Next to the golf slice, the golf hook is the most frustrating bad shot that golfers want to eliminate from their game. But what are golf hooks exactly? These are golf shots that fly to the right of your target. And here are some of the most effective ways to prevent hitting golf hooks instead of straight golf shots:

1) Better Positioning of Club Grip

A wrong and weak grip can substantially lower the quality of your golf game. Grips that are turned extensively to the right will turn the face of the club to the left during the swing and will produce a hook shot.
So if you are hooking your shots, turn your hand a little in the counter-clockwise direction. Try turning your grip in different degrees and see which one works for you.

And although there is no single exact grip configuration that is perfect for everyone, your grip should not stray far away from the fundamentals.

To check your grip, experts recommend looking at the number of knuckles that you can see in your leading hand. There should only be two visible knuckles. Moreover, maintain a firm but not too tight grip to be able to main shot control and accuracy.

2) Check Target Alignment of Your Stance and Golf Club

Make sure that you visualize a line from the ball to your target so that your golf club is aligned to the ball, while your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders are aligned to the golf club and parallel to the target line.

3) Check Body Movement during Golf Swing

There are two body movements during your golf swing which may also be causing the hooked golf shots and these are: too much or too fast arm rotation during the backswing and over-striking the golf ball. And to overcome golf hooks resulting from over-striking the ball, do golf drills that focus on building accurate short shots.

So get rid of hook shots in your golf game by making corrections in your golf fundamentals and by practicing golf drills. Always check your club grip if you are making erroneous shots. By making an effort to do these 3 simple things, you will be able to enjoy your golf game more.

Are you interested in learning how to calculate golf handicap? If yes, then, firstly you have to understand what exactly golf handicap is? The term ‘handicap index’ is basically used to explain an individual golfer’s best abilities to score with regard to par. It actually allows players of varying skills to play against each other on level playing course. As far as the calculation of golf handicap is concerned, for players who belong to any golf-club, the club they join will takes care of that, mostly through Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN) system. The casual players who do not have any access to such networks might also want to know how to calculate handicap for them.

Here Are Given Simple, Easy-To-Follow Steps on How to Calculate Golf Handicap

In order to know how to calculate golf handicap, one should play minimum of five rounds of 18 holes golf (no more than twenty rounds). The raters take Gross Score for each of rounds, in addition to some basic information about golf course the players are presently playing on, and run golf handicap through a formula established by the USGA (United States Golf Association)

The two important things you should know are slop rating and course rating of the golf-course in question; you can find these on the scoreboard of the course. Both numbers vary depending upon which tee one is playing at; higher number means more difficult golf-course. Also, the Slope Rating is always greater than Course Rating, not only because ‘bogey golfers’ are not so skilled, but due to the fact that they perform even worse as the difficulty level of course increases.

Mathematical Formula on How to Calculate Golf Handicap

Step – 1: Compute the ‘handicap differentials’ for every round, which can be calculated as:

Handicap differentials = ((total number of stroke – course rating) * 113) / slope rating, where the number ‘113’ refers to average slop-rating.

Step – 2: Determine lowest usable differential: Based upon how many golfing rounds of 18 holes golf is are going to test (5 to 20), he will be permitted to discard some bad rounds.

Step – 3: Find out average of lowest handicap differential: Calculating the average is quite easy; just add up and divide result by total number of differential you put into use.

Step – 4: Now, multiply result by 0.96: The number 0.96 lowers down value a bit, and helps you enhance the game of golf by reducing the handicap.

Step – 5: Lastly, Drop all of decimal places, with the exception of tenth place. Just leave it as it is.

The resultant number will be your golf handicap index, as calculated by USGA.

Shop Golf Equipment

When you are out to shop for golf equipment, it is important that you conduct an extensive research beforehand, so that you can have maximum value of your investment. Shop golf equipment retains the mix of quality and affordability.

Knowing how to calculate handicap is a simple five step process that almost any golfer can carry out.

Happy golfing

In golf game, in order for you to hit a proper golf shots you will need to adopt a proper stance for golf swing. All professional golfers are aware that a perfect swing is coming from a quality stances which enable them to hit the ball straight and far. To master proper stance for golf swing you will need to understand the followings:

Different Golf Club Will Have Different Stance

First of all you need to understand that there is no set rule of thumb for a proper stance for everybody. Depending on individual, some golfers will prefer wide stance and some will prefer a narrow stance. However, ideally, when you use iron club number 7, the proper stance for golf swing will depend on the width of your shoulder. This stance will vary as you use different type of clubs. The longer the golf club, the narrow your stance it should be. Your stance should not be any different from this general rule unless you have some special case that could not be avoided.

Your Golf Club Alignment During The Stance

As you have addressed your stance properly according to the club that you’re using, it is also important to make sure that your club face is aligned straight to the target. This alignment will help you to hit a straight golf shot as when you hit the ball from the backswing to the downswing. Also to remember that your feet and shoulder should be square to the target line for the proper stance for golf swing.

By understanding this principles should be able to help you to improve your stance and alignment. This is the basic idea which you should adopt every time you’re taking a shot. This could determine you to achieve a proper swing. Simply practice the proper stance for the golf swing principle and you will see a lot of improvement in your shot!

If you are serious in improving your golf swing, please pay attention to this:

By taking time to practice and apply the proven golf swing instruction can drastically improve the way you play your golf game.

Whether you are a golf pro or a rookie trying your best to learn the tricks of the trade, golf can be a very difficult sport to learn. Without the right equipment, becoming an expert golfer may be nearly impossible. So before you hit the fairway, here are a few pieces of equipment you may want to ensure you have in your golf bag:

Drivers- Drivers are wood golf clubs (although they are called “wood” many now have metal heads) which are used to shoot the ball long distances. This club is usually used for the tee-shot since it is the furthest shot from the hole.

Wedges- Wedges are metal clubs used to lift the ball as opposed to shooting it far distances. These would be used for high shots onto the green, perhaps to get out of a bunker.

Putters- A putter is a golf club which is used for short distances and accuracy. Once you are on the green and fairly close to the hole, the putter is the best club in order to make the shot.

Tees- Every golfer needs tees in their bag. A tee is a small wedge which is inserted into the ground for the ball to sit on. The tee elevates the golf ball and makes it easier to hit. Tees are intended to be used on the first shot of a hole.

Golf Balls- A golf ball is a small, hard ball which is dimpled in order to reduce wind resistance. It is impossible to play a game of golf without a golf ball and to assume you will only need one for a whole game is slightly conceited. Even the best golf player in the world will lose their ball on the course at some point, so it’s important to make sure you have back-ups. Most golfers like to keep anywhere from 3 to 9 extra balls in their bag, just in case.

Golf Accessories- When it comes to your golf bag, golf accessories can mean anything from grips to sunglasses and water. A game of golf can take a while and on a hot day a bottle of water is essential in order to maintain hydration. Sunglasses are a key component for shots which require looking in the sun’s direction; without sunglasses these shots would be nearly impossible.

Your golf bag components are key factors which can potentially make or break your game. Without the right equipment, even the best golf player in the world would not be up to par. If you want to be the ultimate golf champion and you feel you have the drive to do it, grab your clubs and tee-off with these pieces of golf equipment which will bring you one step closer to becoming the king (or queen) of the fairway.

Golf instruction of some sort can be found almost anywhere, to one degree or another, but there is something better available if you want golf training that makes sense for nearly every person who plays the game and wants to be able to enjoy it for a lifetime. You may be one of the many people who find that as they learn the basics of their swing from a coach or instruction professional, they develop aches and pains that sometimes even seem to deter them from the game they love. Does this have to be the case? Is there no way to play good golf without requiring ice packs and a trip to the chiropractor after every other round?

Making the Golf Swing Biomechanically Friendly

Although many instructors are unaware of it, there is no rule that states that the golf swing needs to be hard on the body. However, most pros teach a swing that is based solely on the performance of the ball – the net result of the golf ball’s trajectory and location trumps everything, whether or not it places undue strain on the golfer himself. While this may get the ball where the instructor, and the student, wants it, it does nothing to guarantee enjoyment of the game, nor a particularly long association with it.

The most modern and exciting methods for teaching driving, putting, or pitching will combine technical golf knowledge with biomechanical feedback which allows the golfer to create a comfortable, pleasant, and effective swing that can be counted on time and time again. Indeed, it is not hard to imagine that part of the reason that the average golfer relapses into errors in his or her swing could simply be that their body is unable to comfortably maintain the positions required by the instructor!

Healthy Golfing Is More Fun

No matter how much someone loves to golf, it can be an impossibility if one’s swing leads to constant pain and discomfort throughout the rest of their day… which is why tackling the golf swing from the biomechanical advantage is one of the smartest decisions that golfers can make to enjoy the game for the rest of their lives. It also leads to improvements and consistency because it allows the golfer to focus on other things besides discomfort, making for a more natural-feeling swing in general.

Biomechanically oriented training truly can add enjoyment to the game of golf, as well as allowing that enjoyment to carry through into the later stages of life… especially when you are not fighting your body for every good shot on the course! Getting exercise on the course need not come at the expense of your joints or generate other physical problems.

If you’re looking to find out what Titleist golf driver is the best then I guess you love to drive the ball like I do, as far as humanly possible. At the time of writing I would say in my opinion that the 909D Comp is the best Titelist golf driver. My buddy uses it all the time, but it’s not what I use.

So what Titleist golf driver do I use, I hear you saying! The truth is I don’t, but I still manage to outdrive most other people with my old battered driver that has been through the wars!

Imagine how satisfying it is do drive the golf ball a lot further than most of the other people at the range or on the course. That’s what I achieve now. The thing is I never used to be able to drive that far no matter what driver I used. The 909D Titleist didn’t help me.

One of the pros at the range showed me a video of Eric Jones the former World Long Drive Senior Champion. I had never heard of the guy and I had no idea there was even a long drive competition. When you see him drive the golf ball you’ll understand how excited I became. I suddenly had a new hero to try and emulate. He gives a whole new meaning to the words ‘distance drive’.

The best thing is, Eric is a trained instructor that knows how to each normal people to emulate his massive drives, and he doesn’t use a Titleist golf driver in case you were wondering!

It’s impossible to explain in words. You really have to see Eric strike the ball to understand what I’m talking about.

What is golf etiquette, the strict rules that golfers have? The basis for golf etiquette is more than manners; consider the safety of all golfers on the course.

Golf Etiquette Manners

Respect other players on the course and keep pace with the group ahead. Be prepared for your turn; do not make anyone wait for you. Never intimidate a beginner golfer, keep your thoughts to yourself. Be quiet when golfer swings and no shouting following the shot. Watch your shadow is not cast in another golfers putting line. No walk through a golfers putting line, step over or walk around, shoe prints will affect the path of the golf ball. Take a couple golf clubs when walking from your cart to the ball, this saves time. Do not spend a lot of time looking for your lost ball. Wave the group behind to allow them to go ahead. Leave the course as you found it and repair divots.

Golf Etiquette Rules for Safety

Be aware of everyone on the course. Make sure group is well ahead of your range before hitting the ball. Never swing in the direction of another player, debris on the course could fly towards a player and cause injury. Yell “fore” if you have a wild ball. Never throw your clubs; this has caused injury and worse. Drive golf cart carefully, keep away from greens and hazards. Adults drive cart with feet inside and observe safety instructions. Watch the weather and your alcohol intake.

For many players, either new to golf or who are thinking taking up the sport, the idea of a golf course may seem somewhat foreign. That is not to say they do not realize that golf courses are for playing golf, but they may not know about the other perks that this type of place can offer to old and new golfers alike. If you find yourself wondering the same thing it may be time to ask yourself “What can golf courses offer to me?”

