Golf has a larger playing area than most other sports and requires players to strike a ball over long distances. In addition to this, golfers also have to control the direction of their shots but all too often go for power first. This can lead to shots being miss hit which encourages players to try and hit the ball even harder! After a while the golfer is so tense and has such poor technique that it is impossible for them to create a flowing swing that produces effortless power.

Bearing this in mind, it makes perfect sense to start by playing shots from close range before building up to full swing for greater distance. Trying to learn the full swing first makes it much more difficult to learn the correct coordination that the full swing requires.

Trying to hit for distance before accuracy of strike is like trying to run before you can walk. It works best the other way around and ultimately, accuracy of strike will produce shots with seemingly effortless power rather than powerless effort.

One very effective thought in perfecting your swing is to let the ball get in the way of the club head as you swing toward the target. In other words, you let the ball get hit because it was sitting there in the way of your swing, not because you were swinging at it. This is why many golfers have better practice swings than actual swings, without a ball there is no thought to hit only to swing and this is the very motion that is required.

A key in helping correct this tendency is to learn how to separate the optical eye from the 'mind's eye'. The optical eye sees where the ball is sitting, while the mind's eye sees the ball sailing toward its target. Remember, the ball is not the target, so the key is to avoid being tricked by your optical eye. Instead, let your mind's eye swing to your target, which is the fairway or green. This is not to say that you don't look at the ball at all, but rather to stress that there is a great difference between looking at the ball and concentrating on it.

If you have recently taken up the game of golf, one of the decisions you will have to make will be regarding the type of clubs you should buy. Below is a brief guide to help you to find a set of clubs to fit your budget and help you improve your game.

Half set

A half set is an excellent solution, as it will provide a sufficient amount of clubs to play all shots encountered during play. Club selection is made easier as there are fewer clubs to choose from and you will not need to purchase any clubs that are difficult to use such as a driver and long irons.

The driver is the hardest club to control and a majority of beginners would achieve better results using a 3 or even a five wood from the tee. Likewise, long irons require an accurate strike from the middle of the clubface and plenty of club head speed in order to achieve good results. With the equivalent distance of a 3 iron, a 7 wood is a good alternative as its design is more forgiving.

Try before you buy

The best way to purchase a new or used club is to actually hold them in your hand and hit a few shots to determine how they feel. The feel of a golf club clearly is all-important. But, what is 'feel'? There is no scientific formula that defines it. In general, feel can be described as the way a golfer feels a club when he or she swings it depends on its swing weight and the flexibility of its shaft.

Club heads

Look for club head that are made of stainless steel and avoid inexpensive alloy heads. You should select the club head design that is cavity backed (hollowed out in the back) and over-sized as larger club heads are more forgiving with enlarges 'sweet spot' that can produce maximum distance even with off-centre contacts.

Shafts (Graphite Vs Steel)

Graphite shafts are lighter than steel, which help to generate faster club head speed and offer less vibration for off centre strikes. Steel shafts have less torque (twist effect) so produce straighter shots. In general, women prefer graphite shafts in all their clubs where as men tend to favour graphite shafts in their woods (for distance) and steel shafts in their irons (for accuracy). These are only guidelines and we advise you to try clubs out to see what works best.

Grips

If you have purchased used golf clubs where the condition of the grips are less than perfect, make sure you replace them so at least the part you’re holding on to feels new.

Final thought