Golf Swing and Equipment Information at Golfer's Apex

How Not to Hit Fat Golf Shots

Posted on:: September 12, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Fat golf shots haunt us all. A fat golf shot is one where you hit the ground before you hit the golf ball. Often times the ball will just sputter forward, or if using a wedge or nine iron or another high degree iron it will come up short of your intended distance. These shots all happen because the club head made impact with the ground before making impact with the golf ball.

That is all that is really needed to be known, hit the golf ball first and you will avoid all fat golf shots. Of course this is easier said than done.

First thing to check is to make sure that your swing is stable and that your feet remain on the ground where they began the swing. Some golfers have problems swaying a bit to the side on their back swing effectively moving the low point of the swing back a bit causing them to hit behind the ball resulting in a fat shot. To get a good feel for not swaying put something under the outside of your right foot (left foot for leftys) — a golf ball will work fine. This will not allow you to sway as much.

Some golfers have problems with swing too far to the right. This mostly happens in golfers who have corrected a slice where they were coming over the top of the ball and now they are swinging too far to the right. This will serve to move your low point back in the golf swing forcing you to hit the ground before the ball, again resulting in a fat shot. To correct this try to feel as if the golf club head is swinging more towards the target and less out to right field.

Another problem is “flipping” the club. This is where you allow the club head to get ahead of your heads before you have made contact with the golf ball. A lot of novice and beginner golfers have a problem with flipping. To alleviate the flip from your swing concentrate on keeping the pressure of the golf grip against the pointer finger of your right (left for leftys) hand. Making sure the pressure is there will ensure that you keep your hands ahead of the golf club.

One other problem is from a poor pivot. One where your hips and shoulders are not moving far enough through the swing and getting in the way. Make sure your left shoulder is moving up and away from the ball throughout the downswing and also make sure your left hip is moving away from the ball and turning open to face the target and impact. Notice the picture of Sergio Garcia — his hips are open and facing the target with his left hip pulled away from the ball, his left shoulder has moved up and away from the ball, and his hands are ahead of the club head at impact.

Fat shots can cause a lot of problems in the golf game but can be easily eliminated by correctly adhering to the fundamentals of the golf swing.

Posted in Golf Swing, Golf Tips | Tags: fat golf shots, fat shot, golf swing, swing tips | No Comments

Handicap Tracker

Posted on:: August 26, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Golfer’s Apex Golf Handicap Tracker is coming close to being launched. It will first be released only through an internet browser, but will soon be available to mobile devices so you can update your scores as you go. No longer having to keep detailed written accounts of all your golf shot.

You will also be able to track your golf statistics like greens in regulation, fairways hit, number of putts, driving distance, and much more. The tracker will also give detailed statistics compiled from all your rounds to show you your strong and weak areas. You will also be able to see your progress charted overtime to see how the different areas of your game are changing overtime — are they getting better or worse?

Stay tuned, the handicap and statistic tracker will be available soon.

Posted in Handicap Tracker | Tags: golf handicap, golf handicap tracker, handicap, handicap tracker, statistic tracker, tracker | No Comments

Golf Handicap and Stat Tracker Coming Soon

Posted on:: August 21, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Golfer’s Apex is proud to announce that it will be unveiling a handicap and stat tracker soon. Now you will be able to easily track all your rounds and follow the stats you wish to keep for each round.

Stay tuned.

Posted in Handicap Tracker | Tags: free handicap, golf handicap, golf handicap tracker, handicap, handicap tracker | No Comments

Hitting the Golf Ball Out of Sand Traps and Bunkers

Posted on:: August 18, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Sand traps eventually get us all at one point. We stand in them looking out feeling helpless at times because we are completely clueless on how to go about executing a shot. Don’t want to leave the golf ball short and have it remain in the sand trap or hit it too far and have it fly over the green.

