Golf and Fitness – A Personal Perspective

May 9, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

This is a great recap on how much exercise we actually get playing golf….What a fantastic workout routine! What do you think?

Brewcee's Golf Blog

Over the years I have seen lots of stats and claims about the fitness benefits of golf. In April, as part of national golf day in the US, the following info graph made the rounds on social media.

For us Canadians who have no clue what a mile is, it is about 1.6kms. So a 5 mile walk is just over 8kms.

Last Sunday I decided to find out for myself and started up my endomondo app on my galaxy S5 and galaxy gear fit watch to test out the claims.

As you can see from above, it took me just over 4 hours to the walk 18 holes or 8.44km. I played the whites so the course length was right around 6,000 yards.

My calorie calculation was just over 1,500, but that is an estimate based on my height, weight and how long I was out doing the activity…

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The Duck Challenge Goes Today!

May 7, 2015May 7, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Today is the day for the duck challenge! As most of you know, the loser must keep the duck safe and carry it periodically while playing a round or two until we have a chance to play again.

The last three challenges have not gone well for me. At first, I gave him too many strokes, that issue is fixed. The next two times, he won straight up and the matches were close.

Today’s duck challenge will determine if the duck returns to Canada or goes on a European vacation!

The rules are straight forward. The challenge is a match play format and I give my friend two strokes a side. If we are still tied after 18 holes, we count the strokes (he receives a total of 4 towards his score) to break the tie.

Although I have only played twice in 5 months, I think today is my day to finally “not” win the duck!

Stay tuned for the results!

I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links!

What’s in Your Golf Bag?

May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 19 Comments

Before you start telling me about your clubs, that is a topic for another day. What I am interested in deals with what you carry while you play golf. I borrowed a set of clubs from a friend on my last trip to the UK (the clubs actually belonged to his son) and I had to take some things out just to lighten the load.

I was amazed to find 4 bottles of Gatorade in various stages of emptiness, two rain jackets, about 100 tees, an umbrella, and at least 4 dozen golf balls! Needless to say, the bag was considerably lighter once I removed all the non essential stuff. As this new season has started, I decided to check to see what I have in my golf back.

Well, I had one wind shirt, an umbrella (most of the time), 50 tees, and about 18 golf balls (in various states of use). If you think that is not too bad, I also found rain cold gloves although it is really warm, 7 divot repair tools and 10 ball markers. I also carry a brush to clean my clubs, a copy of the golf rules, two towels and a key chain with my favorite hockey team’s logo (a present from my daughter).

In my car, I carry spare spikes, 2 dozen golf balls, rain suit, 2 spare sets of shoes, spare towels, sun screen, golf hats and sharpies for marking my golf balls. I guess I have turned my car into a traveling locker for golf.

I bet if you emptied your golf bag, you would be surprise at what you find. If you do decide to look into the dark crevasses of your golf bag, what is the oddest thing you think you will find? We all want to know!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Facing Challenges in Golf

May 3, 2015April 23, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

The ability of any golfer to face challenges with confidence is difficult at best. Through the years, I have overcome several set backs, but there was one thing that always helped me stay confident and focused. It was nothing earth shattering or profound, however it was always around and all I needed to do was to remember what it was.

Before I reveal my secret weapon, take a moment and see if you can guess what it is! It is in everyone of us, we all have access to the source of this great tool, but we have to believe that it is there to help….always. Lastly, we have to be able to accept this simple, yet powerful thing when it shows itself. Have you figured it out yet?

The belief that my next shot is the one that fixes my game! I always believe that no matter how challenging my golf game is, that the next shot will show me the way back to playing well. Before you call me goofy and crazy, think about it.

You are playing a round of golf and your first four holes are a complete struggle, then out of no where, you hit the perfect shot! All of a sudden your attitude changes, the confidence increases, and everything is working like a well oiled machine. This happens often and I would suggest to every golfer.

So, when my four holes turns into a couple rounds (or more) I do not panic. I try to clear my head from all the white noise and let my game shine through. I have unwavering confidence that my game is just one shot away!

What do you think? Do you have that one shot in your bag?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Solid Contact in Golf

May 1, 2015April 16, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Solid contact on the club face is extremely important! It will determine whether your ball will travel the expected distance, on the intended line, and finish in the intended spot. You will see the word ‘intended’ was used quite a bit because unless you are a professional, our real intent does not always match our execution.

What does solid contact actually mean? It is a term used extensively; however terms such as this are sometimes misinterpreted and misunderstood. To me, solid contact means feeling nothing when the ball hits the club face. The ball hits the ‘sweet spot’ and all the energy transfer from the club to the ball is at its optimum level. The leaves the club face with no distribution of energy or forces to the outer areas of the club face or the shaft.

It is very difficult to explain the feel of solid contact, but we all seem to know it when we feel it. The video below explains how to make solid contact with a seven iron. I found it quite informative and thought I would share it with you!