IntoTheRough.co.uk News Headlines

Garry Smits Hits Back At John Daly: "he Crossed A Line"

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:03:05 UTC

Garry Smits has hit back at John Daly over his publishing of his phone number on social networking site Twitter. Daly called Smits a "jerk" for his article, which was only a summary of all the misdemeanours Daly had been punished by the PGA for over previous years.

In the article, published at Golf.com , Smits hits back at Daly saying:

"I would not have wanted my daughter to hear some of what her father heard. I can take it, but my child or my wife shouldn't have to."

Although Daly removed the Tweets fairly quickly, Smi...

The Mental Side Of Putting

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:14:00 UTC

If you've been following our putting guides, you should know how to execute the basic putting stroke, and how to judge distance and break. Developing confidence in your putting stroke is the next step to achieving consistently low scores and sinking more putts.

Start with the three footers

The art of building faith in your putting stroke starts on the practice green. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare before teeing off for a round, this is the place where you should spend that time.

Start by hitting only short pu...

How To Read The Line Of A Putt

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:14:00 UTC

This is the real secret to putting. Despite how a putt may break, you should visualise each one as a straight line, and think about hitting it only along that straight line.

Let's say the green slopes from right to left. To compensate for this, pick a spot to the right of the hole. The line from your ball to this imaginary hole is the line of your putt. A ball hit down this line will curve with the slope and drift down to the actual hole, providing you hit it with the correct pace.

Pick your spot

That's the only tricky par...

How To Read Greens More Effectively

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:42:24 UTC

Drive for show, putt for dough. One of golf's best known axioms. In this guide we'll show you how to sink more putts by reading the green properly every time.

Reading the green

From the moment you hit a shot into the green, start to size up how you will go about sinking the putt. As you walk up the fairway, try to judge the slope and the general lie of the land.

Is the green on flat land, or part of a ridge that falls away from a hill? Is there water nearby, and do the natural contours lead in that direction? If it has be...

Catch Up On Our Golf Tips Series

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:01:43 UTC

We've shared many great golf tips over the last year and, as our readership grows, new readers may be missing out on these tips to improve their game. So in this article we'll provide handy links to all the swing tips and putting tips series.

Golf Swing Tips

Our golf swing tips series aims to give you general hints that you can take to the course and commit to memory without hampering the overall nature of your swing. With advice from Pros like Tiger Woods, John Daly and Arnold Palmer, there's sure to be something there ...

The Short Game 09/03/10

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:07:07 UTC

Welcome back to The Short Game - our irreverent, and downright libellous, look at the week in golf. This week: white sticks, Jack's tips and a fat man on the rampage.

VILLEGAS STORMS TO HONDA CLASSIC: "How does it feel to be second best? " one fan asked. Someone has to be while the Tiger is away.

SERIAL SHAGGER'S SEVERAL CELLS: Mark Calcavecchia says Tiger changed his cell at least five times last year. Now it all makes sense...

TIGER TURNS PADDY DOWN: Irish bookmakers Paddy Power ...

John Daly Calls Twitter Followers To Arms On "jerk" Journalist

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:03:58 UTC

John Daly reacted angrily to an article in a Florida newspaper detailing his many misdemeanours on the PGA tour over the years.

Although Daly has since removed the Tweets, IntoTheRough can reveal what they were:

"here's the JERK who writes NON-NEWS article on debut of my show -- CALL & FLOOD his line & let's tell him how WE feel," with golf writer Gary Smits' phone number also added.

"Over the haters - To me, this isn't journalism, it's paparazzi-like gossip. Please try harder to find some REAL news ...

Golf Courses Of The World: #4 The Old Course, St Andrews

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:07:00 UTC

"How do you grow grass like that?" enquired an American golfing visitor to St Andrews, the charming, ancient university town known worldwide as the "Home of Golf."

"Sow the seed and let it grow for 500 years," replied his local caddie.

Golf's spiritual home

It is not known exactly when golf started to be played here - the first written mention of it is 1552 - but since 1754, when the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (the R&A) was founded, its influence on the development of golf worldwide has been immense...

