Sports & Recreation
Golf Guide
Now that the dog days of winter are behind us, we can start to turn our attention to once again honing our golf skills. Having been cooped up all winter, golfers are anxious and ready to shake the effects of cabin fever from which they have been suffering.
Many Chicago area golfers don’t play during the winter months, and have therefore been away from the game for four or five months. With this fact in mind, how you start to practice following the layoff is really key to getting off on the right foot.
Having been a professional golf instructor for many years, I have always been interested in watching golfers and what they do at the driving range, particularly as they start hitting balls. I have often seen golfers fail to spend any time warming up before hitting balls.
Also, I have frequently seen golfers start out by using the driver, which is the club that is the most difficult to hit for many golfers. Add to this scenario the fact that they are swinging the driver harder, trying to gain more distance. All of what has just been said would not be what professional golfers would consider sound basic practice procedure to follow. Let’s look at why.
Consider all the various individual and team sports that are played. How many of them start without an adequate warm period? Why should golf be any different? This warmup should consist of various stretching exercises and the use of enough practice swings to insure that the muscles involved in the swing are adequately loosened up and ready to perform. Doesn’t this make sense? I think so!
Assuming that you are now warmed up, since the driver is felt by many to be so troublesome, why would you start practice with it? Would it not seem more reasonable to start with those clubs that are easier to hit, specifically the wedges? The wedges being shorter in length aid in better control, and being more lofted, help get the ball into the air easier. For both of these reasons, they can only help build one’s confidence.
Contrary to the wedges, the driver is the longest club — 43” to 45” — and has the least amount of loft — 7 to 12 degrees. This added length and less loft results in the creation of a domino effect in the swing. This means there is more inconsistency in making solid ball contact, more hooking and slicing occurring, less positive re-enforcement being built, and, finally, the establishing of the reputation the driver has for being the most difficult club to hit. In view of all this, does the driver seem like the club with which to start a practice session? I’ll let you be the one to answer this.
Added to what has already been said concerning the driver is the fact that, when hitting this club, many golfers swing much too hard, thinking this will give them more control and distance in their shot. Quite the contrary is actually true. Your best shots happen when they feel effortless, not when you try to see how hard you can swing. It is a given fact that during the execution of the swing, only about 80 percent of one’s overall effort should be used. If this concept is followed, your shots using the driver should be much more fluid in nature.
It is my hope that through this discussion I have got you thinking about how to start your practice time. If you had the opportunity to talk with some professional golfers, I’m sure they would tell you that this is what they do. They start out using the high irons, and, as they develop their feel, they progress through their clubs and work toward the driver, and only in very rare situations would they begin with the driver.
Golf Guide
Now that the dog days of winter are behind us, we can start to turn our attention to once again honing our golf skills. Having been cooped up all winter, golfers are anxious and ready to shake the effects of cabin fever from which they have been suffering.
Many Chicago area golfers don’t play during the winter months, and have therefore been away from the game for four or five months. With this fact in mind, how you start to practice following the layoff is really key to getting off on the right foot.
Having been a professional golf instructor for many years, I have always been interested in watching golfers and what they do at the driving range, particularly as they start hitting balls. I have often seen golfers fail to spend any time warming up before hitting balls.
Also, I have frequently seen golfers start out by using the driver, which is the club that is the most difficult to hit for many golfers. Add to this scenario the fact that they are swinging the driver harder, trying to gain more distance. All of what has just been said would not be what professional golfers would consider sound basic practice procedure to follow. Let’s look at why.
Consider all the various individual and team sports that are played. How many of them start without an adequate warm period? Why should golf be any different? This warmup should consist of various stretching exercises and the use of enough practice swings to insure that the muscles involved in the swing are adequately loosened up and ready to perform. Doesn’t this make sense? I think so!
Assuming that you are now warmed up, since the driver is felt by many to be so troublesome, why would you start practice with it? Would it not seem more reasonable to start with those clubs that are easier to hit, specifically the wedges? The wedges being shorter in length aid in better control, and being more lofted, help get the ball into the air easier. For both of these reasons, they can only help build one’s confidence.
Contrary to the wedges, the driver is the longest club — 43” to 45” — and has the least amount of loft — 7 to 12 degrees. This added length and less loft results in the creation of a domino effect in the swing. This means there is more inconsistency in making solid ball contact, more hooking and slicing occurring, less positive re-enforcement being built, and, finally, the establishing of the reputation the driver has for being the most difficult club to hit. In view of all this, does the driver seem like the club with which to start a practice session? I’ll let you be the one to answer this.
Added to what has already been said concerning the driver is the fact that, when hitting this club, many golfers swing much too hard, thinking this will give them more control and distance in their shot. Quite the contrary is actually true. Your best shots happen when they feel effortless, not when you try to see how hard you can swing. It is a given fact that during the execution of the swing, only about 80 percent of one’s overall effort should be used. If this concept is followed, your shots using the driver should be much more fluid in nature.
It is my hope that through this discussion I have got you thinking about how to start your practice time. If you had the opportunity to talk with some professional golfers, I’m sure they would tell you that this is what they do. They start out using the high irons, and, as they develop their feel, they progress through their clubs and work toward the driver, and only in very rare situations would they begin with the driver.
If you want to improve your game, Bob Gates may be contacted at (708) 425-8637.
About the Author:
Bob Gates is a golf instructor at
Stony Creek Golf Course and Driving Range
in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
Bob Gates is a golf instructor at
Stony Creek Golf Course and Driving Range
in Oak Lawn, Illinois.