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!

Golf Putting Tips that are Elementary for Mr. Watson

Tom Watson has been in the news lately with mixed publicity, most notably as Ryder Cup Captain and most recently as honoree of the NAIA Champions of Character Foundation.

Golf for Beginners considers Mr. Watson to be a distinguished sportsman as well as one of the greatest short-game players to ever grace a green.

In this golf blog we will review a few of the putting tips that helped "Huckleberry Dillinger" win thirty-nine events on the PGA Tour as well as five Champions Tour major events.

In Watson's book, "Getting Up and Down", putting takes center stage and with good reason; Tom mentions that "putting is half the game so it deserves half of your practice time." Feel, set-up, aim and a good judge of distance are essentials to being a great putter.

To practice his putting when not on Tour, Tom has just installed a SYNLawn putting green in his own backyard (and what a view!)

Tom Watson's putting green installed by SYNLawn!

Golf putting tips from short game master Tom Watson:

Aim the Putter, then Align Your Body

Just like a golfer sets up at the tee box, the same is true when standing over a putt. Proper set-up is the beginning of a solid putt.

Sometimes, the best golf advice we ever receive is from our dads. Such is the case with Watson who, in the November issue of Golf Digest Magazine, offered up this simple dimple tip.

Eye on the Ball

"Pick out a dimple in the middle of the back of the ball and hit that dimple with the middle of the putter, keeping your eyes on it as you swing through." Eyes focused on the dimple keeps your head still and gives you a more "consistent stroke".

Swivel your head, don't lift it: "You'll see the line of the putt and you'll be less prone to look up too soon."

Most importantly, DON'T LOOK UP! Watson follows Sam Snead's advice of not looking where the golf ball goes but listening for the hopeful clink into the cup!

Finally, something every golfer who thinks about pulling out his wedge should consider - as Tom Watson states, "even the best chippers putt when they can."


Share how you practice your putting with Golf for Beginners blog and SYNLawn Golf: Twitter @Golf4Beginners and @SYNLawn_golf.


Photo credit: SYNLawn Golf, SF Gate blog


Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Proudly Wearing Pink While Playing Golf for a Cure!

This guest golf blog by Rachael Stockwell discusses how a golf course development is committed to finding a cure for breast cancer, not just during Breast Cancer Month but year-round!

By Rachael Stockwell:  This weather this week has been beautiful here in South Carolina. I look outside to see my two girls and their friends jumping on our trampoline. The joyful screams surround the neighborhood and the sunlight is sparkling in their shiny hair. A smile comes to my face to watch them, but then I get an uncertain feeling in my stomach. Knowing one of them may develop breast cancer during their lifetime causes this sensation.

The Susan G. Komen® Organization stated, “In 2014, an estimated 232,030 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. alone”.

All of us either know a mother, sister, daughter and or friend who have this unstoppable disease. I find myself touched by every story I read, mostly, I think, because this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the statistics are highlighted in everything I read. There are numerous organizations that focus on research to find a cure. One place that stands out in my mind for cancer research is the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. 

The Huntsman Commitment

For the Huntsman family, philanthropy is as much a part of life as is the business they have built over a span of four decades. Mr. Huntsman is widely recognized as one of America’s foremost-concerned citizens and philanthropists. As a further commitment to this, the family created a community that is developed around nature and maintains the small town feel that everyone enjoys here.

Huntsman Springs is a community that is built around a nature preserve with stunning views of the Grand Tetons and has won the highest award in four categories of the prestigious 2014 International Property Awards. Director of Sales for Huntsman Springs, Julie Bryan, accepted top honors in the categories of Best Leisure Development and Best Golf Development in the United States and in Idaho.

At the heart of the community is a world-class golf course designed by the acclaimed golf architect David McLay Kidd, winner of GOLF Magazine’s 2008 “Architect of the Year.” The Teton Valley, Idaho, Huntsman Springs is a tranquil place, full of hope and surrounded in beauty. Golfers are able to seek solitude and have views of this beautiful space in every direction their swing takes them.

What a gratifying experience it is to be able to help a cure for cancer by simply living in one of the most extraordinary places in America!

Playing the golf course reflects an impeccable quality of design and construction with fairways that average 80 yards wide, greens that average 10,000 sq. ft., 153 bunkers, and 450,000 cubic yards of sand to maintain contour and promote drainage. Huntsman Springs provides championship conditions throughout the season on eighty-four acres of Kentucky Bluegrass, sixty-four acres of Irish Red Tipped Fescue, and forty-eight acres of mountain water running throughout the golf course.

Honestly, this might seem like any other luxury community; however, the best part is what it stands for and how its residents help those in need of a cure for cancer.

Leading the Way for Research

In 1995, Jon and Karen Huntsman founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute. The Institute is now one of America’s major cancer centers dedicated to finding a cure. They recently announced a $100 million expansion that will double the laboratory space and create the Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center which will focus exclusively on inherited and childhood cancers. Profits from Huntsman Springs Real Estate will be contributed to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

I truly hope that one day in my children’s lifetime breast cancer can be a disease of the past, but I do know that a community such as Huntsman Springs brings new meaning to cancer research. The next time you’re about to embark on your golf adventure make sure you wear pink for Breast Cancer, you never know when you actually might be golfing for a cure.

Rachael Stockwell Bio: Rachael has ten years of experience in online marketing and focuses on PR development for the economic development, energy, luxury, and rental market sectors.

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