
Do you play golf for money? Teach golf or run golf clubs? If so, you are then golf professional or colloquially called pro golfer. If you want to play in an amateur tournament, you cannot. Even if you have received money for playing golf even just once, you will be able to go back to your amateur status.
Therefore, if you are already a professional golfer, you can only join professional golfers’ tournament. There are many golf tournaments for professional golfers and you surely will enjoy your status as professional golfer.
However, if you have received money for playing golf only once, and that you are not so confident in joining professional golf tournament, you may therefore transfer your knowledge to other means. That is, teach golf to beginners, run golf courses or enter the business of selling golf equipments.
For professional golfers, it is also necessary that you join golf associations this will give you variety of options should competing on tournament is no longer your intention.
If you however are an amateur, you may of course want to become a professional golfer. Professional golfers are mostly the elite and rich individuals to play golf for pleasure. However, once a professional golfer, it is almost impossible for you to go back to your status as an amateur. Thus, as an amateur learn everything you can and join tournaments to improve your game and enjoy the moment.
This is because once you have reach the level of a professional golfer, there may already be limited options for you. You may either play on professional golfers’ tournaments or teach the craft to new players.
As mentioned, mostly professional golfers are the elite and rich individuals, but if you are like me, I get bored easily, you may need to divert your golf knowledge into more useful endeavors.
You might just as well, develop your own golf course and run a golfing club. You may still enjoy playing and teaching new and aspirant golfers.
Your experience and advice will be invaluable for beginning golfers and you will surely feel the importance of being a professional golfer helping them.
Some of the things you need to teach younger players include the following:
- Proper choice of golf clubs
- Rules and regulations of golfing
- Golf etiquette
- Techniques on how to deliver the perfect swing, which you may have mastered by now
- Patience, which is extremely important in this game
These are only a few of the teachings you may need to transfer to younger golf players.
Another option is for you to develop a website that will help golfers from other parts of the world. Give the advice that will make them play a better game.
Finally, because surely you have experience an injury or two while playing golf, you may also help develop a forum in which you can help golfers avoid injury and this includes avoiding hamate bone or golfer’s wrist.
We love seeing professional golfers and you surely have our respect, enjoy and have fun playing and helping new golfers.
Are you above 50 years old? Do you stop playing golf because you fear injury? If you still want to play, you may need to make some adjustments on how you grip your golf club. This is to ensure that you will not develop golfer’s wrist or hamate bone.
What is golfer’s wrist?
Golfer’s wrist is an injury in the wrist where you feel tenderness and pain. This injury may need surgery and takes time to heal. To help senior golfers, Johnny Miller has a revised his teaching to conform to the senior’s bone condition. Following his instructions will help you continue enjoying the game and avoiding injury.
Swing for seniors
The concepts of golf swing for seniors is just like the golf swing for younger players, your start from the backswing, then hit the ball on the downswing and make a follow-through. However, one minor revision that Johnny Miller teaches is to cock the hands on the backswing and keep the right elbow close to the hip.
While for younger players, back swing is done by stretching the arms fully to make a wide arc as you bring down the club towards the downswing. Cocking the club will come later, as compared to the senior where cocking comes earlier.
Still the swing needs power, but seniors are advised to be more strategic rather than exert greater power that may put them at risk. If you usually reach 300 yards when you are younger, hitting the ball after 50 can be 200 yards or less. You only need to make sure that the direction is still there.
Stretching is necessary
If you are more than 50 and you still want to enjoy golfing and other fun activities, it may help to prepare yourself for the physicality of the activities.
Do some stretching exercises on a regular basis. This will help you prepare for any game you want to enjoy including golf.
To help you continue improving your game even after age 50, you may need a mentor that knows golf and should be more than 50 as well. Why is this so, this is to make sure that your mentor or coach understands the risk and thus will be able to teach you techniques that will not lead to problems later on.
Golfer’s wrist is painful and even if it is detected early, it may need months to heal and surgery in inevitable.
Thus, to make sure you will not succumb to hamate bone or golfer’s wrist, ensure proper handling of the golf club. If you may need to change your golf club for a comfortable game, then do it.
You however do not need to purchase costly golf clubs; your comfort is the focus and you should try to look for your golf club intelligently.
Finally, walking is another form of exercise; avoid using the golf cart. However, if you must make sure it is what your coach has advised. Your doctor should also have a say, if you can continue golf. Thus, check him out first before you continue golfing.
As a senior citizen, you will need to look after your health. Exercise is good but please your doctor needs to know what activities you get yourself into. He will therefore give you the advice you need. If golfing is allowed, then, do it and enjoy playing.
Many golf beginners drop their hut and surrender because they experience frustrations in the execution of their swing. This should not happen because swing is doable for every one even for kids and seniors. The most common mistake of beginning golfers is that they try to give as much strength they can muster in the execution of their swing. This is not necessary because fluidity in motion and direction driven swing is what is necessary.
Of course, as anything physics, understanding the concept is easy but execution is always the issues. If you have noticed, I said physics. This is because golf swing is all physics. You will need to follow certain anglings and mind your movement to create fluidity of motion and giving direction to your ball.
I hope I can help you improve your golf swing by giving you some of the useful tips on how to execute the proper golf swing.
Parts of a golf swing
Backswing
Downswing
Follow-through
What is the backswing?
The backswing is the where you begin your effort to give direction and control to the golf club. A good backswing sets the stage for that perfect swing, if you do not feel your body coil as you give power to your club, it may not be a perfect way to move forward into the downswing.
It is imperative that your execution of the full swing starting from your backswing will give the fluidity and strength to the club and ultimately the ball.
What is the downswing?
