Soccer players have soccer warm up drills as a part of their training regime. These are important for the players to get into the groove. Pitch in to know more.Warming up your body, before any intense physical activity - be it a sport or a gym workout is imperative. Doing the warm up helps loosen the stiff muscles and joints. It also imparts a certain flexibility to the limbs which prevents injuries. In short, it gets a player into the playing mode. Nevertheless, talking of warm ups, warm up drills are an essential part of players playing contact sports, especially, like soccer, American football, hockey and so on. In the text to come though there would be an elucidation about soccer warm up drills. So, just hang in there! Read more on soccer training.
Good Soccer Warm Up Drills
Drill #1
This is a very easy one, which can be included in professional as well as youth soccer warm up drills. In this drill, all the players get hold of a ball and then they hold it slightly away from their bodies. At the same time, they make an attempt to hit the ball with their knees and not their feet. This is done by them for around 30 seconds and they are expected to use alternate knees. Fantastic for quads, these are chiefly responsible for imparting power to the knee lifts of the players. Moreover, the hamstring muscles and the groin area too would be given a good stretch with this warm up drill.
Drill #2
The players here are asked by the coach to form a circle of around 20 yards and a cone will be placed in the circle. Each player then has to ensure that he is arm's width away from the players on his either sides. The coach then asks the players to jog in together upto the cone and then jog backwards till the outer edge of the circle. The coach can vary the runs to the center and back in the form of high knees, sidestepping, heel flicks hopping, lunges and so on. Read more on soccer exercises.
Drill #3
Okay, this can be tough and can also prove to be those fun soccer warm up drills. How? Let us check it out. Akin to tennis, the aim of this drill is to play the ball between 2 teams, which can have players from 1 to 4 per team. A barrier will be set to act as the net wherein the ball would be played back and forth between the 2 sides. The catch is not to let the ball touch the ground, hence the players can juggle, pass or do anything as far as the ball crosses the net. Touch control, passing in the air are improved by this drill.
Drill #4
Okay, this is for the future Maradonas and Gerrards! You can consider this amongst soccer warm up drills for kids. First the square sections have to be marked out using cones, measuring 10 meter by 10 meter. The players or rather the children are then divided in teams of 6 players where 3 are attackers and 3 are defenders. The job of the attackers is to concentrate on the ball and keep the possession and the defenders have to intercept the ball. After 2 minutes, the coach will whistle and the roles will be exchanged. The drill will continue for 8 minutes. This is one of the best soccer warm up drills for kids. Read more on soccer conditioning drills and workout.
Drill #5
A combination of multiple exercises and soccer moves again makes for a fantastic soccer warm up. It is more suited when you talk about soccer warm up drills for youth. A coach for this particular drill can have a makeshift obstacle course. That will involve setting up various stations which need the players to inculcate and develop skills in a good, structured routine. For instance, juggling for some time, dribbling through cones, sprinting, jumping for headers, push ups, etc. A relay race can also be done in the same manner and to add fun to it, 2 teams can compete with each other.
Last but not the least, the coach can even have indoor soccer warm up drills, which might include spot jogging, spot ball juggling or practicing headers and so on. Read more on indoor soccer drills.
All in all, these soccer warm up drills give a certain agility and improve skills of the players. It also makes them mentally prepared and focused on the practice session at hand. Therefore, now we know why are these so crucial!
This is where I go off the pitch and blow the whistle!
By Medha Godbole
Published: 4/27/2010
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Golf Swing Mechanics
Golf swing mechanics are a tricky thing to understand. Check out the article below to know about the mechanics of a golf swing.The swing of the golf club decides the fate of the likes of Phil Mickelson and others of the same fraternity on the golf course. If the swing and the whole mechanism of the swing goes wrong, it could spell doom for the golfer. Thus, it is essential for a wanna be golfer to be clear about the complicated yet necessary golf swing mechanics. In case you are in that league, you wouldn't want to miss this stuff about golf swing!
Mechanics of a Golf Swing
Setting the Swing Up
To begin with, if a player's spine is rotated or tilted from the target at the point of address, the player needs to have his weight uniformly balanced between his right and left foot specifically with middle and long irons. In addition to that the weight has to be felt as evenly balanced between the player's heels and toes. That comes to roughly the balls of the player's feet.
Backswing Top
Now this is a very important aspect of basic golf swing mechanics. Moving ahead further though, while the player pivots on top of the back swing, the weight is shifted in the inner part of the back foot. A player will feel roughly 75% percent of his weight on the back foot and 25% on front foot. The trick is that the weight should never shift from the outside of back foot. Read more on golf swing tips.
Making the Impact
With regards to golf swing mechanics, at the time a player is ready for the proper impact, roughly, 75% of his weight has to be shifted on the front foot. The head of the player has to be ideally behind the ball and his hips have to shift ahead around 4 inches beyond the starting position. This leads to increasing the spine tilt twice as much.
