Archive for February, 2010

Golfing for Beginners: Part 2

What Should You Keep in Your Golf Bag?

There are many types of golf bag out there. Some are practical, some are just beautiful and some are both! Then there different size bags. Again, some are large, some even larger and som so enormous that you could take all you need to go on holiday in it!

As a rule of thumb, you only need a golf bag large enough to hold your clubs, spare balls, your glove, keys, tees, spare pencils, ball markers, a ball retriever, suntan lotion, a plastic mac, and an umbrella.

It is also recommended that you carry in your bag: some tissue paper, sticking plasters and, whether necessary or not, some insect repellant.

A small pack of wipes can be just what you need too if it gets hot or you get covered with sand in one of the bunkers or you have to fish your ball out of a stream.

If you suffer from any allergies or illnesses, it is a wise precaution to carry antidotes with you. For example, if you are sensitive to bee stings then anti-hystamine or whatever you take if you are a diabetic. However, remember to replace drugs before their expiry date.

Please remember to turn off your mobile phone before you put it away as a courtesy to the other players. No one is going to be best pleased to hear your phone go off just as he is about to take a shot. It is part of golfing etiquette too. If you must use it, walk away from the teams.

Having these items in your golf bag should provide everything you will need, even in a minor emergency (like a blister) or a major inconvenience, like a sudden rainstorm. Being prepared makes the game a great deal more fun.

Are you a rookie to golfing?? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Golf Tips For Teeing Off in Top Shape

The winter months can pose a challenge for golfers to stay mentally and physically fit for the impending season. Becoming a couch potato while waiting for the snow to melt and the sun to shine, is not the ideal way to transition back into season. In order to prevent injuries and enhance your golf game in the summer a commitment to a fitness program in the winter is key.

The effort and power you put into your golf swing puts a lot of stress on your body. Unconditioned muscles are weak and inflexible causing them to be more prone to injury(sprains, strains, etc). This is especially true for the structures of the back, due to the forward flexion, rotational, and extension components that occur during your swing. A golf specific conditioning program including strength training, flexibility training, and
cardiovascular conditioning is recommended to lower the risk of injury and improve performance. To incorporate this type of program into your daily schedule strive for an initial time commitment of 30 minutes, three times per week.

There are numerous benefits to improving your physical fitness in the off-season. Consider the benefits of strength training golf specific muscles. Increasing the strength of your leg muscles helps to produce the power for the initial stage of your swing. Strong, stable core muscles (abdominals & back) transfer that power from your legs to your torso to speed up your swing, and produce the swinging/rotation action. Finally, strong upper extremity muscles (rotator cuff, biceps, triceps, scapular stabilizers) help to establish the control and accuracy of your club head.

Another crucial component in decreasing the risk of injury and improving swing performance is flexibility & mobility training. This type of program should focus on your golf specific muscles such as hips, upper and lower back, and shoulders. You can also include core specific stabilization exercises such as yoga or pilates. Stretching is an important component both pre and post strength or cardiovascular program.

Improved cardiovascular conditioning will enable you to maintain your energy levels and stay focused for 18 holes. Increased cardiovascular fitness will decrease your risk of early fatigue and burn out on the back nine. The key to maintaining your commitment to a conditioning program is to pick something you will enjoy. Brisk walking, biking, elliptical trainers, and playing squash are all great examples of cardiovascular activities.

The combination of all three of these training principles (strength, cardio, flexibility) implemented into your off season fitness program will not only help you mentally while you wait for the season to begin, but will more importantly help reduce your risk of injury, enhance your motivation, and best of all improve your golf game!

