7 Ways to Produce a Powerful, Tension Free Golf Swing
Having a tension-free, relaxed golf swing is, in my opinion, the key to producing a powerful, consistent golf swing. Here’s why.
This has been one of the biggest breakthroughs of the year so far for me. Again, it’s easy to just dismiss this concept and go, “yeah, yeah, tension-free, loose-as-a-goose, blah, blah, blah, . . . heard it all before.”
How this really started to make sense was thinking about swinging the club versus hitting at the ball. I knew I was constricted somehow and was not maximizing my potential. There was no speed “through the ball” and an abbreviated follow through that left all my power behind and nothing through the ball.
I also started watching a lot of LPGA golf and really studying how the women really know how to swing the club. It’s the free, uninhibited swinging (with a powerful release at the bottom) that helps them hit a golf ball such incredible distances with such seeming ease.
It’s not by accident. But us men (and I’m mostly talking about me) really fight this thing called “hit-itis.” In trying to really hit it hard to keep up with your long hitting playing partners. And the more you try to power it or put some additional “ummff” into your swing it ends up even worse and robs you of considerable distance.
That’s the damnest thing about golf. It’s all counter-intuitive. The seemingly easier you swing, the farther the ball goes.
Here are just a few ideas to help YOU re-enforce a relaxed, powerful, tension-free golf swing:
1. Think Thoughts of Relaxation – Tension in the mind really causes tension in the body (and vice versa) so really try to think thoughts of relaxation. Try thoughts on like, “Less is more, ” “I’m swinging freer and easier than ever before,” “I have more and more freedom in my swing,” “It really feels effortless (and powerful) to swing the club freely.”
Don’t think “hit hard,” think “swing smooth.” Feel your body relaxed. Shake out any tension. Think Freddy Couples or Ernie Els or any LPGA player as you are going through this process.
2. Hit 100 Yard Drivers – I keep going back and back to this drill because it really allows you to feel the right positions without going at it 100%. Counter-intuitively, most of us need to to get back to what a swing “feels” like without trying to hit at the ball.
In this drill, feel like the club is light as a feather but get still feel the weight of the club head. Keep your arms (and grip) as loose as possible. There just going along for the ride. Swing about 30%. Does not matter where the ball goes. Try to hit it 100 yards. You’re just trying to feel the swing with the ball getting in the way.
Once you start to feel the swing (this may take a few balls or a few buckets) turn up the percentage to say, 50 or even more to 75 but don’t (I repeat, don’t) be in a hurry to swing harder until you start to really feel a “swing” not a hit.
Just for now try to forget about distance. Thinking about it is just gonna mess you up when trying to integrate a new paradigm into your golf game. Distance will come as a result of a free golf swing. So just for now, chill about distance. It will come.
3. Visualization – When not practicing, try to take some time to “see” yourself on one of your favorite tee-boxes and imagine a free, relaxed yet powerful swing. Feel like it’s just effortless. Can you see that?
It might be hard at first but as you practice you’ll start to re-enforce the kinesthetic feeling you felt on the range the couple times you really swung with a feeling of effortlessness and the ball just exploded off the clubface.
As you move through your day visualize an effortless golf swing. “See” a full, relaxed finish. That’s a cue that a lot of good stuff has happened before.
4. Construct a Solid Core and Base – I’m convinced than ever that having a solid core and base is essential to playing optimum golf. Makes sense, right? But what are you doing to build it.
I recommend getting a book like Core Performance Golf
Greg Norman said that most people have it completely opposite in the golf swing. He said they think of having a strong firm upper body and and relaxed legs when he said you really should think about a firm solid, base and a loose, relaxed upper body.
One bonus exercise that is not in the core performance program is Kettle Bell Swings. Get yourself a Kettlebell
In my opinion and what I have heard from some tour players is that THIS IS the magic exercise. I should probably even charge for this. It’s that amazing. It strengthens your core and pelvic region like no other exercise! After just a week or so you’ll just be amazed. I promise. Just give it a try and see for yourself.
