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Saturday, March 29. 2008
Lee was one of the first tour pros to use the solid golf ball. The promo for the ball centered on how much more durable they were than the thinly covered wound ball, which everybody used at the time... Well at one tournament Trevino "mis-directed" an iron shot into the crowd hitting a fellow in the head...rushing over, he saw the man was ok...he had a bump on his head but wasn't bleeding so Lee quipped..."See the company's right...this ball's guaranteed not to cut!"
Thursday, March 27. 2008
My first career was in fashion having worked with major department stores as a buyer, in the NYC garment district and of course pro shops over the years. I believe in wearing what looks best on me and not what the sales person or fashion magazines suggest. However, I find it very difficult in golf fashion these days to find clothes that are flattering. I am not over weight and try to maintain an athletic build but I am also not a teenager. The tops are too tight and too short and I feel like a fool in some of the skorts and short shorts. I may also add that most women over 20 that are wearing these golf clothes, look rather foolish to me too. Ladies, please look in the mirror and not the magazines when you are deciding what to wear, the mirror does not lie. With clothes that fit your body type and age you will flatter yourself, increase your comfort level and probably improve your golf game.
Friday, March 14. 2008
It would be an unfathomable shock for 99.99% of golfers to have to deal with courses of the same length and difficulty as Tiger Woods is shooting such low scores on lately. Deep rough, lightning fast greens, pins tucked away, not to mention top class opposition that is straining so hard to beat him that they end up beating themselves and make it impossible to over-estimate what the No. 1 golfer has been doing. In the last eight events he has played, Tiger has won seven with an average score of 66.93 and an aggregate winning margin of 36 shots. Not for the first time, I have been made to wonder why Tiger is so good?
The answer is simple. Being normal and doing what everybody else does won’t make the sort of impression that Tiger seeks. Because the perfect round has yet to be played by anyone, including him, Tiger is never satisfied. It ensures that he never loses his appetite for intelligent, hard work. Consequently, Tiger is his own worst critic and is brutally honest in addressing his own failings, as he perceives them. His modus operandi is to identify the weakest part of his game and work on turning it into a strength. Even when Tiger is out of our sight, he is working hard at getting better. As a result, he has succeeded in putting the ‘frighteners’ on an increasingly intimidated opposition. The only reason Tiger ever loses is because of golf’s unpredictable vicissitudes and the fact that he is a human being. Tiger never beats himself as every other golfer who has ever lived has done. Even Jack Nicklaus used to beat himself occasionally by playing too conservatively in the early rounds of majors.
At the beginning of 2008 at the age of 32, Tiger has 13 professional majors already in the bag. That’s only five short of Nicklaus. If somebody does not step up soon and begin putting pressure on him, Tiger may pass that once-thought unbeatable milestone by the end of 2009 (he can’t do it in 2008) or, at worst in 2010. If I were a betting man, I would put money on it happening at the 2010 Open Championship at The Old Course at St. Andrew’s. I am convinced that that is where and when Tiger Woods will win his 19th and record major. It will be the 150th Anniversary of the first Open held in 1860. With Tiger’s sense of timing, history and occasion there could hardly be a better time and place to break that Nicklaus landmark.
Tiger is so far ahead of everybody else that it is impossible to see any imminent challengers to his dominance on the horizon. My guess is that it will be somebody at least ten years younger and he will come from Asia. The new European Number One, Justin Rose, is talking the talk, saying that he believes he will be good enough to overtake Tiger as the world's top golfer in 5 years time. Anything is possible but Rose has too many weaknesses in his game at present and should be concentrating on sorting them out before he can even begin to make such suggestions. None of the current world’s top twenty has any chance of dislodging Tiger. Even if Tiger ‘retired’ tomorrow, it would take at least three years for somebody to accumulate the required ranking points to dislodge him.
Jim Furyk is a high quality, steady player but that is all. Phil Mickelson blows hot and cold. VJ Singh did manage to depose Tiger briefly three years ago but at 45 he is now too old. Aaron Baddley, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia are almost young enough and potentially good enough but they miss too many putts that Tiger never misses. If you want to match Tiger start on the putting green, boys! Ernie Els has become astonishingly error-prone under pressure and he gives the impression that he thinks that he can turn his best golf on by a switch. Not even Tiger tries to do that. Tiger’s time off is used to prepare for his next win. There is none of this ‘playing himself into form’ for Tiger, if he comes to a tournament he comes to win. For Padraig Harrington, getting to No. 2 is a realistic target but only if he abandons The European Tour immediately. I cannot see Padraig moving to the USA full time.
