What is your #1 golf tip for golf improvement

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

I'm by no means an expert, but I've found that shifting my weight forward during impact has helped me out a lot!

transferring weight on the backswing and then the throughswing is definitely important to my game as well.

[tomvk77]

practice

[inthehole]

For me ... slow down backswing - keep it under control & power through the downswing.

[Mozgolf]

Take lessons and practice- stop trying to buy a game!

[AntiTankNinja]

"One thing at a time." Trying to fix 6 problems in one swing causes long term mental damage. Work on one thing, fix it, then move to the next.

[pipergsm]

Just found a swing technique for the driver that seems to make it impossible to hit slices or hooks!

- tee the ball relatively high

- ball position just inside the left foot. Too much in or out will only cause the ball to go right or left from the target line, no slice or hook (or   a very, very faint slice at the end of the trajectory)

- feet not too wide

- arms and wrists fully stretched, they must form a single line with the driver shaft, the driver head may even be a little under that line

- knees and upper body slightly bent, as with the usual swing

- horizontal rotation of the upper body must be limited to 50-70%, but the arms (still stretched) must go further

- elevation angle of the arms during the back-swing: they should end up halfway between right shoulder and right ear.

IMPORTANT:  during the back-swing, you should focus solely on making a perfect rotation (no swaying) and keeping the arms and driver-shaft on 1 line (stretched) until they almost reach your neck. As they reach your neck, the driver-shaft will "automatically" come up (don't think or worry about that!) and reach a position that is more or less parallel to the ground. it doesn't really matter what the exact position is!

During the down-swing, you should only think about the arm/driver line (stretched) and keep watching the ball off course!

I believe it is the combination of stretched arms and limited rotation that prevents hooks and slices from happening.

Even with a rather slow swing, I reach distances up to 250 yards, and they're all as straight as can be!

I hope this helps for those who have a slice or hook problem!

[MS256]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

Just found a swing technique for the driver that seems to make it impossible to hit slices or hooks!

Most of that is a Moe Norman (Natural Golf) swing. There are pros and cons to using it like most other swings but it generally takes less skill than trying to drop into the slot with the left arm more vertical at impact.

IMO. Biggest con is that it can't produce the same power as a Hogan style swing (for people talented enough to properly drop into the slot).

Here are a lot more opinions.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/29367/why-arent-more-people-copying-moe-normans-swing

Most of us are stuck somewhere between Moe Norman and Hogan, or between Nicklaus and Hogan, whether we like it or not. We don't want to copy Moe Norman (for various reasons), we aren't good enough to copy Hogan (because we suck), and surprisingly not many even try to copy Nicklaus.

[pipergsm]

I disagree about the lack of power.

I'm 172 cm (just under 5 foot 8) and not at all athletic.

My only advantage is a high flexibility.

If I can reach +250 yards with a slow swing, after just a few dozen balls of practice, than I can only imagine how far a more skilled, more trained golfer can hit it with this swing, especially if he is somewhat athletic.

I'm convinced that with some more training and a higher rotation speed (my back-swing currently takes almost 2 seconds!). I'll be able to hit it well over 280 yards with this swing.

[johnclayton1982]

This post from sandtrap...

Originally Posted by CBVegas

Hey guys...  im not bashing anyone...  trust me 0.7 or not we all have struggles ...  I can be a +6 on thursday and a 12 on friday..  this is golf..  but no matter the level if your at a point in your game where you want to play a tourney the rules will come..  you will learn as you play just go there and have fun... do YOUR thing get yourself on your autopilot ..  if your a 10 get in your 10 auto pilot..

we all hit in water and will have to drop now is your chance to say hey is there a drop what are my options from here?  trust me.. your playing partners and caddies will be more than happy to assist... no matter the level ...  after all it's a competition but remember they can't advise on what to do but they can tell you the options...

if your at tourney level your past the point of green.. you may be tourney green but your not green at golf...

tourney golf is "real" golf.. no gimmies.. no lie adjustment you land in divot your in a divot... and you play by the rules that everyone knows but in casual play does not abide by....

