Harry Vardon - The Championship British Golf Player’s Early Life
March 30th, 2007
The childhood and early life as a young man in the Channel Island of Jersey of Harry Vardon, the Championship Golfer of yesteryear, is covered in a newly released Windows Media Format video called Harry Vardon; Jersey’s Favourite Golfing Son.
Harry Vardon is revered in his home island as a visit to the Jersey Museum in St. Helier witnesses. It is here where one can see a permanent exhibit donated by his widow, of the famous golfer’s medals from the period of approximately 1890- 1914.
Vardon grew up on the east coast of the island near to Gorey harbour and the imposing medieval castle of Mont Orgueil carefully watching the near by coast of France. Along with the Royal Bay of Grouville, given the Royal status by Queen Victoria, this area makes up the neighbourhood to Grouville common where as a baby and child Harry Vardon and his parents lived at Amité Lodge. This was one of several small cottages that have long since been raised to the ground but, today, there stands on the 12th tee of the golf course, a Jersey stone block has been placed in the ground. It’s carved letters are losing their paint to the winter weather, but still tell the story that close by the great golfer was born. On viewing the video it is possible to make out the dates of Vardon’s greatest triumphs. Open Championship wins in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 and 1914. Also the U.S. Open in 1900.
Harry’s father had been employed in one of the shipyards that, in the olden days of wood constructed ships, could be found around the coast of the island. But by 1860’s the modern steamship was not built of wood and the industry went into terminal decline. Harry’s father was forced to earn a living as a garden labourer and odd job man. The Vardon family still lived on the common though. So in 1877, when permission was given for a golf course to be created on the land running down to the waters-edge, they were probably, like most of their neighbours, very unhappy to have their quiet surroundings disturbed.
Harry was about eight when the “strange men”, as he called them in his book “My Golfing Life” arrived to survey the land on which to play the game that was to go on to have such a profound influence on his life. He would go on to win six Open Championships and, importantly, to be the first British winner of the United States Open in 1900.
At the entrance to the Royal Jersey Golf Club, today, stands a statute to Jersey’s most famous golfing son.
Author: Nick Thorne
How to Begin a Golf Fitness Program
March 29th, 2007
Golf fitness is the hot topic on the professional golf tours, at the collegiate golf level, at the country clubs, and everywhere in the golf industry. But many don’t know what it means, what it should include or how to start a program.
Golf fitness means something different to everyone. It can mean anything from stretching before you play to a supervised and progressive daily program. For others it means it’s the only way to play golf pain free, and of course there are those that think it is a big waste of time. Whatever your belief, the one thing that can’t be denied is the great benefits of regular exercise!
The benefits of exercise are many and backed by much research. We know it can improve your general health and quality of life, but it can also give you greater pleasure and a competitive edge on the golf course. Improved posture (my favorite topic) and flexibility are necessary keys to developing a repeatable and effective swing. Strength, stability and balance are paramount in producing the power needed for out-driving your friends!
However, the secret ingredient to an effective golf fitness program is your ability to take action, and be committed to working consistently on your program. It takes consistent action to make changes in your body. In some cases, you are making changes to muscles that have been lazy or dysfunctional as a result of many years of bad habits and programming.
Research specific to golf has been conducted over the past several years. One study conducted in 2004 looked at a group of male golfers and the effects of a conditioning program on drive distance. The study looked at their club head speed and driving distance before and after an 8 week training program. The training program consisted of strength training and plyometrics (explosive exercises) conducted 2 sessions per week. All subjects in the exercise group showed a significant increase in both club head speed and driving distance. The control group (non-exercise group) showed no significant improvements. Effect of an 8-Week Combined Weights and Plyometrics Training Program on Golf Drive Performance; The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 59-62.
Consult with a fitness professional:
One concept to understand when considering a golf fitness program is the immense value of finding and working with a professional. Just like taking personal lessons from a PGA teaching professional, you will benefit from consulting with a fitness professional.
I will discuss the process of selecting a fitness professional in a minute, but I have to emphasize the fact that nothing is more beneficial than physically working with a professional that can watch your every move and assess your physical abilities. Our body, specifically the nervous system, and muscular system are great compensators which results in dysfunctional movement patterns. In other words, our body changes over time resulting in weakness, tightness and even pain. The result is difficulty moving into certain positions, such as those needed in a golf swing. A trained professional can recognize poor movement patterns, bad postural positions, and therefore make changes to your program and initiate corrective exercises.
