Who Loves Golf?

The Naked Warrior

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:06:00 +0000

Master the Secrets of the Super Strong

I have been working pretty hard on improving my strength, especially in my legs and core. I got The Naked Warrior book for Christmas. It is written by Pavel Tsatsouline who is quite frankly a god in my opinion when it comes to increasing your strength.

I have read it cover to cover once and now in the process of re-reading it again from start to finish. While I have been practicing I have been diving in and out of different sections depending what I felt I needed to clarify.

There are only two exercises in this book. I was a little surprised at first and was a bit unsure as to how much it would help. Well, that thought was soon chucked right out the window. The two exercieses are the one legged squat (pistol) and the one arm one leg pushup.

It is really kicking my backside. The focus is on pure strength. The skills that you learn in this book are the kind of skills that you can transfer to everything you do. My legs are definitely getting stronger. There is still a long way to go, but a month working with this book has already got me further than a year doing leg extensions in the gym.

I now realised that to get a great workout anywhere you don't need any equipment. For golfers looking to add some distance to their game, this book will help. By strengthening your legs and core it means that you don't have to work as hard to generate the same power as before. Golf will be easier for you as a result.

Top 10 Areas to Improve Your Golf Game

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Here is a list of 10 areas where you can quickly improve the quality of your golf game.

1. Control your Rhythm
2. Course Management
3. Approach Shots to Greens
4. Bunker shots
5. Pitch Shots
6. Chip Shots
7. Short Putts
8. Long Putts
9. Warming Up Before You Play
10. Nutrition

These 10 areas I discuss in my new book "You Can Easily Knock 10 Shots off Your Score"

I keep the instruction simple so that you can use it straight away and start benefiting from it within a very short time fram. The majority of areas require minimal practice, so those who don't have a lot of time in their week to practice are also able to improve.

Click here if you would like to learn more.

Have fun on the golf course!

Graeme,

You Can Easily Knock 10 Shots off Your Score

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:03:00 +0000

I have just added my new e-book to my website. It shows you how you can lower your scores by 10 shots.

These are areas that are really easy to improve upon, but most golflers don't spend the little time that is required to actually make the improvement.

I spent much of my years as a junior golfer worrying about mechanics and getting frustrated with results and improvement, so I am going to save you the frustration and show you the areas that you can improve on without going for lessons and without changing your swing.

Also, there is not a lot of practice required to start seeing the benefit, but it does require a little, just like anything worthwhile.

However, for those that enjoy practicing, there is the possibility of improving your score by more. It is up to you.

Head on over to my website and take a look.

The page you want is www.wholovesgolf.com/10shots.html

Have fun on the golf course!

Graeme.

Warning: Golfers - You've Been Brainwashed?

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:18:00 +0000

Over the past few years there has been a growing number of coaches using the likes of NLP and mental techniques to help golfers improve and play better.

These techniques are not only limited to improving your golf game, but can have dramatic effects on other areas of your life if applied in the correct way.

The techniques are extremely powerful and effective. Up until now these techniques have only been used to influence yourself and in a positive fashion. I am sure there are some secret military agencies who are using these for other means, but this is the first time that I have came across these as a means to influence others.

Yes, you did read correctly. These techniques are now being used to influence others in a way that I am not too sure that I agree with. It does bring into question your honour and integrity. These two guys clearly aren't that bothered about that and there are a lot of others that won't either.

So, what does this mean to you. Can you remember that easy straight two foot putt that you missed last week? It might not have been your fault. One of your playing partners could have caused you to miss it as a result of using these techniques.

These techniques can ruin a good golfers game without any effort at all. They are sneaky. There are times that you may think it would be good to have. Lets just call it sweet justice. You always get those few obnoxious golfers that may need to learn a lesson or two.

If you are not aware of these techniques, then you are leaving yourself open to being manipulated, and it will be to the detriment of your game. If you know what they are and how to use them, at least you stand a fighting chance of immunising yourself to their effects.

Check out their website. It is called Black Ops Golfer. I do like their logo.

