The Best Golf Swing Ever is Officially Dead!

Golfers will go to great lengths to hit the golf ball better. Many Golfers have a tendency to believe just about anybody and everybody that promises to have a Theory on a better golf swing. And although in the back of your mind - you know that much of this stuff is too good to be true - your passion for golf overwhelms all sense of better judgment.

The question is why would a person start trying to use a golf swing such as something called a Stack and Tilt? Which, if you haven't already heard - is just another invented golf swing that was dreamed up by a couple of snake oil salesman preying on desperate Golfers - that somehow became the latest "hot" thing to do for all of about 5 minutes.

However, thankfully it has now been officially thrown in the overflowing dumpster with all the other golf fads that have passed. This new swing sensation was supposedly being used by a bunch of PGA Tour Players - when in fact, how many of these Tour Players are using this concept today? Probably the same amount that are using another once hot fad that's in the overflowing dumpster of new golf swings - something called Natural Golf.

Thankfully as we scan the golf internet chat rooms - there is little talk of this Stack and Tilt thing - unlike 5 months ago when it was the latest and greatest. And just like much of America was in a real estate frenzy just a couple of years ago where you had to be in real estate or you were missing something big - the gurus of the golf internet chat rooms had desperate Golfers worked up into a similar sort of maniacal frenzy about having to try this new golf swing.

"I heard that Tiger is going to start using the Stack and Tilt!" 'My cousin has a friend that knows a guy whose wife is friends with someone that lives next to Mickelson's accountant and she says that Mickelson is also trying it!' "I usually score around 95 and I shot a 62 my very first round using it!"

And blessedly, as GMS announced many months ago (in the December 12th, 2007 issue of Golf Improvement Weekly) that this new swing should be labeled as the Stack and Shank - it is now (18 months later) being referred to by that moniker by the same gurus who were proclaiming it as the greatest thing since interchangeable shafts for your Driver. All those poor Golfers that got caught up with another golf swing fad - that wasted the last 18 months not improving, but most likely learning to shank the golf ball and lose distance on their tee shots.

Yet, just like all other fads - it seems that there still might be some Golfers that are now just starting to try out the Stack and Shank - kind of like the little kid that arrived at his friends birthday party at 4:00 pm when it really started at 1:00 pm - saying: "Hey guys, where are you going? Why are you leaving the party already?" 'Jimmy, we ate the cake and opened the presents - the party is over. There is some leftover birthday cake on the table, but it wasn't very good - too much frosting and sprinkles - not enough cake.' "Oh, I'm hungry - I'll eat anything!"

How is it that people that are so smart that they could build businesses or be key personal in a business - people that have to deal with snake oil salesman everyday as part of their career - get hornsnaggled by a couple of golf pro's touting their revolutionary golf swing?

I was very lucky at the start of my life in golf - as I was able to train under a very smart Golf Professional that said to me: "Marky, the golf swing is like a box of Kellogg Corn Flakes." To which I answered probably like you are right now - 'huh?'

He continued - "The golf swing is like a box of Kellogg Corn Flakes. What's inside the box never changes - the only thing that changes is the packaging."

And what he meant was: the golf swing is the golf swing like corn flakes are corn flakes - the ingredients of a good golf swing don't change, just like the ingredients of corn flakes do not change. There are no new golf swings that will make you better. However, the packaging or in golf terms, the way of explaining the golf swing so that a Golfer can improve - can always improve.

The packaging equates (but isn't limited) to: being able to continually help Golfers using improved concepts such as better, more effective drills that will help you to feel your golf swing. Developing training methods so that Golfers can better understand their golf swing, without having to think about too many things on every swing, along with understanding how to fix it quickly after a bad shot. And then training Golfers to practice their golf swing more efficiently using a PLAN based on their Strengths and Weaknesses as opposed to just beating golf balls like the Monkeys on the range.

There will never be a new golf swing that will be invented that will help Golfers to improve their ball striking (the actual corn flake doesn't change). However, Golf Instructors can improve their communication skills and knowledge of the golf swing so that we can teach the golf swing in a simpler manner. Yes, there are varying degrees of talent amongst Instructors - yet, there are no new golf swings.

Yes, there are many movements in the golf swing using all the different parts of your body. Most Golf Instructors will teach you all those movements. And unfortunately many Golfers think that just because an Instructor talks about all those movements - that must mean this Instructor is a good Instructor. On the contrary - an Instructor that needs to talk about all those movements is a weak and ineffective Instructor who probably doesn't have many Golfers that improve. Yet, they maybe held in high esteem just because they talk like they know what they're doing.

For years (and still today), many less informed Golf Instructors will teach a Golfer to turn their shoulders and turn your hips and to shift your weight. Three things that most Golfers have been taught and try to do on every golf swing - yet, more times than not; fail to accomplish doing it effectively - thus resulting in an errant golf shot.

On the other hand, a talented Golf Instructor can have you doing all three things without you having to think about doing all three things every golf swing. We help you to do all of the above without thinking about it. Talented Golf Instructors help you by formulating drills that will have you doing all those things naturally - meaning without consciously thinking about it.

Creating good habits in your golf swing without you having to think about it is the first step to a consistent golf swing. And when you can do that - you'll swing smoother and you'll hit the golf ball better and more consistent.

The Golf Instructor that feels the need to teach you everything about the golf swing is like the sports hero being interviewed on TV that uses big, fancy words to hide the fact that he graduated high school only because he was a star athlete. So he'll use fancy words to make him appear smarter and/or more talented - although many times he won't even use these words correctly.

"You have to make sure that you use a one piece takeaway so that your swing path starts slightly to the inside while making sure you maintain the proper posture. As you're doing this, your club will be starting on plane as your shoulders turn 90 degrees to the target, hips 45 degrees and that you have 55% of your weight on your right foot and 45% of your weight on your left foot. Then you must ...."

'Oh, that guy sounds like he knows what he's talking about. I need to listen to what he's teaching!"

The skill of a fabulous Instructor is to take all those movements and find a way to wrap them up for the Golfer into one movement. For example: If you ever see a Golfer that's struggling with their game - do they have more or less swing thoughts than someone that's playing well? Of course - they have way too many swing thoughts. "Oh, this is terrible - I have so much I'm thinking about on every swing."

And then this Golfer will go take a golf lesson to improve their golf swing and lo and behold, what might that Golf Instructor do? If it's like most golf lessons - the Golf Instructor gives this already confused Golfer even more to think about. Why? Because many Instructors want to prove to you how much they know about the golf swing. And they're going to prove it to you that they know a lot - if you like it or not.

And more times than not - that Golfer walks away more confused, playing worse and swearing to never take another golf lesson again. Which is unfortunate because there are some really excellent Golf Instructors available.

On the other hand - when you speak to a Golfer that's hitting the golf ball great and ask them what they were thinking about on that last shot, it often is: "I don't know, I was just trying to make a smooth golf swing."

So if that's the case - it's no wonder why most people get worse after the typical golf lesson. Because the typical Golf Instructor talks about all these little movements and you try to do as your Instructor says and then you struggle on the golf course. Yet, the talented Instructor knows how to take all those movements and have you make all those movements without you having to think about it.

A truly great and talented Golf Instructor doesn't care about being perceived as intelligent - all we care about is that our Golfers are improving.

The Monkey grabs the new, latest and greatest vine that all the other Monkeys are grabbing just because the other Monkeys are grabbing it

The Player understands the golf swing is like Corn Flakes and finds the Instructor that knows how to package specifically for their golf game.

Go ahead, Be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com

Golf Clubs and Golf Wedges

It was during 1980 that the golf clubs started gaining popularity. As more and more people were attracted towards golf clubs, this aspect led to improvements of golf club construction and design. The basic improvements were made in the following aspects.

o Making the ball to go straighter and making the golf club to compensate for swing error. This is known as forgiveness in golf terminology.

o Enable the golf ball to move further and property of hard hitting of the golf club. This is termed as distance.