5. Watch Women’s Golf – Some people don’t even know they are “hitters” as they know no other way. It’s the only way they have ever swung a club. If that’s the case (or even if it’s not) I would really encourage you to watch some of the LPGA player golf swings.
I mean how do these women hit it so long when it looks like a wedge swing? Well, they know how to swing a club. They know it’s uninhibited speed that matters, not muscle or force.
For example, watch the Lorena Ochoa golf swing below. In her prime (when she was playing) she was 5′ 6″ tall and 120 pounds. So how did her average drive distance be consistently 270 yards +? Simple, she knew how to swing the club with a free-flowing, uninhibited motion. It’s just a cool thing to watch!
Watch Lorena Ochoa’s golf swing in the video below and really study it. Watch it over and over. Just listen for the “swoosh” in her practice swing. She is really generating some tension-free speed in that swing.
6. Try Trager Massage – Not many people know about this but it’s one of the best soft tissue massages that is extremely beneficial to golfers.
In a nutshell, Trager is a type of massage that feels like you are being gentle shaken or rocked. It is startling how well this works. It really frees up any restriction you have in your body and creates new mental patterns of what fit feels like to have complete freedom of motion.
It’s hard to actual describe it in words. Just find a practitioner by going to the below site and experience it for yourself.
7. Keep At It – It’s taken you years and years of “hitting” at the ball and to change that around will take time. No two ways about it. This has been a really tough thing for me. Especially in the latter part of the round when I get a little tired. It’s so easy to revert back to our “crush it” mentality.
But fight it. Realize that new patterns take time. Just ask Tiger. Anytime he has gone through a swing change it has take almost a full season (or more) to start to feel like it’s integrated and natural.
And don’t just practice go out and play. You need to feel the rhythm of a round. not just pounding ball after ball on the range. Sometimes it’s nice to go out in the later evening and just play 9 holes. You are not rushed and can really put into play the new patterns your body is learning.
I’m convinced a tension-free, relaxed golf swing is the key to playing your best golf. All the above has helped me and hope the twill help you, too.
I’m really thinking of creating a book out of this to really flesh out more of the points and add even more ideas, practices and drills that have been shared with me. If you’re interested in hearing more, please comment below.
Photo above: LPGA Tour Professional, Si Ri Pak
Key Points When Getting Club Fitted
Getting properly fitted is still one of the most important activities you can do to improve your golf game. However, there ARE a few things that are often overlooked.
As many of you know, I am a big proponent of getting properly fitted golf equipment. It’s just too much of a crap shoot to buy of the shelf. Of course, it’s always your choice.
That being said, getting fitted is not always the miracle cure you might think it is. There are just a lot of variables to consider and it takes a real pro to separate the wheat from the chaff.
So here are 3 things to consider that I think might be helpful (after going through this process numerous times and most recently for a driver fitting a did a few weeks ago) for you in your pursuit of the best club fitting experience possible.
1. Visit a Top Clubfitter – There are so many people out there who just don’t know what they are doing. That’s just a fact. This really is part art and part science so go to someone/someplace with a top reputation and who has a numbers of years experience. Ask for referrals. I did, and was glad I did on at least 2 occasions.
America’s 100 Best Clubfitters is a great place to start. You may have to pay a bit more but, take it from me, it’s totally worth it and save you from MUCH frustration!
2. Utilize Up-to-Date Technology – Without the latest and greatest technology your fighting an uphill battle. Why not go somewhere who has the best technology to give you the most accurate readings possible. Go to somewhere like I did at Performance Clubworks in Bethel, CT. I had to drive almost 2 hours to get there but definitely worth my while.