Golf Courses Of The World: #3 Augusta National, Usa

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:15:00 UTC

The first so-called Major of the golfing year, the Masters, is unique in that it is always played on the same course every year. Augusta National Golf Club was the brainchild of great American golfer Bobby Jones, an amazing player who retired at just 28 despite winning several majors.

Strategic design

Having found the ideal site for his dream golf course, Jones enlisted the services of Alister MacKenzie, a Yorkshire-born Scotsman who had recently emigrated to America and was in great demand as a golf course...

The Short Game 02/03/10

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:50:13 UTC

Welcome back to The Short Game - our look at what's going on in the world of golf over the past seven days. This week we have Tiger, Tiger burning bright, losing sponsors left and right.

TIGER ON COMEBACK TRAIL: News has leaked that Tiger is out of therapy and practising "in earnest". Please come back soon, a golf writer's job is hard enough without the biggest draw leaving too.

THE HUNTED: Stupidly named American Hunter Mahan snatches Phoenix Open from ex Liverpool FC striker Robbie Fowler's brother, Rickie. A...

2010 Golf Majors

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:33:00 UTC

The "majors" are golf's marquee events - the four tournaments that go down in history in evaluatiing the best golfers of all time. Jack Nicklaus has 18, Tiger Woods has 14. This year's guessing game is which one Tiger will be back for to mount his charge for Jack's record.

The Masters 2010

Also known as "The US Masters"

Venue: Augusta National Golf Club

Dates: 8 -11 April

Current Holder: Angel Cabrera

Prize: Green Jacket

Notes: The Masters is always played at fabulous Augusta and has the smallest f...

Buying Guide - How To Choose A Putter

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:04:00 UTC

Putting is the most individual aspect of the game and golfers approach this shot with a variety of pre-shot routines, set-ups and grips. Not surprisingly, the club they use varies enormously.

Putters can have shafts that are extremely short or as long as a broomstick handle. The blade can be flat on both sides of the head, partially rounded on one side like a mallet, heel-shafted, centre-shafted or offset. Some sport a flange, and many have an aiming line.

The shortest club

Putters are traditionally the smallest c...

Developing A Repeatable Golf Swing: Part 1

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:46:22 UTC

You know the feeling:standing on the first tee, and your playing partners are waiting for you. The next group is standing nearby, watching and waiting, eager for you to get off so they can start their round. In addition, there's an out-of-bounds on the left - maybe it's the club car park.

At such times, it's very easy to get tense and even freeze over the ball, especially if you lack confidence in how to make that first move. If this happens, you are in big trouble. Add a faulty technique to the mix and you'll really wish you s...

The Short Game 25/02/10

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:25:44 UTC

Welcome to the Short Game, where we at IntoTheRough round up the week's news, gossip and scurrilous accusations from the world of golf. This week: underwear, affairs and terrible hair.

FAT SHOT: John Daly to endorse underwear

IN THE BUNKER: Tiger scripts it , and keeps press out. The hugging, oh the hugging!

THE ENGLISH ARE COMING: Poulter takes world matchplay from Casey, is it time for an English major winner?

CROCODILE TEARS: Tigers are no longer the fiercest thing you'll find on the...

Golf Again Faces Uncertainty Without Its Talisman

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:29:05 UTC

It's doom and gloom again for golf without its transgressional talisman Tiger Woods. We've been here before of course, 2008's knee injury meant golf was out in the cold in terms of TV ratings and revenues. Tiger is big news and every tournament he attends brings with it a large casual crowd who want no more than to see the big man dominate and break records.

The evidence is irrefutable: Tiger can triple TV ratings when he shows up. Indeed in 2008 when Tiger suffered his knee injury, tournaments for the rest of the season trai...

English Golfers Back On Top

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:34:37 UTC

It's been a long time out in the cold for English golfers; plenty of hope and support, but no silverware to back it up. That changed this week as Ian Poulter won the World Matchplay from fellow Englishman Paul Casey.

