How To Strengthen The Weak Areas Of Your Golf Game

There are basically two main areas on which you may need to
spend some extra time, or that you might enroll in a golf
instruction course to focus on. Those are the Swing and the
Short Game.

The Swing: Getting off to the right start in your game,
isn't just a matter of stepping up to the tee and whacking
the ball. There are a lot of things to learn between
taking a wood out of your bag, and connecting with the
ball.

While the instructor may start you off one way, as you
become familiar with the clubs and what works best for you,
the approach to the tee will become a personal one.
Consistency is often the key to making the same quality
drive, every time.

That consistency can include everything from pre-shot
preparation, such as laying down a club to look at the lie
of the ground, or going directly to the tee, placing a
ball, and then adjusting your stance. Your body position
both before the upswing and after the downswing, will also
be crucial elements in getting the most out of the long
drive first shots.

When you move off the tee, you've still got long shots to
go. This is where the professional instructors will
introduce irons, and which ones are most appropriate,
according to the distance to the flag, and the lie of the
ball.

The instructor's presence is for the purpose of teaching
and feedback. But depending on the course or school you
have enrolled in, it may be possible to also get a visual
record of your play and problems, through tapes that are
made during the lessons.

The Short Game: This area of play includes putting, chip,
and bunker shots. These require specialized approaches,
according to where your ball is in relation to the fairway
or green, and what shot you're on for the hole. These are
primarily "control" shots, which have to be learned through
experience and practice.

For chip shots, the technique taught may include such
things as a close stance, placing your hands further down
the club shaft, and limiting your back swing. Shots out of
the bunker require more work, since your ball could be in
shallow, deep, wet or dry sand, on a downhill lay or on an
upward slope.

Your pro will introduce you to the advantages of the sand
wedge, and how the degree of loft for each, can impact how
quickly you get out of the trap.