Since most golfers don’t realize the importance of the rotator cuff area, they don’t do any conditioning to strengthen and help prevent injury. By using a golf fitness routine that includes strength and flexibility exercises, many problems with the rotator cuff can not only be improved but prevented as well. Increasing flexibility and strengthening these muscles, will help to increase power and control in your swing.

The rotator cuff is the area of the shoulder that is a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint. It is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus, the bone of the arm. Golf can result in what is known as a repetitive strain injury to the rotator cuff. Repeated movement of the shoulder causes it. The sheaths that cover the muscle tendons can swell and press on the nerves causing pain. Tendonitis, bursitis, and tears in the rotator cuff are common injuries for golfers.

To improve your power and control of your golf swing as well as prevent injury, it is a good idea to do regular stretches and exercises designed specifically for the rotator cuff.

This conditioning should be done on a regular basis both before play and in between rounds. It is especially important to warm up the rotator cuff area before exercise. This helps to increase blood flow to the deeper muscles and prepares them for activity.

One simple way to warm up is by holding the arms at should level. Do at least 20 circles with both arms. The next step should be stretching exercises to help reduce tension in these muscles. Three areas should be stretched: the back, the front and the under side of the rotator cuff. Once the stretches have been completed, exercises to strengthen these muscles should be performed. After exercise, golf practice or rounds, be sure to cool down these muscles with stretching.

By simply practicing a few stretches and exercises, you’ll not only help to prevent injuries, you’ll see a more powerful and controlled golf swing.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The golf swing is the essence of the golf game and therefore it would not be a bad idea to get even two golf training aids that are specific to your swing fault.

The golf training aid that I have found to be very effective is the weighted club. This is a very golf-specific golf training aid as you go through the exact same motions you do with an ordinary club but with more weight. This greatly helps in strengthening and conditioning all the relevant muscles.

The inside approach is another great golf training aid to help improve any golf swing. This particular device is extremely useful for slicers and helps deal with this problem fairly quickly.

Another golf training aid is exercise tubing, which is very affordable and yet very effective. The strength of this device is in its’ ability to break down the golf swing into as many different phases as you would like to focus on for the sake of improvements. It offers specific resistance training for each phase.

A stability ball is a golf training aid than any golfer with a bad back should have. There are almost countless different stretch exercises that you can with it. And what makes this golf training aid even more attractive is the fact that you can do your exercises in the office or at home when you have a moment.

A simple pair of dumbbells can be a golf training aid that is very useful to any golfer. They are usually very portable and there are many exercises that can be done with hand weights.

Use of a golf training aids all boils down to the golfer knowing exactly what they are doing when using it.

Related posts

• No related posts.

This also means that the avid golfer tends to constantly improve their game and handicap all the time.

This whole picture must seem like an impossible dream to the majority of amateur golfers struggling in courses across the country. Many have often left a game deeply humiliated and swore to themselves that they would never set foot on a golf course again. Sadly there are some who have kept to that vow they made to themselves.

In most cases their opponent was this avid golfer with a secret that has improved their game so much that there are able to easily run circles round an opponent, almost at will.

So what is this secret of most avid golfers?

It is simply preparing their bodies and the muscles in their body better for the game. Some of this preparation actually takes place in the comfort of the office or home.

These are specifically stretch exercises designed to improve on the golf swing and also helps to strengthen the back muscles for golf. Actually the truth of the matter is that a golfer who does not exercise will hardly stand a chance against an avid golfer who does.

Most avid golfers will do anything to improve their golf game, and it usually shows quite clearly in dramatic improvements on their game. Thus exercise and in particular golf-specific exercises do not frighten them.

Not that they should put terror into anybody. They are actually fairly easy to go through because they are being done by folks of all ages who are avid golfers.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Does golf back pain have something to do with the game or do most players bring back pains acquired elsewhere into the game?

While it is true that there are golfers who started having back pains and related problems long before they set foot on the course, there is clear evidence that golf does cause back pain, especially to those who do not exercise and condition their bodies for the game.

One reason is that many of the golf back pains are aggravated by playing the game for long periods.

So why do many golfers continue to suffer in silence and yet simple golf specific exercises can permanently cure a golf back pain for good? The following effective, but simple exercise has helped many golfers gain more endurance to play golf the whole day without experiencing the usual nagging lower back problems that are extremely common on the course.

This golf back pain exercise also does an excellent job in adding endurance and strength to the muscles and usually makes such a tremendous difference in your strength that you have to try it to believe and experience the impact for yourself.

This exercise that cures golf back pain is done by lying flat on the floor on your stomach with your hands at your sides. You then raise your chest and upper body as well as arms and legs as high as you can. You do this so that your stomach supports the weight of your entire body. Hold the position and go for a count of 10. Doing this simple exercise for 2 sets daily will completely eliminate your low back pain for good.

Keeping yourself golf fit by getting involved in a good golf specific exercise program will keep any golfer free from golf back pain.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The surface intent is that, as you apply the ideas, your golf and your enjoyment of the game will grow. However there is also an underlying motive: as you are able to see gains on the course, you’ll then be moved to alter your approach to life as well.

Today’s Topic: You Already Know

The fundamental objective of Eastern spiritualism is “enlightenment,” a complex idea, sometimes referred to as “waking up,” or “recovering from” the illusion.

The illusion —again simplifying — is the illusion of separation, of being something or someone distinct from, separate from, everything else that we see and experience. Remember, Easterners see reality as being one universal entity out of which everything emerges.

We are born into the illusion, and the search is to recover what we always knew: our true nature as an integral part of the universal consciousness. We already knew it… we’re trying to remember!

So… how does that relate to golf?

I would maintain that in a very similar way we already know what we need to know about golf. We simply forget… or we refuse to acknowledge the facts that are there, right in front of us.

How can I say that? How can I suggest that a 20-handicapper knows? Isn’t golf this terribly difficult and subtle game? Isn’t it beyond most of us… at least beyond our ability to excel?

That would certainly seem to be the case. Statistics — year after year — show that 90% of us have handicaps over 10, and a whopping 60% are over 18. The numbers don’t lie… clearly we don’t know. Or is really that we don’t remember? That we don’t act on what we know?

I maintain the latter, and here’s why…

Golf is not a hand-eye coordination game. Games where the ball and/or the player are moving — tennis, baseball, ping-pong, etc. — are hand-eye games. Golf, on the other hand, is a repetition game: the ability to repeat a specific motion, reliably and under pressure.

Said even more strongly, golf is not a skill game. After all, it doesn’t take any great skill to hold the club correctly, to stand up to the ball with correct posture and alignment. All it takes is paying attention, paying attention to what we already know (as anyone who has played for any time at all has read or been told the basic fundamentals). Further, if we know how to hold the club and stand up to the ball, is it a difficult and illusive task to move smoothly to the top-of-the-backswing position? Given that one doesn’t have a physical handicap of some type, the answer is obviously a resounding “no.” It’s inescapable… we must obviously choose not to do so.

Here’s the most obvious example. We all know that balance is part of the game; that being able to swing to a balanced finish position on our front (leading) leg is a fundamental. If we open our eyes at all, we see that every skilled player — 100% — does that every single swing.

But go to any golf course or driving range and watch. True to the single-digit statistic quoted above, you’ll see that 90% of us don’t hold a balanced finish, and most of us are falling backwards. How do we expect to move the ball forward when we’re falling back?

The conclusions are inescapable: the fundamentals of golf are right in front of us; the skills required are well within most or all of us. We know, but we don’t do. We forget to remember! Worse, we choose to forget.

If true —and it is — it begs a simple question:

Why?

For more information, check our podcasts, found at www.golfingzen.blogspot.com.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The surface intent is that, as you apply the ideas, your golf and your enjoyment of the game will grow. However there is also an underlying motive: as you are able to see gains on the course, you’ll then be moved to alter your approach to life as well.

Today’s Topic: The Fundamental Truth

In these articles, I’ll be simplifying as we talk about the Eastern philosophies, and this topic title is a good example. Buddhism actually opens its doors with The Four Noble Truths.

The first of those is that our experience is marked by suffering. Living means to suffer. The Eastern term is “dukka.”

The second shows the source of dukka to be desire, and the third shows how we can eliminate suffering; if it is desire that leads to suffering, then the obvious solution is to stop desiring. Obvious, sure, but we would agree it isn’t easy.

