Posts Tagged ‘Golf Training Aids’
Golf Season May Finally be Around the Corner
As most of you know we’ve had to endure extreme weather conditions in the northeast and also in many other parts of the country. For the past five days the weather has been brutal with torrential rain and high winds causing power outages, property damage and even loss of life. We’ve had enough. It is time to be out doors again, hitting golf balls and playing the game we love.
The projected forecast for this coming weekend is 66 degrees and sunny so guess what I’ll be doing, Golf, Golf, Golf! Can’t wait. I’ve only played once in the past four months and I’m looking forward to the spring and summer temperatures and hopefully not too rainy April. Let’s shake the rust off, take out the golf training aids and get ready to play golf. Happy Golfing to All!
I’m sorry to say it appears that the Farmers Almanac’s prediction for a harsh and snowy winter was on the money. This winter was not at all conducive for all of us die hard golfers to keep our games in shape for the coming golf season. Now is the time to start to exercise and preparing to allow yourself to play your best once the season arrives, which will hopefully be in a couple of weeks.
Some suggestions to help shake the winter rust off are as follows: 1) Take about ten to fifteen minutes each day and stretch. This will loosen the muscles and allow for a better fluidity in the swing and help avoid injury once the golf season arrives. 2) If weather permits take a few clubs or a weighted club and swing in the backyard which will also promote a better golf swing as the season is quickly approaching. 3) Get out the putting cup and practice rolling those putts whether in your living room, bedroom, den or any other available space in your home. Though not the same as putting on the golf green, you can still practice your set up, lining up your putt, your grip on the putter, keeping your head down, and your putting stroke, etc. 4)If you have an area in your backyard to actually hit golf balls then take advantage of this opportunity. If the golf range is open in your area this is another opportunity to check out your full swing and get the kinks out prior to the season arriving.
Have fun and 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!
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!