Proper precautions when playing golf during the Coronavirus

Golf and Coronavirus: 11 things you should never do when playing golf

The coronavirus has upended the world in a matter of weeks, devouring golf’s 2020 schedule and shuttering golfers indoors as they work-from-home.

Yet playing golf is still very much on the table. Encouraged, even, but only if you take certain straightforward precautions. We have a big list of all the things you should do right here. As for the things you shouldn’t do? Here’s a quick rundown.

1. Don’t share carts

Limiting the use of golf carts has become an increasingly common precaution many golf courses are taking, but if you want or need to take a cart, make sure to wipe it down throughly first, and take it by yourself so you’re not in close proximity to others.

2. Don’t remove the pin

Many courses recommend only touching the pin if you’re wearing gloves, but many others recommend not touching the pin at all. Better safe than sorry; go with the latter.

3. Don’t borrow clubs

Don’t borrow your fellow golfers’ clubs on the course. Now is not the time.

4. Don’t borrow accessories

Clubs is the most obvious one, but it goes for other golf accessories, too. Towels, tees, ball makers, balls. If they’re not yours, don’t touch them.

5. Don’t toss your partner their ball

Gimmies for short-range putts are recommended, but when your putt is deemed ‘good,’ pick up your own ball. Don’t toss your partner their ball.

6. Don’t toss your partner their ball marker

Ditto the above.

7. Don’t exchange cash

With a caddie, with your playing partner, no one. Try Venmo, instead! It’s far more convenient.

8. Don’t shake hands

This is rule No. 1 nowadays. Try a friendly wave instead!

9. Don’t reach into the golf hole

Most golf courses are inverting their golf holes to eliminate this problem altogether, but if you’re playing one that hasn’t inverted its holes, don’t reach into the golf hole to retrieve your ball. Either leave it there, or pick it up before it drops.

10. Don’t rent clubs

This should be obvious. Use your own or none at all.

11. Don’t hang around the clubhouse

For the time being, you’re at the course for golf and nothing else. It won’t be like that forever, but it is for now. Stay safe, and play well!

SOURCE:  Golf.com

 

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How a doorframe can improve your golf swing

Learn how to turn back, not sway.
Let’s talk about hip turn. James Kinney, one of our Golf Digest Best Young Teachers and Director of Instruction at GolfTec Omaha, says that from the data GolfTec has collected, they’ve found lower handicap golfers have a more centered lower body at the top of the swing. Meaning, they don’t sway.
If you’re swaying off the ball, you’re moving yourself off of your starting position. The low point of your swing moves back when you sway back, so you’re going to have to shift forward to get your club to bottom out where the ball is. That takes a lot of timing, and is going to end up producing some ugly shots.
So, instead, Kinney says you should turn.
“When turning your hips, you are able to stay more centered over the golf ball in your backswing and the low point of your swing stays in the proper position, resulting in consistent contact.”
To practice turning, Kinney says to set up in a doorway. Have your back foot against the doorframe. When you make your lower body move back, your hip will hit the door fame if you’re swaying. If you’re turning, your hips are safe from hitting the frame.
Remember that feeling of turning when you’re on the course and your ball striking is going to get a whole lot more consistent.
SOURCE:  GolfDigest
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Take your kids to play golf – try these tips!

6 Tips For Taking Your Kids Out On The Golf Course

How to keep your kids and the groups around you happy on the golf course

The thought of taking a group of kids out on the golf course is a lot more daunting than taking them to the driving range. But don’t let that fear deter you. There’s a way for kids to get around the course in a completely acceptable amount of time and not bother other groups in the process.

We spoke to Erika Larkin, one of our Golf Digest Best Young Teachers and the Director of Instruction at The Club at Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virginia.

Larkin not only teaches a lot of juniors, her two young children are also golfers. If anyone has some strategies on how to successfully navigate a group of juniors around a course without making the group behind you antsy, it’s her.

Here are Larkin’s 6 tips for taking kids out on the golf course:

Looks for lulls in the action

When you contact a course, be clear and tell them you’re coming with junior players and are looking for a quiet time. “The staff should know the ebbs and flows of traffic and be able to tell you a good time so you won’t be too rushed when playing with your kids,” says Larkin.

Keep it short

There’s no harm in walking off the course before 9 – in fact, it can be the best thing you can do. Larkin says, “Depending on the age of your golfers, 5 or 6 holes may be plenty. Finish when it’s still fun and it leaves your kids wanting more.”

Again, keep it short

But this time, keep the yardage short. Create your own course and tees as needed in the fairway. Larkin suggests, “6 to 8-year olds should play from 50-150 yards out on any given hole. Nine-11 year olds maybe 180-250 yards, and 12-13 year olds play from forward tees.” There’s no need for kids to go out and play full length courses. Making their own course for them within the larger course gives them the thrill of being on a course, while keeping it manageable.

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Put your own game aside

As the adult, don’t plan on being able to think about your game. “Instead of focusing on your play, focus on setting a good example in attitude and etiquette,” says Larkin. “You’re filling the job more of a caddie than of a player for this round.”

Create time-saving games

“Add in fun twists like a “hand wedge” from the sand if they don’t get it out after two swings,” says Larkin. Or if they’re struggling on the green, instate a “magic putt.” Little things like this will keep it light and limit frustration for your group, and the groups around you.

BETTER WITH AGE

Don’t make it purely individual

Play a scramble or shamble. Introducing kids to the course doesn’t mean they have to play their own ball. “Playing a scramble will keep everyone moving and make the experience more team oriented,” says Larkin.

SOURCE: GolfDigest

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We all know the huge names, but what about some off-the-radar folks who could shine next year.

Matthew Wolff, Joaquin Niemann, Cole Hammer among 20 golfers to follow in 2020

We all know the huge names, but what about some off-the-radar folks who could shine next year.

It’s obvious that Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods are five of the best golfers on the planet. Anyone who casually follows the game or engages in the sport can tell you that much. But what about when you step outside the star and superstar realm and get a little past the most obvious contenders in this sport?

What do you find at No. 50 in the world or No. 100 or even past that? With 2020 quickly approaching and another calendar year of golf on deck, I thought it would be fun to throw 20 names at you to watch in 2020. These are in no particular order in terms of ranking, but they’re 20 guys who have a chance to take a leap (or two leaps) into stardom in professional (or amateur) golf at the start of the new decade.

Let’s jump in.

1. Matthew Wolff: Probably the most famous of this group, and he already has a win. It might be unfair to include him on a list of folks you need to know more about because I don’t know how much you already know about him. But his intangibles are off the charts and probably more impressive than anyone else on here. I could not be more in.

2. Xinjun Xhang: Blew away the competition in the Korn Ferry Tour regular season this year. He’s already earned significantly more money in the fall than he did in his entire previous season on the PGA Tour combined.

3. Ben An: This is all you need to know about Ben An and his game.

Most golf beginners would begin their journey with a mid-iron or wedge, but An was the opposite as he started with one of the hardest clubs – the 1-iron. “I liked the 1-iron, that was the first club I used,” An said. “I remember it was a club with an old-school green colored grip. It just felt fun for me. I still remember it although I was very young then.” [PGA Tour]

4. Tom Lewis: The former stud amateur came over and won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship by five after his highest-ever finish at a major championship (T11 at The Open). Currently No. 53 in the world, which is his highest ranking ever.

5. Abraham Ancer: Stole the show at the Presidents Cup, but the reality is that he was playing quality golf long before that. Starred for a while at the 2019 Players Championship, finished second at The Northern Trust and top 10 in his last PGA Tour events of the fall.

6. Joaquin Niemann: Just turned 21 and has almost matched his age with his tee-to-green ranking on the PGA Tour. Certified stud.

7. Sungjae Im: The real breakout star of the Presidents Cup. Im might be a superstar, and he has the kind of game that’s going to go on and on and on and on. All the way up to 34th in the world, and I could see him in the top 20 this time next year.

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8. Scottie Scheffler: There’s a little Spieth in there in terms of the amateur career and walking in the same footsteps. He doesn’t get the same shine Spieth ever did though, but he’s going to have a good, long career.

9. Corey Conners: The best ball-striker you’ve never heard of. He was ninth (!!) from tee to green last season.

10. Bernd Wiesberger: Did you know that Bernd Wiseberger is ranked ahead of Rickie Fowler in the Official World Golf Rankings? I bet you did not know this factual information.

11. Jazz Janewattananond: Introduced himself at the PGA Championship this spring, and likely played himself into the Masters by rising into the top 50 in the OWGR by Dec. 31. He’s currently No. 45 with two weeks to go (the top 50 on Dec. 31 get in).

12. Collin Morikawa: Elite iron player. I don’t know that he has the juice to hang with Wolff and Hovland long-term, but I’m extremely excited to watch him try and play his way into that.

13. Erik Van Rooyen: Come for the joggers, stay for one of the 50 best in the world.

14. Harry Higgs: Won on the Korn Ferry Tour last season and finished second at the Bermuda Championship this fall. He made $540,000 in the fall and is getting close to earning his 2021 card.

15. Robert Macintyre: Finished sixth (!) at The Open at Royal Portrush and had four other top-10 finishes to close out 2019. Still just 23 years old.

16. Takumi Kanaya: The No. 1 amateur in the world and the No. 222 player in the world overall. It’s not often you see that combination, but the 21-year-old is winning legit pro events and nearly even took the Australian Open a few weeks ago.

