Monthly Archives: February 2009

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

It begins in the mind

After careful planning construction begins:

The construction Process

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

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.

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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.

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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

Barbell Bench Press

Incline Bench Press 3 sets X 10 Reps

Incline Bench Press

Incline Bench Press

Decline Dumbell Press 3 sets X 10 Reps

Decline Dumpbell Press

Decline Dumpbell Press

Dips 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Good old Dips

Good old Dips

Machine Tricep Extensions 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Machine Tricep Extensions

Machine Tricep Extensions

Standing Dumpbell Tricep Extensions 3 Sets X 20 Reps

Dumpbell Tricep Extensions

Dumpbell Tricep Extensions

Day 2: Back and Biceps

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

Pull-ups

Pull-ups

Deadlifts 4 Sets X 10 Reps

Deadlifts

Deadlifts

Bent Over Barbell Rows

Bent over Barbell Rows

Bent over Barbell Rows

Bicep Curls 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Bicep Curls

Bicep Curls

Lat Pull downs 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Lat pulldowns

Lat pulldowns

Day 3 Shoulders and Legs

Squats: 4 Sets X 10 Reps

Squats

Squats

Dumpbell Lunges: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Dumpbell Lunges

Dumpbell Lunges

Leg Press: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Leg Press

Leg Press

Dumpbell Shoulder Press: 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Seated Shoulder Press

Seated Shoulder Press

Front raises: 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Front raises

Front raises

Lateral Raises: 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Lateral Raises

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.

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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

Moldy moldy moldy

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

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