3 Golf Swing Power Leaks You Can Avoid

Standing near the tee box last week, I watched as a golfer took his swing and noticed the results from his efforts - the grunt from the player didn't surprise me, nor did the golf ball's lack of distance.

The golfer believed he made a decent enough effort, which he did...the ball moved forward...but the outcome could have put him farther down the fairway and in a much better scoring position.

He'll never become a scratch golfer that way! I wondered if he knew of his inherent swing power leaks.

I pulled out my smartphone and took notes. Golfers can play for thirty years without taking a lesson and be happy in their ignorance - Golf for Beginners seeks to make players think about their swing and game to make the sport more enjoyable.

For players of the sport that read this golf blog, I have put together a list of basic problems which are fixable on the driving range so that you can come out swinging on the golf course!

4 Golf Swing Power Leaks and how to fix them:

1. Decelerating: This means you are slowing down the club (and your golf swing) before impact. The proper impact of the golf club is just after the golf ball. An article in GolfInfoGuide.com offers the thought of driving a nail into a board - I was told by my golf instructor to think about chopping wood...either way, you get the idea.

2. Chopping at the ball and not finishing your golf swing: GolfDistillery.com says it best...hit through the golf ball, not at it. The ball is not the target, the ball is in the way of the swing!

3. Backing up when you're taking a swing: The dreaded "reverse pivot" usually comes from improper weight shift. "The reverse pivot results in a bad weight shift. This is the No. 1 killer of proper golf swings," says Ernie Boshers, in a teaching article in Golfweek.com.

This golf blog is no substitution for receiving golf instruction from a qualified professional - make an appointment with your PGA teaching pro today if you think you have a golf swing power leak.

Add any golf swing power leaks to the comments section of this golf blog and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

How Match Play Golf Gives Old Man Par a Stroke

Is the art of Match Play lost on golfers in the U.S. or do we simply prefer every stroke to count?

In a recent GolfWeek article, Brits such as Ian Poulter prefer "the oldest form of golf" to stroke play because it boils down to "just me against the other guy rather than the rest of the field." Bubba Watson, on the other hand, believes that "it should be everybody gets up there and tries to shoot a score."

Even Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, after their first round departure from the WGC Accenture Match Play Championships, decided to "settle the score" in a match play format although the two games ended all square.

Amateurs should probably take a tip from Poulter, McIlroy and other golfers from across the pond and rotate a game of match play into their weekly foursomes. Where it is probable, at the end of a four-day professional tournament, that stroke play will ulitmately lead to the "best" player and score, the game is not necessarily all about score for amateurs. As Henrik Stenson said about match-play format, "It's very clear what you need to do...You just have to play better than your opponent."

Here are a few reasons to opt for a game of match-play golf instead of stroke play the next time you are out with your golf buddies:

1. There is a different psychological approach to Match-Play: 

* Less stressful throughout the game (until the end if you're dormie, for example).

* Seeing your score on the card in stroke format may cause you to count strokes instead of focusing on your shot.

2. Easier to score without having a scorecard.

3. Head-to-head competition versus playing for par.

4. A playing opponent can legitimately concede your putt.

5. Focuses your attention to the adventure of a single hole when standing on the tee box. Each hole becomes its own mini-game.

6. You can make match play more fun by adding a wager per hole (skins game).


Try Match-Play the next time you go out with your friends and leave Old Man Par in the Clubhouse!


As a postscript, in my opinion it is a shame that as of this article, the Sybase Match Play Championship will no longer be an event on the LPGA Tour.


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