What to work on this winter

Take time to warm-up, says Rose If bumpy greens, frozen fairways and biting winds keep you from the golf course this winter, then you're not alone. But just because your clubs are in hibernation for much of the time, there's no excuse for turning your back on a few fundamentals to keep your game on the boil. After all, while many golfers are stuffing themselves with Christmas cheer, piling on the pounds and demanding sympathy for self-enforced hang-overs, the ones who will comes out of the traps next spring looking to improve their game will be those who work on it during the dark winter months. Justin Rose has been enjoying a few weeks away from the game himself and before kick-starting his schedule in South Africa, gave us Brits a few more tips on how to keep our game in reasonable shape, despite playing infrequently over the winter. 1. Stay cool, don't rush "Club golfers should never rush to the course cold and flustered. If you haven't played for a while, make sure you get there in plenty of time to hit some balls on the range and take some putts. "The balls on the range might be like bullets and the practice putting green might resemble a skating rink, but at least when you get to the first tee you've as good a chance as possible as hitting a good one. "When you're not playing much this should be you're number one consideration. Warm-up and get a feel for your swing and the putter head" 2. Practice with a purpose "With the limited time you have to hit balls over winter make sure it's productive. "Lay a club down (on the line of your target) and work on your alignment (feet, knees, hips, shoulders parallel). By placing a club in the centre of your stance, at right angles to the first one, work on ball position. Slightly forward of centre for the longer-shafted clubs. "Keep on top of the fundamentals. These are the most important things and there is really no excuse for not practising them. If your fundamentals are right the rest of it shouldn't get too far out of whack." 3. Keep that posture through your reflection "Even if you don't get time to practise, you can still work on maintain your posture right. For example, if you are on your own in a lift use the mirror to look at your posture. "Make sure the weight is on the balls on your feet, a little flex in your knees and a straight back. This will help keep some sort of feeling there of what is the right posture." (But make sure when the lift stops and the doors open you're standing normally and looking cool and in control or it could be embarrassing, as Justin admits. ED) 4. Missed putts in winter? Pah! "It's very important not to beat yourself up if you miss a few putts while playing in winter conditions. "Generally the greens will be terrible so don't let it affect your confidence. You have to accept you may not play so well if you are playing infrequently and in tough winter conditions, when the greens might be firm and bumpy." 5. Enjoy it "Last but never least just try and enjoy your golf during the inter break. I'd even recommend taking a little hip flask of whisky and make sure you get a bacon sarnie at the turn. (Yes, even Tour pros can afford to eat and drink unhealthily during their winter off). After all it's meant to be fun - and at least you're play !"   Why not tell us by leaving comment..... what you plan to work on in your game this winter.

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The longest golf drive in history will be made when a Russian cosmonaut tees off from the International Space Station.
Flight Engineer Mikhall Tyurin will hit three gold plated golf balls from 220 miles above the Earth using a purpose built lightweight six-iron.
He will have to swing the club with one hand as the spacesuit is too cumbersome for a two-handed grip.
The balls will sit in a wire nest to stop them drifting away and are expecting to orbit the Earth for three days.
The cosmonaut has undergone training from Rick Martino and Carol Mann, two of the sport's leading instructors. He will hit the balls away from the station as he and Mike Lopez-Alegria begin a space walk.
The shot will not be the first extraterrestrial game of golf. In 1971 Alan Shepard, the Apollo 14 astronaut ended a Moon walk by driving two balls for hundreds of yards across the lunar surface.

