August 27th, 2010
Every person has heard that practice makes perfect. In reality it is often not possible to go to the golf course or driving range several times a week and hit balls or work on drills. Recreational golfers have jobs, family and other responsibilities that are far more important than anything that happens on the course. With some creativity and a couple household items you can practice at home and still improve your game.
One of the best things for your short game is to practice chipping with a Ping Pong ball. While they are roughly the same size as a golf ball they are obviously too light to cause any damage and have good feedback. First of all make sure you have plenty of room to swing the club without hitting anything breakable. Using a sand or lob wedge practice hitting a Ping Pong ball onto a couch or table. Short game is all about feel and creativity and sometimes you have to get pretty creative when hitting a Ping Pong ball onto a dining table. Practice hitting down on the ball to get it airborne faster with spin and adjust ball position to the back of your stance to keep the ball low. Practice this a couple times a week and you will definitely see results.
If your putting is a concern simply grab a 4×4 that is roughly two feet long. By keeping the heel of your putter against the side of the board you can get the feel of a straight back and straight through putting stroke. This is a great drill when you cannot log time on the putting green, it is also a great drill at the course. Great players often do this drill for hours without hitting a single golf ball. The repetition of the stroke is what matters when the pressure is on.
Next time you feel you need to get some practice in but just can’t find the time to get to the course just get creative. By practicing twenty minutes a day or even every other day at home you will see improvement.
Tags: golf lessons, Golf Tips
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August 27th, 2010
The FEDEX Cup kicked off this week at the Barclays. Tiger Woods, newly single, seems to have regained his confidence and his swing on the course with six-under par round yesterday. It has always been a questions of when, not if, Tiger will make his return and win again. During his struggles there certainly have been some changes of the landscape on the PGA Tour. With Tiger out of the picture for most of the year, young players were able to gather confidence and prove that kids can now compete with seasoned professionals. If Tiger can return to his form from several years ago those players may lose that confidence rather quickly.
With the Ryder Cup coming up it is a great time for Tiger Woods to start dominating again. Tiger has always been fantastic in the singles competition at the Ryder Cup and with the uprising of European talent the Unites States will need every point possible.
Tags: FEDEX Cup, Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods
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August 23rd, 2010
The divorce of Tiger Woods and his wife Elin was finalized today. Ending the nearly year long mess that started last Thanksgiving and exposed Tiger’s despicable behavior. There is no doubt that his play has been impacted as he continues to struggle find his winning form. He has always played a limited schedule and that has been reduced even more because of the scandal. Now that his marriage is officially over it will be interesting to see how quickly he bounces back. It seems as though his on course demeanor and attitude towards the press has not improved but maybe his play will. It is unthinkable to imagine the amount of money this ordeal has cost him, his sponsors, and the PGA Tour. TV ratings have dropped significantly without Tiger in contention. Perhaps he will regain his focus and restart his career and march towards 18 major championship wins.
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August 15th, 2010
The final major of the year did not disappoint. With a chance to win Dustin Johnson’s twist of fate, and a two stroke penalty, left him wondering what may have been. In the end it came down to Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer. Two players well known within the golfing world. Kaymer took the title to become the third foreigner to win a major this year, Mickelson was the lone American with his win at the Masters. The golfing world has really entered a new era. Players from all over the world are not only winning tournaments, they are winning majors. It shows what a truly global game golf has become and is most certainly a sign of things to come. While Tiger and Phil had respectable showings they are certainly falling of the radar in comparison to their usual TV time. Young players from abroad are showing that they can come through in truly historic moments and beat the best in the world. The FEDEX playoffs should bring even more excitement and the Ryder Cup will top it all off. It should be one exciting fall of golf.
Tags: PGA TOUR
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August 12th, 2010
It has been a year of equality on the PGA Tour. New players have surprised the world with major wins. No single person has been dominant over the course of the season and the PGA Championship is no different. In a golfing world where everyone has looked to Tiger as a favorite for more than a decade it has no become nearly impossible to guess who will win next. Not many people could have guessed that the big news of late 2010 would be that Tiger may not make the Ryder Cup team, but it shows that even he is prone to failure.The PGA Championship will go a long way in determining who will be the Player of the Year. If someone with a win or two this year can step up and take the title home it may just seal it. It will most certainly be an interesting weekend.
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August 7th, 2010
Well it seems as though Tiger Woods has hit rock bottom. Turning in his worst 54 hole score in his career at the Bridgestone, shooting 11 over par. Ryan Palmer carded a 63 on Saturday and is currently tied for the lead with Sean O’Hair. With Tiger struggling it appears Phil Mickelson has a terrific opportunity to claim the world number one, but he has not been up to the challenge lately. With the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits next week it is a perfect time for Phil to make his move. If Tiger enters next week playing this way he will have little chance of making the cut. Whistling Straits can be a tough course on a calm day and if the wind starts blowing it can be nearly impossible. It would have been impossible to imagine this scenario a couple years ago.
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July 31st, 2010
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July 30th, 2010
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July 29th, 2010
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July 29th, 2010
All too often courses are backed up because of one or two groups creating a log jam. Etiquette has certainly taken a hit on the course over the past decade and only appears to be getting worse. Slow play is the biggest enemy of any golf course and it is something that can easily be prevented.
When amateurs watch golf on television they see professionals taking forever to play a shot. There are many reasons for this. First of all they are playing for millions of dollars and every stroke can make a huge difference. Second of all, it is guaranteed to take five to six hours for them to play. With the cameras, waiting on rulings, and crowds, the players have learned to take their time on every shot rather than wait time after time. If at any time they are distracted they will start their pre-shot routine all over again. The most important factor is skill level. When a person has the ability to control a shot within a yard or two it take more time to determine which club to hit, how hard to swing, and what shot shape to select. All of these factors lead to slow play on the PGA Tour. The problem is the amateurs that see this and believe that following their example will improve their game, which unfortunately is not true.
For the average golfer the truth is that taking too much time is detrimental to their game. It is far more important to have a solid and consistent pre-shot routine that is expedient. By repeating this routine before every shot you will increase your chances for a successful shot. Walking around a putt unnecessarily will only make most golfers unsure about their initial reaction to the circumstances. There is nothing wrong with preparing for a shot, unless it is taking so long it begins to negatively impact your ability to play.
The appropriate fix for slow play begins on the range. Develop a short pre-shot routine, something that takes around 15 to 20 seconds. This can consist of anything that signals your mind to think about the swing. It is all up to you, just stay consistent. Next time you are on the course concentrate on keeping this routine consistent throughout the round. Be prepared when it is your turn to play and start your routine. You will be surprised how much your play can improve and speed up.
Tags: etiquette, golf slow play
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