Why use golf training gloves? Thats a good question and I suppose it depends on a couple of factors. An old friend of mine is a golf pro in Hawaii and he has been touting golf training gloves for ever. If your main concern is to go out and get a little exercise on the golf course on a beautiful day, then golf training gloves may not be necessary. However, if you are like the millions of golfers who would like to improve their game, the twenty to fifty dollars spent on golf training gloves is well spent.

Golf is like other sports in that there is a social function and a sporting function both operating at the same time. Peoples focus shifts from one to the other, rarely is there a balance that produces a quality performance. It hardly matters if the social aspects produce the desired effect of fun, relaxation and a chance to get in the game. Fitness and training are promoted over and over again. To be fit is to be strong enough to play the game, with breath sufficient to walk the distance and enough conscious will to make it through when the going gets a little rough. Theres also a role that luck plays in the process. But even with luck its been said that it is 80% receptivity and fitness. I think the idea is that when you are fit, you can be ready to capitalize on good opportunities as they arise.

If performance training is in your frame of reference, then golf training gloves should be considered along with all the other training aids on the market. Some have to do with a particular training philosophy while others deal with specific swing or stance elements. Some are just a marketing ploy. If you look at golf from with a wide view, it is easily discerned that the hands, arms and shoulders play a big role. Golf training gloves deal with connective relationship between the hands and the wrists with the arms and shoulders. With most golf training gloves, you actually wear only one glove on the opposite hand (if youre right handed, you use a left hand glove). Through varied design means, the glove directs the wrist action, helping it to conform properly. Golf training gloves promote an overall better swing, more direction control and improved game. The price for golf training gloves is initially steep, but when compared to shoes or clubs the cost in minimal. Give it a try and swing away!

By: Kerry Ng

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Slicing is one of the most common problems golfers face. There are a couple of reasons why you are slicing your ball. To learn how to cure your slice, you have to figure out what your problem is. The right grip, stance, and swing are needed to eliminate the slice.

First, start with your grip. You want a grip that is neither too strong or too weak. It’s the weak grip that causes a slice, because this results in an open club face. To fix your grip, position your hands so that your left hand (right hand if you are a lefty), faces the target. Your other hand should face the opposite way.

If you still slice after you adjust your grip, your golf stance may be your problem. Your feet should be shoulder width apart. Your shoulders should be in line with your target. Your right foot needs to point ahead while your left foot should point slightly to the left. At a driving range, practice hitting balls with the correct stance and grip to see if your slice improves. Make slight adjustments to your stance until you are confident that you have found the proper form.

The last way to cure your slice is to fix your swing. Start with your backswing. At the top of your backswing, the shaft should be over your shoulder. The position of your clubface can also create a slice. While you want the clubface open, it should be that way because of the movement of the torso and shoulders. You should not twist your hands or wrist to achieve this.

The backswing is more likely to cause a slice than a downswing, but you should check to see if you have a proper downswing. A good downswing starts with your hips. A follow through is essential.

Even after you figure out what is causing your slice, you’ll need practice to fix it. Don’t be tempted to fall back into what feels right–that’s what causes your slice. If you keep practicing with a proper grip, stance, and swing, you’ll find that the proper way will feel natural.

By: Matt Menden

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Many people approach golf the same way they approach other sports that have sticks like hockey, baseball or tennis. They view the club as an extension of their arm, and therefore, hang on to it as if it were their arm. They squeeze it so hard that their knuckles turn white, and the blood runs out of it. In some sports, this may be correct. In golf, it most certainly isnt. The easy thing to say is that you should grip the club tight enough to maintain control over it but no tighter. Easy to say, but hard to explain.

For normal shots, you want to have a medium grip on the club with your top hand, strong enough to maintain full control over the club throughout the entire swing. With your bottom hand, you want to hold on a little bit looser, but not so loose that you risk having the club turn over in your hand during your swing, or worse, that you find yourself re-gripping the club mid-flight. If you hold it too loosely, you may lose your control of the face of the club, causing you not to hit the ball where you intended. However, if you grip it too hard, youll lose speed and power on your swing.

