Why You Need A Golf Handicap

The golf handicap system is a must if you are trying to improve your golf game. If you have a golf handicap, it gives you the ability to play in local tournaments against golfers with better abilities. Any golf course worth its salt will offer you the chance to get a golf handicap. Your golf handicap is a true barometer on your golfing abilities, as long as you accurately post your scores.

The golf handicap system is a complex formula of your average score, along with the difficulty of the course you are playing, along with a few other bells and whistles that only the USGA can figure out. Every golf course has a course handicap, which determines the number of strokes needed to play that course to the level of a scratch golfer.

What all this means to you, is that it helps give you a true indication of your golf ability. If you wanted to play a match against a scratch golfer, which is someone with a zero handicap, if you have a 7 handicap, you would receive 7 strokes, one for each of the first 7 most difficult holes on the course. It's like he's spotting you a 7 stroke lead, or a 7 hole lead in match play.

Considering that golf is suppose to be a gentlemen's game, it is very important to post legitimate scores. There also are restrictions on how many strokes you can take on any given hole. As an example, if you have less than a 10 handicap, you cannot turn in a score card that has any score over double bogey. That is to try and keep sanbaggers from inflating their handicap so they can get more strokes when playing in golf tournaments.

Once you post enough scores and you have established your golf handicap, you will see how hard it is to get a low handicap. It takes more than one round of golf for your handicap to move in either direction. It takes at least 2 or 3 rounds to actually make your handicap move, so you don't have to worry if you have a bad day on the course. If you go in to a slump and can't seem to fix what's wrong with your game, your golf handicap will suffer..

Sandbaggers aside, the golf handicap system is is a great way to measure yourself against other golfers. Once you are in the system, you can log in on the internet, and see posted scores for anyone that has a handicap.

Golf Handicap blog

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Why stretching won't help your game...

What I want to make sure you know is that in order for stretching to help your golf game you must avoid several myths.

One:

Hold each stretch for 60 seconds...WRONG!
That is absolutely crazy! You're heading for a muscle strain or tear doing that. Only hold fro 10-15 seconds maximum.

Two:

You have to stretch for at least 30 minutes 5 or more days per week. WRONG!
You can effectively stretching for 7 minutes 2-3 times a week and see fantastic results!

Three:

You need to stretch with a training aid or stretch rope to see results. WRONG!
As I mentioned above, you can stretch for only 7 minutes with NO equipment and watch your golf swing transform.

That's enough for today, but I hope it clears up some confusion for you in regards to golf stretching and game improvement.

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Bunker Shots

One of the most difficult shots in all of golf is a shot from a sand bunker just off the green. These greenside bunker shots cause the golfer to ask him a lot of questions, and more often than not, the answers are usually wrong. We all seem to know that we need to hit slightly behind the ball and take some sand; but that is only a fraction of the complexity that goes into making a successful sand save. Follow these golf tips and you should find yourself getting out in one shot, and placing the ball where you want, every time.

First, open your stance and dig your feet into the sand a little. The ball should also be placed forward in your golf stance to cause a higher trajectory once the ball is struck. Ensuring that your setup is correct in the sand is critical.

Next, open the clubface to flatten it out a little – this will make sure the clubface slices through the sand. At this point, you should focus on your hands. The grip should be a little looser than the normal golf swing, but still firm enough that the club does not turn upon impact with the sand. A weaker grip should ensure that you do not turn the clubface inward on your swing and close it when you make contact.

When making the golf swing, you should primarily try to keep the body still, and focus on just using your arms, and especially your wrists. A powerful shot is not needed to get the ball out of the sand, but a full wrist cock at the top of the back swing should be employed to make sure you bring the club fully through on the downswing.

For the right-handed golfer, your left hand should just be used to steady the club in your hand and the right hand is really going to be the hand used to apply force to the swing. This should naturally occur by using the full wrist cock discussed earlier. After making contact with the sand, the right hand should continue to push through, and a nice, high follow-through should be focused upon.

At this point, the ball should be coming out with a fair amount of sand. One of the mistakes the average golfer makes on the sand shot is chopping down on the ball. When you chop onto the ball, the angle of the club strikes the sand as such to where enough sand is not lifted from the bunker to help propel the ball forward.

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The Making of a Bad Golf Swing !

The perfect golf swing is the most important thing for a golfer of any handicap and experience. Greenhorns and veterans of the game strive to make their golf swings a little better than last weekend's 18 holes. There are a lot of instructional videos and booklets that are available to improve a golfer's swing but none of them will work if you fail to understand some of the basic concepts of what makes a golf swing bad.

The Set-up

The key element of a bad golf swing is sometimes not the golf swing itself but the most of the time it is the golfer's set-up. The set-up may pertain to different things like the golfer's clubs, his accessories, the clothes and etcetera. Some golfers think that a good set-up can make up for the lousy swing.

One of the most crucial mistakes that a golfer can make is underestimating the time spent on the set-up than the game. Some even think that they can have all the names in golf with them and just whack the ball silly. It may have worked for Happy Gilmore but it sure won't work for Average Joe and his lousy swing because Happy Gilmore is in a movie and Average Joe is not.

One of the most important things that you should remember is that the set-up should not pertain to the clothes you wear and the clubs you carry, but it should mean the preparation for your swing.

Bad Posture can kill your game

If you are one of those golfers that overlook their posture, you should think of considering a new sport because golf is not for you. It is important in golf that you know when your posture is bad. The key element of a good swing is the proper alignment of your neck and head. The straight line that is formed by your head and neck will dictate the force of the drive that you can deliver to the ball and flight. Once you are hunched over the ball it will move to either sides or fall short of the green no matter how hard you hit it.

Another important factor is balance. You should have good balance to deliver a good amount of forward thrust to your swing. And unbalanced footing usually hinders a golfer from delivering the full impact of the clubhead motion to the ball. This is because of the uneasiness that the golfer feels about his stance. Delivering a solid blow usually means your footing should be sure. Posture and balance problems can easily be corrected with practice and good habits. Once your muscle memory is comfortable with the position you want to achieve you will have no problem at all.

Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are good especially after a good game of golf. But when you bring your chicken wings to the game, things will definitely turn out for the worse. It is better that you leave your chicken wings in a basket at home where they can be the perfect in game munchies.

When we say a chicken wing this means a bad habit a golfer may be doing when taking a swing. When putting or in a putting game, letting your arm and wrist go limp is what you call a chicken wing. What happens after this is that the golfer's arm goes flying up in the air losing all the power to your swing.

Golfers who tend to take their swings lightly usually commit chicken wings. When you lose the power of your swing it usually ends up chopping or slicing your golf swing.

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The Mental Game

The game of golf is a game of skill and endurance, but there is also a mental component to the game that can separate a successful round of golf from a nightmare. The ability to clearly think through each and every shot, without becoming distracted or frustrated, is critical throughout the course of a five-hour round of golf. Most important, you have to perform self-therapy several times per round to keep your mind clear and focused.


The first, and perhaps most important thing to remember is that each shot must stand on its own. There is nothing you can do about the last bad shot that you hit, so do not dwell on it. Conversely, you can’t think too many shots, or holes, ahead. You must play with the mindset that the most important shot of your entire round is the one you are preparing to hit.

It is important not to dwell on bad shots, but you should take ownership of your mistakes. Bad breaks can arise that are outside of your control, but you shouldn’t be upset that a ball took a bad carom off of a tree, you should accept that a good shot on your part would not have hit the tree in the first place. You need not go through the five phases of death – anger, denial, bargaining, regret and acceptance – you should just go straight to “acceptance”, and prepare to hit your next shot.

If you do hit a bad shot, you should spend the time walking or riding to your next shot thinking about what it was that you did to hit the shot poorly. Once you have analyzed your mistake, make a mental note of it, so you won’t make the same mistake again in the future. Throughout the course of a round of golf, a golfer should also make mental notes of mistakes and aspects that he can work on at the practice range in between rounds of play.

Finally, remember to have fun. A day at the golf course is a long one, there is plenty that can go wrong from the very first tee box, but stay focused on why you are there – to enjoy the day and play a game. It is a fun game to play, and even more fun when you are playing the game well, so remember to put in the hours of practice required to improve your game. If you have not taken the appropriate measures to prepare yourself for success, then you should lower your expectations of your performance, and play just to enjoy the day with good company.

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Attending Golf Tournaments

Many average golfers want to go see how the pros do it when a professional golf tour comes to their area. Although golf seems to be a spectator’s sport that plays better on television

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, golf enthusiasts should go experience a live event at least once.

Here are some tips and information that may help you. Most professional golf events have websites that can answer frequently asked questions.

Tickets – Most professional events allow you to purchase tickets on a per-day basis, or sell ticket packages for the duration of the event. For most PGA Tour, LPGA and Champions Tour events, expect to pay around $30 for a single day ticket, and around $75 for a four-day pass. If you wish to attend a Nationwide Tour Event, single-day tickets cost about $10, with weeklong event packages in the $30 range. “Major” tournaments will likely cost a little more to attend.

What To Bring – It is important to check with the particular even that you will be attending to determine what you can and cannot bring to the course with you (esp. refreshments, chairs and cameras). Backpacks are usually allowed as long as they are carrying towels, sunscreen and clothing. Generally, you will want to travel light, since it will be a long day, and you will likely be walking several miles. Dress comfortably, protect yourself from the sun with sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen.

Parking and Accommodations – Again, you should check with the event regarding parking. Because many country clubs and golf courses that host professional events are located in suburban neighborhoods, parking may be limited. Field or roadside parking may be available, but in many cases, spectators will need to park at a remote location and ride a shuttle to the golf course. The tournament’s website should also list nearby hotels that will likely provide shuttle service to and from the course.

Etiquette – Because golf is a gentleman’s game, it should be respect as such. Silence is golden, and spectators should not talk while a golfer is preparing to swing, take pictures during a golfer’s swing, or talk to a golfer in between his or her shots. Stay outside of designated boundaries, do not touch a ball that has been hit into the gallery, and although there may be a mad scramble to surround a miss hit ball, use common sense to avoid standing in an area between the golfer’s miss hit ball and his next target. Failure to follow proper spectator etiquette can get you expelled from the course without a refund.

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