Simple Golf Tips to Sharpen Your Game

Golf is one of those things that no matter how much you practice you may never be able to take your game to the next level. There's just something about the mechanics where if you can't perform the basic routines you'll be relegated to a life time of duck hooks, skulled shots, slices, trips into the woods and lost balls.

Coaches and teachers can be helpful but are often very pricey. You can head to the driving range and hit balls until your hands bleed but if you are swinging incorrectly you may never be able to improve your game. A good golf game starts with a consistent and fundamentally sound swing. Follow the tips outlined here and you should start seeing shots drop from your scoring average in no time.

Grip:

You can't swing a golf club unless you are gripping it, so many golfers problems begin as soon as the pick up a golf club. Many people wonder if you need a golf glove to maintain a proper grip. While a golf glove can definitely help you keep your grip and hands in the right place, they are by no means necessary. Plenty of talented golfers play without one.

The first thing you should notice when gripping a golf club correctly is that the 'V' created between your thumb and your forefinger points to your right eye (if you are a lefty, your left eye and from here on out just reverse and directional instruction). This will ensure that the club face hits the ball squarely and that your hands don't turn the club over and push the ball to the left (or right). You'll also want to make sure you can see the bottom two knuckles of your left hand. This is another measure to keep the golf club on the correct plane and in line with the ball. Finally make sure that 'V' you've created flows through your chin on the way to your eye. This will ensure that you keep that back arm straight which is essential to correct golf shots. You should check out this great video on www.youtube.com by renowned golf instructor John Lubin to see these grip tips in action.

Posture:

Your posture can affect your golf game as much as any other aspect. The way you address the ball can adversely hinder your ability to hit the ball straight and accurately. There isn't necessarily a best way to stand when hitting a golf shot, but these easy posture tips will at least point you in the right direction. For right handed golfers, it is absolutely imperative that your left foot is not turned out. This will cause your body to over rotate during your swing thus getting the club too far out in front of your body. The result will be a ball that heads straight to the left. Be sure to make certain that your feet are parallel to each other.

Once you have you feet in the right position and the club in your hand, look down at the tops of your shoes. Ideally you want to see only the front half of your shoes. If you see too much shoe you're bending too far back and will be unbalanced while pulling the club offline. If you see not enough shoe you are bending too far forward and you risk pulling your hands in to overcompensate and inevitably ending up with a nasty slice.

Finally, make sure your weight is distributed properly. This will go hand in hand with being able to see the correct amount of shoe. If your weight is properly placed on the balls of you feet you should be in the correct address position. If you are back on your heels or too far forward on your toes you will more likely than not experience the same issues you had when you couldn't see enough or saw too much of the tops of your shoes. Once you've balanced your weight, the proper alignment will have your shoulders in a direct line with the balls of your feet. Again, this is another aspect that connects the others. If your shoulders are aligned with the balls of you feet, your weight will be distributed correctly and you should see just the right amount of shoe! If you do a little research you can find plenty of videos and tutorials to get even more instruction. I suggest checking out www.golfinstruction.com. Their pointers are some of the best around.

Now that you've got your hands and body in synch, you can work on focusing on the extraneous aspects and aligning your body to the target. Your hands and feet are now set, but if you are aimed towards the woods, even Tiger Woods isn't going to be able to hit it in the fairway! A simple hint is to make sure that all your body parts are parallel to your target line (where you are aiming). Whether you are driving (pick out a tree or landmark in the distance and align your body with that) or hitting an iron shot (the flagstick is where most of us would like to be aiming!), if your body is lined up with your target the natural flow of your golf swing should direct the ball on the right line.

Lastly, make sure that your ball is lined up opposite your left arm pit. This will make sure that all the time you took to align your body and target will give you solid contact with the ball and the club face will remain square through your swing.

If you are willing to spend a few dollars, one of the best golf teachers in the game, David Leadbetter, offers the best instruction in the world. He has instructors located at courses throughout the world so head on over to his site to watch videos and get more information of the instruction that his crew of professionals offer. His site can be found here: http://davidleadbetter.com/.

There are so many details that go into successfully hitting a golf ball. It would be too much to take all of these into account at once so I'd head over to the driving range, get a bucket of balls and work through each item little by little. With enough practice and dedication you'll see these tips pay off the next time each shot really counts.

Head over to http://www.golflink.com/golf-driving-ranges/ to find a driving range near you.