Everybody needs to learn from somewhere how to play the game of golf. At any golf course in the world, you can find a professional golfer who is paid to provide tips on techniques and equipment. You can typically find him on the golf course or in the Pro Shop. The Golf Pro is the one person at the golf course who would truly be able to tell you about Golf Pro Golf Product shopping items would be a good pick for you.
When you enter the Pro Shop, you see a wide assortment of balls in one corner of the Pro Shop, with training aids, golf bags, gloves, balls, apparel and an enormous selection of golf clubs to choose from. You feel ready to start your Golf Pro Golf Product Shopping. The equipment is very exciting and you are itching to get started.
Some of these golf clubs can be purchased separately, and some are combined in sets to give a person a complete set of golf clubs with one purchase required. When making Golf Pro Golf Product shopping selections, you need to know the basics about the game of golf, and have a good idea of what you already own.
If you are new to golfing, you might not have anything, and are there to purchase something to hit the ball with. Any type of equipment, in your inexperienced eyes, would be a good choice for golfing equipment. Through the eyes of the Golf Pro, however, is a totally different view.
He wants you to schedule a few days of instruction with him so that he can get a good idea on what your form, posture, hitting strength and accuracy are before he makes a recommendation on what equipment you will need to buy. Only after this review your Golf Pro Golf Product shopping spree can begin.
After a few days of Golf Pro instruction, you feel very professional. You have listened very carefully to all of the tips, and learned some techniques on ball placement, golf course hole par values, and scorekeeping. You spent several hours on the driving range, letting the Golf Pro bask in your improvement on driving a golf ball 250 yards in most cases. You feel very ready to start your Golf Pro Golf Product shopping tour.
The Golf Pro sees that you are committed to learning the golf sport and thinks you might be a good player to add to a foursome that just lost a member. With practice, he also knows that it is quite possible to become good enough to enter the Spring Amateur Classic that is scheduled in about 7 months. To begin your Golf Pro Golf Product shopping tour, he takes measurements of your height and arm length.
The Golf Pro recommends a custom made golf club set that would give you every tool that you needed to play an occasional round of golf. The cost of this set is quite a bit lower than more professional grade models, but you understand why he did not recommend those. You simply are not ready for them, and would scuff them up quite badly when you played on the exquisitely landscaped course outside.
Can you find a means to watch live internet coverage of the US Open at Pebble Beach online? If their happens to be, where do I go online? I have noticed a lot of PGA Tour lovers wondering about this on forums, blogs, and social sites on the web. I had been curious about how to watch live PGA Tour golf tournaments on my computer myself for many months, until I uncovered a way to accomplish this. So, if you are looking for a way to view the infamous PGA Tour U.S. Open live on the Internet, then you will need to follow these recommendations.
First, let me of several possible unsafe websites out there. I don’t know if you know this or not, but not every website owner is looking out for your best interest as an Internet viewer. Trust me on this one, as I had to learn the hard way. I was looking for a way to watch another PGA Tour tournament, and I ended up with adware, spyware, malware, and some sort of virus, as well. All of this came from visiting damaging websites. Bottomline, watch out.
The good news is that, I came across a service, called Satellite Direct, that I installed from the Internet that gave me access to well over 3000 online channels. And, let me tell you, the selection of sports channels that I have access too is absolutely remarkable. So, I had no obstacle pulling up some live golf action. Essentially, the program goes out and finds the event that you are looking for and reveals to you where it is being shown by webcast. So, it gets rid of a lot of hunting on your part.
1. a computer. PC or Mac, either one works 2. DSL or cable internet 3. Satellite Direct
That is all you need.
There is one thing that people today may dislike about using Satellite Direct. It costs a one-time investment of .95. But, that is refundable for up to 60 days if you don’t like it for whatever reason. So, it’s not like it is a big risk or something.
I think about it like this. It offers a lot more value than my cable TV subscription, which costs me over every single month.
USA Win for Westwood at The St. Jude Classic in Memphis, USA
Lee Westwood won the St. Jude Classic in Memphis USA, beating Robert Karlsson on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff. The win in US was his second career PGA TOUR victory and first since 1998.