17. Viktor Hovland: Vegas shouldn’t even offer odds on him winning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Would be like letting Kyler Murray be a rookie next year.

18. Cole Hammer: Another Texas stud. Took down Wolff in the match-play portion of the NCAAs earlier in 2019 and is currently the No. 2 amateur in the world. Right amount of swag, tons of game and a great pedigree. Here for it.

19. Victor Perez: He’s won an official event in each of the last four calendar years. His fall was outstanding as he took the Dunhill Links and then nearly won in China (WGC event) and Turkey (European Tour Rolex Series event). Might be a Ryder Cup threat.

20. Justin Harding: He was the “one of these things is not like the other ones” golfer in the top 15 at Augusta in April. Last year was the first time in his career that he’s played all four of the majors in a calendar year, and he made the cut at three of the four including that impressive T12 at the Masters.

SOURCE:  CBSSports

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Proper golf grip – get your hands right!

Simple steps for getting your hands on right

I see a lot of amateurs approach the golf grip with a lot of tension. Many are holding the club too tightly. I notice it most when they try to waggle. The movement looks stiff and short.
To swing correctly, the right amount of grip pressure—and where you apply it—is important. You should feel the club being supported by the last three fingers of your left hand (above, left). Those fingers should grip the firmest. My longtime teacher, the late Stan Thirsk, used to remind me to keep the club in the fingers of my left hand and never let it slip into the palm.
In the right hand, the middle two fingers do most of the work. The forefinger and thumb of the right hand should feel relaxed. In fact, I’ve seen many great players, including Ben Hogan and Fred Couples, practice with those two fingers clear off the club (above, right).
Back to waggling. With softer grip pressure, your waggle will be looser and will help relax your hands and arms. During the swing, the right hand should be free enough to fire the clubhead through the hitting area.
When it comes to your golf grip, how tight is too tight? Here’s an exercise: Next time you practice, try backing off with your grip pressure until the club is almost falling out of your hands. Then firm it up just enough so you can control the club. That likely is your ideal grip pressure. Will it feel lighter? I’m guessing it will.
Tom Watson is a Golf Digest Teaching Professional.
SOURCE:  GolfDigest
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Escape almost any sloppy condition

Wet lie? Here’s how to play it (and when to drop)

Use your bunker technique to escape almost any sloppy condition

Everybody has seen the tour player roll up his pant legs and get down into the hazard to try to play a ball that’s partially submerged.

Luckily, most situations aren’t quite that dire — but you do need to know how to account for a wet, muddy lie around the green. If you don’t, you’re going to hit more than your share of fat or bladed shots.

The secret? Don’t let the leading edge of your sand wedge get caught up in the muck, says short-game guru and 50 Best Teacher Stan Utley.

“Out of fear, a lot of players swing too easy, which will usually cause you to duff it,” says Utley. “From these lies, you should be thinking about playing a standard bunker shot.”

To do it, you need to unhinge your wrists aggressively on the downswing while keeping your right palm pointed upward — the key to keeping the bounce on the bottom of the club aimed at the ground. If you swing too slowly or let your wrists turn over, you’ll catch the leading edge in that wet muck and you’ll probably move the ball ten feet.

The feel? Like you’re skipping a rock across the surface of a pond.

Speaking of wet, how deep is too deep when the ball is partially submerged in water? If a quarter of the ball is above the surface, it’s possible to get it out–but you’re going to get wet. Wear rain gear, and swing hard.

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

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This weekend at Drake Creek

This Weekend at Drake Creek

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Suzann Pettersen can boast of having one of the most epic retirements an athlete could imagine.

A happily retired Suzann Pettersen talks about her Solheim Cup-winning putt and walking away from pro golf

Suzann Pettersen can boast of having one of the most epic retirements an athlete could imagine. Chosen, controversially, as a captain’s pick for the 2019 European Solheim Cup team, the 38-year-old Norwegian got her game back in shape after taking nearly two years away from competitive golf. During that time, she and her husband welcomed their first child, Herman. On that September Sunday at Gleneagles, Pettersen’s singles match against American Marina Alex was the last on the course with Europe and the U.S. tied 13½-13½. Both golfers had birdie putts, and when Alex missed hers from 10 feet, Pettersen’s six-footer had the entire three-day affair riding on it. When her ball fell in the cup, Pettersen dropped her putter, clenching both fists and threw her head up towards the sky. Her teammates and fans rushed the 18th green. When the mayhem eventually subsided, and the European team came into the media center to discuss the thrilling afternoon, Europe’s hero announced her retirement from professional golf, ending a 19-year career.

Roughly two months later, Pettersen sat down with Golf Digest the week of the CME Group Tour Championship to relive the historic moment and look back on her impressive career that included 15 LPGA Tour wins, two majors, nine Solheim Cup appearances and four Cup wins.

See the full question and answer here

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

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