Archive for the ‘Golf Training Aids’ Category
How to Overcome Winter? – A Good Time for the Indoor Putting Mat
As noted previously this winter in certain parts of the country has been horrific for outdoor activities and golf. I guess, except for snow sports like Skiing, Snowboarding, Snow Tubing and the like. I’m a golfer so I’ve decided to make the most of my time indoors. I just pulled out my golf putting training aids and I have made a resolution to put them to good use. Now is as good a time as any since there is not much else to do associated with golf.
Putting is an important part of the game of golf as more than half a golfers score is made on the putting green. The less strokes made on the green the better your score will be. Since many of us cannot play golf right now it is an excellent time to brush up on your putting stroke. If you do not already have a good putting training device make sure to invest in one now. It will be worth it as you will realize the results when you return to the golf course as soon as the weather permits. Happy Golfing to All!
Now that it is winter in most parts of the country it is a perfect time to contemplate a game plan to improve for this coming golf season. I know my priority for the new year is to shave a few more stokes off my handicap and get into single digits, if possible. The only way I can accomplish this task is to set up a game plan and stick with it. There are a multitude of excellent golf training aidson the market and each one of them can strategically serve to better various parts of a persons game. It will all depend on the individuals game plan. Take myself for instance, I have a fairly good all around game but my main problem is inconsistency. I can score birdie or even eagle on one hole and I can just as easily bogie, double bogie or worse on the next.
Since I have been playing golf for over 30 years, I am aware of the main contributing factors to my inconsistency. This time I have resolved to do something about it. It is a basic fundamental approach to a good golf game. Practice, Practice and more Practice. It is not as glamorous as playing on the actual golf course but if you put in the time, the reward on your next outing may be well worth the extra effort. The golf training aids that I intend on using over the winter months and in the early spring and would highly recommend to any golfer who wants to improve consistency in their golf game are as follows:
1) A Golf Mat – hitting golf balls will keep you loose and limber and aid in your consistency. (See Photo above left)
2) A Driving Net – a great complement for the golf mat and will allow you to hit full shots with limited space. (See Photo above left)
3) A Swing Gyde Trainer – in a previous post I elaborated on the value of this particular item. Great for helping with the consistency of critical parts of the golf swing.
4) Weighted Clubs combined with a good all around exercise regimen – invaluable for preventing injury and strengthening the golf muscles to provide more power in your game.
5) A Range Finder – just received as a holiday gift and can’t wait to try it out- will help with accurate reads of yardages to flag stick locations, which is especially important for the new golfer.
6) Putting Guides – Since more than half of a golfers score is made on the green it is wise to sharpen your putting skills if you want to shave those last few strokes off.
Listed above are some of the golf training aidsI will be utilizing in the off season in order to accomplish my New Year’s Resolution to better my golf game. Using one or all of these training aids can only serve to improve your golf game so why not resolve to better your game too! I wish you all much success in the upcoming golf season and Happy Golfing to All!
There is an expression in golf , ”Drive for Show and Putt for Dough”, which is true to some extent. Although driving the golf ball is an important part of golf so is Putting. In fact half or more of the strokes in your score are made on the putting green. So you can see it is important to minimize the amount of putts needed to get the ball in the hole. While putting can be challenging for some to master it is also the easiest and most accessible part of the game to practice on.
There are some excellent golf putting training aidsthat can be used to better this part of a anyone’s golf game. Golf cups with auto return features, putting mats and putting guides to the Eyeline Putting System, which will allow you to Putt with confidence from now on. The Eyeline Putting Alignment System focuses on the importance of the swing path. It helps align your eyes, shoulders, club face and path for that perfect putt. For use indoors and outdoors, it comes with adjustable and removable aluminum rails and a laminated mirror and the whole system fits in your golf bag. Putt with precision with Eyeline.
The putting training aids can range in price from $12.00 to around $ 60.00 or $70.00 for the more sophisticated hi-tech models, such as the one listed above from Eyeline. If you want to improve your putting these devices can not only help you better your stroke but they will keep your putting sharp all year around as they can be used indoors. Happy Golfing to All!
When a golfer is first learning to play it is usually difficult to estimate yardages to landing areas in fairways and especially to flagstick placements on the green. I know from experience that some greens are fairly large and deep and the club you select can vary 3 or 4 numbers, depending on where the flag may be located on that particular day. These golf training aids are excellent for the beginning golfer because they will allow you an advantage to help lower your golf score.
If you have an accurate read on the distances to your target on the course, it will increase your confidence with your shot, thus translating into better scoring potential on each hole. The new Rangefinders on the market will continually calculate and display distances to the front, center and back of every green. They also show the locations of bunkers and hazards, which are critical to avoid if you want to score well.
Some of the manufacturers are:
1)GARMIN, who is the world leader in GPS technology,
2)Skycaddie SG5 by Skycaddie
3)uPro Golf GPS by Callaway
Any of these top brand names will provide you with course maps to upwards of 15,000 golf courses at a low annual subscription fee so have fun with your new GPS and Happy Golfing to All!
Tempo is not a single part of the swing but it is an integral and important part of your entire swing. It is the smooth rhythmic method of timing your pace of swing so that your body works in concert with the club to achieve the most distance, control and accuracy that your ability will allow. Good Tempo will also help promote a consistency in your swing which will in turn result in consistently better ball striking thus greater scoring capabilities. As in Music, Tempo is the beat, the speed and timing whereby your instrument is in sync with the other instruments. Also, as required in music, you have to acquire a feel for the rhythm of your swing. It can be as simple as counting one on the back swing and two for the downswing and follow thru, to create the right beat for you. I can tell you from experience that some days my swing Tempo is working better than others and the results on those days can be dramatic. Tempo requires a feel that you must experience before you can really understand the greater potential for a consistently more accurate and powerful all around golf swing.
One important swing key with all steps of the golf swing and an integral part of a good Tempo is to relax. A good Tempo may be difficult to achieve at first but it will come with practice. There are some excellent golf training aids that can help a golfer to learn Tempo. If you are having problems achieving that key ingredient in your swing one of these devices should help. Make sure to practice this important and integral component of the golf swing for a truly better game. Happy Golfing to All!
About three years ago I was having trouble with my golf game. At the time I had signed up for a series of golf lessons with the pro at Golf -Tec, located in a section of the local Golfsmith store. One of the problems with my swing at the time, that the instructor had noticed, was that I was having trouble cocking my wrist to allow for a proper swing plane and clubface alignment. He happened to have this device called SwingGyde, which was a golf training aid and a perfect remedy. He instructed me to take my backswing while the device was installed on the club. I slowly took the club back and cocked my wrist so that the part of the guide touched my forearm, {FORE: Please note the photo on the left}, and I knew that the club was set properly. It felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but as I used it at the session and then practiced with it for the next few days it became second nature to me.
Swinggyde is one of the best golf training aids I could recommend for a golfer, beginning or seasoned alike to help get their swing back on target. At the advice of my instuctor I purchased one of the swinggydes the same day. Now I can always use it to refresh my swing technique if I start going off track again. It will help tremendously with improving distance and accuracy in your swing and it attaches easily to any golf club. I would recommend using a mid iron like a six or seven iron to practice with, but it can work with any standard golf club. The SwingGyde comes with a video and instuctions on how to install it properly on your club and it is also can be used for right or left handed golfers. So if you need to get your swing back on track, or even to use it to help promote the proper wrist break, and clubface alignment as you are first learning to play, it is well worth the $30.00 investment. I know it worked for me! Happy Golfing to All!
There are many devices on the market to help the golfer progress in his game. Of all the Golf Training Aids I could choose from I would select a golf practice mat, which I have set up in my backyard. Golf Practice mats allow you to work out and practice your golf swing even when you have limited time and can’t actually make it to the course. Because my backyard is not that large I use the synthetic foam or rubber golf balls for full swing shots. I use real balls to practice my short pitch shots with my lob wedge, which is a shot that often comes in very handy around the green. Tip: Make sure to save your old golf balls for practice or buy recycled balls which are much more cost effective for this use.
If you do have a practice mat or are thinking about acquiring one soon, make sure to schedule at least a few sessions a week, of at least 10 to 15 minutes long, to work on your swing techniques. The effects of adding practice sessions to your weekly regimen will invariably assist you in scoring better when on the golf course. Golf is a game of consistency and I was once told “The consistency of golf is the inconsistency of golf”, which is true if you think about. One day you will be playing great an the next you find yourself scrambling to save double bogey. Practice can help greatly with muscle memory which will allow you to execute the swing without overthinking the mechanics of the shot. Practice, Practice , Practice, and you may surprise yourself with the results. Happy Golfing to All!