Tag: Golf

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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.

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GOLF

TAYLORMADE PROJECT A GOLF BALL REVIEW

What I have learned in 8 months

When I review a product I don’t just spend an hour or two in the simulator, at the range, or play a Round of golf on the course. I continue to test the product through my ongoing reviews until there is no doubt left in my mind about my conclusions. There are so many variables that come into play when you evaluate a product with a very small sample size. I don’t care if you are a 20+ Handicap golfer or Rory McIlroy. Every golfer has good days and bad days with their swing. If I tested a Driver one time in the Simulator on a good swing day. I might conclude that particular Driver is the best I’ve ever tested. The same is true for a Ball test. Without testing products on an ongoing basis it’s impossible to differentiate between what the product is responsible for and what your swing is responsible for. Tour

I’ve spent the last 8 months playing the Project A ball which theoretically should be the right ball for me. The A in Project A stands for Amateur. The ball has a Tour ball type of design with 3 layers including a Urethane cover. What separates it from the ProV1, TP5, and Tour B balls is the Compression. The Taylormade Project A has a lower Compression than the top Tour balls so slower swing speed Players can properly compress the ball at impact. According to Taylormade the Project A’s design should “combine to increase Driver and Long Iron distance while maintaining excellent greenside control and feel”.

Do I agree with Taylormade’s claims about the Poject A? Well to be honest I do and I don’t.

DRIVER RESULTS

Over the last 8 months I’ve switched from the Cobra Fly-Z Driver to the Ping G SFT Driver so my results are derived from a combination of shots taken with both. Having a slightly lower compression than the top Tour balls had me excited about the distances I should expect to see off the tee. My swing speed with the Driver fluctuates between 92 and 98 mph. I don’t consistently make center face contact so smash factor and ball speed can vary. There is one thing I’m very good at with both Drivers, and that’s knowing when I hit one perfectly. fortunately both Drivers provide a lot of feedback. Whether it was in the Simulator, at the Range, or on the course when I really smashed one the results were the same. The Smash Factor was a little bit lower than expected resulting in a slightly lower ball speed than what I’ve seen with some other balls I’ve tested. Carry and Total distances were an average of 5 to 8 yards shorter than the longest balls I’ve tested. Off center hits resulted in an even greater drop off.

Unfortunately for a Beginner like myself the Project A didn’t provide me with an advantage Off the Tee with the Driver. It isn’t the shortest ball by any means but it wasn’t particularly long either. Dispersion was decent. I have a tendency to hit a Fade to a Slice and I was able to find the Fairway the majority of the time. Of course the lack of distance is partially responsible for allowing me to hold some of those Fairways.

WOOD & HYBRID RESULTS

i play more Hybrid clubs in my bag than the majority of golfers. I have a 3, 4, 5, and 6 Hybrid. I also play with a 3 Wood. How well I score on the course has a lot to do with how well I hit my Hybrids that day. The 3 Wood doesn’t get used much except occasionally off the tee or as the set up shot on a long Par 5. The 3 Wood is more about total distance whereas the Hybrids are about accuracy.

My results with the Project A provided excellent accuracy with my Hybrids, but not much distance with the 3 Wood. This was an acceptable compromise for me because it meant that even long approaches into Greens could find the dance floor and have me putting for Birdie. I was impressed with the amount of Spin I could generate with my Hybrids. The Project A was easy to control, and did a good job of cutting through the wind on those very gusty days.

IRON & WEDGE RESULTS

If you haven’t already done the math my longest Iron is a 7 so these are the scoring clubs in my bag. I also play with a 52 degree Attack Wedge, 56 degree Sand Wedge, and a 60 degree Lob Wedge or Chipper. These are the clubs in my bag that I really expected the Project A ball to shine. With a Urethane outer shell you would expect the Project A to spin like crazy.

