A couple more myths you may have heard floating around!
Myth 3: the power of your golf swing comes primarily from your arms.
This seems to be quite a modern myth, possibly caused by Tiger Woods' bulging biceps... Whatever the cause, I've similar things spouted around my club in the last few months, as we've sheltered from the horrible weather outside. So, for the record, powerful golf swings aren't caused by powerful arms. Sure, they'll help, but the most important thing is a fluid weight shift acorss the proper axis. It is technique far more than it is strength; otherwise Tripe H would have a 600 yard drive!
Myth 4: your club should be parallel to the ground when it reaches the top fo the back-swing.
Although this is an indication of good form, the exact position or angle of the club at the end of the backswing is not as important as the technique you are using to achieve it. Your left arm must not bend (or should bend only very slighty) and, as your club goes back, your back should rotate to face the direction you are aiming. If you keep you wrists at the correct angle, you shouldn't have to concern yourself with whether or not your club is perfectly parallel to the ground at the height of the back-swing - it will all come together naturally. Check this out - the perfect backswing, but the club isn't quite parallel to the ground.
In case you were afraid golf might escape for the onslaught of technology that accompanies most other sports these days; the Casio EX-FS10 camera has recently been released, claiming it can analyse your golf swing and compare it to Tiger Woods'. It sounds...terrifying.
The Exilim line of cameras were impressive enough before this but, now they've added their new 'swing analyser' into the mix, they're downright scary! Can't be just rate you good or bad? Or tell you what to do better? Why compare me to the best in the world?!
On the plus side, it's very easy to use. Somebody aims the camera at you and you thwack away at your balls...alright, let me phrase that differently. You perform shot after shot in front of the EX-FS10 and it analyses your posture and swing plane for you, at the same time as filming high-speed 720p video, at 1000fps if needs be! Awesome, no? Other than that, however, it's a pretty standard camera with 9.1 Megapixels and 3x optical zoom.
Prices vary between £120 and £300, so I would advise doing some research before buying this badboy.
It's time for another golfing technique tip! From the responses we've been receiving, it seems that one shot many readers aren't comfortable with is wedge shots at around 50 yards - so that's what we're going to talk about today.
On a 400 yard hole, you'd think you're home free once you're within 50 yards - but golf doesn't work like that. In fact, the first 300 yards are the easiest part, once you've learnt how to drive! The tricky bit it getting the ball that final little distace; without hitting a hazard, ending up in the rough or over-hitting the green. It's times like this that a nice, short wedge shot can save you a lot of time and bother! Wedge shots lift the ball high and, with extra back spin, drop it down in a specific place - so you don't have to worry about the ball rolling on. As long as you place your shot well, you're home free!
Ket things to remember when playing a short wedge shot including keeping your weight on your front foot throughout the shot, placing the ball slightly forwards in your stance and making sure the backswing is slightly shorter than the followthrough. All this will help you lift the ball high, but drop it accurately. Follow our old post about adding spin to your ball for even better results!
Today I will shed some light on some old golf myths, related to your swing. Pay attention now.
Myth 1: you should swing as if there was a straight line going right through your head and spine, around which your shoulders should pivot. You should pivot only around that axis.
Untrue - the axis around which you should pivot changes during the swing. For one thing, ignore the 'axis' down the head, spine and between the feet; one of the keys to a good golf swing is the weight shift from one foot to the other. Instead, on the back swing, imagine the straight axis to be through your back leg; then, when you move onto the down swing, push through an axis through your front leg. The key is the weight shift - this cannot happen through one central axis.
Myth 2: The head shouldn't move during the swing; it should stay over the ball and stay still.
This is nonsense; since your torso will move backwards during your back-swing, your head will move with it. Keep it level but, for goodness sake, don't concentrate on keeping it in exactly the same place!
As golf continues to rise in popularity, there is a growing focus on questioning the athleticism involved in the sport. Although there are various different kinds of fitness, suitable for different kinds of sport; it would still take a fool to declare that golf is by any means as strenuous or exerting as rugby, rowing or wrestling. In fact, I’ve been involved in all four of those sports to a decent level and know for a fact that golf is simply not as physically demanding.
However, anybody who plays serious golf will be familiar with the elements of fitness that must be maintained to keep your score down. One of these elements is, without a doubt, posture and flexibility. Many is the time that I’ve returned to the course in the spring, only to find my swing is out, my posture is terrible and my back aches for days after a single round! Hence, as winter closes in, I urge all golfers out there to prepare a fitness regime to keep you limber until spring. Look up the appropriate stretches to keep your muscles loose and work on them multiple times a week - as regularly as you would play, if possible. This way, by the time the sun comes back out and you’re ready to sling on your golf clothes, your body won’t have missed a beat. Then it’s just your technique you need to worry about!
Posts