What You Can Learn From Greg Norman

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:17:00 +0000

It has been an incredible Open Championship. I went on the Tuesday Practice day and the atmosphere was great. Everybody was relaxed and the Players were all signing autographs. It is by far the best day to go. You can get close to the action and you can see a lot more than you can on a Championship day. Plus you get to see the players messing around hitting a variety of shots.

The story of the week was Greg Norman's return to form. It was great to see Greg playing some good golf. He looked relaxed all week and was enjoying his golf.

There are two important lessons to learn from Greg's performance this week.

First of all, it show you that age really doesn't matter as long as you have got a good level of fitness. At 53 Greg is still one of the fittest and strongest guys out there. Improving your fitness is the easiest way to improve your golf and will allow you to play better golf a lot longer.

You do not have to work out like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but simply increasing your strength in the legs and core muscles will make a big difference. Check out Mike Pedersen's website - Perform Better Golf for the easiest way I have found to improve your golf game.

Secondly, being able to hit a variety of shots will allow you to play your best in a variety of conditions. Greg showed great imagination in his shot making from the fairway and around the greens. Jim Flick (my favourite golf coach) talks about a good drill to work on in this month's Golf Digest where you should practice hitting 100 yard shots with every club in your bag. This will definitely help your shot making and creativity.

I know I did say there were two lessons, but I have realised that there is a third, and this is an important lesson. Greg was smiling all week and clearly having fun. So was Anthony Kim. Just listen to Kim's interview on Saturday evening. He was loving the conditions and so was Greg. The majority of players were moaning that it was tough and almost unplayable.

Even so, they still have the choice of how to think and behave. Greg and Anthony's attitude (also Padraig's) showed that this has a big effect on the outcome of your round. The conditions are the same for everyone. You might as well enjoy it. It will make it easier for you and you will play better.

Have fun on the golf course.

How Many Wedges Do You Carry in Your Golf Bag?

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Most golfers will carry a standard pitching wedge (PW) as it comes with the set, a sand wedge (SW) and more often than not a lob wedge (LW). Between a PW (47-48 degrees) and SW (56 degrees) there is approximately 8 or 9 degrees of loft. This equates to approximately a gap of 30 yards between the two clubs. The difference between a sand wedge and a lob wedge is only 4 degrees, so approximately 12-16 yards. This is ok. So what do you do between the PW and SW? The answer - a Gap Wedge. A gap wedge or approach wedge has approximately 52 degrees of loft on it. This will give you a more even gap between wedges and allow you to avoid the awkward in between distances that you will get between a PW and SW. However, to allow you to put a gap wedge in your bag, you will probably have to ditch one of your longer clubs. I would recommend your 3-iron. So you would have a Driver, 3 wood and 5 wood or rescue, and then it would jump to your 4-iron. This does give you a bit of a gap in your longer clubs, but you will notice it less than you will with the shorter clubs. The next time you go out make a note of how many times you use your 3-iron and then make a note of how many times you would use a gap wedge if you had one. If the number of times that you would use the gap wedge is greater than the 3-iron then you know that you should put one in your bag.

What Your Golf Coach Should Be Telling You!

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:13:00 +0000

Learning golf can be easy! You may think that this sounds incredible, but we as human beings are making it hard for ourself.

There is a natural way that we learn, and most golf teachers do not allow this process to happen. There are many complex moves involved in learning to walk. Do you think the golf swing is any more complex than walking?

Of course not, the golf swing can be as easy as walking. The problem is in the way that we learn how to do both of these. Most golfers learn to play through verbal commands - "do this, do that, dont do this, dont do that" etc.

Did you learn to walk by someone telling you to lift your left leg move it forward at an angle of X degrees and a distance of Y inches and move your weight so far here or there? I hope you didn't, unless you are a robot, then this might be acceptable.

There are a number of ways that you can learn quicker and as a result play better golf quicker. I will be discussing some of these methods over the next few weeks. You can subscribe on the right hand side to get the updates.

Why Do You Play Golf?

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:29:00 +0000

I have just added the stumbleupon.com bar to my explorer page and was just randomly going through the golf pages to see what is out there and where it would take me.

It lead me to the www.pgatour.com website. On the video it was playing the shots of the week and it reminded me of one of Bob Rotella's ten commandments - Play to play great.

It didn't so much get me thinking, but it got me contemplating why I play the game. I went through the usual list of reasons such as the score, the friendship, the fun, but quite possibly the biggest reason that I play is for those shots. Those shots that would make the Shot of the week, those shots that keep you coming back for more.

To be able to say that I hit that shot makes me feel really good. No matter what you shoot for the round, there is always one shot that you hit. It may be a smoked drive, a stiffed iron, a mammoth putt across the Himalayas, a holed bunker shot, a chip in or something else.

Play for those shots. Play to be the one that is hitting the shots of the week and see how good it makes you feel. That is why you spend the hours practicing on your living room carpet and why you practice in the middle of winter. It is not to shoot level par, although that is nice.

It is to hit those shots that stay with you forever!

How to Easily Increase your Distance and Accuracy

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:32:00 +0000

Every golfer seems to be obsessed about hitting the ball further, but seem to go about it in the worng way.

Hitting a long ball with the driver and any other club requires several things:
1. Good fundamentals - Grip, setup, posture, ball position and alignment. If any of these are off then you make it hard for yourself to create the positions that you need to hit it a long way.

2. Good Rhythm and Tempo. The only way to increase your distance is to increase your speed. Make sure that you are swinging at the optimum tempo for you. If you watch any of the top tour pros, you will see that there rhythm is the same with every shot, and it is smooth. There is no hit in the swing. The clubhead gathers speed as it goes and collects the ball along the way. All the energy is focused towards the target and not at the ball.

3. Impact position. There are many different routes to the ball, as there are many different routes to any destination. The one thing that has to be good is the impact position. No matter how you take it back, if you are not in a good position at impact, then you will lose distance and accuracy.

4. Make contact with the sweetspot. If you do not find the sweetspot, then you will not maximise your distance. If you are not hitting your wedges out of the sweetspot, then how can you expect to hit the driver from the sweetspot consistently.

If you focus on these four areas, then you will easily increase your distance and accuracy not just with your driver, but with all clubs in your bag.

Look out for my next post where I will show you how to get into a good impact position.

Have fun on the Golf Course.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Playing Golf

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Golf is one of the hardest games in the world. For a beginner, it seems at times like an insurmountable task to get good. At lot of people "try" golf, meaning they will have a go at swinging a club, but fewer will actually attempt to play the game. As anyone that plays the game will tell you, golf is like a drug. You constantly want more of it.

Why do I say this? Well, when you get to a level where at least you can get the club on the ball consistently and get the ball going forward you will start to hit some golf shots. This is when it gets addictive.

You will hit one special one, and then you will want to do it again. The feeling when everything comes together is almost undescribable. The problem comes when you start to improve, so does that one special shot. So essentially the goal posts are always moving.

Not only that, but everyday is different. Even although you may play the same course twice, you will not hit the same shots twice. You will end up in different places and playing from different positions. This keeps you on your toes and keeps the game interesting. Thanks to mother nature, the weather is never the same (well for most of us) two days in a row. This affects the shots that you are required to hit, where you can hit the ball and the decisions that you make.

There is never any end to the game. You can always keep on improving. There are always new courses being built and there are lots of great courses around just now that would keep me very satisfied for a very long time.

The individual aspects of the game of golf are great, you can even play on your own, but some of the best are spent playing with fellow golfers. There is a great camaraderie in golf that you don't get in too many other sports. Some of my best memories of golf have come when playing golf with my Dad. It is also great to get a four-ball together and go and play a new course.

How many chances do you really get to leave all your worries to one side and just enjoy yourself? Most don't. To play great golf like everybody is capable of playing requires a quiet mind, so why not leave your worries in the clubhouse and just have some fun as soon as you step on the 1st tee?

There are a lot of lessons to be learned through playing golf. Not to mention humility, as it will on many occasion humble you if you don't give the game the respect it deserves. There are a lot of ups and downs in golf, as there are in life and some setbacks that require mental toughness to recover from, but most important of all, you get to be outdoors in some wonderful surroundings with friends sharing a common interest. You can't beat that!

Have fun on the golf course!

Practice How You Intend to Play

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:16:00 +0000

When you are practicing on the range, do you go through your pre-shot routine? If not why not?

You want to practice how you intend to play, so that when you get to the golf course you don't have to think about it. That includes practicing your routine on the range.

If you don't hit balls on the range going through your routine you are telling yourself that it is not as important as when you are playing on the course. The problem comes when you get to the course and all of a sudden, instead of just stepping up there and hitting the shot, you are now evaluating the lie, the wind, the yardage and taking onsiderably more time over the shot than you do on the practice area.

This automatically creates more tension (which we want to control at all times), as you have created the scenario as a result of the way that you practice.

Make sure that when you stand on the practice tee you hit balls going through your routine just the way you would on the golf course. You will find that you are a lot more relaxed on the course and able to execute the shots that you want.

Leaderbord - Swing trainer

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:34:00 +0000

I heard about this training aid at the end of last year, and finally got a chance to have a go on it after hearing some mixed reviews. I have struggled to a certain extent with my hips spinning out on the way down and either hitting a big push or flipping the hands and hitting a nice big hook that finishes left of left.

Stepping on this initially I was a bit unsure. With the sliding platform there is a rather different feeling. I can tell you one thing, it is hard to spin the hips out on the leaderboard if done properly.

After half a dozen shots, I returned to the grass and hit a few more shots from there. It really works your hips and glutes. These are two muscles that are important for playing good golf.

As you are hitting shots while on the leaderboard, the feeling transfers well to hitting balls on the grass. This is probably the most important aspect when selecting a training aid "Can I hit balls with it?"

There are different resistance settings that can be altered underneath to allow just about anyone to use it. I didn't have it on that high a setting, so there is definitely a lot of scope for improvement for me on this. There is also a bonus with it, you can use it for just about any part of your game, and also for your strength training.

If you live in the US, please click on the picture above. If you are in the UK, please go to my website http://www.wholovesgolf.com/ and send me an e-mail if you would like to purchase a leaderboard.

This is a training aid that I will be using with you students.

New Taylor-Made Tour Burner Driver

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:22:00 +0000

TaylorMade Tour Burner 460 TI Driver - RH Graphite

I got to try this driver last week and to put it mildly I had a little smile on my face. Driving has always been the weak part of my game and at times I do struggle to find the short stuff. Fortunately I do love my wedges, so it all works out in the end.

I hit approximately a dozen balls, so enough that I could get a bit of a feel for it, and enough that I hit a few poor drives and a couple of great ones.

No matter where on the face I hit it, it seemed to go high and straight. It was a pleasant surprise for me. I tend to hit the ball fairly low compared to some golfers, but then again, I am still using a Callaway Great Big Bertha II rather than the brick on a stick Taylor-Made Tour Burner (It does look massive compared to mine, but rather pleasing on the eye, unlike some out there). I was using a 10.5, whereas I carry a 9.5 degree driver and the shaft was a little softer than what I have in my Callaway.

The only downside was that it is fairly hard to shape the ball with it, but I think I could live with that if I hit them long and straight majority of the time and find more fairways.

This is a club that you should think hard about putting in your bag.

If you live in the UK rather than the US please visit the following website:

Range Finders – The Quickest Way to an Accurate Yardage

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:14:00 +0000

Is it time to ditch your strokesavers? Well, not quite yet. You still need them to show you where everything is on the hole and to decide how you want to play the hole. However, you can't beat a range finder for getting you a good yardage.

Before you buy a range finder, I recommend that you spend some time on the range and work out how far you hit each club. This will allow you to make better use of the range finder on the course.

Secondly, most golfers don’t play on a flat golf course. To get an accurate reading when faced with an uphill or a downhill shot, you need a range finder with a slope facility, also known as an inclinometer. This takes into account that uphill shots play a little longer and downhill shots pay a little shorter than the actual yardage.

The range finder that I recommend is the
Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 With Slope

They may seem like a luxury item, but when you consider it, the majority of golfers spend more money on a driver that has no guarantee will help their game. Now you will know exactly how far you hit it and what club to use it. This will help you save shots.

If you live in the UK rather than the US, please check out the following website:

Blog Rush

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:23:00 +0000

I have added the Blog Rush widget to my blog to help spread the word about my blog and how this blog will help their golf game.

