Golf Fitness Exercises for the Senior Player

The golf swing requires flexibility, strength, and power to execute correctly. Unfortunately for many golfers the aging process lessens these physical components integral to the golf swing. One process by which the senior player can help rectify the misgivings of "father time" is through the implementation of golf fitness exercises.

Prior to discussing the benefits of golf fitness training let us first take a look at the biomechanics and physical requirements of the golf swing. Over the past decade Great strides and increased data based on the biomechanics of the golf swing have occurred, providing the golfing community with great insight into the kinematics, neuromuscular firing patterns, and physical requirements of the golf swing.

Leaders in the data capture on the biomechanics of the golf swing in recent years have been the Titleist Performance Institute headed by Dr. Greg Rose, Advanced Motion Measurements directed by Dr. Phil Cheetham, and the American Sports Medicine Institute founded by Dr. James Andrews.

Through research by these companies we have learned a vast amount of information about the correlation between the biomechanics of the golf swing and the human body. We now know how golfers generate speed (i.e. power), transfer energy through the body to the club, what physical requirements are needed within the body to execute the golf swing, and ultimately what a biomechanically efficient golf swing looks like.

The goal of the golf swing is to strike the golf ball achieving maximum distance with a high level of accuracy. Through biomechanical studies of the swing, a model has been developed to determine the efficiency at which this occurs within the human body. This model is referred to as the kinematic sequence of the golf swing. (Rose Greg, Titleist Performance Institute Manual, 10) The kinematic sequence allows a viewer to look at how efficiently and effectively a golfer generates speed, transfers speed through the body, and where in the golf swing a golfer may lack the physical or biomechanical requirements to execute the swing with the greatest amount of efficiency possible.

Studies on the biomechanics of the swing and development of the kinematic sequence has provided the following key points about the golf swing. According to Dr. Greg Rose of TPI, the kinematic sequence indicates the following points:

1) All great ball strikers have an identical sequence of generating speed and transferring energy through the kinetic chain (i.e. body) to the club. This sequence is as follows: lower body first, torso second, lead arm third, and club last. This sequence occurs within the downswing. Any deviation within this sequencing will cause a loss of speed and a decrease in the transfer of energy. For example, the lower body will begin the downswing, followed by the torso, lead arm, and completed when the clubface impacts the golf ball. If the torso were to precede the lower body in this sequence, the generation of speed and the transfer of energy would be compromised.

2) Each segment of the body (lower body, torso, lead arm) builds upon the previous segment thus increasing speed as it moves up the kinetic chain to the club. For example, speed generated from the lower body is transferred to the torso, where the speed is increased from the recruitment of the torso, and then again transferred to the lead arm where speed is again increased.

3) Each segment of the kinetic chain (i.e. lower body, torso, lead arm) slows down after the energy is transferred to the next segment as it is accelerating further. For example, once the lower body transfers the speed it has developed to the torso, the lower body must slow down for an efficient transfer of this energy to occur as well as for the kinematic sequence to remain intact.

Understanding the kinematic sequence is imperative to the development of a biomechanically sound golf swing. The information provided by the kinematic sequence allows us to determine where a golfer generates speed within the swing, what if any segments of the body are limiting the transfer of energy in the golf swing, and what areas of the body or swing require attention for improvement within the golfer's swing.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the biomechanics of the swing, let's discuss the swing's physical requirements. Executing the biomechanics of the swing requires the development of certain physical entities within the body. We must also be aware the aging process negates these same physical qualities.

For example, a common physical limitation occurring as we get older is diminished flexibility. Basically, the muscles of your body become less flexible as we get older, reducing the ranges of motion our body can move through. The swing requires your body to move through large ranges of motion thus requiring flexibility. As a result, flexibility is one of the physical qualities required of the golf swing.

In general, I like to call these physical qualities the "five physical pillars" of the swing. They are: Flexibility, balance, postural strength, endurance, and power. The cohesive combination of these physical parameters creates the foundation for the development of proper mechanics.

To improve performance, remove physical years from the body, and prevent injury in your game, it is necessary to develop the "five physical pillars" of the swing. Additionally, the golfer must address them in order. Beginning with flexibility, moving onto to balance, and completing the sequence with power training. Following this suggested progression allows for the proper synthesis of developing the body in relation to the biomechanics of the swing.

Again, the goal of your golf fitness program is to reverse the aging process. This is accomplished through the development of the "five physical pillars" of your body. Taking a quick look at flexibility which is just one of the "five physical pillars" of the swing we can understand how golf exercises benefit the senior player and how to go about implementing golf fitness exercises into your golf swing improvement program.

The execution of the golf swing requires the golfer to draw the club through a large range of motion. In order to perform this efficiently and effectively, certain levels of flexibility are required. If the golfer is lacking the flexibility to execute the golf swing correctly, compensations in the biomechanics of the swing will occur.

For example, many golfers have "tight" hamstrings. Tightness in the hamstrings often results in lower back pain in addition to problems with posture in the golf swing. If you are an individual who suffers from hamstring tightness, executing an efficient swing could be extremely difficult. First off, it will be difficult for you to place the body in the correct address position. Secondly, the lower back pain caused by the tight hamstrings will make the swing very uncomfortable, and finally, rotation in the backswing can be limited. You can see from this example how flexibility issues can cause problems with the golf swing and the importance of flexibility to the improvement of your golf game.

Flexibility can be defined as extensibility of all soft tissues in the body, allowing for the proper range of motion around all joints. We are aware the aging process decreases the flexibility parameters of the human body, resulting in a reduction in the range of motion around joints, extensibility within the soft tissues, and neural atrophy, all of which deter in the execution of an efficient golf swing. In order to counteract the effect of the aging process in regards to mobility and joint range of motion, the senior player can implement a series of flexibility exercises.

The results of such a program will be the improvement in your ability to move through the ranges of motion required by the golf swing, a decrease in the risk of injury, increases in the efficiency at which you execute the swing, and improvement in the recovery process.

As we can see from this article the swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, and power to execute in a manner in which the kinematic sequence remains intact. This allows for speed to be generated and transferred efficiently to the golf club. Unfortunately for the senior player limitations begin to occur in the physical parameters required of the golf swing due to the aging process. A step which the senior golfer can take to address the physical requirements of the swing is the implementation of a golf fitness program. This type of program incorporates a series of golf exercises to the develop the required levels of flexibility, balance, strength, and power needed to execute a efficient and effective swing.

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

Build a Consistent and Reliable Golfing Swing With These Three Principles

When Australian and international golfers arrive at my golfing school one of the first things I explain to them is that there are just three principles they need to fully understand and learn to help them develop a powerful and repeating golfing swing. I'm sure that as you read this you might be a little skeptical because let's face it, there is a lot of conflicting and ambiguous advice surrounding the best golfing swing method to learn.

It can be quite mysterious, and with all the advice on offer the question that might be running through your mind right now is "why should you listen to me?" Good question. Like you, I've read lots of golf instruction books, golf magazine articles and I've been to countless golf websites looking at the systems, methods and techniques on offer.

The difference is that I have spent more than twenty thousand hours on the golf range (you read correctly) helping golfers like you to improve their game. So I'm not confused about what you need to do to develop a consistent and reliable golfing swing. I've tried and tested many approaches in my search to find a straightforward, rational and well-organized way to improve the golfing techniques of my students.

The answer I discovered is that you begin your quest for improvement by defining the ground rules of the game. Since golf is a stick, ball and target game the place to start would be to understand how the stick (golf club) influences the ball to fly towards your chosen target. You see, learning how to build a consistent golfing swing need not be confusing or difficult because every single golfer from a novice player to a PGA tour professional has to do just three things.

