Your Golf Score - Preparation Is The Key

by Martin Haworth


Simple and easy steps to improve performance are vital if they are to be taken up. If a player can fit these ideas into their game without too much disruption, or even leg-pulling by their partners, then they are much more likely to get involved.
One of the most important differences you can make is ensuring that you don't start 'cold'. When you watch golf, you will see all the preparations that the top players take, warming up their muscles with a range of exercises to maximize performance right from the off.
In many cases the pros will work through their range of clubs to get a good 'feel' for them on the day. You might not have quite that luxury and a few focused swings, in the right, way might just get you nicely readied for your round. Better, if you can is to take a little time over each type of club, even if you can't give them all a spin.
Here is a step-by-step approach to getting ready properly for your round.
1. In the beginning it's about preparation. Whilst it might be great to fit a round of golf in at the end of your day, you are going to need to be very careful not to ruin a fun end to your day, by being stressed out through the rush.
2. So, by getting to the golf course in good time, that means you can be prepared mentally as well as physically. You can get the paperwork done, get changed and have your clubs in good order without rush.
3. If you are in a competition, where you really want to do well, take a few minutes to have a few deep breaths and relax yourself, letting the cares and worries of the rest of your day gently drift away. If you can arrive an hour before the start you will have time to get a few practice swings in, as well as a sensible warm up routine.
4. Try starting on the putting practice green, to help retain the sense of calm that you've already prepared in yourself. Slowly easing yourself into smoothly focused concentration, you will soon settle in and then ready yourself for the bigger hitting.
5. Next up is the short irons. Like putting, they are more about delicacy and subtle actions, requiring close concentration and not quite as much physical effort of the woods and long irons.
By practicing with a variety of situations, you will build a good idea of how the ball is responding to the green and shorter fairway grass. Similarly, when practicing from the rough, you can generate a good mental map of how that is affecting how the ball will perform when in play.
6. Finally, take some time getting your bigger clubs into play. Focus on whatever technique you like, but do it and take it seriously. Take a good 15 minutes building up your muscle warmth and swing memory to ensure that you can replicate it, shot after shot, through your round.
Taking the time to prepare yourself and warm up properly, is well worth the effort. Your scores will improve and, most importantly of all, you will make sure that the time you've invested in your golf is what you wanted, fun, enjoyable and above all successful!
About the Author
(c) 2007 Choosing Great Golf Clubs. All you need to know to make the right decisions before you buy your next set of golf clubs. There's all the information you could ask for, at Martin Haworth's website, http://www.ChoosingGreatGolfClubs.com

Thanks to Martin Haworth and GoArticles for this article.

How You can Improve Your Golf with Two Simple Practice Drills

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The average golfer will hit many bad shots in a round but that does not need to be the case. Get a head start on your buddies with these two easy but effective golf drills that could reduce your errors by over half.

Commitment Builder

This simple drill works on making sure you totally commit yourself through the ball. A major fault of many amateur golfers is their inclination to come off the shot. This simply means not committing yourself all the way through the impact zone. Contact, after this fault has occurred is rarely solid. This basic drill is an effective way of improving your impact position and encouraging you to extend through the ball. The way to correct this is just place a tee about 6 inches in front of your ball (using a driver) and imagine you are trying to hit another ball off that tee.

Taking The Club Back Smoothly

Seventy five percent of the average player's bad shots are caused by getting out of position on the backswing. He or she gets out of position mainly for two reasons. Grabbing the club at the start of the backswing and starting back abruptly. When you take the club away from the ball abruptly, you destroy your normal tempo. This of course invariably leads to getting into improper position on the backswing. Experience has taught me that whenever I hit a bad shot, it's due to the fact that I put myself into a bad position on the backswing.

Thus the importance of starting the clubhead back smoothly from the ball can't be overemphasized. For the average golfer, this smooth takeaway is largely a matter of concentration. Before starting your backswing, you must think just what you want your hands to do with the club. This same discipline applies to grabbing the club at the start; you have to concentrate on not doing it. The average player is often too impatient. He is thinking of hitting the ball before he even gets the club back. A smooth takeaway, I might add, is just as important in putting as in driving. You'll find you'll yip far fewer putts.

So, by following these two simple and easy drills, you could significantly reduce the number of bad shots you play on the golf course and lower your score.

About the Author
Visit Think and Reach Par for more great free golfing advice, or maybe treat yourself or the golfer in your life to a golf birthday gift like the Body Golf series.

Thanks to and GoArticles for this article.