How To Become a Professional Golfer

Golf
So…we see golfers on the tele, they show great composure, confidence and play some of the best golf courses in the world. How do they get on/in the box? Todays blog entry identifies the path/route to becoming a professional golfer.

How do you become a pro golfer?
Firstly the younger you start the better the chance of success.
Starting young should give you more practice time/hours on the range. However there are various conflicting 'schools of thought'. Some argue it boils down to just a 'hard work ethic/sacrifice' and/or 'natural talent'. However there is some good news if you are in your late twenties or thirties. According to PGA website :

'Golfers sometimes don't make the grade until as late as their mid-30s. If it's your dream - don't give up.'
(Source: http://www.pga.info/AboutThePGAPro/33811381.htm)

How do you make the dinero?
The majority of golfers put bread on the table through coaching and affiliation with various golf clubs. Tournament golfers on the other hand are an elite few, the majority of the profession do not feature on tour. Part-taking in competitions on Tour can be expensive. If you
leave your job as an accountant and become a professional golfer, the bank manager is likely to 'gulp' and remind you of your mortgage repayment(s). You have to pay entry fees, hire a caddy, pay for a top coach, travel+accommodation expenses. Unless you make the second cut it will be an expensive folly. However if you are fortunate to 'bolt on' endorsements, the financial burden can be eased.

How do you make it as a PGA Pro.
According to the www.pga.info website, the PGA organises in excess of 900 tournaments a year with prize money amounting to 3.5million plus. Becoming a PGA Pro equips you with a broad understanding of not only playing golf but but understanding the role of golf club management.

The PGA states you can become a PGA Professional golfer via two ways:
1) Register as an assistant at an affiliated PGA golf facility, there trainees undertake a three year Foundation Degree in professional Golf Studies-accredited by the University of Birmingham (source: www.pga.info)

2) To undertake a three year BA Hons Degree in Applied Golf Management Studies at the university of Birmingham.

How to make it as a Tour Pro on the box...
Many folk become a PGA Pro initially, it acts as a safety net and gives the golfer something to fall back on.

However to play in front of the crowds and have the chance of winning great sums of dinero, the European Tour is the scheme to get into.
My understanding is that there are 135 score cards available, amateurs have to compete at the tour School at San Roque for around 35 score cards (ibid). Another tour which is seen to be a 'feeder' to the European Tour is the 'Challenge Tour'. An interesting article on the 'European Tour' website summarises the difference:

“I think the main difference between The European Tour and the Challenge Tour is the golf courses. The courses on the Challenge Tour don’t seem to be as difficult as those on the main Tour, but the guys on the Challenge Tour go low every week. You have to make a lot of birdies to have a chance to win there.”
(Source:http://www.europeantour.co.uk/default.sps?pageid=127&pagegid=%7BAEFB93B0-EFF5-4C05-AB0F-FD08D947D944%7D&eventid=2006754&infosid=3&pageno=1&reportid=53632)

Other notable Tours include:
PGA America (not confirmed)
LPGA Tour (1950)
European Tour (1972)
Japan Golf Tour (1973)
Asian Tour (1995)
Challenge Tour (1986)
European seniors Tour (1992).

Overall
In a nutshell, you have to be good, whether it is down to sheer talent, a hard work ethic or both, it is tough and competitive. You will have to compete for given playing cards, and to do so you should be a scratch to four handicap. Captain Golf can conclude that it is possible to make a living from golf, but difficult. So get down to the driving range....

Next Golfing Blog
-The next Captain Golf blog entry will look at wacky places to play golf.

-Lastly,good news, the rib is on the mend, roughly two more weeks until Captain Golf returns to the range....

You can contact www.captaingolf.blogspot.com via cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com

If you have enjoyed the above, help spread the word and forward the link to a couple of folk...

Do Golf Club Brands Really Matter?

Now, we have all been there at school, at that age many of us are brand conscious, there is a pressure to 'fit in', 'be cool' or follow the 'cool one'. Whether it is trainers or the latest gadget.

From an increasingly early age, I think we are becoming more brand conscious.

The key question is 'does brand matter when it comes to golf?'

How does the golfing community feel about this? Is it more of a 'I am considerably richer than you' mentality or perhaps 'street cred' (maybe even a combination). Or does the brand actually make a difference to the quality of the club and thus ease of use and +ve impact on one's game.

One could assume a more expensive piece of kit is better, think of the R & D costs involved in its development. Yet in my local sports shop I have seen £20 Drivers ($30) one end and £200 ($250) the other end of the spectrum.