Since the ball is on the ground and to the side of you, you can appreciate why the golf club when rested upon the ground behind the golf ball is built on an inclined plane angle. From driver to putter the shaft of the golf club is on an angle of inclination. Think about a house for a moment and you can imagine a floor which is a horizontal plane; next add some walls which is a vertical plane; and finally add a roof which is an inclined plane.

This inclined plane guides the direction of your golfing swing as it goes backwards and forwards. Every golf club in your bag follows this plane. In fact because the golf club is built this way it becomes a law unto itself.

So the first principle is to control the direction of the golf club as it swings backwards and forwards in relation to your target by keeping your golf club on or as close to this plane as you can. You can do this by placing a flat piece of cardboard (or similar) the width of your seven iron shaft from the bottom of the club head to the base of the grip on the same angle the seven iron is built on. Prop it on its angle against something so that it will stay there as you practice swinging your golf club backwards and forwards along it slowly.

The second principle relates to the club heads relationship to the golf shaft that it's attached to, and its ability to rotate on the end of the golf shaft as it travels backwards and forwards. When your golf club travels backwards to the top of your golf swing it turns a little bit like a door turns on hinges. When it swings forwards towards the golf ball it rolls back to its original position, which should be timed precisely as the ball departs from the club face.

Mind you, you only need enough rotation (turn and roll) around the shaft to achieve this straight clubface post-impact position. Any more or less and you're in big trouble. You can achieve this by making sure that your left hand (for a right hand golfer) is positioned in such a way that you can roll the head more than you can turn it. If you held your golf club in front of you in a horizontal position and you turn it, the clubface would turn towards 2 o'clock. When you roll it, it will roll to nearly 9 o'clock. In other words, you want your club face to close more on the follow through than you can open it on the back swing.

The majority of golfers I've worked with at my golfing school over the years tend to open the club face more than they should in the back swing and as such they find it difficult to close it enough in the forward swing. This leads to shots that travel off to the right of the target.

The third principle relates to delivering sufficient force at the correct time in the down swing so you can hit your golf ball a satisfying distance. This principle relates to developing sufficient speed of the club head as close to impact as possible. When you watch a PGA tour golfer on television, if you look carefully you will notice how the left arm and golf club work in unison with one another during the back swing and forward swing phases.

In the address position they are almost in line with one another, but as they travel backwards the left wrist starts to hinge and the golf club moves out of line with the left arm. Ultimately an acute angle is formed between them at the top of the back swing. This angle has stored up the potential energy of the golf swing and is waiting briefly before it transfers it into kinetic energy in the down swing.

The key is to maintain this acute angle for longer so that the energy that's being released into the down swing is released slowly like a slow release fertilizer for your lawn. If the energy releases too early you move into the deceleration phase too early which will lead to shorter-less powerful drives and irons.

You can store this acute angle for longer by following this advice. Since a force can be defined simply as a push or pull, you need to decide how your hands (which are in front of your golf club at the top of the back swing) move down the plane (see principle # 1) towards your golf ball. Some golfers at the top of the swing will push on their golf club more with their right hand to accelerate the golf club into the down swing, whilst others will pull more with their left hand to accelerate the golf club.

So which is right? Well, image for a moment a line that extends vertically upwards from your golf ball at address; we'll call this the impact line and it's a point of reference for us to determine which is the best hand to use to maintain the angle between the left arm and club shaft. At the top of your swing how far would you say your hands are from the impact line? Try it now and find out. You will discover that they're anywhere from three to five feet.

If you pull the golf club past this impact line the golf club and its energy will be released later than if you push on it with your right hand. In other words, hands first-club head second. You do not want your club head to catch up to your hands before you strike the ball. The best way to do this is to keep the club head following your right elbow in the down swing for as long as you can. The further that your right elbow travels across the front of your body the more likely that the golf club will strike the golf ball at the correct time. Also, you'll find that by positioning your hands just above your waist at about 9 o'clock that it's easier to get your hands to pass the impact line well before your golf club can strike the ball.

So there you have it, three principles that will help you to develop a consistent and repeating golfing swing.

If you enjoyed reading my article you can visit my golf blog at www.golfconfidence.org or for information on my golfing school you can go to www.goldcoastgolfschool.com.au where you can find out about my golf improvement programs.

Lawrence Montague has been a leading golf teaching professional in Australia for more than twenty years and runs one to five day golfing schools for golfers of all levels of ability on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia.

Golf Sets For Beginners

You've decided to start playing golf for the first time and have booked your first golf lesson at the local driving range. Before your first lesson the most important thing to do is purchase a suitable set of golf clubs; a golf set is the most cost-effective addition to your setup at the beginning of your golf career instead of purchasing golf clubs individually and a golf bag to store and transport the clubs to and from the golf course or driving range.

Which items of golf equipment are included in a beginner's golf set? Four types of golf club are usually included; these are known as woods, irons and putters in addition to hybrid golf clubs which is a cross between an iron and a golf wood. In the game of golf a player is allowed to carry up to 14 golf clubs in their bag - in any combination. The cost of golf lessons from a professional can be expensive in addition to purchasing new golf clubs and equipment. If you've considered purchasing a set of used golf clubs before your first lesson - be cautious. Used golf clubs can work out to be a false economy if the items arrive with worn grips, fractured shafts (graphite) or missing head-covers.

The cost of purchasing new golf clubs for beginners has fallen drastically in recent years with online retailers like The Sports HQ supplying factory direct golf equipment - offering typical savings of up to 85% - compared to the traditional retail store. The Sports HQ for example manufacturers and supplies beginners golf sets in men's, ladies and junior editions - with prices starting as low as £29.99 for a junior golf set to £49.99 for a beginner's set of adult golf clubs.

New golf sets from The Sports HQ all carry a 12-month manufacturer's warranty for extra piece of mind; each golf set is tailored for the specific requirements of the player - for example lady flex shafts in graphite and stainless steel are fitted to all clubs included in the ladies golf set. The Texan Classics Junior Golf Set from The Sports HQ features junior flex shafts on all clubs including a titanium 3-wood, 7-8-iron and putter. All beginners' golf sets include a deluxe stand bag to securely store each club to and from the golf course.

The Chicago SGS Complete Golf Sets in men's, ladies and left-handed includes a titanium 3-wood, a 3/4 hybrid rescue club which replaces the 3 and 4 long irons, in addition to 7 cavity back titanium reinforced irons (5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW) - all fitted with stainless steel shafts; the set is completed with a heel and toe balanced putter. All woods and irons included in the Chicago SGS set for beginners feature oversized club-heads for increased forgiveness on off-center shots - this also inspires confidence and motivation to continue learning and practicing.

After progressing from the driving range to your first outing to a pitch and putt or actual golf course you'll also require a number of inexpensive golf balls for the duration of the course. All players lose the odd golf ball here and there in the beginning; the transition from driving range to golf course is a big one - suddenly a number of environmental factors like wind speed and direction come into play, and for the newcomer this can translate into the occasionally lost golf ball. The addition of water and sand hazards can also play a main role in losing golf balls.

There are two inexpensive solutions to replacing lost golf balls; lake balls are used golf balls which are salvaged from the bottom of vast lakes across the world and reconditioned to a Grade A standard; lake balls offer players the chance to play top brands including Titliest, Noodle and Strata at a fraction of the cost of brand new golf balls.

Sarfaraz Khan with The Sports HQ provides you best information to choosing golf clubs including junior and ladies golf clubs. He also provides you details on golf equipment for men's, ladies and juniors.

