Golfing Tips

Whether it’s just a winter season or a few years away from the course it’s easy to build up a little rust in your golf game. With how complex the golf swing is it makes sense it some time away can seriously affect your ability to play.

Luckily for you, there are plenty of drills activities and educational resources that can help you get back to your golf game and have you playing better than ever. In this article, we’re going to break down the best ways to get your golf game back as fast as possible.

Before The Course

If you’re looking up this article you’re looking for ways you can improve your golf game before you’re back out on the course. You don’t want your first memory of coming back to golf and shank in a T-shirt in front of a gallery so we understand why you may wanna work on a few things before you’re out on the links.

Mental Preparation

Mental preparation is one great way you can improve your golf game at home. As you know golf is an incredibly mental sport and having the right mindset in the process while on the course is going to help you play your best game.

One great way to prep mentally is by preparing a proper swing thought. Swing thoughts are the thoughts you have in your head in order to ensure that you have a proper swing.

The key essentials of the swing thought are to not be too technical or complicated. Think easy enough to think without throwing off the natural flow of your swing.

An example of swing thought could be a simple as “see ball hit ball “. This sort of swing thought would encourage you to keep the proper tempo as well as keep your golf swing simple.

Another great way for mental preparation is my reading of books. There are tons of golf books out there that teach you how to perfect the mental aspect of your game. By reading through many of these books some written by the greatest golfers ever you find that there are many mental tips and tricks you can use to accelerate your game.

Another way in which you can mentally prepare for your first golf game back is by developing a pre-shot routine. A pre shot routine is a short series of steps you take prior to hitting your ball in order to get you in the right mindset. By developing a proper pre-shot routine you find yourself much more confident and relaxed as you step up to hit your ball.

The major focus is a pre-shot routine tend to be alignment, set up, as well as visualization. The steps ensure that your aim and direction of the shot are properly set up as you address the ball.

By using one of these routines consistently you’ll find a niche and approachable you come in with a much more calm mind.

Watching Golf

Another great way to prepare for your next golf game is by watching golf on television. Right now you’re likely saying my golf game isn’t anywhere near the pros so this isn’t going to be too helpful. Now that may be true right now there are still many things you can pick up from watching the pros play.

One great thing to pick up this course manager. I watching the pros you’ll understand how they play the course and what kind of shots they make at what time. This course management allows these golfers to shoot their best possible score by making smart decisions on the course. This is something that many amateur golfers can use to their advantage especially on their home course.

One more thing you can pick up from watching the pros playing on TV is shot selection. Similar to course management shot selection is the choosing of specific shots depending on your situation.

An example of this could be when your 200 yards out from the green on a par five. It could be tempting to hit the Threewood and try and roll right up to the pin but if you’re anything like most golfers that club isn’t perfectly reliable.

By choosing to play a layup chat with you higher you might find that you end up scoring better overall through your rents. By paying attention to shot selection and trying to put strategies you can find which one best suits your golf game.

At Home Practice

Now if you’re looking to spent some of your time practising the actual game of golf there’s still a few ways can you do this within your home. Though you won’t be completing full swings like you would on the course or at the range you can still use the confines of your home the perfect one of the most important aspects of golf, the short game.

One great way to practice your short game is by simply using an indoor putting green. There are tons and tons of putting greens available online that you can use within your own home in order to improve your game.

Many of these are just simple polymath stable value to practice a straight stroke. Though, if you are more inclined you can purchase putting greens that offer you inclines and non-straight parts you can practice parts of many different magnitude’s.

If you don’t want to purchase a putting green there’s still some putting drills you can do at home provided you have a carpet department. Just from using a few golf tees in your carpet as markers, there are still many putting drills you can complete in order to improve the weight of your putts, the alignment of your putts as well as ensuring you have a proper swing gate. If you want to check out some great at home putting drills click the link here.

Another great way to practice your short game at home is chipping. Chipping much like putting is a shot that relies a ton on feel. And the only way to really get the shot sorted out is through practice.

Luckily for you chipping at home is one of the best ways to practice. One great way to practice chipping at homes by purchasing a golf chipping net. Practice chipping nets are a great product you can use at home to accellerate your game.

These net aligned and practiced at a variety of distances will give you a much better feel with the club in your hands. With consistent practice with a golf chipping net and a putting green you will find that your short game will be much more prepared as you come back to the course.

Coming Back To The Course

Once you actually come back to the course they’re gonna be a few things you want to keep in mind in order to make sure you play your best game. These simple things are important to remember as you play your first round back of golf because let’s be honest this first round may not be so easy.

Expect Poor Play

One pill you’re gonna need to swallow is the fact that your first round of golf back is not gonna be great. You need to understand the golf is a very technical game and by taking a lot of time off it is incredibly difficult to come back and play up to your own standards.

You’re going to hit at least a few poor shots throughout your first round back so you need to know that and not let these shots get the best of you. As you already know from our mental preparation section golf is an incredibly mental game and allowing these poor shots to take hold of you during your round will throw you off significantly.

When you coming back onto the course be sure to expect these poor shots and be ready to look right past them the second they have it. This is key to making sure that first round bag of golf doesn’t get out of your hands.

Avoid Feel Shots When Possible

One of the more difficult charts to hit on coming back to golf or feel shots. Like we covered in putting and chipping these kind of shots require a consistent amount of use in order to get a great result. After stepping away from the game feel shots are going to be the most difficult ones to come back to. Now of course chipping and putting are going to have to be required throughout your round. Though there are several other feels that you should try and avoid.

An example of a field shot to avoid would be taking a three-quarter swing with a 7-iron to try and set it up to the green. Due to your feel likely being off from your time away from the game making a three-quarter shot is going to be difficult to do accurately. That’s why we found it’s best to make sure you swing with your full club on these early rounds back as I feel is most likely not going to be your friend.

Get Time Out On The Practice

Even though you’ve been practising at home it’s important you get out and play on some real turf. Try and arrive early to your first round and see if you can get some time in on the practice green. If it’s a sort of a green that allows chipping and putting make sure you make use of both. This will allow you to get a feel for the speeds of the greens as well as getting the real feeling of the club swing to the grass in your hands. Getting these few putts or chips up before your round starts give you a little more confidence as you approach your first few greens.

Warm up at the range

Another important thing to do before your first round is to warm up at the range. If you’re at a course that has a practice range this will be incredibly handy. It’s tough to go in entire season without doing a full club swing so getting of these for a few shots are going be incredibly important. Even if it’s just to get the feel of the club back in your hands or just to get rid of some first tee jitters spending a little time at the range before your round can be extremely helpful.

Remember To Have fun

Although this sounds like a obvious tip this is actually quite important. You have to remember that and the end at the end of the day golf is still a game you’re playing for fun and enjoyment. If you get caught up too much in your scores in handicap you’re gonna find you not really using this game to relax and enjoy it like you should. Try and use this time at the golf course challenge yourself remember that the purpose of this game is to enjoy it.

Conclusion getting back into golf

Hope you enjoyed our guide on how to get back into golf. If you have any questions regarding this article or any of the tips we can include it on this be sure to reach out in the comments below. If you did enjoy this article and you want to check out some of our others be sure to check out our guide to golf terminology.

Arguably the most difficult part of golf is that split-second between the top of your swing and the moment you make contact with the ball. Regardless of how much practice you’ve put into perfecting your game this short snippet of time will decide your fate on the hole. That’s why we put together this guide to best golf swing thoughts to start your downswing.

Keep It Simple

If you’re going to take away one thing from this article be sure to remember to keep it simple. Though there are many important tips you must focus on when creating your golf swing but it’s important that you don’t try and incorporate these thoughts into your swing mid round.

Any golf swing thought that is mechanical or technical is too complicated to focus on during your swing. When polling PGA golfers it was found that 75% of them do not have a golf swing thought at all.

This high percentage of golfers that do not use swing thoughts agreed that trying to think mechanically well you swing is only going to harm the outcome.

This is where they “keep it simple” mantra comes. Regardless of what swing site you’re going to choose, make sure that the idea behind it is simple and that it is straightforward enough to not interrupt or hamper the quality of your swing.

Three Main Factors In A Golf Swing Thought

The three main factors we believe should be included in your golf swing are positive, non-technical, and simple.

As long as your golf downswing thoughts follow three these three factors then you will find they will not home your game.

Now if you’re wondering what kind of golf thougts fit into these criteria don’t worry, we are going to include this article with our favourite golf downswing thoughts so you can try them out for yourself.

Our top swing thought to start your downswing

“Through Not To”

One of our favourite downswing thoughts is this simple and concise quote through not to. The thought process behind this quote is quite simple do you want to ensure that as you’re swinging you plan to swing through the ball and not just to the ball itself.

This simple slogan will ensure that you do not just think of your golf swing up until contact is made. Rather you think through your entire swing including follow-through as you drive your club through the ball and towards the target.

Stay Athletic”

This simple golf swing thought can we use for those golfers that feel stiff or robotic in the swings. The purpose of this swing thought is to remain athletic and loose in your swing.

Many golfers get caught up in the technicalities and mechanics of a golf swing when at the end of the day it is a sport that requires athletic ability. By reminding yourself to stay athletic in your swing you will find yourself engage more parts of your body and developing a more natural swing.

See Ball, Hit Ball”

This golf downswing thought is about as simple as you can get but that does not make it any less effective. This see ball, hit ball swings thought essentially encourages you to focus on nothing but the core principles of a golf swing.

