Golf Courses in Leeds

When I get my golf club in my hand, I feel like knocking the cover right off the ball.  It makes me feel great when I hit the ball using all of my strength.  Just being able to hit the ball hard does not mean that I play a good golf game though. If you just want to relieve a little stress go ahead, by all means but this is better left to the driving range. If you want to play a good game of golf, you need to hold back on the power a little. One of the biggest mistakes that golfers’ make is to swing their golf club too hard. This shows that you have power, but you need accuracy to play a good game of golf.

Tensing up can cause you to use too much effort. When you are swinging your golf club, you just need to relax and swing easily. This will help to reduce your power. Putting your feet closer together will also help reduce the strength of your swing. You should only use the amount of power that you are able to control.  Accuracy, not power is the key to playing a good game. Distance will come from a clean, correct swing, not by how much power you put into your swing. Tensing up when you are swinging your golf club will throw your balance off causing an inaccurate shot.   Your club head should travel in a straight line with the ball. A smooth consistent swing with very little effort should be your goal.  If the ball is hit correctly it will feel smooth and easy.

Your center of gravity is very important. You need a stable center of gravity that stays consistent. You can accomplish this by keeping your head still and both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing. You have to keep your feet planted firmly so that your weight is concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball.  This will make your center of gravity more stable. Focus on the ball and try not to jerk your body or move your head while swinging your club. This will throw your center of gravity off, causing a bad swing and an inaccurate shot.

A tip to help correct slicing is to see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can keep the ball.  If the ball flies too high, it can get caught up in the wind and can go left or right on rough ground.

After you master a smooth, more consistent and more accurate swing you may gradually want to increase your speed.

Tags: golf swing by admin
No Comments »

What country invented ‘golf?’ Many countries did. If there were sticks and objects that could be hurtled along, then there was ‘golf.’ No one knows for certain who started golf. But everybody knows who plays it now — everyone does.

The origin of the name ‘golf’ is believed to be the Dutch word of ‘colf,’ which means ‘club.’ In the medieval ages, golf was also known as “spel metten colve,’ which literally meant ‘game with clubs.’

Nearly every area around the world has some claim to the origination of golf. Scotland, of course, has its claim. But so do China, Rome, England, France, Holland, Belgium, even Laos. Every country has a game consisting of sticks and balls, and every country is correct in its assumption that it invented the game. But there is no one country where ‘golf’ actually began.

Still, Scotland is widely considered to be birthplace of golf. And it began haphazardly, a way of hitting a pebble or other roundish object into a hole by means of a stick or club.

Edinburgh, Scotland, claimed the first golfing society. The Gentlemen Golfers – later known as the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and today in residence at Muirfield – claim their club was already under way in 1744.

The first inter-Scotland club matches were played in 1857. The world would wait until 1860 for the first British Open to be played.

The British Open was being played 35 years before the U.S. Open. It has been called “The World Open.” Players from around the globe participate, as they have for a century or more. The British Open is all-inclusive. The U.S. Open has been moving in that direction for the last decade. But the British Open has been accepting a cast from around the world since the turn of the century.

It is not known for certain when golf came to America — only that when it got a toehold in the 20th century, America became the world leader in great players. By 1900, the explosion of the game in America was complete. Proof was that, at the turn of the century, there were more golf clubs in the United States than there were in Britain.

Tiger Woods came upon the scene in 1996. He won eight times in 1999, nine times in 2000, and won the four major championships in succession in 2000-2001, starting with the U.S. Open in 2000. Should his career be as successful in his 30s and 40s as it has been in his 20s, he will assume the mantle of “best player ever.”

Women have played a very large part in the history of golf, even before the last half of the 20th century when they finally achieved equality with men. Records of ladies playing golf exist all the way back to the time of Mary Queen of Scots.

Visit the French Connections website frenchconnections.co.uk for Golf Holidays in France.

Tags: Golf History by admin
No Comments »

Few things are more important to a golfer than a good golf bag. First off, golf bags come in many styles and a wide variety of colors. You can choose a bag for  style, features or pick a color to match your mood.

Some have legs that fold out when they are placed on the ground and stand upright so the golfer doesn’t have to bend down and pick it up. That’s a nice feature in golf bags, especially if the golfer tends to walk the course, as many do. There is plenty of bending to be done when a golfer is trying to remove an obstacle from around his or her ball, or to get the ball out of the cup, so any way to avoid bending over is more than appreciated.

All golf bags have compartments where the golf clubs are to be placed. Each golfer has his or her own way of doing this and putting clubs where he or she wants them. Some golfers, though, are lazy and just stick their clubs in the compartments, grabbing whichever one they want when a particular club is needed. But, some golf bags have tubes to protect the club grips. These are nice to have. With the tubes, a golfer can get his or her clubs out easier. The clubs are never tangled up, and the grips last a lot longer.

Another important factor in choosing a golf bag is the number of pockets it has. Frankly, there’s no such thing as too many pockets in a golf bag. First, one of the pockets will be used to hold the golf bag’s hood. The hood is used to keep the clubs and bag from getting drenched when it rains. Another pocket will be used to keep extra towels (believe it or not, extra towels are important in the summer to keep the sweat off the brow and out of the eyes, along with keeping the hands relatively dry. Then, there is the pocket used for keeping the extra golf tees and possibly the divot tool. Finally, a pocket is needed for the golf balls themselves, and it doesn’t hurt to have a pocket to carry another dozen balls in, just in case.

Some courses are so difficult it is easy to lose a lot of balls during 18-holes of play. This makes having an extra box of balls around a good thing, but there has to be somewhere in the golf bag to keep them, which means another pocket.

Imagine trying to play golf without a bag. The golfer would be constantly stooping over picking up clubs, tees, balls, towels and the divot tool. Then he or she would have to walk to the ball, drop all of the clubs and stuff, select a club, hit the ball, and start the process all over again. It would be a major pain in the neck, and would make it nearly impossible to finish playing a round of golf. So, golf bags are an essential part of the game of golf.

Tags: Golf Bags by admin
No Comments »

The golfing tip I would like to give in this article is that by working on improving control over your body, you will in effect also gain more control over your mind.

This is simply because the mind gains more confidence that the body will be able to perform whatever instructions the mind communicates to the body.

This is the single golfing tip that has the potential of transforming any golfer’s game literally overnight. Many times golfers work very hard on their minds and preparing them for the ideal golf game they would like to enjoy.

In fact many business executives, who have used the power of the mind to improve their businesses or even to build huge successful businesses, fully understand the potential of the mind in improving their golf games.

Still, many of them end up feeling discouraged and puzzled when things do not work out with their golf game quite the way they do in the corporate world.

They lack the simple golf tip that the game has a physical side to be taken care of, if one is to reap the full power of a mind prepared for ideal golf.

The second part of this golf tip is that there is only one known way of gaining better control of your body and it involves exercise.

Simple weight training that is golf-specific will instantly give you much better control over your body. When you strengthen your muscles, you improve functional strength which automatically gives you more control and balance. Some people believe that weight training will cause them to lose feel.

The weight training I am talking about in this golfing tip is not a program for weight-lifters and to build colossal muscles. This golfing tip is about the weight training specific to golf that conditions muscles used in golf and builds up strength.

This kind of program rather than making somebody lose feel, in fact increases feel tremendously.

This is an amazing golfing tip that is bound to have an profound impact on your game.

Tags: Golfing Tips by admin
No Comments »

Well, not only golfer´s can have good use of a golf umbrella. I once handed one over to the bridegroom when the sky opened as they just came out of church. The reason might not be obvious to everyone but an ordinary umbrella is too small to shelter a couple. And you can´t expect a newly married couple to separate with two umbrellas.

