Ron, California
Handicap: 10 or below, age: 19-49

Grip Change

Most swing problems are in the grip. Just because the v's are right does not mean the grip is right. I change the position of my left thumb so that it runs straight down the shaft just right of center. I now have more control at the top and thru out the swing. One small change can make a world of difference.

Mike, Texas
Handicap: 10-20, age: N/A

Putting

I used to simply line up the putt, look at the ball and stroke the putter. Now I focus on the BACK of the ball and aim at a spot about 2 inches in front on the line I've chosen. Much more consistent and helps me to eliminate alignment/pushing/pulling shots.

Tim, Tennessee
Handicap: 20-30, age: 50 or older

Should You Seel Your Local Pro?

Listen up Guys and Gals. I have $$$ worth of books, DVDs, subscribed to ebooks etc. But only one lesson with the local Golf Pro has shaved 20 strokes of my game!!! You can't see what you are doing!!! He modified my grip, showed how to correct my takeaway, and corrected my swing plane in one session which included 'video' (wow did I not realize) and some simple drills. Now I hit the drives (80%)straigh as in bullet, iron contact is superb (when I don't wander off the weight shift). My putting still 'stinks' but practice, practice to get feel. I now went back to the old days of chipping and running with mid irons and the score is falling because of simple techniques that I was not doing. All because I could not SEE MYSELF FAULT!!! Even though I have mirrors in my garage to practice swing I was still making minor, simple errors which were easy to correct and maintain through practice indoors. You really should see a PRO. I ONLY WISH I HAD DONE IT 35 YEARS AGO!!! IT AIN'T THE CLUBS.. ITS WHAT IS OPERATING THEM.. AND THE PROBLEM IS BETWEEN THE EARS!!

SPEND THE MONEY ON A PROFESSIONAL NOT SOME BOOK OR DVD THAT CAN'T SEE YOU!!

Jerome, Utah
Handicap: 20-30, age: 18 or younger

Pproblems pulling you head?

If you like many golfers who have a problem with pulling your head which can result in dozens of common golf problems, then here is an easy fix. We call this little thought "The Bloody Fish Hook"(And while I have seen the real aparatus used, many times at my local course, the thought alone is enough to make you stop pulling your head) adress the ball normally, now as you begin your adress imagine that there is a peice of fishing line tied around your head and runs down to your crotch, now on the end of that line is a large fish hook, set firmly against your parts, now as long as you keep your head down in your swing you will be fine, but if you lift your head more than a 1/4 inch, I think you can finish the image from there. That tip,(and i swear I have seen a real one used before) will help you from making poor contact and shanking your shots where they shouldn't go.

Jeff, Michigan
Handicap: 20-30, age: 19-49

Inside-outside swing pattern
As others have mentioned, try the inside-outside swing pattern. If that doesn't work, I have successfully turned my nasty slice into a moderate fade by focusing more on my followthrough and intentionally striking the ball with a closed club face as opposed to an open club face. In other words, I try to swing more left, since I am a Right handed golfer! I hope this helps.

Timmy, California
Handicap: 10-20, age: 19-49

Information overload
Read about the one plane vs. two plane swing theories. You can weed out a lot of useless information and concentrate on the useful tips.

Jeff, California
Handicap: scratch golfer, age: 19-49

Swing thoughts to avoid swing breakdowns
Unless you are totally new to golf and never had anyone to show you how to swing the club, you probably have some ideas about a so-called "correct golf swing." But unfortunately, your legs, hips, arms, hands, and shoulders (sometimes you know it but sometimes you don't) do not always do what your brain instructs them to do. There are many reasons why this happens (the explanation would be too long for here). There are, fortunately, things you can do to reduce your body non-cooperation to a minimum. Golf is a physical activity, and like any other physical activities, people are more likely to have breakdown of their movements when they are trying to do it too fast and/or too forcefully. It is no different from typing (it is pretty easy for one to realize that it would be a bad idea to try to type too fast if she is not a good typist) or playing a musical instrument. So to improve consistency, think and do two things during a swing:

First, slow down
Second, take it easy.

This is NOT about tempo (or any other fancy stuffs)...Rather, this is just body physics. The good news is that your body/muscle's tolerance for speed/amount of force will increase as you become more proficient. ( A fancy term here is muscle memory) (Again, think about the progress you have made on tying or playing the piano) That is why you see Tiger and other other PGA stars can swing so fast and so forcefully. But the process of becoming more proficient has to happen first. Before that, it is to smart to swing slow and easy, in order to have a correct swing (so that the ball goes somewhere near your target). By the way, the 3-quarter swing idea Rich of Florida talked about here is based on the same principle.

Kelly, Maryland
Handicap: 10-20; age: 19-49

Swing thought for better ball contact.
Focus on a blade of grass right in front of the ball. When you swing your focus will be in front of the ball and you will make better contact by swinging "through" the ball

Takashi, Japan
Handicap: 20-30; age: 19-49

Many golf swing problems are caused by a lack of full shoulder turn. And if one keeps his head down (as it is taught by many swing coaches), he will find it difficult to have a full shoulder turn. Keep you eyes on the ball ...but do not bow to the ball!

Rich, Florida
Handicap: 20-30

Don't always try to have a full swing. Take more club and make a 3-quarter swing, lots of swing problems disappear.

Bill, Florida
Handicap: scratch golfer

Positive Feeling
As you step up to a shot or a putt, make a little smile to yourself. This releases endorphins in your brain. The result is a feeling of calm confidence and translates into better shots. I am a golf pro and psychologist.

Brett, Toronto
Handicap: 20-30

I have to ask the guys running the site a question. Why do you guys limit your forum only to swing problems. To me, mental game is a huge part of golf. So I would say to all the guys all there the sooner you start paying attention to this, the sooner you make progress.