This doesn’t mean we stop living, that we give up work, play, relationships, learning and growth, or even that we forsake goals. It does mean we stop agonizing about it all. Some things we’ll never have. I won’t be the next Senator from Pennsylvania, and I’m not going to make the PGA tour. That’s obvious enough, but most of us continue to hunger after things that are permanently outside our grasp, without admitting it to ourselves.

Or, there are goals that we can eventually reach but that we don’t have this minute. I’d like to have a retirement home in Asheville, North Carolina. But I don’t, today, and if I obsess about it I can easily lose sight of the pleasures of my current life. It’s a fundamental: hungering after something not yet here contaminates our today.

So, the fundamental truth we’re talking about is this. Whatever we have today is everything we need – today.

The last of the Noble Truths lays out how to let go of desire: by following the Eightfold Path (understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration). But the Path a big subject and is for the future; I’ll certainly do a piece on each of those steps along the Path in future articles.

For now, the connection to golf is obvious to any of us that have suffered on the course. And who of us hasn’t suffered? Ever throw a club? Dress yourself down — either out loud or within your mind?

Beyond the momentary outbursts, is your enjoyment of the game in general contaminated by not being good enough? Are you reluctant to play with people that are better? Do you despair about lack of improvement? Do you think about giving up?

The First Noble Truth within Buddhism is equally true on the golf course; our golfing dukka comes from our excessive desire, from our grasping after success. And here’s the real secret… that comes from playing golf in an ego-driven state. If we’re playing to re-enforce our own ego — either to others or to ourselves — then we’re going to struggle.

The answer lies in a simple (granted, difficult) idea: we are, today, only what we are today; our swing is what it is; our mental game is what it is. Therefore — we’re perfect — today. We can let our self focus on the beauty of the walk in the park, on the companionship of friends. We can be alert, we can pay attention, we can be mindful of everything we see and experience, we can allow our game to be what it is, and we can trust that we’re on a path that will take us to higher levels as we continue move along. And that’s true!

I’ll be giving you lots of ‘tips’ or ‘thought exercises’ as we move through these articles, and here’s one that applies to this subject. You can reduce your grasping (and thereby, your golf-course dukka) by detaching for the outcome. Laird Small, the head pro at Pebble Beach, calls it “NATO: Not Attached To Outcome.”

Here’s one way of doing that. Your golf-course job is to swing the club in a graceful, rhythmic, and balanced way. The Golf God’s job is to move the ball to a new point, for your next test. Your job is only to be mindful of how well you perform your task and to then get out of the way and let the Golf God do his. Try that, next time out.

Next Time: You Already Know.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The superficial intent (or benefit) is that, as you apply these ideas, your golf and your enjoyment of the game will grow. However, the underlying motive is, as you are able to see gains on the course, you’ll be moved to alter your approach to life as well.

Today’s Topic: ‘West’ versus ‘East’

Before we can dig into the details, we need to start with an over-view of how Eastern and Western thought differs, in the most fundamental of ways.

We Westerners are trained from birth to use our logical, analytical, conscious mind — our ‘three pounds of meat.’ From our earliest age we learn to name, to sort out, to categorize. We may not grow up to be scientists, but we learn to think according to the scientific method, and we worship at the feet of the great thinkers: Einstein; Newton; Steven Hawkings. In a very fundamental way, we learn to distinguish — to separate out —ourselves, our people, our places and things, and our beliefs… from everything else that is ‘out there.’

Eastern thought is the polar opposite. They attempt to quiet their active chattering mind, so that their inner subconscious can emerge. Through that practice, they come to see and believe in an underlying (and conscious) universal Whole, of which they are only a part. From that different perspective, life changes in very fundamental ways. One small example: The only logical approach to conducting my life is to focus on optimizing the whole of things. Since I’m not separate from the whole, if there is really only one person in the room, then how can I ever capture things for myself, at the expense of others?

How does this apply to golf?

The Western idea is that golf is a competition, both with the opponent and also with one’s self. The basic idea is to win, to defeat that other guy. As such, we practice, we study, we try (hard). At a very deep level, we play to re-enforce our ego, our sense of worth, to others and — most importantly — to ourselves. If we don’t play well, then we aren’t worth much.

Here again, the Eastern idea is the polar opposite. Winning and losing doesn’t make any sense (if there is only one person in the room) and the Easterner knows that he can’t force anything to happen through his own will. He knows that everything happens through the Whole, and so his approach to golf is to use it as a means of connecting with the Whole, to let the Whole move the ball through him. He allows his golf to happen, he doesn’t demand that it happen.

Next Time: You can’t aim, if you don’t have a target.

Related posts

• No related posts.

It seems that there are a whole bunch of golfers who just cannot help themselves from passing on their own personal favorite golf tips when they see a fellow golfer struggling.

For one friend of mine this got so bad that he actually refused to play with a particular golfer who always passed on golf tips whenever they played together.

The problem with the golf tip is that it only affects one small part of your swing. And the golf swing is a very complex series of movements that have to be carried out precisely, in a correct sequence and at a given speed. If the golf tip you are given upsets that sequence or throws another part of your swing out of its normal place it can have a disasterous effect on your shot.

The reason why I like Mind-Movies is that they string together, in the correct sequence, all the different positions and moves of a good swing. A good golf Mind-Movie is in effect a whole series of golf tips correctly strung togther.

What I am saying here is that any single golf tip can damage your swing no matter how good that tip may be. Any golf tip you are given may be a perfectly correct part of a good golf swing but if that golf tip does not fit in with the rest of your swing it can spell disaster.

Smart golfers learn to visualize all the different bodily positions in their golf swing. They then groove those pictures into their mind in the form of Mind-Movies. These Mind-Movies show them exactly what they have to do in order to swing the club in a way which consistently produces long and accurate shots. Then, when they’re ready to play, all they do is run their Mind-Movie and let the movie send precise what-to-do instructions to the different parts of their body.

The trick with Mind-Movies is to build them correctly and then groove them into your mind so that you can see them whenever you need them. Then, if someone offers you a golf tip you can check it out against the pictures in your mind before deciding whether it will be likely to improve your swing.

It took me a lot of time and a lot of trial-and-error to learn to do program my Mind-Movies correctly. But once I’d mastered the art it had a magical effect on my game. In my e-book The Golf Mind Movies Power Pack I describe in detail how to install a golf Mind-Movie which will quickly get you playing more consistent golf.

If a golfer you know is suddenly hitting the ball further and straighter it is probably not because of some simple golf tip or because they have purchased the latest big, big, great big enromous driver or a new set of irons; it is far more likely that they have pieced together a whole set of golf tips into an effective golf Mind-Movie that works for them.

Related posts

• No related posts.

It is said that “What you don’t know can’t hurt you”. In golf, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Let’s take a look at a few things the average golfer probably doesn’t know about and how these things are probably costing you strokes.

Practice makes perfect… Not!

Practice only makes perfect if you are reinforcing proper swing techniques. For most golfers, a practice session consists of ripping through a bucket of balls on their lunch break or on the way home from work. A trip to the range will not help you unless you are going to spend the time to “work” on your swing, and not just reinforce those bad habits you’ve already developed. Use the following suggestions to help you turn that grip it and rip it pit stop at the range into a true practice session.

1. Only bring one club to the range with you at a time.

2. Hit a small bucket of balls and take your time with each swing.

3. Slow down your swing and try to hit the ball straight, not far.

Go ahead, blame your clubs!

There’s a good chance that your clubs could be at fault for all those miss hits, even if they are brand new and cost you over $2000. The problem is, if they don’t fit you and your swing, then even when you make that perfect swing the ball isn’t going to end up where you wanted it to be. Club length, shaft flex, lie angle, and grip size will each greatly affect your golf game if they are not properly fitted to you. Get custom fitted for clubs and see what the difference is compared to what you have now. You could be losing a lot of strokes because of them.

Get some balls!

But don’t get just any golf balls. And that doesn’t mean that you should run out and buy the most expensive ball on the market. You need to get the right kind of ball for your game. Do you need extra distance? How about stopping power? Or soft feel? With so many different types of balls on the market today it makes it difficult to find a ball that suits your game. Here are a few tips on what different caliber golfers should look for in a ball.

