Tips to Improve Consistency in Your #Golf Game

I recently came across a Golf Digest post, "2017 New Year's resolutions for five of golf's brightest stars", from Dustin Johnson to Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. These resolutions were not made by the golfer but more of a cynical look at what these pros will have to do to maintain their status on the PGA Tour.

The blog noted that DJ will have to be "more consistent on Saturdays and Sundays." After this week's year-opening SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort. a sixth place finish for Dustin Johnson shows that he is on track for another great year.

Consistency is something that professional golfers need durig four rounds each week; for the average golfer, we only have to keep it together for eighteen holes, maybe once per week.

How do you stay consistent during eighteen holes of golf? Consistency is meant for all areas of your golf game, from consistent ball contact to a more consistent golf swing. Playing with consistency throughout your round...dependably, reliably...is probably the most important fundamental in golf.

Here are a few tips to help you gain consistency from tee to green in 2017:

1. Stretching and Fitness: You can't get around it; you have to be fit for golf. Walking eighteen holes is a terrific way to stay in shape but you have to be able to do it without feeling tired or the walk will sap your energy and cause you to swing erratically.

Stretching just five minutes before a round of golf should be mandatory; your muscles will loosen up, your breathing will improve and you be prepared to swing the club with ease.

Exercising the correct muscles will help you gain a repeatable golf swing. Here are a few targeted golf exercises to help your upper body get fit for the new season.

2. Shorten your backswing: Chances are you believe your golf club is parallel to the ground in your backswing but you are probably over-swinging ...most amateurs resemble John Daly and don't even realize it!

Next time you are on the driving range, have someone record your swing. If the swing is too long, it's more difficult to get the club back to the ball, arms may not stay together, rotation gets out of whack.

Snyper @ Oobgolf.com compares golf to tech, "The more things that move, the more things that can break." Well said; the more moving parts, the more chances your arms, elbowsand shoulders will not stay connected. Take the club back seventy percent and also slow down the speed of your backswing, which leads me to the next tip on gaining consistency for the golf season.

3. Tempo: Research by John Novosel has proven that "the backswing takes three times as long as the downswing." Another way to improve your tempo and consistency?

Rob Akins in Golf Digest article suggests three-word golf swing takeaways with one word at impact...FINISH. These great sayings, like "low and slow" for driving consistency, work in the subconscious mind to improve your tempo, stop you from hitting fat or thin and improve the overall reliability of your golf swing.

4. Routine: Having a pre-shot routine will stop you from thinking too much about where to place the ball, where to stand, etc., and you will, instead, spend your time visualizing where you want the golf ball to go.

Know what happens when you feel confident? Your score, and handicap, begin to drop and you can't wait to get out onto the first tee with your mates and your reliable insert golf phrase here (...golf game, golf swing, putting)!


Share some tips that you use to improve consistency in the comments section of our golf blog below and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo: wikimedia

Tips to Spruce Up Your Golf Swing for Spring

I admit it - I am a golf tip addict. I love receiving and reading tips in my emails or searching through Google in order to improve my game and then sharing knowledge with my readers.

The tips that work best are usually the fundamental ones and so I would like to share a few tidbits before the season warms up and golfers are too busy thinking about swinging the club than improving the basics.

Let's get right to the golf tips, shall we?

GASP Before Every Swing:
An oldie but goody which I received from one of my first instructors was the term G.A.S.P., an acronym for Grip, Aim, Stance and Posture. G.A.S.P. is what your pre-shot routine should be on every shot you take. Make sure your grip is not too tight, Aim the bottom edge of the club square with the target, align your club properly and stand tall to the ball but don't rise up.

Tempo, Tempo, Tempo!
There are so many different components to a golf swing and tempo is, by far, one of the most important parts to practice. Tempo is different for all golfers - for example, according to an article by Brian Hill, in Jack Nicklaus' prime his swing tempo was clocked at 1.96 seconds but Arnold Palmer's was a much speedier 1.36 seconds.

If you think you need to swing faster in order to get the golf ball farther down the fairway, think again. Both men were the best golfers in the world so what is important to remember about your tempo?

- Relax...tension is the killer of the best golf swing.
- Great video from Paul Wilson Golf in which he describes tempo, how the body tells your arms how fast to move and more:




You Got it on Now You Need to Get It IN:
Two Ideas for Putting - Getting Down the Correct Speed and Line, (also how fast the greens are and the direction of the sun, how the grass is bent, but let's stick to the basics). Sounds simple doesn't it? Should be for most golfers but, according to James Parker Golf, players think too much. "We don’t want to be thinking about things like taking the putter back and through a certain amount of inches." What we want to do is "roll the ball a certain speed on a certain line into the hole – that’s it."

Tom Watson's easy putting tip from his father? "Don't peek to see where the ball is going. It's a great way to make sure your head stays still and to develop a consistent stroke."

More Putting Tips In this Link.

Practice from Different Lies:
When you're out on the golf course, you don't always have the best lie - this is NOT a game of perfect conditions! Instead of practicing your short game or iron shots from the short stuff or from a flat surface, vary the lie from hardpan to waste areas, says Stan Utley. In this Golf Digest Tip of the Week, Utley teaches how to get out of bad lies with your dignity.


Golf tips to share with our readers? Feel free to post them below in the Comments section of our golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Top Three Reasons to Be Aggressive With Every #Golf Shot

Golf for Beginners enjoys getting contacted by guest bloggers looking for an outlet to share their opinions with fans of the sport. This blog was written by Chris Giolitto, a former golf pro (see bio below) and where GFB does not necessarily share the opinion of the blogger, we appreciate the commentary! Thanks Chris - on to the blog!

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Often we are told to be mindful of the tempo of our golf swings.  While I believe this to be very important, golfers tend to misconstrue this advice. 

How many times have you been on the golf course, lost a few balls on your first few holes and decided you weren't going to let that happen again? 

Here’s what you probably do next. You get to the next tee, set up for your shot, take the club back, and on your downswing you attempt to guide the ball to the fairway. Your result? One of ten shots go where you'd hoped. The other nine? A few barely make it off the tee box, a few others still go right and lost, and the rest end up in that pond just past the tee box that you never knew existed.

My point? Trying to control your tempo can often lead to trying to guide the golf ball with an indecisive swing. It's similar to shooting a free throw in basketball. If you are nervous you are going to shoot an air ball and just aim to hit the rim, you often air the ball anyway. 

Your best bet is to be aggressive. Shoot to make the shot. Swing to hit the perfect shot.

An aggressive golf swing promotes three key ingredients to hitting your best golf shot:

1. Swinging at 100% - This is your most natural rhythm to swing. Take a controlled back swing and once you transition to the downswing, give it full power; 80% swings often lead to fat shots that roll fifteen yards, or a less than full release that results in a slice.

2. Focusing on your target - If you know you are going to make an aggressive swing, you know you need precision. Focus on your target and let it rip!

3. Confidence - If you are committed to hitting your shot with 100% power and focused on your target, you will have automatic confidence in your ability to hit that shot. 

Now a quick caveat before going out and firing at every pin and challenging every water hazard. 

I am not saying here to play like Phil Mickelson – you don't have his talent and ability. Play the shot that best suits you. If you need to aim at the center of the green, find your best target and play an aggressive shot to that target. 

Whichever shot you choose to hit, make sure you swing aggressively. With commitment to swinging 100% while focusing your target, you will be confident and find that your shots become much more consistent. Plus, swinging at any less than 100% is no fun! 

Chris Giolitto is a former golf professional and creator of GolfLessonBooking.com, connecting golfers with local professionals for top tier instruction. Click here for FREE instant access to “Your Top 5 Problems in Golf Cured.”




Do you agree with the author? Voice your opinion on this golf blog or on Twitter @Golf4Beginners!