The Englishman became the first European to win one of the tour’s oldest events, after beating Karlsson and Garrigus blew a three-stroke lead when he found water off the tee on his 72nd hole. A triple bogey caused a playoff sent him back to -10 and caused a playoff.
Westwood, who won the European Tour 2009 order of merit and came so close to winning the US Masters this year, said “You try to do the right thing all the time,” “It doesn’t always work for you. I’ve been in contention a lot, especially this year, and I suppose I got a break today with other people’s misfortune but made the most of it and took a chance.”
Westwood came into this tournement having played well, not missing a single cut in his 10 starts on TOUR this year with four top-10 finishes.
Karlsson, who won his ninth European Tour victory at Qatar earlier this year, is still looking for his first US PGA TOUR title.
Garrigus came into this event ranked 377th in the world and had never led a tour event on the final day, and his nerves got the better of him on the 72nd hole.
He put his tee shot into the lake lining the 18th fairway, took his drop and yanked his next shot into the trees left of the lake before punching out over the lake. He two-putted for triple bogey to at least make the playoff.
Westwood had most of the lead throughout the four days and finished the final day with a 68. With Garrigus up by three, Westwood was ready to head off the course when the officials told him to wait behind the 18th green. He did and quickly found himself in a playoff.
Garrigus went out after the first playoff hole with a bogey, and Westwood and Karlsson scored par-par-bogey until they went down the 18th once again and Westwood put his approach shot 6 feet from the pin. Karlsson left his 40ft birdie putt about a foot short.
Then Westwood, rolled his 6-footer in for birdie and his first PGA TOUR win since New Orleans in 1998.
Westwood ended up taking home the .008 million winners cheque.
“It’s amazing how things pan out,” Westwood said.
“I didn’t hit a good putt. You can’t take any chances with too many good players,” Karlsson said.
“I like being competitive before a major championship, to be competitive with the tournament and boost my confidence,” Westwood said.
“I know I played better than they all did in the field. It’s all right,” Garrigus said. “I’m going to go on from this week, and we’ll be good.
The event needs to find a new sponsor by 15th September 2010 otherwise it could be canned. Golfers, caddies and fans wore maroon ribbons pinned to their caps in a show of support for the event that first started in 1958.
All eyes will be on US Open at Pebble Beach next week during 17-20th June. For those travelling to the event, and if you haven’t already done so - book your flights and holiday accommodation in USA now!
Paul enjoys holiday villas and stays in holiday apartments during his travels for both business and pleasure throughout Europe and Middle East where holiday accommodation is in demand.
German Technology Develops the Perfect Golf Stroke
If you are taking golfing lessons to perfect you’re putting stroke, watch out. Attempting to develop the ideal putting stroke may hurt your attempts. At least, that is the conclusion of two researchers-a German brain specialist and a Yank golfing instructor. They concluded that while putting fundamentals are significant consistency is more critical to putting well and lowering your golfing handicap.
The motion analyzer they used is the most sophisticated in sports. Originally, Professor Christian Marquardt developed it for pharmaceutical research. Clipping them to a putter shaft enables researchers to measure a putting stroke precisely.
Recording precise Putting Positions As the golfer makes a stroke, the sensors record the putter’s precise position every fifteen milliseconds. The data tells everything there is to know about the putting stroke : aim face angle, putter trail, impact spot, rise angle, and timing. The system’s accuracy margin is .1 millimeter.
After conducting the research, Marquardt turned the device into the SAM Putt Lab. He then commenced marketing it to teaching academies, pro shops, and individual golfers, like Padraig Harrington. Steve Elkington and Hank Haney, Tiger’s teacher, each purchased one as well . With some assistance from American-based trainer Jim Suttie, Marquardt modified his device into an effective teaching tool. Marquardt met Suttie, PGA Teacher of the Year in 2k, at the 2005 PGA Merchandise Show.