One of the best systems is the TrackMan Fitting system which is a ball flight monitor that uses the “best of class” and most accurate Doppler Radar Technology that exists in golf today. It’s actually the same technology used in military applications for the purpose of tracking projectiles and missiles. Yup, that’s what you want (and need)
3. Get Tested Outdoors – Yes, I made this mistake previously when I got tested via GolfTec (which was totally an indoor experience). I would not recommend anyone get tested indoors. It just does not give you the visual feedback that you need to make a proper assessment of your ball flight/direction/pattern, etc.
Remember, club fitting is part art and part science. It’s not always that easy. But, by taking the suggestions outlined above I believe you will vastly increase your odds and get that *virtually* perfect club(s) that can totally transform your golf game. Is that worth it it? After your fitting, you tell me.
PS: The summer season will be here soon so it’s a great time to book your golf holidays
Bubba, Arnie, You and Me
Let me second Doug’s article and reiterate how great it was to see a guy like Bubba Watson win the Masters with no swing coaches, psychologists or personal nutritionists. Bubba’s a throwback to an earlier time in golf and there’s a lot to like about how he plays. Here’s a guy who learned the game hitting Wiffle balls around his house. Apparently that’s what you need to do to be able to hit a ridiculous 90 degree hook shot to win the Masters on the second playoff hole.
Besides having a down home charisma, Bubba connects with the public. He’s like us. He did it on his own without privilege and an entourage. He takes chances. He even cries when he wins. He’s a character who’s alive, real and unpretentious. All that reminds me of Arnold Palmer, the guy who made the modern pro game what it is today. Jack was the greatest of that era, but Arnie is who the people came to see, the guy who was able to build their connection to the sport, the guy that got my 92 year old aunt hooked on watching the game to this day, the guy who’s responsible for today’s big purses.
Many people say Arnie could have one more games if he didn’t take so many risks. Arnie’s response was that he wouldn’t have been a golfer without the risk taking, the game just wouldn’t have been interesting enough for him and wouldn’t have suited his personality. Bubba is much the same. Remember Whistling Straits in 2010, the site of the PGA Championship that year. Bubba was in it coming to the 18th hole until he took a chance, went for the green and landed his ball in nasty rough/waste area that killed his chances. The pundits were quick to theorize that Bubba would have won if he’d just done the safe/sane thing and laid up.
That same thinking would have had Bubba chip straight out of the woods last Sunday, hoping he could get up and down from there for a par to stay alive and stretch the playoff for at least one more hole. But Bubba did what Arnie would have done – GO FOR IT! Even though it may have hurt him in 2010, he went for it and was rewarded with the win. And how good we all felt for him, the guy who taught himself and hit one of the most memorable winning shots of all time.
Who in his or her right mind wouldn’t love Bubba. He reminds us of ourselves a lot more than a Woods or Hogan. For the most part, we don’t have coaches – just like Bubba. Sometimes we go for the low percentage shot with high risk reward – just like Bubba. If we ever won anything in golf that was a big deal, we’d probably cry – just like Bubba. Unfortunately we can’t hit the 90 degree hook at just the right moment, but we can dream. I’ll bet there are kids out there already who are hitting ‘Bubba trouble shots’ just like we hit ’Arnie trouble shots’ when I was a kid.
Finally we have a Majors winner that we can identify with and that’s good for us and for the game. Here’s hoping that Bubba will win a few more big ones over the coming years and maybe even become the ‘Arnie’ of the 21st century. Everyone talks about the next ‘Jack’ or ‘Tiger’, but maybe it’s time to see that the next ‘Arnie’ might be more important to the game. And, about that risk taking, maybe we don’t do it on every shot, but we should try sometime and if it doesn’t pan out, so what, there will be other times when it will!
My Dream Course – Bandon Dunes
There are so many courses I would like to play and I’m not even going to get into the many Scottish and Irish ones right now but THE course I most dream about playing in the US is Bandon Dunes.
Yes, I would pick it over Pinehurst #2, Winged Foot, BethPage Black, Sawgrass or even the legendary duo of Spyglass Hills and Pebble Beach. Why, I’m not exactly sure, other than there is just something about this course that calls to me.
I live in Massachusetts so probably part of the allure is that it’s on the West Coast and I have never been to the NorthWest. And the fact that it is a true links course perched along the seaside shoreline of Oregon makes it that much more enticing.
First off, Bandon Dunes is a destination golf resort. It consists of 5 courses, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, and Old Macdonald. A fifth, Bandon Preserve is scheduled to open May 1, 2012.
Here’s how the website describes them:
At Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, you’ll find four distinctly different courses built on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes perched 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes feature a dozen holes that run along the bluff overlooking 23 miles of sweeping, undisturbed shoreline. Bandon Trails begins on a massive dune, works its way through open meadows and upland forest, and then finishes in the dunes. Old Macdonald moves through dune to ocean revealing breathtaking views throughout. The courses here weren’t built as much as discovered. Among the coastal forest, dunes and gorse, lie golf holes that yield fresh rewards each time they’re played.
Not sure about you but certainly sounds like a little slice of Heaven to me 
One of the most amazing things is the course (Bandon Dunes) was designed by a rookie Scottish architect named David McLay Kidd, son of a noted agronomist at Gleneagles in Scotland. Bandon opened in 1999 to stunning reviews and still has the reputation as one of the finest links courses in the US.
Noted architect, Tom Doak, worked on the next course (just North of Bandon) to create Pacific Dunes. Bandon Trails was added in 2005 wit the help of noted course architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. finally the fourth course, Old MacDonald was opened in 2010 and designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina and fashioned after Charles Blair Macdonalds National Golf Links masterpiece.
Almost everything about the resort looks like a 5 star experience. I’m pretty sure you can book your tee times online as well. So there you have it, Bandon is the place for me. And if anyone from the resort is reading this, I would be happy to do a press trip there!
Curious if any of you out there have played and if you have additional information about the courses, dining, lodging, etc. So please share.
PS: GolfClubAtlas (as usual) has a terrific writeup of Bandon Dunes. Check it out here: GolfClubAtlas Review of Bandon Dunes
Why Bubba’s Win at the Master’s is Great for Golf
Who woulda thunk it? Bubba Watson, 2012 Master’s Champion. Not many I’m sure but Bubba winning the Master’s is also going to be great for the game of golf. Here’s why.
What’s really refreshing is that Bubba won it with his very own lop-sided, hack-kneed golf swing. It’s a homemade version that Bubba has “refined” since turning professional in 2003.
It’s almost like golf is saying, “Enough of these cookie-cutter golf swings and golf robots. Let’s get some fun, spice and personality back into this great game. Let’s shake things up a bit.” Golf, to my mind, HAS become way too boring and predictable.
The path to PGA success is this: Start the kids playing practicing at 4-6 years old, have a couple of wealthy parents who can shlep them across the country to every major junior tournament that means anything, send him/her to a world class golf school (a la Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, etc.), refine their swing so it looks (and works machine-like), rinse, repeat – you get the idea.
Whatever happened to the great Ben Hogan’s working philosophy, “digging it out in the dirt”? What about some of the older guys swing mechanics? people like Lee Trevino or Ray Floyd or Arnold. They all had unique swings that worked for them, that they could repeat under pressure.
It’s really quite amazing Bubba has never had a golf teacher or even a singular darn golf lesson. The guys above figured it out themselves. Just them, a golf ball and a place to hit. Seems to me they turned out pretty well.
If you corral a bunch of these old-timers, put them in a room and get them chatting about Bubba’s win and I’ll bet they’ll all have wry little smiles on their faces. They know that most of what it takes to be a champion is probably a bunch of bunk. They would probably ask “Where the hell were you when I was practicing in the dirt in some Mexican field while my hands were bleeding?”
It’s not all about mechanics and appearances and fancy equipment. It’s about something bigger. Something deeper. It’s about determination, persistence and heart. Ask any of the old-timers, they’ll tell you the real dope. Of what it takes to win on tour.
