Tag: Golfswing

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GOLF

Off Season Golf Simulator Goals

SIMULATOR SEASON EXPECTATIONS

As the 2020 Golf Season in Ontario comes to an end, the Simulator Season begins. The last three off seasons I have utilized Golf Simulators to work on specific aspects of my game. Understanding the limitations of a Golf Simulator is the first thing you should be aware of when planning your Simulator practice. Some of the limitations are obvious. You can’t work on your bunker game, or recovery shots from awkward lies in a Simulator. There are a few limitations that aren’t so obvious. Having a perfectly balanced platform to hit off of is a limitation. Having to aim your shot previous to setup is a limitation. Even the technology of the Simulator can make certain shots impossible. For instance I use a Chipper out on the course but most Simulators read them improperly.

Most people would assume that hitting off perfectly flat ground is an advantage, but it isn’t. I used to wear my most comfortable shoes in a Golf Simulator. I found out the hard way that weight transfer is quite different if I am wearing something other than golf shoes. You can’t dig in or rely on your cleats to help you remain steady during an aggressive swing. In fact I used that understanding to focus on swinging with more precision to gain distance instead of faster. Aiming is quite different in a Simulator. You can’t just adjust your stance and play for a Push Draw or Pull Fade. You first need to adjust the aim point with the software to account for a Push or Pull. Then let your swing dictate how far the ball Draws or Fades. If you make the adjustment at Setup instead of with the software that can cause many Simulators to read it far too extreme, and guarantee a terrible result.

Last Off season I focused on improving my consistency with the Driver. The work I did in Golf Simulators definitely helped. Driving is actually one of the best skills you can practice in a Simulator. It takes the mat out of play, and in most cases the even ground in a Simulator is similar to what you have on a Tee box. It’s about as close to the real thing as you can get. I was able to work on my Setup, Takeaway, Club Face control, and Finish position in the Simulator. The practice worked and my consistency has improved. This Off season I will continue to work on my Driving. Only this time my focus will be on improving my Launch Angle.

Something I have really focused on lately is improving my quality of contact with my Irons. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to work on your Iron striking in a Simulator. First of all most hitting mats are quite forgiving. Bad strikes can read as good strikes depending on the surface. Secondly you can’t take a divot hitting off a mat. So there isn’t a visual indicator of where your club bottomed out. Lastly Irons are more likely to be hit off uneven surfaces in real life. A Simulator can provide you with a false sense of security in your Iron swing because every shot is perfectly level.

Now fortunately I have come up with a way to practice my Iron striking that provides me with a way to measure my quality of strike. Here are the numbers from a perfectly struck 7 Iron.

7 Iron perfection

For a full explanation of how I improved my Ball striking. CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDEO ON IGTV.

So if your Golf Off season is about to begin, and you are serious about improving. Find something that you can effectively work on in a Simulator, and stick to it.

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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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How important is Distance – Beginner’s guide to Golf

The quest to hit it long

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If you were like me in the beginning then Distance was the most important thing to you. It seemed like by gaining Distance your game would dramatically improve. Everyone else seemed to hit the ball a mile with relative ease. While you were swinging with all your might, and only carrying your 7 Iron 100 yards.

I remember thinking if I could only transfer my natural strength into my swing I’d be able to carry my 7 Iron at least 140 yards. Then I’d finally have an easier time making par on those long Par 4s. That was 3 years ago. Well now I can carry my 7 Iron 140 yards, and I still don’t have an easy time making par on those long Par 4s. What I’ve learned is that hitting it long doesn’t necessarily equal a better score.

Consistency over length

Distance isn’t really about how far you can hit a golf ball. It’s about how accurately you can hit a ball a particular distance. Then once you have your Distance control dialed in. You need to assemble a bag of clubs that allow you to leave a small enough gap from club to club to navigate your way through 18 holes on a Golf course. Understanding how to properly assemble a set with proper gapping is easier than you might think. As a Beginner I would suggest assembling a set that includes the Sand Wedge as your most lofted Iron, and a 3 Wood as your least lofted club. Once you know how far you hit your 3 Wood, and Sand Wedge. Take the difference in yardage between the two and divide it by 8. The number you arrive at will determine the average yardage between each club you should try to have. If the number is below 11. I would suggest reducing the number of clubs in your set until the gaps are at least 10 yards or more. As an example: lets say you are able to hit your Sand Wedge 90 yards but you only hit your 3 Wood 175 yards. The difference between the two is only 85 yards. Divide that by 8 and your gap average would be 10.62. In this case I would reduce the number of clubs you should purchase between the Sand Wedge and 3 Wood down to 7. This would provide you with an average gapping of just over 12 yards. Trust me when I tell you that as a Beginner you will make poor contact more often than not. It wouldn’t be uncommon for you to chunk shots, and come up ten yards short, or catch shots thin and end up hitting them 10 yards longer. At least with an average gapping of 12 yards you shouldn’t be over a club off the distance with most shots.

Something you should be aware of in that example is that I didn’t bother to mention how far you should expect to hit each club. It’s been my experience that the average male golfer only needs to be able to hit at least one club in their bag at least 200 yards to successfully play practically any course from the Whites. If that happens to be your Driver that’s fine. For me it’s my 3 Wood. Until you are able to successfully hit 200 yards with at least one club on a regular basis I would stick to short courses. That one club over 200 is the only case where total Distance really matters.

Disregard my advice if you bomb it accurately!

Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Dustin Johnson’s recent 433 yard drive to within one foot of the hole on a Par 4 is a great example. Ridiculous Distance can dramatically effect your score. It does come with a warning though. The further you can hit it, the worse a. miss hit will be. Sure bombing the ball can put you in advantageous positions. Just hit one of those monster drives a little off line and you will be reaching into your bag for another ball pretty quick. If given the choice between risky massive Distance, and controlled average Distance. I’d choose controlled average Distance every time.

OF COURSE I’M NOT DUSTIN JOHNSON!

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All about Forgiveness – Beginner’s guide to Golf

What is Forgiveness?

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Forgiveness is a term used over and over again in Golf equipment reviews.  What it is, and why you need to be aware of how it will effect your game is the focus of this post.  There’s a common misconception that Forgiveness is just a simpler way of saying easier to hit.  Just because a club is Forgiving doesn’t guarantee that it will be easy to hit.  For instance I have used both Cavity back Wedges (Forgiving) and Bladed Wedges (Unforgiving).  The feedback I feel through the hands with a Bladed Wedge has helped me be far more accurate when chipping or pitching.  Even though the Cavity back Wedges are actually more Forgiving.  They aren’t easier to hit in those situations.  What actually makes a club Forgiving is having a larger sweet spot, and in most cases a lower center of gravity.  Forgiveness is all about getting the most from your club when you miss hit it.

We all want center face contact

You’ve heard it described many ways.  “Man you caught it flush”!  “I hit that one on the screws”!  “I can’t hit it any better than that”!  However you choose to describe it, one thing is for certain.  Very little feels better than making center face contact with a full swing.  First of all hitting it out of the sweet spot is gentler on the hands.  The end result is usually very satisfying as well.  In most cases it even sounds better.  So who wouldn’t want the sweet spot on their clubs to be as large as possible?  Believe it or not but quite a few people would prefer small to medium sized sweet spots instead of large ones.  Sounds crazy right?  Well that’s what I thought also.  Now I’m one of those people.  My next set of Irons are going to have a medium sized sweet spot. I’ll go into detail as to why I have chosen to go this route.  There are many different methods that can be utilized to increase the size of the sweet spot on a club.  Perimeter weighting, moving the center of gravity further back from the face of the club, and increasing the amount of flex the face of the club has on impact are just a few methods.  Whichever method a club manufacturer chooses to use essentially achieves the same result.  Miss hits should fly a little further, and a little straighter.  To help you better understand how this translates into real world results I’ll share some actual simulator numbers with you.  At the time I hit my super forgiving 7 Iron about 140 yards when I absolutely flushed it.  Even if I hit my 7 Iron off the toe of the club with a good swing I’d send it about 133 yards, and maybe 10 yards off line.  I tested a far less forgiving forged blade with a small cavity back and averaged 138 yards when I caught it perfect.  I attributed the 2 yards lost to a weaker loft with the forged blade.  The real difference was when I miss hit it.  Catching one off the toe only yielded me 126 yards, and 11 yards off line.  That’s more than a full club shorter for me.  Being 11 yards off line at only 126 yards out is close to being a slice.  Now you are probably wondering after seeing those numbers why I would even consider switching to less Forgiving clubs.  Hell why would anyone?

Sweet swingers

Some of us, and I’m not included in this particular group make center face contact most of the time.  If you have your swing fully dialed in?   Then Forgiveness isn’t really necessary for you to produce a great round of golf.  You’re already at that point that so many Beginners like myself aspire to reach.  You can seemingly hit the ball relatively straight at will.  For the majority of us, that’s all we are after.  Foolishly we believe that will be enough.  Chances are good that when that day comes you will want to do more.  You will want to start shaping the ball.  This brings us to our next common misconception about Forgiving clubs.  Supposedly you can’t shape shots with Forgiving clubs.  Anyone that tells you that is flat out lying.  There are many ways to shape a shot.  Club swing path, face angle at impact, and face contact position all play a role.  My clubs are about as Forgiving as clubs can be, and I can hit a butter cut, or power fade if I want.  I couldn’t hit a draw with my clubs but that’s more about my limitations than the clubs.  What you need to understand is that the more Forgiving the club, the more difficult it becomes to shape the ball.  As the sweet spot increases in size, the amount of space left on the face of the club to influence shape is reduced.  As the center of gravity is moved further back to help Beginners hit the ball straighter, the more difficult it becomes to create a curved shot.  So when you’ve reached that point where you are ready to start shaping the ball.  A super forgiving set of clubs might actually work against your improvement.  So that’s got to be it then.  I must be looking for a less Forgiving set of Irons because I’m ready to start shaping shots.  Truth is I’m not ready.  Not even close to ready actually.  So why then Cobe? WHY!

