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Welcome to THE LEARNING YARD GOLF BLOGs where free advice detailed sections on how to play golf, and Information on Individual, Group, Playing glof....

Learning How To Play Golf.

Anyone who is considering golf training will be happy to know that there are plenty of ways to learn how to play the game. Every way from the golf course to the internet, the video store and even the classroom will prove to be beneficial for those wanting to learn how to play the great game of golf. Prices will vary depending on the type of training method that is chosen, but can often be quite affordable. This is especially true of those who opt for learning at home through the use of videos or internet lessons. A professional golf trainer, however, will likely be the most expensive way to learn but will provide a hands-on experience that none of the aforementioned options can.

If you choose to hire a golf instructor, you will probably want to hire someone who has a lot of experience in either teaching or playing golf. Or, if possible, find someone who has done both. During this training, you will begin to learn the various names for clubs and how each one is used. In the beginning, golf may seem intimidating because of the number of clubs and situations that determine each one’s use. But, after a few lessons, you will be more familiar with the game and how to play it. Patience is the key to learning anything new and golf is no different.

FUNDAMENTALS OF GOLF

Most poor shots are a result of an improper set-up. That could be due to a bad grip, bad posture and/or ball position or alignment. It is often said that the set-up is a good 80% of the golf swing. What follows are small lessons concentrating on the 'Fundamentals of Golf; The Grip, Posture, Ball Position and Alignment. We hope that you find these sections helpful and successful in improving your golf game.

Here are some of 'fundamentals of golf':

Alignment:

When talking about alignment, we must first start by taking a step back. Exactly, just like the pros. Before setting yourself up to the ball, take a step back and look at the target from behind the ball. Pick a secondary target, (leaf, blade of grass, divot, whatever sticks out at you) that is in front of the ball, and line up to that. In this case (circled tee) it's a divot. It's much easier to line yourself up to something that is only a few feet away, rather then 150 yards away.

Now with that said, first things first. Start your setup routine by placing the club down and squaring up the clubface to the secondary target, then take your stance.

The thought you should have is one of a railroad track. Your feet, hips and shoulders should all be square and parallel to the target line. If you're going to change something for the purpose of shaping a shot, remember that the railroad track stays the same, your feet, hips and shoulders still have to remain parallel to each other whether you're set-up open or closed to the target. If one is off slightly it could make a very big difference in where your ball lands up.



Ball Position:

There are two schools of thought in regards to ball position. One is that the ball stays in the same spot in your stance and the width of your stance is what changes. That ball position is 'forward centre', a position that is somewhere slightly in from your left heel. The stance gets wider as the clubs get longer. The driver would have the wider stance, as it should, and pitching wedge/sand wedge would require a narrower stance. Basically the position of the ball in relation to the front foot stays constant and your back foot is what moves. First picture: 5 iron, second: pitching wedge.

The other is basically the opposite, the feet don't move, the ball does. For the longer clubs, (driver, 3-5 woods, 2-3 irons) the ball is played off of the left heel and slightly in from that. For the middle clubs, (4 through 7 irons) the ball is placed slightly closer to the middle of your stance, and the short clubs, (8-9 irons, pitching and sand wedges) the ball is played in the middle of your stance. Basically the longest club is off of the left heel, first method included, and work your way to the middle of your stance for your shortest clubs.



Now this is for most shots on flat terrain, specialty shots is a whole new ball game. Again, we urge you to try both when practicing to find which one works best for you. First picture: 5 iron, second: pitching wedge.

Fundamentals Of Golf (Parts 2): The Grip

The Grip is the most important aspect of the golf swing. The reason for this is that your hands are the only connection between you and the club. With a bad or incorrect grip, invariably the majority of your shots will be off line and/or poorly hit.

There are three types of Grip; ten-finger, overlapping A & B or interlocking.


The only difference is how the little finger of the bottom or right hand interacts with the first finger of the upper or left hand if at all. We urge everyone to try all three when practicing. One is going to fit you better than the others so experiment.

Now, let's get you holding the club correctly. For left-handers the opposite will be true.

The Left Hand
Simply let your left arm hang naturally next to your body, let the end of the club sit in the fingers not in the palm of your left hand and close your hand keeping the thumb close to the body of the hand, like pinching something. In this case it's the club.

Not like holding a baseball bat.

The left thumb should be slightly right of centre on the shaft. Notice two things, one is a close relation between the tip of the thumb and the far most extended part of the first finger or trigger finger, and the second is the "V" created between the thumb and first finger. This "V" is very important and should be pointing towards your right or back ear/shoulder area. More on this a little later.

Now with the right hand holding the butt end of the club, open your left hand so that the palm is facing upwards.


The club should be in a diagonal position so that the back centre of the grip is sitting where the small finger meets the left hand. Use this as the pivot point. The club goes diagonally across your fingers so that the back centre of the grip is right over the crease area of the tip and middle sections of your index finger. From there simply close your hand and the club should be properly positioned in your left hand.

In a SET-UP position you should be able to see, without moving your head or hand, 2 to 2 1/2 knuckles of your left hand. If you don't simply loosen your grip, rotate your hand and re-grip. That's the easiest way to properly insure that the "V" of the left hand is pointed in the right area or in a nice "neutral" position, back ear/shoulder area.

The pressure points in the left hand are the last three fingers and the padded area of your left hand.

The Right Hand
With the left hand properly gripping the club, place your right hand under the grip and have the back/centre of the grip lay where the 1st & 2nd portions of the 3rd finger meet, 4th for the 'ten finger' grip, and again, work it diagonally across your fingers so that the back centre of the grip is right over the crease of the tip and middle sections of your index finger.



Close you hand and let the padded area sit right on top of your left thumb and hold the club in your fingers not your palm.

At this point the lifeline of your right hand should be right up against the right side portion of your left thumb bringing power from behind and not from above. The padded area of your right hand, right on top of your left thumb. You should see a bleeding of the left thumb into the right and basically see one thumb.(\) You should see another "V" created by the thumb and first finger of the right hand, again, a pinching motion between those two fingers is required. Think of throwing a dart or threading a needle with those fingers. The idea is good enough but if your fingers touch no problem.(o) You can also let the first finger separate slightly to a trigger finger position. With all that said, both of those V's should be parallel and pointing in the same direction, back ear/shoulder area.

If those V's are pointed in different directions one of your hands will win over the other at impact, resulting in inconsistent ball striking.The idea here is to have two hands work as one, so make sure that there are no spaces between your hands and that you start to feel what a good grip feels like.The pressure points in the right hand are the two middle fingers if you overlap or interlock the small finger of your right hand, last three fingers if you don't.

Now picture this.....Think of the spot where the two middle fingers of your right hand meet the hand as 'the centre of the universe'. Make sure that's right behind the back/centre of the grip and facing the target. This thought will help you get the club in your fingers and not in your hand as well as align the lower 1st half of your fingers with the back of your right hand.

Much like throwing a ball underhand. Look at the position of your first couple of fingers in relation to the back of the hand at point of release. As far as overall grip pressure, "medium" is best. Hold on to it but don't choke it.