Another thing to keep in mind is the effect the tightness of your grip will have on your arms. If you are holding onto the club extra-tightly, then your forearms and shoulders are also clenching more than they should. This is going to lead you to have a swing thats less fluid and less flexible than you need to hit a quality shot. As long as you can maintain control of the club and the face throughout impact, you are probably holding the club tightly enough.

As with everything in golf, there are exceptions. If you have a shot where you need to bear down, say you are in heavy rough, or in a deep sand trap, then gripping harder might be called for though it comes at the expense of club speed. If you are in a position where you need to let the ball fly, or you have a wide opening ahead of you, and a small miss is okay, then gripping looser may serve you well, youll get better speed, just less control.

As tightly as you need to, but no tighter is an easy thing to say, hard thing to do. Out on the course, though, remember you want to maintain a loose enough grip to speed the club through the striking zone, while not losing it on the way through. Unless called for, dont squeeze too hard.

By: Boston Reynolds

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Slices and pulls come from the same basic swing fault. Each time, the club head approaches the ball on an out-to-in swing path. Most golfers know, this is one of the most common errors in golf. The easiest way to know if your club is travelling from out to in, just look at your divot. When the divot time after time points to the left of the target, you are swinging outside in.

Anyhow, whether the ball slices or pulls is simply a function of the clubface. If the clubface is closed or even square at impact then the result will be a pull. If the clubface is square at impact, why is the ball headed left? Because of the club path moving from outside to inside. If the face is open at impact, the result will be a slice with a severe clockwise spin.
However, look at the club face to see where the ball
has left a mark. This will give you an idea where you
hit your impact according to your actual swing.

IN PRACTICE

That said, the slicing stroke for most golfers is most deeply felt in the longer clubs, mostly the woods. These straight-faced clubs are much less tolerant to an outside in path and the ball spins very much to the right.

ADVANTAGE WITH HIGHER LOFT

The greater loft of some drivers encourages backspin. This backspin tends to negate the slicer’s sidespin. Result? The ball will go straight but less distance.

SUGGESTIONS HOW TO FIX SLICE IF YOU CAN

To achieve the objective, there are five known tips. Try any of them. You will probably make some errors; otherwise use my technique according to your actual swing

TIPS #1: Start with your grip.

Shift both hands to the right on the club until you can spot three knuckles on the back of your left hand. Make sure, however, that the “V” formed by the thumb and index fingers of both hands are parallel. This grip technique will allow you to rotate the clubface and balance it up.

TIPS #2: Body alignment.

Align your shoulders, hips, knees and feet to the right of the target. Then, move the ball back slightly in front of your stance. This will help you creating a more inside to outside swing path.

Again these tips are easier, however if you are not comfortable, many people use baseball grips and it works because the V is still align.

TIPS #3: Try straightening your right arm earlier on downswing.

Picture yourself standing on a clock face. The ball is bang in the middle of the clock. Twelve o’clock is your target, with your feet aligned parallel. Feel as if you can swing the club from 7 o’clock to 1 o’clock. Or, from inside towards outside. However at time of
impact, both hands are facing down parallel each other. Try the exercise by stopping each time 1 inch before the ball impact to see if your hands are place properly and look at the club face to see if it is square.

TIPS #4: Keep your right arm straight on the impact.

As the club swings through contact, sense your club head closing as you insistently move your right arm over your left forcefully squaring up the clubface.

TIPS #5: Hitting shots from a side hill stretch out will also help.

Place the ball several inches above the level of your feet. Hit shots from there. Observe how this promotes a more rounded swing plane and a more controlling in-to-out path.

Hope this will help understanding much better your golf game.

By: Robert Petrucci

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The slice is probably the most common problem that all golfers encounter when playing. In fact, some golfers spend years in frustration trying to remedy slice. Usually, slice happens just when you think your tee shot is just fine. Suddenly, the ball starts to curve to the right and promptly misses the target.