1. Beginner – Distance, Durability, $

2. Intermediate – Higher Spin, Softer Feel, $$

3. Advanced – Tour Quality, Distance, Spin, Feel, $$$

There are a lot of little things that go into making a great golfer. Having a great swing helps, but that is the hardest part to get right. The easiest way to cut strokes is to learn about golf club fitting, ball selection, and practice routines and how they can improve your game. You’ll be surprised by the results.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Have you ever taken a really close look at a golf ball? They have different feels, different densities and different spins resulting in a different action, depending on how you play the game. To get the best out of your game and your golf ball, you need to match each section of the golf ball with your level of skill and style,

First off, you need to chose the correct golf ball compression. The compression is the measurement of how tightly wound the ball is. Depending on your swing speed, depends on how the compression comes into play. If you’re swing speed is quite slow, then you will want a lower compression. Therefore, the faster the speed, the higher the golf ball compression that you will need.

In total, the compression ratings are broken down into three seperate groups.

The first group is the 80 compression golf balls. They tend to be the softest and produce what essentially results in a sling shot effect when they are hit. They fly farther after being hit but they are much hard to control and hit accurately. They are the most popular type of golf ball amongst women, senior and junior players for their distance alone.

The next group is the 90 compression rating golf balls. Due to their middle of the road standing, soft enough to provide good distance on a slower swing but hard enough to provide a good degree of control, these are a good match for most male players in a golf ball comparison. They also prove to be a great choice for the more advanced female players.

The final group is the 100 compression rating golf balls. Fast swing speeds are needed for top performance due to these being the hardest balls. These type of balls are most popular amongest the low handicap and scratch players due to the faster swing speeds and the higher level of control.

Of course the only real way for you to know which is the best fit golf ball compression for your game is to do your own golf ball comparison. So, why not take a few of each of the golf ball compressions out to the driving range and find out which ones work best for you.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Why move your head as you take the club back? You want to move your head because in order to swing in a circular motion you need an axis to swing around. An axis has a top and a bottom. When you set up to the golf ball, you have 1 top to an axis (your head) and 2 bottoms (your legs and feet) to an axis. This means that on the way back your head should be moving 3 – 5 inches to the right in order to create your first axis to swing around. Your head will stay there as you come down and fall even further back through impact. Then, after the ball has been hit, your head will move forward over top of the left leg to create a second axis. This second axis will allow you to complete the circular rotation in your golf swing allowing you to finish your swing. So what you have is a floating top to an axis. Your head floats back and forth to create 2 axis when you swing. This allows you to swing in a circular motion. It’s not a perfect circle though. It’s a slight oval. Because your swing is a slight oval, you will never hit the ball 100% perfect.

The only time you would keep your head still is if you had one leg. If you had one leg, you would have 1 top and 1 bottom to an axis. This means that if you moved your head you would destroy this axis. So maybe we should all be playing standing on one leg and keeping our head still? Unfortunately, this will never work because you will not generate enough power and you will probably fall over. Most people have enough trouble keeping their balance with 2 legs never mind 1 so it’s best that you keep both legs on the ground and learn to move your head.

Most people I teach try to move their head back when I tell them to but they have a hard time actually doing it because it feels so uncomfortable for them to move their head. To get the proper feeling, you must feel like your head is moving about 1 foot to the right. If you feel like your head is moving 1 foot to the right on the way back, it will actually only move a few inches. Try swinging regularly towards a mirror. As you watch yourself swing, you can clearly see if your head is moving back 3-5 inches. As your head moves back, feel how your weight loads into the right leg. This is the tell tale sign that you have created your first axis in the backswing. If you don’t have a loaded, powerful feeling in your right leg, you will have to move your head a little more as you go back. If you are wearing a hat when you play golf just take your backswing and look to see if the brim of the hat is level to the ground not tilted to the left. If the brim of the hat is level to the ground at the top of your backswing your head will have moved the proper amount. As a final check just ask a friend to watch your head to see if it moves back a few inches or use a video camera to see for yourself. If your head is too still then constantly remind yourself to move it back or have someone constantly remind you to “move your head”.

As you move your head back, beware that it may cause you to hit behind the ball a little. This is a good sign at first. It’s telling you that you are moving your head back but you have too much weight on your right foot at impact. To remedy hitting behind the ball (fat shots), all you have to do is feel a little more weight shift off of your right foot through impact. If you do, you will hit the ball perfectly and with much more power than you are used to.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Golf is one of the most popular pastimes and owes much of its appeal to the fact that you can play the game from a very young age until the point when you can no longer swing the club. The handicapping system, minimizing advantages and enabling players of different ability levels to play competitively together, means that trying to find that extra edge is all the more important if you are to come out on top. Even when bad weather, darkness or old age halts play, there are literally thousands of videos, DVDs, books and golf related gifts to amuse occupy and motivate your non-playing hours and keep the dream alive.

To maximize time on the course, there is a lot of advantage in shopping online from the comfort of your home or during breaks at work, not only will you be able to save money on golf equipment, but you will also be able to benefit from delivery to a designated location; ideal if you want to send a gift. You can choose from specialist golf clubs, all types of golfing paraphernalia and a broad range of gift ideas, and the great thing is that you have a really wide range of options to review and the prices are generally much lower than via retail outlets.

Here are few tips to shop online.

• Shop with Golf Card
• Consider buying Golf clone equipment
• Use coupons websites to search for Golf coupons and Savings
• Use variety of keywords for searching such as “discount golf”, “golf savings”,” golf coupons”

So, rather than just fantasizing about the great improvements that you could make to your golf game, take the plunge and go online, to save money on golf equipment. You will discover a whole world of possibilities and maximize your spending money in the process. You may not end up challenging Tiger Woods for the Green Jacket, but at least you can continue to fuel the dream!

No tags for this post.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Some have legs that fold out when they are placed on the ground and stand upright so the golfer doesn’t have to bend down and pick it up. That’s a nice feature in golf bags, especially if the golfer tends to walk the course, as many do. There is plenty of bending to be done when a golfer is trying to remove an obstacle from around his or her ball, or to get the ball out of the cup, so any way to avoid bending over is more than appreciated.

All golf bags have compartments where the golf clubs are to be placed. Each golfer has his or her own way of doing this and putting clubs where he or she wants them. Some golfers, though, are lazy and just stick their clubs in the compartments, grabbing whichever one they want when a particular club is needed. But, some golf bags have tubes to protect the club grips. These are nice to have. With the tubes, a golfer can get his or her clubs out easier. The clubs are never tangled up, and the grips last a lot longer.

Another important factor in choosing a golf bag is the number of pockets it has. Frankly, there’s no such thing as too many pockets in a golf bag. First, one of the pockets will be used to hold the golf bag’s hood. The hood is used to keep the clubs and bag from getting drenched when it rains. Another pocket will be used to keep extra towels (believe it or not, extra towels are important in the summer to keep the sweat off the brow and out of the eyes, along with keeping the hands relatively dry. Then, there is the pocket used for keeping the extra golf tees and possibly the divot tool. Finally, a pocket is needed for the golf balls themselves, and it doesn’t hurt to have a pocket to carry another dozen balls in, just in case.

Some courses are so difficult it is easy to lose a lot of balls during 18-holes of play. This makes having an extra box of balls around a good thing, but there has to be somewhere in the golf bag to keep them, which means another pocket.

Imagine trying to play golf without a bag. The golfer would be constantly stooping over picking up clubs, tees, balls, towels and the divot tool. Then he or she would have to walk to the ball, drop all of the clubs and stuff, select a club, hit the ball, and start the process all over again. It would be a major pain in the neck, and would make it nearly impossible to finish playing a round of golf. So, golf bags are an essential part of the game of golf.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The objective of the game of golf is that one should be able to complete a hole by means of hitting a ball from a teeing ground and place it inside the hole of the putting green in as little strokes as possible. What is commonly referred to as a round of golf usually consists of 18 holes to be played in.

In golf, there are basically two kinds of play to choose from. The winner in one kind of play is determined by the holes that are lost and won, this is referred to as a match play.

The other kind of play is determined by the number of strokes one has taken to complete a round. This is called a stroke play.

When playing golf, there are basically two relevant rules to remember: as you find the course, go play it. As the ball lies, it should also be played as such.

If you find it hard to follow the above rule, at least try your very best to do what is fair. How do you know what is fair? Below are the summarized rules to give you a good idea of how to play a good and just game of golf.

The Intro: Basic golf courtesy

Avoid moving, talking or standing too close to a golfer who is about to make a stroke.

