Golf Lessons

I want to take golf lessons to improve my scores. As I have watched friends take lessons, it seems like they will buy a series of lessons and all of them will be on the full swing. I do not think this is what I want. Would it not be better for my game if the lesson series is spread out on the full swing, putting and short game?

Yes you are correct! As I have given thousands of golf lessons in my career, students always want to know how to lower their scores. These students are always asking the question "How can I improve my golf game the quickest?" The challenge is that they really already know the answer and do not want to hear the truth. The truth is that your scores will improve the quickest by improving your putting. Below is the order I would suggest that you work on your golf game to lower your scores the fastest:

Short Game Golf Lessons
Most professionals and better golfers will call the short game any shot within 100 yards of the hole. If you are just starting to play it may be everything within 50 yards. For our purposes we will call it any shot that is not a full swing. The short game will include chipping and pitching of the golf ball. Whether you take a real golf lesson or read an online lesson to understand the fundamentals of the short game, you can play the same type of game to improve. In this game, you will need to get the golf ball up and down from five different spots before you can move on to your round, the next part of your practice session or end your practice session and go home. Again this will make you feel the pressure but yet keep it fun for you.

Putting Golf Lessons
Putting practice is the fastest way to lower your scores. Yes I said it correctly. Putting practice is the fastest way to lower your scores. If you are like most amateurs most of your practice time is spent on the driving range with your driver. You can improve your golf game rapidly if make a small goal of making 10 or 20 (you come up with the number best for you) three foot putts before you play a round of golf or to end a practice session. This is a specific quantifiable goal that will make you feel the pressure of actually playing. If you do not believe me wait until you only have to make one more!

Find helpful information on Golf Course Equipment, Restaurant Equipment, Golf Equipment, Full Swing Lessons, Golf Club Fitting, Putting Tips, Short Game, Mental Golf Game, Ladies Golf, Junior Golf, 19th Hole and VGS Houston Golf Academy. The VGS Houston Golf Academy has students in the greater Houston area including Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Sugarland, Tomball, Magnolia, Kingwood, North Houston, Conroe, and Metro Houston.

VGS Houston Golf Academy offers free information on many golf related topics including: Houston Club Fitting, Houston Golf Instructors, Houston Golf Lessons, Houston Golf Schools and Golf Corporate Events

Chips Shots

I give up. I am ready to learn how to hit better chip shots. They are costing me too many stokes during my rounds and I am not going to reach my goals if I do not do something different than what I currently am. Do you have any golf tips that will help me improve my chip shots so I am not as frustrated on the golf course?

Improving your short game and your chip shots is the quickest way to lower your scores behind improving your putting. Many players do not practice it as much because it is not as glamorous as trying to bang out the long drives. Even the best players miss greens so if you cannot chip the ball around the green, you will not be able to ever score very well.

The short game of golf is where you really need to practice to lower your golf scores, so implement the following 3 golf tips:

1. Any time that you can hit a low shit that runs the ball up to the hole as opposed to flying it all of the way there, do it. This gives you more room for error and percentage-wise you will get you closer to the hole for the next shot, unless you make the chip shot! Do not be scared to use an eight, seven or even a five iron to get the distance that you need.

2. Hold your finish until the ball has stopped rolling. Use this time to monitor your balance and evaluate the shot.

3. Know without a doubt where you would like the ball to land. If you claim to have trouble visualizing shots then explain where you want to land it out loud. This will accomplish the same thing.

Keep in touch and let us know how it goes for you!

VGS has customers in Tacoma, Washington, Eugene, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, Billings, Montana, Scottsdale, Arizona, Daytona, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina, Hunstsville, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada, Ames, Iowa, Gilbert, Arizona, Richmond, Wheeling, West Virginia, Anniston, Alabama, New Smyrna, Florida and Stockton, California.

Where Should I Land My Short Game Shots

I am having a lot of trouble executing my short game shots from around the green such as a pitch shot and a chip shot. I need a process to determine where to land the ball and to determine which club I should use fo rthe shot. Can you give me some advice?

First you need to look at the lie you have. The lie of the golf ball is the condition that the ball is in which you have to play the next shot from. Is the golf ball in the short grass of the fringe or down in the greenside rough? What you are trying to determine is how much grass is going to between your wedge and the golf ball at impact during the short game shot. The amount of grass will affect how the ball reacts once it hits the putting green.

