There are many factors that contribute to hitting a golf ball farther, the main one being how square you hit the ball. Discover how to hit the ball farther with help from a professional golf instructor in this free video on golf swings. Expert: Conan Elliott Contact: www.teacherofchampions.com Bio: Conan Elliott has been the director of instruction at Camas Meadows Golf Club since January 2004. He has been teaching for more than 30 years, and truly is a “teacher of champions.” Filmmaker: Lisa Fenderson

Question by mac12309: Golf Ruling – Ball Hit from Water Hazard then lost in same Hazard?
If I hit a tee shot into a maked water hazard but find my ball, attempt to play it with 2nd shot, but then the ball is lost in the same hazard (ball did not leave the hazard and roll back in).
What is the ruling? What are my options?
1. Continue under lost ball rule and re-drop at point of 2nd shot (not sure this is option as I don’t think you can declare ball “lost” in a hazard or that you can drop in a Water Hazard)?
2. Drop outside of Hazard based at point of entry of original tee-shot, with all Water Hazard options, hitting 4 (or perhaps 5 if lost ball has to count – Again, don’t think ball can be “lost” in a hazard)?
3. Other?

Best answer:

Answer by Eric
You can use 2) Play the ball as if it just entered the hazard on this second shot. You will be hitting shot #4. You can play it from nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole.
Note that if your ball never actually left the hazard (and doesn’t have a location is which it “entered” the hazard), you will need to play it rom closest relief where your second shot was.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by ‘ Empty Nester ‘: If you’re sittin’ at home on New Year’s Eve watchin’ the ” ball drop “, does that mean you have no life?
Since I can’t seem to identify with anyones who’s got a life, I just thought I’d ask…

Haha…Yahoo put this question in the category of, ” Sports > Golf “. I suppose because of the words, ” ball drop “. That’s funny!

Best answer:

Answer by Marshall
No

Some people dont have the money to go out and party or have a good time on new years.

Get a 6 pack and play some video games.

Give your answer to this question below!

by bill larnach

Question by Lindyjn: Do you golf like this golfer? Do you swear at the ball?
True Confessions of a Golfer

A man goes to the confessional. “Forgive me, Father, for I
have sinned.”

“What is your sin, my child?” the priest asks.

“Well,” the man starts, “I used some horrible language this
week, and I feel absolutely terrible.”

“When did you do use this awful language?” asks the priest.

“I was golfing and hit an incredible drive that looked like
it was going to go over 250 yards, but it struck a phone
line that was hanging over the fairway and fell straight
down to the ground after going only about 100 yards.”

“Is that when you swore?”

“No, Father,” replies the man. “After that, a squirrel ran
out of the bushes and grabbed my ball in his mouth and began
to run away.”

“Is THAT when you swore?” asks the priest again.

“Well, no,” says the man. “You see, as the squirrel was
running, an eagle came down out of the sky, grabbed the
squirrel in his talons, and began to fly away!”

“Is THAT when you swore?” asks the amazed priest.

“No, not yet,” the man replies. “As the eagle carried the
squirrel away in his claws, it flew toward the green. And as
it passed over a bit of forest near the green, the squirrel
dropped my ball.”

“Did you swear THEN?” asks the now impatient priest.

“No, because as the ball fell, it struck a tree, bounced
through some bushes, careened off a big rock, and rolled
through a sand trap onto the green and stopped within six
inches of the hole.”

“You missed the putt, didn’t you?” sighs the priest.

Best answer:

Answer by Lexi
hahaha

What do you think? Answer below!

by dwyman

(Article based on techniques learned in the Simple Golf Swing)
I know some of you are laughing under your breath wondering what I am doing writing a tip on UNEVEN LIES. What in the world could I possible know about uneven lies living in Scottsdale, Arizona? Well, it is the Grand Canyon State for starters, but yes you’re right, we do not face as many uneven lies as someone from North Carolina, for example. However, there are plenty of times during the course of a round when we are faced with a golf ball that might be on a side hill lie.

Before I begin, I am going to first give you the definition of the four uneven lies in golf.

