A New Drill – Clap your hands for a better extension!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
One thing I work on constantly with students is getting them to have a good extension through the ball, keeping the clubhead on line to the target for as long as possible.
This will produce more accuracy and more consistency in your ball striking.
To better understand the direct correlation of the arms and the body through the ball, I want you to stand up and stretch your arms out in front of you, as in picture #1.
Now, without moving your body, try to clap your hands together.
You will see that you cannot as the right hand comes up short of the left.
There are two ways to make the hands reach each other.
You can bend your left arm, bringing the right hand closer and allowing the two hands to meet.
Or you can rotate your body so that the right shoulder and right hip come around level with the left shoulder and hip, allowing the two hands to meet.
You can see the direct correlation between keeping the left arm straight and rotating the body into a position with the hips and shoulders facing the target.
Now put a club in your hands and try the same thing.
If you do not move your body through, the left arm will immediately break down.
If you allow your body to rotate, it is relatively simple to keep the left arm straight and create a good extension, which, as I said earlier, will produce those long straight shots you’ve been striving for.
So, the next time you go to the range, clap your hands a few times first. I’m sure you’ll love the results.
For golfers who are tight in the upper body – try “disassociation” drills.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I am always looking for exercises to increase flexibility and “turn” in my golf swing as I have gotten older.
I have trouble getting a “full” shoulder turn on my backswing. So when I saw these tips on disassociation of the upper and lower body, I had to try them – and I loved them!
These exercises can be done at home, do not need any fancy equipment, are great for both men, women, and seniors. Just do them at your own pace (but do them correctly)
Today you will see a golf fitness workout circuit that will help you improve your swing sequence and also increase your swing speed with some fun dissociation drills.
This golf workout is great for golfers and really good for your fitness too.
Dissociation or upper/lower body dissociation or separation is really important in the golf swing to kind of minimizing unwanted swing characteristics and optimize swing efficiency and driving distance and accuracy.
So, separation’s basically upper body and then lower body separation. Both really important for improving your golf swing and we’re going to give you drills to do both of those.
First up, a great, cool one.
We’re going to do a plank with an upper-body dissociation.
So normally you have a plank and we’re going to keep our hips facing the ground and just turn to our side. I’m pressing the stomach. Give that a go, 30 to 60 seconds.
Another great fun exercise…
American football drill.
Get into an American football wide stance, quick feet, keeping the shoulders facing forward. You’re going to twitch, turn the hips. Go as quick as you can. Gets me warm, too.
Next up is mountain climbers.
You’re really looking to drive the knees to the opposite elbow. So I’ll show you from here. Really getting that hip turning. Upper body’s locked in place. Other side. Quick cool work out, that one too.
For golfers who are tight in the upper body – try “disassociation” drills.
Banded Step And Rotations
Next one, we ideally need a golf band.
For this you don’t need a band at all but it adds resistance and makes the golf exercises more challenging. Put the band around your ankles, around your knees.
We’re just going to take little steps in golf posture, hands across the chest, and turn in both directions. You can do this whilst moving to the left and right too. I also think of it as like a space invader drill. Turn, back the other way. Now you’re good for dissociation, got your glutes too.
Next one, I’m going to use a golf band again.
Again, you don’t have to. It’s not needed. I should show you a slightly harder version, so what we’re going to do is we’re going to keep a nice sort of base, hips facing forward, and we’re going to turn around, bounce the tennis ball and back the other way.
Look and bounce it right behind you, as quick as you can, from one side to the other. Turn the upper torso and keep the hips facing forward.
Here is the video for the golf fitness workout to improve your golf swing and increase distances.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Many people think good nutrition is not important in playing golf.
They see golf as less of a sport, like football or basketball, because they don’t have to run or otherwise demonstrate good physical fitness to play.
Not True! Think about all the long hours required to play golf……..much more than other sports…… and think about the demands made on your muscles, bones, and heart. Do yourself and your game a favor by eating healthy before and, also, during play. And stay off the junk food…….or you’ll play like junk!
Organic carrots are a healthy nutritional snack on the course.
Golf is just like any other sport. To maximize your performance you must be in top condition, and a good diet is an important aspect of this.
Eating the right foods is important for golfers to provide the energy to fuel your body during training and games, and for recovery afterwards. This is particularly important for those training and playing long hours on most days.
Another major nutritional crisis for many golfers is extra body weight.
Despite the success of some overweight professional golfers, excess body fat is only a hindrance. Not only does the excess bodyweight add stress to the muscles and bones of the body as you play, the stress on your heart is potentially life threatening. Excess fat around the body can also hinder your golf technique, making it more difficult to produce correct technique, and the fatigue from carrying the extra weight can reduce your training time, affect concentration and add distractions to your game. As you can see, it is advantageous in many ways to lose weight.
A good golfer’s diet.
The best nutritional advice I can give is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, low in fat. The food that is available back at the clubhouse is not always the most nutritious. Often you don’t have the most healthy choices, and subsequently many golfers are overweight. The answer is in the planning. Eat a good breakfast so that the body is prepared for activity. Also prepare nutritious food at home, and take it with you when you go to play. You should also stay away from are caffeine and alcohol before and during play, as both can adversely affect your game.
What a Tiger eats.
Some information provided on Tiger Woods official website gives us an insight into his typical daily routine and diet. After an hour of cardio followed by an hour of weight training, he has a high protein/low-fat breakfast at 8.30am. This meal typically includes an egg-white omelet with vegetables. The morning is filled with golf practice and a round of 9 holes. At 1.30pm he has a high protein/low-fat lunch, which typically includes grilled chicken or fish, salad and vegetables. Another three-to-four hours on the golf course and some upper body weight training, before dinner at 7pm.
There is no indication of what a typical evening meal may consist of, but judging by his other meals it is also probably high protein/low-fat. He also takes daily supplements for bone protection and nutritional support. As for hydration, he drinks Gatorade during competition and long workouts to supplement carbohydrates and keep his fluids up. (see also Hydration for Golf)
What can you do?
Organic Apples are another way of eating healthy and nutritionally on the course.
Stick to lean meats and seafood, lots of fruits and vegetables and no junk food. You will need some carbohydrates (low GI) because they help fuel your performance for long periods of time. Make sure you drink lots of water and maybe a sports drink, particularly if you are playing in warmer weather
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Happy to say that I was one of the 2800 golf professionals and 35000 other industry people for the “Major of Golf Business” at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, from Jan 20 to 23.
Record attendance at the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit. Plus at the PGA Show Outdoor demo day proved that many people are investing their intelligence and skills in keeping this game alive and relevant.
Personally, I was very inspired by the seminars on coaching, teaching, leadership, and Sales & Marketing. Headed up by luminaries such as LPGA teacher Nancy Quarcelino, Dr. Jim Suttie, Dr. Paul Schempff, Stan Utley (short game), and Todd Anderson from Sea Island Academy.
The 62nd PGA Merchandise Show a HUGE Success!
Bubba Watson entertained the crowd, Greg Norman and Lexi Thompson appeared on behalf of Cobra Puma. A panel consisted of the President of the International Golf Federation, Suzanne Petersen, Graham Mc Dowell, and more brought us up to speed on the 2016 Olympic Games. We will see golf as part of the games for the first time in 111 years.
There were also impressive discussions about recruiting and retaining women in the game, headed up by Suzy Whaley, PGA of America. And other prominent women inside and outside the golf business.
Read more about the world’s largest global summit for the business of golf as described by pga.com.
ORLANDO, Fla. – A lengthy list of golf industry leaders and luminaries joined 1,000 leading companies and attendees from all 50 states and 78 countries on a busy Day One of the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show. The Major of Golf Business. At the Orange County Convention Center on Wednesday.
With Golf Channel providing “Morning Drive” coverage from 8:30-11:30 a.m., Bubba Watson was on hand to officially welcome attendees and open the PGA Show from the Main Lobby. While PGA President Derek Sprague – as well as thousands of enthusiastic PGA Show attendees – looked on.
“The first day of the PGA Show has been exciting, fun and very crowded. It’s busy, busy, busy,” said PGA Professional Tara McKenna of Fort Myers, Florida. Who has attended every PGA Show since 1991. “For those in the golf industry, this is like Christmas morning.”
Wednesday also marked the first of three days of the PGA Education Conference. Featuring dozens of seminars on Leadership, Teaching & Coaching, Retail & Merchandising, and Sales & Marketing.
Greg Norman and Lexi Thompson appeared on the PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA on behalf of Cobra Puma.
While an update on golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016 was another first-day highlight. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and women’s golf initiatives were highlighted in a special presentation in the same location, and a new website for women’s golfers, GolfForHer.com, was also unveiled.
Panelists bring PGA Show attendees up to speed on the 2016 Olympic Games
It has been 111 years since golf was last a part of the Olympics. But the return of golf to the Games is well under way, and the golf course where the competition will be held is in the final stages of construction.
As the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, near, a panel met yesterday morning on the PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA to discuss the state of construction on the golf course and the excitement for potential Olympic golfers. On the panel were Peter Dawson, president of the International Golf Federation (IGF); Ty Votaw, vice president of the IGF; LPGA Tour player Suzann Pettersen; PGA Tour player Graeme McDowell; former LPGA Tour player Amy Alcott, who is part of the Rio course design team, and Gil Hanse, president of Hanse Golf Course Design, the architectural firm in charge of course construction.
“Golf in the Olympics is the biggest grow-the-game opportunity we have,” said Dawson, referring to the golf industry as a whole. “The growth of the game is worldwide. Golf in the Olympics will lead to extra exposure and extra government support for the game.”
Bubba Watson thrills crowd on PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA.
The 2012 Masters produced one of the most memorable golf shots in recent history. Facing Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff, Bubba Watson pulled his tee shot at the 10th deep into the towering trees, where it came to rest on the pine straw. The left-hander proceeded to pull a 52-degree wedge, hit a 50-yard draw, and land it 15 feet from the cup on his way to winning the Masters.
On Wednesday afternoon, Watson took to the PGA Forum Stage presented by OMEGA to talk to PGA Show attendees about how he works the golf ball like he did at Augusta, his social media usage and what it’s like to win the Masters.
“Whether you’re 92 or 35, like I was, when you have the green jacket on you’re 12 years old,” said Watson, describing the setting of the Champions Dinner at Augusta. “When we wear the green jacket it turns us all into kids. It’s great to see because it reminds me of why I play golf.”
The reason he plays: Because golf is fun. Another fun thing for Watson is “doing weird stuff on social media.” When he’s not posting hip-hop golf videos, Watson uses his social channels to interact with fans. “If it’s the golf course, baseball field, football field or the doctor’s office, it’s tough to really see who a person is,” said Watson. “Social media is a way to interact with fans and show them who I am as a person.”
Watson closed by taking questions from the audience and amazing a young golfer when he confirmed that he uses 10 wraps on his grips.
About the PGA Merchandise Show.
The 62nd PGA Merchandise Show, held Jan. 20-23, 2015, in Orlando, Fla., will welcome some 1,000 top golf companies and brands and more than 40,000 industry professionals from around the world to the industry’s annual global summit for the business of golf. The PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day, the world’s largest professional golf testing event, will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Orange County National Golf Center.
During PGA Show days, Jan. 21-23 at the Orange County Convention Center, PGA Professionals, retailers and industry leaders will uncover the latest trends, source the newest golf merchandise, test the latest equipment, learn proven business best practices, network among peers and move forward the business of the game. The PGA Merchandise Show is organized in partnership with The PGA of America as a trade-only event.
