Make the most of your winter golf trip

With some of the country buried in snow before Halloween many are already counting down the days to their winter golf trip. There is not much better than enjoying warm weather and sunshine on the course in the middle of the winter. The problem is that many of us that go on winter trips have not played in weeks if not months prior. This often leads to bad scoring and frustration and can dampen the fun of a winter getaway.

Making a couple preparations before your trip can not only lower your scores but also make your vacation more enjoyable. Obviously if you are able to play or go to the range then get as much playing time as you can before your trip. The following tips are for those that are either snowed in or kept off the course by freezing temperatures.

Practice putting whenever you can. The short game is the first thing to get rusty during the off season and making a twenty foot putt can make up for a lousy hole. Practice putting whenever and wherever you can. Practice on your living room floor or even on smooth tile. It will amaze you what a difference it makes when you get out on the course.

Buy a package of Table Tennis (Ping Pong) balls. This may sound strange but they allow you to practice pitching and chip shots inside without breaking the lamp. Practice hitting them onto the couch from varying distances and onto tables or nightstands. Just make sure you have plenty of room to swing without hitting anything valuable or breakable.

Finally play it safe on the course when you get there. If your game is rusty there is no need to try to take any unnecessary risks. Make sure that you are hitting to the widest part of the fairway and the middle of the greens. This will give you the most room possible for any errors. While this seems like something that people would automatically try to do they often get out on the course and try to swing as hard as possible on every shot. When you have not played for awhile this will not work. Play it safe and stay out of trouble to shoot your best vacation scores.

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Tour players tinker too

Phil Mickelson recently stated that he has not putted well for two years. Something that is hard to believe given the fact that he has five wins over that time period. It was a simple putting tip from Dave Stockton turned it all around. He simply told Phil that it is fine to have a forward press in the putting stroke, or lean the hands towards the hole prior to making the stroke. While Phil’s change was small this time other tour players are taking drastic measures in order to compete with the best golfers in the world. Adam Scott has made a coaching change in order to attempt to climb back up the world rankings and others are trying different, not new, swing techniques such as the Stack and Tilt.

All this means is that the top golfers in the world tinker just like the rest of us. The test out new clubs, swing tips, and golf balls more frequently than anyone realizes. The fact is that golf is a streaky game. Besides a few top players on tour most players make the majority of the earnings in a few tournaments. There are several things that average golfers can learn from this. First of all don’t be afraid to try new things given that they have some merit. Swing tips from a local golf professional are much better than from a magazine. All of our swings are different and some drills may hurt more than help. Secondly you will have bad days on the golf course. There is something about the game, perhaps beyond explanation, that makes it simple one day and impossible the next. So remember that it is fun and just relax during the bad rounds. It is still better than being at work.

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Is it the clubs?

It is not always easy to figure out when a new club will actually help your game. I get asked all the time how often clubs need to be replaced, and my answer varies depending on the golfer I am talking to. Like any other sport the quality of the equipment does make a difference in performance. There are many factors that determine the need for new clubs, a fitting, or simply more  instruction.

The first question is always the skill level of the golfer. Experienced golfers are more likely to notice small changes in design and performance than casual or beginner golfers. It is easy to get sucked into the media blitz from the golf club manufacturers promising ten more yards every time a club is released. The fact is that golf clubs have changed a great deal in the past decade. New materials, advanced design and manufacturing techniques have led to more stable shafts and powerful drivers. However, this might not help the average golfer at all. Not too long ago drivers were only 43″ in length. Now most companies use 45.75″ as a standard length. Adding nearly three inches to a driver will certainly increase distance, but there is a trade off in control. Irons for the most part have not changed a great deal. In fact the new releases from Titleist look a lot like their irons from 2000 to 2003, and the craze of the bigger drivers also seems to be coming to an end with new releases taking some 60-100 CC’s off the size of previous drivers.

In reality the life of an iron for an average golfer can be twenty years, many people are still playing Ping Eye 2’s from the 1980’s. Just make sure that you change your grips once a year. As for drivers, every three years should keep you near the top of the technological advances. There is one thing that will trump any new driver or irons purchase and that is practice. A skilled golfer can play with any clubs in good shape and score well. Next time you find yourself blaming your clubs try taking a lesson and checking to see if your clubs fit properly. This will make a  bigger difference every time, and if you think you do need new clubs ask a PGA Professional at your local course. They are there to help, so take advantage of them. If you do decide to buy new clubs, take advantage of club demos offered by golf companies and hit as many different models as you can. It is free and is the best way to see what works best for you.

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Twitter Updates for 2009-10-15

• RT @claudeharmon Rejuvenated Mickelson is remedy for American golf http://bit.ly/31BMS #
• RT@DanHicksNBC Just thawing out from SF and Prez Cup. American golf now is coming on strong. Tiger, Phil and Stricker were amazing! #

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Swing on one leg to improve balance

Trying to hit a golf ball while off balance is as hard as it gets. When watching a good golfer the easiest thing to recognize is how they remain in balance throughout the swing. Most amateur golfers have trouble with balance throughout the entire swing. Often times you will see people having to step out of the golf swing because their balance is so bad. While many golfers can set up to the golf ball in balance they often lose it quickly during the swing.

There is a very simple drill that is very effective in the development of dynamic balance, or balance during the swing. On the driving range set up to the ball with a narrow stance and lift your right leg, for right handed golfers, off the ground. From here simply hit golf balls. It is best to start out small just hitting pitch shots and work your way up from there. Chances are you will quickly see how off balance you get from the very beginning of your swing. Practicing this on a regular basis can help develop sound balance and greatly improve your swing.

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Twitter Updates for 2009-10-06

• RT @iconlasik Do any US Olympians need LASIK? Give Icon LASIK a call if you do. We can help you out. Go USA. #

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Tour Players Adapting to New Groove Rule

Some of the miraculous par saves may disappear from your television screens during PGA Tour events next year. Starting January 1, 2010 the PGA and USGA will start enforcing the new groove rule. This rule will effectively roll back technology and make it much harder to spin the ball from the deep rough often found during tour events. Players have begun testing the new clubs and the Tour has started testing during tournaments so players can become accustomed to the procedure.

Many have fought the rule change, including PGA players and golf club manufacturers. The new rule essentially makes roughly three quarters of the irons and nearly all of the wedges currently on the market illegal for professionals and top amateurs. It will not affect the average golfer for years to come in local tournament play but will have another impact. The equipment companies release from this point forward will most likely conform to the new rule. So the next time the average golfer buys a set of irons or a new wedge they will most likely have the new grooves. This is causing many amateurs to plan ahead and buy several wedges with the current grooves. Many companies are releasing clubs that are very similar to the current offerings but with the adjustment to wedges.

It remains to be seen exactly what impact the new wedges will have on tour. So far players have stated that it will be significant out of heavy rough. Add to that the speed of the greens that they will be playing to we may see some less than stellar shots on tour.

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