That makes three English players in the top 10 of the world's best golfers - a far cry from 10 years ago when only two players were in the top 100. Westwood, Poulter and Casey make up 4, 5 and 6 in the rankings. A total of nine Englishmen were in the field, again stark contrast from 10 years ago when only Westwood ...

10 Ways To Scramble A Good Score

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:25:23 UTC

The ability to make a good score even when the chips are down is one of the things that separates the top golfers from the rest. Players like Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods are masters of the recovery shot when a drive has gone wayward.

1. Make a steep swing in the rough

One of the most important things of hitting out of the rough is to make contact with the ball before hitting the turf. You should meet the ball with a sharply descending clubhead. An upright backswing, with early wrist-break, will help this.

Check The Line Of Your Divot On A Hook

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:18:52 UTC

One of the telltale signs of an excessively in-to-out golf swing will be shown in the divot you take.

Look carefully at your divot after you've hit your shot. If it's pointing to the right of the target, you're swinging too much in-to-our, thus causing the hook shot.

A great cure for the hook is to give control to your left arm and try to cut across the ball as though you are trying to fade or slice.

Make sure to check your body alignment - this is often the root cause of the problem.

...

Curing Posture Problems: Part 2

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:08:43 UTC

A good way to focus on posture and balance is to think about swing plane. If the upper body's position lifts during the backswing, it creates a swing plane that is too flat. And when the upper body drops dramatically, it sets up too high a swing plane, with the arms lifting in the air, independently of the body.

Remember that swing plane is formed by the initial posture at set-up, and that the angle of the spine dictates the plane. We want the spine to stay in one place throughout the swing, and if that angle remains constant, ...

Curing Posture Problems: Part 1

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:59:55 UTC

Good posture is the cornerstone of an athletic golf swing. The correct posture gives your swing balance, which will enable your overall movement. But poor posture can intefere with balance, and then everything can start to go wrong.

Your body weight should be slightly backwards of centre, towards the heels of your feet. If a golfer's weight moves forward of centre, an out-to-in swingpath will result, causing the club to cut across the ball. When your weight moves forwards, your upper body will generally begin to sway forwards ...

Golfers With Most Runner-up Finishes At Major Championships

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:30:00 UTC

Now every golf fan worth his salt knows Jack Nicklaus is the man when it comes to winning majors - 18 wins, his last coming in 1986. Most know Tiger is only 4 behind and gaining every year, well ok he never won one this year but we'll let him off.

Maybe you know about Walter Hagen's 11 "big ones" or Gary Player and Ben Hogan sitting pretty on 9.

But if second place is first loser, who are the most successful losers in golf? Take a look, you may be surprised.

Golfers with most second places in majors ...

Curing Common Golf Swing Faults

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 UTC

Such is the fickle nature of golf that all players, including the best in the world, develop faults in their game from time to time. Part of the skill of becoming a good player is being aware of your problem shots or swing flaws so that you know how to deal with problems as and when they arise. Drills and practice exercises are particularly effective at grooving good habits and eliminateing damaging flaws from your game.

Keep feet together for better balance

Bobby Jones used to practice his footwork and balance by hitting shots ...

Downhill Lies

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:00:12 UTC

The downhill lie is generally a more awkward shot than the uphill lie for most players. It is always a little scary to have your back foot above your front foot, especially at the top of the backswing, where you may tend to lose balance.

How to play a downhill lie

How do you compensate for the slope? The first thing to remember is that the lie will deloft the clubhead, which will mean that you will hit the ball lower and further than normal. So take at least one less club.

Then think about the effect on the spin im...

Golf Courses Of The World: #2 Monte Rei, Portugal

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:00:07 UTC

Just back from holiday on the Algarve. Played Monte Rei and I think this should be on the "must play" list. The course is located on the eastern Algarve, near the Spanish border, and a couple of miles back from the sea. The plan is to build a range of super exclusive houses around this course, and build a second course, but right now there are no completed properties.

The experience of playing there is slightly surreal. They don't want the course overplayed, but the day I was there, I did not see another golfer at all. Not on the cour...

