The Most Important Key In Lefthanded Golf

There is no reason why golf cannot be played left-handed just as well and efficiently as it can be played righthanded.

We have emphasized the fact that a golf stroke is an ambidextrous action—that the first lesson in golf, footwork, is a lesson that will teach a person to become right-handed. He must learn to balance himself on his right foot so that he can raise the club using the right side and the right arm.

To bring the club through he has to train himself to become lefthanded, to shift his weight to his left foot, so that he can use his left side and his right arm to bring the club down and through the ball.

Actually a good golf swing requires an equal ability on both sides of the body. There are switch hitters in baseball like Mickey Mantle, and there could be switch hitters in golf. But everybody does not feel this way about lefthanded golf.

Some years ago while visiting in a neighboring city, a friend of mine and I, dressed in street clothes, found ourselves in front of a golf school. It was a canvas, tent-like enclosure where golf was taught by driving the balls from cocoa-mats against a loose canvas backdrop.

"Let's go in," I suggested. Upon entering we were cordially greeted, whereupon I said, "I'm sorry, I guess we got into the wrong place. We thought this was a tent show of some sort." "This is no show," came back the answer, "this is a golf school."

With that I picked up a righthanded #5 iron and approached a ball on the mat with a lefthanded stance. As I placed the back edge of the righthanded club to the ball, I said, "This is about the most awkward tool I ever saw—how can anybody play with this thing?"

"You are going at it incorrectly," volunteered the in¬structor. "You are going at it lefthanded, and that can't be done." "What do you mean that can't be done, this is the only way I could play," was my response.

"Well, it's wrong," said the instructor, "you can't play golf lefthanded." "What do you mean, I can't play lefthanded?" I asked. "Why can't I play lefthanded?" "It just can't be done," the instructor replied, "because golf courses are not built for lefthanded players."

With that remark I turned the club upside down (I made a lefthanded club out of a righthanded one), I raised the club with my left side and I smacked the ball against the canvas with a resounding bang.

I placed the club back in the rack and we left without saying a word. Incidentally, this trick of making a lefthanded club out of a righthanded one is very useful should you get up against a tree or a fence from where you must play left-handed. Curiously, each iron as it is turned upside down provides exactly the same angle of loft as it does in its righthanded position.

There are many stories of players who started playing golf lefthanded and improved their game after they changed and played righthanded. This is understandable. In fact, in righthanded golf a good strong active lefthand and arm are most necessary—and in lefthanded golf a good strong right arm and right hand are most helpful, but in each case both hands must be used.

There is, in other words, an ambidexterity that must be developed in both instances, in righthanded or in lefthanded golf.

A most remarkable performer in this respect is my long-time friend, Johnny Bulla, of Phoenix, Arizona. Bulla started as a lefthanded player but was persuaded that golf should be played righthanded, so he switched sides.

And he played it well. Competing in the Los Angeles Open, Bulla once registered an unbelievable score of 29, seven under par for the first 9 holes on the difficult Riviera Golf Course. He started this round with 5 straight threes, and finished the 9 holes with 7 threes showing on his card.

Bulla is now playing golf lefthanded again. Recently he turned in a remarkable performance at the Paradise Valley Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona. Playing righthanded, he established a new course record of 60, and shortly thereafter, playing lefthanded, he scored a 64.

Who says you can't switch hit in golf?

Early in this book we indicated that ambidexterity was the exception rather than the rule, and that the average person was more or less physically lopsided—he was either predominantly righthanded or predominantly left-handed. Medical authorities confirm this fact; however, there is nothing serious or detrimental about this situation. Everyone has the latent ability to be ambidextrous, but the inclination or tendency is to the contrary.

In many cases simple exercises will rectify and cure this tendency or condition, and there is no finer exercise than a golf stroke that is properly executed to cure this lopsidedness. For this reason, I recommend and urge most strongly junior golf activities and junior golf instruction. Properly coached, the junior golfer will develop a balanced physical setup, one in which he will be able to use his right hand as well as the left or vice versa, an ability that will be most helpful in any game and all future activities.

In the junior golf classes which I conduct at Bel Air, after teaching the youngsters the double 4 routine of the golf swing, I make them do it lefthanded.

This is done long before they are permitted to hit golf balls. The purpose, of course, is to have them actually know the golf swing, and be able to do it forwards and backwards—just as is often done in school when learning the alphabet.

To return to the original discussion, I would again like to state that golf can be played righthanded or it can be played lefthanded, but whatever way you play, don't try to do it one-handed—learn to use both hands—it will be easier, more effective and more fun!

Buying A Golf Cart

There was a time when using a motorized golf cart was something of a luxury. Most players back then used either their shoulders to carry their clubs or a three-wheeled buggy looking thing that you pulled behind you. Ah, those were the days.

In most places it's not like that anymore. Golf carts are fairly common and almost the norm. You rarely see people walking the course, which, in a way, seems sad to me. I've played courses in the last few years that more resembled bumper car games at the circus than a golf course. But there is something to be said for them. Over the years golf has become a very popular game and the average course has far more players today than it did ten years ago. With that many more players on the course, the golf cart has certainly helped in moving play along, resulting in less wait time on the tee.

In general there are two ways to have a golf cart at your disposal. You can rent one from the pro shop, which is what most people do, and this is a very good option for it keeps you from having to keep up with the maintenance of the cart. The other option is to buy your own, which can be costly at the outset but it lets you avoid those rental fees.

Buying a golf cart is a little like buying a car. You get them new or used. If you want to buy a new golf cart be prepared to pay anywhere from $4500 to $10,000 depending on the model, the seating capacity and whatever added options you may want. You will need to decide if you want a gasoline engine or an electric engine. You will need to consider a trailer (to get the thing from place to place) as well as some type of towing hitch to connect the trailer to your vehicle.

Safe and reliable used golf carts can be found in any price range, but they usually run around $2000 for a good one. This price may or may not include the trailer and hitching balls. If you are planning to buy a used golf cart, you can approach it the same way you would buying a used car. Examine the cart carefully, both topside and underneath and inspect the engine for oil leaks or frayed wires. Take it for a spin and make sure that the recharge equipment is in working order.

The Internet offers a lot of places selling both new and used golf carts. If you don't have a dealer near you, you can do a search through Google or Yahoo and come up with hundreds of dealers.

As stated earlier, golf carts have become the norm in many place and owning your own can be reasonably affordable if you do some shopping first.

Important Golf Tips for Beginners

Starting in the game of golf can be confusing with all of the equipment available, people offering you free tips, and the feeling that you have to take everything so seriously. There are three golf tips for beginners that I was given by my instructor when I started, and that has really been a big help to me.

1. Don't Break the Bank With Your First Set of Clubs

As a beginner, you are not going to get all of the benefits that come from a top of the line set of golf clubs. As a beginner, you are not going to have the consistent contact or club head speed needed. Instead, think about buying a cheaper set, or better yet, get yourself a used set. You may also be able to use a free set from one of your more experienced friends until you figure out which clubs would be best for you.

2. Be Aware of Who is Giving You Instruction

Your friends, relatives, and sometimes people who don't even know you will think they have the golf tips for beginners that will fix all of your problems. Granted, if you have friends who are pretty good golfers, it may help to listen to them when you are first starting. However, to really understand the game, as a beginner, get your instruction from a professional. Golf pros are experienced in fixing swing problems and explaining things to you in terms of how they affect ball flight. Lessons are available at most any golf course, and even just a couple will really help set a good foundation for your game.

3. Enjoy Yourself

It may sound simple, but one of the best golf tips for beginners is to just have fun with the game. Keep in mind that you are probably not going to be getting your PGA card. Being competitive is fine, and of course you are going to want to continue to improve, but golf is a leisure game. Take your time out there and have fun with your friends.

These three golf tips for beginners can make all of the difference in the world. If you just get the right clubs to start, take instruction from those who know the game, and have fun, then golf will be a great way for you to spend your leisure time.

Golf Stance And Its Physical Requirements

Golf stance is one of the most ignored terms and issues in the golf swing and yet the golf stance dictates the success of every golf swing you make.

When golfers think of golf stance, they don’t realize how hard it is to maintain over 18 holes (four and a half hours). Just take a look at the position your body is in during your set up. There are many physical issues taking place, even though it is a static position at the start.

Let’s go over the physical requirements of the golf stance right now.

Bend At Hips To Address Golf Ball

To achieve this initial movement takes strength and flexibility in not only the lower back, but the hamstrings and core muscle groups. If these muscle groups are limited, you will have a very difficult time achieving this simple move.

Flex In The Knees

A combination of bending at the hips and knees allows you to get to the ball. The shorter the club, the more the bend at both the hips and knees. If your quadriceps are weak, you will have a very difficult time maintaining the proper knee flex therefore causing you to create in improper golf stance…resulting in mishits and lack of distance.

Ankle Flexion

Take a look at the ankle joint of any golfer. It is definitely bent (flexed) to accommodate the bending of the knees and hips. If your calf muscles are weak/or tight, you will find it very uncomfortable to stay down at the ball. I see so many golfers with tight calf muscles and they never even knew it.

Spine Extension (Erectness)

This is a BIGGY! How many times have you seen the golfer (maybe even you) in his/her golf stance with the dread ‘camels back?’ This is very common among older golfers and is a KILLER in the golf swing. I could (and probably will) write a complete article on this physical limitation. But the bottom line is a rounded (weak) upper spine will dramatically hinder your ability to make a full backswing. Result: very short drives and a lot of embarrassment.

I just briefly covered just a couple of physical requirements of the golf stance, but I hope you know see the importance of addressing your physical limitations to achieve the end result.

Longer drives, lower scores and beating the pants off your golfing buddies! Pay more attention to your golf stance!

Save The Body Sway For The Dance Floor, Not In Your Golf Swing

Body motion in the swing is necessary, but too much of a good thing can wreak all kinds of havoc with your golf swing.

I received a question over the weekend from a BioForce Golf subscriber about “body motion” in the swing.

The question from our subscriber asked how not to fall into the trap of too much movement backwards during the golf swing.

What we are really talking about is weight transfer during the golf swing.

Too much weight transfer onto the back foot during the take-away and backswing causes difficulty in getting back to your front foot on the downswing.

This creates some difficulties in your timing during the golf swing.

Oftentimes, this type of swing fault is termed “body sway.”

So how do we fix this golf swing fault?

Let’s take a brief look at golf swing mechanics.

Optimal golf swing mechanics are both a rotational (rotating around a fixed spine angle) and linear (weight transfer backwards and forwards) movement.

It is the sequencing (proper order) and combination of these two biomechanical movements that develop the great foundation of your golf swing.

Amateurs often have difficulty performing these two biomechanical movements simultaneously and in the correct sequence.

Discussing “Body Sway” in Relation to Linear Weight Transfer of the Golf Swing

Amateurs often shift their weight too far onto their back foot. Once this occurs, they are never able to get their weight forward, causing them to “spin out” and leave the clubface open at impact.

A conversation I had with top teaching pro Rick Smith on body sway enlightened me on one of his teaching points: the weight transfer in the backswing cannot go past the inside arch of the back foot.

In order to limit your weight transfer in the swing to this position, you must “feel” it in your swing. You must be able to feel your weight on the inside of the back foot and not allow it to move any farther back.

If your weight transfer exceeds this position, your timing will be off, your golf swing mechanics will be flawed, and compensation of the downswing will occur.

Now knowing what we need to know about golf swing mechanics and the problems resulting from “body sway,” how do we go about fixing it?

The golf swing is one of the most intricate athletic movements performed in sports today.

It requires precision in every biomechanical movement involved in the swing, the correction sequencing of each movement, and the correct timing.

As a whole, the golf swing is a very difficult movement to perform.

Attempting to “fix” a swing fault when swinging the golf club at full tilt is almost impossible.

So what are you to do?

Simply, it is much easier to break down the golf swing into parts.

Working on pieces of the golf swing and then re-building the swing is the way to go. This is a much easier task to achieve.

Once you have broken down the golf swing into pieces, then you can focus upon the area of the golf swing that is giving you difficulty.

Fixing the area of the golf swing that is giving you problems can be addressed by implementing swing drills.

Swing drills introduce and re-enforce the proper swing mechanics into your body and allow you to eventually cure your swing fault.

This will eventually return you to a position where you can “feel” every position in the golf swing.

So, if you are struggling from “body sway” in the golf swing, break down the swing into parts and address the area of the golf swing that needs help through swing drills.

Select The Best Golf Balls To Improve Your Game

When it comes to trying to select the best golf balls, there are literally hundreds of different types, brands and sizes that you can to choose from. Each golf ball manufacturer makes a number of different types of balls all designed with different playing styles, different types of players and different price brackets. So as a consumer how do you go about selecting the best golf balls for your needs? This is easy when you consider that golf ball manufacturers generally break their products into two distinct groups – the two piece balls and the multi layer balls. Let’s take a moment to examine each one in more detail.

The two piece golf ball is the traditional distance ball. This means that it is designed to travel. The two piece ball consists of the core and a cover and as a result of this design, the two piece balls travel the maximum distance no matter what the swing speed is. As a player, you will generally hear an audible click when you make contact with this ball when you hit it with your club. Because these balls get less sidespin they tend to fly straighter even if they are hit of the heel or toe. Two piece balls are generally cheaper than the multi layer balls.

The multi layer ball on the other hand is either a three piece or four piece ball and is made up of a core, a mantle, and then a cover. These are generally more expensive balls. They usually feel softer to hit and have a higher spin rate because of this softness. In the higher spinning balls, the mantle helps to transfer the energy to the core whereas in a lower spinning ball the mantle will help to reduce the spin off a player who chooses to use a driver or a longer club.

So how do you work out which ball will best suit and even improve your game? Firstly you need to determine what type of player you are or want to become. Players that are mostly concerned with getting more distance off the tee are better off opting for the two piece ball. Where as players who want more control in the ball should opt for the multi layer ball. The best way to decide between the two is to head to the gold range and hit a few buckets to get a feel for both types.

The importance of stretching

Of course, in every sport you participate in, is it very important to stretch.
This can reduce, stiffness, cramps, injury's etc...
But the key is to stretch the right way.

Manny people think they are stretching correctly and still suffer with some small
body pains adn such.
Also when you want to perform a better game it is also advisable, you warm up and stretch before your game.

This will make your muscells smoother, and stronger at the same time.

Say, you are on the tee, and you aren't warmed up, it is very possible, you're
bal will drop less yards and so, you'll have to cover more fairway.
Also will there be a significant risk to back injury's as well.

I have tried this and i have to say, after warming up before my game, i hit a tee shot of about 30-50 yards further.
And it improved my game in general with about 6 to 10 strokes.

Sounds great doesn't it, well it is.

I learned all of this on a great dvd, i bought.

Called "Mike pederson's golf stretching for a better swing dvd"

If you want to find out more, then press the banner below.






To a great game

steffer

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