Man Cave and Gift Ideas for Golfers

The items below are featured in this golfer's man cave. They have been created by Zazzle independent artists.

Every golfer needs to decorate his man cave to reflect his love of the game. The above example was created by Susan Golis of Designer Home Decor by Susan. To visit her blog or hire her to design a room for you, contact here HERE.

3 Tips to Improve Your Golf Swing

Do you have a favorite golf player? Is it Tiger Woods or Ernie Els? Have you ever thought that your swing looks like theirs? Woods and Els are two great golf players. When you watch them play, you will definitely notice their graceful and powerful swings. Honestly, it is difficult to imitate that just by watching.

Having a good swing needs constant practice. Also, your body needs to be well tuned up for it to perform well. Here are some basic tips to help you improve your golf swing and may help you shoot in the 90s or even 80s.

1. Warm up. Just like any other game or sport, golf players need a little warming up before starting a round. This is what most players, especially amateurs, often take for granted.

It is best to arrive at the golf course a little early and take a few minutes to stretch those muscles and warm up. This will make your muscles "know" that they are in for something and that they should be prepared. Taking a few swings in the driving range will also help you get tuned up and perform better.

2. Exercise. This is really important, not only for golf. Constantly exercising your body and muscles will keep them toned and ready for any activity. This will also prevent common body aches and pains that you usually feel when playing golf.

Getting into the habit of exercising, especially tuning up your muscles, will have a great impact on your swing. It will help you have a good stance and increase total balance and control on your swings. Never underestimate the power of a good strength training program.

3. Do not swing too hard yet. It is really tempting to give your swing that extra effort. However, it is not recommended unless you already have the control of your swing. The key to a powerful and graceful swing is the balance and control that you have, and then add to it the proper form and stance.

So how do you get to learn to control your swing? Again, it's tip number 2. Regular exercise will, in time, allow you to have a faster, more controlled swing.

Aside from performing these simple steps, it is also best to ask help from the pros, personally or through online methods. They can give good advice as they already have learned a lot from their experiences. Keeping updated with the latest about golf will also help.

Also, most players tend to be so conscious in their desire to improve their swing that their minds are focused on every aspect of the swing itself; doing that will only make your swing look awkward. Instead, it is best to keep your mind off your swing. Try to focus on something else and the good swing will just follow.

Try to follow the above tips when you play golf again. Perform them regularly regularly, then notice the change it will make on your next golf swing.

Making The Right Golf Community Decision

For golfers, choosing to buy a home in a golf course community might seem as easy as swinging the club on a fine spring morning. Over 2700 golf course communities have been built across the United States, with more anticipated each year. With over 26 million golfers in this country, builders clearly have a ready-made clientele for homes designed with a view of the greens. But golf course communities have an appeal for buyers who are not avid golfers, too. Many people enjoy the country club lifestyle, the view of the manicured lawn and the fact that they own property backing to land which won’t be developed with more homes or shopping centers.

While making the decision to move into a residential development designed around a beloved sport can be easy, golfers and their families may find that picking the right community can be complicated. Often the first consideration when choosing a community will be location.

While many people assume golf course communities are for retirees, most are built as multigenerational developments which appeal to young families as well as aging ones. For families with children, a big concern is always the local system. Local real estate agents can direct families to web sites with information and statistics on school districts. Older couples and singles may prefer to live in an age restricted community with other residents in their age group.

Obviously being within commuting distance of a job is important, too, and many developers are designing golf course communities within driving distance of major metropolitan areas. Potential golf course buyers should also consider whether they prefer living in a rural or suburban location. Proximity to cultural activities, the beach, a lake or mountains should also be taken into account.

Other aspects to choosing an appropriate location include the climate. In the past, retirees migrated often to warmer climates. But for golfers, a little too much blazing sun can be a problem.

Retirees may also want to check out health care facilities and transportation. As they age, it can become more important to have doctor’s offices and a good hospital located nearby. Public transportation or other options for getting around can also be crucial once seniors become less expert at driving.

For the golfers in the family, a big factor in the choice of a golf course community should be the course itself. Golf course communities are built around public, semi-private and private courses, with varying greens fees required. Golfers should look into whether the course will be complete and available for play when they move into their home, because some developments build the homes before the course is ready. In addition, golfers should determine whether the course will be appropriate for their changing level of play, whether they want an easy, relaxing game or a more challenging play.

Golf course communities often include a clubhouse or country club and a range of community amenities for the whole family, including tennis courts, swimming pools, concierge services, on-site
restaurants, boating, fishing and even nearby skiing. Each family should decide which of these amenities are the most important when choosing a community.

The clubhouse atmosphere is also something to consider. For some golfers, an upscale, resort-like atmosphere is desirable, including a formal restaurant for entertaining business associates and family members. Other golf home buyers prefer a more laid-back, family-oriented style with plenty of children’s activities and casual social events such as barbecues and ice cream parties.

More important even than all these considerations, though, is the price range of the homes and the associated homeowner fees. Planned communities universally charge homeowner association fees for maintaining the property and keeping the value in the development. Golf course communities are no exception, and sometimes have higher fees depending on the range of amenities in the development.

Home styles in golf course communities can range from one-level villas, to mid-rise condominiums and larger single family homes, sometimes all within the same community. While golf used to be thought of as a rich man’s sport, players of both sexes and a wide range of income levels now enjoy the game. The variety of homes in golf course communities reflects this trend, with many of these developments offering affordable housing choices. Many others, of course, cater to upper income buyers, but middle income golfers can now find a wide range of homes on the greens as well.

An Internet search, narrowed down by the above considerations, can be a good start to finding a home in a golf course community. Then it may time to “make the sacrifice” and play a few rounds of golf in each potential development before narrowing the choice further.

Play Better Golf - Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff

Many golfers are not aware of the rotator cuff and its function in golf.  This group of muscles around the shoulder is crucial to the golf swing.  Not surprisingly, the shoulder is one of the areas most often affected by the golf swing.  Many golfers fall prey to strain and injury in this area. 

Since most golfers don’t realize the importance of the rotator cuff area, they don’t do any conditioning to strengthen and help prevent injury.  By using a golf fitness routine that includes strength and flexibility exercises, many problems with the rotator cuff can not only be improved but prevented as well. Increasing flexibility and strengthening these muscles, will help to increase power and control in your swing.

The rotator cuff is the area of the shoulder that is a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint. It is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus, the bone of the arm.  Golf can result in what is known as a repetitive strain injury to the rotator cuff.   Repeated movement of the shoulder causes it.  The sheaths that cover the muscle tendons can swell and press on the nerves causing pain. Tendonitis, bursitis, and tears in the rotator cuff are common injuries for golfers. 

To improve your power and control of your golf swing as well as prevent injury, it is a good idea to do regular stretches and exercises designed specifically for the rotator cuff.     
This conditioning should be done on a regular basis both before play and in between rounds.  It is especially important to warm up the rotator cuff area before exercise.  This helps to increase blood flow to the deeper muscles and prepares them for activity. 

One simple way to warm up is by holding the arms at should level.  Do at least 20 circles with both arms.  The next step should be stretching exercises to help reduce tension in these muscles.  Three areas should be stretched: the back, the front and the under side of the rotator cuff.  Once the stretches have been completed, exercises to strengthen these muscles should be performed.  After exercise, golf practice or rounds, be sure to cool down these muscles with stretching. 

By simply practicing a few stretches and exercises, you’ll not only help to prevent injuries, you’ll see a more powerful and controlled golf swing.

Phil Mickelson’s Pebble Beach History & A Treat For Autograph Seekers

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am consists of six hour rounds that often take their toll on other golfers, but not Phil Mickelson.  Always found in the top golf news stories, he actually enjoys the tournaments while admitting that patience is the key to success.  It seems that golf news usually surrounds Mickelson and every turn he makes, but that’s all a part of being one of the top professional golfers in the PGA and in the world. 

Many fond memories remain with Mickelson as he recounts previous Pro-Am competitions.  One such recollection includes celebrity saxophonist Kenny G, who was an amateur partner with Mickelson at one point.  Of course, there are plenty of other reasons that would lend to his fondness of Pebble Beach, including the fact that he made his professional debut in 1992 at the U.S. Open and ended up winning the longest PGA Tour event in history after a rain delay that put the competition on hold for six months.

In 2005, Mickelson enjoyed one of the best performances of his career as he played a 10-under 62 at Spyglass Hill in California.  Known as the second most difficult course in Northern California, this is the site that led Mickelson to a memorable victory.  He once again found himself in the golf news spotlight, but that’s not an uncommon occurrence for this veteran of the sport.  Recognized as being one of four top 10 players from the world ranking at Pebble Beach, Mickelson finds that golf news and the eyes of the press are always waiting to see his next move. 

In addition to making golf news wherever he competes, Mickelson believes in his fans just as they believe in him.  A kind autograph signer, both in person and through the mail, he is a popular fan favorite.  Golf fans who aren’t fortunate enough to ask in person may request an autograph through the mail.  Collectors may request a signed photo or send their own item to be signed.  Fans should include a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail their request to:

Phil Mickelson
Gaylord Sports Management
Attn: Phil Mickelson Fan Mail
13845 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 200
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

This south paw golf professional is an active member of the PGA and shows no signs of slowing down.  Wherever Phil Mickelson is found, fans can rest assured that golf news isn’t far away.  In fact, golf news is more likely to be found right alongside him at every swing.

Flexibility For Golf Will Not Be Lost With Weight Training

There is no doubt that flexibility is extremely important to your golf game. Little wonder that one of the biggest fears among many golfers looking to improve their game is that of losing their flexibility as a result of weight training.

This is one of the reasons why many amateur golfers still avoid joining golf-specific exercise and conditioning
programs. They mistakenly link every weight-training program with muscle building and bodybuilding.

Although it is true that muscle building and body building will tend to make somebody stiff, the facts are that weight training can either be used for body-building and building of muscles, or it can be used to build strength.

The golf specific weight training programs are aimed at building strength and endurance. Not muscles. A genuine golf exercise program will have nothing in its weight training routine to remotely relate it to muscle or bodybuilding.

In fact, stronger conditioned muscles will tend to dramatically improve flexibility for golf, rather than reduce it. Flabby, weak, unexercised muscles are the ones that will tend to be very stiff and over time will take away the flexibility required for golf in anybody.

Stretch exercises, which work best with strengthened muscles are very effective in helping to increase flexibility. These exercises usually have a major impact on the quality of the golf swing for most players.

Therefore, it is not true that incorporating dumbbells into golf specific exercises makes a golfer lose flexibility. Rather the entire program plays a major role in enhancing flexibility for golf and the results from players who have tremendously improved their game, speak for themselves.

Principles Of Accurate Chipping

Here’s a question I sometimes ask when giving a golf lesson. What do pro golfers Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, and Sergio Garcia all have in common? Answer: They don’t hit into trouble often, but when they do, their short games save them, and accurate chipping is one of the most potent weapons in their short game. In fact, most players with low golf handicaps chip accurately.

The chip shot is one of the easiest shots to learn in golf. It’s also one of the most crucial. In medal play, accurate chipping can save you one or two strokes on a hole, sometimes more. In match play, it can be the difference between winning or losing a hole or a match. And in player rankings, it’s often what separates players with high golf handicaps from those with low ones.

Confidence, experience, and imagination all contribute to accurate chipping. But so does good technique. Below are 6 keys to accurate chipping:

1.Decide on a landing spot
2.Use a one-piece takeaway
3.Maintain weight on front side
4.Keep hands ahead of clubhead
5.Hold the clubhead
6.Accelerate the club through the ball

Professional golfers play a wide variety of shots around the green. One player may use a sand wedge to chip with from a certain spot, while another hits a 9 iron from the same spot. Regardless of what club they use, they all pick out a landing spot before hitting the ball, which they play the ball off their left heels.

