The Jet-Lagged Golf Swing

The golf travel industry is huge. Destination resorts such as Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and Phoenix are springing up all over. Developers are not just hoping for the Field of Dreams… build it and they will come… they know folks will come.

Look at business. So many business relationships and transactions are being done on the links. And it’s happening all over the globe.

Certain trips you are able to bring your clubs; others times not.

We are going to talk about how travel affects your body and your swing while playing golf or not playing. We will also discuss what can help you with that horrid jet lag that can easily hinder your performance on the course or in the board room.

I write this article from experience. I am currently in my third year on the PGA tour as a trainer. I travel all over the globe with the tour. So I understand what it is like to “live” out of a suitcase and not have everything available to you. Granted, we always have golf clubs with us, but I have some innovative ways to keep your game in shape.

This article is not about swing drills. Rather, this article will discuss how to keep your swing in shape from a more global perspective. Much of the information in this article is from personal observation, individual trial and error, and some tips from some experienced professionals.

Jet Lag. It can be a “Killer” on your golf game

As I write, I am sitting here at the world famous Doral Golf and Spa Resort in Miami. Tough duty I have this week. This course is host of the Ford Championship Golf Tournament. I flew in from San Diego last night. So there is a 3-hour time difference, a 4-hour flight, and let’s just say I got up this morning at 2:30 am Pacific Standard time (5:30 Eastern Standard time). So to sum it up, I know a thing or two about jet lag.

Because I am a personal trainer for Phil Mickelson, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and developing ways to help Phil perform better. That also includes his travel and getting his body ready for competition. Let us first start at the beginning with the flight. Research has indicated that whenever you fly the body becomes dehydrated. Why is this so? I guess it has something to do with the cabin of the airplane being pressurized.

Drinking lots of water is the first line of defense in battling jet lag. Drink water before you take off, during the flight, and once you land. Even if you have to go to the lavatory a couple times in flight, your body and your golf game will thank you.

We’re talking about water. Not soda, not coffee, and sorry, not alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so when you are in the air you get a double whammy. Good old H2O. Now what to do after you land?

I have found the greatest success in the war against Jet Lag is immediately changing to the present time zone. I know it can be tough having to go to bed 3 hours later than what you are accustomed to, but, believe me, in a day or so it will pay big dividends. I found this to really help.

Those are the two biggest tips I found to beneficial to jet lag.

Some other of Sensei Sean’s helpful hints are regulating your workouts and eating healthy foods. Workouts for me get that blood pumping and the body moving. I don’t feel lethargic on the road if I workout regularly. Now a workout can be something like a twenty minute brisk walk or run around the hotel. Just get something into your schedule that gets the blood pumping. Finally, another key to not getting “stung” by jet lag is what you eat. If I eat healthy meals, my body is more alert and running efficiently. If I chow down on fast food or candy, my body starts to get run down.

Keeping the Golf Game in Shape on the Road

I am certainly not a swing coach, and the suggestions in this article are merely from my personal experiences from traveling on the tour. Some good friends of mine (Rick Smith and Dave Pelz) are some of the best swing coaches in the world. I would suggest taking a look at some of their videos/articles for specific drills.

Now I realize that when you are traveling on business, time is limited to say the least. And probably more times than not you won’t have your clubs on the road. So what is the amateur to do? Well, what if I told you that it is possible to work on your swing in about 15 minutes a day without any equipment? Would that get you motivated to do a little work on the road? I imagine you would because I think we all have 15 minutes a day to spend on our swing.

We can work on three things without clubs. Number one, we can work on the mechanics of your swing; number two, we can work on the machinery (your body) that makes the swing go; and we can work on the mind. Putting all three of these entities together is what I feel is a complete training program for your swing. Forget about one and it’s like not including sugar in that cake recipe. Yuck! You are leaving yourself out of the game.

I have been given a great series of “mirror” drills by my instructor to work on my swing, and I am guessing your instructor has given you something similar. If not, I know both Rick Smith and Jim McLean have a number of drills that are done without clubs. Just take a look at the Golf Channel and you can probably pick up on a few of these drills. The great thing is I can do these drills anywhere and I do not need any equipment. So first off, spend 5 minutes a day in your hotel doing swing drills.

Once done with the swing drills, let’s work on the body. The body is what drives your swing and needs just as much attention as your swing itself. The pros work on their body every day, so why can’t the amateurs. Take the next 5 minutes and do “golf strengthening” drills that train the body for your swing. These exercises take no equipment and can be done in the comfort of your hotel room.

Finally, spend the final 5 minutes of your training session on the mind. Numerous books exist on the mental side of golf. I bet if you pick one of these books up at the bookstore, any number of them will have daily drills to perform. Perform these drills for five minutes.

So there you have it! Stay hydrated, set your body to the local time as quickly as you can, eat good foods for your body and get some exercise. For the mechanics of the swing, develop a set of in-room mirror drills to keep in the groove. Now if you have your clubs on the road, the swing drills can be done for 5 minutes with your clubs. If you are looking for additional information on how to train the body for the golf swing, that’s where I can help you. Take a look at the web site www.bioforcegolf.com to get information on such programs.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

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Read more... Comment now » November 2nd, 2008

The 5 Minute Guide to Getting the Most Out of Your Golf Lessons

New and experienced golfers alike should all take advantage of golf lessons if they have the money and time to do so. For the serious golfer, it takes more than just determination and dedication to the game to increase your skills. Like most sports, it also helps to have expert coaching to help you master some of the finer points and to help get rid of any bad habits that are holding you back (or to keep from developing bad habits in the first place). Here are a few tips to keep in mind so you can get the most out of your golf lessons.

