Drop Your Handicap
DID YOU KNOW?
The first golf balls used in the 16th century are
believed to have been made out of wood.
Drop Your Handicap and Get Fit
Golf is a great game, isn’t it? It's handicap system allows you to play competitively at virtually any age. What other sport allows you to do that?
Although it does not compare to things like weight lifting or running marathons, golf is still a great way to get outdoors and exercise. Practicing golf is especially good for people with medical conditions that keep them from being able to do hard exercise.
The best way to stay fit playing golf is to walk the course and hit a lot of balls on the driving range. Unfortunately many courses nowadays make you take a cart. One way to dodge this golf fitness obstacle is to take turns walking and driving the holes with the person you are playing with. This way you are still walking nine of the eighteen holes. And walking is one of the best aerobic (fat burning) exercise there is.
Another way to get exercise practicing golf is to hit golf balls at the driving range on a hot day. If you hit a couple buckets of balls without taking much rest you will get some great cardio exercise. You might drop your handicap too!
There is one frustrating thing about practicing golf, however, it is so damn difficult. If you are a mental wreck because you aren't playing well you aren't really getting the healthy exercise you need from it. You are really creating stress.
Drop Your Handicap: Reduce Stress and Anxiety On The Course
There are countless tips, golf swing instruction books, and videos out there to help you drop your handicap. Each of these teaching methods usually comes with their own gimmicks or drills, but the best swing tips and fundamentals for golf never change.
The CEO of Diet Health and Fitness played Division I golf in college and provided the following 3 swing tips that should help you drop your handicap. Remember you have to actually practice them in order to drop your handicap.
Tip#1: Be Smooth. Good tempo is the key for having a good golf swing and hitting consistent shots. Tempo applies to all aspects of the game, even putting. Whether your swing is fast or slow doesn't matter, what does is that your tempo stays relatively the same.
Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III, for example, all have a relatively slow tempo, while players such as Nick Price have a fast tempo. They are all terrific golfers because they have such great, even tempo. If your swing gets jerky you will hit the ball all over the place.
Tip # 2: Keep your left arm straight throughout the golf swing. Don't be tight and rigid, but rather loose without anything but a very slight bend in the left elbow. Watch any pro hit the ball on TV and you will see what I mean, all of them keep their left arm straight. It will bring the club back and through in the perfect position.
Tip #3: Keep your head still. This is probably the most important, but most overlooked golf fundamental. During the golf swing your head should remain as still as you can keep it. Again, watch the pros, their heads hardly move during their swing.
Most amateur golfers will sway their head back with their takeaway or they will pick their head up too quickly to see where they hit the shot. Whenever you move your head, your body follows with it. So if you pick your head up, your body lifts up and you will hit the golf ball off center. If you sway your head back your body will sway back and you will be off balance and not come through the ball with good timing.
At Diet Health and Fitness we bet that if you can follow those 3 tips for practicing golf you can drop your handicap in the next few weeks. As with anything else, however, good golf swings and a low handicap are produced through practice. But playing and practicing golf will also give you good exercise.
Remember to enjoy yourself out there, be happy, and try to walk as much as possible, your mind and body will thank you for it.
If you would like to drop your handicap or improve your golf fitness we suggest that you visit one of the links below.