So golf umbrellas are bigger and the size is actually around 60-65 inches, which is just about 150-165 centimeters. Some a little smaller and you can also find some around 70 inches. Those are like having a tent, you are very well protected from rain. The big sizes of golf umbrellas are necessary as a golfer has to take care of a number of things and if possible also protect the golf bag.

If you have watched the professional golfers playing in rain you have probably also noticed that the player use big golf umbrellas. The caddie has no umbrella and on rare occasions you can see the caddie holding the umbrella for the pro. That seem to be the only time a caddie can get out of the rain. Of course it is important to protect the player, she or he is the one making money for them both.

On the first tee of a golf round up in Virginia it started to come short showers of rain. I simply had to buy a new umbrella and choose one with a dual canopy. A dual canopy has, as the name would suggest, a dual canopy design, this feature allows for any wind to blow through the umbrella while water will still run off of it.

By making the top half of the bottom canopy out of a mesh material and then putting a second shell that covers the mesh and runs about two inches past the seam, the rain will not come through the vented area. This is especially important when you take into account the size of the umbrella when opened. This will easily cover you and your bag.

How is that size possible without the thing weighing a ton? With a fiberglass shaft and spreaders, the umbrella is lightweight and lightning resistant. A push button opening mechanism makes it easy to open the umbrella with one hand. Most golf umbrellas I´ve had don´t use push button techniques simply because there is one more thing that can fail.

A golf umbrella will keep you dry for a full round of golf. If it wasn´t for the fact that you have to hit the ball from time to time. You will also get wet from walking in the grass, not to talk about lost balls in the ruff! There are times when a player just have to find the ball himself.

Golf umbrellas with the double canopy works great even when the wind pickes up a little bit. You will not fly away even it the size is really big. Some golf umbrellas now have a ergonomic handle which cut down on fatigue from carrying it. The hand stays in a natural position. Thanks to the lightweight materials used in the construction, you can carry the umbrella without having it affect your swing due to muscle fatigue.

One drawback can be mentioned with the golf umbrellas in general. The the size of it, while you want to have as much of yourself and your bag covered, when closed, the umbrella will protrude a good bit from your bag when it is not being used. This can make loading and unloading the bag a little difficult from your car. When it has been in use you should not have it in your bag. The umbrella will get dry much faster if you can unfold it and just give it some time.

A golf umbrella is great for anyone to use, it is large enough for two people to stay dry. The dual canopy will keep the umbrella from turning inside out in higher winds while not sacrificing any coverage.

Choose your umbrella with care and you can have it for many years. The one I bought in Virgina is seven years now, still working great but the looks is not the best. I don´t care, I´m on the course to play golf.

Tags: Golf Umbrella by admin
No Comments »

A Golf specific workout designed specifically for your physical limitations will give you the greatest results in the quickest amount of time.  You may not be interested in this approach, but I can tell you quite confidently, this is the missing link to your golf swing improvement.  Your current physical capabilities dictate your golf swing.  There is no other way to put it.

There are certain physical requirements that must be met to make an optimal golf swing with maximum power and efficiency.  Have you tried to make a full backswing only to feel tight, restricted and tense doing so?  Do you think the answer is hitting more balls or taking more lessons?

The answer is a golf specific workout designed to eliminate your swing faults and poor golf swing mechanics.  The minute you improve these physical limitations, your golf swing will transform right in front of your eyes.

This may sound dramatic, but it’s true.  When you’re able to make a full backswing (90 degree shoulder turn, with a 45 degree hip turn) with no muscular tension or restrictions, you will be able to generate maximum clubhead speed and power into the golf ball.

You will also be able to repeat this for 18 holes.  This will result in less mishits, more fairways hit and scores that will drop quickly.  Doesn’t that sound like the outcome you have been hoping for, for a long time?

