Is Pro Golf Instruction for You?
May 22, 2008
I am a first time golfer, would it be wise for me to find good pro golf instruction that can teach me how to draw a golf ball? I am a right handed golfer, this way I will not have to fight the slice. - Dean, Anonymous.
Well Dean, pro golf instruction can make you fall even more in love with golf or make you utterly hate it. I’ll explain. Many feel that golf lessons are absolutely necessary for a golf virgin such as yourself to improve their game. Yet other people will say that getting yourself out on the course to practice over and over is about the only way to get better. However, from my experience… there needs to be a balance between the two.
If you have a good friend or buddy who you know is more experienced and has decent control over their shots, then hit them up for a lesson. But have in mind what you want to accomplish. Its a very good idea to know exactly what you want to occur from the lesson which allows you to plan accordingly, vs. many people who saying… “Oh I want to get better at golf, teach me!!!” Obviously… who doesn’t want to get better?
To commend you though, its good that you have an idea of what you want to improve on by learning how to draw a golf ball which is an important step in learning how to develop your accuracy in golf. Now heres the clincher, if you are truly willing to allow someone to tell you what to do and how to do it, and if you’ve tried having your buddies show you a thing or two on the course and they couldn’t help, then by all means find yourself a professional golf instructor.
Do your research though and find someone who is worth their salt, can actually teach you golf lessons and above all is patient. Sometimes it can take a while to coax a virgin out of their inhibitions when taking stroke after stroke at a ball until they finally shoot one long, straight and deep. So if you’re willing to lay down the cash and time for pro golf instruction make sure that you carefully explain exactly what you want to learn. Before long people might just be asking you to show them how to make that perfect draw. Happy strokes!!
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Health Benefits of Golf
May 12, 2008
Are there any real health benefits of playing golf? - Keith in Jackson, MS
Absolutely! There are tons of health benefits of playing golf. Just because golf can seem like a peaceful game, walking along a well kept green with a soft breeze blowing in the air doesn’t mean you can’t work up a sweat and definitely get great exercise in the process, especially when you learn how to work your golf muscles. Consider this, if you choose to walk vs. riding in a cart, you can easily burn around 300 + calories just in 1 hour of play alone.
Some other great health benefits of golf stem from the fact that just by being outside in the sun allows you to absorb a nice dose of Vitamin D. A lot of us work indoors all day, so playing this sport is the perfect opportunity to get the sunlight that is truly essential to our well-being. Also, in the process of actually getting off your rear end and doing something that requires physical work is going to help you sleep better at night. I know that I definitely sleep better after getting all hot and sweaty working up and down the course.
Lastly, if you are not a complete social bumble, more than likely you are going to find yourself meeting new people and making some pretty good friends when you show up regularly to the course. This will greatly increase the value of your social life leading to a much closer relation to your fellow human. Dandy huh? See for yourself Keith and reap the full harvest of all the golf health benefits you can. Happy strokes!!
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A Clean Golf Club - Beginner Golf Tips
April 16, 2008
Hey Golf Virgin how much effect do you think it has if you don’t have a clean golf club? - Paul in West Point, MS
Oooo… by that question alone I can smell your virginity! Take some beginner golf tips right here and realize the essential need of a clean golf club. Paul, its of vital importance to keep the head of your golf clubs clean because the grooves are what help put spin on the ball.
Now, after playing game after game with out cleaning your golf clubs, the grooves become packed with dirt and the clubface contact with the ball is reduced. The accuracy of your shots will decrease significantly as a result of having all that dirt embedded in the grooves.
The best way I’ve found to clean this is by using a wire brush with some soapy water. By using the brush, you can slide it into those little grooves and get out all of the dirt which I’m positive has built up by now. Click on the link for the exact instructions on how to clean your golf clubs and after you’ve finished reading that click on the following link to learn where you can find golf ball washers out on the course.
Paul, since you clicked on both of those links, which I’m sure you have… both your shaft and your balls will be sparkling clean. Happy strokes!!
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What is Nassau Golf?
April 10, 2008
You mentioned match play in your last answer but what I have always wondered about is nassau golf. Some people say it’s a type of golf game based off a bet but I’m not sure, could you help please? - Jena in Edgemont, SD
You’re pretty much there, Nassau golf is a popular tournament format that consists of 3 separate tournaments in one. These 3 bets are combined together into one game. The most common Nassau golf game is betting on the front nine for $2, the back nine for $2 along with the 18-hole total that is worth another $2.
Keeping score in Nassau is practically the same thing as in match play golf but then again the players ultimately decide which scoring system to use. The team or player with the most points at the end of each 9 holes will win that side and from there, both the front and back 9 holes are totaled for the 18 hole award.
And naturally by using the joy of simple math, if you are a skilled golfer, a whopping $6 will be your prize. Cool huh?
You might be thinking that if you are going make a Nassau golf bet, you might as well make it worth your time right? Well, there is something that is called to press the bet, or pressing the bet. Basically, for each tournament that is originally $2 per 9 holes, a single player or a team can up the ante and raise the bet for that particular 9 holes or altogether on the 18 hole tally. Usually this is just another $2 added to the original bet but it is up to the player’s discretion.