There are many ways to cure slice. Let us start with developing a good grip. As you hold the club, your left hand and thumb should be along the shaft and is aligned toward your right eye. Your right hand should wrap over the left, with the palm resting securely over your left thumb. Your grip should not be too tight or too loose. Gripping the ball too tightly can cause the ball to hook. On the other hand, a weak grip will open the clubface and cause slice. Take the time to practice your grip. Make small adjustments and try new grips until you find one that works and that you are comfortable with.

Another important component in stopping slice is to develop and practice a good stance. You can achieve this by standing square to the ball with your feet spread as wide as your shoulders. Keep your right foot pointing straight ahead and your left foot pointing a little to the left. Make sure your elbows and shoulders are in a natural, relaxed and comfortable position. Remember that posture is very important. Try to avoid throwing your lead shoulder up in the air prior to hitting the ball. Ask your friends to watch you as you hit a drive to see if you have the so-called ‘uppity shoulder’.

Finally, by simply correcting your golf swing, your goal to stop slice is half done. Remember that a correct backswing involves the hands, arms, and shoulders in one fluid and smooth motion. Meanwhile, the right downswing involves turning the hips, keeping your eye on the ball and making sure that your head is behind the ball as you proceed to your follow-through.

These are just a few of the tips and techniques on how to stop golf slice. You can also try various drills to develop specific areas of your play. These drills strengthen and develop your golf skills for the better. Just keep in mind that you need to devote time and effort through constant practice in order to achieve your goal of stopping slice.

By: Tim Lee

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If you’ve been battling a hook for a while you understand how frustrating they can be. Everyone else is, more than likely, slicing the ball, and you are playing from the opposite side of the fairway.

But… the hook really is pretty easy to cure. Try this sequence of corrections, and most likely the hook will be fixed in no time. Your goal in correcting a hook is to swing from outside to in.

1) Weaken your Grip – You could be playing with a grip that is too strong. You’ll want to simply rotate both hands around the grip and towards the target. This will make it much harder for the clubface to naturally close through the impact zone. Don’t over do it, and like everything else, testing is crucial. Make sure to test this, before moving on, unless you are positive that you already play with a weak grip.

2) Move the ball forward in your stance – It is common of players that slice the ball to play the ball forward in their stance. So copy them. If you hook, the result should be a relatively straight ball. (Side Note: Whether you hook or slice, your first goal should be to learn to do the opposite.) Moving the ball forward in your stance should get some things back on track.

3) Aim to the left (to the right if left handed) of the target – Start out with an open stance to the target. This will put that clockwise rotation on the ball that you are looking for. Just open your stance a little bit, and swing along the line of your shoulders.

4) Make sure that you are finishing with your weight on your forward foot – This is the single best solution for the hook. If you hook the ball, chances are that you finish with some of your weight still on your back foot. This causes you to come around the ball with a closed clubface. This is the number one cause of the deadly snap-hook. Finish with all of your weight forward, and you’ll never experience it.

By: David Nevogt

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The Simple Golf Swing is published by golf expert David Nevogt. The guide has been designed to help anyone with an 18 handicap or bigger. It will even improve the scores of more experienced golfers.

This excellent guide will help you learn a revolutionary new grip, setup, and alignment technique in a simple format with clear pictures and illustrations to show you how to do it.

The Simple Golf Swing uses the golfers’ spine as the focal point of the swing. As your shoulders rotate on the backswing, the spine operates as an axis. The back-swing is shorter than most swings taught so it takes a few practice shots to get used to, but following this excellent system will make your drives straighter and longer but with very little lost power. Following the rules in this guide will improve your shot consistency and drop your score.

This system – because it really is more than just a simple book – guarantees to lengthen your range and reduce your strokes by up to 10 in just two weeks. While this may sound incredible, it’s actually easily done when you consider how many penalty strokes are earned in an average round, how many yards are lost in a typical drive and how many times balls end up in the rough! This step-by-step course helps take the guessing out of your swing.