You can sign up at http://www.blogrush.com/r95309869

This is a new service. I would recommend that you add it to your blog now!

Creating More Power In Your Swing

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:09:00 +0000

To maximise the power potential of your swing, your body has to work in a certain way. To generate the most amount of power, you must use something that is called levers. Levers are what create the power in the golf swing.

Your body, arms and club are all levers and used in the correct way create enormous power.

From the top of the swing. your left knee starts to move back towards the target, your weight shifts to the left, your body starts to rotate, then your right elbow starts to straighten and then your wrist starts to unhinge.

As you can see here, the sequence is going from the largest muscle to the smallest. If you use your body in the correct way, it is impossible to come over the top or hit a snap hook. These two shots are the result of the body not working properly.

The Ten Commandments of Golf

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:06:00 +0000

I love this! These ten commandments are taken from The Golfer's Mind, written By Dr Bob Rotella. They have been pinned to my wall since I got the book. It is how every golfer should think.
I. Play to Play Great. Don't play not to play poorly.
II. Love the challenge of the day, whatever it may be.
III. Get out of results and get into process.
IV. Know that nothing will bother or upset you on the golf course, and you will be in a great state of mind for every shot.
V. Playing with a feeling that the outcome doesn't matter is almost always preferable to caring too much.
VI. Believe fully in yourself so you can play freely.
VII. See where you want the ball to go before every shot.
VIII. Be decisive, committed and clear.
IX. Be your own best friend.
X. Love your wedge and your putter.

If you use these ten commandments, then you can't help but improve. This is by far the best book by Dr Rotella. To get your copy from Amazon,
click here.

Golf Stretches = A Better Golfswing

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 15 May 2007 10:29:00 +0000

If your hamstrings are tight, it is going to wreak havoc on your swing. Golfers are notorious for having tight hamstrings, hips and glutes. Ooops!! These are the muscles that you want to be strong and flexible.

If these muscles are tight, then you will not be able to get into the proper positions in the swing, and as a result will have to make compensations. Not something that you want to start doing. Remember the rule of Cause and Effect? Well whatever happens has an equal and opposit reaction.

For example, if your hamstrings are tight, then your right leg will want to straighten as you coil to the top (Notice how Vijay has kept the flex in hist right knee as he has coiled to the top). If this happens, then you will have to make the necessary adjustment on the downswing. To check if your hamstrings are tight, grab a golf club in each hand and hold them three feet in front of you. This is to help you keep your balance.

With your right leg, take a step back two feet. From here, keeping your legs straight, you went to lower the upper body down as far as you can. If you can't get your upper body parallel to the ground, then you have a problem with your hamstrings. Does for both legs.

If you have tight hamstrings, then I want you to lie on the floor on your back, with one leg on the ground and the other in the air. Wrap a towel round the bottom of your foot and grab each end in your hands. Gradually straighten your leg against the towel and see how far you can go. Hold the stretch for thirty seconds and then repeat for the other side. You should do this twice for each leg and once per day if possible.

This is a great stretch and will soon have those hamstrings loose and you making a better swing in no time.

Dial in the Distance with Your Wedges

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Watching Phil at The Players this week was rather special. It makes you realise how important the short game is. If you have got a good short game, then you can get away with murder. Phil's wedges definitely saved him a few shots and was instrumental in his win.

Well, if you want to realise your potential or maybe one day play on the PGA Tour, you need to be good with your wedges. So, what can you do to improve your wedge play?

First of all, you need to be able to control your distances. If you can control your distance, then you will knock it a lot closer and the closer you knock it, the higher the probability that you will make the putt. Golf is a numbers game, and to lower your score you need to know your numbers.

If you have three wedges in your bag, then you have essentially NINE distances at your disposal. If you visualise your swing as a clock, and your arms as the hour hand, then you have three positions on the clock per club.

The three postions that your arms should swing to are: 7.30, 9.00 and 10.30. If you can swing to these three positions with each wedge (pitching, sand and lob wedge) and measure the distance, you will give yourself a better chance and getting up and down more often. All three shots should be played at the same rhythm.

This is one of the quickest ways to lower your score, and is something that anyone can do regardless of athletic ability. I have played against golfers that don't hit it as far as me, but have beat me because they were better with a wedge in their hand.