One of the most important components of a golf specific workout is core rotational strength and flexibility.  The golf swing is a rotate back and a rotate through.  This entails your core to have optimal strength and flexibility from a rotational standpoint.  All other exercises should be a secondary priority when designing a golf specific workout.

The beauty of a golf specific workout is it can be done in your home with minimal equipment.  For less than $80, you can have a complete golf specific workout gym in your home, saving you hundreds of dollars a year in gym memberships, and also giving you back more time to play golf due to the convenience of doing it in your home with no travel time involved.

Knowing you’re doing a golf specific workout that will enhance your golf game will motivate you to stick with it.  Adherence is key to your success.  So many people start fitness programs, only to quit before they saw any results.  Don’t fall into the same trap.

Understanding it will take a little time for your body to respond to your golf specific workout will allow you to have realistic expectations.  But I can tell you, the results may show up very quickly if your current physical conditioning is below par.

It’s never too late to embark on a golf specific workout program.  I have seen golfers in their 80’s, who have increased their driving distance by up to 60 yards!  They were not able to get the ball air born, and now can make a bigger turn hitting the ball more solid and much further.

This is something you can’t ignore!

Your golf improvement program should definitely incorporate practice, a few lessons to get a basic understanding of golf swing mechanics and most importantly a golf specific workout.

Tags: Golf Excersise by admin
No Comments »

There is no way that you can separate a good golf fitness tip from a good well executed golf swing. The golf swing is the most strenuous aspect of the game and a good golf fitness tip is one that helps you improve on your golf swing.

The basics of a proper golf swing are universal. A proper golf swing actually consists of three separate segments that every golfer should work on in their efforts to develop and improve their golf swing. A good golf fitness tip must be able to help a golfer achieve this objective.

The three segments of a golf swing are the backswing, the downswing and finally the impact and follow-through.

A useful golf fitness tip should be able to help as you carefully work on each of the three segments separately in an effort to get the right positions and movements. This is how golfers work on improving their golf swings.

Every proper golf swing starts at the legs and the hips and not the arms where many golfers place most of their attention and emphasis. This is precisely the reason why proper exercising that is golf-specific usually has such a huge impact on most people in terms of dramatically improving their golf games. A good golf fitness tip can address any of the golf muscles involved in this particular part of the golf swing.

The golf fitness tip can also address golf conditioning. Golf conditioning exercises have the effect of preparing the individual muscles and parts of the body used in a golf swing, so that your movements and follow-through come almost effortlessly and as naturally as possible. Without exercise, the proper golf swing movements only work to strain unprepared, weak and therefore tense muscles.

Although golf has always been viewed as a leisure sport, the truth of the matter is that the modern golf player has to condition his body and muscles in many parts of his body, not just arms.

Golf fitness tips can play a major role in improving the golf swing.

Tags: Golf Excersise by admin
No Comments »

Even as you read this article, golf fitness exercise programs continue to positively revolutionize the games of many golfers around the country and indeed around the world. A golf fitness exercise program plays a major role in helping many golfers achieve consistent and good results on the course with their swing.

Still many golfers are yet to fully appreciate the potential of a golf fitness exercise program and many are not aware of the fact that they usually have a huge impact on a golfer’s game.

A golf fitness exercise program will tend to concentrate on the muscles and parts of the body used when playing golf and especially during the golf swing. A useful golf fitness exercise program will be able to help any golf attain more flexibility as well as strength on the course. It is important to remember that most of the body is used for a golf swing.

Right from the feet to the knees, hamstring and hip, the lower part of the body is critical to the golf swing. Then there are the more obvious participants in the body like the arms and upper body and neck.

A golf fitness exercise program does a significant job of ensuring that most of these muscles are ready for the strain that golf usually exerts on them.

Usually a golf fitness exercise program combines dynamic strength and flexibility exercises, as well as stabilization and core strength. Most of these exercises can be done with simple handweights (dumbbells) and exercise tubing.

No gym required!