A South Carolina Golf School Destination Most Forget

Most golfers looking at South Carolina golf school destinations and golf vacation schools in the state target the Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head locations and forget all about Charleston, South Carolina.

Who can blame them? Both Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head are known world-wide for their golf courses and as popular golf vacation destinations. Charleston is mostly known for its history and polite residents.

Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head also have their own respective nicknames in the golf world. Golfers around the world call Myrtle Beach the "Golf Mecca" and Hilton Head the "Golf Island". Charleston gets its nickname, "Holy City" for its quantity of church steeples painting the downtown skyline.

I have nothing against the great golf vacation schools in Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head. However, it is time I stood up for Charleston as a great golf vacation and South Carolina golf school destination.

Like its golf courses, Charleston golf schools do not match up to the other main South Carolina golf school locations in quantity. They do, however, match up in quality.

Kiawah Island Resort offers one of and possibly the most luxurious golf school destinations in the world. This Charleston golf school location has three courses ranked on Golf Digest's list of "America's Top 75 Resort Courses". Kiawah Island Resort hosted the 1990 Ryder Cup and in the future will host the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and 2012 PGA Championship.

Golf school students can enjoy luxurious accommodations at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. Many publications and critics call this facility the finest oceanfront hotel built on the East Coast in the past twenty years.

Travel north from Kiawah just above the Charleston peninsula and you will find the Wild Dunes golf vacation school on the Isle of Palms. Wild Dunes was named "Best in the State" by Golf Digest. The Charleston golf school at Wild Dunes features two Tom Fazio designs that feature views of the Atlantic Ocean and Intercoastal Waterway.

Golfers can choose to stay on the resort at beach homes or condominiums. You will be just steps away from golf courses, sandy beaches and a short drive from downtown Charleston.

These are just two of the golf schools at this lesser-known South Carolina golf school destination. What really sets Charleston apart from Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head is what I like to call "the Charleston experience".

After a full-day of golf school and rounds of golf on Charleston golf courses, you can find many things to keep you busy. Charleston offers golf vacationers historic tours, wonderful harbor cruises, some of the best shopping on the east coast and world-class restaurants of every variety.

The new Charleston Bridge is the largest cable-stay bridge in North America and the tallest concrete structure in South Carolina. For a different perspective of this South Carolina golf school destination, walk or bike the bridge and enjoy the view from above.

The next time you begin to research South Carolina golf school destinations. Don't forget about Charleston golf schools. Charleston golf courses, golf schools and golf resorts take a back seat to no golf vacation school destination. After all is said and done, I think "Holy City" makes for a great golf nickname after all.

You can find more information about Charleston golf vacation schools at our website. Enjoy your golf vacation no matter where you choose to go.

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

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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.

Is The Golf Ball The Real Reason For Longer Drives ?

A Little History First

To determine this point, we have to travel back in time and see how the original golf ball was formed.

The original golf balls as most of us know, were made from goose feathers stuffed into a round leather ball. It is estimated that those could be hit as far as 170 yards with the modern club.

The next technological advance was the gutta percha ball. This was made from tree sap or rubber and compressed into a round mould. A modern club can hit this about 200 yards on average.

The Haskell method was to improve the ball construction, by having a soft core, and winding thin rubber around this core. This ball can be hit around the 225 to 250 yard range.

Further advances saw the introduction of a liquid core with a soft balata cover. However the ball became misshapen after several hits on it. It is rumoured that the great Ben Hogan passed his golf balls through a metal ring to check for roundness.

The modern golf ball has taken several leaps forward from those days. This golf ball is mainly made with a surlyn or a urethane cover, which offers the same feel as a balata covered ball.

Surlyn® is a synthetic, highly resilient, durable material that is used in the majority of golf balls in the industry. This material provides for a golf ball that will stand up to the durability test that the avid golfer demands, while allowing many different options for spin & distance combinations. Could last for many rounds of golf, assuming that you did not lose the golf ball first.

The core is formed with a mixture of polybutediene and other compounds to give this soft core. Over the past four years, golf ball technology has evolved from a primarily wound-ball construction to the solid core/two piece construction to the double-core/four piece construction.

The distances achieved with this ball can be in excess of 300 yards.

But Is That all There Is To It ?

No, there are still a few more key points to understand, like dimples, the affect of spin, compression, storage conditions, and the rules that govern golf ball construction.

How do dimple patterns affect the flight/trajectory of a golf ball?

Dimples provide the lift needed to get a ball airborne. Without them a golf ball's performance would be severely restricted. Golf balls come in a variety of different dimple patterns. Some promote a higher flight trajectory that many golfers need, while others promote a lower, more piercing trajectory. In general though, balls with deeper dimples will tend to have a lower trajectory. Deeper dimples create more turbulence in the boundary layer, which makes it more difficult for air to flow over the ball creating less lift. Those with shallower dimples typically will generate a higher trajectory.

Dimple pattern - the dimple pattern on a golf ball does not affect the spin, it creates the aerodynamic lift that allows a spinning ball to remain in the air longer. Varying the dimple size also affects the aerodynamics of a ball. By matching the dimple pattern and the construction of a ball, manufacturers can optimise the resulting trajectory for both distance and control.

It is the combination of the lift and drag properties of the ball, as well as its speed, launch angle and spin rate, which will dictate the flight path or trajectory of the ball, and thus the distance it will go.

A perfectly smooth golf ball with no dimples would travel about 130 yards when hit with a driver by a good player. On the other hand, a ball with well-designed dimples, struck the same way, will travel about 290 yards.

Dimple design has changed significantly over time, from random patterns, to formal rows, to interstitial designs. The depth, shape and number have all been varied and tested.

Spin Rate

A golf ball's spin rate refers to the speed it spins on an axis while in flight, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Spin rate off a driver generally ranges between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm, while the average, cleanly struck wedge shot spins at about 10,000 rpm.

Spin generates lift, thus a shot's spin rate directly influences how high the ball flies and how quickly it stops after landing. Beyond the manufacturer's hype, there are real differences in ball construction affecting driving distance, approach control, putting roll, balance and cost.

Modern balls are made to very high standards of consistency and quality.

In driver shots, an excessive amount of spin will cause the ball to soar, resulting in a loss of distance. Too little spin will prevent lift and reduce carry. Keeping the amount of spin at an appropriate level and hitting shots that trace ideal parabolic paths are the formula for maximizing distance.

The manufacturer can affect the spin rate with a variety of methods. The main way appears to be by having a larger softer core, which in turn provides more spin less distance. Another method is to have the soft core encased in a mantle cover. This cover can be harder and thicker. The more flexible this cover the more spin.

Compression

Compression of a golf ball gradually became more of feel thing

In the end the constant high quality of 2-piece balls made compression as a quality index obsolete

Today the term compression is used in combination with a number ranging from 0 to 200. This figure tells us by how much a golf ball is deformed under a compressive force.

Although this term is now becoming obsolete it is still important to understand the importance of compression with regards to a golfer's swing.

As golf balls are mass produced, all 3-piece balls and some 2-piece balls are measured by their compression and rated accordingly.

In order to do so balls are pressured with a standard weight. A ball, which does not deform is rated Compression 200, a ball that lets itself be deformed by 2/10 of an inch or more is rated Compression 0.

Standard Compression rate of a golf ball is 90 or 100. The lower the Compression rate the softer the feel. Most balls are subject to a rating by compression.

Surveys have shown that low speed swing players should use a ball with a Compression rate of 80. Average speed swing players should use Compression 100 and high speed swing players Compression 110.

However, new golf balls do not have an actual number, and prefer to say low spin rate or long distance. So read the label as they say.

How long can a golf ball last under normal storage conditions?

Under normal storage conditions (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit) a golf ball can last forever. However, it must be understood that certain factors can affect a ball's overall performance.

Golf balls can lose their performance characteristics in cases of extreme heat or cold, and their construction is such that even under normal storage conditions, there can be a loss of performance over time.

But Is It The Ball Or The Club That Provides The Distance?

There are of course many factors, which have a direct impact on increased driving distance over the past 2 decades. Such factors as fitness, materials, courses, and technique, have helped increase the driving distance over the years.

Every manufacturer has developed a golf ball which has specific characteristic built in, whether it is distance, spin or mixture of both. The manufacturer is able to do, as they want to the ball. The Trend is going to a balance between spin (rpm) and higher launch angle and hence more distance.

Tests were carried out by Nick Faldo using a modern golf driver, on a gutta percha ball, and the ball did not travel more than 150 yards.

When he used an old wooden golf club, and a modern golf ball, the ball travelled more than 260 yards.

This showed that the modern golf ball is definitely the key to distance.

Conclusion

Golf balls are distance balls, constructed to stop quickly on the green, with less of the risk of slice or hook into trouble that a pure spin ball brings. Recent advances in construction technology are spawning a new breed of balls that can do it all, such as the Titleist ProV1, and Callaway Hex.

SLOW SWING (often called Ladies or Senior) balls are designed to optimise driving distance for less powerful players with slower club head speeds.

Most balls are imperfectly balanced and thus do not putt completely true. Premium quality balls may be manufactured to higher quality control standards and thus less likely to randomly wander off track.

Try to find out which modern affordable golf ball meets your style of play. It is better to play consistently with a ball you can afford than to play competitions with a premium ball that you cannot afford to practice with. Balls with cuts or used until no longer spherical add nothing to your game. Better to play an affordable ball and replace it regularly.

To find out more, and other interesting facts on golf matters, why not go to http://www.thegolfprofessor.com

About The Author: Bill Ritchie is the owner of http://www.thegolfprofessor.com website, which is a great golf resource with a variety of information about this wonderful game of golf.

Why not take a look at: http://www.thegolfprofessor.com/

Myrtle Beach Golf Packages - What to Know Before You Go

There is a lot of money in the Myrtle Beach golf package market. Unfortunately, like any other opportunity, this can bring out scam artists and bad business practices.

Don't get stuck with hidden charges on your golf packages. Myrtle Beach discount golf package resellers don't always have your best interest in mind. Here are five things to be aware of before booking your next golf package to Myrtle Beach.

The first two items come in the form of hidden fees. Myrtle Beach is getting a bad reputation among visiting golfers because of these hidden fees and surcharges. This was one of the biggest complaints noted in a recent local newspaper's article.

1) Cart Fees - The golf courses require them. Most golf packages leave them out. Hidden golf cart fees top the list of complaints for most golfers visiting the Grand Strand. Many Myrtle Beach golf package resellers keep the $20 or $30 dollars and pass along the fees to vacationing golfers. Ask up front whether or not cart fees are included. If not, demand it or do your business elsewhere.

2) Course Surcharges - Many golf packages allow golfers to "upgrade" to better courses. This fee is normal in the Myrtle Beach golf market. However, many golf packages up sell visitors on better golf courses. Then, after paying more, the vacationing golfer plays a course that is no better or sometimes worse than the original one. Do your homework before paying a surcharge to play a better golf course.

These next two problems often occur with Myrtle Beach golf package resellers that do not know the local market. Any website can put Myrtle Beach on their logo and sell packages from locations all over the world. Only deal with companies that have local market ties and local market knowledge.

3) Golf Tour - The Grand Strand golf area covers approximately 80 miles. Often these fulfillment centers sell Myrtle Beach golf packages that have you driving more than golfing. They don't care how long the trip is as long as they make an extra profit. Make sure to know the distances between your accommodations and your golf courses on your next golf vacation.

4) Course Conditions - Golf packagers with no local ties do not know what the course conditions are like in Myrtle Beach. These companies rely on dated information and have no idea about yearly maintenance schedules. Getting tee times at a lower rung course is bad enough. Don't compound the problem with horrible course conditions. What is the solution? Contact the Myrtle Beach golf courses yourself and ask them about their maintenance schedule and course conditions. Or, stick with a golf packager that has local market knowledge.

Do you need a golf package? This is definitely something to consider. Myrtle Beach has over 120 golf courses and they are not always sold out.

5) Buyers Market - During some times of the year there are more golf courses than golfers. This gives you an edge. It also gives you a reason to consider booking tee times separately. Summer and winter are slower than spring and fall. However, you can sometimes get a better deal booking tee times yourself even in the busy months. Do your research and investigate options instead of blindly buying golf packages.

Remember, golf deals always look great on paper. If your Myrtle Beach golf package is far below the cost of other deals, don't expect a great golfing experience. Investigate, read the fine print, deal with a company that has local knowledge and ask for customer testimonials. This is the best advice we can give you before you purchase a Myrtle Beach golf package.

Make sure to visit our Myrtle Beach golf section for more great tips and information before booking your next golf vacation. For complete golf package tips and advice visit our Myrtle Beach golf package page.

Copyright 2005 Evans Putman - 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 when you sign up for the PGV.com Advisor located on the left-hand side of each page on our site.

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

Online Golf Program Features and Benefits

There are many features and benefits to look for when it comes to choosing an online golf program over a personal golf trainer who charges by the hour or lesson. In this article, I will focus on the most important benefits. I will be discussing what you should be looking for when choosing an online golf program and the many benefits of working with an online golf trainer.

What to look for in an online golf program

You should try to find a program that is comprehensive in nature. The golf program should be able to effectively teach you how to improve your golfing techniques, mechanics and consistency of your game. To be able to consistently hit the ball properly every time! But, it is not enough just to join a program that only focuses on golf. To be the best golfer that you can possibly be, you need to perform the proper exercises and follow proper nutrition as well. Golf specific exercises will allow you to improve your golf swing and hitting distance. Exercising will also improve your flexibility, prevent injuries, make you feel healthier and increase your strength. By strength we mean not muscle mass but power because if you get too bulky, it will hinder your swing.

Convenience

An online golf program allows you to access the program any time you want, no matter where you are. You may be at your office or job and looking for a break to take your mind off work. Or you may be travelling and have some free time in your hotel. In all these situations, you could easily access the online golf program and continue from where you last left the site. Compared to a personal golf trainer with whom you have to be on the course at a specific time. What if a meeting suddenly comes up? Well you have to cancel. With online golf programs, you dictate when you want to learn or improve your golf game and not the other way around.

Online golf program versus personal golf trainer

Paying a golf trainer can get very expensive and you may not be able to remember everything they said during the lesson. Online golf programs are extremely inexpensive and offer many more additional benefits. Information on a particular topic can be accessed whenever you wish. Information can be viewed in written form as well as diagrams. Most importantly it should also have online video demonstrations. With online videos you can get a better visual representation of particular golf swings or exercises for golfers. You could even go through the motions along with the specific videos. Sort of like having a live golf trainer whenever you want, wherever you may be.

The golf program should be able to allow you to contact them via email or other form of online communication when you need help or have a specific question.

One of the many added benefits of online programs is that software is often provided free of charge such as game tracking software.

Nutrition and health

To be the best golfer you can be, you must be healthy so it is important that the program be able to provide nutritional or weight loss advice and proper golf exercises to prevent injuries from occurring.

Online Community

Interactivity with other golfers, be they amateurs or professionals, is an important aspect for learning on the Internet. To improve your golfing game or just make new friends, you may wish to be in contact with other golfers. Look for a program with a discussion forum or any form of online golfing community.

