John Lynch asked:


Superior athletes who never make it big are seen in ALL sports. We all have heard countless stories about gifted athletes who never made it big because they weren’t willing to put the time in needed to reach their innate potential.

I learned an astounding golf secret about golf swing improvement from a zen master. Zen Master Dogen Zenji frequently spoke about the “four horses,” which is a metaphor used by the Buddha in the Samyuta-Agama sutra. The path to golf swing improvement is described most eloquently by the metaphor of the four horses.

The first horse, the superior class, is like a horse that runs fastest by merely feeling the whip’s shadow. The second horse, the good class, runs fastest when the whip brushes its hair, the hair of its mane. The horse that runs fastest when the whip touches its body is the third class of horse – or the poor class. And the fourth, the lowest kind of horse, is the one who runs fastest only when the whip can be felt to the marrow of its bones.

At first glance we all want to be like the first horse in the superior class. These are the fast learners – the ones who seem to be a natural. Dogen Zenji says this may not be so desirable. A study of master golfers has shown that it is not the students with innate natural abilities who have achieved golf mastery. The golfers who have achieved mastery are mostly the students with average to below average natural abilities – the ones who have practiced their craft diligently. This is very interesting – why is this so?

Many plateaus in golf skill levels accompanied with short bursts of golf swing improvement is the path to golf swing mastery for all students.

When the first class of student takes up golf they see an immediate spike in golf swing improvement and are very motivated. When they reach that ultimate first plateau where their golf swing does not improve despite hard practice, most gifted students get discouraged.

Gifted students are used to seeing fast progress, so they may blame the golf instructor or something else just so they don’t have to put in the hard work that is needed to continue along the path to golf swing improvement – and the ultimate goal – golf swing mastery!

Many superior students will then give up the game of golf due to frustration.

Superior athletes who never make it big are seen in ALL sports. We all have heard countless stories about gifted athletes who never made it big because they weren’t willing to put the time in needed to reach their innate potential.

The fourth class of student will see a slower rate of golf swing improvement, much time spent on plateaus in their golf swing skill level. If the fourth class of golf student stays with it and practices hard they will learn the golf swing to the marrow of their bones, like the fourth horse.

Before you can master the golf swing, you need to learn the golf swing to the marrow of your bones. To learn the golf swing to the marrow of your bones you need to stay at each skill level for however long it takes. Most first class students never learn the golf swing to the marrow of their bones because it comes easy to them. The time spent on plateaus for golfers who learn fast are shorter than the ones who learn slower.

The enigma of the parable of the four horses is we must learn the golf swing like the fourth class of horse to become like the first class of horse – or the superior class – to become a master golfer!

Hit ‘em Long and Straight!

John Lynch

Golf Swing Genius asked:


All great golfers will do certain things really well in their setup and their golf swing.  Common elements that all the pros have include a good setup.  A fundamentally correct setup consists of having a good grip, correct alignment, good posture, as well as having good ball position in your stance.  Often times just making adjustments in your setup will be half the battle in getting your swing more on the correct path.  When you are misaligned in your setup, you’ll have to make compensations in your swing to offset it which will never really allow you to reach your potential.  

The swing plane is a common thing many golf instructors talk about when referring to the path of the golf swing.  Basically, swinging the club on plane correctly consists of a good takeaway and wrist set, and then swinging the club over the right shoulder in the backswing(for the right-handed golfer).  The impact position should mirror the setup position other than the hips will be slightly open and the hands forwards and a little ahead of the golf ball through the hit.  After impact, the club continues to swing all the way over the left shoulder and the body should end up facing directly towards the target.  

I like to encourage my students to swing with good balance and smooth rhythm.  You never want to swing so hard that you find yourself off balance anytime during your golf swing.  Typically the backswing will be about three times as long as the downswing.  You want the club to swing fastest right when it is at the bottom of the swing arc hitting the golf ball.

Jason Hobbs asked:


If you are trying to learn how to play golf, or just trying to improve your game, you most likely understand how important a good golf swing is to your game. There are some basic tips that all golfers either need to know, or already follow with regard to the swing. Following you will see what they are:

1. An accurate golf swing is really not about your arms. This can be described as putting your golf club behind your back, at the same time turning your back to the green. If you are thinking less about where your arms are, or where they will be, you won’t be so likely to bend your elbow as you swing. It’s important to cock your wrists. Be sure to cock your wrists at a 90 degree angle as your left arm is parallel to the ground. This will help you take your golf club back straight without having to actually THINK about doing it.

2. Remember to allow your left arm to roll just a little clockwise at the beginning of your back swing. You don’t usually have to remember to do this. This can happen automatically if you let it. All you have to do is not resist the natural movement.

3. Keeping your feet on the ground is important. You see many golfers letting their front heels come off the ground while executing their golf swing. This is really not needed. This action really just makes creating the proper tension in your body that much harder. It is fine to let your foot roll to the inside, but also keep it on the ground to anchor your swing.

4. Remember that the golf down swing starts from the bottom. Even if you do everything right with your golf grip, stance and back swing, you can still ruin it all by starting your golf down swing with your shoulders.

5. To get the golf down swing right, turn your hips towards the target. This little tip can improve your golf swing so that your drives start going straighter and longer. If you turn your hips toward the target as fast and hard as you can, you will see a great improvement overall.

By following the above suggestions, you should be noticing quite an improvement in your golf swing pretty quickly. It may be hard to adjust to doing something differently, but if you have been doing it wrong all along, it is time to learn the right way. It’s worth it to make your game better.

David Nevogt asked:


Have you ever stood over the golf ball to hit a shot and hear a thousand thougths running through your head? “Keep your eye on the ball,” “remember to keep your left arm straight,” “have a smooth takeaway,” “don’t slice it,” “follow through,” “swing easy.” Does this type of golf anxiety sound familiar?

Everyone gets these thoughts sometimes, but if you want to play better golf and make the game fun instead of stressful, you need to have only a couple solid swing tips to think about.

Remember this mental tip at all times – golf is a very difficult game, probably one of the most, if not the most, difficult game on earth. You are going to hit good shots, bad shots, and even shanks sometime.

It is okay and a part of the game. Much of the obsessive thinking on the golf course comes from expecting too much from yourself. Just try to stay positive, have fun and only think about the following five swing tips when you are on the course. Your anxiety and shaking knees will probably decrease, resulting in you swinging better.

Golf Swing Tip #1

Keep your head still. I can’t emphasize this swing tip enough. Nobody can keep their head absolutely still, but if you watch the pros their heads move very little. When you move your head your body moves with it, pulling your swing off line.

Golf Swing Tip #2

Have a pre-shot routine, and stick to it on every shot. Whether you take your stance and just hit the ball or if you take twenty waggles like Sergio used to do, do whatever is comfortable for you and be consistent with it, especially in tournament play. A proper routine also includes checking your alignment to make sure you are aimed where you want the ball to go.

Golf Swing Tip #3

Visualize the shot you are going to hit. Think about a very specific target, and only focus on that spot. Block out any negative thoughts, picture, and feel in your mind a good rhythmic swing.

Golf Swing Tip # 4

Take your time. Many people are in a rush when it is there turn to hit. This results in swings and strokes that are off tempo. Take your time and relax yourself. I am not asking you to slow down your foursome, but you need to be calm on the golf course in order to play well consistently.

Golf Swing Tip #5

Forget about the last shot. Play every shot like it is the first of the day. I can’t stress enough how important this swing tip is. Most of the mental mishaps on the golf course happen because you are emotionally charged about the last shot or the triple bogey you made four holes ago. Once a shot is done it is over with and you can’t change it, so “hit it and forget about it.”

When you are playing a round of golf you just can’t afford to obsess over various swing thoughts. Most people have a million things running through their head as they stand over the ball, which causes most of the bad shots they stress over.

