Rotary Golfing

I counsel lots of golfers. Some of them are professionals, some are highly ranked amateurs and juniors. Others are weekend warriors hoping to win a few more dollars and maybe the club championship.

While most pros do not mind hitting out of bunkers, some golfers hate being stuck in the sand. It is obvious that they become angry, frustrated and anxious when they land their ball in the sand.

In order to compile some useful tips for weekend golfers who struggle with bunker shots, I spent some time with one of the finest teaching professionals I know. Jon Manos is a PGA professional who teaches near my office in BergenCounty, New Jersey. Jon, who has his own golf school at the Closter Driving Range, is very adept at breaking down the various aspects of the golf game and providing golfers with simple ways to improve the wide range of shots that comprise a balanced golf game.

According to Jon, “If the sand were spray painted green, everyone would be fine.” In his view, the bunker shot is really no different than the shot that golfers refer to as a pitch. The color of the sand, the texture and the depth of the bunker seems to intimidate many golfers.

If you want to hit your bunker shots with more consistency and with more accuracy, here are a few simple tips to help you master the physical and mental aspects of the bunker shot.

1. Imagine that you are trying to get the sand in front of the ball and behind the ball onto the green. This is a great way to help you visualize the feel and trajectory you need on your shot.

2. Keep your knees flexed and remain in a crouch throughout your shot.

3. Don’t make the mistake of trying to help the ball out of the bunker with your shoulders.

4. Move your front foot back two inches from your normal pitching stance.

5. You must choke down on the club. This will give you more control.

6. The bunker shot is a three quarter swing.

7. In general, try to take a divot which is one inch deep when you are in a bunker.

8. Use your sand wedge for the majority of your bunker shots. Once you master the sand wedge in the bunker, you can experiment with other wedges, your eight iron and your nine iron to accommodate various lies and distances from the pin.

9. Imagine that the ball is sitting in the center of a dollar bill and take a dollar of sand when you swing at the ball.

10. Swing your club in the direction you want the ball to travel.

11. Keep your hand pressure the same as you do on your normal pitch shot. Many players have a tendency to hold the club too firmly in the sand.

12. Don’t dig your feet into the sand. This will make the bunker shot more difficult for you.

13. Some pros use an open stance when they want to hit out of a bunker. Jon does not think this is right or necessary for the average golfer.

14. Practice this shot often. You will probably find out that it is not as difficult as you think it is. In fact, some golfers love to play out of the sand because they feel the shot is easy, since they can miss the ball and hit a great shot.

In addition to the mechanical skills required to execute a good sand shot,golfers need to be calm, confident and focused when they confront bunker shots. It is useful for golfers to be skilled in self-hypnosis so that they can get themselves into the right frame of mind to successfully execute the bunker shot and other challenging shots. Remember, you need to control you emotions and your mind to play consistent golf.

By: Jay Granat

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In a way, the name Range Finder doesn’t do the Golf Buddy Pro justice. It is so much more than a range finder. It actually gives you a monochrome picture of the green, along with distances to various parts of the green. So, the Golf Buddy Pro is not just a range finder. It’s a golf GPS, which is comparable to the Callaway uPro, Sonocaddie V300, and the Garmin Approach. Let’s take a look at a few of the Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder’s many features and compare them to its major competitors.

First off, the Golf Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder has automatic course and hole recognition. After all, it’s a GPS, it should know where it is. That’s true of all high-end golf GPS devices. A feature that the Golf Buddy has that not everyone else shares is it comes preloaded with thousands of courses. (It can hold up to 20,000 courses!) Most golf GPS devices require you to pay for courses, which you download. The Callaway uPro comes with one free course, then the downloads are $10 each. Only the Garmin Approach comes with pre-loaded courses.

This shouldn’t be that big of an issue, after all you’re paying anywhere from $300 to $400 for one of these things. But still. It’s nice to have all the information you need already in the device. The only problem is what if your favorite course is not one of the ones already in your Golf Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder? The folks who make Golf Buddy are generally pretty responsive about adding golf courses to their package. After all, that’s what they’re selling. Also, they have thousands already charted. So, the chances of your golf course not being already in their database are pretty slim.

All in all, the Golf Buddy Pro GPS Range Finder does well in competing with other more expensive models like the Callaway uPro , Sonocaddie V300, or the Garmin Approach. The graphics are not as spectacular as the Callaway uPro or the Garmin Approach, but you need to decide if you really need high-end graphics. For some people, the graphics actually get in the way of golf. And after all, that’s what you’re out there for.

By: Rick Cole

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Golf is a very entertaining game for anyone who would love to give their shot a try. Though the game demands patience and persistence rigorously, any pro golf individual would manage to survive through the game with a good score in favor. Nevertheless, the pro or professional are the very skilled golfers who follow certain principles on field to get the swing hit straight the ball in the hole.

Golf Advice from a Professional

The golf professionals play the role of mentor and guide the aspirants as to how to give the best performance. They can be either Club Professionals or Golf Directors who take the role of mentor and are entrusted with professional obligations at the various top notch clubs. Besides, the professional golfers are also referred to as those high profile golfers who adopt the role of teaching and also playing at the biggest tournaments. Being a beginner you can learn a great deal under the vigilance of the professional who will guide you through the basics and the principles of the game.

The Principles as directed by a Pro Golfer

The first principle is to position the club face at optimum level with the ball so that you get the swing right. There are three positions of the golf club face and their positioning determines the impact of the club against the ball. The second principle lays stress on the direct relation between the end or holding area of the golf club and the face of the golf club with which you strike the ball.

Keep in mind that if you can hold the club straight or slant it little depending upon the type of the club. However, you may hire a weighted club that has a remarkable performance to get the scores soar in no time. The third basic principle as advice by a golfer is that when you are hitting the ball with the club, the acceleration tends to slow down and therefore you need to decelerate so that the club slows down lately. If you intend to make it big in the realm then the pro golf training aid is very useful.

Apart from following the principles, you need to know a few important things of the game to call it a scoring shot. A trainer is the right choice who can advice you on how to hold the golf club. The relation between the grip and the swing play integral to a good game. Practice is essential to catch the pulse of the game. Visit the stores that cater the training aids, such as the equipment used in golf so that you get your hands at them before you get on field.

Hence to be a pro golfer, follow the principles and seek to the pro training aids, to make it work out for your dream shot.

By: Alon Farnendo

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Your Golf Swing is such an important component of mastering this sport that it pays to work on this probably more than any other part of the game. Without a good swing as a fundamental element, the rest of your golfing game will surely suffer.

To understand what the correct path of the club head should be, try thinking of a rope attached to a tree above you. You should feel that you’re pulling the rope straight down from the top of the backswing. If done correctly, this forces your right elbow to stay close to your side, which is part of maintaining perfect form.

Another aspect of form is the position of your knees. The tendency is to let the left knee collapse toward the right during your backswing, causing the shoulder to drop. Instead, try to imagine your left knee going out toward your target on the backswing.

A very important point to note is that a good swing will pause at the top, very slightly, before changing direction. This will have the effect of keeping your ball towards the middle of the fairway, at least most of the time!

Of course, every good swing begins with the proper grip. Getting this wrong can lead to a hook or slice quite easily. Make sure when you’re looking down, addressing the ball, that you can see the first two knuckles of your left hand, and a “V” formed between the thumb and forefinger pointing toward the right shoulder.

There are more aspects to a great swing that these alone, and every reader is encouraged to check out the following resources, many of which are totally free. The enjoyment you get by working on developing a great golf swing will translate to a lot more joy during your games, for sure!

By: Daniel M Falk

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Fila golf bags are amongst the best in the world in terms of quality and affordable pricing. Fila is an important producer of sporting goods and has made a lot of good equipment for golfers.

After investing a lot of time and money into producing golf equipment, Fila has for now stopped making golf-related products, making them rare to find. They can still, however be bought online or in stores that specialize in sporting goods. These bags are ideal for people who have just started playing golf, as they are relatively inexpensive compared to other brands and are also very practical and durable.

The golf bag helps the player carry their golf clubs while on the course. They are generally made out of nylon or leather and have a cylindrical shape. Good quality bags have several pockets made for carrying various pieces of equipment, such as additional balls, tees and towels. Golf bags have both hand straps and a shoulder strap for ease of carrying and some of the more sophisticated ones have small retractable legs that can hold the whole bag upright.

Fila golf bags are known to have a sturdy carrying handle and are made of high quality nylon fabric. There are several different types of golf bags that Fila has made over the years, so that practically any golfer will be able to find a bag that suits their needs and budgets. As for the prices, you can find some really good deals online, as used bags can be found for as little as $25. You can also find some new bags, as well as some of the more expensive models, which can cost several hundred Dollars in price. Just be aware that if you buy a used bag, while you certainly can get a good bargain when compared to the prices of new equipment, in some cases there would be no more warranty. While this will not pose a problem to you in most cases, as Fila golf bags are durable, well constructed and are built to last many years, make sure that you check what the condition of the bag is before deciding to make a purchase. Due to the fact that you cannot see the merchandise and inspect your merchandise before buying, most reputable online stores dealing in golf bags have a return policy, in which you can return the item that you bought for a refund, or exchange it for another one, if you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason.

Fila has made several types of bags, some of which are mostly designed to be used on the golf course others are travel bags that protect your clubs if you need to take them on a trip. It is very important that your golf clubs are well protected when you travel, so that you do not arrive at your destination with damaged clubs. Bags made for travel are made to resist moisture, abrasion and tearing.

By: Wendy Pan

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