Conclusion

Joining a quality online golf program is like having 24/7 access to a golf fitness trainer, golf psychologist, sports medicine expert and golf nutrition expert. This article discusses just some of the key points that I feel are important when looking for golfing instruction. I emphasized that the program you join should be comprehensive incorporating golf specific instruction as well as golf specific exercises and nutritional advice. One program I feel that fits all this criteria is the Golf Trainer's online golf program which can be found here: http://www.popularfitness.com/golf-trainer.html because Mike Pederson's golf program is comprehensive and covers every facet of the game. He has been a certified fitness professional for over 20 years and has worked with golfers exclusively for the past 9 years.

About the author:
Peter Kudlacz is the owner of http://www.popularfitness.com where you can find online fitness and golf programs, exercise instruction guides, articles, resources and tips.

The Optimal Recipe to Improve Your Golf Swing

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of articles about how to improve your golf. Just pick up any weekly or monthly issue of any golf magazine. You will read page after page on how to get better at your driving distance, how to improve your putting, how to improve your short game. The list goes on and on and on. (I could probably fill this whole article with the titles of the articles that are "supposed" to fix your game). This tells me a few things about golfers: 1) we all want to get better, 2) we are anxious to absorb all the information possible to get better, and 3) golf is a game of continual improvement.

The question that may be running through your mind at this point is: "Why is this article any better the ones I read last week?" The answer is that it is not. It is different, not necessarily better or worse. The difference is the perspective from which this article is written. Let me explain.

I currently work on the PGA Tour as a personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach. Previous to my position on the tour I worked in professional baseball with the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers training elite athletes. This article will look at improving your golf swing through the "my" eyes, which is a perspective different from players, swing coaches, and sports psychologists. This article will not speak directly about specific drills or mental thoughts that should be incorporated into your swing. We will look at golf from a broader perspective and provide some insight on how to approach improvement in your golf game on a day-to-day basis.

I see improvement in the sport of golf contingent upon three ideas. These ideas are categories that any golfer or any other athlete can apply to their daily lives for improvement in their sport of choice. The three keys to improvement in any athletic endeavor, golf included, are:

1) physical,

2) biomechanical, and

3) mental/emotional

Realize that entire books are written on these three subjects, and the point of this article is to present these keys to pique your interest for more information to help you improve your game.

Biomechanical (Golf Swing Mechanics)

Biomechanics is essentially physics applied to the body. The study of biomechanics concerns itself with how the body moves and what allows it to perform certain human movements. For example, biomechanics studies how the body moves to throw a baseball 95 miles per hour or how to swing a golf club to create club head speed of 120 miles per hour. Biomechanics looks at how the body moves to perform these actions efficiently. Biomechanics in relation to the golf swing concerns itself with how the body swings a golf club to get the most efficient and effective swing possible from the human body. I would estimate that probably 95% of the books, articles in golf magazines and television programs deal with the topic of biomechanics. When it comes to the biomechanics of the golf swing, the research is pretty solid, and "they" (swing coaches, instructors, etc...) know mechanically what the golf swing should do, and how the body is suppose to work to perform it correctly.

Biomechanically, the human body is not perfect. The perfect golf swing or the perfect pitching motion has yet to be achieved by any human. The professionals in such sports get very close. Their efficiency ratings when it comes to these athletic actions are in the 90's in terms of percentages, but there is yet to be a human who has achieved 100% biomechanical efficiency in any movement. Don't expect to be near 100% efficiency. To get better swing mechanics the bottom line is that you must find quality information, instruction and practice, practice, practice. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Physical "Golf Fitness" Recipe

The physical side of golf has to do with preparing the actual physical body to perform the athletic movement you are asking it to do. Every movement that your body performs, be it walking down the street, playing catch, or swinging a golf club, requires effort from your body. Your body has to perform "work" to complete these physical actions. To swing a golf club with the correct biomechanics in an effective and efficient manner, your body needs to be flexible, balanced, strong, have endurance, and power.

It becomes obvious that to swing a club on the correct path you body has to have the "platform or base" to do it correctly. Your platform consists of the flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power we discussed in the previous paragraph. These 5 pieces to the golf fitness puzzle are developed through training which create what is called a "transfer of training effect" into the golf swing.

Quite often I see amateur golfers lacking the necessary amounts of flexibility, balance, etc. and it hinders any possibility of developing the correct biomechanics of the golf swing.

So simply put, you have to develop a better swing; you need to develop more flexibility into your body, improve your balance, become stronger in your overall body, improve your muscular endurance and what we are all after, and improve your power.

Think of your golf fitness as a cookie recipe. If you leave out any one ingredient, your cookie will taste terrible.

Don't leave out any ingredients in your golf fitness plan.

Mental/Emotional

You have probably read articles of "the mental side of golf," which I think are great reads and have a significant benefit to your game. I know personally when I am confident in my swing, hitting the fairway off the tee is much easier. That has to do with confidence in my game in addition to success on the course. I would like to interject a point that I have seen from working with numerous professional athletes.

Let me begin by asking you a question: "which occurs first, success or confidence?" The answers I hear half the time are success and the other half of the time confidence. Let me first tell you that it is a trick question. The answer is as follows: "Proper preparation precedes success and confidence." So with that said, I found through experience that both success on the course and confidence in your game are a direct result of being properly prepared physically, mentally, and biomechanically for competition.

So just thinking about making a putt usually does not work. Making that putt or putting that drive into the fairway is more a result of days upon days of physical and biomechanical preparation of your swing. This will then foster what is required to make those shots on the course. One additional observation: I have found that creating the mental focus required for golf is much easier when you have developed the physical foundation for your swing. If you trust that your body will do what you ask it do, when you want it to do it, mentally the game becomes much easier.

Where can I learn more?

Again, remember my perspective is from a different corner. I also believe that if you put these three philosophies to work on a daily basis your golf game will improve by leaps and bounds.

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

Guide to Golf Courses and Golf Clubs in Suffolk

Golf courses in Suffolk offer a range of beautiful courses and is the ideal location for golf fans to explore some wonderful English countryside and, more importantly, some quite superb golf courses.

Newton Green Golf Club is situated on the A134, three miles east of the historic market town of Sudbury. The club's 18-hole, moorland golf course with panoramic views offers a challenging and rewarding experience for any golfer in Suffolk. There is also a new section which has two par fives, including one of over 550 yards. Par for the course is 69.

Visitors and Societies are always welcome to Newton Green and there are a number of Open Competitions held each year. Newton Green Golf Club also welcomes juniors into the sport by way of free lessons offered by PGA professional Tim Cooper through his coaching academy.

One of the most popular golf courses in Suffolk is Hintlesham Hall Golf Club, which sits in 150 acres of luscious Suffolk countryside and offers some of the very best golf in the area. The course is set in beautiful, ancient parkland and is a superb test of golf for players of all standards.

An added bonus is the magnificent Hintlesham Hall Hotel, which is adjacent to the Course and offers Spa facilities, a swimming pool and a first class dining venue. Ideal for the non golfers in your family!

High Lodge, Saxmundham, offers a number of services and sporting activities for visitors, one of which is of course golf. The 9 hole golf course is set within 50 acres of beautiful grounds. Open 7 days a week, the Pay and Play course is suitable for all golfers from beginners to low handicappers, and tuition is available. High Lodge is also a fantastic venue for a golfing holiday in Suffolk. There is luxurious lodge accommodation available on-site that overlook a lake in a beautiful peaceful location amongst woodlands.

