"Approach Shots: What it takes to master them".

Basically, your approach shot is your shot onto the green. One of the things I like to say is this, "You know your game is improving when you start fixing more ball marks on the green" - most likely meaning that you hit it on your approach, which is your objective.

Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind, and then we'll get to the heart of this article.

* Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag. Pin placements and greens are getting tougher to stick all the time. Don't be a sucker and go for a pin that you'll most likely miss, which will leave you in a bunker or some other position which will add strokes to your round.
* Focus on alignment, not distance.

As you know, it's not an easy task to master the approach shot, but there are some ways in which you can drastically improve the accuracy of the shot. Alignment is the key to improving your approach shots. Most golfers don't practice their alignment too much on the practice range, but they should.


Think about this for a minute. Generally, when you miss the green it is due to alignment, not distance. Chances are, you have your 160 yard club, 150, 140, 130, etc...

And if you hit a less than perfect shot, the ball may go a little further or a little shorter. But even if that happens, most greens are deep enough that you should be on the putting surface if you have selected the club that would leave you in the center of the green.

But...alignment is another story. If you pull the ball, more times than most you really pull the ball, correct?

When your alignment is off, it's usually off by much more than 5-10 yards!

And if you push the ball, you generally are pushing it for much of the round, correct? Bunkers, water, and uneven lies are the obstacles you face.

How are you supposed to compete? The answer is simple. Practice your alignment.

Take your home course for example. I would be willing to bet there's somewhere in the ball park of a 160-yard par 3 on the course. Now picture that hole. What happens if you're 5-10 yards deep or shallow? You're probably still okay, right?

But what happens if you go right or left? That shot, more than likely, has trouble written all over it.

Summary:
Go to the range, and practice your alignment. Always hit to a target. The Simple Golf Swing makes staying down the middle easy, and in a few weeks, I'll be releasing a new tool that will make it much easier on you to work on your alignment. It's a pretty simple device really, but the package is really geared towards improving the alignment for every type of shot. Putting, approach shots, and drives.

Diablo Edge Irons The longest stainless steel irons we’ve ever created. The Diablo Edge irons provide increased distance without compromising feel or performance. The lower, deeper center of gravity (CG) makes the sweet spot more accessible and is in line with where amateurs most commonly hit the ball on the clubface, generating longer, consistent distance and improved accuracy. Maximized Distance: A lower, deeper CG is designed to make the sweet spot more accessible at lower impact locations. This generates longer, more consistent distance and improves accuracy for more greens in regulation. Set Options: Get more distance through the entire bag by opting for matched hybrids in the set where you begin to struggle with your irons. Solid Impact Sole: Delivering smooth turf interaction, the sole is designed to mitigate the effects of heavy and thin shots and improve the impact location on the face for greater distance. Enhanced Feel and Performance: Callaway Golf core technologies like VFT, S2H2, a 360-Degree Undercut Channel and Modified Tru-Bore work together to maximize distance, feel and playability.

Thanks for visiting...


Bill St. Onge
"The NAFTA Refugee"

The Pros And Cons Of Cavity Back Irons, for your Golf Swing

Whenever I talk about irons in my golf lessons, students invariably ask which style is best—cavity back or blade. The cavity back has its advantages and its disadvantages. It also has its fans.

Golfers, however, shouldn’t choose an iron style because it’s popular in the clubhouse, since the style many not fit their game. The key to iron styles, as I’ve said in my golf tips, is finding what’s right for you.

Cavity backs are popular these days—and for good reason. A cavity back has a small amount of metal removed from the back of its club face, producing a small hole. Removing the metal re-distributes the club head’s weight around the edges of the club face, father away from the center of gravity (COG).

Re-positioning the COG creates a much more forgiving iron, with a larger sweet spot along the blade. Thus, a mis-hit with a cavity back is more likely to stay on target than a similar shot with a blade. Why? Because the cavity back twists less in a player’s hand when the ball is mis-hit. A mis-hit with a cavity back is also more likely to travel farther than with a blade.

Cavity backs are “game improvement’’ clubs, offering special features that help golfers play better, like an oversize head. I’ve talked about these clubs in my golf tips. Players with high and mid golf handicaps prefer cavity backs, although some low handicappers and touring pros use them.

Blade irons are not as popular as cavity backs. A blade iron features a solid clubface back, distributing the weight more evenly across the clubface, closer to the clubhead’s COG. Thus, a blade has a much smaller sweet spot than a cavity back. A blade is also much less forgiving than a cavity back because it twists more in a player’s hands on mis-hits.

Distributing the weight evenly across the clubface, however, creates an iron with better control and more feel. These irons need to be hit nearly perfectly, though, to avoid a bad shot. Thus, it takes a lot of practice and experience to hit these irons well, something I work on in my golf lessons with low handicappers.

The blade iron is known as a more traditional iron because it lacks the cavity back’s special game improvement features. Players with low golf handicaps and touring pros prefer the blade style iron because the added control and feel enables them to shape their shots better—a necessity when playing on challenging courses.

