Wednesday, June 22, 2016

What Golfers Can Learn from Dustin Johnson at the U.S. Open #golf

Dustin Johnson and the U.S. Open - two names that will be forever paired on tongues whenever there is a mention of winning golf majors in dramatic fashion, do you agree? D.J. left nothing to chance, topping his finish with an 18th hole birdie, in spite of a questionable USGA ruling.

2016 US Open logoIt is because of this exciting win that Golf for Beginners has written this blog about what the average golfer can learn from Dustin Johnson and his conquest over Oakmont Golf Course.

What positive mental thoughts can you take away from Dustin Johnson's win at the U.S. Open?

1. Persevere in spite of obstacles and surrounding drama.
2. Don't carry the monkey on your back. Put whatever negative thoughts you may have out of your mind until the end of your round -stay focused on each shot.
3. Look forward. Learn how to scramble when you're in trouble because when you hit those inevitable bad shots, you need to know how to advance the ball.
4. Know the Rules of Golf: Stay aware and be cautious where you may commit a penalty - in 2010 for example, DJ grounded his club in a bunker.
5. Putting IS Everything: You can be "Really proud of the way you hit the ball," as DJ stated at the 2015 U.S. Open but if the putts are not dropping into the hole, your score won't reflect it. Make sure that, when you are playing golf with your foursome, you take the time to learn how to get within that three-foot circle of trust with long putts and to drop those two and three-footers instead of taking an easy "gimmee".

Also, Try these 3 golf swing thoughts...

"If I rolled the putter halfway decent today, which I did roll it well, just any putts go in the hole, I win this thing by a few shots, it's not even close. It's just how it goes," said Dustin.Johnson at Chambers Bay. This year, DJ putted beautifully, finishing on 18 with a putt for birdie...so putting determines everything, as confirmed by the PGA!

What did YOU learn from the Dustin Johnson and players at the U.S. Open? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter using our handle @Golf4Beginners.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

What Are The Top Three Rules of #Golf You Always Follow?

Do You Always Follow The Rules of Golf or, as in the game of Monopoly, do you sometimes make up your own?

Most golfers lie somewhere in the gray area of the sport and, for beginners in particular, golf is more recreational than competitive. Newbies, for example, are more concerned with getting the golf ball airborne than figuring out the nearest point of relief...and that's fine until you learn the game.

It's your game, play anyway you like, just don't boast about your score...unless, of course, you follow the Rules.

QUESTION: How many golfers reading this blog carry in their bag the Rules of Golf book?

Okay, quickly rummage through your golf bag...snack bar (check), divot repair tool (check), bag of tees (check)....Rules of Golf book? Hmm...

Why not...do you find it too cumbersome to carry and, if need be, to open the book to find the correct ruling at the time of infraction?

Why do we need to follow the rules anyway...it's just a game...you may ask.

The rules were designed by the USGA (and R&A) for everyone so that you can develop an accurate handicap, allowing golfers to play with other players regardless of skill level...in order to be on an equal footing.

I am sure you have come across those players who bend/break the rules for their benefit (and I'm not talking about beginners - we'll give them a break for the purposes of this article - also, I guess it's okay if everyone in the group decides to play a friendly, non competitive match as there as separate rules for recreational golf.

The question of Sportsmanship and The Rules of Golf has also come up previously on the LPGA Tour and has been answered previously by Golf for Beginners - click the above link for the answer.

Have you seen these rule breakers in any of your rounds?
- Ball kicking to offer a better lie (in more ways than one!).
- Giving up on a hole and taking a double instead of a ... 19?
- Finding the wrong ball in the woods and claiming it for play.
- Not putting the ball into the cup as the first putt sails six feet past and then knocking the ball loosely   with one hand - whether or not it drops in in the hole it is counted (a great score-saver).
- Playing Mulligans all day long - hit a ball, don't like it, hit another and the first one doesn't count      throughout the round.
- Boast about your low score at the 19th hole.

Rules of Golf in Plain EnglishWell, just in case you don't follow the rules because you don't understand them, you are now in luck. The fourth edition of The Rules of Golf in Plain English has just been published so, no more excuses.

According to the book notes on Amazon, "The earliest standards for the game of golf included just three hundred thirty eight words and thirteen rules, which included what to do if your ball had the misfortune of falling into “watery filth” and how to proceed if your ball was stopped by a horse."

Additions to the Rules now has grown the book to over forty-thousand words...no wonder golfers don't read them!

Golf for Beginners believes you should always follow the rules of any sport.
If you don't have the book of rules handy, here are three rules we believe you should always follow:
- Count every stroke and penalty so that you can track your improvement in the game.
- Play the ball as it lies
- Maintain proper etiquette throughout - no matter what you come up against - during your round.

We believe that the rules add to the enjoyment of the game for yourself and your playing partners. Start today if you are a beginner golfer and, if you are an advanced player, know that playing by the rules is as important as getting that golf ball airborne!

What are the most important rules of golf which you always follow? IF you could change one rule, what would it be?

Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.


Wednesday, June 08, 2016

What Are Your Odds of Making a Hole in One? #golf

To make a hole-in-one is the desire for all golfers. Although professionals with pinpoint accuracy like Rickie Fowler have a better chance of making an ace, when the average player drops a ball into the bottom of the cup on the first stroke, the feeling is euphoric!

Statistics state that the likelihood of the amateur golfer ever getting a hole-in-one is very slim - "a tee shot hit by an amateur golfer on a par-3 goes into the hole one out of every 12,750 times", according to Golf Digest and the National Hole in One Registry. Professional golfers obviously have a better chance of scoring an ace; the odds are 2,500 to 1.

That being said, I am proud to announce that my first hole-in-one was recorded on Friday, June 3, 2016 and have joined the ranks of the elite! Yes, I did save the golf ball for display and yes, there was a celebration at the 19th hole!



Stacy Solomon hole in one golfWhat Should You Do if You Get a Hole-in-One?
- Check to make sure that the ball in the hole is, indeed, your golf ball!
- Fist pumps and high-fives are welcomed at this time.
- Have camera ready to record the historic occasion.
- Make sure that you sign your scorecard and that whoever else witnessed the hole-in-one also attests to the ace.
- Remove the golf ball from play - you may want to display it for posterity's sake.
- Register your hole-in-one with the official United States Golf Register (which I just completed) or with the National Hole-in-One Registry.


Have you gotten an ACE? Share your story below in the comments section of our Golf for Beginners blog, on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and LIKE on my Facebook page (above).

Read: What the Golf Bug Does to Your Game.

photo: Stacy Solomon - Golf for Beginners

Thursday, June 02, 2016

What the #Golf Bug Does to Your Game

Jordan Spieth caught the golf bug as a youngster watching the Byron Nelson tournament live in his hometown. Phil Mickelson's father helped spark a love of the game and watching Tiger Woods on television helped inspire practice with success on the course for Jason Day.

How did you catch the golf bug...from a family member, friend or, perhaps, by tuning into a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf as a kid? For me, it was my husband's doing - after I questioned him a bit about the game, he purchased a set of golf clubs off of the internet and brought both the clubs and me to a qualified instructor saying, "here, you teach her." This was one of the best things he ever did for me...the game has improved my life in so many ways.

If You Are Reading This Blog, You Probably Have The Golf Bug in a Big Way. If you use golf terminology on and off of the golf course and can name every golf club in your bag (including shaft), if your swing thoughts break into the middle of a conversation, if you are passionate and obsessive when talking about your game, you've caught it.

Do you listen attentively when golfers offer advice to each other? When pros give golf tips, do you pull out pen and paper to take note and watch drill videos from golfers like Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson with the hopes of gripping and ripping it with ease?

golfer at sunsetFor beginners, catching the golf bug is the incommunicable moment which comes from hitting that one shot which takes off; tempo is effortless, swing is easy-breezy and belt buckle points at the target ...all with a flourish. You say to yourself, "I can do this!"

As you progress as an amateur, the golf bug transforms itself - you want to know more - you learn the basics of swing, hit several shots in succession which don't dribble down the fairway and even begin to place shots in the areas which your mind visualizes. When you hit that one shot which you saw a pro hit on television and it goes in the hole for birdie or eagle...you're hooked for good.

You may or may not want to immediately step out onto a golf course - it took me over a year to make the transition from driving range to evening, nine-hole rounds - this period gave me time to practice and improve upon the basics but you might be in a hurry to test your soundness on the course.

The golf bug is no ordinary virus - it transforms itself over time. You go from learning about hitting shots to shot-shaping, you want to improve so you begin to consider not just aiming and shooting but course management to avoid trouble.

playing golf

For those golfers who have taken this journey and have years of study under their collective belts, the golf bug may take on an entirely new dimension. Where you previously might have been watching You Tube videos on grip, stance, alignment and the forty-yard flop shot, you might now be watching more technical directions.

Professional golfers share their drills and tips with the public to show that even amateurs, with a little practice and if they follow specific directions, can become the next Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson or even Arnold Palmer.

After Jordan Spieth's win at the Colonial, Golf Digest quickly came out with an instructional video from his swing coach, Cameron McCormick. The "Heart Array" teaches amateurs the art of shaping the ball using three different trajectories.You'll notice at the beginning of the video, even Spieth has a little trouble getting out exactly how he wants to teach people his method.

Yes, as the golf bug takes hold, it never lets go. The quest to get better is endless - the bug keeps you adapting to new conditions and ever challenging situations...it keeps your mind fresh and your body healthy. Keep feeding the golf bug and sharing its strong grip so that it grows and thrives within other hosts and helps continue to grow the game.

Have you given the golf bug to anyone - have you received the golf bug from someone? Share your story in the comments section of our golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.


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photos: Pixabay.com