The End
When the follow through is coming to an end, the player's maximum weight, almost 90% of it has to be on the outer part of the front foot. Read more on improve your golf swing.
When it comes to proper golf swing mechanics, the above steps are really crucial. These apart, here are a few principles which are the fundamental to golf swing mechanics.
Fundamental Pointers
Point #1
Alignment is absolutely invariable if you want to hit the target bang on. The ball should be hit dead at the center making the alignment even more important.
Point #2
The stance is very very important for getting those golf swing mechanics right. It should be as comfortable as which will allow a player to turn his body in the most effortless way. A player has to find the center of gravity by pushing his backside out. For that, visualizing one's spine as an axis and finding the center of gravity is really helpful. Read more on golf swing basics.
Point #3
A player always has to keep his eyes on the target, needless to say. Even though this is common sense, this factor is sometimes sidelined by the players.
Point #4
Finally, a player has to be patient and calm and not let his nerves take charge of him. Being patient is imperative in golf and focusing on your target is even more important. The player has to be in the moment and not think about what went wrong in the last swing. The emphasis has to be on the present and how can the golf swing at hand would be done in the best possible way. Read more on golf swing speed.
Point #5
Associating the words 'sweep' with woods and 'pinch' for irons can also prove to be helpful to improve golf swing mechanics. This is not exactly irrelevant as irons are used to pinch the ball of the ground and woods are used for swinging the ball off the tee.
Eventually, keeping it simple and focusing on hitting the ball well with a good swing is what matters, initially. That is because then the deeper you go into golf swing mechanics, the complicated it would get. That will help a player concentrate on the details which cannot be compromised, without a player being really stressed out. Read more on proper golf swing.
This is where I tee off and say Adios! All the best!
By Medha Godbole
Published: 5/18/2010
Mechanics of a Golf Swing
Setting the Swing Up
To begin with, if a player's spine is rotated or tilted from the target at the point of address, the player needs to have his weight uniformly balanced between his right and left foot specifically with middle and long irons. In addition to that the weight has to be felt as evenly balanced between the player's heels and toes. That comes to roughly the balls of the player's feet.
Backswing Top
Now this is a very important aspect of basic golf swing mechanics. Moving ahead further though, while the player pivots on top of the back swing, the weight is shifted in the inner part of the back foot. A player will feel roughly 75% percent of his weight on the back foot and 25% on front foot. The trick is that the weight should never shift from the outside of back foot. Read more on golf swing tips.
Making the Impact
With regards to golf swing mechanics, at the time a player is ready for the proper impact, roughly, 75% of his weight has to be shifted on the front foot. The head of the player has to be ideally behind the ball and his hips have to shift ahead around 4 inches beyond the starting position. This leads to increasing the spine tilt twice as much.
The End
When the follow through is coming to an end, the player's maximum weight, almost 90% of it has to be on the outer part of the front foot. Read more on improve your golf swing.
When it comes to proper golf swing mechanics, the above steps are really crucial. These apart, here are a few principles which are the fundamental to golf swing mechanics.
Fundamental Pointers
Point #1
Alignment is absolutely invariable if you want to hit the target bang on. The ball should be hit dead at the center making the alignment even more important.
Point #2
The stance is very very important for getting those golf swing mechanics right. It should be as comfortable as which will allow a player to turn his body in the most effortless way. A player has to find the center of gravity by pushing his backside out. For that, visualizing one's spine as an axis and finding the center of gravity is really helpful. Read more on golf swing basics.
Point #3
A player always has to keep his eyes on the target, needless to say. Even though this is common sense, this factor is sometimes sidelined by the players.
Point #4
Finally, a player has to be patient and calm and not let his nerves take charge of him. Being patient is imperative in golf and focusing on your target is even more important. The player has to be in the moment and not think about what went wrong in the last swing. The emphasis has to be on the present and how can the golf swing at hand would be done in the best possible way. Read more on golf swing speed.
Point #5
Associating the words 'sweep' with woods and 'pinch' for irons can also prove to be helpful to improve golf swing mechanics. This is not exactly irrelevant as irons are used to pinch the ball of the ground and woods are used for swinging the ball off the tee.
Eventually, keeping it simple and focusing on hitting the ball well with a good swing is what matters, initially. That is because then the deeper you go into golf swing mechanics, the complicated it would get. That will help a player concentrate on the details which cannot be compromised, without a player being really stressed out. Read more on proper golf swing.
This is where I tee off and say Adios! All the best!
By Medha Godbole
Published: 5/18/2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Two Gored to Death in Spanish Bull-run
Two Spanish men were gored to death by fighting bulls yesterday during the bull-run at the local fiestas in Ampuero, a town 30 miles east of the northern port city of Santander. Eleven other people were injured in the traditional Ampuero bull-run - similar to the San Fermin festivals of...Two Spanish men were gored to death by fighting bulls yesterday during the bull-run at the local fiestas in Ampuero, a town 30 miles east of the northern port city of Santander.
Eleven other people were injured in the traditional Ampuero bull-run - similar to the San Fermin festivals of Pamplona - as the bulls rampaged up and down streets closed for the event.
Four of the injured remained in a serious condition in hospital yesterday as the practice of running before bulls, which has spread to towns across Spain, came under the spotlight.
Ampuero's mayor ordered the fiestas closed after the death of Raimundo Rabre Hernando, 48, and Daniel Torres Santiesteban, 47.
The older man bled to death on the way to hospital after a bull's horn pierced his jugular vein, medical sources said. The other died a few hours later in the operating theatre of the local hospital.
The run through the town's streets to the bullring is meant to take a few minutes, but lasted for 25 minutes after the bulls split up, turned around and created havoc among the local runners and visitors.
At least one of those killed was a spectator, who was dragged off the barriers marking the course when a bull caught him by the trouser leg.
"One of the bulls went along the barriers, going for everything he could see," a resident told the Tele 5 television channel.
Pools of blood on the tarmac of Ampuero's streets marked the spots where the bulls found their victims.
Fermin Mier Laguillo, a spokesman for the regional government, blamed the deaths on the introduction of fully grown, half-tonne bulls to the fiestas.
"Normally, this run is done with young bulls, but on this occasion fully grown bulls were used, with this unfortunate effect," Mr Laguillo told the Associated Press news agency.
© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 9/12/2004
Eleven other people were injured in the traditional Ampuero bull-run - similar to the San Fermin festivals of Pamplona - as the bulls rampaged up and down streets closed for the event.
Four of the injured remained in a serious condition in hospital yesterday as the practice of running before bulls, which has spread to towns across Spain, came under the spotlight.
Ampuero's mayor ordered the fiestas closed after the death of Raimundo Rabre Hernando, 48, and Daniel Torres Santiesteban, 47.
The older man bled to death on the way to hospital after a bull's horn pierced his jugular vein, medical sources said. The other died a few hours later in the operating theatre of the local hospital.
The run through the town's streets to the bullring is meant to take a few minutes, but lasted for 25 minutes after the bulls split up, turned around and created havoc among the local runners and visitors.
At least one of those killed was a spectator, who was dragged off the barriers marking the course when a bull caught him by the trouser leg.
"One of the bulls went along the barriers, going for everything he could see," a resident told the Tele 5 television channel.
Pools of blood on the tarmac of Ampuero's streets marked the spots where the bulls found their victims.
Fermin Mier Laguillo, a spokesman for the regional government, blamed the deaths on the introduction of fully grown, half-tonne bulls to the fiestas.
"Normally, this run is done with young bulls, but on this occasion fully grown bulls were used, with this unfortunate effect," Mr Laguillo told the Associated Press news agency.
© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 9/12/2004
Golf Grip Tips
Having a proper grip in golf goes a long way in striking the ball cleanly. Read the article and learn some vital golf grip tips to help you with the same.In golf, holding the club in the correct way is the most crucial aspect of hitting the right stroke. You may choose any type of grip, but fundamentals remain the same. While striking a ball, both hands should work together as a single unit.
Also, you should apply moderate pressure on the golf club when you strike the ball. Holding the club tight can lead to a slice shot which everyone despises. A lighter grip will improve your wrist hinge and also increase the quantity of club face rotation. Thus, you will be able to hit a powerful stroke with a squared club face during impact. Before moving on to various golf grip tips to improve your swings, let us look at the different types of golf grips.
Types Of Golf Grips
Overlapping Grip
This grip is also known as the Vardon overlap and is the most preferred grip among great players. It was Harry Vardon who made this grip famous somewhere in the late 1990s. Most golf instructors choose to teach this grip to youngsters. For this grip, you will have to place your little finger of the hand below, between the middle and index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the above hand should be placed in the lifeline of the hand below.
Interlocking Grip
This is another common grip use by famous golfers including Tiger Woods. The name comes from the fact that your hands interlock when you hold the stick this way. Golfers with small hands or weak forearms prefer the interlocking grip. Chances of the stick handle slipping onto the palms are high with this grip. To hold this grip, the little finger of your hand below should be intertwined with the index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the hand above should be placed in the lifeline of the bottom hand.
Baseball Grip
Of all the three grips, the baseball or ten finger grip is the least preferred among golf instructors. There are though some advantages of the baseball grip as well. This grip is used by people having joint pains or small hands. Beginners are often taught this grip, as it is easier to learn compared to the other two. For this grip, hold the stick in the proper lead hand grip position and then position the little finger of the bottom hand near the index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the top hand should be covered with the lifeline of the hand below.