Tiger would succeed at anything he set his mind to because he is focused, intelligent and organized. He learns ‘something’ from every day that helps him to get better. Although Tiger’s talent is supreme, he remains obliged to outwork and outsmart everybody to stay at the pinnacle. Being No. 1 is no gimmee, even for Tiger. He is a wonderful champion and a magnificent role model. He never puts a foot wrong. Has there ever been a more impressive sportsperson in any code? - Ivan Morris
Wednesday, February 6. 2008
Paul Hindemith in "A Composers world" states that conductors should strictly adhere to metronome markings, otherwise they will conduct everything at the same tempo -- their pulse rate. This is why performers have to be careful that they do not accelerate the tempo as adrenaline starts to flow.
The same applies to your golf swing. Take a deep breath and focus before each swing to maintain tempo. Try not to let your emotions interfere, especially after a bad shot.
Wednesday, January 30. 2008
Nice to see Greg Norman playing golf and playing well again...now that his personal life may be "settling down a tad, it would be super if he'd play a little on the junior and senior tours.I think both could use the " personality injection."
Saturday, January 12. 2008
What is swing weight?
Each club in your set should have the same swing weight, so they all feel the same when you hold them even though they are different lengths. Swing weight should not be confused with overall weight. You can have a heavy club with a light swing weight and conversely a light club with a heavy swing weight.
Swing weight is determined by balancing a club using a fulcrum 18 inches from the butt end of the grip.
As the shafts get longer the clubheads get lighter to maintain the balance. Overall weight is the actual weight of the club.
Friday, September 28. 2007
New technology has made the game more exciting for the best players and definitely more playable for those learning the game. In 2003 I attended a Titleist new products seminar put on for PGA Section Pros across the country. Around that time Titleist signed Ernie Else, who promptly went out and hit a 400+ yard drive at the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii. An advertising guru couldn’t have written a better more timely script for the new Titleist 983 driver or Pro-V1 golf ball. Ernie has great swing mechanics but few understand the “fine tuning†of matching up the right driver with the right golf ball.
As students gain an understanding of Roland’s swing philosophies and begin to realize positive results, questions ultimately trend towards equipment and OF COARSE EVERYONE LIKES TO HIT IT FAR! Most golfers don’t realize that even having been fit with the correct driver that choosing the wrong ball can cause distance loss. What’s not understood is slower club head speeds benefit from higher spin rates by sustaining the flight time of the golf ball, keeping it airborne longer. Lower ball speeds require more spin to create the lift needed to carry the ball. Even golfers with swing speeds approaching 100 mph may need a ball that spins significantly to keep the ball airborne. A golf ball that does not spin enough for the average golfer doesn’t have a settling decent but falls out of the air causing distance loss. This is the opposite for your favorite tour players who generate greater club head speed and more spin.
So when you go to buy golf balls, think about what type of ball may benefit you more. Try a softer ball if you cannot generate a lot of ball speed. If your ball speed is up there, then you’ll benefit from a ball that spins less. Oh, by the way, after 4 years with Titleist, Ernie has switched to Callaway. You think he did it for the balls?
Monday, August 6. 2007
We thought it may be fun for our former students to share some of their golfing experiences on our blog page. You can fill us in by simply adding your comments to this blog. Some areas of interest may be..... an unusual experience on the golf course; using a new technique you may have learned at the school; a tournament you participated in; a great shot; a rules situation; your golf school experience; or any other comments you would like to share about your golf game.
Tuesday, July 24. 2007
If you live in major metropolitan areas, finding playing time and places to play may be the "toughest lie" your likely to face. Often the simplest solution is to drive out of the city two or even three hours where you might find very pleasant and often uncrowded courses. Finding them can be as simple as checking yellow pages sites on the web and speaking to someone in the golf shop about location and other playing information. You may end up finding a "gem" of a course hardly anyone knows about! If your a city dweller and have other ideas to find playing time chime right in, we'll pass it along!
