JUNIOR CLUBS

Juniors are often given their parents clubs that are cut down to size. Hand me down clubs are not the answer,  as they can cause problems:


* Cutting down a shaft to fit a child makes it stiff and difficult for them to use. They need a lightweight shaft that has a lot of flex in it.


* The grip size of a cut down club will be too large for their small hands. Junior clubs have smaller grips which enables the child to have a proper grip.


* The overall weight of an adult size club head is too heavy. Junior clubs are much lighter and balanced to suit the strength of the child.


* Junior clubs usually have more loft on them, this lets the child get the ball in the air easier and helps them enjoy the game more.


* Juniors should have clubs as they are growing, so you buy the club with the child. So, just buy a couple of clubs at a time, so it keeps the cost down  but will help them improve and prevent injuries. Injuries are suffered if the equipment is wrongly measured, just as it would be for you or I.

Lessons are important for everybody but the younger you start with kids the longer they maintain the technique for the rest of their lives and will have great fun doing it!

Quick Tip on bunker shots

When you are playing a bunker shot always make sure you follow through. I see too many of you quit on these shots. Remember you are hitting the sand first which slows the golf ball down so you have to make a full swing. Good luck!

TAKE YOUR ALIGNMENT AND SWING TO THE TARGET

HOW POSTURE AFFECTS YOUR GOLF SWING

Posture is an extremely important fundamental. It determines the plane of your swing and helps you keep good balance. It will also aid  proper timing of your swing. Obtaining good posture means getting accustomed to a relatively awkward position. A golfer with an athletic set up  will have the potential to hit the ball further.

You must bend forward form your waist and keep your upper body erect this will help extend your swing plane as far as possible. The knees should be 'just cracked'. If the knees are too bent your upper body automatically falls back on the heels and your thighs are too relaxed, they need to feel strong and taut. Once in an athletic position your arms should just hang naturally. You are now ready.

The core muscles in the centre of your torso are the most important as they enable the upper body  to coil powerfully against strong leg resistance generating power that is unleashed via the body's natural swing levers - the arms.

REMEMBER THE SET UP PREDETERMINES THE MOTION

The laws of physics are unchangeable

THE GRIP

I like to call it the hold. The grip is often taken for granted, "grab hold of the club and swing." 
This is where it all starts, it is the only contact between player and golf club. 

An improper grip will often cause a chain reaction of problems in your swing as players try to compensate, in order to get the clubface squarely on the ball. Their swing path, stance, and alignment can all be out of sync.

Grip pressure should be light, the tighter you hold the grip the less control you will have. The lighter it is, the more supple your wrists. This will allow proper release and freedom through impact. Changing your grip always feels awkward, you will get used to it gradually, stick with it, it's worth it!

RANGE PRACTICE

Every player needs to learn what amount and what kind of practice is best for him/her. On the range you should always warm up, couple of stretches, use a training aid if you have one, then start with your short irons and work your way through your set. This progression allows you to increase your flexibility slowly ant to avoid strains and pulls.
You should always be aiming at a target, few golfers take care over their alignment on every shot.The biggest abuse is when I see players turn up with just a driver on the range and smash away as hard and as fast as they can with no thought of where they are aiming. You will always hit your woods better if you warm up first with smaller swings, thinking more of finesse rather than power, it makes your practice more meaningful and productive, hit every shot intelligently, so you don't become a ball beater!

Work on your set up routine and keep changing you target then you don't zero in on one area, adjusting your your club face and body alignment constantly. PRACTICE LIKE YOU ARE PLAYING. Leave 10 to 12 balls at the end of your practice session and use them to imagine you are playing a par3, par 4 and a par 5. Watch your concentration now.
You need a good balance of practicing and playing, all practice can make you a poor player, you have to learn how to score, so play as much as you can. Practice on the course with a couple of balls and play one ball from the worst spot, it will help you grind it out. Play as many balls as you can round the green from different spots trying to get up and down, one chip, one putt.


ENJOY YOUR GOLF

LEARNING GOLF

Golf is a game where you never stop learning. The majority of golfers never take lessons and never practice their short game, they are consistently short of the pin with their approach shots and they think they hit the ball further than they actually do, for example they think their 5 iron goes 170 yards when in reality they hit a 150 yards. It is no crime to hit your 5 iron 140 yards or even 130 yards! You can still hit good golf shots and score well. The main thing is to learn the average length you hit each club, it's YOUR GAME!

* Golf is a science that requires ongoing study

*You cannot see your self playing the game and falling into errors.

*You can confuse yourself with too much information.

PLAYING LESSON


On the course you can work with your golf coach on strategy, club and shot selection, course management and the mental side of the game. You do not work on mechanics, save that for the driving range.
Playing lessons are valuable - you get in tune with thinking, 'it's not how, but how many', the mark of a good golfer. Keeping charts and records of your performance is good for you to improve. This can make your practice worthwhile.
At the end of the day it's all common sense. IT'S GREAT FUN TO LEARN!