After you determine your lie, you will now go about picking out a spot for the ball to land. Many teachers will use ratios in discussing short game shots such as if you use an 8 iron you should carry the ball one third of the way to the hole and let it roll the other two thirds. You should first determine if there is a flat spot where you can feasibly land the ball. As simple as this may sound, finding a flat spot to land the golf ball is often overlooked.

When executing a short game shot, it is easier to determine how the ball is going to react once it hits the green if it lands on a flat spot. It is much more difficult to determine what your ball will do if you are hitting into an upslope or landing on a down slope. Obviously, you cannot always find a flat or level spot but if you can, your short game shot will be easier.

Now that you have determined what kind of lie that you have and where you need to land the short game shot, the type of shot has been determined for you. This will allow you to visualize the shot that you need to execute. Remember, who cares what we call it as long as it goes in the hole or ends up close.

VGS Golf has customers in NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Tx., Corpus Christi, Texas, El Paso, TX, Brownsville, Texas.

Should I Chip Or Pitch The Golf Ball?

Most golfers think that chipping and pitching close to the green are what makes up the short game. The short game articles provided at www.virtualgolfswing.com cover all aspects of chipping and pitching the golf ball. In addition, we will consider any golf shot within 100 yards of the hole as part of the short game.

By definition, chipping is a shot that has maximum airtime and minimum ground time. In other words, a chip shot is on the ground longer than it is in the air. You will want to place more weight on your target side to ensure a downward angle of attack. You will also have your hands farther forward to de-loft the clubface and this will you to hit the ball higher on the clubface and more inline with the center of gravity.

By definition, a pitch shot is a shot that has maximum air time and minimum ground time. In other words, it is in the air longer than it is on the ground. For this shot your weight will be more even at address and the handle or grip of the club will be more in line with the all at address as well as impact. You will want o make contact closer to the second or third grove to put the all up in the air. This will allow the center of gravity to help you get the ball up into the air.
Many amateurs become bogged down and stressed out before they hit a short game shot because they think they need to call it a pitch or a chip shot. In result, they either blade it or hit behind the golf ball.

Currently, the some of the best known teachers of the short game are Dave Pelz, Stan Utley and Rob Akin. Once a year, the golf magazine Golf Digest publishes its own Top 100 Teachers List in the US.

http://www.virtualgoflswing.com/ has customers in Atlanta, Georgia, Dallas, TX, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington, Boston, MA, Orlando, FL, Charleston, South Carolina, Washington DC, Tampa, Florida, Miami, Florida, Kansas City, Missouri and Long Beach, California.

Stan Utley, Dave Pelz and Rob Akin - Short Game Books

Once a year, the golf magazine Golf Digest publishes its own Top 100 Teachers List in the US. Currently, the some of the best known teachers of the short game are Dave Pelz, Stan Utley and Rob Akin. As everything else in our world is seemingly becoming more and more specialized, teaching the game of golf is no different. These three teachers have created a niche for themselves and are known as the current "short game gurus."

Dave Pelz, a former NASA scientist, utilizes his background to scientifically break down what is important in the short game by using statistical data. Pelz developed his theories after endlessly collecting data on all aspects of the short game; putting, chipping and pitching. After analyzing the data, Pelz determined that the golf club should move on a path that would go straight back and straight through. Dave Pelz has written three notable books which include Putt Like The Pros, The Short Game Bible and The Putting Bible.

After playing the PGA Tour for years, Stan Utley developed his short game theory of swinging the golf club in an arc for your short game swings. Stan Utley has written two notable books, The Art of Putting and The Art of The Short Game and has taught players such as Peter Jacobson, Jay Haas, Craig Stadler and Roland Thatcher.

Rob Akin breaks down the short game into very simple drills in his book, The Red Zone Challenge. Depending on your skill level and time commitment, The Red Zone Challenge allows you to choose the best plan for you that will lower your scores based on your current skill level and available time through putting drills, chipping drills and pitching drills. Rob Akin students include David Toms, winner of the 2001 PGA Championship that was held at The Atlanta Athletic Club.

VGS Golf has customers in locations throughout the US such as Baltimore, Maryland, Tampa, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, Salt Lake City, Utah, Muncie, Indiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, Chareleston, South Carolina, Cincincati, Ohio, and Washington DC.

Pitch Shots - The Highs and Lows

Today we found a good article on the pitch shot. Read this article to get the ball close with a pitch shot whether the flag is tucked behind a bunker or is all the way in the back of the green improve your short game.

VGS Golf has customers throughout the US such as in Berkely, California, Naples, Florida, Burbank, California, New York City, Washington DC, Bend, Oregon, Fairfield, California, Lexington, Kentucky and Tunica, Mississippi.