In an earlier post I discussed the subject of shaft flex. I wanted to write some more to help beginners with golf that are searching the web for the answer to this question:  WHAT SHAFT FLEX SHOULD I USE? First, we need to understand what happens to a golf shaft when you swing it. If you were to watch your swing in slow motion you would notice that the shaft bends. This happens because when we swing a golf club we put a lot of pressure on the shaft causing it to bow in the middle. There are a lot of things that can happen to our ball flight if the flex in our shaft is too soft,or too stiff.
Ball flight problems

3 things can happen to our ball flight from having the wrong flex in our shafts.

1. The distance of the ball could be less (obviously, this would not be good)
   
2. The trajectory (could be higher or lower)
   
3. Our accuracy (the ball could end up going right or left)

The reason we would have these problems is because when the golf club flexes it changes the position of the clubhead. The clubface could become opened or closed at impact, or loft could be added or subtracted. Did you know, that if you slice the golf ball, for example, it may be because you have the wrong flex for your swing? It's a real possibility, so pay attention to the following golf tips!

To figure out what shaft flex is proper for you, make an honest analysis of your current golf swing and answer the following questions:

• How far do you hit your driver (carry distance)?
• 250 or more yards-pick a stiff shaft
• 230 to 250 yards-pick a regular shaft
• 200 to 230 yards-pick a senior shaft (also called A-flex, originally called (A)mature. A lot of players would benefit by hitting an A-flex shaft)
• Less than 200 yards-pick a ladies shaft

•  Do your drives go to the left?
• If yes then try a stiffer flex

• Do your drives go to the right?
• If yes then try a softer flex
  

• Do you have a lower ball flight resulting in less distance?
• If yes then try a softer flex

• Is your ball flight extremely high?
• If yes then try a stiffer flex

If you are new to the game of golf and you are shopping for clubs then there are 2 ways you can determine which shaft flex is right for you. One is, go to a club-fitter, or a teaching pro, and get fitted. The other is, go to a local golf shop and see if they will let you demo some drivers with different shaft flexes, and observe your ball flight. Once you have hit all available shaft flexes, then ask yourself the above questions to help determine your proper flex. The next thing you will need to figure out if you want graphite or steel shafts.

If you are new to golf then check out this great beginners guide.

Image via Wikipedia Something that I was often asked about when I was in the retail sales of golf equipment and supplies, was 'torque,' torque when it comes to golf shafts, both steel and graphite. We are not talking about the torque of an automobile engine, however that is a good analogy, so I'm going to use it.

I'm not an engine expert, so please just go along with my explanation, because I know that torque is so much more than what I am about to describe. The engine in our cars, when revved up, twists, due to the moving parts inside the engine! Especially is the twisting evident when the engine is quickly revved at high RPM's. If the engine was not bolted to the frame, it would twist itself right out of the engine compartment. Even with the engine bolted in, the torque of the engine can cause the vehicle to move. For example, if you press the brake and the accelerator at the same time you will see and feel the car move due to torque. This sort of describes what happens to a golf shaft when a load is applied to it. We apply torque, for example, to our golf clubs, when we quickly go from our backswing to our downswing. The quick motion applies pressure on the shaft causing it to twist.

At this point, I need to clarify that we are not talking about shaft flex, but rather shaft twist. The twist of, or rather the torque of the shaft is measured in degrees. The higher the number the more the shaft will twist. Conversely, the lower the number, the less amount of twist.

The number of degrees range from 1 to about 8. A steel shaft falls between the ranges of 2 to 4 degrees, whereas a graphite shaft can range from 1 to 8. So you can see that a steel shaft doesn't really have much twist, whereas a graphite shaft can be extremely rigid or it can really twist a lot.

Well then, that brings up a good question. What degree of torque should I look for? You really don't have to worry about shaft torque when it comes to steel, since steel doesn't really have a broad range of torque. However, if you are thinking of using a graphite shaft you will have to consider your swing. If you have an extremely aggressive swing and you release the club late, then you want a shaft with torque no greater than 5. If you have a smooth tempo then you don't want a shaft lower than 4. The majority of graphite shafts available today fall between the ranges of 3.5 to 5.5. Most people will do well with a shaft that falls within this range.

Related articles by Zemanta

steel shaft vs. graphite shaft

Image via WikipediaIf you want to learn how to play golf, you have to learn the basics of golf, then you must apply what you have learned. Harry Vardon is one who knew how to play, and he did it very well.

Harry Vardon lived between the years of 1870 to1937, and he was a professional golfer. The surprising thing about Harry Vardon was he did not get interested in golf until he was in his teens, and by the time he reached 20 years old, he was good enough to become a professional golfer. In that short period of time, he taught himself how to play golf.