Tips for the Off Season:

* Before you start a conditioning program, assess your current level of fitness. Consult with your family Doctor, or seek advice from a qualified health professional.
* Book a golf performance assessment to find out your physical limitations.
* Make a commitment to begin or maintain a golf specific conditioning program to correct your physical limitations. Write down your goals.
* Take advantage of indoor golf facilities to practice your skills.
* Use the winter months to refine your swing. Seek training from a golf Professional.
* Include practice swings into your weekly conditioning program
* Drive for show, putt for dough. Use the off-season to become a great putter indoors. Work on your stroke, accuracy, and speed.
* Improve your mental game. Visualize your swing.
* Don’t let minor injuries become major injuries. Pain is a warning system to alert you to developing problems. Get help from your local health professional
(Doctor, Athletic Therapist, Physiotherapist)

Want to find out more about golf fitness, then visit Meryl Wheeler’s site on how to choose the best golf specific fitness for your needs.

Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game

Review

?The lessons in Zen Golf make the mental game seem so simple. Dr. Parent has given me very effective methods for working with thoughts and emotions, and for taking the negatives out of the picture.? -Vijay Singh, Masters and PGA Champion ?Soothing and enlightening, Zen Golf exposes us to the storm-tossed waters of the golfer’s psyche, but in short order, Dr. Parent has us bobbing easily amidst the waves.? -Guy Yocum, Senior Writer for Golf Digest ?There?s no other book l (more…)

Hot to Improve Your Golf Swings For Beginners

Perhaps you are just an amateur golfer who is out to have some fun. But even then you need to know a few tricks and tips for better golf swings. This will help you to play your corporate peers better and earn a few brownie points and give a fillip to your popularity. Let me give you a few handy golfing tips that will improve your swing super fast and you will soon start earning accolades on the field.

Correct swing tempo

The tempo of a swing and a pitching wedge while using a driver happens to be the same. Again when you take a full swing you get the same tempo, regardless of the kind of club you use. If you can maintain the consistency of your tempo, you will also be able to maintain the consistency in contact and this will lead to accurate shots.

If you wish to ensure a proper swing, you have to allow your arms to lead and using your arms you draw away the club smoothly. Then you have to allow your body to follow. And this stance will also shift your weight automatically from your left to right side because the left hips and shoulders turn obediently. Almost 90% of your body weight will rest on your back foot when you are performing the top of the swing.

When you are at the top of your swing and wish to gain some accuracy over your shot, pull with your left arm. And next, you shouldn’t ape the leading down swinging move performed by pros. They gain a lot of power from it, but you are an amateur golfer and such an action might result in the ball sliding forward and then you will experience slicing, weak shots.

Maintain the balance of your swing

Use the middle 3 fingers and turn the club loose. Then using your thumb you have to balance the club. The little finger will grip the club only when you are at the top of your backswing. You also have to turn your shoulders to an exact degree in such a way that your target and your club are in line. I always recommend this valuable exercise to work your left thumb under the shaft. This move will keep the club balanced and you will be ready for hitting.

Unless you know how to correctly grip the club, you won’t get a good hold nor will you be able to put it in the proper slot and of course making winning shots is completely out of the question. That is because you won’t be able to get the ball through properly.

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If you ever want to be a competent golfer then you are going to have to sort out your swing and make it as solid as possible. Here are a few tips that will help with understanding the golf swing and some of the requirements for different shots.

Speed on the swing is not all its cracked up to be. It is all fine swinging as hard as you can but this is no good if you are not in control. When you hit the ball the energy is transferred from the club into the ball and therefore the harder you swing the further it goes.

As a result of this, a small misjudgment on the swing will put the ball way off to the left or right and this can destroy your hole. You need to make an efficient transfer between the backswing and the downswing and this involves a strong body position and rotation of the hips. Look to any pro and you will see that their swing appears effortless. This is what you are aiming for.

Now when it comes to your shorter iron shots the emphasis will not be on power but precision and spin as well. Most amateur golfers struggle to get the right levels of spin on the ball which will help to keep it on the green rather than rolling off of it.

You need to get under the ball rather than over it as your would on a drive. The wrists are going to be very important and rather than rolling them over your need to keep them straight and up in order to get decent levels of backspin.

Now when it comes to the green your putting will rely on friction and gravity. You are going to be letting those forces do the work and your judgement will be more important than your swing that needs to be easy and solid throughout the putt.

