Ensure that you're using a good grip and that your wrists maintain the proper positions throughout your swing.

The golf swing involves many different muscles and parts of the body. With all those components it's probably one of the most difficult and complex athletic moves that a person can make. Compare it to a complex piece of equipment that performs a certain task. The more moving parts that equipment has, the more likely it is to break down and need either major or minor adjustments.

Your golf swing works the same way. It involves so many movements and different factors, something is almost certain to go wrong. Just like the person who repairs the broken equipment needs to determine which piece of the equipment went bad, you need to know what has gone wrong with your golf swing before you can improve it.

Return to the Basics
Back when you were first learning how to play golf, you were probably very careful about how you did it. You carefully considered each and every step you had to perform while you were swinging your club. You needed to do this because golf was new to you and it wasn't second nature. As time passed by, you probably became more relaxed and concentrated less on each of the individual movements that make up the golf swing.

You also need to realize that if you built bad habits into your golf swing when you were first beginning, now they are ingrained as part of your muscle memory. You'll need to start breaking down every portion of your golf swing and really concentrate while you're doing it if you want to improve your swing. Hopefully you will be able to identify your swing flaws.

The golf swing is a complicated medley of complex movements and the naked eye just doesn't do a good job of catching every nuance. For this reason a video recording of their golf swing is essential for any golfer who is serious about improving. Through watching yourself swing and putting the video in slow motion you should be able to see your weaknesses and dramatically improve your golf swing.

Concentrate on Your Pre-Swing Mechanics
Focusing in on your pre-swing mechanics may be another way to drastically improve your golf swing. Make sure your head is in the right position. You also need to make sure your body is squared up properly and the ball is in the right position. Check that you have the correct stance and your weight is distributed the way it should be. Ensure that you're using a good grip and that your wrists maintain the proper positions throughout your swing. Some golfers have difficulty achieving a full range of motion during their swings.

You should be able to improve your golf swing if you concentrate on all the different aspects of your pre-swing as well as your actual swing. You will be able to play better and lower your scores. Better rounds of golf mean you will enjoy the game much more while you're out on the course.

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The backswing is linked to the downswing and must affect how you bring the club back to the ball.

By JC Campbell - There are a number of key elements that go into executing a good golf shot and your backswing is definitely one of them. How you take the club back will determine to a great extent how well you strike the ball at impact. If your backswing is on plane, you are more likely to come back to the ball on the correct plane and make solid contact. Conversely, if you are inclined to take the club back too far on the inside or to the outside, you will have difficulty bringing it back on the correct plane, resulting in a poorly hit shot that could leave you in trouble.

The most common backswing fault among recreational golfers is to take the clubhead back too far on the outside. The problem with this move is that it leaves the club laid off at the top of the backswing and promotes a downswing that also comes too far from the outside. This kind of swing usually results in a weak slice, the standard shot for high handicap golfers. There are simple drills you can do to ensure your backswing is one that will encourage a repeating swing, one that leads to solid contact every time. For example, try sticking a rod in the ground just outside the line you want your backswing to follow. The key is to avoid hitting the rod as you take the club back. A simple drill but one that works.

The same drill can be employed if your problem is taking the club back too far on the inside. Again, placing an object in the line of your faulty arc will encourage you to bring the club back on a better plane. This is something you can practice on the range or even in your back garden at home. Try to feel the sensation of grooving a backswing that puts your club in good position at the top. If you have been in the habit of bringing the club back too far outside the line (and most golfers do), it will feel strange for a while until you make this first move part of your regular game.

Another simple adjustment you can make to ensure your backswing tracks more on the inside is to open the clubface a little before you take the club away. This will promote a swing that is more on plane if your tendency has been to swing outside the line. You can spend all the time you want beating balls on the driving range but until you develop a good backswing, you will never hit the ball as you want. The backswing is inextricably linked to the downswing and must affect how you bring the club back to the ball. Improving your backswing will be sure to improve your game.