All of the great sports coaches such as John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and Casey Stengel, all focused on fundamentals when coaching their players. When training your body as we do with golfers it is no different. The PGA teaching professionals always spend time with fundamentals. When training the body to have better posture, improved flexibility, or a stronger core you need to focus on fundamentals. If your body’s muscles do not function correctly from a fundamental perspective any advanced exercise will be a waste of time.
OK now, when searching for a fitness professional, ideally try to find someone that has several years of experience working with golfers. Make sure they have adequate training. For example a licensed athletic trainer (ATC), a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) or a certified personal trainer (CPT), are credentials that make them qualified.
Ask questions regarding their golf experience. Do they play the game? Do they have relationships with teaching professionals? Do they understand the mechanics of the golf swing, as well as swing faults? Also, ask specific questions regarding their approach to fitness. Do they provide a physical assessment? Do they address the different components of fitness (see below)? And, are they experienced in dealing with injuries or chronic problems?
You need to be able to trust your fitness professional, have confidence in their abilities and feel comfortable working with them. When you are satisfied with their answers to your questions, make a decision and go for it.
Components of a Golf Fitness Program:
Posture, I believe is one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to fitness training. An individual’s posture tells a lot about how their body is working and what kind of restrictions there may be when trying to swing a golf club.
When discussing posture it is important to keep in mind that I am referring to more than just sitting up straight, or not having rounded shoulders. The entire body from head to toe was designed to be aligned in a precise manner. The body follows the principles of physics by the way the ends of the bones are shaped, how they connect to each other and how the muscle act upon the bones & joints They are subsequently designed to function and move in specific ways.
When out of alignment or out of muscular balance, your muscular function and movement patterns are limited.
With the golf swing the most common postural problem that contributes to bad positions in the swing is the forward shoulders, forward head & rounded upper back. This slouched position makes it really difficult to get in a good set up position and significantly limits your shoulder turn or what we call thoracic rotation. The shoulder turn into the back swing is dependent upon a good position of the upper back at address. Tight muscles and restrictions in the upper spine prevent the golfer from maintaining good posture in the set up. Ultimately resulting in bad positions during the swing,
The bottom line is you need to find a fitness professional that understands posture and its influence on movements specific to golf.
Flexibility/Range of Motion refers to the body’s ability to move the bones and joints to the limits of its designed capacity. However it must be controlled motion, which I will discuss next.
An example of needed flexibility or range of motion is in the hip joint during the golf swing. As you stand in your golf position and swing there needs to be an optimal amount of rotation through both hips. During the backswing (right handed golfer) your right hip should internally rotate because your pelvis is rotating on top of it. If you have tightness in your hip muscles this motion will be limited. And, as we know, limited motion in one joint leads to compensated or excessive motion somewhere else. Subsequently tightness in the right hip may result in locking of the right knee, a reverse pivot and excessive stress in the lower back during your backswing.
Dynamic Stability refers to the body’s ability to stabilize joints or positions during movement. The one area that is most often discussed is core stability. This refers to your ability to stabilize or limit movement in the lumbar spine & pelvic region, an important component of your program.
Dynamic Strength essentially means the same as functional strength. Golf strength training should utilize all planes of motion the body moves in and somewhat golf specific. Isolated strengthening may be appropriate in certain situations but you should mostly strengthen in a dynamic way.
Dynamic Balance is closely related to posture because of the requirements of a balance between muscles and having them function correctly. Your golf professional will work with you in terms of weight shift, balance and the coordinated movements of the swing. The fitness professional may at times address this, but should not get carried away.
Dynamic Power is the actual power that is produced in the movement of the golf swing. One of the key aspects of this power is the good swing that is developed by working with a PGA teaching professional. Power can also be enhanced by first working on the above components and then adding some power exercises. However training power should be the last part of your golf fitness program. I see too many people start with the cool golf specific power exercises with no concern for the fundamentals I talked about earlier.
Cardiovascular Endurance, although not an obvious component for golf, it may be a factor in some cases. You should be able to walk a golf course (may be some exceptions) and generally be in some sort of cardiovascular condition.
Author: Mark Tolle
Buying New Golf Clubs and Accessories
March 26th, 2007
After the golf bug has bitten you and you have developed a good golf swing, you naturally will start shopping for a new set of golf clubs. You have several options to consider in the quest for the best golf clubs that fit your needs. A good place to initiate your search is the local teaching pro. Remember you are not just looking for the best clubs; you are also looking for the best price as well. Sometimes you will find the best deal at your local pro shop. The price may not be the lowest but a distinct advantage to going local is that you can usually physically handle and try them out. In addition if there are problems or you need some adjustments you have a local location to get the problem solved.
