Golf Yips and Botox?
March 19, 2008
I came across an interesting article from the Mayo Clinic about golf yips and how botox might be used as a future treatment. Every now and again I get the yips right before I take a shot and was wondering what you thought about this? - Joan in Waterloo, IA
Yes, I’ve read the article about golf yips and have found it to be very interesting that they are considering Botox as a form of potential treatment. I’ve known many friends who suffer from this horrible jerking motion when they hold their shaft in their hands, as they want so badly to make a perfect shot only to have the opportunity slip away because their brain is having a conniption fit.
For the poor afflicted souls that do have this condition, I bet a well placed Botox injection just might help lower your golf scores. The upside being is that if the doc already has the needle out, why not only cure the golf yips but a winkle here and there too?
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Golf Side Bets and Wager Betting
March 18, 2008
Hey Golf Virgin what are some golf side bets or wager betting that me and a few buddies can try out? - Matthew in Phoenix, AZ
Wow, so you’re a betting man and take charge with your equipment when it matters huh? Well the Golf Virgin has something special for you. Take a look.
Some great golf side bets along with wager betting is a great way to kill some time and possibly make… but more than likely lose a few bucks. I’ll give a list of the top few such as Foozle, Barkies and Aces and Deuces.
1. First off is foozle. To play this, you will need 6 game coins, 2 positive and 4 negative along with a carrying pouch. Start by setting the compensation value for the coins with your partners before the start of play. As each positive or negative shot occurs, that player receives the appropriate coin. At anytime thereafter, should the act be repeated by another player, that coin is “passed on” with the appropriate flair. At the end of the round or turn, the players holding the negative coins compensate the other players. And the players holding the positive coins receive compensation from the other players.
2. Barkies, are paid automatically to any player who makes par on a hole on which him or her hit a tree. The value of a Barkie is determined before the round.
3. Aces and Deuces or Acey Ducey, is a bet in which there is a winner, two modest losers, and one big loser on each hole. It’s a game for groups of four, obviously. The low scorer on each hole wins a certain amount from each of the other three players; while the high scorer on each holes owes each of the other three.
So Mr. Betting Man there you have it, 3 easy ways of wager betting to burn through some hard earned cash. Hopefully for you lady luck will come for a visit and pour her good graces all over your shaft so you can stroke yourself into a frenzied bliss.
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The Plumb-Bob Technique
March 7, 2008
Can you tell me what a plumb-bob is and how you do it? - Steve in Monroe, LA
A plumb-bob, plumbbob, or even plumbing bob for those who may not be familiar with this golf term is actually pretty simple. Basically this helps you figure out the most likely break of a putt by holding your putter vertically in front of the line and then staring at it for a long period. Wow, so much fun… holding your shaft in line with your ball and staring down the hole.
Here is how you plumb-bob. Standing behind your ball and in line with the hole, look through your dominant eye and hold the putter steady. Now hold your shaft to where it hangs vertically and in line with the ball, if you’re a normal human then this should be easy to understand… If the hole appears to be on one side of the shaft, then your putt will break in that direction. After you determine the break, focus on your goal and take your putt.
There you go Steve, that is how you go about plumb bob putting. Remember though that it is very important to be sure of your line before you stand over any putt. Doing so will allow you take stroke after stroke with pure confidence.
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The Origin of Fore in Golf
February 29, 2008
A reader of ours had a question regarding the origin of using the term fore in golf vs saying things like heads-up or look out!!! Joe, this is for you.
The saying fore in golf means “ahead”, and it is believed to come from the military “beware before”, which was shouted when a battery fired behind friendly troops. So yelling “fore” is just a short and easy way to tell people to “watch out ahead” or “watch out before”.
Another possible origin is that the term came from “fore caddy”. A fore caddy is a person who goes along with a group of people around a golf course. They would often go ahead to be in a position so they could pinpoint the locations of the groups’ shots. If a golfer hit a bad shot, they may have alerted this person by yelling fore. The British Golf Museum cites an 1881 reference to “fore” in a golf book, establishing that the term was already in use at that period of time.