OK, we all want to do our best in this most infuriating game but the game is meant to be enjoyable. Slow play is causing more grief than any other issue in both amateur and professional golf. G.A.S.P. (golfers against slow play) is a new organisation formed to address this problem ! Actually we made that up !... but wouldn't it be a good idea. Perhaps we could get discounted rates for players who get round 18 holes in under 4 hours. Yes that's right under 4 hours and herein lies the problem. We feel that we need to move the goalposts. Most courses allow 4 hours and thirty minutes for 18 holes. This is basically 15 minutes a hole and it seems that is a nominal figure that someone has settled on somewhere down the line and everyone has followed suit. The fact is that every course is different , indeed every hole is different, so clubs should take a look at their standard timings and adjust them accordingly. Avoid slow play with these tips........ Play ready golf – If you are ready to play take your shot, don't wait for your playing partners, providing you are not in anyones way it helps to keep play moving along. Be ready to play – While waiting your turn, use the time to work out your yardage and decide what club you need, don't wait until it is your turn. Practice, practice, practice, practice, yawn !! – excessive practice swings and freezing at address kill more time on a golf course than almost anything else and rarely do they benefit the player. Go to the practice range and develop a quicker pre shot routine. Your game will benefit and you are less likely to get a sand iron wrapped round your neck! The slow walk home – sure golf is a leisure persuit but some people take it to extremes. Try walking at normal speed instead of in slow motion when walking to and from the green ! I'll take a mulligan – Oh, we do wish you wouldn't. we would all like to correct our mistakes but it is not good etiquette when you have people behind waiting. I'll mark – Oh, for goodness sake I'll give you the damn putt, it's only a foot long you don't need to putt out, pick it up and move on. Gone fishing! – Please don't spend ages looking for balls in the water, put your ball retriever away and get on with your round. Clear the green – Don't spend ages marking your scorecard by the green, wait until you have reached the next tee and mark your card while you are waiting to play. Finally – nobody is asking you to race round and not pay attention to your golf but follow the guidelines above and you will have plenty of time to play your game and still get round in under 4 hours even in a fourball. WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK PLEASE SEE BELOW.

When you are just starting to play golf, you are frequently warned to not hit the ball too hard. Energy that is focused will make the ball go much further than a hard swing that does not make contact with the ball at the club's center. When you are well balanced, you are more free to hit the ball correctly.

Tiger Woods - That's Balance

Keep your head still, with your eyes focused on the ball. The more still your head is, the better you will be able to see the ball. This helps to create the foundation for you to keep your balance. Any movement or distraction that hinders your balance will make it impossible to focus on the ball. It is imperative that you keep your head perfectly still and do not move it during your swing.

If you want to keep your balance, you need to relax your body and muscles. If you don't relax, then your head is going to move.

If you will watch yourself in front of your mirror, you will soon realize that you need to relax your muscles for your head to stay still while you swing. No two golfers have the same build, so you will have to figure out some things for yourself. It is a necessity to begin by keeping your head in the same position from the beginning to end of your swing. If you keep your head still, you will be able to focus on the ball, and you will turn your hands at the right time.

You will be able to cure many of your problems just by keeping your head completely still. It will be impossible to incorrectly grip your club without losing your balance and moving your head.

If you don't follow through correctly, you will not be able to keep your balance.

If you concentrate on your balance and keeping your head still, then you will not swing too hard or pull your club away. It will be impossible to put too much strength into your swing. You will be relaxed and will have a smooth swing and a successful finish.

Keeping your balance is necessary for you to enjoy a great game of golf. It will take time for you to see definite improvement, so be patient. Concentrate on keeping your balance and your head in one place and in no time you will be enjoying an excellent golf game that your friends will be envious of !

Secrets of Golf's Longest Hitter

Over 31 years ago, 64-year-old, Mike Austin set the Guinness Book World Record for "longest drive in competition" by driving a golf ball 515-yards. Would you like to discover the secrets of golf's longest hitter? If so, read on...

No one in the history of the game has come within a football field of this amazing record.

Just to prove to you the statement above is true check out these top drives of some of today's hottest golf pro's:

Jason Zuback averages 355 to 375 yards.
Tiger Woods averages 300 to 330 yards.
John Daly hit a 414 yard drive.
Sean "The Beast" Fister nailed a 406 yard shot.

By the way, Tiger Woods did crush one 412 yards... but... it was during a practice round. And Tiger's drive is 103 yards short of Austin's world record. Despite the fact Tiger is in his prime and Austin was an "old" man of 64 when he set his record.

Anyway, golf insiders have speculated why Austin was able to hit the ball so darn far. The fact is he used four simple swing secrets anyone can learn.

Swing Secret #1: The Forward Press
This is how Austin would start his swing. The forward press gets the body into motion and initiates the backswing. All of which builds the power for monster drives.

Swing Secret #2: The Compound Pivot
Harnesses your body's natural strength from a simple 8" shift in your center of gravity.

Swing Secret #3: The Hands And Arms
Sets the club on plane and keeps it there for distance and pinpoint accuracy.

Swing Secret #4: The Release
Modern golf instructors teach that delaying the release is proper form. Nothing could be further from the truth. The major secret to massive power is the release. Because it takes advantage of gravity so you get a running start at the ball.

Austin's four power swing secrets landed him in the Gunniess Book of World Records.

They do take a little bit of practice... but... once you get them down your game is going to change forever !

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Q: Who needs a lob wedge? A: Everyone who wants to score better. If I were your caddie, I'd recommend a lob wedge for shots over high obstacles, to tucked pins, from downhill lies and certainly when playing super-fast greens. Basically, the lob wedge is useful for any shot where loft is the primary requirement. Q: But I'm a high-handicapper. You mean I should get a lob wedge, too? A: The more greens you miss, the more you need a lob wedge. Q: Can high-handicappers hit a lob wedge successfully? A: The killer mistake in hitting a lob wedge is deceleration, which causes your hands to lag behind the clubhead at impact. Anyone can learn to overcome this. If your hands are even with or ahead of the ball and you accelerate the club through impact, you'll find that high, soft shots are easier to hit with a lob wedge than with any other club. Q: So why do the Tour pros need a lob wedge? A: Because they miss greens, too, and those greens are faster and have tougher pin positions these days. Lob wedges make it easier to hit high shots with enough backspin to stop finesse shots near the hole. Q: Why can't I just open the face of my sand wedge to hit higher shots? A: You can, but you shouldn't, for the same reason you hit a 7-iron from 140 yards instead of an open-faced 5-iron. It's easier to hit the ball solid and straight with a square-faced club. Checklist: Lob Wedge Keys Have confidence: You can hit high, soft shots with a lob wedge. Here's a short checklist of keys to take with you as you groove your swing Play the ball in the middle of your stance, with your weight balanced Limit your backswing to about three-quarter length Lead the downswing with your left hand, so it's even with or ahead of the ball at impact Accelerate to a full finish Q: But I'm confused. I always thought the higher-percentage play was to pitch the ball low. Are you sure lob wedges are as easy to hit as less-lofted wedges? A: Yes, absolutely. Lob wedges are the easiest clubs to use when the situation calls for a high trajectory and a soft landing. Of course rolling a ball onto the green with a putter, or hitting a low, running chip gives you the largest margin for error. But neither of those shots do you much good when you need to fly the ball over a bunker and stop it quickly. Q: Can you give me one tip that will make my lob wedge shots better? A: How about two: Play the ball in the middle of your stance and accelerate past impact. My swing goes only three-quarters of the way back, and then I make a full finish. The reason is that a longer through-swing insures smooth acceleration. For a shorter shot, swing one-quarter of the way back, then finish with your hands at chest-height to get the same accelerating effect.

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You know that adding strength and flexibility will make you better golfer, but who's got a couple of hours three or four days a week to spend in the gym? Like everyone else who plays golf, you've got a busy life off the course, so sticking with a healthy exercise regimine can seem almost improssible. Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest reasons why players just like you never embark on a golf workout program. Well, toss your excuses out the window because here is a condensed version of a golf workout you can do in your home in 15 minutes, using minimal—and affordable—equipment. This golf workout is designed to improve your driving distance and power in your golf swing. You'll notice the exercises have a rotational component to enhance the torque on your backswing, and stored energy (power) you'll want coming into impact on your downswing. Start out slow! Do this routine one or two times the first week to allow your body to get used to the exercises and to avoid excessive soreness. Doing the routine three times a week, even during the season, will help you see a big improvement in your distance off the tee in in the fairway.

Russian Twist: (use single dumbbell for resistance) Lie on ball, with shoulder blades on ball, hips high. Place hands together or hold a single dumbbell if your advanced. Keeping your hips up turn your shoulders to the right so they are perpendicular to the ground. Twist back the starting position and then twist to the other side. You could do 10 each side for a couple of sets.	Russian Twist
Lying Trunk Twist (insert weighted ball between knees for resistance) Lie on floor with knees bent to 90 degrees. Place medicine ball (or no ball if you don't have one) between knees. Raise legs off floor to 90 degrees in hips. Put arms to side away from body, to help stabilize upper body during movement. Rotate lower body as a whole side-to-side, keeping upper body still. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 repetitions each side.	Lying Trunk Twist
Standing Shoulder Press & Twist (using dumbbells for resistance) Stand erect with dumbbells in both hands, palms facing forward. Start pushing dumbbells overhead and rotate to the right at the same time. Complete motion to extended finish position and lower back to start. Repeat 6 reps one way and 6 turning the other way. Complete 3 sets of 12 total repetitions.	Shoulder Press
Lunge & Twist (using single dumbbell for resistance) Hold single dumbbell in front of your stomach. As you step forward with your right leg, slowly rotate upper body to right holding dumbbell. Return to starting position and repeat for 10 reps and switch legs. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.	Lunge Twist

That's it! Four simple "in-home" exercises that complete a golf workout that can be done in 15 minutes and will add 15 yards to your drives in less than 30 days (if you are consistent with it).

 

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