Archive for the ‘A+Featured Golf News’ Category

I am starting to Play Pro Tournaments AGAIN!

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Well, after years of not playing competitively, I’ve finally decided to take a shot at the PGA Tour again.  My goals for this year is to play at least 2 Pepsi Tour tournaments before the year is over.  I know that’s not whole lot of competitive golf but heck, I gotta start playing somewhere!

Next year, my goals are to enter couple Nationwide PGA Tour Monday qualifying events hopefully around my neighborhood in Northern California.

I will also be trying to qualify for U.S. Open next year, wish me luck to make it to the Open baby!

Anyways, my swing is looking really good, I’ve simplified it enough where I don’t have to practice much to keep my swing in shape.  (although I have desire to hit at least 300 balls everyday)

I haven’t really played much, maybe 5 rounds total in the last 2 years but it shouldn’t take me too long shooting 60s again.

I realize I am getting older but my swing is more stable and mature.  My thoughts on golf has naturally improved due to age.  Maybe that is why before Tiger’s era, pros didn’t start winning majors until they were in their 30s.

Wish me luck and I will try to keep updating the blog although I will get very busy now focusing only on one thing, winning the U.S. Open!  (hahaha, that will take me years but heck, it’s a good goal)

Today, I hit the ball GREAT just like 2 days ago.

Here’s couple swing thoughts I was using to hit laser-accurate iron shots and super-long 350 yard drives:

For short shots, be very loose, light hands, and make a very smooth swing.

Also, swing inside-out and try to keep that swing in motion before you start looking up where your ball is going.  This doesn’t mean your head stays down, just keep your spine angle consistent until after impact, that’s the key to crisp, iron shots.

For extra, super-long 350 yard drives, I’ve developed a new method of creating “super-lag” with my woods.  Basically, you start turning your lower body quickly right as you are reaching the top of your backswing, this creates a “super-lag”, plus you will be able to square the ball easily with the added amount of clubhead speed generated.  I find that a nice 15-yard draw is generated with this method or a straight shot.  Before using this method and just hitting the ball hard with my driver in the past, I experienced a lot of blocks to the right.

Well, that’s all for today, I will be gone golfing!

P.S. I will also be ordering some custom golf wear I can wear to tournaments to show off my golf blog.  PLUS, I will be interviewing couple of my old golf pro friends at Pepsi Tour, sorta like reality show for aspiring pro golfers.  (You will get to see what they are thinking, where they are going, and who knows, some of these guys DO make it to the PGA TOUR eventually so that’d be interesting stuff to watch.)

My first tournament here at Boundary Oaks Golf Course in Walnut Creek, pray for me!  (although I think it will take me at least 3 tournaments before I start playing well…)

samll

Tags: , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, A+Featured Swing Tips, Junger Woods, Natural Golf Swing, PGA Pros, Rhythm, Swing Tips | No Comments »

How to Hit Those Short Chip/Pitch Shots out of Medium/Tough Rough!

Monday, August 31st, 2009

rough

(Image Credit)

Today I practiced 20-50 yard pitch shots at my favorite public course Harding Park with my 60 degree wedge.  Since Harding Park will be hosting the 2009 President’s Cup this year in October, the greenskeeper was growing the grass like mad.

Anyways, those long rough conditions allowed me to practice those tough shots and here’s simple tips next time you see some of those medium to high length rough:

  1. Set up to the ball with your clubface open, anywhere from 5 to 45 degrees depending on how high you want to hit your pitch shot.
  2. Set up with most of your weight on the left side of your body and keep it there during the whole pitch shot.
  3. Try to hit slightly behind the ball.  The long rough will actually act as cushion and add a little “bounce” to your shot, meaning you actually want to hit a little behind it to hit the ball consistently.   You want to hit about 1/4 to 1/8 inch behind the ball but no more than 1/4 inch, otherwise you will end up flopping the pitch shot.  Just make sure to keep your eyes 1/4 inch behind the ball and try to hit that spot, not the ball.  This will ensure you don’t “skull” the ball while you will get a consistent results out of any medium to long-sized rough.
  4. Make sure to keep your pitch swing nice and smooth, free flowing while keeping your hands super light.
  5. Make sure your follow-through is much longer than your backswing to ensure acceleration through the pitch shot.