Play with a minimum amount of delay. As soon as the players in the group that you are in have left, it is just as best that you do the same.

Try your best not to play until the group is already out of the way.

As much as possible, try to replace the divots. Also, do not forget to smooth any footprints found in the bunkers.

It is highly inadvisable to drop your clubs on the putting green, so don’t!

The Rules of Playing

Before playing that all important round of golf, the first thing you should do is to read the local rules stated on the score card you are holding. After which do not forget to place an identifying mark on the ball you are going to use. Some golfers use the same type and brand of golf ball, if in case your ball is placed among these bunch, you will have difficulty knowing which is which.

Label which ball is yours is more practical to do.

Make sure that you get to count your clubs before actual play. You should have a maximum of fourteen clubs.

When starting actual play, it is best that you tee off in front of the tee markers.

When you tee off a little bit off or outside this specified area and you are playing a match play, your opponent may have to ask you to repeat the stroke you just did. The good thing when one does this in a match play, you get to incur no penalty.

However, if in a stroke play, you then are given a penalty of two-stroke. You are therefore required to play in the appropriate area.

If while you are playing and your ball happens to lie in a bunker or a water hazard, you should not in any way touch the ground of the bunker or the water before you do your downswing.

The ball must as much as possible be struck fairly and should neither be spooned or pushed.

It is okay for you to mark the ball that you are using. You could lift your ball, clean it and place it on the exact place where it was.

When dropping a ball, it is best that you erectly stand and then hold the ball at the length of your shoulder, and then you may drop it. If by dropping the ball it happens to strike your partner, you or your caddie, the ball must then be dropped again with no penalty.

It is also okay for you to lift your ball if by doing so you are able to assist another player. Or you also may lift any other ball as long as that ball interferes with your playing or interferes another player.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Hitting into the rough is the most common problem a golfer faces. Even golfing legends like Trevino and Jacklin find themselves in the rough more often than they’d like. But by making a few adjustments you can get yourself out of trouble and back onto the fairway without costing yourself strokes.

When a recreational golfer finds himself in the rough, he often lets the situation intimidate him. Instead of assessing the lie, like many golf instruction manuals suggest, he grabs a club and slashes away, hitting into the rough again or into more trouble. By the time he finishes, he’s hacked out an 8 on the scorecard.

Hitting from the rough—whether heavy and thick or light and fluffy—trips up many golfers—even those who’ve taken golf lessons. But learning how to can get out of the rough doesn’t take a lot of instruction. It just takes a bit of discretion and knowing what adjustments to make.

Thick Rough

Hitting into the thick rough is the more common scenario. The problem is the thickness of the grass. It grabs the hosel of your club and closes the clubface at impact, causing you to pull the ball left (for right handers). The grass also reduces club head speed and takes backspin off the ball. Heavy clumps of grass require almost brute force to get out of.

Choosing the right club is crucial, as most golf tips point out. You need a club with a sharp leading edge, like the shorter irons. The edge cuts through the thick grass, giving the best chance of catching the ball squarely. Try a lofted wood (5,7,9) or lofted iron (9 iron, pitching wedge). The loft gets you airborne quicker. If the ball is buried, try the 6 iron. And don’t try to hit a big hook or big slice. The deeper, thicker grass makes the ball go straight.

Ball position is also crucial: Too far forward means there’s too much grass to get through. Too far back means there’s not enough loft to get the ball airborne. Position the ball left of center (for right handers) with the longer clubs, and right of center with the shorter clubs.

In addition, do the following:

• Take a steeper angle of attack

• Keep your hands ahead of the club.

• Lean your weight forward

• Take a normal stance

• Aim your body slightly left

• Open your clubface

• Take a divot after the ball

Two other adjustments: set your wrists a fraction earlier than normal during takeaway and center your weight over the ball at the top of your back swing.

Light Fluffy Rough

Hitting from a light fluffy lie requires different adjustments, but it’s no less challenging. Like the thick rough, the real culprit is the grass.

With fluffy grass the ball sits up high, almost as if it were on a tee, so don’t take your normal swing. You need to avoid undercutting the ball, which prevents solid contact. Instead, try sweeping it off the “tee,” with the blade of your club barely touching the tips of the grass.

In addition, do the following:

• Choke down on the club

• Play the ball father forward

• Hover the club at address

• Restrict your back swing

• End with a balanced finish

Move your hands about an inch (2.5 cm) down the grip and position the ball farther forward in your stance, which encourages more of a sweeping motion through the swing.

Hovering the club permits you to catch the ball flush and guards against the ball moving at address. Choking down on the club restricts your backswing, but also hinge your wrists just a little earlier in your takeaway. Also, stop the club short of the horizontal position at the top of the backswing. Try to end with a balanced finish.

Hitting into the rough—whether it’s deep and thick or light and fluffy—doesn’t have to intimidate you. Just gather yourself and make the right adjustments and you’ll overcome the challenge. Also, stay within yourself. Don’t try to do too much. If the rough looks really challenging, punch it out onto the fairway.

The idea is to put yourself in position to hit the next shot, not cost yourself more strokes by hacking away. You may not land on the green with your next swing, but like Trevino and Jacklin, you might just hit a shot that leads to a surprising finish—and maybe a lower handicap.

Related posts

• No related posts.

You can take a golf adventure to all sorts of locations depending wants and desires. For example, you can choose to golf in a course located near or in a major city, taking in museums or theatres when not golfing or you might choose to visit a golf course in an area of rugged natural beauty such as the mountains. While there, you might take a day to fish instead of golf. Whatever your needs, you can find all types of different golfing packages to meet your needs.

Are you going to take your own golf clubs with you when you travel on your golfing adventure? You probably would prefer to use them rather than the clubs that can be rented at the course to which you are traveling. If you choose to take them with you, you will need to think about the arrangements a bit. For instance, do you have a really high quality golf club bag which will protect those expensive golf clubs. If not, you’d better get one. You won’t be able to carry your clubs on if you are flying, so you’ll need a bag that can take airport luggage handling and still protect your clubs. So get a good one.

When picking a destination for a golf adventure, pick the course you wish to play on first, and then find out about lodging at hotels, resorts, or stay and play package plans. Make sure the tee times that are set for you when choosing a stay and play package are going to work for you. People who are staying at a golf course’s own resort generally get first serve when choosing tee times. If it’s really important to you to get the tee time you desire, it may be worth it to you to stay at the resort instead of a less expensive hotel. Either way, you are sure to find refreshment and restoration when going on you golfing adventure.

Related posts

• No related posts.

People who have never played the real game will easily get the hang of it by just watching how others swing and putt the ball into the hole.

Here are some tips when playing:

1. One should read the rules and regulations posted outside before playing the game. There are certain rules there, which are being implemented for the safety of the players and other people who frequent that place.

2. There is a certain dress code when playing this game. It is advisable to wear some lose clothing which will make that person feel relaxed and a cap if the weather is hot.

3. Whenever someone is taking a shot, one should not create any sounds or disrupt the player as a sign of courtesy to that person.

4. Just like in real golf, people take turns when playing in one hole. Should that person do well in a certain hole, that person has the right to tee off again in the next hole.

5. After one has putted, it is best to retrieve the ball away from where the person will putt since this is considered as impolite to the other player.

6. Lastly, play the game honestly.

Playing miniature golf with friends or family is just one of the many forms of relaxation people can do these days. It is a time for bonding and a great escape from the pressures of the city. If that person wants to get serious in this game, one can practice more often and join some miniature golf competitions and even win a prize. Such facilities can be found on the web or by checking the local directory.

Miniature golf facilities are not just for people who are normal but are also for people with disabilities. The law requires such places to make at least half the number of holes accessible to these individuals. Failure to do so will require the owners of the establishment to redesign the layout in compliance with the requirements of such recreational facilities.

This activity is very affordable and it doesn’t really matter if one wins or loses. It is all about having fun which everyone can enjoy even if one is young or old and able or disabled.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Gas powered golf carts simply run on gas. Diesel gas or standard unleaded gas powered golf carts are available. One negative aspect against the gas powered golf carts is that you might need to carry around a can of gas with you incase your engine runs out. If this were to happen, you would simply refill the golf cart with gas and then be on your way. However, if you did not have an extra can of gas with you, you might find yourself stranded where you ran out. Used golf carts that run on gas can be to your advantage. Sure running out of gas is not something you want to happen. However, it is much easier to refill and get going again if you have a spare gas can with you.

