How to enjoy a game of golf and improve your swing

Golf is an outdoor ball game, played on a golf course, where the object is to hit the ball through a series of holes using the fewest number of strokes. Each hole has an area where you would tee off, that is, hit the ball as hard and straight as you can down the fairway to a well-mowed region called the green where the hole you are aiming for is located. Of course there are barriers like ‘roughs’ or sand, water and tree traps and these are known as bunkers.

The game is believed to have originated in Scotland, played along sand dunes, and such courses are known as links. The old course is St Andrews and I suppose most golfers would aspire to play on it. The modern game of golf was born in Scotland in the latter part of the 19th century, and a variety of golf equipment and techniques were invented again during the last century.

Originally it was a game for the rich and famous and the best businessmen. Many deals have been agreed on the golf course. It’s a social status game, you need to be rich to afford the latest equipment, the right clothes and of course the green fees on the golf course. Until recently this excluded the average man, but as the average man got richer, the game became more popular and there are now thousands of golf courses around the world and the professional players seem to get younger every year. .

The trick is to perfect the golf swing, it is a very complex shot that involves great coordination of the body. It has three parts: backswing, downswing, and follow through. All of these need to flow in one fluid motion and all three need to be worked on if you want to achieve a good swing. Start with your feet in the correct position, preferably shoulder-width apart, preferably pointed toward the golf ball, knees slightly bent just enough for balance as you shift your weight through the back swing. Your entire swing revolves around your spine, as it literally serves as an axis. Keep your spine straight throughout the swing. Next pay attention to your grip, keep it firm but relaxed. And don’t forget about your head, keeping it stationary throughout your golf swing is the most important thing you can do. Raising your head too soon will cause you to raise your arms and this will cause you to hit the ball off center. You should have your nose pointing directly at the ball and not tuck your chin too close to your chest.

The most important thing of all is to do everything in a relaxed way. It’s when you get tense and in a hurry that things go wrong. Practice helps, it improves your swing, and you should get to the point where when you’ve made a mistake, you’ll know exactly where you went wrong and can correct things next time.