|
Essential
Golf Ball Control
By Bobby Ryatt
Golf is one of the misunderstood sports out there in the
land of the competitive. Despite the opinions of non
golfers whose greatest exposure to golf is during a
rousing hour of channel surfing, golf is a sport of
grace, quiet competition, respect, honor, and of course,
well honed skill.
Whether you are just beginning your golfing career or
have been hauling all over the back nine since I was
knee high to a grasshopper, there is always room for
improvement in a round of golf.
There isn’t a golfer alive who doesn’t want a
straighter, longer drive or a more precise putt. Even
the best of the best in all their grace and skill
perpetually strive for the better game, the game where
control is paramount.
Control of the golf ball of course begins with control
of the body. When first learning to play golf, and for
some of us years into our learning curve, despite what
our better judgment tells us we step up to the tee with
tight muscles determined to whack the dimples off the
ball. Inevitably, we resemble displaced baseball players
rather than graceful golfers as we pull back and swing
with all our might. Despite our best efforts we slice
and hook and no matter how many dimples we whack away
from the ball it still won’t sail over the horizon for
us. How frustrating.
What we fail to either realize or practice is that out
tense muscles are causing the problem. Golf can not be
played with tight muscles because inevitably, our heads
are going to insist on following our bodies and we will
lose sight of the ball right at the last moment. In
order for us to really make that contact with the golf
ball that we are truly seeking, we have to keep our eye
on the ball. Ironically, this is also true in baseball
and some of us do have a tendency to bring our baseball
skills onto the golf course with us.
When we lose sight of the golf ball at the last moment
our body shifts just enough to keep our golf club from
making good contact with the ball. Our hands lose their
follow through and our golf ball goes flying off into
the rough. We stand there seriously contemplating
wrapping our clubs around the trunk of a tree wondering
what it is that we’re doing wrong. After all, we
couldn’t be trying harder to hit our golf ball straight
and far.
Sometimes, that’s the exact problem. Trying too hard to
hit the ball in a round of golf can actually backfire
and create the opposite of the desired effect. Our body
is tense, our mood is tense, and of course our ball ends
up tensely leaving the tee. However, a relaxed body has
a greater chance of keeping the eye on the ball and
making the appropriate contact with the golf ball and
sending it much farther and straighter than the baseball
bat swing.
THE PRACTICE SWING
Luckily, golf has become a fairly affordable sport as of
late and we have plenty of time to perfect our golf game
before our next round with the guys from the office. So
we approach the task of perfecting the golf swing over a
series of rounds over a few weeks. After all, there is
room for improvement regardless how good of a golf swing
you may have. For some of us, however, there is only
room for improvement.
Before heading out to the fairway, I sat down like so
many other individuals like myself to search out the
internet for a little golf swing guidance. A few words
across my browser and a click of the search button and I
found one of the best sites around for some golf swing
guidance. Keeping in mind that not all of us are retired
and we have jobs and families to keep us quite busy, I
wanted to read the information that I needed without
being glued in front of the computer screen for hours on
end. The goal is to find the assistance and then
actually take it out to the fairway and practice it.
HELP AT LAST
I clicked on bestprogolfguide and I had a plethora of
information right at my fingertips. The best part was,
it was valuable information. I didn’t have to weed
through tons of useless clippings to come across handy,
factual information that is easy to understand and
implement.
The organization of the site made for quick browsing so
that I could find exactly the golf help that I needed,
read it, learn it, and be on my way to go put it into
practice. Right there in front of me was an article
describing exactly what I knew to be my problem in
detail and tips to help me correct it.
Golf is a game of patience, and for most a very relaxing
activity that encourages physical exercise. A relaxing
game of golf. I truly couldn’t remember the last time I
was relaxed when I played golf. Because I tend to be
quite competitive, I also put a lot of pressure on
myself to play golf at very high standards. A self
taught golfer, I never took a lesson or really had any
assistance in learning the game and how most people play
it. Rather I came onto the fairway with my clubs and
sheer determination.
Right there in front of me was an article explaining how
my baseball approach to golf was exactly what was
killing my ball before it had a chance to soar. I
buckled down and went through the basic steps that were
kindly outlined for me and then I headed off to the
driving range for a practice round.
Don’t get me wrong, one article didn’t fix ten long
years of hacking and whacking my golf ball into various
bushes. What it did do was make me aware of exactly what
I was doing wrong. It allowed me to adjust my focus and
relax and within just the first ten swings I began to
notice a difference. Of course then I got giddy with
excitement and blew the next ten swings, but then I
returned to the basics and got my rhythm back.
As I focused on improving my swing and cleaning up my
nasty slice, I hadn’t forgotten that this site had
helpful tips on everything golf, even things I didn’t
know I wanted to know. And over time, I knew that I
would improve my game to the degree that it wouldn’t
even really be my game any more. My game involved
fishing golf balls out of some pretty interesting
places.
I am now learning the mental game of golf as I
accomplish more of the physical game of golf. I always
knew that golf was a game of grace and quiet dignity,
but I truly didn’t realize just how much of this sport
is played in your head. I have learned different
concentration techniques to improve my putting, driving,
and of course, lower my score. I feel more confident and
I certainly play with more patience and grace than I
ever had before.
The driving range has become a hot spot for me since
that first day when I showed up to practice those first
tidbits of knowledge that were kindly shared with me on
my new favorite website. My constant improvements have
people approaching me for advice. It wasn’t that long
ago that some of these same people were approaching me
to offer me a new golf ball so I wouldn’t have to go dig
mine out of its landing place.
Anyone who really wants to learn about golf needs to
check out this site. It has every slice of information a
person needs to begin understanding the game a bit
better and improving what once may have been a round of
embarrassment. The golf instruction offered is as
valuable as several private lessons down at the club.
Beginners and pros alike can find just about anything
they need to know to lower their golf score and have
more fun playing the game. After all, this is supposed
to be fun. I was especially pleased to find an article
that thoroughly explained some golf rules that
apparently I had misinterpreted. I’m sure the guys from
the office were pleased when I started adhering to the
rules of the game without the argument I used to put up.
It’s been so exciting to improve my golf technique.
Since then I have visited bestprogolfguide daily,
sometimes a few times a day to learn and improve upon
the steps I’ve made thus far. And the last round of golf
I played with the guys from the office they didn’t know
quite what to make of the improvement. I even received a
few of those backhanded compliments of how nice my swing
was, for a girl.
To browse our golf store, click here. To view the latest
golf news and information,
click here. To exchange links with us,
click here. Finally, to contact us
with questions or comments,
click here. |