Here are 11 reasons to start a golf fitness program now!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I have always been a proponent of keeping fit and working out to improve or maintain your golf game.
Strength and flexibility are necessary elements to do that. Karen Palacios Jensen has put together a 31-day Golf Fitness Program Challenge to encourage you to get in golf shape. Here is an excerpt from that challenge.
Lateral Bounding.
1. Golf-Fitness Helps You Hit it Longer.
Doing golf-specific strength and speed exercises is one of the fastest ways to improve your distance off the tee.
2. Golf-Fitness Helps Hit More Solid Golf Shots.
When you improve your fitness, you improve your body’s ability to move fluidly and effectively, therefore delivering more power to the ball with less effort. Improving your mobility, strength, and balance will help you execute your golf swing more efficiently to make better and more consistent contact with the ball.
3. Golf-Fitness Prevents Injury.
According to the National Safety Council, golfers suffered approximately 35,000 injuries that required a trip to the emergency room or doctor last year. Strengthening your muscles, especially in your body’s midsection or core, offers protection to the rest of your body. A strong core improves your other muscles’ performance, therefore helping to prevent chronic nagging and acute injuries.
4. Golf-Fitness Helps You Play Longer.
Being fit is the key to golf longevity. As we age, we lose flexibility and strength, so the more fit you are, the more you can ward off aging’s negative effects.
5. Golf-Fitness Helps You Perform at Your Peak.
When your body and mind are fit and strong, you can perform at your highest level.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Many golfers are under the illusion that swinging a weighted club ( or using one of those “donut rings”)will help increase clubhead speed.
Research now shows this is a total misconception. First using baseball as an example, and then using golf, science has proved without any doubt that feel and reality are two different things.
A former World Long Drive Champ Dave Mobley who is a friend of mine, swings the Orange Whip every day to help him create more club head speed. “Swinging a heavy club will cost you distance” said Dave.
Bryson DeChambeau’s Clubhead Speed.
In 2011 The Wall Street Journal reported a study from the University of Hawaii that showed using a bat doughnut actually decreased a batter’s speed at the plate after warming up with a baseball doughnut.
Researchers claim the use of a baseball doughnut can change the muscles recruited and therefore creates inefficient hitting mechanics. A study conducted by California State University, Fullerton found that recreational baseball players warming-up with a light and normal weight bat produced faster bat velocity compared to weighted bat warm-ups. Most research studies have found that the weighted bat doughnut has a positive mental effect yet negative physical effect. The “kinesthetic illusion” created by the bat doughnut makes players believe they are swinging the standard bat post warm-up with the bat doughnut when the subsequent swings are in fact, slower. This effect influences batters hitting mechanics and timing of swing.
Click on the link below to see how science proves this theory.
Improve your golf with this effective workout routine!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Most golfers would like to play better golf, but a lot are hindered not by their swings but by their strength and flexibility.
Improve those two things, and your swing will feel a lot easier and more powerful. A workout routine will not only improve your golf but make you feel younger and live longer! Here is a simple but effective workout routine from Alex Fortey, founder of Athletic Golf Training.
Even Phil Mickelson has got his act in gear this past off-season with many reports of him following a golf training program and working out to improve his conditioning, power, and probably some fat loss too!
Here is the breakdown of the golf workout. All of the moves you see in the video can be tweaked and adjusted to suit your needs, ability and equipment. You just need to think a little laterally, so instead of cables, use resistance bands instead.
Medicine Ball Slams 1 Arm DB Snatches SB Table Tops Seated MB Figure Of Eights Upper Body Walk In And Outs DB Squats Lunge and Lateral Raise Explosive Spidermans Pull Ups Alternating Cable Pull Downs 1 Arm DB Rows SB Push Ups Bosu Push Up With Shoulder Reach Or Burpees
