Here s to better golf exercise

There is a lot of golf equipment to help you in your exercise program. You've got weights, rubber tubing, and so on.

But what exactly is "proper" golf equipment, designed specifically for exercise? This is the question that almost every new golfer has. We all know that exercise is good for you. It keeps you in shape to face life's daily challenges. And with today's fast-paced lifestyle, we all could do with some stamina and endurance.

Golf is no exception. That golf game may look slow. In reality however, it can take its toll on someone who isn't prepared to face up to the challenge. Mental preparation helps you think faster. This is likewise important since you have to do a lot of calculation and strategising at each hole. It's basically trying to figure out how to make as few stops as possible on the way to the hole — some 300 or so yards away.

Physical preparation on the other hand, helps one avoid injury during those "back breaking swings". This can actually become a reality if you're not prepared. Getting enough exercise can likewise give you better game results. And this is something every golfer wants.

Here is a word of advice when choosing proper golf equipment — choose what suits you best. And exercise golf equipment likewise follows this "rule". Why? Quite simple really: it should be able to bring out the best in your game. Here are some examples:

Take the hand weights or "dumbells" for instance. They may look simple. They are lightweight - 5 to 8 pounds of metal. But looks can be deceiving. These seemingly simple pieces of golf equipment can actually do a lot for your golf game. They can actually aid you with up to 12 golf specific exercise routines. And these are for various core regions. Fantastic!

Rubber tubing can likewise aid you with so many types of golf related physical exercises. From the simple to the complex. What's more, just like those dumbbells, they are inexpensive, lightweight, and portable. You can practically take your "exercise program" with you — literally.

Then there are the balls. These are the weighted medicine balls and stability balls. For those who aren't sure of their differences, the medicine balls are pretty much your tennis ball sized round objects. They are a bit heavier though. These are fantastic for developing those forearm muscles. The stability ball on the other hand, is that beach ball-like round thing used to develop stability, balance and overall fitness. And just like other exercise golf equipment, they can be taken anywhere and used anytime.

So know what type of exercise golf equipment your body needs. Doing so will definitely help you get that near-perfect game.

Improve golf swing the non-traditional way

Improve golf swing seems like a thought that is on our minds as golfers dozens of times per day. Do you agree? But what are you currently doing to improve your golf swing?

Let me take a guess. Spending money on lessons, that may-or-may-not be working? How about the latest-greatest driver? Did it lower your score? Golf balls? They say the Titleist ProV1 makes a ton of difference. Has it for you?

I could go on-and-on but I won’t. I think you get the idea.

So I’ve mentioned some very common, ‘traditional ways’ to try to improve your golf swing. But I haven’t mentioned the MOST important one.

Do you want to take a guess?

Have you read any of my other 200 hundred or so articles floating around the web and in newspapers? If you haven’t then you may not know what I’m going to say.

But if you have…you know exactly what I’m going to say!

Look in the mirror…that’s your answer!

No this isn’t a joke. No I’m not trying to yank your chain. I’m trying to get you to realize what is holding you back. It’s not taking lessons. It’s not buying more equipment or $40 golf balls.

It’s getting right at the heart of the matter! Your ‘physical limitations’ are keeping you from making a mechanically sound and repeatable golf swing.

Think just for a minute!

If your body can’t make a 90 degree shoulder turn…it’s a fact you will lose a TON of yardage off the tee and with your irons.

If you can’t maintain your golf posture throughout your entire golf swing…you have no chance to swing consistently for 18 holes.

If your core is weak…you will not be able to generate any power going into impact, therefore you will see a weak shot that most likely goes ‘offline’ quickly.

Can you see the picture more clearly now?

So what do you do?

You go see a local golf fitness professional who will take you through a golf fitness evaluation to determine your weaknesses and limitations and draw up a plan to improve them.

If you don’t have someone in your area…or the cost is a bit too steep; do a search online for golf fitness, golf training or even golf exercises and see what you come up with.

FYI – make sure to pick the first few ‘non-colored’ results on the search pages. These are the ‘real’ results…not paid advertisements. You want to find a product or program that covers every facet of golf improvement…that you can afford.

This is the next best thing to having your own golf fitness trainer.

How a golf fitness book can transform your game

There are so many “so-called” golf fitness books on the market; but when you open them up you see dozens of pictures of golf models sitting on exercise machines in the gym.

This is NOT a golf fitness book, this is a book pertaining to “general” fitness, but with the title revised to catch the golfers eye. In my mind, this is a little deceptive and can frustrate the consumer.