Crucially could two people of similar ability (i.e. consistently the same) over say 100 drives over a week (to remove anomalies) drive a ball on average the same distance and roughly in the same target zone? One using the £20 club and the other the £200 club. Such a test would produce a heroic piece of data. I hope some of you reading this will take this challenge on and please post your findings.

One thought is, a more expensive club, comes with it an entourage of marketing and branding. Psychologically I guess we feel 'better' and perhaps more confident if we consciously have a more expensive club, and that, combined with the 'street cred' , one hits a better shot as a result. Thus one might conclude the advantages of a more expensive club are psychological which in reality results in a better shot.

Next Blog Entry
The next blog entry will delve into lesson three of the golfing journey....

Links
If you have enjoyed the above blog, add a link to www.captaingolf.blogspot.com and spread the word. You can also email me at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com

Poll
Don't forget to look at the poll. Does the brand of your golf clubs make you a better player?

Golf Language

The Lingo of Golf....





Hello ladies and gentlemen. Pull up a chair, today we look at 'golf terminology' (CLUB TYPES, DISTANCE, HANDICAP, BIRDS.....)

Golf can be an intimidating sport and one particular barrier is the lingo. I have a theory which can be applied to both golf and cricket. Golf and cricket are terrific sports, yet quite often those who dislike both or perhaps one or the other, when asked, do not fully understand the rules/principles. It is only when the lingo is explained and the core basics explored they begin to understand/like the sport.


In the words of Tom Jones 'its not unusual' to fall in love........with golf. It is also.....'not unusual' for folk to view golf and cricket as 'boring' or 'weird'. If folk were not introduced to such sports from an early age, or were in fact badly instructed (perhaps putting them off the sport altogether), it reduces the probability of them actually 'liking' the sport. With that view, I think there are far more people out there who have the potential to actually like the sport, enjoy it and try it. One of the founding pillars of this blog is to introduce more folk to golf and show what it has to offer. If one more person tries or begins to appreciate the world of golf due to this blog, then it has been worth the journey. Before we get all emotional…let us continue….

Back to basics is the message of today. Here I have attempted to mention the key terms, using them in the context of actual play. Let us begin….

Ok, you start the day at the golf club. You have your bag of clubs, quite often half a set. The rules state you can only have 14 golf clubs at one time.

CLUB TYPES

You put the tee in the ground at the 'tee box', if you are to 'tee-off' with a wood or an iron, the tee height is adjusted accordingly. A 'wood' is a name given to a golf club and has a wider club face when compared to an iron. The first clubs I used were from from my father and yes the woods were in fact wood, there were some strange looks at the driving range. Since the 70's, 'golf clubs' have come along way, many of the 'woods' are now made with the latest technology and best metals with different 'sweet spots'. A 'sweet spot' is an area/zone on the club face, when on contact with the ball will produce the most power 'umph'. Where the ball will actually end up, will largely depend on your 'grip/clasp' of the club, swing style and general posture. Golf is a game of many variables, different variable ratios will ultimately determine if you have a good round. Golf lessons are a great way to influence such variables and in fact improve the outcomes.

DISTANCE AND CLUBS

Before hitting the ball, you will have decided the club type. How? This is usually based on the distance from the tee to the pin (i.e. hole). Generally you will face a combination of Par 3, Par 4 and Par 5 holes. The higher the 'Par', the lower the club number needed. The lower the club number, the further the ball should in theory go. On a Par 4 or Par 5 you would use the driver from the tee (also known as a 1 wood). The closer you get to the tee, the higher the golf club number used, until you get so close a PW or SW are required for a cheeky chip onto the green.
The 'Par' refers to the number of strokes it should take you to get the ball into the blasted hole. How you fair, under or over par, will decide your score. A PW is known as a 'pitcher wedge' usually used around the pin or on the approach. A SW is known as the 'sand wedge' and used in the sand bunker, or again around the pin/on approach.

HANDICAP

The score is recorded in the score card. Your score is decided on your handicap. Handicap, what is a handicap? A handicap allows players of mixed ability to play against one another and truly makes golf a game all can play. Handicap is basically the number of strokes it takes you over 18 holes. A scratch golfer would have a handicap of 0, whereas a beginner like myself would play off 28, the highest (i.e. worst) handicap used. Over 18 holes, you would have 28 strokes more than a scratch golfer. So for example on a par 5 hole, you would have 7 strokes to get a 'level' par. A par 5 hole, would in fact be a par 7 for the 28 handicapper.

According to the Stableford scoring system:
2+ par=0 points
1+ par=1 point
par= 2 points
-1 par=3 points
-2 par=4 points
-3 par=5 points

If you got the ball in the hole in 6 strokes, according to your handicap you would score 3 points, as in theory it was -1 par (7 being the par due to your handicap). Whereas a scratch golfer would only get 2 points if they got the ball in 5 strokes. Over 18 holes, the points snowball, but are dependent on the ability of the given golfer. The better the golfer you are, the lower the handicap. To establish the net score, you total the number of points gained per hole.

Generally over 18 holes, the total par can range between 69 and 73 par depending on the combination of par 3,4,5's on the course. Thus on a 73 par course, a 28 handicap player will in theory be playing a 101 par course (due to the allowance of an additional 28 strokes). Clear as mud? We will come back to the above in future editions.


How do you get a handicap? Well you can not buy them on Amazon or Tesco. Many golfers have an 'unofficial' handicap (an average over courses played todate), but to play in competitions you need an 'official' handicap. You get one of these from a golf club or a national golf association.

Some courses are restricted to golfers with certain handicap levels. Why? Perhaps elitist, but guarantees a fast game of golf. If there are too many 28 handicappers on a round, it will take longer for the hole to be cleared and will create a back log. If you are new to the game and others are waiting or catching your round, keep your cool. Everyone started somewhere, and they probably hit much worse! Instead the form is to wave such golfers on and let them overtake you.

A round of golf usually involves two pairings. Two teams will be formed and the points totals tallied after the 9th and the 18th to see which team are the winning pair. Its then back at the 19th hole (the 'pub') you relive the journey, the good times and the bad.

HOOK AND FORE
Ok…you have teed off. You have hooked it, this means you hit the ball out to the right. On your second stroke you hook the ball again and see the ball heading for another group of golfers on a parallel hole. Golf insurance would be handy. The standard procedure is to yell 'fore', and with a bit of luck the golfers in danger will 'dive' to safety (away from the ball not towards it).

BIRDS
Birds….This is another gem of confusion. Albertross, Birdie....

3 under par= Albertross
2 under par= Eagle
1 under par= Birdie
Level par=Par
1 Over par= Bogey
2 Over par= Double Bogey
3 over par= Triple Bogey

An 'ace' is a hole in one, if you get one of these bad boys it will be a great achievement. Although the wallet will hurt, general form is buy everyone in the club house a cheeky pint.

SUMMARY
Ok to wrap up. Here we have looked at clubs, type of club, handicap, types of shots and names of given birds (the golf variety). In future editions we will look at further terminology and progress.

Next Blog Entry
The next entry will look at how you become a pro, how do you get on the top tours. What are the steps/procedures?

If you have enjoyed reading the above, spread the word and book mark the above page.

You can contact captaingolf at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com with any wise words/tips.

You can also catch up on the blogs from last month by clicking the given link on the right,

See you soon

captaingolf

----------------

Eco Golf

Golf and the Environment


Good day ladies and gents. 'Golf and Climate Change', it sounds like an epic subject/topic. I would take a seat, but I am in fact sitting. When you think of a traditional golf course, one might assume that there was deforestation, inhabitants moved and local wild life affected. This is potentially a hot topic.

A true trade off is the economic benefit brought to an area that comes along with a golf course vs the economic significance of 'nature' (which some might argue is priceless) but not reported/quantified on an organisation's balance sheet. Hence some folk may argue it is 'valued less' as a result. Let us continue....


Golf courses can certainly bring economic benefit to an area. Think of the jobs, from course construction, to restaurant workers, shop employees and the network of suppliers connected to the course. Just because a golf course is/was built, does not automatically mean a trade off, golf course =harm to the environment, or no golf course=good for the environment. The management of a golf course can do much to make 'their club' greener. With the business world becoming 'greener', and climate change firmly cemented in the world media (and rightly so), there is arguably a drive for golf clubs to too 'become greener' and adopt better practices. This would not only apply to those courses under current construction, but those already in existence.

Would a green golf club be a better club than a non green club? The environment/world would be a better place if every golf club in the UK recycled 50% of rubbish, or installed energy sufficient technology. It is through collective change that a greater change regarding the climate can be brought about.


Initially what may begin to be a niche, I predict will evolve and become mainstream. Although difficult to quantify, a given percentage of golfers may restrict their course play to those clubs which are seen to be 'green' or behold eco-accreditation. If golfers voted with the £ in their wallet, other courses would be forced to adapt/change. Going green may in fact save a golf club revenue and improve efficiencies. For example a water wheel on a river running through a course could lead to the generation of cheap energy (over the longterm). Other forces at work which may make a 'club play ball' are legislative measures. If X number of companies are forced to adapt, due to legislation, change would be enforced and enshrined.

An interesting organisation that caught my eye was NGO, the National Golf Organisation, their mission is to protect the environment and introduce better and greener practices to golf courses around the world.

The green club is here to stay, which can only be a good thing, but the key question is how will the uptake increase over time and at what rate....and will it lead to a more expensive round of golf?

Next Blog Entry
The next entry will take a look at some of the golf lingo to help any beginners adjust to the great sport....

If you liked the above take a look at the blog entries for the month of February located in the archive in the right column.

You can contact www.captaingolf.blogspot.com by emailing cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com. See you soon comrades....

Bad Rib + Golf Swing= Golf Not Possible

No Pain No Gain

Good day ladies and gents. A fine day it has been, in the words of Finley Quay, the sun is shinning the weather is sweet 'oh yeh'.

I am afraid there is no zen golf entry this week, the link which was to be used has disappeared into the abyss. We must therefore reflect and move on, Amen brother.

So..what has happened over the last week?
Captain golf injured his ribs on Monday. No I was not injured on the course and taken to A&E in a golf buggy, instead, having achieved success at the driving range, I played 5 aside football in the evening and took a wack to the upper rib cage, a golfer's nightmare. As a consequence, the golf lesson today was postponed. This was to be lesson 6 out of a new batch of lessons. Coach was to improve my short game on the course. Alas, friends I hope to be back in action in a week or so, ie on the course and driving range. Did we win the futebol? No, we lost and in fact got relegated (on goal difference, by one goal)....not a good day at the office.

Managed to get the rib checked over in the 'walk in' A & E but appears to be badly strained. Very impressive, only a 45 minute wait, hats off to the NHS, there has been improvement.

Bytheby, 'No Hard Hats Needed-lesson Five' is on the way soon. www.captaingolf.blogspot.com will also be including more photos/comical links in future versions...so stay tuned folks...

Next Blog Entry

The next blog entry will take a quick look at golf and the environment. Can golf be good for the environment? We will see.

Regards

captaingolf

No Hard Hats Needed- Lesson Four

No Hard Hats Needed- Golf Lesson Four

Quite a lesson. Lesson four out of five. The coach issued a new swing which would take approx two months to implement. So drumroll, in two months we will review this golfing lesson and see the results.

What did the swing involve? Well I can conclude that it did not involve anything you would see on Strictly Come Dancing. The swing involved a twist of hips but no 'cha cha cha'.
Having twisted slightly, I leaned to my left (allowing the hip to twist but stay in line) and kept the baseball cap to the right of the ball. On swinging the club, I was informed it should not go horizontal (i.e. not like the legend John Daly) but stop mid air, with a straight left arm.

So how are these mechanics translated into practice? Well with difficulty, with so many mental 'checks', you might forget that you need to hit the ball. Alas, tricks of the trade include using a long mirror often located at a driving range and found in the teaching area. You should get some electrical tape and place two lines on the mirror.
Yes folk may assume you are a wee bit weird, but it should help. Why use the mirror and electrical tape? You need to ensure that the head and hip do not move beyond the parallel lines. When using the technology/video system to analyse the mechanics, all the pros maintain a movement within a 'certain' range. When your movement (i.e. a beginner like myself) breaches the given parameters/range, it will result in a duff shot.

Did it make any difference? 'Yes' and 'no' is the answer. Some horrific shots but one or two good ones. Coach advised that Faldo when training was not allowed to hit a golf ball for 6 weeks….the drill was to simply practice the swing/movement. So practice is needed.

A couple of days later I made another outing to the driving range.
This was a good decision. Things seemed to click. I managed to hit around 30 balls using this technique, with no duff shots. Although still difficult when moving between the driver and the irons to maintain the consistency.

Key Criteria Learnt From Golf Lesson Four:

-Practice the mechanics, stance and swing.
-Be patient and refrain from hitting a 1000 balls until you are confident you have the right 'swing'.
-Practice, Practice Practice.
-Use a long mirror if possible.

The Poll Results
Does the brand of your golf club make you a better player?
The results were 'even stevens'. 33% reported 'yes', 50% reported 'no' and 16% were 'unsure'.

I would strongly recommend you read the comment by Mike regarding the blog entry: 'do golf brands really matter?'

He raised some excellent points, and a good comparison with playing a basic guitar (to learn the basics) before then moving on to better kit. Anyhow, have a quick look and please do add any further comments. It was an interesting blog entry and we will return to this topic in future editions.

The next poll will ask the question:

Does a 'water' feature such as a lake or river have an adverse effect on a player's score?

Next Blog….

The next blog entry will look at 'golf photography' and the 'Zen' of the golf course.....

If you have enjoyed reading captaingolf, bookmark the page and spread the word. You can also contact captaingolf at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com.

No Tee?

Think Outside of the Box

Good day ladies and gents. The blog entry today is not about how you like your tea.....(sugar, no sugar, milk, no milk, herbal or traditional)...instead it takes a look at a tee used by the golfer John Daly. The key question is, does the type of tee make a difference? The answer is clearly 'no' if you are John Daly. Why use the ring pull when a golf club will do the trick? You can get more bang with your dollar, tee off and then have a cheeky bevie. Although a crate of 18 cans could slow the round of golf....

Take a butchers at the following clip:



On a more serious note...does a taller tee result in a higher trajectory of the ball? Food for thought...

Next Blog Entry

Well the block of five lessons is nearing completion. The next blog entry will look at what was learnt in lesson four regarding www.captaingolf.blogspot.com 's journey of improvement. There should be a few gems appearing in the blog over the next month or so.

Enjoyed Reading www.captaingolf.blogspot.com ? If so spread the word, more the merrier comrades.

Got an idea/suggestion? You can email me at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com. Or simply post a message on the blog using the 'comment' data fields.

If you have not already.....look at the poll on the right...

Regards

captaingolf

The National Golf Course + Oak Tree

Practice Practice Practice

Sunday was another chance to put the coaches' words of wisdom into action. This was a three person outing at a National golf course in the UK. Unfortunately there was no time to practice at the driving range, there was an opportunity to tee off earlier ahead of two games of four pairs. Just as well, otherwise it would have been a long day.


Teeing off with the 'gatekeeper' watching, time seemed to stand still. I used the driver but sliced the ball wide, to the right of the fairway and into the woodland. It wasn't a great start. The conditions were changeable, initially we experienced snow, then sleet, rain and lastly sun. I had opted for a cheeky yellow ball in case the Gods were to let rip.

As I took my stance in the woodland, there was a beast…..of an oak tree, its trunk wide in diameter, towering over my position (although five metres away). Sods law, the wall would strike this imposing monster/menace…and it did.

An almighty ping, followed by a 'doing' and the ball rebounded off the tree and ended about twenty foot behind my original position. Still relatively close to the tee, the two four ball pairs had arrived on the horizon and no doubt witnessed this battle against the tree.

The form did improve. When the technique worked it worked well. Playing off a 28, I managed a score of 17…not fantastic but an improvement from the 9 the previous outing.


Things that threw me were striking the ball on an uneven surface….this shot was not in my golfing vocabulary. I was yet to reach that golfing level or gain that skill, as one might experience in a computer game. Other gremlins continued to haunt, including the PW and SW. My short game was well either 'long' (i.e. 'over hit', chipped beyond the green) or 'very short' (i.e. the ball went nowhere). One might conclude that my short game was non-existent. Again…I had focused so much time on the long play, I simply did not have the right technique/follow through with the PW and SW. It was frustrating. Conquer those clubs and the handicap may well fall.

Another improvement had been the lack of balls lost. It was on the 17th hole I realised this fact…..and then 'plonk' one went into the lake, further up on the same hole, there was another 'plonk', the ball landed in more water.
Moral of the story is don't tempt fate.

In a nut shell, Sunday included a lot of psychology. I was defeated by frustration. We finished the course on the 19th hole with a well earn't pint.

Next Blog Entry
The next Blog entry will be look at a comical clip of that legend John Daly in action on the course...

If you have not already done so…..check the poll on the right. Does the brand of golf club really make a difference?

You can contact captain golf at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com , any ideas/suggestions drop me a line.

If you have enjoyed reading www.captaingolf.blogspot.com spread the word...

See you soon

Driving Range Practice Practice Practice

DRIVING RANGE ANTICS

Well today was a further day of trying to put into action the wise words of coach. The weather was not great, cold, damp and intermittent showers. This meant I would postpone my outing on the 18 hole course and focus my efforts at the driving range. The initial plan was to do the 18 hole alone, that determined to improve and play even when others can not make it! Bring on the better weather, sunshine and longer hours of day light.

In a nutshell, I didn't start well. 'On' and 'Off', some good, some bad shots. Slowly I tweaked my stance, 'left arm straight', correct grip', 'feet shoulder width apart', 'peak of the cap' to the right of the ball, 'drop the shoulders to the right', 'knees slightly flexed', 'bum out slightly'. Then as I drew the club back, I staggered the swing as recommended by coach, imagining the pane of glass.Turned the hips, moving the upper torso 90 degrees to follow the club. Keeping the head still but only twisting the upper torso I brought the club back through and struck the ball, following through.

It was great to see a sweet shot. However I was conscious that I was slipping back into the old routine. If the left hip wasn't turned sufficiently, the shot would go awol, or not anywhere at all. Eventually more consistency crept in, the stance feeling more natural. The bad side though, on a number of a occasions perhaps 8….I sliced the ball to the left and lifted the driving range nets, landing the balls on the main course, tally hoe old chap. It was then I switched to the PW and attempted to use the same pane of glass analogy.

On closer inspection, I noticed my five iron lynx starting to show ware and tear. Any one recommend a new set of clubs and the source!? Drop me a comment here if you do.

Next Blog Entry
Next weeks blog will look at an outing at a National Golf Course in the UK...as promised in last weeks blog. Did the above teachings work? We will see.....

If you have not already done so, check out the www.captaingolf.blogspot.com video in the blog entry 'Say Cheese'. Thumbs up and there may be more on the way.

Regards

No Hard Hats Needed- Lesson Three

LESSON 3

The key thing learnt from this lesson was the importance of the hips and how it affects the swing. Perhaps a hula hoop is the way forward. Moving on...

Using the coach's technology to monitor the swing, when recorded and replayed it was clear the head movement was still a problem. It had not gone away. The problem was still real. However to help combat this problem, coach gave me a good drill, it was/is hoped that this movement will remove the 'coil'/head movement from my golf swing. You can see the bad movement on the video which was uploaded to www.captaingolf.blogspot.com. Hopefully in future videos you will see an improvement in the swing action and it will look less mechanical.

Now the new drill. The 'staggered swing' drill made an instant impact. Staggering the swing and lifting the club directly, I kept the head still but rotated the hips, which resulted in improvement. I had to imagine a pane of glass, i.e. the club the club had to be lifted in such away the club did not break the glass but instead passed beneath.

Apart from the importance of hip movement in the golf swing, the relevance of the grip really hit home. This was responsible for some slices to the left and to the right. It was vital to have the correct grip.

Determined to improve I stayed for an hour afterwards to hammer home the technique, using a bucket of balls. Definitely have the bug…

Key Elements Learnt from Lesson:
-Imagine a pain of glass, the club must not break the angle.
-Stagger your swing to remove the coil movement.
-Rotate the hips 90 degrees and fully twist, but make sure the upper torso is looking straight ahead.
-Keep your eye on the ball and keep the head still whilst the above movement is taking place.
-Follow through as you hit the ball.

Next Blog entry:
The next blog entry will take a look at an outing at a National Golf Course in the UK. Did the above teachings work? We will soon see.

If you have not already seen the captaingolf.blogspot.com video, do take a look at the 'Say Cheese' blog entry and see if it gets the thumbs up. Leave a comment or two.

Thanks for reading, you can contact captain golf at cgcaptaingolf@gmail.com with any news or suggestions.

Say Cheese

Lights Camera Action

Ok ladies and gents. I managed to create the first captaingolf video for www.captaingolf.blogspot.com Yes folk were requesting a video or two. See what you think and let me know if it gets the thumbs up or thumbs down?



You can still see an awkward movement/stance in the swing, yet this coach assures me will disappear once I crack the swing and keep the head still. Potential to add few more videos if this one proves successful. The stance was a lot worse prior to this. Hopefully it has improved since.

The Poll
Meanwhile, following on from the blog about golf brands, make sure you register your vote on the matter. Locate the poll on the right hand side.


The Next Blog Entry:
The next blog entry will look at lessons learn't from lesson 3 as promised in the previous blog.

Captain Golf Equation: Maths can be Fun: (a*b/c)+(d+e)=f

Age and Golf: Is there an Optimum Age to Play Golf?

Does age matter when it comes to golf?

For many sports age plays a crucial role. For example, in football (soccer) outfield players generally reach their sell by date by the time they reach their 30s. Yet look at the world of Darts, the players are stereotypically not as lean and perhaps slightly older. Different sports have a different age ranges where the 'athlete' can stay competitive and compete at the highest level. The interesting scenario is with Watson (59), he still plays a great game. I guess the key question is

'what is the shelf life of a golfer?'

Injuries are sure to play apart and likely to be linked to age, but if one can stay injury free they can play competitively for a far longer period of time. Does a beer belly make you a better player, or does general fitness result in better play?

what are the variables involved?

If one could program a robot (that could play like a human), and give it all the best attributes what would the attributes be?

What is the definitive equation?

Could it be created? One could identify a glass ceiling of what and what can not be achieved.

The Captain Golf Equation:

Here I have listed some key attributes:

a=No. of Training Hours.
b=Player Age (too young; difficult to gage-inexperienced, too old:experienced but greater risk of injury).
c=Average Injury (total no.injuries/number of years playing golf).
d=Natural Talent.
(difficult to measure, perhaps a PGA coach could create a 1 to 10 spectrum on this).
e=Hand/Eye Co-ordination.
f=Golfing Potential.