The basic principle of the golf is "hit farther and straighter'. Perimeter weighing, designing the golf club with low center of gravity and large sweet spot are the basic criteria of a golf club. Golf clubs which posses the above qualities is termed as game improvement golf club. However, there are only few golf clubs that meets the criteria. After having understood the basic requirements of game improvement golf clubs, let us elaborate about these basic criteria.

o Perimeter Weighting: In simple words perimeter weighting indicates that the weight of the golf club is not positioned at the center and the head is positioned around the perimeter of golf club. Small spot is the basic requirement for heating hard the ball at perfect dead center. This small sweet spot allows you to put more physical force on the golf ball impact point. This facilitates you in hitting a longer shot. Perimeter weighting is considered essential for optimum forgiveness attribute of the golf club.

o Low Center of Gravity: Popularity of low center gravity golf clubs is on increase in the golfers. Designing golf clubs with concept of low center of gravity enables hitting the golf ball high into the air as the weight is shifted to the club bottom. Golfer who do not have problem in hitting the golf ball high in the air may not give more importance to the property of low center gravity. But for those who have problem in the hitting golf ball high in the air, lower center of gravity plays major role in improving their game. Tungsten golf clubs pay more attention towards low center of gravity as tungsten is considered heavier that steel and tungsten allows golf club to have more weight.

o Large Sweet Spot: Usually, the large sweet spot is created with the design of perimeter weighting. This is the important place to make contact with the golf ball. Larger sweet spot is considered to be swing errors increasing. Shifting of perimeter weighting is considered to be the best way to hit the ball high in the air and correcting toe-miss-hits.

Golf Wedges

Golf wedges usually comes in different degree lofts. Most preferred degree loft wedges are 46, 52, 56, 60 and 64 degree lofts. Following are the few types of golf wedges.

o Gun metal golf wedges: These golf wedges are with 65 degree loft. Gun metal wedges bears sophisticated and sleek look. It gives slippery feel though this will not have any effect on your game.

o Designer Wedges: These golf wedges are color coded and colors are suggestive of degree lofts. For example Green (64), Red (60), Blue(56), Yellow (52) and Bronze (46). These golf wedges have proprietary Plasma finish.

Usually, specifications of all golf wedges are identical. You have to choose the right golf wedge that will facilitate you to hit the ball hard and straight.

Golf Clubs and Golf Wedges

The Principles of the Pro Golf Swing

Developing consistency and confidence in your golf game begins by firstly developing a better understanding of how the golf club's design influences your golf balls behaviour. Each golf club is engineered to very fine tolerances and has been built to help you to gain a level of control over trajectory, curvature and ball speed. Your job is to use the golf club correctly, which is to say use it in such a way that you strike consistent golf shots that you're satisfied with...most of the time. But this as you already know is definitely a challenge given the amount of conflicting information you have to sift through to find the best way for you to use the golf club correctly.

We all want to hit the ball better and learning how to apply the principles of the pro golf swing will definitely help you to develop consistency and confidence. Following are the pro golf swing principles that I believe will help you to strike the golf ball more solidly and consistently leading to more confidence on the golf course.

Principle # 1 - Control the angle of the golf shaft as it strikes the golf ball.

Controlling trajectory begins by understanding the relationship between the head or striking end of the golf club and the handle or holding end as the golf club strikes the golf ball. There are three conditions that the golf shaft can be in as it strikes the ball. The shaft can lean forwards towards the target, it can have no lean, or it can lean backwards away from the target. When using an iron or a wood we ideally want the golf shaft leaning slightly forwards as the golf ball departs from the clubface.

How do you do it?

Practice punching your golf shots by trying to hit your golf shots as low as possible using a seven iron without moving your upper body towards the target until the golf ball has left the clubface. Practice hitting golf shots under low tree branches and bushes and focus on hitting the ball before the ground. You might have noticed that PGA tour professionals use the punch shot quite often when they hit their approach shots into the green.

Principle # 2 - Control the clubface angle as the club head strikes the golf ball.

The clubface can be in one of three conditions as the golf ball is struck. It can be open to the target line, square to the target line or closed to the target line. It is helpful to know that the golf club should not be square at impact but actually slightly open. The reason for this is that there is a very important distinction that you should be aware of. Rather than thinking of impact as the time when the club comes into contact with the golf ball, think of it as two distinct times in your golf swing - impact or collision and separation. When the golf club makes contact with the ball the clubface should be slightly open not square, and during the time that the golf ball is in contact with the clubface it "squares up" and the ball departs or separates from the clubface.

How do you do it?

The key to achieving this is to make sure that your hands when applied to the handle are positioned so that the pressure is behind the handle rather than on top. The best example I can give you is to imagine that you are pushing a shopping cart or lawn mower and think about where your hands are positioned on the handle. The strongest position for your hands is behind the handle when applying pressure to move the object forward. This is no different on a golf club where the objective is to apply pressure to the rear of the golf ball. If you want to hit stronger and longer shots, make sure that both hands are rotated slightly behind the handle of the golf club.

Principle # 3 - The accelerating golf club should decelerate as late as possible.

A golf club at the start of the downswing accelerates, achieves peak acceleration and then decelerates until it stops. Every golf club swung by a human being does this. You may have heard commentators describe how pro's "accelerate through the ball" which is a nice thought but actually it doesn't happen quite like that. In fact the golf club is slowing down as it comes into contact with the golf ball and for some golfers it's slowing down quite rapidly. The key is to reduce the deceleration so that it happens as late as possible.

How do you do it?

Make short backswings with a full and complete wrist cock. Swing your arms back to about 9 o'clock with the club head pointing directly upwards. From this position swing the club to the finish position and create a loud whoosh sound on the target side of the golf ball. As you whoosh your golf club swing into a perfectly balanced finish position. The key to this practice method is to only focus on developing the whoosh in front of the golf ball rather than at the golf ball. Now transfer the feeling into your golf swing by still focusing on creating the whoosh in front of the golf ball.

Practice developing the pro golf swing principles and incorporate them into your golf swing. With some consistent practice you will start to notice improved results leading to more consistency and golf confidence.

Author Lawrence Montague has been a leading golf teaching professional in Australia for more than twenty years and owns one of the top golf schools based on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

If you enjoyed reading this article please visit my golf blog at http://www.GolfConfidence.org. Or for information on my golfing school you can go to http://www.GoldCoastGolfSchool.com.au where you can find out about my one to five day golf improvement programs.

Golf Grips and Full Release Grips

Grips are the most important equipment of golf club. Golf grips which provides faster grip lose is considered to be best golf grips. There are different companies in the market that manufactures the golf grips keeping needs of the golfers in mind. Experts recommend frequent change of golf grips to avoid disadvantages of your used golf grips which may be lead to loosing your grip due to hardening, oxidizing or grips getting slick. It is always better to change your golf grip either after 3,000 rounds or once in six months.

Introduction of full release golf grips is considered to be the biggest change in the golf club during last century. Full release golf grips help you in improving you game. Full release golf grip enables you to hit straighter and farther. It also gives you advantage of improving accuracy, confidence and distance. You will find number of golf grips available for sale in the market. You have wide range to choose from. Golf grips and full release golf grips are manufactured according to the approved specifications. Full release golf grips facilitate you in full release of the golf club and to achieve club head speed at its optimum.

Following are the some examples of full release golf grips.

o X-line full release golf grip: This golf grip is made up of smooth rubber. You have the option to either purchase it singly or are available in the set of 13 set golf kit.

o X-line cord golf grip

o X-wrap full release golf grip: These x-line grips are also made up of smooth rubber.

o 2 color wrap full release golf grip

o Designer wrap full release golf grip: These golf grips are made from soft polyurethane. These are tacky wrap golf grips. Designer wrap full release golf grips are available in two types names Wrap designer red golf grip and wrap designer blue red grips. These designer grips are known for their property of becoming tackier where the weather is inclement.

o Reverse design golf grips

Generally these full release golf grips are available in golf grip sets. A golf grip kit consisting of grip tape, visuals (video) and instructions for use of golf grips is always accompanied with the golf grips.

Full release golf grips manufactured according to Taperedo Technology specifications are like that of baseball bat grip, thinner at the top end and thicker at bottom end. Patents confirmed golf grips permits you easy release that enhances swing speed of club and gives you improved game touch.

Following are the few salient features of full release golf grips.

o Full release golf grips help you in professional players' like proper finger tip grip. This helps you in improving your game.

o Full release golf grips provide you with enhanced distance and speed of club head.

o Full release golf grip helps you in improving your short game.

o Full release golf grips allow you powerful release without changing swing weight.

o Golf grip reduces hooks and dispersion in slice-shots.

Full release golf grips have displaced the traditional grips. It is felt that these full release golf grips will become more popular in near feature considering the benefits it offers to improve your golf game.

Golf Grips and Full Release Grips

Improve Your Golf Swing and Driving Distance with Golf Stretches

The golf swing is arguably one of the most difficult athletic actions to perform. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a long range of motion with proper technique and exact timing.

Any error in swing plane, timing, or sequence will cause your golf swing to suffer, and suffer it will. Unfortunately, the result of your golf swing suffering will be errant shots, poor golf scores, and frustration on the golf course.

Often the amateur is at a lost for why their golf swing results in errant shots. Countless hours are spent at the range in an effort to improve their golf swing. Hundreds or even thousands of dollars are spent on lessons each year, and not to mention the purchasing of new equipment.

It all adds up to a lot of time and money spent on improving the golf swing. Unfortunately, for many amateur golfers their handicaps and score never improve. Leading to the question "why is my golf game not improving?"

If this is you and this question lingers in your mind. The answer to your question could easily be staring right back at you in the mirror. The failure of improvement may have absolutely nothing to do with the driver you are swinging, the teaching pro helping you with your swing, or even your practice routine. It could all do with you! Yes you, the physical body swinging the golf club.

Keep in mind the golf club does not perform the mechanics of the golf swing. Nor do the mechanics of the golf swing execute themselves without you. It is you and your body executing the mechanics of the golf swing. The point to make is your body directly affects the mechanics of the golf swing.

Additionally, the golf swing requires your body to encompass certain physical qualities to execute the mechanics of the golf swing correctly. These physical qualities are certain levels of flexibility, muscular strength, balance, and power. If you are lacking the minimal amounts of flexibility, balance, strength, and power to execute the golf swing correctly. Compensations will occur even before you swing the golf club.

For example, let's look at your flexibility. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a large range of motion. The backswing requires a full shoulder turn to set the club in the correct slot for the downswing, and the finish position is almost a mirror image of the backswing.

In order to perform these parts of the golf swing correctly, the muscles of your body must be flexible. An inflexible body in which muscles are "tight" creates restrictions in movement. Restrictions in movement in relation to the golf swing will undoubtedly result in limitations pertaining to golf swing. The limitation will impede you from creating a full shoulder turn and balanced finish position. This causes compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing.

The entire body needs to be flexible for the golf swing. Certain muscles more than others are involved in the golf swing, and if these muscles are "tight" they will directly affect your golf swing. One such set of muscles is your hamstrings.

The hamstrings (back side of your upper leg) are often "tight" and cause problems to many people, not just golfers. However, they have a profound effect on the golf swing and it is not a good effect. Hamstrings that are "tight" are in a shortened position. The shortened position of the hamstrings has a direct effect on the position of your hips. Your hips will be "tucked", directly affecting your posture. This in itself can hamper the ability to place oneself in the correct position at address within the golf swing, not to mention maintaining a proper spine angle during the swing.

Additionally, "tight" hamstrings place an undo amount of stress on the lower back. Large amounts of stress on the lower back cause fatigue, soreness, and increase the possibility of injury. If you are a golfer that has ever experienced lower back pain you know the effect it has on your ability to swing the golf club correctly.

A combination of a postural change and undo amounts of stress on the lower back, just begin to scratch the surface of the effect inflexible muscles can have on the golf swing. "Tight" muscles change the kinematics of the body. As a result, the biomechanics of the golf swing must be altered. These alterations usually lead to compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing resulting in errant shot patterns on the golf course.

And no matter what you do in terms of practice or instruction these alterations will not go away until you address them. Just as you address swing faults, you must address flexibility faults. Flexibility faults can be addressed through golf stretches.

Golf stretches enhance the flexibility of your body in relation to the golf swing. Golf stretches often times return muscles that are "tight" such as the hamstrings to their proper length. This results in the ability of your body to perform the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. If you are one of many golfers who are not finding their golf swing improving through practice and instruction. Take a moment and look at the body swinging the golf club. This very well may be the root of your golf swing problems. Fix your flexibility faults through golf stretches and find yourself on the road to lower golf scores and more enjoyment in the game of golf.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Las Vegas Golf Stores

Las Vegas golf stores have a unique line of golf accessories and equipment, which includes golf head covers, deluxe golf shoe bags, golf apparel, golf bags, golf balls, golf related books, and golf gift ideas.

Many golf stores in Las Vegas maintain a separate department to customize the ideas and needs of the customers, and some have specialists to educate golfers on such matters as golf rules and etiquette. Most Las Vegas golf stores come with a section devoted exclusively to clear the doubts of all levels of golfers ranging from beginners to professionals.

Golf stores stock merchandise and provide equipment like golf carts, shoes, and trolleys. Golf accessories as well as golf apparel are available at discount rates. There are a number of stores in Las Vegas selling used golf equipment. The prices of used golf items are exceptionally low, and Las Vegas golf stores make it available through auction, consignment, or typical retail operations. Most of the Las Vegas golf stores have sites on the web to facilitate buying and selling of used golf equipment.

Aztek Custom Golf, Zion Golf, and Vegas Golf are some of the prominent golf stores in Las Vegas. Major golf clubs with pro shops in Las Vegas are Craig Golf Course, Las Vegas National Golf Club, Siena Golf Club, Sunrise Vista Golf Club, and Tuscany Golf Club. Additionally, Las Vegas golf stores, such as Nevada Bob's Golf, Inc., boasts facilities including Golf-Tek video training system and a full swing golf simulator.

Today, prominent Las Vegas golf stores have facilities for online shopping. In order to shop online, the customers have to supply some information and create an account with the store. Online payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Las Vegas Golf provides detailed information on Las Vegas Golf, Las Vegas Golf Courses, Las Vegas Golf Packages, Las Vegas Golf Resorts and more. Las Vegas Golf is affiliated with Best Shows in Las Vegas.

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Golf Balls - The Science Behind The Dimples

The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a fascinating insight into the physical interworkings of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics.

When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood.

In 1618 the "Featherie" was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball.

As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.

After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball's smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance.

With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the "dimpled" golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays.

The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.

By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.

Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today.

After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance.

Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.

For a more comprehensive look at golf and golf equipment, drop by Susan's site on Golf Balls [http://www.golf-ball-city.info]. Other informative sports related articles are available at Shopping Palace and Niche Weblog.

Straight Down the Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance, and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing

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Golf Irons and Golf Putters

First of all you should know that when term iron is used in concerning the golf it means the metal blade (or head) attached to the golf stick. Selecting the right golf irons is considered as the basic step towards improvement of game. These golf irons are available in different sizes and finishes. You can choose golf iron according to you style.

Primarily golf irons comes in two finishes namely metal finish and satin finish. You may find a rare golf iron with Fly Yellow finish. Pressure casting method is used for manufacturing these golf irons. The golf irons are made up of soft metals. Some manufacturers prefer to couple these soft metals with steel shafts which according to them provide excellent results. The propriety of forgiveness is considered as a quality of good golf iron. This property gives you an advantage to hit the golf club without change in direction or vibration. Let us elaborate on the different types of golf irons.

o Gun Metal finish Golf Irons: These are considered to be the best golf irons. These gun metal finish golf irons posses the propriety of Ion plasma. This plasma finish enable the golf iron to gain finish level as less as .03 microns. These gun metal finish golf irons are usually hand crafted and give improved performance and great feelings while playing with it.

o The latest and rarer version of yellow finish golf iron also posses all properties of other gun metal golf irons and is manufactured through pressure cast method. However, it is said that these yellow finish golf irons gives slippery feeling that results in reducing drag. You must understand that this yellow finish is not a coating of surface. The yellow finish completely immerses into cast metal and is long lasting. Playing with these yellow finish golf irons will surely add to your pleasure of playing golf.

o Satin finish golf irons are considered to be traditional. These are also manufactured through pressure cast method. It is considered that making these satin finish golf irons makes them consistent than that of forged club heads. Satin finish golf irons also has all properties of gun metal golf irons.

o Mid-size Golf Irons: As is suggestive from the nomenclature, these golf irons are neither too short nor too big. These mid-size golf irons consists of thin top line which is considered to be designed especially for professional golfers. Perimeter weighting is the primary quality of these golf irons. This quality provides forgiveness without conceding feel and distance. It is considered very useful in club head control and greater speed of swing owing to lighter swing weight. This is also helpful in producing click impact as mid-size irons have a slight offset which helps in keeping your hand in front of club. Generally, these mid-size golf irons are available in gun metal finish.

o Oversize Golf Iron: These golf irons are produced with stainless steel. They posses a wider top line. Oversize golf irons are little more offset than the other type of cavity back golf irons. Oversize golf irons are designed keeping the high handicap and mid handicap professional golfers in view. These are considered useful in hitting the golf ball high in the air. These oversize golf irons facilitates you in hitting the ball at longer distance with greater accuracy. Oversize golf irons are mainly available in Graphite and Steel shafts.

Selecting a right golf putter is equally important in improving your game. Golf putters is an aspect of concern for all golfers. Selection of golf putter depends on your personal choice of weight, look and style. Golf putter are available in different specification. Cobra, Ping, Yes Putters, McGregor, Odyssey and Callaway are some popular names of manufacturers of golf putters.

Golf Irons and Golf Putters

The Kingdom of Shivas Irons

The long-awaited sequel to Golf in the Kingdom takes Murphy back to Scotland in search of another encounter with the mystically enchanting Shivas Irons, a man--if that's indeed what he is--who's part golf professional, part shaman, completely wise, and thoroughly fascinating. Filled with myth, mysticism, metaphysics, advanced string theory (courtesy of fellow searcher and friend, physicist Buck Hannigan), and at times other-worldly golf sequences from Scotland, to Russia, to a climactic round at Pebble Beach, Kingdom resolves its quest in the most unlikely and hard-to-find place of all. "Keep coming," Irons implores his seeker. "Imagine. Practice. Start again. I'm not so far away." Indeed, more than fairways that glow in the dark and drives that can fly 450 yards, it's Irons's ultimate whereabouts that infuses Kingdom with its magic and its mystery.

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Golf Birthday Gifts -- A Quick Introduction

Buying a birthday gift for the golf fanatic of the family has never been an easy task. The possibilities seem endless, a new piece of golf equipment, the latest golf training aid, a box of golf balls, or perhaps even a golf lesson? Who knew buying a birthday gift for a golfer could be so complicated!

Old Standby - A Box of Golf Balls

The traditional Father's Day gift for the golfing dad seems to be a box of his favorite golf balls. This would make for a fine golf birthday gift as well. Be sure to find out his favorite brand or type of golf ball and head on down to your local golf shop to pickup a dozen. If he does not use a specific brand, or you want to keep it a surprise, the major sport chain retailers generally have several brands of golf balls on sale. If your golf birthday boy or girl is a new player, try finding some low spin golf balls. Golf balls can cost you anywhere from $10 a dozen on up to $45. Unless your gift recipient plays golf several times a week, stick in the $10-$20 range.

Another Option - Golf Teaching Tools

There seems to be a new golf teaching tool or golf training aid on the market every other week. The Whippy Tempomaster is an amusing golf teaching tool at first sight, but is extremely effective at teaching a golfer about the tempo of a golf swing. You can find this particular golf teaching tool on eBay in the $75 range. The Swing Setter by David Leadbetter is a popular piece of equipment that is actually used by several professional golfers, Michelle Wie included. The Swing Setter will set you back $85 on eBay or $130 in retail stores. Another, less expensive option is a golf impact bag. For about $35 your birthday boy can whack away at a heavy bag, learning the correct position and feel at the moment of impact. Any of these options would make a wonderful birthday gift for your golfer.

Wise Decision - Golf Lessons

Unless the person you are buying this golf birthday gift for is a scratch golfer, a golf lesson is always a wonderful idea. Local golf courses, country clubs and driving ranges will often sell single lessons or packages of lessons both to the individual and as a certificate that you could use as the golf birthday gift. A golf lesson from a respectable local professional should cost you anywhere from $50-$100. The birthday boy or girl may not be as excited initially...but they will be thanking you down the road!

Simple Idea - Golf Impact Indicators

Golf Impact Indicators are pieces of tape or sometimes calls golf dust that can be applied to the club face at the driving range or practice range. This will let your golf birthday gift recipient know where they are hitting the ball. This can run from about $5 for impact tape to $15 for a can of golf dust. You may have a hard time finding this in a local store, check it out online.

Now that you have a better idea of the options out there for your golf birthday gift, you can be confident that your purchase will make your golfer happy on his or her birthday!

Sean Lensborn is the author of The Deep Rough, a blog detailing his struggles and triumphs in the game of golf. His frequent entries cover anything from golf equipment reviews, golf tips, to golf travel reviews.

Is Timing a Crucial Fundamental of Your Golf Swing?

What is the proper way to swing a golf club? It all starts with having the correct golf swing fundamentals in place, and if your not sure then continue learning and practicing on your own until you feel comfortable enough to move onto more advanced techniques. The golf swing is a combination of balance, strength and fluidity, and they must be in that combined mix to produce the kinds of golf shots that are on target.

One of the most frequent errors to a golf swing is the consistent over-swinging of the golf clubs. Relax as much as you can,you do have some power, however accuracy is the name of any golf game. Set your goals to expend as little effort when swinging the golf club. Hitting the golf ball the right way will feel easy and smooth.

Swinging hard will only reduce your power. Distance can only come from being fluid and accurate, and not from the amount of extra strength that you can put into it. Keep the idea of strength out of your head. You want to just use the amount of power that you will be able to control and manage. The purpose of the golf game is accuracy, not power. You want to have the ability to manage each part of your golf swing so that you just hit the ball cleanly and it goes wherever you need it to travel to your intended target.

I noticed for myself yesterday that for most of the golf round, I was hitting the golf ball consistent and solid. However, I could start feeling by the sixteenth hole that my energy was draining fast. I have a fast back swing to begin with, but in order to get that extra distance I had to swing even harder. This completely threw my timing off, and the end result was I started to hit a push slice. As we all know slicing the golf ball can put you into all kinds of trouble. The best thing I could have done was slow my timing down even more, and make sure my hips were rotating out of the way before my hands were going through the impact area.

Golf swing speed is usually referred to as timing. It's one of the most misunderstood part of any golf game being discussed over the internet. So let's talk about what timing really means. Timing is when you start the entire golf swing process back into a coiled position on top of your back swing. The speed of your golf swing happens from this point forward, when you begin releasing out of this set position. The downward motion needs to be in sync with every part of your arms, body, feet, hands, hips rotating, neck and shoulders. As the golf club moves back into the golf ball, your hips must rotate or turn to clear out of the way. The reason your hips have to clear out of the way is to allow the club head to return back to the golf ball squarely at impact, and then follow through with a wrap around picture finish. It's the energy behind the pendulum golf swing that must be mastered by everyone who intends to improve upon their golf mechanics. This is the key element of learning the proper way to swinging a golf club. It's equivalent to anything you do in life, you must first be able to learn the basic skills before you can apply the fundamentals.

