Good Putter Alignment- Hint: You're Probably Not Aiming at the Target

By: Walter Ballenberger

I was struck by the comments of Dave Pelz, the well-known short game guru and teacher of many leading golf professionals, in his book "Putt Like the Pros" with regard to putter alignment. Basically he said that very few golfers are able to obtain align putts properly using just their vision. He gave the example of Jim Simons, who was a successful PGA Tour player some years ago. When Pelz measured his putter alignment he found that on 3 foot putts, Simons was aligned toward the left edge of the cup, even though he thought he was aiming at the middle. For 10 foot putts his alignment was good, but on 30 foot putts Simons was aligned over 3 feet to the right of the hole! How many 30 foot putts could Simons have made? To do so would have taken a minor miracle.

The Brain Compensates for Poor Strokes and Poor Alignment
When a golfer has a stroke that is off-line, his brain and body make subconscious changes to adjust for the error. For example, if a golfer's putting stroke goes to the outside of the line on his backswing and then to the inside of his intended line after striking the ball, he is essentially applying a sort of cut stoke, and his ball will miss to the left of the hole. Seeing this, his brain will make an adjustment and will cause him to open the putter face at impact so the ball will not miss so much to the left. In fact Pelz states that most people who have a cut putting stoke as described above will miss the hole to the right rather than to the left since the brain and body will overcompensate. I personally had the same problem when I was a young golfer. On tee and fairway shots I would line myself up thinking I was aiming at the target. However, if I were to put a club down in front of my feet to see where I was aiming, it was always far to the right, similar to Simons on a 30 foot putt. As a result my brain and body changed my swing such that I would hit a big hook to compensate. On putts it was the same way. I knew I wasn't lined up properly and lost a lot of confidence. Pelz said that the best PGA Tour player he worked with on putter alignment was Howard Twitty, who was normally aligned properly on putts of all distances. Almost everyone else is off line, including the pros.

A Simple Approach to a Solid Putting Stroke
Many years ago I played a lot of golf with a person who was an excellent putter. He made lots of putts and could knock the ball in the hole from anywhere. He told me that his method was simple: he would align his putter face to the target, set his feet perpendicular the putter face, and simply swing the putter in line with his feet. This is a simple and excellent way to stroke putts. Of course a golfer also needs good touch to hit the ball the proper distance, but that is another matter. The method described above only works, however, if the putter is aligned properly, if the putter stroke is straight, if the putter face is square at impact, and most importantly, if the putt is struck on the putter "sweet spot", or the spot on the putter face that is directly in front of the center of gravity of the putter head. Pelz states that if everything is perfect with a putter stroke, but the putt is struck ¼ inch or more from the sweet spot, the putt will miss on average 95% of the time for 8 foot putts. So all factors mentioned above are important if one wishes to make his or her fair share of putts consistently, but it all starts with proper alignment.

A Good Solution- Draw a Line on the Ball
What is the best solution for aligning putts if your normal vision does not allow you to accomplish good putter alignment by sight only? Almost every player on the pro tours uses golf balls that have a line drawn on them. The line is pointed toward the golfer's target, and he can simply follow the advice of my playing partner of many years ago, that is:
1. Set the putter face perpendicular to the line on the ball.
2. Set his feet parallel to the line on the ball.
3. Stroke the putt in line with his feet.

By the way, there is no reason a golfer couldn't use the line to align his tee shots as well. Simply place your ball on the tee with the ball line pointing in the correct direction, and align your stance using that.

Good Touch is Paramount
Once again, another factor is extremely important in putting, and that is touch, or the ability to hit the ball the proper length. In fact this is of primary importance, especially on long putts. Pelz' research shows that putts should be struck with a force that will take the ball 17 inches beyond the hole. That is, putts have the best chance to go into the hole if hit with that amount of force. One other comment is necessary with regard to achieving good putter alignment using a line drawn on the ball. The line should pass through the heaviest or lightest part of the ball. Most golf balls are not perfectly balanced, but if a ball rolls over an axis containing the heavy and light portions of the ball (these are of course on opposite sides) the ball will roll true. Otherwise an unbalanced ball can break to the right or left simply because of defects in the ball. A report describing how to determine the heavy or light spots on a golf ball can be found here:

Putter alignment is a major problem for most golfers, and improper alignment causes multiple flaws in one's putting stroke. A line on the golf ball can help enormously to improve a golfer's aim and help him to make more putts on a consistent basis.