At the end of the day, you know how to hit a golf ball and you know how to complete your golf swing. This simple thought process ensures that you can get from Step A to Step B without clouding your mind or getting jittery.

Conclusion Best Golf Downswing Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the best golf downswing thoughts. If you have any questions regarding this article or any of the swing for us in the article be sure to reach out in the comments below. If you did enjoy this guide be sure to check out some of our other golfing tips such as our guide to the best practice golf balls.

In your average round of golf, putts tend to make up about 40 percent of your total score. Now considering that your putter is the only club you’re going to use this often it makes sense that it should be your main priority when looking to shave a few strokes of your game.

Not to mention the fact that you can practice your putting anywhere with just a few simple drills. Throughout this article, we’re going to breakdown fifteen different ways you can improve your putting. Now like most golf tips most of these aren’t going to be your saving grace but if you give them all a shot somethings gotta stick.

Utilize your Putter Lines

Yeah, you know that stripe that looked awesome in golf town, the one you used to knockdown ten straight-eight footers on their indoor perfectly flat green.

If you get your use out of this line it should extend off the line of the ball and give you a bit larger target line to help visualize your next putt. Now this only works if your able to line it up properly so you may have to tackle that first. Or head back to golftown…

Read the distance not just the break

The majority of golfers tend to take a quick look at how far away the hole is, they then proceed to spend way too long staring at the slopes of the green trying to determine the perfect line. Turns out your average golfer is much worse at depth perception that one thinks. May sure you take that few extra seconds and maybe even walk the putt distance to ensure you have a good grasp of the weight.

Don’t Under Read The Break

According to a study completed by golf magazine, 65 percent of golfers under-read their putts. You’re going to spend the rest of the thinking about how poorly you putted anyways so spend that extra thirty seconds get a good read and knock it down.

Conduct A Left To Right Read

When reading your putt from your ball to the hole you tend to focus or the uphill or downhill nature of the ball. Spend a little more time thinking about the break the ball will take to the left or right. One good way of doing this is to imagine placing two coins on either side of the hole about one foot away. This will allow you to see the horizontal changes in the green.

Take A Look At The Green From The Low End

If you’re trying to get an accurate read on the green your best bet is to get to the lowest point and look up. Think of it like reading a newspaper, it’s much easier done when the paper is tilted towards as opposed to lying flat. By reading the green from the lower point it is much easier for your eyes to pick up on the slopes and hills you’ll have to adjust for in your putt.

Practice Success

By practising your shorter putts (inside ten feet) you will gain confidence in your putting stroke. This confidence should help you lose some of the jitters next time you walk up to the green.

Pick a spot on the back of the hole

By focusing on a location on the pack of the hole it will help you stay consistent with your target. This should also allow you to stay focused each time you look up from the ball.

Try Putting With One Hand

No not on the course but definitely for few strokes on the practice green. If you are able to hit your putts relatively well when putting one hand this means that your setup is correct. If you are struggling with putting one-handed you may want to work on your putting setup.

Keep Your Grip Pressure Light

This isn’t a swing out of the tee blocks where you may jump right out of your shoes. A putting stroke is a light short swing, if you think about it there’s is no need to be gripping your putter tightly. Let it hang naturally from your hands and this should help you feel out your stroke.

Get A Proper Fitting Putter

You want to make sure you have a putter that compliments your putting stroke well. The two major factors of your putter are the length and the lie angle of the putter. Getting these factors corrected will lead to cleaner contact on the ball with each putt. Putters can be professionally fitted, but if you are a more casual golfer your best bet is to just keep testing until you find one that feels right for you.

Adjust your putts based on the weather

When doing something as precise as putting it makes sense to take all factors into account. A lot of casual golfers don’t realize the effects the weather can have on the speed of the greens. The largest difference you will notice is after rainfall. Wet greens are considerably slower than dry greens so you’re going to want to give you putting a little more power. More advanced adjustments include putting with less power on windy days. The wind tends to take the moisture out of the greens thus making the ball roll faster. Lastly, on hot days, you need to pay close attention to the greens. Heat can produce dryer greens resulting in a faster ball though it can also cause the growth of the grass to increase making the ball roll slower. Make sure to pay attention to the weather when putting and adjust accordingly.

Know You Are Going To Miss Sometimes

Putting is arguably the hardest part of golf and something that pros on the tour often struggle with. To think that with your 23 Handicap you’re going to be lining up and knockdown ever putt on your local course is a tad optimistic. The reality is your putting is always going to have room for improvement but what you can do is take small steps and continuously improve. Know you’re going to miss some putts learn from them and stay committed to trying out new tips and strategies to shave off a couple of strokes.

Conclusion

We hope that throughout this putting guide you have been able to find some helpful tips that will lead to improved putting for your next round.

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