Contrary to the gas powered golf cart, the used electric golf cart has a major setback if you run out juice. If you are driving up the fairway and find the electric golf cart no longer able to drive, you also find yourself in a major dilemma. Where in the world can you plug into to get a recharge? I’m not aware of too many golf courses that have convenience outlets placed throughout the course.

Used electric golf carts are much more environment friendly than used gas powered golf carts. Electric does not emit any pollution that you may find coming from a gas powered golf cart. An electric powered cart also runs much quieter than a gas powered cart.

These are just a few pros and cons of buying used golf carts, either electric or gas powered. Much more information regarding used golf carts and golf carts in general can be found at http://www.golfcarts.ez-search.us

Related posts

• No related posts.

First of all, let’s keep something in mind. My goal here isn’t to bring you down to earth or to try and stifle your dream of playing exceptional golf. However, the odds of a certain golf instruction program suddenly transforming your game from part-time amateur to a full-time golf virtuoso is somewhere between slim and none.

There are many programs and aids available that can help you improve your game in one form or another, but nothing is a substitute for good old-fashioned practice, whether that be on the course, at the driving range, or simply in your backyard. Anywhere where you can be free to make mistakes and learn from them is a good place to practice, and eventually, your game will thank you for it.

I would liken it to learning to play a musical instrument. If you’ve ever learned how to play piano, guitar, violin or another instrument, you’d know that even though you might have had a stellar teacher, failure to practice on a consistent basis means the lessons you’re being taught will be completely meaningless. The same can be said for golf instruction. You can spend hundreds of dollars on professional golf instruction or $47 for an e-book and DVD set, but without the proper amount of practice, you will not improve your game. Period. That said, here are some things to look at when researching the latest golf instruction products & tutorials:

1. What ails your game the most?

What is it about your game that you think is the most lacking? I’m sure you can think of one thing you’re consistently doing wrong on the course, whether it be slicing the golf ball, or not getting enough power on your drives, etc. Jot down one or two of these problems that you’d like solved and look for specific products to help those elements of your game the most. And since many problems in golf tend to stem from one underlying issue, odds are you will correct a number of parts to your game just by implementing a strategy or unlearning a bad habit that you might have unknowingly picked up on.

2. What credentials does the author/manufacturer have?

Does the author of that book teach amateur golfers on a regular basis? How have his students done? Do a Google search for his or her name and try to track down some of the individuals that they’ve tutored. People are always willing to give out reviews & opinions, and the golf world is no different. If the instructor has experience or connections with some of the PGA professionals or has a successful track record teaching amateurs, then its likely that you’ve found someone you can trust.

3. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

If their product is worth checking out, the author or instructor will always be readily available to answer any questions you might have about the product before you make a purchase. Never hesitate asking questions directly to the source up front before making your decision.

Taking the time to thoroughly research the web before purchasing a golf instruction tutorial or aid will save yourself a great deal of frustration and should help your golf game moving back in the right direction.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Specifically though, let’s focus on the wedges. Knowing which wedge to hit in different situations is really the best way to drop shots because if you have the right club selected, it makes it so much easier to pull the intended shot off. While learning to hit a wedge is not difficult, hitting one with confidence comes in handy, especially 40 yards of so from the green. Golfers face this situation two or three times a round, maybe more. Hitting a good shot from 40 yards out often leaves you with just a short putt, as I emphasize in my golf lessons, so you want to hit the shot well.

The most critical decision with the 40-yard pitch shot is which wedge to use—the pitching, the sand, or the lob. These clubs are easy to hit to the green, but landing on the green is one thing and getting the ball to do what you want after it lands is another. Let’s look at three typical 40-yard situations and the type of wedge shots each requires.

Lob Wedge

In first situation the pin’s up front and there’s little green to work with. Here, you need a high-flying shot with little run—a shot you can easily learn to hit with a some practice. The lob wedge is the club of choice for getting the ball in the air, so it’s recommended in this situation. (If you’re on the fairway with a tight lie, however, you might want to try one of the other wedges.) The lob wedge has from 58 to 60 degrees of loft, so there’s no need to open the clubface. Just square the face to the target and swing. Since the ball will fly high and come to rest softly, you need to be careful about where you land the ball.

Sand Wedge

In the second situation the hole is in the middle of the green, so you have some green to work with. The sand wedge is the club of choice in this situation whether you’re on the fairway or in the rough. The sand wedge enables you to customize your shot more easily than either the lob or the pitching wedges. You can learn to alter the roll and the trajectory with very little golf instruction. I personally like the sand wedge as my “go-to” club.

If you want a shot with less carry and more roll, square the clubface to the target. If you want a shot with slightly more roll than loft, then close the clubface slightly. If you want to hit the ball higher, just open the clubface more, in which case the shot will resemble a shot from a lob or a pitching wedge. Also, keep in mind that with an open clubface, the shot tends to go right.

Pitching Wedge

In the third situation the pin is back and there’s plenty of room for the ball to roll. The pitching wedge is the club of choice if you’re on the fairway or in some light rough. (If you’re in heavy rough, try one of the other wedges.) Keep in mind that the ball will run lower and hotter, even if you open the clubface a little, so don’t swing as hard as you might with another iron. It’s a mistake I see a lot of when giving golf lessons. The ball is also going to roll more than with the other wedges, so get a good reading on the green, just as if you were going to putt the ball. More often than not you will get closer to the pin with this type of shot than a high-lofted shot.

The mechanics of a wedge shot are easy to learn. The key is choosing the right club at the right time, and making slight adjustments in your shot. That’s something that only experience can teach. At the same time it’s important to practice these three shots as much as you can, so you can master the technique of each shot, develop control of it, and build self-confidence in your ability to execute them. That, in turn, will make shots easier to make.

The wedge is as important the driver or the putter when it comes to minimizing scores. Wedge shots from 40-yeards out may not have the drama of sinking a 30-foot birdie putt or powering a 300-yard drive down the middle of the fairway, but over the course of a round, they’ll save you as many as five strokes or more from your scores. And that result is bound to lower your golf handicap.

Related posts

• No related posts.

These are tips on improving golf swing that you can use every single time you are out, whether you are playing nine, eighteen or are just brushing up on the driving range.

The first tip for improving golf swing is to LOOK. When you are golfing with friends or colleagues, make a note of the most successful golfer and observe carefully when he or she swings. Watch for body position, stance, how high they lift the club and the motion used when they swing the club. Then think about your own swing. What are they doing that you are not doing? If you can figure this out for yourself, there is no shame in asking your talented golfer friends to watch you and offer their advice for improving golf swing.

It may also be beneficial to practice your own swing in a mirror or to videotape yourself so you can actually see the differences between what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing. Forming bad habits early will lead to bad habits for the long term, unless you deliberately work to change them.

Purchasing a video tape on improving golf swing may also help your game, because it will allow you to observe the techniques and positions used by the best in the game, and it will teach you exactly how to replicate them yourself. Watching golf on TV can also help in this manner as well.

Above all, improving golf swing takes practice and lots of it. Once you have mastered the appropriate techniques and pointers on how to improve your swing, you need to put those techniques to work. Practice until you have unlearned your bad habits and learned the right way to swing. Practice as often as you can until your best swing has become second nature. You can never practice too much!

Related posts

• No related posts.

Thankfully, the most common type of handicap is the honest handicap. This is a handicap that is determined by using a standard and accepted formula as defined by the governing golf body in a particular country. The golfer who carries an honest handicap is conscientious about keeping accurate scores, adhering to the accepted rules of golf and of considering all rounds played when applying the handicap formula.

The golfer who can be considered to be carrying a sandbagger handicap goes out of his way to make sure that his “official” handicap is somewhat higher than what it should be. The reason for doing this is pretty obvious. When competing in Net Score competitions (often involving money or prizes) he can have a distinct advantage.

A proper handicap, as mentioned above, must be based on all rounds played – good or bad. One “not so subtle” way to achieve the status of an elite sandbagger is to conveniently forget to enter good rounds but to be diligent to the extreme when it comes to entering bad rounds. If the golfer is “on a roll” with nothing but good rounds being shot, it may be necessary to make the supreme sacrifice and actually purposely play a bad round. “Gee, I just couldn’t hit a fairway today!”

The third type of golfer is the one who carries a Hollywood handicap. This type of player is extremely interesting. This golfer has his heart in the right place – he takes the game seriously and desperately wants to improve and, perhaps more importantly, to be recognized as an accomplished player by his friends and peers. For the typical Hollywood handicap player, the handicap is everything. He would rather carry a low handicap and lose money than carry an inflated handicap and win money. A rare, but interesting breed!

To make my point, you should understand that the first step in computing a handicap using the standard USGA formula is to convert the Gross Score to what is called the Adjusted Gross Score (AGS). The AGS is equal to or lower than the gross score with an adjustment made by reducing unusually high hole scores. For example, in the US a typical bogey golfer (with a handicap between 10 and 19) cannot take more than a 7 on any hole.

OK, so you should now understand the difference between the Gross Score and the Adjusted Gross Score. Well, for the Hollywood handicap golfer, there is no difference. In fact, the concept of a gross score becomes obsolete. If the player happens to balloon to a triple bogey or worse on a par 5, he will typically say “just put me down for a double”, knowing that anything higher will not affect his handicap. And of course, the “put me down for a double” statement will have that unmistakable inflection of “surely you would not expect a player of my stature to put down a number higher than that”. Hmm, I have to wonder what would happen if Tiger, participating in a PGA event and after playing a rare bad hole, were to say “just jot down a par for that hole”. It wouldn’t be pretty.

The final interesting thing about the Hollywood handicapper is that he will enjoy a cold beverage after a round of golf and discuss nonchalantly his final score. It would never occur to him that his 9 on the eighth hole should have any bearing on the validity of the score he discusses – a result where a 7 appears on the scorecard.

Still, when all the dust settles, I would rather play a Hollywood handicapper than a sandbagger in a heads up battle. Hey, who wouldn’t?

Related posts

• No related posts.

Grips: Look for cracks and worn areas in the grip. Make sure you won’t have to immediately re-grip the clubs, which can add anywhere from $5 to $18 per club to your costs. The last thing you’ll want to do is start paying for repairs before you even make it on to the greens.

Clubheads: Face wear is what you’re looking for. Clubs that have been used for a long time might have a shiny worn spot right in the center of the face. You really don’t want these because the clubface won’t hold the ball as well, which will be frustrating for a new golfer trying to master the basics. So make sure the grooves still have well-defined edges and stay away from clubs that show indentations in the clubface becaues these will affect the ball flight.

Set Consistency: Line up and compare the clubs throughout the set. Make sure they all appear to come from the same, original set. You don’t want to purchase a set of clubs consisting of different shaft types and different models, or where there is not a normal progression of lengths from club to club. Mixing and matching can also throw off the progression of lofts throughout the set as well as make it difficult for you to adapt to the feel of your set. Sometimes golf courses will assemble a set of clubs made up of old sets that have lost, missing or broken clubs. While the price is attractive, you’ll be better off paying a bit more and getting a full set from one family.

Shafts: Make sure the graphite shafts don’t have worn areas or other indentations that could cause weakness. Test the torque by twisting the grip and head in opposite directions. If there isn’t great resistance, it’s a sign of weakness. For steel shafts, look down the shaft to make sure it hasn’t been bent back into shape by a frustrated golfer. Also, make sure all shafts in a set are the same so the clubs feel similar from shot to shot.

Prices for New Clubs of the Same Model: Sometimes you can find a brand new set of clubs for less than what that set is selling for used. It sounds crazy, but it happens more than you think, especially now that you have direct access to the distributors via the internet. If someone buys a set and decides to sell it a year or two later, the set may be in great shape and can justifiably be priced high. But in the meantime, the manufacturer may have steeply discounted new sets to make room for neweer inventory, because of discontinued production or numerous other reasons.

Ask to Demo the Clubs: Just like a car, you can’t really tell how well a set of clubs will perform for you until you take them out for a few swings. Even at a garage sale, you should be allowed to at least take a few swings in the front yard (hint: use whiffle balls). Any retail shop will allow you to demo the clubs using real balls.

Good luck in your hunt!

Related posts

• No related posts.

The controversy stems from interpreting where the ball last crossed the water’s edge. Since the decision affects where you take a drop, it makes sense to have a good understanding of the rule, especially if a match is on the line or your working on a personal best.

The Rules

Golf’s rules define a water hazard as “any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface draining ditch, or other open water course (whether or not containing water), and anything of a similar nature.” Courses mark water hazards with yellow stakes and lines. But the rules don’t stop there, as I mention in my golf tips and during my golf lessons; they also discuss a lateral water hazard.

The rules define a “later water hazard” as part of a water hazard “so situated that it is not possible, or is deemed by the committee to be impracticable, to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with Rule 26-1b.” In other words, it’s a water hazard that doesn’t lie between the tee and the green. The course marks these off by red stakes or lines.

The Remedies

If you hit into water you do one of four things:

1.You can play the ball as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was played.

2.You can drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the ball entered the water’s edge, directly behind the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped. There’s no limit to how far back the ball may be dropped, as long as the point of crossing lies between the drop and the hole.

3.You can play the ball as it lies in the water hazard.

4.If a ball goes into a lateral water hazard, you can drop a ball away from the hazard but within two club lengths of the point from which the ball last crossed the water. However, the ball can’t come to rest any closer to the hole than the point at which the original ball crossed the hazard.

The Controversy

A major source of controversy is establishing where the ball last crossed the hazard, not where the ball entered the water, which could be relevant in situations in which where a ball lands on the ground, then rolls back into the water.

The easiest way to deal with this type of problem is to determine the point where the ball was last on, or over, dry land, before it crossed the hazard. Next, determine if the point is between the red or yellow stakes. If it is, you can decide on the best course of action from that spot.

The additional dropping option for a lateral water hazard, however, means that the ball can sometimes be dropped on either side of the hazard, as long as it is within two club lengths of where the ball crossed the edge of the hazard and no closer to the hole. That can make a difference when you finally determine where to drop the ball. Unfortunately, no golf instruction can help you make that decision.

Hitting out of the water is rarely an option—and it’s not a choice I recommend in my golf lessons and golf tips—but it has been known to happen. Payne Stewart chose to play the ball from a water hazard during the final hole of his 1989 Ryder Cup Match with Jose Maria Olazabal. The attempt failed and he lost the hole and the match. Think carefully before choosing this option.

Grounding the Club

If a player chooses to hit from the water hazard, he or she can’t ground the club at any stage of address. Grounding the club may be unintentional, but it’s still a breach of the rules and subjects the player to a penalty—two-strokes in medal play and the loss of the hole in match play. The rule resembles that covering the grounding of a club in a bunker.

Knowing the rules governing water hazards won’t necessarily lower your golf handicap. But it will give you an idea your remedies next time you hit into the water. Since you can be penalized for violating the rules, think carefully before deciding. If you’re in a tournament and you’re confused about what to do, don’t hesitate to talk with officials.

Related posts

• No related posts.

First off, you always look smart by stretching before the first hole. Every athlete knows that he needs to warm up. The best way to start is to take advantage of the practice green that is usually located near the clubhouse. This green consists of about 6 to 8 holes that you can putt to. If you feel confident enough, you can use your 9 iron or pitching wedge at the practice green to warm up your chipping capability.

When teeing off, it is always best to have the most accomplished player tee off first. This will set the pace for the game so that everyone else can move up the course towards the green. If partners that are sharing a cart hit to opposite sides of the fairway, they can either change partners to adapt to their hitting styles or drop their partner off at their ball and drive to their ball. This saves time so that parties behind don’t have to wait longer. It is also appropriate to take a few clubs with you anytime that you are dropped off. This allows for multiple hits in case you do not get back to the cart. The furthest person from the ball should always be the one to hit and any cart should not move ahead of this player’s ball. In case that your ball should land in heavy grass, take a quick scan to find your ball. The limit to find a ball is 5 minutes and should only be exercised if you let a waiting party play through. Any divots that are made should be replaced by the missing grass and or some sand from the bucket on the cart.

When reaching the green, the pin should remain until all people have also gotten on the green. The furthest from the hole putts until he is not the furthest, and any ball that is potentially in the putter’s path should be replaced with a marker. It is also considered rude to walk in the path of another golfer’s putt because it may alter the path of the putt. You should also be aware of your shadow while another golfer is putting. Make sure that you shadow does not fall in the path of a putt because it is distracting.

