Golf

Improve Your Game with Custom Golf Clubs

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:45:00 +0000

Golf clubs are big determinants of how well you play the game. So to enable you to make that killer shot, you need customized golf clubs. Customization involves fitting your clubs with different lies: upright, standard, or flat to allow a better game. Custom made golf clubs also let you choose the grip and the materials and help you set your driving range to make best use of your clubs.

Custom golf clubs also mean you can select materials for the shafts and the club heads. These give you the flexibility you require for your swing and drive. It is essential however that you keep in mind certain factors when getting your clubs custom made: whether you play right hand or left hand, wear shoes with flat soles, have your arms down your sides, distance between your wrist and the floor, size of your gloves, and your present handicap on the 18 hole green.

Other questions frequently asked are about your driving distance, accuracy, putting and chipping techniques, recovery and ball hitting. You need to know how far the ball travels with your 5-iron, which of these you do most frequently: Hook, Draw, Straight, Fade, Slice, the driver you are using now and its make and flexibility as well as that of the shaft, the kind of irons and their makes, the type of golf ball used.

At the end of the custom fitting sessions, you need to know what to expect and why exactly you are getting your clubs customized.

From : buzzle.com

Golf Fitness Helps Generate More Speed in Your Swing!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:51:00 +0000

The golfing industry speaks about clubhead speed constantly. We see advertised in the golf magazines all the time. We hear about it on the Golf Channel endlessly

Clubhead speed is more a result of what you do with the golf club than an entity of its own. A driver is not going to generate clubhead speed on its’ own! Someone has to swing it!

Clubhead speed is contingent upon swing speed. Swing speed is directly related to the person swinging the golf club. So the question to really ask is:

How Do I Develop Huge Gains in My Swing Speed?

Another term directly related to swing speed and clubhead speed is power.

More Power = More Swing Speed = More Clubhead Speed

Bottom line is we are looking to increasing the power outputs of your golf swing. This will allow for an increase in swing speed. An increase in swing speed translates to more clubhead speed.

So how do we increase the power in our golf swing?

Two aspects require tuning and development of you wish to improve the power in your golf swing.

§ Number One: Improve Your Swing Mechanics
§ Number Two: Improve Your Body

Developing optimal swing mechanics is the first part of the equation to great power.

The golf swing is one of the most difficult, finite, and complex athletic movements performed. As a result, it requires time spent on the refinement of the movements involved.

Any athletic movement, the golf swing included, can be performed efficiently or inefficiently.

An efficient golf swing allows for the highest percentage of power generated by the golfer to be translated into the club, and delivered into the golf ball. An inefficient golf swing decreases the amount of power delivered to golf swing.

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics = High Power Outputs

Inefficient Golf Swing Mechanics = Low Power Outputs

A pretty simple equation if you think about it.

Now how do you develop efficient golf swing mechanics?

Through a process of proper instruction, proper practice, and time. The body can learn either the correct or incorrect way to swing a golf club. In order to learn the correct way to swing a golf club, proper instruction is required.

Secondly, the body learns through repetition. In order to learn efficient golf swing mechanics it is necessary to practice the correct way to swing. Finally, this process takes time.

The body will not learn how swing a golf club correctly in a day. It takes consistent time spent on the swing.

Putting it in math terms, the equation for efficient golf swing mechanics is:

Proper Instruction + Proper Practice + Time = Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics

Unfortunately, efficient golf swing mechanics is only one-half of the equation to increasing clubhead speed, swing speed, and power.

The second half is your body.

The golf club cannot develop power on its own. It is a combination of developing efficient golf swing mechanics and a body that can generate power.

A Body that can Generate Power = Increased Clubhead Speed

Your body swings the club through the mechanics of the golf swing. In order to perform this efficiently and powerfully requires the development of certain disciplines within your body.

Generating power in the golf swing requires your body to be:

§ Flexible
§ Strong
§ Powerful

The development of these three disciplines within your body allows the foundation to swing the golf club with more power.

If your body is inflexible, weak, and powerless, generating clubhead speed will be very difficult, let alone performing the mechanics of the golf swing correctly. How do you develop such a body for the golf swing?

Quite simply by implementing a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program will develop the required flexibility, strength, and power required of the golf swing.

It comes down to this equation:

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics + A Flexible, Strong, & Powerful Body = Increased Clubhead Speed

Put in place a plan to develop efficient golf swing mechanics and a powerful body. The swing speed and clubhead speed you desire can be a reality. Remember; proper instruction, practice, time, and golf fitness training are the keys to more power, more swing speed, and more clubhead speed.

