Most people know all about the great things golf does for a person, like exercise and stress relief. But the dark side of golf is often something that people choose to be rather selective about and choose to ignore. This dark side can include a lot of aspects that can cause a normal person to be driven quite insane by the game, leading to some serious conclusions about the game of golf that need to be aptly considered.

One of the cons of golf is the possible medical problems that can result from playing the game intensely. Those who play the game of golf incorrectly may injure their arms. Golfer's elbow is a common condition found among avid golfers. Similar to tennis elbow, golfer's elbow is characterized by a pain in the elbow, particularly in the medial area of the joint. The pain can be present at rest, but is intensified when the flexor muscles are activated. The pain is caused by an inflammation of the tendon that attaches the flexor muscles to the elbow. The flexor muscles are the muscles in the forearm that cause the fingers and thumb to bend. Golfer's elbow is particularly painful when the fist is clenched.

Golf is one of the most expensive sports out there to play. Many a person has been driven straight to the welfare line because of their lucrative golf habit. The golfer needs to have the right equipment, green fees, and other aspects of the game in their back pocket in order to not be laughed off the course. The right clothing is important, as are golf lessons and the cart rental unless you intend to slum it and walk the course. Don't forget the food you will eat, the air you will breathe, and the water you will drink as you are out on the course. All of these aspects add up to one fundamental truth about the game of golf: it's expensive!

Golf is not an easy sport to teach a child. In order to teach your son or daughter to golf, you will need to invest considerable amounts of money, time, and energy just to get your child on the golf course! You have to pay the greens fee, buy or rent the equipment, and pay for lessons, all before your little golfer decides whether or not he likes the game. And, in order to be exceptionally good at golf, potential pros really should start as children. Unlike other sports like basketball and football, a group of kids cannot start a pick up game of golf in the back yard. If a kid is going to learn to play golf, it will take a level of commitment and dedication that most kids are not ready for.

With these cons aside, golf is with us to stay. Too many large corporate decisions happen on the golf course. The followers of pros like Tiger Woods will continue to fuel the fire of the PGA and other golfing groups. So, like it or not, golf will be with us for a long, long time. So why not catch a round and see what all the fuss is about!

By: Jack Piersol
Golf is an exciting game to play - start small and don't take everything too seriously too soon. Visit the website to learn more about the game of golf.

Address: The manner in which a golf player positions his or her body right before hitting the ball. Everyone has a unique address.

Alignment: The alignment describes the manner in which you aim the clubface and line up your body at address.

Amateur: Amateurs are golf players that compete but do not play for price money. In order to earn money from winning golf tournaments, a player must compete as a professional.

Approach Shot: This describes any shot that sends your ball onto the green area.

Away: Away describes when you are the farthest distance from the hole.

Baby Shot: Describes a shot that is much shorter and softer than usual, and from a specific club that is normally used for that shot.

Back Nine: The second half of an 18-hole course (the last 9 holes).

Backspin: A backspin is the reverse spin on the golf ball that has been hit towards a target.

Backswing: The first part of the golf swing, which ends as the club stops moving, right above your head, and before the downswing portion.

Balata: This is a type of tree sap. It used to be used in the making of golf ball covers.

Ball Marker: A small-sized, flat object, that is used to mark the specific location of your ball when it is on the green.

Ball Mark Repair Tool: This is a forked-shaped tool which is used to fix any marks on the green that are left behind by your ball.

Baseball Grip: A specific grip that is used to hold the club. When used properly, all 10 of your fingers will remain in contact with the club grip.

Best Ball: This term describes a golf game that uses the best score to be counted from a 2-person team.

Birdie: This is when you make the ball in one less stroke than the total par of the specific hole you are playing. For example, if the hole is a par-4, and you sink the ball in only 3 shots, you have yourself a birdie.

Blade: The term blade is used in golf as both a noun, and a verb: The first is to describe the club head of an iron. The second is a verb for hitting the ball on its equator with the bottom of the blade.

Blocked Shot: The blocked shot refers to the ball being hit straight ahead but then sweeps to the right of the intended target (right handed golfers).

Bogey: A bogey describes what happens when a golf player hits the ball into the hole in one additional shot higher than the par. For example, if a player gets the ball into the hole in 4 swings on a par-3, he scored a bogey.

Break: When a putt shot is made on the green and starts to turn, the term break refers to the amount of turn that occurs.

Breaking Down: This term refers to the movement of your wrists as they bend during a putt shot.

Bump & Run: As the name insinuates, the bump and run describes a ball is hit into the air flies towards the target, then "bumps" into the ground and rolls rolls the rest of the way.

Bunker: A bunker is a hazard area that is completely filled with sand in his typically near the green or on the fairway.

Caddie: Caddies are men and women who get paid to carry your golf clubs around with you on the course as you play the game. They can also offer advice on how to play the game.

Carry: This term refers to how far a golf ball flies through the air.

Cart: Carts are small vehicles that golf players use to drive around the course with. You have the standard motorized cart that can hold two or more players, as well as a small dolly that travels on 2 wheels and is pulled manually (often referred to as the "pull cart")

Casual Water: Casual water are puddles that have accumulated on the course through rainy weather. These puddles of water are separate from the other standard hazards of the course.

Cavity Back Iron: This is a particular type of iron that has the majority of the club head's weight distributed around its perimeter. This design helps create a bigger head and a larger "sweet spot" area on the face. The back of the club head is basically just a large cavity. This helps reduce the mass in the center of the head, as well as the back.

Certified PGA Professional: A certified PGA professional golf player is any man or woman who has met or exceeded the golf teaching standards that have been created by the Professional Golfer's Association of America.

Check: A check describes the action of the golf ball as it stops rolling because of the amount of backspin on it.

Chip: The chip is a shot that is typically played right from the edge of the green.

Closed Face: A closed face describes a club face that points to the left of the target (right handed golfers).

Closed Stance: This term refers to a stance where your body alignment is facing the right of your intended target (right handed golfers).

Club Face: The club face is the bottom section of the club that makes contact with the golf ball.

Clubhouse: A clubhouse is usually a large indoor area located on a golf course that maintains services such as restaurants, golf pro shops, bathrooms, and conference rooms.

Collar: Similar to a fringe, the collar describes the strip of grass that runs around the green and is typically longer in length than the grass that grows on the putting surface.

Coming Over The Top: Coming over the top is a phrase that describes the direction of the club as it moves through the downswing and into a right-to-left pathway across the ball (right handed golfers). Another term for this direction is the out-to-in blow.

Compression: Compression describes the squeezing in of a golf ball as the result of the force put on it during impact with the club head.

Course Rating: Every golf course has a course rating, which refers to the difficultly level of the course itself. The higher the course rating number, the more advanced and difficult the golf course is.

Crossed Over: Crossed over is a term that describes the club shaft as it faces towards the right of the target when it is at the top of the backswing (right handed golfers).

Cross Handed: Cross handed is a specific putting grip where the left hand is below the right hand (right handed golfers).

Cup: The cup is simply the hole itself which is at the end of each playing hole, and is the intended final target of the golf ball.

Cupped Lead Wrist: A cupped lead wrist describes the backward bend of your lead hand when striking the ball. The lead hand is the one that is closest to the hole after you set up for your swing. For right handed golfers, the lead hand is the left hand.

Cut: A cut is another reference to a shot that bends towards the right (right handed golfers).

Deloft: To deloft is to decrease the amount of loft on the club face by simply tilting your club shaft in the direction of your intended target.

Dimple: Dimples are those hundreds of small holes that every golf ball is designed with.

Divot: A divot is a small chunk of grass and dirt that is removed from the golf course after the ball is hit. These divots should be repaired as basic golf course etiquette prescribes.

Dogleg: A dogleg is in reference to the curved pathway from the tee to the cup has a turns either left or right.

Double Bogey: When you complete a hole with 2 additional shots over the par of that hole, you have yourself a double bogey. For example, if the hole is a par 3, a double bogey would be sinking the ball in 5 shots.

Double Eagle: The double eagle describes the completion of a par-5 hole in 3 shots less than that par.

Downhill Lie: A downhill lie describes your stance in which the front foot is below your back foot at address.

Draw: A draw refers to a shot that bends to the left (right handed golfers).

Drive: The drive is the initial shot taken from the tee.

Driver: The driver is considered to be the longest club in your bag, which sends the ball flying at more distance than any other golf club.

Driving Range: A driving range is a facility that is built specifically for golf players to practice their swings. Each driving range has separate booth-like areas where you can knock a bucket of balls as long and as far as you want. Some driving ranges also have areas where you can practice your short game.

Drop: A drop is when You place a golf ball back into the game after it was considered unplayable.

Duff: To duff is to totally mess up or miss a shot, such as to "screw up" or "ruin" the shot.

By: Andrew Calloway
Golf Professional -
Find Away To Play More Golf And To Lower Your Golf Handicap.

The grip is one of the absolute fundamentals of the golf swing. It is the only point of contact your body has with any part of the club and so having the grip is crucially important from the outset. You may have the best posture, stance and have a great swing but if there are fundamental flaws in your grip then the result is sure to be erratic. You may have heard of some of the professionals having very unorthodox grips such as being able to see 4 knuckles on their left hand but these are professionals and they know how to compensate for these things. As an amateur looking to lower their handicap you should aim to have a completely orthodox grip. If, like many golfers, your problem is how to correct a golf slice then perhaps you should go back to basics and check your grip.

As I said, the grip does not have much to do with the swing plane of the club and so your swing plane may be perfect and yet you are still slicing it. The thing to note is that the direction the clubface is facing at impact can very much be influenced by your grip. The cause of your slice may be an open club face at impact and this could be caused by a poor grip. So, how can you ensure you have a proper grip to help you find out how to correct a golf slice.

Gripping a golf club can be done effectively but differently by different golfers. People find grips that work for them and the shape and size of their hands. However, when it comes to slicing, very distinct faults can be identified in someone's grip. Usually an open face at impact is caused by having either or both of the hands too much on the left side of the grip handle. So, in trying to find out how to correct a golf slice there are some simple checks you can do to check your grip is correct. First take a normal setup as if you are about to strike a shot and check how many knuckles you can see on your left hand. If you can see at least 2 then your grip is most likely not the reason for your slice. A similar check is to ensure the V shapes formed by both your hands on the grip both point towards your right shoulder.

Taking a solid, neutral grip is one of the first steps to hitting straight shots. If you're a slicer and your grip fails one of the checks then you should certainly take a closer look at how you grip the club

By: Andrew McNaught
Andrew McNaught is the webmaster of Golf Tips World which offers the best golf tips and reviews of the instructional products that really do work.

The sand trap is the nemesis of the golfer. Sand traps are also referred to as bunkers. There's more than one way to get out of the sand, and knowing a few different ways are important because no matter good you are, it's inevitable that you will find yourself stuck in the bunker. Often who wins or loses depends on the skill of the person working their way through the bunker. Here are five quick tips to turn you into an expert sand trap player.

Tip 1:

Hitting the correct impact point is absolutely essential whenever you're playing from the sand. An excellent way to approach this shot is to visualize your ball sitting on a tee. By focusing on hitting the tee you'll chip the ball out of the bunker and find yourself exactly where you need to be.

Tip 2:

Use cupping to lift the ball out of the bunker. What you want to accomplish is lifting as little sand as possible without contacting your ball. When you contact the sand you should cup your left wrist. "Cupping the wrist" is a phrase used to describe the supination of the left wrist (for a right-handed golfer) at the top of the backswing.

Tip 3:

Draw a line in the sand approximately three inches behind the ball. Hit that line when you take your swing. This will help you avoid a very common mistake; hitting the sand too far behind your ball.

Tip 4:

Compare the lay of the land to the lie of the ball to assess whether to use an explosive chip shot.

Sand trap shots can actually be quite easy. You don't always have to have an explosive swing when you're trying to escape the bunker. You can play your way out with a very natural stroke.

First, examine the lay of the land and the lie of the ball. When you find that the bank of the trap is low and you have some putting area between the trap and the hole you'll improve your control by hitting the ball with the club head directly. Allow for some roll.

Tip 5:

One of the keys to controlling the trap is to follow through whenever you swing. It's natural to stab at the ball. This will generally cause your club to stop abruptly. The wetter the sand the harder the stop. If you follow through you'll find that 9 times out of 10 you will exit the trap!

As with all techniques you will need to practice. Instead of avoiding the bunker, take time to place your ball in the bunker and practice these tips. Always keep in mind the etiquette of the course. Step aside and encourage other players to play through so you don't hold them up.

By: Joseph Pahl
Want to learn more about how to easily reduce your golf score by 7 strokes in just seven days? Go to http://www.7Days7Strokes.info to find out how.