The rules in golf are fairly simple if you already know them, however explaining them could take a while. If you are not very familiar with the basics, the first thing you would need to know would be the main objective of the game: you have to hit the ball at the start or at the tee into the hole for every section in the course’s 18 sections or 18 holes.

The hole is located on the green, which is a piece of short and well-maintained grass. Once you are already on the green, you need to use your putter, which is the club that has a slab-like end, instead of your other normal clubs.

Every hole has a specified target number of shots to be done from the tee to the hole. This is called the par. For instance, if you are on a par 5 hole, you would need to get the ball from the tee to the hole in five shots or less. If you were able to do it with exactly the number of shots specified, then your score would be a par. If you did it in one less than the par, your score would be a birdie. If you did it in two less than the par, your score would be an eagle. Three below par would be called an albatross and the best score would be a hole in one, which happens if you were able to get the ball from the tee to the hole in one hit.

On the other hand, if you scored one more than the par then that would be a bogey. Two more than the par would be a double bogey. If you have tried for more that 12 shots, then you forfeit the hole. You would then have to move to the next hole.

Eventually, as you go through the game, there would be various hazards that you would have to deal with. If your ball lands on the rough, which is an area on the course that has long grass, you could find it difficult to move on from that area. There could also be trees on the rough of some courses, which could make them harder to get out of. The worst hazards would be the lakes and the ponds, because if you hit the ball into one, it would cost you the shot you took and another shot as a penalty, which would make it harder to reach par.

By: Bill Pratt

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Is there a more important part of a golf game than the golf swing? No, of course not. So what better area to focus on than golf swing basics. Let’s take a look at some basic and very simple techniques which in turn will improve your swing and score.

1. Visualization. Try to always “see” the target before actually hitting the ball. See yourself swinging through the ball perfectly. Visualization is an underused and critical component to a golfers success. This is a very simple tip that can really improve your accuracy.

2. Always remember to keep your arms relaxed and straight. A good thing to remember is to keep your arms under your shoulders. The bottom line is that your arms need to be within a few inches of your lower body.

3. Make sure you stand in a relaxed position over the ball with a slight bend in your knees. Your legs should be balanced with an even weight distributed between your legs. These small tips can really assist in establishing an initial approach and alignment to the ball.

4. Place a big emphasis on physical fitness. That’s right, we know how important physical fitness is to improving not just your golf swing but also your overall golf game. The most important component to golf physical fitness is the strength phase. You need to strengthen your upper body and arms so that you can generate a real good swing speed and follow through. Almost as important is the cardiovascular aspect. This may not be as relevant to the swing component of golfing but will definitely help with the overall game.

Practice these small tips and they will pay large dividends to your golf swing and all other areas of your game. Have fun out on the links.

By: George Knoechel

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Golf cart batteries are the life-force behind your electric golf cart.

Golf carts run off of what are called deep-cycle batteries. Although they look similar to normal car batteries, deep-cycle batteries serve a completely different purpose. While both are lead-acid based, deep-cycle batteries provide a steady current over a long period of time, whereas car batteries provide a very large current over a short period of time. This is because golf carts, like other electric vehicles, derive all their power from their batteries.

One battery is not enough to run a golf cart. Instead, they use battery packs that consist of multiple batteries. Individual golf cart batteries usually come in 6-volts or 8-volts. The combined total of the voltage from each battery makes up the total golf cart voltage. For instance, a 36-volt golf cart probably has six 6-volt batteries. And a 48-volt golf cart probably has either eight 6-volt batteries or six 8-volt batteries. And as you can probably guess, the higher the voltage the longer the run time and the greater the power.

If your batteries aren’t charged, however, it doesn’t matter how many volts your battery pack has, it’s still not going to run. The type of golf cart charger you would need depends on the total number of volts your battery pack has. A 36V golf cart requires a 36 volt charger, and a 48V golf cart requires a 48 volt charger. If you have a 36V golf cart and later decide to upgrade to a 48V golf cart by adding two additional 6V batteries, you can either purchase an additional 12V charger for two new batteries, or you can replace your 36V charger with a 48V charger, just so long as the voltage from the charger corresponds with the voltage of the batteries.