Understanding The Short Golf Game

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:36:00 +0000

Golf is a thinking man's game. You've probably heard this said a thousand times. But when they talk about golf being a thinking man's game, they're primarily talking about the short game. Shots beyond 125 yards are rather basic. You select a club, pick a target, and hit the ball with a full swing. Shots from 125 yards in are more varied. Two balls lying 5 yards apart and just 30 yards from the hole may require different shot strategies and techniques.

Understanding the short game is the key to golf. It's also key to lowering your golf handicap. A shot from 150 yards out requires one or two decisions. But a shot from 20 yards or 30 yards away requires several decisions. Considerations include lie, pin placement, type of shot, type of swing, and so on. That's why I tell players who take my golf lessons that if they're serious about improving their game, they must delve deep into the short game.

Two Ways to Go
Two types of shots dominate the short game-low running shots and high floating shots. Low running shots are preferable to high floating shots because they're easier to control. They're also easier to hit. High floating shots can lead to mis-hits, so you want to stay away from them, if you can.

To hit a low running shot, take a slightly open stance, play the ball back in your stance, square the clubface, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead, and swing shallow and U-shaped. Also, maintain firm wrists through the swing, don't release the clubhead at impact, and finish low and abbreviated.

To hit a high floating shot, take a slightly open stance, play the ball forward in your stance, open the clubface, keep your hands even with the clubface, and swing steep and V-shaped. Also, keep your wrist actively hinging, use a full release at impact, and finish full and in balance.

Work on hitting both types of shots in practice, as I've said in my golf tips. Learning to control these shots is the foundation of a good short game. Also, don't throttle back or try to hit a three-quarter- swing with these shots. Take a full swing. Some players need to practice hitting these shots with a full swing to convince themselves of that.

Basic Principles
In my golf lessons I breakdown short game play into a few basic principals. The most important of these are probably that your forward swing should match your backswing in length and speed, and that the pace of your swing should never slow until after impact. Below are some other key principals I discuss in golf instructions sessions on the short game.

Never swing hard with a short club.
With rare exceptions, you should never swing the 8-iron, 9-iron, or wedges with full force. The short game is about control. If you need more distance use a longer club.

Survey the land before hitting.
Hitting accurate shots from 125 yards or shorter requires you to understand things like slope, types of grass, sand textures, the effect of moisture, and the type of bounce and roll you'll get in various areas of the green.

Don't be cute.
When faced with a high, floating shot over a bunker, creek, or ridge, don't try to hit it close to the pin. Hit it up on the green and settle for a 20-foot putt or even a 40-foot putt. Good short game play is about strategies, skills, and percentages-not hitting miracle shots.

Concentrate on centered impact.
Because the clubs are shorter, centered impact with the scoring clubs is easier than with the long irons and woods. But you still have to concentrate on it. Almost ever shot you hit in the short game requires solid, square contact.

Visualize the shape of your swing.
The shape of your swing gives you a mirror image of the shot's trajectory. A steep, V-shaped swing tends to produce a high-arching shot. A shallow U-shaped swing tends to produce a lower, humpbacked shot.

Loft is the essence of the short game.
The loft angle of a wedge or short iron has complex effects on your shot. When your high lofted club isn't sending the ball high in the air, it's doing something else-it's softening the force of your swing by turning launch force into spin, and installing a set of brakes on your shot, again through spin.

Keep these basic short game principals in mind next time you play. Use them as the foundation of your short game.

Golf And Its History

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:17:00 +0000

We live in a stressful world, so it's only natural that we look for new venues of entertainment to ease our minds. You can get a lot of entertainment when you play the game of golf. Especially if you're willing to have a little fun with it!

Some people get plenty of entertainment when they simply play the game of golf. But it can be made so much more fun when you put twists on regular games. You can modify the way you play and get a lot more enjoyment from the game.

A friendly game of Wolf is hilarious entertainment. With this game, you have the option of picking players to be on your team based on how they hit the ball. Teams can change often. But the most fun of this game is when a player is putting to win the hole. The other players are allowed to do anything they want as long as they don't touch the ball. That leaves the field wide open. You can cover the player's eyes, place obstacles in front of the hole – the possibilities are endless – and great fun!

Some friendly side bets can also increase the entertainment value of the golf game. Try making these bets with dares instead of money. Wouldn't it be funny to make your opponent play with his or clothes turned inside out if they don't make that putt? Use your imagination and be creative – however, keep it G-rated. The golf course is, after all, a public place!

Finding entertainment on the golf course is actually quite easy when you think outside of the proverbial box. Just remember that the whole point of a friendly game is to have fun. So go out and do it!

However, the Scots are generally adamant that the game of golf was a Scottish invention on St. Andrews golf course. The name "golf" is a derivative of the Dutch word "kolf" however, so as for who really invented the game, we say who really cares!

By 1744, the game of golf had become wildly popular. So much so that a group of men called Gentlemen Golfers decided that a set of rules must be laid out for fair play. They came up with a list of thirteen guidelines on playing the game.

Major changes since the 19th century have occurred in the equipment needed for play. Better mowers made greens easier to play on. Golf balls designs would evolve by using rubber and man-made materials which made the ball fly longer on a drive. The wooden golf tee would make the drive easier.

No discussion of golf history would be complete without talking about the advances made in golf clubs. Metal shafts came about in the 1930s and most drivers were made of wood which is why they are called woods today even though they are most commonly made these days of metal or titanium. The golf shaft design has also gravitated towards graphite which is lighter and makes the club easier to swing.

When referring to the history of golf, we can debate exactly where the game originated, but the game of golf as we know it today, most certainly came about in Scotland. Even if we're wrong, we do still have this wonderful game – and most of us are very glad about that!

The Natural Golf Swing: The Starting Form

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:13:00 +0000

This is the second in a series of articles on the Natural Swing. The first article provided golf tips on the fundamental principles of the swing. In this article we look at the starting form for the swing, providing a brief golf lesson on the set up.

Golf instruction sessions say that a flawless starting form offers the best opportunity of swinging properly. It sets the swing's tone, promotes feelings of simplicity, freedom, and balance, and ensures a positive result-if we get it right. If we don't get it right, we'll feel cramped and inhibited, and we'll probably hit a less than perfect shot, like a slice, a pull hook, or something worse. The set up in any golf swing is totally under our control-one of the few things in the game that is.

The goal of the starting form of the natural swing is the same as any other golf swing. The starting form should set you up to make an aggressive move while remaining in balance. Ideally, it should be an athletic, graceful move, with purpose and direction. In the natural swing, the starting form focuses on things like target awareness, grip, stance, alignment, and ball location relative to the body.

Target Awareness: Target awareness is critical to the natural swing. Golf with the natural swing is not a reaction game, in which we respond to a thrown ball. It's a location game, in which we react to a target. The idea is to plant the image of that target firmly in mind. Having a clear image of the target, spurs you on. It gives you purpose, direction, and intent. In addition, it takes your mind off the ball and puts it where it should be-on the target. Target awareness fixes in your mind key factors like distance, trajectory, curvature, and direction. The more vividly we see the target, the more intensely we'll react to it. And the more successful we'll be at hitting it.

Grip: The natural grip is no different than we'd use to do many tasks, one that sets us up correctly toward our target, if we've kept our focus on the target. We form the natural grip so that the palms are opposed, as in prayer, palm to palm. This grip allows us to make a simple, natural motion, without compensatory moves or extra gestures, and without contorting our hands.The natural grip is not much different from your normal grip, except for the left hand. In the natural grip the club runs diagonally across the palms of your left hand (right-hand for left-handers). Position the last three fingers of the left hand around the club's butt end with your forefinger pushing against the thumb. This position generates a sensation of control and power in the left hand. The right hand fits over the left. The little finger fits in and over the index and forefinger of the left hand. The right-hand grip is mostly in the fingers. The correct grip pressure happens naturally when you assume the correct form. The relationship between the hands should not change during the swing.

The Stance: The key to the natural stance is aligning ourselves as if we were making a straight shot. Since we're planning on hitting the ball straight, there's no reason to align ourselves other than left (right for left-handers) to the line of flight. The left foot is in a slightly different position to the target, however. It is set at least 25 degrees open to the target, if not more. The degree of openness varies depending on the golfer's flexibility. The key here is balance.

In addition, you place the left foot slightly outside the left shoulder, so that you will be able to finish with your weight on your left foot. Balance is again the key. Most golfers roll toward the outside of the left foot when finishing the swing, which fosters a slight imbalance in the finish. But with the natural swing you move forward, so you want to finish flat on the left foot, with your weight evenly distributed across the whole foot.

Alignment: Ideally, we want to square up to the target. But everybody is different. And we're not ideally built. So everyone's perfect alignment for hitting the ball straight is slightly different- an important factor in the natural swing. Thus, we must find our own correct alignment position, one that needs to be square for the swing. For the most part, though, being square means being slightly left of the target. This is the only natural square position, even if it is not mathematically precise. Use the practice range to find your perfect square position and have a friend provide feedback in your efforts.

Ball position: Ball position in the natural swing flows logically from the way we set up in the starting position. We place the ball just ahead of the middle of stance for a standard five-iron shot. The ball should then be just back of the inside of the left heel. The width of the stance will vary depending on the length of the club. The longer the club, the wider the stance. Move the right foot only as we set up, closer or further away from the left foot depending on the club we have in our hands. Thus, the position of the left foot relative to the ball is always the same, ensuring a constant ball position.

The difference between the starting form of the normal swing and that of the natural swing are subtle, but significant. In essence there are three key adjustments: (1) the placement of the left foot open, for balance and direction; (2) alignment to the target, which will be slightly different for everyone while remaining square to the target; (3) the constant position of the ball relative to the left foot.

What's more, you need to evaluate your starting form each time you step up to the ball. The key to setting up properly with any swing, as I advocate in my golf lessons and golf tips, is to do it using the same routine time and time again. Do that and you'll be well on your way to lowering your golf handicap.

Secrets To Working The Golf Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:06:00 +0000

Players who know how to shape their shots have a significant advantage scoring-wise over those who don't. Shaping your shots not only reduces scores and golf handicaps, it dramatically alters the way you play the game. So if you're serious about improving your game, you must learn how to shape your shots.But where do you start when it comes to learning how to shape shots. Initially, you should focus on learning to hit three types of shots-how to curve the ball left to right, how to curve the ball right to left, and how to hit the low punch shot.

Golf Lesson #1: Hitting Left To RightThe fade follows a left to right path (for right-handers). To do that, you must build up air on the left side of the ball, pushing it right. Adopting an open stance at address plus having an open clubface at impact are the keys to hitting a fade.Take your normal stance, move your front foot back a few inches, and open up your hips. You should be facing left of the target line. During the takeaway, swing the club parallel to the line of your foot. The out-to-in takeaway produces a top-of-the-swing position where the clubface points left of the target. If you follow your foot line with your swing, you'll hit the ball with an open clubface.The keys to hitting a fade:
* Pull your front foot back slightly
* Open your stance
* Hinge wrists at about waist high
* Take a full shoulder turn
* Swing the club parallel to foot line
* Clear left hip (for right-handers)Hitting a fade seems simple enough, but be careful, as I've warned in my golf tips. If you generate too much sidespin, you'll create a slice.

Golf Lesson #2: Hitting Right To LeftThe secret to hitting a draw, like the secret to hitting a fade, is imparting sidespin. The draw follows an in-to-out path. So you must build up air on the right side of the ball, pushing it left. A closed stance and a closed clubface at impact produce the correct spin.Take a normal square stance, then draw your back foot back a few inches, closing your stance and clubface. The clubface aims directly along the target line but it follows and in-to-out path, not the out-to-in path of a fade. Adopting a slightly stronger left-handed grip encourages a more active release of the hands.Keys to hitting a draw:
* Adopt a closed stance
* Use a stronger left-hand grip
* Follow an inside track
* Aim right at the top of the swing
* Release the club through impactThe clubhead follows an inside track (inside the target line) on the takeaway and backswing. The club points to the right of the target at the top of the backswing. How far right depends on how much of a hook you want to play. Feel the toe of the club pass the heel, as you release your hands.

Golf Lesson #3: Hitting a Low Line DriveTo hit this shot, most players play the ball back in their stances, press their hands forward, lean left (for right-handers), and "punch" the ball with a three-quarter swing. If performed correctly, this approach drives the ball forward on a low trajectory and provides the distance you need.But this approach carries hidden dangers. Moving the ball too far back in your stance forces you to point the clubface/shoulders right of target, opens up the possibility of hitting a shank, and causes you to lunge at the ball from the top of your swing. If you fail to punch the ball correctly, you risk increasing backspin and trajectory. Here's a safer approach.Instead of moving the ball back, go down two clubs more than necessary and grip down on the club just above the shaft. If the situation requires a 9-iron but conditions are really windy or the pin is in a back position, drop down to a 7-iron and choke down on the club. Now take your normal set-up and swing.The two adjustments give you distance without the loft. Choking down shortens the swing arc, reducing clubhead speed. If that trajectory is too low for the shot, drop down one club and slide your hands halfway down the grip. Then take your normal swing. Dropping down to an 8-iron lengthens your swing arc, boosts clubhead speed, and increases trajectory.Understanding Swing MechanicsAs you can see, much of being able to work the ball comes down to understanding the impact of swing mechanics. In other words, you need to understand how and why the ball spins and how to change your mechanics to get the ball to react the way you want. Knowing how to shape the ball not only saves strokes, it also dictates strategy when playing. Remember, in golf strategy is all about controlling the ball and hitting your targets, whether you have a high golf handicap or a low one.

The Natural Golf Swing: The Backswing

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:51:00 +0000

This is the third in a series of articles on the Natural Swing. The previous articles provided golf tips on the swing's fundamental principles and its starting form. Here, we examine the backswing, providing a brief golf lesson on what proponents of the Natural Swing call the "loading motion."The Natural Swing emphasizes that the most basic of all principals is that golf involves a swinging motion directed toward a target. Unlike the traditional swing taught by today's pros, the Natural Swing is a whole body motion. It emphasizes swinging through the ball. not swinging at it to hit it. Instead, we swing a unit-our hands, arms, shoulders, and club-through the ball toward our target. If the ball is in the right place, we'll hit it because it is in the swing's natural path.The Natural Swing's starting form, the subject of our second golf lesson, gives you a chance to execute the swing properly. Since the golf swing is one motion, the starting form is a sort of lead-in. It sets a tone of harmony and ease. And it focuses on two key ideas: balance and proportion. Balance is the key to the Natural Swing. Everything you do should be done with an eye toward maintaining and promoting balance during the swing.Proponents of the Natural Swing call the backswing "loading." The subject of our third golf lesson, this concept represents a key point of differentiation from the traditional swing. Unlike that, which divides the activity into discrete parts, the Natural Swing sees the swing as one motion-a loading and an unloading of energy, a seamless moving from one phase to another. The term loading, according to the Naturalists, implies energy and commitment, as well as something vigorous and energizing.Gathering and Storing EnergyLoading gathers and stores energy, which is done by transferring your weight to your back foot while rotating the body around your trunk. While you seem to complete these motions in unison, you actually start them by shifting your weight to your back foot. The upper body and shoulders follow, without a sense of urgency. The motion should feel relaxed and comfortable. And the "picking up" of the club, which often ruins balance and compromises arc and plane, should be eliminated.The loading motion is less of a rotation than an unloading, so some 25 percent of your weight remains on the front foot. In other words, while loading you rotate about 90 degrees, while unloading you rotate almost a full 180 degrees. After a while, you will sense when you've loaded your swing completely, thanks to your sense of balance and your awareness of your target-the two triggers to the unloading phases.The successful transfer of weight, while staying in balance, accumulates energy.

Become a More Athletic Golfer to Improve Your Golf Game

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:28:00 +0000

Golf and Fitness are two terms that can finally go hand in hand, thanks to one Tiger Woods and his famous mystery workout routine, and the other professional and amateur players who have followed his lead. Once an activity perhaps identified more with pot bellies, motorized carts and cups of beer on the course than physical strength and a good physique, there is now no question that golf has entered the world of a full fledged sport that requires physical training to perform at its best. Golfers on the professional tours look like athletes now, with more and more toned athletic bodies being seen on TV crushing the ball down the longest, most difficult courses in the world. Spending some time in the gym has been shown that it can make as big a difference in a golfer's score as time on the range or putting green. The game itself has changed, and the way players approach it has changed, as well.

As a personal trainer and avid golfer, the relationship between fitness and golf is a natural one to maintain, but it wasn't that way when I started playing the game as a junior. I first picked up clubs when I was about 5, then started playing seriously by about the seventh grade. By seriously I mean it had become the obsession that many golfers feel when they realize they would rather be golfing than just about anything else. A group of friends and I played regularly, and by high school, we were not only on our golf team together, we were some of the best players in our entire small town.

I was never able to hit the ball as far as my friends on the team, and one thing they told me over and over was that I should lift weights and get stronger, which at the time they did because they also played on the basketball team in the winter. As a skinny cross country runner at the time, I saw no need nor had any interest in lifting, as the weight room intimidated me in high school. I look back almost 30 years later as a much stronger, longer and better player than I was then (because I lift weights!) and wonder what might have been had I listened to them.

Playing A Links Golf Course

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Jati K.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:01:00 +0000

The 2007 British Open will be played at Carnoustie Championship Course. For four days fans will see the world's greatest golfers tested by one of the toughest links courses in Scotland, if not the toughest. Links courses aren't as popular in the United States as they are in Scotland, which means you may never have played one. But if you have, you know that you must adopt a different style of play to score well on the course and keep your golf handicap down.A links golf course, as I've explained in my golf tips, is the oldest style golf course. It was first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scottish language and refers to both an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes open parkland. Many links courses – though not all – are located in coastal areas, on sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. Links courses reflect the nature of the scenery where the sport originated, and the fact that only limited resources were available to golf course architects at the time. Earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was minimized.