Becareful though becasue this can lead to some pretty high stakes. Of course its depending on a person’s or a team’s level of enthusiasm to combine alcohol, golf, betting and money. Choose wisely. Happy strokes!!
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Golf Explained - Etiquette of Golf in 13 Easy Steps
April 3, 2008
Your very own “beginner golf tip girl” the Golf Virgin, felt that it was time to help out with some common sense driven golf course etiquette. She has recently been appalled at stunningly stupid behavior from “people” who should know better.
Here is a nice, quick and easy chart… < - - loves charts, for all of you to fold up in your pocket and carry with you onto the green. You’ve now been forewarned. Learn this simple, etiquette of golf and be saved the misery of wide open mouths staring at you in disbelief. See below - golf explained.
| 1. Arrive at your scheduled tee off time. |
| 2. Be sure to be patient and respect other players on the course as you wish to be respected and don’t make any loud noise. Normal speaking or conversation is ok but hooting and hollering at your buddies isn’t. |
| 3. Check your marker and your ball number in order to avoid confusion during the game. |
| 4. Do not take practice swings on the tee off zone. |
| 5. For the sake of common sense, do not stand close behind, near or in front of any other player and be as quiet as possible when a player is about to take a shot. |
| 6. Normally, the player with the lowest handicap starts the game by taking their first shot. On all other tees the player with the best score out of the previous hole has “the honor”, meaning he has the right to play (with) his ball first. |
| 7. Always be prepared to play your ball in order to avoid any delay in the game and leave immediately after you’ve made your shot. (Sounds like most men doesn’t it?) |
| 8. Don’t play your stroke if other players intend to do their puts on any green in the neighborhood. |
| 9. Don’t take a shot in the direction of another player that may be in hitting distance. See the post why we yell fore in golf for more info. |
| 10. Be kind, nothing will piss off a Superintendent more than not replacing divots or fixing any other damage you cause to the course. And make sure to rake those bunkers back into perfect condition! |
| 11. To avoid looking like someone of lesser intelligence, don’t drive your cart over tee off areas, greens or through a sand bunker. Also, before putting be sure to leave your cart somewhere beside the green, preferably in an area beside the next tee off zone. |
| 12. Try to stand somewhere beside the player who has to do the next shot. |
| 13. If possible, try to observe not only your own but also the balls of the other players in your company. This will help to save time in case one of your partners may not be able to find his ball immediately after his shot. |
I could go on and on and on, especially after some of the absolutely, thoughtless behaviors I’ve witnessed in my time. So now y’all know some quick and easy ways not to look like “fantard” swaggering around, looking for a beating. Use this etiquette of golf and if you don’t hey… don’t be surprised if someone takes their club to your head. Happy strokes!!
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Average Club Distance
March 31, 2008
Hey, can you help out with a beginner golf tip? What is the average club distance that I should looking for? It’s seems like almost everyone can shoot farther than I can and I want to know how to improve. - Hagen in Emporia, KS
Great question there, and a simple beginner golf tip is this.
I love charts, and there is a quick one below that provides a guide to measure by. This is a simple format that generally states what the normal yardages are for both amateur men and women golfers using a particular club. But remember this isn’t the end all and be all of the average club distance someone should expect. The ranges are pretty large, and represent short hitters, mid hitters and long hitters.
| Club | Men | Women |
| Driver | 200-230-260 | 150-175-200 |
| 3-wood | 180-215-235 | 125-150-180 |
| 5-wood | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 2-iron | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 3-iron | 160-180-200 | 100-125-160 |
| 4-iron | 150-170-185 | 90-120-150 |
| 5-iron | 140-160-170 | 80-110-140 |
| 6-iron | 130-150-160 | 70-100-130 |
| 7-iron | 120-140-150 | 65-90-120 |
| 8-iron | 110-130-140 | 60-80-110 |
| 9-iron | 95-115-130 | 55-70-95 |
| PW | 80-105-120 | 50-60-80 |
| SW | 60-80-100 | 40-50-60 |
There are, of course, people who hit it longer, just as there are people who hit it shorter, so don’t become attached to a certain number. Don’t be too hard on yourself, if you haven’t spent that much time golfing be patient and realize that it takes time to get your average club distance up to where you aren’t thinking about it so much. Then again this is something that we can all strive to improve upon, myself included.
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Divots and Golf Ball Washers
March 27, 2008
I take pretty large divots out of the ground almost every time I take a shot. I’m not the best golfer. So when I go and get my ball, its usually pretty muddy. I take a towel with me cause I know this is going to happen. My eyesight isn’t the best and I’ve looked around for golf ball washers but I can’t ever find them. Are they real? By the end of the all the rounds I play, my ball is contaminated and people look at me weird cause I got this dirty, muddy towel hanging out of my back pocket. What can I do? - Finn in Grafton, WV
Well, honestly I can’t do anything other than laugh right now. I’m in tears. The thought of you wandering around half blind and aimlessly in search of the famed golf ball washers to help you clean your dirty contaminated balls is absolutely hilarious. Haven’t you ever simply just asked someone where they are? It would take two seconds you know. “Hey buddy, where do I clean my balls at?”