I’m not saying that’s all it takes. Bubba has God-given talent to hit the ball incredibly long and also to shape shots in ways some find m ind boggling but as I mentioned, and as we saw in the moments after the winning put dropped and in his ensuing press conference, the guy has a huge heart. He’s not afraid to show his emotions – to show his vulnerability.
Sure, watching some of his YouTube videos you could believe the guy is a bit goofy and unpredictable at times – but so what?! Isn’t it nice to have breath of fresh air blow through the too-often stale PGA Tour?
Gee, I was thinking on my drive to work this morning that its just so nice that golf has been opened a bit. That there’s hope for kids who want to play this great game but come from limited means or have heart, raw natural talent and a desire to succeed. That’s the bottom line, right?!
So maybe the African-American guy or gal in the Bronx could win the Masters or maybe some 250 pound Eskimo from Alaska or maybe some tiny Asian player who can crush the ball over 300 yards could become a Masters champion. Maybe even some tall, lanky kid nicknamed Bubba from the Florida Panhandle.
Masters Chess Match
I’m not talking play. It’s only Thursday night and too early for that. This is about the issue of Augusta’s membership rules that has been simmering for more than a decade. It ebbs and flows and yesterday at the press conference with Billy Payne, Augusta’s Chairman, it caught fire again. Today even President Obama and Mitt Romney weighed in. Seems everyone’s talking except the one guy who should be, Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour Chairman.
The issue is that Augusta does not allow women to be members and the PGA is not supposed to hold tournaments at clubs that have discriminatory membership practices. You see, it’s in their mandate.
Augusta National is a private club and I believe it’s their right to set whatever membership rules they like. When asked about letting women join, Billy Payne gave the standard Augusta answer; the members won’t have it. Mr. Payne was only doing his job by telling us what his members want.
If they lose sanctioning, Augusta could still hold any tournament it pleased. Then it would be the players turn to move their Chess pieces. If it didn’t count towards professional rankings, points and money, would they go? Would their wives, daughters and girlfriends let them play? Would they be sleeping on the couch for a month if they did? The press would have a field day if that ever comes to pass.
Let me say again, I have no problem with Augusta or Billy Payne. It was their turn to move a piece and they’ve said no women. So far so good, that’s the way it is in America. We have rules and laws that let us make choices knowing what the consequences will be. Choose A and get this or choose B and get that.
Now it’s the PGA’s turn to move a chess piece. Their response should be (and should have been long ago) that to keep the Masters a sanctioned event, Augusta will have to allow women to join. It’s what they’re mandate requires and makes a whole lot of sense for an organization that is trying to get more women to play golf.
Once Tim Finchem gives Augusta it’s options, Billy Payne can go back to his membership, give them the news and let them decide to admit women or lose PGA sanctioning. This actually happened in 1990 when Cypress Point dropped out of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rather than admit blacks as members.
So what’s the problem? Let’s see. We have clear rules, options and free choice. Just what we like in this country. EXCEPT that Augusta hosts THE MASTERS, one of 4 golf Majors in addition to probably having the most powerful and monied membership of any private organization in the country. Getting a membership at Augusta is America’s equivalent of being anointed royalty. And Tim Finchem is scared to death to tell them the rules are the rules (just like in golf) and say you have to follow them or we don’t sanction your tournament.
These are the kinds of things leaders get paid the big bucks for – the hard stuff. This is where you show your mettle and leadership. This is where principal trumps friendship and power. This is where girls and women, who are still underdogs in our society, see that there are leaders who are willing to fight for them even if it costs them personally. Tim Finchem – your move.
Sweet Anticipation
Anticipation for this year’s Masters is about as high as it gets. It’s been awhile since Augusta has produced an epic battle between/among the world’s best golfers, but this year certainly looks like it might. Let’s look at the handicapping sheet:
Tiger’s back! Only his biggest detractors would say otherwise. If the Achilles holds out, he might even be the favorite.
Then there’s Phil being Phil. Augusta has become HIS house in recent years. At Pebble Beach this spring he looked like a world beater, then he all but disappeared. It’s impossible to know if he has it or not, but Augusta seems to bring out the very best in him. With Phil you never know until the first tee!
The biggest obstacle between Tiger and Jack’s record 18 majors might not be his health, but Rory McIlroy. Most everyone thinks Rory has ‘IT’, but he needs to win a Masters and a British Open to prove it. If it happens, could Tiger be reduced to Rory’s Phil?
Luke Donald is not going to repeat last year’s performance, but….he’s got plenty of game. He’s already won this year, which is more than most can say. He may be the best pure iron player today, which is critical for finding the safe places on Augusta’s treacherous greens. And he can putt, a must at the Masters. I like Luke’s chances to win a major this year, but Augusta takes lots of seasoning to understand how to play it.
And then there’s Hunter Mahan who looks to be finally playing up to his potential. He’s got the curse of having won last week, but that’s more about the odds of anyone not named Tiger winning two weeks in a row. Or we could have a relative newcomer like Keegan Bradley win and become the ‘next great thing to happen to pro golf’.
Has often happens, there’s always the non-favorite who can come out of the pack at Augusta and manage to win. Golfers never know when their best 4 rounds are going to show up. There are plenty of players in the field who have proven their mettle and even though they haven’t done anything spectacular this year, this could be their week, even a graybeard like Freddie Couples. Whoever wins, I hope it will be one of those sporting events that takes on a life of it’s own and allows us to reminisce for decades!
GolfDash Best Golf Swing Training Aids
Here are some of the best golf swing training aids that we recommend. We have personally used all these and highly recommend to anyone wanting to measurably improve their golf game.
We tried to select the simplest, most “non-gimmicky” training aids that have stood the test of time. Some you might recognize and some you might not. We did throw in just a few “cooler” aids that we really believe in.
Here’s our top 10 (and in no particular order):
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The MomentusThis is the one training aid that I don’t think I could do without (and, by far, it’s the one I have most used). Why? it’s just so damn simple. A weighted club. But, might I add, it’s evenly weighted – no weighted donuts or any of that crap that might fly off and cripple someone. It’s excellent for feeling the “slot” in the swing and for general loosening up. I also like the fact (unlike the weighted donut) is that the weight is evenly balanced throughout the club. Get the iron, get the driver . . but get one. And don’t feel like you have to write me and tell me I was right – I know I am. Don’t be afraid to swing it fast, though. Get one now! |
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Swing FanThis is another great training aid. It has four “fins” with a handle and uses resistance from the wind to groove your swing. I really like the fact that you can feel your swing building and you just “can’t” swing it that hard. Great for smoothing out your swing and feeling it’s innate tempo. Besides, it’s cool looking. And it you feel a bit embarrassed swinging it, just tell your neighbor you have a new device clearing the area of bugs. Get one now! |
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Gyro SwingMy vote for the coolest golf training aid ever. And it made the list because it works. It’s just so weird – I mean weird in the sense you feel like you have a live rattlesnake in your hands and your afraid to let it go. I guess that what you get when the gyroscope is spinning at 20,000 RPM! It’s designed to really make you feel the proper (note I said “proper”) swing plane and release. The Gyro Swing includes rechargeable batteries and accompanying battery re-charger pack, acclaimed teacher Rick Smith’s instructional DVD (this includes product usage guidelines, golf instruction fundamentals and Gyro Swing drills) and Head Cover. Get one now! |
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Alignment SticksI really like simple training aids and alignment sticks (or rods) are about as simple as you can get. Look at any pro nowadays and chances are they have some alignments sticks at their practice sessions. They are just so much easier to use then laying your clubs on the ground. Alignment is so critical to a proper functioning golf swing that it is something you have to constantly monitor – just like the pros. So get some of these immediately and more importantly USE them at each and every one of your golf practice sessions. Get one now! |
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PivotProThis is a fairly new aid that I really like. It was the recent recipient of PGA “New Product” Award. This training aid is all about “loading” your right side (for right-handed golfers) and learning to properly coil. I’m convinced this is the source of so many “power-leaks” – I know it was for me! If your not powerfully loaded you just can’t get into the ball with any impact or power. This somewhat silly training aid will really get you to fell solid and prevent the dreaded golf sway/reverse pivot. You’ll learn to stay tightly “in-the-barrel” and be hitting strong, powerful golf shots in no time. Promise! Endorsed by golf instruction legend Jim McLean and comes wit ha terrific instructional CD. Get one now! |
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SwingRiteI use this training aid ALL the time. It’s actually been around since 1960 (that’s over 50 years!) but I picked it up somewhere and just instantly appreciated it’s value. It works like this: you receive feedback where your release point is by a little click sound. Then you just re-set it and swing again. You can also adjust a little gear to make it harder to hear the “click” sound as your swing speed increases. It’s fairly light, compact, easy to travel with and I have had mine for over 4 years now (I know I have left it in the rain a few times) and it still works like a charm. In my opinion, one of the most underrated and under-used golf training aids. Period. Get one now! |
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Impact BagI’ll probably get poo-pooed for having this one on my list but truly believe in it. Nothing could be simpler. A solid bag (this one you just fill with old clothes, towels or some other suitable material) that you hit into. I think this is one of the best ways to learn how to keep your forward hand flat at impact. That’s the position you want and the position that is going to help you hit those dead solid, piercing irons we’re all looking for. One caveat: It’s one device that, in my opinion, you need to be cautious of because it can help ingrain a feeling of “stopping” at the ball – which, of course, you don’t want. If you use it sporadically, you’ll be fine. Get one now! |
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Swing Tempo MetronomeThis training aid definitely fits the “cool” category. Probably not enough attention is given to the golf swing tempo. All great players seem to have an innate sense of tempo, whether you are quicker like Nick Price or slower like Ernie Else all know proper tempo provides balance and consistency in the golf swing. This device can really help you not only measure and ingrain your optimal tempo. That’s the position you want and the position that is going to help you hit those dead solid, piercing irons we’re all looking for. One caveat: It’s one device that, in my opinion, you need to be cautious of because it can help ingrain a feeling of “stopping” at the ball – which, of course, you don’t want. If you use it sporadically, you’ll be fine. Get one now! |
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Inside ApproachAnytime Jack Nicklaus endorses a golf training aid it might be prudent to listen. Hey, the greatest golfer on the planet doesn’t HAVE to put his name on anything but chose to put it on the Inside Approach. That maybe reason enough to get it. This training aid is all about learning the proper path into the ball. You receive immediate feedback by either knocking the breakaway cushion away (by producing an “over the top” or too steep a swing path) or you’ll come on a powerful inside path and hit the snot out of the ball. The product also comes with a very good and information DVD featuring Jack and Jim Sowerwine. Get one now! |
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Golf Hitting NetA hitting net – big deal, right?! Does it really qualify as a training aid? I say it does if you use it and it produces measurable results in your game. Once you get a hitting I really believe your game begins to change because you always have to opportunity to hit real golf balls. How many of you like to hit the range after watching the Masters or some other pro event. I know I do. Now I just head to the back yard and can immediately swing away. There are many nets out there but this one from Callaway has some of the strongest netting made in golf, (which, believe me, is important!) and is easy to assemble (and take down). Comes in 3 sizes and it’s unique shape is designed for wedges through the driver. Get one now! |
Golf in Scandinavia
Golfing in Scandinavia is one of the thrills when I visit Europe – mostly due to the almost 24 hours of light in the land of “the midnight sun.”