tourney golf is 90% mental and thinking that way

you say I know where my shot is going each time? listen

you know what makes me a 1 not a 10?  my mind frame.. I hit the ball no better than you can.. I just do it 9/10 times...

a 10 thinks about bad shit that can happen during this shot...

im on tee 1 in tourney my mind looks where I want to land.. if I top the ball and it go's in the water then I figure out where to drop and move on now im hitting 3...  I don't think oh shit now im hitting 3 I gotta get close to the pin to save par... I mean the goal to begin with was to hit it near the pin right? now I go putt if I make it I'm good...  if not I got bogey and move on..  now hole 2 I look at landing and hit it there..  now I get up and hit a great 8 into the green and drop a 12 footer now im back even no difference and you can't change your mood...

I went from a 18-1 in a year...

I mean I played my whole life had highschool medals  jr medals

then I owned a business and decided to get back into it competivily last year around oct...  my first tourney last year I shot a 90..  in am tour...  now im in 70's all the time... Ive moved up from starters tour im in all scratch divisions..

im just sharing what helped me turn the curve from a 10 to a 1....    it's mental at this point...  your capiable of hitting the same shots I do... a pro told me today.. the lowest rounds are the most boring rounds... figure 260 down middle straight, 170 in, 2 putt go.. maybe birdie 2 or 3 holes maybe 6

but it looks and feels boring no effort...  thats the next mental attitude im going to try.. see if it lowers it...

For some reason "get on your autopilot" really resonated with me.  I tell myself that constantly during rounds and I'm playing the best, most boring golf I've ever played. Really thought this post had some insight in it and made me a better player.

The tip i took away is "try to be boring".  That small tip has taken a ton of shots of my game.  "Try to be boring". Genius.

[Spyder]

Swing harder and drink more....

Hell, I don't know. To me, there is not a #1 tip... I guess the #1 tip is a variable that can change based on how I, or anyone, is playing at that given moment or on that specific day. The ugly part about this game is that no matter who you are, at any level, you can have a day where a specific part of your game falls apart and is unrelated to what you think is a "#1 tip".

PS: Obviously, I'm kidding about the swing harder part. The second part is a very good tip to myself when I'm having an off day though. I seem to recover very well one hole later when I'm loosened up lol.

[Pigems]

Stay low Start slow on the backswing. Start slow on the forward swing Complete the followthrough Take Dead aim (one dimple on back of ball) and (middle of fairway/green quadrant) Practice the very short game (60 yards and in) 50% Practice the short game (150 yards-60yards) 30% Long game 20%

I like your thinking. I always work my way through my bag from LW to D. I'd say about half my balls I hit with my wedges then work my way through the rest of my bag. But I like your theory about spending extra time from 60 to 150 yards, I normally just work through the bag after wedges but I'm gonna start doing it your way. I always leave 3wood and Driver for last so I'm tired and less inclined to try to SMASH it and can focus or proper technique and since I've started practicing this way my driver has really improved along with my short game. Biggest simple tips for me are "keep your head down" , "its not a puck, don't kill it" and after a bad shot "go to your happy place" cause you can't play golf mad ;)

[pipergsm]

About that lack of power in 'Moe Norman's swing":  today I shot 265, 285 (both during my 9-hole round) and 300 (driving range) without even trying to hit it hard!

I've only been using this swing for 4--5 days and I'm an absolute beginner in golf, with only about 80 hours of practice over the last year (from which 10-15 hours with the driver).

[MS256]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

About that lack of power in 'Moe Norman's swing":  today I shot 265, 285 (both during my 9-hole round) and 300 (driving range) without even trying to hit it hard!

I've only been using this swing for 4--5 days and I'm an absolute beginner in golf, with only about 80 hours of practice over the last year (from which 10-15 hours with the driver).

I never said there was a "lack of power" with Moe Norman's swing. I said it can't produce as much power as a properly executed Hogan style swing. How far you can hit a ball neither proves or disproves that statement (unless you also perfectly execute that swing as well to compare it with). If you can execute both swings as a beginner you are definitely a prodigy.