Read more on:
How to Hit a Golf Ball
Step By Step Golf Swing
Golf Terminology
Important Golf Grip Tips
These tips given below are for a player whose leading hand is his right hand. However, players looking for left hand golf grip tips can simply substitute their left hand for the leading hand in the tips discussed below and follow them.
Tip #1
The grip plays a very important role when it comes to fixing a slice. To ensure you have the correct one, look down the handle and you should be able to view the first two knuckles of the lead hand. Also, a 'V' should be formed on the lead hand between the index finger and thumb and pointing in the direction of your right shoulder. The right hand 'V' should be pointing in the direction of your chin.
Tip #2
A basic golf grip tip, which most beginners ignore is alignment of hands along the club head. The grip needs to be aligned with the club face before you swing. In case the shaft rotates from this position, the club face moves away from its position, resulting in a bad shot. Spend some time on this basic aspect so that you do not face problems later on.
Tip #3
When you grip your right hand tightly on the stick, unwanted tension is created. This causes the swing to go awry as the stick cuts across the ball. To avoid this, try relaxing your arm, shoulder and wrist muscles before you swing. Apply moderate pressure on the stick with your right hand as well.
Tip #4
This is one of the more important putting grip tips. The wrists need to work together while putting. If you are having problems in coordinating your wrists, try switching hands on your grip. Place your right hand where your left hand normally is and your left hand takes position of the right hand. It may be difficult to adjust to this grip at first, but your wrists do work together and help you while putting.
Tip #5
To ensure a successful golfing stint, it is vital to have strong forehand and wrists. The wrist on the leading hand often breaks down from the pressure of the trailing hand, resulting in the shot being a miss-hit. A good way to strengthen your forearms is to hold the club suing last three fingers of your leading hand in a straight position in front. Now with help of your wrists, move the club up and down about 15 times. Do three sets of this drill and your muscle memory will get the correct movement while swinging.
Tip #6
The ball's flight is directly affected by your hand movement. To get this right, take your normal grip and let the index finger of your trailing hand lie pointed down towards the ball along the stick. While swinging, the finger should be pointing down on the target line at the time of follow through.
Read more on:
How to Fix a Golf Slice
Improve Golf Swing Speed
Golf Tips
These golf grip tips should definitely help in improving the way you strike the ball. With this I will end my article, leaving you with one final tip - Hold the club like you are holding a baby bird in your hands, and you should be good.
By Suketu Mehta
Published: 3/30/2010
Also, you should apply moderate pressure on the golf club when you strike the ball. Holding the club tight can lead to a slice shot which everyone despises. A lighter grip will improve your wrist hinge and also increase the quantity of club face rotation. Thus, you will be able to hit a powerful stroke with a squared club face during impact. Before moving on to various golf grip tips to improve your swings, let us look at the different types of golf grips.
Types Of Golf Grips
Overlapping Grip
This grip is also known as the Vardon overlap and is the most preferred grip among great players. It was Harry Vardon who made this grip famous somewhere in the late 1990s. Most golf instructors choose to teach this grip to youngsters. For this grip, you will have to place your little finger of the hand below, between the middle and index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the above hand should be placed in the lifeline of the hand below.
Interlocking Grip
This is another common grip use by famous golfers including Tiger Woods. The name comes from the fact that your hands interlock when you hold the stick this way. Golfers with small hands or weak forearms prefer the interlocking grip. Chances of the stick handle slipping onto the palms are high with this grip. To hold this grip, the little finger of your hand below should be intertwined with the index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the hand above should be placed in the lifeline of the bottom hand.
Baseball Grip
Of all the three grips, the baseball or ten finger grip is the least preferred among golf instructors. There are though some advantages of the baseball grip as well. This grip is used by people having joint pains or small hands. Beginners are often taught this grip, as it is easier to learn compared to the other two. For this grip, hold the stick in the proper lead hand grip position and then position the little finger of the bottom hand near the index finger of the hand above. The thumb of the top hand should be covered with the lifeline of the hand below.
Read more on:
How to Hit a Golf Ball
Step By Step Golf Swing
Golf Terminology
Important Golf Grip Tips
These tips given below are for a player whose leading hand is his right hand. However, players looking for left hand golf grip tips can simply substitute their left hand for the leading hand in the tips discussed below and follow them.
Tip #1
The grip plays a very important role when it comes to fixing a slice. To ensure you have the correct one, look down the handle and you should be able to view the first two knuckles of the lead hand. Also, a 'V' should be formed on the lead hand between the index finger and thumb and pointing in the direction of your right shoulder. The right hand 'V' should be pointing in the direction of your chin.