About the Author: Walt Ballenberger is a life-long golfer and founder of Golf Putters, a resource site for golfers. For a Free Report entitled "Make More Putts Using Balanced Golf Balls " visit Golf Putters

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf Review

Golf has quickly become the sport for all ages. Along with the rise in its popularity came tons of "self-help" golf manuals. There is an unlimited amount of products teaching a different way of doing things. There are books on putting, driving, swinging, warming up, etc Of all the thousands of self help products on the market today it would seem impossible to bring something totally new to the table. But Andy Brown has managed to do it brilliantly.

Andy's latest masterpiece titled The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf is taking the golf world by storm. In his easy style, Andy goes in depth for improvements to both the long and short game. Andy teaches as only someone who has truly mastered the game.

The opening paragraph of the book says it all. "This is a different kind of golf book. If it were not, there would be no excuse for our writing it....or you reading it." Andy provides audio and video as part of the package. In fact, his aim is to help you become a master of the fundamentals from the ground up.

Andy’s book helps you to first let go of all of the useless information to play better golf that hasn’t helped you. You’ll find yourself being open to his methods in his book much easier once you make the decision to let go of your old thinking in order to reshape your mindset as well as your perspective to allow you to make improvements in your golf game. For some at first this isn’t easy, but with consistent practice and follow through you’ll find yourself making noticeable gains in yards in your drives and increasing your accuracy with each and every shot.

Each magic move presented to you is given in great detail and easy to follow with step by step instructions. Each of Andy’s magic moves are broken down completely step by step to assure you are able to properly implement his strategies. The mental aspect to golf is also covered in great detail for you so that you can master a part of the game of golf that few really manage to do.

After going through the material in The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf, you’ll find yourself with a very effective setup with your grip and stance so that you can eliminate old conditioning that hampered your efforts. Andy Brown’s The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf is available for your comments and reviews. Let other golfers know if this has worked for you and how Andy’s information has improved your game.

And in one last stroke of genius, Andy has made the whole series affordable and he delivers it electronically so more people can access it quickly.

Click here to read more on The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf

How to Correct that Golf Slice

A review of the popular e-book The Dave Way

Here are the Goals you will Achieve with "The Dave Way"

Scoring.Not only will "The Dave Way" enable you to cure your golf slice, but it will also teach you how to apply your new swing so that you can grasp those low scores you've always wanted.

Distance.
After "The Dave Way" is done straightening out your slice the average gain in drive distance is over 30 yards. Of course your mileage may vary, but our tests have shown this type of production is extremely common.

Accuracy.
What a luxury it is to be able to hit your drives down the middle and your approach shots on the green. "The Dave Way" will empower you to carbon copy your straight shots, over and over and over... turning you into one solid golfer. Par will be a formality!

Confidence.
What an awesome feeling it is to be able to compete, or better yet, be the best golfer in your group. The amount of confidence that is obtained by mastering "The Dave Way" can't be matched by any other golf instruction or training aid out there.


How to keep your drives in the short grass. Step-by-step, The Dave Way guides your swing into producing perfectly straight golf drives.

How to pinpoint the cause or your slicing woes. "The Dave Way" explains why you are slicing and educates you on 3 common flaws most golfers have that contribute to their slice and how to defeat these flaws.

How to drop strokes fast and easy. "The Dave Way" grants you the knowledge to begin shaving your handicap right away. The system includes a scoring matrix which helps you keep track of your success.

How to become a fearless golfer. Through the 4 steps and 4 drills, "The Dave Way" converts tension into confidence when you setup to the golf ball.

How to make your drives a mindless act. After you spend a bucket of balls practicing "The Dave Way" drills you will call the tee box your home away from home!

How to turn golf frustration into fun. "The Dave Way" will not only will fix your golf slice, it will give you a more complete outlook on the game. It will license you to own the round, instead of the round owning you.

read more about "The Dave Way"

Golf Impact - How to Maximize your Distance

By David Nevogt author of The Simple Golf Swing

This lesson is entitled, "How to Maximize your Distance by Hitting Triples instead of Home Runs " and it's a great overall theory to build your entire swing around. Keep this in the back of your head at all times while you are on the course, and remind yourself of it before every shot. The result will be increased distance and straighter shots because you'll be releasing your hands through the ball better.

Background Info :

Many recreational golfers struggle with slices, blocks, and inconsistency because they don't know how to release their hands through the ball correctly. By "releasing your hands through the ball", I am describing the act of maximizing your club head speed at the moment of impact, and eliminating the "outside-in" movement that creates a slice.

How You Will Benefit:

• You'll learn an easy way of "getting your hands through the ball"
• You'll be increasing the speed of the club head through the impact zone
• You will ensure that the club head is square at impact (which will drastically reduce any slice that you have)

What To Do:

Step 1: Create the "X"

This means that on the follow through, you need to focus on making your forearms cross. This will ensure that your hands have released through the ball correctly. Here's an illustration of what I am talking about.

Notice the "X" that is created after impact and where the shaft of the club is pointed. Practice getting in this position. Practice creating that "X" after impact.

It will be easy to understand the alterative by paying attention to where the club is pointed, which I will explain in the next step.

Step 2: Finish at Third Base

Focus on pointing the club down the third base line on your follow through. In relation to where my feet are pointed in the picture at left, the club is pointed down the third base line. This is what we want.

Many golfers finish their swing with the club straight up in the air, or even pointed down the first base line in relation to their feet. Try that once, and you will feel the extreme "outside-in" movement that produces a slice. This is nothing more than a habit that can be easily broken. The Simple Golf Swing goes over this step in much more detail.

Summary:
So when you are on the tee next time, focus on just 2 things. Make the "X" and "finish at third". That's it. Swinging easy should already be grooved into your swing from the last tip I sent. Focus on these 2 tips, and you should be on your way to consistently staying out of trouble with your driver, which is the first step to scoring better.

About the Author: David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of The Simple Golf Swing which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today.

Golf tips: Six ways to hit better 'long' clubs

By Karen Palacios-Jansen,
Special to WorldGolf.com,
Golf Publisher Syndications

For women and probably for the majority of high-handicappers, the long clubs are the most difficult clubs to hit. A lot of people lack confidence with the driver and fairway clubs. They are more difficult to hit because they have less loft. They slice more often than not. Here's some tips on how to hit them.

1. Learn the difference between hitting an iron and wood. When you hit an iron, you want to have a steep angle of decent to get the ball up in the air. When you use a driver, the ball is teed up, so you want to sweep the ball off the tee, not hit down. If you hit down, the ball will pop up in the air. Ball position is critical. Play the ball opposite your front foot which will encourage a sweeping blow. Since you play the ball more forward in your stance your back shoulder and hip will be lower at address. This tilt is critical for you to sweep the ball.

2. To be a good driver, you need to have clubhead speed. You need at least 80 miles per hour of clubhead speed to hit a 15-degree lofted club or less. To help speed up your clubhead speed, you need to have light grip pressure. Tight grip pressure kills speed. Hold the club above the ground and feel the weight of the clubhead. If the clubhead feels light, you are holding it too tightly. Adjust your grip pressure until you can feel the weight of the clubhead.

3. To hit a driver and your fairway woods, it is important to shift your weight on the downswing. This move will help create clubhead speed and attack the ball at the correct angle. If you have a reverse pivot at the top of the swing, you will never be able to shift your weight on the downswing. A reverse pivot will cause your weight to hang back at the moment of impact. This robs you of power. At the top of your swing, the majority of your weight should be on the inside of your back leg. This position braces you to push off on the downswing. If your weight stays on the front leg at the top of the swing, then you have a reverse pivot.

4. If you slice your driver, consider using a 3-metal off the tee instead. The 3-metal has more loft and it is easier to control than a driver. You will get more distance from a straight ball with a 3-metal than a sliced driver.

5. If you top your driver or fairway clubs, you may be losing your spine angle at the top of your swing. To correct this, work on your body motion and keep the same level throughout your swing. Avoid bobbing up and down. Do not lift the club up in the air with your arms; try to keep the clubhead low to the ground at least until it has passed your right foot (if you are right-handed) so that at the top of your swing you have made a full turn with your shoulders and your weight is predominantly on your back leg. When you make a turn you will stay at the same level, so that you will not top the ball.

6. Good drivers of the ball never take a divot with a driver. If you are striking the ball correctly, you will be sweeping the ball off a tee. Never hit down with a driver and take a divot. Hover the clubhead above the ground before you hit your drive, which will help alleviate tension and encourage more of a sweeping blow. Take practice swings brushing the ground with the driver, but never taking any turf.