As far as you taking divots left and right out of the green, that probably puts you on the superintendent’s hated list for the course you play at. It sounds to me like you are hitting the ball fat. I highly suggest you read my post about hitting fat golf shots so you can correct this problem.
But for right now, I will tell you exactly where you can find these wonderful golf ball washers. You know when you’re about to tee off? Look over at the tee box… you see that green bucket thing, hanging on a pole that’s sticking out of the ground? There you go, those are golf ball washers. What I’m curious to know is, how did you get started playing golf with your eyesight being as bad as it is?
Anyways, all you have to do now Mr. Finn is dunk your dirty golf balls into the bucket, swirl them a few times that’s it. No more wandering around with a super, dirty towel hanging from your backside and weird looks coming from every direction. Your balls will be fresh and clean and if you get some eye glasses along with taking my advice for stop hitting fat golf shots, you will be in heaven.
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What is Effective Playing Length?
March 14, 2008
I don’t quite understand what effective playing length is but I would really like to know. Please help me with this. Thank you Golf Virgin. - Tommy in Virginia Beach, VA
Effective playing length can lead to much confusion, especially for virgins due to the fact some may think this might possibly correspond to the length of their golf shaft.
The USGA determines the values representing effective playing length by making adjustments to the measured yardage, instead of just by going out and reviewing the overall yardage of a course and each hole. This means that the yardage is then adjusted for the terrain of the entire course. Going uphill adds yards while going downhill subtracts yards.
So for example the slope of a fairway and the positioning of bunkers combined with forced carries and forced layups and don’t forget the positioning of trees are all taken into consideration when determining effective playing length.
Also, effective playing length is one of the determining factors in the evaluation of golf courses for Course Rating and Slope Rating.
No worries Tommy, everything is under control. The USGA has you covered and you have nothing to fear. Effective playing length is something that truly helps you play your best and puts you on par with everyone else. Happy Strokes!!
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A Golf Slice Cured
March 7, 2008
I have a golf slice but I really want to get better and improve this as much as possible. Do you think this is something that I can work out on my own? - Quinn in Rapid City, SD
A golf slice requires a lot of hard work to improve and if you really are interested in making this cure stick then lets get into the meat of how and why this happens and go from there. I want to pick this apart so you can gain a much clearer understanding of what you need to improve your stroke. Now, to make it perfectly clear, this advice is for righties so you need to reverse this if you are lefty.
If you hit a golf slice to the right, it means that it’s curving in a left-right motion across the horizon and if the ball doing this, it is spinning in a clockwise direction. Right now, imagine that your ball is sitting on a peg. To spin the ball clockwise, the club has to swing more to the left with the clubface pointing slightly to the right. In a golf slice, hitting the ball with an open clubface makes the ball curve across the sky as a slice. So tell me, my virgin friend, how’s your grip in golf?
Consider this. Your grip has little to do with the direction of the swing but has absolutely everything to do with where the clubface is looking upon impact with the golf ball such as being in the opened, closed or square position. Everyone has their own unique way of holding a golf club. To keep this simple, if your hands are turned too far to the left on the club, this will more likely than not return with the face of the club looking to the right at impact.
Something else to keep in mind while preparing to swing is having a correct golf stance. In the course of playing you find yourself hitting a golf slice far to the left, you may find yourself compensating by adjusting your swing over to the right. However, in doing this basically you are not addressing the root of the problem and creating another one from the opposite direction. What do you do to fix this then?
Lay your club on the ground and make sure that it is parallel with your target line so you can check your aim. Make positive that your aim is not too far over to the left and keep in mind the alignment between your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are parallel to the club on the ground and with your target line.
By checking your stance you can determine what is really going on with your swing. Let the ball be your guide. Are you seeing it curving less over to the right? If so then you are getting close and if its curving over to the left or flying straight, then you are starting to make some headway.
Now if you are one of those rare hard to find, self-motivated go getters, then it is definitely possible that with practice and A LOT of hard work you will see an improvement in your score, not to mention your overall enjoyment of the game.
Get out there and experience for yourself if this works go over to all your buddies and tell them how the Golf Virgin helped improve your game. You never know until you try.
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Your Nearest Point of Relief in Golf
March 5, 2008
How would I figure out the nearest point of relief? - Nathan in Odessa, TX
Hmmm, well the nearest point of relief is not the bush over yonder where you can urinate after your 8th beer.
The nearest point of relief is the spot where a ball can be played which is nearest to where the original ball lies. This is the closest spot on the course that is away from interference where a player may drop or place their ball.
Now here is an example, if the cart path interferes with your ball, stance or swing, you can move and drop the ball with absolutely no penalty. But you must drop your ball within one club-length of the nearest point where you can stand and swing without interference from the path - so long as you do not move the ball closer to the hole.
This also depends on the length of your club that you are about to take your next shot with so keep that in mind. Look at your ball in relation to the hole and what is causing the interference. Then determine the nearest point that allows you to stand and make the swing that you need for your next shot and this is your nearest point of relief.
P.S. I have recently answered a question about casual water and how this relates to the nearest point of relief. Take a look.
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