Exercise

The golf travel industry is huge. Destination resorts such as Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and Phoenix are springing up all over. Developers are not just hoping for the Field of Dreams… build it and they will come… they know folks will come.

Look at business. So many business relationships and transactions are being done on the links. And it’s happening all over the globe.

Certain trips you are able to bring your clubs; others times not.

We are going to talk about how travel affects your body and your swing while playing golf or not playing. We will also discuss what can help you with that horrid jet lag that can easily hinder your performance on the course or in the board room.

I write this article from experience. I am currently in my third year on the PGA tour as a trainer. I travel all over the globe with the tour. So I understand what it is like to "live" out of a suitcase and not have everything available to you. Granted, we always have golf clubs with us, but I have some innovative ways to keep your game in shape.

I am guessing that all of us can relate to the title of this article. I am sure you have bent over for that 4 footer (can’t give you that 4 footer, sorry), and felt that lower back feel tired, sore, painful or tight. Regardless of what the word is, you feel it! I also am guessing that some of you have changed to belly putters for the reason that your back hurts when you putt! Even if you are one of those players that has switched to a belly putter because of back pain, that pain is an indicator of something else going on within the body. I am sure we could use the excuse: I am older now and that is just what happens; or maybe we use the "cave man excuse": humans just were meant to walk on two legs! Regardless of what excuse you use, there is a reason and solution to solve those lower back problems. Even if you don’t realize it, the lower back that you feel when putting is also affecting the other parts of your game (i.e. driving, long irons, chipping, pitching, etc.) This article has the goal of explaining why your back is sore when you putt and what we can do to help alleviate the problem.

Improve golf swing seems like a thought that is on our minds as golfers dozens of times per day. Do you agree? But what are you currently doing to improve your golf swing?

Let me take a guess. Spending money on lessons, that may-or-may-not be working? How about the latest-greatest driver? Did it lower your score? Golf balls? They say the Titleist ProV1 makes a ton of difference. Has it for you?

I could go on-and-on but I won’t. I think you get the idea.

So I’ve mentioned some very common, ‘traditional ways’ to try to improve your golf swing. But I haven’t mentioned the MOST important one.

Do you want to take a guess?

Have you read any of my other 200 hundred or so articles floating around the web and in newspapers? If you haven’t then you may not know what I’m going to say.

But if you have?you know exactly what I’m going to say!

Look in the mirror?that’s your answer!

No this isn’t a joke. No I’m not trying to yank your chain. I’m trying to get you to realize what is holding you back. It’s not taking lessons. It’s not buying more equipment or $40 golf balls.

One of the main problems for golfers is power. Yep, good old power. It seems simple enough but power can be elusive to most golfers. How could this be? simply everyone is unique in an anatomical sense. Everybody has different muscle tone, muscle development and even bone structure. This could lead to multiple factors that affect power.

Having power in your strokes is a desirable asset. Longer drives, lower scores and lets not forget, bragging rights. As I said, there are many factors that contribute to the development of power. And each one is unique as you are unique to the rest of the people of the world. But sit tight co’z I’ll be introducing you to a breakthrough research that may be the factor your lacking to improve you’re golf power thus having longer tees.

One word, Plyometrics! If you haven’t heart of if, then you should. And no it’s not rocket science or some new name for a synthetic fiber, which by the way what I thought when I first heard about it. In a nutshell, Plyometric is any exercise that where the muscle is contracted eccentrically then immediately, concentrically. Simply put, the muscle is stretched before it is contracted.

Golf swing tips are rampant! Golfers can’t get enough of them. But are they working?or are they adding to the confusion and frustration of your game? Many qualified instructors will tell you to stay away from all the golf swing tips in the golf magazines.

Why?

Because it causes "paralysis-by-analysis!"

What I mean is you get on the course and you are thinking too much about your golf swing mechanics and not enough about getting the ball in the fairway, onto the green, and in the hole!

We also call this the "62-point checklist".

I’m here to tell you that golf swing tips by themselves will NEVER work! I know?this is a very strong statement, but I feel very strong about this.

How many times have you received a tip from a golf instructor, golfing buddy or out of a magazine?only to try it and play worse?

Come on?be honest!

I can tell you right now that it’s your BODY that won’t allow you to apply this golf swing tip. Your brain knows what to do?and wants to do it, but your body CAN’T perform it!

How can you lower your scores by simply cleaning your golf clubs you ask? It’s actually very simple. If you have clean golf clubs you can make better contact with the ball. This allows the clubs to do what they are designed to do without any interference form grass, sand or mud on the face.

Since golf is a game about battling the elements, the golfer need s all the help they can get. You deal with the hot sun, a quick summer shower and even a little mud or wet grass on your shoes. All these weather conditions can wreak havoc on your body let alone your golf clubs.

It’s easy for you to shower and clean up, but your golf clubs can’t! You have to clean them as much as possible. If you do they will perform better, last longer, and help keep you clean by keeping you on the short grass!

What’s the best way to clean them?

There are two ways to clean your clubs: 1) You can buy a golf club cleaning kit from just about any pro shop. 2) You can also easily do it yourself at home or at the course. Let’s look at how to do it yourself. Here’s what you will need,

Every golfer wants to know the magic secret to achieving the proper golf swing. One that is repeatable and produces results.

If you have been trying to accomplish the proper golf swing through traditional ways and still aren’t happy with your results?you’ll need to keep reading this article to find out why.

You see?it’s your body that is keeping you from achieving the proper golf swing and playing your best golf! Doesn’t that make sense?

If your body is physically declining, and has limited golf-specific strength and flexibility?you will have a minimal chance at ever achieving the proper golf swing.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news?but this is a fact!

There are certain physical ‘musts’ to achieve a proper golf swing.

Here are just a couple:

• Approximately a 90 degree shoulder turn with a 45 hip turn.
• Golf posture with a slight bend at the hips and in the knees.
• Start the downswing with the lower body first, maintaining your upper body coil.
• Impact?you should be ‘behind the ball’ with your head and upper body as the hips are slightly open.
• Follow through requires maintaining the spine angle you had at address, throughout the follow through.

Now?you don’t see how physical limitations in both strength and flexibility will limit or not allow you to attain the above requirements, I don’t think you’re really looking at it closely.

I have a friend who blew out his ACL in his left knee while playing old man basketball. Old man being relative. A bunch of guys playing rec ball in their 30’s. We all get out there and play hard, sometimes harder than we should. The mind says yes, the body says no way! Mike’s ACL zigged when it should have zagged. Shortly after the surgery, he was visiting with his doctor on a routine check up when he asked the doctor if he’d be able to dunk the basketball after he completes his rehab.

After a pause, the doctor said, "Sure, you should be able to after you get released from recovery and rehab."

Mike said, "Great! I’ve never been able to dunk before, so I’ll look forward to rehab."

Injuries are a part of every sport, and golf is no different. Injuries occur in golf and can result in many things.

What are the common parts of the body that become injured for golfers?

What are the common reasons why injuries occur?

And finally, what can you do to prevent injuries in the sport of golf?

Here in England we are on the verge of the new football season and there is a large amount of transfer speculation and the like occurring. With football, we often find that the players who are doing well are confident. When they are having a great spell of the season, scored a lot of goals or something like that, their competence escalates as they feel more confidence. When their confidence is knocked, they might go through a bad spell and often their skills seem to be less available. My point here is that of self image and how we perceive ourselves. This is true with our golf swing also.

Our self-image often works like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have got a great friend who won’t mind me saying that he is not classically good looking (whatever that might be) however, he thinks of himself as attractive and as a result he carries a certain way about him that people are attracted to. Anyone who truly believes themselves to be acertain way; unnattractive or lacking in self-confidence for example, sabotage their chances of being anything else. This is the same with our own internal image of our golf swing.

It’s a pretty simple tip really, but it will help you to lower your scores.

What you should get out of this lesson is that short is usually better regarding approach shots, and I’m going to explain a few reasons why I believe this to be true.

Let’s set the scene. We’ll use the same example throughout. Let’s say that you usually hit your 8 iron around 150 yards, and you are 160 out. Now, most golfers would probably grab their 7 iron here, and think to themselves, “I’ll just take a little off this, and I’ll be right on the pin”.

Problem: Most recreational golfers don’t have the ability to add and take off power from their swings.

You should focus first, and foremost, on mastering one swing, including the tempo, speed, and power that it takes to perfect that one swing. Once you start trying to swing a little easier or a little harder, problems start to sneak into your round. You are trying to play for the pin and instead, you end up in the bunker on the right side of the green, and now you’ve just turned a par hole into a double bogey.