Golf Training

Creative Ways to Decorate Your Garden

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:29:23 +0000

Curb appeal is of great importance in the recent times. The look of a house from the street, reflects the personality of the person living in. therefore, landscaping is getting extremely popular in the recent times. One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your garden is to decorate it with garden statues. There are limitless options when it comes to adding ornamental statues in the lawn.

On the other hand, there are benches, garden gnomes, Meerkat statues, fountains, bronze sculptures and stepping stones. A person can decide upon the accessories in accordance to his preferences; however Meerkat statues are pretty unique.

Meerkats are small mammals that live in Africa and belong to the mongoose family. They can be usually found in a bunch of statues for sale. Meerkat statues are available in several different materials, however resin is one of the most commonly used materials. Such statues are painted and are available in a range of different positions. For an instance, a mammal poking head out of the hole is one of the commonly used statues for gardens. If you choose to buy these statues online, then you must be aware of the actual size. It may perhaps be difficult to judge the actual size of the sculpture from the picture.

Golf – the Rich Man’s Hobby?

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:03:49 +0000

Golf was invented in 15th-century Scotland, where some of the world’s oldest golf courses are located. It is a relatively simple game that sees you using a club to hit a ball into a hole, yet it is also complex, mainly thanks to the huge size of the courses compared to the tiny balls and holes.

Golf is played with golf clubs, which come in three types: wood, iron and putters. Clubs can be expensive, but a good set of clubs will help your game, as there are differences between each one that affect how far the ball goes. A one wood (a driver) will hit the ball very much further than an eight wood, for example.

There are many golf tournaments in the world today, with the two most important being the professional tournaments, the Masters and the PGA Championship. Many countries also hold open tournaments that amateurs can also enter, such as the US Open and the British Open.

Probably the most famous golfer in the world today is Tiger Woods, who was won ten major golf tournaments to date, making him one of the best golfers ever. Most people think that Jack Nicklaus is the best golfer ever, as he won more tournaments than any other, but if Tiger Woods keeps playing and winning like he is for another decade or so then that could easily change.

If you want to get into golf, there are plenty of ways to learn without having to go around a full-size golf course. Many places have ‘pitch and putt’ mini-golf courses, where you can go with nothing more than a chipping club (an iron) and a putter, and play on mini-holes. Children who are not yet old enough to do this can play crazy golf, which is generally putting-only, and has fun, brightly-coloured obstacles on the course and holes which make the ball do interesting things. It’s surprising just how fun golf can be, and many kids get their start with crazy golf only to go on and play real golf as a hobby for the rest of their lives.

Golf Swing Sequence

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:32:27 +0000

Many people say that there are 3 stages to the golf swing sequence: the backswing, the down swing and the follow through. However, the first stage should really be the set up, because without that even if you hit the ball 500 yards, it’s no good if it’s going in the wrong direction! It’s a bit like the golf-playing gorilla joke.

In the set up, the feet should be shoulder-width apart and parallel to the target, ball opposite the left heel and, of course, the club face aiming at the target. A good way of lining up the shot is to stand behind the ball, then using your club shaft to create a straight line from the ball to the target, select a prominent piece of grass or mark on the turf to act as a marker. Then, in the set up or address position you can square up the club face to this marker, which is then in line with your target.

In the next stage of the golf swing sequence the shoulders, arms and club initially all start moving as one, in the backswing. The sole purpose of the backswing is to get the arms and club to the top of the swing arc in preparation for the down swing, so there is no speed involved here. In fact, this needs to be done slowly and carefully, with a slight pause at the top, in preparation for the downswing.

The downswing actually starts with the legs and hips turning fractionally before the arms and shoulders start moving, with the movements starting slowly and fluently to avoid any misallignment caused by trying to rush it. The weight is transferred from right to left with the legs and hips moving forwards throughout the swing. The momentum of the swing gradually gathers pace until the point of impact.

This leads into the final stage of the golf swing sequence with the follow through. An important point to note is that throughout the swing the head should remain still and focused on the ball. This is even more important during the follow through. The natural tendency is to lift your head to see where your shot went, but the problem is that there is a tendency to lift your head before impact and apart from disrupting your stance, it’s difficult to hit something that you’re not looking at! So the head should remain focused on the ball for as long as possible way after impact.

As with most things, a great deal can be learned from copying the experts. So watch your favourite player and try and mimic him.