Situated only three miles north of Ipswich, Fynn Valley Golf Club is set in a picturesque undulating river valley. Fynn Valley has a full eighteen hole parkland course, a nine hole short course, 22 driving ranges, putting greens, a practice bunker, and optional expert tuition from qualified PGA professionals. Categories of membership are available for all standards of golfer. A progressive, friendly and informal club where members are nurtured and visitors encouraged. The Valley Restaurant and Courtyard Bar are situated in converted Edwardian barns, which retain many of their original features, resulting in a unique setting.

Fynn Valley also has corporate and conference facilities. Corporate Golf Days can be arranged for groups for either the 18 hole or 9 hole course. Whatever your golf, function, dining or corporate requirements, Fynn Valley is the ideal venue.

The Thorpeness Country Club offers not just an 18 hole golf course overlooked by one of Suffolk's most famous folly's - The House in the Clouds - but it's also a popular wedding venue overlooking the sea. In the grounds are seven tennis courts and landscaped gardens.

The famous 18 hole golf course is popular and playable all year round. Built over gorse and heather countryside it is a challenge for even the experienced golfer.

Another great golf course to try on your tour of Golf Courses in Suffolk can be found at Ufford Park Hotel, Golf & Spa, an enjoyable parkland just a few miles outside the town of Woodbridge. Golfers can enjoy the challenging 18 Hole Par 71 golf course which plays host to prestigious tournaments such as the PGA EuroPro Tour, a two tier luxury driving range, the American Golf Shop and Doctorgolf Teaching Academy.

Suffolk Hotel, Golf & Leisure, Bury St Edmunds offer Golf Package Holidays and Short Golf Breaks in Suffolk designed to cater for all your golfing needs and wants! Located on the outskirts of the historic town Bury St. Edmunds, the hotel has first-rate facilities including an 18-hole Championship golf course along with comfortable en suite accommodation.

More golf courses and golf clubs in Suffolk - -

Aldeburgh Golf Club

Aldeburgh, IP15 5PE

01728 452890 / 453309 (Pro)

Beccles Golf Club

Bromeswell Heath, The Common, Common Lane, Beccles, NR34 9BX

01502 712244

Bungay & Waveney Valley Golf Club

Outney Common, Bungay, NR35 1DS

01986 892337

Bury St Edmunds Golf Club

Tut Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 6LG

01284 755979

Clare Park Lake Golf Course

Stoke Road, Clare, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 8HE

01787 278693

Diss Golf Club

Stuston Common, Diss, IP21 4AA

01379 641025 / 644399 (Pro)

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club

Ferry Road, Felixstowe, IP4 9RY

01394 283060

Halesworth Golf Club

Branfield Road, Halesworth, IP19 9XA

01986 875567

Haverhill Golf Club

Coupals Road, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7UW

01440 761951

Southwold Golf Club

The Common, Southwold, IP18 6TB

01502 723234 & 723790 (Pro)

Woodbridge Golf Club

Bromeswell Heath, Woodbridge, IP12 2PF

01394 382038 / 383213 (Pro)

For more information on Golf in Suffolk please visit us at the Suffolk Tourist Guide - the best place for information, tourism, and culture in Suffolk.

Develop "Feel" in Your Golf Swing with a Golf Fitness Program

Probably what separates the PGA Touring pro and the amateur golfer is "feel." Every pro I know can "feel" where the club and clubhead are at any point during the swing.

Not an easy task, especially for the weekend golfer.

Many amateurs struggle with the idea, concept, or understanding of how to develop "feel" for the swing. It is a process that requires time, patience, and practice.

Part of the process of developing "feel" for the golf club is through proprioception. This may or may not be a term you have heard, but it is vitally important to the golf swing.

Proprioception is a big word that, simply put, is defined as "knowing where your body is in space." Essentially, it means consciously knowing where your body is when moving, what your limbs are doing, and in what order. To simplify it further, it is feel. Some of us are better at it, others worse.

The good news is that you can improve your proprioception, or your feel.

Think about this for a moment: what is one of the most important aspects of improving your golf swing?

It is "feel" for the golf club at every position within the golf swing. Beginning with address, into take-away, your backswing, downswing, and follow through. "Feeling" where the club is at every moment is key.

PGA Tour pros "feel" the club during the swing, or in other words they have excellent proprioceptive abilities. As a result, they have the ability to make the little adjustments that are crucial in the golf swing. Additionally, their outstanding level of proprioception allows them to know what is going on with their golf swing the majority of the time.

How do you develop your ability to better "feel" the golf club and clubhead?

First and foremost, your development of better golf swing mechanics is center stage. Understanding the mechanics and where the clubhead should be is the first step.

This allows you to consciously know and practice the positions of where the golf club and body should be at any moment in the golf swing. Mentally understanding golf swing mechanics allows you to have a "map" to refer to when developing your golf swing.

Secondly, when it comes to golf swing mechanics we look at practice. We all know the body learns a new movement through repetition. The mind and body learn either the correct or incorrect golf swing through practice.

This is the point where the proprioceptive or "feel" abilities of your body for your golf swing begin to form. The movement pattern begins to be ingrained as you continue to practice your golf swing.

This is where the third component of developing "feel" comes into play. The third component of developing "feel" is the body.

Golf swing mechanics are performed by your body, and, as a result, the body is critically involved in developing feel in your golf swing.

Developing feel is linked to your nervous system and the ability of the brain/nerves to input/output information efficiently.

Improving the process by which your brain and nerves input (learning the golf swing mechanics) and output (execution of the golf swing) has a direct effect on your ability to feel the club.

How do you improve the proprioceptive qualities of the body that directly affects your ability to feel the golf club? Improvement in this area lies within performing exercises that increase the efficiency with which the nervous system operates.

Exercises that improve proprioception and "feel" during the swing are called balance exercises. Balance exercises challenge the nervous system, creating more efficiency in the input/output system of the body.

Better balance allows for the body to learn new movements (i.e. golf swing) more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, these exercises increase the ability of the body to "feel" athletic movements like the golf swing.

In summary, we have three components that improve our "feel" for the golf club. Number one is an understanding of golf swing mechanics. You must have a conscious "road map" of the golf swing. This allows you a reference point to develop the correct swing mechanics.

Secondly, practice is required. The body learns through repetition. Practice allows the brain and the body to learn the movement sequence of the golf swing. Practice is also the point where the body begins to develop the proprioceptive qualities required for the golf swing.

Finally, you need to develop the proprioceptive capacities of the body itself through balance exercises. These types of exercises improve the input/output system of the body allowing for improved learning capacities by the body, better "feel" of where the body is in space, and a greater capacity to "feel" the golf swing.

All in all, it is a combination of developing these three entities within your golf swing and body that creates "feel" for the swing. They all work together and cannot be separated.

If you truly want to develop a PGA-Tour-type swing, you will need to have a better understanding of the golf swing, practice, and development of the 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

Golf On Tour - PGA Golf Practice Secrets Exposed

The reality of playing golf on tour is that you are always searching for a competitive edge over the golf course you're playing and ultimately your opponent which doesn't really make it that different from any other stick and ball sport, where a score is involved, except for one important qualification;

On the pro golf tour you have to shoot consistently low golf scores just to make cuts in tournaments before you can make any money.

In other words you don't get a dime for playing less than your best for four days.

So every moment that you are not competing at a golf tour event somewhere you're on the practice fairway and practice green finding ways to sharpen, refine and develop your golfing skills in an effort to make more cuts, more money and the opportunity to play in the big league on a major golf tour.

In essence you're practicing your golf skills exclusively to perform better on the golf course.

Design Your Golf Practice

You practice so you can become so skilled at playing golf that you make a lot more cuts than you miss, which translates into a lot more money in the bank account and the possibility of winning golf tournaments.

So I'd like to share with you a key distinction I learned about how top tour golfers practice effectively;

"You must practice in such a way that there is a high probability that you will perform better on the golf course. "

Another way of thinking about it is like this; "you design your practice sessions solely to improve your playing performances."

I know that this might seem quite obvious to you but this is not what most of the golfers I've observed do when they practice at golf ranges. I'm sure that at some level they genuinely want to improve their golf skills to improve their performances, but they don't think about designing their golf practice for improvement deliberately enough.

Perfect Match Practice

When you practice your golf skills you are attempting to modify or adjust an aspect of your physical behaviour by conditioning a new set of behaviours that you can rely on when it really counts, through a large quantity of highly focused repetition.

I'm sure that you can see that this shouldn't be taken lightly? You need to be absolutely sure that the information you're using is the perfect match for your particular problem. Also you cannot improve your skill set if you're dividing your attention between trying to perfect a particular movement and also trying to hit your shot to a target on the golf range.

The Golf Practice Multi-tasking Myth

In the workplace this would be called multi-tasking and a raft of recent research shows that splitting your attention between tasks significantly reduces your effectiveness to perform optimally in the different tasks you're focusing on.

"It is a myth to think you can work on improving some aspect of your golf swing whilst at the same time you're trying to hit your golf ball to a target."

But this is precisely what the vast majority of amateur golfers do.

The problem could be that golfers are confused about what the right golf practice method is. With all the information available through golf instruction books, DVD's, golf magazines and golf instruction online it's a real challenge trying to find information that is highly relevant to your needs.

Relevance then Repetition

When I played golf on tour I discovered that golf practice was really about continually finding ways to improve my bottom line results. So you are always zeroing in on the ideal practice method or drill because you're travelling continually and you need to make sure that the time you invest in your improvement is highly specific and manageable.

So it's not unusual to see a professional golfer working on one particular drill for a year or more. Since any physical change requires literally thousands of repetitions in order to build up sufficient memory, changing a weak skill requires a pro tour player to practice the drill whenever he/she gets the opportunity - which is often.

They will practice with a ball and without a ball, and they will practice in front of mirrors in their hotel room or windows at the airport; literally anywhere they can perform the practice task that leads them to a new and desired behaviour.

When they practice they practice with a level of intensity that closely matches or simulates a real competitive situation.

Practice Like it Matters

"Perfect practice makes perfect" is a common clich? in sports, business and life but doesn't really describe at all what perfect practice is, which just makes it easier for most golfers to perform "practice" without the "perfect" part.

I believe that the 'perfect' component is to perform your golf practice with a level of intensity that closely matches or simulates a real competitive situation.

This means that you make sure that the entire practice routine is exactly the same routine you use when you play on the golf course.

Instead of mindlessly blasting away at golf ball after golf ball you thoughtfully and carefully practice each stroke like nothing else in the world matters as much. I have observed this first hand with some of the greatest golfers in the world.

What Jack Nicklaus Taught Me About Deliberate Practice

When I was a young assistant professional my idol Jack Nicklaus came to our club to play in our national championship and that week I was fortunate to work at the driving range where I got my first look at how great tour golfers practice to perform.

Jack Nicklaus was a study in concentration and not one golf ball he hit was wasted. He hit each practice shot like it really mattered to him and this practice method required his total concentration. He worked on controlling his ball flight so that the ball flew with a similar trajectory and spin shape nearly every time.

Where I observed other professionals chatting away with their friends on the range, Jack Nicklaus seemed to me to be the one serious figure who although very pleasant when someone acknowledged him was there for a very specific purpose, he was there to prepare to perform to the best of his ability.

Golf Practice is Not a Social Experience

He was not there for a social engagement he was there to work at his craft so he could take it to the course and perform. Golf practice is not a social experience, its work and you're there solely to improve your performances on the golf course, so you never have enough time to waste on idle chit-chat.

This is where I learned an important lesson about practicing like it matters. Never waste my time, never waste a golf shot and make sure that the shot is executed to the best of my ability with my full attention on it.

The next time you decide to go to the range to work on your game, consider that you have a marvellous opportunity to start practicing with real purpose.

You can design your golf practice so that it's highly specific, highly engaging and highly repeatable and you'll discover that this shift in the way you go about performing your practice will build a strong and reliable bridge between practicing on the range and performing on the golf course when it really counts.

Lawrence Montague has been one of Australia's leading golf teaching professionals for more than twenty years and owns one of Australia's top golf schools based on the Gold Coast in Queensland. He also co-owns Pro Tour Golf College, the only pro tour prep college for aspiring male and female golfers who want to play golf on tour based in Perth, Western Australia.

You can visit his popular golf instruction channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/golfconfidencepro where he has produced more than thirty free high quality golf video lessons to improve you golf game.

Golf Workouts Will Increase Your Golf Swing Speed and Distance

I'm sure by now you've heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It's no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?

Vijay Singh Does Golf Workouts

Either way...the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like it's hurting his game? I don't think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you know who I'm talking about.

Tiger Woods Golf Workout Routine

Tiger took golf to another level. A real eye-opener for the veteran players who were hitting the 19th hole after every round...and the last thought on their mind was "exercise". What a wake-up call to be totally dominated by a player who was only 20 years old at the time.

Annika Sorenstam Credits Her Golf Exercises

How about the year Annika Sorenstam shot a 59 and totally dominated the LPGA? Do you know what she attributes it to? Golf workouts! She hired a trainer and got serious about her fitness. And look what happened? She hasn't looked back since. She just recently came out with an instruction book and devoted a chapter to golf workouts.

To my recollection, that's the first women's instruction book to include golf workouts. Working out to playing better golf isn't just for the guys; Annika has proved that. Now more LPGA players are working out to try and catch her, just like the guys did with Tiger.

Senior Golfers Now Do Golf Fitness Programs

How about the senior tour? Now players are realizing they can still make good money, even after they've turned 50 and can't really compete with the young guys anymore. With the money at stake, they too are all working out. This group of players both amateur and pro is the biggest demographic that needs it the most.

With age comes a decline in both flexibility and strength. When the body declines, the swing goes right along with it. The result is a big loss in yardage, more mishits, and ballooning scores. The end result...frustration! I can't tell you how many times I've played with and received phone calls from older golfers who are just about ready to quit the game.

They are SO frustrated at this rapid decline, that golf's not fun anymore. But there is hope. The answer? Get your body moving just a little better. How? By participating in workouts for golf program that focuses on golf-specific strength AND flexibility. It's amazing to see golfers in this age bracket dramatically improve their driving distance, accuracy and scores.

You don't have to accept that with age, your body declines. No way! You've got to fight it all the way! I'm dead serious. The ones who do, are the ones who are enjoying the game again and taking all the money in their foursome.

What Is A Golf Workout

What is a golf workout anyways? Is there such a thing? You bet there is. The golf swing is an awkward movement that puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible specific to the swing.

I could spend dozens of pages describing what this entails, but for the sake of this concise article, let's keep it simple.

Golf Is Rotational

The golf swing is a rotational movement, with your body in golf posture. Slight flex of the knees and a bending forward at the hips. Since the golf swing is primarily rotational, wouldn't it make sense to focus on rotational strength and flexibility? That is improving your turning ability related to range of motion and speed.

So anything involving twisting with resistance such as a medicine ball, a dumbbell, or even a weighted club would work. You need to have a resistance to take your body beyond where it normally goes.

For instance, if you took a club and placed it behind your neck, got in your golf posture and rotated back and forth; do you think that by itself would improve your range of motion or power?

Use A Weighted Golf Club

No, you need to add resistance to accomplish this. Take a weighted club and make golf swings. Now you'll be making a bigger turn AND improving your power. Same thing with a medicine ball. Make turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball and you'll see a BIG improvement.

In fact, most of your abdominal work should be rotational. Doing straight crunches won't improve your driving distance. Doing rotational movements with added weight will. This is where I could go on and on, but I won't overload you.

Golf Workouts Will Transform Your Golf Swing

I hope I've convinced you to take a real serious look at what all the other successful professional players are doing to stay at the top of their game. Doing golf workouts can and will dramatically change your game forever. Now get out there and get it started. No procrastinating. Do it right now!

Do you want to discover the secret to creating more power and consistency in your golf swing... and eliminating ALL your swing faults?

Download this: performbettergolf.com/free-golf-ebook.html

Mike Pedersen helps golfers' improve their golf swing power, consistency and golf swing faults by addressing the physical limitations in their golf swing.

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.

Golf Cruises - You Don't Have To Leave Your Passion At The Pier

Can you imagine golfing on some of the best golf courses in the world but only unpacking your bags only once? Or having first class golf lessons on the deck of a floating resort? Or golfing five or more different 18 hole courses on different islands in one week? And even better, what if the golf is only one part of your vacation experience?

More and more golf addicts are looking at combining cruising and golfing for the ultimate in vacations. Most cruise lines are offering golf excursions in their itineraries allowing you to play the most well-known golf courses in the ports of call you visit anywhere in the world.

In addition, there are onboard golf clinics including instruction video about golf, golf cages and high tech video interaction for you to practice your golf shots while at sea. You have the option of bringing your own clubs, or renting high caliber clubs from the ship or particular course you will be playing. Some cruises are accompanied by a golf pro who will provide personal lessons, swing analysis and pointers to improve your play.

Once you reach port you have reserved tee times, transportation to and from the course and the services of a caddy. With many cruises, golf pairings can be arranged and you arrive at the golf club with your bag already on the cart and your caddy ready to go.

Your golf vacation cruise includes all accommodations and all meals onboard (open seating dining or traditional) 24-hour room service nightly live entertainment, full spa services, fitness center and casino and more.

Fortunately you can take a spouse, partner or family members who don't golf on the same vacation and they will have lots to keep them occupied. No more golf widows or widowers! A golf cruise offers more than just golf. On board activities and optional shore excursions allow the non-golfer to explore the beauty and culture of new places while the golfer enjoys the best, most beautiful, most exciting and most thrilling courses in the world.

Golf cruises can take you to Hawaii, Asia to Australia, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and many other destinations. Cruise lines like Holland America and Carnival offer golf vacations year round and Silversea and Seabourn provide escorted signature golf cruises in which every last detailed is pre-arranged.

With Silversea for example, golfers can perfect their swing on 35 world-class courses in 16 countries and islands. Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a new Golf Bermuda program, giving its golf-loving guests more opportunities to hit the links in Bermuda, where there are more courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world.

Crystal Cruises also has expanded its golf-themed cruises for 2008. Guests can tee off on three 11- and 12-day golf cruises in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and the maritime coast of Canada and New England.

What can you expect on a golf cruise? How about priority reserved tee-times at the 18-hole championship Robert von Hagge-designed El Tigre Golf Course in Puerto Vallarta and the Lee Trevino-designed El Cid Golf & Country Club in Mazatlan with private transfers to golf courses to and from the ship in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Expert club storage and handling on and off the ship and optional golf package in Cabo San Lucas.

Think of something more exotic? A golf cruise to the South Pacific can take you from the world-famous Sydney Opera House across the Java Sea for a visit to the Grand Mosque in Semerang, Indonesia or how about a cruise to Europe and golf at St. Andrews?

On most Crystal cruises, a qualified PGA pro is on board to offer golf classes and clinics. You'll find driving range nets and a putting green, with a supply of practice clubs and balls. Crystal Cruises exclusively features TaylorMade. On board products include TaylorMade's #1 ranked drivers used by PGA pros to lead in distance, accuracy and total driving company. Complete sets of TaylorMade(TM) clubs are also available for rental to use in ports where you may wish to play.

The bottom line is you don't have to leave your passion on the pier! All of the major cruise lines offer you a chance to play golf ashore as part of an organized shore excursion, if there is a course nearby. You can bring your own clubs or rent them. And the non-golfers with you will be happy to see you enjoying your golf while they enjoy their cruise vacation!

Now is the time to contact a cruise specialist or favorite cruise line to start planning! Fore...

Sid Kaplan has extensive experience in the travel business. He owned and operated a large retail cruise only agency in Canada and his wife has 27 years experience working for major cruise lines. His cruise website is Cruise Vacations Guide explores the world's top cruise vacation destinations.

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 with 2004 Masters, 2005 PGA, and 2006 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Golf Vacations - A Blend Of Relaxation & Action!

If you are an ardent golfer and are thinking of taking a break from your everyday routine, then a golf vacation is just the right thing for you. While taking a golf vacation, you can merge your passion for golf together with having a tranquil and pleasurable time.

Now, whether you are a keen golfer or simply play for the fun of it, availing of a golfing vacation in order to catch up on some well-needed rest as well as to hone your golfing skills could be the right thing to do. While you may have the view that such vacations are steeply priced, actually there is a range of golf vacations tailored to meet every kind of budget. Right from modest accommodation to luxury hotels and resort package deals, there are lots of options to choose from.

Hence, if you wish to unwind, as well as take to some golfing action on the course, then the following are some useful tips about selecting golf vacations.

Choosing Exclusive Golf Resorts

A great way to enjoy some golf while vacationing is to be put up at an exclusive golfing resort. Now, these places are especially designed with golf as the major attraction, and normally the vacation includes access to golf greens as well as other golfing amenities.

Thus, you can soak up the serene atmosphere of the lovely resort and quietly enjoy a round of golf too. These resorts certainly are well equipped as they are built exclusively for golfers. But, the golf courses at these resorts are usually quite identical, and in all probability you will tend to pay a lot more for these holiday packages than you would for a standard vacation.

Create Your Personal Golf Vacations

Now, creating your personal golf vacations is a further marvelous way of mixing golf and relaxation. You can check into a standard hotel or an apartment and perhaps look around for some golfing facilities available in the neighborhood.

This will provide you with a better chance to do things in addition to golf, particularly when you are with people, who are not as passionate about golf as you are. You have the liberty to select your own golf courses and you can choose to reside close to a few of the best golf course in the world. While not specially devoted to golf as an exclusive golfing resort, this alternative is best for people who wish to take a vacation as well as get some golfing action.

Check Out The Course

Prior to embarking on your golf vacation, it is prudent to take a look at the golf courses available. Now these could be the neighborhood golf courses or the golfing resort courses, but whatever it is, ensure that you go on a golf vacation that suits your requirements.

For instance, if you wish to play on a course that provides quite a challenge, then you need to ensure that the golf course you choose is not an elementary golf course. Moreover, bear in mind that you should not check into shoddy hotels in order to meet premium golf course usage charges. You need to strike a fine balance between vacation, recreation and golf. Now, by doing this, you will discover the finest golf vacations that suit your requirements.

Abhishek is an avid Golfer! Visit his website www.Golf-Skills.com and download his FREE Golf Report "The Perfect Golfing Vacation" to learn some amazing Golfing tips and tricks for FREE. Whether you are a Golf novice or a professional Golfer, you will find very valuable tips from his site. But hurry, only limited Free copies available!

www.Golf-Skills.com