The Game for Youngsters

photo credit: makelessnoise     At what age should a youngster begin playing golf?   There are no age requirements, the time to start a child is when they show interest.   Gentle encouragement is the key but force is never a good option.

Make sure that the club you choose is light weight.   If the club is too heavy there will be a tendency to squeeze the club which creates a habit of holding the club too tightly.   The club should be held very delicately.   It's also a good idea to use a more lofted club.   If a club with less loft is used it's much harder to get the ball airborne so use a lofted club.

Youngsters have natural swing ability, it's only when they get erroneous (although well meaning) advice that swing problems develop.

Don’t Overlook the Waggle

photo credit: nsaplayer     One of the most overlooked  components of the set-up and  the  address is the waggle.   The waggle, when used correctly, can make an important difference in your shot-making and the ability to post low scores.  

Have you ever played with someone that takes  10 waggles prior to their shot?   It can drive  fellow players  up the proverbial wall.   Once settled into the address position, the waggle should  begin.   The waggle  should  be done to get the “feel” for the shot that is about to occur.   It's not meant to copy the swing (as some players seem to do).   It allows the golfer  to gather thoughts, relieve tension and settle into the shot.   Too much waggle is counter productive to its  primary purpose.

Faulty Grip

photo credit: klavr     If you grip the club incorrectly, you will never have a good swing.   An improper grip will create a condition where continual adjustments will have to be made during the swing.   These continual swing  adjustments will create inconsistency.  

The swing is a very complicated maneuver, a faulty grip complicates it even further.   One of the most difficult tasks for any golfer, especially if they have been playing for a number of years, is to go from a poor grip, to a  good grip.   If a golfer has a bad grip and is shown the correct grip, all of a sudden he will begin hitting bad shots.   This is because his new grip forces him to re-adjust his swing.   It's like starting all over again.

Three Important Clubs

photo credit: rioncm     Most great players would agree that the three most important clubs in the bag are 1)   the putter.   2)   the driver.   3)   the wedge.   There are, on average, 14 holes where a driver is used (14 shots).   Typically, there are 23-25 putts outside the gimme range but still makeable.

Keep in mind that a short putt of 4 feet counts just as much as a 250 yard drive, however, the short putt can actually take on more importance in your eventual score.   Most amateurs have a tendency to underestimate the significance of making a short putt.   If that is hard to believe just think how you felt that last time you missed a “gimme.”   Sinking a relatively  long putt can also have a devastating effect on your opponent/s.

The Golf Shot

photo credit: rioncm      The Typical Golf Shot:   1)   Study the shot to be played, within your own capabilities.   2)   Select the right club.   3)   Assume the correct grip.   4)   Take the correct stance.   5)   Maintain the correct posture.   6)   Keep weight on the inside of both feet.   7)   Left knee points behind the ball.   8)   Take the club back with your shoulders and left arm. 9)   Cock your wrists fully at the top of the backswing.   10)   Start the downswing with your right knee moving towards the target.   11)   Keep your head steady.   12)   Keep you hands ahead of the clubhead through the impact zone (beginning one foot behind the ball).   13)   Whip your right hand into the shot just before impact.

Unteaching the Student

photo credit: David Paul Ohmer     All to often, fledgelings golfers will begin to play the game without any type of formal training. They receive tips and pointers from friends or learn from instruction books and the development of bad habits begins.

For instructor and student alike, it's always more difficult to break a bad habit than it is to begin the learning process in the correct manner. Swinging the club is a repetitive motion so once a habit develops,  it tends  get “locked” in.   Unteaching a student can be very tedious and time consuming for both the teacher and the student, sometimes  ending unsuccessfully.

If you are just beginning the game, do yourself a favor and take lessons from a  qualified instructor. Your ability to play and enjoy  the game, will be greatly enhanced.

Assemble Your Game

photo credit: marine_perez     To maximize your ability to play well, it is  essential  to assemble all that you have learned prior to every shot  (presuming you have taken lessons or read many books).   The information being referred  to concerns  the swing, the game itself and  the opponent.  

Every good player prepares for each shot knowing exactly how to hit the ball using the correct grip, stance, aim and posture.   Jack Nicklaus makes this point very clearly in his instructional book GOLF MY WAY when he says  ”every well executed shot is 80% set-up and 20% swing,”  

The high handicapper stands besides the ball bewildered and expects a good shot without the  required preparation.   Good shots don't just happen, they are “made” to happen.   Assemble all that you know and use that knowledge for each and every shot you take.

Woods Checks Into Sex Clinic

photo credit: Matt From London     Tiger Woods has checked into a sex addiction clinic in Hattiesburg, Miss.   Woods checked into the Pine Grove Clinic where he will be treated for at least 6 weeks.   According to the clinic's treatment procedures, Woods will undergo group, cognitive and shame reduction therapy.

The question is whether this is a facade  or only a public relations (PR) stunt on the part of Woods.   He knows he is “damaged goods” in the eyes of the public, his sponsors and the PGA Tour.   Is  his enrollment designed  to deflect public scrutiny and invite sympathy?   Is his MO (mod-us-operandi) to “get cured” and return the victor, stronger than ever?  

Woods' behavior  should receive  serious public scrutiny.   He is no longer the pristine “glamour boy” he was  purported to be.

Playing the Break

photo credit: star5112     Putting Essentials:   1)   Direction   2)   length   3)   head steadiness.   If, and only if, you abide by those three prerequisites can you begin to devote your attention to “the roll of the green.”  

One of the most important things to remember, when playing a breaking putt, is to miss on the high side.”   If the putt breaks from left to right, make plenty of allowance for the break.   As the ball approaches the hole and slows, if it's played high enough, it just may dribble into the hole.   If you don't play enough break the ball misses the hole on the right  with no chance of dropping.

One of the biggest problems  on every breaking putt is not playing enough break.

The New Groove Rule

photo credit: nimish_gogri     Starting January 1, 2010, a new rule will go into effect that is designed to reduce the spin on the ball.   This new “groove rule,” will take the advantage away from the “bombers” who, because of their length, are able to enjoy relatively close approach shots.   Also, when hitting from the rough, they will hit more “flyers” (shots that roll when they hit).

The question:   Will the new rule make the game easier for amateurs?   Answer: Not yet !   For all players besides Tour Pros, the rule doesn't go into effect until the year 2024, however, the answer is a resounding “yes.”   Amateurs will have more difficulty trying to stop the ball on the greens.   Does this rule change make sense then?

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