A NEW GOLF JOURNEY STARTS HERE

Playing golf is difficult enough without having to use clubs that don’t fit you. Golfers come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has unique swing characteristics — and should choose clubs accordingly.

It's not uncommon for amateur golfers to incorporate little or no shoulder turn in their swings. Some actually might believe they're getting shoulder rotation when the reality of their swing is something very different. 

One of the challenges for new golfers involves determining how far to stand from the golf ball at address. Even experienced players can struggle with this from time to time. 

If you haven't played golf in a while and recently decided to pull those old golf clubs out of the garage, you might be surprised to notice rust buildup. Because graphite and stainless steel don't rust, the clubs that are most vulnerable are made of mild carbon steel.

Hybrid clubs have rapidly become popular across the golfing spectrum in the 21st century. Originally designed to help amateur golfers improve their games, hybrids have found their way into many professional golf bags, including those of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players.

The golfer so easily gets caught up in knots. She feels the only way to improve is to develop technique. Yet a technical change feels horrible…it feels alien. But there is another way to improve your golf and subsequent scores. You don’t have to feel like you’re swinging in a straight-jacket to deliver golf improvement. 

It takes a lot of time and practice to become an expert golfer. Practice can take place at the driving range, the golf course, or at home. Take a well-rounded approach to improving your golf game by working on your short game, long drives, and mental approach to the game. 

By practicing on the golf course, you are exposed to interference. Bunkers, water, trees, and varying lies provide environmental interference. Through making your practice “game like,” you are exposed to psychological interference as you are competing for a score or to complete a level. 

Every golfer wants to hit the ball farther, and the quest for maximum length has led many 21st century golfers to opt for drivers with shafts that are 1 to 3 inches longer than the standard recommended length. 

You're a beginning golfer stepping up to the tee box. You have a tee in your hand and you press it into the ground. But how far down into the ground does it go? How high or low should the golf ball rest on the tee?

Golfers strive to build a swing that delivers maximum distance, allows sufficient control over the ball -- accuracy -- and is dependable. You want develop a consistent swing, one that you can depend on to produce on-target shots even under competitive pressure. 

A golf stance is made up of several elements – the right width of stance, the right amount of knee flex, the angle of the feet and overall posture. We’ll look at posture in part 6 of this series.