Tuesday, July 24. 2007
I wanted to pass on this anecdote from my late husband and Tour Player Roland Stafford to as many people as possible
"In 1965 I was playing in the PGA Championship at Laurel Valley just east of Pittsburgh. On the practice tee Sam Snead was hitting balls directly behind me. (Just being near great players like Snead helps your game. His marvelous swing and tempo rub off.) Sam said, 'Roland, watch this.' With pleasure I turned around. He announced he was going to hit a drive with a fade at the end to slip around the dog leg on the 16th hole. He then proceeded to hit this magnificent looking shot about 230 yards straight as an arrow before it faded to the right another 30 or 40 yards. I deemed it only fair I ask him a question in as much as I watched him hit the shot so I asked what I thought to be a profound question, 'How do you fade the ball?' He remarked smugly, 'I just think fade.' Folks, there is no substitute for talent."
Monday, July 23. 2007
Do your shots tend to go left?
Or do they tend to go right?
It might not be your swing. If you are lined up correctly at address, but your shots still do not go straight, check out your clubs' lie angle. Lie angle is the angle that the bottom edge of your club makes with the club shaft. If the lie angle is too upright, the toe of the club is too high and your shots will tend to go to the left, if you are right-handed. If your lie angle is too flat, the toe will be down and your shots will tend to go right, if you are right-handed.
How can you check your lie angle?
Go to the driving range and hit shots off a mat. The mat will leave marks on the bottom of the club. If the marks are predominantly toward the toe of the club, the club is too flat. If the marks are mostly toward the heel of the club, the club is too upright. If the marks are in the center, your lie angle is correct, and it's your swing. (Come to the golf school). If your lie angle needs adjustment, most clubs can be bent to correct the problem.
Saturday, July 14. 2007
Hybrid clubs seem "all the rage" these days and the theory should give most golfers better shot production with their long iron type clubs. However, some students I've worked with have had problems with them, and complained of "thin"or "topped" shots, and/or the tendency to hit the ball to the right. My general observations indicate these people seem to be playing the ball too far forward in their stances, probably responding to the "fairway wood like" appearance of hybrids. These clubs have iron length shafts however, and when I've had these students "back the ball up" slightly in their stances performance seems to improve. Try this if you have similar hybrid problems...if it doesn't work, come to our school and improve your swing!
Wednesday, July 4. 2007
Lee Trevino was playing in South America in the late 70's....his usual caddie had been taken ill,so he employed one of the young kids at the club he was playing.The kid was very inexperienced and knew virtually nothing about golf etiquette but was pretty good at reading the greens. So off he and Trevino go and on the first hole Lee hits a wedge with a huge divot and turns to his caddie and says"pick up the divot", which he does. Trevino notices around the 12th hole or so the caddie is dragging his bag and looks really tired...Lee asks him if he's ok...The kid turns to him and says I'm fine, but what shall I do with all these divots!"...Trevino looks in the bag and there are all the divots he had taken that day!...now that is a caddie who does what he is told!
Sunday, July 1. 2007
Comfort is essential in playing a round of golf. As a golf professional the first thing I check out is the weather. If the day starts out chilly I wear a few layers so I may shed as the day warms up. I find vests are great for layering as they do not restrict movement of the arms. And vice versa if there is a cold front approaching I take additional clothes with me so I can add layers. In my golf bag I always carry a rainsuit and hat along with my umbrella, just in case of rain which can happen anytime where I am in Florida.
COLD WEATHER- For more extreme weather like we have in the spring and fall in Windham, NY you may want to start with long silk underwear as the first layer. This would be hard to shed on a golf course so you may choose to skip. Wearing your rain pants over slacks is a great way to keep your body warm. If you watched the 2007 Open Golf Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland the players had their's on. A cashmere sweater is the warmest and softest to wear on top. It also repels water quite well as it is made from the hair of a goat. Some golfers prefer to wear a nylon vest under their sweater eliminating any sound the nylon fabric may make while keeping the wind from chilling their upper body. Remember heat escapes from the head so a hat will also help to keep you warm. Then there are the hands and feet. In between shots you must keep your hands warm this can be done by putting hand warmers in your pockets that last up to 10 hours. As for the feet, cashmere socks are the best and if not cashmere wool is second best. If possible, stay home.
HOT WEATHER- When the heat is on clothing can make a big difference for your comfort. Clothes that move and fabric that breaths is the answer. There are new fabrics available that help to wisk away moisture and also protect you from ultra violet rays. Light weight cotton breaths well and fabrics that have more of an open weave are cooler. Dress codes at Golf Clubs may vary slightly but most do not allow men to wear t-shirts and women cannot wear halter tops and, they will not allow you to play unless you change. You may want to wear a visor instead of a cap as the visor will allow heat to escape from your head. If you really become over heated wet your golf towel and put it around the nap of your neck. Drink lots of water.
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