A Brief History of Golf
“A Brief History of Golf”
Golf is an honored and ancient sport -- so ancient, in fact, that its true origins are unclear. There is evidence for tracing golf's lineage to the Scots, the Dutch and even the Chinese. However, it is commonly accepted today to say that golf, as we know it, originated in Scotland sometime in the eleven-hundreds.
In the 'old days', so to speak, golf wasn't nearly as genteel as it is now. There were no lawnmowers or dedicated groundskeepers to eke out beautiful courses.
Instead, the Scots of St.Andrews sought out their own greens among the hills, and golfed upon any reasonably navigable stretches they could find. In other words, the locations and distances between holes were dictated by the surrounding terrain.
Despite this 'in the rough' approach, the Scots did establish a general 'green' as well as a clubhouse in the area of Fife. Players began their game at the clubhouse and played each hole to the end of the course (usually eleven holes), then back-tracked to play each hole to the clubhouse for a grand total of 22 holes in an average game, rather than today's standard of 18.
Additionally, the equipment used to play golf was primarily made of wood all the way up to the nineteenth century. Only in the advancement of modern material and manufacturing did we end up with irons, dimpled balls, tees and today's lightweight graphite composite clubs.
As the game of golf grows in popularity, it also breaks down barriers. For much of its history, golf has been a game of English-speaking countries. However, the sport is now catching on across the globe with new courses opening up in Asia and Africa -- many of them 'firsts' in their respective countries
Golf Tips For Beginners
“Golf Tips for Beginners”
Just starting out with golf? Keep these tips in mind if you want to maximize your enjoyment, while minimizing expense and confusion:
1. Grab a current copy of “The Rules of Golf: And The Rules of Amateur Status”, as published by the United States Golf Association (USGA) -
This little booklet will tell you everything you need to know about the official rules of golf, the handicap system, amateur status, proper equipment and much more. You can find the USGA online at www.usga.org
2. Rent your equipment in the beginning -
Good, quality golf equipment isn't cheap, and neither are lessons. Even a nice set of beginner's clubs could set you back a few hundred bucks. If you plan on taking lessons, you're probably looking at a minimum spend of $50-$60 per hour if you hire a professional trainer.
So, it's best if you can find a place to rent your clubs in the beginning or until you're absolutely sure that you want to play golf on a fairly regular basis. At that point, you might check out Ebay to find a deal on used clubs.
3. Go prepared
Unless you're playing on a green where a dress code is enforced (a country club, for example), try to dress in comfortable and somewhat loose-fitting clothing: jeans/shorts and a t-shirt or polo work well.
In other words, dress 'for the weather', but make sure you aren't wearing anything that hampers your swing. Also, don't forget comfortable shoes. If there aren't any carts available, you'll be doing a lot of walking from hole to hole.
Last, but not least, make sure you've got a stash of bottled water, basic first-aid supplies/medications and a cell phone if you intend to go out and practice alone.
Golf, on its own, isn't a very dangerous sport, but the distance of the green is a factor to keep in mind for medical emergencies.
Types of Clubs
“Types of Golf Clubs”
It's one of the first things every beginner wants to understand: what are the different types of golf clubs and what are their uses? This quick primer will get you up-to-speed on the basics of golf clubs, so you can talk like a 'pro' at your next practice round!
Essentially, there are 4 categories of golf clubs:
1. Woods
2. Irons
3. Wedges
4. Putters
Let's cover each category now, one-by-one, in more detail.
WOODS
The wood clubs category consists of 'drivers' and 'fairway woods', each of which may come in a number of sizes, including: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 woods. The 3- and 5- woods are the most common. Players with less strength can benefit from using -7 and -9 woods. Drivers are almost always 1-woods.
IRONS
Irons feature clubheads which are thin and blade-like, usually with grooved faces. Beginners usually prefer irons which have a 'cavity' back, rather than a solid-blade design. This has to do with what's known as 'perimeter weighting', which affects one's perception of the angle of the club through the swing.
You've no doubt heard of the '9-iron', but there are also irons from 1 - 8. These are further classified as 'long irons' (1-4), 'mid irons' (5 and 6) and 'short irons' (7-9). Incidentally, irons are also considered 'pitching wedges', the most common being the 3-iron pitching wedge.
WEDGES
One thing that confuses many beginners is that irons are used as wedges, and wedges are also irons. However, most professional golfers put the specialized wedges in a category of their own, irons though they may be.
