Posts Tagged ‘golf-ball’

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!

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

How to Hit The Flop Shot!

Friday, March 27th, 2009

Hitting the flop shot is probably one of the hardest short game shots in golf, that is if you do it right.

If you take a look at my previous video on how to practice with 1 golf ball, I am basically hitting an exaggerated flop shot that “flings” the golf ball straight up in the air.  As such, I can tell you that my flop shots are probably as good or maybe even better than Phil Mickelson’s.

Okay, enough self boasting there, I just want to tell you that I know how to hit that flop shot and teach you how to do it.

There are several different types of flop shots, one is very risky and wristy while the other one is safer and not as wristy.

For the Risky and Wristy Flop Shot:

1. You will need to open you stance and clubface about 30 degrees opposite each other.  You will most likely feel as if you are hitting a baseball to the left field while your clubface is pointing to the right field.

2. You will need to set your weight nearer to your heels than you think it should be, almost bending backwards.

3. On the backswing, only use your wrists, cock them straight up in the air but keep your hands super “soft” like spaghetti.

4. On the downswing, use your wrists again, making sure to hit the “bounce” of your club right before the ball and FOLLOWING through.

5. Again, KEEP YOUR HANDS LIGHT throughout the whole swing or you will risk either hitting the ball fat or really thin and hit the guy next to you.

6. Also keep your head and body really quiet, this is “wrists” only!

The Risky and Wristy flop shot is very hard to master, I used to practice it everyday for about 15 years and still haven’t perfect the method but this is the ultimate flop shot when you need to get it up and down with LOTS of backspin.  This will work well on really hard courses where the slope average is above 75 and the greens are super hard.

For the Safer and Not as Wristy Flop Shot:

1. You will need to open the stance like the wristy flop shot.

2. Same thing with weight.

3. On the backswing, you can make a regular backswing, sorta like your regular swing.

4. On the downswing, you can make a regular downswing WHILE keeping your feet on the ground.  If you move too much feet, you will probably thin the shot and kill someone next to you.  LMAO, just keep steady on this one.

5. Again, KEEP YOUR HANDS LIGHT throughout the whole swing, that is key for flop shots in general.

6. Also keep your head and body super quiet, flop shots aren’t intended to go too far, just 1 to 30 yards at most.

The Safer Flop Shot is safer because it’s basically a miniture version of your full swing so it’s easy to do.  (That is the swing I used here btw.)

I usually use the safer flop shots whenever I can because stregically it’s safer.

The only time I use the risky and wristy flop shot is where I have to get it up slightly higher on super hard greens.  Of course, it all depends on what you are playing for.  Sometimes, you need to go all out and sometimes you need to play safe.

You might have seen Phil Mickelson attempt 5-6 flop shots in a tournament, only to end up with a quadruple bogey or worse.

Don’t do that, be smart and use what you can.

Anyways, flop shots in general require a lot of practice and you might want to actually practice with someone standing next to you if you want to get better.

My teacher used to force me to hit over his head, just so I can beat the pressure and that’s what it takes for tournament golf.

But for regular easies, just take it easy and don’t kill anyone with your errant flop shots.

Also, DON’T practice flop shots too much, especially the wristy ones, you will ruin your regular full swing.  LOL, yes, it’s a shot you need to practice but not that often.

Another note, always use a lob wedge for this shot.  If you don’t have a lob wedge, go buy one, don’t try doing a flop shot with a sand wedge, its results aren’t as facinating.

Get a 60 degree or more lob wedge with no or little bounce.

Enjoy~

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Commercial RG3 Robot Mower for Greenskeepers!

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

rg3

Mowing fairways and greens may get easier for those lucky greenskeepers who have access to this new RG3 robot mower.  I think it’s a great idea, there’s way too much danger involved if humans keep mowing the lawn, especially if players are mis-hitting their golf ball to the mowers.

The RG3 (Robotic Greens Mower 3) from Precise Path debuted a few weeks ago at the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. It’s a robot lawnmower that uses two lead acid batteries to run its 24-volt DC motor, and one to run its computer, offering about three hours of mowing before needing to be recharged.

“Our robot could provide the human precision necessary to upkeep, actually better than a human is capable of, and not costing the large amount in intensive labor costs,” Precise Path co-founder, president, and CTO Doug Traster told CNET News in a phone interview.

via cnet

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An Old Golf Ball Found Embedded In a Tree!

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

golf-ball

Here’s some news on an old golf ball that was found while someone cut down the tree.  From the looks of it, it doesn’t look too old, still a 2 or 3 piece ball.

The story begins years ago when an anonymous golfer stood on the first tee and hooked his ball into a high hedge of conifers, planted between the hole and the ninth green. The ball was lost without trace – until now, when the winter programme at Eaton included cutting down the trees.

As greenkeeper Richard Mitchell sawed the felled trees into lengths he realised he was looking at a cross-section of trunk – with a golf ball embedded in it.

via edp24

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How to Practice with Less Balls at the Driving Range!

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Today, let me give you a couple tips that will save you money at the driving range, all the while getting a better practice session every time you go out there.

Here’s a couple rules I used to “live” by when I used to play mini-tour events:

1. For every practice shot, make sure you do 2-3 practice swings.  That’s right, practice makes perfect, not simply banging balls.

2. For every practice shot, before the shot, imagine and visualize how the golf ball will react after you hit the ball.

3. For every practice shot, before the shot, imagine and visualize how you will swing.  Visualize yourself swinging that ball perfectly in rhythm and balance.

Believe me, mind does some awesome stuff for golf.

4. For every practice shot, line-up your shot before hitting the ball from behind the ball like a real shot.

Why would you practice as if it “wasn’t” real?  Every shot I practice is the same as the shot I hit under pressure.

This type of mentality helps your conscious to stay the “same” even when playing for real money.  On the other hand, banging a lot of balls perfect does the opposite to you when you play because you are simply not that perfect, not even Tiger.

5. For every practice shot, imagine a real green, bunkers, and fairways.  You should always have a target on your practice shot and it’s even better if you can imagine hitting a certain shot for EVERY practice shot.

6. For every practice shot, hit a different club.  You don’t hit the same club over and over again on the golf course, why would you make it that easy for yourself on the driving range?

Basically, all these tips make you spend most of your time getting ready for your golf shot, just like a real golf shot on the golf course.

Now, if you can’t even hit your pitching wedge past 50 yards, this might not be a good advice for you.  But if you have broken 80 or 90 already and you want to get better mentally, this is how you gotta practice.

Maybe not all the time but most of time, you will reap the benefits of hitting every practice shot after you are mentally and physically ready for it.

Using this method, I usually do 500 practice swing with just 100 practice balls and my practice’s quality goes UP, way high.  And this shows on the golf course if I shoot couple under.

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Posted in Swing Secrets | 2 Comments »

Shortgame DIY – How to Hit the 3 Wood Chip Shot!

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Well, one of the most useful shortgame shot is the 3 wood chip shot.  But first, you need to know when and where you hit the 3 wood chip shot.

I found it helpful on the following occasions to hit the 3 wood chip shot:

  • Your ball is laying in-between the green and the fringe, sorta half-way and cannot get the putter fully on the ball.
  • Your ball is in the fringe but the green is super-fast or downhill, you don’t want to chip.  The 3-wood can do a great job here since you will be guaranteed that the ball rolls, to avoid flubbing.
  • Your ball is in the fairway but you are playing a links-style course, the 3-wood chip can come in handy and let you roll the golf ball all the way home

Now, those aren’t situations you come to often but 3-wood can make you score better, especially if you are playing for money or a tournament is at stake.

To play the 3-wood chip, simply grip down on the 3-wood near the metal or graphite.  Then simply chip it like your chipping shot or you can even experiment with a putting grip and putting swing.

You will notice that the golf ball comes off the 3-wood very hot with a small jump at the start.  Don’t worry too much about how much the ball jumps, the main thing you need to practice is to control the speed with the 3-wood.

Every once in awhile, you will use the 3-wood and start getting better and better with it.

Of course, don’t be too disappointed if you hit the ball too far or short, you need to practice this shot to get the “feel” for it.

Once you have the “feel” for it though, you are on your way to adding another great shortgame technique.  And you can tell your friends you learned it online for free at ProGolferDigest.com.

Enjoy~

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How to Teach Your Baby to Be Better Than Tiger Woods!

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Well, I’ve decided to start a series of online blog golf lessons for teaching your baby to be better than Tiger Woods.

Of course, if you are a parent and you want your child to be on the PGA/LPGA tour someday, these are the lessons you will need to read.

The first thing you need to do is get your baby to get familiar with the golf grip, golf ball, and the golf club as soon as possible.

  • Age 1-3 months – Swing a golf club in front of your baby at least couple times a week.  “Monkey see, Monkey do.”  You can start as early as soon as your kid is born.  Tiger didn’t really start until he was 18 month old, you can get your kid a better chance by starting earlier than Tiger.
  • Age 3-6 months – Make a plastic-toy grip for your 3-6 month old baby to play with.  The earlier that your baby gets familiar with a golf grip, the quicker he/she will be able to control the club when he/she grows up.  You can order a junior grip from Golfsmith and pick up a plastic PVC pipe that will fit the grip at Home Depot.
  • Age 9-12 months – Take your 9-12 month baby to the driving range.  You can get one of these  Walking Wings to help her/him stand while you help her/him hit a real golf ball with your arms controlling the club while baby has her/his hands on the grip.  Also the putting green is great for babies to walk on while learning to putt.

Also, skip the plastic golf toys, they are too “plastic” and it’s probably better to get your baby learning with the “real” stuff ASAP.  Heck, you can make your own cut-down custom clubs by ordering parts from Golfsmith.

Am I being realistic here?

Yes, this is how you can get your baby to learn to hit a golf club before she/he learns how to feed himself/herself with a spoon.  If your baby learns to swing the golf club as something 2nd nature to him/her, he/she’s going to be ahead of 99.9% of population by the time he/she plays junior golf tournaments.

Trust me, I am a pro golfer, you need to get your baby started EARLY!  I started when I was 9 years old and I can see that I too could have played a lot better if I started when I was 1 month old.

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Posted in Swing Tips | 2 Comments »

Smart Ball Marker!

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

For hundreds of years, professional and amateur golfers alike have been using a coin to mark their balls.  Now, here’s a new, innovative Smart Ball Marker from Titleist developement team that will help you align the ball better while also preserving the location of the ball much better.

Great concept and I am sure a bunch of pros are using this already on tour.

SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Scotty Cameron was excited. Actually, he was more than excited. He was pumped up, his enthusiasm bubbling over as he was proudly displaying his latest innovation.

It’s called the Scotty Cameron Ball Tool and it’s basically the next generation in ball markers. It’s a simple flat, square piece of metal with a small semi-circular indention cut into one side where the golf ball goes. Stamped on the marker right next to the indention is a series of alignment markers that allows the player to line up his putt even after he marks his ball.

Cameron got the idea earlier this year after he became aggravated watching professional golfers spend so much time going back and forth between the ball and the hole to make sure their balls were aimed properly at the cup.

via pgatour

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Posted in Golf News | 2 Comments »

Golf Ball History – Featheries, Gutta Percha, and more…

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

Golf balls have been developed for over the last 500-600 years or so and it’s very interesting to note that golf balls in the beginning, consisted of bird feathers stuffed inside some cow/horse leather called, “Featherie”.

Now, these featheries were great for couple hundered years.

Here’s an excerpt from golfeurope.com on featherie history:

In 1618 the feather golf ball or ‘Featherie’ was introduced. This was a handcrafted ball made with goose feathers tightly packed into a horsefeatherie golf ball or cow hide sphere. The feathers and leather were fashioned into a ball while wet. As the assembly dried out the leather shrank and the feathers expanded to create a hardened ball. The ball was then finished off by painting it and punched with the ball-makers mark. Quality varied according to the skill of the craftsman. Unfortunately, the handcrafted nature of the balls meant that they were priced beyond the pockets of the masses, sometimes more expensive than a club. Notable ball-makers of the 1600s were Andrew Dickson, Leith and Henry Mills, St Andrews.

Next up is the Gutta Percha, made from the rubber tree sap given off by the Gutta tree.  These balls were definitely easy to mold but couldn’t really travel beyond 200 yards.  They still didn’t have “dimples” which allow golf balls to travel further.

Here’s an excerpt from thedesignshop.com on Gutta Percha history:

The first “Gutta” ball is believed to have been made in 1848 by the Rev. Dr. Robert Adams Paterson from gutta-percha packing material. Gutta-percha is the evaporated milky juice or latex produced from a tree most commonly found in Malaysia. It is hard and non-brittle and becomes soft and impressible at the temperature of boiling water. Gutta balls, were handmade by rolling the softened material on a board. The new durability of the Gutta, together with its much lower cost, resistance to water, and improved run, provided rejuvenation to the game of golf. Not without some resistance from traditionalists, the Gutta gradually replaced the Feathery.

After that, there’s the rubber core golf ball, then balatas, and now 3-piece core balls.

Perhaps, one day, golf manufacturers will start making these cool featheries and gutta perchas for the masses to enjoy.  Imagine playing your same 7,000 yard championship course with these old balls.  Then, you will be able to appreciate modern golf equipment.

Well, there it is and I hope you enjoyed a little history of golf balls.

Here’s some golf ball history resource links you might want to check out:

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Posted in Golf News | 1 Comment »

DIY – How to Make a Golf Ball Pool Table!

Sunday, August 31st, 2008
DIY - How to Make a Golf Ball Pool Table!

DIY - How to Make a Golf Ball Pool Table!

If you are a golf fanatic like me, you will not only go to the driving range daily, you will need to build yourself one of these cool Golf Ball Pool Tables which is basically a Pool Table with Golf Balls instead of the standard-size Pool balls.

It’s basically just a table-top pool table that uses golf balls. It’s actually quite fun and makes for a nice, quiet, drinking game. Plus, it stores as easily as a card table.

via instructables

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