Introduction.

Golf is a game to be enjoyed but never mastered. Part of the charm of golf is the fact that no matter how well any of us play one day we cannot be sure how we will perform twenty four hours later. There is no short cut to playing to the best of your ability no matter at what level you play.
You must spend time on the practice ground and the putting green, as it takes many hours sometimes years to groove a swing so that it repeats, and the moment you think you've got it is when you must work even harder. Golf has become over-complicated and there are far too many would-be short cuts to perfection. It is still fun though to consider other peoples tips and see how they see the game even if trying them out on the tee proves a waste of time. The average reaction time for a nerve impulse to send an order from brain to muscle varies according to the individual, but a fast reaction time is one-fifth of a second. The time taken from the top of the backswing to the moment of impact is two-fifths of a second. On that reckoning only two tips can be mulled over in the reaction time available, and it may be that, ideally, two is one too many.

The Grip.

The hands hold the secret of golf. They are the only part of the body to come into contact with the club. The basic factor is the grip. The way your hands are placed on the club determines the degree of control you have over the shot, and decides the direction and distance. A faulty grip is the commonest cause of poor golf, in a way it is a vicious circle, clubhead speed is essential if you are going to play a good shot, but it is impossible to get good clubhead speed unless you use your hands properly. Clubhead speed is injected through the hands, a sound grip is therefore essential. It is not suggested that there is only one correct way to grip a club. There are several, the final choice often being affected by the size and shape of the hands and the length of fingers, but the one used by the majority of top-flight golfers is the overlapping grip where the right little finger sits between the left forefinger and middle finger.
Holding the shaft with the left hand the "V" formed by the index finger and thumb points over the right shoulder when the hand is in the right position, this ensures a strong finger grip as opposed to a weak palm grip. The back of the hand should show at least two knuckles if not three as you look down at it.
When the right hand is added a similar "V" should point in the same direction as that for the left hand. The pressure on the shaft should be firm yet sensitive, over-tense fingers mean over-tightened arm muscles.

The Address.

A good tip is to hold the club much lighter at the address because, automatically, when you take the club back, you tighten up. So if you are gripping tightly at address you are going to be too tight at the top and you will lose feel and control. Dont think you are going to let go of the club, the grip will tighten on the way back. There must be a solid base to the swing and if your legs are flying around, especially your knees, then you have no hope of keeping your head still. Keep your legs still by putting some pressure on them- build in a little resistance.

Take it away.

More thought should be given to using rotation in the swing than using the hands. The average player tends to use the hands a lot more than is necessary. The whole body should work as a unit with the arms staying as one with the body. Advice is often given to take the clubhead straight back from the ball low to the ground for 18 inches or more before it comes back inside and rises. Taking this advice too literally can mean that the body is left behind and ceases to work in conjunction with the hands and arms. a better thought is to imagine the club shaft as extending from the navel and staying in line with it until forced by the extra rotation of the shoulders to leave it behind.

At the top.

The top of the backswing means different things to different golfers. What it should mean, irrespective of the length of the backswing, is where it stops- and it does mean that there should be a stop. So many players never complete the backswing to a degree where dynamic tension is built to power the downswing.A pause before the start of the downswing helps balance and a correct start down. With as near a ninety degree shoulder turn as can be achieved, and a hip turn of up to forty-five degrees, arrived at consistently, plus "the stop ", the average handicap golfer would improve his performance considerably.

Straight or bent.

If the clubhead at address is in the correct position to deliver a clean blow to the ball if delivered at speed, then it must be returned to that position from the top of the backswing. That seems obvious, but persuading the average golfer that the easiest way to do that is to keep the distance from the shoulder to the clubhead constant throughout the swing, is not easy. Ideally of course the left arm would take care of this by remaining straight but not stiff, from the take away to the top and back down. The fact that many golfers achieve a hit at all is amazing. Their left arms contort to all types of parabola by the time they reach the top of the backswing, and in many cases the club is round their neck.
The contortions necessary on the downward path to return the clubhead to the back of the ball are impossible to complete consistently. If more golfers took a three-quarter swing with a straight left arm distance would not suffer but greater accuracy would be theirs.

Starting down.

Having achieved the "stop" position at the top of the backswing, start down with a feeling of sliding the left hip towards the target, leaving the hands behind. When the hips begin to turn feel that the right shoulder is coming under and through towards the target.

Rhythm.

While there needs to be a shift of weight backwards and forwards during the swing, never let this be excessive. It should be sensed rather than felt.

The Other Game.

Some experts regard putting as a game within a game and perhaps there is some truth in that. It may explain the players who are hopeless from tee to green and then proceed effortlessly to knock the ball into the hole whatever the distance. Probably more has been written about the theory and practice of putting than any other aspect of the game and if you tried to practice all the advice you would not have time to play the rest of the game.
There is only one sovereign factor, you must feel comfortable when you address a putt. How you achieve this may vary from day to day, do not worry, if yesterday you stood square you may feel better today standing a little open. If the putts drop, who cares.

Bits and Pieces.

The loft on the club face determines the ball trajectory, distance and spin rate. Lofts can vary by as much as 4 degrees for any one club, from the strong lofts of the professional to the weaker lofts of the average golfer.
For the handicap golfer the longest iron usually carried is the number three which has a standard loft of 24 degrees and from there by increments of 4 degrees we come to the sand wedge of 56 degrees of loft.
Woods vary from the 8 degrees of the professional's driver to about 27 degrees of the seven wood, although lofts do vary between different makes of club and woods are now made with over 40 degrees of loft for the player who has difficulty with the irons. While the high handicap golfer would never attempt to hit a one iron with its average 17 degrees of loft he would feel quite happy with a four wood which has the same degree of loft. When they use a three wood they perhaps are not aware that it has an average loft of 13 degreees.
Another factor to be considered is the lie of the club head which is determined by the angle between the shaft centreline and the horizontal plane of the clubs sole. Again angles of lie vary by a much as 4 degrees and should be adjusted dependant on the height of the player. If a tall man attempts to play with lies which are to flat he will address the ball with the heel of the club off the ground and the toe pointing down. The result is likely to be that the toe digs in and pulls the club off-line. Conversely if a short person plays with clubs which are too upright the heel digs in and again the club is off line. The type of shaft fitted is another factor which can affect the club's performance. That well know person the average golfer is probably best suited with a regular flex shaft although as the swing slows with age a more whippy shaft can help to restore clubhead speed.
If the clubs are suited to you rather than you trying to adapt to an unsuitable type, this will assist in realising your full potential.