Tip #2
A basic golf grip tip, which most beginners ignore is alignment of hands along the club head. The grip needs to be aligned with the club face before you swing. In case the shaft rotates from this position, the club face moves away from its position, resulting in a bad shot. Spend some time on this basic aspect so that you do not face problems later on.
Tip #3
When you grip your right hand tightly on the stick, unwanted tension is created. This causes the swing to go awry as the stick cuts across the ball. To avoid this, try relaxing your arm, shoulder and wrist muscles before you swing. Apply moderate pressure on the stick with your right hand as well.
Tip #4
This is one of the more important putting grip tips. The wrists need to work together while putting. If you are having problems in coordinating your wrists, try switching hands on your grip. Place your right hand where your left hand normally is and your left hand takes position of the right hand. It may be difficult to adjust to this grip at first, but your wrists do work together and help you while putting.
Tip #5
To ensure a successful golfing stint, it is vital to have strong forehand and wrists. The wrist on the leading hand often breaks down from the pressure of the trailing hand, resulting in the shot being a miss-hit. A good way to strengthen your forearms is to hold the club suing last three fingers of your leading hand in a straight position in front. Now with help of your wrists, move the club up and down about 15 times. Do three sets of this drill and your muscle memory will get the correct movement while swinging.
Tip #6
The ball's flight is directly affected by your hand movement. To get this right, take your normal grip and let the index finger of your trailing hand lie pointed down towards the ball along the stick. While swinging, the finger should be pointing down on the target line at the time of follow through.
Read more on:
How to Fix a Golf Slice
Improve Golf Swing Speed
Golf Tips
These golf grip tips should definitely help in improving the way you strike the ball. With this I will end my article, leaving you with one final tip - Hold the club like you are holding a baby bird in your hands, and you should be good.
By Suketu Mehta
Published: 3/30/2010
Golf Training Aid
There are a lot of golf training aids on the market from golf training dust to grips and clubs. I have found the best and want to bring them to you.
Enlarge ImageThe sport of golf has grown so much over the past few years that it is hard to point out a golfer without seeing them play. Years ago the only people that played golf were the old me with the funny pants and bad fashion sense. I am not sure of the reason but the game of golf has taken off dramatically, and successfully brought the younger generations into the game. I am very happy about this because the game of golf needed a facelift.
Now we have a whole new group of people that are learning what many of us already knew and that is that golf is a wonderful game that can teach patience, hard work and dedication. These are qualities that all humans should possess and at the same time the youngsters are learning those traits they are having fun. The thing is that golf is an easy game to learn the rules of and get out and try but a very difficult game to get good at. It is for this reason that the golf training aid market has boomed even more than it ever had before.
There are hundred of golf training aids to choose from and a lot of them are really good and many of them are useless and a total waste of money. I have tried a ton of the golf training aids available and have a few that I am thoroughly impressed with and would recommend to everyone.
The first type of golf training aid that I think is excellent is golf dust training. For those of you that are not familiar with the terms golf dust training I can put it in a nutshell for you. Remember the term impact tape? Most people know what impact tape is and what it does. Impact tape allows the golfer to see what spot exactly the golf club hit the golf ball.
The goal every swing is to hit the golf ball with the golf club in just the right spot allowing the club to do what it is intended to do. The tape was frankly a pain in the butt to use and set up. Golf dust training employs similar concepts but is an easy to use spray can of powder. The golfer simply pulls out a small spray can of golf dust and sprays it on the club face of the golf club. The golf dust training material goes on easily and allows you to get hundreds of swings off of one inexpensive can. Anyway, the golf dust allows you to easily see where the golf club hit the golf ball and lets you make the determination of what to change.
If you alter something and swing the golf club again the golf dust training aid will let you see where the club hit the ball and you can determine by the hit whether the change you made was good or not and if it was good and is something you want to continue it gives you a representation of what to replicate.
I have tried so many golf training aids and have spent a lot of money on training aids of all sorts and it happens that the cheapest and most effective thing I have purchased is the golf dust training materials. Give it a shot and you will not be disappointed. Golf Training Aid
Find out which work the best.
By Jason M
Enlarge ImageThe sport of golf has grown so much over the past few years that it is hard to point out a golfer without seeing them play. Years ago the only people that played golf were the old me with the funny pants and bad fashion sense. I am not sure of the reason but the game of golf has taken off dramatically, and successfully brought the younger generations into the game. I am very happy about this because the game of golf needed a facelift.
Now we have a whole new group of people that are learning what many of us already knew and that is that golf is a wonderful game that can teach patience, hard work and dedication. These are qualities that all humans should possess and at the same time the youngsters are learning those traits they are having fun. The thing is that golf is an easy game to learn the rules of and get out and try but a very difficult game to get good at. It is for this reason that the golf training aid market has boomed even more than it ever had before.
There are hundred of golf training aids to choose from and a lot of them are really good and many of them are useless and a total waste of money. I have tried a ton of the golf training aids available and have a few that I am thoroughly impressed with and would recommend to everyone.
The first type of golf training aid that I think is excellent is golf dust training. For those of you that are not familiar with the terms golf dust training I can put it in a nutshell for you. Remember the term impact tape? Most people know what impact tape is and what it does. Impact tape allows the golfer to see what spot exactly the golf club hit the golf ball.
The goal every swing is to hit the golf ball with the golf club in just the right spot allowing the club to do what it is intended to do. The tape was frankly a pain in the butt to use and set up. Golf dust training employs similar concepts but is an easy to use spray can of powder. The golfer simply pulls out a small spray can of golf dust and sprays it on the club face of the golf club. The golf dust training material goes on easily and allows you to get hundreds of swings off of one inexpensive can. Anyway, the golf dust allows you to easily see where the golf club hit the golf ball and lets you make the determination of what to change.
If you alter something and swing the golf club again the golf dust training aid will let you see where the club hit the ball and you can determine by the hit whether the change you made was good or not and if it was good and is something you want to continue it gives you a representation of what to replicate.
I have tried so many golf training aids and have spent a lot of money on training aids of all sorts and it happens that the cheapest and most effective thing I have purchased is the golf dust training materials. Give it a shot and you will not be disappointed. Golf Training Aid
Find out which work the best.
By Jason M
Learn to Play Golf
Read on for a few basic tips if you want to learn how to play golf…I will not guarantee that you will start playing golf like Tiger Woods at the end of this article, but I will try to ensure that you understand the basics of the game and are able to discuss the game intelligently.
Let us first start with the basics of the game. The game of golf is played in a huge area that is covered with grass and is known as the ‘golf course’. The course contains either nine holes or eighteen holes.
The equipment required to play the game consists of playing clubs, shoes, tees and a golf bag to carry it all around. The main aim of the game is hit the ball into the successive holes that are located all over the course using the club which of made of either wood or iron.
Scoring
The game starts off in the teeing area. The player places a tee straight into the ground and places the golf ball on top of it. Using the club, the player hits the ball. The aim of the game is to get the ball into the first hole present on the course. After the first player hits the ball, the remaining players follow and repeat all the steps. The player who has the lowest score when all the players have completed one hole starts playing the next hole first. Like every game, golf has its own scoring system. The score of a player is the number of strokes he takes to hit the ball into every hole. The player who uses the least number of strokes wins the game.
Various difficulties are placed along the golf course like water bodies, trees, shrubs and sand filled traps that make the entire task of hitting small white balls into small sunken holes very difficult. When a ball is in the ‘hazard’ the club should not touch the ground while the player is hitting the ball. The player has the option of not playing the ball. A penalty stroke is added to the score of the player and the ball is moved back to the original spot from where it was hit. Another common cause of worry in the game is not being able to find the ball after it has been hit. A ball is considered to be lost if it is not found within 5 minutes after it has been hit. In such cases the ball is considered as lost, a penalty stroke is added to the player’s score and the player has to replay the shot.
Stance
The most common variation in the game is the stance of the player while hitting the gold ball. The usual stance is where a player stands with his feet slightly apart and the knees slightly bent. The player holds the club very firmly in his hands, one hand above the other. The body is turned slightly at the waist along the hips. The player swings back the golf club and then swings it forward with a controlled force, continuing the swing out to the other side of the body. A shot is considered to be successful if it travels a great distance. A low shot is used if the golf ball is relatively close to the hole.
Golf Clubs
As you are just beginning with the game, it would make more sense to either buy used clubs or hire clubs. Brand new ‘branded’ clubs can be an expensive affair and you should ensure that you have actually developed a deep passion for the game before making such an investment. If you are planning on renting out the clubs, then the shortest iron (nine iron) or wedge is the best club that you will need to start out. However, if you do decide that you need to own your own set of clubs, then get a half set. This consists of five irons along with two wood clubs and a putter. And, if you do decide to go all the way, make sure that you go to a good store to get authentic branded clubs and are not cheated.
As with any other game, only practice will make you perfect. Tune into the PGA/LPGA competitions regularly and you will further be able to pick up tips from the best players in the world. Develop a stroke that works for you along with a little patience and may be, one day you will have confidence to challenge Tiger Woods in a game of Golf!
By Ranjan Shandilya
Let us first start with the basics of the game. The game of golf is played in a huge area that is covered with grass and is known as the ‘golf course’. The course contains either nine holes or eighteen holes.
The equipment required to play the game consists of playing clubs, shoes, tees and a golf bag to carry it all around. The main aim of the game is hit the ball into the successive holes that are located all over the course using the club which of made of either wood or iron.
Scoring
The game starts off in the teeing area. The player places a tee straight into the ground and places the golf ball on top of it. Using the club, the player hits the ball. The aim of the game is to get the ball into the first hole present on the course. After the first player hits the ball, the remaining players follow and repeat all the steps. The player who has the lowest score when all the players have completed one hole starts playing the next hole first. Like every game, golf has its own scoring system. The score of a player is the number of strokes he takes to hit the ball into every hole. The player who uses the least number of strokes wins the game.
Various difficulties are placed along the golf course like water bodies, trees, shrubs and sand filled traps that make the entire task of hitting small white balls into small sunken holes very difficult. When a ball is in the ‘hazard’ the club should not touch the ground while the player is hitting the ball. The player has the option of not playing the ball. A penalty stroke is added to the score of the player and the ball is moved back to the original spot from where it was hit. Another common cause of worry in the game is not being able to find the ball after it has been hit. A ball is considered to be lost if it is not found within 5 minutes after it has been hit. In such cases the ball is considered as lost, a penalty stroke is added to the player’s score and the player has to replay the shot.
Stance
The most common variation in the game is the stance of the player while hitting the gold ball. The usual stance is where a player stands with his feet slightly apart and the knees slightly bent. The player holds the club very firmly in his hands, one hand above the other. The body is turned slightly at the waist along the hips. The player swings back the golf club and then swings it forward with a controlled force, continuing the swing out to the other side of the body. A shot is considered to be successful if it travels a great distance. A low shot is used if the golf ball is relatively close to the hole.
Golf Clubs
As you are just beginning with the game, it would make more sense to either buy used clubs or hire clubs. Brand new ‘branded’ clubs can be an expensive affair and you should ensure that you have actually developed a deep passion for the game before making such an investment. If you are planning on renting out the clubs, then the shortest iron (nine iron) or wedge is the best club that you will need to start out. However, if you do decide that you need to own your own set of clubs, then get a half set. This consists of five irons along with two wood clubs and a putter. And, if you do decide to go all the way, make sure that you go to a good store to get authentic branded clubs and are not cheated.
As with any other game, only practice will make you perfect. Tune into the PGA/LPGA competitions regularly and you will further be able to pick up tips from the best players in the world. Develop a stroke that works for you along with a little patience and may be, one day you will have confidence to challenge Tiger Woods in a game of Golf!
By Ranjan Shandilya
How to Play Golf for Beginners
How to play golf for beginners is intimidating to start off. But as you get the hang of the sport, you can get it, provided you are really interested and have a passion for it. Read on to know more about how to prepare a foundation towards being Tiger Woods!The par beckons and so does the iron and the putt. Yes, these are the words which golf enthusiasts and golf aspirants dream of and these are things which can wake them up even in the middle of the night.
Learning golf, however, is not a cake walk. This is not to scare those who want to learn to play golf, but to put across the reality. But working hard for a thing you are passionate about is worth it, right? Therefore this article about how to play golf for beginners is dedicated to all those who look up to Phil Mickelson or Jyoti Randhawa as their golf idols! Here we golf!
Golf for Beginners
The Arsenal
Oh no do not be scared, I am surely not alluding to missiles or any kind of weaponry! I am making a reference to golf equipment. Mind you, this is an expensive sport and so be prepared that the equipment is going to affect your pockets. But like I said, if you want it, you will get it! Nevertheless, the first thing you do is to get golf clubs. As a beginner, it is best to be thrifty. There are good brands which have reasonably priced golf clubs. Or, a fantastic option would be garage or yard sales. Who knows you might get your hands on a really good golf club used by pros and you can get a real steal of a deal. Invest in a considerably good club, it will help in the long run. Read more on golf clubs for beginners.
Basics of Golf
While you play golf, there are 3 important things which have to be included in golf tips, for beginners. These 3 aspects have to be mastered if you want to excel in this sport. These are;
Stance: For a correct golf swing, a correct stance is inevitable. To achieve that, you need to be stable as well as flexible. To illustrate, if you have long clubs, your ideal stance should be shoulder width. If it is the opposite, that is, the clubs are short, then hips stance works just perfect. This is crucial for a stable base and a good swing.
Aim: Once you get a correct stance, half of your job is done. You should have a clear focus on your aim or target. A perfect swing leading to a right stroke can go all wrong if the swing does not have a proper alignment. That will prevent the ball from going into the hole as the direction of the ball would be incorrect. Thus, alignment of knees, feet, hips and shoulders is extremely crucial for an impeccable aim. Read more on golf swing basics.