Following these simple rules is an easy way to make certain that you do not look foolish on the golf course. Golf is a common form of business meeting that can be disastrous if you do not follow the common rules. Skill is not as important as etiquette in a sport like golf. Practice manners just as you would skill and you will exude the presence of a true professional.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Decide on your levels for playing

Some players only play on the weekend or less and there are others who like to play more often. If the occasional game is your pace, a low to mid performance club can work for you, while a high performance club is suited to those who will play more regularly.

Set a budget

The notion that the more expensive the club, the better it is simply doesn’t hold water anymore. If you do enough homework and read reviews you’ll find a club that matches your level of interest. Don’t be afraid to check out used clubs as they can give you the best chances of getting the club you need at a good price.

Now that you know your interest level and have established a budget, here’s a brief run-through of kinds of golf clubs and what each one does.

Woods

A typical golfer’s bag will have a driver (called 1-wood) and a couple of fairway woods (3- and/or 5-wood). A driver is the longest club (usually 45 inches) making it the toughest to control during a swing.

Irons

Irons feature thin club heads with grooves on it. Experienced players opt for a blade style iron while beginners get a cavity-back style. A blade-style has a club head with a full back, whereas a cavity back’s club head is hollow. It is hollowed out to create a perimeter weighting effect helpful for less experienced golfers.

Irons are categorized as long (1, 2, 3,4), mid- (5,6,7) and short (8,9). Short irons are the easiest to hit while the long ones are the hardest. The shorter the iron, the more loft there is and for beginners, the more loft, the better.

Putters

Putters are the clubs most often used in the game and come in club head styles of blade, heel-toe and mallet. Lengths come in belly putters, standard and broomstick (long) putters. Which option to get is a personal choice.

Utility clubs/hybrids

The clubs combine features of woods and irons and are best for beginners who may not want to buy too many clubs at first.

Finally, as a final word before taking them out of the store, most new clubs fit individuals at the average height of 5’10″ for men and 5’5″ for women. If you are significantly shorter or taller than these figures, you should get your club fitted to your height.

Start off with these considerations to build on your research when choosing your golf clubs. The game becomes a lot more fun with the little effort you make now.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The majority of recommended places are golf facilities, meaning that there are several great, challenging championship golf courses on the premises such as the Carnoustie Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa on the eastern coast of Scotland. The luxury resort’s Championship Course will host the 2007 British Open. It is conveniently located near 200 (Yes, 200!) neighboring golf courses, including the vaulted Old Course at St. Andrews and Kingsbarn. The Greenbrier of Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is a national landmark with its first course dating back to 1913, while the Broadmoor, which is located in Colorado, Springs, Colorado, hosted the 1998 PGA Cup Matches and has a course with the highest elevation in the U.S. at 6,800 feet.

There are seven participating luxury resorts surrounding Vista Vallerta, which is located in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico. The courses, which were designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, feature grassy hillsides, dense forests of palm trees and natural creeks and arroyos. The Barefoot Resort & Golf is located next to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of South Carolina’s North Myrtle Beach. It has four championship-level courses that are highly ranked by Zagat.com. Another great golf complex in South Carolina is the Sea Pines Resort, having recently hosted the PGA’s Verizon Heritage. And for the extremist or purist at heart, there is the rugged Bandon Dunes, which is above the Pacific Ocean along the coastal forest of Bandon, Oregon. Its courses rival those of 15th century Scotland.

The Midwest of the U.S. is represented well by the Treetops Resort. Its five-championship level courses rank among the top three golf facilities of the U.S. A second Midwest recommendation is Destination Kohler of Wisconsin. It has two separate golfing facilities with four championship courses and a luxury resort. No list of great golf facilities is complete without including the site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship, Pinehurst. However, it is somewhat odd that this legendary site did not even have a golf course on it originally. In 1895 it was a luxury health resort. The landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, also designed the landscape of NYC’s Central Park.

Obviously there are some other courses that also could have made our list, but keeping the list at 10 only required discipline. It also serves as an indicator that more great golf facilities will be conveyed in future reports. All of our recommendations provide luxury accommodations and a wide assortment of amenities. Many of these facilities have more than one luxury hotel on their sprawling resorts. Countless package deals are available for both vacationers and business travelers. A personal golf event or tournament at most facilities can easily be arranged as well as social or business events.

The Luxé 10 Golf Tours is ready to tee-off. Fore!

Related posts

• No related posts.

It’s a dream for every professional golfer to make a hole-in-one at least once in his or her career. But making a hole-in-one doesn’t take too much time. Golfers just need six seconds to make a hole-in-one. Some golfers come extremely close to hitting the target, but the honor remains illusive for them. The closer they come to hitting the target, the more they become hopeful of their chances. But the magical swing that eventually makes a hole-in-one possible is extremely hard to come by.

Even for the most prolific player in the golf circuit, making a hole-in-one is a difficult job. A hole-in-one is a 150-yard shot. Golfers start practicing the shot well before the tournament. However, the standards for granting a hole-in-one are still very unclear. If you want your hole-in-one achievement to be recognized officially, you will have to produce a witness in support of your claim. When big prize money is involved, the authorities will ask for authentic proof substantiating your claim.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Your really shouldn’t be thinking about how thirsty you’ll be at the end of the round and the cold beer is going to taste just great, should you? Perhaps you had a great Friday night, and the tail end of it still lingers in the mind! So, just what should be in your mind? If you don’t know then your golfing life could be quite miserable.

Did you arrive 15 or 20 minutes before your tee time, or have you rushed to the club just in time to make the slot with your name on it? If the latter, again your golfing life will be jaded, to say the least!

Why am I saying this? – because I’ve been there and done it. So this is the voice of experience saying – clear your mind of everything and concentrate on your golf.

Now, you’re on the first tee you’ve pulled the driver out of the bag and the tee is in the ground with a Dunlop 65 on it (yes, its brand new !) and this is the first shot of the round. Did you line up correctly? Are you standing with the feet pointing in the right direction – not slightly off line because that will not only affect your swing path, but could cause you to slice or hook the ball. Are your shoulders in line with your feet – did you check all these LITTLE things?

You see, golf is not a game of brawn, but mainly of brain. You must THINK! Never worry about distance, because if you try to hit the ball hard, you could move your body from the correct plane, causing all sorts of problems. Swing gently (I don’t mean softly) but with a swing that will stay on plane, and you will remain on balance. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying you must think nothing but golf, but concentration on what you are doing is vitally important.

When you play a shot, try and shut out all noises, conversations with other players, because if you don’t there will be something that will distract you. This will apply to every shot you make whether or not it is with a wood, a long iron, a wedge, or the putter. Concentration is so important I can’t stress it enough.

Golf is such a popular game today, and it’s popularity is increasing at an alarming rate, and more and more youngsters are taking it up. I said earlier that this a game of brain, and if you don’t use that little grey matter to think your way round the course, go and take up tiddly winks.

If you watch the professionals in tournaments they never stop thinking. If you see them in conversation its usually with their caddy, and then its not about anything other than the game in hand! If you want to play good golf with good scores, you’ll emulate them and use all your powers of concentration on the next shot – which you should never decide upon until you get to the ball and see how it is lying.

As I say, think your way to lower scores and consequently lower handicaps. After all, that is why we play the game isn’t it – to beat not only our opponent but the course as well!

Related posts

• No related posts.

Glimpse into these greens hailed as the world’s five top golf courses, as compiled by Golf Magazine. Golfer or not, you will be enthralled and intrigued how these ultra expansive natural settings that seemingly stretch out to the sky in interesting meandering patterns and heights can be so ultra secluded from the public eye.

Pine Valley Golf Club

Located in Pine Valley, New Jersey USA, the Pine Valley Golf Club hits the number one spot. The golf course is reported to take up vast acres of greeneries, so vast that each golfer would feel a sense of isolation, not knowing that other golfers playing in other sections of the fairways feel the same.

Interestingly, Pine Valley is not new in receiving prestige and recognition in the sports world of golf. Records indicate this gold course was already at the number three spot in 1939 in a ranking by Golf Club atlas. In Golf Magazine’s biennial rankings, it has remained at the top since 1991.

But Pine Valley does not only boast of quantity in acres but the quality of the course as well. In fact, it is also considered to be one of the toughest courses. If you crave for challenge, privacy, and ultimate golfing experience, go Pine Valley.

