Pro Tips
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Ask the Pro Tips from area Pro's
| Rules of Golf
| Ask the Pro
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| This section is for area Pros to submit tips for our readers. |
| If you are an area Pro and would like to submit a tip for our readers, please email them to camphouse@prodigy.net |
| Or mail your tips to: Edgewood Men's Club Review 1301 62nd Ave. North Moorhead, MN 56560 |
As the new season starts many of us wonder what new club or clubs to put into our bags. Here is a suggestion, think about adding loft to your game, either with a lofted wood (ex-7,9, or even an 11) or a lofted wedge (probably a 60 degree). During the Masters this weekend David Duval had a 7-wood in his bag! Lofted metal woods are much easier to hit than long irons because of their construction and loft. Lob wedges can make delicate pitch shots around the green easier. Many sets we order now are 4 or 5 iron through sand wedge or lob wedge and many wood sets are Driver(10 or 11 degree), 4 wood and 7 wood. Remember, if you have any questions please see your local PGA professional. Good Luck! Greg McCullough - Edgewood |
With spring here, and practice ranges and golf courses fast opening back up, practice is most important to get back into the "swing" of things. After a 5 to 6 month layoff for winter, most people get eager to start banging balls with a driver on the range. But remember, since over 50 percent of the game is played from within 120 yards of the hole, it would be a good idea to hit your first buckets of the year with a 9-iron or a wedge. Yes, it does sound boring, but retraining the muscles involved in your swing should be the goal of early practice. The extra time put in early on the short irons will help to lower your scores as well!! Zach Hanson - Edgewood |
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| Posture is worth working on! by Greg McCullough Edgewood Golf Course | |||
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| Posture is an essential ingredient for a great golf swing. Some of the common faults we see in the posture are as follows. 1.) Too much knee bend. See picture #1 This creates not enough waist bend, and probably an improper take away. 2.) Very rounded back. See picture #2 The back should be in a straight position, almost should feel like you are pushing your chest out. 3.) Shoulders open to the target. See picture #3 A proper aim should have knees, hips, shoulders, and arms parallel to the target. A proper set-up posture has the following traits: See picture #4 1.) Slight flex in the knees. 2.) Straight back and bend at the waist so the arms can hang donw naturally. 3.) Arms hang down from the shoulder and in a position parallel to the target. We see many times, from behind, the right arm (or right-handers) is above or higher than the left. This creates a downswing that will go left of the intended line and usually a glancing and/or open blow on the golf ball. 4.) A slight tilt to the right in the spine angle and head behind the golf ball! As usual Tiger Woods has a great posture to copy. If you are having problems with your set-up, please contact your local PGA Professional for help. |
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| How's Your Grip? - by Greg McCullough - Edgewood |  picture #1 |
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| Which picture does your grip look like? Hopefully it looks like picture #3. If it looks like picture #1, you probably have a fade to slice flight and high trajectory. If your grip looks like #2, your ball flight should be a draw or hook ball flight with a lower trajectory. If your grip looks like #3, you have a neutral grip and your ball flight should have very little curve. If your grip looks like #4 your ball flight could be any direction and type of curve. If your ball flight doesn't match your grip, you are rotating the face of the club somehow during your swing. Your goal should be to have a neutral grip to improve your game. If you have any questions, see your local Dakota Chapter PGA professional. | |
| In addition to the fine selection of Tips from our Local Pro's below, Check out these golf sites for additional Golf Tip information.  |
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| golfswing.com | Ask the PGA Professional | noslice.com | Pro Health Golf Fitness |
| Be The Ball | golf101.com | Golf Fitness Associates | onlinegolfclinic.com |
| Golf Guru.com | Nectargolf.com | Golflesson.com | Practiceswing.com |
| golftipsmag.com | In-Forum Tips Page | ||
| Quick Tips for back to basics | |
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| Your Grip |
Your Stance |
| Your Swing |
The Driver |
| Fairway Woods |
Long Irons |
| Short Irons |
Pitching |
| Chip Shots |
Bunker Shots |
| Putter | |
| Know your Distances! by Darin Uselman - Rose Creek |
Now that we are in full season, it is very important to make sure we know the distances we hit our wedges. The drill that I suggest is very simple and only requires a few minutes. If you begin with your sand wedge, start by hitting ten shots, paying close attention to the spot where they are landing. When finished, throw away your three shortest and your three longest and average out the remaining four shots. This should give you a rough estimate of the distance you hit your sand wedge. If you do this with all your scoring irons, the lob wedge, the gap wedge, the pitching wedge, and the 9 iron, you should be able to control your distance better and lower your scores by hitting the ball closer to the pin. |
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| Mid Season Slump? by Dave Alpeter - Rose Creek |
Are you the type of golfer who tends to get in a mid summer slump? You are not alone. One way to avoid this problem is of course to take a golf lesson to get back to the basics, such as grip, posture, weight shift, aim and tempo. Be sure to also work hard on the short game, (100 yards and in) this is where many golf strokes will be saved in a round of golf. On the putting green practice by making several putts from 4 feet and in, usually by making 10 or 20 putts in a row will make your stroke mor consistant. |
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| Mid-Season Thoughts - by Darrin Skinner - Edgewood |
It's coming to the mid-season, and as temperatures rise we would like to see scores lower. I think that we need to focus on having a plan for every shot we hit. Just think about how during the winter and how you pictured every shot. It is very important to know what you are doing prior to hitting the ball. Get into a preshot routine to get your focus back on alignment and where you would like the ball to go to. Really make a commitment to caring about every shot, because each one matters. |
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 Tip of the Day - Play to your Strenghts! - by Greg McCullough - Edgewood
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| Remember in golf it is the low score that wins. How do we get the low score? If your favorite club is your 7 iron, make sure you give yourself as many chances to hit that club as you can! If you are not comfortable with a 60 to 70 yard pitch shot, manage your game so you don't leave yourself that shot. This may mean you have to come up with a game plan ahead of time and use different tactics to use your favorite clubs, but next time you are out playing try it and I think your score will go down. Remember, practice and lessons are the way to improve on a weak part of our games. Lower scores is our goal when we are out on the golf course. Good luck and let me know how it goes! |
| Weight Transfer Drill by Nick Wimer - Edgewood |
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| ADDRESS ball with your normal stance, take your normal swing hitting the ball. Step through as a follow-through after impact to help you get a full release from your body, hands & arms. This will also prevent a reverse pivot. This drill will help you develop the feeling of complete weight transfer and release toward your target. |
| Take that extra club! by Greg McCullough - Edgewood |
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| Ever notice this time of year the ball doesn't fly as far? The weather can greatly impact how far a golf ball will go. Next time you are out this spring, take one more club than you normally would and see if you don't hit more shots closer to the pin. Part of our normal preshot routine should take into affect the weather that surrounds us! Good luck and keep those questions coming. |
| Technology by Darrin Skinner - Edgewood |
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| As years have passed and new technology has been developed, the golf ball has changed for the better. Ben Hogan used to go through a hundred golf balls and find only 4 or 5 he would use in tournaments. Well with the advances, we not only have a better, more consistant ball, but we are also able to find one that can suit our games. If lack of distance is a problem, there is a ball that can get you that extra distance. More spin, softer feel, whatever your need is there is a ball best fit for you. Ask your local PGA professional for recommendations on the ball for you. |
| Spring Tips to improve your game by Greg McCullough - Edgewood |
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| How about the new rage on the professional golf tours - "WEIGHTLIFTING". This is another example of how Tiger Woods is influencing the game of golf. It wasn't too long ago we were told that pumping iron would be bad for our games, don't tell Tiger and David Duval that. For us, now is the time of year to start working on our games. How can I improve? How can I hit it farther? Physical fitness is a great way to improve your game. Start by working on your flexibility. All stretching excercises are great and some specific areas to work on are your hands, forearms, shoulders, torso, and hamstrings. Two good strengthening excercises for golf are pushups and situps. The pushups strengthen your upper body and the situps help your torso and back. If you are a regular at the gym, bravo, but if you don't have access to a fitness facility, you can stretch and do pushups and situps at home or the office. |
| Another way to help your spring start is by practicing now. Whether is is swinging your clubs at home, or going to the Sports Bubble, both are great ways to get going without having to worry about score. Remember to start slowly, try and avoid the urge to go and hit 300 balls that first time. Take one club with you to start (maybe a 7 iron) and work your way up to the entire set. If you would like help with your game, don't be afraid to contact your local PGA professional. I know most of us are in town and would love to help you get a good start! If you have any questions you would like answered please email me at gregm@pga.com and I will answer your questions. We will try and update these tips regularly so keep logging on! Thanks, Greg McCullough - Edgewood |
| Do you have a question on The Rules of Golf? check out this Link  Be sure to come back! |
Every once in a while, rules are broken whether we know it or not. In the game of golf, rules cannot be broken. These rules are all included in the USGA's book, the rules of golf. This year some of the most significant changes in the rules of golf have been made by the USGA and the R & A. When the rules are going to be changed, the USGA has to look at why. The most recent changes (those for 2004) are because they no longer apply, or need a clarification of the rules.
Have you ever read the rules book? It can b a document full of complicated language tht many people feel is difficult to understand. The people at eh USGA have recognized this. Along with the actual changes in the rules, they have changed the style and language of the rules book. Jeff Hall, USGA rules director said, "Our mission was to simplify communicating to the user. We have adopted a more modern style for clarity." This article will highlight some of the most significant rule changes for 2004. Hopefully they will help you when you are playing this season.
These changes in language and phrasing are not going tomake or break the game of golf and the way it is played. But hopefully, now when you read a rule book, you will understand what you are looking at and not be confused by it. Doug Hoffmann, MGA tournament director says, "These language changes are exactly what the average player needs." And one other thing, if you're not playing by the rules, you're not playing golf.
Courtesy on the Course
Safety
Prior to playing a stroke or making a practice swing, the player should ensure that no one is standing close by or in a position to be hit by the club, the ball or any stones, pebbles, twigs or the like which may be moved by the stroke or swing.
Consideration for Other Players
The player who has the honor should be allowed to play before his opponent or fellow-competitor tees his ball.
No one should move, talk or stand close to or directly behind the ball or the hole when a player is addressing the ball or making a stroke.
No player should play until the players in front are out of range.
Pace of Play
In the interest of all, players should play without delay.
If a player believes his ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, to save time, he should play a provisional ball.
Players searching for a ball should signal the players behind them to pass as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. They should not search for five minutes before doing so. They should not continue play until the players following them have passed and are out of range.
When the play of a hole has been completed, players should immediately leave the putting green.
If a match fails to keep its place on the course and loses more than one clear hole on the players in front, it should invite the match following to pass.
In the absence of special rules, two-ball matches should have precedence over and be entitled to pass any three- or four-ball match, which should invite them through.
A single player has no standing and should give way to a match of any kind.
Any match playing a whole round is entitled to pass a match playing a shorter round.
Holes in Bunkers
Before leaving a bunker, a player should carefully fill up and smooth over all holes and footprints made by him.
Repair Divots, Ball-Marks and Damage by Spikes
A player should ensure that any divot hole made by him and any damage to the putting green made by a ball is carefully repaired. On completion of the hole by all players in the group, damage to the putting green caused by golf shoe spikes should be repaired.
Damage to Greens — Flagsticks, Bags, etc.
Players should ensure that, when putting down bags or the flagstick, no damage is done to the putting green and that neither they nor their caddies damage the hole by standing close to it, in handling the flagstick or in removing the ball from the hole. The flagstick should be properly replaced in the hole before the players leave the putting green. Players should not damage the putting green by leaning on their putters, particularly when removing the ball from the hole.
Golf Carts
Local notices regulating the movement of golf carts should be strictly observed.
Damage Through Practice Swings
In taking practice swings, players should avoid causing damage to the course, particularly the tees, by removing divots.
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Ask the Pro| This section is for golfers to submit questions regarding golf. An example would be the question below regarding golf etiquette. Example Question: Is it proper to give another golfer advice on his game if he does not ask for it? We would then go out and get the answer for you from the pros who know. If applicable, we would refer you to the rules of golf. | |
| Send questions by email to: camphouse@prodigy.net |