Simply put, this system works. If you’re a beginner or bogey golfer you’ll find this invaluable to help you improve your score now, not in ten or twenty years! More experienced players will also find tips to improve your game. Not sure if it’s right for you? Don’t worry as it’s covered by a no-questions-asked money back guarantee!

Here are some of the things the Simple Golf Swing program contains:

- The secrets to a winning swing plane
- How to gain more confidence on the course
- How to manage your emotions
- Simple tricks to change your hand action and add measurable distance to your shots
- Different grip styles and which work best
- Clubface alignment that will give you confidence on every tee.
- Simple techniques to hit more greens and get closer to the hole

You can have all of the greatest equipment, wear the best clothes and it won’t help you one bit until you can consistently hit the ball long and straight. The Simple Golf Swing will teach these fundamentals in no time.

A golf pro will easily charge $80 per hour. You can pick up this system for a fraction of this price as a one-off expense. Also included is a lifetime of free updates as they become available! You’ll also get 8 great bonuses.

By: Mike A Murray

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The slice is the most common fault in golf and in this article I plan to explore what causes a golf slice and how to cure it.

The slice is an uncontrolled shot that causes the ball to curve off to the right of the ball-to-target line, causing a loss of both direction and distance.

Most slices are the result of an unintentional out-to-in swing path, though other faults may also produce slicing. Whatever the swing path, the clubface always moves across the ball from far right to near left (right handed players). This causes the ball to spin in a clockwise direction, which moves the ball from left to right as it flies through the air.

Faults that lead to a slice occur at either the address position or during the swing itself.

Possible Causes During Set-up.

Bad Grip.

A club that is held too tightly creates tension in the arms and can cause the player to have an out-to-in swing. Try to relax your grip by imagining you are holding a little bird. You don’t want to squeeze it to death but at the same time you don’t want it to escape.

Having a “weak grip”. A weak grip tends to cause an open clubface at address. If this is your problem try turning both hands clockwise on the club.

Alignment.

May be open, which promotes slicing, or closed, which promotes an over the top swing. Align your feet and shoulders so that they are parallel to the ball to target line.

Ball Position.

Do not place the ball too far forward, this is a common fault which causes the shoulders to open and promotes an outside-to-in swing path.

Move the ball back in your stance, but still forward of center, so that when you set the club down your shoulders are parallel with the ball-to-target line.

Clubface angle.

An open clubface at address will cause the ball to slice. Ensure that your clubface is aligned square to the ball-to target line.

Possible Cause During The Swing.

Poor weight transfer.

If you are not transferring your weight from your back foot to the front (target) your clubface will be open through impact.

Use the famous Gary Player “down the fairway” drill, where you play your shot and take a step forward on your follow through and walk after the ball.

Another drill is the stepping drill whereby you grossly exaggerate your weight transfer by lifting your front leg on the backswing, shifting all your weight on to the back foot and then stepping on the front foot and lifting the back foot on the downswing and follow through. Try it, it works.

Also very effective is to swing with your eyes close and concentrate on the weight shift. Do not worry about the ball when using this drill.

Club follows an out-to-in path (points to left of target at top of back swing).

With your club in this position you will have an out-to-in swing path.

Use the following drill to cure this. Address the ball as normal and then raise the club about 18 inches above the ball so it is hovering directly above it. Make a backswing that is not pulled quickly inside. Note the angle of the plane going back. Now make a forward swing in which the plane is under or shallower than the backswing plane. A “back – under, back – under” routine. Lower the club to the ball and repeat.

Upper body tension.

This is probably caused by gripping the club too tight. See above for holding a bird. Also relax the tension in the arms.

I trust that this article has helped you understand what causes a golf slice and how to cure it. It won’t happen overnight but if you practice the above drills you will soon find yourself playing golf without slicing.

