|
Archive for August, 2009
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
There is nothing that will put an end to a good round like three putting. In fact poor lag putting costs more strokes per round than poor drives or iron shots. Every week on tour the person who wins usually has the fewest, or close to, three putts for the tournament. Unfortunately most golfers do not spend much time practicing lag putting. It is not much fun to sit on a practice green and hit thirty foot putts for hours. It is much more entertaining to swing away with a driver on the range or play a quick nine.
When it comes to putting drills it often pays to become creative. Lag putting is as much feel as it is technique, but there is not anything else in life that really prepares us or teaches the touch and feel used in putting. It is very easy to have that last second thought of leaving it short followed quickly by an extra burst of hand speed and a putt that flies by the hole like an Indy car. This happens to everyone but can be stopped if a little creative practice is put in place.
While most people struggle with a putter in their hands it does not mean they completely lack the ability to leave short second putts. To help yourself with the feel of controlling distance simply throw the ball. On the practice green stand as if you are lining up a putt, only without a putter in your hands. Hold the ball in your hand, make a simulated stroke and release the ball on your way through. It is a more natural feel for us to throw the ball rather than hit it and the amount of force and speed needed is remarkably similar. Do this several times then start hitting putts again while thinking about tossing the ball to the hole with a nice smooth tempo. I have even seen very good golfers practice by tossing change in a jar from five feet to improve feel.
The bottom line is great putters have the ability to relate the amount of force or speed needed to get the ball to stop near the hole. This is something that comes with practice but often times different visual cues are needed the break through. So try throwing the ball to the hole and you may have a little less stress on the next putt.
Tags: lag putting, putting, three putts
Posted in Golf Tips | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
It is impossible to to stay focused for a complete round of golf. Concentrating for four or more hours is just not something that athletes can do while performing at the peak of their ability. Every golfer has had a round that was ruined from simple exhaustion, of the body or mind. It happens to golfers of all ability. Professional golfers have a trick that helps them eliminate this, a pre-shot routine. It not only brings consistency to the game but also lets the brain and body know that it is time to perform.
Developing a steady pre-shot routine can do as much for your game as any drill or that new driver everyone is praising. Just as important as focusing is the ability to relax between shots. While this seems hard at times it is extremely important. In order to make it through a long round of golf without being completely drained the muscles and mind need time to let go of the task at hand. With a pre-shot routine you can let your body know it is time go and step back into focus. Until this begins you can relax and conserve energy.
The great thing about a pre-shot routine is that you can do whatever you want. Many players start it by pulling a club out of a bag or even something simple like adjusting your hat or putting on your glove. This is the switch that lets your mind know it is time to perform. Perhaps the worst thing that you can do is sit over the ball and take numerous practice swings. Not only does this not help, it will drive everyone else you are playing with crazy. Limit practice swings to one or two and do not take them at full speed, concentrate on tempo and your target. The rest is up to you. Take some time on your next trip to the range and see what works best. Just remember to stick to the same routine before every shot and you will see why every pro has developed their own pre-shot routine.
Posted in Golf Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
The best female golfers have gathered in Sugar Grove, Illinois for the 2009 Solheim Cup. Beth Daniel, Hall of Fame Member, captains a strong United States squad led by veteran Juli Inkster and points leader Paula Creamer. Michele Wie also played well enough throughout the year to earn a captains pick and will be making her first appearance in the Solheim Cup. There is no doubt that it could be a very close call when the singles matches get underway on Sunday.
Rich Harvest Farms will play host to the dual as the eleventh edition of the event gets underway on Friday. The Solheim Cup is the women’s version of the Ryder Cup and was named after golf manufacturer and Ping Golf founder Karsten Solheim. The USA teams have won eight of the eleven matches including the last two meetings. As with the Ryder Cup the location alternates venues in Europe and the States.
Posted in Major Articles, PGA TOUR | No Comments »
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
When Tiger Woods leads going into the final round of a major you might as well hand him the trophy, until today. Tiger had won majors 14 out of 14 times when leading going into the final round. Leading by two going into today many thought that Padraig Harrington was the only one with a realist chance to catch. Everyone was wrong.
Tiger started his day off with some extremely conservative play and never got the putts to drop. South Korean Y.E. Yang has beaten Tiger in the past, at the HSBC Championship, and he did it again today. Staying just behind Tiger for most of the round he made his move on the 14th hole where he chipped in for eagle. He never looked back.
Coming to the eighteenth, following bogies by both Yang and Woods at the 17th hole, both players found the fairway. Yang finished Woods off with a 3 hybrid that finished just below the hole and history was made.
Yang becomes the first Asian born player to win a major after taking up the game at age 19. It is a stark contrast to the typical all star golfers of modern times. Most great players are raised to be champions but Yang did it differently and has changed the course of golf history in the process.
Tags: PGA Championship, Tiger Woods, YE Yang
Posted in Major Articles, PGA TOUR | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
The last of the nine ball flights all start out to the right of target. This means that the path of the golf club is traveling right of the target line when it makes contact. As with the other ball flights the curve, or shape, of the shot is determined by the face at impact.
The push is a very common shots with golfers of all ability. It can be caused by a number of factors and flaws in the swing and results in a shot that is straight but starts out and stays on a line right of the target. This caused by the path of the club starting the ball to the right and the face being square.
The push-draw is also started to the right of the target. This shot is preferred by many accomplished golfers and desired by nearly every beginner. It is caused by the path starting ball to right, or coming from the inside, and the face being closed. This results in a shot that starts out right of the target and draws back to the target.
The last of the nine ball flights is the dreaded push-slice. The result of this shot is most often a penalty shot and/or a re-tee. Like the prior two shots the path of the club starts the ball right of target. This however has key factor that makes this shot end poorly nearly every time. The club face is open. This causes the ball to curve to the right, fade or slice, and puts you in even more trouble. This, along with the pull-draw, are the two shots that end in the most trouble.
Tags: clubface, draw, pull, push, slice
Posted in Golf Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Phil Mickelson is making his return to the PGA Tour one week prior to the PGA Championship. This weeks WGC-Bridgestone Invitational promises to be a great warm up for the last major of the year. Coming off his win at the Buick Championship Tiger Woods looks to build his momentum and solidify his comeback from last years knee injury. This weeks field is as strong as it gets for a non-major.
Coming off his second place finish, and the second time he missed a playoff in a major by one stroke, Lee Westwood leads the charge to hunt down Tiger Woods. Stewart Cink also returns following his win at the British Open hoping to end the year strong and claim his spot among the elite golfers in the world.
With a field as impressive as this weeks it becomes rather pointless to try and pick a winner. The world’s best are are all looking to go into the PGA Championship with a win. In tournaments like this it is best to sit back and enjoy the drama.
Posted in Major Articles, PGA TOUR | No Comments »
Monday, August 3rd, 2009
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
Like the first three ball flights these all have something in common as well. These three ball flights all start to the left of the target line. The path of the club determines what direction the ball will start and the club face imparts spin on the ball to determine the shape of the shot. In these three ball flights the club path is coming from the outside and causing the ball to start out to the left of target, this is also called over the top.
The pull shot is simply a shot that starts out left of your intended target and never leaves that line. The club path causes the ball to start on this line and the club face is square causing the ball to fly in a straight line.
Next is the pull-hook shot, this is a shot usually ends in a ball heading out of bounds or into a lake. The is caused by the same path as above but in this case the club face is closed. This causes the ball to start out left of the intended target and the turn farther left in flight. This is caused by the spin imparted by the closed club face.
The pull-slice is perhaps the most common shot hit by high handicaps. The path is the same as the above two shots but the club face is open. This causes the ball to start out left of the target but the spin imparted causes the ball to move back to the right while in flight.
Understand how the club face and path influence shots is the first step to understanding how to fix the problem. In the next series the push shots will be covered.
Posted in Golf Tips | No Comments »
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
|
|
Get Golf Updates Via Email
Sign up to receive breaking news
as well as receive other golf specials!
|