To keep your golf cart running strong you’re going to want to charge your batteries after every use. Most new chargers are fully automated, which means they regulate the current so that you do not over-charge your batteries. If you have an older golf cart charger that is not fully automated you would want to set a timer to shut off the charger after your cart is fully charged. A good rule of thumb is to charge it for at least twice as long as you drove it.

Another thing to be aware of is how well your batteries are performing. To keep them in tip-top shape requires proper care. You should be aware of such information as proper water levels and cleaning techniques. The most proactive thing you can do is to take proper safety measures and set up a weekly or monthly schedule to make sure everything is well maintained. One weak battery will bring down all of the otherwise strong batteries to the weakest battery’s level, so it makes sense to keep them all properly maintained.

If you want to customize your cart with electrical golf cart accessories, they too will be powered from your golf cart batteries. There are several ways to hook them up, and the best way depends on your particular situation. Most electrical golf cart accessories are 12V accessories, which means they run off of twelve volts. The quick and easy way to power your accessories is to hook them up directly to two of your 6V batteries. But this can cause an imbalance in your battery pack, especially if you have too many accessories requiring too much wattage. At this point it would be better to add a separate auxiliary battery strictly to run your accessories, or a converter to evenly distribute the power from all of your batteries to your accessories.

When it’s time to replace your batteries you will need to think about proper golf cart battery disposal. To recycle your old batteries you should take them to a retailer who recycles old batteries for resale. Most retailers that sell lead-acid batteries also take used batteries because it is required by most state laws. Recycling your used golf cart batteries is good for the environment and good for the health of you and those around you.

By: Paul Akers

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First things first; if you’re going to take up learning the game of golf, the first thing that you actually and literally come in contact with is your golf club. So it seems only logical that we start with the grip.

Understanding and establishing a proper grip is your first step. The grip sets the tone for all else to come. A good grip allows you to swing your club with control during full swings with maximum speed. It allows for you to bring the clubface squarely through the impact zone, and determines how much you club face rotation you get.

You’ll want to find a grip pressure that allows you to deliver enough force to the ball without the club twisting at impact; yet you don’t want your hands and forearms overly tight and stiff.

Grip pressure was once described by Sam Snead as though you are holding a bird in your hands and you want to hold tight enough that the bird can’t fly away yet not so tight as to hurt the bird.

For our purposes here and especially you are just learning how to grip the golf club, we’ll discuss gripping the club with a neutral type grip (neither favoring a draw or a fade).

In this position the “V’s” created with the thumb and forefinger as you address the golf ball will point just to the right of your chin (right handed golfer). In fact, with this grip, someone standing directly across from you would see only the first two knuckles of your left hand. So, two knuckles of the left hand showing and your “V’s” pointing to just right of your chin and you have a neutral – traditional type golf grip.

With your forefinger and little finger that meet underneath the club grip; you can either choose to overlap these to fingers or you can interlock them; whichever is more comfortable to you and gives you the most confidence.

Hold the club more toward your fingers than back in the palm of the hand. We want to be able to get a good natural wrist cock.

When you are first just introducing a golf club to your hands, don’t worry about whacking golf balls right away. Rather, get used to the grip first. As you next begin to learn about address and set up, spend time just swinging the club back and forth and get used to how the club and the grip feel. Don’t worry too much hitting a ball at this early juncture.

Down the road of your learning curve just bit, you’ll no doubt become curious about ‘drawing’ and or ‘fading’ the golf ball. Drawing or fading the golf ball begins with your grip. Although drawing or fading your golf shot goes beyond the scope of this article, I want to touch on this as it relates to our discussion on the grip.

Remembering your initial neutral grip that we discussed; if you want to grip to draw the ball you’ll rotate your hands/grip slightly clockwise. In other words, this will produce a three knuckle grip… up from your two knuckle grip we talked about earlier. To grip to fade the ball, you’ll go a knuckle the other way. So, you will reduce your neutral two knuckle grip down one to a one knuckle grip.

I mention this, not to imply that you will want to immediately want to begin working your golf shots from right to left and left to right; rather I want to give you a basic understanding how the golf grip works first from the neutral hand position.

Start building your golf swing with your teaching professional by laying a good foundation that starts with – - – the grip.

By: Jeff O'Brien

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If planning one of the charity golf tournaments that are held every year across North America, the main starting point is defining the clients fundraising goals. Do they want a specific dollar amount or are specifically to get their message out to the public. On the other hand will it be a client appreciation structured event. The goal of the client will therefore dictate the specific direction of the tournament.

One of the next major steps is to prepare a budget for the charity golf tournaments. What the budget does is identify the possible sources of the funds and expenses required by the organization. A golf course needs to be booked about one year in advance. Creating a dollar amount for the entry is not too easy. Costs that need to be covered by the entry fee include:

Green fees

Cart rental

Food

Small gift for each player

Entry fee costs of charity golf tournaments can vary from one hundred dollars to over four hundred dollars. The higher the cost of the entry fee then the more extras the golfers will receive. If you want your particular event to stand out from the rest of the tournaments then you will need to make yours different. Being creative about it will help to make it much more successful.

To cover the high costs of staging charity golf tournaments are usually covered by corporate sponsorships. Everything about the event can be sponsored such as the actual name of the event, sponsoring a particular hole or providing gifts to the golfers. These types of events are great ways for businesses to get their name out in the community while supporting a good cause.

One key ingredient of a good fundraiser is matching the right sponsor with the particular charity golf tournaments. Corporations and businesses are constantly requested to sponsor events throughout the year so it is becoming more difficult to raise money for charities, as there seem to be new ones popping up all the time. If the event coordinators are lucky they can come across a Golf Club that will donate their course for a particular tournament, which will obviously, save the organizers a boatload of money.

By: David Karlson

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The game of golf is not only physically but also mentally challenging. It is a strategic game that has many fans around the world. Golf is played by hitting a golf ball using golf clubs on an area called the teeing ground. Once the ball has been hit, it will travel along fairways and into the next prepared area, where a hole is found. This prepared area is known as the putting green.

Simply put, the target of the game is of course to put the ball into the hole in as few hits as possible. This means that a golfer has to complete the hole by hitting the golf ball from the teeing ground into the hole in the putting green using the golf club in as little strokes as possible. A round of golf usually means a play of 18 holes.

There are two basically two kinds of play in golf. In the match play, the winner is determined according to the number of holes lost and won. In the other kind of play, which is the stroke play, the winner is the golfer who uses the least number of strokes to complete a round.

In playing the game, there are two very fundamental rules to adhere to: Play the course as you find it; and play the ball as it is found.

Should the rules above be difficult for you to follow, keep in mind that you should at least play fair at all times. How do you determine what is fair and what is not? Read on and find out some rules which will give you a greater understanding on how to be a fair player in playing golf.

Basic Golf Courtesy

Do not stand, move or talk too close to a golfer who is about to make a stroke.

Play without any delay. Leave as soon as the other members in your group leave.

Try your best to play when everyone in your group is already out of the way.

Try to replace the divots as much as you can. And if you have walked into a bunker, don’t forget to smooth out all your footprints.

It is not advisable for you to drop your golf clubs on the putting green, so avoid it at all cost.

Rules to Playing Golf

Before you start on your round of golf, take some time to read the local rules which are stated on the scorecard that you hold. After reading the rules, it is a good idea for you to mark which golf ball you will be using, which will make it easier for you to identify it. Several golfers may be suing the same brand of golf balls as you, In this case, it would be easy to see which golf ball belongs to you.

Before you start, make sure you have counted your golf clubs. You are allowed a maximum of fourteen golf clubs.

When beginning the actual play, make sure you tee off in front of your tee markers. Should your tee off be a little bit off, or outside of the area specified, you may be asked to repeat your stroke. If this happens in a match play, then you are lucky as there will be no penalty for you. However, if this happens in a stroke play, then you are given a two-stroke penalty. That is why it is important for you to tee off in the specified area.

When you are playing, should your ball lie in a water hazard or a bunker, remember not to hit or touch the water or bunker in any way before you do your downswing.

The ball should never be spooned or pushed: it should always be struck fairly.

It is all right if you want to mark the ball that you are using. You could also clean your ball: just lift it, clean and put it back exactly where it was previously.

In the case of dropping a ball, the best way to do so would be to stand straight and to hold your golf ball at the length of your shoulder, and to drop it gently. Should you, in dropping the ball, happen to strike another player, the caddie or even yourself, you must drop the ball again. This is done with no penalty.

It would also be all right for you to pick up your ball if by doing so you would assist another player. On the other hand, you may also lift any other ball if that ball is interfering with your playing or another player.

By remembering the basic rules of golf as well as the basic common courtesies of playing golf fairly, you will make the game more enjoyable for you and others.

By: Juzaily Ramli

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It is often said that a good golfer lets the club do the hard work and when it comes to the pitch shot half of the secret lies in choosing the right club and hitting the ball at the right speed so that the club head sends the ball flying with the right loft straight towards the hole.

So, how do you hit the perfect pitch shot?

The first thing you must do is to draw a picture of your intended shot in your mind’s eye and have a very clear target to aim at. You must also work out the distance to your target as accurately as you can and select the right club to carry your ball to its target. (On this point beginners often spend too little time on the practice ground getting to know their clubs and very early on in your golfing career you must spend time to learn just what you can do with each and every one of the clubs in your bag.)

Next, you will need to make sure that your stance is correct and this means ensuring that your weight is to the front of your body and that your front foot is ‘open’ which means moving it back so that it is about six inches behind the line to your target.

Now take a light but firm grip on the club as you address the ball and keep your head and body as still as you can without tensing up. Then take your swing taking the club straight back along your target line and swinging smoothly through the ball keeping your follow through in a straight line towards your target.

Having taken your shot you then need to carefully analyze the results in an effort to constantly improve your game. For example, did your shot overshoot or fall short of your target and, in either case, was this because you chose a club with too little or too much loft or did you strike the ball too hard or too softly? Similarly, did your ball land on the line to its target or to the left or right and was this because your swing did not follow the line to the target or because the wind took your ball off course?

One of the problems with the pitch shot is that it is designed to carry your ball a relatively short distance to its target and so your shot is very different from that taken when using a driver or a long iron. Indeed, you will normally be using the pitch shot for distances of less than 75 yards and so the trick is to get just the right loft on your ball and hit it with just enough force to reach the target.

To do this you will need to take your club back far enough on your back swing, without taking it back too far. If you do take it too far back then there will be a natural tendency to slow the club on the down swing, while you will also have a tendency to force the club if you do not take it far enough back, losing the rhyme and flow of your shot.

At the end of the day the pitch shot is not too difficult but it does require a knowledge of your clubs and plenty of practice before you get it right.

By: Donald Saunders

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Eventually… you just have to put the clubhead on the ball.

At some point, you’ve got to just clear your head and put the clubface on the golf ball…

When it come time to play, you’ve got to stop practicing… start your pre-shot routine and then just put the clubface on the ball.

Sure this sounds simple… but when when I watch people take their game to the course… over and over again, I see them running their latest lesson or practice session through their head.

When it comes time to play, start thinking about managing the course and getting into the moment of each golf shot. Remember, the golf ball only goes where the club tells it to… so relax… drop the mechanics mentality and work on just putting a smooth swing… and ultimately to clubface on the golf ball.

Perhaps a better way to put it would be to practice your mechanics… but play with feel.

The mechanics part is easy and self explanatory… just take a lesson and go to the range to cement the lesson…

The feel part is where the mid to higher handicappers part company… they just can’t seem to leave the mechanics on the range.

Playing with feel is getting in tune with how you are not only going to play each hole on course; but it is also micro’d down to how you’re going to play each shot. Learn to make visualization a part of each and every pre-shot routine in your golf game. Visualize what it is that your are going to accomplish with each of your golf shots… this is imperative for good feel.

Many times an analogy I use when working with people is this; I grew up playing baseball… in fact, all the way through college… I was a pitcher. As a starting pitcher, before each game warming up in the bull pen, I would go through a very specific ‘game day’ routine. And just like any athlete there were days when my stuff was on fire… and there were days when… well… not so much so.

But point here is, when it came time to leave the bull pen and head for the mound the only thought in my mind was… “It’s time to go compete with what I’ve got today.” No more mechanics, no more adjustments… just me, the mound, and the competition.

And that’s what you’ve got to do if you’re struggling with getting your game from the practice tee to the first tee… just go with what you’ve got and when you step up to the tee… engage your eyes… visualize… command your eyes to commit your mind and your body to each shot and target.