Fascinating Tests, Startling Findings A few months ago, Suttie and Marquardt tracked recorded the strokes of 150 PGA Tour players and countless top amateurs. In general, better putters make shorter strokes with less face revolution and hit the ball on the upstroke. But this finding isn’t absolute. In other words, there’s plenty of room for individual style in putting. The data disclosed some other surprising findings.
for example, it revealed that PGA pro Brad Faxon aims 2 degrees to the right at address. Faxon led the tour in putting average 3 times from 1996 to two thousand. It also revealed that Loren Roberts rotates his putterface open against its path. Roberts is also a previous Tour putting leader. In all, the information shows that fifty five percent of PGA pros targeted outside the hole on a straight 12-foot put.
the obvious conclusion from all this is straightforward. While the putting basics you learn in golfing lessons are crucial, they are not more critical than consistency. Executing your stroke in the same way again and again again is far more important. Faxon, as an example, has likely been aiming 2 degrees right for 20 or thirty years. But his consistency enables him to sink more putts than a golfer more technically sound, yet not as consistent.
Marquardt and Suttie’s findings do not mean that you must forego golfing instruction sessions altogether. Taking golfing lessons can help your putting. Trying to realize perfection can only lead to disappointment. Actually, there may not be an ideal putting stroke. Instead, concentrate on developing consistency. It will build more confidence in yourself and your putting. More confidence will, in turn, cut strokes from scores and your golfing handicap.
To help, here is a useful exercise to achieve consistency. Called the 5 in a Row Drill, you can make it a six, 7, or perhaps eight in a row drill. Use your pre-shot routine for every putt.
* Take 5 golfing balls from your bag. * Find a fairly flat hole on a green. * Drop the balls about 4 feet from the hole * Prepare yourself and attempt to make all 5 shots * When you do, back up by one foot and do it again. * Then move back again another foot and repeat again.
After learning the flat putt, try downhill putts.
Dont’t forget when in Europe to keep an eye open for the finest golfing in Germany. Here’s a great website I came across that offers both great golfing lessons and great golfing courses. Visit golf shop or visit German Technology Develops the Perfect Golf Stroke or power drive tips sites for more info. .
Find more helpful articles from Pierre at www.topic.ws or www.how-to-info.info
Cleveland Golf/Srixon have formed a new advisory board comprised of some of the most influential names in the game of golf.
The new board’s main role will be to offer guidance pertaining to all Cleveland Golf/Srixon brands and will offer advice on a range of topics including product development, distribution, merchandising, promotional, as well as general marketing issues.
The new Cleveland Golf/Srixon advisory board will be: Paul Earnest, Scott Hamilton, Billy Harris, Mark Leemhuis, Mike McGetrick, Ken Morton Jnr and Mike Small.
Earnest is the PGA Director of Golf at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas, and was named PGA of America’s National Merchandiser of the Year in 2004.
Hamilton is Director of Golf at Cartersville C.C. and one of the top teachers and most experienced fitters in the United States.
Harris is Director of Golf at Dallas C.C. and a long-time Cleveland Golf/Srixon staff member who is well-respected throughout the PGA.
Leemhuis is National Director of the Club Managers Association of America and General Manager of Congressional C.C., which hosts the AT&T National and the 2011 U.S. Open.
McGetrick is founder of the Colorado Golf Clubs and the McGetrick Golf Academy. He is also a PGA Master Professional, currently working with PGA Tour players Brandt Jobe, Leif Olsen and LPGA players Juli Inkster and Meg Mallon.
Morton is General Manager of the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex and President of the Association of Golf Merchandisers. He also sits on the Golf Digest Hotlist Committee.
Small is Coach of the University of Illinois Men’s Golf Team and winner of the 2005 National Club Pro Championship. He was named back-to-back PGA of America Player of The Year (2006 and 2007), and has played in over 50 PGA Tour events, including seven major championships.
“All of us at Cleveland Golf/Srixon are very proud to introduce our new advisory staff team members,” said Eddie Drye, Vice-President of National Sales for Cleveland Golf/Srixon.
“We know that this distinguished group will play a significant role in our future success and we feel honored that they have chosen to be a part of our team.”
Cleveland Golf, Srixon, Never Compromise and Cleveland Classics are brands owned by SRI Sports Limited. With corporate headquarters based in Kobe, Japan, SRI Sports is the fourth largest golf company in the world, as well as one of the world’s leading patent holders in golf balls technology.
