New clubs won't make all of your issues magically decrease or disappear.

Most golfers are always on the lookout for ways to enhance and increase their enjoyment by improving their performance in the game. It can be tempting to lay the blame of poor performance on environmental issues, like having a bad day, not getting a good nights sleep, or lousy weather. Ultimately, in the game of golf, it really all comes back to you and your golf swing. Having a consistent golf swing will automatically increase your overall game. That’s the starting point.

While a golf swing is not a natural motion for the body, there are many things involved in getting it just right. The quest to improve your golf swing and decrease the number of problems that can occur, often leads to all kinds of unsolicited advice from fellow golfers on how to fix it. Of all of the methods available, the best way is to make sure that you remain in the moment. Being very present allows you to make a conscious effort to focus on every part of the swing, and taking into account what motions your are making as you execute it.

As time passes, you may find that you've sunken into a set of bad habits that decrease your performance, and may be so automatic that they're hard to break. Only by concentrating as you swing will allow these things come to light, and you’ll be conscious of what you're doing. You can also add a video camera which will give you an unbiased look at what’s going on with your swing.

Another issue that could have an effect on your swing might be external. Your clubs can help or hurt your game, especially if they aren't sized correctly for you. They can cause you to form compensation habits that decrease your overall performance. Of course, you don't want to use this explanation as an excuse to purchase new clubs with the idea that using new clubs will eliminate all of your problems. In addition to taking out your wallet, new clubs won't make all of your issues magically decrease or disappear. If you don't have the basics of a good golf swing prior to buying new clubs, that skill won't magically come out of the box as you unpack your new clubs. Any issues you have will remain.

An alternative method you can use to hone a better golf swing is mental: clear your mind of any thoughts you might have prior to making the shot. While, at times, this can prove difficult, it really is possible, and it will lower your stress and take the pressure off. If you worry about messing up the shot, you probably will. So, do some breathing exercises and calm yourself prior to stepping up to your shot. As you swing, get a clear visual in your mind of the shot going straight, high, and far. All of these simple techniques will help improve your swing.

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We all want to be better immediately, but that's not possible. What is possible is that if you practice correctly and do your homework, you can quickly own a swing to be proud of and be well on your way to hitting controlled, powerful shots. However, that's not all there is to golf. You must have a good short game. If you work on your short game, you will continually improve your ability to get the ball in the hole. Of course, as with anything, how fast you improve depends upon the quality and frequency of your practice. Here are a few rules which you would do well to follow.

Rule 1 - Be nice to yourself.
Be your own best friend. Talk to yourself in a nurturing, helpful, positive way. Have you ever called yourself stupid for hitting a bad shot? Don't. Maintain your self esteem and your sense of humor. It is just a game isn't it?

Rule 2 - If you want to improve your swing, slow down and forget about contact.
If you want to improve your swing, concentrate on your swing, not contact. If you attempt to focus on both swing and contact at the same time, you will get neither, and that's no fun. Practice your swing and make sure it is correct. You will have to slow way down to make a good swing, and that's OK. Your brain will learn whatever you teach it, whether you go fast or slow. So if you want to learn the correct swing, practice slowly and perfectly, and gradually add speed later. Contact is easy. When your swing is ready, contact will be a matter of simple adjustment. If the swing is not there first, contact could be a real problem.

Rule 3 - Remove the word "bad" from your vocabulary.
Once you are ready to start hitting balls, watch your shots closely until the ball stops rolling. Become very interested in where the ball goes, but do not judge undesirable results as bad. There is no failure, only feedback. You swing, the ball goes somewhere, you say "Hmm, interesting,'' and you try again. For instance, if you make a swing and determine that you made a club path error, instantly forget the shot, and take a couple of practice swings with the perfect club path to remind yourself of what you wanted to do.

Immediately replace an errant swing with the right swing and tell yourself "That's the swing!" You need to enjoy your good shots. Get psyched about them. That which you give more attention to becomes more strongly imprinted in your mind, so store only the results you want to repeat. It doesn’t mean you have to celebrate with champagne every time you hit a good shot, but most certainly you should give yourself a big smile and congratulate yourself! Don't just assume that you should hit them all that way.

Golf is a game, and games are for fun. Right? So have fun. Have fun learning and experimenting with all the facets of the game. Have fun making mistakes. Mistakes are good because they point out weaknesses in your game which, when improved, will make you a better golfer. Walk whenever you can and have fun getting exercise among the beautiful scenery. Always keep these rules in mind. Your positive golf mentality and energy will help your golf swing development dramatically.

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By JC Campbell – The mental side of golf is perhaps one of the most important and one of the most difficult aspects to master. Golf is a game played between the ears, a fact confirmed by the greatest players ever to grace the sport like Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The mental approach to the game of golf is crucial even for those who have the kind of natural talent found in top professionals. Because golf is a sport involving any number of variables, it will naturally call for good decision making.

The mental approach to golf is one of the most interesting facets of this great Royal and Ancient game. There must be very few golfers, if any, who do not have the goal of game improvement, something that for many, comes down solely to their mental attitude. The mental side of golf involves making good decisions that will have real impact on your game.

If you are a golfer who has played the game for some time, there comes a point when you reach a level of performance that will not greatly improve. For example, when you first start playing the game, you are likely to shoot high scores. As you continue to play regularly, your game dramatically improves until you reach that point where you have hit your personal ceiling. That ceiling might be five, ten, fifteen handicap or higher. Because of age, strength and general ability, you may hit your tee ball 200-250 yards and know only too well that you will never hit it 300 even on a good day.

Does reaching this personal level mean we can no longer improve? Definitely not! This is where using our mental powers become so important, as we endeavor to create a strategy that will allow us to play the best we can and possibly reach heights we never thought possible. Being a fifteen-handicapper doesn't preclude shooting in the 70s, or a ten-handicapper from shooting par.

Golf is a fascinating game when we approach it from the mental side, thinking about how we plan to play the course, rather than how we are going to swing the club. Decision making when playing golf can begin even before we step on the first tee. In fact, we can make sound, game improving decisions while lying in bed, having breakfast or driving to the course. Try this suggestion before you set off for your next golf game, particularly if you will be playing a familiar course. Think your way through every hole on the golf course and decide there and then, what you will play from every tee, weather conditions permitting.

Deviate from your regular practice of simply hitting driver on every par 4 or 5. Are there some short par fours that you could easily reach using 3-wood or even an iron from the tee? Could you play each par 5 with an iron for your second shot, as opposed to playing the 3-wood which often puts you in trouble? Determine this before you begin to play and stick to it.

Another suggestion:  Do you find that your iron shots to greens come up short most of the time? One major winning professional from days gone by once said, cruelly perhaps, that the safest place to stand when watching amateurs play, is "directly behind the flag, because they never reach it". Try experimenting with this strategy on your next round. Once you have determined your distance to the pin and selected your iron for the shot, put the club back in your bag and take the next one down, so 8 iron becomes 7 iron. Remember, the difference between clubs is only 10-15 yards per club. Review your performance using this tactic and see if it results in a noticeable improvement.

The key is to make those decisions before you pick up a club and determine in advance, the strategy you will follow on the course. Paying more attention to the mental side of your golf game can only improve your game and you may also be very pleasantly surprised as you analyze your scorecard at the 19th hole.

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