ARE YOU A CANDIDATE TO BECOME A SINGLE-DIGIT HANDICAP GOLFER?



ARE YOU A CANDIDATE TO BECOME A SINGLE-DIGIT HANDICAP GOLFER?

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - You'll be happy to know that I've formulated a standardized test, of sorts, to determine whether you have what it takes to be a really good golfer. There are undeniable factors that can be relied upon to produce consistent results, sometimes for the good but mostly, not so good. Let's get right to the test.

Your personal history is made up of experiences that either qualify or disqualify you from becoming a scratch golfer. After each example I'll list whether it is a positive or negative factor towards achieving that goal. Almost any one of these negatives that describes you puts you out of the running. For those who rate highly, there is a long but rewarding road ahead. And for those who find that their golf life is destined to be mediocre, there is always Over The Top Golf, a blessing in disguise, another road to where the other guys are going, and a much shorter and less expensive road at that.

First of all, age and sex aren't under consideration as determining factors as long as you are playing from the correct tees. If you are 65 and routinely hit 160 yard drives, you don't belong within three tee boxes of the tips.

Age when you first learned to play golf: We all know that a proper golf swing is a learned skill rather than an innate one. Kids who are introduced to golf before their teens and then stuck to the game for a reasonable amount of time have a good foundation. - POSITIVE. If you came to golf later in life -NEGATIVE.

Exposure to other sports: Especially baseball, softball, hockey and tennis; there is a different set of dynamics that must be unlearned in order to learn the golf swing - NEGATIVE.

Self-taught golfer: You are a collection of swing tips. Regardless of whether you plan to take conventional lessons in the future, you have taught yourself enough bad habits to guarantee you'll be unsuccessful. - NEGATIVE

Fitness level: Being in good physical condition - POSITIVE, Being out of shape - NEGATIVE.

Free time: You'll need plenty of available time if you're going to go the "lessons and practice" route. A lack of free time is a definite - NEGATIVE.

Desire: Are you willing to work hard, keep up with practice routines, etc? Working hard is the difference between being an occasional jogger and getting up and running every morning before work. Don't have that fire in your belly? -NEGATIVE.

Outside-in swing: Do your divots point to the left? -NEGATIVE

Short game/Putting: These important facets of the game are as crucial to scoring as a sound swing. Becoming deadly around the greens requires practicing proper mechanics, practicing the effects of different clubs, types of grass, etc. and then practicing some more. Lack of a good short game is a definite NEGATIVE.

Course difficulty: No matter from which tees you play, playing Bethpage Black every day vs. Bethpage Green will result in a higher handicap. Not much anyone can do about that. - NEGATIVE

I don't want to demonize golf pros and golf doctors who advertise how they can cure your slice, correct your hook or fix your over the top golf swing. For golfers who can say they don't possess any of the negative factors, pros are invaluable. But for the rest of us, the ones with busy lives or ten-finger baseball swings, before signing up for golf lessons ask yourself whether you have what it takes. Don't ask your pro because he'll say you do.

My opinion?  I say you don't. You don't have what it takes because virtually none of us do. That's one important reason to consider an option that doesn't require you to learn anything new. Over The Top Golf. Just five set-up changes and, using your own swing, you'll be on your way to a good golf game. Develop your chipping and putting as well and you might just be on your way to a great golf game.

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Keywords for this article: golf, swing, over the top, lesson, instruction, eBook, correct hook, cure slice, fix over the top golf swing, golf lessons, over the top golf swing, scratch golfer, single-digit handicap, swing tips

Revised 09-03-2012

YOU'RE AWAY

OVER THE TOP GOLF



MALIBU, California - Golfers rarely hear the two words "you're away" except on the green where it's a pretty ubiquitous thing. Out on the fairways after your foursome has teed off, obviously someone is "away" but the fact is rarely mentioned. When my drive ends up farthest from the hole I make preparations to be the next one to hit. I know that I'm away but unless I'm being outdriven by a real ballbreaker there's almost never a mention of it. But it's an undeniable fact that you don't want to deal with on each and every long hole, right? So how do you catch up to these guys? Here's a golf swing tip. Try Over The Top Golf. Prefer to go the conventional lesson route instead? By all means do. Improved mechanics can't hurt - just as long as you acknowledge and accept the reality of having to practice more and keep up with periodic lessons. Over The Top Golf is a swing method that doesn't require you to learn new mechanics. In fact, you can get even more aggressive with your present swing after employing the five set-up changes you'll learn.