Hit More Consistently With Your Driver

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:00:12 UTC

The drive, or the tee shot, is perhaps the most important psychologically on the hole. A long, straight tee shot benefits your whole game and makes each subsequent shot a little easier. A longer driver will enable you to hit a shorter approach shot into the green, which is likely to enable you to hit the ball closer to the hole and sink more putts.

Our bitesize tips are easy to digest - and easy to remember!

Get your tee height right

For a regular drive, tee the ball so that the top of the clubface is level with t...

8 Tips For Longer Drives

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:28:22 UTC

Everyone wants to hit the ball further - it looks impressive and it can help shave shots off your game. A long drive can leave you with an easy approach shot and the chance of birdie. In this article I'll help you add power to your game, and hopefully shave shots off your score.

Get practicing with the big stick

Your local driving range is where you learn to hit the ball properly with the driver. Although it's not the best habit to endlessly hit drive after drive, it will help the muscle memory and prepare you for hitting big sh...

Golf Stretching

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:10:02 UTC

The key to getting fit starts with the warm-up. As the name implies, a warm-up session is a gradual, safe way of increasing the temperature of the body by speeding up your heart rate and getting blood pumping into your muscles, thereby lessening the risk of straining them.

A good warm-up session is a great way to make the transition from the daily stress of life to the joy of playing a winning round of golf. Do an abbreviated version of your warm-up routine before you reach the first tee.

Release tension

Ea...

Using A Crosswind To Aid Your Ball Flight

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:35:37 UTC

When the wind is coming from left to right across the tee, you want to hit the ball into the wind and let the jetstream take it. But, at all costs, avoid doing the opposite - sliding the ball with the wind and letting it go.

In that case, if you go with the wind and you naturally hit the ball straight, or slightly to the right, the ball will move violently to the right and you could get into serious trouble

The first thing you want to do in a left-to-right wind is to tee the ball up on the right side of the tee bo...

Knowing How To Use A Headwind

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:22:57 UTC

Hitting into a headwind will give you considerably more backspin than normal, which can be a great advantage when planning your approach shots.

A strong headwind is indeed very difficult to play in, but you cannot afford to allow it to dismantle your game. Many golfers completely deteriorate in the wind, especially a headwind. The natural tendency is to try hitting the ball harder than normal. That's a recipe for disaster.

Tom Watson always said that he tried to hit the ball softer into a headwind. I believe that'...

Playing From Uphill Lies

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:00:50 UTC

Playing off an uphill lie will make the ball fly higher, and thus travel a shorter distance, so you should always take at least one more club than normal. The other major effect this lie produces is a right-to-left movement of the ball, similar to a draw.

How to play an uphill lie

Play the ball further forward in your stance and position yourself in alignment with the slope, in this case allowing the right shoulder to drop down a bit more to mirror the rise in the land.

Weight distribution will also be affected. Do...

Perfect Putting Tips: Part 3

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:52:00 UTC

In part 3 of our putting tips series we discuss more quick hints to help knock strokes off your game and take your putting to the next level. Scroll down to the bottom for links to parts 1 and 2.

Perfect your putting posture

Good posture is as important for putting as it is for the long game. When you create a good spine angle, your arms can hang freely from your shoulders and away from your chest, which then makes it easier to rock the shoulders to control the stroke.

If your posture is rounded and slumped, your arms beco...

Drills For Better Ball Striking

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:00:00 UTC

When plotting your strategy for any particular course, you do so in the expectation that your ball striking will be clean. However, occasionally, hitting the ball from the middle from the blade can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Here are three drills guaranteed to help you find the centre once more.

Tee drill

Perhaps the most common reason behind poor striking is altering your spine angle through the swing. A good posture set at address needs to be maintained until after you have struck the ball. If you have been suff...

Pitching Tips: Part 2

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:17:16 UTC

Pitching is one of the most important parts of the game of golf and we've got so many tips they couldn't even fit into one page! Part one of the guide is available here .

Swing short and steep with scoring clubs

According to Sandy Lyle, to make the most of your "scoring clubs", you need to make a shorter and more compact swing and concentrate on hitting down through the ball to generate the required loft on the shot from between 90 and 130 yards from the green.