By: Lawrence Bredenkamp

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Golf is one of the greatest games on Earth. It is also one of the hardest games. You would do well to follow these beginner golf tips to ensure that your entry into the golf world isn’t as bad as it could be. Too many people give up before they have really begun because they don’t adopt good habits. To give your game a turbo boost read on. You will be part of the ever growing band of Golfers Anonymous in no time at all.

1) The golf swing is a side action. It is not an up and down action. To understand this fully take a ball and throw it from your side with an underarm technique. This is the type of action you want to develop. Notice that the further you want to throw the ball the more you need to turn your shoulders.

2) A time old classic is to imagine that you are swinging a baseball bat. The main difference is that the club will need to reach the ground at some point so your stance will be different. Practice swinging a golf club as if you had a bat in your hand to train your muscles to understand the technique you are looking for.

3) When setting up to the ball stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly and bend down from your hips with your back straight. Practice this by sticking your behind out to get the right feel for it. You want your arms to hang in front of your body. Try not to hunch over too much. When it comes to playing for real you don’t want to be too near the golf ball or too far away – this tip will help you get this right.

4) Grip the golf club lightly. Most beginner golf tips miss this out – if you grip too tightly you will not be able to swing with freedom. This will have a very negative impact on your game. Imagine you are holding a tube of toothpaste and you only want to squeeze just enough to get a little paste out. This is what you are looking for.

5) When swinging try to be as smooth and rhythmical as you can. It might feel a little strange at first but the more you swing a club the more comfortable you will get. Try to imagine a big hula hoop surrounding your body at an angle. You want the club to be swinging round your body on this path and it should be accelerating the nearer to the ground it gets. Forget about trying to hit the ball – think more about the fact that the ball is in the way of your club. Too many beginners get caught up with trying to hit at the ball and end up taking the club away from its intended path. This will only end in tears.

The golf swing can get very technical. A lot of beginner golf tips introduce some difficult concepts too early and this results in confusion. Golf is as much a feel and touch game as it is a scientific one. As you become more used to the basics you can start to introduce some more advanced techniques.

By: Michael M Lewis

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One of the problems most golfers have is slicing the golf ball. It causes great frustration and some struggle for years hoping to improve this problem. There are many tips and tricks to eliminate the problem, it’s up to you to identify which areas of your game, grip or stance needs work.

Proper Grip

Start by moving your hands until they are in proper golf grip position. Take the club in your left hand and place your thumb on the shaft. If the line between your thumb and your index finger is pointing towards your right eye then it’s placed correctly. Now you have to wrap your right hand over the left hand and place your left thumb on the palm of your right hand.

Avoid gripping the golf club too tightly if you are right handed, it could cause the ball to hook towards the left. But you could cause the ball to slice towards the right if your grip is too weak; therefore you have to practice having a neutral grip when holding your golf club.

Proper Stance

Ensure that your shoulders are aligned with the ball. You are allowed to adjust stance to feel comfortable, but stance does play quite a big role when it comes to eliminating golf slice. Pay close attention to how you stand and address the ball – if you are doing everything else right but still slice the ball, you might want to practice your stance in the mirror and see if you find any areas to improve.

Tips to Avoid Golf Slice

As mentioned previously as well, the easiest to fix is your grip. Don’t tighten up when you get nervous, relax and keep the grip as neutral as you can.

If nothing you try seems to work – experiment with a stronger grip bit by bit. This won’t work for everyone and it should be something you try when nothing else seems to work for you.

During the downswing, your left hip will be leading and during the early downswing it will be your right shoulder that lowers and your right elbow should return to your side. A slice will be produced if your elbow is flying or flapping in the breeze, you must avoid this.

Proper position means your right arm will be closer to your torso than your left, your shoulders will be in line with the target line and your right shoulder will be lower than the left.

Avoid turning your hips too much, limit the movement. If you have too much movement the club will go too far inside and loop over the top.

Move into your forward swing with a leg thrust to the left.

By: Mike A Murray

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