Spring is upon us and that means it’s time for an important golfer’s ritual – the annual stocking of the bag. Now, that means different things to different people. I’m reminded of an old golf buddy of mine who set out for a round one day with more beers than balls in his bag… and…
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Warning! High nerd factor in this post! Even after 5 years of owning a Trackman, I continue to be intrigued by the correlations and relationships between the various data it provides. I’m certainly not a physicist, geometry expert or mathematician – in fact, I barely passed high school math – so I figure if I…
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Coming soon to a grassy field near you: golf season! For us golfers, that first round of the year is like New Year’s all over again! Excitedly, we head to the tee filled with renewed hope, fuelled by our new golfing resolutions. Is 2014 going to be “your year”? Many a New Year’s resolution…
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Think that trusty old sand wedge of yours is good for another season? I thought so too, but recently, I saw the light; woke up and smelled the coffee; saw the writing on the wall. And somewhere in the background, I think I heard a fat lady singing. Yes, the time has come to retire…
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As with any other sport, success in golf tends to follow those who work hard on the fundamentals. Good grip habits top that list. One thing you’ll seldom see in elite-level players is “un-gripping” of the club. Among weekend warriors, however, un-gripping is quite common. In an effort to make a “bigger turn”, the secure…
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We humans are equipped with the most powerful computers on the planet – our brains. This incredible processing power can be both friend and foe. Given our capacity to process information at extremely fast speeds, our emotional response to bad shots begins almost immediately – virtually at the instant the club makes contact with the…
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A 10-second google search will yield thousands of articles telling you how you should practice golf. Unfortunately, a key element of effective practice is often overlooked: Accountability. Its absence is a big part of the reason you have trouble taking your game from the range to the course. Luckily, there are many ways you can…
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If you’re old enough to remember the days when woods were actually made of wood, you might also remember Calvin Peete, who was the PGA Tour leader in the driving accuracy category for 10 years running, from 1981 through 1990. He also racked up 14 worldwide victories along the way. According to Peete, there are…
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There isn’t necessarily a direct correlation between the “perfect” swing and success on the golf course. Look no further than Jim Furyk for proof of this. In fact, every player who plays to an elite level has their own unique swing – and so should you. In the long run, you’d better served by trying…
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I know I’m not alone in saying the British Open is one of my favorite tournaments. To me, the most exciting thing is watching the creativity that links golf demands. Successfully navigating the bounces, breezes, rolls and rough at the British Open calls upon every ounce of imagination the players can muster. Even if you…
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Asked by a fellow golfer how to shake a mid-season slump, 3-time Masters Champion, Jimmy Demaret, advised him to “take two weeks off and then quit”. Now, absence might make the heart grow fonder, but surely there’s a better option than giving up golf altogether! Try these alternatives if you find yourself in a funk…
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At last week’s PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic, there were two Watson’s in the field: Bubba (age 34) and Tom (age 63). Despite the 30 years separating them, they posted identical scores of 68 in Thursday’s opening round. Goes to show that golf truly is the game of a lifetime. On that note, “Take a Kid…
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“I’m great on the range, but everything falls apart when I get on the course.” Sound familiar? Range practice certainly has a part to play in your development as a golfer – getting those full swing “reps” in is important. Some things, however, are better practiced on the course. Things like fairway bunker shots, sloping…
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Well, Mother Nature, that was a bit of a curveball! I think it’s safe to say that even if you weren’t directly affected by the recent flooding, you certainly know someone who was. As a lifelong Albertan, I know we’re a resilient bunch and we’re going to get through this one. The fact is, there…
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With the official first day of summer just around the corner, surely it’s going to stop raining and stay sunny until, say, the end of October? After all this moisture, the rough at your favorite track is going to take on a whole new character as soon as that sun hits it. Think: “US Open…
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Try a Tourney We all have our own reasons for playing golf and competition might not be on everyone’s list. But if you’re looking to test your golfing mettle, tournament play is the ultimate proving ground. In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do to improve your overall game. Visit the websites…
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You’ve just finished your round. You hit 8 greens, got up and down 40% of the time and had 32 putts. Congratulations! You just broke 80. Want to make a habit of it? Analyze: You miss greens for one of two reasons: your tee shots land in places where you simply don’t have a chance…
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Looking for a simple golf training drill that delivers great bang for the buck? Try the feet together drill. It’s easy to do and the benefits are many: Narrowing your base of support makes it near impossible to sway off the ball as you start your takeaway. Instead, you’ll feel a natural body rotation. The…
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Breezy? Swing Easy “When it’s breezy, swing easy.” There’s a very good chance you’ve heard this tip before, but that’s for good reason: It’s one that has stood the test of time (plus a bonus for the catchy rhyme). Faster swings create higher spin rates – and wind and spin usually don’t play well together,…
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Range mats provide a firm hitting surface, which makes them more forgiving than real turf on shots where the club bottoms out too early. Typically, the club strikes the mat first and bounces into the ball, often delivering a shot that “feels OK” with near-normal distance. Given the same type of swing on grass, the…
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