Now there are normally two separate situations when in a bunker or sand trap. Firstly are the fairway bunkers where you still have a good distance to the green where you are hitting a full or near full shot. These are easier to handle than the green side bunkers. To execute these golf shots you have to hit the golf ball clean. This is a must — NO fat shots. A fat shot will most likely get you out of the fairway bunker but it will probably sputter forward about 50 yards. At least your out? No. To hit a clean shot you must have a good golf swing where you take proper divots — a golf swing where you hit the ball before you hit the ground, which is how nearly (except green side bunkers) all golf shots should be. That is the bottom line for fairway bunkers: clean shot.

Now for green side sand traps where you are close to a green and possibly a pin and you need to get up and down. These golf shots take a lot more deftness. The secret to hitting the golf ball out is using the golf club properly. As you can see the bounce of the golf club is the angle between the ground and the leading edge of the golf club. Depending on the degree of the bounce the club will easily or not so easily dig into the sand. Clubs with more bounce are designed to help golfers keep from digging too deep into the sand when playing from a sand trap.

When hitting out of soft sand near a green there is one technique that works best. It is to try and hit a dollar bill sized divot into the sand. The beginning of the divot should start about 1.5 inches before the golf ball. You want to effectively “splash” a handful of sand out of the bunker carrying the golf ball with it onto the green. It is in the soft sand where a wedge with bounce will help. It will keep you from hitting too far into the sand killing your momentum and leaving the ball in the sand trap. You want a divot deep enough that after a dollar bill sized divot is taken it moves enough sand that would fit in just over a handful. This is best practiced before trying. You want to adjust the speed and angle into the golf ball to determine what works best for your golf swing and wedges. Also try experimenting with opening the club face way open too. This will help get lift on the shot to get out of deep bunkers or to help it land softly and not roll too far. Another thing that can help to hit before the golf ball is to let your hands and wrists release early sending your club head ahead of your hands and into the sand.

When playing out of hard sand it is important to not use a club with too much bounce because you’ll end up doing just that — bouncing, over the golf ball and topping it badly. You may want to take an alternative approach like running it out of the bunker or gambling on the shot because your margin for error is very small.

Remember: with soft, fluffy sand more bounce will help, with hard sand less bounce will help. Go for a dollar bill sized divot in the soft sand that starts about 1.5 inches before the golf ball.

Practice these techniques and you will be well on your way to adding more sand saves to your golf game.

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Image: http://www.golfsmith.com/images/cm_selectcomp/bounce-ill.gif

Posted in Golf Swing, Golf Tips | Tags: bounce, bunkers, fairway bunkers, golf, golf swing, golf tips, green side bunkers, sand save, sand trap, wedges | 1 Comment

Nassau Golf Betting

Posted on:: August 15, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

It is common knowledge that golfers have a tendency to like to gamble. So why not combine the two? Nassau is a common gambling game in golf. It is simple to understand and follow.

Nassau is split into three separate bets:

1. Best front nine

2. Best back nine

3. Best overall

You go head-to-head with your opponent on each hole. Scores are calculated by giving one point to the golfers with the lowest score on the hole. If it is a tie then no points are awarded and it is considered a “push”. Bets can range anywhere from $1 for each bet all the way up to whatever you want. You can even bet on non-monetary items like beers in the clubhouse after the golf round.

If the golfers are not well matched in their playing abilities then handicaps can be used to give players strokes on each hole to even it all out.

Nassau is an easy to follow and quick way to add a little excitement to your next golf round with you and your golf buddies.

Posted in Galf Games | Tags: golf bets, golf betting, golf gambling, golf nassau, nassau | No Comments

Right Shoulder Down Plane

Posted on:: August 12, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

It is important in the downswing to get your shoulder down plane, as it is called. ALL good — every professional — does this, so you should too. Now what is meant by down plane is that the right shoulder from the top of the swing drops down and heads in the direction of the ball — normally tracing a path above the golf ball while the hands trace a path below the golf ball. Now when I say “above” and “below” I mean looking at the swing from behind the golfer.