If you’re still hooking the ball when you tee off or your short game on the green is still “off the mark”, then it might be time to get a few golf lessons. The first step in doing so is finding a qualified golf instructor. This can take a little trial and error since some instructors might have a teaching style better suited to your skill level, the way you learn or your personality. Just like our teachers in school, different instructors might have different ways of explaining the same concept and that can make all the difference in the world depending on how you learn.

The best bet for finding an instructor is to simply ask your friends, golf buddies or other players you meet the next time you hit the course. In addition, you might be able to find instructors that offer a free introductory lesson so you can “try before you buy”. When you find an instructor that’s right for you, be sure that they’re availability matches your own so that it won’t be difficult to arrange times for your lessons. You might play a better game in the morning or later in the day so your instructor’s availability should be factored into your decision also.

Once you’re all set and ready for your first meeting with the instructor, be sure you bring your all to each lesson. You’re paying good money for time with your instructor so there’s no sense in slacking off or not giving it your all. It can take a good deal of dedication and commitment to improve your golf game but the rewards are well worth it. Just be sure that you’re “on” when you show up to play, either during your lessons or the next time you hit the course with your new-found skills.

In between lessons, you’ll want to practice some of the techniques you went over during your last meeting. It might take a while for you to get a feel for certain techniques or to break any bad habits you might have developed. So plan at least one trip out the course in between your lessons to help drive home some of those fundamentals that your instructor points out.

Be sure to get and receive feedback from your instructor at the end of each lesson. Reflect on the things you went over during that lesson, what you actually learned, and any “aha” moments you had that have potential to improve your game. You should also ask for constructive criticism from your instructor in terms of your technique and improvement. Encourage them to be a straight-shooter and let you know what you need to work on and what you do well. After all, that is their job, though some people shy away from giving anything that might be considered negative feedback. But you don’t want them to sugar coat it. You’re paying good money for that kind of feedback so you can improve your golf game.

Following these simple tips will ensure that you choose the best golf instructor for your skill level and learning style, that you’re “ready to roll” when it comes time for each lesson and that you get the most out of the extra instruction you’ll be getting each time. Pretty soon, you should see a marked improvement in your golf game. Of course, whether or not you tell your golf buddies your secret is entirely up to you!

STOP: Are you spending too much time and money trying to lower your golf score? Why do some people seem to excel with ease while most players continue to struggle? Learn how you can quickly and easily improve your golf game in record time and leave your golf buddies in the dust by visiting UltimateGolfSecrets.com

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Read more... Comment now » September 9th, 2008

Golf Instruction Basics - Concepts Beginners Should Learn

If you’re like me then you’re just crazy about it…

Golf is a wildly popular sport, with more and more people catching on every single day. But there’s more to the game of golf than just teeing up the ball, choosing a club at random and whacking away. After all, you’re trying to get that tiny ball into a hole that’s not much larger and it’s hundreds of yards away. So the game takes a balance of power and finesse. It also takes a good bit of practice and discipline to truly master the game of golf.

Like with anything else that you start off learning, it’s best to take the approach of crawl - walk - run when it comes to learning golf. In other words, start with the basics and gradually add to it as you learn more and gain new and better skills. Golf instruction is one way to improve those skills, both basic and advanced, and should be part of every serious golfer’s plan in order to improve their golf game. Here are just a few of the basics when it comes to golf instruction for beginners.

First, you should have an understanding of basic golf etiquette since there are certain “rules” that apply which you might not be familiar with as a beginner. For instance, if you have a large group of people in your team and another smaller group shows up, it’s common courtesy to allow the smaller team to play through. This is similar to when you’re working out in the gym and only need to do one set. In such a case, it would be good manners to allow you to knock out your set, especially if the other person has several sets to go before you would otherwise get your chance. There are several other aspects of golf etiquette and therefore, this should be part of any basic golf instruction.

Another part of basic golf instruction is an understanding of golf equipment. Golf is one sport that has quite a bit of equipment, especially the wide variety of clubs. All of the clubs have specific uses and are best used in particular circumstances, so it’s vital to understand what’s in your “toolkit” and when each “tool” should be used.

Golf balls are usually numbered and also have the name of the manufacturer printed on the ball. That way, you don’t have to worry about any confusion as to which ball belongs to which player, even if they’re using balls from the same company. They are also made to specific standards in terms of size and weight to ensure all players are using balls with roughly the same specs.

Finally, the largest portion of most golf instruction is going to include all the fundamentals of the game. This includes scoring, strategies for playing certain types of shots or certain holes, the order of play for each team member and other basics that a new player will have to be aware of in order to grasp the basics of the game.

There are several places to get basic golf instruction including your local golf course, friends and family, or professional instructors who offer lessons for a fee. You can also find numerous books and training materials online that allow you to study and improve your golf game on your own and at your own pace. Whichever route you choose, golf is much like other sports in that it requires continued learning and improvement to truly master the game. So get started today!

FACT: Some people spend years trying to improve their golf game with minimal results. Do you have that much time to wait? Learn how you can quickly and easily improve your golf game in record time and leave your golf buddies in the dust by visiting UltimateGolfSecrets.com.

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Read more... Comment now » September 4th, 2008