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Pinch That Ball Off the Turf
By: Jeff Gustafson
"Just pinch the back of that ball, son"; "swing inside out"; "keep your head behind the ball"...words of wisdom that still echo in my head to this day.
My brother and I had a good role-model to follow since dad had won the Tacoma Amateur in the early 30's and followed that up with 20+ amateur titles over the next 30 years.
We both enjoyed the game but in my case there were other priorities such as baseball and basketball - If only I had known then what I know now.
Golf, as you know, is a game that you can play your entire life. And although dad tried his hardest to pass on his legacy, I didn't make it easy for me. "Pinch the ball" what does that mean? "Keep your head behind the ball..." aren't you already 'behind' it facing it?
By the time little "cocky me"asked someone to show me what pinching the ball looks like" it was too late. I had already pissed off the messenger.
The one thing that dad did get through to me that made sense was to play more strategically when it came to golf - always put your self in a position to make the next shot. He modeled perfectly with each round.
You see, golf is no different than most anything else. Those that succeed understand that preparation and planning are the keys to success. That includes practice as well as laying out a game-plan that one can follow during the golf round.
Even when dad had a miscue he was never out of the hole. You would see him wandering off somewhere other than in the fairway after hitting an errand shot yet the next thing you know you look up and there he is 20 feet from the pin putting for his birdie.
Dad's theory was quite simple: always play the smart shot, keep your mind in the game and things will eventually take care of themselves. (In fact, that was his basic theory in life - "it will all work out" was his pet phrase).
Dad would let the big "bangers" flirt with the trees flexing their muscles with every shot while he strategically stayed with his game-plan always giving himself a shot at the pin.
Even his miscues would leave an open shot.
Did he always win? Of course not but no one does. What he did do was always win more often than the other three in his foursome put together. Dad was consistent - never counted out. And if you were to beat him you would have to do it with your best game straight up.
Dad could get beat but he never lost.
As the years have gone by I have thought about the lessons that dad tried to convey on the golf course and even though they did not register nor seem important at the time they have grown in clarity with each passing year. He was not only a great "sticker" but a great human being and I wish he were still here to show me how to "pinch that ball off the turf". I think I just might 'get it' now.
Article by Jeff Gustafson - the creator of the Pocket Pro Personal Game-Plan and Strategy System www.the-sixth-man.com www.managingthecourse.com
Hints On Golf Clubs
Golf Training Equipment
A golf instructor can do wonders with your game, but he can't do it alone. To make golf lessons worthwhile, you must be able to follow up on them by continuing to work on the instructor's suggestions on your own time. The higher your goals, the more work will be required. Be realistic in your goals and make sure you can offer the commitment necessary to meet those goals.
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To have a good angle the left leg passes the ball first, hands second, and clubhead last. This motion automatically moves the clubhead in the descending angle of approach. Having the clubhead passing the hands prior to impact creates an ascending angle of approach. Most of the time with this action the clubhead will hit the ground behind the ball (Chili dipping) or the swing bottoms out early and the ball is struck on the upswing, topping it.
...Learn About Golf
I can�t tell you how many people come to my lesson tee and say, �If I could just get rid of my baseball swing, then all my problems would be solved!� My initial thought is always: I wish you had a baseball swing, because it would help you play better golf.
...The Golf Channel
Golf is played in many different types of weather. The type of weather affects how far the ball travels and its amount of spin. Knowing how the weather conditions affect your ball, therefore, is necessary to making correct club selections.
...The Golf Channel
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The USO and Armed Forces Entertainment joined forces with a group of professional golfers last week to provide service members in the Persian Gulf region the opportunity to meet with and learn golf tips from some of the best golfers in the world.
PGA Tour players participating in “Operation Links” included: Corey Pavin, Jerry Kelly, Donnie Hammond, Howard Twitty, and Titleist staff player Frank Lickliter II. They were also joined by National Long Drive Champions Art Sellinger and Brian Pavlet.
Throughout the visit, Frank Lickliter kept a blog for www.pgatour.com which you can read below, beginning with the most recent entry.
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The Golf World
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Check out Jean Littler's golf book for yourself and learn how to swing a golf club the right way!
By Lee MacRae
How To Swing A Golf Club Properly
Have you been having problems with your golf swing? Are you a beginner just starting out? Or are you a long time player who just can't seem to get it right? No matter who you are, learning
how to swing a golf club properly is imperative to playing the game well enough to really enjoy it.
For some, learning how to swing a golf club properly is an easy task. But for the vast majority, the golf swing becomes an elusive entity. They have it one day and then it's gone the next. They make a great shot on one hole, and the sky's the limit. The next hole brings a bad shot, and they want to twist the club into a pretzel! Ever happened to you?
It's important to remember that the basic golf swing can be broken down into individual sections. You have the backswing, you have the downswing, there is the impact moment and there is the follow through of the shot. Some people can put together all of these various components very easily. Others have to study each and every section and work hard to put it all together into one fluid motion. Then there is a factor of the pre-shot routine. Some people have a tendency to dally over the ball, take a few swings, back away, get set up again and then go through the whole routine a different way on each and every shot. And then they wonder why they have no consistency. accomplished golfers and PGA professionals in specific, have very set pre-shot routines that they do exactly the same way on every shot. And their pre-shot routine's are usually very quick and not at all a long drawn out affair that you see Sunday golfers engage in.
One of the best things we have today to help someone learn how to swing a golf club properly is the video. We can now watch each and every golfer from our Tiger Woods of today to Jack Nicholas and Bobby Jones of yesterday to see exactly how a golf swing should be performed. We are fortunate to be in such an era where the Internet can deliver video on demand for just about every pro golfer on the PGA Tour. We can see exactly how a golf club should be swung for optimum performance.
Of course, videos are often not enough and golf lesson can be a tremendous benefit. Taking lessons from a golf professional and then watching how everything is implemented by the touring professionals can take your game a long way. Of course, not everyone can afford golf lessons, or at least not more than one or two. in that case, you can add something like an e-book that you can use to study and apply with your lessons and your videos. A book that has been highly recommended is one by golf Hall of Fame legend Gene Littler. He was nicknamed "Gene the Machine" due to his smooth rhythmical swing. Littler believed that, "Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the most misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes." A great philosophy and obviously the kind of teacher to help improve a golf swing and golf game.
If you do want to improve your game and learn how to swing a golf club properly, you would do well to use the available golf videos and other available help like golf lessons or golfing eBooks. Improving your abilties in the golf swing will do a lot to not only improve your game, but you will enjoy it a whole lot more. So, you can continue to drive your shots every which way and suffer or spend your money wisely and really learn how to swing a golf club properly. The decision is up to you.
About the author
Don't hesitate to buy your copy of Gene Littler's eBook How To Master The Golf Swing and learn
how to swing a golf club the right way! In this book Gene reveals the golf swing secrets that led to his PGA tour success.
More Info On Golf training AidThe key to hitting the ball farther with the modern driver and golf ball (which spins much less off of a flat face than balls of the past) is high launch combined with a low spin rate. Our goal is to get enough spin to achieve lift, while minimizing (hopefully eliminating) drag.
Find a great new golf drive online today!
Try for a relaxed and comfortable feel. A tight grip will hinder your rhythm and release. The V.s formed by the index finger and thumbs on both hands point between the chin and right shoulder.
Find a training aid to learn the correct golf grip today!
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Labels: hybrid golf clubs
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A Good Golf Course Is Half Your Fun
By: Ken Morris
What makes a good golf course? Many people think a golf course consists of nothing more than a large green lawn or field. While it may have this appearance from a distance, a good golf course is much more that. The way the land is laid out is very important to someone looking to buy land to make a golf course. If they choose a large flat piece of land, they'll have a lot of work and expense ahead of them if they want a golf course that golfers will want to keep coming back to.
Although hills may be something that golfers dread during the course of a game, they are also important for the course to help make the game more challenging. A couple of hills will work perfectly. If there were only one hill, some of the more experienced golfers would have it mastered in no time. Trees, those aggravating trees, also make for a good golf game. It takes a really good golfer to be able to shoot around the trees! There should be a nice area for the fairway, an appropriate area for the rough and some sand traps. Some golfers hate sand traps and claim they could do without them, but they add to the game.
The holes on the course need to be all over the place and not in a straight row. If each hole were the same direction and distance, the golfers would get bored very quickly. Even though many golfers complain about certain courses being very difficult to master, these are the very golf courses they want to keep returning to to better their game. These are the types of challenges that make the golfing fun. If playing golf isn't challenging, where's the fun?
The type of grass that is used is important, too. Bent grass greens work the best because the balls are as likely to roll off the greens as with other types of grass. Good maintenance of a golf course is very important in keeping it course golfers will enjoy. Keeping rocks and stones off the course not only helps the appearance but also will make it better for playing. Many golf courses have groundskeepers just for maintaining the course. Speaking of maintenance, the trails for the golf carts need to be kept in good condition as well. When the golfers are riding the carts, they should get as smooth a ride as possible.
Most important is the customer service the golf course owner and crew show to the customers. This is the major thing that will keep the golfers happy and eager to return.
Ken Morris writes for the most part for www.alicante-spain.com , an internet site about playing golf . His abstracts on golf in benidorm are published on his website
Tips On Indoor Putting Greens
Set up your shots correctly
You won't get very far in a car without knowing how to use its controls. And it's exactly the same for golf. It's really no more complicated than feeling comfortable and balanced over the ball. The first place to start is making sure you aim correctly. As a general rule, you should keep club face square to the target. The exception to this is when you are deliberately trying to hook or slice the ball. It should be square to your body - wherever you are in your backswing. Try stopping your club at a variety of positions in your swing. The most important thing to remember is that the club head should be square to your body at all times.
...BBC golf
Wilson Golf Irons
When buying a putter remember that grips and weight are factors with major impacts on feel. Many believe that a thicker grip helps prevent wrist bend, but a
thicker grip won't be comfortable for all. Weight is entirely a personal preference, and you can find putters that run the gamut from feathery to lead-ish in weight.
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