Feedback

You are finally going to find out why I’ve decided to switch to a less Forgiving set of Irons.  I made my decision on a Sunny afternoon on a Par 3 at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto.  The hole was playing at 155 yards to the center of the green.  The Pin was set left center so it set up well for my natural shot shape which is a little right to left.  I hit my 6 Iron about 155 yards with a full swing so time to let her rip.  My swing felt perfect.  I made great contact, and even heard that satisfying pop off the face of the club.  I watched the ball launch towards the target until I lost sight of it in the sun.  I switched my focus to the Green eagerly awaiting the Ball’s return to earth.  Hopefully within a safe distance for a chance at birdie.  I never saw it land.  Oh shit I thought.  I caught it so perfect that I flew the Green.   With  bushes, and a muddy marsh behind the Green I was getting prepared for another bogey.  While searching behind the Green for my ball my playing partner noticed another ball about 10 yards short of the green.  At first I figured that it must have been somebody else’s lost ball.  Turns out that it was mine.  Somehow I came up 15 yards short.  Seriously!  But I made perfect contact!  Well on closer inspection what I thought was perfect contact was actually high on the face, and a bit chunky.  The issue was the Feedback.  There really was none.  I’ve learned that I shouldn’t assume  I’ve hit a great golf shot until I’ve verified the result.  Forgiving clubs tend to provide very little Feedback.  Even though improved miss hits can definitely help a Beginner get through a round of golf with an acceptable score.  If you are serious about furthering the development of your game?  Playing golf with clubs that provide a decent amount of Feedback are important to have as well.  If you are unsure of when you make poor contact.  You won’t be able to effectively adjust your swing to where you can fully trust it.  It’s going to take a bit of practice, but knowing when I make perfect contact is going to seriously improve my game.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Going outside your comfort zone – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Your go to clubs

Every one of us has a couple of clubs in their bag that we can’t seem to ever hit poorly.  These are our go to clubs.  One of mine is my 52 degree MacGregor VIP Wedge.  A full swing will allow me to carry the ball about 82 yards with around 2-3 yards of roll out.  I can muscle it up to 92 yards with maybe 2 yards of roll out.  I can also swing easy and hit it about 78 yards with a couple yards of roll out.  I know this because I use it so often in any number of situations.  There are very few clubs that I will choose to muscle for additional distance.  My Gap Wedge is one of them, and my 3 Hybrid is the other.  My first full year playing Golf, the longest club in my bag was my 3 Hybrid.  You learn to muscle your longest club.  Especially when you usually hit it about 180 yards, and you need to hit your Tee shot 190 yards just to reach the Fairway.  It’s one of the only clubs in my bag that I can affectively shape my shot with.  If I need to hit a long low stinger to stay out of the wind.  The only club I would consider is my 3 Hybrid.

Having that kind of confidence can only help your game right.  Sure it does.  Knowing that you can make those shots will definitely help you work your way around a course.  What you may not realize is that you could also be limiting your opportunities by leaning on those particular clubs.  I’ve caught myself doing it at times.  Teeing off with my 190 yard 3 Hybrid when I could aim for an equally wide portion of the Fairway with my 205 yard 3 Wood.  Then having to cut the corner of a dogleg and carry my approach shot 160 yards.  Instead of having a clear approach to the Green of only 145 yards.  Just because I trust my ability with my 3 Hybrid more than I do with my 3 Wood.  I’ve passed up trying to reach the Green in two after a great Tee shot, because I wanted to set myself up for a Gap Wedge approach from 85 yards.  Chances are I wouldn’t have reached the Green, but I could have easily left myself with a 20 to 30 yard chip shot instead.  Sound familiar to any of you?