Golf Flexibility Training For A Tension-Free Swing

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:54:27 +0000

Golf flexibility training has come a long way. There are many more golf flexibility training stretches that can greatly impact your golf swing. Simple golf stretches, that done daily will give you a huge return on investment (your time).

There is a big difference between ‘general’ flexibility training and golf flexibility training. Just take a look at the positions the body is in during the golf swing and you’ll see many potential golf stretches you can come up with on your own.

The most common area a golfer should apply golf flexibility training is the backswing, impact and follow through.

You might be saying, “well that’s the whole swing”.

Yes…you might think so, but I’m talking about creating a golf flexibility training program that incorporates golf stretches specifically for those positions of the swing. As mentioned earlier, just take a look at the position your body is in at the top of your backswing; impact; and follow through into your finish.

There are your stretches!

It’s not rocket science to come up with golf training programs regarding both flexibility and strength. You’ve just got to use your creative side and keep the golf swing in mind when devising these golf training programs.

Tension is the biggest “killer” in the golf swing…bar none!

Most amateurs, if not all of them (us) have tension in our golf swings. Tension robs you of power. This is a known fact! A tense muscle is a slow muscle. A slow muscle produces minimal speed and ultimately power.

The key to a powerful golf swing is minimal tension and effort equals maximum distance AND accuracy.

One quick way to improve this is with a consistent golf flexibility training program done daily. This doesn’t entail 60 minutes of your time and dozens of stretches. I’m talking about 6-8 key golf flexibility training stretches taking up no more than 15 minutes per day.

Can you handle that?

I know you can. If your golf performance is important to you, you’ll make the time to get the results!

And when you step onto that course and start making effortless golf swings that go farther and straighter than ever before, you’ll know it was well worth doing your golf flexibility training.

How A Golf Swing Training Aid Can Help Your Swing

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:17:31 +0000

Every golfer wants to improve their golf swing. Training aid information is overwhelming and sometimes unreliable. How can you cut through all the BS and find out how legitimate a golf training aid for your swing really is?

Up until now…you would go on what you see on the television; what your golfing buddies recommend; or maybe even your local teaching pro. But how do you know if a particular training aid will really help your game? Do you spend hundreds of dollars a year on the next golf gadget, or do you do some homework to find out how effective it would be?

Specific To Your Swing Fault

One thing you need to take into consideration is your specific swing fault. By knowing your swing fault, you can eliminate certain golf swing aids that will obviously not help. For example, if you are a slicer of the golf ball, you wouldn’t get a training aid that addresses hooking the ball. This is an obvious comparison, but one that you should take into consideration when choosing a golf training aid.

Price Range Is A Factor

Golf training aids can range from under $20 to over $200. The variance is huge! Everyone has a budget, and it all comes down to what you are willing to spend “in hopes” of a better swing. If you can talk to someone who has had success with a particular product, then you are one step ahead of anyone going in cold and spending a lot of money.

Needs To Mimic Your Golf Swing

So many training aids for golf are not even close to what you actually do in your swing from a mechanical standpoint. I have seen countless golf swing aids that ingrain bad muscle memory and actually make your swing worse. When researching a golf swing training aid, take a look at the general motion of what they want you to do with it. If is makes sense to you, then give it a trial run. If it is far and away different than your golf swing, move on.

You Don’t Need The Latest – Greatest

It is so easy to see some new training aid gadget being advertised on the television and fall for the great salesmanship in the commercial. Don’t fall victim to this hypnotic sales pitch. There are training aids that have stood the test of time, and are still effective in helping you improve your golf swing.

Golf Swing Improvement

The end result is a better, more consistent swing. It doesn’t matter if you spend only $20, did it help you? Some of the most expensive aids have not helped a huge amount of people. I can say this because I receive emails everyday from golfers how have spent hundreds and still have not improved. The bottom line is to stay focused on your needs and get a golf swing training aid that will address those needs and solve your problem.

Golf Clubs – Which Are Which?

admin — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:45:31 +0000

Throughout the world there must be millions of weekend golfers who play the game they love just once in their hectic and sometimes very tiring week, hoping to find out the secret of this magical but really frustrating pastime. One topic inevitably crops up when we make our weekly pilgrimage around the 18 shrines we call a golf course.

