EdisonKate

handsome bro!

So now that you've got some clubs and you've learned the basics of the golf swing, you're thinking about testing yourself on an actual golf course. Great, but it's not as if you should step right onto the same course the pros play. If you want to make sure your early experiences on the golf course are positive ones, it's best to know your limitations, then build yourself up. Here's what to keep in mind. 1. Start small: Golf is hard enough without needing eight shots just to get to the green. Start on a par 3 or "executive" course before you try an 18-hole championship course. On a par-3 course, all the holes are par 3s -- that is, usually less than 200 yards. Executive courses typically have multiple par-3 holes and their par 4s and 5s are shorter than what you'd find on a championship course. Give yourself some time to get acclimated here before taking on a bigger challenge. 2. Play three holes: In a way, golf its own kind of an endurance sport, and you need to build yourself up to playing 18 holes. Consider starting by playing three holes of a nine-hole course late in the afternoon when the course is less crowded and rates are cheaper. The course might not charge a three-hole rate, so just play until you start getting frustrated, then come back another day. 3. Choose the right course: Don't start on Bethpage Black, or any course that's going to have you discouraged before you reach the first green. A good beginner course is flat, short and doesn't have many hazards or forced carries -- that is, waste areas or hazards you have to hit over to get to the fairway. There'll be plenty of time to test yourself on tougher layouts, but for now, give yourself a chance to gather some positive momentum. 4. Move on up: Forget about ego, and feel free to play from the forward set of tees. Playing the course at 5,500 yards or less will save you time, frustration and golf balls. And you'll be in good company: there's a nationwide push for recreational golfers of all levels to be playing courses from shorter distances. 4. Keep up the pace: Most golf courses ask that you finish 18 holes in four-and-a-half hours, but you can do better than that. One way to maintain a decent pace is to limit yourself to a certain number of strokes per hole. (We suggest a maximum of seven strokes per hole.) As a beginning golfer, there's nothing wrong with picking up your ball if you're holding your playing partners up. Trust us, they'll appreciate it.

If you spend a lot of your time watching the very best golfers in the world, there will be many occasions when they make things look easy. Anyone who’s tried to emulate their favorite golfer’s greatest moments on the local course will know that reaching that level is far from easy. Whether you’re watching on TV, as a spectator on course or you’re looking for hints and tips on who to bet on in the next major, it’s always a good idea to remind yourself occasionally of just what goes into achieving success as a professional golfer. The life of a Tour Pro isn’t all trophies and photo ops. Here’s what you need to know about the grueling life of a top golfer. The costs of being a pro For a select few, money ceases to be an issue at some point in their professional career. For most, however, the costs of simply maintaining your position as a regular on your Tour can be enormous and they usually come on top of the huge investment you’ve had to make to get there. To begin with, there’s the money you need to spend on coaching. Professional golfers have to practice constantly and some of that practicing involves working with a coach — which costs money. You might be paying around $250 an hour to work with a top coach, so even if you do the absolute minimum of one hour of coaching per week, that adds up to $12,000 every year. You might get a sponsor to take care of your equipment, though this will depend on your level of success, but then there will be the entry fees. Even for minor tour events, entry fees can be as high as $2,000 and if you’re planning on entering a dozen or more events during the season, those fees will add up. Then there’s the living expenses, the cost of travel and the cost of a caddy; it all adds up. To maintain a place on one of the main professional tours, it could cost upwards of $100,000 per year. The work You may like to play a round every week, maybe you’re really keen and get to the driving range a couple of times during the week. But could you handle doing that all day, every day, for decades? Pro golfers spend more time practicing than playing in tournaments, and they practice hard. We’re talking about dedicating all your time to your game, as if it were the only thing that matters. The typical tour pro devotes three to four hours per day to the full swing and an equivalent amount of time to the short game. This practice is also intense. It’s not just a matter of slamming balls or rolling putts blindly. They use props, including shafts, yardsticks and other gadgets, to assess their alignment, ball position, swing plane and putting route during practice. It’s sometimes with their instructor, but most of the time it’s with their caddy, so they have a second pair of eyes on them. This is their job, and it is grueling. Besides the technical work, there will be a certain amount of physical training, whether time in the gym or working with a fitness instructor. A golfer may have commitments with sponsors, clubs and other groups, and if they aren’t able to afford someone to take care of the administration, they have to handle it themselves, acting as their own agent, secretary and accountant. The pressure Sports fans and pundits talk a lot about pressure, but it is easy to forget what this means in human terms. Think back to a time when you were under pressure. Maybe you had to speak in public for the first time or coach your local football team. Now imagine that your income, your livelihood, your reputation and even your mental wellbeing were at stake while under that pressure. Golf is an intensely psychological game, and one of the loneliest sports there is. Could you keep your swing straight and your focus on the technicalities of the game while thousands of people scrutinized your every move, knowing that one tiny slip could cost you thousands, even tens of thousands, afraid that you will be letting people down if you fail? And could you do that every week for years on end? The best players will always make golf look easy, but it is important to remember, while you’re watching your favorite competing for glory, that the demands on the professional are huge and that getting to the top in the world of golf is about more than just good technique.

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Winter is approaching at breakneck speed and time is running out for some of us to get those last rounds in before the ground is covered with snow. But as we play those rounds, the air is colder and our golf balls seem to be hitting shorter. Why would that happen? Are we getting weak or lazy? What’s happening to the game? All of us are asking these questions as the cold weather comes. Cold air is heavy and creates more resistance to ball flight. In addition, cold, heavier winds will encourage a golfer to swing harder. The result can be a snowball effect. Gripping harder and swinging harder/faster creates an out-of-balance body position through impact and allows the right side to dominate (for right-handed golfers) at the most inopportune times. By having this incredibly ‘reckless’ swing to counteract the forces of nature’s cool weather, you will find your right arm and shoulder out of the optimal position. There are some tips to fix the cold weather swing woes: Remind yourself that it is getting colder and accept that you cannot change the weather or ‘beat’ it. Gear your swing to produce a lower trajectory ball flight so that the ball ‘cuts’ through the heavy air. To accomplish this, your swing plane— a path the club travels on—should be more of a shallow arc. Placing the ball back slightly in your stance will assist you in the shallower arc and contacting the ball properly. One of the essential keys to succeeding at this is to have your shoulders set up correctly. Proper shoulder position will encourage solid motion through the entire swing. In the set-up, the right shoulder (for right-handed golfers) should be slightly lower than the left, with the right arm relaxed and the right elbow slightly tucked. When the right shoulder gets too high through the hitting area, you will find a steeper arc into the ball and potential for “over the top” swing. This position will help to eliminate this possibility and allow your body to swing through the ball at a lower arc catching the ball precisely at the best impact position thus sending it cutting through the heavy air. Not only should you consider playing the ball slightly back in your stance to achieve the lower blasting shot, but you also need to remember that your body needs to keep warm as well. Cover your head, feet, and hands with anything that will keep them warm. If your body is cold, it will not be able to be fluid through impact. Now maybe you need the Ocoopa Union 5S rechargeable hand warmer which can heat for almost 15 hours constantly. No more worries about cold hands. And don't forget to wear a warm hat to protect your head! If you incorporate these small tips as the weather cools down, you will find yourself playing some exciting golf! keep warm, keep smiling, and always believe! Then you will make it!

The hardest part about golf can be getting started. Ask yourself a few questions. First, why do you want to play? Is it for work or social reasons? Maybe then you need only some basic instruction and patient friends. Perhaps you're looking to jump in headfirst in hopes of getting better fast. If so, there's plenty of top-level instruction out there. Next, how much are you willing to put into it? That goes for time and money. Point is, there's a huge difference between wanting to ride around and have some laughs and being a serious player. Do some soul-searching, and start to develop your plan. 1. Take lessons right away: The bad news when you're just starting out is you don't know much about golf. The good news? You don't know much about golf. You probably haven't ingrained many bad habits, and you have tons of questions about what to do. Nothing beats starting out with some positive direction. And don't just seek instruction when you're struggling. It's just as important to know what you're doing right as what you're doing wrong. Your golf buddies might sometimes have a good tip for you, but it's better to seek out a PGA professional since they're the ones trained to teach the game to someone like yourself. You need to find a great instructor near you. 2. Have a range routine: Everyone wants to see how far they can hit a golf ball, but when you go to the driving range, resist the temptation to immediately start ripping drivers. Yes, you might crank a couple, but swinging for maximum distance will throw you out of sync -- and fast. Start out by hitting one of your wedges or short irons, warming up your golf muscles with half-swings. Then increase the length and speed of your swings, and move on to your middle irons. Work your way up to the driver, and after you hit some balls with it, go back to a short iron or wedge. This will help you keep your tempo and tension level in check. 3. Learn the short shots: Roughly half of your strokes come within 50 yards of the green. That means you probably should spend half of your practice time with your wedges and putter. This might sound boring, but the good news is, you can practice your short game in your own backyard -- even in your TV room. Put out some buckets in your yard at various distances and try to pitch balls into them. Give yourself good lies and bad lies, just like you get on the course. As for putting, your carpet might not play as fast as the greens, but you can still practice aiming and rolling balls through doorways and into furniture legs. 4. When in doubt, go back to basics: Golf can really get you thinking too much. There's a lot of information out there, and the most mind-numbing part can be the instruction. When you're a new golfer, you can't help but read it and watch it, but too much can be, well, too much. When you find yourself getting burned out from too much swing thinking, go back to basics. Try to get yourself into a good setup -- check your ball position and posture -- then make a relaxed swing all the way to a full finish. Overthinking creates tension, so be aware of your stress level: Waggle the club a little at the address and try to make a smooth move off the ball. Nothing ruins your chances faster than snatching the club back. 5. Find the right teacher: Finding an instructor you trust can really speed up your improvement. Of course, you want your teacher to be knowledgeable and committed to helping you, but just as important is finding a good personality fit. If you're laid back, you might like a teacher with a low-key approach. If you're a creative type, you might work best with someone who teaches with feels and images instead of angles and positions. The point is, you want to be comfortable and enjoy the experience. You'll learn best when you feel free to ask what you think are stupid questions and when you're not afraid to fall down a few times.