Too many golfers go to the gym, plop down on a machine and hope their game will get better. It usually doesn’t. You’ve always got to keep the golf swing mechanics in mind when doing a golf fitness exercise program.

Tags: Golf Excersise by admin
No Comments »

Golf fitness coach. Have you ever considered one…and if so, what exactly were you looking for? There are many ‘general fitness’ trainers trying to get a piece of the golf fitness and training market that seems to be rapidly gaining exposure both on the television and in print thanks to Tiger, Vijay and Annika.

But the first thing you need to consider when looking into hiring a golf fitness coach or program is the trainers experience in golf.

Yes…that is high on the list of requirements. Does he/she know golf? Do they know the biomechanics of the golf swing? How about muscle function during the golf swing?

An easy test is during the initial interview or if you’re researching it online is to either ask very golf specific swing technique questions; or take a look at the information on the website. You’ll find out real quick if this person or program can help your golf swing, game and health.

A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

It’s easy for a trainer to have a strength component…but is it specific to golf? A quick test. Take a look at some of the exercises. Are any of them on seated machines for instance? If they are…run! This is NOT a golf fitness coach and/or program. This is considered ‘general fitness’.

Now stretching. There are dozens of stretches for all people. But take a look at some of them. Do they even remotely look like they will benefit your golf swing?

Stretches involving trunk flexibility; lower back; hamstring; and even shoulders specific to the mechanics of the swing are what you want. General stretches are better than nothing, but will delay your results. You want specific stretches.

Body awareness. Does any of the exercises resemble golf positions or phases of the swing? Do they look like you would be on your feet and in your golf posture? As stated above, if they are seated on machines, your body will learn nothing in regards to your golf swing.

Training your body specific to golf incorporates positions almost identical to what your body would be in during any part of the golf swing.

Stability. Training your body to improve stability in your swing can get a little complex if you really want to see results. The swing happens at between 80-100 miles an hour. One of the biggest flaws of amateur golfers is moving in their golf swing.

Moving either laterally (sliding), vertically (up and done) or both. This is death to your golf swing. To improve your stability involves specific strength drills most trainers don’t even know about.

I could go on-and-on about the requirements of a golf fitness coach or program. It is critical you make the right decision. I have heard horror stories of golfers working with ‘so-called’ golf fitness experts and their game getting worse. With the proper research this won’t happen to you. So definitely consider a golf fitness coach.

Tags: Golf Excersise by admin
No Comments »

It’s no secret that a golf exercise program can put you heads and tails above your playing partners and competitors. Why do you think all the Pro’s are doing it?

Golf is no longer just the leisure game it used to be. It is now recognized as an athletic sport. As with all other athletic sports, your body’s strength plays a crucial part in how well you play the game.

FACT: A stronger body plays better golf. Most strength-building workouts can be beneficial to some degree, but a golf exercise program will enable you to hit longer — and straighter — drives with less effort and hit more accurate shots, which will consequently lower your scores.

GOLF TIP: Strengthen Your Back and Prevent Low Back Pain — so that you can play 18 holes without fatigue

Did you know that doing even just one exercise will greatly improve the strength of your back so that you will be able to play 18 holes, or hit balls all day without any pain?

I call this powerful little exercise the “Lying Superman.” You won’t believe the amazing difference this exercise can make in your strength until you actually do it — so go for it! All you have to do is lie on your stomach on the floor with your hands at your sides. Raise both your upper body (chest), arms and legs as high as you can. Hold it for a count of 10. And that’s it! Just do this simple exercise for 2 sets every day and you can say goodbye to low back pain!

Playing golf at an optimum level requires muscular strength, power, and endurance. Contrary to what most people think, long practice sessions and hitting hundreds of balls will not improve these components. In fact, they will only result in physical injuries (from overuse) and a great deal of frustration.

Participating in a golf exercise program is the answer!

Tags: Golf Excersise by admin
No Comments »