We are actually heading to beautiful Sweden, in the heart of the summer (end of July-Beginning of August), to stay at a friends in Västerås, a quaint little town about an hour or so outside of Stockholm.
I actually worked there for a bit (when I worked for ABB) and made a number of friends – including the family we are staying with. Let’s face it – any European vacation that is longer than 2 weeks is welcome for us Americans.
Truth be told, we were not sure where we were heading in Italy but I did want to incorporate at least *some golf. So we talked about a Thailand golf holiday or possibly golfing in Italy or maybe even golf in Dubai (which I would love to do!) but we settled on a trip to Sweden because our Swedish friends have been bugging us to visit and we are also going to incorporate a cruise to St. Petersburg (from Helsinki)
One I am dying to play is the Bro Hof Slott Golf Club located about 30 minutes North of Stockholm (see aerial view of course above). Bro Hof consists of 2 courses the Stadium and the Castle course both created by world-class designer Robert Trent Jones (his first course in Sweden)
As Mr. Jones says about the (stadium) course:
Mother Earth must have created this area for a golf course. All I had to do was to walk around this beautiful landscape and see where the holes would fit in.
Playing the courses doesn’t come cheap, however. It will tag you somewhere in the range of $140-250 to play. The higher fee is for the more mature, Stadium course.
Other noteworthy things about he course: The Scandinavian (Nordea) Masters will be played there during from 2010 – 2017. The course is very eco-friendly, has inclined fairways to prevent water logging and bunkers of crushed marble. Nice!
The other is Falsterbo Golf Clubin Southern Swedenabout 20 miles South of Malmö on the scenic Falsterbo Peninsula.
This is my “nice-to-have” course to play in Sweden but I have heard so many good things that I’m determined to play it. It’s the third oldest golf club in Sweden and the course is consistently ranked as one of the top courses in Sweden and among the Top 50 courses on the European continent.
Here’s how the course is described on the website:
Falsterbo is a classic example of the original Scottish golfing terrain – links. Sand dunes with sparse vegetation intervenes with lower lying areas where under decades a natural and fine turf has come forth. The natural water hazards, many large sand bunkers as well as depressions and the fast running greens are some of the characteristics of the course . . .
Read the excellent: Golf Club Atlas Review of Falsterbo GolfKlubb
Anyway, can’t wait to get to the land of Absolute vodka, the super-fun crayfish parties, have my favorite djungelvrål candy and, who knows, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to run into the Swedish Bikini Team!
Ready for the 2012 Masters?
Ah, the Masters! Nothing quite like it – the blazing azaleas, the majestic pines, the lush, rolling fairways – and all the spectacle, drama and history that has and continues to happen there.
It’s right around the corner (April 5-8, 2012) so I wanted to whet your appetite a little just in the weeks before the fabled tourney begins.
I’m going to do something a little different in this post. John and I have been doing this fun project called GolfDashBlog for close to 4 years now (I think that’s right?!) and, of course, we accumulate more and more content with each post we write and distribute.
So what I did was gather a number of posts we have written about the Masters in previous years. I tried to pick ones that are not so much about the winners but of everything else that surrounds this magical Springtime spectacle.
Just for the record, I have never attended the tournament at Augusta National. Maybe we need to become more famous golf bloggers, not sure, but hopefully one of these years I will get there.
Feel free to peruse the links below. We had fun writing them and it’s sometimes fun to drag a few out of the dusty closet and perhaps see them in a new light.
Oh, and to get you in the mood further, head over to the right rail and click on the video to hear the famous Master theme song as your looking at the posts below.
Have They Designed Away Masters Excitement
Little Known Augusta National Facts
Shame On Golf Journalists in Augusta
Masters TV Coverage Is Broken!
ESPN Masters Coverage is Abominable
PS: Not sure when I will be getting to Augusta and the Masters but have been thinking about some other all inclusive golf resorts that I will be planning for this year. There’s nothing better than excellent golf at a world-class resort!
