We've all been in a situation where we've had to alter our normal shot. Maybe we were too close to a group of overhanging branches that prevented us from reaching the fairway in one hot. Or maybe we were behind a clump of trees that blocked our way to the green. Whatever the case, we were left with no choice but to change our shot. That's when the ability to control ballflight trajectory comes in handy.

Controlling trajectory saves strokes. It gets you out of trouble when you need it. That's why I cover it in my golf instruction sessions. Sometimes, the trouble forces you to alter ball flight trajectory. Other times, it gives us a choice. We can play it safe, which can cost us a stroke, or we can go for it, which saves us an extra stroke. How successful you are at making this shot, as I often tell players taking my golf lessons, depends on how well you control trajectory.

Setup is the Key

Two keys dominate this shot-setup and club selection. How you set up, as I've often said in my golf tips, often dictates the success of the shot. What changes you make here, which we discuss below, depend on the type of shot you need to make. If you want to go low with the shot, you need to make one set of changes. If you want to go high, you need to make another set.

Choosing the right club is also a key to controlling trajectory. Using the right club also helps dictate the success of the shot, just like making the right changes to your setup. For low shots, select one more club than is needed, choke down on the handle a few inches, and execute a smooth abbreviated swing. For high shots, choose one less club than needed, keep your normal grip, and get more aggressive.

Since your setup is so critical to controlling trajectory, let's review the basics of your set-up when trying to do so.

Go Low

Our main goal in hitting this type of shot is getting out of trouble. Don't be concerned with hitting at miracle shot, here. Just focus on getting the ball back on the fairway or in a good position to take your next shot.

Here are six keys to going low:

-Ball back

-Weight forward

-Shoulders level

-Hands forward

-Swing low

-Finish low

Position the ball anywhere from dead center in your stance to your rear foot. Now, lean forward. Leaning de-lofts the clubface and ensures a steep, descending blow. Next, level your shoulders. Keep them level as you start your swing. Focus your eyes on the ground to get your shoulders to match the horizon.

Lean the hands and the shaft forward, which de-lofts the club. Now take a softer swing than normal. A softer swing reduces the balls spin and prevents an up-shooting flight. Swing with an even, pendulum like rhythm to accomplish this goal. Don't take a full finish. Hold the clubhead below your waistline after impact.

Go High

Like going low, going high can get you out of trouble in the least amount of strokes. But it can cost you if you miss the shot. So don't try to pull off a miracle shot. Assess the situation carefully before deciding to go over something. Sometimes it's better playing it safe-even though it costs you a stroke-than going for broke.

Here are six tips on going high:

-Ball forward

-Weight back

-Back shoulder low

-Hands Neutral

-Be aggressive

-Finish high

Position the ball forward in your stance. This facilitates catching the ball on a slightly ascending arc. Now lean backward. Be sure that your back shoulder is lower than your front shoulder at address.

Maintain a neutral hand and shaft position as a means of retaining the loft built into the clubface at impact. Keeping your hands low in the center of your stance works well. Also, don't hold back. Be aggressive. Speed creates lift. A high ballflight needs a high finish, so try completing your swing in balance, with your hands and arms back over your front shoulder.

Controlling ballflight trajectory depends on making setup adjustments and good club selection. Learning to do so, as I've mentioned in my golf tips, increases your arsenal of shots, making you better equipped to tackle whatever a course may bring that day. In addition, it saves strokes. And cutting down on strokes can't help but reduce your golf handicap to where you want it.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse

By: Jack Moorehouse
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

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Golf is a wonderful sport and many people enjoy playing it. There are those who had learnt the sport and enjoyed it for a lifetime. Though no one has ever completely mastered it, many people are constantly striving to improve their skills and at the same time have great fun playing it. There are many pleasures a golfer can derive from playing this sport. One benefit is that it provides the player an opportunity to escape from the pressures of everyday life. The golf course is a wonderful place to relax. It is quiet, scenic and the natural wildlife forms a great getaway from the busy, hectic lifestyle of the outside world. Another benefit of playing golf is that the player gets to feel a great sense of joy and personal achievement when attaining a good score. The striking of a nice shot is a great fulfillment. Hence, playing golf is a gratifying and rewarding sport.

