Most beginners have one thing in mind, and that is to hit the ball as far as possible.  Many golfers never quite get out of this mindset and this is one of the reasons why they will never get the distance that they are capable of hitting the ball.

The patient golfer will practice for accuracy first and concentrate on the distance second once they have mastered the art of control.

There’s no point trying to reach the green off the tee if the ball is going to end up on another fairway or in the rough.  All you will succeed in doing is make the following shots all the more difficult.

A drive down the center of the fairway, albeit a few yards shorter, will set you up for a better approach shot and a lower round score.

By playing with a smaller, more compact swing, you will gain control of your shots sooner and you will progress to the longer distances faster.  You will be learning correct techniques that will hold you in good steed for the rest of your playing career.

By developing accuracy first, you will also be lengthening the distance of your drives and will in fact hit the ball further.

By starting with smaller swings it will be easier to train your body to develop the correct actions, and these actions will always be needed when you progress to the longer drives.

As you master your swing, you can progress to a full swing knowing that you will have the control to hit the ball in the right direction.  This combination of correct action and a full swing will ensure you will hit the ball further than would be possible if you had only aimed for the big shots from the outset.

If you find that your drives are going wayward, then it would be wise to focus on control, even if that means limiting your swing until you are hitting the ball straight.

There are many excellent books and training videos available to help with this problem. It’s hard to know which one will have the greatest impact on your game. I vote for proven and tested golf methods which includes The Simple Golf Swing.  Check it out today.

Sand isn’t created equal when it comes to bunkers; it varies greatly from course to course.  Some golf courses use very fine, soft sand. Other bunkers have firm, tight sand. And this doesn’t account for those courses where sand depth may be more shallow than originally intended.  All of these conditions will require different techniques if your ball lands in a bunker.

Don’t ground your club
If you enjoy playing by the rules, you should know that the regulations dictate that you are not allowed to test the sand’s texture before playing a bunker shot.  However, you can at least take the time to be conscious if the sand appears to be wet and hard, or soft and light.

Hard Sand: Bunker sand that is on the hard side will require that you slow down your swing speed a bit. This means that you will not take the club back as far as you normally would. The ball will pop out faster because there is no cushion of soft sand between the clubhead and your ball.

Soft Sand: Soft sand will require more speed from your swing. Because the sand is light and fluffy, there will be a lot of it coming between the ball and your clubhead. Soft sand actually slows down the club as it follows through.

Learn to use sand traps to your advantage like the pros today!