A lot of golfers (bad ones) have no problem keeping their right shoulder above the golf ball so to speak. The problem arises because the have no “down” action with the right shoulder. The right shoulder instead just rotates around causing the golfer to come over the top of the golf ball and hit himself a nice big slice.

Now, how do I get the feel of the right shoulder going down plane? Easy. Grab yourself an iron. Now take some nice easypractice swings, but the trick is to keep your feet planted throughout the swing until your club head passes the golf ball or where the golf ball should be on the ground. This will feel weird, but it is the feeling of the right shoulder dropping. Now this movement is a bit exaggerated but it is nonetheless a feeling you should strive towards.

Practice hitting balls while keeping your feet flat. Do that 10 times then switch to a normal swing where you allow your foot to come up naturally and see if there is a difference in the right shoulder movement. Repeat this until it is ingrained in your swing. It is important to only work on one thing while at the practice range.

It is critical to your swing as far as consistency, accuracy, and power go that you learn to let your right shoulder go down plane.

Posted in Golf Swing, Golf Tips | Tags: down plane, golf swing, right shoulder, sergio garcia, swing tips | No Comments

Golf with a Range Finder

Posted on:: August 12, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

The problem with many golf courses is that it becomes difficult to determine precisely how far from the green you are when just using the colored sticks and markings. If the golf course is older then who knows if the markings are even accurate any longer. When using the colored distance markers it is important to note that they should measure to the center of the green, so you could be adding or subtracting a good bit of yardage depending on the pin placement.

To alleviate this headache a simple solution is to purchase a quality range finder to improve your golf game immediately. Never again do you need to be guesstimating on the yardage and flipping a coin between which iron you will be using to hit your golf ball into the green. A quality range finder is a one time purchase and will last throughout your golfing years. This is also a perfect gift for any golf enthusiast.

Some people use GPS systems to try and determine the yardage, but with those you have to be sure to golf courses you play on are loaded into the system so you can get accurate readings or any readings at all. A golf range finder is quick, accurate, lightweight and easy to use and provides an immediate impact onto anyone’s golf game.

The higher quality range finders are more durable, easier to use, and more accurate than the cheaper ones and I would prefer to make one purchase now that will last a lifetime than have to replace it down the road because it becomes tedious, hard to use, or breaks.

Bushnell golf range finders are the best in the business. Not only will it speed up your play but it will help you avoid hazards by helping you quickly find the distances to those areas. No longer will you have to wander about searching for yardage markers and walking off the yardage and then praying that those yardage markers are still accurate. You can also use it to measure how far you are hitting off the tee box. Go to where the ball landed from the drive and measure back to the tee box — no more guessing. The device is USGA approved and can be used in tournaments and when tracking your handicap as well.

This is a great device to help you take out the guessing, speed up your play, and shed strokes.

Posted in Golf Devices, Golf Equipment, Golf Tips | Tags: bushnell range finder, bushnell rangefinder, golf devices, golf equipment, golf range finder, golf rangefinder, range finder, rangefinder | No Comments

Callaway Lightweight Golf Bag

Posted on:: August 11, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Lightweight golf bags are a godsend to all of us who choose to still walk the course. There are several choices one could make with regard to them, but the best so far seems to be the Callaway Hyper Lite 4.0 Stand Golf Bag. The golf bag weighs in at just 4 pounds making it one of the lightest bags on the market today.

For you all that carry an arsenal of tools and gadgets this golf bag is for you, it comes with 11 compartments to stow away all your stuff. It has comfortable shoulder straps for when you are humping about the course and comes at a reasonable price compared to other quality lightweight golf bags.

Features:

9-inch oval top with custom integrated handle and 6-way full-length dividers
Total weight: 4 pounds
XTT Flex Foot Base Technology with stable stand system
4-point double strap system with extra padding for optimal balance
Soft Mesh hip pad for extra comfort
11 pockets including scorecard pocket
Custom molded zipper pulls, towel ring and handle
Penholder and ball marker
Custom logo on bottom ball pocket
2 year warranty

This is one of the best lightweight golf bags, it is durable, tough and makes walking the course more enjoyable.