Captain Golf Equation:

(a*b/c)+(d+e)=f

Could such attributes be scored and the maximum potential established for any player? One could identify a glass ceiling of what and what could not be reached? Food for thought. I hope to develop this equation further in future captaingolf.blogspot.com issues. Any thoughts/suggestions put them this way. Don't forget about the poll. Keep voting.

Next Week's Key Blog:

The next captaingolf.blogspot.com entry will take a look at golf brands and their impact.

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please spread the word and forward the link.

Best regards

No Hard Hats Needed- Lesson Two

Lesson Two. No Hard Hats Needed.

Good day ladies and gentlemen, I hope you have had a good weekend. Today's entry is focussed on what was learnt from Golf Lesson Two. Gone are the days of slicing the ball and hitting the driving bay roof. Progression.

The lesson started with a review of the previous session and a quick check that I had remembered the key elements. The grip and starting stance were given the thumbs up. The next step was to look at the swing.

Now, we had cracked the initial stance and had successfully removed the hunched 'look'. I hit a few shots, some good and some bad. With the PGA coach looking on +camcorder, it was frustrating at times to miss the ball, but satisfying when a good shot was eventually hit. Next the video footage was loaded onto the laptop. in this example I was compared to the 'shark', that legend Greg Norman with his classic hat.

The key question was to establish why I could hit the ball well in one scenario but then miss or hit a poor shot there after. On looking at the video footage it was clear my initial stance was good….but as I swung the club, my head moved far more than needed.

Now then- I really do advise the use of technology and video profiling. The coach drew a square around my head (i.e. on the laptop) and it was clear that there was too much movement when the action was replayed. Greg on the other hand, as his motion was replayed stayed relatively stationary within his framework.

Now the solution: It involved head butting a pillar next to the driving bay, crazy times. No doubt there were some strange looks from the nearby golfers but it was a good exercise. The aim was to keep the head still yet allow the body to turn using one's hips. My previous style involved movement of the hips and head. The head needed to be stationary. This was potentially a 'headache' (the pun could not be resisted), my previous stance/swing had developed the bad habit of moving the head too much. The coach suggested that this was a major factor in my inconsistency, i.e. being able to hit one good shot yet then miss the ball thereafter.

Leaning against the pillar, I crossed arms over my chest and practised rotation with the head staying straight. According to the coach, this was an exercise popular with Faldo's and Tiger's coaches.

This was followed by an exercise holding the driver horizontally behind my shoulders, almost crucifix like in description. Home work for the week was to perform the above manoeuvre 1000 times, teaching the body the correct method and making it feel natural. If I rock in my sleep, perhaps I've cracked it.



I spent another hour post lesson focusing on the new technique. There was instant improvement. So much so, I decided to use the driver, it felt good and there was consistency. Mental check points included: 'grip', ' left arm straight', 'head to the right of the ball', 'feet shoulder width apart' but pointing slightly outwards. On swinging the club, attempts were made to keep the head still whilst rotating the shoulders/hips as I turned with the club, ensuring that the left shoulder reached the gap beneath my chin whilst focussing my eye on the ball. I now had an objective 'check list', and felt like there was more structure compared to my previous approach.

Comically the 'range buggy' appeared on the horizon, a caged machine collecting 'hit' balls. Although tempting to use as target practice it delayed the practice session. My mind wandered and thought whether the sheer force from a ball driven by a driver could breach the caged unit on the buggy. Quite a dangerous job.

Out of the five lessons booked, two have been completed. The jury was out, whether I should attempt the gremlins, primarily the PW and SW clubs. The advice from the coach was to focus on the long game initially rather than the short game. An interesting theory, the theory that the short game could be counter productive and dilute the teachings of the long game. With that in mind, lesson three looks like it will focus on the swing.


Key Things learnt From Lesson Two
-Posture extremely important.
-Important to keep the head still (within an an imaginary square box), rotating only the shoulders/hips.
-Practice given exercises, recommended by Faldo's and Tiger's coaches as advised by my PGA coach.
-Feet: wide just wider than shoulder width apart, pointing outwards reacher than at 90 degrees.
-Long and short game: two different ball games. Conquer one and then the next.


In the next posting I will delve into age and golf……See you then...

(PS: If you are new to my blog, check out the previous post 'The Beginning' by clicking on the link in the archive on the right).

The Golfing Journey: The Beginning

1.00 Topic: Introduction
Welcome to my golfing blog, I hope it finds you well. The aim of this blog is
i) Document my journey from being a complete novice (i.e. pro at hitting air) to an average ‘half-decent’ player (although currently unsure whether it can be achieved or not).
ii) Give hope to other beginners.
iii) Talk about golf in general, equipment/share tips/gain further knowledge and host some cheeky polls if time permits.
iv) Hear your comments/thoughts.