Uphill Lie - The easiest of the four uneven lies. The ball is level with your feet but the slope is up-hill, we refer to this as an uphill lie. Downhill Lie – A ball that is level to your feet but the slope is down hill, probably the second most difficult shot in golf. Ball Below Feet – The most difficult shot in golf is when the ball is below your feet Ball Above Feet – The fourth uneven lie is when the ball is above your feet.

Don’t get confused between an uphill lie, and when the ball is simply above your feet. These are 2 different lies, and should be addressed separately. Also, don’t get confused with the downhill lie, and the ball being below your feet. Again, these are 2 different lies.

Let’s start with the easiest shot in golf, the up-hill lie. If you struggle with this shot, you probably swing the golf club to vertical into the ground and hit a fat shot. Before you prepare for an uphill lie, you need to think of a few important items first.

1. Make sure you take a less lofted club. When you have an uphill lie, it will make the ball go HIGHER and SHORTER.

2. The ball will have a tendency to hook to the left, so aim a little to the right.

3. To avoid hitting the shot fat, check your shoulder alignment and make sure they are parallel to the ground you are standing on. If you are on an uphill lie, your back shoulder should be a little lower that your leading shoulder.

4. The ball should be positioned according to what club you are using, as though you were on a level lie. (A bit forward for longer clubs.)

5. You want to make sure you follow through HIGH after impact.

Now we can move on to one of the hardest shots in golf, the down hill lie. If you have a tendency to struggle with this shot, the miss hit is usually a top. Follow the steps below and you will see a huge change in your down hill shots.

1. Because the ball will fly lower, you can take a more lofted club to help the ball go a little higher.

2. The ball will have a tendency to curve to the right, aim a little to the left.

3. If you have your shoulders at address tilted level to the down slope of your lie, this will encourage the club to swing DOWN into the ball (correct) and not up in the down swing. Thus, you will hit the bottom of the ball and not the top.

4. Play the ball in your stance according to the club you are using (again, a little forward for a longer club).

5. You want to make sure you follow through LOW to the ground after impact.

Now we are back to a simple golf shot, the ball above our feet. If you follow the steps below, you will not hit the ground behind the ball anymore, and the ball above your feet will become your absolute favorite shot in golf

1. If you struggle with hitting the ball fat in these shots, make sure you are standing taller than your normal stance.

2. The ball will have a tendency to fly to the left, aim a little farther to the right.

3. DO NOT BEND YOUR KNEES

4. This is the main point, the golf club wants to swing more AROUND your body, let it…DO NOT TRY TO MAKE A NORMAL SWING…let the club swing around you.

THE HARDEST SHOT IN GOLF. The dreaded, (I can’t believe this is happening to me) BALL BELOW YOUR FEET golf shot. You have come to the right place, below is the answer.

1. When the ball is below your feet, you will have a tendency to top it to the right, whiff the ball, or shank it.

2. The address is the most important part of this shot. Bend your knees and bend WAY over at address. You ALMOST can not bend TOO much.

3. The ball will have a tendency to go to the right, aim farther left.

4. The golf club wants to swing up and down, NOT around. LET IT…It will feel like a lob swing, this is correct. IF you make your normal swing, you will whiff the ball completely.

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A popular mantra to commit to memory is successful golf putting the ball into the hole in the minimum number of strokes. Developing a beautiful golf swing, hitting a nice, long drive or even having the latest golf equipment doesn’t mean much if high numbers appear on the scorecard next to your very own name. It makes perfect sense to start with the very skill that is generally most responsible for achieving the ball getting in the hole-putting.

You will never become a successful golfer if you are not a good putter. One of the most esteemed golf teachers in history, Harvy Penick explained that if a beginner attempts to learn the game of golf at the tee and move on towards the golf green, postponing the short game until the very last, then this particular beginner will be lucky if he can beat anybody in a game of golf. In short, learning to putt the ball is the first step to achieving status as a successful golfer.

Although a putt can be achieved with any golf club in your bag, the putter is especially designed for this golf stroke. Due to the fact that putters come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, it is best to attempt a variety of putters to determine the one putter that leads to best results. A traditional putter’s works like a wonder for most golfers and it’s a smart place for novices to begin.

Compared to the other shots in golf, the intention of the putt is for the ball to roll along the green and avoid becoming airborne. To accommodate the effective putt, the putter has a near-vertical face with little to no angle. Of all the golf shots known to man, the putt is struck with the most minimal amount of force. Traditional putters have very short shafts to generate more controllable, slower clubhead speed.

There are several points of golf etiquette for the putting green, but there are two major putting rules. The fist rule affords you to lift the golf ball once it has come to rest on the green. However, the ball must be returned to the spot from which the golf ball was lifted. The failure to return the golf ball to its initial location can result in a two-stroke penalty. To mark the location of this spot, you can place a small coin behind the golf ball before lifting the ball. It’s advisable to also mark your golf ball if it intercedes with the putting line of another golf player. Once the golf ball is clean, you may return the ball to its initial spot on the green and remover this marker before stroking our golf putt.

The second rule of putting declares that when you are playing a golf ball from the putting green, your ball must not hit the flag or flagstick, or even another golfer’s ball lying on the putting green. You can incur a penalty of two strokes if you strike the flagstick, flag or a ball resting on the putting green. It is the golfer’s responsibility for the opponent’s golf ball or flag to be removed if there’s any chance your putt may strike the object. Only if your ball has come to rest on the putting green does this particular rule apply.

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by Ricky Romero

Question by thermaltake: What should you think about when hitting a golf ball?
Hey guys I’m 15 and I’m currently having some trouble with my ball striking capabilities. I’ve read multiple sources that say you should “swing the club, not hit the ball” and I’ve also read that you should clear your mind before every shot. I was thinking about what I do when standing over my ball and the one thought that I noticed I always do/think about is, “see that dimple on the back/top of the golf ball? hit it.” and I do. purely, 80% of the time irons and all. However, I was just wondering if what I am doing is right considring all the golf “doctors” say to “relax and not think about anything.” Is what I’m doing technically not thinking about anyhting? Also idk if this helps and I’m not trying to brag or anything but I’m a 1 hcdp (my name’s Henry Kovalcik idk if any of you have heard of me cause I’ve played in some national tourneys and such but w/e I’m just using that for proof that I am not bullshitting you about my 1 hdcp) Okay so now that we got tha over with… Anyways, like i sad, I’m Just wondering what you guys would say, haha just a little confused right now that’s all… thanks guys I would really appreciate some answers. Oh and yes I have asked my pro and he says he thinks about his swing but I can’t do that, not in a tournament. Also, if your going to answer, please be a good golfer who knows what he/she is talking about, thanks again.

Best answer:

Answer by Jow
I just try to feel like I am taking another practice swing, and feel like it is a free, relaxed swing. The ball simply ‘gets in the way’ of the free swing. I am a junior too, and I think that is why I hit as many fairways as I do.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

by bill larnach

Once you have swung your golf club: whether it is your golf driver, pitching wedge, or one of your other golf clubs, to send the ball hurtling down the fairway the golf ball becomes an object in flight and is subject to the laws of aerodynamics. One of the most influential components of how and in what direction your ball flies as it heads down the fairway is the wind. Let’s take a brief look at how the wind influences the golf ball in flight…

An object in flight, be it an aeroplane, a bird, a stone, or in our case a golf ball, is subject to several different forces acting upon it. The problem with a golf ball is that once it has left your club face it has no steering ability; except perhaps for what you have done to it during your golf swing. Let us ignore other factors such as ball spin and ball design and concentrate solely on how the wind affects the flight of the ball.

1. Wind direction in relation to the ball

Assuming there is some wind blowing, a ball moving directly into the wind can usually maintain its direction. The wind is acting on the front of the object symmetrically so the direction of travel will not change significantly. The same is true if the wind is directly behind the ball. The difference between these two is that a ball heading into wind will eventually slow down (due to wind resistance and drag) whereas a ball with the wind behind it may accelerate for a time and then slow down due to other forces (such as drag).

When the wind is at any angle to the direction of travel of the golf ball it will tend to push the ball off course – the direction will change! How much the ball is blown off course will depend on the angle at which the wind is striking the ball. Starting from the front, i.e. ball heading directly into the wind, as the angle between the ball direction and the wind direction increases to the side, the ball will be pushed further off course in the opposite direction to the wind. If the wind is coming from the right, the ball will be pushed left. The maximum deflection of the ball can be expected when the wind is directly from the side of the direction of travel of the ball, i.e. the angle is 90 degrees. Therefore, a ball heading North being hit by a wind from the East (moving to the west) will be pushed towards the North West (or to the left as you look from the back of the ball).