A beginner is likely going to get more distance out of any technique where they can make consistent impact on the sweet spot and it's not surprising that you are making your best impacts with that swing. "Dropping into the slot" or "dropping onto the lower plane" almost always takes a lot of practice to get it right, which is why most of us don't get the shaft back down close to the original plane at impact.

[pipergsm]

if I understand correctly, what you're saying is that I would need to check out both swings, execute them with the same level of perfection and swing speed, in order to know which one gives  the most power, right?

I agree with that off course, but I'm wondering.

If I, a beginning golfer who's hardly trying to put any real power (speed) in his swing, can easily reach a speed which is high enough to hit it at about 300 yards, than it's only logical to assume that a more skilled golfer can reach much higher speeds (power) with the same swing, allowing him to reach distances far beyond 300 yards.

If that is the case, I wonder how much more powerful any swing can be!

If Hogan's swing (or any swing for that matter) is really more powerful, than those who (try to) use it would be hitting near 400 yards or more constantly, and I don't see any PGA player doing that!

[MS256]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

if I understand correctly, what you're saying is that I would need to check out both swings, execute them with the same level of perfection and swing speed, in order to know which one gives  the most power, right?

I agree with that off course, but I'm wondering.

If I, a beginning golfer who's hardly trying to put any real power (speed) in his swing, can easily reach a speed which is high enough to hit it at about 300 yards, than it's only logical to assume that a more skilled golfer can reach much higher speeds (power) with the same swing, allowing him to reach distances far beyond 300 yards.

If that is the case, I wonder how much more powerful any swing can be!

If Hogan's swing (or any swing for that matter) is really more powerful, than those who (try to) use it would be hitting near 400 yards or more constantly, and I don't see any PGA player doing that!

Or look at the mechanics of the longest hitters and study power positions of the body. You continue to act like I'm saying there is a night and day difference in power between techniques where one goes nowhere and the other goes "400 yards". Any already skilled player is making huge power gains by consistently adding 5 or 10 yards of carry. The difference between a guy that can carry 280 consistently and one that can carry 290 consistently is a huge jump and very noticeable when they tee off.

There's a short 290 yard uphill par 4 at the course I play. The uphill soft slope in front of the green allows no roll out (usually stays in it's pitch mark) so to get it on the green it has to fly there. Most of us always seem to end up between 5 and 10 yards short. There is a very obvious and noticeable difference in power between the ones that can't carry that green and the ones that can.

It's like the difference between having consistent warning track power or consistently hitting it 3 rows deep in baseball. Not much actual difference in distance, but that guy with warning track power is a "Punch and Judy" hitter, that better be very good at other parts of the game, and the one that hits it 3 rows deep is a power hitter, that's on his way to the Hall of Fame.

You may very well just be a naturally long hitter too. The guy that led my college baseball team in home runs was only about 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 170 pounds. He just had some consistent pop in his bat.

[pipergsm]

Point well taken, I understand better now.

It's just that, in my inexperienced mind, a 10 yards difference is near to nothing, hardly worth talking about,

but when I look at it from your point of view (the 290 yards up hill), I understand better.

Maybe I am, as you suggest, a natural long hitter without realizing it.

Yesterday morning, while practicing a few drives with my golf teacher, He claimed that 1 of my drives was about 300 yards, and a few others were not much shorter.

I didn't believe him at first, but since I couldn't see where the ball landed,......

[MS256]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

Point well taken, I understand better now.

It's just that, in my inexperienced mind, a 10 yards difference is near to nothing, hardly worth talking about,

but when I look at it from your point of view (the 290 yards up hill), I understand better.

Maybe I am, as you suggest, a natural long hitter without realizing it.

Yesterday morning, while practicing a few drives with my golf teacher, He claimed that 1 of my drives was about 300 yards, and a few others were not much shorter.

I didn't believe him at first, but since I couldn't see where the ball landed,......

Ha ha! I would love to have that extra 10 yards. I play regularly with a guy that always carries about 10 to 15 yards longer than I do and I feel like I'm getting bombed all day long.

[jayfalz]

The golf swing is an evolution. The #1 tip you need is the one that coincides with where you're at in your evolution.