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Archive for October, 2008

If you are a beginner golf player who has decided to take up the
challenge of learning the game with the hopes of enjoying the sport
for many years to come, you might want to consider taking a few golf lessons.

With someone teaching you the ins and outs of specific golf instructions,
you will have an extra set of eyes which will help you get some of the golf
swing positions right, which is not very easy to check on by yourself, even if you had a mirror.

What Makes A Good Golf Instructor?

Finding the right golf teacher that is best suited to your learning style is important. 
A good teacher should be able to demonstrate his lessons to you in a clear
and easy-to-understand method.

A decent teacher will be able to take stock of your current skill level and then break
down your swing in order to make the proper adjustments needed.

A good golf instructor will be able to position you with the golf club so that you can
truly understand how a certain swing should feel in your hands. He or she will be able
to analyze your shots and make a proper diagnosis of any problems that exist.

Are Golf Lessons Worth It The Price?

Taking golf lessons is not mandatory. However, consider taking a few lessons early on
in your learning experience as a wise investment. Not only will your skill level increase
at a rapid pace, you will save money which would otherwise have been spent on a
new driver or damaged clubs.

Other benefits of taking lessons for beginner golfers include:

1. Having all of your questions about golf answered by someone who knows the game.
2. The benefit of having good habits ingrained in your game from the start.
3. Your self-confidence will increase.
4. You will learn techniques and efficient practices which would normally take months
or years to learn on your own.

Even The Pros Take Lessons

Just to give you an idea of popular players that still brush up on their game with professional coaches,
here is a small list to get you motivated:

1. David Leadbetter is a golf teacher who has worked with Charles Howell III, Ernie Els,
Nick Price, and Nick Faldo.

2. Butch Harmon is an instructor who has worked with Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and Justin Leonard.

3. Hank Haney specializes in distance and flight of the ball and has worked with Mark O’ Meara.
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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

Did you know that there are literally hundreds of printed rules
that pertain to the game of golf?

In fact, the United States Golf Association (USGA) releases an updated
official golf rulebook every year that contains approximately 100 pages
of rules that every golfer should be familiar with.

It would behoove of you to purchase one as soon as possible.
The booklet is pocket-sized so you can carry it around with you while playing on the course.

It is important that all beginners sit down and become quite familiar
with the USGA rule booklet.  It is filled with a list of do’s and don’ts
when playing golf, clauses, subclauses, basically everything you need to
know, and then some.

The reason why there is so much power-packed information and rules associated
with golf is because the game itself has evolved over hundreds of years and
its rules have had to be amended and changed over the course of time.

Rules, Rules, & Then Some…

One of its key features is providing material in order to help resolve disputes.
The USGA rule booklet not only provides specific information pertaining to every
rule of golf in existence, it also provides official explanations of everything
else that pertains to the game, including golf equipment, the type of game being
played, and accurate specifications of the course.

No More Disputes!

Without a doubt one of the most important reasons to carry along an official
USGA rule booklet while playing golf is to use it to help resolve and avoid
disputes with other players.

Like all sports, your golf game will have its share of debates with your fellow
players. Instead of arguing back and forth about what is supposed to be the rules,
by quickly thumbing through your official guide will put to rest any confusion, and fast!

You can find more information about the United States Golf Association by checking
out usga.org. This is the official website of the USGA and provides a complete and
up-to-date rulebook, in addition to info on the handicap system, tournaments, and a
tour of the golf museum.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

OK, I know, it’s another tip about playing in the wind

One of the great things I enjoy about golf is the fact that
the playing conditions on the course can change at any moment
due to the weather. Now some of you might be wondering why rain,
wind, or extreme temperatures gets me excited on the golf course.

Well the answer is simple: I like the challenge!

Beginner golfers have the exact opposite attitude, and rightfully so,
as they are just learning the basics and would like nothing more than
to simply make contact with the ball each time they swing. Rain and
heavy winds are not going to improve their day, only cause them to quit.

On the other hand, more experienced golfers, like myself, look up and
smile when stormy weather comes to join me on the golf course. One of
my favorite challenging weather conditions is high winds, blowing
everything around on the course.

Embrace The Challenge

The next time you are playing golf and heavy winds start to interrupt
your game, do not get frustrated, instead, try to embrace the new playing
conditions. It is inevitable that your score is going to be higher, so
except that truth and welcome the challenge. Once you can understand this,
heavy winds will not be as stressful as usual and having a positive mental
attitude will make the game more interesting for you.

Expect The Worst

Expect the wind to do its best to challenge each and every shot you make.
A good wind tends to shorten a well-hit drive and increase the length of
an approach shot that was perfectly hit, sending it flying by past the green.

Perfect shots will be reduced to slices or hooks. The wind will blow your
ball in every direction but its intended target. Long holes become twice
as long. Dozens of golf balls may be lost in the adventure after being
forced by the wind into the rough, heavy wooded areas, and water hazards.

What You Resist, Persists!

If you have not heard the old saying “whatever you resist, persists”,
it simply means that the more you try to fight something, the more it
fights you back.  This is a perfect way to describe playing golf during
windy conditions. The best way to handle this strong adversary of mother
nature is to use the wind to your advantage.

For example, let’s say that you are getting ready to tee off and the wind
is coming in strong from the left and blowing hard to the right. This is
a perfect opportunity to see how well you can work with the weather by
teeing off your shot far left then you would have normally.

The wind is obviously going to push the ball towards the right, so it will
be interesting to find out how well you can judge the wind strength by
making a far left shot, and getting as close to your target is possible.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

Playing golf in windy weather, though extremely challenging,
does offer enormous benefits for those players that like to be tested.
Understanding how to hit the ball in response to poor weather
conditions is the sign of a great golf player, one that appreciates
not only a good score, but being challenged on the course as well.

Enjoying the change in weather on a windy day when playing off takes
adaptation skills in order to continue on with your game and finish
the course. 

Here are a few tips for playing golf when the wind is blowing hard:

1. Use a club that offers far less loft then you would normally need.
The reason for this is to lower the height in which the ball would
typically have to reach the intended destination. This minimizes the
effects that a heavy wind will have on the ball. When the wind is
coming in strong it has a natural tendency to carry the ball with it.
Less height will give you more control over the shot.

2. For better control of your club when making a windy shot,
tighten up your grip.

3. Anytime you must hit the ball into the wind, keep your shot as
low as you possibly can. You you must choose a club that has less
loft on it. And expect the ball to travel far less than it normally
would. You have to remember that when playing in windy conditions,
you will always take more shots to get the ball in the hole, so it
is better to play your game with caution.

4. Never fight the strength of the wind. Embrace the conditions
and try to use it to your advantage.  Aim your shots in the opposite
direction that the wind is blowing into. This will help you learn
basic skills of adaptation needed on the golf course.

5. To ensure that your shot is made with as much accuracy as you can
possibly muster up when the wind is blowing fiercely, make each swing
smooth and steady, only using half of your strength. The wind has a
tendency to carry the ball much higher and farther than it normally
would travel, so to minimize mistakes, focus on accuracy instead of distance.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

Paul Azinger thinks the golf pros need a union to represent them.

He was quoted as saying that the players are getting “run over by the
PGA Tour on some policy issues”.

So what do you think? Should there be a player’s union?

Put your comments in below…

The United States Golf Association updates annually the official
Rules of Golf, which contains hundreds of game rules and regulations
that keep game enjoyably challenging.

One of the regulations, called the “Greens In Regulation” (GIR),
states that you must hit the ball onto the green in a specific number
of shots as determined by the par rule of that particular hole.

On a par-3, for example, you have one shot in order to get the ball
on the green. Par-4  holes give you two shots to reach the green.
And par-5 holes mean that you have three shots designated.

Hitting the ball onto the green within these regulations is standard
procedure for the professional golfer. However, for us regular players,
it is a lofty goal just to make the green in the prescribed number of
shots, and on every hole. Your ball may end up just off the green,
a foot away, on the collar, or in the rough near the green.

So close, but yet so far!

This Is When The Chip Shot Comes In Handy

A chip shot is very similar to the pitch shot, except that the ball
does not go as far into the air.  It may travel just a few feet when
a chip shot is made. The ball simply chips its way up and onto another
area of the course within a short distance.

While this shot may not seem like a major technique to use on the golf
course, having the skill to successfully make a chip shot when you need
to is very important. It will save you unwanted strokes and will prevent
you from missing the green when playing by the rules.

A chip shot can best be described with the following characteristics:

1. There is very little loft when a ball chipped.

2. When the ball is hit with a chip shot, it pops right into the air,
but with a very tight arc, moving it practically straight up.

3. When the ball is hit, impact actually produces a “chipping sound”

4. Chip shots cause the ball to travel over 80% of its mobility on the
ground, the initial 20% is spent from the blast off into the air.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

The fundamentals of golf are very different than many other sports.

Take baseball for example…

When you are up at bat to make your swing, your job is to hit the ball as it’s thrown to
you. In other words, the game is built around your reaction towards what someone else is doing.  You cannot make your move until the pitcher throws the ball to you.

In golf, however, you are the boss. You are in charge of making every move. The ball just sits there, waiting for you to make your shot.  And you are 100% responsible for every play that happens. You cannot blame a bad play on a pitch, another teammate, or any other excuse. 

This is what makes golf so difficult, and yet so challenging and fun to play. And on top of that, you have people watching you, all in complete silence.

And you though that golf was supposed to be stress-free? HA!

A Positive Mindset Goes A Long Way In Golf

Golf requires that you focus and think about every shot you take.  Of course in our
comparative analysis of the sport of baseball, those players have to think about the
mechanics of their game too, but they have little time to really focus and concentrate on what they are doing, as opposed to golf. They are conscious of the pitcher and the person at bat, but everything else is reaction.

Golf requires so much attention to what you are doing that any type of negative thoughts or worries can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your game.  Doubt can easily seep into your mind, especially if you are still a beginner.  Once this happens, your body tenses up, you may get nervous, jittery, and the next thing you know your ball has landed in the rough.

Consider it to be the equivalent of stage fright.  :-) 

Yes, golf can be this difficult.

How can you prevent negative thoughts and feelings from happening while playing on the course?

As usual, the answer is extremely simple, but difficult to learn. 

All you have to do is take action, and do so faster than your mind can start to consider any negative consequences of making a bad swing.

That’s the thing about golf – you can literally think your way into a slump.

Stick with the basics and focus on simple movements that are repetitive.

 Keep your body loose and as you are preparing for your shot, shift the weight of your body from foot to foot, back and forth. Wiggle your club a bit and just loosen up, have fun, and stop worrying about anything negative. Just learning how to play a stress-free game may be the hardest lesson you learn in golf.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben