GOLF SNACKS – WHAT TO EAT AND WHEN

Ever had that feeling where you are having a great round and then get to the 14th or 15th hole and start to make silly mistakes? Wrong club, misjudge the wind, 3 putt from nowhere??

Always score better on the front 9 than the back 9?

Feel like you throw away too many good rounds by coming home on the bogey (or double bogey) train?

Playing consistent golf all the way through a round has a lot to do with being able to maintain concentration. Maintaing concentration has a lot do with keeping energy levels up. Keeping energy levels up is all about FOOD!!

So what should we eat? And when should we eat it? Continue Reading→

I am extremely pleased to announce the Golf Queensland Junior State team were undefeated in the Interstate series and claimed the Burtta Cheney Cup for the 3rd year in a row. It was a terrific final days play at the Western Australian Golf Club. With all 4 teams still in contention it was anyone’s title to win. The final match against Western Australia was a hard contest with the Queensland team winning 4 out of the 5 matches. All of the players were totally committed 100% of the time.

I am very proud to be the coach of the Golf Queensland Junior team and a proud of the achievements of the team. The girls performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament. They focused, stayed in the present and played for each other.

They worked hard and thoroughly deserved the win.

I hear this all the time from average golfers and even struggling tour players: “I hit the ball great on the range, but I’m a different golfer on the course. I don’t have the confidence to make the same swing when I know a bad shot will get me in trouble.”

Confidence comes from controlling the ball, but how do you go from hitting solid and accurate shots on the range to producing those same shots on the course? It’s helpful to understand the four stages of becoming a confident player:

First, you are unconsciously incompetent. You have no idea what to do in your swing or how to get there. This is the stage in which you learn the basics of the swing.

Second, you are consciously incompetent. You know what you want to do with your swing, but you can’t do it. You use drills prescribed by your teacher. It’s helpful to place rods or clubs on the ground to set up a “learning station” to check your alignment.

Third, you are consciously competent. On the range, you hit balls to perfect your swing, but you have to think mechanically to make the shot happen. Because you’re using verbal cues and thinking of positions, you often lose your tempo and rhythm.

Fourth, you are unconsciously competent. The best golfers compete in this stage. On the course they think about the conditions, select the right club, and play shots from point A to point B by focusing on the target. They no longer think about positions but feel how to use the club to create shots.

So how do you get from the first stage to the fourth? As Jack Nicklaus once said, “I practice mechanics and play by feel.” Remember that practicing and warming up are two different things. When good players practice, they break the swing down into mechanical parts and then put those parts together to control the clubhead–and the ball. This is the only time these players think about swing mechanics. When they warm up before a round, they forget mechanics and rehearse hitting shots to various targets, creating playing situations. Seve Ballesteros would “play” entire holes before his round: Replicating a par 5, he’d hit a driver, then a 4-iron layup then a wedge approach. When he got to the first tee, he felt he’d already played a few holes and was in the rhythm of the round.

A strong picture can override a flaw in your swing to produce a playable shot. On the range, practice visualizing the entire shot, the ball curving in the direction you want, then landing where you intend and rolling to your target. Use the same visual technique when you hit real shots on the course. You’ll be on your way to playing your best golf ever.

Source – Golf Digest 2012

You don’t need to take Lee Westwood’s word for it when he says he has made a real commitment to fitness and living healthier.

For nearly seven years, he says he has been eating better and exercising more often under the guidance of British fitness expert Stephen McGregor, a Ph.D., in exercise physiology. Here’s more of what Lee had to say:

WHAT WAS THE CATALYST FOR YOUR TRANSFORMATION?
When I hit 30 [he’s 39 now] I thought maybe I should start doing something. I saw some of the guys getting stronger, hitting it farther. So I wanted to hit it farther, too. Plus I wanted to play this game for a while. It helps when you’re fit.

WHAT’S THE MOST YOU’VE EVER WEIGHED?
I’ve changed my body–replacing fat with muscle. I probably dropped about 12 to 15 percent of my body fat. The heaviest I ever was was about 110 kilos (243 pounds) and I got down to 89 kilos (196). I weigh 93 kilos (205) now.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK OUT?
On an off week, I’ll work out five times. On a tournament week, two or three. When I do work out, it’s usually for about two hours a session.

WHAT IS YOUR FOCUS?
Shoulders and legs. You get lots of shoulder problems in golf and I’ve also had a leg injury in the past. I think it’s important to strengthen as much as possible in the areas you use the most. We work on everything, though.

DO YOU DO CARDIO?
I do a lot. I do seven miles, five times a week … on the golf course. I don’t tend to do any cardio other than that. I mainly stick to weights, although I might do a 10-minute warm-up of cardio.

DO YOU USE SUPPLEMENTS?
My trainer tries to keep me on a pretty good diet so I get all I need from food. I have a milk shake or smoothie after I work out to try and get some protein in my body–mainly fruit, ice cream or milk, but low fat.

WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF WORKING OUT IN TERMS OF YOUR GOLF GAME?
I can change my swing a little easier if I need to. My swing also is a little tighter through working out in the gym. I also use my legs to power my swing and strengthening them has helped a lot. I feel I’m very strong in the shoulders, legs and core and that helps provide stability when I swing.

ANY INJURIES OR ISSUES RIGHT NOW?
Nothing.

WHAT DO YOU EAT/DRINK ON THE GOLF COURSE?
I eat nutrition bars, drink water and Gatorade.

Source Golf Digest-Fitness

If your chipping is inconsistent, the fix could be as simple as standing closer to the ball. This will encourage you to swing the club more straight-back, straight-through instead of on a rounded arc. A mental image that works great is to think about swinging the clubhead as if it were a Ferris wheel, straight up and down.

When you stand too far from the ball, the club starts at a flatter angle, which causes it to move quickly to the inside. An inside swing arc can be desirable on full swings, but there’s no need for it on a simple chip. With such a short swing, attacking the ball from the inside makes it difficult to hit with a descending blow, so it promotes that bad instinct of scooping the ball. How close should you stand? The first time, get close enough so it feels a little uncomfortable, like you’re crowding the ball. Then you know you’re doing it about right.

Source Golf Digest