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Pinch That Ball Off the Turf
By: Jeff Gustafson
"Just pinch the back of that ball, son"; "swing inside out"; "keep your head behind the ball"...words of wisdom that still echo in my head to this day.
My brother and I had a good role-model to follow since dad had won the Tacoma Amateur in the early 30's and followed that up with 20+ amateur titles over the next 30 years.
We both enjoyed the game but in my case there were other priorities such as baseball and basketball - If only I had known then what I know now.
Golf, as you know, is a game that you can play your entire life. And although dad tried his hardest to pass on his legacy, I didn't make it easy for me. "Pinch the ball" what does that mean? "Keep your head behind the ball..." aren't you already 'behind' it facing it?
By the time little "cocky me"asked someone to show me what pinching the ball looks like" it was too late. I had already pissed off the messenger.
The one thing that dad did get through to me that made sense was to play more strategically when it came to golf - always put your self in a position to make the next shot. He modeled perfectly with each round.
You see, golf is no different than most anything else. Those that succeed understand that preparation and planning are the keys to success. That includes practice as well as laying out a game-plan that one can follow during the golf round.
Even when dad had a miscue he was never out of the hole. You would see him wandering off somewhere other than in the fairway after hitting an errand shot yet the next thing you know you look up and there he is 20 feet from the pin putting for his birdie.
Dad's theory was quite simple: always play the smart shot, keep your mind in the game and things will eventually take care of themselves. (In fact, that was his basic theory in life - "it will all work out" was his pet phrase).
Dad would let the big "bangers" flirt with the trees flexing their muscles with every shot while he strategically stayed with his game-plan always giving himself a shot at the pin.
Even his miscues would leave an open shot.
Did he always win? Of course not but no one does. What he did do was always win more often than the other three in his foursome put together. Dad was consistent - never counted out. And if you were to beat him you would have to do it with your best game straight up.
Dad could get beat but he never lost.
As the years have gone by I have thought about the lessons that dad tried to convey on the golf course and even though they did not register nor seem important at the time they have grown in clarity with each passing year. He was not only a great "sticker" but a great human being and I wish he were still here to show me how to "pinch that ball off the turf". I think I just might 'get it' now.
Article by Jeff Gustafson - the creator of the Pocket Pro Personal Game-Plan and Strategy System www.the-sixth-man.com www.managingthecourse.com
More Information On Golf Swing Aid
To achieve the goal of hitting the ball at the bottom of the swing arc. Your drives should be hit slightly on the upswing, iron shots are struck slightly on the downswing. Fairway woods are hit at the bottom of the swing arc.
...PGA of America
Wear Wristbands
A must if you want to look cool.
...Golf Tips magazine
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Featured Golf Article
Check out Jean Littler's golf book for yourself and learn how to swing a golf club the right way!
By Lee MacRae
How To Swing A Golf Club Properly
Learning
how to swing a golf club properly is the Holy Grail for any golfer. Beginners usually start out by having someone show them how to do it. But even longtime golfers are often watching their friends or asking others for tips on how they do it. Then try to apply what they see or hear. In a nutshell, everyone is looking for the perfect way to swing a golf club.
For some, learning how to swing a golf club properly is an easy task. But for the vast majority, the golf swing becomes an elusive entity. They have it one day and then it's gone the next. They make a great shot on one hole, and the sky's the limit. The next hole brings a bad shot, and they want to twist the club into a pretzel! Ever happened to you?
The golf swing can be broken down into various sections. There is the backswing, the downswing, the impact and the follow-through. Each of these can and has been analyzed to try and find the perfect swing for each and every golfer. But then, there is also such a thing as a pre-shot routine, that's the sequence of events you go through before each and every swing. The really professional golfers do the exact same thing before each and every shot. They have their pre-shot routine down to a science and they follow it religiously. Quite often, the budding golfer or even the longtime duffer will continuously change their pre-shot routine almost daily looking for just that little extra secret or edge. Instead, they only succeed in messing up their golf swing and the whole thing starts all over again.
One of the greatest tools we have today to learn how to swing a golf club properly is the golf video. No, I'm not talking about ones you buy from a store on the DVD. You can do that if you want. But the amazing thing today is that the Internet will provide you with videos on the golf swing of just about anybody you can name today. Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh or Arnold Palmer of yesterday. Golf legends like Jack Nicklaus or Walter Hagan, golf swing specialists like Ben Hogan or Bobby Jones. All of them are available for you to to study. And most of them are available without cost.
But keep in mind that these videos still needs to be used in conjunction with golf lessons. A few good golf lessons with a local pro and then a watching how the PGA professionals put it into effect, can do wonders to advance your game. But what about if you can't afford golf lessons? Well, there are a number of good books on the market that you can read and then watch how the pros apply it. One of the best e-books I've ever seen is one put out by Golf Hall of Fame legend Gene Littler. Littler had a fluid swing I could only dream about. If you don't believe me, you can find videos of this golf legend and see his amazing fluid golf swing for yourself. many have called his swing the best, or at the very least the second-best, golf swing of all-time.
Whatever you decide, use the advantages of video technology along with golf lessons or golf books to learn how to swing a golf club properly. Not spending time to get the fundamental down properly will impede your progress and make the game less enjoyable. Spend a few dollars targeted to the right knowledge and watch your golf scores drop instead!
About the author
Don't hesitate to buy your copy of Gene Littler's eBook How To Master The Golf Swing and learn
how to swing a golf club the right way! In this book Gene reveals the golf swing secrets that led to his PGA tour success.
Hints On Clone Golf ClubsWHEN YOU PLAY A LOT BUT CAN'T IMPROVE
It's time to back go back to fundamentals and see a pro. Keep a record of where you are losing strokes and concentrate on improving those parts of your game. Start with a review of your grip and stance. That's where most problems begin. Also, try to swing with the proper tempo and with 80% of your power.
...Tom's golf tips
Handle Leads Hands
The body should continue to move the arms through impact and into the finish. Don't allow the clubhead to pass the handle of the club until well past impact.
...Golf Tips magazine
To check your clubhead angle practice the hit and hold drill. This will give you immediate feedback in determining whether the clubface is preceding the hands at impact. Hit a few balls and hold, not allowing your hands to go past waist high on the follow-through. If the left wrist or hand is bent forward this indicates the clubhead was ascending rather than descending at impact. Final note: You cannot cheat this drill, as it will clearly show you where you are at in regards to your angle of approach on your golf swings.
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<p>After 21 years of acting as the season-ending finale to the European Tour, the Volvo Masters will receive its own curtain-falling experience here these next four days. It will be fitting if the four players who can still win the Order of Merit title that has always given this tournament its extra dimension can deliver the climax this proud event deserves. Alas, the whisper on the range these last few days has not centred around the question of whether Padraig Harrington, the year's dual major champion, can overhaul Robert Karlsson, the "Mr Consistent" of 2008, or indeed if Lee Westwood or Miguel Angel Jimenez can produce the late and unlikely charge to steal the Harry Vardon Trophy. </p>
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Golf Universe
Featured Writer
Check out Jean Littler's golf book for yourself and learn how to swing a golf club the right way!
By Lee MacRae
How To Swing A Golf Club - Let Gene Teach You!
Just about everyone who takes up golf begins to look for information on
how to swing a golf club at some time or another. And it's perfectly understandable, since swinging a golf club is so vital to scoring well in the game of golf. Each and every person tries to find the perfect golf swing for him or her.
For some, learning how to swing a golf club properly is an easy task. But for the vast majority, the golf swing becomes an elusive entity. They have it one day and then it's gone the next. They make a great shot on one hole, and the sky's the limit. The next hole brings a bad shot, and they want to twist the club into a pretzel! Ever happened to you?
It's important to remember that the basic golf swing can be broken down into individual sections. You have the backswing, you have the downswing, there is the impact moment and there is the follow through of the shot. Some people can put together all of these various components very easily. Others have to study each and every section and work hard to put it all together into one fluid motion. Then there is a factor of the pre-shot routine. Some people have a tendency to dally over the ball, take a few swings, back away, get set up again and then go through the whole routine a different way on each and every shot. And then they wonder why they have no consistency. accomplished golfers and PGA professionals in specific, have very set pre-shot routines that they do exactly the same way on every shot. And their pre-shot routine's are usually very quick and not at all a long drawn out affair that you see Sunday golfers engage in.
One of the best things we have today to help someone learn how to swing a golf club properly is the video. We can now watch each and every golfer from our Tiger Woods of today to Jack Nicholas and Bobby Jones of yesterday to see exactly how a golf swing should be performed. We are fortunate to be in such an era where the Internet can deliver video on demand for just about every pro golfer on the PGA Tour. We can see exactly how a golf club should be swung for optimum performance.
But simply watching golf videos may not be enough. In fact, for most people there is still the need to be shown the proper way to swing a golf club. Golf lessons are an invaluable tool. Proper instructions will show you how to hold your hands in the proper grip, the proper stance and set up as well as how each and every section of the golf swing should work. Golf videos can then help you to SEE how it all goes together. And if he can't afford golf lessons, or perhaps only one or two, then instruction books can be an invaluable tool. You can read how to perform each and every part of the golf swing and then again used golf videos to see how it all goes together. An example of a great instructional e-book is Gene Littler's "Master The Golf Swing". Littler won 29 PGA Tour events and had an incredibly beautiful swing.
Whatever you decide, use the advantages of video technology along with golf lessons or golf books to learn how to swing a golf club properly. Not spending time to get the fundamental down properly will impede your progress and make the game less enjoyable. Spend a few dollars targeted to the right knowledge and watch your golf scores drop instead!
About the author
Buy your copy of Gene Littler's eBook How To Master The Golf Swing and learn
how to swing a golf club the right way! In this book Gene reveals the golf swing secrets that led to his PGA tour success.
Hints On Golf PutterThe shove type: The word shove is misleading. An actual shove is illegal. It's only a feel. What gives this shove feel is the stroke is made with a very short backswing and a long followthrough. The advantage of this type of stroke is the shorter the backswing, the less chance of error.
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Narrow Your Focus
Consistently making short putts is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. To help maintain concentration, find a blade of grass directly in front of the middle of the hole as you prepare to strike the putt. Don't look at the hole itself or the back of it, but simply try to roll the ball over the spot on the front of the hole. Using the front of the hole makes the target closer and makes your focus that much more specific.
...Golf Tips magazine
Custom Golf Putters
When it comes to putters the traditional heel-weighted blade is best left to expert putters. Traditional blades are simply too hard to control for most recreational players. Face-balanced mallets and heal-toe weighted putters are what most recreational players should check out. Both promote a straight-back-and-straight-through stroke and minimize the effects of mishits.
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Headline News About Golf
Players wait on Ballesteros update
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<p>
Justin Rose offered words of support to Seve Ballesteros today as the Spanish
legend underwent a third operation to remove a brain tumour.
</p>
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