Archive for the 'Shoes' Category
Unlike other sports where speed, size, and raw power can give players a significant edge, golf is truly a game of finesse. Though the strength of your arms can give your swing a slight advantage, golfers with perfect form will always prevail over strength alone. To achieve perfect form in golf, you need the right equipment. This includes a well wrought set of golf clubs, golf shoes, and even a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. Golf is about precision, and even the slightest change to the direction of the swing, or the force used to strike the ball will achieve drastically different results.
Golf tournaments have been dominated by Tiger Woods in recent years, and the aspect which makes Tiger most amazing is his perfection of form, finesse, and precision at such a young age. He’s renowned for making impossible shots, which are achieved through his mastery of the game of golf
I think it’s interesting to watch the way golfers warm up before they play a round of golf, and also to see how they practice on days when they aren’t going to play, although, most golfers practice very little, if at all.
With the increased popularity of golf, there are a lot of golfers who play the game more as a social event. They aren’t too concerned about how they play, but are just glad to be out with their friends, and that’s OK. Everyone needs to decide for themselves how they will best enjoy the game. If you can have fun while shooting 100, that’s fine. The one thing I would say though, is everyone should strive to play well enough so they can play a round of golf in a reasonable amount of time, so they aren’t slowing play down for everyone else. Slow play is something I will discuss at a later date.
My comments here are aimed at the golfers who would really like to improve their games and are willing to put in the time required to do so.
I have seen many golfers go to the driving range prior to their round, hit 30 or more balls with their drivers, go to the putting green and hit 5 or 6 putts, and wonder why they can’t score consistently.
I think it is critical for you to practice on the aspects of your game that will help you shoot lower scores. The part of the golf game that needs the most practice will vary from golfer to golfer, depending on what each individual golfers weaknesses are. I think most golfers need to spend more time practicing their chipping and putting, since this part of the game makes up a big percent of your golf shots during a round of golf. Let’s look at some numbers.
On the average you hit your driver 14 times in a round of golf. You will hit over 20 shots from the fairway, including approach shot to the green and second shots on par 5s. The average golfer will hit 45 to 50 shots that consist of chips or putts. If you normally shoot a 90 when you play golf, you hit your driver approximately 15% of the time, your fairway shots make up approximately 20% to 25% of your shots, and chip shots and putts make up over half of your strokes. After seeing these numbers where do you think you should spend a significant amount of your practice time? It seems obvious to me that the best way to lower your scores is to become better at chipping and putting. The problem is, it’s not fun to spend a lot of time chipping and putting. It’s more fun to go to the driving range, pull out the driver, and swing away.
Look at it this way. If you hit drivers on the driving range for an hour, will you be able to hit the ball noticeably longer and straighter? Probably not. If you hit chips and putts for an hour, will you have a better feel for the greens and thus be able to chip and putt noticeably better? I think the chances are pretty good you will.
I think most golfers can improve their chipping and putting easier than they can their driving or iron game. If you think about it, when you are hitting drivers or iron shots you are swinging a much fuller swing at faster speeds than when you hit a chip or putt. It is much easier to control the club head at slower speeds, which, in my opinion, makes it easier to become more consistent at chipping and putting than it is to become more consistent with your driver or iron game.
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “If you want to keep getting what you’re getting, keep doing what you’re doing”. Are you getting the results you would like out of your practice sessions? If so, keep doing what you’re doing. If not, you should think about changing your practice routine.
After I’ve said all this I want to make sure I am perfectly clear about one thing. I am not saying you should not work on your driver or your irons. I’m just saying, don’t forget to devote the appropriate amount of time to your chipping and putting. I think you will see a definite improvement, which should lower your scores.
Good luck.