More wrists for height and backspin

In order to create ...

Pitching Tips: Part 1

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 UTC

Pitching is an area of the game where amateurs can improve dramatically and the benefits to your game are obvious when you consider around 70% of the shots in an average round are played from within 80 yards of the green. Most golfers would knock plenty of shots off their handicaps if they could hit the green and two-putt every time.

Keep the grooves on your wedges clean

Although the grooves on the clubface don't greatly affect the amount of spin you can generate from a tight, dry lie in the fairway, they will help you control i...

Fairway Bunkers

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 UTC

Fairway bunkers vary from the deep pot bunkers you find on Scottish links courses, to the generally shallow ones that dot local municipal courses. When you land in a fairway bunker, the first thing you must do is assess how high the bank is in front of you, and how close you are to it.

Then you can decide how prudent it might be to go for a distance shot, or just take your medicine and simply try to get out - using whatever escape route is open.

The first rule with pot bunkers is to avoid them.

Almost invisible

Gener...

Moderate Lies In The Rough

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:17:00 UTC

Landing in the rough is not always a disaster. If you can see even a little bit of the back of the ball, you have some hope of hitting a positive shot. But you still need a club with a great deal of loft. An 8-iron is as low as you should go when hitting out of difficult rough. However, if you hit an 8-iron from the rough, bear in mind you'll probably get a flyer.

A flyer is when the grass comes between the ball and the clubface, which prevents you getting any backspin on the ball. The ball might literally shoot off the club, g...

Using A Sand Wedge From The Rough

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:17:00 UTC

So you need a heavy club that can lift the ball out of the rough. In addition, you have to swing through the grass behind the ball before making contact, which can snag the club and close down the clubface as you make your strike. When that happens, the club is effectively de-lofted, and the ball might not get airborne at all.

In fact, the ball may even be driven further into the grass by this attempt. The ball quite often can move only 3 or 4 inches and land you in worse trouble. If the grass is deep enough, the ball could even become...

Putting In A Stiff Breeze

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:39:00 UTC

I always widen my stance - and even crouch a bit - when putting in a stiff wind to gain more stability. If you were taking a full swing with this set-up, it would restrict your turn. But since you're putting, you want to minimise any body motion and anchor yourself against swaying off the golf ball.

By the way, don't underestimate the effect of the wind on the line of your putt. A stiff cross-wind can blow a slowly turning putt off-line by several inches. That's why I always recommend that new golfers hire a caddy when playing ...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 5

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:11:00 UTC

In this fifth part of our Golf Swing Tips series, we discuss more ways to help improve your golf swing and break into the low numbers. Part four of this guide is available here.

Point the shaft at the ball in the downswing

To help groove your swing, visualise a line travelling down the shaft of the club and out through the grip. Half way back on your backswing, align the shaft so that it is pointing directly at the ball. Release and then repeat the routine.

Hit a bucket of balls following this routine until you feel relaxe...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 4

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:46:00 UTC

In this fourth part of our Golf Swing Tips series, we discuss many aspects of the complete golf swing. Are you keeping up? Part three of this guide is available here.

Functional is better than pretty

Your swing doesn't have to look good in order to be effective, according to Lee Trevino in Swing My Way. He says: "I developed a swing that isn't the prettiest thing you'll ever see, but I think it's the most functional golf swing around."

Two balls are better than one

If you have trouble "quitting" on the shot - and pl...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 3

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:15:00 UTC

In this third part of our Golf Swing Tips series, we discuss balance, general swing tips, takeaway and more. Part two is here and part one is available here.

Control your rhythm

"Rhythm is easier to experience than define," writes W.Timothy Gallwey in The Inner Game of Golf.

"When your golf swing is rhythmic you know it, and when it's not you can tell immediately if you are at all aware. Because we can feel rhythm, we can increase control over it."

The magic move of the golf swing

If there is a magical swing ...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 2

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:54:00 UTC

In this second part of our Golf Swing Tips series, we discuss rhythm, backswing, muscles and more. Part one of this guide is available here.

