Golf Tips to Improve Your Swing and Game

The successive sections of this article will describe numerous golf tips that will aid in the advancement of your golf game. From simple and effective tips, to more complex and difficult tips, each tip will have benefits to your game. These tips are based on all aspects of the fundamentals of the golf swing (which can be accessed here Golf Swing Fundamentals) and use both mental and physical characteristics to enable a golfer to perform a correct golf swing or stroke.

Firstly, I will discuss the most valuable golf tips that I believe will help to improve your game instantly. These tips provide not only myself, but many golfers, from novices to professionals, with the frame of mind to successful conduct a golf swing or stroke. The main characteristic of these tips incorporate mental aspects to help any golfer think, visualise and carry out any type of swing on the golf course, whilst in any scenario and under any pressure situation.

The first golf tip that I will discuss is the routine before the commencement of a golf swing. Having a routine while playing a round of golf will drastically improve your game, as you are constantly in the frame of mind to play well. And we all know that the more consistent and well we play a round of golf, the more we will enjoy it and the better we will play. The routine, which commences before the golf swing even begins, must consist of a key actions, thoughts and movements performed systematically before each and every golf shot. These actions, thoughts and movements may include; having a set amount of practice swings per shot, visualising what shot you want to perform, correctly aiming to where you want the ball to go, making sure your stance and grip are correct, checking the wind direction and speed, scoping out any potential hazards (lie of the ball, terrain of the ground, weather conditions, other players), making sure you have the right club etc. If a golfer masters a set routine, they will be well of their way to becoming a better and more consistent golfer.

The routine I adopt for each and every golf shot helps me focus on what shot I want to play and prepares me,  the best way possible, to successfully perform a golf shot. For instance, the systematic routine that I adopt when I use a driver off the tee includes;

1. Firstly, I walk up to the position of where I want to set-up my tee and ball, while observing such things as the weather conditions (wind speed and direction, rain etc), potential hazards (water hazard, out of bounds, bunkers, other players etc) and the shape of the fairway (hilly, downhill, cambered, open, tight, trees, dogleg etc).

2. Set-up the tee and the ball, making sure that I can see half a ball over the top of my driver (see driving tips).

3. Take a couple of steps back, perform two practice swings, while visualising what type of shot I want to play. This is where I decide if I want to shape the ball (draw or fade) and power of the swing (full, three quarters, 85% etc).

4. I find a spot or reference point (trees, patch on the fairway etc) at where I would like to start the ball and walk up to the ball and find another point directly in line with the spot or reference point (trees, patch on fairway etc) in front of the ball (say 1-2 meters) of a divot, leaf or broken tie etc. Once I’m at the ball I line my stance up  and club with that divot, leaf or broken tee etc, and find my correct neutral stance (refer to the neutral stance in the Golf Swing Fundamentals) and grip (refer to the grip in the Golf Swing Fundamentals) of the golf club.

5. Lastly, I refer back to what shot I deemed was accurate for this drive ( from visualising in step 3),  then relax my entire body and initiate my backswing by rocking my body the slightest amount forward.

The routine that I perform above is basically what I do every time I hit the golf ball with a full swing on the golf course (minus the tee and ball set-up for shots off the tee block). However, my routine differs a little whilst taking a stroke on the putting green. Although the routine is nearly the same as a full swing, the only difference is that I visualise the break and speed of the green by walking around the putt and reading the line from the ball to the hole. The break and speed of a putt I can gather from the slope of the green, length of the grass on the green, location of the green (if its near water, the grass tends to grow towards the water and hence the ball tends to break towards the water, even if the green is dead flat) and any ridge or valleys present on the green. If a systematic routine is carried out  accurately for every swing and stroke played on a golf course, the golfer will play extremely more consistent and will ultimately improve their game.

The second golf tip that I will discuss is that every golfer should play a golf swing or stroke in a relaxed manner. By placing your body in a relaxed manner before each golf shot, the brain can be better used for the golf swing rather than other thoughts and movements you and your body are thinking. There is nothing worse than seeing a golfer walk up to the ball and just before he/she performs their swing, their whole body goes tense. And then they wonder why they snap hook, slice or even duff their drive into the hazard. Next time you are throwing something at a target, for example darts, cricket or even grit iron, throw a couple a darts/balls in a tense manner, then repeat the process and throw the objects in a relaxed manner. I guarantee that you will be more accurate and consistent while you perform the throw in a relaxed manner. This is the same in a golf swing, as the more relaxed you are, the more consistency and brain power you will acquire before you successfully play a desired swing or stroke.