Don’t Go on a Lousy Golf School Vacation - Here’s How to Choose Correctly
I love golf! Don’t you? I’m not very good at it but I will
play as often as I can and I play every chance I get. The
thing is I live in Chicago. So playing year round is not
always possible — at least not in warm weather unless I go
South. But where do I go? There are so many great golf courses
and life so short.
I decided to write this article because in my passion, I have
found 4 very important questions to ask that will insure you
will find thd the perfect golf vacation. Be careful. I have
made some mistakes in the past because I did not do my
homework in advance.
Golf Schools come wrapped in shiny packages with fancy
trimmings. Be careful not to go for the first golf vacation
you hear about. Do some reaearch and find the right golf
package match for you, your habits, your style and your golf
game.
So, how do you know which golf school vacation is right for
you? It’s simple. How much do you know about yourself? Be
honest. This is your nickel.
1) What do you want to achieve?
2) How committed are you to your game?
3) Is your goal to have fun and drink with your friends
without the wives around?
4) Or are you dedicated to improving your game for the coming
season on this golf vacation?
Try asking yourself this: When you think of a golf vacation,
which comes first for you - the golf or the vacation?
Some golf schools demand your entire focus. Other golf
schools understand you need time to relax and scope out other
activities. So know if you are looking more for the golf or
the vacation.
If I’m planning a trip to a Maui golf school or going out to
Las Vegas for golf instruction, I’m thinking there’s a pretty
good chance I’ll be checking out the local sights and
entertainment.
If you’re like me, you’re going to find a school that offers
half-day instruction. Train your skills first thing in the
morning, get a bite to eat (usually included in your tuition),
then see how you feel. Hit the casinos, beach or the golf
course in the afternoon.
Like I said, I stink at the game but I do have some
experience. Are you a new golfer or could you hit the PGA Tour?
Beginners should check out golf schools that offer low
student-instructor ratios. A 5:1 ratio or lower is the best for
beginning golfers. Most likely you want a school that limits
class size.
Experienced golfers will need a school that offers on-course
instruction. You might need your swing looked at in game like
scenarios. Get your instruction on the course.
How do you like to learn? Your style might benefit from the
attention offered by low student-instructor ratios. This may
not be a necessity for an experienced golfer. This is totally
up to your learning style preference.
How’s your short game? I can drive for show but when it comes
time to out for dough. (Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that)
Do you have a nice low handicap but your golf game goes in the
tank 90 yards from the pin?
You need to find a golf school that concentrates on training
your short game and course management. If your golf swing is
basically sound, pick a golf vacation school that focuses the
majority of your instruction time by getting you out on the
course.
The golf training market is very competitive. If you want the
very best, find golf vacation schools that will focus on
individual aspects of your golf game. Comparison shop. (Isn’t
this why the internet was invented?)
In the time it takes for me to get out of a sand trap, you can
find a golf school that will help you shave a stroke or two
off your already low handicap. Or in my case, keep me from
embarrassing myself in front of my friends.
Some other real quick questions to ask at a golf vacation
school: Is lodging included? Are meals included? Does the
tuition include rounds of golf? You can find a whole batch of
information about all the golf vacation schools at
http://www.universalgolfinformation.com
Focus your honest answers to the 4 questions above. Whittle
down your decision to three or four to fit the style of golf
training where you will do your best. Then pick the golf
vacation school that offers the best package. Remember — it’s
your nickel.
Joe Rogers, Jr. loves golf even though he stinks at playing. He has been very successful in business so that he now has time to devote to his folly, his passion and his main love in life - Golf. He has written many articles like this available at http://www.universalgolfinformation.com
Tags: golf, golf lessons, golf swing, golf training, golf vacation, schoolGolf, First Hole of Emotion
It’s a beautiful day on the first tee. The day is full of optimism and opportunity. Looking down the beautiful lush green fairway my heart beats a little faster as I think of the pleasure that waits.
Hole #1
I step up to the tee and glance left at the trees.
“Don’t go there” but golf is not fair.
I take back the club and give a mighty rip.
Left in the trees, a curse falls from my lip.
Back to the bag with head hung low.
I trudge through the trees looking to and fro.
Where is that ball that would not listen!
Suddenly out of the shade I see it glisten.
What light through yonder trees does break!
I think I see a shot that I can make.
Hope rises in me as I step up to the ball.
I swing at it hard and give it my all.
To my surprise it comes out straight.
I walk out of the woods feeling just great.
The ball’s in the fairway and the sun shines bright.
Life is good again, all sweetness and light.
It is 200 yards for me to reach the green.
But of course there lies a sand trap between.
I think not of the peril and give it a lash.
The ball lands in the sand trap with a big splash.
Crushed now I fall down onto my knees.
Begging the golf gods to have mercy please.
I pick myself up and giving my head a shake.
This game has no mercy and does not give a break.
I reach the sand trap and stare in dismay.
Why does it always happen this way?
I’ve one foot on the grass, one foot in the sand.
It is all I can do to make myself stand.
Flow through! Follow through! That’s what they say.
But I don’t follow through today’s not my day.
It hits the front lip and falls back in the trap.
My friends all laugh and begin to clap.
This is life and death! Can’t they see my despair!
I crawl back in the trap and shout “This isn’t fair!”
I stand over the ball and swing with all my might.
The ball pops out high on a beautiful flight.
It bounces once on the green and begins to roll.
I can’t believe my eyes as it curls in the hole.
I raise up my hands in sweet victory.
What’s happened before is all history!
My friends shake their heads, don’t believe my luck.
I’ve parred the first hole and they all owe a buck.
I pull the ball form the hole and give it kiss.
What a great game! Today I can’t miss.
