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History of Golf in Scotland

September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_11311443931_golfing.jpgWhile many countries have a valid claim to an early game that resembles the game of golf, the origins of golf are without a doubt routed in Scotland’s past. The fact is, golf probably derived from other countries and stick and ball type games. However, while these are stick and ball games, they are missing that vital ingredient that is unique to golf. The hole. It was the Scots who introduced the golf hole into the game we now call golf.

Over the centuries, golf has evolved into the game it is today. The first recognizable form being played in Scotland in the early 1400′s. Andrews, Scotland is the birthplace of the game golf. Originating on the east coast of Scotland, golf quickly became the Scots’ national pastime and passion, bound forever to Scotland’s history and people.

According to Scottish lore, the people of Scotland believes that Golf was invented by Scottish fishermen to amuse themselves on the way home from fishing.

In 1457 golf was banned in Scotland because it interfered with the practice of archery, which was vital to the defense effort. The ban on golf had been issued in a time when Scotland was preparing to defend itself from the English. Scotland can say that they are the founding fathers in regards to the oldest golf course. It was in

Scotland that the passion for golf came alive. There is general agreement among historians and golf fans alike that the Scots were the first golfers who became somewhat addicted and passionate about the sport. In the very early days of golf, each golf group in Scotland produced their own and unique rules, which was sometimes the cause for interesting discussions. Golf is still a very popular game today in Scotland today.

The game of golf soon spread to areas outside of Scotland. In one form or another, the variant games of present day golf were clearly enjoyed throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. In fact in seventeenth century Dutch landscapes commonly show golf being played on ice. The game of golf began its destiny in time towards becoming popular around the world.

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The Golf Swing Plane

September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_01311022292_presentation1.jpgThroughout the years, the swing plane has always been one of the most difficult things to understand. Hopefully, I can simplify this difficult subject so you can achieve the proper swing plane in your golf swing.

I like to use the image of a weight swinging on a piece of string to illustrate the swing plane. What would happen if you picked up a weight on a piece of string and started to twirl it? Assuming your hand was on a 45 degree angle in front of you and not tilted left or right, the weight would make a circular arc around your hand causing the weight to swing down the line. If the weight was allowed to swing freely, it would do the same thing on one side as it does on the other. That means it would be swinging on a perfect plane around your hand.

Now that you have an understanding of what the swing plane is, you have to also understand that there are 3 different planes you could have. To imagine the different planes, think again about the weight swinging on the string. We already discussed the down the line plane (hand not tilted) but what would happen if you tilted your hand to the left? If you tilted your hand to the left the weight would swing to the left. Now what if you tilted your hand to the right? If you tilted your hand to the right the weight would swing to the right. So here are the 3 different planes you can have:

1. Swinging straight down the target line.

2. Swinging down to the left (over the top).

3. Swinging out to the right (inside out).

It’s important that we keep these things in mind when we think about our swing plane with a golf club. Like the weight swinging on a piece of string, we also have a weight (your golf club) swinging around our body (axis). Your swing plane may also swing left or right depending on the tilt of your body as you hit the shot. So what would cause the club to swing to the left or right of the target line (assuming you were in a stance that was square)? There are a couple of things that will stop the clubhead from swinging down the line:

1. Hitting with your upper body causing it to tilt to left on the way down.

2. The lower body sliding too much laterally on the way down.

Starting Down with Your Arms

If you start you downswing by trying to hit the golf ball you will get ahead of the ball which means that your body will be tilted to the left. This means that the ball will start to the left of the target causing pulls, pull hooks, skyed shots and slices.

Poorer golfers tend to try to hit at the ball with their arms because they have not yet learned how to hit the ball with their legs and body. To eliminate this problem of hitting with your arms, I want you to concentrate on the moment you are about to swing the golf club down. At this precise moment, you must start down by turning your hips not by pulling your arms down. This means you have to go against human nature. At the moment you are about to start down, human nature is telling you to try to hit the ball and hit it hard. This activates your arms which gets your shoulder rotation ahead of your hips and making the club swing down and to the left.

DRILL

A great way to feel the lower body swinging the club is to hold your club off the ground at knee high and do some practice swings. If you hold the club in the air, you take the ball and any hitting sensation with your arms out of the picture. If you no longer have the feeling of hitting with your arms, you can clearly feel your body making the club swing around your body thus creating the perfect plane (like the weight on the piece of string). Remember this feeling of not using your arms to hit your shots then apply it to your shots.

The Lower Body Slide

If you slide your lower body laterally through your shot you will cause the upper body to tilt to the right too much which, in turn, will make you ball start out to the right causing pushes, push fades and duck hooks.

DRILL

If you are someone who starts the ball out to the right of your target, you have to learn to turn your hips and body more as opposed to moving laterally. At the moment you are about to start your downswing, don’t think about shifting your weight to the left. If you shift too much, you will move too much laterally which will cause your body to tilt to the right too much on the way down. Instead, start your downswing by turning. To get the proper feeling of turning, simply place and object such as a broken shaft, golf bag, chair waist high approx. 3 inches off of your left hip. When you do your swing, try to turn and miss the object. If you hit it, you are moving too much laterally. Once you do a few practice swings training your body to miss the object off of your left hip, add the ball and hit a few shots.

Hopefully you have a new and better understanding of the swing plane and how if can greatly effect the direction of your shots. The next time you go to the practice range you may want to try an experiement to see how your upper body tilt affects the direction of your shots. All you have to do is simply tilt your upper body to the left and see where the ball goes. Then, tilt your upper body to the right so you can see the opposite result. Once you see this relationship between the direction and your body work on the proper uncoiling of your lower body until your shots start straight down the target line.

Until next time,

Paul Wilson

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Strength Training For Golf — No Gym Required

September 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f_21311443929_golfing.jpgStrength training for golf is viewed by golfers as a lot of work, time-consuming, boring and you need a gym membership to do it. None of the above is true, and if you read this article, I’ll explain why.

You see… strength training for golf isn’t on machines anyways…so that eliminates the requirement of a gym. All you need is a pair of handweights, exercise tubing and a stability ball and you’ve got your entire “in-home- golf fitness gym.

It’s not a lot of work, if you pick and choose the area you want to focus on. It’s not time-consuming if you do it in the convenience of your home, and have a plan of action. And lastly, it can be a lot of fun, when you use bands, exercise balls and training equipment specific to golf.

There many “so-called- strength training for golf programs, but when you take a look at them, you’ll see pictures of golfers sitting on their butts in a machine. I don’t know about you, but I think golf is done “on your feet-, right?

Strength training for golf is becoming “mainstream- with the golfing community. We see and hear all the pros doing it and playing their best golf; so why wouldn’t we amateurs do it also?

There are so many reasons why to participate in a strength training for golf program, that you can’t overlook it and say you don’t need it.

Lacking power in your swing? It’s because your body can’t produce any stored energy from a full backswing with torque in your core. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

Is your golf swing inconsistent from one swing to the next? Swing faults originate from some deeper physical limitation that’s not allowing you to make a mechanically sound and repeatable swing. How many times have you taken a lesson and heard your pro say, “you need to make a full backswing-, but you just can’t physically do it? That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

How about injuries? Do you have one at the moment? The golf swing is physically damaging to the body if you don’t have enough strength and flexibility to withstand the force the golf swing puts on it. Swinging a 3 foot long lever (club) at up to 90 mph is unbelievably stressful on the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

I could go on and on, but I think you might get the idea by now.

Strength training for golf may be your “missing link- to your best game ever! If you’ve tried all the ‘other’ methods, this is the ONLY one left. Why wouldn’t you explore the possibilities a little more?

If you’re looking to add power to your golf swing; improve your consistency; and prevent golf injuries, then you’ve got to consider strength training for golf.

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