The 21st Century Golfer
December, 2008
Surprise Victory For
Tim Clark In The 2008 Australian Open
South African Tim Clark was relaxing after his final round at the Australian Open, tucking into a pie and chips in front of the TV, when it dawned on him that there might actually be a playoff - and he might be in it!
New Zealander David Smail double bogeyed two holes, throwing away an apparently unassailable lead and ultimately handing victory to Clark.
Golf is a harsh mistress, it seems, even to the pros. When she is good, she is very, very good, and when she is bad she is horrid!
Photo: Daily Telegraph
Advances In Driver Technology
Every golfer's dream is to drive the ball further, more consistently, and with a movement that places minimal strain on the body. Equipment manufacturers invest millions every year in developing new technologies to help every golfer move a little closer to that Nirvana.
The essence of a drive shot is the transfer of energy. The golfer uses mechanical energy from his or her muscles to raise the club, and a combination of gravitational and mechanical energy to accelerate the head of the driver toward the ball.
The goal of the swing is to develop the maximum possible energy, and to deliver it to a precise point on the ball.
The efficiency of energy transfer from the club to the ball is vitally important - every joule lost at the point of transfer costs distance in the drive.
If the centre of gravity of the club head is offset from the point of contact with the ball, there will be a loss of efficiency. Ideally, the club head will be weighted so that the centre of gravity aligns with the "sweet spot" along the axis of travel of the ball.
Some manufacturers have implemented ingenious structures inside the clubs, to assist with the energy transfer.
And the uneducated think our clubs are just lumps of metal on the end of a stick ...
The Cleveland HiBore range, for example, contain a system of titanium flanges buttressing the "sweet spot". These structures maximise the transfer of energy from the club head to the ball, producing greater driving distances for a given level of club movement.
Of course, most golfers can still produce a marked increase in driving distance by adjusting their stance and swing. Even amateur golfers, however, will benefit from using state-of-the-art equipment to its best advantage.
Improving Your Swing - How Useful Is Weight Training?
Tips From GamesHobbiesWorld.com Expert Bloggers
All golfers know that in order to have a powerful swing their muscles have to be powerful. It is simply not effective enough to just work on the mechanics of one’s swing; there has to be real power behind the swing if we want the golf ball to go as far as possible.
Most golfers turn to weight training routines; however, golf is very different from your average sport. A very specialized weight training routine especially for golf is needed. Doing a general weight training routine won’t affect golf; at least, we can not take it for granted that any old weight training routine will change your golf game.
Why Is This?
The reason for this, and this stands for all sports and not just golf, is that different muscles are used differently in each sport. While it’s true that real power must be the driving force behind one’s golf swing, it’s also true that the proper muscles must be developed, not just any old muscle that happens to be trained by your particular weight training routine. Golf requires strong upper body muscles, but it also requires balance and good posture. It is for this reason that bench pressing 150 pounds may not have an effect on your golf game. This weight training routine will simply add some bulk to your muscles; it will not help you to develop the finesse that is needed for a good golf swing.
It is for this reason that the best weight training routine for golf just might be a routine that does not include weights in the proper sense of the word. What I’m referring to is the kind of weight training that uses one’s own body weight as resistance.
Need proof? Ever seen a male ballet dancer’s thigh muscles through his white tights? Well, male ballet dancers do lift weights to develop upper body strength for carrying and throwing their female partner’s, but those thigh muscles are not from using weights in the gym. Those muscles are quite simply the product of many, many hours of ballet exercises and stretches per day. The only weight involved in these exercises and stretches is the weight of the dancer himself.
The same principle applies to building muscles and improving posture in the name of your golf short game. Weight training routines are okay, but they’re not the best way to get the results that you really want on the golf course.
A weight training routine for this purpose should be specifically tailored to a golfer’s body’s needs, which is to say that the actual muscular bulk is not the most important consideration; the most important thing is that the muscles be generally strong and have the finesse from good posture to use the muscles to their fullest potential.
The Dollar Dives - Time To Grab Your New Gear Before The Price Rise Hits
We have all been watching the spectacular instability in the global financial markets, and nowhere does it impact us more directly than in its effect on our currency.
From a high of almost parity with the US dollar in August 2008, the Aussie dollar has plummeted to the low 60s. Given that most golf gear is imported, and contracted prices are in US dollars whether suppliers are is the US or Asia, this means that the prices our retailers paid for their current stock were an all-time low, comparatively.
Once they sell their current stock, which was bought three or four months ago at almost dollar-for-dollar, retailers will be forced to charge much higher prices for the stock that's on its way to Australia right now - because it was bought at around 62c-65c.
What does this mean for you?
If you're thinking about buying a new club, golf shoes, or the latest golf simulator software - now is the time. Prices will not be this low again for quite a few years.
GAMES HOBBIES WORLD CLEARANCE SALE
At Games Hobbies World, we have the interests of our customers in mind. When we saw the direction the dollar was moving, we contacted our distributor and bought extra stock of one of the most popular golf simulators, Real World Golf. We have a stash of this popular golf simulator - and at the old prices!
Real World Golf is ideal for learning to swing, or for improving your stoke. The GameTrak hardware measures your real world movements as you swing, and the software translates the results into the golf course on your computer screen.
It's not just for boring skills drills, either - Real World Golf is such fun that non-golfing family members have been know to get hooked on the simulation!
You are one of a select few customers getting a heads-up on this opportunity - an absolute bargain price for this software. At these prices, they won't last long.
See Real World Golf product information and clearance prices.