Kevin Redmond is a senior design supervisor with a large engineering firm in Canada. When not working he tries to play golf and loves the game. He also runs a consumers Website called http://www.avoidconfusion.com which has lots of great deals from golf to music to art and more. Check it out.
Tags: golf, Golf Courses, golf equipment, golf lessons, golfers help, humor, poetry, sportsThree Secrets of A Consistent Golf Stroke
What you are about to read… will change your golfing life
forever! What are these three “secrets”? If you knew how
would they effect your game?. These three “secrets” are what
the worlds best players do. Every player MUST know these
“secrets” if they are to have a powerful, repeating golf
stroke.
The problem with the majority of golfers is that they don’t
know what to do. Oh their friends, well wishers at best,
tell them that they are “bending their left arm”, “raising
up through the shot”, “coming over the top” and host of
other swing faults. But these are the same people that
shoot the same scores you do! What could they possibly tell
you that would improve your game?
The information you are about to receive is not theory or
conjecture but science. Ooooh, you say, this sounds
complicated. Well it isn’t, it is simply the laws of force
and motion that govern our entire lives and day to day
living. Once you understand these simply laws your golf
game will forever change…for the better!
Secret #1: A Flat Left Wrist
Because the golf stroke involves a golf club, a left arm, and
a wrist in between, it is called a “lever system”. The left
wrist acts as a “hinge pin” much like the old time “flail”
used to beat wheat. This “hinge pin” can rotate, cock or
uncock but NEVER Bends!
Golfers however routinely bend the left wrist causing the
clubhead to reach the ball before the hands do. This causes
a “quitting” motion, adds loft to the clubface, points the
face to the left of target, makes the clubhead swing
upward disrupting the downward motion that ALL good golf
shots MUST have. Good players DELOFT the clubface at
Impact. Poor players ADD loft to the clubface costing them
distance, direction, and trajectory.
A 5 iron, for example, has approximately 8 degrees for
“forward lean” when soled properly. At Impact with good
players the “lean” is approximately 15 degrees. This turns
the 5 iron into a 4 iron. Poor players reach Impact with a
“backward” leaning clubshaft thereby ADDING loft and turning
the 5 iron into a 6-7 iron!
Secret #2: A Staright Plane Line
You only have two choices when it comes to the swing plane,
you are either on or you’re off. There is no middle
ground!
What exactly is the swing plane? The plane is the angle of
the clubshaft as it sets at address - period! It is NOT
Hogans plane of glass as many would have you to believe.
There are only three planes available;
1. Horizontal - a wall
2. Vertical - the floor
3. Inclined somewhere in between
As golfers you and I use the Inclined Plane to swing the
club back up and end, down out and forward, up back and in
making the Golf Stroke three dimensional.
The clubshaft, actually the sweetspot of the club, may
travel to any other plane angle during the swing as long as it
DOES NOT cross the base of the plane. Here is a
simple way you can know if you are on plane or not.
Whichever end of the club is nearest to the ground MUST also
point at the base of the plane from horizon to horizon. If
neither end is nearer then the clubshaft MUST be horizontal
to the ground and parallel to the base of plane.
Secret #3: A Lagging Clubhead
Lag by definition means “trailing”. When the clubhead
passes the hands coming into Impact there is no “lag”.
Without “lag” the golf ball cannot be compressed, we cannot
hit downward, and we have a tremendous power loss. Clubhead
lag promotes a steady and even acceleration giving us a
dependable way to control distance.
Look at any picture of your favorite player at Impact. The
left arm and clubshaft are in ONE LINE! Never two lines.
This means that the player is utilizing “lag”. When a ball
is struck with “lag” it explodes off the clubface! Without
this “lag” the sound turns into one of mush, a soft Impact
instead of a driving Impact.
————————————————————
If you follow this outline, learn these three “Secrets” you
will be hitting the ball with more compression than you ever
thought possible.
For example, a Driver striking a golf ball with a 2 degree
“backward” leaning clubshaft at 100 mph with 9.5 degrees of
loft produces a launch angle of 6.4 degrees and a carry
distance of 230 yards.
By changing Impact to a 2 degree forward leaning clubshaft
the player produces a launch angle of 10.4 degrees and a
carry of 251 yards. A 21 YARD INCREASE WITHOUT buying a new
Driver and simply having clubhead lag!
YOU can improve your game dramatically by following the
steps outlined above. Become the best player YOU can be and
start winning those 4 way presses! If YOU really want to
elevate your game, hit it farther, straighter, and nearer
the hole then practice what I’ve shared with you.
————————————————————
Chuck Evans, G.S.E.D.
www.chuckevansgolf.com
chuck@chuckevansgolf.com
P.S. Visit our website for more information on how to become
the best player YOU can be.
————————————————————
Chuck Evans is one of only 31 Teachers in the world to hold the designation of “Doctorate in Golf Stroke Engineering”, he is one of the most highly sought after instructors in the world not only by players but other teachers as well and is known as the Teacher of Teachers!
Chuck has appeared on numerous golf talk shows, written and published instructional articles in local, regional, and national golf publications. His DVD, “60 Days To Game Improvement” has sold in excess of 10,000 copies and his new eBook, “How To Build YOUR Golf Swing” is in the library of amateurs and Teaching Professional alike. He has also appeared as the featured instructor for education classes regarding the golf swing at various PGA Sections and Chapters around the country and has been nominated numerous times for Golf Digest’s Top 50 Teachers and Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers.
In addition Chuck has held the positions of Director of Schools for the PGA Tour Golf Academy and the Director of Instruction for the United States Golf Institute.
You can reach Chuck through his Golf Academy in Mesa Arizona by calling 480.862.6544, by email at chuck@chuckevansgolf.com
or through the website www.chuckevansgolf.com