When I was doing research for my golf fitness book (manual) I was extremely disappointed. Having been a certified fitness professional for over 20 years and specifically working with golfers the last 10 years I was expecting some good body’s of knowledge on the subject.

I was extremely let down and even felt like I wasted my money getting them. This motivated me to put together my golf fitness book (manual) so that a golfer of any age or fitness level could apply it immediately.

What are the components of a complete golf fitness book?

The golf fitness book should cover strength specific to golf, flexibility, aerobic conditioning (endurance) and nutrition.

These components should be directed at a golfer, not a person looking to build or tone muscles or just improve their physical fitness.

It should also discuss starting points for golfers at every age and fitness level. Have a golf fitness evaluation right in the book to determine your ‘current’ fitness level and ultimately your starting point.

That way you are sure what you are doing is the ‘right’ thing that will help your game not hurt it.

I think that’s the biggest concern for any golfer is not knowing where to start and making sure whatever he or she does will be right for them.

Secondly the golf fitness book should be able to discuss the direct benefits of any exercise to their golf swing. It’s motivating to ready why you would do a certain exercise if you can see how it will benefit your game.

And lastly, a golf fitness book should have progressive golf fitness exercises and complete programs to take you to the ‘next level’. I’ve seen so many books that have “general” exercises (not golf-specific) that have no sense of format or progression. This would leave your frustrated and not knowing where to start or progress.

So next time you go to a bookstore or get online and do a search for golf fitness book, make sure to thoroughly review the explanation and chapters to reassure you are doing the right thing.

You can quickly transform your game with the right golf fitness book.

Perform better golf with these fitness tips

Everyone wants to be able to perform better golf, and with these three tips you’ll be on your road to becoming a better golfer.

Each well-kept secret centers on fitness and ensuring that your body is up to the task of playing an exceptional round of golf. With a high level of fitness – which can be accomplished in just a few short fitness sessions a week – your body will be better prepared to play golf, making you perform better golf. Without good fitness, all the technique training in the world isn’t going to make you an excellent golfer. Technique can only take you so far when you’re body isn’t in top golfing shape.

The first well-kept secret is flexibility. Performing stretches and improving your flexibility will provide you with better rotation and a smoother more fluid swing. This is especially important when it comes to shoulder rotation and spinal rotation. Keeping your back and shoulders limber will go a long way in improving the power of your swing. Exercising these muscles regularly, and stretching them before you hit the course, will make a big difference.

Next is strength. Working the muscles that you use in golf will help you have more power when you swing, improve your balance, and assist in avoiding injury. When improving your strength, your focus should be on your core. These are the muscles in your torso that are so important to your swing.

Finally, adequate endurance keeps you playing at the same high level from the first hole through the eighteenth. You’ll no longer see less powerful drives in later holes, or have your mental focus wane at the end of the game when you’ve increased your stamina. Having a regular fitness routine will keep you in top shape for your game.

As you can see, fitness is the overriding concept when you want to perform better golf. Staying fit will have your score dropping in no time.

Golf handicap systems help even out scorecards for competitive golf play

The golf handicap system is implemented at golf courses, for golf tournament play. Trophies and prizes are awarded at the end of golf tournaments, based on golf scores. In order to make the golf game fair play, the handicap system is based on the ten lowest differentials of the last twenty games on an eighteen-hole course in one season. Some golf associations will accept fewer golf games. It can also be used for fair play outside of golf tournaments. The following is a short guide on how the golf handicap system works.

Handicap numbers are recorded for golf players numbered one through thirty-six, the number one being the lowest handicap, and the number thirty-six being the highest handicap. A scratch golfer has no handicap, better known as a scratch player.

Now lets take a look at how these numbers come into affect. If a player’s handicap is ten, and another player’s handicap are twenty. The difference between the two players is ten golf strokes. Therefore, to even up the match, the player with the lower handicap, which this case is the ten-handicap golf player, has to give out ten golf strokes to his opponent on eighteen holes, to make the golf game fair play. How do you identify on which golf holes they are going to be given out?

Typically on most, if not all golf scorecards, you will find numbers 1 through 18 near the bottom of the scorecard beside Men’s HCP and Ladies HCP. The numbers 1 through 18, you will also find out of order. The reason for the disorder of numbers is, the number 1 being the hardest golf hole, and the number 18 being the easiest golf hole. The golf course, or architect of the golf course, determines the order of numbers on any given golf hole, by the yardage and slope rating, and or other difficulty of the golf hole.

Now that we have determined how many golf strokes are to be given out, and where they are to be taken. The higher handicap in this case, which is the twenty handicap golf player, gets ten golf strokes for eighteen holes, on holes numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10. This should make the match a lot closer, if both players are playing within their game. It typically works out to one golf stroke on every other golf hole in this example, depending on how the golf course is laid out. Another example would be a scratch player and a thirty-six-handicap player, the scratch player having to give out two golf strokes on every hole.

Keeping track of your handicap, and using a handicap system, will help make the game fair play in a lot of golf matches, when playing against other opponents.

Check with your local golf pro, or golf association, on an official guide for the golf handicap system, and for maintaining a legitimate handicap. If you belong to a golf course, they should have a system in place to use for tournament play, which is recognized by most golf courses and golf associations. You can also find golf handicap software on keeping track of a golf handicap.

Golf tournaments - an insight

Once upon a time, the world’s best golfers were all British – usually Scottish. Since the early twentieth century, though, most of the leading golfers have been American.

For this reason, the biggest golf tournament in the world is the PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour, a series of events held on many different American golf courses. This is where the world’s best golfers play, for a top prize of almost a million dollars, along with hundreds of smaller prizes (‘purses’, in the golf jargon). There are very few golfers in the world who play golf full-time, but the top players can make millions, and the top few hundred can all at least make a modest living, thanks to the way golf prize money is divided up.

As the PGA Tour is held mostly in America, the European Tour has been gaining ground with non-American golfers in recent years, and is now widely considered to be the number two tournament.

The other important tournaments are the Opens, including the US Open and the British Open. While Tours are only open to professional golfers, Opens can be entered by anyone who pays the entrance fee, which means that thousands of people can try their luck every year, and the next generation of golfers can easily get their start. The winners of the Opens each year will be invited into the Tours, to compete at the next level, but there is nothing stopping the Tour pros from entering the Opens, and most do.

These are only the most famous of the golf tournaments: there is no shortage of smaller, independent tournaments, and each of the big golf playing countries has its own. Golfers who are not American or British will often progress by first playing in their home country’s smaller Open tournament, and then moving on to the bigger Opens, before hopefully being accepted into one of the big Tours.

Unusual places to tee up the next time you travel

Golf--it's been called the ultimate travelers' sport. More than 17 million people hit the links while they are away on vacation or a business trip. While Arizona, Hawaii and California are typically known for their expansive, breathtaking greens, there are many top-rated courses that can be found in the most unexpected of places.

According to travel expert and Travel Channel host Tracy Gallagher, "It's all in the research. Before taking a trip-whether traveling on a family vacation, for a weekend getaway or on business--a great nearby golf course can easily be found with a little advance planning."

So why not hit the links the next time you hit the road? Some of Gallagher's favorite U. S. golfing destinations may surprise you.

• Albuquerque, N. M.-With spectacular scenery and desert climate, Albuquerque is a superb place to golf. In fact, over the past few years, developers have capitalized on the area's beauty and, as a result, many new courses have opened throughout the city.

• Washington, D. C.-For a stroke of something different, try golfing in our nation's capital. One wouldn't think there would be room for a golf course in the immediate 68-square-mile area of Washington, D. C.; however, the proximity of some of the courses to the downtown area makes golfing an easy addition to a sightseeing trip. In fact, you can even see many of the historic monuments from several of the nearby fairways.

• Portland, Ore.-The Pacific Northwest certainly doesn't have typical golfing weather, but the frequent showers give the golf greens a shade of emerald you won't find anywhere else. If Oregon is on your travel itinerary, be sure to check out the courses in the Portland area.

Whether heading to the West Coast, Midwest, Deep South or the Eastern Seaboard, keep the following in mind as you plan your next trip:

• Check with local courses--many offer a special family package rate.

• For a more affordable golfing experience, check prices for playing at "twilight."

• If you can't get a tee time at one of the courses near your destination, many of the locations have driving ranges so you can at least practice your swing.

• Look for hotels, such as the Hilton Garden Inn, that offer a golf package. "Golf Amenity #18" is the largest golf promotion available at Hilton Garden Inn hotels throughout North America, which offers guests whose stay includes a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday night, from June 1-Oct. 22, 2006, a complimentary green fees voucher (good for two people) that's valid at more than 330 golf courses in the U. S. and Canada. Guests also receive a complimentary golf tips booklet, written by Golf Digest instructors, filled with pointers to improve your game. It's a one-of-a-kind deal that travelers-both business and leisure-can take advantage of this summer.