In addition to knowing how to play golf, Harry Vardon during his career in golf, won 62 tournaments, and won a record 6 Open Championships (now known as the British Open), and believe it or not, this record still stands today! Something else that still stands to this day is the use of the Vardon Grip, or overlapping grip. Over 90% of golfers today, use this grip that was popularized by Harry Vardon (invented by Johnny Laidlay). Also, the PGA of America, after Mr. Vardons death, created the Vardon Trophy, which is awarded annually to the PGA Tour player who scores the lowest adjusted scoring average. In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked him as the 13th best player to know how to play golf ever. He sounds like a pretty impressive individual.


His book, simply entitled "How To Play Golf", is a book that deals with the method of golf instead of the science of golf, which is popular today. This book is still a hot seller today and many have learned how to play golf by studying this great novel. If Mr. Vardon could teach himself how to play golf in a short period of time, then maybe he could help all of us to learn how to play better as well.

If you are new to golf then check out this great beginners guide.

Not to long ago, I had been considering replacing my long irons with a few hybrid clubs. I went to my local Edwin Watts and demo'd a few. At first, I hit them really well, but then things changed dramatically, and I no longer could hit them consistently, and so I took them back until I could find a golf tip for a noob to hit hybrids.
I decided at that point that I wouldn't replace my long irons. Even though I have been resolved not to buy hybrids since, I have always been confused about why I couldn't hit those darn clubs anymore. I like the looks of them, I like the idea behind them, but I just can't hit them. I can hit my fairway woods really well, so why can't I hit hybrids?!
I came across an article that totally got my attention the other day. This article tells the secret to hitting hybrids. After reading the article guess what I did? I went back to the golf shop and checked out a hybrid again. Can you guess what happened? I'll tell ya. I am now in love with hybrids! I started hitting that golf club better than any club in my bag. Why? Read this article: 'Seeing Double, How to Hit a Hybrid Like an Iron,' and you will see why. Now I have to try a few more hybrids to find the best one for me. Seriously, you have to read this great article, it is a great golf tip on how to hit your hybrids!

If you are a noob, or newbie, to golf then check out this great beginners guide.

Related articles by Zemanta

Understanding The Basic Types Of Golf Clubs

In a recent post, I gave some advice for beginners about chipping the golf ball. Today, I want to give some advice about putting. I have stated before that I love putting but I am always looking for ways to improve my putting technique. I found an article that outlines how to improve your putting by learning to use feel verses learning to depend solely on your eyes. I guess I do both. I am not a professional nor an expert, just a newbie. I love the game of golf and I love relating what has worked for me.

As I approach the green, I first of all begin to look at my ball in relation to the hole, trying to get a sense of the shape, or contour, of the green. Then, as I walk up to mark my ball, I use my feet to get a sense of how the green feels. Is it soft, is it hard? Believe it or not, every green is different on the course. One green may be slightly softer or harder than the others. After playing a few holes I have made a mental note about the feel of the greens, so I know instantly if the green is going to putt slightly slower or faster.

Are you still with me newbies? I hope so. So before I mark my ball, I crouch down behind it to look to see if there is a break to the right or to the left, if it is straight, uphill, downhill, etc. I try to remember the contour of the green that I previously looked at as I walked up to the green. The reason I do this is because sometimes a putt can look flat and straight from on the green, but when you step off the green and look back you can see that it was not straight and flat, for example. As I said, I do this before I mark my ball. I get a better feel if I leave the ball on the green for this part of my putting routine. I do all of this very quickly, because I hate slow play.

After that quick look, I mark my ball, then I walk toward the hole checking out the grass between my ball and the hole. If there is any pitch marks or debris that could alter my ball or distract me, I remove them. I proceed to walk to the opposite side of the hole, roughly 10 to 15 feet to the opposite side of where my ball marker is and I again crouch down to get a look from the other side. Sometimes I notice more break or less break at this point.

I then walk back to my ball using the other side of where I walked to remove debris, looking the whole time at the green. In essence, at this point, I have made a complete circle. It takes me about 30-45 seconds to do all of this. I have found that if I take a longer time to do this part of the routine, I begin to loose my feel. So I try to do this quickly to lock in the feel that I have established.

When it is my turn to putt I walk up to my marker, place my ball and using the line that is on my ball I try to line it up to what I feel is the break of the putt. I quickly step back, crouch down again, and look at that line to make sure it is lined up properly in relation to where I see the break for my putt. If it looks slightly off, I quickly adjust my ball, then I pick up my marker.