How do you correct your golf swing speed issues and get your timing back on track? This is a difficult question to answer and one of the most sought after in the game of golf. There are times when you might have felt like you were swinging beautifully, everything was in sync, but the golf ball traveled to the left of your target. To correct this you need to slow down the turning of your hips to allow the golf club more time to return back to the golf ball at impact before clearing out completely. In order to fix the problem of slicing, you need to pay closer attention to how centered your body is balanced, and you must keep your head still over the golf ball during the entire process. You can't produce a swaying motion of your body, because your head is moving out away from the hitting area due to shifting of your shoulders. Think of your head as being the apex and your feet as the base. At all times you must remain in this triangle, and not sway to far too the left or to the right with your body motion. You also need to pay closer attention to your arms, hands and shoulders. Are they flaring out wide open to the intended target, or are you maintaining your parallel line from your golf ball to the intended target.

Learning the correct golf mechanics must be one of the most frustrating challenges to any golfer. Modifying your golf swing in order to get more distance or to correct a slice is virtually an every day work in process for most golfers.It is just a matter of mechanics and putting the correct body motions together in the right way to become more consistent. Keeping yourself under control to ensure that you can be more precise, is what counts the most. This doesn't happen over night, it takes practicing the correct way. Here are a few golf tips:

1. Keep Working on the Golf Grip. Stay focused on making sure you have the right golf grip for yourself. It is important that your hands do not move when swinging a golf club. Too much movement is a primary cause of wayward shots.

2. Keep Good Posture. Practice good posture by swinging the golf club with your toes slightly pointing outward and your feet being approximately shoulder-width apart. Don't lock your knees and bend them just a little bit. In addition to bending at the knees, you also need to bend at the hips. Keep your back spine straight and tilted slightly forward to promote a healthier back.

3. Maintain Good Balance. For most of your golf swings a wider base will produce more balance, and prevent you from falling wayward from the golf ball during the full pendulum swing. As in any sports, the key to playing well is having good consistent balance. Attempt to not tense up while making contact with the golf ball. You will loose your balance if you tense up.

4. Weight Shifting. As you begin moving into your back swing, your weight naturally will shift to your back foot. You want to keep your shoulders on a single plane and allow the momentum to swing naturally. For a firm base, keep your feet planted into the ground. Don't allow your front foot to come off the ground. As you start the downward golf swing, you now move your weight onto your front foot and move your hips forward. Do not dip your hips. Try to keep them on the same lateral plane as your golf swing. As your bringing the golf club around to the finish position, the weight that was on your back foot should now be on your front foot. This is called the three step golf swing, or natural golf swing that Moe Norman helped developed.

5. Tempo or Timing. Having good timing is the key element of producing maximum power. It's the fuel that will allow you to gain that extra distance off the golf tee or fairway. When you swing a golf club, the swing speed is determined by how much energy your body produces into the rotational movement of the golf swing itself. This energy is transferred to the golf club, then to the club head, then to the golf ball on impact. The end result it produces isn't only distance, but accuracy and control.

Distance is not just about club head speed and power, it's also about correct choice of club face and driver shaft. If you want to improve beyond your foursome buddies, you must keep this in mind. Your club head swing speed is not the be all and end all of distance. You also have a choice of flexibility of your driver shaft. Did you know that a stiff shaft is needed for faster golf swings, and more flexibility is needed for slower golf swings. If your driver shaft is too stiff or too flexible for your average swing speed, your timing won't be correct. You will hit the golf ball too soon or too late. That will also affect your distance overall. Another factor to consider besides golf shafts is degrees of your loft. The loft of your driver face should suit your average golf club swing speed. The lower the swing speed the higher degrees in the the loft. If you need to get the golf ball up into the air quicker so that it can travel farther, then a 10.5 - 13 degree loft is recommended.

Besides learning to hit the golf ball a long ways off the tee. Are you playing with the right golf equipment? Does your shafts align with your swing speed, or are you able to launch the golf ball with the right amount of energy and height to get the golf ball to travel the maximum amount of distance. Then I recommend finishing this great article at: http://www.A-Zgolfswingmechanics.com

History: Fiction or Science? Dating methods as offered by mathematical statistics. Eclipses and zodiacs. Chronology Vol.I

History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the reader. Eminent mathematician proves that: Jesus Christ was born in 1153 and crucified in 1186 The Old Testament refers to mediaeval events. Apocalypse was written after 1486. Does this sound uncanny? This version of events is substantiated by hard facts and logic - validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources - to a greater extent than everything you may have read and heard about history before. The dominating historical discourse in its current state was essentially crafted in the XVI century from a rather contradictory jumble of sources such as innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts whose originals had vanished in the Dark Ages and the allegedly irrefutable proof offered by late mediaeval astronomers, resting upon the power of ecclesial authorities. Nearly all of its components are blatantly untrue! For some of us, it shall possibly be quite disturbing to see the magnificent edifice of classical history to turn into an ominous simulacrum brooding over the snake pit of mediaeval politics. Twice so, in fact: the first seeing the legendary millenarian dust on the ancient marble turn into a mere layer of dirt - one that meticulous unprejudiced research can eventually remove. The second, and greater, attack of unease comes with the awareness of just how many areas of human knowledge still trust the three elephants of the consensual chronology to support them. Nothing can remedy that except for an individual chronological revolution happening in the minds of a large enough number of people.

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Golf Travel Bags - Choose Wisely to Protect Your Investment

Planning a golf vacation? Don't forget to protect your golf clubs by choosing the right golf travel bag. How do you choose the golf travel bag that is right for you? Let's take a quick look at three different styles to help you make the right choice.

Remember, choosing the right golf travel bag isn't only about the bag itself. Golfers planning a golf vacation or just looking for protection on short golf trips should ask themselves a few questions before making a purchase.

What is your budget for a golf travel bag?

Do you travel frequently with your golf clubs?

Do your golf trips mostly include air travel or auto travel?

With these questions in mind, let's take a quick look at the different styles of golf travel bags and the benefits and negatives each offers.

Hybrid Travel Bags

These types of golf travel bags are essentially a golf bag with a hard top to protect your clubs. Unlike other styles, hybrids do not protect your day-to-day golf bag.

Hybrids will help golf travelers with space restrictions. They require less space than other models and also weigh less.

However, hybrid golf travel bags are not your golf bag. Therefore you must unpack and pack all of your golf gear each time you travel. These types of bags are also not the best choice for airline travel.

For golfers who travel more often by automobile and have an extra set of golf clubs, hybrid golf travel bags are a good choice.

Golfers can pick up a hybrid golf travel bag for as little as $60 with top of the line bags going for around $230.

Soft Golf Travel Bags

Think of this style of travel bags as a soft, padded, glove that covers your day-to-day golf bag and clubs. Usually, these bags come with a rigid bottom and wheels to help golfers carry them from location to location.

If you love to carry a lot of golf gear on your travels, then soft-style cases might be the right choice for you. You can travel with your day-to-day bag and stuff it with your other gear and golf accessories. These travel bags also breaks down easily and take up less storage space than hard case bags.

Some of the negatives associated with soft-style golf travel bags are mobility and protection. Soft bags usually do not roll as easily as hard cases. Also, these bags do not offer the same protection as hard cases. Your club heads are especially vulnerable in a soft-style bag.

If you choose a soft-style golf travel bag, I highly recommend that you pick up a Stiff Arm accessory. This will protect your club heads in the event of a direct impact to the top of your bag.

The best soft-style bags can cost anywhere from $120 - $300.

Hard Case Golf Travel Bags

This style of travel bag encompasses your bag and club. They provide the highest amount of protection but do not have space for the golf "pack rat".

Hard cases are a great choice for the golfer who travels by air to most golf vacation spots. This style provides the most protection and highest security for your golf clubs. Unlike other styles of golf travel bags, airlines will often cover any damage incurred when your clubs are in a hard case travel bag.

Hard cases take up more room than other styles when it comes to storage. They also do not hold all of your golf gear. For the golfer who plans more trips by automobile, hard cases might not make as much sense as hybrids or soft-covers.

Hard case golf travel bags average $130 with top of the line cases costing around $300.

Now that you have a little more insight into golf travel bags, you will be able to choose the right bag for your golf travel and golf vacations. Remember to think about the type and frequency of your golf travel, how much protection you need for your golf clubs, and what type of budget you have for a golf travel bag.

Choose wisely. Protect your investment. And, most of all, enjoy your golf vacation!