Hover clubhead off the ground at address

To prevent the club from snagging or catching in the grass on the takeaway, many top players like to hover the clubhead slightly off the ground at address.

Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman are among many top players who believe that doing this not only improves their first move away from the ball, but also their swing rhythm.

Complete ...

Golf Jokes: Celebrity Golf Shots

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:47:00 UTC

If you're a golfer then you hit plenty of bad shots. Ever wondered what the name for these is? It's scientific fact that every bad shot can be attributed to a celebrity. Don't believe us? Read on!

Rick Waller - one Club too manyKerry Katona - highGerry Adams - playing a provisionalThe Brazilian - just shaved the holeRobert Downey Jr - a real snorterThe Ladyboy - looks an easy hole but has hidden hazardsOsama Bin Laden - from one bunker to anotherSally Gunnell - doesn't...

Perfect Putting Tips: Part 2

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:55:00 UTC

In part 2 of our putting tips series we discuss more quick hints to help knock strokes off your game and take your putting to the next level.

Find your putter's sweet spot

Striking the ball out of the sweet spot is a key to consistent putting. You can find the sweet spot of your putter by holding it vertically with your thumb and index finger in front of your eyes. Tap the clubface with the pointed end of a golf tee or pencil.

If the putter head twists at all, that's not the sweet spot - keep tapping.

Keep your ...

Perfect Putting Tips: Part 1

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:37:00 UTC

In this new series of articles we aim to de-mystify that most important of all aspects of the golf game: putting.

Probably more tips have been written about putting than any other area of the game. One of the main reasons for this is that there is more room for individuality in putting than in the full swing. The best way to improve your putting quickly is to work on your distance control, since unless you are an extremely accurate iron player, most of your approach putts are likely to be from fairly long range.

...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 6

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:40:00 UTC

In this sixth part of our Golf Swing Tips series, we discuss more ways to help improve your golf swing and break into the low numbers. Part five of this guide is available here.

Start downswing from the ground up

A common mistake amongst amateur golfers is to try and start your downswing with their hands, shoulders or upper body. This will most likely result in sliced or pulled shots.

To address this, try and think about starting your downswing from the ground up. Make that focus on transferring your weight to your left f...

Golf Swing Tips: Part 1

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:20:16 UTC

Ian Woosnam once described the golf swing as nothing more than two turns and a swish. By this, Woosnam meant that during the swing the upper body turns back and through the target while the hands and arms release the club through impact to send the ball flying towards the target. Unfortunately, many golfers are guilty of over-complicating and over-analysing the swing and, subsequently, lose their natural flair.

Stop bobbing your head

Although moving the head laterally from side to side during the swing can be a dangerous swing f...

Hitting A Driver Off The Fairway

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:52:42 UTC

I would never recommend hitting a driver off the fairway in normal circumstances - especially for the beginner or higher handicap player who should also avoid using a 3-wood anywhere except from the tee.

But if you are an experienced golfer, possess a solid, repeatable swing, and have the confidence to attempt this shot, I recommend if for playing in the wind.

Tips for hitting driver off the fairway

The first thing to consider is the lie. HItting a driver off the fairway demands an excellent lie, so a...

Curing The Hook Shot

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:34:39 UTC

The hook is often the result of any number of set-up problems. Generally, the hands have crept too much to the right, a position which is known as a strong, or hooker's, grip. And as the hands creep round, the shoulders tend to get more and more closed, until they are aiming too much to the right.

When these faults occur, the golfer might also begin to position the ball too far to the back of his or her stance. In this situation, it's also common for the golfer inadvertently to open the clubface far too much. Why? As the ball b...

Choosing A Starter Set Of Golf Clubs

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:28:00 UTC

Many pros will recommend that amateur players start by purchasing a "half-set" - this often contains only the even or odd numbered irons, a 3-wood and a putter. A typical set would be 3,5,7,9,PW,SW and 3-wood.

This is an especially good option for complete beginners and for youngsters who will soon have grown out of any set bought for them.

Using a half set will also help to increase imagination and creativity around the course. More thought will have to be put into shots - rather than just reaching for an easy 8-iron you might g...