Most of golf is mental confidence, which is instilled by using consistent and simple swing tips to remember out on the course, no matter how well you are or aren’t playing that day. If you follow the above swing tips, I bet you will shoot better scores.

Chris Simpson asked:


For anyone who wants to play golf, swing lessons are usually a must; it’s like you can’t do without, since the correct movement is the very basis of this game. Before you start a golf swing lesson as such you need to ask and answer a fundamental question. What do you intend to do in the golf swing or what is the achievement you’re after? There should be square impact in the line of flight and along the one you intended in the first place. The golf swing lessons will teach you how to control the body moves so that the ball follows a well planned trajectory.

The best definition of the swing is found in professional books that provide golf swing lessons. It is explained as the movement that makes the head of the club swing along and into the intended line of flight throughout impact. You will thus learn how to propel the ball in a straight way between two points. The golf swing lesson tackles with the starting point, the targeted area and the movement that is meant to unite the two. Make sure the club-face remains square to that line. Follow your trainer’s example during the golf swing lesson, imitation engenders good learning.

The most important part of a golf swing lesson is to actually understand and apply the theoretical knowledge. If you keep the club-head square to the line of impact and drive the ball forward for as long a time as possible you actually meet the main principles and goals of a practical golf swing lesson. If the shot is accurate, the ball will be able to maintain its correct direction in the wind, which will definitely lead to low scores. If you manage to correctly use these golf swing lesson tips you can move on to finding out new stuff.

The most frequent mistake players make during golf swing lessons is to start the downswing by moving the shoulders first while keeping their feet motionless. The correct move – as the trainer will insist during the golf swing lesson – starts from the feet upwards. This means that the shoulders will be the last to move. If you manage to control this aspect, you may acquire great results, so do your best to get everything out of any golf swing lesson, since this is the ABC of golf playing as such!

Dan Farrell asked:


Golf can be a terrific game but the most frustrating to see improvements. Some of the frustration comes from too many people giving too many ’swing adjustments’.

Follow these few tips and you should start to see your golf shot greatly improve.

So, your golf swing needs improvement and you know it? Here are some tips in making better golf swings. Tip no. 1. A great golf swing does not mean you have to swing with arms.

Behind your back, put your golf club while you turn your back to your target. It is like taking your club back as you hinge your arm at your shoulder. You could also practice the drill known as no arm. Tip no. 2. You should not forget cocking wrists. Do not forget cocking your wrists. This might be difficult at first, but it will be natural to you with enough practice. Uncocking your wrists in your follow through. Tip no. 3. You should let the left arm rotate clockwise slightly when you start the back swing. It is not really something that you actually should remember. It naturally happens if you would just allow it. This just means that you should not resist this movement that is just natural. You might not notice it, but you might have been resisting this movement because this causes the head of your golf club to go open slightly when you swing it. Just allow it to happen. Tip no. 4. Plant your feet firmly on the ground. You might have copied this from baseball. That is, letting your foot heel in front to come above the ground when you swing your golf club back. Some people think that by doing this so, their back swing feels more huge.

It is something of note that lifting the front heel can easily make the body coil and for tension that much harder to build. Letting the foot roll freely to the inside is fine. However, one should keep that foot on the ground to make golf back swing well-anchored. Tip no. 5. From the bottom golf down swing.

Assuming that you accomplish all the drills correctly -from the golf stance, the golf grip you have, and your golf back swing. But you can still ruin everything if you begin the golf swing that you have with the shoulders. You might want to use a swing trigger to begin the golf down swing that you have with the lower part of your body. Tip no. 6. And again, on your golf down swing. You should turn the belt buckle to your target.

Try turning your hips as powerful and fast as possible in your golf down swing, it works.

There is a way to lower your golf score, and the most efficient and quick way to do so is by putting. Although there are those golfers who put the blame on the putter thus the reason for their bad putt, it also helps if the grip of the putter is on a surface that is flat.

