Golfing For Beginners: Part 4

We have all the seen the fantastically long, but very accurate drives of Tiger Woods. When he hits the ball, it sails through the air and lands smack in the middle of the fairway, some 300 yards away.

The green-eyed monster of envy rises in us as we wonder if we could ever possibly hope to drive like that. Fortunately, long drives are not the be-all-and-end-all of the game of golf.

This where the “short game” comes in because without reasonable short game skills, those great long drives will have been wasted.

We call the ’short game’ those shots that get you onto the green from roughly a hundred feet away from the hole, no matter whether it’s from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone. It includes all chips, sand shots and pitches.

This is where you get to use your higher numbered golf clubs, as well as your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.

Most golf courses have practice areas as well as a driving range. You should spend some time working on hitting the ball onto the green from different distances. Aim for a ten-foot circle in the center of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges, but what works for someone else, might not work for you and your particular swing.

When you can perform this skill fairly consistently, it is about time to start practising how to get out of a sand bunker. Being able to get the ball out of a bunker can really cut your score quite dramatically and it is very frustrating if you can’t do it.

Plant your feet firmly into the sand with your left foot turned toward the hole. Imagine a 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the edge of the circle that is furthest away from the ball.

Kick up lots of sand with the ball and swing completely through as normal. Don’t slow down the swing at all when or after you hit the ball. It should jump up onto the green and stop almost dead. This doesn’t work very well though unless the sand is soft and dry. On hard, compacted surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand all together.

However, as in every skill in the game of golf, it is only continual practice that will help you to improve your game.

Are you a rookie to golfing?? We have some great our website at tips for the beginner golfer on our website at Golfing Tips for Beginners Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

categories: golf,advice,self help,exercise,sport,hobbies,fitness,health,outdoors,recreation,entertainment,men,womenother