I thought there was a lot of interesting stuff in this video. In particular, there’s a quick bit that does a very good explanation of why people “come over the top.” That’s not the point of the video, but its one of the most clear explanations of that phenomenon I’ve seen.

Someone left a basic article on the golf swing step by step in the forums. Not too bad for a beginner’s document.

Too often my swing looks like the second example he gives. I can always tell when I’ve started from the top.

Most weekend golfers don’t do enough to compensate for the effects of wind on their shots. A 20 mph headwind can shorten your shot by 20 yards. A 20 mph tailwind can create an extra 10 yards of carry. A crosswind of the same speed can easily double the distance of your slice or hook, turning what’s normally a 20 yard miss into a 40 yard disaster.

Before heading out, I always check a weather website to determine the general wind conditions. But wind speed can vary significantly on the course, even from hole to hole.

Without a handheld anemometer, figuring wind speed generally is reduced to a few superstitions, such as tossing some blades of grass into the air to see what happens. Fortunately, there’s a more “scientific” method. The US government has used our tax dollars to construct the handy chart below: