Monday, June 27, 2011

Swing Technique

Twitter, Facebook, Skype, LinkedIn, Video Streaming, Mozilla, Ipod, IPad, IPhone... what a lot of digital product we have to flood our minds! Sometimes I think as golfers we can do the same with our swing technique.

Just keep it simple and basic. Go back to those basics of grip, stance, aim, posture and a swing motion that moves away from the target and returns the swing back towards the target with great balance. How we each do this is what makes it unique. Check with a pro to make sure your grip is being held in the fingers (not the palm!) and that you are aiming your club head to the target (not your body). Those are two biggies I see often.

Stop by and say 'Hi' if you need a quick 5-minute walk-by!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Great Golf Reads

It's always fun to learn new ideas that make golf so much more fun. If you'd like to read about some new golf ideas for YOUR game, visit the Landings Golf Shops for some great reads.

Deer Creek has several wonderful books: Every Shot Must Have a Purpose (Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott), The Game Before the Game (Nilsson & Marriott) and Drive to the Top (Dr. Rick Jensen) and Easier Said than Done (Dr. Rick Jensen... great book on transferring talents from the range to the course!).

Plantation is carrying Drive to the Top (Jensen) and The Art of the Short Game (Stan Utley). You'll also find some really fun items for juniors, including books at Deer Creek by Susan Greene (Consider It Golf, Count on Golf and The ABC's of Golf) and at all shops, an innovative new June 23rd release called Stick to Sports: Let's Play Golf (golf sticker book for ages 4-8+).

Don't forget to help juniors stock their golf equipment with clubs (Oakridge), gloves/hats/shirts/shoes and some especially fun character head covers at Deer Creek. All neat golf items that make golf a great experience!

How to Read Southern Greens Class is a Success

Wow, what a great turn out for our first 'How to Read Southern Greens: Putt and Chip on Grain' class this past Friday. 10 members attended the 1.5 hour class with John Phillips and myself and it was a really fun time for both instructors and students. We even had some putting and chipping challenges that made for some exciting moments.

If you're from the North and have trouble with reading southern greens for slope and speed, please consider this class... it's a perfect session to help you become a better putter! Also, if you have children or grandchildren who are interested in learning golf or developing their games, summer is the perfect time to enroll them in some camps or lessons with our staff.

We have so many fun opportunities for them, plus they can also benefit from the fun games and notes in the new junior golf sticker activity book, Stick to Sports: Let's Play Golf (ages 4-8+), available in all golf shops starting June 23rd. Keep it in the fairway and best wishes for 1 putt greens!
    

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Warming Up is Important

I've been hearing about some recent golf injuries from golfers excited to get out and start hitting without warming up. Be careful to warm up your body (your golfing machine, so to speak) before you play or hit balls.

Start with a few minutes of cardio (pending on doctor approval) to get the heart rate up and blood moving into the muscles so you can actually stretch them. Stretching and holding a cold muscle is like taking a rubber band out of the freezer and expecting it to stretch to full capacity on the first pull... a great way to snap the band! 

Warm up the muscles, do some dynamic (movement) stretching instead of static (holding) stretching and then make some swings without a golf ball.  Let that swing just move with some rhythm back and forth. You can start small and increase each swing in length.  Feel free to join a Golf Stretch & Flex class at the Fitness Center and they can show you how to warm up appropriately and stay stretched during the round. 

I would rather see someone warm-up their golf machine / body instead of hitting poor shots or risk injury before a round. Stay stretched for great golf!

Feel free to email any questions you'd like to
nicole.weller@landingsclub.com.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Benefits of Sunscreen

It's summer and time for some fun in the sun but make sure you are using sunscreen!

I've had many people ask me what type of sunscreen I use since I'm outdoors all day. I use Banana Boat Sport 100. I know after a certain number, like 50, it doesn't make that much difference but I like the thickness of this particular tube of sunscreen. The 30 and 50 are very watery. I've tried others (Coppertone, Neutrogena, etc.) but I am really enjoying this one. I've heard good things about Bull Frog too.

The most important thing is to make sure it has both UVA and UVB blockage. Check with your dermatologist and try to wear sun protective clothing when possible. I wear capris as long as possible and try to get sleeveless shirts that have more of a cap sleeve to cover the top of the shoulder. Nice wide brims, Oakley Half Jacket sunglasses, high collars on the shirt - those are some things that also help.

Check at our golf shops for clothing that has SPF built in. Other companies like Coolibar and Sun Precaution have great long sleeve and other items as well. Be safe in the sun!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Spring Greens

What a great late Spring - such nice golf weather! I've noticed that some of the greens are speeding up and that golfers are challenged with the speed.

A few tips...
  1. Read the grain. This is HUGE in assessing speed. Light color grass will be lightning fast and darker color grass a bit slower. It all depends on where the grass is growing.
  2. Get a feel for the putting green speed before you play by just putting to open spaces on the green (no holes yet) with the sole purpose of getting a feel for fast, medium or slow. Brad Faxon does this, as do I. Once I get a feel for the speed, then I work a bit with putting towards holes.
Visit one of the Golf Professional staff for some tips on distance drills you can work on for your putting. Most golfers miss more long and short than left or right... get the right speed and see your putts and scores drop!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Tips for Better Course Play

Tip to playing better on the course: Make sure to keep your practice and warm-up separate before a round.

Practice entails detailed work, changes, observations and specific focus while warm-up involves loosening up the swing, finding the rhythm, warming up the swing key you developed in practice and loosening up your body.

Practicing before a round can make one tired and put too many thoughts in the mind, like cramming for a test! The one question I ask while I warm up is "Does my swing feel loose and balanced" and if not, I keep stretching and swinging until it does or is close. Keep the mind free of too many swing thoughts!