Perform Better Golf Blog

Golf companies selling golf swing aids are making millions and millions of dollars. All on the premise it will give you a better swing, more distance and lower scores. My question to you is…”is it working?” Have you gotten better? Are you hitting it 30 yards longers as these companies promise?

I raise these questions because I feel there are dozens of golf swing aids that are gimmicks. You may have one or two of these gathering dust in your garage right now.

It bothers me that these companies feed off the desperation golfers have to play better golf. I’ve always said, “give a golfer hope, and they’ll pay any amount of money for these so-called miracle golf swing aids.”

If you’re tired of wasting your money on golf swing aids, then work on the “machine” that will really make a difference. Your BODY! I have said this a thousand times.

You heard it hear first! If you hear, or read the above statement anywhere else, it’s my ‘copycat’ competitors at it again!

I will go to the “ends of the earth” educating golfers on the importance of improving their body’s ability to make an efficient, powerful and repeatable golf swing.

It’s time to look at the source of your mishits, power leaks and lower performances.

Golf balance during your swing is critical to hitting repeatable shots and improving your golf swing consistency.

I see so many older golfers who just can’t maintain their balance during their swing and the result is a massive loss of both distance and accuracy.

The ONLY way to improve this is to work on balance and stability exercises “off the course”.

One great drill is to make partial golf swings on one leg. Don’t hit a ball till you get the hang of it. You can also do your golf exercises that are standing ones on one leg. These changes the entire dynamic of these exercises when you do this.

These are two simple things you can do to quickly and effectively improve your golf balance.

I’ve heard many golfers say their backs hurt after a golf putting practice. They want to know why this occurs and what they can do about it.

First off…look at the position of your body when you’re putting. You have a big flex in your back (fending forward), which puts a lot of strain on your hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles.

When you putt, you are in this position for extended periods of time.

If your golf putting muscles which are your hamstrings, glutes and lower back as mentioned above are inflexible and weak, your lower back takes all the pressure.

The remedy!

Stretch and strengthen those muscles. This will not only reduce, eliminate and prevent low back pain when your doing your golf putting practice, but it will do the same for your full swing. Golf is brutal on the body…and the ONLY way to avoid this is to strengthen and stretch the “machine” involved.

Here’s a little tip when doing your golf putting practice.

After you hit 5 or 6 putts…put your golf putter down and do some easy toe touches to keep your hamstrings, glutes and lower back nice and loose.

Do them gently and slowly to avoid any pulling or straining.

We all want a better golf swing. But are going at it with the right approach? I hear horror stories of desperate golfers spending a thousand dollars on lessons, only to get worse!

How could this happen?

This is not a knock on golf instructors, but every instructor has his/her own agenda in regards to teaching. This is not right or wrong, but does not alway warrant the best results for the student (golfer).

The agenda may include a total “redo” of their golf swing. Ouch! This will make that golf instructor a lot of money! Most golfers just want to hit it a little better and see some respectable distance with all their clubs.

I don’t think many golfers are expecting to turn pro or become a scratch golfer.

With that being said, you’ve got to look at your swing faults that keep creeping up into your game and look at the source of the cause. It could be a physical limitation that will never allow you to correct it until you address and fix the limitation.

Novel idea! Maybe it’s your BODY that’s not allowing you to achieve a better golf swing.

Golf stretching and golf strength exercises for that particular swing fault will most likely eliminate that swing fault forever.

Achieving a bigger golf backswing will give you many things in your golf game.
1) Longer tee shots.
2) Shorter approach shots.
3) More greens in regulation.
4) Reaching more par 5’s in two.
5) Being the envy of your foursome.

If the above reasons isn’t enough to motivate you…then nothing is!

Now…how do you achieve it?

Do you think it’s hitting more balls? How about new clubs? More lessons?

Achieving a bigger golf backswing is a physical issue.

Stretching AND strengthening the muscles involved with your backswing will give you the results you want.

The key is rotational golf stretches and golf strength exercises!

Here is an example of a simple and easy golf stretching exercise that will improve your golf backswing.

Lying Leg Crossover:

• Lie on back with legs extended.
• Raise one leg and bend at knee to 90 degrees in knee and hip.
• Cross that leg over extended leg, while opposite shoulder stays on ground.
• Go until slight pull in butt and lower back.
• Hold and repeat once more.
• Switch legs and do opposite side.

Benefit to Golf Swing:

• Allows for a bigger back swing, while hips remain stable.
• Creates more torque between lower body and upper body, which in turn provides more club head speed and increased distance.
• Helps reduce strain in lower back during repeated swings and practice.
• Allows golfer a more effortless swing, and reduces muscular tension, which in turn improves accuracy.

There you go! Just one simple golf stretching exercise of many you can do that will give improve your golf backswing and result in up to 30 more yards on your drives!

This is the season you’re going to improve your golf game!

You’re going to stop the insanity and not keep doing the same things and getting the same results, right?

It’s time to look at your golf game improvement from an athletes perspective. You’ve got to break down the reason you’re not performing the way you feel like you should.

If you are experiencing…

• Lack Of Power
• Inconistency With All Your Clubs
• Fading On The Back Nine
• Recurring Injuries and Aches and Pains

…then you’ve got to look at the culprit. And I’m going to tell you it’s not your golf equipment or pounding more balls!

It’s the “broken machine” that’s causing the above issues!

As soon as you realize this…and set up a “game plan” to address these “physical” issues and limitations…the sooner you’ll see improvement on the course. The result will be a golf swing with maximum power, incredible efficiency and consistency and scores that will plummet!

If you’ve ever read any of my articles, you’ll know that I state over-and-over again, “the most important piece of equipment in golf is your body”.

Well…after 8 years with my “bread-and-butter”, OLD King Cobra 3 wood, I’m retiring it and getting a brand new Mizuno F50 3 wood. Very cool. I think after 8 years I deserve a new piece of equipment eh?

I matched the very same shaft I have in my Mizuno Driver, so I should be good-to-go!

Hope you all are finally getting a chance to go out and play! I played yesterday, and it was 94 degrees (I live in Scottsdale, Arizona).

I received this email below just yesterday and it’s truth that you can improve your game at any age or ability.

“This is to tell you that I have purchased your Golf Fitness DVD four weeks ago and have been taken out your beginning golf fitness program for four weeks now. I have found out that your exercises have improved my golf swing and my shoulder turning seems easily.

I can maintain my spine angle slightly more longer so that I can see the club head goes through the ball. My lower body seems stronger that I can finish my swing without off balance. The score has not improve yet but I am sure given another 6 months time I should be able to lower my handicap. I am 61 years old.” — Philip Tan

Congratulations to Aaron Baddeley on his win the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head SC.

Aaron lives in my neck of the woods here in Scottsdale and takes his golf fitness very seriously. He works out with one of the local trainers and it served him good this weekend.

It came right down to the very last hole with him and Jim Furyk. Fun to watch him win his first PGA Tournament with his new wife of just one year at his side.

Golf stretching exercises can be a big help during your round. How many times have you started of banging your drives long and straight only to start missing fairways and losing yards on the back nine?

This is because your body is either fatiguing or getting tighter and tighter!

One simple solution is golf stretching exercises “on the course”.

Depending on your swing fault or what’s happening on the course, you can incorporate a golf stretching exercise specific for that issue.

For example, if you are losing your ability to make a full backswing, you can do a backswing stretch for golf.

Instructions:

• Extend left arm out in front of you (if you are a right handed golfer).
• Take right hand and put under left wrist.
• Pull with right hand against left wrist and make as big a turn on back swing as possible.
• Hold for at least 15 seconds, repeat once more and do the opposite for follow thru side.

Benefit to Golf Swing:

• Improve back swing and follow thru range of motion, allowing for a bigger shoulder turn and generating more club head speed.
• Stretch back of shoulder for more range, but with-in golf swing.
• Indirectly improve trunk rotation while maintaining golf posture.

This is just an example of what you can do “on the course” to maintain an efficient golf swing for 18 holes.

Start paying more attention to what’s happening to your body while you’re playing. If a certain area of your body feels like it’s getting tighter, stretch it right there!