There you have it Joe, with some things it can be hard to pin down their exact origin. But regardless if you yell fore in golf or look out!!!, make sure that your fellow golfers know darn well that something is headed in their direction.
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How to Put Spin on a Golf Ball
February 27, 2008
I really want to learn how to get a good spin on a golf ball when I’m trying to shoot over an obstacle or get the ball to land in a position where I can make an easy putt. It’s something I’ve always been curious about but could never get a handle on and I wanted to see if you knew of the best way to make this happen. - Jimmy in Little Rock, AR
Being able to put spin on a golf ball is not an easy thing to do. However, getting the ball to stop almost where it lands can help you keep your score down and ultimately win a game. This becomes especially useful when you’re hitting onto firm greens or when the pin is placed directly behind a bunker or body of water. Listed below are some simple to follow steps towards becoming familiar with the basic technique of adding a good spin on a golf ball.
Step 1:
Stand closer in your stance for a normal golf swing which is a shoulder-width apart, so go ahead and stand about 1/3 shorter of the regular shoulder-width stance.
Step 2:
Also, stand a little closer to the ball so that its closer to your back foot.
Step 3:
Use a 60-degree wedge which is also known as a flop wedge.
Step 4:
Make sure to swing your club on a steeper plane than what you would during a regular shot. Basically hit down at a steeper angle.
Step 5:
Hit directly underneath the ball before taking a divot and do your best to take a divot that is long and shallow.
Step 6:
Follow through as you would during a normal shot.
An easy way to look at is to take an analogy from playing pool. When you put backspin on a golf ball it’s very similar in nature to putting backspin on a cue ball. To accomplish this you strike the cue ball at a steep downward angle with a great deal of force which then imparts this energy on the bottom half of the cue ball and sends it flying.
Perhaps you had the experience of being able to make the ball actually hop up into the air over other balls on the table to achieve a desired effect. Wow, all these different types of ball shots can be a bit mind boggling. But, balls are balls and the harder you hit them, the farther they shoot.
Adding spin on a golf ball allows to hit shots over obstacles such as bunkers, bodies of water, the rough or whatever it is that is in between you and the green. If you put enough backspin on the ball, it takes a couple of bounces and stops. In a perfect world, you would like to be in the position where you hit the ball about 15 to 20 feet from the pin and have the it stop a few feet from the hole and this will leave you a with short putt.
So if you like watching your balls soar through the air and land exactly where you desire then dedicated practice is key to your ability to put spin on a golf ball. But keep in mind that this is one of the hardest shots to master.
Update to Post:
Hi all, recently I’ve had readers take a lot of interest in this particular post and wanted to provide links my other posts on this topic. So go check out my other posts to get a better understanding of this technique by reading Making Golf Spin Happen and Beginner Golf Tips - Key to Golf Ball Spin
Happy stokes!!
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Never Hit Fat Golf Shots Again
February 27, 2008
I wanted to know if you could give me some advice on how I can stop hitting fat golf shots. I think I might have to change the local course I’m fond of because the superintendent isn’t too happy with me taking big chunks out of his green. Thanks in advance!! - Charles in Reno, NV
Hmmm… so you have a tendency to hit fat balls. I see. Well Charles, do you think your problem might exist on a deeper level? Even if it does, I’ll do my best to help. Typically, fat golf shots happen when the club hits the ground way too soon. This creates a cushion of dirt and grass in between the clubface and the ball and this pretty much kills the shot. To top it off you feel a horrible rattle as your club head strikes the ground and a nice chunk of green goes flying.
Tough situation to be in, especially when you have the course superintendent scowling at you like you’re a bumbling reject. To stop hitting the golf ball fat, the next time you are at the range, make a mark to measure where your swing actually makes impact by putting a tee even with your golf ball and parallel with the direction that your club is facing at a distance of 1 inch before the ball.
Take your normal shot and then compare your divot to where the tee is. You will probably see that the golf club made contact with the ground way behind the tee. This shows that you are definitely hitting behind the ball. So to improve, keep working this exersise and add 1 more step. Focus on hitting down but not too steeply on the back of the golf ball.
How I learned was by actually picking out a particular dimple on the ball to keep my eye on. Putting this technique together with making a mark of 1 inch before the ball with a tee helped me with this problem when I was starting out and hitting fat balls left and right.
Now you know what to do to quit hitting those fat shots in golf. After you improve maybe the super will look at you with a little bit of respect and you will get to stay at the course you are so fond of. Happy Strokes!!
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How to Get the Best Putting Stroke Possible and Some Putting Tips to Boot
February 25, 2008
This may seem like a real amateur question, but I am having a heck of a time with my putter stroke. It’s not so much that I freeze up but I have this strange tendency to space out right before. I really try to make the best putting stroke possible but it always seems that the ball gets right to the edge and just sits there. What can I do to improve? - Frank in Boise, ID
That definitely is a bad situation to be in, now as far as you spacing out right before you putt… I would say that you should probably cut back on certain things that inhibit you concentration. You know what I’m talking about.
Grab a couple of small pieces of wood about 8 inches long by half an inch wide. If you have a couple wood rulers laying around, those would be perfect for this. Now take these with your putter and some balls and go out to your local putting green. What you want to do is line up the two pieces of wood in front of where you will take your stance and these should point in the direction in which you are going to putt.
However, leave them far enough apart that your putter head has about a half inch clearance on either side. These two pieces of wood will form an alley that your putter head and golf ball will travel down. Now take practice putts from 5 to 10 feet in length and focus your mind on taking the putter back straight and following through with shooting the golf ball as straight as possible through this alley. The purpose is to not make contact with the pieces of wood so you can develop your putting stroke.
I have found out through my own experience as well as with helping other virgin golfers that if you are very inconsistent, this technique can really help you get the putter moving in the correct motion. Keep in mind that this will also improve your direction control during your putter stroke.
Frank, by using this simple technique, you will keep your balls from stopping and hanging right at the edge of the hole and sink that putt time and time again. We all know how frustrating that can be when you get so close…
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This is Exactly Why We Yell Fore in Golf
February 24, 2008
Golf Virgin, why do people yell fore in golf? - Fred in Springfield, MO
I want you to do something, right now imagine that you and a couple good buddies are out on a beautiful spring day, enjoying a great, relaxing game of golf and having what seems to be a really good time. All of a sudden, a golf ball comes whizzing out of the ether and smacks the absolute %#$# out of your friend standing just two feet from you. You stand there in shock at the oddity you have witnessed.
Your mouth drops open in disbelief at the hollow sound of a golf ball cracking off of your friends skull and the utter look of bewilderment on his face. You don’t know whether you should laugh hysterically or act in your friends best interest and seek medical attention. However, you quickly figure out that this is not the best time for humor as your friend starts convulsing and begins having a seizure. A full-on Grand Mal seizure…
This all happened because some joyless person a hundred yards back didn’t yell fore in golf and warn you and your pals of an incoming ball . You and your comrade try to hold your poor buddy down as he shakes incessantly and while waiting for a Care Flight helicopter, you begin to realize the utility of simply yelling ahead to your fellow golfers with a healthy “fore!!!” that something tiny, white and mean is on a hell-bent trajectory back towards earth.
But then again, the strangest things can happen on the golf course. It’s almost like a magnet which draws people onto this green platform so they can be judged by the “golf gods” if they are worthy of leaving the game unharmed. Refer back to my post about golf, lightning and karma and you will understand what I mean.
So Fred, there you have it, this is exactly the reason why you yell fore in golf. Think about that the next time you mess up a shot and see that ball of yours arching in the sky towards a group of hapless people enjoying the perfect spring day.
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The Mental Side of Golf
February 24, 2008
You brought up “performance fear” and I have to admit that when I know that someone is watching, it’s just nerve racking and I continually slip up and make really stupid mistakes. But when I’m out there by myself on the course or driving range late at night, everything flows naturally. Would you give me some pointers on the mental side of golf? - Dave in Memphis, TN
Dave, good for you that you’ve recognized you need improvement on the mental aspect of golf and that you really want to get over this block towards playing consistently. The most important thing you can do to have the best possible chance of success is to focus your will and and intention exactly on what you want to make happen. In essence, golf is mental, it’s that simple. Here’s a mind shattering thought. What if the entire scope of what we experience as “reality” was just a mental image of our own creation and that this image is constantly projected before us as the result of each consecutive thought?
Now if we were able to grasp that simple concept we would realize that we have the control to make happen what ever we so choose and bring into the definite experience of what we call “reality” our hopes and dreams. All by simply focusing on bringing these goals in line with our will and intention. Have you noticed that when you have done something new for the first time, you got it perfectly right without even trying? You simply did the task, whatever it was and you were successful at it.
Yet when you tried to repeat it, no matter how many times you did it. It never approached the ease and grace that you performed this task with on the first time. You know why? Because of the simple fact that you were trying and thus you were attached to the end result. The bizarre thing about bringing your goals into this strange term called “reality” is by having the burning will and intention to make these goals happen but at the same time not becoming entangled in the desire for your intended end result. Sounds contradictory doesn’t it?
To put it simply, you directly experience exactly what you focus on because it is what you truly want to make happen. How could it be otherwise? If your complete attention is upon other people watching you and then you follow up with: “I’m probably going to miss this shot and look like a total freaking spaz while doing it.” or “Wow, all these people looking at me, what if I slice, hook or shank this shot and everyone sees??
If you just take a step back, focus on your goal while simply doing it and without regard of the outcome, you will be amazed at the end result because you will have achieved what you intended to do… all without being attached. However, if you focus on screwing up then guess what, more than likely you will miss the shot and fulfill your own fear which then becomes a negative self-fulfilling prophesy. Ever listen to someone say “Oh that good thing will probably never happen to me or I would like for this to work out but I bet it won’t?” Basically these people are talking themselves out of exactly what they want. Horrible isn’t it?
Honestly, it is truly up to you what you focus your will upon. Your mind will give you many times over exactly what you choose to plant inside it. If you plant success and are sincere, then strangely enough success will follow. If you plant fear and negativity, you will get back exactly what you give. Now, the next time you are about to take that shot or make a putt… relax… imagine in your minds eye exactly what you want to happen and say the hell with it and simply do it.
If it doesn’t work out the first time DO NOT give up, keep honing and refining your will and intention. Constantly keep in mind to not be attached to the result and you know what? You just might surprise yourself and truly improve your mental game in golf and playing in general.
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Should I Wear Gloves for Golf?
February 23, 2008
Hi I need a little help, I just started playing golf recently and I’ve noticed that its really difficult for me to relax when I hold the club and after going to the driving range lately I’ve got some pretty bad blisters. I was wondering if should I go out and buy some gloves for golf? - Andrew in Stillwater, OK
4 words Andrew… Release The Death Grip. You are not Darth Vader and you are not out on a mission to conquer and destroy. This is a game and you’re supposed to enjoy it. Not suffer afterwards. As far as you needing some gloves for golf… Until you can settle down on your G.I. Joe, Kung-Fu grip practice that you have going on, I highly suggest it.
I think I remember an old pro say that you should hold the club like a baby bird, tight enough to keep it from escaping, but not so tight that you would kill the little thing.
After you have properly trained your hands on what they should do when you hold the club, the best thing I can say is let them do it. I mean it’s not that difficult come to think of it, you should be used to it by now with all the other practice that you’ve had before, right? In turn, when you have a good grip you are able to keep other bad things from happening and creeping into your game such as hook’s and slices, etc.
Also, an overly tight grip will do nothing but drag your game down and frustrate you when you’re supposed to be having a great time smacking a bucket of balls down range or plugging away at 18 separate holes. So do you, Andrew, need gloves for golf so you can grip golf clubs better without blisters. Yes… yes you do. Go out and buy some. Do it now.
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