• Are you tired of going out to the golf course and leaving with poison ivy because you've been in the woods so much?

• Do you want to start actually hitting the ball consistently well, and learn 'The Fist Pump'?

• These simple tips will improve your golf swing and overall game in amazing ways. They helped me shave 10 strokes off of my average in one year!!

1. THE MENTAL SIDE OF THE GAME

• First, although you may have heard this hundreds off times already, the game of golf is 90% MENTAL. This point cannot be emphasized enough. Having a sound 'mental' game doesn't just refer to being level-headed throughout your round, but also involves selecting the correct clubs, reading greens, recognizing different lies, gauging the wind, knowing the course, understanding the rules, and much more.

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***The greatest players in the game all suffer from short-term memory loss - they completely forget about the previous bad shot they just hit and focus on the moment. You must also acquire this short-term memory loss to become a better player.***

• Nerves will take over and eat away at your mind for the entire round if you let yourself get frustrated and sulk over your previous not-so-hot shots.

1. THE SWING

• Now we'll start into the actual swing. You want to make your stance your own - from full swing shots to chip shots. ***Have a system*** to keep your swing and alignment consistent on every shot. Having a system just means before every shot, while taking your stance, looking at things such as where your hands are in relation to your feet when looking down in your stance, and where the ball is in relation to your feet. Simply knowing these things and keeping them the same on every shot will greatly improve your consistency, leading to improved shots.

• The main component in hitting the ball consistently straight and far is staying 'on plane' when swinging. Just imagine a large wooden board standing up diagonally against you as you swing. You want to keep your club right up against that board throughout the entire swing. Below is an example of a *BAD* swing.

• When taking the club back, bring it parallel to the ground between knee and waist level, depending on your height. At this point, the leading edge of the clubface (the part that hits the ball first) should be pointing straight up and down from your angle when swinging.

• Now the ****TARGET LINE**** will come into play greatly. This is simply the line that goes through your ball and your target. From the parallel position just mentioned above, bring the club up into your full backswing by keeping the top (handle) always pointed at the target line. Your left arm needs to be straight at all times. The picture below is just an example of 'target line'

• As you start into the downswing, keep the end of the handle of the club pointing at the target line, until you reach the parallel-to-the-ground postition you were in earlier. Also, when starting the downswing, drive your knees forward and bring your right elbow down into your hip. From the parallel position, drive the club through the ball with your right hand. In the follow-through, you should bring the club to the same parallel position, only in front of instead of in the backswing.

• The left hand is the prominent hand throughout the back swing and the top of the downswing. The right hand just goes along for the ride, until it drives the club through the ball just before contact.

• ****Hit the BALL FIRST. Divots should occurr after you hit the ball. This will give you very SOLID BALL STRIKING.

• At contact with the ball, your hips should be turned and at least half of your butt should be visible to anyone standing directly behind you.

• Here is an example of an overall good golf swing -

1. PUTTING

• Your putting stroke also needs to be your own. It is very much a matter of personal preference, however the actual stoke should feel like one back and forth pendulum. It's all in the shoulders. Wrists should be straight and stiff and your elbows shouldn't move either. The shoulders just swing gently back and through. You do not need to take the putter back near as far as you think. What should happen instead of that is your follow through needs to be long and smooth, and the putter always needs to be accelerating through the ball, never decelerating.

1. CHIPPING

• Chipping is also very much a matter of personal preference, and it is very similar to the putting stroke. An open stance is recommended, with the ball at your back foot. Ninety-five percent of your weight should be on one foot, preferably your front foot. Your arms should be straight and stiff. The stroke is a smooth pendulum using only your shoulders. Wrist should not be used at all. Your weight stays on that same foot the entire time. Remember, always accelerate through the ball, never decelerate.

• You Got It Down Now!!

•      Your previous round before reading this=

•      Now, your next round will =

• Good Luck!