How To Improve Accuracy
By Steve Silverman
Golfers get an initial thrill from winding up and smashing the ball as far as they can hit it. However, golfers soon learn that winding up and trying to blast the ball is foolish. You may hit the big shot one time in every 10 but that's not a very satisfying percentage. Learning to improve accuracy is the key to having a long-time relationship with the game of golf.
Instructions
Difficulty: Challenging
Hold the club with the proper grip. Make sure your thumbs align down the shaft of the club and you should be able to see the letter "V" as you look at your top hand on the club. That "V" should be pointing toward your back (right) shoulder.
Align your front shoulder up with the target. You should be perpendicular to where you want the ball to go. After your shoulder is square to the target, make sure your left foot is under your left shoulder. If you can draw an imaginary line from your left shoulder to the edge of your left foot as you are facing the target, you are aligned properly.
Lead your swing with your left hand. Your right hand will supply the power upon impact, but the left hand should do most of the work on the backswing and as you begin your approach to the ball.
Keep your head down as you swing your club. Most golfers--and not just beginners--are anxious to see the results of their swing. As a result, they pick up their heads up too quickly and they do not make solid contact with the ball.
Finish your swing naturally with a high follow through. Again, anxiety often comes into play and many golfers do not finish the swing. This will lead to a shot that goes wide right or slices to the right. Finishing the swing completely should help you hit an accurate shot.
Tips & Warnings
Golfers who can build a repeatable swing without errors will improve their accuracy and consistency.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
