Golfing for Health

Have you ever wondered why so many Doctors and other health care professionals play golf so often? Sure, part of the reason is that they can afford to, but they also know something that many of us may not know.

According to Cardiologist Dr. Edward A. Palank, "walking the golf course lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, while leaving high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol alone

Then there's the report from a Swedish Medical study that found Golf provided the equivalent of "40 to 70% of maximum aerobic power" which is the equivalent of a 45-minute aerobics fitness class.

All of a sudden, playing Golf makes a lot of healthy sense. It especially makes sense for those people whose work and lifestyles lean toward the more sedentary.

So, how does playing a round of Golf accomplish all of these major medical miracles? For starters, just being outdoors generates healthy responses from your body. Exposure to sunlight prompts the body to manufacture Vitamin D, and it signals the brain to release certain endorphenes which actually lift your spirits and enhance your mood.

But there's a lot more going on behind your putts and drives than just good moods and a dose of Vitamins. According to the August, 2005 issue of the "Harvard Men's Health Watch", the average golfer walks at least four miles during an 18 hole game, and that walk not only provides a great workout for your heart, but it helps to lower your blood pressure as well. Of course, if you're driving your cart around those 18 holes, then the heart-health benefits are greatly reduced.

Weight loss and weight maintenance are two more health benefits that come free with your Green Fees. If you carry your own clubs, and walk the entire course, you can expect to burn as many as 500 calories per game. But even if you drive around the course, you can burn at least 200 calories for your efforts. Just make sure that you don't put them all back on when you reach the 19th Hole!

Hand-in-hand with the benefits of weight loss comes the additional benefits of muscle exercise and toning. In fact, Golf is one of the few low-impact exercises that work most of the body's major muscle groups including:

* abductors * adductors * biceps * deltoids * dorsi * erectors * extensors * flexors * gluteals * hamstrings * infraspinatus * internal and external obliques * latissimus * pectorals * quadriceps * rhomboids * subscapularis * supraspinatus * terses minor * trapezius * triceps

And even if you've never heard of half of those muscle groups, you body knows exactly where each of them are located, and it thanks you very much for taking the time to exercise them frequently.

So there you have it. Not only is golf both fun and addictive, but it's an excellent way to take care of your heart, body, and mind all at the same time!

How to swing a golf club like Tiger Woods

Improve Golf Swing With Good Posture

The significance of your posture goes far beyond daily life. Your posture can change, how you play your favorite sports. Actually, most sports require numerous types of posture in order to successful achieve, the goal of winning the game. The sport of golf is not different, if you have bad posture within your golf game, than this will have a negative effect on your golf swing.

One of the best golf swing tips that anyone can receive is how to correct, their posture to improve their golf game. The power, intensity and accuracy of your golf swing lays within your posture, however, if your posture does not meet proper guidelines, than your overall game will be affected

Now that you recognize the importance of posture in your golf game, how can you attain the ideal posture? More importantly, what is the ideal golf posture? While many people feel that splendid golfing posture is simply lowering their chin to view the golf ball, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Never has there been a golfing method that has the ability to be interpreted in such a wide variety of ways. While some feel that keeping your body drastically relaxed and unrestricted will give you perfect golfing posture, other believe that a firm stance and stony upper body movement is the ideal posture. However, both of these beliefs are half true and half false.

The optimal golfing posture is notably easy to find, all it takes is an awareness of how your body is positioned. To set your body up for good posture, you must remember three key elements. The first is always keeping your back straight. This will allow you to actively involve all of your core muscles that are found in your torso.

Never allow your back to bend, or hunch over. This will actually weaken your golf swing, and throw your accuracy completely off. Next, always make sure that you bend your upper body at the hips. How you can accomplish this is by sticking out your backside as if you are going to be sitting in a chair and then bend slightly forward. Make sure that you don’t arch your back, always keeping a strong and aligned spine. After performing this, allow your arms to hang down in front of you.

Always make sure that you evenly divide your weight throughout your legs. Keep your knees bent, but allow them to be flexible enough to give your legs a spring to them. It is common for this posture to feel unrefined at first; however, appropriate posture always feels more dynamic than it really is. Although, if you are feeling any pain in your lower back, make sure that your quadriceps are absorbing all of your body’s weight. Keep your feet extremely sturdy, and your shoulders and arms unconstrained and in a natural state.

Golf swing tips are a dime a dozen, however, here comes a tip that many people aren’t aware of, and that is what do you do with your head? Never allow your head to stay focused on the ground the entire time. This will ruin your golf game, and cause you to have horrid shots. Instead, always let your head follow the ball. Whenever the ball leaves the ground so should your head. Your head is attached to your body, thus allow it to be as free as your arms, legs, hips and feet. It’s okay for your head to move with the golf ball, actually, it’s recommended.

What Are The Hot Golf Accessories?

There are a number of accessories that can be useful to people who play golf. Golf accessories are available in every price range, and many products can be found in stores and online.

Each aspect of the game has its own set of accessories. The golf clubs alone may require a variety of products. Some useful golf club accessories include cleaning kits, protective head covers, and club grips. Head covers come in many varieties from comical animal shapes to those that labeled with a family crest or monogram. Golf club grips also come in various styles. There are everyday, universal grips, but there are also some expensive grips that are tailored to a particular club or set of clubs as well.

If you think that all golf tees and balls are alike, think again because there is an extremely wide range of choices. You can buy inexpensive bags of generic, discount tees, for example, or you can purchase personalized tees in any color you can imagine. There are also rubber tees and brush tees, which are touted to provide more accuracy and to last longer than the traditional wooden tees. Golf balls can be purchased in a variety of colors and with varying claims as to their accuracy. Many times, golf accessories are chosen simply because of a personal preference, and not because of what the manufacturer promises.

You can also find many different types of sunglasses, visors, or caps. If you live in a sunny climate, you may need one of more of these useful products. Wrap-around sunglasses with UV protectant lenses may reduce glare as much as one hundred percent in many cases. Having a clear view is likely to improve the golfer's accuracy. An umbrella is another very useful golf accessory, since it can be used in either the sun or the rain.

Many golfers can't do without their 'lucky' golf towels. There are many towels with various logos and brand names available. Golf towels are not only useful, they also represent a way to personalize the player's game. Golf accessory shops also offer ball cleaners and other maintenance products.

Another good accessory for golfers is the ball retriever. There are generic brands that work very well and are relatively affordable, or you can find personalized retrievers in many styles.

You can find golf accessories in any pro shop at any course. There are also online golf shops that offer many state-of-the-art types of accessories that will make any golfer's play more fun.

Seven-Wood: The Golf Wood of Choice

If you are overlooking the potential of your seven-wood, you may want to take a closer look at the collection of clubs in your golf bag. Many golfers believe the seven-wood to be the best field wood in a golf bag.

However, this is not a universally accepted statement since it is ultimately a matter of the golfer’s opinion. But, many golfers believe that the seven-wood is as close to the perfect golf club as he or she can have. The seven wood swings as smoothly and easily as the six-iron but is also more accurate and gives more distance to the ball.

The seven-wood can be a great golf club from about 225 years in depending on the golfer’s physical strength. The seven-wood makes it fairly easy to get under the ball and get good elevation to move the ball in toward the green with very few strokes, the ultimate golfing goal. If a golfer has a seven-wood with a graphite shaft, he or she will have a greater feel of the ball as opposed to a seven-wood with a metal shaft. The graphite shaft causes the club to be more flexible and gives the ball slightly more lift upon contact.

The seven-wood is also a great club for a long par 3 or short par 4 hole. Let’s imagine the golfer is looking at a 180 yard par 3. Now, he or she could choose to make the drive with a three or four iron club and probably make a fairly good drive. However, choosing a golf wood like the seven-wood, gives golfer a slight edge as he or she can tee the ball slightly higher and in the direction of the green. This is especially true if the drive is made with the ball near the back of his or her stance, thus reducing the power of the swing and preventing the drive from flying the green.

If the golfer were to make a slight alteration in his or her stance, the seven-wood could also help the golfer get past an obstacle. Let’s say a golfer is approximately 180 years out on the green with a tree about ten years directly in front of him or her. By altering his or her stance by opening it up slightly and changing the hips’ position, the golfer can more easily hook or slice the ball around the tree yet without causing the ball to become out of play. The golfer can get the shot he or she needs, with adequate elevation, but without the negative repercussions such tough shots often carry with them.

However, it is always a good idea to spend some time practicing this shot on the driving range with the seven-wood before attempting it out on the course and in an actual game.

By: Eric Slarkowski

Golf Tips to Remember

Golf TipsIf you are like me - and I suspect you are because you are here reading this blog in order to find a golf lesson - your golf game leaves a lot to be desired. The most difficult thing for me has been finding a consistent swing that is mechanically correct. I would hit a nice 250 yard drive on one hole and then go for about 100 yards on the next. Following is a basic golf lesson I found that help improve my golf swing.

1) Exercise. Like all games, golf involves the use of muscles. Exercise helps train your muscles to respond consistently time after time. If you have ever trained using free weights you understand what I mean. The first time you try a bench press your arms are wobbly and it is somewhat difficult to hold the bar motionless. Over time your supporting muscles become used to the motion and you can easily control the bar. The same holds true for your golf swing. If you exercise and target the appropriate muscles you will be able to get consistent results every time you swing.

2) Warm up. This is something that beginners often take for granted. Your body performs better if it is warm. There is nothing more frustrating than using the first half of your round of golf to warm up before you get consistent results from your body. Arrive a few minutes early to allow time to stretch and get loose. Take a few practice drives to get your body ready for what is to come.

3) Don't swing too hard. This is one I am guilty of...especially off the tee. The temptation is great to swing as hard as you can and crush the ball. However, if you haven't yet learned to control your swing you will most likely end up will less than desirable results. Give yourself time to learn to control your swing. Take easy, relaxed swings to get the motion down. I watched a tip on the golf channel the other day that said Payne Stewart used to warm up with his driver by taking slow, fluid swings with the goal of driving - yes driving - the ball no more than 150 yards. He felt this allowed him to get a better feel for and control over his swing.

Through all of this you need to realize that no two bodies are created the same. Your buddy's golf tips may not work for you because of differences in range of motion and flexibility. What will help you most is to understand the factors that affect the golf ball. One of the best resources I have found for this is called How to Break 80. You can get this book by clicking here.

Jared Jones

Golf Tips

Super Golf Swing Improvement Made Easy

Most golfers don't know that eighty percent of the world's golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. Finding ways to improve your golf game, then applying what you've learned and practicing, is the number one way to get ahead of the game. Even the guys who play golf for a living and get the best golf instruction in the world still struggle to improve their golf; and they practice each and every day!

Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing. Always be aware the mental aspect

of the game contributes one way or another to the difficulty of the golf swing. If you've hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory.

As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. It's difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left.

One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing. Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the 'yips' has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. Try not to grip the club too tightly.

Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. Make sure to use the proper technique. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that's applied to it.Using some simple tips, techniques and stretches, you can increase your drives by up to 20 yards-- practically overnight. Conditioning your golf muscles will reward you with straighter swings. Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance.

Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. If you're a golfing novice just starting out, it's easy to become overwhelmed. Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing.Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims. Aids can be found online and are often cheaper. Look for aids at your local golf course.Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Keep in mind that with some aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today. There are aids that will help you with swing alignment.Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at a time. There are hundreds of useful golf tips to seek out in golf magazines, consumer magazines, sports magazines, in books, ebooks, DVDs, online and offline. Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro.