We Understand About Golf Better: November 2007

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Golf - The Most Important Club in Your Bag

Which do you think is the most important club in your bag? Is it the driver, that gives you those big drives, but occasionally costs you a shot as you go into deep rough? Or is it one of your mid irons that you can use to get to the green from most places?

No, it is none of these. Just think for a moment: which club do you use most? Well, on the average course you use the driver 12-14 times, depending how narrow the fairways are. On a strange and narrow course you might use it much less, but on average, let's say 14 times a round.

Most other clubs you won't use more than 5 or 6 times, unless your course has very small greens in which case you might use your favored chipping club a bit more on some days.

Get good with the putter

But what about the putter? Even the best golfers hit the ball 27-28 times a round, and most of use it for 34-38 times - maybe more if the greens are very large. OK, so let's say we are playing fairly well and the greens are quite large, and that we take 36 putts a round - nothing to be proud about, but not too bad.

This means that we pull that putter out of our bag 18 times - well we might chip into the hole now and again - and use it two and a half times as much as the driver. This is why I realised that the putter is the most important club in my bag, and why I practice my putting quite a lot. My home club also has some very large greens - on at least three you can be faced with 30 yard putt - so although I work on my driver and irons, I make sure I practice with the putter.

Putting is a different game from the rest of golf. True, you use the same ball, but the club is quite different - some putters are wildly different - and the action is different. You meed to develop a repeatable action that always hits the ball where you aim it - precisely. Then, you need to develop a fine touch so you can lay the ball up close - within a two foot diameter circle is a good thought to have in your head - from the edge of the green.

On top of that, you need to read subtle and steep slopes, whether you are putting uphill, downhill or across the hill, or from a low tier to a higher tier. It is really demoralising when you hit two good shots to the green of a long and difficult hole and then to push your put eight feet past the hole, and see a three-putt looming.

Keep practising - on the carpet will do

What's the answer? Quite simply to practice your putting swing and touch as much as you can. Say, you are taking 90 shots and 38 putts a round. Well, reduce the number of putts to 32 and you are going round in 84 - that has to be the easiest way to knock four shots off your handicap. And the great thing is that you can practice your putting every day on the carpet at home. Of course, you want to practice on your course as well, but you will soon adjust to the speed of the greens.

Take my word, the putter is the most important club in your bag, and the carpet the most useful practice area you have!

Get good advice on golf plus the latest news at http://www.swingingagolfclub.com, run by John Hartley, who has been a student of golf and an avid golfer for many years, and has played amateur golf at a high level. Having had a lay-off for 20 years, he has been relearning the game, and so is the ideal person to pass on tips.

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Golf Tournament Preparation for Amateurs

So you have made it through the club's tournament season. You did well but not as well as you would like. So how do you get your game in shape for the 2008 tournament season? Your tournaments will not have grand stands and TV cameras but do not think you will not feel the pressure. With a little thought and preparation, you can give yourself the needed confidence to beat your archrival, win the Club Championship or Match Play tournament in 2008.

Granted with your tournament nerves, you are probably not going to be swinging as smooth as Ernie Els when the big day arrives. Now is NOT the time to start messing with your golf swing. I repeat. It is NOT the time to make any major golf swing changes. First of all this is supposed to be fun. You know, better than anyone, your own tendencies. Depending on how much time you have before your golf tournament, chances are you are going to have to find a way to play with what you got. This is fine. Most of these types of tournaments are flighted. This means players with similar handicaps are pitted against each other. What you can do is check your basics. Review your posture, grip, alignment, and ball position and insure they are in the best shape they can be for your game. Hitting balls is fine but do not go overboard on making changes. The most effective thing you can work on is your swing tempo and insuring that your golf swing is in balance. You can do this by simply counting to three once you finish your golf swing.

Since the average of greens hit in regulation on the PGA Tour is only twelve, you will miss some greens during your round. Set up a practice schedule for your short game up until the golf tournament. You can go out in the evenings when the course is quiet. Go from green to green hitting multiple pitch and chip shots from all around the green. In addition, choose a couple of "nasty" lies just in case you hit a good shot that ends up in a bad place. Although the ultimate goal is to hole the ball, sometime you may need to play away from the hole to be able to make the next shot easier.

Spend most of your time on the practice green working on short putts, very short putts. Hit as many two to three foot putts as you can. This does a couple of things for you. First it gives you confidence to see the ball go in the hole over and over again. Second, you will be able to see if you are starting the golf ball on the correct line.

Do not forget to take a look at your equipment. Are your grips in good shape? Do they need replaced? If your grips do not need to be replaced, scrub them vigorously with a stiff brush. Use a solution of warm water and dishwashing soap with a degreaser to clean your grips. The degreaser will help remove the oil and dirt buildup that accumulates from your hands over a period of time. Rinse your grips well and pat dry with a towel.

Tournament day is here! Go through your normal warm up. Hit a few pitches, and make sure before you leave the practice green you make about five or ten two footers in a row. Seeing and hearing the ball go in the hole will give you great confidence as you head to the golf course.

By Brad Myers

The Wireless Golf Coach is a website created by PGA Professionals to provide affordable online golf instruction. This is accomplished by offering unlimited online golf lessons through memberships at http://www.golf-and-golfer.com With an online connection with your computer, PDA or phone, you can literally take your golf lesson anywhere. In addition, enjoy the competitive pricing in the online golf shop.

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Lob Shots - The How To

All good golfers, especially those on the PGA or LPGA Tour, are very good ay hitting a lob shot or a flop shot. The lob shot we will discuss will be from about 30 yards and will be players with a 56 or 60 degree wedge. Many say the lob shot is a risky golf shot however, if pulled off correctly, it will help you to lower your scores.

Most scratch and low handicap golfers will agree that it is easier to judge the distance to if a golf ball while it is rolling on the ground as opposed to trying to fly the golf ball to the hole. With golf course design becoming more and more extreme, you now need to be able to hit the flop shot to maneuver over sand traps, water hazards or to a tight front hole location. The only way you can get your golf ball close to a hole location like this is to use this type of a shot. If you want to shoot really low scores, a lob shot must be in your bag of shots.

To properly set up for the flop shot, aim the clubface directly at the target. Take your full swing setup with your feet, hips and shoulders will be "open" or pointed to the left of your target for a right handed golfer. If you are a left handed golfer, your feet, hips and shoulders will be pointed to the right of the target.

To execute a proper lob shot, you should position the golf ball off of the heal of your front foot. It is imperative to keep the loft on the club face of your wedge. What does that mean? You want the ball to "get up" in the air very quickly which means the golf shaft can not lean towards the target as this de-lofts or takes loft off of the clubface of your wedge. To keep this from happening, keep the end of your grip pointing towards the center of your body at address. This avoids setting the hands ahead of the ball.

To execute a good lob shot, your core and torso will rotate just like your regular full swing. The difference is the rate of your turn is decreased. Your wrists will cock early in your swing. If you are right handed, your left arm and the shaft of the club should take the shape of the letter L. As your lower body remains still, your torso will turn as in your full swing. As you make your backswing, your arms will not swing back form the target but in-line with your feet, hips and shoulders. This would be known as starting your swing to the outside.

On your forward swing, turn back to your target and allow your arms to swing in-line with your feet, hips and shoulders. Keeping your clubface pointed at the target during the forward swing, the heel will return to the golf ball before the toe. Said another way, while the swing of your forward swing moves down your body line the clubface of your wedge will be open at impact.

The finish to the flop shot will resemble the look of your full swing. You will have rotated your torso to the point that you will have pulled up onto the toe of your back foot. As your wedge's shaft is parallel to the turf past impact, your right forearm should not cross over your left forearm to keep the clubface open. Hold this position until the golf ball has hit the putting green.

So the next time you are not able to run the ball up onto the green, with a little practice, this golf shot will help you lower your score. In addition, if on fast greens, the flop shot can help you get the ball close to the hole. Go the practice area at you country club or golf course and use this information to learn to hit the lob shot and watch your scores come down.