The moral of the story: Better Wedge Play, Means Lower Scores.

So what you waiting for? Lets go and shoot some lower scores!!!

It Don't Mean a Thing, If You Ain't Got That Swing

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:21:00 +0000

Are you struggling with your distance off the tee? Then don't try and hit the ball harder.

Remember, it is a swing and not a hit and to be a swing it must have rhythm. If you improve the rhythm of the swing, then you will improve your timing, which means that everything is working together. If everything is working together, your ball striking will improve and you will find the sweetspot more often.

A drill that I like to do is to count to three. You count one on the way back, then 2 as you start your downswing and three as you reach the follow-through position. A good tool to use is something called a "metronome". These can be purchased from any music shop. They are designed to count the beats for you. With a metronome, you can adjust the tempo. Doing this, you can find your ideal tempo. Start with the tempo set at 60 beats per minute and gradually increase it by no more than 2 beats per minute until you feel that the tempo is a bit fast and then gradually slow it down until you get you optimum speed.

Two great golfers to copy for their rhythm is Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. It is silky smooth and they both hit the ball a long way.

If you ever feel that you are losing your rhythm during the round, I want you to visualise yourself swining into the follow through position. If you can get to the follow through position, then more often than not, you have made a good swing.

Think Better & You Will Score Better

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:30:00 +0000

There are three areas that need to be developed for you to reach your potential as a golfer. Everybody knows the first one. That is the technical aspect (the swing). More and more people are realising the benefit of the second aspect, which is fitness and lastly golfers now realise how much the

mental game

comes into play.

My shelves are full of books on the mental game of golf, but

Golf - The Mind Factor

is probably my favourite. Rather than just telling stories about great comebacks, it gives you the techniques to equip yourself on the golf course.

We have all heard that voice in your head saying "Don't hit it in the water, please don't hit it in the water" and then "Splash". What you say to yourself on the golf course can be the difference between shooting your best ever score and that dreaded "c" word that me just wont mention.

Just to show you how good the book is I will give you one of the techniques for you to go away and work on. It is all about Self Talk. Here it is:

"Many people absolutely torture themselves with their internal dialogue. Over the next couple of rounds try stepping out of the action and just listen to what's actually going on. Most of this internal dialogue has become so habitual and so unconscious that you're unaware of its presence and effect. Go out next time and just tune in to what's occurring; you may even start to smile at the abuse and torture that you're inflicting on yourself. After the round, take a pen and jot down a couple of the things that you have said to yourself out on the course. When you actually see this on paper you will see it for what it is - ridiculous. This first step is vital though, because you can't change something unless you know what it is! Have fun with this and maybe even observe the self-torture your playing partners are inflicting upon themselves."

I have tortured myself on many an occassion. I have completely revamped my thought process and now have a lot more fun on the course, and as a result, what do you know, I play better and my scores are better.

This is a tiny investment in your game, but can give you such lucrative rewards if you take that bit of time to implement these techniques. You can get your hands on a copy of

Golf - The Mind Factor

from Amazon.

Fitness Level Up, Golf Scores Down!

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Tue, 08 May 2007 10:34:00 +0000

Put your hand up if you work on your fitness? Give yourself a patt on the back. Golf Fitness is all about tuning your body to allow it to do what you want in the golf swing. Have you ever considered your body as a 15th golf club? Why not? It is essentially a tool in your bag.

If you are in good shape, then you won't tire as much towards the end of the round, you will also be able to hit the ball longer, better and use less energy. There are PGA tour pros that don't work on their fitness, but they are becoming a rare breed. Spending 15-20 minutes a day working on your fitness is nothing compared to the benefits that you will receive. How about knocking your drive past your playing partners? Or being able to reach that par 5 in two.

There are three main components in

fitness

. You need to combine strength training, stretching and cardio. You need to strengthen and lengthen your muscles when you train. This will prevent injury and improve the range of motion. What is the point in strengthening your legs if you can't even touch your toes. Doing some cardio work e.g. running will make a round of golf feel like a walk in the park, like it should be, rather than a trek across the Himalayas.