In here is where you will transfer all the power you mustered into the ball and send it off rolling. The alignment, stance and grip will define this moment and thus, the result of the swing.
There are three phases of downswing, which happens in less than a second. The phases are shifting from the backswing, rotating and finally hitting the ball.
Upon impact will you only know if you did the swing right or failed in your attempt. If you slice, hook or shank the ball, do not worry. Even professional commit this mistake many times.
To execute your swing well you may need a mentor to guide you, choose a mentor and surely, in time, you will be able to execute you swing well.
However, this is not the end. There is but one more part of the actual golf swing, the follow-through.
What is the follow-through?
It is in the follow-through where you release all the force and finishes the swing. Your position in the follow-through will tell if you did the full swing perfectly and thus sending your ball to the hole.
You will surely be able to say that you did the full swing well if your follow-through gives you the position where you chest faces your target. The follow-through will also send your clubface accelerating upon impact. The perfect swing does not stop upon hitting the ball; the follow-through finishes your swing and defines the delivery of the ball to the target.
Like in any game, there is no overnight success in playing golf. Even, golf professional you see on television started long before to master that perfect golf swing. It is for you to practice and ensure that every mistake is noted and every game is improved.
Do not be afraid of poor stroke, but try to improve every time and practice. This is the only way to hit the ball to the hole.
Golf is an old game; records show that it originated in Netherlands in the year 1297. The initial equipment was a stick and a leather ball, which scholarly individuals play. Today, varieties to golf clubs are being used to play this game. Players are commonly the upper class individuals, however, developments introduced golfing to the middle class individuals as well. It is therefore useful for golf players to know the rules before embarking on laying their foot on the tee.
This article will guide you to some of the important golf rules to follow while playing this game.
It may help to mention at this point, that the two large golf organizations that take care of the establishment and enforcement of the rules are the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews (R&A).
Both these bodies carry the flag of fairness in the rules. To help you play this game fair and square, keep in mind rules of the game and apply. Let these rules guide you and enjoy playing this relaxing game on the green, in the bunker and even on the water hazard.
Golf Rules
- Follow the equipment rules; depending on the tournament you are joining, you will need to bring the proper gear before you will be allowed to play.
- Players should play the ball right in the position where it rested after a stroke.
- Player must not accept assistance in making a stroke.
- The course must not be altered to gain advantage over the opponent
- The ball will only be replaced once proven unplayable or destroyed.
- An amateur player should not have received money for playing the game.
This is the general rule; some diversions to the rule apply in some other associations. However, most golfers all over the world follow the above rules.
The rules however will not make sure that you are going to be able to play a good game. Practice and fairness in all aspect of the game need to be followed and you are well on your way to enjoying the game to its fullest.
Finally, the choice of your golf club may also be important. You however do not need to buy expensive and branded golf clubs. This is a common mistake of golf beginners, they purchase costly golf clubs and when they finally hit the green, they are not comfortable with their equipment, they fail in their effort, and their hard-earned money went flying out their window.
The recommendation of golf experts is that you use the equipment you are comfortable with. Buying a secondhand golf club will be advantageous for beginning golfers. If you have extra money, invest on your shoes and other gear rather than the branded golf clubs.
Summary:
Following the rules of the game is always important; practice and fairness are rules you need to be particularly focused on. Golf etiquette is likewise important. The rules, the equipment and the game etiquette in playing this relaxing game will ensure enjoyment in the green.
Golf is a strategic game where you do not need power alone. You will need strategy and lots of practice to execute a golf swing. This is because a golf swing takes time to master. For beginners, you will need to understand the concept of the game and practice until you improve your handicap, lower your score and execute a good swing.
Golf is both technical, strategically and a different kind of game where it is possible for you to play it while doing business at the same time.
This is because scholarly and rich individuals who may possibly do good to your business commonly play this game, thus learning golf is imperative if you want to be successful in your business as well.
Anyway, so much for commercial reasons, this article is to give you a guide to begin your journey into golfing fun.
What do you need to play golf?
Understanding of the game
Proper equipment
Patience
Practice
I do not want to be too technical about it, my mission is to help you start and improve your golf game. Read on and have an open mind.
Understanding the game
You will need to know that your goal is to send the ball to the hole. However, you may ask why then do players take so much time on the tee? This is because you will need to learn the swing to send the ball to the hole.
The golf course has many holes you need to cover and the distance between each hole could be somewhere from 100 to 600 yards. You will need to learn how to swing the ball, possibly reach the level of hitting the ball to travel at 100 KPH. To do this you will need to practice.
Proper equipment
One equipment you need to be comfortable with is your golf club. Do you wonder why a golf bag contains numerous golf clubs? This is not only to give the caddy a job; it is because in one single game, you will need all the different kinds of golf club. Types of golf club necessary to play a golf game are the putter, iron, wood, wedge and the driver.
All of them play a particular part in the game and you will need to understand how each of them work.
Let me tell you at this point that many beginners mistakably purchase costly golf clubs and this is not necessary. You only need a golf club that you will be comfortable with, thus if you must buy, buy your golf clubs intelligently.
Patience
You will need to give fluidity to your swing and if you are angry, frustrated or too excited, you will not be able to deliver the swing that will lead to the hole. Patience is therefore necessary; you may be mad at your poor swing but take time to relax and try again.
Practice
There is no overnight success in golf. Thus, to execute that perfect swing, you will need to practice. Practice without the ball and practice with the ball. You may be able to execute the swing perfectly without the ball, but executing it with the ball can make the difference. Thus, you will need a lot of practice to perform that swing you see on tournaments.
I hope that the above will help you begin playing golf. Have fun and see you on the green.