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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 – Holding a golf club is as easy as falling off a log and if you have ever fallen off a log, you will know how easy that really is. Gripping a golf club correctly however seems to be more of a challenge, even for some who have been playing for many years. Why does this prove to be such a problem? Does it really matter how you grip the club?

How you put your hands on the golf club is a crucial factor in making good contact with the ball. Bearing in mind it is one of the fundamentals that even top professionals give constant attention, should be enough to convince us of its importance. Get a proper grip on the golf club and you're well on the way to getting a grip on your game.

There are two basic aspects to taking the proper grip on the golf club. One is the kind of grip that feels most comfortable and the other is where the club rests in your palms. Consider first, the type of grip that feels most comfortable for you. There are three options, two of which are used extensively in the professional game. Take your pick!

Interlocking Grip
The interlocking grip is favored by most golfers and is so called because the pinky finger of the right hand interlocks with the index finger of the left hand (reverse for the left-handed golfer). This grip gives tends to give your hands a real feeling of togetherness with less risk of the hands separating on the back swing.

Vardon Grip
Another popular kind of grip is the Vardon Grip, named after Harry Vardon,  the famed English golfer in the early twentieth century. The key difference between this and the interlocking grip is that the pinky finger rests between the index and middle finger. It doesn't feel quite as secure as the interlocking grip but is used by a number of top golfers. Experiment with both on the practice range and see what feels best for you.

Baseball Grip
The baseball grip, also known as the ten-fingered grip is often adopted by players new to the game, who don't know any better! With this grip, none of the fingers lock or overlap. The pinky finger will rest against the index finger of the other hand with all ten fingers touching the club. If you do use this grip, make sure to keep your hands together because separating your hands when you grip the club is a recipe for poorly struck shots. Better still; try to master one of the other types of grip described above.

Having settled on the type of grip that feels most comfortable for you, it is also important to place the club in your palms correctly. A common fault among high-handicap golfers is to hold the club too much in the palms of the hands. Although the palms obviously come into play, ensure that the butt of the club runs close to the fingers. You will have more control over your club and strike the ball with more power when you grip the club with your fingers and allow them to influence the shot.

Consult with any golf teacher or professional and he or she will be certain to start your tuition session with a lesson on how to grip the golf club. Yes, it is that important. A proper grip is the first step on the road to better golf!

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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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By JC Campbell – In this technological age of inactivity, encouraging children to play sports of any kind can only benefit them physically and emotionally. Golf is a sport where age is no barrier as can be observed by the fact that it is played by the very young to the not so young. Teaching children to play the game will be truly worthwhile in the long term, although there are pitfalls to be avoided in order to make this a pleasant experience for the young one.

Make It Fun
Assuming your goal as a parent is not to produce the next Tiger Woods, make sure that the periods spent teaching your child to play are fun experiences. If the young one enjoys your coaching sessions, they will be likely to come back for more and improve in their ability. If though, learning to play the game becomes a pressure for them due to your high expectations, they will probably quit before too long.

Set Realistic Goals
Depending on the age of your child, set realistic goals that will encourage them as opposed to goals that are clearly beyond them. For the very young, just learning to make contact with the ball might be the aim. For those who are a little older and who have played some golf already, you may want to concentrate on some aspect of the swing that will help them improve. This could be anything from making a full backswing to finishing the swing in balance. When parents expect too much, the children can easily become despondent, feeling that they have somehow failed.

Don't Become a Control Freak
Parents want to see their children excel in most things and sport is no different. Sadly, some parents fall into the trap of becoming control freaks with the kids, almost bullying them into improving. Displaying anger or disgust when your child fails to execute a golf shot in an attempt to follow your instructions will achieve nothing. Like anyone else, children thrive on encouragement, not criticism.

Golf is a sport that will last your child for a lifetime. Start them young and encourage them to enjoy the game. Keep your expectations low and simply help them to improve when you can. Teaching your child to play the game of golf could ensure you have a playing partner for years to come.

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