Posts Tagged ‘Golf Equipment’
Swing Along the Slope for Down Hill Shots
When playing various golf courses a player will encounter many different types of golf shots. One shot I always found challenging was the down hill lie. If you make the proper adjustments in your set up you can overcome this obstacle and improve your chances for a sucessful outcome.
One adjustment I make when placing the golf clubs in my set up is to position the golf ball a bit more to the right side of center of your stance and widen the stance at the same time. Also keep the weight on the right side as you swing. Try to drive the club into the back of the ball in a downward angle. Set your shoulders parallel to the ground and swing along the slope of the terrain. Follow through along that same slope as much as possible for an increased chance for a good outcome to the shot. The down hill slope will decrease the loft of the golf club so you may want to choose a club number higher to compensate. It will also give you a better opportunity to get the ball into the air faster.
{Fore: This advice is for the right handed golfer and the opposite would hold true for the left handed player}
Happy Golfing to All!
Short par 3 holes are basically require a risk reward type of shot. If you are confident in your swing set up for the shot and execute it correctly you will land on the green. If your shot is off line you may end up in between bunkers or in a hazard or sand trap adjacent the hole. That is what golf is all about, taking some chances and being confident enough to feel you can make the shot and land on the green when necessary.
When hitting golf balls to a long par 3 however, say 200 yards or more you may want to rethink your strategy for that hole depending again on the front approach obstacles, if any, and the traps or trouble around the green. If the par 3 is relatively open in the front and has trouble around the green you may opt to lay up in this case.
If you lay up short in front, you can chip on and up to the hole, maybe even close enough to sink your putt and end up with a 3 or no worse than a 4. If you go for the flag and land in a trap it may take a few shots to even get out of the trap and onto the green. If this occurs you are looking at a potential score of 6 or better on that hole. So remember, you don’t always have to be the hero and go for broke. If you would like to start lowering those scores, laying up on the long par 3’s may be an option. Happy Golfing to All!
When a golfer is first learning to play there are some basic tips I can offer taken from personal experience.
1) Make sure to use some of the more economically priced golf balls as you may have a tendency to lose more as a beginner. It won’t hurt your pocketbook as much if a ball costs $1 or less than some of the higher priced $3 or $4 balls like Bridestone and Titleist ProV and ProV1x.
2)Do not overspend on your first set of golf clubs. There are many golf club manufacturers and the prices for a set of clubs can range from $150 to more than $2,000 for the latest hi tech golf equipment.
{Fore: Make sure you like golf first and gain some experience playing before making any substantial investments.}
3) Take a series of lessons from a golf professional whenever possible. It will be well worth the investment.
A custom set of clubs is really the right choice if you love golf, want to play your best and money is no object. They will be tailored to your height and stature and will allow you maximum precision for your level of skill and ability.
Happy Golfing to All!
A golfer has two options to traverse the golf course, one is to walk and the other is to ride in a cart. I enjoy walking because it is good exercise but many of the newer resort courses are designed with the holes so far apart that walking is discouraged and near impossible in some cases. It is also so the owners will receive the additional revenue from the golf cart rental. Some courses do allow walking and the walking carts are about $3 to $6 to rent.
There are also light weight carry bags to tote your golf clubs that can be used, but I would not recommend carrying a bag on a hot summers day or on a course with very hilly terrain. You can make the choice of your personal preference as you learn to play and acquire more experience. I would suggest an electric or motorized gas cart when you are beginning to play. It will help you keep up with the pace of play and allow you to observe one of the important rules of golf etiquette. Happy Golfing to All!
The Tee Box is the area at each hole designated for the first shot to be hit from on that particular golf hole. Almost all golf courses are designed with different tee box locations on each hole and varied color markers, set up for the different skill levels of the golfers. Make sure to select the tee box that is appropriate for your level of play. Selecting the proper tee location will not only allow for a more enjoyable golf round for you but it will help you keep up with the expected pace of play, which is approximately 15 minutes per hole, an important rule of golf etiquette.
Check the score card for distances from the various tee locations or ask the starter for the tee location and designation he would suggest for you at that particular golf course. The starters are usually experienced enough to guide you in the right direction. Beginning golfers usually play from the white markers or around 5,500 to 6,300 yards long for the men and the red markers varying from 4200 to 5200 yards for women. If you are finding that these tee boxes are not challenging enough for you then you can select a tee location further back. I do not think this will be the case when you first learn to play.
Whatever tee location you select to hit your golf balls be sure to have fun and enjoy the game. Happy Golfing to All!
Tiger Woods is tied up in rehab indefinitely so why wait the entire season waiting for his return? There are too many other good players waiting to take the lead in his absense. Phil Mickelson has also been inconspicuously missing for the past few weeks as the 2010 season begins in Hawaii. He may be tending to family business whereby as most of you are aware his wife Amy and his mom were both stricken with cancer at the end of last season. It is as good a reason as any to be away from tour and I applaud him for his dedication to wife and family for that should very well be his top priority.
Hopefully Tiger and Phil will both be back soon and playing the game they love. The golf fans sorely miss the competition between the world’s two best players. Hopefully they will return soon. I am looking forward to both of them coming back to true form, hitting golf balls and playing a game that they love, GOLF! What more can I say,? but Happy Golfing to All!
Tiger is being treated for his sex addiction in a clinic in Mississippi at the request of his wife Elin and maybe by choice?. If anyone has a right to make that request it is Elin. They now have two children together and a reconcilliation would be a step in the right direction on Tiger’s road back into the good graces of his family, friends, fans, sponsors and the PGA Tour.
It appears as if Tiger will be in rehab a bit longer than anyone may have surmised. A program for alcohol or drug addiction is usually 30 to 60 days and then the patient is supposedly cured, at least for the time being. This program for sex addiction may require participation and dedication for upwards of three to five years. This is a serious situation for the world’s finest golf athlete. As noted in prior posts Tiger should be hitting golf balls and not worrying about salvaging his marriage. Happy Golfing to All!
Tiger Woods enetring rehab in Gentle Path was a first step in the right direction to salvage any possibility of a reconcilliation with Elin. If he really has a sex addiction illness and they realize they still love each other then there is always hope. If his treatment is successful he may be heading home and starting to hit golf balls again soon.
It looks like the Enquirer was the first tabloid or magazine of any type to get a photo of Tiger looking a bit scruffy and more like a homeless person than a world renowned golfer. But that is just the beginning of his march to the Masters. Once out of rehab he has a big decision to make. Will he take some time off to heal his relationships with his family and friends, or will he be determined to further his goal of matching and beating Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors record? He is close with 14 but any time off from golf will make it that much harder to accomplish. I think Tiger will make a comeback and hopefully soon as he did when he returned after his knee surgery sidelined him for almost nine months just last year. He is missed by his many golf fans around the world and we look forward to his return. Happy Golfing to All!
It has finally been determined that Tiger Woods is in a re-hab clinic in Mississippi for sex addiction. Is this a real effort on the part of Tiger to cure himself of his demons or is it a strategic ploy prompted by his management team to give him an out for his outrageous behavior?
I hope for his sake that he is truly seeking help for his problem. I can somewhat understand if this had been a one time fling but with the amount of women coming forward regarding Tiger’s indiscretions it surely indicates a problem more severe than an overload of testosterone.
As he recovers in Pine Grove Clinic in Jackson, Mississippi I hope he brought along his golf clubs with the rest of his golf equipment. Hopefully he will use them to stay in shape for an early return to competition on the PGA Tour which is where he belongs. Happy Golfing to All!
The last time I digressed from my golf blog to post about another sport is when the Giants defeated New England in the Super Bowl a few years ago. The Jets victory over the San Diego Chargers warrants another digression.
Miraculous, fate, destiny are words I used to describe the Giants victory and I think those words can be appropriately applied to the Jets victory in yesterdays playoff game with the Chargers. Another similarity in the events leading up to both New York victories was the players from the opposing teams trash talking about how the New York teams did not have a chance against their supposedly statistically better opponents. I guess stats do not do the talking in football but action does. Considering the fact that the Jets won away on San Diego’s home turf with the Charger fans screaming in their ears is only the icing on the cake and makes their victory that much more rewarding.
After their amazing victory it is apparent that a rookie quarterback and coach can beat the best as long as they have the heart to believe in themselves. Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan have so blatantly displayed this heart and belief over the last few weeks by their incredible play and resiliency against supposedly better opponents. The sports broadcasters have also favored the opposition over the Jets and have been eating their words as the Jets have now won four in a row. The Jets have now sent the Bengals and the Chargers home to retire for the season. One consolation is that both teams can now take out their golf clubs and enjoy a more leisurely sport for the next few months while they recover from their loss to the Jets and their magnificent all around play. Dorelle Revis is an incredible player who makes things happen for a team with his brilliant defensive play. Shonn Greene also did an incredible job for the Jets in Leon Washington’s absence. It was most definitely a team effort because all the players excelled at their positions as that is what it takes to be champions. Feeley, with his superior field goal kicking and even punting when necessary and the linemen on both defense and offense surely did their part to contribute to the Jets victories thru out the season but especially these past few weeks.
Well, next week the AFC Conference battle between the Colts and Jets. As we have seen lately anything can happen. One more win for New York and we’re in the Super Bowl. Watch out Peyton, Mark and the Jets are on a run and psyched to win! If they can keep the momentum going I can see them meeting with Brett Favre and the Vikings in a few weeks. Now that is a game I would love to see. What more is there to say except, GO JETS!