To understand how to buy golf club components, you first need to know how these parts work and what they are in the first place. So lets begin in this way. If you know the parts already, treat this portion as a short review of Golf 101.
The Grip
The grip of the golf club is important because it is the extension of the golfer's hands. According to the rules of golf, the grip has to be round, without obvious pockmarks which detract significantly from the roundness.
The Shaft
The shaft of the golf club connects the grip to the head and, like the grip, must also conform to accepted roundness rules. Most modern golf club shafts are made of either steel or a carbon-fiber and resin composite.
Now its about time to explain the concept and the theory behind a golf club component. The operant word is assembly type. Its like playing Lego set. So lets say you want to fit your choice of shaft to the rest of the club components, youll be running into a vendor that sells a golf component kit. Now youve got to be careful about whom you trust in this business. Its easy to ruin your investment. It can get scratched or worse, broken. Its not a simple glue or Epoxy situation.
Some unscrupulous golf component vendors use a sacrificial laminate process, involving grinding the outside of the shaft. By cutting the fibers on the surface, energy and feel are lost. Solution: Look for a high grade modulus shaft fiber which results in very little loss of energy from your hands to the clubface.
Jonathan Berry has been publishing articles for over twenty years. Enjoy more golf related articles including merchant discounts at http://golf-clubs-reviews.info
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Golf Club Componets: Playing Golf The Lego Set Way
Getting to the Core of the Problem with Your Golf Game
Hitting a long drive off the tee, iron shots, pitch shots and blasting out of the bunker and even putting. Heck, even picking up the ball in the cup takes strength in your core region.
So, it would make sense then that many of your struggles in golf originate in the weaknesses in the core of your body.
How do you fix it? Well, theres no magic core strength pill or patch. It takes some good, old-fashioned flexibility training and exercise. Now, Im not talking about hitting the gym every day of the week and pumping iron like some of those puffed up body builders. This is simple stuff you can do right in your home or office; just minutes a day, maybe 15 to 20 minutes, thats it.
I already do my sit-ups every day!
Different types of core exercises exist. Many of you are probably familiar with exercises such as the sit-up, which is an exercise that can be used to train the core. If you have read any of our other articles, read our manual Your Body and Your Swing or watched the DVD, you are well aware of what the word core means and its relation to the golf swing.
Let us do a quick review for your benefit and introduce the types of core exercises to perform for a better golf swing.
The core is an anatomical region of the body. It can generally be defined as the region of your body between the hips and chest. It encompasses numerous muscle groups on the front, side, and backside of the body. In general the core consists of the muscles that make up your abdominals, lower back, obliques, and hips.
The core region is important to the golf swing for many reasons. The core is essentially called the engine of the body. It is the area that drives the body for most any human movement including your golf swing. It is primarily responsible for the capacities of: balance, stability, and power development within the body. For these capacities to occur efficiently it is necessary to train the core for improved performance.
Core Training for the Golfer
Many of us correlate core training to only the abdominal section of the body. In order to develop the core correctly, we must train all areas of the core equally. This means to address the obliques, hips, and lower back with the same number of exercises and repetitions as you do for the commonly trained abdominal region.
A quick note from experience: More times than not, most golfers have imbalances in the core region. This means that certain muscles or muscle groups are weaker than others. To improve your performance on the golf course, you need to have a balanced core for optimal strength, endurance and power. Keeping this thought in mind, many times the lower back region is weaker than the abdominals (an imbalanced core). Picture the golfer picking up his ball from the cup. Weve all seen them, creaking as they go down, maybe a quiet groan as if no one hears it. If this is the case, additional attention/exercises are needed for the lower back to bring it up to speed, so to speak, in level with the abdominals.
Moving forward, knowing that we must train the entire core and create balance between all the muscles, it is time to discuss what type of exercises to utilize in training the core region. To develop the core region for golf you will want to perform exercises in the following categories: stability (balance), strength, endurance, and power. All four of these categories are necessary for an optimal swing. Leaving one of the categories listed above out of your training program is like building a boat with a hole in it. It wont work!
Let us define the differing training categories of a golf specific core program to help you better understand the purpose behind each category. The categories of core training that are incorporated in golf training are: 1) stability (balance) training, 2) strength training, 3) endurance training, and 4) power training.
Balance and Stability
Stabilization exercises are exercises that give the body the ability to have better balance. A large portion of your balance capability is directly related to the core region of the body. If you are unable to maintain your balance throughout the golf swing, the efficiency of the swing, contact with the ball, and club head speed will suffer. For example, when you swing your driver and are not able to maintain that perfect finished position of swing, the problem may be related to your balance capacities throughout the entire swing.
Balance training develops the integration of your neural and muscular systems, your brain and your body. Improvement in the functioning of these two systems of the body and integration of these two systems will result in a better swing. Follow the logic and it will all make sense. If you improve the ability of your body to balance, then the ability to maintain balance within your golf swing will become easier.
Strength
The golf swing requires that certain body parts remain in a stable position while other body parts are moving. To perform a powerful golf swing, the body must have the strength and flexibility to perform these actions simultaneously.
In order to perform the above activity it is required to develop the strength parameters of the core. If you have a weak core then the ability to maintain a posture, keep a posture, and perform this over a period of time will be compromised. To repeat, the core region of the body is involved in the stabilization process of the body. To improve this capacity, we must train the body to be more efficient at stabilizing itself during the golf swing. Strength exercises develop and improve this capacity within your body for the purpose of improving your golf swing.
Endurance
The golf swing is a repetitive movement performed by the body. You are doing the same activity over and over. An efficient golf swing and good scores require that you perform the same swing on the 18th hole as you do on the 1st hole. If you are unable to do this then the mechanics of your swing will suffer, as will your scores. To eliminate this situation it is necessary to develop the endurance capacities of the core region. Endurance exercises allow the body to perform the same activity over and over without getting fatigued. As a result of the golf swing being a repetitive athletic movement, endurance training will enhance the ability to maintain your optimal swing mechanics over an extended period of time.
Power
Power Exercises are geared towards improving the power outputs of the body. Training for power gives you the opportunity to hit the ball farther. The core region of the body is directly related to torque development in the golf swing. Power can also be defined as torque (rotational power) when discussing the golf swing. In order to create high amounts of club head speed, your body has to create large amounts of torque. If you want to create greater power in your golf swing you must include power exercises in your core training program.
If you are really serious about improving your game, start at the core of the problem!
In this article we have described the core and how to train the core specifically for the improvement of your golf game. A few points to keep in mind from this article: 1) the core is a region of the body that includes all muscles from your hips to your chest, 2) you must develop the capacities of stability, strength, endurance, and power within the core for a benefit in your game, and 3) the development of the core must be balanced in terms of all muscles involved and in all the training components (equal amounts of stability, strength, endurance, and power) within the core. For more information of golf specific training please look at our website www.BioForceGolf.com
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.comCheck out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, (www.bioforcegolf.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=93 ) on BioForceGolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com
Fitness For Golf Isnt Just For The Pros
Fitness for golf is a common term on the television these days. Im sure youve heard it a few times. The secret is out. Fitness for golf has come to the forefront of total golf performance.
Golfers have heard it enough. The golf swing is a physically abusive movement to the human bodyunless you take the time to prepare for it.
I was watching the Golf Channel (I do that frequently) the other day, with Tiger on. He said it perfectly.
He said, it would be absurd to think a football player, basketball player or baseball player wouldnt physically work on his body to play better golf. Why wouldnt a golfer do the same thing?
I was sitting there saying, thank you Tigerfitness for golf is here to stay.
If it takes the Number One golfer in the world to convince youthen Im all for it.
How many times have you walked off the course or practice range with a twinge or two in your body? How about when you got home? Did it get worse?
Whats that tell you?
I hope you realize how important fitness for golf is, in not only helping your prevent injury, but utilize your true potential to its fullest.
Doesnt it make sense to improve your flexibility AND strength to hit longer drives that go straighter? Doesnt it also make sense to improve your fitness for golf as you get olderto slow down the aging process?
Dont look at it as work, sweating or effort. Look at it as playing your best game ever!
You will continue to hear about fitness for golf, when it comes to performing better golf.
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at http://www.performbettergolf.com
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Perform Better Golf Right In Your Home
I have researched the golf improvement market for over a decade now and am very disappointed. There are major companies who are making a TON of money off desperate golfers.
The approach that has proven successful for the past 5 years (with my clients) is the physical approach to perform better golf. What I mean by this is working on your physical limitations to perform better golf.
By training your BODY, not buying more equipment or taking more lessons you will play better. It is your BODY that plays the game, so focus on it and the sky is the limit.
I have said this many times before. I want you to think of yourself as an athlete. You probably were one at some point in your life. Did you ever do a workout for that sport you participated in? Ill be the answer is yes.
Well now your sport is golf. And to perform better golf means training specific to golf. Not going into a gym and plopping down on a machine. Not working out like a body builder. But doing exercises that are very similar to your golf swing with resistance.
I want you to do exercises that will have an immediate impact on your game. That will give you the quickest return on your time and money investment. Doesnt that sound like a winner?
There are some golf fitness dvds that have come on the market lately. Ive reviewed them all. Some are okay, and some are not user-friendly at all. You want to get a golf fitness dvd that is plug-and-play. What I mean isput it in the dvd player and the golf fitness expert takes you through the entire workout. From start to finish.
This is the most effective way to know you are doing the entire workout correctly and at the right pace. So many of the dvds now dont do this. They show you the exercises, but in no particular order or pace.
To perform better golf you need to take this approach. If you arent a believer yet, just ask yourself if your game has improved in the last 6 months. Be honest. Has it? If not, what are you currently doing that you need to change?
I hope this article has brought to your attention the importance of golf fitness in your pursuit to perform better golf!
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at http://www.performbettergolf.com
Monday, January 12, 2009
What Can A Golf Exercise Routine Do For Those Who Are Happy With Their Game
You bet it can. While there are many useful benefits of a golf exercise routine to a persons game even when they are happy with their current form, exercises have many other benefits that a golfer can enjoy and benefit from.
For example, lower back pains are fairly common on the course. And so is fatigue hence you will see some golfers form deteriorate as the game proceeds.
They are simply getting more and more tired. The more tired they get, the worse their game gets because they even start to lose concentration at critical moments.
Did you know that just a single exercise within a good golf exercise routine can greatly strengthen your back to the extent where you will be able to play 18 holes without breaking a sweat? Or even hit balls the whole day without feeling that lower back pain.
This lower back pain could either be caused by strain and fatigue as the golf swing usually utilizes the lower back muscles to a great exetent.
Or it could easily be an injury. Golf exercise routines will deal with both instances in that they greatly help a golfer reduce on their risk of getting injured in the first place.
Many golf injuries are caused by the golfer over-straining certain muscles as they desperately try to get the swing technique right and improve their scores.
The muscles and body are not prepared to be stretched to the limit and the result for a golfer not involved in any golf exercise routine can be a nagging injury that will keep them off the course for a long time. It could even be the dreaded injury that will tend to recur the moment they think they are healed and start to play the game again.
Golf exercise routines will help you avoid these situations.
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at http://www.performbettergolf.com
How to Eliminate Your Golf Slice Quickly
Chances are that you have battled with a slice at some point in your golfing days. To be completely direct with you, dealing with a slice really sucks. It hurts your golf game in many more ways than one.
Luckily, it's fairly easy to fix. I cannot claim that this small tip will completely cure your slice, but there's a good chance that it will. I hope it does.
First off, please understand that when you come into the impact zone, there are really only 2 factors that can determine the "shape" of ball flight.
1. The angle of the club face at impact.
2. The Path the club is taking at impact.
So, here's a few things you should concentrate on.
Try to keep your leading shoulder "down" on the ball through impact. This is called staying strong through impact. Many times the leading shoulder (left shoulder if right handed) flies up before impact. Now just for a minute, think about what that does to the club head when it's in the impact zone.
Get up from the computer and actually go though the motions slowly. Let your leading shoulder fly up as you approach impact and you'll actually be able feel and see the clubface coming from an outside-in path. Thats the cause of the slice you are battling.
See, golf is all about thinking and analyzing your shots to get better. A huge part of this game is understanding "why" you're getting a certain result, and the physics behind that result. Thinking through your golf swing will provide huge dividends if you're willing to invest the time it takes.
So what can you do to correct that flying shoulder? Well, for starters, try to learn to keep your leading shoulder strong. Keep that shoulder "Down" on the ball all the way through impact, even after the ball is gone and flying straight down the fairway.
So, after impact the leading shoulder is still down. The triangle between your shoulders and chest is still present. Most importantly, the body has NOT gotten ahead of the hands. This is a HUGE distinction. As you may notice, the left shoulder is actually higher than the right shoulder. So what do I mean when I say "leading shoulder down"?
You have to envision yourself from the back looking down on the ball. When I say "down", I mean that the leading shoulder and chest is still facing the ball through impact.
So even though it may seem like the leading shoulder is higher than the trailing shoulder, it's still facing the ball at impact. NOT TOWARDS THIRD BASE in comparison to the ball. If your leading shoulder was facing towards third base at impact, which would mean that you have let the leading shoulder fly up.
Furthermore, hand action is huge in this game. You must learn to release your hands correctly through the ball. This means that you release the hands while the leading shoulder is still "down", or facing the ball.
The key is to let your arms release through the ball, while your left shoulder is "Down" on the ball. To do this you will need to rotate your forearms correctly, and use your leading ELBOW (not shoulder) as a hinge. So another way to explain this movement would be that your hands are still moving towards the target, but your leading elbow has almost stopped.
Keep the leading shoulder down and let your arms and hands release through the ball and you will see the ball go farther and higher. This will take a while to get used to, but once it clicks, the results will be outstanding.
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to http://www.golfswingguru.com
How Better Course Management Can Lower Your Golf Score
Whether you are just starting to learn golf, or you have been golfing for many years and you're just looking to refine your game, this will provide a good direction of focus for this season.
If you want your score to drop by any significant amount, you should learn to hit your 150 yard club, and learn to hit it very well.
By "hitting your 150 yard club very well", I mean being able to step up to the ball, and KNOW that you can hit any green that is 150 yards away. Every time, any condition, with no pressure.
You need to get to the point in your game where you can hit those 8 or 9 irons very consistently and accurately. Anyone can do this. Believe it or not, 150 yards is not very far away, and most greens these days are very big targets. The short irons should be the easiest club in your bag to hit. And if they aren't the easiest clubs to hit, you should work on them until they are.
Once you master that shot, everything else is a simple adjustment. Your swing will be on, and you can simply add or take away a little club to adjust for varying distances.
That's step 1.
Step 2 is designing your game to work around your "guaranteed 150 yard shot".
Let's say you are on the average 400 yard par 4. If you have that 150 yard shot in your bag, then it should be very easy for you to get onto the green in 3 shots.
Think about this...(I know you wouldn't really do this) but if you have the 150 yard shot, you can hit it off the tee, and again for your second shot, and end up 100 yards out hitting 3 from the fairway.
Now you've put yourself in a good position, which is what course management is all about. And better yet, if you have the 150 yard shot down, your 100 yard shots are likely to be working a lot better as well.
Even if you get yourself into trouble off the tee, just lay up to 150 yards out, and use your 150 shot to get on the green. This will do a ton of good for your golf game. You're on in 3, and you can still save par or make bogey with a 2 put.
Start small, and master the 150 yard shot. Then build your game around it. If you do this, you won't have to worry about so many bunker shots, chip shots, and all the other specialty shots that make this game so frustrating.
If you can get this shot down, you've taken the first step to breaking down your game and lowering your scores. Then you work on your putting, and then you work on your driver.
Now, I realize golf isn't as easy as I've made it out to be above, but it really can be if you have the 150 yard shot. I can guarantee that you'll be playing the best golf of your life this season, if you keep focus on improving that 150 yard shot. It is essential!
That's it for this newsletter. I'll be in touch in the next few weeks with some putting tips that should really have you stroking the ball.
If you would like to refine your swing this season "The Simple Golf Swing" is a great place to start. You can get it below. I guarantee that it will cut 7 strokes from your average score almost immediately.
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to http://www.golfswingguru.com
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Know Your Golf Clubs - Your Golf Putting - Use These Putting Tips
When putting it seems to be just natural to let your eyes follow the backswing. To correct this you might turn the golf ball until the brand is on top. Then just keep
your eyes on that.
When putting, think of the golf swing as a pendulum and as you move through this area, strike the golf ball with the sweet spot only. What? Huh?
How do you find the sweet spot? Hold your putter using the thumb and forefinger. You are dangling it now and letting it swing.
With the other forefinger tap the putter blade until the putter head rebounds straight back in perfect alignment. That is the sweet spot for this putter. Some players mark it.
To judge the distance of the backswing try this exercise. Use your right big toe as a guide and take the putter back to your right big toe.
Now, being consistent with your speed accelerate the club head through the ball and watch how far that ball rolls. You
might try this in both wet and dry conditions. This gives you the feel to gauge from there how long the backswing should be for the putt you are facing.
If your distance is shorter, adjust for how far inside the right big toe your swing should be. Adjust outside the toe
for a longer putt. Get a feel for this and you will know how far to take the putter back.
Again, it is a feeling. Accelerate through the ball and make sure your follow through is longer than your backswing.
Concentrate on feeling the putter accelerate through the putt.
In summary; You are trying consciously to get a feel for the art in your golf game. You will succeed. It just takes practice.
Written by Tom Downward, researcher, widely published author and freelance writer. Contact address is ... info@golfequipmentworld.com
http://www.golfequipmentworld.com
Golf Training Programs For All Golfers
Lady golfers have not been afraid to use weights so as to be stronger for golf and to strengthen their golf muscles. Many men still dread golf exercises believing that they are too rigorous or that the weight training will make them stiff with overgrown muscles.
Golf training programs, like any other sporting programs have underlined the fact that the stronger a person is specific to their sport, the better they will tend to perform.
The fear of developing huge muscles is no longer there because it has been replaced by knowledge an the facts. Which are that muscle-building and strength-building exercises are very different things and there is no way a person can develop muscles when they are in a golf training program that is designed to increase strength in their golf-specific muscles.
The results of involvement in a golf training program are usually clear for everybody to see on the course. Lady golfers involved in golf training programs are hitting longer drives and more consistently. Everybody involved in a golf training program is performing on a much higher level than those who shun golf exercises.
The result is that women golfers are no longer the brunt of jokes and extremely high standards and amazing performances are now very visible. Good golf training programs have made all the difference.
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his new golf fitness site at http://www.performbettergolf.com
How Golf-Specific Strength Exercises Can Enable Women Golfers to Play Exceptional Golf
Is your driving distance going down and down? Does your back hurt after a round of golf? Do you feel like you've lost power in your golf swing? Improving your strength specific to golf may be the missing link.
Golf is no longer just the leisure game it used to be. It is now recognized as an athletic sport. As with all other athletic sports, your body's strength plays a crucial part in how well you play the game.
FACT: A stronger body plays better golf. Most strength-building workouts can be beneficial to some degree, but there are golf-specific strength exercises that enable you to hit longer -- and straighter -- drives with less effort and hit more accurate shots, which will consequently lower your scores.
GOLF TIP: Strengthen Your Back and Prevent Low Back Pain -- so that you can play 18 holes without fatigue
Did you know that doing even just one exercise will greatly improve the strength of your back so that you will be able to play 18 holes, or hit balls all day without any pain?
I call this powerful little exercise the "Lying Superman." You won't believe the amazing difference this exercise can make in your strength until you actually do it -- so go for it! All you have to do is lie on your stomach on the floor with your hands at your sides. Raise both your upper body (chest), arms and legs as high as you can. Hold it for a count of 10. And that's it! Just do this simple exercise for 2 sets every day and you can say goodbye to low back pain!
Playing golf at an optimum level requires muscular strength, power, and endurance. Contrary to what most people think, long practice sessions and hitting hundreds of balls will not improve these components. In fact, they will only result in physical injuries (from overuse) and a great deal of frustration.
Benefits of Golf-Specific Strength Training For Women
Strength training is the obvious solution for taking your golf game to the next level. The benefits of golf-specific strength training have been well documented. Golfers have significantly increased their driving distance, lowered their handicaps, and reduced injuries. Therefore, it is advantageous for golfers of all ages and fitness levels to start a strength training program.
The "Lying Superman" is just one of the many results-producing exercises compiled into one revolutionary golf fitness program that I personally designed for golfers, and which I've trademarked the Fit Golf For Women Performance Program.
This article was written by Mike Pedersen, golf fitness expert and founder of the web only online golf performance program for women at www.fitgolfforwomen.com