Golf for Beginners

Sorenstam, Ochoa and Michelle Wie have the leaderboard covered. Also, where to keep your eye on the ball and playing with better golfers to help your

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:18:41 -0500

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Annika Sorenstam has officially begun to chip away at Lorena Ochoa's top Rolex Ranking. A win at the season-opening SBS Open led a "Tiger-esque" charge that has remained strong through her latest victory at the Michelob Ultra Opening this past weekend.

Sorenstam is back in the "feared-zone" once again!

Challengers are falling by the wayside. Even Lorena Ochoa could not keep up on Saturday, pushing herself out of a chance for a Sunday duel with a disappointing 74. It was the first time Ochoa has been out of a visible top-ten spot on the leaderboard since 2007.

Did Sorenstam's charge give Ochoa the jitters?

With a wedding plan in the works and her increasing reliance in other golf interests, are we seeing Annika's final push for glory or the beginning of a new commitment towards "untouchable" status?

I also found Michelle Wie's name on the leaderboard. She was in her usual "cut" position, a spot which seems to be more comfortable a fit as times goes on. "I just feel really rusty" claimed Wie who needs to borrow more than an oil can from the Tin Man in order to elevate her game...maybe an infusion of Annika's blood?

Where Wie's game is stagnating, other LPGA rookies seem to be coming on strong. Na Yeon Choi is eyeing the Rolex Rookie of the Year Award loading up on points over her nearest competitor. Oh, I'm sorry...I thought Michelle Wie was in the race too but...that's right...she never went to Q-School and qualified like the rest of the Tour!

This week Golf for Beginners discusses the challenges that Michelle Wie faces and wonders whether or not her constant disappointments as a professional golfer have helped her grow as a person.

We also offer up a few easy golf tips. One simple visual we offer is where to focus your eyes when hitting the ball for best contact. Another is the role a golf companion has on your game. Is it better for you to play with better golfers or those who play more on your level?

Click here for more easy golf drills.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages, 1-866-444-0992.

Photo Credits:ZeeNews.com, DAN VIDETICH/SCANPIX
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Spider-man Camilo Villegas putting strategy, using your brain to defeat the brawn and two bits for better putting

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:04:08 -0500

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"Spider-Man", "Trendsetter" and even "Rock-Star" are some the monikers which come to mind when branding 26-year-old Camilo Villegas. Magazines are targeting him, with People voting Villegas one of its hottest bachelors and Golf Digest naming him one of the most ripped golfers on tour.

His flexible signature maneuver on the green is memorable. And ladies are attracted to his retro look from international clothier J. Lindeberg, who has been hailed as the most influential fashion designer in Sweden, claiming to have "reinvented the wheel" when creating golf fashion.

Villegas seems a bit overwhelmed by the attention thrust upon him and prefers to talk about golf, not girls.

"If people like the way you play, the way you dress, the way you look, that’s all good. But the bottom line is my goal is to play good golf," Camilo stated in a Golfweek interview.

Take a tip from Natalie Gulbis, Camilo, and expand your horizons. Calendars and reality shows make plenty of money too and can turn Camilo Villegas the golfer into Camilo Villegas "business entrepreneur".

Camilo's ability to stay focused on his golf game is one reason why we have chosen a putting tip from the up-and-coming Columbian player. Another reason for our selection is that Villegas' positive putting stats on the PGA Tour don't lie.

Golf for Beginners also takes a look at the mental game, honing in on how to outthink and outplay the competition. This week's putting drill uses quarters as an incentive to make your view of the golf hole bigger and easier to hit. Click for more golf drills...

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Florida Golf and Travel, 800-514-5131.

Photo Credit:Radio Santa Fe.

Ochoa on siesta, Sorenstam triumphs. Tiger Woods healing, Mickelson gets his chance. Leadbetter's drill gives you a leg up for power, Haney's two club

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:54:16 -0500

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It may be quite presumptive of me to claim that Phil Mickelson's chances have vastly improved (as has the rest of the field at the upcoming Wachovia Championship) now that Tiger Woods has withdrawn due to arthroscopic knee surgery.

Woods is the defending champion and for him to be rehabilitating puts the players on the PGA Tour at ease. But seeing Phil's face smattered across the television screen as the big draw makes you really wonder if the Golf Channel and CBS Sports are going enough to create excitement. Perhaps the secret ingredient might be more face-time for Adam Scott, sudden-death victor at the Byron Nelson Classic!

There is no doubt, however, that because Lorena Ochoa took a siesta the roadblock was cleared to escalate Annika Sorenstam to victory at the Stanford International. Still, Annika required a sudden-death playoff with Paula Creamer in order to cinch the deal claiming, "It could have gone really any way. I'm just fortunate that this time it was my turn."

Our Golf for Beginners podcast this week contains a great number of easy golf tips and drills. One exercise comes from David Leadbetter who suggests a way to gain power in your golf swing through weight shift. Try this technique on the range and you will surely feel a difference on the golf course!

Another drill from Hank Haney offers the benefits of weighted clubs to help warm up, gain feel and build clubhead speed before a round.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages.

Photo Credit:Sportsnetwork.com, ESPN.com, Robin Sellick

Two golf swings, putting practice and when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson don't show up...do the fans?

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:55:00 -0500

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Yesterday the Pope pre-empted golf, proving that religion trumps sport, at least on network television. Whether or not you were interested in Sunday Sermon, broadcasters forced you to watch Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium, forcing the PGA Tour to stream live coverage on the internet.

For those without an internet connection, flipping the remote yesterday provided little in the way of diversity.

If Tiger Woods was heavily in the mix, would CBS-TV interpose both Pope Benedict and golf? Or, would Tiger be relegated to a spot in the sports section of Monday's newspaper?

I wonder who would have received the higher share?

We also discuss the two swings each golfer must bring to the course and how to integrate these two different movements into your weekly practice session. The pursuit of putting nirvana is also one of our topics. Incorporating these drills into your training plan should help lower your scores so you can confidently "putt for dough"!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by MyrtleBeachGolf.

Photo Credit:Flickr.com

Mickelson, Els flop at Masters despite Callaway I-Mix help, Tiger Woods putter lets him down, high or low it's all in your setup and how to read a lie

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:27:46 -0500

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The hype surrounding the possibility of two drivers in his bag didn't help Phil Mickelson's bid to win a third Masters Tournament. Both Els and Mickelson fumbled around to get "the perfect fit" this week, combining Callaway I-Mix heads and shafts depending on their particular "game plan". Mickelson claimed that the course length urged him to carry two drivers but my belief is that Callaway needed Phil to promote these clubs which seem to work more for a professional than the average "Joe".

It didn't work. Mickelson should have toyed with an extra wedge in his golf bag as he intended to on Tuesday and Els should have probably flown out to Las Vegas to visit with his newest instructor, Butch Harmon, directly after being cut on Friday.

Complaining of bad posture, a collapse at the top of his swing and too much hip and shoulder turn, Els should have realized before the Masters that it's not a change in golf equipment that was needed but rather a parting of the ways between he and David Leadbetter.

Moral of the story for all golfers; it's not the arrow, it's the Indian...

I guess the next question should be, "When will Callaway Golf debut a putter with adjustable head and shaft technology for conditions like "blade-drag" or help with overspin? Tiger Woods may be just the buyer for it!

As for this week's Golf for Beginners podcast, we discuss Mickelson's use of the Callaway I-Mix technology. Our show also contains a few easy tips from Phil Mickelson, one of which deals with how to hit your golf ball in different types of lie. Our other "Lefty" golf tip describes what setup to the ball determines its trajectory.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to the UNBEATABLE Lorena Ochoa who is now officially "one-up" on Tiger Woods this season!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages.

Photo Credit:Skysports.com, Golf.com

Tiger Woods on the prowl for fifth Masters win, Lorena Ochoa unbeatable, a paint brush is golf's most unlikely training aid and GFB takes the gloves o

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:51:28 -0500

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Lorena Ochoa's impressive victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship have golf bloggers scurrying to find comparisons between her elevated game and that of the incomparable Tiger Woods. After all, both Woods and Ochoa won their respective last major event of 2007 and both are rolling through a green light towards achieving the exalted Grand Slam.

Even Lorena feels that 2008 might be the one where she tops Tiger, jokingly(?) stating just before her 26th birthday, "Maybe next year (2008) I improve (on) his year, but this year has been pretty similar, and I enjoy the that they talk about it. He won seven times - a major, too. Me, too. So we're the same."

Tiger Woods seeks his fifth Masters win and has racked up a total of thirteen major trophies since he turned professional over eleven years ago with a greeting of "hello world" to clicking cameras.

Tiger, in fact, has already achieved a Grand Slam, but has not yet won all four majors in a single year.

Statistics show Woods on a win streak from September 2007 all the way through his fifth place "blip" in March of this year, garnering up an amazing six wins and about four million dollars in official prize money through that period alone!

Ochoa is not far off of the mark finishing 2007 with a $1 million win at the ADT Championship. For 2008, she has already won three events out of four entered, same as Tiger, and has taken the first major of the year.

But, even so, Lorena Ochoa is going to have to work five times as hard as Tiger Woods for golf fans to believe that the two are on parallel ground, although Ochoa is the "best of the best" on the LPGA Tour for now. Remember the chatter about Annika Sorenstam when she was in her heyday?

Sorenstam seems to be resigned to passing the torch and is becoming more of a fossil of a bygone day. Annika has reconciled and is relieved with her second-place Rolex ranking. As Annika has mentioned, "I'm not the best player out here, but I've achieved a lot." There is no denying that!

But, could you imagine for one minute what Tiger Woods would do if their positions were reversed? Would he be tolerant of his slip in status or be more fired up than ever to regain the top spot?

This week on Golf for Beginners, we offer some interesting facts about the Masters Tournament. Did you know, for example, that Tiger Woods is the youngest golfer to ever win at Augusta? Can you name the oldest winner?

We also offer an easy golf tip from Jim McLean, perfect for driving range practice (I used it myself this weekend!) I am in agreement that this paintbrush technique might just be the least expensive and unlikely training aid!

Barry and I also talk about the best time to remove your golf glove to enhance feel around the golf course.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Myrtle Beach Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Photo Credit:Tabascohoy.com, GolfMagazine.com

Lorena Ochoa ready for Kraft Nabisco, Michelle Wie broken again, bikinis get a Big Break, easy out from the sand and how to pressure-proof your game

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:32:52 -0500

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After the sheer devastation Lorena Ochoa inflicted upon her LPGA cohorts as well as upon Superstition Mountain, it's unlikely that she will need much more of a tune-up for the upcoming Kraft Nabisco Championship. I'm betting along with the odds that Ochoa wins her first major trophy this week.

I'll even up the ante to say that Lorena Ochoa will sweep the majors this year, saddling alongside of Tiger Woods for an LPGA/PGA Tour tandem Grand Slam!

Michelle Wie's wrist forced her to pull out of the Safeway, opting instead for a May exemption at the Michelob Ultra Open.

Wasn't it better anyway that Wie stayed home? If Annika Sorenstam couldn't get within ten strokes of Ochoa, how well do you think Wie could have done?

Every year (and this one is no exception) I also feel it is my duty to alert all fans of the Kraft Nabisco event that the DinahShore Weekend 2008 will be taking place in Palm Springs as well. This weekend it's not just about women's golf! Catch Pat Benatar, the GoGos, Tila Tequila and others live for "the greatest women's week on earth!"

Babes in bikinis are yet another topic of discussion on this week's Golf for Beginners podcast as a new season of the Big Break airs on the Golf Channel. Will men be drawn to this show because of the sheer talent of the ladies vying for an exemption into an LPGA Tour event or for the more feminine attributes of its stars?

We also offer up a few easy, practical golf tips to help you through the course. A simple sand trap "trick" will get you positioned correctly over the ball every time. A pressure-proof tip is also featured.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by San Diego Golf Central and Florida Golf Travel.

Photo Credit:Golf.com, Nobodyssweetheart.com

PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb chats with Golf for Beginners about the McGladrey Team Championship

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:31:56 -0500

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PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb joins forces with Golf for Beginners this week to spread the word about an exciting tournament designed especially for us, the amateur golfer!

The McGladrey Team Championship is the opportunity for golfers with a verifiable USGA handicap to compete on a national level promoting teamwork and cameraderie as two of its goals.

Teams of three golfers each will first qualify locally through August. Then, a PGA Professional golfer will join the group for the Sectional Qualifiers which begin in September culminating in a National Championship to be played October 20-22 at the famed Pinehurst Resort in N.C.

Approximately fourteen thousand golfers signed up for the inaugural Championship and attendance is expected to double. Women, who only made up about 4.5% of last year's total entrants (650), are expected to easily top 15% of the total number of competitors!

Brian's personal take on the McGladrey Team Championship is that it "blends the competitive spirit and bridges the relationship between the PGA professional and their members and guests that they're playing with as well as the fraternal and social side of this great game."

The sponsors slogan, "With the right team, anything's possible" along with the PGA of America's ideology to increase the public's desire to "play more golf, and ensure accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere," are also dominant principles behind this successful recurring event.

Team McGladrey asked LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis, Masters Champion Zach Johnson and PGA Tour fan favorite and XM radio show host Chris DiMarco to also join forces with this event "because they capture the very same qualities we strive to achieve with all of our client engagements – integrity, excellence and passion."

Listen to this week's show to find out more about this exciting best-ball team tournament.

Choose your teammates today and sign up at: pga.com/teamchampionship.

The best of luck to all who enter!

Barry said he's got a "trick up his sleeve" to win the McGladrey Team Championship. Find out what that is and hear Brian's response on our podcast!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Myrtle Beach Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Are TaylorMade and Callaway making conventional golf clubs a thing of the past? Also, techniques to improve ball striking and course management

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:06:31 -0500

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The new ruling handed down by the USGA allowing golfers to interchange shafts and clubheads prior to a game depending on course (and human) conditions have clubmakers Callaway and TaylorMade quickly putting out new technology.

Callaway's I-MIX adjustable FT-5 driver and TaylorMade's Tour Van in a Box interchange shafts and clubheads with the golfer optimizing the driver to his or her own comfort level. For example, as Jeff Colton, Sr. VP of Research and Design for Callaway states, "if they're feeling a little weak that morning, play a lighter shaft, or if it's been raining that week, drop some loft on a clubhead using your normal shaft."

I say, "Huh?"

Am I the type of person who will constantly interchange shafts and heads depending on if I'm hitting a fade or draw that day? I can't even hit a fade or draw on purpose most days and am extremely happy when my drive propels 200 yards straight down the fairway.

Callaway I-MIX Interchangeable golf clubs

Adding or subtracting weights or switching out heads with Callaway's "revolutionary system" doesn't suit the average amateur golfer but would be an innovation for club fitters and for those low handicappers who wish to "tweak" their club.

Unfortunately, the average golfer needs more tweaking with their swing and should send a message to these clubmakers that, for $350 for a driver head and yet another $350 to be shelled out for the interchangeable driver shaft, this marketing strategy will be a dud.

TaylorMade Tour Van in a Box

Manufacturers at the PGA Show forum lauded the new club innovation stating that the next step are the ability to change grip, loft, lie and bounce. Golf Channel's Chief Technical Advisor, Frank Thomas advises that, "the USGA is opening a can of worms that will soon get out of hand and be difficult to monitor."

This week, Golf for Beginners discusses the pros and cons of this new convertible technology and it's impact on the masses.

We also offer up a few easy drills and golf tips designed to improve ball striking. Jim Flick's discussion about "risk-reward" taken from Golf Digest Magazine is also analyzed. Sam Snead shaved strokes off of his game by using this technique and we show you how in our weekly golf podcast!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

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Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Myrtle Beach Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Will Palmer lash out at Tiger Woods for dethroning him? Also, easy golf tips from Haney, Woods

golfforbeginners@aol.com (Stacy and Barry Solomon) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:27:31 -0500

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When Tiger Woods first tied, then surpassed, Arnold "the King" Palmer's PGA Tour win record, the press was quick to gobble it all up and regurgitate it incessantly. Buzz regarding when Woods will gain ground on Jack Nicklaus' record and finally achieve top-dog status by pushing past Sam Snead's long held eighty-two win feat are now mentioned in almost every golf fanatics conversation.

As Tiger and company head over to Bay Hill this week to try to conquer this tough course once again (Woods is seeking his fifth victory), another record is in fear of being trounced, but with much less fanfare.

Defending champion Vijay Singh will be looking to climb to the very top of another "most wins" column, that is, the all-time win list internationally. Currently tied with Harry Cooper (31), success at Bay Hill would secure Singh his own bragging rights.

But we all know how Singh is about bragging. When Vijay was told he beat Sam Snead's record, he snubbed it complaining, "there’s no trophies for doing it." Conquest for Singh this week would bring his "over-forty" streak to twenty possibly agitating him as the press recognizes this achievement in tandem with the more influential international one.

This week on our Golf for Beginners podcast we discuss Tiger's winning streak at Bay Hill and Palmer's needling Woods with an "earful" after his slip of position on the PGA Tour's all-time win list.

We also offer up a few easy-to-picture golf tips from both Hank Haney and Tiger Woods regarding proper pre-shot routine and hitting the ball straighter.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@worldgolf.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

Subscribe to our newsletter!
Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages and Florida Golf Travel.

Photo Credit:PE.com, Rediff.com