This is a very philosophical question. Immediately when asked, most experts will say the swing. Pundits point to mechanics immediately. Most of the top sources outline a no fail way to build a golf swing and lower your score. They also suggest that if you have a good golf swing, you automatically will have fun playing golf. This hypothesis is not very sound or practical.
Experiences (history) are great teachers. Think back through your life. What do you see? When you first started something, anything at all, did you immediately jump into the mechanics of that something? What was the first thing that attracted you to that activity? Remember the statement when we were growing up, ‘you will play and like it!’ ‘You will sing and like it!’ You will and on and on and on! Continue reading →
Recently, a friend of mine visited from the UK. As he bragged about golfing all year around, we shifted the discussion to what else besides playing he was doing to improve his golf game. He talked about practicing many of the regular things like chipping, putting, working on the range and focusing on course management while hitting the lins. All these things seem benign, but actually they have really helped him be more consistent and lower his score. I think he is going to have to give me a couple strokes a side next time we play!
During the many hours of golf talk, he mentioned going to a practice range and working on his swing plane. Of course, this new topic immediately caught my attention and I eagerly shifted the discussion to this new topic. He mentioned a swing plane trainer. It was a large circular device that keeps your club on the right plane during your swing. He explained how his body movements were out of alignment and how his arms, legs and torso were not working together as well as he thought. I told him that I have never used a swing plane trainer and he highly recommended that I gave it a try.
After a bit of research here is what I found:
The Swing Plane Trainers permit student and teacher to monitor correct swing plane & shaft angle. By keeping the shaft in continuous contact with the dual arcs, the player allows the club to travel on a proper swing plane while maintaining a correct shaft angle. The Pre-Swing Set Up, Arc, and Plane of the golf swing are the most important and basic elements to be learned by the beginner golfer. Just as important are these basic fundamentals for the intermediate and advanced players, to re-train these proper positions of the golf swing. Using the Swing Plane trainer will help create a consistent set-up position and the muscle memory necessary to perform a more repetitive golf swing.
The Golf Gruva. The GOLF GRUVA is the ultimate golf swing training system. It leads the entire body through the experience of the modern, multi-plane golf swing. Whether a beginner or advanced golfer, the Gruva system is an invaluable tool for improving your golf swing. This system seemed very interesting. The description in the video helps describe a professional golf swing.
There are many more such training aids, but only you can decided if they are right for you.
If you are a more traditional golfer who likes drills and tinkering with your swing on the range, why not try Quarter Drill, Back to Wall Tip, The Tour Sticks Drill, or the tips from Hitting It Solid. Again, the internet is full of drills, the above few caught my attention and I am going to try them this spring.
Talking to my friend about golf is a favorite thing to do. Our conversation opened up a new area of growth and for that I am grateful. Learning something new everyday is awesome; Learning something new everyday about golf is priceless. Thanks for the tip my friend!
Knowing how to putt does not guarantee that a player will be a confident putting. In earlier posts I presented a 5 part series on putting. This process works for me and I have been very successful through the years. Just recently, I realized that I was failing in one very important aspect of putting. I am not teaching myself to be successful all the time; therefore I am slowly eroding my confidence.
Teaching success is not really that difficult. “Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.” (Norman Vincent Peale) This quote applies directly to putting and here is how.
Putt out every hole!
That is it. Looking back at last year, I realized that in none tournament play I wasted at least one putt per round because I was not in the habit of putting out every hole. I know, but when you are chatting with your buddies, I was lax and my focus was not as it should have been. So during competitions, as the pressure rose on three footers, I probably missed more than I should. Talk about the Freddy Couples’ Syndrome!
So this year, I will putt out every hole. I expect to increase my confidence in my short putts and thereby reduce my handicap. Any thoughts?
Golf can be a time-consuming sport. A round of golf could last up to 6 hours depending on the pace of play. Although 6 hours is ridiculous, it is not uncommon at public courses on the weekend. Time is a precious commodity that needs to doled out with caution….or does it?
The amount of time any player dedicates to golf is directly proportional to their desire to play and/or improve. My goal this year to be a scratch golfer highlights my in creased desire to play better and therefor the need to adjust how I spend my time. My four step plan comes with a renewed commitment to be a better player, but also a requirement to change how I spend my time.
There is no question that my family will always be my number one focus and thus the majority of my time will be spent with them. Next are my hobbies. Of these, I want to spend the next largest allotment of time. These are the things that make me happy and help me to grow. Inside this group is golf.
As stated earlier, I need to change how I spend my time. My first step of my plan is to become healthier and more physically fit. This is extremely important because without my health, the rest does not matter. Brett Wilson’s book Redefining Success has helped me rediscover this tenet important to a happy life. To accomplish this step, I adjusted when I go to work and what I do with my time after work. For me, this has not been a large change, but a necessary one.
To stay accountable, I have dedicated the time to update my blog at least every second day. More if possible, but at least every second day. This may not seem like much, but there is a requirement for 1-2 hours every second day to keep this commitment.
As you can see, even in the early stages of my play requires a commitment of time. As I move forward, more planning is required to make sure that practice and playing are also maximized. Not to mention the days where opportunities arise to participate in my favorite sport.
Time is important. I discovered many years ago that I have plenty of time to do the things I enjoy and the things I must. Mostly, I have gained the time from not watching too much TV. That is a personal choice and one I do not regret. Also, through planning, I have been able to identify the best times to do certain activities that maximizes my availability to be with my family and enjoy my hobbies.
If you are contemplating a golfing goal that goes beyond your current expectations, time management will be a factor. It helps set the stage for success if you account for time and are willing to change how you use it.
Have you ever watched the pros during a tournament? They spend a tremendous amount of time looking at their golf ball for blemishes, scuffs, dents and deformities – especially when they miss a sort putt! It makes one ponder if there is something to their obsession with the slightest mark or are they just obsessed.
To check out my bag and found that have my golf balls have scuff, mark, or something. For the past few years, I used Pro V1 seconds from Walmart. But, this year, I decided to change to Srixon Q Star. I know they are completely different balls, but I need a drastic change because …. well just because. If my experiment does not work, I can always change back.
Back to the topic. My experience is that a golf ball is really only good for about two rounds tops. By then, you will hit the ball between 140 – 200+ times. Not to mention the ground even more times. I have used balls with all kinds of blemishes and normally did not care, but this year it is going to be different. For the first part of the season, my rule will be two rounds max….it should make a difference – I think.
I have read that distance, the ability to shape the ball, and accuracy will be affected. It has to do with aerodynamics of the ball and the science behind an object in motion etc, etc, etc. I have never really notice the difference, but I am not at the same skill as the pros so, I never worried about it that much.
One place I have noticed a difference is on the greens. A blemish, scuff or dent will effect the putting line. Additionally, it has the potential not the leave the putter head square…this is similar to dirt on the ball.
On a side note, Rule 15-1 state that a player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground, unless the ball is lost or out-of-bounds or the player substitutes another ball, whether or not substitution is permitted (see Rule 15-2). Amateurs can change to any type of ball, but the pros use the one ball rule and they must use the same type of ball for the entire round.
The pros are smart about when to change their golf ball, but what degree of damage prompts the change only they know for sure. I guess it boils down to preference.
When do you change your golf ball that has a scuff or damage?
