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An introduction to Golf for the Adult beginner. By: Matt Canham

Every day more and more people are taking it up for the first time. I was once a beginning golfer myself and I remember the frustrations of learning the swing and playing well. And that was with a Golf Pro Father.

There are a lot of books and other information products available for established golfers, but not a lot for adults who are brand new to the game. Amongst all the tour talk, long drives and 400cc drivers, it seems beginners are left out.

Golf is a great game providing a lifetime of enjoyment and when you finally achieve a certain level of proficiency, a whole new element of the game appears, ensuring there is always a challenge.

Many schools offer an introductory 4 hour class - usually for around $320 - on the basics of golf, but you are better off to work on those yourself, then pay for lessons when you are comfortable with the basic knowledge. You won't be effective until you have mastered at least the basics, so by doing it at home, by yourself can remove much of the embarrassment that is often felt by beginners.

I've also seen beginners made to play rounds of golf way too early in their development. The result is a bad experience that can, in some cases, turn them off golf forever. A much better strategy is - you guessed it - get the basics down first.

Now, there are many opinions on the golf swing but we can agree that without doubt, the most effective, not to mention quickest way to improve is to study, then practise what you have studied.

You've heard it all before - there are no short cuts... Well, for golf it is especially true. Study and practise will get you there. Repetition of the skills and the swing will help develop your game, playing will help you develop the magical quality called 'touch.'

Having the right knowledge is the key.

Just as there is a technique to hitting a ball in tennis, or throwing a football, golf has a correct motion which must be learned. The swing can be broken down into phases to assist with learning where the body should be for each phase of the swing. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can start to enjoy playing the game of golf.

Here are some of the basics you need to know in order to get started.

The game: etiquette - You need to know about the game and the things you shouldn't ever do on the golf course. It is a game with rules of conduct. This is listed first, because respecting the traditions of the game is vital.

The swing - The fundamentals of the movement and how to repeat it. Knowing the plane the club should swing on and getting familiar with where things should be at the various stages of the movement.

The grip - The point of contact between the hands and the golf club takes some getting used to - I am yet to meet a person who doesn't think it feels strange at first.

The address position - How to line up with the ball for both hands and feet.

The back swing - The check points to ensure a correct back swing and proper setup for the Down swing.

The down swing - Knowing how it is initiated and where the club needs to be at impact.

Club and ball positions - Where you should play the ball in your stance for different clubs.

The short game - Handling shots around the green, including basic putting technique.

Difficult lies - The adjustments you need to make for a non-level lies and other tricky situations that exist on the golf course.

Rules of play - The most common encountered rules on the course.

Most people start out in golf with no knowledge whatsoever. They watch the PGA tour and expect to be able to play just as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. It takes knowledge and practise. Lot's of it.

Having an understanding of all these things is the key to experiencing some early improvement. If you don't understand the basics, then golf lessons won't help you. If you do have some knowledge, then you can consciously understand the instructions you'll be given and will well on the way to getting the basics of golf together so you can start enjoying this wonderful game.

Matt Canham has been playing golf since age 7, has Caddied for Pros and worked for many years with his late Father, Australian PGA Member and Teaching Pro, Peter Canham. He has a golf resource site at: http://marinerblue.com/golf-improvement.html

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Guide To Picking Golf Clubs To Complement Your Playing Technique
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Guide To Picking The Best Golf Clubs And Accessories
If you are interested in getting top of the line equipment and clubs for golfing, your reasons don't matter. What matters is that you pay close attention to all of the details involved in getting the clubs that will be the best for your style, without digging too much into your pocketbook (although you will probably notice quite a dent once you are done making the transactions).

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When you first start out the game, you usually won't have much to worry about in the way of obstacles and bends in the course, so you can stick with the larger clubs and hit the ball as far as you can. However, you want to make sure tat you are comfortable hitting the ball as hard and as far as you can without making it go completely off its desired path.

Guide To Picking The Right Golf Club Shaft
Golf club shafts also have another factor that is specified by the manufacturer, and this is the flex of the club. If you try to bend it with your bare hands you won't notice it bending visibly, but when you swing your club it does bend in an almost imperceptible amount. This can largely affect your game, especially if you are used to using another type of club with a different amount of flex.

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Health Tips For Buying Golf Shoes
I was challenged recently when a friend asked me how I would pick a pair of golf shoes that were most beneficial to my health.

History of Golf- How it all Started
Since before the time Mary Queen of Scots was disciplined for playing golf two Sundays after the murder of her husband Lord Dernley in 1567. Golf is known to have been played at St. Andrews before the founding of the university in 1411.

Hit Longer Drives - Heres How
To hit longer drives is the dream of every golfer on the planet! Even the professionals players want to hit longer drives. Is there a magic bullet? Do you really know what it takes to dramatically improve your driving distance?

Hit More Greens In Your Next Round Of Golf
Everyone says they would like to hit more greens however, do you know how far you hit every golf club in your golf bag? Not the one time you hit the golf ball flush, downwind and onto a fast, hard fairway from an elevated tee with your driver. Do you really know how far you hit every golf club in your golf bag under normal conditions?

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