I hope to update this blog as and when there have been any developments on my golfing journey.

2.00 Topic: Journey to date.
The Bug
Right, well I have the golfing bug, it is a fantastic bug and a great sport. If you are yet to discover the bug, give it a bash and then give it another attempt. A doctor is likely diagnose the ‘bug’ as having a ‘want’ or ‘need’ to play golf whenever possible.

For me the initial key was to go through ‘pain’ barrier, from not being able to hit a ball, to then one day ping the ball a fair distance (albeit not consistently). Once you get that great shot from an iron/hear the ping from the driver and you see the ball land in the distance, you have graduated from kindergarden on the golfing journey.

Background
How did I fall into this great sport? I hear you groan, however, you are still reading which is a good thing. Let me continue:

In 2009 I was given the daunting task of playing at Glen Eagles in Scotland on a ’stag do’. This was truly a baptism of fire. I had had no golfing lessons prior or extensive experience. In preparation, I on average visited the nearby golf range using my fathers old clubs two/three times a week before the baptism. Hitting around 100 balls for £5 there was improvement, but the source for my technique was largely youtube videos or reading various books. Having gained the ability to hit the ball (more times than hitting air) I took on one of the homes of Golf.

Now for any beginner, the first tee can be daunting, but at Glen Eagles there was perhaps a little more pressure. 18 potential monsters, of which you hope to tame. It doesn’t help if there is an audience watching. I had decided to stick to the five iron which soon became a good buddy of mine, although we would fall out more or less on every hole. Having watched my golfing partner slice the ball a couple of feet, some pressure was lifted. I stepped up, tried to remember my technique, swung, ‘clump’. A foot of turf was sent into the air, it travelled around five meters and the ball did not fare much better. Yes this was embarrassing, yet luckily the man in the hut (who’s role is to check that green fees have been paid) had been looking in the opposite direction. A quick fetch of the divot and I managed to replace the tear (followed by a gulp and a determination to proceed).

In a nutshell, it was a tough course, but an honour to play. The God’s decided to rain, torrential at times, the wind howled but it was manageable. I left a club in the rough and on another occasion it was so wet I lost grip on another club and it went further than the ball. However, despite the baptism of Fire I can conclude that yes there were a number of 8’s/rings but drum roll I did manage two level pars. It was the two level pars that gave me the encouragement to continue, I had the potential to hit good shots.

3.00 Lessons
Well ladies and gentlemen. Drum roll, I finally did the deed and enrolled for golf lessons. Now, to all beginners I strongly strongly recommend lessons from a PGA Coach. To date I have only had one lesson and unsurprisingly it was the best golfing lesson to date. The lesson involved lights, camera and action i.e. technology.

Using a computer program and camcorder, you can create a profile which shows your swing, posture/grip and compares it to leading golfers such as Mr Ernie Els.
Quite a revelation looking at one’s posture. I was hunched, had bad posture, poor grip and well it looked a mess (some may have called security). The PGA chap, gave me a new grip and stance. Comparing the old stance vs the new stance on video was a comical experience. Prior to the lesson, I did not look like a golfer, a transformation was needed.

Now, the plan was to put this new knowledge into practice at the next 18 hole outing. Yes it was part-successful, some sweet shots but again, more often than not, I would miss the ball or hit air. This proved to be very frustrating, two/three good shots with the five iron and then a scuff/miss. I contemplated taking a boxing bag on a separate golfing trolley, but the key was to keep a level head. Despite such frustrations, I persevered with the driver. To date, I had avoided the driver as my consistency had been far worse than the irons. Yet a driver is certainly crucial to playing 4/5 par holes. For every one strike from the 5 iron, my golfing companions had gone double the distance. For the last 9 holes, I used the driver, it worked and the ball went 200 yards. Perhaps with more lessons/a better swing it could go further, time will tell. The moral of the story is, a driver can save you shots, as long as you have accuracy. I will go into the short game in another blog entry.

Key Things Learnt from Lesson 1:
-Get lessons and then book some more.
-Ensure you have the right grip.
-Keep the left arm straight as you hold the club.
-Ensure your head is to the right of the ball (the straight left arm should cause your shoulders to dip slightly like a seesaw with a weight on one side).
-Knees should be slightly flexed.
-Your back should be straight, not hunched and the bum out slightly.
-Concentrate on the ball.
-I strongly recommend the video profiling.

Right, I will update once the second lesson has been conquered. Key areas I need to develop are a) adopt a good swing maintaining a good stance- b) improve with the SW and PW…they are gremlins at present.

Any other beginners out there or wise comments would be appreciated.