The Netherlands national soccer team is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association and is one of the world’s strongest national teams; having won the European Championship in 1988, and having reached two consecutive World Cup finals, but never won it (1974 and 1978). At the peak of its success in the 1970s, the team was nicknamed “Clockwork Orange” for its precise passing, and is usually among favorites to win the cup by many Sportsbook odds. The Netherlands made their first World Cup appearance in 1934, and after coming back in 1938, entered the world of soccer wilderness.
They came out of it in the 1970s with the invention of Total Football. Pioneered by Ajax Amsterdam and lead by the creative genius of Johan Cruijff and Rinus Michels, the Dutch made huge strides, getting to two World Cup finals in the decade. The team has been strong since, winning Euro 88, reaching the semi-finals in Euro 92, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, and finishing fourth in the 1998 World Cup.
The National Soccer team of Australia called “the Socceroos” was constituted in 1922 for a tour of New Zealand. During that tour, Australia suffered two defeats and scraped together a draw. Australia, New Zealand, China and South Africa would become regular opponents in “Test” or “Friendly” matches for the next 25 years.
With the advent of cheap air travel, Australia would diversify its range of opponents. However, its geographical isolation continued to play a role in its destiny for the next 80 years. The national team played at the World Cup finals in West Germany in 1974, which would prove to be their only appearance until 2006. Over that 32 year time span, the Australian team was known for its near misses in its attempts to qualify for the World Cup, most notably the 1998 and 2002 events.
However, Australia’s notoriously roundabout path to World Cup Qualification is not a recent development. Throughout its history of attempted World Cup qualification, FIFA had consistently awarded Australia sequences of matches which could be considered illogical.
The Cialis Western Open, conducted by the Western Golf Association, has a history unparalleled by all but one golf championship in the United States. First held in 1899, the Western Open is the oldest championship on the PGA TOUR and the second oldest professional golf championship in the nation. Only the U.S. Open, first conducted in 1895 by the United States Golf Association, is older.
When the PGA TOUR professionals come to Chicago each year to compete in the Cialis Western Open, they are following in the hallowed footsteps of golf’s all-time greats. Past champions include golf’s greatest legends, including Chick Evans, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The past two decades have seen Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Tom Weiskopf, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price and Tiger Woods add their names to the Western Open’s J. K. Wadley Cup’s impressive roster of champions.
Today, the Western Open is considered the founding event of the PGA TOUR. Much has changed since 1899, including the prize money. This year’s 102nd Western Open purse totals million, with the winner earning 0,000. In the Western Open’s initial year, the total purse was 0, with the winner earning .
On last year’s tournament Furyk , after finishing second three times last year, including a devastating loss the previous weekend, Furyk against all Sportsbook odds answered Woods’ charge with three straight birdies and hung on to win the Cialis Western Open. It was his 10th PGA TOUR victory and the first since the 2003 Buick Open.
After tapping in for a birdie, Furyk took off his cap and shook hands with third round co-leader Ben Curtis. Furyk then turned and pumped his fists to the cheering crowd before sharing a long hug with caddie Fluff Cowan.
“You take the combination of last week, surgery and not winning since surgery, you put all that together and it was an emotional win,” said Furyk, who missed half of last year after having wrist surgery.
What are the Best Golf Exercises for Your Golf Fitness Program and Golf Training Program
Golf exercises within a comprehensive golf fitness program can improve the fundamentals of your golf swing. These types of golf exercises within a golf training program can benefit golfers of any age. The problem many golfers face is determining what are the best golf exercises to place within their golf fitness training program. We are well aware that many professionals on the PGA Tour today implement golf fitness training into their programs. It is without question a part of what many professionals utilize to improve their golf game. The questions I often get is; what are the best golf fitness exercises for the amateur?
Before providing a set of exercises to utilize in the improvement of your game. We must first understand what comprises the golf swing from a biomechanical perspective. It is a functional athletic movement, utilizing the entire body in the execution of it. It is a “feet to fingertips” movement incorporating the entire body.
In order to execute the swing correctly specific physical parameters are required of the body. Basically to perform each phase of it efficiently and effectively certain levels of flexibility, balance, muscular strength, endurance, and power are required. If the body is lacking in any of these categories the execution of the golf swing will be hampered.
Knowing these factors about the golf swing provides us the background required to determine the best exercises for golf. In general the ideal exercises for golf will develop these physical parameters of the body to enhance your game.
For example, the ideal fitness program would entail flexibility exercises to improve the ranges of motion in the joint of your body. This would enhance your ability to draw the golf club through the long ranges of motion required of the swing. One such exercise I often recommend for this section of a golf fitness program is Rotators.
The second set of exercises within such a program would focus on balance. The golf swing requires balance in order to develop tempo and execute each phase of the swing. Specific exercises such as Airplane Rotations can improve the ability of your body to balance within the biomechanics of the swing.
Finally, a series of exercises to improve the strength, endurance, and power of your muscles would be a part of such a program. These exercises would improve the ability of your muscles to maintain a fixed spine angle, create rotation, decrease muscular fatigued, and finally develop more power. Numerous exercises can be incorporated into this section of the program. Some of my favorites are Seated Russian Twists, Medicine Ball Chops, and Tubing Rotations.
To summarize, the best golf exercises within your golf fitness program develop the physical parameters of the body for the golf swing. These types of golf exercises will enhance your ability to execute the golf swing correctly and improve your current golf game.
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
Golf Fitness Exercises to Warm Up Five Minutes Before Your Round of Golf
Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial as part of your warm up before a round of golf. Especially on those days when you are tight on time. If you rushing to get to the golf course for your weekly round of golf, or struggling to warm-up for your round of golf when you only have 5 minutes to spare. The implementation of some golf fitness stretches could be just what you need before heading to the first tee.
It is well known that in every professional sport athletes perform a series of flexibility exercises and drills to prepare them to play a game. The game of golf is no different. Unseen to the general public, many PGA Tour players perform a series of golf flexibility exercises to prepare them to play golf. It is done prior to hitting the driving range or putting green. It is a process of getting the muscles and joints of body ready to swing a golf club. Most every golfer on the planet understands the benefit of a warm-up program to get the body ready to play golf or any sport for that matter. Unfortunately for us the time required to perform a comprehensive golf warm-up program with golf flexibility exercises is not reasonable. Not reasonable because of time restrictions on our busy lives.
For example, we set our tee time for Friday at 1:30. Our plan when we leave the house in the morning is “I will get to course at 1:00, hit a few putts, chip for 10 minutes, head to the range, and be at the first tee with a few minutes to spare”. Unfortunately, our plans sometimes do not play out as we intended.
We get stuck with a client on the phone, a conference call runs long, we get stuck in traffic. Whatever the case may be we are caught rushing to the golf course, getting to the course with 10 minutes to spare, jump out of the car, tying our golf shoes, get to the first tee with 5 minutes to spare, haven’t hit a shot or putted….Do I need to go on? Probably not.
It is a situation that happens to us all, and I as am guilty of it as you. However as strong as I suggest performing a good warm-up, and putting yourself in the correct frame of mind for the round, life at times just does not allow us to do it.
What are we to do in such situations?
I first off would suggest not utilizing the “grip and rip it” motto if you get to the first tee without warming-up. I have seen this (myself included) lead to a myriad of problems from the get go.
I can remember a few years ago I took this approach and I think made a triple bogey on the first hole. My drive went left into the rough, second shot to the right, approach shot over the green into the bunker, bunker shot rolled 20 feet past the hole. Need I go on?
Let’s just say I learned my lesson. First and foremost if you are caught in this type of situation lets not panic. Let’s put a plan together to start the round out on the right foot and keep you in a positive frame of mind.
My first suggestion is not to rush and attempt to hit 3 putts, pull out driver take a few hacks, and then tee it up.
Lets take the 5 minutes we have and get the body warmed-up and ready to swing a golf club. How can we do this? Simply by putting together a series of golf stretches to “loosen” you up. Golf flexibility exercises will loosen the muscles and joints of your body. Preparing them to swing a golf club. They are simple to perform and can get your body and mind more ready to play than just a few practice swings with the driver. This will take a couple of minutes to perform, but it will help you get the body ready to swing the golf club.
Once we have got the body “loosened up” lets get the mind in the correct space. I have seen all too often the tempo of a swing is way out of whack when a golfer lacks the time to properly warm-up. Attempt to relax, take a few deep breaths, and get the body to slow down a little. This should definitely help create some better tempo in your swing from the start.
Also, take your time. Once it is your turn to hit, take a little extra time. Take a few extra practice swings, relax, find your tempo, and match your first swing to the tempo of your practice swing. This is a tip I learned from Dean Reinmuth (top 50 Golf Digest teaching pros).
If you are not comfortable over the ball, step away, take a series of practice swings until you find the “right” swing and then perform that same swing over the golf ball. It has done wonders for my game.
I would also suggest continuing to take extra time on every shot until you feel comfortable and have found your swing. This might not occur until the second or third hole, but it is okay. It allows you to relax, make a good swing, and make a good shot.
Finally, when you are rushed I think course management can really help. Think about it for a moment. Why not on the first tee pull out 3-wood instead of driver, even if it is a par five. Hit a nice shot into the fairway, lay-up, and play for par? Again, starting off with par or even bogey is a lot better than a double or triple, both for your scorecard and mental frame of mind.
So if you are rushing to the first tee to get your golf game going let’s review the protocol. First and foremost lets be smart and utilize the time we have at hand. Lets take the 5 minutes we have to warm-up the body for the golf swing. We will do this through the implementation of a series of golf flexibility exercises. These golf exercises will get your muscles and joints ready to swing a golf club. Once the body is ready the next step is taking your time. Take a few extra practice swings with the golf club. This will allow you to find the tempo of your golf swing. Finally lets be smart with our course management skills. Think about what is the best golf shot to make and play within ourselves until our body and mind is ready to go.
As stated previously, golf fitness exercises are an integral part of a warm up session for golf. Even if you are tight on time, a few minutes spent on a series of golf fitness stretches and golf exercises can greatly benefit your round of golf.
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
Here’s my next playthrough. This time we have Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the GCN. Watch and enjoy as Daisy swings here way to the championship =D. Video Rating: 0 / 5
There are many interesting story lines in golf this season. Stacy Lewis has to be at the top of any list of the best stories in golf this year. Lewis is a rookie on the 2008 LPGA Tour and the tour’s Qualifying School winner. She was the top ranked amateur the past two years and won the 2007 NCAA Individual Championship. With all those credentials comes an expectation of success on the tour. These expectations may lead to some pressure but it will not bother Lewis. She has dealt with pressure many times before and always seems to flourish when times are tough.
Stacy Lewis is a walking miracle on the golf course. Stacy developed scoliosis, curvature of the spine, as a child. At eleven years old she was fitted with a back brace that she wore until she was eighteen years old. She wore the brace under her clothes to hide it and only took it off to play golf. The fact that she was even able to play golf is amazing, but to play it so well is incredible. Lewis played well enough to earn a college scholarship to the University of Arkansas and then had to deal with an ordeal that most teenagers would never face. She needed a back operation.
The brace Stacy wore for all those years did not work. When doctors examined her at eighteen they realized that the spine did not straighten enough and Stacy would need a steel rod placed in her back (View Stacy’s X-rays). So, here she was; an eighteen year old high school grad with a college scholarship awaiting her and she faces back surgery, months of rehab and no guarantee that she’ll be able to play golf as good as she had been able to.
Stacy had her operation and spent a painful eight weeks in bed. They placed a steel rod and five screws in her back to stop the curvature. Arkansas kept her scholarship waiting for her and she red-shirted her freshman year. She went through months of therapy and was limited to chipping and putting for a year.
When she arrived at Arkansas Lewis spent much of her time with then assistant coach Shauna Estes-Taylor who now is the Head Women’s Golf Coach. Estes-Taylor calls Lewis an “amazing kid” and praises her work ethic. Coach said,” Stacy definitely had a little down time when she would get a little frustrated when she couldn’t lift much weight or do a whole lot. When she got cleared to do some things like chipping and putting, she took full advantage of the year to work on her short game.” Read more
Jeff is an avid golfer and loves to write. You can see more of his articles and hear his opinions on everything golf at his website www.linkslifegolf.com
If you’re taking golf lessons to perfect you’re putting stroke, be careful. Trying to develop the perfect putting stroke may hurt your efforts. At least, that’s the conclusion of two researchersâa German neuroscientist and an American golf instructor. Helped by an advanced motion analyzer, they studied the putting strokes of 150 PGA professionals and numerous top amateurs. They concluded that while putting fundamentals are important consistency is more critical to putting well and lowering your golf handicap.
The motion analyzer they used is the most advanced in sports. Originally, Professor Christian Marquardt developed it for pharmaceutical research. It involved studying the effects of gingko biloba on the human brain as a potential cure for the “yips.” The analyzer employs high-tech hardware previously used only in medical applicationsâultrasonic sensors for measuring and monitoring motor behavior. Clipping them to a putter shaft enables researchers to measure a putting stroke precisely.
Recording Exact Putting Positions As the golfer makes a stroke, the sensors record the putter’s exact position every 15 milliseconds. They then wirelessly transmit this data to a laptop, which Marquardt places at the gofer’s feet. The data tells everything there is to know about the putting stroke: aim face angle, putter path, impact spot, rise angle, and timing. The system’s accuracy margin is .1 millimeter.
After conducting the research, Marquardt turned the device into the SAM Putt Lab. He then began selling it to teaching academies, fitting centers, and individual golfers, like Padraig Harrington. Steve Elkington and Hank Haney, Tiger’s teacher, each bought one as well. With help from Chicago-based instructor Jim Suttie, Marquardt turned his device into an effective teaching tool. Marquardt met Suttie, PGA Teacher of the Year in 2000, at the 2005 PGA Merchandise Show.
Interesting Tests, Startling Discoveries Recently, Suttie and Marquardt recorded the strokes of 150 PGA Tour players and countless top amateurs. The data from this test has led them to conclude that there isn’t a perfect putting stroke. In general, better putters make shorter strokes with less face rotation and hit the ball on the upstroke. But this finding is not absolute. In other words, there’s plenty of room for individual style in putting. The data revealed some other surprising findings.
For example, it revealed that PGA pro Brad Faxon aims 2 degrees to the right at address. Faxon led the tour in putting average three times from 1996 to 2000. It also revealed that Loren Roberts rotates his putterface open against its path. Roberts is also a former Tour putting leader. In all, the data shows that 55 percent of PGA pros aimed outside the hole on a straight 12-foot put.
The obvious conclusion from all this is simple. While the putting fundamentals you learn in golf lessons are important, they’re not more critical than consistency. Executing your stroke in the same way over and over again is far more significant. Faxon, for example, has probably been aiming 2 degrees right for 20 or 30 years. But his consistency enables him to sink more putts than a golfer more technically sound, yet not as consistent.
Working On Consistency Marquardt and Suttie’s findings don’t mean that you should forego golf instruction sessions altogether. Taking golf lessons can help your putting. But your main goal when taking them should be to develop consistency, not perfection. Trying to achieve perfection can only lead to frustration. In fact, there may not even be a perfect putting stroke. Instead, focus on developing consistency. It’ll build more confidence in yourself and your putting. More confidence will, in turn, cut strokes from scores and your golf handicap.
To help, here’s a good exercise to achieve consistency. Called the Five in a Row Drill, you can make it the six, seven, or even eight in a row drill. Use your pre-shot routine for every putt.
* Take five golf balls from your bag. * Find a fairly flat hole on a practice green. * Drop the balls about four feet from the hole * Set your self up and try to make all five shots * When you do, back up a foot and repeat. * Then back up another foot and repeat again.
After mastering the flat putt, try side-hill, downhill, and uphill putts. Keep practicing this way and you’ll improve your consistency.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. Free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, lessons and instructions.
walkthrough.tk Full review at http Kelly Tilghmans, the first, full-time female play-by-play commentator in the history of the PGA TOUR, has been one of the GOLF CHANNELs most versatile on-air personalities. Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman is returning to the announcers booth for the upcoming video game EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010. Video Rating: 5 / 5