Good golf clubs can be purchase at larger sporting goods stores. These large sporting goods stores have good prices but generally have a limited selection of brands. If you are satisfied with a good standard set of golf clubs then you most likely will be able to find something that will fit you at these super stores. Again if have a problem with the clubs you can always go back and get a replacement. One major problem with going to a super sporting goods store is that the staff more than likely has little or no expertise in helping you make a sound selection. Basically you have to make your purchase decisions base on your own knowledge. If you are a beginner to the game of golf you may not be able to make an informed and intelligent purchase.
Golf clubs and accessories can be purchased on the Internet. Prices and selection are generally very good. However you do have the risk of dealing with an unknown dealer. You can reduce some of your risk by using online auction sites like eBay and Yahoo. They are structured to allow you to judge the sellers track record by looking at their feedback record. EBay is especially easy to use and there are many good quality golf products sold there each day. EBay and Pay Pal normally back sales of more expensive items like golf clubs. However you still have the problem of customer service, Almost all credible eBay sellers have a return policy that allows you to return the product for exchange or refund. You must check each auction to determine what the return policy is prior to making your purchase. Again you are relying on your expertise in picking what clubs and accessories to purchase. However if you do not need a brand new set of golf clubs, online auctions are the best place to make your purchase.
Purchasing new golf clubs from a website is also a good idea. Always use a credit card when making an online purchase. If the item is not what you want or not as described you can always send the item back for a refund. If the seller does not honor their return policy you can contact your credit card company and they will most likely get all or most of your purchase price back. Always look for a guarantee and the placards given by the various online retail associations and the better business bureau. Credit card transactions are many times safer on line using SSL encryption technology than making a purchase at your local retailer. You can tell a site is secure by checking the Web address for an “https” instead of an “http.” The extra “s” stands for secure. Also, some sites will appear with a little key symbol in the browser to let you know it’s safe. In addition you can always do a quick background check on any online seller by simply typing the words problems or fraud next to companies name and hit search. Despite all that you hear purchasing items on line including golf clubs is relatively safe.
Author: Jim Kesel
The Secret to a Successful Swing in Golf - Golf Instruction
March 25th, 2007
The importance of timing in the sport of golf is often one of the most overlooked essentials to being a success.
If you are a frequent watcher of golf on television or you follow the major players, you may have noticed that timing is important, but it is not thoroughly explained.
Allow me to give my best explanation of how timing works as an art in this sport. This should help you to see how valuable it really is
As you are watching some of the more successful players hit a golf ball or when you hit a good shot, this is what timing means. It is your ability to swing your arms down as your left hip moves out of the way, and allows for a clear shot for you.
As with anything, this is not a foolproof strategy. First of all, some people swing their arms down, and keep the rest of the body still. If you do that, you would be one that would come down with the club face closing quickly at the bottom of the hit.
If your timing is off because you did not move out of the way, your arms will cross over really quickly.
In a nutshell, if your timing is off and your body is moving too quickly, you’ll go to the right. If your timing is off and your body is moving a little too slowly, you might hook it.
The goal is to get the right combination of the upper body and the bottom part of the body moving out of the way, as the arms swing down.
Author: Gretchen Tucker
Following Golf Course Etiquette
March 25th, 2007
Proper etiquette while on the golf course is essential to the enjoyment of the game. All golfers are responsible in learning the club and course rules. Almost every golf club and course has an established set of special rules or regulations. Spend the time in the clubhouse to learn what these rules of etiquette are and obey them.
As an example in Florida during the warm months of summer shirts without collars are tolerated, however when the snowbirds return in the fall you are expected to wear a collared shirt when on the course. Some courses require long pants but no jeans and golf shoes when playing or practicing. Improper attire will draw the attention of the course rangers. This embarrassing situation can be avoided by dressing appropriately.
Timeliness is another etiquette issue that causes problems with many golfers. Many people show up at the course 10 minutes before their tee time. If you really want to irritate people in the clubhouse, your playing partners and the people who have the next scheduled tee time this is the way to accomplish it. You have to be considerate of others. Many course require you sign in or report 30 minutes prior to your published tee time. Failure to do so can cause the loss of a round. It makes sense to your enjoyment of the game as well. Arriving early allows you to warm up on the driving range, do an equipment check and contact your playing partners.