This also applies when the wind is behind the ball. However, since the ball and wind are both going in the same direction you can expect the change in direction to be less.

2. Wind speed and ball speed

Of course the direction of the wind in relation to the direction of travel of the ball is one factor to consider; the other factor is the speed or strength of the wind. It makes sense that the stronger the wind is the faster it is travelling and therefore the greater its affect will be on the ball. Push something harder and it moves further! If the wind is hitting the ball from any angle from the front you can expect the ball to both be pushed off course and to slow down. However, these two things are slightly opposite. For any given wind speed or force, if the wind is more from the front the direction changes less than if the wind is more from the side BUT the ball will slow down more with the frontal wind than it will with the side wind. A similar principal applies when the wind comes from behind the golf ball.

3. The distance the ball needs to travel

The third factor to consider is how far the ball needs to travel. The longer time the ball is in the air the greater the influence of the wind acting on it. Under the same wind conditions of direction and strength, if you are making a 100 yard pitch shot the correction required will be less than if you are making a 200 yard driver shot.

4. What does this mean when I play?

These aerodynamic forces need to be taken into account whenever you play a golf shot and adjustments need to be made to compensate for how the wind will affect the flight of the ball. Disregarding the intentional use of spin, which is somewhat more advanced, or the spin induced by the design of the golf ball, if you want to place the ball reasonably accurately feel the wind. Judge the wind direction, angle, and strength in relation to a line from your position to your target and adjust your play accordingly. In general if the wind in coming towards you, i.e. you are hitting into wind, then the ball needs to go towards the wind direction because it will be pushed away from the wind direction in flight. If the wind is from behind your position you need your ball to go to the same side as the wind. For example, if the wind is from behind and the right, the ball needs to go to the right as well.

With this basic knowledge of how the wind affects your golf ball in flight you should be better equipped to start making the correct adjustments when you play. Practice combined with knowledge will produce better results.

Now find out more about how you can improve your golf game here Golf Mental Game Coaching and you will receive a FREE gift.

Copyright (c) 2010 Leslie Meehan

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Watch this group of guys as they try to shoot skeet by hitting them with their golf balls in mid-air… Check out www.watchmojo.com and see how wild and crazy the Coors Light Golf Experience can get. Find a shivering can in pack for your chance to WIN tickets to this years event and golf prize pack.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

by Joe Shlabotnik

That little white ball sure can cause a lot of frustration if we let it. One avenue in which this can occur is when we choose to drive the ball. Instead of heading straight for where we aimed, it takes on the characteristics of a Frisbee and slices off to the right into some form of roughage. Fortunately, we may be able to fix this with a minimum of fuss.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a slice. It is perhaps the most common of golf problems. It occurs when one tries to drive the ball. The ball will usually take off to the side your body is on when striking the ball and then start bending off to the opposite side. Slices are actually a tactical shot for the professionals on certain holes, but most of us are just making a mistake when hitting them.

The first step to fixing the slice is to think about baseball. If you watch baseball, you’ll see someone strike out. The announcer will state that this occurred because the batter did not keep their shoulder in. As a result, they rotated their body too quickly and had a pull stroke. This is also the most common reason for slicing the golf ball. You are either lining up facing to far to the left or are swinging too hard and pulling away from the ball just before striking it. To fix this, try practicing your swing slowly. Turn into the ball and practice just bringing the club down and driving directly through the ball.

There may, however, be a second problem. To drive the ball hard and straight, many people logically assume they need to come up behind the ball. To put this theory into motion, they position the ball to far forward on the tee or stand too far behind it. As a result, the ball is struck as you are coming out of the sweet part of the swing. This results in a pulling motion towards the body and off goes the ball in a beautiful, if unintended, slice. To fix this, try moving your stance forward.

There can be other reasons a player slices the ball, but these tend to be the two most common ones. Adjust for them and you may just be driving the ball where you actually want it to go. Imagine that!

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