For the champion athlete’s this is ‘in the zone’. You can get into your zone as well if you understand that you just go with what you’ve got and commit to your visualization.

By: Jeff O'Brien

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If you are new to the game of golf then you may be interested in some beginner golf swing instruction. There is so much information around, it can be quite daunting trying to figure out which instructions are suitable for a novice and which are more advanced.

There are lots of different types of instruction too, some aimed at techniques and styles and others aimed at fitness. It can be hard knowing which is the best for you to look at. One of the reasons that there are so many different types of information is because we all differ in the way that we learn and the aspects of our game that we need to improve.

However, there are some basic instructions which we will all benefit from, whatever level our game is and whatever faults we have with our swing. It is most important to be physically fit. You may think this is a bit odd as amateur golfers are not always that fit but think about it carefully. In order to be able to make the correct movements in the swing action, you need to be flexible.

By working at toning your muscles that you use when you swing, you will become more flexible and this will help you. You will also be stronger and therefore better able to hold the club in the correct position and move it in the required way with a smoother action and therefore hit the ball more accurately and harder.

So before you search for beginner golf swig instruction consider your fitness levels.

By: Mike T Pedersen


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When we think about the basics of the golf swing, we usually think about ball position, stance, grip, and so on. In other words, we think about the swing’s physical mechanics. That’s only natural, because its what most golf pros focus on in their golf lessons and what golf magazines highlight in their articles on the golf swing. It’s what I write about the most in my golf tips as well.

But not everyone agrees that these are the true basics of the golf swing. For many, the true basics of the swing are something quite different, something that has nothing to do with the physical mechanics of the swing. For these people, a swing’s true basics are four components-plane, centering, radius, and face. Golf instruction sessions focusing on these concepts are as helpful as golf lessons on the swing’s mechanics, maybe even more helpful

Plane

Most golfers have heard of the concept of plane, but are confused as to how it applies to the golf swing. Plane is defined by the angle your club creates when it is ground at address. To master accuracy, the club must remain on this plane, especially while it approaches the ball on the downswing. (Actually, two planes-one formed by the takeaway and the other by the downswing-are involved in swinging a club, but the second plane is key.) This plane is the most powerful and direct route to the swing, as I discuss in my golf tips. Coming back to the ball above or below this plane results in pulls and slices.

Centering

Every swing has a center to it, a foundation defined by your head and your spine. If you want to hit accurate golf shots, this foundation must remain steady. Watch Tiger or any of the pros on TV and you’ll see how steady their heads and spines remain throughout their swings. This foundation has two angles to it. One is the angle your spine creates with your hips at address. The other involves the lateral movement of your head. Focus on preventing both your head from moving unnaturally one way or the other and your spine from moving up or down, and you will produce better results.

Radius

Radius is the distance between the lead shoulder and the clubhead. You must keep radius intact, if you want to hit good quality shots. The key is releasing your wrists at the right time. Most amateurs release their wrists early, forcing the shaft ahead of the lead arm before impact. An early release causes you to hit the ball thin, or even worse, mis-hit it altogether. If you execute the proper sequence of movements in the downswing, you’ll maintain radius.

Face

The ball travels in the direction in which your clubface is pointing at the moment of impact, minus the effect of sidespin. You must attain the same clubface position at impact that you establish at address, which is why you need to align your club properly. The key to doing this is matching the position of your hands at impact with the position of your hands at address. If you grip the club on the right side of the shaft, your hands must be on the right side of the club when you hit the ball; otherwise, you’ll mis-hit.

Conclusion

Is one basic more important than another? Not really, as I tell players who take my golf lessons. They all must be executed properly, if you want to achieve a powerful, repeatable swing. Now that you are aware of them and how they contribute to your swing, try filming yourself some day and see how well you maintain them during your swing. Also note how well you hit the ball.

Plane, centering, radius, and face-these aren’t the usual basics you talk about when discussing the golf swing, but they are critical. While the physical mechanics of the swing, like ball position, stance, and grip, are key, so are these four components. Master both sets and you’ll achieve accuracy and consistency every time, lowering your golf handicap in the process

Copyright (c) 2006 Jack Moorehouse

By: Jack Moorehouse

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