One gentleman that has helped my game significantly is

Mike Pedersen

. He deals with golf specific training and knows everything you could possibly want to know about fitness. One of the most frustrating things I find as a teacher is pupils not being able to get into the correct positions because their body won't allow them.

Please, for your golf game's sake, invest some time and effort in your fitness. You will be glad you did. You can visit Mike Pedersen's

Perform Better Golf

site by clicking

here

Hit them Long and Straight!

Do You Wish You Could Hole More Putts?

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:23:00 +0000

How many of you actually love putting? Well, you should. It is the simplest stroke in golf and can quickly turn a bad round into a good round. Hands up everyone who has Knocked it straight right into the trees, managed to somehow get the ball to the greenside bunker, thin your bunker shot and then hole a 30 footer for par. A bit extreme I know, but we have all done it. Your putter should be your best friend. It can get you out of trouble in a hurry.

Whether it is a 15 footer for birdie, or a downhill 3 footer for par, holing a few putts is going to make a big difference to your scorecard. Lets have a look at the fundamentals of putting. For today, we will concentrate on the set up. Once we are in the correct position, it is a lot easier to promote a good stroke.

First things first. The stance should be shoulder width apart. Think of yourself as the a building. You need a strong foundation. A wider stance will also stop you from being blown about in the wind. From here, you want to bend at the waist and flex your knees until your arms hang vertically. This will allow you to use a pendulum-style method, which is one of the most consistent and easiest to repeat.

The Grip! Gripping the putter in the lifeline of your left hand will reduce the ability of the hands and wrists to takeover the stroke. It will also keep the putter face squarer throughout the stroke, reducing your misses significantly. By placing the grip in the lifeline will create a straight line between the shaft and the forearm and the putter will feel like an extension of your arm. Your right hand should be placed on the club parallel to your left with your pinky overlapping the middle finger of your left hand. The index finger of the left hand should be extended down the grip and resting on top of the fingers of your right hand.

If you follow this, then you will put yourself in a great set-up position. Once you are here, it is easy to make a good stroke. We will talk about the stroke next week. For now, get parciticing.

Golf Clubs for Beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:46:00 +0000

One of the questions that beginning golfers always ask is - How much should I spend on a set of golf clubs? That is a hard question to answer. It really depends how serious you are about the game. If you are going to be playing and practicing a lot, then it is worthwhile spend a decent amount of money to get the best set that you can.

Even if you do want to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a new set, there is no need to. A great place to get some good clubs at a discount is

Callaway Golf Pre-owned

. You get some of the most forgiving clubs on the market, and you pay a fraction of the price for them. Most of the clubs are fairly and haven't saw that much golf. Check out the website. They have got a good selection and they are ideal not just for beginners, but for all of those that fancy a new set of clubs.

Link: Callaway Golf Pre-owned

Great Golf at Orange Lake - Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (Graeme) — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:35:00 +0000

Orange Lake Resort in Orlando Florida is every golfers dream. It has two excellent 18 hole courses - The Legends and The Reserve course. Then you have also got the Legends Walk, which is Floodlit (A lot of fun playing at night) and the Crane's Bend course. I did like the Lake nine before they changed it to the Cranes' Bend course, but there were quite a few golf balls hitting villas, and event worse, cars on the road on the other side of the villas (It is now a par 3 instead of a par 4).

The Legends course is great, and designed by a true legend in Arnold Palmer. My favourite hole is probably the 10th. It is a fairly wide driving hole, but the second shot is great. Water in front and bunkers at the back. The green is shallow and slopes from back to front (can be a bit scary if you are long). I haven't played the Reserve course since it was re-designed, but eagerly waiting for my trip in a few weeks time to play it. They have got two driving ranges. The new Reserve range is now floodlit with a short game area and putting green also floodlit. I am in heaven. For the fun element, they have two 18 hole Putt-Putt courses, which are a lot of fun.

The pro shops have got a good selection of clothing and the staff are very friendly. I have played golf with a couple of them over the years. The best part is when you return and they remember your name. It is a great feeling, and that is what good customer service is all about. I am counting down the days until my return to

Orange Lake

. It is such a big place and is always a great holiday. If you get a chance, definitely go and play the courses.