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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Play Before the Pros Canada Golf Vacation at The Fairmont Banff Springs

The 2011 TELUS World Skins will once again be contested on the
historic Stanley Thompson Course at The Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada, July 25th to 26th.

Golf enthusiasts worldwide can enjoy a head start on the PGA Tour professionals with the resort's "Play Before the Pros" vacation package.

Known as the "Castle in the Rockies," The Fairmont Banff Springs is located in the heart of Banff National Park and is styled after a Scottish Baronial Castle, offering commanding views of the surrounding Rocky mountains and the stunning Bow River.

Just steps from the charming village of Banff, the Fairmont Banff Springs resort is a National Historical Site and offers a tremendous blend of luxury and recreation.

In addition to its two golf courses (Stanley Thompson 18-Hole and Tunnel nine), The Fairmont Banff Springs offers exceptional dining and shopping options in addition to a Willow Stream Spa and a host of additional recreational activities.


The Play before the Pros Canada golf vacation package includes:

The package is available from May 13 to July 24. Rates start at $798 CAD per night based on double occupancy:

    * Accommodations in a Fairmont Room (I'll bet most rooms have beautiful views)
    * Two rounds of golf on the Stanley Thompson Golf Course
    * Two tickets to the TELUS World Skins, July 25-26
    * TELUS World Skins souvenir Nike Golf shirt
    * Contest entry to win a complete Nike golf outfit (ladies would love this!)


One of the most memorable Telus World Skins Game was hosted at The Fairmont Banff Springs in 2006. Five decades of golf personalities were represented: Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, John Daly, Stephen Ames and Sergio Garcia but it would be John Daly who hoisted the trophy taking nine skins and $210,000.

This year, Telus World Skins Game partners with Nike Golf with the field all belonging to Nike athletes: Anthony Kim Paul Casey and Stephen Ames have already been tapped with two other PGA Tour golfers being announced shortly. The golf event is owned and operated by IMG in Canada.

If you are fortunate enough to visit Canada to attend the 2011 Telus World Skins Game and stay in the fabulous Fairmont Banff Springs, the visuals...scenery as well as the old world charm of the hotel, will surely take your breath away!

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