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Beginner Ladies Golf - 101

If you are a new beginning golfer there are a couple of things you should be aware of so you have a good experience. In this article, we will talk about tee times, dress codes and tipping at the golf course.

What are tee times? A tee time or also known as a starting time is when you are expected to arrive at the first tee. Tee times or a tee time can be made in person in the golf shop, you may call the golf shop and some courses will allow you to make a tee time on the internet. Once you have a scheduled tee time, you are responsible for arriving at the course at a time which allows you to visit the golf shop to pay your proper fees, warm up on the practice tee and practice putting green as well as eat in the restaurant or snack bar if needed. Clubs and courses vary on how far in advance you are able to make a starting time. Call the club or course to find out what their rules are. Understand, if a tee time is missed you may be charged a "no-show" fee. Again this is different from golf course to golf course.

When making your starting reservation, also learn the dress code of the facility. Clubs have a wide variety of rules when it comes to their individual dress code. Denim may be clear to wear at one club and prohibited by dress code at another club. Fashion has actually gotten into golf and wearing a Tiger-like fancy mock t-shirt could be accepted at one course and not another. In addition, most clubs only allow soft spikes on your golf shoes. It is the player's responsibility to be aware of and know the dress code policies of a club.

What about tipping while at the golf course? Again, first check with the club or course because there are some clubs that do not allow tipping. Most do. It is common to tip one to two dollars per bag upon arrival or leaving after your round, if you receive proper assistance with your bag or bags. The restaurant and the beverage cart are typically tipped on basic restaurant guidelines.

Once on the golf course there are some common rules that should be followed. The rules of golf state that there is no limit on how few clubs you can carry in your bag however you are limited to fourteen clubs in your golf bag. In a competitive situation you will be assessed extra strokes for this type of infraction.

Before going onto the golf course, you need to understand how to repair a divot in the fairway or rough. This is important to insure proper maintenance of the golf course. On the green you need to know how to properly repair a ball mark made on the putting green. If repaired properly the turf can repair itself in a few days. If the ball mark on the putting green is not repaired properly, it could take weeks for the turf to repair itself.

Before venturing out to the golf course, use these how-to and rules to make sure it is a great experience.

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Golf Exercise - Where Should You Concentrate Your Efforts?

You walk into your local health club. You look at all the fancy treadmills and intimidating machines at the facility to get you shape. What are you supposed to do? Should you run/walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes? Should you push out a couple sets of bench presses? The answer to your question really lies within the connection between your swing and your body.

With advances in modern technology, we now know better than ever what is required of the body to produce a proper golf swing. Armed with that information we can develop what the best exercises for your golf swing that are the best for you to improve your golf game and lower your handicap.

We know that the entire body must move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective golf swing. If your body is not able to move through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing, the golf swing will suffer. This will result in golf shots that are not at your target. Flexibility exercises are good for all golfers. More specifically, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used during the golf swing. This means that first and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of your list.

Balance exercises are also beneficial to the golf swing. Knowing the importance of balance in the golf swing, how can we train our body for better balance during our golf swing? A discussion with any top teaching professional will eventually lead to a discussion of balance. You must be balanced at address, the top of your golf swing, through impact and during your finish position. What is balance? Balance is the ability to control your body through a specific movement pattern or your golf swing. In relation to your body, balance has to do with the connection between your nerves and muscles. As a result of messages sent from your brain, your nervous system tells your muscles how to move to maintain the body's balance. The more efficient your nerves and muscles are to these messages, the greater balance abilities the body develops. Balance exercises train both the nervous system and muscular system to create a more efficient golf swing. There are many swing aids that will help you with your balance during your golf swing.

Of course, the muscles of your body move through a very specific range of motion and are utilized to keep your balance during your golf swing. Your body needs certain levels of strength and endurance to perform these actions. A good working definition of strength for us to use is the ability of the muscles to exert force for the given athletic action. Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the same activity over and over again for a specific amount of time. A weighted club such as The Golfgym Club 38 or The Golfgym Club 28 will help you build muscle as well as a repeatable swing.

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