Golf clubs! Now there’s a subject I guarantee always comes up on a round of golf. If not on the course, then certainly in the clubhouse afterwards, where we are celebrating perhaps one good shot in a round or drowning our sorrows in a beer glass for yet another waste of a good morning.

Let’s examine the clubs further. Firstly, we usually have two or three woods in the 14 permitted clubs we are allowed to carry in the bag (what a strange number). A driver is the biggest of them all – both in head size and club length – and, in theory at least, if used correctly, can and should hit the ball the longest distance. Why oh why can’t I hit the ball like that nice Mr Woods just once in my lifetime. Granted he is more talented than I and he practises about 18 hours a day, but it still would be nice just once to hear that crisp click of the ball leaving the club heading in the right direction.

All higher numbered clubs are supposed to do about the same thing, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 irons are also supposed to be hit huge distances yet no matter how often I have had lessons, I can’t seem to make a shot from a three iron travel any further than a shot from a five iron.

See what I’m saying about being frustrated! Next, the 6 and 7 irons – or mid irons are used if you are lucky enough to hit a half reasonable shot with a long iron, leaving the ball just a bit too far for an 8 or 9 iron (which are used for play closer to the green) you can then hit the mid-iron in the hope that you will reach the green and give yourself a reasonable chance of sinking a putt.

The sand wedge and pitching wedge are used around the green for particularly close shots that don’t quite land on the green or finish up in the sand of a bunker. And finally, while on the smoother surface of the green, you get to use the putter. You have probably seen these implements in all shapes and sizes. Like broomsticks, extra pieces stuck on the handle and all sorts of different club heads.

Let’s see what the generalisation is then: all iron clubs vary in degree of angle. If you imagine the one iron as being almost straight, the 2, 3, 4, etc, all have increasing angle on the club head to give you more lift when you hit the ball. Therefore, the sand iron and the pitching wedge would have the greatest angle, thus giving you the most lift from the ground.

If I sound like a text book, I am sorry. I have tried for almost 15 years to find out the secret of which club to use for which shot but I still generally finish up using a five-iron for pretty well everything.

Are Golf Training Aids Necessary?

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:49:39 +0000

Football players have footwork ladders, blocking sleds and kicking nets. Boxers have speed bags and heavy punching bags. Baseball players have fungo bats, weighted bats and pitching machines.

Golfers?

Golfers have the golf training aid.

It only makes sense that you take advantage of training devices to improve your abilities and skills. That is what athletes do in other sports and it’s what golfers should do as well.

In the other sports we mentioned, you will find different training devices used for the development of different skills. The boxer has a heavy bag to work on his power and heavy body punching as well as the lighter overhead “speed bag” where he develops his hand-eye coordination, improves his hand speed and learns to keep his hands up when fighting.

The golfer also has various training aids that will focus in on specific areas for improvement or accelerate the development of various skills. Some golf aids are used for developing the golf swing. Others for developing or reinforcing the proper hand grip and hand position on the golf club. Other golf aid is used to train you in keeping your head down when you putt or how to swing properly when chipping or using a sand wedge.

The important point to remember is that a good golf training aid can greatly benefit your game if chosen properly. Some people seem to feel the golf training aid is unnecessary and may even teach bad habits. If you’re concerned with that happening, just make sure that you check out what other people are saying about the particular training aid that you’re looking at. That’s the kind of research you should be doing with anything that you’re going to buy. Check out your golf training aid on the Internet. Just type in the name of your training aid along with the word “review” and up will pop up the experiences, comments, recommendations, rejections, problems and successes that ordinary people have had with that specific device. Learn all you can, especially with regard to the skill you are trying to develop or the habit you are trying to eliminate.

Well chosen golf training aids can do a great deal in reinforcing the good habits you learn from golf lessons and even from the devices themselves. A good golf training aid will give you feedback on what you are doing right or wrong and reinforce the right habits that will lead to a better golf game.

Are golf training aids necessary? Only if you want to become a better golfer.

The Etymology of Golf Terms

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:11:55 +0000

Non-golf players are constantly confused by the strange selection of words that are of regular usage in the game’s lexicon and I have often been quizzed about the etymology of such terms whilst dealing in luxury golf holidays. The truth is that the language of golf can be confusing and yet the majority of golfers have no idea about how terms like ‘birdie’, ‘bogey’ and ‘mulligan’ became so intrinsically linked with the greens and fairways.

Some of these answers have been lost to history but in their place a number of theories of the origins of golf words have sprung up; I shall expand upon these here.

Golf

First off, let’s get one misconception out of the way from the very start. Golf does not, and has never been an acronym for ‘Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden’ even though some golf committees would like it that way!

One theory is that the term golf is derived from the medieval Dutch word “kolve” meaning “club”. From there, we have Scottish dialect to thank for its transformation into “golve”. Another theory is that the origins of the word golf are derived from the Scottish “goulf” – a verb which meant “to strike or cuff”, given the game involves a lot of striking the ball.

Either way, by the 1500s, the term “golf” had developed from these routes.

Par

Contrary to popular belief, the term “par” did not originate on the golf course. It entered golf terminology in the 19th Century, and meant exactly the same thing that it did (and does) outside of golf: average, standard, ordinary.

Bogey

Perhaps one of the most bizarre terms in the golfing lexicon, this is a word that actually evolved right here in England. It relates to the Bogey Man who in the 19th Century song said “I’m the Bogey Man, catch me if you can”. According to the USGA, golfers at the time pursued the Bogey Man on the golf course – as in they were trying to ‘catch’ the perfect score. This led to the term ‘bogey score’ meaning the perfect game.

But now the term bogey denotes one over par, rather than the perfect score, so how did that happen? It came about with the split between professional and amateur golf – from both words being initially interchangeable, par went on to become the term for an average professional score, while bogey became the term for a total that amateur golfers could be pleased with.

Birdies and Eagles

The term ‘birdie’ is quite easy to explain – if you have knowledge of 19th Century American slang words! In that era, the word “bird” was a way of describing something particularly good – much in the way ‘cool’ was (and is) used more recently. Simply, a shot under par was ‘bird’, and this eventually transformed into ‘birdie’, which was in worldwide use by 1910.

From there, “Eagle” was to follow, simply sticking to the ornithological theme. “Albatross” was a later addition to the golfing vernacular.

Mulligan

Unfortunately, there’s no straight answer to how the term Mulligan became a golfing term for retaking a shot. A number of theories have emerged:

The first is simply that it was named after someone called Mulligan who took a ‘correction shot’, and had the do-over named after him.

A more interesting theory is that the term is actually an ethnic slur against Irish-Americans (Mulligan being a common Irish name) trying to join top class golf clubs, as they were often regarded as poor golfers.

A final suggestion is that the term is derived from old saloons who would keep a free bottle of drink at the bar for customers to take shots from. Allegedly this bottle was called a ‘mulligan’, and it’s possible that this term took on a similar meaning as a ‘freebie’ in golf.

Fore

The only thing that can be said with any certainty about the origin of this golf word is that it does derive from the fact that ‘fore’ means ‘ahead’ (like a ship’s fore and aft) – and it remains to this day a warning to those ahead of you on the course.

There are two popular theories as to the specifics of the term’s usage on the golf course: The first is that the term has military routes. At the time golf was properly taking off in Britain, infantry troops would advance in formation while artillery was fired from behind. When the artillery fired, there would be a shout of “beware before”, which would tell infantrymen to drop to the floor to avoid the shells above. It’s entirely possible that this advice applied to the golf course – with shells being replaced by the less dangerous golf ball!

The second is that it came from the term “forecaddie” – a person who accompanied groups around golf courses. The idea behind this is that an errant ball would be accompanied by shouting out “forecaddie” which would later be abbreviated to ‘fore’, just like the other half has been shortened to ‘caddie’.

So, the next time the topic of strange words comes up on a luxury golf holiday, you can explain with confidence that there is (some) method to the etymological madness!

Golf Training Aid – The Five Best

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:57:35 +0000

As everyone is trying to catch lightning in a bottle, the Wireless Golf Coach is asked all of the time about what golf training aid will work for our students. Obviously the answer is different for everyone but with that being said here are five golf training aids we often suggest:

Golf Training Aid #1: Callaway Golf X-Force Swing Trainer

The Callaway Golf X-Force swing trainer is designed to help you develop the feel for the pendulum sensation of the golf swing. The Callaway Golf X-Force swing is 2 times heavier than a standard golf club, so swinging it on a regular basis when you are off the course can help you develop proper golf musculature and general muscle tone. The impact feature helps to simulate actual outdoor ball striking.

Golf Training Aid #2: GolfGym Powerswing Trainer – Masters Edition

The GolfGym Powerswing Trainer is designed for the golfer looking for the finest in golf-specific training and conditioning for use in-season and/or in the off-season. Choose from 25 exercises designed to strengthen the muscles used in golf, including the rotator cuff region of the shoulder, hips, back and stomach muscles. Follow the golf exercise program of just 10 minutes a day, three times a week is all most golfers need to remain golf-ready. The Golf Gym Powerswing is a complete training kit containing the ProPerfect Training Grip with three PowerCords (light/lowest resistance, medium/standard resistance, heavy/strongest resistance), Quick Start DVD, Quick Start Manual and Storage Bag. This golf training aid is available Right & Left Handed.

Golf Training Aid #3: Swing Mirror by Izzo Golf

With the swing mirror by Izzo Golf you will be able to check your own posture, swing plane, grip, club face, finish position as well as your stance and ball position. The Swing Mirror will give you instant visual feedback so you can improve your very own golf swing or putting stroke.

Golf Training Aid #4: David Leadbetter’s SwingLink

Developed by David Leadbetter, the SwingLink is a golf improvement tool that helps you achieve a more efficient golf swing in minutes. It keeps your arms and body working together as a single unit rather than allowing the arms to work independently. By keeping the body and arms in a good connection, you will use your bigger muscles and hit more consistent golf shots and lower your scores! Leadbetter has worked with PGA Tour Players such as Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Charles Howell and Nick Price.

Golf Training Aid #5 – The Transfer Station

The Transfer Station is a three piece golf training aid that can be used to help you improve your full swing as well as your putting stroke. The Transfer Station will help your Full Swing by: Encourages the proper weight transfers Find the correct ball position every time you set-up Properly align your body to your target line The Transfer Station will help your Putting by: Promotes a straight back and straight through putting stroke Properly align your shoulders to the line of your putt In addition: Stores easily in your golf bag Made for indoor and outdoor use Will help all types of golfers men, women and juniors as well as right and left-handers.

No matter what skill level the golfer is you will be able to find something that will make any golfer that you know happy and improve their game. For other golf training aids, golf art or putting training aids go to virtualgolfswing.com.

Golf Swing Training Aids Review

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 07:12:35 +0000

Over the past twenty years golf has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. The game of golf is now widely accessible, with high quality local affordable golf courses available for the general public. With the popularity of players like Tiger Woods the game has become a marketers dream, and nowadays there are hundreds of golf swing training aids available. Before, you jump straight in and buy the most expensive items in the store; you need to be aware that this is not always the best way forward. The best thing to do is ensure that you carry out your research, and that you are clear exactly what aspect of your golf swing you want to improve. Eg. Is it your grip? Do you want more consistency in your swing? Do you want to increase the speed of your swing? All of these need to be considered.

Within each of these areas there you have a wide choice of golf swing training aids, varying widely in cost and this is where your research will be invaluable. Below is a brief idea of what is available in the golf swing training aids market.

Improving your grip

-Gloves which indicate where you are supposed to hold the club.

-Moulded grips – Fit directly onto the club and direct where your hands should lay on the club.

-Grip wrap straps – Facilitates the correct grip pressure and secures control of the club.

-Power Balls – Builds up grip and forearm strength.

Consistent swing

-The inside approach golf swing training aids – This will help to correct hooks / slices in your swing and therefore improve your game.

-Hinged clubs – These will ‘snap’ if the swing is flawed, therefore encouraging you to swing in a consistent manner.

-Weighted clubs – The evenly weighted shafts generate momentum along the correct swing plane.

-Laser trainers – These allow you to see the swing path / plane of your swing.

Speed of swing

-Power Stance – Addresses the lower body of the golf swing. This is critical because it is the source of power of the swing.

-Power Hitter Swing Trainer – Strengthens all the important muscles of the golf swing, therefore enabling you to increase power.

-Speed Stik – Contains a speed gauge in mph. Your speed of swing is directly proportional to the distance the ball travels (if hit sweetly!). This will help to build up your power.

These are just a selection of the golf swing training aids on the market. There are many others to bear in mind as well as a wealth of videos, DVDs, and books. If you do buy a training aid then using it sporadically will not help. You will need to ensure repeated use in order to benefit, but I can assure you it will be worth it in the end!