There are a few sports out there that combine activity and relaxation, quite nicely. Golf provides you both the opportunity to play a sport and relax in life. Unfortunately, the sport is just as ugly when done incorrectly as it is beautiful when done correctly. Add these pointers to your repertoire and watch your golf game flourish.

Read blogs or ask an expert before you choose new equipment. The course’s golf pro can advise you on what kinds of clubs will best suit your style, and can also help you to identify the newest and best products.

One of the first things you will want to address when learning how to play golf is your grip. Quite a few people correlate a hard grip with being able to hit a ball further. However, it’s best to use a firm, yet gentle grip. Hold the club with a very delicate grip, as if you were holding a baby bird or a child.

Use your body, and channel energy to get a good swing. When people first start out playing golf, they think the power is in their arms, but that is only partially true because you need to be in coordination with your body to hit the ball far. It’s more efficient to gyrate your whole body to match the club’s motion.

An easy exercise, a “toe-wiggling” exercise, can show golf stance faults. If it is difficult to wiggle your toes when preparing to swing your club, this indicates you are leaning too far towards the ball. Golfers should lean back until they feel some play in their feet to get proper posture.

Sweet Spot

Each golf club is made with a “sweet spot,” which is the exact location on the club that provides you the most accuracy and distance if you strike the ball at that point. Work with each of your clubs to find this “sweet spot.” Once you do, contact the ball with the club’s sweet spot right at the end of your downswing.

Keep focused on the next shot, forget those before it. Do not let the previous successful or unsuccesful shot, or the upcoming water hazard, take you away from the hit you are about to make. Anxiety about earlier poor plays can really have an effect on your game, so do your best to push them from your mind completely, rather than dwelling on them.

Put your left hand before the ball while putting. When you are swinging the club do your best to hold this position. If you do not incorporate this technique, you run the risk of having the ball bounce off of the club, greatly reducing your chances for an accurate putt.

Concentrate on your swing speed if you have to contend with a long putt. Instead of aiming for the hole, read the putt and aim for an intermediate target. This technique will increase the chances that your second putt will be short, and ensure that you don’t have a putt that is too long or short.

You probably understand what that means. When it’s all said and done, golf success requires a number of intangibles that include a good club swing and mental focus. Apply these tips to your game, and you will hopefully improve your score.