9 Tips For The Fastest Way To Improve Your Golf

Whether you have been playing golf for a while or just starting out, golfers are always looking for ways to improve their game. What is the fastest way to improve your golf? Keep reading as we explore some tips and skills that will translate to improvements on the green.

Tips for the Fastest Way to Improve Your Golf

1. Identify Weak Points

The first step to improving your game is identifying the weak points. Weakness can be anything from a lack of confidence, lack of knowledge regarding the rules, inconsistent driving or irons game, or putting. Once you have identified the weak points you can set about correcting them. Some will be easier than others, such as brushing up on the rules is something that can be done by obtaining a rule book and reading through. On the other end of the spectrum is trying to work out what is going on with your driving or irons game.

2. Goal Setting

Next step is setting some goals. You need to look at both short and long term goals. Taking the time to set achievable goals that are measurable will go a long way when you want to see how far you have come. To help with goal setting you can apply the S.M.A.R.T. principle.

S.M.A.R.T. is a mnemonic acronym, giving criteria to guide in the setting of goals and objectives. The letters S and M generally mean specific and measurable. Possibly the most common version has the remaining letters referring to achievable (or attainable), relevant, and time-bound

Some examples of S.M.A.R.T. goals for golf could be:

• N0 missed fairways off the tee
• Use chips shots when off the green instead of defaulting to putting them on
• Two putt on 90% of the holes
• By the end of the year my handicap will be under 25

3. Getting Equipment Specific To Your Body

When it comes to your golf game, you need the proper equipment for optimal performance. No two golfers are alike and their requirements for equipment based on their physique, ability and range of motion will differ. Having a professional that knows about the different equipment options available, and what will suit you will make all the difference to your long term performance.

Let’s look at golf club shaft composition. As a general rule of thumb the more speed you generate through your down swing the stiffer your club shaft should be. You can also look at the distance one can hit a ball, someone who have hit a long shot will benefit from having stiffer club shafts, as opposed to your medium or short distance person who would benefit from the extra speed through impact provided by a more flexible shaft. Having some outside expert eyes looking at this for you will help identify what your needs are.

4. Experiment With Your Swing Technique

Golfers often get so focused on a single approach trying to perfect their swing that they forget other techniques. Just like fitting equipment for your body shape and ability, there are different swing techniques that may be more suited for different golfers. Don’t be afraid of trying something new, a simple adjustment in your swing can significantly improve distance as well as accuracy for some shots.

5. Practice

Practice, practice, practice. You will get better with practice and swinging your clubs more often. There are a multitude of drills that you can try. With our busy lifestyles now days it is difficult to make it to the golf course or driving range outside of playing. The good thing with practicing your swing is you can do it at home in the backyard. Just try not to hit any backyard chickens if you have any.. lol You don’t need to hit a ball, just practice your swing, this will help in keeping your flexibility and muscle memory. For the days that you can spare an hour or so to get to the course for practice try hitting two balls from the same spot, if the first shot is great try and replicate what you did. If the first shot is not so great make adjustments to see if you can get things back on track.

6. Work On Your Fitness

A non golfer may think that golf is a relaxing leisurely activity that doesn’t require a lot of fitness, but boy they couldn’t be more wrong. Although the pace of golf is at a walking pace, the number of muscles involved in making repeated golf swings is huge. Remember when you first started golf and did your first 18 holes, did you wake up the next morning feeling like you had something different and had muscles in places you didn’t even know about?

Keeping your fitness in good condition will assist with being able to work on improvements in your game. Often overlooked is fitness and flexibility, they go hand in hand. If you are only playing one round of golf per week it is a good idea to get some additional walking exercise and performing some stretches at home to keep your flexibility in peak condition.

7. Be Regular, Create A Routine

Without a routine, it can be difficult to maintain discipline in all areas. Having a consistent routine will allow you to keep golf and your improvements in your game a priority. Most low handicap golfers have a routine they follow prior to every shot they take. If you can get into the habit of mentally preparing yourself for each shot you take when it comes to competition it will make it a lot easier to stay focused during the critical parts of the game.

8. Follow Through For Every Shot

How do I know when I have followed through for every shot? Great question.

When you have taken your shot where you have followed through correctly you should feel balanced, your belt buckle facing the target, and your back heel should be completely off the ground. The way you finish your golf swing can tell you a lot about your technique. After hitting the ball, hold the pose and check for the above three indicators. Follow-through means you have completed a full stroke, if you decelerate your swing before or after striking the ball the direction and trajectory of the ball is affected and you have not given your golf club the opportunity to do it’s job correctly.

Make a photo opportunity and hold the pose after your shot.

9. Practice Rounds

There is nothing better than just getting out there and having additional practice rounds. Make the bad shots, learn how to recover from them so in an important game you are more familiar with getting yourself out of trouble without falling to pieces. Take time to reflect on what aspects of your game were great and areas where more improvement is needed. Reassess your goals and practice practice practice.

Summary

Being a consistent golfer takes time. However once you are there and playing some consistent rounds of golf you will be able to look at all the different components of the game and make improvements there. Regardless your level, taking note of the above steps, you will start to see an improvement in your game and an increase in the number of pars and birdies! thanks for reading our 9 Basic Tips For The Fastest Way to Improve Your Golf.