The 3 wedges to learn are the 'gap wedge', 'sand wedge' and 'lob wedge'. You'll also hear these referred to as 'scoring clubs', because they are designed for accuracy when taking difficult shots close to the flag.
The 'sand wedge', as the name suggests, is meant to knock the ball out of sand traps. 'Gap' and 'lob' wedges are used as 'pitching' wedges, when you need to 'pitch' the ball with a very high arc.
PUTTERS
As the name suggests, the 'putters' are used to 'putt' the ball over relatively short distances. They often have clubfaces which lay perpendicular to the shaft. You'll most often see them used when a golfer is making a shot close the hole.
You might be wondering by now what all of the numbers mean. What's the difference between a 3-wood and a 7-wood, or a 4-iron and a 9-iron? It all has to do with 'loft', which is a measurement of the angle (in degrees) of the clubface.
The higher in number the club, the higher the degree of 'loft', which means the higher the arc of your shot. Keep in mind that a higher arc will not necessarily mean a greater distance. You can have very high arcs over relatively short distances.
In fact, you typically want lower loft combined with more power in the swing when making long-distance 'drive' shots. That's why your standard driver will be a 1-wood, with a very long shaft. Although club shafts tend to shorten relative to loft, always remember that the numbering refers to clubface angle and not to shaft-length.
Lastly, there is one category we've left out: the 'utility/hybrid' clubs. The reason I've left these out is due to the fact that they're a relatively new development. They are not considered 'standard' clubs so much as they are 'game improvement' clubs. It never hurts to have a few utility clubs in your bag, but the focus for any beginner should be on mastering the standard equipment.
How Match Play is Scored
“How to Score Match Plays in Golf”
Scoring match play games in golf is very simple overall. At its most basic, a stipulated round of match play comes down to which side (or 'team') leads in the number holes won relative to the number of holes left to play. Match play can be performed on a full 18 holes, but the game may also be lengthened or shortened if necessary in order to determine a winner.
The basic scoring procedure at each hole comes down to strokes. In order to win a hole, your side must 'hole the ball' in fewer strokes than the opposing side.
For example, let's say you're at the fourth hole and the opposing team manages to get the ball into the hole after 5 strokes. Then, your team goes, and it happens to be your turn to hit the ball. Being the golf wizard that you are, you sink the ball after only 2 strokes. Bingo! Your team is the winner of that hole.
Now, let's also say that, up to the fourth hole, your team has won 3 out of 4 holes played. Unlike other sports, you don't say that you're winning 3 to 1. Instead, you say that you are “up by 3”, while the other team is “down by 3”.
You'll also hear golfers use terms such as “holes up”, “all square” and “so many to play.” If both sides are in a tie, for example, you'll say it's “all square.” If you're halfway through a typical course, you might say: “We're 4 up with 9 to play”, if you've won 4 holes and lost 5 to that point.
What happens if your side has won as many holes as there left to play? For example, maybe it was a bad day and you've won only 4 holes by the time you reach the sixteenth hole? The proper term in that case is: “dormie.”
This is it as far as the basics are concerned. You'll want to check with an up-to-date rule book to determine what to do for special cases such as penalties on 'halved holes' as well as stroke, hole or match concessions.
Improvement Techniques
“Golf Improvement Techniques”
There are a lot of things you can do to improve your golf game. The first thing to do is determine your weak points so that you know where to focus your efforts.
For some players, especially beginners, this is often easier said than done. You can see for yourself when the ball veers off in an unintended direction, but you can't see yourself as you make that shot the way an outside observer can.
If you don't have a professional trainer or more experienced partner available to point out your mistakes, though, don't despair. The solution can be as simple as getting out your video camera!
Yes I'm actually suggesting that you film yourself as you take the shots you want to work on. Maybe you want to work on your chip shots, for example? Simply video yourself making chip shots (more than one for best results), then play the video back and closely study your posture, angle and speed.
Next, hop online and do a search on 'golf techniques'. You'll come up with a number of sites which offer completely free training videos where professionals demonstrate proper form and technique for all manner of shots.
The next step should be obvious: you can now compare your technique against that of the pro. Take it frame-by-frame if you need to, and slow down each video.
More often than not, you'll spot something. It could be a glaringly obvious error, such as holding your club improperly; or, it could be something subtle, such as misalignments in posture at the end of your swing.
Now, how do you take this information and correct the problem?
Again, you'll use your video camera. Visualize the example of good technique in your mind and then act it out physically while recording yourself again. Why?
Because the way things look is not necessarily how they feel.