Golf is a wonderful social game. It provides an opportunity for people who like the same sport to come together and share their common interest. Long lasting friendships can be created. Golf enthusiasts have the chance of spending a great time outdoors with friends and family, doing something they enjoy together. As all of them know the experience of a bad shot or a good hit, they can share their experiences with one another. Through these joyful and disappointing experiences, they develop friendships and fun that could last a lifetime.

Golf is a game that can be enjoyed by all generations. It is a family game as it can accommodate the needs of children, parents and grandparents on the same stage. Hence, the sport can be used as a family get-together. Besides, playing golf is a good form of exercise. Playing the sport outdoor gives players fresh air and brisk walking provides very good exercise.

As golf is known to be a game of honor, courtesy and sportsmanship, golfers feel proud to be involved in the sport. In particular, the sportsmanship and standard of behavior attached to this sport which was passed down from previous generations is the pride of many golfers.

Although the object of the game of golf is simple i.e. to play the course in the fewest possible strokes, it requires the mastery of a variety of skills in order to play well. If a golfer wants to make progress, he or she needs to appreciate the wide range of skills associated with golf. As the sport requires many varied skills, it gives everyone an opportunity to demonstrate particular strengths. However, a player needs to develop his or her skills in all areas in order to play the game effectively. If a player just concentrate in one area, then the improvement made in the overall standard of the game will not be significant. Furthermore, the players also need to adjust to various conditions of the course – the varying winds, weather, gradients, terrains, grass and temperature. In addition, they need to know how to deal with their emotions while playing the game. Apart from technical knowledge, elements such as patience, concentration, control and emotional stability are known to be essential factors for a well played game.

Golf is a fascinating sport. More and more people are taking up the sport to enhance their lives. The sport provides great pleasure and the enjoyment can lasts a lifetime. Learning the sport needs some time, effort and commitment but it is worth it. There are many training resources available for a beginner to learn this great sport. It is good to learn sound golfing skills from the start and save the effort of unlearning inappropriate techniques later on. Current players can also make use of existing training resources to improve their skills and experience greater satisfaction from their game. More information on learning golf can be found at Golf Schools.

By: John Peace
John Peace. Freelance writer on various interest topics. Enjoys playing golf. For more information on golf schools, courses and equiment, please visit Golf School.

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All great golfers have one move they consider the key to their swings. Jack Nicklaus, a great ball striker turns his head slightly to the right just before starting his takeaway. That move triggers his swing, enabling him to strike the ball powerfully. If you research the issue, as I once had a student taking golf lessons do, you'll find the same is true for Greg Norman, Gary Player, Sam Snead, and even the great Arnold Palmer. They all have a swing secret that keys their swings.

Ben Hogan had a swing secret as well. If you asked tour opponents about it, they would have said it was his cupped left wrist-a move Hogan once highlighted in Life Magazine. And for years that was thought to be his secret. But while that move was critical to Hogan's swing, it was only part of why he's one of the best ball strikers ever. The other part was his right knee-the correct functioning of which enabled him to hit the ball with power and precision.

Hogan's Cupped Wrist
Hogan explained in the Life Magazine article that his "secret" was cupping his left wrist at the top of his swing, so that his wrist joint was slightly bent inward at the top of his swing. Hogan was truthful when he emphasized the cupping of his wrist. But, as he was later to reveal to a friend, it was only part of the story. The other part was the correct functioning of his right knee. The wrist was cupped because that was the only position it could assume based on the right knee's position.

Hogan braced his right knee before and after the takeaway, allowing it to be made with perfect balance. He maintained this position from address all the way to the top of the backswing. This move, in turn, allowed him to set the club at the top of the backswing and control the transition from backswing to downswing while maintaining balance. The right knee might sway from right to left but it would never straighten completely. When he wanted to hit the ball harder, he "ran" his right knee toward the ball.

Running His Knee At the Ball
What did Hogan mean when he said he ran his right knee at the ball? On the downswing, Hogan's first move was to push the knee inward toward the ball. This move resulted in the lateral shifting and opening of his left hip. His only thought at the time, said Hogan, was on the right knee dropping in at the ball, which he referred to as "running at the ball." The harder hit wanted to hit the ball, the faster he ran his knee at the ball.

By running his right knee, Hogan could generate terrific speed in his lower body. His right knee, as he later explained, moved so emphatically to the left on full shots, the knee would sometimes appear to overtake his left knee on the follow through. However, the speed was adjustable. By running his knee at different speeds, Hogan was able to control the amount of force he expended through impact.

Hogan's secret move, however, was only a prelude to the real issue: the delivery of the club back to the ball. That was really the main objective as far as Hogan was concerned. Why? Because it provided the balance and control he needed to achieve the type of ball flight he desired. And balance and control were a big part of why he won 63 pro tournaments and 9 majors, including the Masters twice.

The secret to Hogan's powerful swing, then, was the correct functioning of the right leg, with emphasis on maintaining the proper angle of the right knee on the back and forward swings. When combined with a slight cupping of his left wrist, this move produced optimum balance and control, and allowed him to apply as much power and speed to the ball as he wished.

Most golfers on learning Hogan's secret will probably try imitating it. But they're not him, so chances are good that even if they succeed in copying the move, they won't have the same success that he had. So what's the point of this golf tip?

The point is that all good golfers have a swing key. But the swing key is different for each golfer, as I tell players taking golf lessons from me. What works for Hogan or Nicklaus, might not work for you. If you're serious about playing better golf and lowering your golf handicap, you'll work on discovering what your swing key is. And that only comes through playing and practicing.

By: Jack Moorehouse
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

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Many amateur golfer feel that draw and fade shots are beyond them. Although we’ve all seen professional players perform draw and fade shots at will many golfers think its one of the skills that separated pro’s from amateurs. Actually draw and fade shots are quite simple skills to master.

A draw shot is a shot that starts out straight but curves to the left (“draws to the left”). A fade shot is the exact opposite, a shot that starts out straight but curves to the right (“fades to the right”).

Once you have mastered these shots your golf game will never look back. In fact it will be like carrying an extra to sets of clubs with you every time you go on the course.

The benefits are enormous. You no longer need to take two shots to get round obstacles you can just draw or fade your ball to the target.

Some golfers are naturally inclined towards either a draw or a fade shot – Colin Montgomerie, for example, has a natural fade in his game. But any golfer is capable of playing both. You should practice these shots with all your clubs and find out how comfortable you are playing them. Although you should bear in mind that with shorter irons draw and fade shots can all too easily become hooks and slices.

To play a draw shot:

• Have your clubface straight on to the ball and keep your grip strong.
• Keep the clubface square to the ball but aim your shoulders and feet slightly to the right.
• Use your feet as a guide for the path of your swing.
• As you hit the ball you will feel that you are about to follow through to the right of your target.

To play a fade shot:

• Have the clubface square to the ball. Tighten the grip of the lower fingers on your left hand.
• Feet and shoulders aimed to the left of the target.
• Your feet should provide the path of your swing
• Bring the club across the ball on impact.

Simple tips but the results are incredible. Golf is a game of options and decision making. So the more options you have at your disposal the more chance you have of posting decent scores.

Although you may be daunted by the idea of trying a draw and fade shots it really is worth trying. Go to the driving range and try some shots. Your game will never look back.

By: Navy Tiek
For information on dog training tips and tricks and latest and best dog training ebooks visit http://www.dogtrainingbookreviews.com.

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