Manufacturers make cavity backs and blades in cast and forged versions. The terms “cast” and “forged” refer to the manufacturing process used to form the iron head’s shape.

Casting turns the metal from which the iron head is made into a molten liquid, which is then poured into a mold to form the iron head. It’s then left to cool.

Forging involves pounding or compressing the metal, in it’s solid form, from which the iron head is made into the desired shape. Other machining and drilling steps complete production.

The manufacturing process has no impact on the iron’s capabilities, as I’ve explained in previous golf tips. If you have two irons, one forged and one cast, of exactly the same shape, with the same center of gravity, same loft, same grip, hitting the same ball, and so on, the shots will travel the same distances 99 percent of the time. And the players won’t know which iron head is cast and which forged.

You need to find the iron style that best fits your game, as I point out in my golf instruction. If you’re a less experienced golfer, the cavity back is probably a wiser choice, since you’re more likely to mis-hit a ball. If you’re a more experienced player, then a blade is probably your best choice, since it provides more control and better feel for shaping shots.

The best way of choosing a style that fits your needs is to test it out. Hit a few balls with each style. If one style feels better than another does, and you have confidence in it, that’s the style that’s right for you.

Diablo Edge Irons The longest stainless steel irons we’ve ever created. The Diablo Edge irons provide increased distance without compromising feel or performance. The lower, deeper center of gravity (CG) makes the sweet spot more accessible and is in line with where amateurs most commonly hit the ball on the clubface, generating longer, consistent distance and improved accuracy. Maximized Distance: A lower, deeper CG is designed to make the sweet spot more accessible at lower impact locations. This generates longer, more consistent distance and improves accuracy for more greens in regulation. Set Options: Get more distance through the entire bag by opting for matched hybrids in the set where you begin to struggle with your irons. Solid Impact Sole: Delivering smooth turf interaction, the sole is designed to mitigate the effects of heavy and thin shots and improve the impact location on the face for greater distance. Enhanced Feel and Performance: Callaway Golf core technologies like VFT, S2H2, a 360-Degree Undercut Channel and Modified Tru-Bore work together to maximize distance, feel and playability.

Thanks for visiting,


Bill Ong
"The NAFTA Refugee"

For a free Ebook on Golf, a $24.00 value, sign up below...

What is a Good Golf Swing....

Your Golf Swing and You

The idea behind a better and improved golf swing is what I want. But with each individual golfer, it will vary, the golf swing itself has basics to follow for proper form, but each golfer adapts that form, to his or her own game, style and playing level. Technique is a guide and repetition equals consistency, with practice time paramount for noticeable improvements in your game.

I am a hacker, I guess... I use to practice everyday and with time my scores reflected that, I went from a 18 handicap to a 2. But that was the 1980's, in 2009 I went through a bucket or 2 of balls at the driving range a month, play a round or 2 a month and my scores are back up in the 18 handicap range. Consistency is my big problem now.

As with most of us, the weekend Golfer Warrior, we have our favorite clubs, that we feel confident in, hence use more. But our score suffers from this aspect, when we don't utilize the full compliment of weapons at our disposal, we limit our selves and our scores by not putting our time in to get comfortable with each club in your bag. Why carry them if you aren't going to use them or use them right.

With my Daddy sports schedule in full bloom now that my kids are older it becomes more difficult for me to find the time to seek instruction to give me the improvement I want and need. In 2010, I am making a more concerted effort to get practice time in, because I do want improvement in my scores, at times it is embarrassing some of my shots.. I play with a couple of pretty good golfers and am getting tired of being the butt of their jokes on a regular basis. So this year I decided to put more effort in, work on my golf swing the best I could, finding practice time and I got lucky and stumbled upon a source of help I hadn't counted on, an ebook that walks me through the technique I need so badly for each individual club.

As baseball practice starts each day for my son, al least 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. I drop him off and I head to Green Valley golf course, get a bucket of balls and start working on a club a day from what I have read in my ebook, plus I throw in time every bucket, to work on my driver, boy that is a have to..

My Golf Swing is starting to come around, I am getting a better feel for each club and when on the course have more confidence going to my whole arsenal in my golf bag. This ebook doesn't do it all, practice is a very important aspect, they go hand in hand, one is no good without the other. But let me tell you with my time constraints this ebook has definitely fit the bill, I study technique at my leisure and convenience and its insight is second to none. Oh by the way, my scores are now in the low 80's.

Your golf swing, you only get out of it, what you put in. Check out this ebook on the simple golf swing, see what you think. For me a minimal investment, that with practice and the ebooks techniques, I am seeing results..

Leave me your name and email address, in the form on this page and I will send you a free ebook on Golf, plus send you our monthly newsletter, giving you helpful tidbits to help your game, golf news stories and more..

Thanks for visiting


Bill Ong
"The NAFTA Refugee"

Golf Swing Flexibility Exercises That Will Add Distance Quickly

Golf swing flexibility exercises that are the most effective are not what you read in all the “so-called” fitness for golf books. I make this bold statement because I bought every golf fitness book and was so disappointed I wrote my own Ultimate Golf Fitness Manual.

What I didn’t see in most of these books was dynamic (movement) stretches, especially for core flexibility. The golf swing is a rotation, therefore it only makes sense to incorporate as many core rotational movements, stretches and exercises into your routine as possible.

This is more prevalent in the senior golfer. He/she has lost a large amount of core rotation and in return massive yards off the tee. That’s the biggest complaint I hear among senior golfers is their lack of distance off the tee.

But, what’s frustrating for me is that same golfer will buy more equipment, take more lessons and hit more balls and not see improvement. This is because the “root cause” has still not been approached.

Until you fix the “machine”, you will not see improvement. Your body’s physical capabilities dictate your golf swing efficiency and power. Until you realize this and make the commitment to improve this, you’ll continue to be a very frustrated golfer.

The great thing about golf swing flexibility exercises are they don’t require any equipment and can be done anywhere. In your office…at your home…even on the golf course. There is no reason (excuse) not to participate in a golf swing flexibility exercise program.

If time is a valuable commodity you don’t have a lot of, then doing just 3-4 rotational stretches daily and you’ll see a huge difference in your power and distance.

There is only an “upside” to doing it.

How about adding 30 yards to your drives? No more back pain? Feeling like your 20 years younger and playing like it too?

I could go on and on about the benefits, but you’ve got to believe it and do it.

Just remember the golf swing is a rotational movement, so you should train your body from a rotational strength and flexibility standpoint. Taking this concise and yet effective approach will give you the quickest results from your golf swing flexibility exercises.




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Bill Ong
"The NAFTA Refugee"

Basics Of Golf Swing Instruction…Go With Exercises

Golf swing instruction starts with an understanding of the different segments of the golf swing. Understanding the golf swing segments will give anybody a firm foundation to learn all the tricks of the trade from others and thus be able to understand any golf swing instruction aimed at helping them improve their game.


There are actually three segments to the golf swing. The segments are the back swing, the down swing and finally the impact and follow through.

Dividing the swing into these 3 segments helps to apply every individual golf swing instruction or tip to the particular segments where they apply. It also helps the golfer focus on one segment at a time in their golf swing instruction making it easier for them to remember what they learn and also to be able to work on improving their game systematically.

There is another bigger advantage to this approach. And that is the ability to be able to draw ones attention to the many different parts of the body and the many muscles involved in a proper golf swing.

This is important in helping a golfer involved in a golf exercise program to be able to appreciate the different exercises they do in the program and what particular muscles the exercises focus on.

All this makes it a lot easier for any golfer to link their exercises to golf swing instructions they receive as they seek to improve on their game.


Actually it is not possible to divorce the basics of golf swing instruction from golf specific exercises. The two go together and chances of improving your game improve dramatically when you combine the two. On the other hand progress is bound to be much slower when you work on golf swing instruction only.

May the Golf Gods smile on your Golf Swing...



Bill Ong

"The NAFTA Refugee"

Rusty from a winter of NO GOLF????

Snow is gone and every time you go in the garage you hear your golf clubs calling your name???

Wouldn't it be great to shave 7 strokes off your game and start your golf season smoking...

How were your scores at the end of last year???

I have found a golf lesson, GOLF SWING instructional ebook, that keeps giving and giving... You don't sit back a day or week later trying to remember what the golf instructor said. At your finger tips, lessons, a ebook, you can refer back, time and time again.

I shoot in the low 80's when I put the practice time in or a creative pencil on the score card, lol, using this Golf SWING Instructional ebook, my consistency is increasing and with the swing system in place, I better understand when I make a mistake and deviate from the proper swing.

One hitch I have in my swing, on my tee shot, I have a tendency to turn my wrist in, causing my ball to slice to the right. Working through the off the tee procedures, I am getting straighter and more consistent drives, to cool, huh... This years golf league isn't going to know what hit them.

I love this game, but there are so many facets, different types of swings, the proper and the wrong way to go about:


Fairway shots, with your woods or long irons..

Rough shots for distance and placement, when oops, it is in the tall grass..

Short game, chip shots, how to get back spin...

Sand and bunker shots, elevation and spin, are the name of the game...

Putting, reading the greens and getting the most from your stroke and alignment.

The Tee shot, The hardest club in my bag to hit, "The Driver", learn not to fear, but trust this club...


I am gaining confidence, as I learn and follow the differing shot instructions and you can to..

I can't wait for league play to begin, walking up to the first Tee, with my partner and opponents watching and knocking the jacket off the ball, straight and true, 290 -300 yards down the fairway. Sending out the statement, IT'S ON....

Don't hate the player, get all the tools to enhance and take your game to the next level.

Sign up below and get a free ebook on sports and you will be instructed where to go to get this golfing instructional marvel.

NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT, SIGN UP BELOW, NOW, and in a few hours your game and your shots can be moving in the direction you want...

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Bill Ong
"The NAFTA Refugee"