
Swinging With Your Body
Looking at golfers, it seems that their shots depend on how they swing their arms. Actually, it's not. The quality of the swing actually results from the proper use of the body.
An incorrect swing puts much work on the arms such that after a few holes you will start to feel pain. This is not a sign that you need to workout more but rather a signal of an improper use of the body and arms. You'll see this illustrated in some golf swing tips online. Your arms alone are not supposed to be used in executing a downturn swing.
When you swing with your arms, there is less control of the movement which affects the club position as it reaches the golf ball. This kind of club contact causes the ball to travel at an angle instead of in a straight line, as you intend. Golf swing tips online states that the movement should come from the shoulders rather than the arms.
The downward swing should be executed with the shoulders guiding the golfer's passive arms. The arms with the club are actually moved towards the ball by the body, together with the legs and hips. These movements bring the club on a straight line to the ball, with the body controlling the movement.
Another golf swing tip online states that golf swing power is a result of the upper body's coil against the braced right knee.Learning new movements or techniques as described in golf swing tips online take time and practice. The same goes with the expected improvement in the game. As they say, it takes time to get out of bad habits. Just be patient and you'll realize that learning from golf swing tips online can really improve your swing.

What Are the Best Exercises for the Golfer? By Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour With all the talk about the players on tour getting stronger and more flexible, we hear a lot about exercising for golf from television commentators and read about it in the golf publications. But what exactly are the best exercises for the amateur golfer? A great question that has a good answer, but before we give you the answer let us provide some background so the answer makes a little more sense to you. First of all, discussing the golf swing for the time being will get us rolling.What exactly is the golf swing? The golf swing is an athletic movement that requires using of the entire body from “feet to fingertips” in order to complete the swing. Realize that the golf swing is not about the club, not just about your grip, or where your head is during the swing. The golf swing is a movement that requires your entire body to move through a sequence of movements with the correct timing. To perform the “athletic movement” of the golf swing requires the body to begin at address, move through the actual phases of the golf swing and complete it with the follow through. In order to perform this activity with efficiency and repetitively, the body must have certain physical parameters.These parameters, as I call them, are actual physical categories of the body that need to be developed to a certain level. These categories of the body are the platform from which the body is able to perform the athletic movement of a golf swing efficiently. The categories are probably familiar to many of you, but for the purpose of this article let us briefly run through them.The body is required to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power to complete a golf swing. If the body lacks in any of the above categories, then the results will be seen in the golf swing. The results are usually in the form of poor mechanics, bad shots, or poor scores on the course. So, now that we know what the connection is between the “body” and the “swing” let us address the question about the best exercises for golf.The Best Exercises for GolfLet’s say you walk into your local health club and see all the fancy machines and aerobic machines at the facility to get you shape. What ones would choose? Would you choose running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, or would it be better to push out a couple sets of bench presses? Well, the answer to our question really lies within the connection between your swing and your body.I will tell you that exercises meant to “pump you up!” or give you that “six pack” are not necessarily the correct exercises for your golf game. Neither is that weight training program you used back in high school. So, with those thoughts in mind what do you think the best exercises for golf are?Right now we know, in general terms about the golf swing, what is required of the body for the golf swing and what exercises are not good for the swing. Armed with that knowledge we can decipher what the best exercises for golf are for you. Beginning with flexibility, we know that the entire body must move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective golf swing. And what happens if your body is not able to move through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing? The answer: the golf swing will mechanically suffer resulting in shots that are less than optimal. So part of the exercises that are good for golfers are flexibility exercises and, even more so, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used in the golf swing through the movements involved in the golf swing. So first and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of your list.The second category of exercises that would be conducive to the golf swing would have to do with balance. We hear about balance in reference to the golf swing all the time. “Stay balanced through the swing; transfer your weight to maintain balance during the swing…” But what does balance exactly mean? Balance is the ability to control your body through a specific movement pattern. The movement pattern we are discussing just happens to be the golf swing. We know the importance of balance in relation to the golf swing, so how do we train our body for better balance in the golf swing? Before we answer that question we need to know a little more about balance. Balance in relation to the body has to do with the connection between your nerves and muscles. Essentially your nervous system, as a result of messages sent from your brain, tells your muscles how to move to maintain the body’s balance. The more efficient your nerves and muscles are to these messages the greater balance abilities the body develops. So balance exercises train both the nervous system and muscular system to become more efficient at this function. Summing it all up, balance is the second category of exercises that will assist your golf game. The third category of exercises that are beneficial to golf have to do with your muscles. The golf swing requires the muscles of your body to move through a specific range of motion (flexibility) and help with your balance capacities. In order to perform these actions and others, your body needs certain levels of strength and endurance. The definition of strength is the ability of the muscles to exert force for the given “athletic action” (simplified definition but a good working definition for us). Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the same activity over and over again for a specific amount of time. First off, let us discuss strength. The golf swing has one intention of developing club head speed while maintaining balance through the swing. The muscles in your body must have enough strength in them to do both. Now, when we discuss building strength for the golf swing it is NOT the type of strength needed to bench press 250 lbs. Or squat 500! It is strength geared towards the improvement of your swing. I refer to this type of strength as “golf strength.” So when you get to the gym, performing strength exercises like bench press will not help your swing. Exercises that train the body in the positions and through the movements of the golf swing will help your swing.In addition to strength, we need to develop endurance in your muscles. Think of how many swings you may take over the course of 18 holes. In order for you to be able to swing the club the same way on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st hole. Your body has to have high levels of endurance. This will allow your body to perform the golf swing without getting tired. You develop endurance similar to how you develop “golf strength.” Utilize exercises that train the body in the positions and through the movements of the golf swing. Lighter loads with higher repetitions will be used for these exercises. The end result will be the development of “golf endurance.”The final segment of exercises beneficial to your golf swing is power training. Power training is geared towards the ability of your body to generate high levels of club head speed. Power development by the body is what allows for greater distance on your shots. Clubs help, golf balls help, but it really comes down to the piece of machinery, your body, swinging those club and hitting those golf balls. Development of power for the golf swing is very similar to the development of “golf strength and endurance.” It is the utilization of exercises that place your body in the positions and move you through movements similar to the golf swing.SummarySo there you have it, the answer to the types of exercises best for the improvement of your golf swing. I think you now realize it is not one exercise, but a group of exercises that incorporate flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power. A combination of these exercises is what will enhance your golf swing.
Author Info: regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers

Golf Swing Tips - Learn How to Have a Repeating Swing and Be More Consistent By Jamie Zimmerman

If you have ever played the game of golf you know how difficult it can be. For the weekend golfer to be able to cut a few strokes off their game would be the best Christmas present they could give themselves. With all the tips and videos that flood the market that promise to help you cure your slice or hook, you very rarely see one that claims to give you a consistent swing.
The key to golf is being able to repeat the same motion consistently over and over again. Of course this is easier said than done but that is why you see so many offering tips. If you are able to build a repeating golf swing you will be able to score 10 times better than you do right now.
Having a swing that you can rely on time after time is what makes golf fun. There is nothing better than standing on the t-box starring down a tight par four and know that your going to stripe it down the fairway. Once you have built yourself a solid swing that you know is going to get you around the course and in good position you can spend the rest of your time concentrating on fixing your short game.
Your short game is really where you take your game to the next level. The problem is that if you do not have a consistent swing to keep your ball out of the woods or water, you can have the best short game in the world and still shoot a horrible score.
From years of teaching the game as a professional and time spent playing on various golf tours the most important golf tip you can get it to build a repeating swing. Golf is a game that can be enjoyed for a life time if you have a swing you can rely on.
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