If you play in a regular foursome then you most likely know the etiquette that they follow, however if you are on a course as a guest playing with strangers you need to ask questions as to protocol. For instance to the honor the preceding holes scores when teeing off at the next hole. Do they sign or initial the scorecard after each hole. Many golfers are irritated by not following local course rules.
Probably one of the most irritating lack of etiquette is the use of a cell phone while on the course. Leave the phone in your vehicle or locker. If you feel you need to have a cell phone for emergencies then by all means take it. Just be sure to turn it off and place it in your bag. Fistfights have erupted as a result of a cell phone ringing on the tee or green.
Author: Jim Kesel
How To Swing A Golf Club
March 24th, 2007
The basics of golf swing boils down to a handful of correctly taught techniques since the game was first played, but many golfers want to complicate things.
The swing itself is the most important element, no swing no golf! Making a successful swing is to practice, understanding and implementing the elements, and not just standing there over the ball giving it a good old whack! Pros effortlessly appear to hit their swings, truthfully slowed down; you can start to appreciate how much violence is in a full golf swing.
Try these golf swing basics.
First examine the swing in easy to understand terms, to see if you can pick up any mistakes you might be making. Ok let’s begin by breaking it down into four simple steps:
1. Teeing off is the begin for most of us! Thinking, it is amazing that many players think their in a bad shot (TIP! It may be embarrassing that you might slice or even hook the ball in front of others. Just think about hitting the ball straight down the fairway!)
2. Carefully take a grip the club not to tightly. Having a tight grip may result in been a hook shot, on the other side too light a grip your shot will slice over into the trees.
3. Backswing and downswing can cause confusion to a lot of players. Essentially, the downswing is where the club generates its momentum. And having a light grip at this stage the ball is going now where into the distance. (TIP! Remember to swing back in one movement with your arms not wrists and hands ARMS!)
4. Using a slower backswing than a downswing, what most players do is to have a too light grip on the backswing this doesn’t create enough momentum for the downswing. (TIP! Rule of thumb is to use a 20-30% faster dowsing than your backswing. Been careful not to use to a slow backswing, and keeping left shoulder (opposite for lefties) and hip properly aligned while transferring your weight slightly towards the right. This shouldn’t be exaggerated but natural, the hands should be about waist high.
Author: Alex Ayr
Marriott International’s Camelback Inn Resort, Golf Club & Spa
March 23rd, 2007
Clone Golf Club
March 23rd, 2007
With name brand golf clubs costing a good part of your paycheck, clone golf clubs have gained favor with many weekend golfers that are looking for an edge. With new technology advancements, the clone golf club has been able to compete with the likes of Callaway, Nike, Taylor Made, and other top brand clubs. The clone golf club is the most popular way that golfers are improving their game.
What is a clone golf club? Take the Nike clone golf club. Many golf club manufacturers that are in the business of making clones will take a brand name club like Nike and reverse engineer the club. This means that the clone golf club is taken apart and analyzed by engineers to find the materials and any special geometry that are being used. Once a base line is established for the clone golf club, the clone golf club manufacturer will very carefully, judiciously avoiding claims made by competing patents, make a “knockoff” or “clone” golf club that is based on the same or similar technology as our Nike. The benefit to the golfer is lower cost for the clone golf club without sacrificing performance.
Author: Chad Hoffmann
Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa
March 23rd, 2007
New Golf Training System Unveiled at PGA Merchandise Show
March 18th, 2007
Award winning golf instructor, John Darling, brings his renowned golf training aid, the Impact Master Golf Training Club, to the upcoming PGA Merchandise Show.
Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) January 31, 2007 — Award winning golf instructor, John Darling, brings his renowned golf training aid, the Impact Master Golf Training Club, to the upcoming PGA Merchandise Show. The show is golfs most influential event, where professional golfers, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders gather to share and gain insight into the game.
According to John Darling, golf training expert and creator of the Impact Master Golf Training System, the product will be unique among the many offerings at this years expo.
style='text-decoration:none;color:#748DA7; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial,
Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold'>Whats great about the Impact master is its like having John there when Im practicing.
“Since 1973 I have attended the PGA Merchandise show many times,” said Darling. “As a teacher I am always looking for golf training aids that work and match up to the claims. When it comes to actually hitting the golf ball, the Impact Master is the only one that effectively teaches correct technique while a student hits the ball.”
The Impact Master Golf Training System has received much praise for its original instruction methods aimed at short game improvement. The golf club and extension are designed to provide feedback to golfers as they strike the ball, encouraging correct impact.
Correct impact improves a golfers:
Consistency Control Accuracy Power
Author: John Darling