Robert Kokoska asked:


How many times do we do it – we come off the golf course, completely disgruntled with the round we have just played, and turn on the Golf channel on TV to try and find that elusive good swing tip. Of course when we do this we are just bombarded with a perplexing array of artificial aids that are somehow supposed to instill in us the good habits inherent to a great golf swing. I dare say if we bought into some of them we would turn up at the driving range looking like we were on a NASA mission to Mars, with various bits and pieces strapped on to or hanging off us.

Firstly do remember; if it aint broke – dont try to fix it. You see this with professionals as much as amateurs. They convince themselves somethings not right with their swing, pay a guru to come up with changes to it and still not see any improvement in their game. Weve all seen out on the course some atrocious swings: flat ones, loopy ones and downright off balance ones. But if youre getting distance and accuracy – dont worry. Not everyone has the physique and suppleness of Tiger or Sergio.

Having said that I have got absolutely no doubt that a good golf swing tip is – get help from your club professional. A few dollars spent with him or her will result in your – individual/personal – golf swing being analyzed and being told what to do to correct it. Again, its not a question of having the perfect swing, what you need is a consistent swing that strike after strike will deliver the ball the same distance.

That way you are not falling short of or over shooting your target, leaving you with awkward shots that pile the strokes onto your card. After that lesson what do you need to do? Practice that swing of course, its no good just going out once a week on the course and expect great results. You have got to make that swing second nature to yourself. As instinctive as knowing exactly how much to turn the steering wheel in your car, now when was the last time you needed to think about that!

We all know that a lot of our golf swing problems are in our heads. My golf partner and I are both high handicappers, after a bad shot we will both turn to each other and say – I should have walked away and re-set before playing that shot or I knew I was gripping too tightly. But oh no, that little demon tells us in our heads – it is OK you will adjust it in your down-swing etc. We both know we have got decent swings for our handicaps, but we also know that a bad shot is often due to losing concentration for a moment. Now then where did I put that book on zen and the art of golf?

Joseph Tierney asked:


Tip 1: You will need your hands placed with your thumbs pointed the same direction. Just, imagine how hitchhikers have their thumb up. When, you have your club in the air, your thumbs should point upwards. There are other things you can think about as well that will help you have your hands in the correct position to improve golf swing technique. If, your giving a handshake then your hands will be the same as when your playing golf. Also, if you have a remote control in your hand, then most likely they will be in the same position.

Tip 2: You want to make sure you don’t swing too quickly. While swinging the club, you should maintain a rhythm to improve your golf swing. While, you have the club in the air, you should pause before you bring the club back down. This will help you get the ball farther more often.

Tip 3: While swinging the golf club, you need to keep weight on the inner side of your right foot, and also have a slight bend in the knee. If you don’t do this, then you may not have as much power in your swing. While you have the club back behind you, just make sure your right knee is braced. Doing this, will help improve golf swing and send that ball far.

Tip 4: Your wrists aren’t the things that give you the power in golf. The part of the body that gives the ball the power is your leg muscles. People who are new to golf will try to use their wrists, and sometimes this might work. However, for more power more often, use your body and leg muscles.

Tip 5: You don’t need to hit the ball hard into the breeze; this will only send the ball with more spin and make it go higher. You need to hit the ball lower with more control, so keep the ball a few inches in front of you and have your hands forward. In the breeze, use a longer club then you normally would use, and just swing with ease.

Tip 6: You need a good balance to have a consistent swing. You need to hit the ball with your feet close together. This will help you have better balance, and improve your golf swing, for when you go back to your old position.

Tip 7: Before, any pro golfer goes to the first tee; they go to the practice area. All golfers should do this; you won’t need to worry about how you strike the ball here. You will be able to warm up and loosen those muscles before you play. When you hit the ball, you should have some wedges as you go down to the driver. This will improve golf swing technique and possibly prevent some injuries.

Tip 8: It’s very important to balance your swing, so you will be ready to hit the ball. If you can grip the club correctly, then your hands won’t slip off. Your right grip has the preference, because golf is played with your hands. You will also get to feel the hit if you have them correctly. You need to use pressure points, so you don’t drop the club, and so you can focus on a rhythm to improve golf swing technique.