Picking a landing spot is imperative, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips. So is using a one-piece takeaway. In fact, it’s as important in chipping as it is in driving. Since the shot is hit mostly with your arms and hands, it requires little or no weight transfer, so place your weight on your front side and keep it there. Also, keep your head still when hitting the ball.

The backswing is important as well. The length determines the length of the shot— the longer the backswing, the longer the shot. Be mindful of your backswing when chipping. Also, take the club back smoothly and slowly, allowing your wrists to hinge naturally.

When committing to the downswing, make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead to ensure crisp ball-before-turf contact. The objective is to slide the blade of the clubhead under the ball, taking only a sliver of turf in the process.

Also, don’t allow your right hand to cross over your left through impact. Known as “holding the clubhead,” the technique keeps the clubface open, creating a high shot that lands softly on the ground.

In my golf tips I tell players to finish in balance and with their hands slightly higher than the height of their backswing. Doing so indicates that the golfer has accelerated the clubhead through the ball. The motion is similar to throwing a ball underhanded, which I sometimes have players do in my golf lessons to get a feel for the shot.

Change the Club Drill
The change-the-club drill is an excellent exercise for practicing your chipping. It simulates hitting from the fringe of the green or fairway when your landing spot is about 3 feet away, but the ball needs to roll about 15 feet or more. The idea is to hit various clubs with the same motion to learn reaction and distance. It’s a golf lesson in itself.

Choose a green that’s a challenge. Maybe it has some valleys in it or maybe a significant side slope. Then pick a spot about five feet off the green and drop a ball. Set one club about two and a half feet behind the ball and another club about two and a half feet in front of the ball to give you an idea of distance. With the identical motion hit chip shots with each of four clubs—the sand wedge, 9 iron, 7 iron, and 5 iron.

After hitting the ball you’ll notice that the ball runs father as the clubs get lower and lower. Pick the club that will land the ball about two to three feet on the green and run the rest of the way to the hole. Remember to factor in slope and/or the speed of the green when selecting a club.

Using different clubs will give you a better feel for which club runs the ball farther and which lands softly and stops, making club selection somewhat easier next time you play.

Keep practicing this drill until can get within a foot of the pin every time. By then, you should start seeing the benefits of accurate pitching not only in better scores but also in a lower golf handicap. And that will keep you practicing for better results.

Speed Kills Your Golf Swing

Would you say you have a fast looking swing or a slow swing?  (If you don’t have a fast swing show this article to a playing partner who does).  You would think that a recreational golfer’s fast swing would hit a golf ball a long way wouldn’t you?  After all, it looks fast!  Yet the ball doesn’t go as far as a slow swinging pro’s ball.  I wonder why...

If you think about your body for a minute, you know that it moves much slower than your arms in

real life.  So if your body can’t turn all that fast, how do you get a fast looking golf swing?  You get a fast looking golf swing when you try to hit the ball as hard as you can with just your arms.  This means that your arms are moving independently from your body.

This fast looking swing can be understood by imagining a clock.  If you look at a clock, you will see that the little post in the middle tells the minute hand how fast to swing.  If the little post moves slowly, the minute hand moves slowly. If the little post moves faster, the arms move faster.  The center post and the minute hand are relative to one another.  If you compare your golf swing to the movement of a clock you will see your body as the center post on the clock and your arms as the minute hand.  Having a fast looking swing would be like the little center post of the clock turning slowly yet the minute hand is moving very fast.  This, of course, would never happen because they are connected to one another.

What happens to your shots when your arms outpace your body?

First, won't make solid contact with the sweet spot on the clubface because swinging with your arms alone will cause you to manipulate the clubface as it swings through impact.

Secondly, the harder you swing, the tighter your wrists and arms will be through impact.  Tighter wrists release slower than looser wrists and looser arms extend more than tighter arms (which increase the width of your swing arc).

To slow down a fast looking golf swing, we first have to think logically about it.  Pros have a slow looking swing and they hit the ball a long way and you have a fast swing that hits the ball shorter.  So why do you insist on hitting the ball harder than the pros do?Unfortunately, human nature usually takes control of us when we go to hit a golf ball.  It says that the harder you swing the further the ball will go.  This does not allow us to see the logic behind swinging slower.  Swinging slower feels like you have less power so you cannot see how you can actually hit the ball better and farther by not using your arms.  You must convince yourself that you must swing slower to hit the ball better.  Once you slow down, you will make better contact in the middle of the clubface, widen your arc and release the club faster.  All of these things add up to more distance with less effort.

I like my students to try this drill in order to take the arms out of their swing.  All you have to do is hold the club at about waist high and feel your body swing the clubhead.  Remember the clock.  If the post turns faster the arms swing faster.  As you swing, listen to the swishing sound the clubhead is making as it swings through impact.  Now, try to make the club swing faster by shifting your body weight from the right leg to the left leg allowing your body to turn at the same time.  If you let your arms swing freely you will hear the club swish faster as you increase the speed of your body.

As you go to hit the actual golf ball, you must relate the same new feeling of using your body to hit your shot.  This means that you cannot think of hitting the ball.  If you think about hitting the ball, it will speed up your arms up again.  You have to now think about turning and shifting your body weight.  This will turn your body and allow your arms to swing down because they are connected to one another. If you feel your swing getting fast again just step back, hold the club off the ground and do some more practice swings feeling your body making the club swing.  It takes some practice and concentration but once you slow your swing down you will not only gain a feeling of effortless power but you will start to look like a pro when you swing.

Periodization Training For Golf

The idea of periodization has been around a very long time for athletes at all levels. The concept is simple. If you started with the goal in mind, let's say it was to win the Club Championship or place in the top 3 in your next Amateur event, then you would plan accordingly.

Generally, an annual plan is used, although it is not uncommon to use longer periods of time especially when working with a younger developing athlete.

Periodization occurs when you break down all of the segments into actual manageable parts, always keeping the long term goal in mind. Your master plan may be broken down into which phase you are in, for example, are you in your competitive stage or pre-competitive stage? This information is then used to determine which strategies offer the most benefit at any given point in time.

If you use a holistic approach to golf improvement, then you also periodize each important component as in the physical, mental, technical and strategic side.

While this many sound like a lot of information to track, this is the very point of periodization. Breaking down all of the important parts into simple tasks you can complete daily and/or weekly which fit comfortably and naturally into achieving your long term goal.

What is the real payoff for you? Well, just like the pros, when you prepare in this manner you leave nothing to chance. You have less margin for error and a higher probability of meeting or succeeding your goals.

To give you an idea of how to periodize a program for golf, first consider your competitive season, then employ the following ideas.

Phase 1 - Restoring optimal flexibility or range of motion in hips, spine and shoulders.

Phase 2 - Choose adaptation exercises where the main objective is to involve many muscle groups while preparing joints, tendons and ligaments for the work ahead. Build a solid base of support through stabilization exercises.

Phase 3 - Build strength. Consider increasing your loads, time under tension and create an opportunity for increased force production.

Phase 4 - Power production. Not you can convert all of your previous efforts to completion of the process where all energy is stored and transferred in efficient movement patterns for the benefit of your golf swing.

Phase 5 - Active recovery and rest. Don't forget that every body needs a recovery period so it can maintain gains made throughout the year while protecting the body from injury.

Better Golf Solutions Start With One Simple Approach

Better golf solutions is a mystery for the average golfer.  Finding the magic bullet that’s going to cure your game overnight isn’t going to happen.  In looking for better golf solutions, you’ve got to think about what’s the main reason you’re not making a sound, repeatable golf swing that generates power and accuracy.

Common approaches to better golf solutions are taking more lessons; buying new golf equipment that
will hopefully make up for your swing faults (such as offset/oversized drivers and irons); purchasing training aids that promise the world, but end up in your garage gathering dust or being sold on ebay; or going to the range with a new level of practice commitment.

The six million dollar question!  Did it help?  Are you happy with your results?

If the answer is yes…congratulations on your success!  If the answer is no, than what in the world is left?  You’ve done everything right?

I want you to think real hard for a second.

What one thing is critical in swinging a club, hitting the ball square and long, and producing results?

YOU!

You dictate your outcome!

Let me explain.

You body has a current level of physical capability.  It is what it is.  Whatever that level is, will be your outcome.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it!  You will never consistently play to what you think your potential is until you improve your “physical capabilities”!

If golfers knew this little secret, they’d save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year on lessons, gimmicky training aids, equipment and range fees.

You are an athlete!  A golf athlete!  You’ve got to “prepare your body to perform”.

What other athletic event do you know of where the athlete just shows up without working on his/her physical attributes?

None!

I hate to be so blunt, but it is a fact.  Only until you realize this, and take it to heart will you achieve your golfing goals.  Your BODY determines your outcome.  Your BODY makes your golf swing.  Your BODY physically plays for 18 holes.  Your BODY dictates your confidence.  I hope you’re getting the point here.

I can’t say this strong enough!

Take the approach like an athlete and you will never have to think of better golf solutions.

Changing Awkward Golf Shots Into Opportunities

For some of us golfers, this is something that happens to us more often that we would like.  You know what I am talking about.  Shots that throw you off balance or aren’t as simple as instruction videos or professionals make them look.  Here are some great ways to overcome the awkward shots.

When you have an awkward shot to make, think about how you can swing, your golf swing path  keep your balance, and keep from moving your head.  Then imagine the line your club travels along.  

Prior to setting up your shot, consider where the club head needs to travel for the greatest distance in
a straight line.  Keep in mind that the ball makes contact with the club head for several inches.  After you make a few practice swings, you will be able to see what relationship your feet will have with the line and then you can determine your stance.

It is important to keep from swaying when you are about the hit the ball.  Just before you swing, see if there is any problem keeping your balance.  If there is, you need to keep shifting until you find a comfortable position where there is no tension in your swing.  Freedom in your muscles and mind is what you are looking for so that you will be able to swing smoothly.  If you are fidgety when you address the ball, you are not going to be able to focus on the ball.  Be sure you keep your feet still.

Ensure that you can see the ball from the beginning to end of your swing.  Even if it is a difficult shot, do not lose focus on the ball.  This will help you hit the ball cleanly and solidly.

If you keep your eye on the ball, then your swing will be free from faults and the ball will be hit correctly.  If you can keep your head still for the entire swing until the club head meets the ball, your swing will definitely improve.  Then if you have an awkward shot, you will be able to hit it with confidence and assurance.

Bad or difficult weather can make any shot more difficult.  When the wind is blowing, it is important to keep your feet closer together.  It is natural to think that you just need to hit the ball harder, but the wind makes it even more important to hit the ball correctly.

The more awkward the shot, the more you need your muscles to be relaxed enough to make the shot.  Here is a tip.  The shorter the shot that you need to make, the closer your feet should be brought together.  Hit the ball true, instead of with all of your strength to keep it from bouncing away and reducing the distance that it travels.

Awkward and difficult shots are something that every golfer needs to learn to deal with.  Once you learn how to handle them, then you will be much more confident and be enjoying a lower golf score!

Good luck!

Can Well-Maintained Greens Lower Your Scores?

I don’t often mention green maintenance in my golf lessons. Nor do I often discuss it in my golf tips. That’s because golfers want to talk about hitting the ball instead. But the care and feeding of a club’s greens—how they are mowed, watered, fertilized— can have a major impact on a player’s golf handicap, especially if he or she plays the same course a lot.

Speed is the key factor when considering green maintenance. Usually, players want a superintendent
to increase green speed. It’s probably the most frequent request about greens. Occasionally, players want a superintendent to decrease green speed, but these requests are few and far between. Misjudging the speed of a putt can add strokes to a score, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips.

The term “green speed” is technically inaccurate. The device measuring “speed” —the USGA Stimpmeter —gauges the distance a ball rolls when released at a controlled speed on a putting surface, not the ball’s velocity. To talk about green speed then is a bit of a misnomer. Nevertheless, we continue to use the term when talking about greens. (I even use it when giving golf lessons.) A green with a relatively long ball roll is considered “fast.” A green with a relatively short ball roll is said to be “slow.”

Ball roll relates to relationship between the initial energy when a putter strikes the ball and the resistance between the ball and the turf’s surface, or friction. As the ball rolls across the green, its surface slows it down thanks to friction. A green with high resistance slows a ball down more than a green with low resistance. Moderating friction changes a green’s speed.

Environmental factors, such as humidity, can moderate friction and change a green’s speed. For example, high humidity increases green speed, a consideration when playing on a hot day. Soil type also influences green speed. Greens made predominately of clay are faster in spring than their sandier counterparts. While superintendents have little or no control over these factors, they have minimal impact on your game.

Management practices, on the other hand, like mowing or irrigation, can make a profound impact on a green, both short-term and long-term. Below is a summary of how some popular management practices affect green speed.

Mowing
An effective way of increasing ball roll in the short-term, mowing has a significant impact on green speed. Decreasing mowing height by only 1/16 inch can increase ball roll from 6 to 10 inches. A similar response occurs when you “double cut” a green (mowing it a second time, perpendicular to the first cut) which can increase ball roll 6 to 12 inches. Mower type also influences green speed. Greens cut with a walk-behind mower are generally 6 to 8 inches fast than greens cut with triplex mowers.

Irrigation
Dry greens are faster than moist or wet greens. Withholding irrigation or decreasing it before an event requiring faster greens will increase ball roll 4 to 8 inches, depending on soil type.

Rolling
Rolling golf greens isn’t new, but it’s growing in popularity thanks to new research and better equipment. Depending on the type of roller you use, you can increase green speed from 4 to 10 inches, with minimal compaction problems on sand-based greens.

Topdressing
Light frequent topdressing with or without vertical mowing or core aerating is common. Topdressing decreases speed for up to 1 week after application, followed by an increase of from 4 to 8 inches (above the speed before topdressing.) Vertical mowing has a similar effect. Core aeration reduces speed initially, and if you don’t topdress to fill in the holes, decrease it long term.

Fertility
Decreasing nitrogen fertility will gradually increase ball-roll distance. A decrease in nitrogen fertility of only 10 percent can increase ball roll 8 to 12 percent. The effects may take up to a year to see, however, depending on previous fertility practices. Plant growth regulators can increase ball roll from 4 to 8 inches, depending on product, rate, and frequency of application.

Keep in mind that these factors do not operate independently. Modifying one may require compensation by modifying another.

Next time you play your favorite course be aware of these factors and how they affect a green. Take them into account when putting. Doing so might just help you improve your round and your golf handicap.

Can the Newer Technology of Golf Clubs Improve Your Score?

The newest golf clubs are much more high tech than even a few years ago.  It seems easier than ever before to improve your game with a new golf club.  The modern golf clubs are more lightweight and have larger sweet spots.  They're designed to help you hit more consistent shots, while allowing more room for mistakes. The old blade style (solid club head with no cavity back) golf clubs left no room for error. You had two choices, hit the golf ball perfectly or settle for a bad shot.

Does every new club you buy help to lower your score?  We all wish it were that simple. Focusing solely on the invention of newer, better golf clubs can give you false hope. To explain: most of the amateur golfers out there now are expecting the golf club to fix problems with their swing.  This attitude can leave you very frustrated and also help in emptying your wallet.

When the focus is on improving your game, there are many other aspects to consider. Sure, having a good set of well fitted clubs, and golf balls that perform better is helpful, but so is your training. The core to playing successfully in any sport is to have a proper routine that consists of strength, flexibility, and balance exercises, as well as consistent practice. Golf is no different.

High demands are repeatedly placed on the muscles used in the golf swing. In the normal golf swing the lower back and other core muscles are of prime importance.  If your core muscles aren’t strong enough, your body will make adjustments to transfer the force. This can compromise your ability to play consistent golf.

Much can be done to improve your game with just minimal effort on a regular basis.  By regularly doing exercises to strengthen and improve the flexibility of muscles, you’ll see marked improvement in your performance.  While the clubs can help for the best overall results, condition the body so it’s capable of getting the most from your new clubs.