Reading Greens

Reading greens are pretty easy, once you understand the concept of it. Putting greens are not perfectly flat, therefore the ball will move according to the slope of the green. If the green is tilted left, the ball is going to tend to go left, so by aiming right the ball will go left, and end up at your target. Reading greens is as simple as that. knowing which direction the green is slanted. The more slanted the green is the more break it will have and the same goes for less slanted hill, less break.

When I am walking up the fairway approaching the green I look for the lowest part on the green, and Then I know generally which direction the ball is going to want to move towards. Then I go behind the ball and look even closer to see how severe the break is and approximately how much break I should play it. The break of the green varies from each course do to the speed of the greens. The faster the greens are the more break there will be, the slower the less break.

I along with many other golfers go into a squatting position behind the ball, to determine the break of the green, the only reason why people do this is because the lower to the ground the easier it is to determine the break. Reading greens takes some practice, but the basics are the slant of the green determines where the ball will tend to go.

Distance vs. Accuracy 2

I found this a magazine I am subscribed to called 'Golf Digest' which is a monthly magazine that publishes the newest equipment, and also tips to improve ones golf game, kind of like my blog. So I am writing my paper about Accuracy being more important than distance, and it just so happens that I found an article on the comparison of distance vs. accuracy. PLEASE READ THIS TO THE RIGHT!

Although statistically in the pros distance and accuracy produce similar results, distance can cause off target shot, as the article said "cause you misses to veer farther off line". Obviously, long and straight is ideal, and debatably long and a little off target is better than straight and on target. Being in the rough is OK, in the fairway is better and longer is better than shorter. However, when your drives get to a point where they aren't even hitting the rough, and they are going into the woods/out of bounds/water hazards, then that should be a signal to stop aiming for distance and hit it short and accurate.

Visualizing Your Shot

As you see, most professional golfers stand behind there ball with their club in their hand right before the address the ball and hit it. This is part of their pre-shot routine. As I discussed already, the pre-shot routine is very important. When the golfer is behind the ball, what they're doing is visualizing their shot before they hit it. Visualizing your shot helps get you in "the zone", think about where you want to hit it and most of the time that second of focus helps, believe it or not.

Sometimes, even from behind the ball I see stuff I didn't see before. From behind the ball, you might see extra sand trap, or water hazard, or out of bounds that you now put into consideration that you wouldn't have seen before. Try this, and you might see some improvements.

Pre-Shot Routine 2

A pre-shot routine can be for luck, just like basketball players do, or baseball players before they hit. Baseball hitters, swing the bat back and forth, back and forth, a few times, for luck or to get ready for the incoming pitch. Well, as I said before It is very similar to the golf pre-shot routine. A golf pre-shot routine can be a luck based action but most golfers do it, to prepare for the upcoming shot. Preparing also falls under the category of getting into a rhythm. Most professional golfers do there pre-shot routine to get there mind off the fundamentals of the swing, but focussed on where they want their shot to go. It is almost like a habit. My swing coach always advises me to keep practicing my pre-shot routine because on a bad day, my mind is usually on the fundamentals of the swing, instead of where I want the ball to go. On a good day I am in that rhythm of finding the yardage to the hole, selecting a club, and doing my pre-shot routine. However, It is very easy to forget to do your pre-shot routine. On a bad day Im storming up to the ball, pulling out a club, and hacking at it, needless to say, the ball doesn't go where I planned it to go because I didn't have time to think of where I wanted it to go.

Pre-shot Routine

Anybody a basketball fan? You know how before a player takes a free-throw they do their own routine, two dribbles, spinning the ball off their hand, take a deep breath, bend their knees, and off they go. They do their routine every time, and its the same every time. Well, a pre-shot routine in basketball is the same in golf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF-LITV1iRA check out this video to learn how to help make your own pre-shot routine. 

A pre-shot routine helps get your mind off of hitting bad shots, and helps focus you into the moment. A routine also gets your mind off of the fundamentals of the swing, and letting your body to all the work instead of your mind taking over. Check out this video and try it out soon, good luck!

Accuracy opposed to Distance

Accuracy is more important than distance


Better golfers hit more fairways; from the fairway it is more likely to hit the green than the rough. On the green in Regulation, apposed to over regulation, you have a greater chance of paring of even birding. More pars and birdies lead to a better round-playing better golf all ties back to hitting the fairway. Instead of swinging as fast as you possibly can at a driver, why not swing slow at a 3-wood or even an iron (easier to hit clubs but don’t go as far as the driver). Drivers are typically the most inaccurate club in the bag, so hitting a 3-wood or iron would increase the probability of hitting it straighter and hitting the fairway.