Archive for May 6th, 2009

How To Choose The Best Golf Clubs For Beginners

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Golf clubs are expensive items yet are essential when is comes to playing the game of golf. When you are first starting out with golf, you will want to have equipment that is geared as much towards your skill level as possible. On the other hand, your golf clubs should be good enough that it will not discourage you from learning the game. It is also important for you to understand that your golf clubs should be affordable. Therefore, a good set of clubs for beginners might be an inexpensive used set composed of a few irons, wedges, putter and a 3 wood.

Choosing The Best Sized Clubs To Play With

When starting out, most golf players tend to play using shorter sized clubs. Both men and women seem to have a tough time trying to master shots when using longer irons. The same goes for using fairway woods.There is a simple reason why this happens. It is about control. The shorter the golf club, the better control you have. Smaller sized golf clubs are easier to control. With a shorter club, you are able to have a better sense of where the club is at during the swing, and exactly what it’s doing. More specifically, the sense of control can be attributed to the shorter clubs offering a more tight and a steeper swing arc. Adding a few more inches to the length of the club, as with the long irons, requires a more pronounced arc sweep. It is much more difficult to get a handle on the club movement.

Mastering Longer Clubs

As a beginner, you can choose to golf with short clubs or you can begin the process of mastering the longer golf clubs. If you opt to go for the latter, you will probably make far more mistakes initially. But, you will also likely advance in your golf game much faster. With longer clubs, your swing arc should be shallow and a bit longer. It is important to keep your clubhead low to the ground when pulling back and avoid hitting the ball too aggressively. Instead, the club motion should be smooth and sweeping. Certainly, developing a smooth tempo and a graceful swing is important in order to have the best control possible. Another consideration – move the ball farther up within your stance, than you would when playing with a short or middle iron. By positioning the ball 1 or 2 inches back, you allow more room for the longer shaft and for the wide swing arc of the club.

Keep in mind that when you are first learning to play, the challenges that you will encounter will primarily come from your swing, and not from the clubs you choose, even if the clubs are not the most appropriate choice for you. Knowing what kinds of golf clubs are used can help it much easier to learn how to play the game. Confidence is a big factor when playing golf.

Ways To Choose A Golf School

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Golf schools are popular destinations for many golfers. Choosing a golf school is an important decision. Different students will have different criteria to satisfy when choosing a golf school, but there are some requirements that should be generic. Some will place a high value on the teaching skills of the professional instructors; others will be more interested in the facilities available. Some students of golf will be basing their decision purely on cost and some will want to explore the social scene at the school. At the end of the day, people go to golf school to learn to play golf and all of the other facilities have to be ranked in accordance with personal preference.

When considering a school, it is important to explore its teaching principles. Ask if the school welcomes students of all ages and abilities. It is very beneficial for absolute beginners to have the opportunity to mix with and observe more experienced players. Check to see if the school caters for a particular age group – sometimes this is the case.

Find out the student to instructor ratio. The cost of one-to-one tuition is usually prohibitive and attending golf school will usually be a lower cost option but it is essential that the student instructor ratio is low to ensure that the student will still receive adequate instruction in a group environment. Tuition in large groups is not to be recommended as too much time is lost whilst the instructor manages the group.

Many schools now offer a wide variety of high tech gadgets and training aids to assist the student to model the perfect swing and also to analyze their own efforts. Whilst all of these gadgets look very impressive and they undoubtedly have a part to play in teaching the novice, nothing beats quality face to face instruction with a professional who knows and loves the game.

When making a decision about which golf school to attend do not be afraid to ask about the instructor’s qualifications and experience.The very best way to learn is from someone who can play, and play well. Classroom theory is fine but it is experience and the practical application of the theory from which students learn most.

Price may be a factor when considering which golf school to attend and, as with all things in life, the cheapest is not always the best option. Rather than looking for cheapness look for value for money, there is a distinction. Calculate your budget and decide how to spend it. Consider taking fewer lessons at a better and probably more expensive school if funds are restricted.

Keep in mind, learning golf, as with the learning process of any new skill, can only be accomplished if the student is prepared to practice. It really does not matter how good the school nor how good the instructor if the student is not willing to translate what he has learned into practice on the green. It is important to choose a golf school that will best help you improve your golf game.