Learning the Game of
Golf
Golf also called 'gowf' in Scot refers to a game where a player
hits a ball into the hole using a stick. The stick is called 'golf
club' and the hole into which ball is hit 'cup'. It is played on a
huge grass covered tract of land designed as golf course. Golf is
among those few games that does not use a fixed playing area.
Generally a golf course has nine or eighteen holes. A player needs
necessary equipment's to play golf. The equipment's include: golf
club, ball, shoes, tee and a bag to put all of these into it.
Every player
starts at teeing ground. It is the area from where ball is first
hit. After teeing off player hits the ball towards putting green.
Putting green is the area around actual hole or cup. As it is it is
hard to put a small ball into a cup and this is made more difficult
by adding hazards along the course. There are bodies of water,
trees, shrubs, and bunkers all along the course acting as hazards.
If a ball comes to rest in a hazard then some special rules
apply.
- If the ball comes to rest in a hazard then it cannot be touch
by a club.
- If it is not possible to play ball from hazard then it is
removed by hands and dropped outside the hazard area.
- But if ball is lost and cannot be found in five minutes then a
player has to add a penalty stroke to his score and replay the last
shot.
- In golf, scoring is done by the number of shots player played
to hit the ball into the hole. Who so ever hits the ball in minimum
strokes wins.
There are two forms of playing golf:
- Match play: when two players play every single hole as a
separate game against each other. The player with lesser number of
strokes wins the game.
- Stroke play: when every player counts the total number of
strokes played for the whole round of game.
The grip and posture both are important techniques of golf.
There are mainly four types of golf clubs available.
- Wood
- Hybrids
- Iron
- Putters
A player is allowed to carry fourteen clubs during a round.
While a player can play all shots using same club it is advisable
to use different types for different shots. A typical set of golf
club includes 8 iron, 3 woods, 2 wedges and a putter.
Nearly all players use one of these three grips:
Interlocking Grip:
People with small hands, beginners, players with weak forearms
prefer this type of grip. The little finger is put on the trailing
hand and intertwined with the index finger of lead hand.
Overlapping Grip or Vardon Overlap Grip:
This is the most common grip among players. Even golf
instructors teach holding this way. A player places his hands on
the handle by placing little finger between the index and middle
finger on the lead hand. For a left hand golfer, right hand is the
lead hand.
Baseball Grip or Ten Finger Grip:
It is the least preferred grip among players. Players, who
experience joint pain, have arthritis or small hands use this
grip.
A player can use various stances for hitting the ball. But one
basic stance used by all players is when a player stands with their
legs slightly apart and knees slightly bent. The club is held using
any of the three grips. The body is turned towards waist and golf
club is fully swung back and then forward. The successful shot is
one that travels the maximum way. Most slices are caused by an
'over the top' swing. In this swing player approaches the ball from
outside to inside swing path. The main keys to a good shot are:
- Keep the alignment close.
- Put ball in your stance.
- Take a firm grip.
- Swing inside out.
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