We all have physical limitations based on conditioning, and that's why we practice. We have to get our bodies to perform 'correctly' by stretching and training our muscles.
If your shoulders are tight, for example, then what feels to you like 'drawing the club back to the proper height' might actually be a lot lower than it needs to be in order to execute your shot correctly!
That's why you record yourself. It's simply a matter of connecting the visual form to the kinesthetic form. Once you've got the proper form burned into your mind's eye, you can work without taping, and simply recall the visualization to guide you.
As you do so, you'll want to connect the process to some powerful, positive programming techniques by describing the shot to yourself in positive terms.
In other words, you might say something like: “I draw back the club by one foot, draw a line of sight from the ball to the hole and swing in a fluid motion with medium force.” This is far better than saying: “Don't forget to aim this time and don't hit the ball to hard.”
Your subconscious mind doesn't understand commands framed in the “negative”. The phrase “don't forget to aim” translates into “forget to aim” - and guess what? That's exactly what happens.
Finally, let's talk about pacing. Is it better to work on just one type of shot at a time, or multiple shots? I would contend that, unless you are already quite advanced as an amateur golfer, it's best to work multiple shots with an eye on improving your overall technique. You want to get your posture and your grip on the club in good form all the way around before tinkering with the finer details involved in each type of shot.
Swing Techniques
“Golf Swing Techniques”
There really are no secret tricks when it comes to your golf swing. Proper technique is a must. However, there are some things you can do to improve all of your swings - whether you're simply putting or doing a long drive from the first hole.
The first and most essential component here is physical fitness. The more fit you are, the more results you'll get from proper technique. In other words, your physical strength and flexibility work hand-in-hand with your technique.
Imagine executing a perfectly timed and perfectly square swing with the force of a small child. The swing itself would be beautiful, but the lack of strength would render it ineffective. If your goal is to achieve more distance from your shot, you must increase the speed of the ball -- and that means hitting it with more force.
If you look at a player like Tiger Woods, you can't help but notice that he's in top physical shape all the way around. His strength and flexibility allow him to relax while maintaining perfect form and posture. He doesn't have to fight to add more force to his swing, and that's one of the main reasons his technique is so smooth and fluid.
So, the first order of the day is to work on getting in shape. You need to tone your legs, torso, back, shoulders and arms. Look at golf as a 'total-body' sport.
Next consider running through exercises designed to improve your overall technique. One method to get a better feel for the backswing portion of your swing is to drop the ball behind your clubhead, then practice rolling it backwards in as straight of a plane as possible.
The reason for this exercise to help you slow down your backswing, as well as get a feel for how low to the ground your club need to be, as many beginners make the mistake of pulling back too fast and coming down too high.
This tendency to 'overswing' happens at the topswing, as well. If you want to improve this aspect of your technique, you should practice holding your club all the way back then bringing it down with a gradual increase in speed and force. Think of it like a pendulum being brought down by its own weight.
Finally, if you're having problems with distance, consider the possibility that your swing technique itself might not be the issue. It could be, instead, that you haven't developed an accurate physical sense of the relationship between force and distance.
If this is the case, put down your golf club for a bit and try a little 'lawn bowling'. Practice pitch-rolling the ball, using your arm like a club, to get a feel for how much force translate into how much distance.
Why You Should Learn to Play Golf
Why You Should Learn to Play Golf
If you are wondering what the benefits are to learning how to play golf, then I'm willing to bet that you fall into one of the following categories:
1. Someone has suggested golf to you as a sport you might enjoy; or,
2. You are feeling some social pressure from others, e.g., colleagues at work.
In the first case, you just have to find out whether golf would be fun for you or not. In the second case, my guess is that you feel it necessary to learn golf so you can join in on the 'bonding' and 'networking' experience, even if golf doesn't excite you all that much.
So, if you need some 'convincing', then read on! There are plenty of good reasons to learn golf, and you'll find them here.
Reason #1: Mental Focus
Golf is a game of focus and strategy. You use your mind, your senses and your ability to time and coordinate movements at every step of the game.
Golf is not a game of brute physical strength the way some other sports are. In fact, the stronger you are, the more you'll probably have to work on containing and directing that strength when it comes time to hit the ball.
The best players are those who have learn to still their minds and visualize making that perfect swing. It may look easy from the outside, but there is actually a lot of 'multi-tasking' going in the mind of a golfer.
You learn to judge distances and correlate those distances with the amount of force to apply in your swing. At the same time, you must aim your swing and account for any factors that might change the direction of the ball.
Believe it or not, training yourself to focus in this way will have useful applications not just in other sport, but in other areas of your life. If nothing else, it teaches you to take a step back and calculate all of the variables standing between you and a goal.
Reason #2: Low-impact Exercise
You can actually get a great work-out by playing golf.
How?
First, consider the motion of a full-on golf swing. Even if you're in tip-top shape, you're probably going to feel sore in your arms, shoulders, lower back and maybe even your abdomen the day after your first round of swinging that club.
Next, consider that each hole on a given course can be separated by anywhere from 200 to over 700 yards, with varying types of terrain. Unless you rent a cart, you're going to be walking those yards and lugging around a bag full of clubs to boot!
All that walking is a great, low-impact work-out for your entire body.
Reason #3: Respect
Golf is also a game of respect -- for the rules as well as other players. Some would say that golf is the most 'civilized' or 'dignified' of sports. Even though you may want to 'best' your 'competitors', the person you're really playing against is yourself.
There are no 'tackles' in golf, and there is no 'stealing of plays'. Everyone takes his or her turn in an orderly fashion, and keeps an eye out on the location of other players at all times so as not to strike them with a club or bean them with a stray golf ball.
Reason #4: Business and networking
This is probably what many people think of when they think of golf: wealthy and/or connected individuals making sweetheart deals over 18 holes at the country club.
It's a stereotype, but one with a lot of truth to it.
Golf was once a sport strictly of the upper-classes in Scotland and England. Even in the United States, many of the best greens were connected to exclusive country clubs that the average person couldn't access without knowing someone on the inside.
Thankfully, in this day and age, golf is a much more inclusive and accessible past-time for the average person, as well as anyone else looking for an informal activity to share with friends, clients, partners, colleagues, etc.
You can hold relatively private conversations while playing golf, and you don't have to change into a uniform to play, either. In fact, you can play golf in a business suit if need be, although you'll probably want to take off your jacket!
Those are the four biggest reasons I can think of for why you should learn to play golf. If you still aren't convinced, then rent a set of clubs and do a few practice rounds on a local course. You just might enjoy it after all, once you get the 'swing' of it!
How to Pick the Right Club
“How to Pick the Right Golf Clubs”
Finding the right golf clubs for you really comes down to experience level. Top-of-the-line clubs will not improve your game as a beginner, nor even an intermediate player. Instead, it is best to look for clubs that suit your skill level, your strength and your posture when addressing the ball.
As a beginner, for example, you don't need a full set of clubs. The most you need is a good putter, a few woods (-3, -5 or -7) and one or two irons (-5, -7, pitching wedge, etc).
This is all you'll need as you learn to swing, and it is senseless to incur the expense of a full set you aren't going to use at this point.
Once you've worked your way up to the intermediate skill level, however, you can purchase a full set. It doesn't really matter what brand. At this point, you should know enough about your game to choose a set of clubs that works with your strengths and weaknesses. The goal here is really to improve your game incrementally and just enjoy yourself.
If you are an advanced player, you can start to look for clubs that aren't quite as forgiving of mistakes. For instance, you might try out some irons with less traditional weights and blade designs.
Also, no matter what your skill level, be wary of the 'bigger is better' mindset. Those super-sized clubs you see might be a lot of fun, but what they really tend to do is cover up bad swings. Any trouble you might be having with distance or in connecting with the ball should be addressed by improving your swing, and not by 'fudging it' with a larger club!
When shopping for clubs, I would recommend going to a sporting goods store (e.g. Golfsmith) and trying out different clubs first to see which ones feel right to you, even if you intend to purchase your clubs online. If expense is an issue, rest assured there are plenty of outlets for good, used clubs available online!
Golf Rules Made Simple
“Golf Rules Made Simple”
The rules of golf are often confusing to beginners. It seems the rules and regulations nitpick all aspect of the game, down to the finest detail. Even worse: those rules have their own exceptions which kick in under varying circumstances.
This lack of 'absolutes' makes it nearly impossible to provide a simple, all-encompassing list of 'quickie' guidelines for the beginning golfer.
However, you can greatly minimize the difficulty of learning the rules of golf when you understand the following 'big picture' fundamentals of the game:
Big Picture #1: The 'Committee' Rules Over All
Two governing bodies: United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.Andrews work together to enforce and oversee the rules of golf. Both the rules of the game, and of amateur status, are updated every four years.
The interesting thing about this, and about golf in general, is that questionable plays can actually bring a game to a halt until the matter is resolved by the committee. For example, let's say someone knocks both your ball and theirs into a water hazard, and neither of you can find a rule to cover the situation. What do you do?
In most cases, you can refer to a publication called, “Decisions On the Rules of Golf” in order to find the answer. Most clubhouses will have a copy of this on hand.
If you're playing under amateur status (not just knocking balls around for practice, and you can't find an answer in the official rule book or the 'decisions' book, then you can stop that round of golf and contact someone on the official committee.
Once the ruling is made, you can then resume that game..even it's weeks in the past!
Big Picture #2: Understanding And Memorizing The Terms And Definitions
Semantics matter in golf. For instance, if a rules states that you “may” go ahead with your turn after 'x, y or z' has occurred, it means that your play is optional. You can choose not to take it.
May = optional
Should = recommended
Shall/Must = required, and a penalty will be incurred if you do not comply.
Beyond this, it also makes a difference whether a rule refers to 'A Ball' or 'The Ball'. When a rule uses the term 'a ball', it means that you may substitute another ball if necessary to complete the play. However, if the rule references 'the ball', then you may not substitute.
Big Picture #3: Know Which Questions to Ask
Making a ruling in golf is a lot like making a ruling in a court case: you have to think like a judge, and establish the facts of the situation as follows:
1. The Form of Play: Did the situation arise during match play, stroke play, single, foursome or four-ball?
2. Who Is Involved?: You, your partner, your caddie, a stranger or a random force of nature?
3. Where Did It Happen?: Did the incident occur on the teeing ground, putting green, in a water hazard, etc?
4. Intention: What did the play do, and what was he trying or intending to do?
5. Subsequent Events: What took place after the incident in question? Did the player concede his turn? Did you both agree to quit the game or continue playing?
Big Picture #4: Learn By Doing
From here on out, things get a lot easier. You've got a template to follow for determining the rules, and some fall back options if needed. You also know the 'absolutes' when it comes to the phrasing of the rules (e.g. 'a ball vs. the ball', 'must', 'may', etc).
The best thing to do now is learn the details game by game. In other words, dedicate yourself to playing rounds of just one type of game, such as 'match play' or 'stroke' play, and learn the rules for each type.
This way, you'll pick up all the rest of the universally applicable rules at once, and each subsequent type of game thereafter is a matter of learning the differences in the details!
Advice and Tips
“Golf Advice and Tips”
In the game of golf, even small, incremental changes can lead to dramatic improvements. So, if you want to shave a few more strokes off your 'handicap', the following tips and tricks should help quite a bit!
Tip #1: Put Your Whole Body Into the Swing
It's not enough to swing with just your arms and wrists. Solid force and follow-through depend on use of the larger muscles groups in your torso and legs. Power your swings with your whole body, and you'll get a lot more 'oomph' and distance out of each drive.
Tip #2: Check Your Grip
The best way to grip your club is with what's known as the 'cross hand' grip. Place your left hand on the grip first with your fingers wrapping underneath, and your thumb coming around to rest on top of the grip. Then, place your right hand on top of the grip, near the end, allowing your right hand to be slightly cupped by your left.
Tip #3: Keep Your Head Still
Once you've lined up your shot, try to keep your head still all the way through from swing to contact to follow-through. It may not seem like much, but even slight head movements can cause your shoulders to open and move the club out of alignment with the ball.
Tip #4: Keep both knees steady, but flexible
Your swing through requires a turn of the hips, achieved by transfer of weight between the right and left knees. If you are right-handed, your weight first rests on the right knee as you pull back, then transfers to your left knee on the down swing.
The key is to hold your stance steady without completely locking the knees. However, you don't want to bend too much either, as this will cause your shoulder to drop. Instead, try to focus on the feeling of tension in the muscles by flexing them right to left while standing in place. This will help you learn to shift your weight from one leg to another without bending.
Tip #5: Stay Fair and Square
Straight shots are the result of straight clubfaces connecting squarely with the ball. The face of the club should be aligned straight along the plane as it meets the ball.
There are a number points during your swing where you're likely to twist the club at angle, though, and this is what you need to watch out for.
One way to ensure straighter shots is to make sure the clubface is aligned at the top of your backswing. Practice holding your club out in front of you, with your hands aligned just near the base of your forehead, as this is where they should be at the top of the swing.
Keep coming back and I'll keep trying to add more articles as and when I can! I hope you enjoyed what I've put together so far and that you found some usefull snippets of information.
Bye for now,
Imp.Golfer.
