Getting a grip on technology using golf gloves?

Is it considered an unfair advantage during a round to improve your grip with the help of a golf glove?

The meaning of "bionic", as defined by Dictionary.com is "utilizing electronic devices and mechanical parts to assist humans in performing difficult, dangerous, or intricate tasks, as by supplementing or duplicating parts of the body."

 

The Six Million Dollar Man was recreated after an accident with technologically advanced replacement parts to help give him a superhuman advantage...to run faster and jump higher in order to rid the world of undesirables.

 

Claims in a press release issued by the Bionic® golf glove company stated that their glove is a "piece of game-improvement equipment and not just a golf accessory or apparel item."

 

"The biggest difference is felt when you play a round with Bionic, " said the release. "Research at the renowned Pinehurst Golf Academy showed that most golfers who used Bionic gloves gained six yards of driving distance."

 

Although the golf glove conforms with USGA rules, would I feel comfortable playing golf against someone who used the Bionic Glove in order to gain an advantage? Golf club manufacturers tout their use of game improvement technology for the average player so why not use a golf glove to do the same?

 

While there are golfers using the Bionic Golf Glove during a round, players are also practicing with the new SensoGlove, "the World's First Digital Golf Glove" to give feedback on grip pressure, "in real time."

The SensoGlove is being used as a training aid by PGA Instructors to help stave off the dreaded "death grip". The golf glove has built-in digital sensors which gives feedback of the grip in real time, right down to the sensitivity of each finger on the golf club! The only problem that I see with this technology is that, during practice, players tend to be less agitated so their grip doesn't necessarily reflect the same nerves as during play, no matter how much one tries to recreate it!

 

Arnold Palmer said his father "put my grip on the golf club when I was six years old and he said, 'Boy, don't you ever change it.' Well, I haven't changed it."

"Your hands are your only physical link with the tools of the game," Palmer relates. "If they don’t transmit your energy properly to the club and thence to the ball, you won’t hit much of a shot."

Instead of using technological enhancements to improve this aspect of a golfer's game, wouldn't simple consistent grip practice make perfect?

 

You can decide for yourself if either golf glove is right for you by visiting the Bionic and SensoGlove websites.

 

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Golf tips and Acupuncture to help prevent injuries and improve your swing!

Age, repetition of common motion, stress, tension and desk jobs can inhibit flexibility and range of motion, which directly impacts a golfer’s game and leads to sub-par performance. 

Dwayne Lee L.Ac , acupuncturist, avid golfer and specialist in golf-related injuries at PLACE360 Health + Spa in Del Mar, CA., helps golfers enhance flexibility in order to gain range of motion and rotation.

In conjunction with Place360, Dwayne has sent me a list of Six Health Tips to Improve Your Golf Game:

1. Flexibility: Most golf related injuries can be avoided by keeping muscle and connective tissue warm and pliable. Crucial are low back, hips, shoulders and upper torso. Take a fifteen minute pre-round stretch to avoid having to take weeks off the course due to back strain.

2. Strengthening core/abdominal and the big upper leg muscles will prevent undue stress on the back and arms. Keep the center tight and the centrifugal force of your swing will be safer and more powerful.

3. Avoid tendonitis. Don't over-squeeze. Keeping the hands and forearms soft until ball impact will reduce strain on the joints of your elbows and wrists. Let your muscles do the work to avoid the dreaded tennis or golfer's elbow.

4. Not enough time to stretch? Are you running to the tee box? Then schedule an appointment with a trained massage specialist a day or two before your round to keep tight muscles loose and address problem areas before they complicate into bigger problems. This may be especially important on golf vacations or in tournaments when your body starts to tighten up after several rounds. Most golf resorts offer spa services for men and women with varying body types.

5. Balance is key. There are sets of acupuncture points on the hands and feet that can create better balance and muscle sequencing. These points can be stimulated with magnetic pellets or tiny tacks that will adhere to your skin for an entire round, helping you stay on plane and over the ball or better accuracy and better impact.

6.  Acupuncture is also great to keep connective tissue pliable and healthy as well as reduce inflammation of joints from repetitive overuse. Super fine needles are non-painful and are strategically placed to release spasmed and stubborn muscles. Acupuncture is also proven to be especially helpful for joint problem areas in the wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, back or neck.

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that is thousands of years old and involves inserting and manipulating needles into various points in your body to relieve pain and help restore the balance of yin and yang.

The Golf Series package at PLACE360 Health + Spa was designed to increase or maintain a golfer’s flexibility while improving power and the overall game. A combination of acupuncture, massage and relaxation techniques help get golfers back out on the course while lowering their handicap.  

Although I have never tried acupuncture, it has been in practice for thousands of years. Seeing that KJ Choi has met with some success using acupuncture...I'm open to discussion!

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Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous