Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Guide To Buy Used Golf Clubs For Beginner Golfer

If you are just starting out to play golf, you should never buy a new golf club set immediately as you may discover that this game is not for you later on. Furthermore, you are yet to find the type of golf clubs that fits you during the learning stage. The good choice is to start with cheap used golf clubs>. And here are some guidelines to help you to hunt down your first used golf club set:

Golf Rental Clubs
First, you may want to play with the rental clubs at a driving range. During this time, don't be afraid to ask your friends or other golfers to try their clubs on the range. This is a good opportunity for you to judge which type of clubs is right for you. After hitting for a period of time at the driving range and you think it is time to buy your own clubs, then ....

Rely on golf expert
When you go out to buy used golf clubs, you should always rely on people who know golf equipment well. You can look for your local pro at your local municipal course as a source of information and advice. Or you can consult the experts at the golf shop or even your friend who plays well or who knows anything about golf clubs. Alternatively, you can search the Internet for used golf club reviews. You can always ask people for advice but keep in mind that what suits them may not necessary prove good in your hands. Therefore, it is more important to identify the golf club set that suitable to your ability yourself.

Golf beginner's half set
As a novice golfer, you are advised to learn with a half set of clubs with all matching iron of the same model. The half-set could be made up from a few combinations of clubs. In general, the half set combination consists of five iron clubs, including 4, 6, 8, pitching wedge and sand iron, in addition to 3 and 5 woods plus a putter. The driver is not recommended in the beginner's half set because it is the hardest club to control. Majority of beginners would achieve better results using a 3 wood on the tee box. Likewise, 1, 2 or 3 irons should be avoided at the early stages of the game, as each of these long irons requires an accurate strike from the middle of the clubface with plenty of club heads speed in order to achieve good results. In contrast, a 5 wood with distance almost equivalent of the 2 iron - the ball can still travel a fair distance despite being hit off-center. Besides, a lofted wood is more forgiving than the thin blade of an iron club heads.

The half set combination not only sufficient for most novice golfers on the golf course for every situation but also makes club selection much easier. It is a good combination of clubs to help the novice to improve their swing technique until they are good enough before they advance to the full set golf clubs. Therefore, you have to make sure to select a golf model for your half set from a reputable manufacturer that can be added to at a later stage.

Golf Feels
The best way to purchase a used golf clubs is to actually hold them in your hand and swing them to get a feel for what you want. The feel of a golf club clearly seems to be all-important. But, what is 'feel'? There is no scientific formula that defines it. In general, feel can be described as the way a golfer feels a club when he or she swings it depends on its swing weight and the flexibility of its shaft.

Iron Club head
Look for club head that made of stainless steel and avoid inexpensive alloy heads. For beginner, you should select the 'heel-and-toe' (or, perimeter-weighted) club head design, cavity backed (hollowed out in the back) and over-sized golf club. You should get bigger club heads because they are more forgiving with enlarges 'sweet spot' that can produce maximum distance even with off-center contacts.

Golf Shafts
Graphite shafts is ideal for beginner even though it is more expensive that steel shafts. Its lighter overall weight allows beginner to swing the club faster even with enlarged clubhead.

Golf Grips
If you have purchased used golf clubs where the condition of the grips could be less than perfect or the grips don't fit properly for you, then make sure you replace them. Grips are fairly easy and inexpensive to change by a pro or club repairman. Ensure all the grips are replaced with same size and design.

Finally, if you are just starting out with golf, chances are your swing is more likely to let you down rather than the golf clubs itself. Having said that, it is still important to try out the golf clubs before buying them in order to find a golf club set that suits your swing, body and game. Most importantly, makes you feel confident when you use it.

Andrew Loh is the owner of Used Golf Clubs Guide, a website that provides complete guide to used golf clubs - where to buy/sell/trade in used golf clubs, what to check before buying a used golf clubs, how to choose a used golf clubs set... and more. You can visit his website at: http://www.used-golf-clubs-guide.com%3c/a%3E

Monday, January 12, 2009

Exercises to Prevent Common Golf Injuries

To those who don't play, golf seems like a low impact sport. But golf provides a real physical workout and arm and lower back pain and injuries are common among golfers. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends some preventive exercises so golfers can protect themselves against injury.

To avoid golfer's elbow, suggests these simple exercises to help build up your forearm muscles.

Squeeze a tennis ball

Squeezing a tennis ball for five minutes at a time is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles.

Wrist curls

Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, then repeat with the other arm.

Reverse wrist curls

Use a lightweight dumbbell. Place your hands in front of you, palm side down. Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising above your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, then repeat with the other arm.

These simple exercises can help strengthen lower back muscles and prevent injuries.

Rowing

Firmly tie the ends of rubber tubing. Place it around an object that is shoulder height (like a door hinge). Standing with your arms straight out in front of you, grasp the tubing and slowly pull it toward your chest. Release slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

Pull-downs

With the rubber tubing still around the door hinge, kneel and hold the tubing over your head. Pull down slowly toward your chest, bending your elbows as you lower your arms. Raise the tubing slowly over your head. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

Conray Knox is the owner and webmaster of Buy Golf Clubs Online.Discover the best places online to purchase new golf clubs.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Three Secrets of A Consistent Golf Stroke

What you are about to read... will change your golfing lifeforever! What are these three "secrets"? If you knew how would they effect your game?. These three "secrets" are whatthe worlds best players do. Every player MUST know these"secrets" if they are to have a powerful, repeating golfstroke.

The problem with the majority of golfers is that they don'tknow what to do. Oh their friends, well wishers at best,tell them that they are "bending their left arm", "raisingup through the shot", "coming over the top" and host ofother swing faults. But these are the same people thatshoot the same scores you do! What could they possibly tellyou that would improve your game?

The information you are about to receive is not theory orconjecture but science. Ooooh, you say, this soundscomplicated. Well it isn't, it is simply the laws of forceand motion that govern our entire lives and day to dayliving. Once you understand these simply laws your golfgame will forever change...for the better!

Secret #1: A Flat Left Wrist

Because the golf stroke involves a golf club, a left arm, anda wrist in between, it is called a "lever system". The leftwrist acts as a "hinge pin" much like the old time "flail"used to beat wheat. This "hinge pin" can rotate, cock oruncock but NEVER Bends!

Golfers however routinely bend the left wrist causing theclubhead to reach the ball before the hands do. This causesa "quitting" motion, adds loft to the clubface, points theface to the left of target, makes the clubhead swingupward disrupting the downward motion that ALL good golfshots MUST have. Good players DELOFT the clubface atImpact. Poor players ADD loft to the clubface costing themdistance, direction, and trajectory.

A 5 iron, for example, has approximately 8 degrees for"forward lean" when soled properly. At Impact with goodplayers the "lean" is approximately 15 degrees. This turnsthe 5 iron into a 4 iron. Poor players reach Impact with a"backward" leaning clubshaft thereby ADDING loft and turningthe 5 iron into a 6-7 iron!

Secret #2: A Staright Plane Line

You only have two choices when it comes to the swing plane,you are either on or you're off. There is no middleground!

What exactly is the swing plane? The plane is the angle ofthe clubshaft as it sets at address - period! It is NOTHogans plane of glass as many would have you to believe. There are only three planes available;

1. Horizontal - a wall
2. Vertical - the floor
3. Inclined somewhere in between

As golfers you and I use the Inclined Plane to swing theclub back up and end, down out and forward, up back and inmaking the Golf Stroke three dimensional.

The clubshaft, actually the sweetspot of the club, maytravel to any other plane angle during the swing as long as itDOES NOT cross the base of the plane. Here is asimple way you can know if you are on plane or not. Whichever end of the club is nearest to the ground MUST alsopoint at the base of the plane from horizon to horizon. Ifneither end is nearer then the clubshaft MUST be horizontalto the ground and parallel to the base of plane.

Secret #3: A Lagging Clubhead

Lag by definition means "trailing". When the clubheadpasses the hands coming into Impact there is no "lag". Without "lag" the golf ball cannot be compressed, we cannothit downward, and we have a tremendous power loss. Clubheadlag promotes a steady and even acceleration giving us adependable way to control distance.

Look at any picture of your favorite player at Impact. Theleft arm and clubshaft are in ONE LINE! Never two lines. This means that the player is utilizing "lag". When a ballis struck with "lag" it explodes off the clubface! Withoutthis "lag" the sound turns into one of mush, a soft Impactinstead of a driving Impact.

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If you follow this outline, learn these three "Secrets" youwill be hitting the ball with more compression than you everthought possible.

For example, a Driver striking a golf ball with a 2 degree"backward" leaning clubshaft at 100 mph with 9.5 degrees ofloft produces a launch angle of 6.4 degrees and a carrydistance of 230 yards.

By changing Impact to a 2 degree forward leaning clubshaftthe player produces a launch angle of 10.4 degrees and acarry of 251 yards. A 21 YARD INCREASE WITHOUT buying a newDriver and simply having clubhead lag!

YOU can improve your game dramatically by following thesteps outlined above. Become the best player YOU can be andstart winning those 4 way presses! If YOU really want toelevate your game, hit it farther, straighter, and nearerthe hole then practice what I've shared with you.

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Chuck Evans, G.S.E.D.
chuck@chuckevansgolf.com

P.S. Visit our website for more information on how to becomethe best player YOU can be.
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Chuck Evans is one of only 31 Teachers in the world to hold the designation of "Doctorate in Golf Stroke Engineering", he is one of the most highly sought after instructors in the world not only by players but other teachers as well and is known as the Teacher of Teachers!

Chuck has appeared on numerous golf talk shows, written and published instructional articles in local, regional, and national golf publications. His DVD, "60 Days To Game Improvement" has sold in excess of 10,000 copies and his new eBook, "How To Build YOUR Golf Swing" is in the library of amateurs and Teaching Professional alike. He has also appeared as the featured instructor for education classes regarding the golf swing at various PGA Sections and Chapters around the country and has been nominated numerous times for Golf Digest's Top 50 Teachers and Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers.

In addition Chuck has held the positions of Director of Schools for the PGA Tour Golf Academy and the Director of Instruction for the United States Golf Institute.



You can reach Chuck through his Golf Academy in Mesa Arizona by calling 480.862.6544, by email at mailto:chuck@chuckevansgolf.comor through the website http://www.chuckevansgolf.com/

Essential Information on Choosing the Best Golf Clubs to Suit Your Game

Most golfers, whether a beginner or a pro, struggle when trying to decide which golf club to buy. The buying process becomes easier when the consumer has a good understanding of the types of golf clubs available and their specific use. Your playing (and thus your staying) power is greatly enhanced by choosing the proper golf clubs.

For the novice golfer, the basic set of golf clubs consists of drivers, wedges, putters and irons. Using the proper type of golf club will help the beginner learn quickly and achieve results. Each different type of club is designed to help with swing speed and to correct faults to improve your game ? and your score.

In addition to clubs, a wide variety of accessories are also available, many of which are necessities and others that are ?just for looks.? One absolute necessity is a golf bag to assist you or your caddy in moving from green to green, and of course, golf balls. Another must is a pair of golf shoes to help stabilize your body so you can achieve the perfect swing. Other accessories include golf gloves, a golf cap, clothing, and covers for your golf clubs to protect them from the elements or while stored.

There are many variations in the types and styles of golf clubs and their uses. For example, if you?re trying to make a shorter shot, irons may be your best bet. Irons are usually available in sets that include several different sizes. You must also take into consideration the style, size, and type of material used to make the golf club shaft. One of the less expensive materials is steel. Clubs with a steel shaft weigh more but can be longer-lasting than other types. The steel shaft may also give you more control over those fast swings. If you choose a graphite shaft, it will be lighter than steel but will be more costly. This type of club is used for long distance shots or for slower swingers.

Most golf clubs are available with both steel and graphite shafts.

The flexibility of a shaft is referred to as flex, or bend. The less the bend in a shaft, the more control the powerful swinger will have. On the other hand, beginners and those with less powerful swings generally use a shaft with greater flexibility. The average swing speed is from 65 miles per hour for the beginner up to over 100 miles per hour for powerful swingers.

The goal when buying golf clubs should be to own the best golf clubs you can afford, whether they are name brands, used, or a reproduction of one of the name brands. Golf clubs can be purchased at many different types of establishments such as discount stores, buying clubs, specialty shops, catalogs, or the Internet, which offers an almost limitless variety of clubs and bargains, including used golf clubs. The cost of the golf club depends on the type and where it is purchased. Retail stores and catalogs have pre-season, post-season and regular sales, but since someone, somewhere, has the perfect climate in which to play golf at any given time of the year, you may find it difficult to find a true bargain. Internet shopping offers excellent prices throughout the year, and in many cases shipping is free. Golf club replicas are very good bargains if you compare their features to the originals. Many, many types of merchandise are duplicated, or cloned, so be sure the set of clubs you buy have not been illegally duplicated.

Most anytime is the perfect time for most golfers and ?wannabe? golfers to play, so take advantage of the large variety of clubs and bargains to be found, and don?t wait another day to start buying your golf clubs.

Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice and reviews on golf club components and cheap golf clubs