Posted in Golf Bags, Golf Equipment | Tags: callaway, golf bags, golf equipment | No Comments

How to Hit the Golf Ball Longer

Posted on:: August 11, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

Distance. The elusive thing all golfers chase through their golfing days. First things first, you will hit a plateau if you do not have the proper golf equipment and if it is not properly fitted to your golf swing. The good thing is that you more than likely have a ways to go before you are hitting the golf ball a long distant with any sort of consistency that would justify you going out and doing all that, not that it wouldn’t help.

First off, when hitting it far, less is more. What is meant by that is that you will most likely hit it farther when you relax and focus on making a smooth, controlled swing rather than doing your best to kill the golf ball. When you go to kill it, you tense up muscles and constrict the speed you would otherwise deliver into the back of the golf ball. So, remember: smooth, relaxed, long, full golf swing.

Now for some more technical things to do with your stance. You should incorporate a bit of a wider stance when addressing the golf ball. This will cause you to lean even more behind the ball, be sure to keep yourself back as you swing down and through the ball.

But the most important thing for hitting the golf ball farther is to have a better pivot. A better, quicker, more efficient move through the ball. It is absolutely imperative. They are a few players with absolute top notch pivots: John Daly, Sergio Garcia, and Tiger Woods (circa 2000). If you could get yourself to move from the top of the swing through the follow-through like these three do then you will be able to crush the ball. Look at the hip and shoulder positions throughout the swing — those are what drive most of the power.

If you can get yourself into those positions on the downswing, then you too can crush it. Longer distance is a 100% technique thing.

Posted in Golf Swing, Golf Tips, Long Game | Tags: golf swing, golf tips, long hit | No Comments

How to Grip the Golf Club

Posted on:: August 11, 2011
Author:: Golf Fiend

A correct grip on the golf club is important. Before you can get a correct grip on the club the club itself must have proper grips fitted to your hand size. Most clubs are sold with the average hand size in mind so most golfers will be okay with the standard that is provided, but if you have larger or smaller than average hands it would help to look into getting your clubs re-gripped and adjusted to your hand size. Re-gripping is inexpensive and takes little time.

Along with making sure you have the proper grip size is to ensure that the grips themselves are in proper condition. It is good practice to have your clubs re-gripped at the beginning of each golf season or at least once a year. They wear down due to use, weathering, and aging.

Once the grip themselves are in good condition and ready to go it is now time to move on, on how to properly grip the golf club itself. There are several ways to grip the club. The three most popular ways are the ten finger grip, the interlock, and the overlap grip. After choosing the most comfortable grip for yourself you need to figure out if you grip needs to be strong, neutral, or weak.

First off I recommend either the interlock or the overlap grip. Tiger Woods uses the interlock grip, Sergio Garcia uses the overlap, and I know of no professional golfer who uses the ten finger grip.

Steps to a correct golf grip:

1. Grab the golf club in your left hand (or right hand for you leftys) so the grip of the club is in your fingers and the pad or bottom of your hand is on top of the club. To make sure it is correctly held, hold the golf club out in front of you turned to the side so you can compare the back of your left hand to the club face and they should be parallel to each other.

2. Then place your right hand on the golf club, overlapping or interlocking your pinky on the right hand with the index finger of the left hand. Fold the last three fingers on your right around the club to complete the grip.

Your grip on the golf club should be firm but not too hard. Firm enough that it will not fly away mid swing, that is all the pressure you need to place on the golf club, keep your hands and forearms relaxed.

This will leave you with a neutral grip on the golf club. You can adjust this grip depending on your shot pattern or what you are trying to accomplish. This is done by rotating either or both of the hands to either the right or the left giving you a strong or weaker grip. This will be covered in another article, but for now make sure you have the proper grip on the golf club to ensure a more consistent and accurate golf game.

Posted in Golf Swing, Golf Tips | Tags: golf grip, golf swing, swing tips | 1 Comment