Copyright 2005 Evans Putman http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com - All Rights Reserved. Reprints allowed see below.

Article courtesy of http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com your source for the best golf destination information. We deliver ?Truth in Golf Travel?. PerfectGolfVacations.com delivers the best local market information and word-of-mouth recommendations from golf destinations like Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, Ireland, Hilton Head, and more. Keep current with updates, news and specials at our blog http://www.perfectgolfvacations.blogspot.com.

This article may be reprinted with no changes, omissions, or additions. All links must be left live and in tact.

21 Days to Better Golf

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Golf Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder w/ 4 'AAA' Batteries and Rapid Chager

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Injuries in Golf

Injuries occur in all athletic events quite frequently, certain sports more so than others. Golf is no different than any other sport. The severity of injuries in golf usually are not as severe as in other sports. The scenario of a 300 lb. defensive lineman slamming into the side of your knee tearing every possible ligament structure in the knee will never happen in the sport of golf. An interesting visual if you combined the sports of football and golf onto the same playing field, but inappropriate for this paper.

There are two types of injuries classified by professionals in the fields of athletic training and sports medicine. The two types of injuries are: 1) acute and 2) chronic. The above example of the football player is classified as an acute injury. An acute injury can be defined as the trauma in the body occurring immediately after the injury. Refer to the football player example above for a reminder. (For us older golfers, remember Joe Theisman of the Redskins and Lawrence Taylor's leg breaking tackle? Acute injury.) Relating an acute injury to golf is a little more difficult. Probably the easiest, and maybe most the common, acute injury in golf, occurs while swinging and you hit a rock or something that creates an injury to your wrist. That would be the best example in the sport of golf of an acute injury. Overall, acute injuries tend to be rare in golf because contact by the body with external forces is rare.

The second type of injury, chronic, is much more prevalent when it comes to the sport of golf. A chronic injury is one that occurs over time. Think of it as a "wear and tear" injury. These are usually the result of the body breaking down over time. A great sports example outside of golf is when you hear about a baseball pitcher having tendonitis in the elbow. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the elbow resulting from the stresses placed upon it from throwing. Over time the elbow becomes tired and eventually injured from the number of pitches thrown. If you are a runner and, after a certain amount of time, your knees begin to hurt, this is usually a chronic injury. When we talk about golf, the majority of injuries are chronic. They tend to be a direct result of the golf swing (just like the pitcher's elbow). Usually the chronic injuries in golf show up in the lower back. If chronic injuries are caught soon enough in the cycle, rest and proper treatment (i.e. massage, chiropractic care) will heal them. But if you wait too long the body is going to "break," and then you will not be playing any golf for a long time. This is where the unfortunate situation of surgery and other invasive procedures are considered.

So a couple of questions we must ask when it comes to chronic injuries in relation to golf are: how do they occur, and how do we prevent them? Chronic injuries occur as a result of the body becoming fatigued and eventually "breaking down." The muscles, ligaments, and tendons of your body are required to perform the activity of swinging a golf club. Over time this activity causes fatigue within your body. As the body continues to fatigue, or get tired, the body gets sore. This is the first indicator of a developing chronic injury. If you continue with the activity you're participating in, with soreness in the body, eventually your body will break down. This "break down" will be in the form of maybe a pulled muscle, muscle stiffness, tightness, or some other type of inflammation. All of the above examples are a result of structures in your body breaking down from fatigue and overuse. Even if just on one swing you feel "your back go out," nine out of ten times it is a chronic injury, and that last swing was the "piece of straw that broke the camel's back."

How to Prevent Chronic Injuries in Golf

We all know that the golf swing is a repetitive movement, meaning the body is performing the same activity over and over again. This creates fatigue in the body over time. And if over time our body can't support the number of swings we are taking, it is eventually going to break down. There are three variables we have when it comes to the prevention of chronic injuries in golf. Number one is workloads. Workloads can be defined as the number of swings that the body takes with a club over a given period of time. That time frame can be seven days or an entire tour season. Number two is efficiency of your mechanics. When we say "efficiency of mechanics" we are talking about how biomechanically correct your individual swing is. "Why is this important?" you ask. Let me tell you. I think most of us would agree that the tour players have very "efficient" swings; their swings are smooth and look almost effortless. A swing like this asks less out of the body to perform and requires less effort from the muscles; hence fatiguing levels in the body are lower. Some amateur swings look like they take a lot of work to perform, and in reality they do! These types of swings ask a lot more out of the body and fatigue it more quickly. The final variable is what we term "golf strength." Golf strength is a measure of the required levels of flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, and power to successfully support the mechanics of the swing. Large amounts of golf strength allow the body to support an efficient swing. Low levels of golf strength do not provide the support needed for the swing.

Workloads, Swing Mechanics, and Golf Strength

All three of these variables work together to determine if you are a candidate for a chronic golf injury. Golf strength is essentially the foundation upon which your swing is built. This variable indicates how many times you can swing a golf club with your current mechanics before you come up injured. If you have high levels of golf strength then regardless of how efficient of a swing you have, you will be able to play for quite awhile before you get sore. The flip side can also be said. If you have low levels of golf strength, regardless of your swing mechanics, you will come up sore in a shorter amount of time.

Secondly, let us look at swing mechanics. If you are a player that has a very efficient swing that places very little stress on the body, you will undoubtedly be able to play many rounds before your body starts screaming at you. Again, if you have poor mechanics, it is going to take its toll on your body and your game.

Finally, we have workloads (i.e. number of swings). The number of swings one makes must match up with levels of golf strength and swing mechanics. The golf swing is a "stressor" of the body and breaks it down over time. If you have an efficient swing, each swing does less "damage" to the body. If you have a poor swing, the body has to work harder, thus fatiguing it more quickly. In addition to this is golf strength. If you have high levels of golf strength, you can swing the club more (i.e. workloads) before you get tired. Low levels of golf strength present the situation of the body's fatiguing more quickly. "So what is the magic formula?" you ask. My first suggestion is twofold: 1) work on your swing to improve the efficiency of it, and 2) increase your levels of golf strength in order to support your swing. For the time being, match up your swing and golf strength levels to determine what workload levels you can get out of your body.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Essential Golf Ball Control

Golf is one of the misunderstood sports out there in the land of the competitive. Despite the opinions of non golfers whose greatest exposure to golf is during a rousing hour of channel surfing, golf is a sport of grace, quiet competition, respect, honor, and of course, well honed skill.

Whether you are just beginning your golfing career or have been hauling all over the back nine since I was knee high to a grasshopper, there is always room for improvement in a round of golf.

There isn't a golfer alive who doesn't want a straighter, longer drive or a more precise putt. Even the best of the best in all their grace and skill perpetually strive for the better game, the game where control is paramount.

Control of the golf ball of course begins with control of the body. When first learning to play golf, and for some of us years into our learning curve, despite what our better judgment tells us we step up to the tee with tight muscles determined to whack the dimples off the ball. Inevitably, we resemble displaced baseball players rather than graceful golfers as we pull back and swing with all our might. Despite our best efforts we slice and hook and no matter how many dimples we whack away from the ball it still won't sail over the horizon for us. How frustrating.

What we fail to either realize or practice is that out tense muscles are causing the problem. Golf can not be played with tight muscles because inevitably, our heads are going to insist on following our bodies and we will lose sight of the ball right at the last moment. In order for us to really make that contact with the golf ball that we are truly seeking, we have to keep our eye on the ball. Ironically, this is also true in baseball and some of us do have a tendency to bring our baseball skills onto the golf course with us.

When we lose sight of the golf ball at the last moment our body shifts just enough to keep our golf club from making good contact with the ball. Our hands lose their follow through and our golf ball goes flying off into the rough. We stand there seriously contemplating wrapping our clubs around the trunk of a tree wondering what it is that we're doing wrong. After all, we couldn't be trying harder to hit our golf ball straight and far.

Sometimes, that's the exact problem. Trying too hard to hit the ball in a round of golf can actually backfire and create the opposite of the desired effect. Our body is tense, our mood is tense, and of course our ball ends up tensely leaving the tee. However, a relaxed body has a greater chance of keeping the eye on the ball and making the appropriate contact with the golf ball and sending it much farther and straighter than the baseball bat swing.

THE PRACTICE SWING

Luckily, golf has become a fairly affordable sport as of late and we have plenty of time to perfect our golf game before our next round with the guys from the office. So we approach the task of perfecting the golf swing over a series of rounds over a few weeks. After all, there is room for improvement regardless how good of a golf swing you may have. For some of us, however, there is only room for improvement.

Before heading out to the fairway, I sat down like so many other individuals like myself to search out the internet for a little golf swing guidance. A few words across my browser and a click of the search button and I found one of the best sites around for some golf swing guidance. Keeping in mind that not all of us are retired and we have jobs and families to keep us quite busy, I wanted to read the information that I needed without being glued in front of the computer screen for hours on end. The goal is to find the assistance and then actually take it out to the fairway and practice it.

HELP AT LAST

I clicked on bestprogolfguide and I had a plethora of information right at my fingertips. The best part was, it was valuable information. I didn't have to weed through tons of useless clippings to come across handy, factual information that is easy to understand and implement.

The organization of the site made for quick browsing so that I could find exactly the golf help that I needed, read it, learn it, and be on my way to go put it into practice. Right there in front of me was an article describing exactly what I knew to be my problem in detail and tips to help me correct it.

Golf is a game of patience, and for most a very relaxing activity that encourages physical exercise. A relaxing game of golf. I truly couldn't remember the last time I was relaxed when I played golf. Because I tend to be quite competitive, I also put a lot of pressure on myself to play golf at very high standards. A self taught golfer, I never took a lesson or really had any assistance in learning the game and how most people play it. Rather I came onto the fairway with my clubs and sheer determination.

Right there in front of me was an article explaining how my baseball approach to golf was exactly what was killing my ball before it had a chance to soar. I buckled down and went through the basic steps that were kindly outlined for me and then I headed off to the driving range for a practice round.

Don't get me wrong, one article didn't fix ten long years of hacking and whacking my golf ball into various bushes. What it did do was make me aware of exactly what I was doing wrong. It allowed me to adjust my focus and relax and within just the first ten swings I began to notice a difference. Of course then I got giddy with excitement and blew the next ten swings, but then I returned to the basics and got my rhythm back.

As I focused on improving my swing and cleaning up my nasty slice, I hadn't forgotten that this site had helpful tips on everything golf, even things I didn't know I wanted to know. And over time, I knew that I would improve my game to the degree that it wouldn't even really be my game any more. My game involved fishing golf balls out of some pretty interesting places.

I am now learning the mental game of golf as I accomplish more of the physical game of golf. I always knew that golf was a game of grace and quiet dignity, but I truly didn't realize just how much of this sport is played in your head. I have learned different concentration techniques to improve my putting, driving, and of course, lower my score. I feel more confident and I certainly play with more patience and grace than I ever had before.

The driving range has become a hot spot for me since that first day when I showed up to practice those first tidbits of knowledge that were kindly shared with me on my new favorite website. My constant improvements have people approaching me for advice. It wasn't that long ago that some of these same people were approaching me to offer me a new golf ball so I wouldn't have to go dig mine out of its landing place.

Anyone who really wants to learn about golf needs to check out this site. It has every slice of information a person needs to begin understanding the game a bit better and improving what once may have been a round of embarrassment. The golf instruction offered is as valuable as several private lessons down at the club. Beginners and pros alike can find just about anything they need to know to lower their golf score and have more fun playing the game. After all, this is supposed to be fun. I was especially pleased to find an article that thoroughly explained some golf rules that apparently I had misinterpreted. I'm sure the guys from the office were pleased when I started adhering to the rules of the game without the argument I used to put up. It's been so exciting to improve my golf technique.

Since then I have visited bestprogolfguide daily, sometimes a few times a day to learn and improve upon the steps I've made thus far. And the last round of golf I played with the guys from the office they didn't know quite what to make of the improvement. I even received a few of those backhanded compliments of how nice my swing was, for a girl.

Bobby Ryatt

Bobby Ryatt, writes articles on various subjects and has a treasure chest of information and resources for you to at. http://www.bestprogolfguide.com

http://bestprogolfguide.blogspot.com

Improve Your Hands and Improve Your Golf Swing

It seems as though many golfers are unaware of the importance the hands play in the execution of the golf swing. Obviously, we know that the hands grip the golf club and attach the body to the club. But what is the importance of them during the swing?

The answer has to do with releasing of the club. Let's go back and do a quick golf biomechanics review. During the swing, from address position to follow-through, the hands are active in a passive type of manner.

Let me explain. The goal of the golf swing is to move the club on the correct swing plane to induce the intended golf shot that you want. This occurs through the body's moving through a series of positions. These positions are found within the different phases of the golf swing.

The phases of the swing are address, take-away, backswing, transition, downswing, impact, and follow-through. During all of these movements the body is performing, the golf club is being moved upon a swing plane. The swing plane is the path upon which the golf club is to travel. Proper impact with the golf ball requires the golf club's traveling upon the correct swing plane.

In order for the club to travel on the correct swing plane it is necessary for the clubface to open and close. Oftentimes, in golf terms the opening and closing, of the clubface is termed "releasing of the club." This is where the hands become an integral part of the golf swing.

If you talk to almost any instructor, they will say that any good player has "great hands." This statement refers to exactly what was described above (the releasing of the club correctly). It's obvious if you look at players such as Tiger, Phil, or Vijay.

I even remember walking the course at Doral in Miami with top-5 teaching instructor, Rick Smith. One point he continued to return to in terms of discussing the golf swing was "hands." He stated more than once how any PGA Tour player has great hands. This just provides additional support for how important the hands are in terms of the golf swing.

But what does this all mean? Well, we know the hands are involved in the "opening and closing" of the clubface during your swing. This movement allows for the proper release of the club. As I mentioned, the hands are "active in your golf swing, but in a passive manner."

Again, to open and close the clubface during the golf swing the hands move back during the backswing, hinge at the top of the backswing, return the club to square at impact, and release the club afterwards. In order for this to occur the hands must be passive!

What do I mean by passive?

You cannot force the hands to move through the golf swing and release the club. This creates tension in the golf swing, affects tempo, and, overall, results in poor shots. If you do not believe me, go to the driving range, grip a club as hard as you can, and attempt to swing. The results will be much less than optimal.

I think Dean Reinmuth, ranked by Golf Digest as a top-30 teaching pro, puts it best when speaking about the hands in the golf swing. He discusses "feel" as an integral part of the golf swing. He states that in order to have a successful golf swing you must be "tension free."

"Feeling" the club move on the swing plane is an indicator of being "tension free." And in order to have this feeling, your hands must be relaxed (i.e. passive).

How do you develop good hands in your golf swing?

Easier said than done. In order to develop "feel" in the golf swing, remove "tension" from your golf swing and develop great hands, you must develop three fundamentals.

Fundamental number one is an understanding of the golf swing. In order to know what the body and golf club are to do during the swing you must know the biomechanics of the golf swing. If you don't, how are you going to know what the body and club are to be doing during each phase of the golf swing?

Secondly, you must develop the mechanics of the golf swing. Your body and mind must integrate the movements of the golf swing into a repeatable movement. This occurs through proper instruction and practice of the correct golf swing mechanics.

Finally, it is necessary to develop the body. Yes, the body! Your body must have the flexibility, strength, endurance, and power to perform the golf swing correctly. If the body is inflexible, weak, and powerless, how are you going to be able to perform the mechanics of the swing correctly?

The obvious answer is: you are not! Developing great hands in your golf swing comes down to developing a "basket" of fundamentals within your golf swing. Understand the biomechanics of the golf swing, develop the proper mechanics within your golf swing, and develop a body to support your swing. These are the keys to developing great hands in your golf game.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

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How To Enjoy Golf Without Hurting Your Lower Back

The golf swing, lower back, and injury are common phrases in the world golf. It is understood the golf swing places large amounts of stress on the lower back. This is simply a result of the mechanics of the golf swing itself. The execution of the golf swing places the lower back under immense shear forces each and every golf swing, and the muscles of the lower back must withstand these shear forces. Muscles of the body when under stress from physical activity eventually become fatigued. Once the lower back muscles are fatigued, supporting the stressors of the golf swing and executing the mechanics of the golf swing are compromised. Resulting in some very common situations for the golfer.

Again, we are all aware the lower back is one of the most oft injured areas of the body in the game of golf. Statistics indicate approximately 50% of all golfers will incur a lower back injury during their playing careers. This statistic tell us a great deal about the importance of keeping the lower back healthy in the game of golf. Outside of the lower back becoming injured from the golf swing. The situation of performance on the golf course comes into play. Often times prior to injury occurring, a drop in performance will occur. This is a result of the fatigue within the lower back not allowing the mechanics of the golf swing to be executed correctly.

On the PGA Tour keeping the lower back strong and injury free is a daily task. It is understandable how much time is spent on lower back injury prevention when the biomechanics of the golf swing are understood. The biomechanics of the golf swing place the lower back under large amounts of shear force/stress every time you swing a golf club.

Over time, this can easily cause injury if you do not take the correct steps. This leads me to e-mail I received a little while back from BioForce subscriber Bryan.

He wrote in with a question about his lower back and here is what he had to say;

"Sean,

I am 54 years of age and a very keen golfer.

Lately I have been experiencing back pain, maybe because of to much golfing?

I need your kind experience to advise me on this subject so that I can enjoy golf

without any harm to my back."

Thank You,

Bryan

First and foremost the reasons for lower back pain is numerous and is best identified by a qualified physician.

My first suggestion is to get the lower back checked out by a back specialists. This will determine what exactly is going on with the lower back and what is the best treatment.

Now Bryan brings up a very good point in his e-mail. He discusses the possibility that his lower back discomfort is caused by playing too much golf. (you can never play enough golf!, well...maybe)

This absolutely could be the reason why his lower back is "tight" and "sore".

Again, we know the lower back is placed under high amounts of stress every single swing of the golf club. Over time the muscles of the lower back can become fatigued from the golf swing. This will eventually lead to the muscles of the lower back "giving up" and becoming fatigued.

Once the muscles of the lower back are fatigued it is a very short step to injury. What is the process of eliminating this type of scenario playing out?

It simply requires the development of muscular endurance in the lower back to withstand the stressors of the golf swing. Bottom line the golf swing is a repetitive movement, requiring the body to perform the swing over and over again. In order for the muscles (lower back muscles included) involved in the golf swing to perform the repeatable movements of the golf swing over and over again in an efficient manner.

Muscular endurance is the ability of the neuromuscular system of the body to perform a repetitive biomechanical movement (i.e. golf swing) without becoming fatigued. How do you develop muscular endurance specific to the golf swing? By simply, implementing golf fitness exercises into a structured program.

In addition to the development of increased muscular endurance the efficiency of the golf swing mechanics may require adjustment. Efficiency within the mechanics of the golf swing can directly affect the amount of stress placed upon the lower back.

Additional research has indicated the shear forces placed upon the lower back of a professional golfer is significantly less than the amateur golfer. The reason for the difference is the mechanics of the golf swing performed by the professional is much more efficient, placing less stress on the lower back.

Stated previously, numerous reasons exist for the lower back to become injured. The mechanics of the golf swing and endurance with muscles of the lower back are only two of many possibilities. If the lower back is weak the shear forces placed upon it by the golf swing will eventually lead to fatigue. The development of higher levels of muscular endurance can counter act this situation. The utilization of golf fitness exercises is best in relation to the golf swing for this situation.

Additionally, the efficiency in which the mechanics of the golf swing are executed affects the lower back. A less efficient golf swing places higher levels of shear force upon the musculature of the lower back causing fatigue and possible injury. A comprehensive golf fitness program to develop higher levels of muscular endurance and the creation of a efficient golf swing golf through instruction may assist keeping your lower back injury free.

About the Author:

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour working with most notably PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises

It happens to all of us. We loose our golf swing, make some type of unknown modification in how we swing the club, and everything falls apart. What can we do to prevent our golf swing from leaving us?

Remember this saying as you continue to read this article; "Proper Preparation Precedes Success and Confidence". Think about this phrase for a moment and then keep reading.

I write about this subject because of an e-mail I received from a fellow golfer. The e-mail read:

"Sean, while out practicing I appear to have injured a muscle(s) in my back just below my left shoulder, and also around the outside of my left side rib cage. I have tried to continue to play golf through this injury, hoping it would get better but I had to stop. Hitting down and through the ball proved to very difficult and I seemed to be pulling out of shots early and topping the ball on my iron shots a lot.

Do you have any golf fitness exercises in your book which will heal the injury and prevent a re-occurrence?"

Absolutely! I do have golf fitness exercises to help you with the prevention of such an injury occurring.

But let's get back onto the topic of this article and that is the loss of our golf swing.

"Loosing" your golf swing can occur for a number of reasons. Typically, they fall into one of 3 categories:

1) Mechanical

2) Physical

3) Mental

A loss of your golf swing on the mechanical side of the equation is pretty simple to understand. Essentially, you have made an adjustment in the mechanics of your golf swing causing compensations to occur. These compensations result in poor shots and possibly a great deal of frustration, if you do not know what is happening.

Often times the amateur is completely unaware of the changes they have made wreaking havoc on their golf swing.

How do you go about solving such a situation?

Through proper instruction from a qualified teacher is the first part of this equation. A qualified teaching pro will be able to diagnose the problem and provide you guidance on how to fix it.

The ball is then in your court, meaning you must use this information and go practice (remember, proper preparation precedes success or confidence).

The second reason for the "loss" of your golf swing is a publicized matter, and it is your body.

Remember it is your body that swings the golf club. If your body is unable to swing the golf club properly, the ability to swing it without compensations will occur.

The e-mail above is an example of such a problem. The amateur golfer has incurred an injury as a result of the body not being flexible, strong, or powerful enough to swing the golf club properly over a period of time.

Keep in mind the golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to swing the golf club correctly. If any one of these facets within your body is not up to par (no pun intended, but it fits real well doesn't it?), the swing will suffer.

Often times body impairments causing you to "loose" your swing are not as severe as an injury (they will get that way if ignored), but rather they are a slight discomfort, muscle pull, or fatigue. Which cause compensations to occur in your golf swing.

Again, we can go back to the phrase "proper preparation precedes success and confidence". You must properly prepare your body for the golf swing. This is where golf fitness exercises are beneficial.

Golf fitness exercises develop the levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power within the body to swing the golf club properly. Golf fitness exercises prepare the body to swing the golf club just as practice ingrains the mechanics of the golf swing.

We finally come to the third category, the mental aspect of golf and fitness. Mental blocks, certain thought processes, or a lack of confidence can directly affect your golf swing.

I have found through my work over the years with professional athletes the development of a sound mental approach to golf begins with the body and progresses from this point to swing mechanics.

If you develop a strong foundation in your body, it provides you confidence that you can perform the mechanics of the golf swing correctly.

Once the physical foundation is developed, you can create the optimal swing mechanics on top of this foundation. Once these two "building blocks" are in place. The mental approach towards the game is confident, relaxed, and focused. Again, let's go back to the phrase; "proper preparation precedes success and confidence." Confidence in your golf game can only occur if the physical foundation and fundamentals of the golf swing are in place.

To summarize, "loosing" your golf swing can be attributable to essentially 3 different categories. These categories are your golf swing mechanics, your body, and your mental approach to the game. To minimize the possibility of "loosing" your golf swing, develop a flexible, strong, and powerful body to support your golf swing mechanics. On top of this body, develop an efficient golf swing. This will allow your mental approach to be focused, relaxed, and confident.

If you are confident in your body's' ability to swing the golf club, the mechanics of your swing to execute the shot, the ability to mentally focus will be much easier. This is what separates good golf shots from bad golf shots on the golf course.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com