Tip 9: On the backswing, many golfers let their left knee collapse. Doing this, will make your hips sway and makes your shoulder drop. Instead, you need to make sure your left knee goes outward on the swing. Doing this, you will feel some tension in your knees. Think of it like your holding something between your knees to keep them in the correct position.

Take action now, use these golf swing tips and put them into practice. You can only improve your golf swing using them!

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Golfing is one of the greatest games in the world. It’s a noble game, which can be played in good conditions if you have a good partner to play against. As almost every game invented it’s all about winning, all about being better than other person. If golfing is only a hobby or you will like to improve you’re playing level make sure you follow these next golf swing tips.

Confidence can make a lot of difference in a game of golf. One of the best golf swing tips I can deliver is about the manner you behave when you play golf. If you have a positive attitude and tell yourself after every hit that it was a good hit. Stop talking to yourself in a negative way, because you’re subconscious will really think that you are talking serious. The subconscious takes every word as a true statement, so words like “I can’t” or “I should” be replaced by “I can” and “I will”. Other golf swing tips important for every player who wants to improve their play stile and level is to copy the style of a professional player, if possible even spend some time with one and work on a few golf swing tips each week until you have improved all of them or even mastered them. Another important tip is about you’re position when you make a swing, when you are working on your backswing keep your weight on the inside of your right foot and be sure to keep a slight bend in your knee.

If this golf swing tips didn’t helped you in the manner expected then is better to read some good books that offer golf swing tips and then put them in practice or take some lessons from training golf course.

For more resources about Golf Putting Aid or about List of California Golf Courses or even about California golf courses please review these web pages.

D Fraser asked:


Are you looking to give yourself an edge in the game of golf over your friends. Continually slicing or hooking the ball in the woods on the first tee? A golf swing analyzer is specifically for finding those minute points of your swing mechanics that are causing you to slice, hook, or duff the ball and improve on them.

A golf swing analyzer can take one of two forms, a simple use at home device, or something more technical that would be golf instruction centers. Pricing of course like everything else in this fine game varies from a little to A LOT. You can purchase home swing analyzers for a few hundred bucks, or you could invest maybe a bit less for a one time golf swing analysis at a golf pro center.

The most basic of swing analysis tools is a small electronic device that attaches to the shaft of your golf club. When the golfer swings the device captures information such as club head speed, and can then calculate the distance and projection the ball should travel with that swing. While this device is good to measure particular points of your swing, it doesn’t do much for pointing out errors on mechanics you might be making.

To Get a More Detailed Analysis

To get a more complete picture of your golf swing, you need more in depth analysis. Using computer software and video is the best way to make this happen. Generally a golfer can records his/her swing via a video or digital camera and then load that video in your computer. The software then begins to manipulate it by extracting information about club head speed, path, and angle of contact. From that the golf swing analysis software can judge the distance, and trajectory the ball would have traveled. The software can even make recommendation on swing improvements and where you’d stand to make a big difference.

The most detailed and sophisticated of these video computers golf swing analysis tools are found at golf training centers. A golfer will address the ball (indoors generally) swing at the ball on an artificial tee box, and the ball is captured by a net hanging in front. The whole process is captured by a video camera that is connected directly with golf swing analyzer software package.

Very similar to that in the home version of the golf swing analysis software the swing is transcribed into a computer video that can be dissected. Your biomechanics are studied to extract some basic swing information, along with more detailed studies about your stance, hand position, body posture/alignment and head movement. Remember it’s not just the actual swing that can cause troubles, but also how the rest of your body acts while the swing is taking place.

Many golf swing analysis kits come with a video or cd that provides printouts and feedback reports on your swing. So you have something to go on when your practicing to correct errors in mechanics etc. Also if you do take the time to have your swing analyzed by a pro at a golf center you’ll likely have the option of receiving lessons to help correct what ever errors were found.