As a dedicated golfer, I find nothing annoys me more than thinking I've played a shot well, only to see it drifting way off target. Even more irritating than that is that I often think I've played the shot exactly the way I have before when it worked well.

That's where you - like me - will benefit from some advice from a professional golfer. I've had many lessons over the past few years, and I'm passing on some of the wisdom that I've learned in a series of articles. Starting with the most important lesson - keep the ball moving the right way.

I learned very early on from my professional golf coach that perfect technique is unlikely to be attainable by all but the most dedicated / most naturally gifted of golfers. Many amateurs obsess over keeping their left arm (for right handed players) straight in the backswing, having their fingers in exactly the right grip position etc.

More important than any of this, though, is hitting the ball so it heads in the right direction. That is, keep the ball moving towards the green. To demonstrate the importance of this 1 factor above all others, my coach showed me exactly what he meant.

He took the club back in a swing that would make any amateur blush, even letting go of the club at the top of the swing. However, when he hit the ball, it travelled in the direction he was aiming, not especially quickly, but was definitely on target.

This showed me that the fundamental issue in golf is ensuring that the head of the club meets the ball in the right position to send the ball off in the right direction. Which is where I realised I should concentrate my initial efforts.

It would be silly for me to suggest that having control over the other things is irrelevant, and obviously things such as your choice of club and the power you put into the shot will affect the distance the ball travels.

The main lesson I learnt from this, though, was that if you can get the ball heading in the direction you want it to, you're halfway to becoming a good golfer. After all, the aim of the game is to get the ball from the tee into the hole. This is where I concentrated my efforts for quite some time, which has made me a better golfer, and hopefully will help you, too.

Mike Jackson runs an online golf equipment store, where you can buy golf clubs, golf balls, golf gifts, golf bags etc.

Posted under Golf

The ongoing process of improving your golf swing is what keeps the sport of golf exciting. The key to improving your golf swing is focusing on one aspect of your swing at a time so you avoid the pitfalls of getting into bad habits. IF you can improve your golf swing, you are surely going to lower your handicap.

But experienced golfers know this is easier said than done. What are the basics of a good golf swing? Key points to remember for your golf swing..

1. Your stance should be about shoulder width apart and your feet should be pointing slightly out - but not too much!

2. Your arms should comfortably hang when the ball is set up and you should not have to reach for the ball nor should you have your arms too close to your body.

3. Place about 70 percent of your body weight on your back leg.

4. Straighten your backbone and slightly bend your knees.

5. Keep your eyes on the golfball during your entire swing

6. Grip the club as if you are holding a small, delicate lizard. When holding your lizard, your grip should be comfortable and relaxed so your arms can follow through with the swing...whether the Geico in the commercial likes it or not!

7. A proper golf swing will have a fluid motion with your shoulders turning slightly in the backswing and your follow-through complete.

8. Make sure you keep your feet planted and slow down in your backswing. Most problems with a golf swing are cause by swinging too quickly in the back swing and then not accelerating through the ball.

9. You will want to hit the ball in the "sweet spot" or the center of the club. Hitting it anyplace else will cause your ball to travel in directions that you really don't want it to go in.

10. Then grip it and rip it!

You might need a lesson or two on the golf swing or even watch the way the pros do it on television. There are numerous resources that exist on the Internet that can help you with your golf swing, so always look for information and take as much advice as you can get.

Learning to swing a golf club takes years of practice as any avid golfer will tell you. There are "a hundred" things to know and they all have to be working in exactly the right ways at exactly the right time to a have a good, consistent golf swing. Sometimes this just doesn't happen, but when it does, it certainly is a great feeling!

Posted under Golf