Now, apply these tips next time you go out to the practice green.  I tend to like to spend a lot of time around the greens, not much of a ball-banger anymore (I used to be).  But I can assure you that when you can hit well and consistently close to the hole out of these medium to long-sized grass, you will definitely play better next time you play a good course like Harding Park.

Of course, hitting behind the ball only applies to 1 inches of grass(rough) or longer.  Anything shorter, you can keep your weight evenly distributed and focus on the front of the ball itself. (otherwise you will flub it for sure)

These shots are not easy but they are really fun if you master them and you will have a great advantage over your playing partners, especially if they are not accustomed to hitting those pitch shots within 3 feet circle like you do.

Have fun practicing and I should have some more tips on various different pitch shots.  (And yes, practicing with 1-ball can help greatly to these shots as you will learn to manipulate your 60 degree wedges better.)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Golf DIY, Pitch Shot, Special Shots, lob wedge, short game, wedge shots | No Comments »

Weekend Warriors – How to Hit the Ball More Consistently!

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

Most of us don’t have the time that it takes to perfect a golf swing nor maintain it.  For those weekend warriors, here’s couple swing tips that have actually worked for me:

  • Don’t fight your swing, whether you hit a draw or fade on that day, just play that shot.
  • Keep your swing smooth but make sure your followthrough is longer than your backswing.  This makes sure you accelerate through the golf ball without over-swinging.  This is probably the best tip for keeping your ball flight consistent even if you hardly practice.
  • Keeping your ball flight consistent, whether that’s a slice or hook,  comes first.  If you can hit the ball with a consistent ball flight, you don’t have to hit the ball straight and still score good.  I’ve seen hundreds of scratch golfers who have bad swings but they have consistent ball flights.
  • Don’t ever try to “correct” your swing, just go with the flow and work with your flawed swing.  Again, consistency rules over straight shots.  Even pro golfers don’t try to hit the ball straight.  Jack Nicklaus and Fred Couple hit fades all through major championships, you should pick a side too.
  • Practice more short game and putting, that’s where your advantage is or even Tiger’s for that matter, not in the 300+ yard driver.  Although it’d be good to hit it 300+ yards off the tee, that’s the last thing that’s gonna help you score near par.

I’ve been playing golf for over 20+ years now and more I realize that perfecting your golf swing has more to do with scoring bad  than trying to work with what you already have.

Even me, I have less time to practice than before since I have to run my online publishing business.   I score better when I try to find ways to keep my swing more consistent by doing less.

Less is more, especially in golf.  No matter how many personal golf lessons you get, it’s probably worthless if you change your swing everytime you go out on the golf course.  Stop tinkering and start playing golf.

Here’s a simple exercise if you tend to end up in vicious cycle of trying to fix your swing.

1. Don’t practice on the range anymore.

2. Don’t try to fix your swing on the golf course.

3. Keep playing more golf and try to work on your golf strategy to fit your ball flight.

4. keep doing 1 to 3 until your ball flight is consistent and you have find a working golf course strategy.

5. If you must, fix your swing once every 3 months.

Happy golfing!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, A+Featured Swing Tips, Natural Golf Swing, Rhythm, Swing Secrets, Swing Tips | No Comments »

How to Swing Better by Not Being Perfect!

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Sometimes, perfection can be the root of all evil things in a golf swing.  A lot of times when I was playing competitively on a daily basis, I would try to perfect my golf swing by banging 10 buckets of balls.  I would have probably done better if I just relaxed more and focused more on my short game and putting.

Golf is a game that requires great mental focus, it’s a not a game where the best golf swing mechanics win tournaments.  Rather, golfers with ability to turn the golf course into their friend wins as evidenced by Y.E. Yang’s win over Tiger last weekend.

That said, I hit balls for the first time in about 3 months yesterday and boy, I hit the ball really, really good.

Here’s something I tried to do yesterday:

  • I tried to not be perfect, simply relax my hands and let my body do the work.
  • My swing though consisted of “keep it smooth” like Fred Couples.
  • Worked on specific shots that would help me on the golf course like fading the ball (which is my strength) and odd shots that could get me out of trouble.

In all, yesterday’s practice at the driving range might have helped me whole lot more than me simply banging a lot of balls mindlessly one after another.

The key to great golf is keeping your golf swing consistent.   The only way an average golfer who rarely practices to keep their golf swing consistent is to keep their swing thoughts simple.

Golf has so many parts to master but unless you are a professional golfer with all the time in the world, you are not going to master it.

Forget “fixing” your swing and try simply “scoring” with your current golf swing.  Whatever your bad shots are, a nasty hook or banana slice, you can still “score” well by adjusting to your weaknesses and using them as strengths.

I’ve seen it a gazillion times where a golfer with a really weird swing will win over a golfer who has a perfect swing.  Most of the time, the golfer with a really weird swing has an incredible short game and a knack for putting since he/she is hitting the ball all over the place.  The golfer with perfect swing usually never performs under pressure because he/she simply does not know how to deal with trouble under pressure.

Anyways, I will be heading over to the course more often before this summer ends and looks like they got the tent set up at Harding Park for the President’s Cup 2009 this year. (I have an incredible view of the 12th hole at Harding Park from my 12th floor apartment!)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, A+Featured Swing Tips, Golf DIY, Natural Golf Swing, Rhythm, Swing Secrets, Swing Tips | 1 Comment »

Golf Tip – How To Eat Right While Playing Golf!

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

This is sorta important what, “what you eat, what you become.”

It’s true.  In golf, you need to eat right while playing golf because it’s going to seriously affect how well you play, especially when under the gun such as tournament pressure or even skins game.

First of all, do NOT eat a full meal right before you tee off.   That will most likely cause you to be a little bloated and will certainly take couple holes before your stomach digests all the food.  By then, you probably have lost couple strokes you could have saved by not eating so much.

On the bright side, you can eat a lot of healthy snacks while playing golf such as banana or any type of “fruits” that contain natural sugar.  Try to stay away from coffee or anything with too much sugar as you can get “high” off the caffeine and sugar.

Watch the best pro golfers play on TV, rarely do you see them eating a snickers bar but they will be eating a lot of bananas.

I’ve probably read 10 golf books already on tournament golf nutrition and they all pretty much say the same things, eat lots of fruit that will keep your mental state level.

Now these are advices for people who want to score better on the golf course, if you do not care about playing your best,  you can ignore my advice.

What about the meal the night before a big tournament?

I have gone through many of these myself, I try to stick with high-carb meals as they can help you the next day.

My favorite meal is actually spaghetti, eating a lot of spaghetti the night before can surely help you the next day to keep going longer.

Lastly, don’t forget to drink LOTS of water while playing golf, especially if it’s a sunny day.

I have personally experienced “cramps” during a the high school state tournament before, that was simply due to not drinking enough water and eating bananas.  Bananas can help prevent cramps on a hot day because they contain potassium.  Take my advice and make sure to pack your golf bag with enough water and bananas for your next important golf tournament.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Golf DIY, Golf News | 2 Comments »

The Most Incredible Stymie Hole-In-One by Leif Olson!

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

This is probably the most incredible “stymie” hole-in-one by Leif Olson at the Canadian Open last week.  This is as close as you get to a “bank shot” in golf.

WOW, that’s all I can say.

Download latest version of Flash to view video!.

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Tags: ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Golf News, Golf Professionals, Golf Video | 1 Comment »

Winner of British Open Tom Watson!

Monday, July 20th, 2009

The title of this blog post says, “Winner of British Open Tom Watson” when Stewart Cink won the Open yesterday.

Why?

Well, I just have to give out my best wishes to one of the best golfers ever lived, Tom Watson.

When I first started golf, I read Tom Watson’s Getting Up and Down.  Tom Watson has always been one of my golfing heroes and to be leading the British Open at 59 years old until the 72nd hole was just plain awesome.

Of course, I know Stewart Cink probably deserves his share of applause but to me, the real winner of 2009 British Open is Tom Watson, simply because he’s too old and he tried so hard.

I see all these sports writer about how “Tom Watson” came up short when in reality, Tom Watson accomplished something unreal over the weekend at the age of 59.

Heck, if Tom Watson finished anywhere near Top-20, that’s a miracle.  The point is that this 59-year golfing super-star finished 2nd at the British Open.  Plus, he did tie Stewart Cink for the total number of strokes.

When you compare this to Rocco at the 2008 U.S. Open and Greg Norman at 2008 British Open, you know it’s 10 times more incredible because Tom Watson was the “oldest” to finish 2nd at a major championship.

My last thoughts, keep ‘em coming Tom, I think you can still win another major in the next couple years.

APTOPIX Britain Open Golf

(Image Credit)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Golf Professionals, PGA Pros, Tom Watson | 2 Comments »

Independence Day AT&T National Predictions!

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

As of now, Michael Allen, Cameron Beckman, Anthony Kim, and Tiger Woods are tied for the lead at 9 under total.

Based on golf history and performance, I would have to say Anthony Kim (who is the defending champion) and Tiger Woods both have great chances of winning.

There’s so many great names at the top of the leaderboard this Independence Day weekend, I hope all those guys get to see the fireworks at night.  (which I am sure they will)

As for me, I will be taking a break and start a barbeque, cook up some nice tri-tip steaks, teriyaki chicken, and more goodies.

Okay, my final prediction – Tiger Woods or Anthony Kim, although I think Tiger might have an edge this weekend.  We will have to see and find out if those two end up in the final group tomorrow.  If that’s the case, Anthony Kim will have to psych out Tiger Woods for the trophy or the other way around.

Either way, I am glad two of my favorite players are at the top.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Anthony Kim, Golf Professionals, PGA Pros, Tiger Woods | No Comments »

Winner of U.S. Open 2009 – Lucas Glover!

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Wow, how lucky were Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes to be pretty much leading the tournament for most of the weekend!

I had the pleasure of watching these 2 young pros play golf the last couple days, I have to say I am very impressed regardless of who won.

For one, I have personally played with Ricky Barnes as a junior golfer, I am proud of him that he did so good.

As for Lucas Glover, he did outright win the tournament by playing better than the world’s best players.

Because of many rain delays and unfortunate luck of the draw, top players like Tiger  Woods may have gotten a bad break at the U.S. Open.

Neverthless, golf is not a game that players can control, players can only hope to control their own game to their best, no matter what the circumstance are.

That said, Lucas Glover is the 2009 U.S. Open champion!

As for my old friend Ricky Barnes, he did very well too by finishing tied for 2nd with Phil Mickelson and David Duval.  Ricky Barnes has never won a PGA tournament, let alone finish top 10, he’s going to be securing his PGA Tour card by finishing 2nd at U.S. Open for sure.  I am sure Ricky will win a regular PGA Tour real soon.

For Phil Mickelson, I won’t feel bad for him, he’s been making so much money winning tournaments, it’s just another U.S. Open, I am sure he will win many before he retires.

I also do feel happy for David Duval, the former #1 player in the world who has been struggling for the last  10 years or so.  I am glad he finished tied for  2nd, I see a strong possibility that David Duval might start winning tournaments again.

Overall, this year’s U.S. Open featured some of the “unknown” great players or even players who were good before.

I am sure a lot of you don’t even know who Lucas Glover was before this week or even Ricky Barnes.

I don’t think it’s a random chance they played well at this year’s U.S. Open.  But yes, time will tell if they were fluke or for real.

Anyways, congrats to everyone who finished the tournament today.  At the very least, everyone will be taking a large of chunk of change and history back home.  I would kill myself just to finish 60th at a U.S. Open, you probably would too.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Golf Professionals, Lucas Glover, PGA Pros | 3 Comments »

Nike SQ DYMO STR8-FIT Driver VS. TaylorMade R9 Review!

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

*NOTE – This post shall be submitted for eligibility in a Nike Golf promotion contest.

Dan from RocketXL has tipped me on the latest contest where you can win a trip to Fort Worth, Texas to get professional, custom-fitted with brand new Nike clubs. (worth $2000) Needless to say, I had to take advantage of this offer as getting your golf clubs fitted professionally determines a big portion of how well you will play on the course.

I won’t go into the specs of each driver as I don’t feel that’s more important than actual results from the field.

So without delay, let me go into how my test between the Nike SQ DYMO STR8-FIT driver versus the TaylorMade R9 went after hitting about 100 balls with each:

Nike SQ DYMO STR8-FIT Driver w/ 9.5 degrees and Stiff Shaft

nike-dymo-str8-fit-1

Points

  • It’s very easy to hit the sweetspot, the DYMO STR8-FIT driver has been designed so it’s really hard to miss the sweetspot.
  • Nike DYMO STR8-FIT is great since you can change your trajectory easily with the built-in wrench. Whether you are slicing or hooking certain days, it’s easy to adjust your driver to fit your swing, not the other way around.

Overall, I experienced consistent results with my trajectory yielding between a straight shot and a 30 yard fade on the factory neutral setting. One of the keys to success in tournament golf or weekend skin’s game is the ability to block out one side of the course.

As for me, I tend to hook my driver wildly under pressure, this DYMO STR8-FIT driver definitely helped me block out my weak side, the bad “hook”. On the plus side, I felt the DYMO driver had really good “high” trajectory mixed with overspin or no spin for longer rolls once the ball hits the ground. This is great stuff when playing in windy conditions as your drives won’t be as affected by the wind due to the “low spin”.

Another cool feature I experienced was that even when I try to hit a duck-hook, my drives would go super-straight with the DYMO STR8-FIT on neutral setting. That is a quite a bit of insurance against holes where there’s O.B. left. I have to emphasize that the clubhead did this, not my swing so I am figuring that the weight-balance on the Nike has been designed for minimal closing of the clubhead, meaning you will get more or less “square” at impact.

TaylorMade R9 Driver w/ 9.5 degrees and Stiff Shaft

Points

  • It’s hard to hit the sweetspot. This could be a more versatile for the more advanced players who want to work the ball both left and right but seems not a great fit for the average player.
  • Too many ways to adjust the R9 driver is it’s downfall.

Overall, TaylorMade R9 caused a lot of random, big wild hooks, although the ball probably went as far as the Nike DYMO driver. Even with distance, the TaylorMade R9 gave a slightly “lower” trajectory without the extra overspin “feel” that the Nike DYMO STR8-FIT provided. TaylorMade R9 is still a great driver for advanced players who need to work the ball a little bit more. I simply felt that I actually wanted to do less with my driver, hit it straight. (Even Ben Hogan used oversized grips on his driver and woods in order to keep it simpler.)

Conclusion

If you are looking for distance and consistency, I would definitely have to go with Nike DYMO driver. Honestly, I am impressed with what kind of drivers Nike is able to come up with for the average golfer while I still do think TaylorMade R9 is better suited for scratch/pro golfers who like to tinker.

As for distance, I have to say the Nike outperformed the TaylorMade as even my mishits with the Nike have gone 290 yards while the TaylorMade mishits were more in the range of 270 yards with wild hooks here and there.

One of things I want to actually emphasize here is not the club’s ability to adjust to different lies and trajectories but the clubhead itself is solid. Having a solid clubhead allows you to hit the ball straighter and with more “overspin”, allowing your ball to roll further and better control under windy conditions.

Overall, I will have to stick with the Nike DYMO driver now. My next change will include a shaft change from the factory UST PRO Stiff to a UST PRO2 Extra Stiff, this should garner me additional 20 yards.

For those of you who want to try out these drivers, head over to the Nike website to find the nearest DEMO location and you can also enter to win a free professional club-fitting trip to Forth Worth, Texas with your airplane expenses paid.

nike-dymo-str8-fit-2

(Nike DYMO STR8-FIT lie & trajectory changer)

nike-dymo-str8-fit-3

(Nike DYMO STR8-FIT wrench for changing your lie, very easy to use, took about 30 seconds to change.)

Here’s a short video I took while testing the two drivers. (Please don’t mind swing mechanics here, I haven’t hit too many balls lately…)

Download latest version of Flash to view video!.

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A+Featured Golf News, Driver, Golf Clubs, Golf Gear, Golf Professionals, Junger Woods, PGA Pros | No Comments »