For those golfers out there, we know you are trying to incease golf swing speed. When increasing golf swing speed, it is important to listen to the advice and tips that the professionals, such as Tiger Woods use

Totes Golf Size Auto-Open/Close Umbrella

Totes Golf Size Auto-Open/Close Umbrella

From the Manufacturer

Totes golf size auto-open/close umbrella provides maximum coverage and protection, yet folds to a minimal size, making for easy use while getting in and out of a car or opening and closing doors.

“Men’s Big Top Auto Open/Auto Close Umbrella by totes. Available in Black, Tan, and Navy/White Stripes. Comes with carrying case. Umbrella fabric is 100% polyester. For a larger view of this item, please click on the picture(s). ”

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Golf Lessons – Will I Play Better?

There are many people that play golf. In fact there are over 30 million just in the United States. Those numbers do not reflect how many people play well. Herein lies the problem. Golf is a sport that not only requires talent, there is an ongoing need for practice. The challenge is that most people have never been properly taught how to play or practice. Golf lessons will accomplish both of those things.

Unlike many sports, where once you understand how to play, you may compete at a decent level, golf has little intricacies that if not properly taught will never be learned. Not only will you need to learn how to hit a golf ball, how you approach the ball is important. They way the club is held is important. And most importantly is how you hit shots other than from the tee. A Golf Professional will take the time, through a series of lessons to assist you. Once you have a feel for all of these types of shots, then having putting lessons will help you take many shots off of your score.

Before you hit the first ball, there are a few things that must be learned. The goal of a good set up is balance. Your stance should be done with your feet spread to about the width of your shoulders. The position of the ball is the next thing to consider. For a tee shot, your ball should be positioned on a straight line to the instep of your forward foot. This will allow for the swing to be a bit of a reach to make contact. Lastly, as part of the address, your grip will be taught. There are several choices, but an overlap grip although not necessarily feeling comfortable, will likely be the best choice.

Once you have addressed your golf ball, what happens next? Well, the swing. There are many components to a golf swing and without proper coaching, it is unlikely that your techniques will allow for the best things to happen. You will learn the best position for your club, at the top of the swing. Some people may have trouble achieving a perfect position, due to physical restrictions, but with stretching exercises, this can be helped.

Your club should be parallel to the ground and pointing towards the target. Then your body should take over to complete the swing. Many people start using their hands and arms. This is a mistake and your teacher can show you how to overcome this. Professional golfers will not use their hands until the club is almost back to the ball. In other words, at about the time that your golf club is again, parallel to the ground, on the way down, your big muscles should be doing the work. This is when the power comes into play. The goal is to generate power without over swinging the club.

Professional golfers start to swing the golf club, when it is parallel to the ground on the way back to the ball. In other words, as the club starts the downswing, your body should move the club, not your hands or wrists. This is not an easy thing to learn and a Pro golf teacher, will be able to track your swing, both visually and often with a camera, to show you where you are doing what is called, releasing the club.

Once in the fairway or the rough, different shots need to be learned. A teacher will help you with this section of the game. Different clubs for different outcomes will become the norm. Then you need to learn how to chip and what to do around the green. Then with some putting lessons, you will have a full game to be proud to take to the practice range!

Although this may sound complicated it is not. Once you are taught the basics, you will be able to play. People who practice what they have been taught, will get better. This will happen more quickly if you have taken golf lessons. So, go to the range and speak to a Professional. It does not matter if you are brand new at the game or if you have played for a long time. It is very easy to develop bad habits and very hard to get rid of them without help. When at the range, work with a teacher and while there, work on improving your overall game with putting lessons and you will winning all of your side bets and walking away from the course with a big smile on your face.

Want to find out more about golf lessons, then visit Steven Watts’ site on how to choose the best golf lessons for your needs.

Best Putting Tips Can Improve Your Swing

As a golfer, putting tips are one of the most important aspects of your game. Ever wondered why the putter is the club you use most often? Knowing this, it’s very important that you learn to master putting because, if you are not able to use this great skill then you will never be able to reach your full potential in the golfing world. Even if golf is just a pastime for you, it would be a pretty good feeling to be the object of admiration by friends and family for your prowess, wouldn’t it?

Basically there are four skills when it comes to putting. You will want to see the path, or line, see the distance, hit the path, and hit the distance, When all of these skills are mastered, you have a great golf swing. In order for you to be able to achieve this you need to learn when you should select the right putt, how to choose your target, and then finally how to aim your putter so that you are able to reach your target.

There are a variety of different ways that you can improve your putting skills so that you will become an expert. Here are just a few tips to help you achieve your goal.

The next tip relates to the speed of the putt. A dry green will allow your ball to move faster than a wet green. A well-trimmed lawn will make for faster putting. Also try to take note of the direction the green runs. The more you concentrate on the green details the more consistent you will be.

Putting a ball is about learning to control the ball. The putter face is flat for hitting the ball head on while giving you a controlled putt. Remember, it is impossible to putt accurately if the putter head is not square at impact, assuming that you have accurately determined where you need to aim your put. For a refined putt, it’s important to putt with shoulders rather than hands, as it gives you a finesse and ease to control the ball. Swing in a pendulum motion.

Practice regularly to master your swinging skills. Begin with short putts, one-to-four feet in length. Unless comfortable with short putting strokes, avoid moving longer distances. If the stroke is left uncorrected initially, then chances of the problem being magnified with longer distance, increases. Therefore, it’s advisable to start short and then proceed longer distances.

To gain consistent distance with every new putt, it is advisable to take a slow, short back swing, keeping arms straight, without breaking wrists. To keep a track of your performance, ensure with each new putt that your putter head moves through the ball and ends up about shin high.

Lastly, make yourself a better putter by constantly practicing. More practice equals more skill and expertise. Practice! Practice! Practice! You will be perfect before you know it. To show off to your friends, choose your putting steps carefully and then go ahead and awe them during the game with your new skills!

Head for some online golf instruction to improve your game. With golf putting instruction that will improve your stroke and score. Head online now and find out more.

Basic Golfing Tips For Beginners: 1

The popularity of the game of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty-five years, giving us great champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.

Why has golf become so popular these days? Its the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never play perfectly.

Your achievements are tallied on your scorecard for all time and the desire to improve your game can encourage you to play again and again.

Here follows an elementary lesson for those who know nothing about golf.

Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course. Each hole has its own “par” (value), which is the combined number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts (on the green) you should need to take.

The par number is based on the length and difficulty of the hole. Pars range from 3 to 6. If you get the ball in the hole in five shots on a par five hole, you “made par.” If it took you six shots, its called a bogie, if you made it in four, its a birdie.

All the holes on a golf course will have at least one ‘hazard’ to make the game more challenging and therefore more interesting. These hazards are usually: sand traps, trees and bodies of water, which are set up in such a way as to be obstructive. A beginner at golf should seek out a course which has fewer and less obstructive hazards so it is easier to play.

Players mark their own scorecard with the cumalative total of shots taken for each hole. After playing all the holes, the players add up their own scorecards and the one with the lowest score is the winner.

It is vital that beginners to golfing should not take the game too seriously, because it takes a very long time to play golf proficiently, even if the professionals on TV make it look so easy.

It makes very good sense to take a few lessons from the course pro, when you are just beginning to learn to play golf, because then you will learn how to stand and swing the golf club correctly.

Are you a rookie to golfing?? We have some greon our website at tips for the beginner golfer on our website at Golfing Tips for Beginners Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Nike Tour 2 Mixed Recycled B-Grade Experienced Professional Golf Balls (60-Ball Pack)

Amazon.com

Mid to high handicappers are often reluctant to buy high-quality golf balls because they know they’ll lose a few during any given round. Enter this Nike bag of mixed, recycled B-grade balls, which lets average players play the best balls at a fraction of their original price. Each of the 60 balls in the bag is in fair to good condition, although they may be slightly off color or have small cosmetic abrasions. As a result, the balls play almost as good as the brand-new (more…)