Tag: beginner golf tips

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GOLF

PRIORITIZE YOUR GOLF PRACTICE

Rate your Golf Game

An idea I came up with this Season because practice time wasn’t easy to come by was to rate my golf game. In order to be as brutally honest as possible I decided to divide the aspects of an individuals golf game into 5 categories. Then assign a score from 1 to 5 for each category, but no two categories can have the same score. This will force you to rank your abilities from best to worst.

Here is how I ranked each category for myself.

Driving
-4

Putting
-1

Irons
-5

Woods\Hybrids
-3

Wedges
-2

What is particularly great about this system is that it doesn’t matter how good your overall game is. A 1 in putting doesn’t mean I can putt like a tour pro. It just means that it’s the most reliable part of my game. The next thing I did was make a quick note of one thing I would most like to improve in each category.

These were the primary goals I chose for each category.

Driving
-4
-increase average distance by 15 yards

Putting
-1
-improve proximity to hole on downhill putts

Irons
-5
-lower launch angle to increase distance

Woods\Hybrids
-3
-be more consistent with the distance

Wedges
-2
-improve bunker accuracy

So now what am I supposed to do with that information. This is where having an understanding of where you are able to effectively cut strokes really helps. I use a Shot Scope V2 to track my golf game. I also use the 18birdies app to take notes, and get a quick analysis of my game at the end of each Round while it’s fresh in my mind. This combination has enabled me to really understand what I need to improve in order to quickly lower my scores.

The goals that would have the least affect are adding 15 yards to my Driving distance, and improving bunker accuracy. An extra 15 yards off the Tee would allow me to take 1 less club into Greens. Unfortunately my Irons are the worst category in my game so 1 less club makes little to know difference. On average I only hit 1 or 2 bunkers per Round so having improved accuracy on those shots would improve my scores minimally.

The goals that could significantly lower my scores dramatically are a lower launch angle with my Irons to increase distance, and better distance control with my Hybrids. First of all distance, and distance control are key to scoring with the majority of your clubs. Hitting it short off the Tee with my Driver won’t punish me as much if I’m accurate, and relatively long with my Irons and Hybrids. Instead of hitting pop ups with my Irons that are difficult to control, and heavily affected by the wind. I could hit a shorter Iron delofted with more control, and lower so the wind doesn’t affect it as much. On long approaches into Greens I could take hazards out of play if my distance control with my hybrids was predictable.

Now that I have identified which improvements will have the greatest impact. It is easy to optimize my practice sessions to get the absolute most out of them. If I go out to the Range I know exactly which clubs to bring with me. I know exactly what to work on. I can bring along the correct devices in order to measure my results, and determine if the swing changes are working. For these particular goals I would only need my Swing Caddie SC200 at the Range, or I could get the exact numbers by booking time in a Simulator. I wouldn’t have to spend any time on a Putting Green, or Short Game Practice area. Not a second of my time spent practicing would be wasted.

If it wasn’t for the time constraints Covid-19 has caused I would have never developed this system. Having actually put it to use, and seeing the results first hand. I will be prioritizing my practice sessions this way for the foreseeable future. I would strongly suggest that if you are serious about improving your golf game you try it as well.

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GOLF

GOLF SWING THOUGHTS MADE SIMPLE

Finding the proper Swing Thoughts

The less you have to think about before, and during the Swing the better. I wish I could just select a club, get in position and swing away with no thought at all but that’s never going to happen. The best Players in the world still have one or more Swing thoughts in order to execute their golf swing. Your goal is to find the fewest number of Swing thoughts you require to execute your most consistent golf swing. Most people begin with many more than necessary, and have a very difficult time reducing it. The reason it’s so difficult to whittle down is because we don’t pay close enough attention to which thoughts actually make a considerable difference. In the beginning you will get Swing thought advice from everyone, including total strangers. I’m sure some of you have heard some or all of these.

Top 8 Swing Thought advice

1- Keep your head in the same position during the swing

2- Keep your eyes on the ball and don’t look to see where it’s going until your Follow through naturally lifts your head

3- Keep your forward arm straight

4- Swing with your body, not your arms

5- Transfer your weight into your back foot during the back swing, then shift your weight on to your front foot during the forward swing

6- Hit down on to the ball and take a divot just after ball first contact

7- Allow your hands to turn over through impact to close the face

8- Begin the forward swing by rotating your hips first to create lag

There are many more, and at some point I’ve tried them all. In the end my Swing Thoughts have been reduced to (a) maintaining a slow controlled back swing utilizing my two anchor points, and (b) completing a full swing through to a proper finish position. Some of you are probably surprised by that, and maybe even doubting it’s all I require. I’ll explain why this works for me. First of all a Slow Back swing prevents me from swaying. It keeps me balanced, and prevents my head from moving. The Anchor points keep my forward arm from bending to far, promote a proper rotation, and keep my Swing Path under control. Everything that happens through impact is determined at set up before I actually swing. As long as I’m set up correctly my strike will be decent. Something I learned to accept a while back is that a golf swing is far too fast to correct a poor set up during the swing. Better to take a little longer during set up, and then just trust you got it right. That way I’m able to just swing freely, and focus on getting to my second Swing thought, that perfect end position. Chances are if I finish the swing smoothly my shot will be what I expected. If things go wrong it can only be a problem at set up, bad Tempo, or poor balance. The icing on the cake is figuring out which thing went wrong is relatively easy. If I end up off balance it’s obvious. If my swing gets out of synch it’s a Tempo issue. If the Strike was really poor then the problem was at the set up. It usually only takes me a maximum of 3 Holes to get things fixed during a Round now. I can remember Rounds of golf where something would go wrong with my Swing, and it could take 6 Holes to figure out what. Sometimes I wouldn’t figure out what was wrong the entire Round. The reason I had no idea was because I had too many Swing Thoughts to work through. Was my head steady? Was I transferring my weight too soon, or too late? Had I gotten too armsy? Were my hands forward at impact? If just one thing was wrong I could potentially figure it out. But what if two or more things weren’t quite right? Good luck finding the right combination to fix things in time.

Just because these two Swing thoughts work for me doesn’t necessarily mean they will work for you. My Swing thoughts include a front and rear arm anchoring against my abdomen. Unless you do that as well it won’t make sense for you. I rarely take much of a divot, and don’t compress the ball all that much. As a result of that I don’t hit the ball particularly long. Right now distance isn’t all that important to me. I hit long enough to get around a shorter course, and shoot my target score provided I’m accurate. At some point in order to improve my Handicap I’ll have to learn to hit the ball a bit longer. At that time my Swing thoughts might change, or I might require one more in order to account for compressing the ball at impact.

WHAT SWING THOUGHTS HAVE WORKED FOR YOU?

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GOLF

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF SWING

HOW TO IMPROVE

There are a lot of theories on the internet about how to improve as a Beginner Golfer. The manufacturers would like you to believe that the right equipment will make the difference. Golf coaches will tell you that lessons are the fastest route to improvement. The majority of Social media Influencers will claim to have the correct tips to accelerate your game. With so many options which one is right for you?

Figuring it out without having any real direction can be an expensive process. There are a few things you can do for free to provide you with a decent starting point. The first of which is to spend a little time at your local golf store, and test a few clubs. I would highly suggest you use that time to figure out which long shot clubs suit your natural swing. Test a 5 Wood, 4 Hybrid, and 4 Iron to see which you hit best. This will help you determine how to design your golf set. Also test how well you hit Hybrid Irons vs Traditional Irons. A lot of Beginners ignore Hybrid Iron sets like the Cobra T Rail, or Wilson Launch Pad sets. They can seriously help some golfers get started depending on your natural swing. When testing clubs pay attention to your natural ball flight, and what the majority of your miss hits are. Do you hit a lot of chunks or thins? Do you hook the ball or slice it? If you are able use your cellphone camera to film some of your test swings. This takes us to the second thing you can do. Go on YouTube and look up tips to help you with your swing problems. There are a lot of “experts” on YouTube but I’ve found a few that can offer solid advice. Start with Larry Cheung golf, Mr Shortgame, Me and My Golf, and Mark Crossfield. Between those channels you’ll probably find some helpful hints. For me personally Mark Crossfield helped me with my grip. Larry Cheung helped me improve my Back swing, and Mr Shortgame helped me limit my chunky shots. Me and My Golf have provided me with helpful drills to continuously improve. Spend time at the Range utilizing their tips for at least 8 hours of total Range time. That should improve your swing some. It won’t be perfect. Far from it actually, but at least you will have a very good idea of what you need to work on. At this point you might decide to invest in lessons, or a Swing Analyzer device. There is one more thing you can do before that though. Try swinging your clubs while choking down on the grip. Move your hands as far down the grip as possible without having any fingers on the actual shaft. The shorter a club is, the easier it is to hit. If suddenly your strike and ball flight is significantly better. Then a fitting might be the answer to gain some additional improvement. If things don’t look much different. Then it’s time to get lessons.

Of course everything I suggest is dependent on your budget. For instance I didn’t get my first, and only lesson until my third Season. I quickly realized that the same information is available on Larry Cheung’s YouTube channel. Provided you know enough about the basics of a golf swing to interpret his advice.

I hope this helps you accelerate your improvement. For more helpful tips for Beginners. Check out the Cobe Life YouTube channel.

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GOLF

THE GOLF EXPERTS ARE MISLEADING YOU!!!

YOU ARE BEING MISINFORMED!

Almost every day I see YouTube videos, Blog Posts, or Instagram Posts that make claims that mislead the Average Golfer. I get a little upset every time I see one because those same Posts mislead me a few years ago. I wasted money, time, and energy on equipment that just didn’t suit a High Handicapper like me.

Every year almost every golf blogger releases their Top # of every type of club. These lists are just infuriating. First of all they are misrepresented from the very beginning. They should be called Favourite Lists not Top Lists. Saying that one particular Iron is just better than another similar Iron for them, and anyone else is just ludicrous. Every golfer is different. Every swing is different. I might hit a Cobra Game Improvement Iron long and straight, but you might have difficulty hitting that same Iron long at all. If I released a list of the Best Game Improvement Irons on a budget the Cobra King series would be on it. Imagine you read that post, and decided to buy a set based on that information. You would be disappointed with the results, and be mad at me or upset with yourself. Now I’m still a Beginner, and 18 Handicap golfer. You might see that as a negative, and decide that’s why my assessment of the Irons were incorrect. In fact I am sure a lot of people see it that way. That’s why accomplished professionals like Rick Shiels, Peter Finch, James Robinson, Today’s Golfer, and others have so many followers. You make the incorrect assumption that because they are such great golfers their opinion has more value to you. IT DOESN’T! In fact it means less. Who do you believe you share more in common with as an average golfer? Would it be me, the 18 Handicap, with an Average 95mph Driver swing speed, who hits the occasional slice? Would it be Rick Shiels, the scratch golfer, with an Average 113mph Driver swing speed, who makes perfect center face contact about 90% of the time? According to the statistical averages, close to 75% of golfers are much closer to me in skill level. Only about 5% of golfers are within 5 strokes of Rick Shiels. How a club performs in his hands has little to no bearing on close to 80% of the golfers out there. Yet the golfing community takes a lot of what he says as gospel. In actuality you should be paying more attention to what golfers like me are saying about equipment. So will I start releasing Top clubs lists? No I won’t. I understand that what makes me a Bogey Golfer isn’t necessarily what makes you one, and that my swing is different than yours. What I will do is tell you what has worked for me specifically, and why. Then you can make your own assumptions based on your swing and skill level.

MY GOLF SPY MOST WANTED

Most Wanted by who? Now I am guilty of putting far to much stock in the My Golf Spy Most Wanted lists in the past. It wasn’t until I really looked at how they arrive at their data, and more importantly what information they leave out. It made me realize that interpreting their results was next to impossible. First of all their final results are calculated using an average of all the shot data they collect. Which means everything from Scratch Golfers to possibly very high Handicappers is included. How does that help you, the individual Golfer make a decision that’s best for you? The simple answer is that it doesn’t! What’s worse is that they use Strokes Gained as a key metric when determining the final rankings. Personally I’ll take Accuracy over Strokes Gained every single time. At least they’ve started to add additional awards to specific categories for some clubs like Distance, and Forgiveness. Should you then try to make a buying decision based on their data? Once again the answer is NO! To illustrate why I’ll use their most recent Most Wanted Driver results as an example. I have personally tested a number of the Drivers that are in that test. The first thing I can tell you is that their winner the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero driver does not work for me. At my swing speed and average launch angle I need more Spin not less. What is even more telling that their results could have no relevance to me whatsoever, is the Average Spin numbers for each Driver. I average close to 3000rpm in backspin with most Drivers. Not one of their Drivers have anything close to 3000rpm on average. I’ve personally tested 9 of the Drivers on their test and only 2 of those did I average under 2500rpm. In other words my results have almost nothing in common with their results. The only statistic that was very close to theirs was ball speed. Carry Distance, Total Distance, Launch angle, Apex, and everything else was different. I am certain that I’m not the only one their results don’t apply to because I’ve had friends test some of those Drivers as well. Their numbers didn’t match either. Of course why should they? We aren’t an average of a bunch of people. We are individuals!

ARE HANDICAP SPECIFIC LISTS THE ANSWER?

What if My Golf Spy and Other Golf equipment rating websites tested each club with specific Handicap groups? Would a golf club test that only included golfers with a Handicap of 17 to 20 be more relevant to me? Of course it would, but it can still be misleading. To help you understand why I’ll use myself, and two of my golfing buddies as an example. Oliver, Manny, and I are all 18 Handicap Golfers. How we achieve that 18 Handicap is completely different though. Manny is a long hitter off the Tee, and very accurate with his 3 and 4 Hybrid. He is definitely the best of the three of us for Distance. Oliver has the slowest swing speed with the Driver so doesn’t hit it very long off the Tee. He is very accurate with his Irons though, and actually hits them longer than both Manny and I. His Iron play is key to reducing his scores. I have the best Short Game of the three of us. I definitely save a few strokes Putting, and am very accurate when Chipping. It’s my skill in the Short Game that gets me to an 18 Handicap. If the three of us tested the same club, our results could be completely different. Even though we are the same Handicap, our ability with any particular club could be totally different. Just because you group golfers by Handicap, doesn’t guarantee that the results will apply to you even if you are the same Handicap.

THEN WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

The answer is to go out and test the equipment yourself. I began golfing by listening to the “Experts” and I got burned. It wasn’t until I started testing equipment myself that my game was given a chance to improve through having the correct equipment. I still review equipment, but unlike the majority of experts my reviews are ongoing. I don’t just hit a club a few times in a Simulator, and take it out on the course once to make my decision. I use that piece of golf equipment continuously for months, and update you along the way. I inform you about what I like, or don’t like about it. Why it works, or doesn’t work for me. I’ll go as far as recommending it if it fills a particular need that you might have. For Instance I suggest that Beginners who Slice their Driver due to an Open Face at impact buy a Draw biased Driver that helps close the face. I arrived at this conclusion during my Ongoing Review of the Ping G SFT. Keep in mind that a Draw biased Driver won’t correct a severe out to in swing path. So if that’s why you slice your Driver you’ll need to get a lesson. What I’m trying to say is that I will do my best to provide you with relevant information. I won’t mislead you. I actually am unbiased, have no paid sponsorships, and receive zero incentives from Golf industry manufacturers.

IF YOU WANT REAL ADVICE – THIS IS WHERE TO GET IT!

YouTube channel
http://youtube.com/c/CobeLife

Instagram
http://instagram.com/cobesports

and Twitter
http://twitter.com/cobeness

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GOLF

FINDING YOUR PROPER GOLF SWING

THE BEGINNING

In 2015 a friend of mine invited me out to the Docks Golf Driving Range in Toronto, Ontario. I hadn’t swung a Golf club since the 90s but I went along anyways. Golf wasn’t high on my list of preferred sports, but a collapsed arch in my left foot limited which sports I could still play. Both my friend and I are lefties so I could borrow his clubs. If you have been to the Docks Driving Range you’ll know that there is a target roughly 110 yards out. After about 10 swings at it I hit the bullseye with a 5 Iron and I was hooked.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

I am the type of guy that needs to know everything about whatever interests me. So before I purchased any equipment I read every review, beginner’s guide, and company website. I knew more about Golf Equipment than the majority of Sales people I spoke with at stores. It would be another year before I’d realize that the majority of information on the internet was coming from the wrong people, or marketing biased. It was at this point that I decided to start the Cobe Life Golf Social Media accounts. It was time for a dedicated Beginner Golfer to help other Beginners develop their game faster. I would provide the correct information, useful tips, and point them towards the right equipment.

THE RIGHT BALANCE

How many clubs should you start with? Super Game Improvement or Game Improvement? Forged or Cast? What Flex should I use? Which ball is best? Should I get lessons? Should I get fit? There are so many questions facing a Beginner. If you have watched my videos on my Cobe Life YouTube channel, and follow me @cobesports on Instagram then you will have the answers to all of these questions. I can’t tell you what the perfect combination is for you, but I can point you in the right direction. If you have a question that needs answering, just ask.

REALITY CHECK

Today was a real eye opener for me. I didn’t expect the realization that I am no longer a true Beginner to be so abrupt. What happened today made me realize that some of my previous conclusions were flawed. The advice I provided to my Followers was good, but there is room for a little adjustment. Every major manufacturer in golf produces their equipment based on one major assumption. That the customer has a proper golf swing. I have been playing golf since 2015, and I just realized today that I didn’t have a real golf swing up until about a month ago. Keep in mind that I have broke 90 a few times without a proper golf swing. How is that possible? It’s comparable to other sports that require swings. Most people can hit a baseball, but very few could hit a Home Run. That requires a proper baseball swing. Almost anyone can make a wrist shot in hockey, but might have trouble hitting a slap shot. That requires a proper Hockey swing. Hitting a golf ball down the Fairway isn’t exceptionally hard. Making that ball compress at impact, and Spin the way it’s supposed to is much harder. For three years I had just been hitting a ball down the Fairway. All of the modern technology that goes into today’s golf equipment is almost useless without a proper golf swing. Multilayer Golf Balls might as well be Range Balls. CG placement doesn’t effect much when you hit all over the clubface. Feel doesn’t help when you are unsure what a proper shot feels like.

THE NEXT STEP

Now that I’ve developed a proper golf swing. I’m going to give two perspectives on all the equipment I review. Whether it is beneficial for a total Beginner before they’ve developed a proper swing, and how beneficial it is for a Beginner that has developed a proper golf swing. I can say with absolute certainty that there is very little difference between Super Game Improvement and Game Improvement Irons for a total Beginner before they’ve developed a proper golf swing. A Super Game Improvement Iron can inspire confidence so that might be the difference maker for some of you.

How do you know if you have developed a proper golf swing?

STAY TUNED!

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GOLF

CAN YOU PLAY TOO MUCH GOLF?

Yes and No

Golfing has obviously become a large part of what I do. Whether it’s researching new equipment, new technology, keeping up with the PGA & LPGA, practicing, or playing. Every day I’m doing something golf related. When it comes to playing, I play a lot. Sounds like heaven to some of you I’m sure. Well over the last couple of years I’ve realized something. It is possible to play too much golf. I’ve personally experienced what it can do, and seen the affects of too much golf on others.

There needs to be a Balance

Before I get into the explanation of things, this really only applies to people who are serious about improving at golf. If your goal is just to go out with friends and have fun? Then playing as much as possible if you enjoy it is fine. Now if you are more like me, and are serious about improving your game then there needs to be a balance.

The balance that I’m referring to is between the amount you play, and the amount you practice. There are a number of ways to improve your game, but the most effective means is through practice. Don’t get me wrong, playing does help you improve as well. For the most part though improving while playing requires success. Hitting a great Bunker shot is a perfect example. Generally speaking the majority of golfers take a little extra time to prepare for a bunker shot. You make sure your stance is perfect, and you aren’t allowed to ground your club so you take extra time to insure your setup is right. Then when you are sure everything is perfect you take your shot. When it works you know exactly why. What happens when things don’t work out on the course? You have done everything you believed you were supposed to do, and the end result is a total failure. Do you elect to do things differently the next time? Of course not! You convince yourself that maybe your timing was a little off, or you were a tad too close to the ball, or you lifted your head just before impact, or any number of excuses. The reality is that unless you get really lucky, you probably won’t fix the issue before the end of the Round. You know where you could have fixed it though? You could have fixed it out on the Range, or at your favourite practice area.

Where failure is fine

It doesn’t really bother me all that much when I hit a terrible shot during practice. It’s not going to affect my handicap. It isn’t that embarrassing. It provides me with a sense of what not to do. The last two Rounds of golf I played I was slicing quite a few of my drives. This is nothing new for me, but earlier in the season I had almost completely fixed my slice. Unfortunately after the first Round of golf I wasn’t able to get out to the Practice Range. I knew at the beginning of the second Round of golf that I was probably going to struggle with my driver, and struggle I did. I hit about 7 drives that Round, and not one of them found the fairway. You know why they didn’t? They didn’t because nobody wants to try something totally different during a Round. I’d rather miss the fairway by 5 yards, than completely shank my drive to the middle of nowhere, or even worse hit it 5 yards total by almost whiffing. If I was at the Range I would just try different setups, and swings until I figured out what was working. Then once I hit a few consecutively good shots I could go play my next Round with confidence.

Confidence is key

You have probably heard me say that confidence is the most important thing in golf so many times that you’re sick of it. Well it is! When people ask me how far I hit my Driver I give them two answers. I hit it around 250 yards at the Range, and around 220 yards on the course. Why two answers you ask? It’s simple. At the Range there’s nothing to worry about except how far you hit it, so you swing freely. Out on the course there’s hazards, rough, your score, strangers watching, and the understanding that if you hit a bad shot that you can’t just hit another one. So when I’m out on the course I generally don’t swing as hard, and that goes for most beginners. In fact I generally hit every club in my bag about 5 to 10 yards shorter out on the course.

So what’s the right amount?

Play as much as you would like, provided you practice at least half as often as you play. If something is off with your game then practice more often until you get it right. That way you won’t develop bad habits that are hard to break. Personally I try to practice more than I play, but with the Canadian golf season being so short it’s difficult at times. There are plenty of ways to make practice fun, so find what works for you and stick to it.