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?

For 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.

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

Is #Golf Becoming an Impolite Game?

When I watched golf on television for the first time as a youngster, I happened upon two players whom I later found out to be Nicklaus and Palmer - later on I was to learn the significance of "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf".

I felt like I was a part of their game; the cameraderie, the etiquette displayed, all made me wonder if women also played this sport. If so, I was going to get in on the action one day.

But, being from The Bronx, I also didn't know of any golf courses in my immediate vicinity (now I know better - there are, of course), just the concrete jungle. I continued watching, studying the actions of the players, the handshaking, the comments which always complimented another member in the foursome and wondered if other sports had the same standards.

“The real test of good manners is to be able to put up with bad manners pleasantly.”  

― Kahlil Gibran

Politeness, etiquette, even dressing for the event were all "givens" about thirty years ago but it looks as if some folks believe that this part of the game serves less of a purpose if golf is to survive, and thrive, in our "modern" times. Are we taking one step forward to move two steps back?

What is golf etiquette anyway? Well, in my opinion, it's more than just having manners and it's more than just an unwritten set of rules - it's the way the game should be played. Arnold Palmer's tips in Golf Digest include keeping your temper under control and being a silent partner.

Here are basic fundamentals of golf etiquette published by PGA.com.

Let's also add to our list of etiquette "do's"; keeping pace with the group ahead of yours and not cursing out loud on the course.

We have all seen slow play on the PGA Tour - from Kevin Na to Ben Crane and fans have all witnessed foul language after an unpleasant shot...(think Tiger Woods during The Masters) and even spitting on the green (Tiger Woods in Dubai) but the problem with seeing this type of behavior from the pros means it has the ability to trickle right down into the local publinks and to impressionable children watching the sport with the family on a Sunday afternoon.

If the PGA Tour pros are going to be seen erring in etiquette, does that mean that it's okay for the average hacker to go ahead and do it? Should golfers have to pass an etiquette test or should we lessen the rules to get more people into the game?

As etiquette is an integral part of the game, and, just as in playing the game itself, you have to call infractions upon yourself. If you find yourself cursing, or if you're going to step on a fellow golfer's putting line, it is up to you to stop for a moment and think about common courtesy whether you play nine holes of golf or eighteen, or whether you play on a par-3 or an executive course.

Golf is a sport, a game and a heritage all wrapped up in one. Making changes now will certainly impact the future - looking back fifty years, I hope fans continue to see the humility and civility of the game.

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on this golf blog.


photo: https://www.pinterest.com/Sandy_Kress/sandy-kress-golf-50s60s/, refe99.com