How to Hit a Golf Ball

It’s very important to understand and perfect the basic techniques of the game, before you walk onto the fairway and expect brilliant shots. If you fail to focus on the basics, you will have trouble understanding why your shots turn out the way they do. This will prevent you from improving your golf skills.

The Varden Overlap. The Varden Overlap is the most popular grip amongst some of the greatest players and it is often referred to as the Overlapping Grip. If you are a right handed golfer your lead hand will be your left hand. Place your lead hand on the handle followed by your trailing hand. The little finger of your trailing hand should rest between the index and middle finger of your leading hand. The thumb on your leading hand will rest on the lifeline of your trailing hand.

The Interlocking Grip. This grip has been seen a lot during the LPGA Tour and has been used by many professional golfers such as Tiger Woods. It is a technique preferred by many beginners but it can cause the handle to stray in the palms. The little finger of the trailing hand should be intertwined with the index finger of the lead hand. As we mentioned with the Varden Overlap, the thumb of your leading hand should rest on the lifeline of the trailing hand.

The Ten Finger Grip. This is sometimes called the Baseball Grip and someone with weak hands often benefits it. If you look at all the faces in the Hall of Fame who used this grip, it’s clear it has its advantages. Place your hand in a correct lead hand grip on the handle, place your little finger (of the trailing hand) close against the index finger of the leading hand and cover the thumb of your leading hand with the lifeline of your trailing hand.

There are many different grips to experiment with. Every person will feel differently about the techniques they prefer and it’s up to you to experiment with all and then pick the ones you feel most comfortable with.

The stance is very important and can in some cases fully determine the outcome of your shot. First of all place your feet shoulder width apart and if you have broad shoulders adapt the stance so you feel comfortable. You have to bend your knees slightly to get stability, but be careful not to over-bend. Tilt your waist slightly forward with your arms moving forward to get a nice grip - do not over extend your arms as it will feel you have to reach to get to the ball. Place the ball in line with your leading foot when using a long club. When using a shorter club place your ball more towards the core between your legs. This stance will be comfortable and give you more consistency.

You have to address the ball, making it line up perfectly to ensure the club head is square with the ball at the moment the two make contact. When you hold your club with the club head on the ground behind the ball, you should be far enough away to reach your ball but you should never feel as if you are stretching to reach it. Keep your head down and your eyes on the ball. Lifting your head as you swing will throw your body out of alignment and you won’t be hitting the ball squarely.

One of the best ways to increase your golfing game starts with your backswing. Your backswing puts your body in the perfect position to follow through. You should never rush your swing and always keep a smooth rhythm and tempo. Combining those will put you on the path to perfecting your backswing. Shifting your weight will assist a great deal in your swing; always keep your club pointed at the target and moving your weight from the back to the side of the club face because it gives you greater power. However, if you do not use your body weight correctly you will lose a great deal of power in your swing.

When going into your downswing sweep into your shot and rotate your body into the correct position when carrying through your shot. Remember to keep your head down till your shoulder comes through and moves your head naturally. Keep a perfect balance and remain in your position until your shot has been completed.