Archive for March, 2009

Where can I find simple, free video player to analyze my golf swing?

Eric asked:


I just need to be able to draw straight lines on the video image. I have Mac OS X software. Thanks!

Samuel
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The Golf Swing Lesson

Chris Simpson asked:


For anyone who wants to play golf, swing lessons are usually a must; it’s like you can’t do without, since the correct movement is the very basis of this game. Before you start a golf swing lesson as such you need to ask and answer a fundamental question. What do you intend to do in the golf swing or what is the achievement you’re after? There should be square impact in the line of flight and along the one you intended in the first place. The golf swing lessons will teach you how to control the body moves so that the ball follows a well planned trajectory.

The best definition of the swing is found in professional books that provide golf swing lessons. It is explained as the movement that makes the head of the club swing along and into the intended line of flight throughout impact. You will thus learn how to propel the ball in a straight way between two points. The golf swing lesson tackles with the starting point, the targeted area and the movement that is meant to unite the two. Make sure the club-face remains square to that line. Follow your trainer’s example during the golf swing lesson, imitation engenders good learning.

The most important part of a golf swing lesson is to actually understand and apply the theoretical knowledge. If you keep the club-head square to the line of impact and drive the ball forward for as long a time as possible you actually meet the main principles and goals of a practical golf swing lesson. If the shot is accurate, the ball will be able to maintain its correct direction in the wind, which will definitely lead to low scores. If you manage to correctly use these golf swing lesson tips you can move on to finding out new stuff.

The most frequent mistake players make during golf swing lessons is to start the downswing by moving the shoulders first while keeping their feet motionless. The correct move - as the trainer will insist during the golf swing lesson – starts from the feet upwards. This means that the shoulders will be the last to move. If you manage to control this aspect, you may acquire great results, so do your best to get everything out of any golf swing lesson, since this is the ABC of golf playing as such!



Bradley
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Golf Exercises to Prevent Lower Back Injuries in the Golf Swing

Sean Cochran asked:


Golf exercises for the lower back can be very beneficial in preventing injuries from the golf swing. First and foremost the goal of any golf fitness program or golf fitness training exercise is to develop the body in order to execute the golf swing efficiently and effectively. This can result in increased driving distance, more accurate shots, and consistent play. On top of this a golf fitness program has a secondary benefit. Such a training program can help in the prevention of injuries

I always like to say it is much easier to prevent an injury from occurring than rehabilitating from one. The next few articles will discuss common injuries from the golf swing and how a golf fitness program can assist in the prevention of such injuries. Probably one of the most common injuries, and one as amateurs we are well aware of is to the lower back. Research indicates that one out two recreational golfers will incur a lower back injury at some point during their playing career.

Why is the lower back so often injured during the game of golf? Research studies have provided us some keys as to why this is the case. The golf swing is typically broken down into phases (address, backswing, downswing, follow through), and the sum of these phases is the full swing.

Each phase of the swing can be performed either efficiently or inefficiently. A professional is more likely to perform each phase of the golf swing more efficiently than that of the amateur. As a result the professional’s swing has more efficient mechanics from start to finish, requiring lesser amounts of activity from the muscles to execute.

An amateur or less skilled golfer is more likely to have less efficient mechanics. To compensate for these improper mechanics the golfer will attempt to generate extra force from specific muscles than the amateur. Causing these muscles to work much harder to execute the golf swing.

Research from Hosea indicated in certain situations amateurs may develop up to 80% more peak torque in their lumbar spine (i.e. lower back) than a professional, muscles required to generate greater amounts of force are at a much higher risk of overuse injury.

Additionally, Hosea found professional golfers generate 34% more clubhead speed than the amateur, yet amateurs were producing spinal forces 50 to 80% higher, and 50% more trunk muscle activity than the professional.

All of this research points to the first reason as to why the lower back is commonly injured in the amateur golfer. Inefficient golf swing mechanics cause the muscles of the lower back to work harder to generate torque in the swing. Over time these muscles will become fatigued from the trauma caused by inefficient mechanics. Increasing dramatically the possibility of an overuse injury to the lower back.

How can the amateur take the first step in the prevention of a lower back injury? First and foremost is the development of more efficient swing mechanics. This can only be done through proper instruction and practice. If you are finding yourself in the category of a candidate for a lower back injury, my first suggestions is begin developing a more efficient golf swing.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com



Alexander
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How To Improve Your Golf Swing Timing

Dean R. Iggo asked:


One of the most important factors in building a repeatable and reliable swing on the golf course is golf swing timing. In fact, it is the timing of the golf swing that makes quiet necessary for golfers to concentrate. Even with the instruction and tips you may receive, golf fitness is actually a big part of obtaining good golf swing timing.

Just Like Any Other Sport

Most every pro athlete and even most that play sports recreationally have exercise worked into their training. The idea of the exercise is to help their bodies to perform exactly as they want it to when it comes time to perform in competition. A golf swing is just as demanding as a baseball swing or a jump shot, yet many beginning golfers don’t exercise or train for their golf swing timing.

Professionals spend a lot of time honing their golf swing and its timing through exercise and training, and you can see that they obtain a repeatable swing with perfect timing and cadence. You too can improve your golf swing timing, but not by sitting on the sofa watching golf on television.

How Did it End Up This Way?

The lack of golf fitness in amateurs is not a new situation. Golf has, in many circles, always been seen as a leisure game. The word “leisure” tends to imply that no training or preparation is needed. This perception has led to many an amateur with poor timing or nagging injuries that could have been easily prevented.

What to Do

If you notice that you cannot get good golf swing timing and thus are stuck at a point where you don’t seem to be improving, you may need to work on your golf fitness. You don’t necessarily need to run out and get an expensive gym membership and personal trainer. Instead, consult your golf coach and ask about exercises you can do.

Many of the exercises can, in fact, be done in a couple of minutes right in your office or living room.

Good golf swing timing is essential to honing a repeatable swing. To get there, though, you need to attain at least moderate golf fitness. There are some great books and resources available online for teaching you how to improve your fitness and hence your timing.

Check out my website below for some great golf fitness and swing timing tips, you’ll be slashing your golf score in no time!



Florence
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How can I practice my golf swing w/out a golf club?

Jay asked:


I’ve just begun a course in learning to play golf, and the easiest exercise is swinging the club with one arm.
The problem is that, being totally new, I do not own any golfing equipment. I’d like to know what I may use to substitute.

Maurice
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How do you unlock new characters to play as on Super Swing Golf for the wii?

ChantalLuvsSummer asked:


I’m sure I could figure it out, but I’m so busy and haven’t had much time to play it, so if I knew what I needed to do I could work on doing that. Thanks!

Floyd
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During a golf swing, should the left leg be straightened out?

John Y asked:


For a right handed person’s golf swing, should the left leg “post up” and straighten out during the down swing? Perhaps not immediately, but what should the left leg be like before impact, at impact, and after impact on the follow through? Thanks

Lonnie
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Slow Down You Move Too Fast - Golf Swing Basics

Kenh Jones asked:


If you are a beginner golfer then you know that to make the ball go a long way you need to hit the ball hard and fast, Right?? Well yes and no.

The golf swing basics involve a number of aspects that you need to get right. The speed of your golf club head is only one of these aspects.

There are about a half dozen elements in the basics of a good golf swing and while every one will do them slightly differently, sticking to the golf swing basics will help prevent the beginner golfer from thinking too hard about their golf swing.

The Basics of the Golf Swing

The first part of your golf swing is the mental part. Many would say that this is where most games are won and lost on the golf course. For the starter golfer you never want to look stupid on the first tee when you thwack your ball into the trees or the nearest lake. You need to blank out all thoughts and surroundings when addressing the golf ball and just think about where you plan the ball to go. Do not give any thought time to how you will feel if you miss. Just focus on your shot.

One of the pressurizing aspects of taking a golf shot is that you are always being watched. You have your opponents and maybe the following group watching your every move. You must ignore all of this outside attention and just work through your shot. Make it clear what you are going to do and then do it.

Because you are a beginner it will not always work but that is not the issue. If you are in charge mentally then you will eventually get more right than you will wrong.

Controlling Your Swing Speed for More Accuracy

This is the single simple most important golf tip that you can adopt to improve you accuracy and distance. Control your golf club. If you are swinging your golf club so fast that it is not under full control then you will never get the distance you need. Swing your club as fast as you can while still being in control of the moment of contact. By slowing your club down by up to 30% speed you will actually increase your distance. This is as a result of better contact with the sweet spot of the golf club face.

Whether you are a hooker or a swinger of the golf ball this slowing down of the golf club will ensure better distance and very quickly reduce your banana golf shots. Your swing technique will improve as you take control of the pace of your golf swing.

Another mistake with the speed of your swing is to try and speed up in the last 18 inches before contact with the golf ball. By doing this you will again lose the straight shooting you are looking for. You must make your swing smooth on the backswing and smooth and controlled on the downswing. The club head will naturally gain momentum on the way down. There is no need to force it.

Once you know you have control of the clubhead then you can consider trying to add more speed to your swing. But do not think about the speed when you are hitting the ball. Think about being in control of your swing



Bobby
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It May not be Your Golf Swing Thats Rubbish

Boris Tomson asked:


It May Not Be Your Golf Swing Thats Rubbish :

You could be making a big mistake blaming your mishits and mishaps on your golf swing?

No matter how much time and effort you have been spending, grooving your golf swing to perfection, you still will not achieve your goal if you are using unsuitable or defective golf clubs, will you?

Now is the time for you to consider the following Golf Tip - this covers an examination of your golf clubs quality.

If you plan on buying used golf clubs as beginner’s tools, scrutinizing before purchasing is a must. The clubheads, the shafts, and the grips are golf club parts that should pass inspection first, before landing a decent spot in your golf equipment locker.

Another excellent golf tip that will help you when buying a used set of golf clubs, try and ensure you have set consistency. If all the clubs have the same grip, shaft and heads then this will add consistency to your golf swing. It will also help a lot if you check the price of new clubs versus used clubs.http://golfclub-review.blogspot.com

A golf tip for a golfer that plans to regrip his clubs - Be cautious. This is because the grips are the only point of contact you have on the club during your swing. If the grips are too thin or too fat, this will make a big difference to your swing. Before carrying out the regripping, you need to know the core grip of the club and your hands grip size. To determine your core size grip, measure the diameter of the butt of the shaft you’re going to re-grip. The shaft’s diameter should match the grip’s core diameter. In determining your hands grip, the available size grips are regular, mid-size, oversize and jumbo. Use only the best re-gripping materials that will provide optimum performance for your golf clubs.

Another golf tip is that using ill-fitted clubs will be an obstacle to your golf playing success. A golfer must consider his or her body type in choosing the best-fitting equipment to support and carry out the golf swing effectively. Too heavy or too light clubs will result in changes to your swing angles when carrying out your golf swing. With the resulting poor results. This will be avoided if you select the best fitting equipment available.

Custom golf club fitting makes a better option than just buying a new set of golf clubs. Getting custom fitting golf clubs is a golf tip that translates to a very worthy investment. The uniqueness of each person is attributed to the need of this way of buying new golf clubs. A custom fitting produces golf clubs that specifically suit the height, strength, swing characteristics and clubhead speed of the golfer.http://golfclub-review.blogspot.com

The type of club shaft also helps in predicting whether you’ll do well in a game or you won’t. There’s a choice between a steel club shaft and a graphite-made club shaft. This golf tip aims to make you realize which type of golf club shaft will benefit your game.

Observations show that the steel club shafts are more preferred by professional golfers while graphite shafts have become more popular with women, senior players and beginners. Steel shafts are less expensive than graphite shafts though.

One more golf tip that could help you is that the golf clubs in your bag must suit your skill level. Since various skill levels need various golf clubs, it won’t be wise to just use or bring a golf club that is just lying around. And, don’t ever forget about the maximum golf club load your bag is allowed to hold during a round. You can only carry a maximum of 14 golf clubs in your bag. No more.

Aside from your skill level contemplation, your mastery of a certain golf club and being comfortable with using it must also be put into consideration in deciding which golf club to hit.

The correct combination of the right swing and a good choice of equipment will better arm you to become the best golfer you could ever be. http://golfclub-review.blogspot.com



Alicia
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How can I increase my golf swing speed (suggested exercises or technique tips)?

bsm asked:


I am a 2 handicap, current head speed around 105mph.
I am a male, age in 30’s, 5′10″, 170 lbs, in good physical condition.

Oscar
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