A Few Golf Tips From Tiger Woods

By Wade Robins

Tiger Woods is the undisputed king of professional golf. With a smooth technique you could set your watch by, he makes winning those championships look like a walk in the park.

Imagine if you could sit with Tiger for a few minutes and pick his brain to help improve your game. Here are some great golf tips from Tiger Woods.

It's All About Rhythm
Every player has their own natural rhythm. Some players are energetic and full of motion; others are stoic and deep in concentration.
Tiger says that when he's playing his best, everything he does is just second nature. He just goes with the flow, and there's little else involved. That's because he's found just the right groove that suits his natural rhythm.
If the rhythm's off, Tiger misses a swing or two. When things are flowing for him, he has to work a little to get it back into a natural rhythm.
So, how do you learn to keep your natural rhythm? There are a few ways Tiger suggests to help you find your groove and keep it.

Stick To Your Routine
Rhythm and consistency are important, so how you get ready both physically and mentally for the game is essential. Tiger has a practice routine that he does before every single game. He uses the same clubs, and the last club he uses for his pre-game warm-up is the one he plans to use for the first hole.
The point isn't to practice swinging, but to get into your groove.

The First Hole Is The Most Important
Long before he swings for that first hole, Tiger plans the whole game ahead. He prepares himself for the game mentally and emotionally. This involves relaxation, and deciding his game plan beforehand.
An awkward, uncertain first shot is a sure-fire rhythm-killer.

Keep Things Steady
To keep your rhythm going, you have to keep the tempo steady. When you get stressed, you start to speed things up. All that nervous energy makes you hurry to the next hole, and you end up making silly mistakes you wouldn't have made otherwise.
The next time you watch Tiger play, pay attention to the way he walks to the next hole. Even after a great shot, you'll never see him rush on to the next one. He'll pump his fist, smile, and stroll to the next hole with the same leisurely pace.
Tiger recommends a good pre-routine warm-up that helps you get into a relaxed frame of mind. This will get you started on the right foot.

Posture Means Perfect
When asked for practical golf tips, Tiger Woods always mentions posture. Tiger always stands straight and tall, a decent distance from the ball so that he can keep his chin up. Lots of golfers (including Tiger when he was a beginner) put their address position too close to the ball, and end up having to bow their head down too much. Tiger says to keep a good distance away so you don't have to lean over the ball.

Tiger Woods is not only one of the best players, he's also one of the most reflective. Perhaps the key to his success is his ability to look at his mistakes and shortcomings, and work to improve them, instead of getting frustrated. This is why his golf tips are so helpful to his fans. When you blow it, think about why you did it. Then, correct it next time, and you'll see improvement.

You can also find more info on golf swing instruction and golf driving distance. GetGoodAtGolf.com is a comprehensive resource golf enthusiast to improve their game through helpful tips and instructions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wade_Robins

Golf Training Videos - A Sociable And Great Value Way To Train

By Richard C Myers

So you’re having trouble with your golf swing and want to call in a pro. You could head over to a local golf course and literally call in the pro, for a hefty price. You could also order in an affordable video or DVD, shut the blinds and work on your swing in private.

For most people, the in-home training beats hiring a pricey golf pro hands down. Why? There are many reasons.

First, and maybe we’ve established this already, but there’s no expensive golf pro working on that swing for you. You might get his lesson in one session or you might have to pay that hefty fee more than once. Depending on the pro and the golf course, you could pay up to $100 for this service. That really eats into green fees.

Second, and depending on your personality, this one can be important – privacy. You can close the blinds, move the furniture and really practice the moves as you see them performed for you on your TV. Even better, you can slow down or stop the tape or DVD. This gives you a chance also to really work on the things that are troubling you and speed past those that aren’t.

Third, repetitiveness. If you are having trouble with the same thing over and over again, a pro might get a little annoyed having to work with you on it over and over. But with a video or DVD, you can watch the same swing as many times as your patience will allow, but this redundancy is a little like teaching a child multiplication – drum it into their heads over and over until they “get” it. If you’re really having trouble with your golf swing this same principle can apply.

Fourth, you can share your videos. Unlike a pro, who likely wouldn’t appreciate you showing up with a few friends, you can share your golf video with others and really get more bang for your buck.

Richard C. Myers is a keen golfer and his web site http://www.thinkandreachpar.com and http://www.golfforleftys.com contains many free tips and great golfing advice to help you to improve your swing and lower your score as well as providing the opportunity to source some great training videos.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_C_Myers

5 Keys To Mental Toughness For Junior Golfers

If you have any interest in seeing first hand the impact that mental toughness has on sport performance, go no further than the PGA or LPGA Qualifying tournaments or "Q-School". Each year for the past several years, I have worked with players on site during this event. A great many of the conversations that the players have are a rehashing of their performance this past year on the PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, or mini-tour circuits. What I have heard frequently are things that could help the junior golfer get a head start in his or her career.

In attempting to describe why they hadn't reached their outcome goals for the season I hear these professional players repeatedly talk to one another about "trying too hard", "not letting it happen out there", "playing tentative" and many other frequently used mental game phrases. The challenge for many of these professionals is not only to sharpen their swings and putting strokes for this critical week, but to sharpen their mental games as well. The players who do well in Q-School are the ones that will follow some basic rules about the mental game. Each of these also has application for the junior golfer:

1. Keep each shot in perspective. This is especially true in a 108-hole tournament. Q-School, of all tournaments, is understood to be a marathon and not a sprint. There is no rational reason to be unnerved by a bad hole or two. Similarly, the junior golfer has years and years of opportunities ahead. There is no particular shot in any tournament that is "life or death".

2. Focus on the task rather than the outcome. This is probably the most difficult of the "basics" for players to follow. It is natural to think about the result and then the consequences of the result. This thinking will not help get the job done. Whenever these thoughts come to mind, replace them with thoughts of the immediate task at hand.

3. Breathe. Even the best in the world get tense in this type of situation. That tension can increase a player's tendency to hold his breath in anticipation of a shot or a putt. This then impacts muscle tension even more, and potentially affects his ability to swing the club smoothly. Deep breaths = slower heart rate and less physiological tension. Creating a habit of doing this as a junior player will be invaluable as your golf career progresses.

4. Remember that you cannot control things. Anyone who plays this game knows that something unexpected happens in nearly every round. A great tee shot lands in a divot, a club you've been hitting well all week suddenly starts getting shaky, or a two-foot putt is missed. The successful players in Q-School and elsewhere will recognize that they have control only over their preparation and reactions, and not over anything else. If they know they've prepared the best they could for each shot, and know that they are capable of controlling their reaction after each shot, they've done all they can possibly do to achieve their goals. Move on to the next one.

5. Play to succeed. Nearly every year there is a player or two held up at the end of Q-School as an example of a late tournament collapse. In nearly all of those instances, the player interviewed will speak of having thoughts of "trying to hold on" or "trying not to make a big number". Many players will have a tendency to play to avoid mistakes and/or prevent something bad from happening. The players who are successful are those who are confident in their abilities to go out and get the job done, and will be playing to succeed rather than to avert failure.

These mental game essentials will help you as a junior player ingrain habits that can help you reach the ultimate golf goals for which you strive!

Jeff Troesch, MA, LMHC is an internationally recognized expert in the mental side of golf. As the former Director of Sport Psychology for the David Leadbetter Golf Academies, Jeff has worked with thousands of golfers nationwide and brings a wealth of experience to seasoned golf professionals as well as the recreational golf lover. You may contact Jeff directly through his website, http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.