Cypress Point Club

Cypress Point, the number two choice, is the most beautiful course. Located in Pebble Beach, California USA, it is positioned in a piece of land that meets the blue waters of the beach.

This 18-hole golf course has bunkers that have been strategically and fascinatingly built such that there is a seamless connection between what’s natural and man-made. Hole No. 16, specifically, continues to captivate golf lovers, having been acclaimed as the ultimate one-shotter in existence.

St. Andrews Golf Club

The world’s number three golf course located in St. Andrews Fife, Scotland is the number in Europe, and the oldest in the world. Europe’s quaint setting, which gives off a more relaxed and laidback ambiance so compatible with the nature of this sport, makes this region truly a golfer’s paradise.

The world first experienced golf in Scotland, right here in St. Andrews, as early as the 12th century. It received a royal patronage in 1854. Now, it is considered as the world’s oldest surviving “royal” golf club.

St. Andrews is not really that striking in appearance to new golfers. Its appeal grows as you familiarize yourself with its landscapes, reinforcing the fact that knowledge of course management is a key in golf strategy games.

Augusta National Golf Club

The number four is located in Augusta, Georgia USA. Each of Augusta’s 18 holes has been named after a flower that has come to be associated with it. During grand tournaments, these flowers are in full bloom thereby creating a colorful and festive natural backdrop as you begin those back swings.

But more importantly, Augusta has been characterized with broad fairways, exciting elevation changes, and slick greens that will pose real challenge to skilled golfers.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Golf course number five is located in Southhampton, New York USA. It was originally a 12-hole course remodeled into 18-hole layout in 1895. Its impressive layout features undulating greens and bunkers backdropped with tree canopies, shrubs as well as ponds.

This peek into the world’s best five can be overwhelming. A walk into their greens, a swing into their air, and a golf game follow-through through their fairways, bunkers, and other intriguing nooks and spots will definitely sum up into a par that, in terms of experience, is victory itself.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Children are now discovering what many adults already know: golf is a lot of fun! While your children may love hitting golf balls with one of your old golf clubs, how do you begin to develop their skills? Here are a few tips to help you give your children a good head start in the golfing world.

One of the first things you may want to do is enroll them into a golf class. Many of your local golf courses have classes just for children. There is no need to go out and buy a new set of golf clubs for your child. The class will provide the equipment necessary. This will not only save you some money right now, but it will give you time to find out if your child truly enjoys the game of golf or not. You don’t want to go out and spend a few hundred dollars only to find out your child doesn’t really like golf after all.

The next tip is one that is very important for both you and your child. Be patient. It is so easy to want to see your child start hitting long drives and sinking 30 foot putts. In order for them to want to continue learning the game of golf they need your support. Let your child progress at their rate. The golf classes will help them develop immensely.

When you are on the practice range with them be sure you encourage them, even when they are spraying the ball all over the range. They will pick up the finer points of the game later as they grow older.

When your child has taken some classes and they show a genuine interest in the game of golf, buy them their own set of golf clubs. Be sure you have your child fitted properly. Of course, since they will be growing in height and weight, understand that the clubs you buy today may be too small within a year or two at the most. You can get children’s golf clubs at an inexpensive price.

Use the time that you spend golfing with your children as a bonding time. Enjoy yourselves and the time you’re out on the course. You can even use this time to develop a good communication with your child. Talk about other things than golf. You’ll be surprised at how the golf course can help you and your children bond together. It will spill over into other areas of your lives as well.

Your child may never grow up to be the next Tiger Woods, or Michelle Wie, but they can grow up loving the game of golf. More importantly, they can grow up enjoying the time spent together with you out on the golf course.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The first thing to do is determine the skill level of the golfer who will receive the gift. A seasoned veteran of the game with a 4 handicap will probably place little value in instruction books or training aids that a beginner may appreciate. Similarly, the occasional golfer may not know how to use the high degree wedge you put in his stocking.

Here are a few suggestions, based on skill level:

For the beginner, a swing training video with some easy drills may provide an easy way to practice in the privacy of home or office. There are a wide variety of choices, professionally produced by professional trainers.

For the intermediate or occasional golfer, a hinged training club may be a good idea. I have found this type of device excellent not only for developing my swing, but something I reach for when my slice starts creeping back. It is designed for improvement, so it likely won’t be resented as an insinuation that a swing needs improvement.

The experienced, low handicapper may be the most difficult to please. Of course, every golfer appreciates more quality balls and nice shirts. But if you want to get something special, sneak out to the garage or try to gain access to his or her locker at the club, and take an inventory of every club that is in his or her bag. Take this list to a golf shop, or access a shop online, and ask the pro there what is missing from this bag. Just about every golfer appreciates trying something new, whether it’s a new high degree wedge, a new style of putter or something new in hybrid technology. Even if it’s not used (you can always return it), he or she will appreciate the attention.

These are just a few ideas for something with a personal touch that will likely be appreciated. There are thousands of golf gift ideas, so perhaps you can apply the same logic, along with some creativity, and come up with your own great Christmas golf gift idea.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The golf handicap system is a complex formula of your average score, along with the difficulty of the course you are playing, along with a few other bells and whistles that only the USGA can figure out. Every golf course has a course handicap, which determines the number of strokes needed to play that course to the level of a scratch golfer.

What all this means to you, is that it helps give you a true indication of your golf ability. If you wanted to play a match against a scratch golfer, which is someone with a zero handicap, if you have a 7 handicap, you would receive 7 strokes, one for each of the first 7 most difficult holes on the course. It’s like he’s spotting you a 7 stroke lead, or a 7 hole lead in match play.

Considering that golf is suppose to be a gentlemen’s game, it is very important to post legitimate scores. There also are restrictions on how many strokes you can take on any given hole. As an example, if you have less than a 10 handicap, you cannot turn in a score card that has any score over double bogey. That is to try and keep sanbaggers from inflating their handicap so they can get more strokes when playing in golf tournaments.

Once you post enough scores and you have established your golf handicap, you will see how hard it is to get a low handicap. It takes more than one round of golf for your handicap to move in either direction. It takes at least 2 or 3 rounds to actually make your handicap move, so you don’t have to worry if you have a bad day on the course. If you go in to a slump and can’t seem to fix what’s wrong with your game, your golf handicap will suffer..

Sandbaggers aside, the golf handicap system is is a great way to measure yourself against other golfers. Once you are in the system, you can log in on the internet, and see posted scores for anyone that has a handicap.

Related posts

• No related posts.

While you can always buy used clubs or older models, these won’t give you the high quality of training clubs offered by the larger name brands. But before you buy anything, you should definitely try out the product in question and make sure that it performs up to your expectations on the golf course. A lot of your decision will have to do with the handling and feel of the vehicle, each brand will drive differently. Make sure you take the models you’re interested in for a test drive and see how each of them handles.

In a society that is increasing name brand conscious, many of us are tempted to simply buy what everyone else seems to be buying. Selecting the proper golf clubs, however, is something that you shouldn’t do without having a good idea of what types are available and what the specific use of each club is.

Too cheap golf club sets don’t have the same calculated technical qualities as the discount womens irons and woods manufactured by the big brands and wellknown custom club makers. They spend lots of time to research for example the proper head sizes and forms of a woman golf club.

Alternatively, you can even trade in used golf clubs for a brand new golf clubs or another used golf clubs. Choosing a used golf club sets can be as simple as going to the nearest golf store and buy a set of clubs off the shelf with the golf brand that you want. Or, go to any garage sales, try a few swings and then take them to the tee right away. The goal when buying golf clubs should be to own the best golf clubs you can afford, whether they are name brands, used, or a reproduction of one of the name brands. Golf clubs can be purchased at many different types of establishments such as discount stores, buying clubs, specialty shops, catalogs, or the Internet, which offers an almost limitless variety of clubs and bargains, including used golf clubs.

Most will focus primarily on brand, clubhead look or shaft strength. No matter what brand you decide on, you should definitely never buy golf clubs that are outside of your skill level. This is the most detrimental thing that you could possibly do.

Some people raise their self-esteem by buying a name brand club for more money. Whether you choose to shop from a golf equipment catalog, or visit top-notch pro shops, you’ll want to be informed about brands, manufacturers, and all the new and innovative equipment. The best way to do this is with golf equipment reviews.So do your research and ask other golfers, sometimes just asking is the best way to find the best golf clubs.

Related posts

• No related posts.