Practice what you hate

Too often we go out to the Range, or spend an hour in the simulator hitting whatever we are best at.  Marvelling at the distance, trajectory, and shot dispersion.  We might shoot a short video or take a picture for posterity.  I sure as hell do.  It lets us know that we have improved, builds confidence, and shows others that we know what we are doing.  To be honest though it doesn’t actually help us much.  Don’t get me wrong, any practice is better than nothing.  The problem with hitting your best shot during practice is that you should be using this time to improve your worst shots.  Think about it.  If you are nervous, or uncomfortable hitting difficult shots during Practice when the result doesn’t matter.  How are you ever going to hit a successful one of those shots out on the course when it does matter?  When I first began playing I’d only hit the clubs I was most comfortable with because I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the Range.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that Range embarrassment is much easier to take than Course embarrassment.  At that point I would bring the clubs I was struggling with, and one or two clubs I was confident with to the Range.  That way I could switch back and forth between clubs I hit well, and clubs I don’t.  Just so I wouldn’t get overly frustrated.  It wasn’t long before I realized that I started every Range session with clubs I hit well “to loosen up”, and finished the Range session with the same club.  I’d only hit a few of the clubs I’m struggling with in between.  All that actually accomplished was to reinforce my opinion of which clubs I hit best.  It was actually counterproductive.  My last trip out to the Range I only bought one club along to practice with.  I’ve been having trouble hitting my Driver with any degree of accuracy.  So I went out to the Range with the sole purpose of fixing my issues with the least accurate club in my bag.  It took about a full bucket to get my Driver swing to where I hoped it would be.  The first 20 balls I hit we’re ugly, and that’s putting it lightly.  If I had another club with me I would have probably given up, and switched to hitting that.  I’m glad I didn’t because by the time I had finished my bucket of balls I couldn’t wait to Tee off with the big stick on a course.

What’s the goal?

Golf is simply just a series of choices.  Each shot requires you to choose the right club, and choose the right shot.  Then you just need to execute.  In order to do this effectively you need to be able to treat every club in your bag as your go to club.  That way it doesn’t matter the distance, situation, or lie.  You will hit each and every shot with total confidence.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Amnesia The Dark Descent – The Gamer in me GL-13

Another great addition from PS Plus

If you like horror genre video games then The Dark Descent is definitely for you.  Currently Free to Playstation Plus Subscribers as part of the Amnesia Collection.  This game is unlike any other horror survival game I’ve ever played.  You are unsure of what your goal is at the beginning.  This is in keeping with the Amnesiac theme.  You are unarmed, although you can pick up a bottle or chair in a pinch and hope that helps.  Helpful hint here, it won’t!  You’re wondering around a dilapidated mansion without any sort of detailed map.  You’re even unsure of how much health your character has because it only tells you things like you are currently bruised.  The beauty of it is that the less you know, the scarier it is.

A surround sound system masterpiece

The game actually suggests that you should play it while wearing headphones for the greatest affect.  When you have a surround sound system like mine though, headphones aren’t necessary.  Just the sound effects are enough to freak most people out.  The Designers have done an excellent job of setting the mood through sound and lighting.  I should say the lack of lighting because like the title implies, The Dark Descent is definitely dark.  Thankfully you can light the occasional candle, or carry a lantern around with you to light the way.  Of course the brighter things get in the Mansion.  The more likely something undescribably horrible might find you, and viciously rip you a new one.

Defeating the Demons

In the event that you come across something menacing, or horrific.  Don’t immediately despair.  Play it right, and you can still make it out alive.

Option 1- find a dark place like in a closet or under some stairs, curl up into a little ball, and pray that whatever that thing was doesn’t find you.

Option 2- turn away from the freakish thing that you just saw, and run like your life depended on it, cause it does.  Keep running until you think you have escaped.  Then proceed to use Option 1.

Will you be frightened?

Yes you will.  Some people will try to argue with me about this.  There’s always that one person who claims to be totally unafraid.  What The Dark Descent succeeds in doing to everyone that plays it is make you incredibly nervous.  It achieves this in a number of ways.  I’m not going to tell you about each way because that would ruin the surprise.  What I will tell you is that it makes you doubt your characters sanity.  This isn’t a spoiler because one of your characters key stats is Sanity.  Of course like your character’s Health it isn’t represented by a quantifiable score.  There are times during the game where you may begin to wonder if what you are seeing is real or imagined.  That alone can be very disconcerting.  Then there’s the constant creaks, footsteps, opening and closing doors, and everything else that doesn’t feel right about the Mansion.  As soon as you think you have a feel for how the game operates.  That’s when things will suddenly get very different.

The more the merrier

Although you would think that The Dark Descent is probably best played on your own.  Like one of my other favourite games Until Dawn, it’s actually a blast to play with a few friends.  How each one of you is affected by the gameplay can actually increase the tension in the room.  Also the game can be so mentally, and psychologically taxing for some people.  That way somebody else can take over playing while they give themselves a rest.  I would definitely suggest that any fans of the horror genre download the Amnesia Collection.  Even people who don’t normally play horror games, but can appreciate a very well designed exploration game will like it.  Also if you have invested in a serious surround sound system like myself.  Then you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t own this game.

 

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From Range to course – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Unreal expectations

Most people that are serious about improving at Golf spend a fair amount of time at the Range, or in a Simulator.  I’m currently helping a friend of mine who is brand new to the game develop her swing at the Range.  Chances are good that she won’t actually play on her first course until next Summer.  Almost a full year away.  She began playing in April of this year so she will have been practicing at the Range or in a Simulator for over a year before she feels ready to take on a course.  Now not everybody has her patience.  I definitely didn’t.  In my first Season I began going to the Range in March, and played my first game on a course in June.  I had developed a poor but repeatable swing, and felt relatively confident with my 3 Hybrid, and Pitching Wedge.  I was ready!

No I wasn’t!

Something that every Beginner needs to know about Range, and Simulator practice.  It doesn’t actually prepare you for the real thing!  First of all hitting off the Fairway is very different from hitting off a mat.  At the Range, or in a Simulator you are always on even ground.  That isn’t the case in most situations on a course.  Even Tee boxes can be a little uneven.  Think about what an inch of difference in contact can make on your ball flight.  Another huge difference between hitting off a mat, and hitting off the ground is the amount of resistance each provides.  When you are at the Range hitting shot after shot a decent distance.  What you might fail to realize is how a mat can correct an imperfect swing.  You’ve probably seen many videos about making contact with the ground after hitting the ball.  The preferred angle of attack with an Iron is down through the ball, taking a divot that’s beyond the ball’s original position.  Most Beginners do the opposite.  They make contact with the ground just before they make contact with the ball, or as they make contact with the ball.  The reason for this is due to the amount of time they spend at the Range, or in a Simulator when they begin developing a swing.  It’s very unnatural, and possibly painful to swing at a downward angle with the intention to make contact with a solid surface.  Almost everyone begins as a “Picker”, hoping to essentially sweep the ball off the mat by making contact with the mat, and ball at the same time.  An unfortunate side effect of this is when we make contact with the mat before the ball.  The resistance of the surface will quite often help us make good contact with the ball.  That won’t happen at the course, unless you are playing on frozen ground in November.  Making contact with the ground before the ball will usually result in a “chunky” shot.  Whenever you hear someone say they “chunked” it, or caught one really “fat”.  That’s what they are talking about.  Usually this results in a shot that doesn’t travel very far at all.  It can be really confusing to a Beginner who has never experienced a shot that looked or felt like that one did.  At the Range, or in a Simulator the usual miss is a topped ball.  When only the bottom of your club makes contact with the ball.  This is considered by most to be hitting the ball “thin”.  You know when you hit those low line drives with something as lofted as your Wedge.  That’s what happens when you catch it “thin”.  What’s confusing when you are first developing your swing at the Range is how a poor swing that makes contact with the ground behind the ball, doesn’t sweep low enough to make contact with the ground at all, or actually makes contact with the ground beyond the ball but comes in at to steep an angle can all result in a thin shot.  The natural response to this in our minds is to focus on making hard contact with the mat as close to the ball as possible.  Expect a lot of ugly chunky contact if you take that opinion to the course.  The other issue that this creates is how contact with the ground can effect the squareness of your club face at impact.  If the ground didn’t effect your swing then hitting out of the Rough wouldn’t be an issue.  Anything that impedes your swing path to the ball will affect it’s flight.  If contact with the ground before the ball causes your club face to twist open just a little, you will hit a slice.  For the most part mats don’t effect your club face very much at all when you make contact with them.  Keep all of these things in mind when you head out to the course for the first time.

I know the difference but my course play still suffers!

As a Beginner that’s played a lot of Rounds of Golf.  I’ve gone through the great Range practice on Wednesday, didn’t seem to help at the course on Saturday.  So many times I have wondered what is wrong with my swing that day.  The answer was actually nothing.  There are a few factors that come into play on a course that are never a consideration at the Range.  Tee boxes are in different locations.  This seems like an insignificant thing but it’s not.  When you are at the Range you are continuously hitting balls from the same spot, with the same wind position, at the same targets, and in most cases zero hazards to worry about.  The wind is a far greater factor than most Beginners realize.  Hitting a ball 100 yards into an open field is a lot easier than hitting a ball 100 yards over a Pond.  Golf courses are designed to not only test your skill, and physical ability.  The courses are also designed to test you mentally.  I’ve yet to come across a Range, or Simulator that can recreate that.  Every shot you take that can be potentially lost in a hazard adds additional stress.  All around you there are other people playing that might get a good laugh at your expense if you Chunk one into the water.  These aren’t things that effect your swing at Range, or in a Simulator.  The best advice I can give you is that you shouldn’t worry about what other people think.  In most cases they are too focused on their own game to notice yours.  When dealing with Hazards, it’s best to just focus on the ball, and not the target.  Keep your head down through the swing, and believe in the result.  Beginners tend to focus on the target when needing to clear a Hazard.  By lifting their head too early to see if they have cleared the Hazard.  They end up making poor contact with the ball, and ending in trouble.

Play for the moment, not the score

Your first few times out to the course I wouldn’t even bother keeping track of your score.  I think my first time out I shot 58 over par.  Obviously I was seriously disappointed right.  Actually I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  I had no clue what my score was while I was playing.  My playing partner was keeping score privately.  What I remember is a Putt I sunk from off the Green with a fair amount of break in it, and the single Tee shot I hit on a Par 3 that actually found the Green.  Those two shots had me eager to come back, and play again the following week.  If you focus on the small accomplishments you make each time you play.  You won’t just love this game, you’ll keep improving.  Two Seasons later I shot 29 over on the exact same course.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Beginner Golf Focus – Beginner’s guide to Golf

The key to improving at Golf

I’m in my second full Season as a Golf enthusiast.  It was August of 2015 that I played my first full Round of Golf at Centennial Golf course in Etobicoke.  To say that I sucked would be a gross understatement.  I probably shot 140 that day and went through about 7 Golf Balls.  What I will remember most about that day was the great Putt I made on the 12th Hole, and the amazing Drive I made on the final Hole.  As much as I would like to score well each and every time I go out.  Golf is also a game of amazing moments.  Do you think I’d be disappointed if I shot 40 over, but made a Hole in one that day?  It would probably go down as one of the most memorable Rounds of Golf I’ve ever played.  The final score wouldn’t bother me at all.  This article is about scoring though.  In only two full Seasons of Canadian Golf I’ve gone from a total hack to a Bogey Golfer.  In other words I have earned myself through a lot of work an eighteen handicap.  To clarify, because a lot of Amateur Golfers are unclear of what a handicap actually means.  An eighteen handicap means that on my best day I should finish a Round of Golf 18 strokes over par.  On a Par 70 course I realistically average between 26, and 36 strokes over par.  I have a tendency to really blow it on a couple of Holes and that’s why my score ends up being that high.  Playing a solid mistake free Round has become my current goal.

How to play mistake free?

The key to reducing your handicap is the same for you, as it is for me.  You need to focus on the things that are totally in your control.  I’m sure a few of you are thinking wait a minute it’s Golf.  There’s nobody tackling you, or checking you.  You don’t even have an opponent really.  Everything is totally under your control.  Well you would be wrong.

You can attempt to make center face contact with the ball every swing but it won’t happen.  You can attempt to hit a power draw, or a baby fade whenever the situation calls for it but it won’t always happen.  You can attempt to hit every approach shot with enough backspin to have it hold the Green but there’s no guarantee that you will even hit the Green.  Here’s the good news though.  You can control how you grip each club every time.  You can set yourself up with the ball a specific distance away from you, and further forward or back in your stance every time.  You can duplicate how far, and how fast you make your backswing with every club.  You can find the ball that feels right for you, and play only that ball so every putt feels the same.

Small things add up to becoming a better Golfer.

It would probably surprise you how much a consistent grip will improve your game.  Your grip helps determine how your swing will feel throughout rotation around your body.  Swing plane is partially determined by your grip.  Resistance at the top of your backswing is partially determined by your grip.  Club face release through contact is also affected by your grip.  I would slice every shot to some degree in the beginning.  It wasn’t until I developed a consistent grip that I was able to control it.  Any corrections you make before you’ve settled on a particular grip are only temporary.  So first things first, find your grip.   Knowing the correct distance to stand from the ball at set up takes time.  It took me about 12 months of playing to really figure it out.  It’s natural to want to stand far enough away that simply swinging your arms back around you, and then forward through the target makes contact.  Most Beginners, myself included start this way.   Standing that far away will cause a number of swing faults.  Making neutral face (not open or closed) contact with the ball  becomes almost impossible.  The amount of sidespin generated at impact is greatly increased.  It becomes far more difficult to hit out of rough lies.  Standing closer to the ball creates a more vertical swing plane.  Essentially correcting all of the issues I just listed.  It will feel uncomfortable at first because a proper swing will require far more body rotation the closer you are to the ball.  Begin practicing at the Range standing a little closer to the ball.  It won’t take long before you begin to see a significant improvement in ball flight, and target consistency.  If you were to break down a Golf swing into two parts.  It would be the backswing, and forward swing.  Of the two, the backswing is obviously the easiest.  When I first got into Golf I’d attempt to generate power through the backswing.  My backswing was about 75% as fast as my forward swing.  Nowadays my backswing is about 15% as fast as my forward swing.  My accuracy, and quality of contact is probably 5 times better than it used to be.  The faster your backswing, the more likely you are to become unbalanced, or make poor contact with the ball.  I’d rather hit my 7 Iron 140 yards straight 90% of the time.  Instead of hitting my 7 Iron 155 yards straight 25% of the time.  The only thing you really lose by hitting the ball straight, but 10 to 15 yards shorter is distance.  Really though the only distance you are sacrificing is off your longest clubs.  If your target is 150 yards away then just use your 6 Iron instead.  Maybe your playing partner can hit their 4 Iron 200 yards.  Well good for them.  Doesn’t bother me to pull my 3 Wood out of the bag to achieve the same.  Always use the same ball! 

I can’t stress this enough.  The difference it will make when putting is reason enough.  If you haven’t selected a ball yet read my Golf Ball selection Starting from Scratch SS-10

Play within your ability

This is probably the most difficult aspect of the game of Golf for me.  It’s actually the one thing that we are all able to control from day one.  Resisting the urge to attempt shots that I have no business trying is one of the most difficult things for me to do.  Everybody wants to make that hero shot.  If you actually want your scores to improve?  Don’t waste your time trying to hit draws out of the rough around trees to hopefully make the Green.  Do the smart thing and just punch out on to the Fairway.  Playing within your limits isn’t just about trying to make hero shots.  It’s also about knowing what you are capable of from the very start.  I used to attempt to make a Green in Regulation on every Hole.  Even if it meant having to make potentially dangerous shots to do it.  For instance on a 390 yard Par 4 with a tight Fairway.  I would consider using Driver strictly based on distance.  If the landing area seemed too small I would take one club less and go with the 3 Wood off the Tee.  Landing in a Tight Fairway with my 3 Wood is a very low percentage play for me.  Even if I hit a perfect Drive.  I’d still leave myself with about 180 yards to the Pin.  Most Greens are protected by Hazards.  Bunkers at best, water or thick Woods at worst.  Expecting to land on the Green, and stick it close from 180 yards out is ludicrous.  Trying to play a Hole like that would usually go something like this.  Tee off with the 3 Wood, and miss the Fairway left by around 20 feet.  Second shot out of the rough at a terrible angle to the Green with the 3 Hybrid.  Hit it about 170 yards, and land about 30 yards right of the Green.  Third shot out of the deep rough with the 56 degree Wedge.  Hit a flyer that clears the Green, and lands in the bunker on the opposite side.  Shots four and five to successfully exit the bunker.  Shot six is a short chip on to the Green with my 52 degree Wedge. So much for the Green in Regulation right. Finally on the Green I end up two putting for quadruple bogey.  Definitely not the score you are looking for on a Par 4!  It’s taken me a long time but I have finally learned to play within my ability.  The way I play that same Hole goes something like this now.  Tee off with my 5 Hybrid landing on the left side of the Fairway 165 yards out.  Instead of trying to hit a hero shot on or close to the Green.  For my second shot I’d choose to hit my 7 Iron 135 yards down the Fairway.  This leaves an easy 90 yard shot with my 52 degree Wedge on to the Green.  Sure I never had a chance at getting that Green in Regulation.  What I have done is avoid any real danger.  I land my Wedge shot on the front edge of the Green.  Then two putt for bogey.  A difference of three strokes!  Sure my chances at Birdie are close to null.  So what.  I’ve actually one putted for Par many times in similar situations because the approach shot from within 100 yards is so easy.

Do yourself a favor, and focus on the few things within your control the next time you are out at the course, or on the Range.  Your handicap, and your enjoyment of the game will definitely improve.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Golf Ball selection – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Ball selection for the Beginner

Where should your priorities lie?

Be honest with yourself.  As a Golf Beginner you are going to lose a lot of balls on the course.  So price should definitely be one of the first things you consider when selecting a ball.  Fortunately for you, there are many quality balls on the market that should suit your game without breaking the bank.

As a Beginner you will be prone to making contact all over the face of your clubs.  Maintaining a square face at impact is also incredibly difficult for most Beginners as well.  For these reasons a Low Spin Low Compression ball would benefit most Beginners.  This type of ball will help reduce the severity of slices, and hooks.  The ball won’t completely eliminate a slice, or hook, but possibly lesson it to a manageable point.  I’ve tested both High Spin, and Low Spin balls on simulators.  Having a Low Spin ball saves me about 5 strokes per round.

Another thing to consider when deciding which ball to purchase is in my opinion the deciding factor.  How it feels, and rolls when putting.   Seriously it’s the single most important aspect of what makes a ball right for you.  A ball could give me 10 more yards of distance off the Tee.  It could stop 2 yards quicker on approach shots into the Green.  It could spin like a top off my Wedges.  If it doesn’t feel right, or roll true off my Putter though.  Then it isn’t for me.  As a true Beginner the first swing you should be able to consistently repeat is your Putter stroke.  You are going to hit Drives all over the place, so 10 yards further into the Woods doesn’t help.  You will Duff, or Blade your approach shots, so stopping quicker won’t help.  The difficulty you will have using your first Wedge is massive, so extra spin won’t make any difference.  When you reach the Green though.  If that ball rolls straight, and true.  You will turn brutally frustrating holes, into a thing of beauty.

The last thing to consider when selecting a ball is how it flies off your Driver.  If you have found a few balls that meet the other criteria?  Choosing between them can come down to Driver advantage.  Some balls have dimple patterns that are specifically designed to help get the ball up in the air.  Depending on your natural launch angle, that could be beneficial.  More often than not.  A Hole that starts well, ends well.  Hitting a ball off the Tee that inspires confidence can be all you need to get off to a good start.

Knowing which ball is right for you takes a lot more than just reading reviews.  Buy a few sleeves of balls that appeal to you, and test them in a Simulator.  Then test all of them on a Putting Mat.  Make sure to use your own clubs, and Putter when testing balls.  Once you’ve decided which ball is right for you.  Make sure you buy a bunch of them.  Play those balls exclusively!  Whenever you go to a store to try a new club you are considering purchasing.  Bring along a sleeve of your balls with you.  That way you’ll get a feel for how your ball flys off that club.  You will also be used to the way the characteristics of that ball affect your shot shape.  If you use whatever balls the store has in the simulator.  The performance of the club you are testing will be impossible to accurately compare with your current equipment.

Lets say that you are in the middle of a round of Golf.  While looking for the ball that you just sliced into some fescue.  You come across a great looking money ball.  A Pro V1, or Taylormade TP5 will be so tempting to continue your Round with.  Don’t do it!  These balls aren’t made with the Beginner in mind.  It happened to me before I knew better.  I found a pristine Pro V1X during a Round of Golf where I was scoring quite well.  The next Hole was a long Par 3.  I had played this course many times, and usually hit my ball to the Green.  The angle at which I would reach the Green was so shallow my ball would always roll out the back.  I figured that the extra spin I should get with the Pro V1X would help me hold the Green.  I wiped it totally clean, and Tee’d it up.  I was right.  The Pro V1X didn’t roll out the back of the Green.  In fact I didn’t even reach the Green.  I’m sure I made contact with a very slightly Open face.  Usually with that kind of contact I’d end up back left of the Green.  With the Pro V1X it went way left, and ended up in the Pond on the left of the hole.  It was the first time I had ever hit one into that Pond.  I actually aim quite far right to avoid it because my normal miss is to the left.  I just hadn’t realized how far left the additional spin from the Pro V1X would send it.

So trust me when I say that finding the right ball for you will make a huge difference in your game.  Test as many balls as you can.  When you find one that really feels right.  Stick with it!

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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GOLF

Golf essential extras – Beginner’s guide to Golf

What are the essential extras?

Now there are a few, but I’ll begin with the most obvious.  First and foremost is of course a Golf bag to carry your clubs in.  I would strongly suggest that you purchase a Stand bag.  Preferably a bag with flat feet.  I’ve owned both the rounded feet and flat feet models.  The flat feet are at least three times as stable.  Make sure that it has enough pockets to carry all of your items.

The second essential extra would be a good pair of Golf shoes.  If you plan on purchasing only one pair to begin with.  I would suggest that you begin with a spikeless pair.  They will be allowed on all courses, and can be worn from home to the course.  No need to change into another pair of shoes to play a round, and deal with storing, or carrying your other shoes around with you.  Select a pair that is waterproof.  Playing a round of golf with soaked feet is brutal.  Another advantage of Spikeless shoes is that they allow more freedom of movement during your swing.  This is particularly beneficial for Beginners.  A good pair of spiked shoes can effectively lock you in place.  Your body will be unable to properly rotate through the swing if you don’t generate enough power.   This is generally the case with Beginner Golfers.

The third essential is a towel.  You heard me right, a towel.  I had no idea how important a towel to wipe my clubs clean between holes would be.  Try hitting your Wedge off the grass the day after a rainfall.  One swing and the grooves get so completely filled with dirt.  Your next swing the face is about as smooth as your Driver.  The club face needs to be free of dirt to make proper contact.  If you are truly hoping to get the most out of your swing.  Then keeping your clubs clean during a round is a must.

The fourth essential is really overlooked by most Beginner Golfers.  I’m guilty of it as well, so don’t feel bad if this comes as a surprise to you.  Do yourself a favour, and do this now if you haven’t already.  Download a Golf GPS tracking Application!  I’ve tried a few, and I have settled on 18birdies as my Application of choice.  It keeps a great record of my Rounds.  It calculates my handicap.  It allows me to map out my game plan before a Round.  It also keeps detailed statistics.  The day before I play a Round of golf.  I use 18birdies to look at the layout of each hole, and make notes directly on the Application.  I plan which clubs to use, make notes of bail out areas, and figure out where all the blind hazards are.  Having a plan like that will help eliminate costly mistakes.  Your score will definitely benefit from proper preparation.

The last essential I’ll include is one you don’t want to forget on a clear day in summer.  When you pack your bags for a beautiful day of Golf.  Don’t forget to pack some form of sun protection.  Whether it’s sunblock, or just shades, and a hat.  A full Round of Golf with friends can take many hours.  Make sure you have sun protection, and a couple bottles of water with you.  Of course you can take full advantage of the beverage cart if the course has them.  Either way, the last thing you want is a great day of Golf ruined because you got sunburned, or heat exhausted.

Having the right essentials will help make each, and every Round of Golf that much more enjoyable.

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Beginner’s guide to Golf