Improving Your Golfing Performance

If you're at all like me, you absolutely love the game of golf. Even though many beginners and amateur golfers may in fact need to improve their game considerably, they still love hitting the links and learning as they play.

Let's see if we can shed some light on some on 3 common challenges that many beginner and amateur golfers tend to encounter when they are out on the course. The most important thing you can learn to do, is to relax when you approach the ball.

If you are too tense, the result will often be an approach or swing that is unnatural. That can translate into issues with your game, movement and control.

Chipping - A big mistake many beginners make, is that they "flick" their wrists when chipping. This is incorrect. First, lean a little into the direction of the shot, and twist your entire upper body at the trunk as you bring your iron back.

There is no need to raise your iron high, usually bringing it up to between a 45 and 90 degree angle is quite sufficient, with exception. Don't "flick" your wrist. Maintain your forward hand, wrist and forearm angle as one, therefore the control is from your waist and trunk, not from a flick of the wrist.

Slicing - A slice for a right handed golfer, is any ball that slices to the right. Problem, "open club-face," which means the club's "face" is pointed or angled to the right, at the point of impact. Your left hand is key to a resolution to a of this problem.

Your left hand "leads" your grip. Look at the "back" of your left hand holding the club, as it makes contact with the ball. Your goal is to get your "knuckles" perpendicular to your body, so your knuckles will in a line "left to right," in front of you, at the point of impact. That forces a "flat" club-head, which will correct the slice.

Putting - The blade of the putter should hit the ball "squarely." You should finish your swing as you make contact with the ball, with a slight "upstroke," in the sense of a "glancing blow," not a "traditional upswing."

Your swing should be a smooth with "slow acceleration," all the way through your swing. This will give you the control you need. Think of your stroke as one that will finish a couple of inches ahead of where the ball sits, thus, striking the ball during the putter's controlled movement. Give your back-swing, the same slow control that you give the forward-swing. This will help you with control.

Look at UK golf trophies online, as discussed by Simon Barnett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.