Well, I was not disappointed! I used to be really impressed with 2 yards of roll out when I attacked the Pin with my Pitching Wedge. Now I fully expect to stick it on the Carry number. Just last week I used my 9 Iron to attack a 105 yard Par 3 that was about 30 feet downhill. Normally that would be far too much club for me. Pin was in the front of the Green, and the Green runs downhill from back to front. I gripped down about an inch on the grip which would add a little bit of Spin and took aim at the center of the Green. I struck the Project A clean and hit my target. the Spin quickly brought the ball back toward the Pin almost 4 yards and left me with a 5 footer for Birdie.

You know I sunk it. Otherwise why even tell the story. The real beauty of that shot is that I called it before I made it. My cousin Greg was there and questioned my 9 Iron choice. With total confidence I told him that I was going to aim at the center of the Green and Spin it back. 8 months playing with the Taylormade Project A ball taught me that I could do it. Something I’ve never done with any other ball.

Wedge control can be too good at times. My Wedge game consists of three shots. I can hit a Flop shot from 25 to 50 yards out. I can Chip and Run from 15 yards and in. I can hit a decent Chipper shot from 25 yards and in. With the Project A my Flop shots are beautiful to watch. My Chip and Runs have a tendency to come up short because the check up to much. The Chipper shots are fairly accurate because the Project A rolls quite well on Greens. I used to hit the majority of my greenside shots as Chip and Runs but the Project A made that a little too difficult. As a result my Putting has had to improve because my distance to the hole has increased.

PUTTER RESULTS

Last but not least the flat stick. I’ve said it many times, if I can’t accurately Putt a ball it doesn’t matter how great it is at everything else, I can’t play it. Fortunately I can Putt a Project A or I would have never done an ongoing review on it.

I’ve putted balls with Surlyn, Lothane, and Urethane covers. I can confidently say that there is a difference. The advantage goes to the Urethane cover if, and only if you are confident with your putting stroke. I’ve noticed that the energy you put into the stroke is proportionate to the result you get from most Urethane balls. This might sound like a generalization that you could say about any golf ball, but I promise you that it isn’t. I’m sure that you’ve come across reviews of balls that others have said “felt like putting a marshmallow”. I’ve experienced it, and maybe some of you have as well. Those balls reduce the the energy transferred from your putt. Some balls have been described as “clicky or hot off the face”. Those balls increase the energy transferred from your putt. These shouldn’t be seen as negatives because depending on your stroke it might be perfect for you. When I first began playing seriously I wasn’t very confident on the Greens. I favoured a “hot off the face” ball because I tended to decelerate during the putting stroke. I’ve spent a lot of time working on my putting stroke since then. I know have a very pure stroke , and want a ball that travels at exactly the same pace of my swing. I’m happ to say that the Project A does exactly that.

It ranks at the very top of accurate balls I’ve putted . There are other balls that I’ve putted just as well, but none better. On the Greens the Project A is a perfect fit for me, and probably anyone with a confident putting stroke.

DURABILITY

The Taylormade Project A is a relatively durable ball. The outer layer does get noticeably scuffed from full Wedge shots, but I’ve found this to be the case for most second tier (just below tour level) golf balls. Considering that this ball is aimed at Beginners looking to improve their games, it’s unlikely that you will go through a full Round with one ball anyways. On average I go through a sleeve of balls each round on a full size golf course so a few minor cuts or scuff marks won’t bother me too much. On a short course where you expect to hit a lot of Wedges or short Irons it can be an issue which is too bad. Those are the courses where the Taylormade Project A’s abilities would shine but you would require quite a few balls to get through the round.

CONCLUSION

Obviously the good outweighs the bad when it comes to the Taylormade Project A golf ball, but will it be my ball of choice going forward…

No it won’t

You are probably wondering why. Especially after that spin back birdie story I told. The answer is simpler than you may have thought. The Taylormade Project A retails at $45 Canadian. I have routinely seen it go on sale for between $35 and $40 over the last year. At $40 Canadian for a dozen I honestly expect more from a golf ball. As great as the control may be off the Irons, and how pleasurable it is to Putt. It’s difficult to justify the price when I routinely find myself as the shortest off the tee. If the Taylormade Project A was $30 per dozen it would have stayed in the bag. Although I have played quite well with it. I can’t help but think a ball with a little more distance, and little less spin would benefit me more.

If you already hit a relatively long ball, than switching to the Project A might be the right move for you. For shorter hitters like myself it just magnifies that particular weakness. At the price, it just isn’t worth it for me.

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COBE LIFE CUP GOLF

Southern Ontario Amateur Golf Tour – Cobe Life Cup

An Introduction to the Cobe Life Cup.

https://youtu.be/ldcgqCTM5tY

For Players in the Southern Ontario area, and neighbouring states.
Matches are played from the Whites for men and Reds for women.
Opponents keep each others scores.

Match Play 1 vs 1 9 Hole
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the last hole won

Stroke Play 18
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the Player with fewer Points, then higher handicap.

Point play 18
Eagle + 3 pts, Birdie + 2 pts, Par + 1 pt Bogey 0 pts Double Bogey or worse -1 pt.
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the Player with the most Eagles, then Birdies, then Pars. If there’s still a tie use Stroke Play Ties.

Can accommodate any number of Players. In order for an event to count at least two Registered Players must be present. Each Player can only play 1 match each week. Match results must be posted by all participants within 48 hours of completion.

Season begins May 1rst. There will be 4 Major Tournaments. Last Week of June, July, August, and September. The Tour Championship will be in October. The number of entrants may be limited by Rank.

Season Points
Each Player begins the Season with 100 points.

  • 3 points for each person you beat
  • 2 points for beating a higher ranked player
  • 1 point for beating a player with a lower handicap
  • 1 point lost for losing to a lower ranked player
  • 1 point lost for losing to a player with a higher handicap

REGISTRATION FEE

$65 per person : To Register Subscribe to this website then use the contact us page to send us your Name, Handicap, Course you play most often, and preferred contact email. If you would like to register multiple players then send us everyone’s information. Four or more registrants receive the group entry discount. You will receive a bill payable through PayPal shortly after.

Good Luck this Season!

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GOLF Uncategorized

My 2018 Golf Season – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

The Year that was…

For those of you that follow my blog.  First of all Thank you.  I know it’s been a bit since my last post, and I apologize for making you wait.  Things have been a bit hectic lately.  On top of all the usual things life burdens you with, there have been a few extra issues to deal with as well as a new edition to the Cobe Life family.  Before some of you get too excited, no we didn’t have a baby.  We did however bring a puppy home.  I don’t know how many of you have raised a puppy before but for those of you that haven’t it means getting up around four times a night to take him out to do his business.  Sleep has become a distant memory.  I look like an extra on the Walking Dead these days.

So it probably wouldn’t surprise you when I say that I haven’t done anything of particular note lately.  Instead I will take this opportunity to evaluate how my season went.  What goals I managed to achieve, and where I fell short.  Plus a few moments that really stood out to me.

Why goals are important in golf

Unlike many other sports, setting goals in golf is critical to improving your game.  Having said that I’m sure a number of you are already thinking that goals are important in all sports.  Of course they are.  It’s just that in golf there are so many different aspects to the game, that without setting specific goals you won’t actually know how you are improving.  If you still think what I’m saying is nonsense.  It might help you understand what my goals were.

Average less than 2 putts per hole.

GOAL ACHIEVED!  I finished the season with an average of 1.7 putts per hole.  This is actually better than I had hoped.  Essentially what this means is that I rarely 3 putt, and quite often I require only one putt to hole out.  What it doesn’t tell you is how long my average putt was.  This brings up an important aspect of understanding your progress in Golf.  Quite a number of your statistics can be affected by other aspects of your game.  Which brings me to my next goal.

Average less than 1 chip per hole.

GOAL FAILED!  I finished the season with an average of 1.3 chips per hole.  This tells me two things.  First of all I’m not hitting too many greens on approach shots so my accuracy is off with my Irons.  Secondly if I’m forced to chip that often, and I know that my chipping ability is quite good.  Then I’m probably leaving myself a lot of easy putts.  That’s partially why my putting numbers are so good.  Which leads me to my next goal.

33% or better Green in Regulation average.

GOAL FAILED!  Verifying what I safely assumed was the case.  I didn’t hit too many greens with my approach shots this season.  My average was a paltry 13.3%.  Obviously my accuracy with my Irons needs major improvement.  Of course that might not be the only concern.  It’s possible to be deadly accurate at the Golf Range, then trouble taking aim on the course.  Hitting your targets becomes a lot more difficult when you aren’t hitting off a perfect surface.  Which brings me to my next goal.

50% or better in Fairways Hit.

GOAL ACHIEVED!  Coming into this season my fairways hit percentage was around 50%.  I was hoping to maintain that average while choosing to play more aggressively off the tee.  I finished the season with a 65.5% average.  Far better than what I had hoped for, and proof that all the practice I put in with my Driver is working.  What this also tells me is that my accuracy with my Irons are an issue because the majority of my approach shots are from the Fairway.  Which brings me to my final goal.

Lower my handicap to 18 or better.

GOAL FAILED!  I was really hoping to finish the season as a bogey golfer but unfortunately that didn’t happen.  My current handicap is 21.9.  Close but no celebratory cigar.  My handicap did go down by 7 strokes so that should be seen as a success.  More importantly I have a good understanding of what I need to work on to lower my handicap next Season.  First and foremost is my Iron accuracy.  A few trips to the Simulator practicing in closest to the pin mode should help.  With that goal in mind I should probably work on my longer putts because I should hit more greens.  In order to make my approach shots easier I should probably work on my Driver distance as well.

Possible goals for next season

Less than 1.9 putts per hole

Less than 1 chip per hole

33% or better Greens in Regulation

66% Fairways Hit

16 or better handicap

Understanding where my game is at, and what specifically needs improvement makes those goals realistic.  Most other sports aren’t like that.  For the most part you just practice in order to get better.  You don’t necessarily isolate one particular part of your game that will end up improving your overall performance.

I’m already excited for next year, and hope you continue to enjoy the journey right along with me.

 

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GOLF Uncategorized

3 keys to lowering your score – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Keep it Simple

I’ve come across many Guides for Beginner Golfers.  The majority will include ways to begin lowering your score.  They will go into detail about how to develop a one way miss, play to your skills, and spend a lot of time working on your putting.  I agree with all of these but they don’t address the real requirements necessary to lowering your score.  There are three keys to lowering your score that will work for every Beginner Golfer.

Hazard Avoidance

This seems quite obvious right!  Well think about how many times  on the course that you have found yourself in hazards.  How many times have you failed to clear a pond, found yourself in a sand trap, or had to hit a difficult pitch out of the woods?  Some of you are going to blame these situations on poor strikes.  That’s a poor excuse.  I recently played a course with a friend of mine.  On the way there he mentioned how difficult the sand traps were at this course.  I told him that ssnd traps wouldn’t be a problem for me.  He had a puzzled look on his face, and asked why?  I told him that I rarely land in sand traps.  Most Rounds I don’t land in a single one.  He asked how is that possible?  My answer was straight and to the point, I avoid them.  My game out of the sand is weak.  I know that if I land in a bunker it’s going to cost me a stroke.  It could take me two strokes to get out of the bunker, or even if I get out with my first swing, it’s going to take another stroke to get back into position.  The smart play for me is to hit away from the bunker, or short of it.  In order to do this effectively you need to know your average distance with each club, and even more importantly the maximum distance with each club.  This is a statistic that you should be aware of that none of the “experts” talk about.  As an “expert” they never need to worry about hitting their clubs exceptionally long.  For example my average distance with my 7 Iron is 138 yards.  I have on occasion caught it a little thin and hit it close to 150 yards.  Both of these numbers come into play during a Round.  If I’m attacking a Green that’s 134 yards away with a Bunker on the left.  I will choose 7 Iron and aim for the right side of the Green.  In case you were wondering where the Pin is placed. Well it doesn’t matter.  I would prefer to attempt a long putt than having to potentially hit out of a bunker.  Now lets add one additional feature to that same situation.  Along with the left side bunker there’s also thick woods and fescue at the back.  The distance to the back of the green is 146 yards.  Now the maximum distance also comes into play.  If I catch my 7 Iron too thin I could skip out the back and into the woods where losing the ball is definitely a possibility.  In this case I would club down to my 8 Iron.  On average I hit my 8 Iron around 125 yards.  I have hit it as long as 135 yards at times though.  This would give me a slim chance to get my shot as far as the pin, and a decent chance to find the front fringe.  It totally takes both hazards out of play though.  Once again I would prefer a long putt, or short chip than end up in a hazard.  I probably save 5 strokes a Round by playing this way.

Just because it’s a Par 4 doesn’t mean you have to play it like one!

Something I realized after a full Season of playing courses, is that some Par 4s are specifically designed to challenge low handicappers.  As a Beginner these holes can totally obliterate what could have been a great Round of Golf.  The reason for this is how we are mentally conditioned to play a long Par 4.  Hit it as long as possible off the Tee, and then use whichever club is necessary to reach the Green.  Recently I played a 448 yard Par 4 dogleg right.  I chose Driver off the Tee.  Recently I’ve been hitting my Driver with great consistency.  You should choose whichever club you can hit long and find the Fairway consistently, after taking Hazard Avoidance into consideration first.  I was left with 210 yards to the Pin.  Now I could potentially get there with my 3 Wood.  In my first couple of Seasons playing golf, that’s exactly what I would have tried.  Now what I chose to do instead was treat this long Par 4 like a Par 5.  I chose 5 Hybrid which totally took any of the Hazards around the Green out of play.  It left me only 50 yards to the Pin which is a very easy distance for me.  Choosing to play long Par 4s this way makes Birdie almost impossible, Par difficult, and Bogey very easy.  This may sound counterproductive to lowering your scores but in actuality it isn’t.  My Par 5 average score has gone from almost 8 to 6 strokes.  If the course I’m playing has 4 Par 5s that’s 8 strokes saved on average!  The reason for the dramatic change in scoring is because the longer you hit a club, the greater the possibility for error if you hit it poorly.  A sliced 3 Wood could put me in brutal trouble.  A sliced 5 Hybrid isn’t anywhere close to as bad.  Even if I hit the 3 Wood well in the aforementioned situation.  I could end up in a greenside bunker, or roll through the back into fescue.  A well struck 5 Hybrid can only end up in the Fairway.  So I can’t get a birdie. Well so what!  As a Beginner Golfer I only aversge 1 birdie per Round anyways.

Play to the Front of Par 3s

I’m guessing that nobody has ever suggested this before.  Whenever you are in doubt of how to play a Par 3, just aim for the front of the Green.  The only time that I would suggest against this is if you have to clear a hazard.  In that case I would suggest aiming for the back.  Aiming for the front is all about being logical.  Many Beginners know their average total distance, but aren’t aware of their carry distances.  Balls that land on the Green will usually roll out further than usual because of the firmness of the surface.  But what about Spin, you ask?  You are a Beginner (news flash) you don’t really have any.  As a result your total average distance is actually increased.  Another reason to aim for the front is that you aren’t punished for hitting it thin. You might actually end up on the Green, or roll through the back.  At least you won’t be so far out the back that getting back onto the Green will be easy.  Last but not least, you generally take hazards on the left, right, or back mostly out of play.

If you take these three tips into consideration the next time you play.  I promise you that your final score will be lower than if you didn’t.  Good luck, and keep working to improve your game.  I’ll see you on the course.

 

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GOLF Uncategorized

Looking ahead to The Masters – Part 1

There’s always something special

Whether you are a fan of golf or not?  The One event that everyone knows about is The Masters.  It’s one of those iconic events like the Superbowl, Daytona 500, or World Cup.  Everyone is aware that it’s happening.  There’s always something special about it, and this year is no different.  This Masters has the potential to be the most watched Golfing event in years.  Along with the usual suspects, there are a number of Players that are playing some great golf right now that are sure to attract even the most pedestrian of golfing fans.  Unless you have been living under a rock this year the most obvious attraction to this year’s Masters is…

Tiger Woods

That’s right Tiger is back, and what’s more important is that he’s been competitive.  With two Top 10 finishes including a second at Valspar.  Tiger looks poised to raise a Championship trophy soon.  Why shouldn’t that first win of his comeback happen at Augusta where he’s hoisted the Masters trophy four times before?  Some of the betting lines in Vegas have him as the odds on favourite.  Now I would assume that the odds have been reduced to balance out the expected amount of casual bets they expect to receive.  Still it would be wrong of you to discount Woods as a possible contender.  Another Player who should be seen as a fan favourite that’s been playing his best golf in years is…

Phil Mickelson

It took four years and seven months for Phil to end his winless drought.  With the quality of golf he has been playing this season it was definitely coming to an end.  Only Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are posting Rounds of Golf below par at a higher percentage than Phil.  If you are a fan of Phil.  You know that his typical Round of Golf includes a few birdies, some bogeys, possibly a hole out eagle, and at least one double or triple Bogey.  At the end of it all he usually finishes a couple shots under Par, or even Par.  It’s a rollercoaster affair with just as many wayward Tee shots, as incredible flop shots.  If you hadn’t seen him play before it might look like luck to you.  It isn’t.  ItsI just the all or nothing, go for broke style of golf that he plays.  Love him or hate him.  It makes for interesting viewing.  Speaking of love him or hate him.  Another polarizing figure in the world of golf has found his swing is the very unique…

Bubba Watson

Relatively soft spoken, reserved, and so unlike the majority of his compatriots.  Bubba Watson isn’t what you would expect a Champion Golfer to be.  Totally self taught, he has one of the most unique swings on the PGA tour.  Most aspiring golfers spend years attempting to develop a swing that will allow them to hit the ball straight.  Bubba Watson did the opposite.  Learning to shape his shots left and right so that he could follow the exact contours of a golf course.  When he is on his game he makes shots that other PGA Players can only imagine making.  He recently won the WGC Match play in impressive fashion.  The combination of impressive shot shaping, and massive distance off the Tee was too much to overcome.  He is ready to unleash his skills on Augusta where he has already won twice before.

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GOLF Uncategorized

Developing that one swing – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Why Not?

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I’m sure every golfer has gone through it.  Maybe some of you like me are still going through it.  What is it you ask?  It’s the inability to have one swing work in a Simulator, at the Range, and on the course.  Last Season I got in the habit of visiting the Range a couple days before playing a Round.  If the weather turned bad I’d spend an hour in a Simulator.  I’d get my swing dialed in.  By the time my practice was done I’d leave the Range, or Simulator feeling totally confident.  I was going to play the best Round of my life in a couple days.  The course isn’t ready for what’s coming.  My playing partners will be talking about this Round for the rest of the year.  Never have I ever been this focused, ready, and confident.  Two days later…

I shit the bed

I battle to make proper contact all day.  When I don’t totally chunk it, I catch it thin.  When I finally do make decent contact I slice the ball into oblivion.  My distances are so inconsistent that club selection becomes a total gamble.  Eventually I just choose the club that I happened to get a halfway decent shot with earlier.  Long Par 5, think I’ll tee off with my 4 Hybrid because I hit it relatively straight two holes ago.  390 yards left to the hole, 4 Hybrid seems like a good choice. Only hit it 150 yards leaving 240.  That’s OK the 4 Hybrid will work.  Still 80 yards remaining.  Normally that would be a smooth 52 degree Wedge.  Unfortunately nothing I’ve hit has been smooth today so I’ll club up to a Pitching Wedge in case I chunk it.  End up blading the ball into oblivion.  Damn it!  I should have just played a bump and run with the 4 Hybrid.  Have you ever had those days?  Sounds like an exaggeration but it isn’t.  I have had those days.  What could have happened to my swing between Thursday and Saturday?

Absolutely nothing!

The truth is that your swing didn’t suddenly disintegrate.  It was as ready as you had imagined.  You were ready to have the Round of your life.  The problem wasn’t your swing.  The problem was where you chose to use it.  There are specific differences between each place you practice your swing.  Some of these differences are extremely subtle, but can have a profound effect on your game.  The first of which is barely noticeable to golf beginners.  It wasn’t noticeable to me for a full two seasons.  I struggled, and doubted myself every time I played.  Wondering if I would ever be able to reproduce the success I was having at the Range on a course.  One of the most important Golf Beginner tips I can give you is to always begin your setup by properly setting the…

Lie Angle

I used to believe that the key to Golf was to develop a smooth repeatable swing.  I had the right idea, but I missed one necessary ingredient.  Golf is a game of minor adjustments.  One of the most important of those relates to lie angle.  Something I failed to realize when I practiced my swing at the local range, was that the old hitting mats they provide have become significantly worn in the contact zone.  So where the ball sits is slightly lower than the area around it.  In order to make proper contact you would have to adjust the lie angle of your swing to be slightly toe up.  Of course the Beginner Golfer isn’t actually aware that over the course of adjusting their swing ball after ball until they consistently make good contact.  That swing is counterproductive to when they step on to a course and the ball is on even ground, or even worse a slight downhill lie.  More often than not that’s how thin shots happen.  It might sound like I’m suggesting that you stop going to the Range.  I’m not.  I’m telling you to be very aware of the lie angle of your club when you place it behind the ball at setup. The sole of your club needs to be as flat against the ground as possible.  The lie angle determines how far you should be from the ball.  I used to believe that my club choice determined that.  It does if you take every shot from the exact same spot at the Range, or in a Simulator.  On a course things become very different because the ground level is constantly changing.  That brings me to the next factor that can cause fits…

Surface hardness

Something that never changes in a Simulator or hitting off a mat at the Range is the surface you are hitting off of.  I actually have preferred Simulator Practice locations because the surface you hit off of has a softer underlayer that provides more give.  If you are having trouble understanding my meaning.  Imagine hitting your longest Iron off of a sidewalk.  There’s a very good chance that the fear of contacting the concrete would have you end up blading the ball.  Any swing that came in too steep would bounce so hard it would totally sap your strike of distance.  A hitting surface with more give or depth to it allows you to come in steep or shallow, and still make decent contact.  That felt much better to me.  It feels far better to everyone that plays golf no matter what your skill level may be.  Does it help you improve your swing though?  Of course it does.  All practice helps you improve.  In this case though the firmer surface helps you even more.  The reason for this is because of it’s affect on the proper utilization of each clubs lie Angle.  The softer the surface, the more incorrect your lie angle can be, and still allow for decent contact.  If the heel, or toe would hit first the surface gives way just enough to limit the affect on the swing.  A rigid surface forces you to bring the club head perfectly square through the impact zone or suffer the consequences.  Learn to make clean contact in a Simulator, or on a mat at the Range with a hard surface, and your swing will be pure.  Sounds like that’s the ticket to improving your swing, and lowering your scores on the course then.  I really wish it was.  Course conditions can change from very hard surfaces to extremely soft.  Especially when you live in Canada like I do.  Practicing off of a hard surface can end up creating a swing that’s robotic.  It becomes difficult to make those small adjustments that are required during a Round of Golf.  What if you have to hit out of the Rough, or out of a bunker?  What if the ball is above or below your feet?  Once again the most important thing that you can focus on is the lie angle of the club.

Pre-shot Routine

Everyone should develop a pre-shot routine.  It gets you prepared to make the shot, settles the nerves, and helps you properly set yourself.  Everyone has their own unique way of doing it.  Whatever yours is, make sure that it includes aligning the club’s lie angle so that it’s level with the surface you are hitting off of.  If your routine doesn’t include this one crucial step yet?  Then that could be why you have had those days on the course that made you wonder what happened to my swing?

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GOLF

Golf & Travel show Giveaway!!!

Got to Play to Win!

This contest is open to all North American Subscribers. All you have to do is complete the three steps to enter.  This contest is totally free!

Step 1 – If you haven’t already Subscribe to this blog.  Use the Subscription field provided below.

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It’s as easy as that! If any of the links aren’t working from your device?  Copy and Paste the links into your browser.

Gain additional entrys by introducing yourself to me at the Toronto Golf and Travel show this weekend and saying “I’m a fan of Cobe Life Golf”. I’ll be easy to spot. Just look for the guy in Orange pants!  Contest will close February 28th, and the draws will be held on March 1rst.

Thank you for becoming a member of the Cobe Life crew.  Good luck!

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GOLF Uncategorized

The one club a Beginner Golfer should get fit for! Beginner’s Guide to Golf

The Big Stick

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There are a number of things that I wish I knew when I first got started golfing.  The one that would have most likely saved me the most time, effort, and frustration is getting properly Fit for a Driver.  I didn’t completely screw up when it came to selecting a Driver.  I waited until after I had developed a somewhat repeatable swing.  I selected a Driver with a large, adjustable club head.  I didn’t break the bank hoping that the newest technology would make a significant difference.  All of these decisions helped, but not getting Fit made them affectively moot.

Industry Tricks

  Something you may not be aware of as a Beginner.  I know that I wasn’t.  The majority of Drivers on display in retail stores, and pro shops have extra long shafts.  Chances are good that if you purchase a Driver off the rack.  The shaft length will probably be too long for you.  Greatly increasing the difficulty of making proper contact with the ball.  I mean unless you are six feet five inches tall, a shorter shaft length is probably better.  Now you are probably wondering why so many people just walk into stores, try a few Drivers, and then buy one without making any custom adjustments?  I did just that, and everyone I usually play with did as well.  It’s because the majority of newer players assume that they won’t be able to just hit a perfect drive with a new Driver the first few times they swing it.  So what do we do?  We have the store rep provide us with a few Drivers to try in the simulator, and swing away until we catch one absolutely perfect.  You know what happens then?  Well anyone who has researched Driver technology, or understands a little bit of science knows that a longer shaft equals a greater swing speed.  Then of course the greater swing speed equals a greater force of impact on the ball.  Which then sends the ball that much further.  And voila!  You are so impressed with the end result you buy the Driver exactly as it was set up at the time.  You just assume that after a bit more practice you will be able to repeat the result you achieved with that perfect contact in the simulator.  A few of you are lucky enough to be the correct height, or have just the right swing to repeat that result.  The reality is though that most of us aren’t.  Took me a full two seasons to make that realization.  That’s countless numbers of rounds of Golf where my round suffered due to poor Tee shots.  All because I didn’t want to pay the additional $50 to get fit.

Night & Day

  Recently I have had a simple Driver fitting done.  My local Golf Town Rep knows me well enough that after testing numerous clubs made a couple simple suggestions.  I didn’t end up purchasing a new Driver.  I just purchased a new shaft.  Went from a Regular flex to a Stiff.  The shaft had a slightly different kick point to help with my launch angle.  I had the shaft length reduced to 44.5 inches.  It’s now only one inch longer than my 3 Wood.  At first I was worried about losing a lot of distance.  I’m not a long hitter to begin with.  In actuality after testing the new set up I hit it just as long.  Truth be told I effectively hit it longer because my trajectory has improved.  I used to be nervous on the Tee.  Dreading the possibility of hitting a wicked slice, or even worse, catching it thin or popping it up, and it goes no where.  My last time testing the new Driver in the simulator I repeatedly made good contact.  Sure I hit the occasional slice but I never made such poor contact that I’d be asking my playing partners for a Mulligan.  It really made me wonder how low my handicap would be if I spent the last two seasons swinging the Driver with the confidence I now feel.  So many tight Fairways i could have taken a shot at, instead of laying up off the Tee and intentionally playing for Bogey.

Don’t be me

  One of my main reasons for creating this website is to educate others with what I’ve learned.  Hopefully saving you from making the same mistakes that I made.  I’m no natural when it comes to Golf, but I have progressed somewhat quicker than most.  With the few tips and insights I’m able to share I hope that you will progress even faster with your game, and maybe you’ll be able to give me a tip of two some day.

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