The decision to play a hole or a round conservatively or aggressively plagues every golfer at one time or another. Which of us hasn't been tempted to hit the "miracle" shot-the kind that players talk about in the clubhouse years later. But gambling too often in golf can be costly, especially if you're a professional. Take Phil Mickelson. He's been criticized for gambling during the final round of tournaments. His aggressiveness has cost him tournament victories-and million dollar purses-on some occasions.

If you're not familiar with the 17th at Sawgrass, it's one of the most pressure-packed holes in professional golf. It's a par three, 137-yard hole, whose green sits in the middle of water. Miss the green, which probably seems as big as the head of a pin when hitting, and you're in the drink. Hit it and you might still have a long putt for a birdie. In addition, as the next to the last hole on the course, the 17th sets up perfectly as dramatic finishing hole. Talk about ratcheting up interest to the finish a tournament.

Obviously, the island hole is a challenge for all golfers, whatever their golf handicap. For players with high golf handicaps, just hitting the green and not the water spells success. For tournament players, however, the challenge is more strategic than tactical. Do they play the hole conservatively or aggressively? Do they go for the pin and the birdie, or do they go for the fat part of the green and the par? Heading down the stretch, the wrong decision can be the difference between winning or losing the tournament.

Of course, there are times when you must go for it. But playing conservatively is often better than going for it, even if it costs you a stroke, as I tell players during golf instruction sessions. To paraphrase Jack Nicklaus, as a golfer you'll face times when you need to gamble to have a chance at winning. But being conservative when boldness is not imperative is better in the long run. The trick is knowing when to be aggressive and when to be conservative.

If you have doubts as to whether you should go for it or play it safe when opportunity knocks, try splitting strategies during your next several rounds. In the first round play the front nine very conservatively. That means doing things like hitting the driver only if the hole is wide open, playing for the fat part of every green, and laying up on par fives unless you have a mid-iron shot or less to the green.

Then play an aggressive back nine. Hit your driver on every par four and par five. Shoot for the pin every time, regardless of the difficulty, and go for every par five on your second shot. In your next round do the opposite. Play a conservative front nine and an aggressive back nine. Compare the scores over the course of several rounds. See if being aggressive or conservative significantly improves them.

But don't take the result to determine if you should always play either extremely conservatively or aggressively. Rather, let the result help you decide what your strategic tendencies should be when you're not sure how to play a specific hole or course. If you are the type of player who gains nothing by being aggressive or it costs you strokes when you do, play conservatively instead. And keep that big number off your scorecard.

It can be difficult deciding when to gamble and when to be conservative. It's something only you can decide at the time of play. However, if statistics tell you that you don't play your best being aggressive, play conservatively. Doing so will help you cut down your golf handicap over the long haul.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse

1) Do Not neglect putting.
Think about it. Once you hit the green, if you can regularly sink the golfball in two strokes or less, you gain a huge advantage. You need to practice your stroke for both long and short putts. Here again, practicing long putts is fun. However, begin dropping in putts from ten feet and in and you will be amazed how many strokes you knock off your score.

2) Practice the short game.
Most golfers love to head to the driving range and see how far they can hit a golfball. You can cut more strokes from your golf score if you learn to hit the short irons. Start close to the green and begin pitching the ball. When you are consistently dropping the ball close to the hole, back up ten to fifteen yards and begin practicing from that distance.
Master your short irons and you will quickly slash some strokes.

3) Hit it, then forget it.
My point here is, if you hit a bad shot you want to analyze what you did wrong. Was the clubface not square to the ball? Did you rush the shot? Was your swing tight and not loose? However, after you do so, forget it. You can't let the shot bother you. Do not try to overhit the next shot to make up for shanking this one. Just forget it. Let it go. It's done now and beating yourself up over it won't help and, in fact, can have the opposite effect.

4) Ditch the cart.
Unless your golf course requires you to use a golf cart, or you have physical limitations, don't use it. Golf was meant to be played while walking. While walking to your next shot, as you approach you begin thinking about how you want to play the next shot. You are thinking of club selection and whether to play it safe or take a gamble. When you are in a cart, golf becomes more of a rush thing. Get in the cart, drive to the ball and hit it. It just seems to take the fun out of it. Not to mention the exercise you receive when you walk the course.

5) When in doubt, play it safe.
If you are a weekend golfer, there is only so much time you get to play the game. When you come into a situation, such as a lie behind a tree, and you're contemplating whether to take a chance and try to slam the ball through the branches or simply hit a safe shot and get the ball back onto the fairway, you should probably elect to take the safe shot. Forget what Tiger did last Sunday. All you are losing is a single shot. If you go for it and hit the tree and the ball bounces back, you have lost an additional stroke.

Having said that, if you are just out to have fun and could care less what your final total is, go for it. :-)

Golf can be fun. It should be fun. The reality is most of us have that competitiveness, and that is a good thing. So anything we can do to lower our scores, even by a couple strokes, is going to fuel the juices and want to do even better next time.

The Medicus driver is a product that is made by Medicus golf that is a golf swing training aid that according to the manufacturer will help your golf swing in several ways. If you are having trouble with your golf swing this may be a product that you can look into to help improve your golf swing.

The Medicus driver has a dual hinge on it that can help you diagnose some swing flaws that you currently have. Some of the swing flaws that the Medicus driver claims to help you with is to help fix your slice, your tempo, and it improves your swing plane just to name a few. In this article we will take a look at some of the causes of a faulty swing and how the Medicus driver can help fix them.

The slice is one of the biggest complaints that most golfers have about their golf swing. The slice can be caused by many different swing flaws but the most common one is casting the club at the top of the swing. The Medicus driver helps to eliminate casting because the clubs hinge will break if you cast in the top. The Medicus driver is designed with a duel hinge that lets you know immediately if you are casting club.

The Medicus driver has been shown to be helpful improve the your tempo because again with the duel hinge the club will break if you take it back to fast or try to swing too hard. Tempo is one of the most important parts of the golf swing for consistency so if you are having problems with your tempo a Medicus driver might be able to help you with this.

Another important part of the golf swing is putting your golf club on the correct swing plane. The swing plane will have a lot to do with your success in hitting a consistent golf shot. The Medicus driver claims to put you on the correct swing plane or again if you are not on the correct swing plane one of the hinges will break letting you know there is something wrong.

Some of the complaints about the Medicus driver by people who have used the Medicus driver is that it is really tough to hit a shot without tightening the hinges. Although, this may not bother some people other people actually want to be able to hit a golf ball while swinging the Medicus driver.

The Medicus driver has been helpful in helping a lot of people improve their golf swing but it may be something that you are not comfortable using and may not really get a benefit from because if you have several swing flaws than it will be difficult to use. If you are struggling with your golf swing you may want to check out the Medicus driver because you will be able to get instant feedback about why you are not hitting the ball consistently.

Have you ever considered how important the driver is as part of your golf equipment? There is a propensity for less inexperienced golfers to go out and by the biggest and meanest looking club in the golf shop but if it doesn't suit your style, mainly your swing speed then you will be heading off into the trees in search of your ball more often than not following a tee shot.

Golf equipment should contain a small selection of drivers and in this report, we'll look at some of the aspects required in the make up of this all important tee shot club.

Golf Equipment-Analyzing The Driver

It makes sense, if a club has a larger head, then there is more chance of connecting to the ball in an area on the club head known as a "sweet spot." Larger heads are a good idea for players with less ability as the margin for error during the ball connection is less. Better players are more able to get better control using a club with a smaller head.

It's determined the advantage a club with the larger head has it's ability to hold it's line when striking the ball at impact. Smaller head clubs can have a tendency to "skew" off at the moment of impact requiring greater aim and control. More power is also generated behind larger clubs resulting in extra distance being generated when hit right on center.

Club Weighting

Weighting of clubs is a vital component of today's clubs as players can adjust the height they hit the ball or control shots such as a draw or fade. Slicers eager to find a quick solution to their problem may go for a club with more of a draw bias and vice versa for a player who tends to hook a lot.

With a larger club head on a driver, the launch angle to penetrate greater distances is higher and golfers today are tending to steer towards this direction. A driver with a higher loft degree is highly recommended although if you are a beginner and receiving coaching then check with your mentor first who may be keener for you to build a little more control into your game before you start to worry about head design features on clubs.

Golf Equipment-Shaft Flexibility

There are three different types of swing speeds; slow, medium and fast. So what you're probably asking. Well, swing speed has much to do with the flexibility level of your driver shaft. Wondering why your tee shots are all over the place? Check the flexibility of your shaft. A good way to determine this is to have your speed checked and then choose a club with the give and bend appropriate to your golf swing! Slower swings require more flexibility while faster swings require less. That's the general rule of thumb.

If you're like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. Golf is a difficult game to master and most golfers don't have the time it takes to practice, practice, and practice to significantly improve. You may receive all the greatest golf tips in the world, take countless lessons and get superior instruction and still may not be able to gain consistency.

If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as "I play great golf all the time." Concentrate totally on your game and you'll get the best score.

When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you're holding a soccer ball between your knees. At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight. Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you're going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball.

Before you swing, make sure you're relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.

The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player's body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it.

Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you'll never underestimate golf fitness again. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques.

Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper.

If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you.

Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing. Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game.

If you can, sit in on a friend's golf lesson to see if you connect with the pro. Invest in a few of the newest golf books and golf ebooks; older golf books may be outdated. Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at a time.

It's important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. When you're playing golf badly it isn't a lot of fun. It takes a great deal of skill, mental fortitude and perseverance to excel at golf.

If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Always be aware the mental aspect of the game contributes one way or another to the difficulty of the golf swing. It's been proven that thinking positively about bettering your golf game will benefit you more than playing to compete with your partners and trying to win for winnings sake.

At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players' back. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.

Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you're holding a soccer ball between your knees. As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip.

The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing.

The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player's body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

It's no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible. Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today.

You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game.

Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing. If you're looking for an aid to improve your stance they're not hard to find. Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert.

Most of all don't waste your money on a golf swing aid you don't need or will never use. Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims.

Get some golf DVDs and commit yourself to a time to practice what you learn. Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at time. If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward.