6 pack abs…are they really worth it?

Most people want 6 pick abs, even if they pretend they don’t. I myself have fallen victim to this desire to have perfectly scalpted abs, and for about twelve months I actually pursued this goal. The end result was a pretty good looking body. My body is still good looking, but I’m not even close to the level of obsession I experienced when chasing the 6 pack.  I learnt two extremely important lessons from this experience.

Say goodbye to enjoyable eating for the next three months

The first thing you need to know is that your diet is the primary determinant of your body fat.  A combination of hardcore cardio and intense weight training comes in a close second, but as Arnold Schwarzenegger and every other body builder under the sun will tell you, good abs are made in the kitchen. The general problem then, is that most people eat like shit. So if you really do want 6 pick abs, you need to multiply your interest in what you eat by about four hundred and twenty percent.

The second and by far the most important thing you need to know is that having a six pack doesn’t get you laid.  Being fat is most definitely a hindrance, jiggly body parts don’t get too many people excited, but all that means is that being thin is the most important thing.  It simply isn’t necessary to look like some Greek sculpture with perfectly chiseled abs. Being thin is more than enough for most people. The reason I say this is because one of the selling points behind the 6 pack obsession of contemporary society is that it will automatically result in a queue of smoking hot girls whose sole purpose is to satisfy your every whim and desire, but that is just a fantasy which is attached to the 6 pack philosophy. And don’t get me confused, I’m not saying you can’t have tonnes of good looking girls chasing you, but having a 6 pack  will do next to nothing in terms of improving your relationships with women.  There are far more important things in life…like golf for instance.

Ultimately, if you want a better body, I believe it is far better to have strength, fitness and diet goals, rather than the exceptionally vain and not-as-rewarding-as-you-think goal of having a 6 pack. Not only will you avoid the trap of being obsessed with your body image, you will have more mental energy for things which matter a whole lot more.

Feedback and Correction

It was Albert Einstein who mused that attempting the same thing over and over whilst expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. This statement does not hold true to golf however, for the simple reason that it is extremely difficult to produce the same result consistently. That’s what makes golf such an amazing game, it defies logic.

However that doesn’t mean you can’t get better, and achieve amazing efficiency. I am sure most people are familiar with the feedback and autocorrection of modern aeroplanes, but a reminder wouldn’t hurt.  The simple fact is that aircrafts spend the majority of the flight veering off course and yet they still manage to find the intended airport, 99% of the time. As soon as it is detected that the plane is off course, it simply adjusts accordingly. Soon enough it veers off course again, and whatdaya know, it adjusts again. The same is true of the golf swing. Most of the time, you’ll be slightly off course, or off plane, but the key thing is to simply recognize that you are off course and make the necessary alignment corrections to fix it.  Once you get on the course it’s time to put away the mechanical thoughts and simply focus on the target, given your dominant shot shape or tendency for the day.  So if your dominant tendency is too hit it right, then aim to the left of the target, but make sure that if you end up hitting the ball where you are actually aiming it, it doesn’t end up in danger.  So in the same way that a plane will adjust its direction of travel, you too must adjust your alignment with the target, given the direction that your ball (the aeroplane) is travelling.

Furthermore, in the same way that there is a fundamental line, which the plane must constantly revert back to, there are also fundamental principles involved in the golf swing that you must always revert back to. For Ben Hogan, these fundamentals included the grip, stance, posture, swing plane, and correct hip turn.  By constantly reverting back to the same fundamentals, your swing will become a lot more reliable and consistent. This is not to say that it will become perfect, but you will notice an undeniable improvement in ball striking, distance control, and predicability, which are all crucial to shooting lower scores.

More Hot Golfer Girls

Anna Rawson has been heavily criticized for suggesting that the older generation of Female Golfers look like a bunch of lesbos. I don’t want to advocate her sentiments, but she may have been onto something.  Would you really want to bang Laura Davies with your three wood? I can’t say that I would.  Luckily for the modern golf fan, the new generation of golfer women actually do have some sex appeal. Below are a few more of the best looking golfer girls on the tour today.

Kim Hall being ridiculously good looking

Anna Rawson loving that shaft

Sandra Gal getting ready for business time

I think everyone can agree that these ladies are lacking the lesbian quality which Anna Rawson pointed out in the older generation.  Kim Hall looks like a proper shmodel in that first photo. Once again, you must be aware that these women can actually play golf, not just good golf, incredibly good golf.  Even so, I wonder who’ll be the first to pose for playboy.

Justin Timberlake loves his golf

The popularity of golf is growing everyday, especially in the celebrity world. Having played now for several years,  JT (Justin Timberlake) is no exception to this celebrity sports trend. Below is some great footage of JT in the pebble beach pro am.

His swing is actually pretty good. From looking at him play I would estimate his handicap to be somewhere between 10 and a 16 though I could be wrong. At the end of the clip the commentators claim his handicap is 4, but I don’t quite believe that. Regardless, there is something strangely satisfying about celebrities playing  golf. It makes them seem a lot more normal, mainly because golf is just so humbling.

The following footage shows Ellen De Generes and Timberlake messing around on the course, doing the entertainment thing and the golf thing.

It’s obvious that his entertainment value exceed his golfing ability, but still, he clearly loves the game and he can play a massive role in reinventing the image of golf which remains clouded in chauvinism and ridiculous traditions.

The Way to think about Progress

What separates golf from the vast majority of Sports I have played is the tremendously high difficulty level. A single mistake, like driving the ball out of bounds,  can lead to a spoilt nine holes or the complete destruction of confidence in your game. This problem is exaggerated by the modern demand for results ASAP, which often leads to discouragement on the golf course when you begin to expect results without having laid the foundations for your game to come into fruition.  So what am I saying exactly? My message is very simple. Be patient with your golf game and don’t punish yourself too badly when you hit a bad shot or play a poor round. The images below demonstrate what it means to build something. They completely contradict the give it to me now attitude of contemporary society which can lead to excessively high expectations that fail to correspond to reality. Anything of value takes time to build, each investment you make into your game will pay off. Just give it time to come together.

It Starts with an idea:

It begins in the mind

After careful planning construction begins:

Work in Progress

Finally, after years of planning and building you are astounded by the level of your achievement and the solidity of your project/game.

Finally all that hard work pays off

If you constanlty revert back to the fundamentals of golf, constantly review your plan and decide which areas of your game need the most work, you will be amazed by how much your game will improve.

PS-Don’t forget the upkeep. Every buildings requires continual maintenance to ensure that it is safe and functional, so does your game and your swing.

A few good chipping videos

There are a lot of  ‘golf lessons’ on youtube,  although most of them are not particularly useful.  There are exceptions however.  This post offers a selection of chipping lessons and drills that should help you improve your short game.

Short Chip with a sandwedge:

To provide a quick summary of what he said:

1 Make sure the ball lines up to the back of your stance. This will encourage a downward blow, sending the ball into the air with a good measure of back spin.

2 Keep your stance open. This will clear your hips and allow your shoulders to guide the chip.

3 Maintain a straight wrist, similar to a putting stroke. This will minimize hand action leading to good contact. e.

PS- He forgets to mention that you must keep your hands forward . Notice how he actually moves his hands about two inches forward before he starts the backswing.  This will further encourage a descending blow, and help prevent fat and thin shots by keeping the club face square.

Straight left Wrist Video

The following video is very short, but it really emphasizes the importance of keeping the left wrist straight.

A really good Drill:

This video presents a really good chipping drill. It is very simple, very easy to setup, and it will drastically improve your feel.  I apologize for the advertising but what can you do.

So there you have it. I will continue the search for good quality videos, especially for short game, but I hope this does for now.

A solid three day workout

Contrary to popular belief, increasing your strength and muscle mass will not reduce your flexibility. If you are a steroid user, then you might limit your mobility, but for the vast majority of people a solid weight training regime will improve strength, flexibility and balance. This will help you generate club head speed and power, leading to bigger drives and longer iron shots.  Just admit it…everyone wants to hit the ball longer. Going to gym will help you do exactly that. The following workout is designed specifically to improve all-round body strength, especially core, trunk and leg strength.

Day 1: Chest and Triceps

Barbell Bench Press 3 sets X 10 Reps

Barbell Bench Press

Incline Bench Press 3 sets X 10 Reps

Incline Bench Press

Decline Dumbell Press 3 sets X 10 Reps

Decline Dumpbell Press

Dips 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Good old Dips

Machine Tricep Extensions 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Machine Tricep Extensions

Standing Dumpbell Tricep Extensions 3 Sets X 20 Reps

Dumpbell Tricep Extensions

Day 2: Back and Biceps

20 Pullups (Take as many sets as you need to get to 20)

Pull-ups

Deadlifts 4 Sets X 10 Reps

Deadlifts

Bent Over Barbell Rows

Bent over Barbell Rows

Bicep Curls 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Bicep Curls

Lat Pull downs 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Lat pulldowns

Day 3 Shoulders and Legs

Squats: 4 Sets X 10 Reps

Squats

Dumpbell Lunges: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Dumpbell Lunges

Leg Press: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Leg Press

Dumpbell Shoulder Press: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Seated Shoulder Press

Front raises: 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Front raises

Lateral Raises: 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Lateral Raises

Just to reiterate, these workouts will leave you feeling a little bit stiff the day after, but in the long run they will significantly improve your strength and flexibility. This regime will increase your yardage of the tee from anywhere between 10 and 40 yards, depending on how seriously you take it and how often you practice.

PS- If you don’t believe me,  give Tiger Woods, Gary Player or Jason Zuback (four time winnner of the Long Drive World Championships) a call. I will be posting a video of Jason shortly, because he is the ultimate proof that being strong helps generate club head speed and power.  And stop pretending that you don’t want to hit the ball further, because you do. Every golfer does.

Don’t let your game get Moldy

One of my worst habits is leaving empty banana peels in my bedroom dustbin. Because I don’t often eat in my room, I seldom have to empty this dustbin. This means that after about three weeks I’m treated to what looks like a massive green spider web erupting from bin, and with the smell to match this splendid  home for excessive mold. Fortunately, it doesn’t have any major consequences. The mold basically stems from an act of neglect on my part. In many ways, leaving your golf game for several weeks at a time will also lead to the production of mass quantities of mold.  Golfing mold feasts off your short game first, then it preys on your drives and then all of a sudden you’re struggling to strike an 8 iron.

Don’t let this happen to you. Take a look at this picture of neglected teeth.

Moldy moldy moldy

Do you really want your golf game to demonstrate the effects of neglect?

Smoking Hot Golfer Ladies

One of the saddest things about golf is that there aren’t enough female golfers. Some guys will literally force their wives to play in an attempt to infect them with the golfing bug, but how seldom it is that they actually catch this bug. I’m sure most golfers can relate to this, which is why this post is here to show you that golfer ladies do exist, and every now and then they are smoking  hot.

Anna Rawson showing us how she gets her tee in

Kim Hall and Anna Grzebien: How nice would it be to play in that pairing?

Blair O'neal demonstrating remarkably good posture

Just bare in mind that unless you are a professional golfer these ladies can probably out-drive you and almost certainly outplay you. It just goes to show that sometimes you can actually have your cake and eat it.

Tiger and Barack, Kings of contemporary America

How is it that two African American men have come to be the most successful people in two of the most traditionally caucasian domains in history? Barack Obama is, dare I say it, the First ‘Black man’ to enter the ‘White House’ as President and Tiger Woods has demolished the assumption that golf is a game only for White dudes. Maybe the question is too broad to answer adequately, but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that these two men have become heroes, consummate professionals who inspire millions of people everyday, in every corner of the world.

Barack Obama infront and inside the 'White House'

Has there every been a President so loved and so ridiculously cool. Forget the Beatles, Obama really is more popular than Jesus.

Tiger the Great

Watching Tiger Woods play golf is like witnessing the evolution of man. His level of excellence is simply astounding. Let us all be thankful for the privelage of seeing him play and wish that his knee recovers to full health.