• The most obvious reason to visit a golf course is, of course, to play golf. Now while an open field can satisfy many of a golfers needs, there is nothing quite as good as playing a sport you love on well manicured greens.

• Another great reason to make use of golf course is that it is a great a place to learn. Many golf courses have on-site golf instructors who can help you to not only learn the game, but improve the golfing skills you already have.

• If you need golf gear a golf course may be the place you want to be. Lots of golf courses have pro shops that can outfit you with some of the latest and greatest golf equipment around. For this reason alone a visit to your local golf course can be quite rewarding.

• Memberships to golf courses can provide you with added perks such as tournament access, pro shop discounts and locker room availability. While you will have to pay membership dues to become a member, the benefits can be well worth it.

• Last, and definitely not least, a golf course can be a great place to socialize. Of all the perks that golf courses have to offer this is one of the best. While there are times when a solo game of golf can help you work on your skills, for the most part golf is a social game. It is meant to be played with other and a golf course is a great place to make that happen.

Once you start to consider everything golf courses have to offer it becomes apparent that they are more than just places to practice your strokes. They offer a variety of benefits, from golf tools and resources to social opportunities. If you’ve never visited a local golf course, plan on doing it soon. You may even want to consider becoming a member.

It can definitely be hard to choose golfing apparel especially if you’ve never done so before by yourself. You always need to have a buddy who knows the game better than you tag along so he could give you advice on which ones to buy. Golf bags in particular are hard to choose. However, a quick search on the internet will tell you that Datrek golf bags certainly hold their own against their competitors. There are certain qualities to them that make them very popular to the golfing public and make them one of the most top selling brands in golf equipment.

Are They Convenient To Use?

This should be the first thing you ask yourself whenever you’re buying anything that you’re going to be using for golf. You never want to go out with your friends and feel like you’re never really comfortable with what you brought along. This is especially true with golf bags as you’re going to have to carry them around or put them on your golf cart. You’re going to have to go with Datrek golf bags if you want to get the best experience in terms of convenience in using your equipment.

Are They Big Enough To Fit Everything I Need?

Another thing that’s true with golf bags is that size does matter. It doesn’t necessarily mean for the better but the size of what you carry will also determine if you’ll be able to fit everything you need, while also not overburdening you at the same time. There should be a balance with the size of the product as well as its storage capacity to make sure you have everything you need while also being comfortable. Datrek golf bags can give you this feature as well. You’re definitely not going to have any trouble storing stuff that you need in them and you’re not going to find it hard to carry them around as well.

Are They Costly?

Whenever you’re talking about buying golfing equipment, you’re obviously going to have to shell out a couple of hundred dollars to get yourself decent ones. If you’ve prepared enough money though, this shouldn’t be an issue to you. While most bags tend to be very expensive, Datrek golf bags actually turn the other way by giving you great deals on their merchandise. You’re not going to be scratching your head wishing you had more money for this brand. With top of the line quality, the prices that these are being offered for make them ideal for any golfer to have.

You may have heard the term golf specific stretching…but what is the difference between this type of stretching and general stretching you see in all the books? Is there such a thing as golf specific stretching?

Golf specific stretching is performed very much like your golf swing, but in phases, to isolate restricted areas that may be causing swing faults and possible injury.

Breaking down you golf swing into golf posture; halfway back; full backswing; halfway down; halfway through; and all the way to the finish is a simple way to implement specific stretches that will help your golf swing.

Implementing 1-2 stretches per phase mentioned above would give you the greatest chance at improving your golf swing mechanics and reducing muscular stress and strain in those areas.

An example of this approach is for your golf posture. The main muscle under stress in your golf posture is your hamstrings. Weak and tight hamstrings send a message to your brain to “bail out” and remove this stress.

By stretching your hamstrings with a dynamic golf specific stretching exercise like a toe touch with your club will greatly improve your hamstring flexibility and golf posture.

This is just one example of how you can implement simple golf specific stretching exercises into a daily routine. These stretches can be done in your home, or even office.