Position of the Ball: This refers to the position or placement of the ball in connection with the position of your feet. To get a great shot, placing the golf ball accurately in your stance is essential. Hence, when it comes to how to play golf for beginners, they should know where is the ball in relation to their feet and how far is it from their feet. To give an example, when you have a longer club, the ideal ball position would be 2 balls in the direction of the target and the foot in that direction from the center.
In addition to these, you also need to be acquainted with basic rules of golf. Once you master these things you can even learn how to play golf in the rain! Read more on how to hit a golf ball.
Where to Play and Practice
You have to of course practice on a driving range and practice with a host of balls. The good part is that these driving ranges also have putting greens meant for practice. Or, practice just the swing in your backyard (I am sure you are not thinking of hitting golf balls in your backyard!). Or if all these do not appeal to you, ask a pro, if you know one as to which is the best place to practice. Par 3 courses are generally good for beginners. Executive courses can also be taken a shot at, as they are shorter than full sized 18-hole courses. If you are not comfortable doing this on your own, you can join a golf training and learn from a pro golfer as well. Read more on
Golf Instructions for Beginners
Golf Tips - Beginners Guide to Golf
Ultimately, when it comes to playing golf, you need to know not just the written golf playing rules, but also the etiquette of the sport, on and off the golf course. Like, you should never ever walk through a golfer's putting line. After all golf is a gentleman's game and if you want to learn how to play golf for beginners especially, these small things too, matter a lot.
This is where I say par and putt off ! All the best for your golfing spree!
By Medha Godbole
Learning golf, however, is not a cake walk. This is not to scare those who want to learn to play golf, but to put across the reality. But working hard for a thing you are passionate about is worth it, right? Therefore this article about how to play golf for beginners is dedicated to all those who look up to Phil Mickelson or Jyoti Randhawa as their golf idols! Here we golf!
Golf for Beginners
The Arsenal
Oh no do not be scared, I am surely not alluding to missiles or any kind of weaponry! I am making a reference to golf equipment. Mind you, this is an expensive sport and so be prepared that the equipment is going to affect your pockets. But like I said, if you want it, you will get it! Nevertheless, the first thing you do is to get golf clubs. As a beginner, it is best to be thrifty. There are good brands which have reasonably priced golf clubs. Or, a fantastic option would be garage or yard sales. Who knows you might get your hands on a really good golf club used by pros and you can get a real steal of a deal. Invest in a considerably good club, it will help in the long run. Read more on golf clubs for beginners.
Basics of Golf
While you play golf, there are 3 important things which have to be included in golf tips, for beginners. These 3 aspects have to be mastered if you want to excel in this sport. These are;
Stance: For a correct golf swing, a correct stance is inevitable. To achieve that, you need to be stable as well as flexible. To illustrate, if you have long clubs, your ideal stance should be shoulder width. If it is the opposite, that is, the clubs are short, then hips stance works just perfect. This is crucial for a stable base and a good swing.
Aim: Once you get a correct stance, half of your job is done. You should have a clear focus on your aim or target. A perfect swing leading to a right stroke can go all wrong if the swing does not have a proper alignment. That will prevent the ball from going into the hole as the direction of the ball would be incorrect. Thus, alignment of knees, feet, hips and shoulders is extremely crucial for an impeccable aim. Read more on golf swing basics.
Position of the Ball: This refers to the position or placement of the ball in connection with the position of your feet. To get a great shot, placing the golf ball accurately in your stance is essential. Hence, when it comes to how to play golf for beginners, they should know where is the ball in relation to their feet and how far is it from their feet. To give an example, when you have a longer club, the ideal ball position would be 2 balls in the direction of the target and the foot in that direction from the center.
In addition to these, you also need to be acquainted with basic rules of golf. Once you master these things you can even learn how to play golf in the rain! Read more on how to hit a golf ball.
Where to Play and Practice
You have to of course practice on a driving range and practice with a host of balls. The good part is that these driving ranges also have putting greens meant for practice. Or, practice just the swing in your backyard (I am sure you are not thinking of hitting golf balls in your backyard!). Or if all these do not appeal to you, ask a pro, if you know one as to which is the best place to practice. Par 3 courses are generally good for beginners. Executive courses can also be taken a shot at, as they are shorter than full sized 18-hole courses. If you are not comfortable doing this on your own, you can join a golf training and learn from a pro golfer as well. Read more on
Golf Instructions for Beginners
Golf Tips - Beginners Guide to Golf
Ultimately, when it comes to playing golf, you need to know not just the written golf playing rules, but also the etiquette of the sport, on and off the golf course. Like, you should never ever walk through a golfer's putting line. After all golf is a gentleman's game and if you want to learn how to play golf for beginners especially, these small things too, matter a lot.
This is where I say par and putt off ! All the best for your golfing spree!
By Medha Godbole
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