Great Golf Courses And Golfing History - Murfield - The Honourable Edinburgh Scottish Golfers

May 14th, 2008 MorrisE. Posted in Sports No Comments »

The well known as well as venerable golfing course at Muirfield Scotland has had the honor of being ranked highly among the great golf courses of the world – first in Golf Magazines “ among the top 100 golf courses in the world” in 1983 and then ranked both second and fifth in that very same poll in 1987 and 1989. This while all the while the Muirefeld golf course held its lead as the number one golf course in the British Isles. The Muirfeld golf course itself has a long tradition and is known well as for its most difficult golf “routing plan”. This world famous as well as historic golf center is laid out in a structure resembling a “circle within a circle” making for winds that can come and play torment to any avid golfer’s golf ball from any of a number of unpredictable directions.

Not only that but this magnificent and historic golf course is home to the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, known as the world’s oldest continuous golf club. The Honorable Company is the direct descendant of a group of golfers known as “The Gentleman Golfers of Leith”. This group played at Leith Links (to the west of Edinburgh) which were first used as golf links in 1593.

Historical accounts place the Gentleman Golfers of Leith as formally recognized by the Edinburgh Town Council on March 7, 1744, who further presented the group with a silver golf club for an annual golf contest. With this formal recognition, the Gentleman Golfers set down a list of 13 golfing rules and began maintaining what has by now become the oldest continuous record kept by any golfing club in the world.

The list of rules that they set down, originally titled “Articles and Laws on Playing Golf” became known a the Leith Code , and became the first set of golfing rules to be written down, It was so reasonable and efficacious that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews adopted it when their organization was formed in 1754.

These Gentleman Golfers were sometimes later formalized as the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. In 1836 they moved from the five-hole Leith Links to the links at Mussenburgh on the east of Edinburgh. It seems that Musselburgh itself had been a golfing ground from at least 1672.

It was at Musselburgh in 1873 that The Honorable Company consented to an agreement – with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and Prestwyck Golf Club (who hosted the first Open Championship in 1860) – for the staging of the Open Championship at Musselburgh, the Old Course at St. Andrews and Perswyck, on a yearly rotational basis.

A little over half a century after the Honorable Company had begun play at Musselburgh, they migrated once again ( taking their position at the Open with them ) to Muirfield ( yet even further east on the Firth of Forth), which the Honorable Company developed for golf, and opened for play on 3, May 1891.

Muirfield’s seaside location and picturesque surroundings, offer an aesthetic banquet second to none. It has been said that the Muirfeld golf course is as close to perfection as is ever availed to earth, sky, sea and golfing skill.

Morris E.R.J. Brown Sports Discount Hotel Travel Information Winnipeg Long Stay Room Theme Hotels Travel Information Fortuna Ca

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Do A Fitness Regime To Improve Your Swing

May 14th, 2008 MikeSchlacter Posted in Sports No Comments »

Golf and fitness are words that were hardly ever used in the same statement up until a few years back. This is because golf was considered an easy going sport that was played mainly by the dyeing population as a means of passing their spare time after retirement. Recently however the approach to professional golf has changed and it has now been taken over by a fitness regime that requires you to be in the best of shapes in order to be a professional in the game.

This has largely been caused due to the influence of the media which has greatly popularized the sport. With all the tournaments being televised all around the world the players of the professional circle have been forced to raise up the standard of their game. Moreover there is so much at stake, if you are good at the game; you get world recognition and lots of prize money. So getting fit for golf is something that the professionals of today lay great stress on.

You will find many professional golf players to have a personal fitness trainer with them throughout their tournaments. The trainer’s job is to make sure the golfer does all the exercises that are part of his routine and in fact the trainer now plays just as important a role as the coach of the sport. When a professional golf player hires a fitness trainer he runs a thorough physical examination of the golfer. The results of these tests give the trainer all the required data to construct a fitness regime for the golfer. The training systems often vary from individual to individual and are relative to the physical fitness and requirements of the individual.

The main aim of these exercises is to increase the body’s strength which enables the golfer to apply more power in his drive. As a result the golfer is able to drive the ball over long distances with increased precision and accuracy. Moreover the exercises serve as a way to build up the strength and endurance of those muscles that are peculiar to the sport of golf. With these muscles perfectly toned you reduce the risk of injury and the body becomes well apt to take the stress that is placed on it during the course of the game.

This new development in the sport has resulted in all the major golf schools to incorporate a physical training regime into their training programs. Moreover the schools have now developed all the facilities with all the essential equipment that is necessary for physical training. Along with these facilities golf schools have also hired trained professionals who have specialized in providing golf fitness training.

Hence if you are considering joining golf schools make sure that it is one of those schools that have adequate fitness facilities and special trainers at hand. With the coordinated effort of your physical trainer and the golf instructor you will be able to lift up your game to a whole new standard.

For more information on a golf fitness system, visit the golf fitness plan site.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Design A Plan For Your Golf Improvement Goals

May 14th, 2008 MikeSchlacter Posted in Sports No Comments »

One common misconception about sports is that you play to get fit. Whereas the real story is that you don’t play to get fit rather you get fit to play. Golf is one sport which is plagued by this misconception. As it is golf is considered to be an old man’s game that does not require much fitness. Actually this is because you do find a lot of post retirement grey haired individuals taking to golf as a pass time sport. That is exactly the case under discussion.

There are some people who just play to pass their time and it is these people who do not consider fitness to be an integral part of the whole procedure. But up on the professional level fitness is now being considered as an integral part of improving your performance.

Good nutrition and physical fitness is important for everyday life as it is. Add to your routine a sport such as golf then you have all the more reason to keep fit. If you do happen to be one of those who take the sport seriously then maybe it’s about time you found out about a golf fitness plan that will help you to gain more control over your game. There is no bug mystery to the whole philosophy it’s just that when you physically in better shape you will definitely be able to play better. With increased endurance and better body strength your game will go easy on you.

The professional circle of golfers has understood the importance of fitness for golf and has accepted this fact in its totality. This is why you will find that most professional golfers have incorporated a fitness program into their routine. The fitness program is given equal importance as all other aspects of training for golf. This awakening in the sport has given birth to a new service industry namely that of professional golf fitness trainers.

These trainers specialize in developing fitness programs for their clients that will help them to optimize their game. Most professional golf players have personal trainers that travel with them on through the tours. In places that are frequented by golf players the many fitness trainers have set up their stations close by so as to make them selves more available for the golfers. Moreover the golfers often need the trainers to accompany them on their tour for which they sign up a tour contract with professional golf trainers.

All the well renowned golf schools have now incorporated a fitness component into their daily routine. So if you are still of the mind set that touring for golf is like taking a vacation where you can eat what you want and sleep when you want then think again. Because with a personal trainer at your side you will be restricted to doing only those things that are in the best interest for your game. The new school of thought for golf is that you need to be fit first in order to play like a pro.

For more information on a golf fitness plan, visit the workout for golfer site.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Here’s A Program For Better Golf

May 14th, 2008 MikeSchlacter Posted in Sports No Comments »

Golf is not just about a swing and a fore. So if you have been thinking of enrolling yourself into a golf school then you better be informed that at the school you will not just be receiving hours of instruction on how to get the ball in the hole. The new awakening in the sport has led to the realization that physical fitness is one of the key factors which has long been missing in the field of golf.

Although the hours of instruction play an important role in correcting your swing and making you familiar with the basics of the sport but physical fitness in it self is a great enhancer of your game. This is why you will find the golf schools of today to be incorporating ideal physical fitness routines into their training plans.

It is indeed strange to see that this aspect of the game has only recently been brought to light and for years fitness was not considered to be such an integral part of the sport. The professional golf players have now realized that physical fitness indeed plays a vital role on the performance of the game.

Physical fitness has its own benefits as it is but when it comes to the sport of golf the benefits are for the beginner all the way up to the professional level. You will find that many of those professionals who were not keen on physical fitness have now taken to fitness programs seeing the benefits it has incurred for their fellow professionals.

The idea of a gold training school that teaches you all the basic and advance techniques of the sport along with a fitness program that will keep you in shape for the sport makes perfect sense. And to think of all the years when golf was regarded as a lazy man’s sport!

This is the case that has been brought to light. So if you are going to be considering taking golf lessons you will have to thoroughly check out all the facilities they offer. Namely whether they are likened to the new school of thought who requires you to be fit or whether they are neglectful of this new found fact.

Those schools that have understood the importance of physical fitness in golf have developed fitness centers on their campuses. These centers are fully equipped with all the necessary equipment to give you an all around physical training.

Moreover they have a staff of golf fitness specialists who work with you on an individual basis. The fitness program will be relative to your physical condition which will be assessed by taking a full physical examination of the student.

The tests will be helpful in determining the level of strength, endurance and flexibility of you body. A fitness program will then be developed for you after considering your exact physical requirements. Moreover your nutrition facts will also be determined on the basis of which you will be provided with a diet to follow. The trainer and instructor keep in close coordination so as to keep the whole process beneficial for the golfer.

For more information on a golf fitness program, visit the golf fitness plan site.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Pitch Shot - Get It Close High Or Low

May 13th, 2008 BradMyers Posted in Sports No Comments »

To become better at executing a pitch shot, you will need to learn how to control the initial trajectory or launch of the shot. Have you noticed that on Tour most players will use a sandwedge or a sixty degree wedge from around the green? Sometimes they will throw the ball up in the air and have it stop quickly and other times it will run the majority of the way to the hole. Here is how they do it.

A lower trajectory, you must first place the ball back in your stance with sixty percent of your weight on your left foot for right-handed golfers. This will seem odd at first. Depending how low you need to hit the shot this could be as far back as the big toe on your right foot for a right-handed golfer. Also, insure that your hands or grip are by your left thigh. This will lean the shaft towards the target and de-loft the club face otherwise, turning your sandwedge into say an eight or nine iron. For a short shot from just off the green just make your putting stroke and allow the grip end of the club to return ahead of the clubhead as it was at address. In your finish position, make sure that your grip is in front of your left thigh for a right handed player and be able to hold your finish position there for a count of three seconds.

A medium trajectory, place the ball in the middle of your stance. As you look down at your hands, the grip end of the club should be just in front of the ball. For a short shot from just off the green just make your putting stroke and allow the grip end of the club to return ahead of the clubhead as it was at address. In your finish position, make sure that your grip is in front of your left thigh for a right handed player and be able to hold your finish position there for a count of three seconds.

A high trajectory, place the ball in front of the center of your stance. The grip end of the golf club should be pointing at the middle of your body. You will notice that the more the grip end of the club moves towards the center of your body the club will look like that it has more loft on the face. For a short shot from just off the green, you will need to create some more clubhead speed to allow for the extra loft on the clubface. Insure the grip end of the club to returns equal to the clubhead as it was at address. Again, you should be able to hold your finish for a count of three seconds.

With some visualization, now you too can hit different shots. You can hit a high shot to get to that front flag or a low shot to get to the back flag. You will look like a Pro!

Wireless Golf Coach offers free online golf tips as well as at the blog Wireless Golf Coach - A Golf Questions and Answer. In addition, go to the golf shop at Wireless Golf Coach to find golf instruction books to help you improve your scores!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Quick Fix - Chipping Fundamentals

May 9th, 2008 BradMyers Posted in Sports No Comments »

As we all have had our troubles with chipping the golf ball, some golfers are literally scared to hit a chip shot. These players do not discriminate and have usually hit all of the bad shots that you can hit such as a “skull,” where the ball flies way over the green or a “chili dip,” where the golf ball will hardly move at all.

Luckily, no matter anybody’s past, you can become a confident chipper in a short amount of time with the correct fundamentals. With the correct fundamentals, anyone can start hitting chip shots like a pro in no time!

All amateurs can look like a pro prior to the golf shot as address and set up are the two areas that you can make sure that you have correct before you start the stroke.

In chipping, hand or wrist action is not wanted. With this being said, it is very important that you understand that you must have a flat left wrist and a bent right wrist at impact. The good news is that you can pre-set this position before you even swing the golf club. Take a golf club and place your golf grip on it. Just look at your hands until you understand how the position of your wrists looks and works. Once you can see as well as understand that you need a flat left wrist and a bent right wrist, you now want to take your address and setup position.

In the chipping address position, keep your shoulders square to the target line, narrow your stance and place the ball just behind the center of your stance. You will then lean your body and club shaft toward the target until you have 70 percent of your weight on the target side. By leaning the weight forward, you increase the angle of attack. This makes it virtually impossible to hit the chip shot fat!

Now it’s time to make the chipping stroke. We will be using a motion for this shot that is similar to our putting stroke. Simply move the club back until the butt end of the club reaches the middle of your right thigh. It is imperative that you do not shift your weight during the stroke. Your weight stays forward throughout the entire stroke. In addition, keep shaft leaning towards the target through impact. Once in the finish position, hold this position for a slow count of three. This will give you the time to check if your flat left wrist and a bent right wrist is still in tact.

After working with many levels of players who have had many chipping difficulties, these fundamentals have worked for many, many players. Using this chipping method in giving one on one lessons and in teaching many golf schools, I have seen the quickest turn-arounds for players of any handicap who are struggling with their chipping. Using these fundamentals, you will lose all fear of chipping. Who knows, you may even make a couple!

Wireless Golf Coach offers free online golf tips as well as at the blog Wireless Golf Coach - A Golf Questions and Answer. In addition, go to the golf shop at Wireless Golf Coach to find golf instruction books to help you improve your scores!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Short Game Books

May 9th, 2008 BradMyers Posted in Sports No Comments »

Most golfers think that chipping and pitching close to the green are what makes up the short game. The short game articles provided at Wireless Golf Coach cover all aspects of chipping and pitching the golf ball and in addition, we will consider any shot within 100 yards of the hole as part of the short game.

By definition, chipping is a shot that has maximum airtime and minimum ground time. In other words, a chip is on the ground longer than it is in the air. You will want to place more weight on your target side to ensure a downward angle of attack. You will also have your hands farther forward to de-loft the clubface and this will you to hit the ball higher on the clubface and more inline with the center of gravity.

By definition, a pitch shot is a shot that has maximum air time and minimum ground time. In other words, it is in the air longer than it is on the ground. For this shot your weight will be more even at address and the handle or grip of the club will be more in line with the all at address as well as impact. You will want o make contact closer to the second or third grove to put the all up in the air. This will allow the center of gravity to help you get the ball up into the air.

Currently, the some of the best known teachers of the short game are Dave Pelz, Stan Utley and Rob Akin. Once a year, the golf magazine Golf Digest publishes its own Top 100 Teachers List in the US.

Dave Pelz uses his background as a NASA scientist. Pelz came to his theories after collecting endless data on putting, chipping and pitching. Dave Pelz has determined that the proper motion for a golf club is to go straight back and straight through. Dave Pelz has written three notable books which include Putt Like The Pros, The Short Game Bible and The Putting Bible.

Stan Utley played the PGA Tour for years and developed his theory of swinging the golf club in an arc. Utley has taught players such as Peter Jacobson, Jay Haas, Craig Stadler and Roland Thatcher. Stan Utley has written two notable books, The Art of Putting and The Art of The Short Game.

In his book, The Red Zone Challenge, Rob Akin breaks down the short game into very simple drills. Depending on your skill level and time commitment, you choose the best plan for you that will lower your scores.

After reading this article, you should understand that the short game is any shot from within 100 yards of the hole. In addition, you should understand that a chip shot rolls on the ground longer than it flies in the air and a pitch shot is in the air longer than it is on the ground, you can chose the best shot to get your ball close to the hole.

Wireless Golf Coach offers free online golf tips as well as at the blog Wireless Golf Coach - A Golf Questions and Answer. In addition, go to the golf shop at Wireless Golf Coach to find golf instruction books to help you improve your scores!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Get Rid Of Three Putts

May 9th, 2008 BradMyers Posted in Sports No Comments »

We have all heard it many times. The quickest way to lower your score is to improve your putting. To play golf at a high level, the game is about making birdies. Being blunt, the better players rarely three putt. This means that they are good lag putters and are making the short putts under pressure. The better players work on their putting strokes and it will take some practice time to improve your putting stroke as well. The three drills below are great practice and they will teach you not to move or peek at your putt. These challenges get worse as the heat is turned up and the pressure increases on your putting stroke. You should also work on creating a repeating pre-shot routine so when a big putt needs to be holed, the focus is on holing the putt. Use these drills below. You will see an improvement in your putting and more importantly your pressure putting.

KEEP YOUR HEAD STILL -

You should hold your head still to keep the putter on the correct path throughout the stroke and there are many ways to do this. If you travel, you can practice this at home or in a hotel room. Take your putting stance. Make sure the top of your head is touching the wall and as you take your stroke you should not be able to feel your head move off of the wall. If you do you have too much motion in your putting stroke your head will stay on the wall. Another way to do it is to incorporate a friend. While you swing your putter back and through, have your friend place his/her hand on top of your head to hold your head still. This also provides instant feedback to you. If you are by yourself, take a putting stroke and after the ball is gone, look at the spot where the ball was and slowly count to three and listen for the ball to fall into the putting cup. Although counting to three will seem like an eternity, this is the key to become a good putter under pressure.

KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED -

After you line up a short two to three foot putt. Simply, close your eyes. Closing your eyes will encourage you to really feel the movement of your arms and you will find that the slower your arms move, the more consistent you will putt. You will also become much better at your distance control.

KEEP A STABLE BASE -

This drill will help you keep your lower body in place during the putting stroke. Take your putting stance. Then wedge a rubber ball between your knees. You can use a cheap kids ball or a volleyball. You will need to squeeze the ball slightly to create a solid foundation and not to let the ball drop from between your knees. Eventually, you will develop the feeling of stability. Keeping a stable base is a fundamental of a consistent putting stroke.

Wireless Golf Coach offers free online golf tips as well as at the blog Wireless Golf Coach - A Golf Questions and Answer. In addition, go to the golf shop at Wireless Golf Coach to find golf instruction books to help you improve your scores!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Proper Batting Helmet Sizing

May 9th, 2008 UncleBooYah Posted in Sports No Comments »

It’s a sad fact that one of the number one reasons for sports related injuries among children is that they were wearing sports equipment that was ill-sized or weren’t wearing it at all. When you consider how hard a baseball or softball actually is and how fast and hard they are thrown even in children’s games; the damage that can be done by the impact of a ball to a child’s head is enormous. One of the reasons many children give that don’t wear their safety gear such as batting helmets, at all times during a game is that the batting helmets aren’t comfortable. Usually once a parent looks into it, they will find it is not really the batting helmet at all, in all actuality it is a case of the batting helmet not being fitted to the child properly.

No one has to tell you that your child should be wearing a helmet at all times and you can help make that a reality for every game if you work with your child when you’re buying a batting helmet and make sure that the batting helmet fits comfortably so the child will be protected as well as comfortable while playing.

A batting helmet should fit snugly but not so snug your child has a headache. When the child moves his head from side to side the helmet should stay in place not move around. Inability to see due to a helmet shift is another reason that injuries sometimes happen, make sure that your child has a well fitted helmet by doing a little smart batting helmet sizing for your child before you buy.

The foam on the interior of the helmet is a must-have for your child’s safety. It keeps the head away from the outer shell of the helmet in the event of an impact. While the odds are not high that your child will get beaned with a ball when playing, you need to prepare for something like that “just in case” and your child’s head will be protected in the small chance that something like that happens.

Last word, don’t skimp on the batting helmet that you choose. You’re basically buying safety and you don’t want cheap safety. You want the best you can get and that may be the difference between purchasing some unknown off-brand with questionable plastic parts and may or may not have quality foam and a name brand that has been inspected and meets safety standards. Choose the batting helmet that will offer the ultimate protection and one that is properly sized for your child.

Use these tips and make sure that you get the best fitting helmet for your child. When you have a properly fitted batting helmet, you may just find you have the opposite problem and you can’t get your kid to take it off - even to go to sleep at night!

Rick Grantham writes for BooYahVillage. He has written numerous articles on sporting goods, sporting tips, and Fan Gear.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Your Golf Psychology Tip

May 9th, 2008 BradMyers Posted in Sports No Comments »

Many amateurs do not fully utilize a golf psychology tip to help them shoot lower scores. Professionals are much better at monitoring their bodies and emotions. Of course, they also have caddies, coaches and other parts of their entourage keeping an eye on them to make sure that they are using the correct golf psychology tip. The regular folk like us do not have this luxury however, there are some things that we can monitor and do to help us relax if we get tense on the golf course:

· Golf Psychology Tip – Monitoring your breathing is a very effective way to calm yourself down. The best part is that you can do this at anytime. Whether we have realized it or not, all of us have started breathing faster on the first tee of a tournament. To give yourself a baseline, practice at home. Monitor your breathing at home when you are relaxed and notice how much tension in your body, how fast you are breathing and are you breathing from the top of your stomach or your lower stomach.

· Golf Psychology Tip – Another thing that you can monitor is your walking pace. Again, this is a very effective way to calm yourself down and you can monitor your walking pace at anytime. Although most of us guys would rather go to an insurance seminar than to go to the mall, you might earn some bonus points with the spouse by going to the mall and walking. On your mall walk, you would be able to monitor what is a slow pace, what is a comfortable pace and what is a fast pace. In addition, try walking at different paces during the day and monitor how your body feels at the different rates.

· Golf Psychology Tip - Focus on your pre-shot routine – once you have a pre-shot routine ingrained then this is a good way to click into auto-pilot. It is critical that your pre-shot routine is repetitive and does not waver. A change could cause anxiety and mis-trust in your golf swing.

· Golf Psychology Tip – Picturing a calm place such as a beach or a lake will also calm you down. This may sound a little corny to some but, it works. It is probably my favorite golf psychology tip. We visit my in-laws from time to time. They live in the middle of Kentucky horse country. It makes it easy to relax away from the usual city life. To give you a clearer picture, in this particular county you may only purchase land in five acre plots or more. While we are there, I walk everyday and there is a big barn that sits on tops of a hill in the distance. These walks are very relaxing. The Kentucky quarter happens to have a picture on the back of the coin that reminds me of that barn that I look at on my walk. When I mark my ball with a Kentucky quarter, I am able to remember my relaxing walks and I can feel my body relax right there on the putting green. You need to find your place whether it is the beach for you, your back yard or a sunset. The point is it does not really matter as long as it relaxes you.

Pick the golf psychology tip that will work best for you or use them all. Being able to monitor your body tension, monitor your breathing or having a place to go to during your round could just be the golf psychology tip that you need to allow your best performance!

Wireless Golf Coach offers free online golf tips as well as at the blog Wireless Golf Coach - A Golf Questions and Answer. In addition, go to the golf shop at Wireless Golf Coach to find golf instruction books to help you improve your scores!

AddThis Social Bookmark Button