Do You Know What's In YOUR #Golf Bag?

Every week, there are lots of websites on what was in the winners golf bag that gave the pro his edge, right down to the snacks that fortified him during his final round of greatness. For example, at The Players Championship, Jason Day carried the following clubs and probably had these refreshments in his bag:

Driver: TaylorMade M1 460 (10.5 degrees, Mitsubishi Rayon KuroKage S TiNi 70X shaft)
3-Wood: TaylorMade M2 HL (16.5 degrees, Mitsubishi Rayon KuroKage S TiNi 80X shaft)
2-Iron: TaylorMade RSi 2 (True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 shaft)
4-9 Irons: TaylorMade RSi TP (True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 shaft)
Pitching Wedge: TaylorMade RSi TP (True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 shaft)
47-Degree Wedge: TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF Tour Grind (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)
52-Degree Wedge: TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF ATV Grind (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)
60-Degree Wedge: TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF ATV Grind (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)
Putter: TaylorMade Ghost Spider (Limited edition Red)
Ball: TaylorMade Tour Preferred X

"I like Cliff bars because they taste good and they’re convenient, and I drink Biosteel performance drinks for the energy," mentioned Day in a previous article about his snack preference.

Yes, I'll bet Jason Day and his caddie know exactly what is placed in the bag...(nothing lurking in a dark corner?) and this week, we ask readers, Do You Know What's In YOUR Golf Bag?

You have probably counted the fourteen golf clubs which are stated as the correct number authorized by the Rules of Golf (fewer clubs are okay but if you have too many, remove them now...) and have toyed with the correct match of clubs for your game but, has your bag gotten heavier and you don't know why? Time to take account, remove the extra baggage and lighten the load!

As PGA.com states, "Just because your awesome new bag has fifty pockets doesn't mean you need to use all of them."

Going through my PGA Tour Superstore golf bag recently, in addition to my set of Ping Karsten Irons, Callaway X2 Hot Driver, Titleist 904F Fairway Woods, two Vokey Spin-Milled Wedges and my Odyssey Two Ball Putter...

I came across two bottles of water stuffed into the cooler pouch (need hydration), an empty sleeve (no where to place the trash at the time and it just fell to the bottom of the bag), cover-up for when it rains, three extra golf gloves (for when one won't do), a huge bag full of tees (including the short, broken ones which are needed for the par-3's, several divot repair tools, brush for my club heads and several snack bars (some a bit crusty) for when the hunger takes over and makes me lose focus.

After cleaning out my golf bag (to some degree), I searched this question on the internet and found several stories confirming my theory that golfers stuff way too much into their bags from toilet paper to suntan lotion, not only weighing down the carrier but probably also upsetting the balance of positive feng shui on the course.

Remove the waste! Carry only what is necessary for that day's round and place the balance of extras into your trunk. If it is going to rain, take an extra pair of gloves and socks. Always bring an energy snack and water as a round is four hours in length. Lifting the weight out of the golf bag will help you find what you really need faster and you will get back to concentrating on what really matters...your game!


What have you found in your golf bag that you didn't realize was there? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Golf Tips to Improve Your Game from Tee to Green

Some of the most interesting emails we receive at Golf for Beginners are tips which are begging to be shared with our readers! In addition, we are always scouring the internet for interesting and relevant ways to improve your game.

Compiled below are a few game improvement tips - we hope that the journey to lower your score this season is an educational and joyous one.

Golf Tips to Improve Your Game from Tee to Green

1. How Many Ways Can You Play a Par-4 hole?

It's short enough to be a driveable hole but that par-4 may have bunkers or water in areas which are reachable if you don't hit perfect shots. Do you play it aggressively or conservatively? The choice in shot, and score, are up to you. Steve Elkington provides you with two different thoughts in strategy in his video, "How To Play A Short Par-4."

2. The 40-Yard Chip Shot - Awkward Distance

Use More Body, less arms says instructor Stan Utley. "When your clubhead speed is generated by turning your body, instead of by throwing your hands, you make a much more consistent swing and will have better contact." More tips: GolfDigest.com

3. Putting - Focus on the Mental Game

"The fastest and easiest way to improve your putting is to adopt a routine that gets your eyes up on your target and allows you to feel the length of stroke needed to get the ball to roll the right distance," says instructor Craig Jones of FaceFirstGolf.com.

Improving distance control will help you eliminate three putts that can drive up your scores quickly.

Read Putting tips that are Elementary for Mr. Watson.

Finally, don't have a golf course meltdown when you find that things are not going your way. Take a step back, a deep breath and refocus on each shot. Remember, a successful journey in golf usually takes you through a winding path.

Do you have golf tips to share with our readers? Place your tips in our golf blog below and follow us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Are You Guilty of a #Golf Course Meltdown?

Fans and professional players alike have gawked incredulously at golf course meltdowns from the top levels of sports right down - playing partners throwing clubs into the lake, ranting and raving and basically swearing off the sport have most folks shaking their heads! Many golfers can manage their emotions in the face of adversity but, in this blog we look at the those who cannot keep their sensitivity in check.

Have you ever had a meltdown?

This week at Golf for Beginners, we look at some of these issues and wonder what our readers can do to avoid the dreaded meltdown before a more offensive nature appears to your golf buddies.

First, lets take a look at some of the biggest meltdowns in golf history, from the crunching of the putter against the knee (bad idea because what are you going to use to finish your round) to one of the funniest tantrums by Sergio Garcia:

Are You Guilty of Any of the Following on the Golf Course?

1. For every fist-pump birdie high, do you also have a tantrum low in front of your golf buddies with every bogey? J.B. Glossinger, a contributing writer for The Business Journals says, instead of throwing your clubs, "aim for a conservative target with an aggressive approach." You will still be "attacking" the course, but mentally, not in a belligerent manner.

2. Play the Blame Game - Do you blame the golf course or playing partners for your mistakes?
My ball landed in a divot, the course is set up poorly for my eye, he was rattling change in my backswing, etc?

Practical-Golf.com offers this advice before you feel blame coming on:
a. You alone are responsible for your score
b. Golf is not a fair game

3. Is Golf the New Bad Boy Sport? Do you feel you have the right to express anger on the golf course, that it is part of the game?

Cybergolf.com states that anger is a choice you make. Below are several tips for handling anger on the spot from PGA Class A member Bill Bondaruk:

a. Create realistic expectations; you really shouldn't be going for the green if it's further than your natural distance or if there is trouble nearby - use a sensible approach!
b. Learn the different types of stress that brings on anger and look to nip it before it begins. Bondaruk states that everything from perfectionism to certain types of competition are anger in disguise.
c. Separate yourself from the outcome - it is just a game and you are playing it!
d. Breathe deeply, look at the larger picture and offer yourself some positive self talk - yes, you DO hit great shots!

These golf tips may not solve your anger problems on the course but may put them into better perspective. Follow the great Arnold Palmer's advice from "Ten Rules for Good Golf Etiquette":

"Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder -- for better or worse."

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