I then set up the guide lines that are on the top of my putter with the line on my ball and then set my feet parallel to these lines. I take one last look at the hole and slowly drift my eyes backwards, along the invisible line I have drawn in my head back to my ball. I take a breath and I then make my putt.

An additional tip I did not mention that I automatically do, almost without thinking, is I look which way the grass is bending. Grass is like most fabrics, it has a nap. (they call it grain on the green) The grain of the green can move with the sun, it almost always bends toward the sun and toward water. You cannot see it moving, but you can see how it is laying at the moment. You can kind of factor how it is laying into your putt. If the grain is against you then it will slow your putt down, if it is away from you then it will put a little faster. And, of course, if it lays to the right or left, it can turn your ball that way. The only time the grain of the grass doesn't bend with the sun is when there is water nearby. So if there is a pond or creek near the green, then it's a good possibility that the ball will break toward the water.

So newbies, that is my golf tip for the day. It involves my putting routine that I consistently use and it works pretty good. The only time I have a problem is when my feet hurt and I cannot get the proper feel. It is amazing how important your feet are when it comes to the game of golf. Check out this article, entitled 'Improve Your Feel on Putts', it has some nice tips that can really groove the proper feel for putts. I tried it and I will be using the drill that is mentioned in the article for my pre-round routine. Remember: NO 3 PUTTS! LOL.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Things You Must Know About Golf Etiquette

The new Nike Victory Red Irons are set to be released November 1, 2008. I have seen pictures of the 3 styles of irons that will be available and they are sweet! They are offering a set of blades that are similar to the ones that are designed for Tiger Woods which he plays. They are also going to have a split cavity iron and a full cavity iron. All three look awesome!

I play Hogan irons and I just love them, but these new irons have me craving for a new set. (Yeah, my wife won't like that idea, LOL) I am totally impressed with the look of the split cavity back irons and when they come out I am going to go demo a set.

If you want to learn more about these irons and to see a photo of them, check out the post entitled, 'The Shop Blog:  Nike Victory Red Irons...' over at Golf.com.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Choosing The Right Golf Clubs

Newbies, do you chip with the same golf club all the time? I have a tendency to want to always use my 8-iron. I use my 8-iron because it reacts like my putter. I know that may sound weird to you, but what I mean by that is, when I use my 8-iron to chip the ball, I use the same feel that I use with my putter.

Here is some chipping advice from one golfing newbie to another. I love to putt and I seem to be pretty good at it, so I decided to find an iron that I could use that had the same feel as my putter, for distance purposes. How hard I hit my 8-iron is pretty close to how hard I would have hit my putter from the same spot. I'm not sure if that makes any sense to any of you, but it seems to work for me. So basically, I play a bump and run chip shot all the time.

However, there are times when I cannot bump and run the ball. Like when there is a large distance between me and the green and the flag is placed near the edge of the green. If I were to bump the shot all the way to the edge of the green, the speed of the ball would send it rolling way past the flag. Or if a bunker is between me and the green, I cannot use my bump and run chip shot.

So what do I do in those situations? I wing it. I grab a pitching wedge, or my sand wedge, and I do my best to judge the trajectory and the swing speed needed to get the ball to where I think it should go. I am horrible at it. I never know how high or how far the shot will go. To help me to do better with these types of shots, I decided to do some research online and I came across some great golf advice that I think is great for newbies. This article helped me in determining what trajectory I need. It is entitled, 'How to Pick a Club to Chip.' Check it out newbies, the advice may help your golf chipping game!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Tips and Techniques to the Short Game

As a beginner at golf you may wonder, which is better, steel shafts or graphite shafts? When I was fitted for my clubs a few years back this was a question that I wanted answers to. I quickly was given a few tips to see the difference between the two and the benefits of each. I was always under the impression that beginners, high handicappers, and those with slower swing speeds should use graphite shafts, whereas low handicappers should use steel. But boy was I wrong! That was 'old school' thinking and I had to catapult my thinking into the modern age. Graphite shafts in woods have become extremely popular on the PGA Tour. Even Tiger Woods has a graphite shaft in his driver! So I decided to educate myself in regards to the steel shaft vs. graphite shaft world. Here are the differences and benefits I found that maybe you can use to make an informed decision yourself if you are thinking about purchasing or getting fitted for golf clubs.
steel shaft vs. graphite shaft

• Steel shafts are less expensive than graphite. So if you were to buy a set of clubs that offered both steel and graphite shafts, the steel shafts will cost you less.
  
• Both steel and graphite shafts are very durable. If you take care of both of them, they will last you a long time. Even if you have an extremely fast swing, graphite shafts can take the torque. So you don't have to worry that you are going to snap a graphite shaft in half.
  
• The way that graphite shafts are designed they reduce vibrations to your hands. Steel shafts are less forgiving on mis-hits. However, you can get shafts that also have dampening control. They cost a little more but they do reduce vibrations considerably.
  
• Graphite shafts are lighter, which can result in a faster swing speed. And we all know what results from a faster swing speed! You can gain distance off the tee and off the fairway. However, some feel that using steel shafts allows you to be able to control your swing better due to the added weight in your hands.

As you can see, it comes down to preference when it comes to decision of steel shaft vs. graphite shaft. If you want to gain distance and reduce vibrations, then graphite is the way to go. If you have a tight budget and you are not concerned with the feel of steel then you can pick steel shafted clubs. If you are wondering what I picked for my clubs, I have steel sensi-core shafts in my irons, and graphite shafts in my driver and fairway woods. I tried graphite golf shafts for my irons but I didn't like the feel. I like the feel of steel much better for irons. As a beginner in the game of golf, which do you like better?

How to increase golf swing speed 
Many golfers, including beginners, are looking for tips increase their distance they hit a golf ball off the tee. I know I do. One way to do that is to increase golf swing speed. To improve golf swing speed one must understand the physics of a golf swing. The faster your club head is going at the bottom of your swing, the greater the amount of kinetic energy that will be transferred from your club head to the ball, resulting in the ball going a long distance off the tee. Some try to achieve maximum club head speed by snapping their wrists at the bottom of their swing, however, the results are opposite of increased golf swing speed. You end up with slower swing speed. So what can golfers do to increase their golf swing speed? You can try club head speed exercises!

One simple golf flexibility exercise
Pick a weight that is slightly heavier than your driver. Assume your golf posture, and hold the weight where you would hold your driver. Slowly start your back swing until your left arm is parallel with the floor. (Opposite if you are left handed) Now slowly begin your down swing, smoothly reaching the bottom of your down swing, and continuing on up to your follow through, only going until your left arm is parallel to the floor. Then slowly reverse the process, going back and forth about 20 times. Repeat this another 3 times.

Do this drill 3 times a week for the first week, then increase your weight slightly for the 2nd week. Take the 3rd week off then start the process over again, starting with the weight you used during your 2nd week of training. For week 5, increase weight slightly again, then take week 6 off. Resist the urge to start with a heavier weight. You may be able to do more weight, but that's not what we are looking for. We are trying increase strength but most importantly this exercise is creating flexibility. By doing this exercise as one fluid motion, it helps to eliminate snapping of the wrists, and allows you to develop the golf specific muscles that are used in the golf swing. Try this exercise to increase your golf swing speed. You can continue to do this exercise for many weeks, but be extremely careful not to end up using really heavy weights, because this could cause injury to your muscles. Remember, flexibility coupled with strength will result in faster club head speed, thus further distance off the tee.
Another game improvement tip for beginners.

Image via Wikipedia posted by nicksgolfpalace

Most of us could use help when it comes to our putting. I have come across a very simple golf tip that beginners in golf should pay attention to: Spend more time practicing your putting. To say the least, that's pretty simple! But how many of us will actually do it?

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Putt A Golf Ball - Surely It Not This Easy For Beginners

Image via Wikipedia

Here is a small golf tip that you as beginners can do to improve your golf game.

Many experts use golf club weights which they easily attach to the end of their clubs.They swing the club back and forth slowly and repeatedly to groove muscle memory. It also serves as a great warm up tool that you can use before teeing off.

The only problem with using a weight to groove muscle memory and to build strength is, if you have a bad swing to start with you could really ruin your game. Make sure you take lessons, or at least have a decent swing before trying this tip.

Will the weights increase distance? Probably not. If you want to increase your distance off the tee try lifting weights and doing exercises that target your big muscles used to hit the ball. Such as your arms, legs, and back. Stretching is actually more important. If you can get your body to be really limber and loose, it will help with your golf swing, with both the take away and the follow through.

Always check with your doctor before undergoing any sort of exercise program. We want everyone to keep it safe, if you know what I mean.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Basic Guide To Picking Golf Club With Good Swing Weight
• Three Tips for Gaining Muscle Faster

Well at least not according to a recent study that was headed by a person named Frank Thomas, who is the USGA director. He asserts that golfers exaggerate the distance they drive a golf ball by 30 or added yards! The study found that the average golfer drives their golf ball only 192 yards and the average female drives it about 145 yards.

Additionaly, if you can't get home in two on that 425-yard par-4, you're not alone. So the next time you run into a golfer who brags that he averages 300 yards off the tee, take what they have to say with a grain of salt.

Do you agree with this study? Be honest golfing beginners, what is your average distance off the tee with your driver? Tip: I bet you don't average over 300 yards! I know I don't!