What Questions to Ask an Instructor Before You Hire Him/Her?

November 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One of the best ways to get better at your golfing skills is to hire a professional golf trainer and get golf lessons from him/her. Your trainer will be able to give you specific instruction and exercises that will greatly help you improve a lot faster that you can do on your own.

Why do You Need a Golf Instructor

The major reason that a golf instructor can help you more than the golf lessons that you will find scattered over the internet is that he/she will be able to point out specifically the small technical errors in your game that you may not be aware of yourself. Your instructor will also offer you practical solutions through golf lessons focused specifically to address those problems. After all, what good is identifying a problem if you can’t solve them, right?

There are a number of ways that you can hire a golf instructor. You ask your peers, go to the golf shops, research over the internet, go to the local golf course etc. After you’ve found your instructor, watch them giving golf lessons to other students.  If you think that is the person who you can work with, it is time for approaching him/her and asking him those questions which will determine if that instructor really is the best choice for you?

Questions to Ask an Instructor Before You Hire Him/Her

What are their credentials?

If you want the best value out of your money, you need someone with a lot of experience. Make sure to ask them they’re credentials in detail like if they have a lot of experience in either teaching golf or playing golf, or both? Furthermore, golf teachers have their respective strong areas – some are better at one or the other, so be sure to ask them what they’re best at. Lastly, ask them to honestly tell you if they were liked by their previous students.

What are the rates that they charge?

This might seem pretty straight forward but you can never be too sure. Your needs may vary as you may only be looking to revamp your golf swing, looking for a quick fix/tune-up etc, a specific number of sessions etc. Make sure to determine how they charge and the amount of flexibility and options that you have in terms of the charges and payments.

Will you be changing my swing?

You may be surprised at the answer you may get to this question. The reason for asking this question is to make sure that they won’t be teaching a pre-determined golf lessons when what you actually need are golf lessons specific to your skills or needs.

Conclusion

After you’ve found your instructor, please don’t make the mistake of thinking that you will find overnight changes in your game and that you will have that perfect swing after a few sessions of your golf lessons. Golf is game of patience and it takes a lot of practice and time to improve your game significantly but when it does happens, you’ll find that it’s truly worth it.

Filed Under: Golf Instructional ·

What Type of Drivers are Available on the Market Today?

November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A golf club driver is considered as the most important golf club in your bag because it is used to hit the ball over long distances. It sets you up for your scoring shot into the green and is an extremely important piece of equipment especially for amateur golfers, who tend to have difficulty in hitting the golf ball hard and long down the fairway.  Therefore, it is most important to choose a golf driver which suits your ability and your swing type so as to try and get the best ball placement.

Types of Golf Club Drivers Available

The best golf drivers are available from brand names like Wilson, Mizuno, Callaway, Yonex, Titleist, Adams, King Cobra, Ping, Taylor Made, and Spaulding. However, a brand name won’t guarantee that you magically end up with the driver that perfectly suits your playing style. Therefore, it is important that you know about the different types of golf club drivers and which suits your need the best.

There are many different golf club drivers with varying features which can be classified into three broad groups, with respect to the material that they are made of:

  • Alloy drivers
  • Stainless steel drivers
  • Forged titanium drivers

Alloy Golf Driver

They have shafts made of stainless steel or graphite and Ti Alloy heads. If you’re new at golf, this would be your ideal option since their quality is decent and they’re quite affordable. For beginners, it is recommended to get an alloy driver with a big head, loft angle of 10.5 or higher, and a flexible shaft. A big club head will give you a bigger sweet spot and a flexible shaft will give you a better swing and more power.

Stainless Steel Driver

These come with hard and strong heads and are the most common and the heaviest types of drivers. They are the heaviest kind with a compact head and are heavier than the alloy and titanium varieties. It has a compact head and is more suitable for seasoned golfers and players who want to have more control of their swings.

Forged Titanium Drivers

They are composed of titanium heads and shafts that are made of lightweight graphite. They are very expensive and are the choice of professional golfers. Their lightweight and larger sweet spots help to enhance the tee distance.

Professionals also prefer to use a driver that has loft between 9 to 10 degrees – this means that they’ll get a high rate of spin on the ball which will make it travel further.

If money is not an issue, a titanium golf club driver is highly recommended for low and mid-handicap golfers.

Conclusion

The importance of the right golf club driver can’t be stressed enough. You can’t blindly choose amongst the best golf drivers available in the market since price doesn’t translate into the level of performance in this case. Rather, if you know your needs and select the right golf driver, not only will you maximize your performance, you may also end up saving money that would have otherwise been wasted. Good luck.

Filed Under: Golf Equipment ·

The Main Principles of Smart Golf Course Strategy

November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When you are out playing on the course, the game of golf becomes a test of how well you can apply all that you’ve learnt and how well can you maintain your mental discipline over the course of play. You can’t take a break from the game and go off to practice a shot that you’re weak at nor can you save-load like you do in videogames. Once you end up in the trouble spots of the golf course, your scores do tend to take a beating for it.

The key to smart golf course strategy is to make the most of your current skill set and your unique strengths and weaknesses. This is called the strategic aspect of the game of which golf course management is an important part. Golf course management is simply playing golf in such a way so as to avoid all risks and thus, focus on playing high percentage golf. In simpler terms, you basically plan how you will play each hole according to your shot making capab ilities rather than just going and hitting the ball and hoping that you get the shot right.

It is very much like much pool or billiards where you play your shot keeping in mind that shot you’ll play after it. Furthermore, you don’t try to pull off a shot that you know is difficult for you to play; rather, you play to your strength and avoid anything which leaves you in a tight spot.

Principles of Smart Golf Course Strategy

The most important aspect of golf course management is that you should know your clubs really well. There is a certain distance where you can hit the ball with each club and you should know those numbers.

Secondly, you should always know the value of the shot – risk over return. If it is a high risk-low return shot, it is a low value shot and may do well to avoid them. You may not be blessed with a lot of high return-low risk shots but you should always prefer a good value shot over a low value shot. For example, rather than going for a shot that requires a near perfect execution and poses a high risk of the ball ending in the sand trap, you can always go for a shot with a low level of risk and that will at least put you in a good position to hole the ball in the next shot.

Lastly, you should understand that every shot you play will be different. This is the beauty of golf – there is no one size fit all solution. You have to go out there and evaluate the condition and determine the ideal golf strategy.  You should acknowledge the fact every shot you play is a new challenge and, therefore, must tackle it accordingly.

Golf course management will greatly improve your score and help you to enjoy the beautiful game of golf. Have fun.

 

Filed Under: Golf Course Management ·

What Benefits are Available in the Most Expensive Golf Clubs? (Woods and Irons)

November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What are the best golf clubs? The best golf clubs are those that suit your playing style and are of high quality. Sadly, quality never comes cheap and one has to choose from the many big name brands available which tend to be fairly expensive.

Different Type of Golf Clubs

Before we divulge into the nitty-gritty of the benefits of the best golf clubs, we first need to understand the different type of golf clubs available.

Wood

These are used to drive the ball long distances towards the hole. Usually, these clubs have a long shaft and a big head which allows maximum speed. Before 1979, the wood clubs used to be made of wood. Surprising, isn’t it? The wood now is actually made of materials like steel, titanium, and carbon fiber.

Iron
 Irons are the most commonly used clubs in a golfer’s bag. They are used on almost every hole on the golf course, from the shorter par threes to the longer par fives. Plus, they will also be used to hit out of the sand and to pitch from short distances around the green. Irons have a shorter shaft and a flat, angled face. You won’t be surprised now when I will tell you that an iron isn’t made of iron. They used to be made from forged irons but now they’re made of hollow titanium or steel shaft.

Benefits of the Most Expensive Golf Clubs

What are the best golf clubs? Well, you can depend on all the top brands to provide good value for money when you buy your new golf clubs from them. Their benefits over their cheaper alternatives are as follow:

Durable

The cheaper golf clubs don’t tend to last very long. This is where the expensive golf clubs really deliver their value and prove that they are the best golf clubs. Whether you’re playing in the rain or the scorching sun, you don’t need to worry about their performance. And oh yes! You don’t need to worry about them being ruined by weather too. They are extremely durable and can withstand the harshest of condition.

Usability

Okay. So expensive golf clubs last really long but what good it would be if they don’t provide you with true utility. They are really easy to use and help you to bring out your best performance. Playing with these products is an experience of its very own and you will find yourself a very improved player.

Design

This isn’t as big a factor as durability but let’s face it, if a product is really delivering on performance, who would mind it if it is something that appeals to the eyes as well? The design of the expensive golf clubs would make you fall in love with them as they are so beautifully crafted. The level of details of this product speaks highly of the time and effort that their manufacturers have put in developing them. You can’t call these products expensive; rather, they are of high value.

Conclusion

When going out to buy your new golf clubs, you will find that they are more durable, usable, and have a very aesthetic design. They truly provide a whole new experience of their own which will bring out the best in you.

 

Filed Under: Golf Equipment ·

How to Get the Most out of a Golf Lesson?

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You may think that golf lessons are a waste of your time but really, it is a sure shot way for you to make massive progress in your golf game. If you are someone learning how to golf or an experienced playey who wishes to improve his game, golf lessons are the best for you. A professional would not only be able to tell you what you need to do exactly but he will also be able to point out any flaws in your technique that you may not be aware of. Golf lessons can save you a lot of frustration especially if you are trying to learn the game your self. You may find the internet to be filled with numerous how to golf lessons but you will only end up with an information overload causing you even more confusion. What you need is information specific to your unique requirements and for this, golf lessons are the best thing for you.

However, taking golf lessons will be futile if you’re not working hard to get the most out of your golf lessons. Here are a few tips to help you to truly learn how to golf.

Listen

First and fore most, listen very attentively to each and everything the professional tells you. If you don’t understand a particular point, don’t feel shy to ask for elaboration. A lot of people hesitate in asking questions for the fear of coming off as stupid. This, in fact, is a stupidity itself. The professional is accustomed to being asked all kinds of questions and once, was at the same level as you; he understands. The point here is to get the instructions as clearly as possible. You may wish to make a note of everything your instructor tells you so that you can review them later on. This will lay the foundation for you when you get to applying the instructions of the professional.

Be Patient

The second thing that you must do is to be extremely patient with your lessons. Golf is referred to as a mental game which requires you to have thorough control of your mind over yourself and your actions. Therefore, it is important for you to understand that you are learning a new skill and because of this, your mind and body will take some amount of time to adjust to what you’re trying them to teach them. You may know exactly what you need to do but putting it into action will be difficult like when you are learning to drive, you may very well know the manual inside out but it still takes some time to match what you know and what you’re trying to do.

Practice

Lastly, you should take out time to practice independently on our own after your lesson. It is a no-brainer but a lot of people don’t put this fact into “practice”. It is sufficient to say that if you don’t practice all that you’ve so painstakingly learnt, the troubles that you went through for the above two points will be in vain. So, make sure to practice independently on your own and take your time in trying each and everything being taught to you.

 

A golf instructor can help you much more than any how to golf video. You can make the most out of the golf lessons of the professional by listening attentively, being patient, and practicing independently. Good Luck!

 

Filed Under: General posts ·
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