Stop Guessing and Get Custom Fit

Every major golf manufacturer offers free custom fitting with all of their clubs. Even though this is the case most golfers simply go to the pro shop and grab a club. This is often because they heard something good about or read a review in a magazine. The truth is that every single golfer can get more out of their clubs by getting them properly fit.

Getting fit involves several steps and factors. Companies essentially estimate what the average golfer needs and builds their clubs to those standard. These specifications vary from company to company. When clubs do not properly fit changes must be made in the swing to accommodate the problem. There are many factors that can be custom fitted. Some of the most important are length, lie, shaft flex, grip size, and shaft weight. Since there is no industry standard on any of these specifications the only way to be sure you have the correct clubs is to get a personal fitting. Your local PGA Professional would be the best choice for this. While some big golf stores train their employess to custom fit, your local PGA Professional will  fully understand how every variable works with your swing. You should have every club fit, even the putter. There are three popular lengths in putters today ranging from 33″ to 35″. Often times these three options are not correct and people simply play with something that is not right for them. If your putter does not sit flat on the green when you are putting, or if you have to choke down or bend over more than comfortable, your putter does not fit. A simple fitting can fix this in a couple minutes.

Next time you are in the market for new clubs do not be afraid to ask your local professional for a fitting session. It is certainly worth the short wait to custom order clubs and ensure they are exactly what you should be playing with.

Tags: benefits of custom golf club fitting, how to get fit for custom golf clubs, why get fit for custom golf clubs
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Get out of bunkers

Every amateur golfer hates hitting out of a green side bunker. More often than not people just do not understand how to get the ball out of the sand and this leaves them hacking away unsuccessfully. The truth is most bunker shots are quite easy when the right technique is used. All too often amateur golfers  hack down at the ball and the club stops in the sand. This may occasionally work but will often lead to a chunk and yet another shot out of the same bunker. When playing bunker shots the key is to accelerate through the ball. The club should enter the sand just behind the ball and slide under it. This will ensure the ball pops out and gets onto the green.

There is an easy drill to practice bunker shots that will help with the visualization along with technique:

When you are in the practice bunker take a tee and bury it in the sand until it is even with the sand. Place a ball on the tee and work on sweeping the tee out from under the ball. If this is done correctly the tee should break and the ball will come out softly. The key is to accelerate through the ball and finish the swing. Practice this on a regular basis and green side bunkers will no longer be a problem.

Tags: drills to practice bunker shots, how to get out of sand bunkers, tips to improve your sand game
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American Golf takes lead on water conservation

American Golf Corp., which manages more than 110 private, resort and daily fee courses in the U.S., has undertaken a proactive effort to conserve thousands of gallons of water on southern California courses by retrofitting sprinklers with efficient metal nozzles.

“We are working with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which is offering rebates to golf courses that switch out plastic nozzles to FCI Profile metal nozzles,” reported Scott Bourgeois, American Golf’s southern California director of maintenance. “At American Golf, we are committed to being good environmental stewards and to finding new ways to reduce water consumption.

“This program is an excellent opportunity to participate in a beneficial partnership with the MWD to help achieve water conservation goals,” he said.

Launched last summer at the Sea Cliff Country Club in Huntington Beach, Calif., the American Golf retrofit replaces factory-installed plastic nozzles with FCI Profile metal nozzles with stainless steel orifices, proven to increase distribution uniformity (DU) and save water.

Manufactured by Underhill International, FCI Profile are the only large turf rotor nozzles approved by the MWD for the rebate program.

The American Golf retrofit is projected to include nearly 20 courses in four southern California counties and encompass more than 20,000 nozzle switch-outs.

“The reason we applied for and participated in the MWD nozzle change-out program was to reduce our water consumption,” said Bourgeois. “Operating as good environmental stewards is very important to American Golf Corp.

“An obvious byproduct of the nozzle change-out program from a customer perspective was to improve turf conditions through water distribution uniformity, which ultimately will improve playing conditions.”

The DU rate indicates whether a sprinkler is delivering uniform irrigation coverage and is typically a barometer of turf condition. A low DU rate indicates that coverage is inconsistent, resulting in dry spots, donuts or over-watered, saturated areas. A high DU rate shows that irrigation application is uniform, resulting in healthier turf and improved appearance. With a higher DU rate, sprinklers can be programmed for shorter run times, saving water and energy.

In an on-site field study conducted by the Center for Irrigation Technology (California State University, Fresno) covering 108 holes (on 6- to 18-hole courses), FCI Profile nozzles reduced water consumption in one season by an average of six percent, and up to 20 percent on some sites.

Golf industry studies have shown that an average six percent water savings can add up to 800,000 to 9,000,000 gallons per course per year, depending on locality and rainfall.

At Sea Cliff, Bourgeois anticipates water savings at a rate of five percent per year, which translates to six to 10 million gallons annually. With nearly 20 American Golf courses scheduled for nozzle retrofits, the water savings is projected to add up to hundreds of millions of gallons per year.

FCI Profile nozzles are approved for rebates in four southern California regions: Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and southern Ventura County. The nozzles are available from local irrigation distributors that carry Underhill products.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Tags: environmentally responsible golf, golf water conservation
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Simplify Chipping to Save Strokes

Television coverage is quite possibly one of the worst things for the average amateur. The shots that are broadcast are selected from hundreds throughout a given day. Most of the time you only see the green side chips that are incredibly difficult. What they don’t usually show is the simple chips and pitches that actually make professional golfers so good compared to the amateur counterparts. The goal of the professional nearly all the time is to get a chip to react much like a putt. This is why on simple chips they often remove the pin, they want the chip to roll in like a putt. This means they want the golf ball on the putting surface as soon as possible. Often times you only see the extremely difficult lob shots on TV coverage.

Next time you are chipping try playing the shot like you would a putt. Take a short iron, such as an 8 iron, and choke down on the grip several inches. Stand tall to the ball and place the toe of the club behind the ball. When you choke down on the club and stand tall this will make the heel of the club come off the ground stopping fat shots. You can even use your putting grip when trying this. Place most of your weight on the foot closest to the target, your left foot for right handed golfers. This will give you a steeper angle of attack and help you make consistent impact. Once you are set up just make your normal putting stroke. The ball will come out low and roll much like a putt. This shot works wonders when there is a small amount of fringe to carry. Practice using shorter irons, such as a PW, for shorter shots and a 6 iron for longer shots across a green.

Tags: chipping golf drill, simplify chipping to save strokes, tips to improve your chipping
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Improving Lag Putting

The majority of three putts come from poor distance control on the first putt. Distance is everything when it comes to putting. Learning how to leave yourself shorter second putts can take many strokes of your scorecard. The problem with golf is you are not looking at your target when you make a stroke. So as soon as you look down at the ball is becomes a guessing game. Most of the time golfers guess fairly well, but when it comes to lag putting it is a different story. Every golfer, professionals included, struggle with lag putting on a regular basis. There is a simple drill that can help reduce the length of your second putts.

Next time you are on the practice green find a lengthy putt of about thirty-five feet. Go through your normal pre-shot routine but after getting lined up keep looking at the hole when making the putt. When the target remains in sight the body has an easier time reacting and making the correct stroke. There have even been several players on the Champions Tour that have used this in tournaments for lengthy putts. If this is practiced on a regular basis you will start to have a better feel for lag putting and leave shorter second putts.

Tags: improve lag putting, improve my putting
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Follow Through to Make More Putts

Many amateur golfers struggle so badly on the green that it causes them to quit the game. The biggest problem is deceleration, which means that the back stoke is too long and the player must slow down before making contact with the ball to avoid hitting it too hard. The problem with this is that it is impossible to judge deceleration correctly on a consistent process. Nearly every amateur golfer makes this mistake and it can be easily fixed with a little practice.

Next time you are on the putting green find a straight putt that is roughly six feet from the hole. Place a tee about three inches behind your putter so you cannot take it back any farther. This will make you accelerate through the ball and eliminate deceleration. When you practice longer putts move the tee slightly farther back as you progress. You may also practice short putts without taking a back stroke at all. Simply line up your putt and push the ball towards the hole. This will accomplish the same feeling and quickly it will be come apparent that a long back stroke is not needed to get the ball to the hole.

Tags: follow through to make more putts, golf putting drills, golf putting tips, putting tips
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Cabrera Claims Second Major at Augusta

Angel Cabrera claimed his second major in a three man playoff at Augusta on Sunday in what was one of the most exciting finishes is recent history. Cabrera birdied three of his final six holes while Kenny Perry bogied his final two to tie at twelve-under-par. Chad Campbell was also part of the playoff but was eliminated after a bogie on the first playoff hole. Cabrera won with a par four on the tenth hole after Kenny Perry pulled his approach left of the green. Perry, who seemed to have the tournament won, could not close the deal with bogies on seventeen and eighteen. After winning the 2007 U.S. Open Cabrera has failed to impress notching just one top ten on tour until his win on Sunday. He took full advantage of others misfortune in claiming his second major. Starting the day seven back and paired together, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods made valiant charges to pull within one shot of the lead late in their rounds. Late mishaps ended their chances at another Masters win. The entire tournament seemed to be set up for a playoff with scores low and tight the throughout the weekend. Scoring was much lower than golf fans have become accustomed to seeing in major championships with 37 players at par or better. With recent major champions struggling to break par it was a nice change of pace to see a shootout at Augusta. This was mostly due to calm and warm weather at Augusta all week. Rory McIlroy, the nineteen year old phenom, also played will with a T20 finish in his first Masters appearance.

Tags: Cabrera claims second major at Augusta, Masters news
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Birdies Galore at Augusta

It was a pretty normal day at Augusta. Good weather, great course conditions and a host of players still in the mix. Scores are fairly low as compared to the recent history in majors; in fact roughly twice as many players are under par as compared to last year’s event. Twenty-two years after holing a chip shot to win, Augusta native Larry Mize started the tournament with a 67 (-5), bringing back memories of past glory. The story of the day was the incredible round from Texan Chad Campbell. Starting at number one he birdied his first five holes and shot a 31 (-5) on the front side. After making the turn he started another run of four birdies starting on the twelfth, putting him at an astounding nine-under-par. Campbell had two bogies to finish the round but still got in the clubhouse with the lead and a round of 65. Rising star Hunter Mahan is tied for second with Jim Furyk with some yet to finish their rounds. Tiger Woods is currently on the back nine at two-under struggling to find his stride. Greg Norman continued his fine play with a solid first round 70. There is a host of players under par and still in contention.

As with any major championship conditions should get more difficult as the tournament continues. The course will firm up and harder pin positions will be utilized. Look for the scores to come back towards par starting tomorrow. This is certainly shaping up to be one exciting weekend from the grounds of Augusta National.

Tags: Masters news
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2009 Masters

There has not been a Masters, or any major championship, in recent years that has so many legitimate contenders. Newcomer Rory McIlroy has roared onto the scene and become the youngest player to be ranked inside the top 20 in the World Golf Rankings. McIlroy and amateur Danny Lee represent the best of the young players in the world. Lee, who already has a European Tour win under his belt, will both be making their Masters debut this week. On the opposite end of their careers Fred Couples and Greg Norman are looking to relive the glory days on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National. Greg Norman is in the field thanks to his finish at last summer’s British Open and Couples is exempt as a past champion. Both played well at the Shell Houston Open, with Couples having the lead late on Sunday before struggling to close the deal. The exemplary play of players in the twilight of their careers has become norm as of late. Irishman Padraig Harrington, winner of the last two major championships, comes to Augusta looking to at the third step of a career grand slam. His game may be a little shaky but he cannot be overlooked given his recent success in majors. Then there is Tiger Woods. After returning from his knee surgery he quickly found the magic of his past with a birdie on the 18^th hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. For the second year in a row a lengthy putt on the final hole gave him the win in this event. With so many contenders this may be the hardest call in recent history. Tiger is always the favorite, but this year he has teenagers and the over 50 crowd gunning him down. It is setting up to be one exciting week at Augusta.

Tags: Masters news
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Why the Golfing Public Struggles

Incredible improvements have been made in golf equipment over the last twenty years. Titanium drivers and an amazing evolution of golf ball performance have done very little to lower scores for the general public. There are several factors that have inhibited average golfers from lowering scores. At the top of this list is lack of instruction.

While people are playing with clubs that are far superior to those of the past and playing on courses that are kept in better shape their scores have not improved. Golf, like any, sport takes practice, proper equipment and most of all proper instruction. The promises of the major golf manufacturers and magazines more often than not leave the average golfer confused and offer little to no actual improvement. While golf magazines may offer legitimate drills and swing tips it is nearly impossible for someone to determine which of these tips is right for them. In fact many times one issue of a golf magazine will have swing tips and drills that have been designed for very different golf swings. Some drills will be better suited for a one plane swing, or flatter, and others for a two plane, or steeper swing. It is impossible for a beginner or average skill golfer to make sense of these and use them properly. There is however one simple answer to all of these problems. Golfers need to take more lessons! There are golfers that will buy new clubs every year hoping that something will magically click and their game will improve.

The answer to better golf scores can be found at your local course. By simply finding a qualified PGA Teaching Professional and signing up for a lesson or two scores will start to come down. It is best to take lessons from several different teachers before deciding on a long term program. For every learning style there is a teaching style. Some people learn visually and others through feel and repetition. It is important to find the right match with your PGA teacher. This will help your game far more than a new set of clubs found in the latest round of advertisements.

Tags: Why get golf lessons, Why the golfing public struggles
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