Your next question is how a few set-up changes are going to transform you into one of those long drive gorillas. Will it make you stronger? No. Better balance? Nope. So what's the answer, Frankie C?

The Over The Top Golf setup promotes two things: a straight shot with an absence of sidespin and B) a lower trajectory. Both of these elements combine to produce extra yardage. If your inclination is to say that lessons or other golf instruction can lead to the same results, I wholeheartedly agree with two reservations. I mentioned the first that it will take hard work. Second, most amateur golfers simply can't learn a "proper" golf swing. I know I couldn't.

Now I own what I consider to be a great golf swing. What's best about it is consistency. Water hazards, searching for balls in the woods and OB are pretty much things of the past unless I try to get too cute. Once you have unlimited potential in your bag it's easy to become overconfident.

But even more satisfying than being the golfer who's ball is always in the fairway is walking up to it after everyone else has already hit. With confidence soaring, you're far more likely to stick that second shot. The three most important things in golf are how you carry yourself, shooting low scores and, of course, not being the shortest guy off the tee. Here's how.

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Keywords for this article: golf, swing, over the top, lesson, instruction, eBook, golf instruction, golf lesson, golf tip, Jennifer Aniston, long drive, mechanics, OVER THE TOP, SWING, tips, trajectory, YOU'RE AWAY

Revised 09-03-2012

ANSWERS TO GOLF SWING QUESTIONS, TRUE OR FALSE?



ANSWERS TO GOLF SWING QUESTIONS

Q: Why do I slice?

A: Most golfers slice, and the common swing fault that causes a slice is an over-the-top or outside-in swing.

T/F: TRUE That's why you slice.

Q: Can I cure my over the top swing?

A: With periodic lessons and constant practice, fixing an over the top golf swing is possible. In comparison, the OVER THE TOP GOLF swing method allows you to use an outside-in swing path if that's what you do best. Five set-up changes automatically square the clubface upon impact. No lessons or practicing required.

T/F: TRUE Although teaching pros admit that 80% of amateurs swing over the top and always will, someone with no job, family or life who can spend lots of time on the driving range is a candidate. Over The Top Golf accomplishes the exact same thing with five easy set-up changes but since some people like taking lessons and practicing, the answer is true.

Q: Are there drills I can do to get on the right path? Will they actually help me on the course?

A: Yes.

T/F: FALSE These examples I found are indicative of the types of drills there are out there. Are these any way to learn golf? Credit these to the stack and tilt golf swing people. Broom Edge Drill-Turn a broom so that the thin edge is facing your target. Swing the broom like a club. If you feel wind resistance in the backswing or downswing, you’ll feel air resistance from the broom head not following the proper plane. Swing the broom for five minutes a day to build muscle memory. Three-Ball Drill On the range, line up three balls equidistant from each other over 3 feet, lined up 45 degrees to the right of your target line. Work on hitting the middle ball until you can repeat a slight inside-to-outside swing path. An over-the-top swing will cause you to hit the ball in the front or back.

Golf Bag Obstacle This drill reverses your over-the-top golf swing loop. Place your golf stand bag so that the clubs are pointing at the ball and within reach of the club in your hand. On the backswing, loop the clubhead to the outside of your bag and up. On the downswing, bring the clubhead to the inside of the back and down to your ball. Do the drill slowly without hitting the ball, then after about 20 repetitions, move the back and try to repeat the move with a shot. Toe Up You can detect if you’re over-rotating your wrists on your backswing with this drill. Take your club back and stop when the shaft is parallel to the ground. The toe of the club should be pointing straight up. If it’s fanned open and pointing skyward, you will likely slice the ball. Pause at the Top Timing is critical in the golf swing, so to keep your shoulders or hips from spinning open too quickly, practice swinging with a second-long pause at the top. That will help you feel the proper swing path and make it easier for the club to drop to the inside on the downswing. Other drills I have read about and seen with my own eyes involve rakes, tennis racquets, one-legged stances, look ma, no eyes methods....the list is endless. If you could get past the starter with brooms, rakes and other implements sticking out of your bag I'd say TRUE. Since you can't, though, the correct answer is FALSE. Most of these drills are also too time consuming to trot out during your round.

Q: Why is golf such a difficult game?

A: Golf is actually one of the simplest games to learn, participate in and become proficient at.

T/F: TRUE Spoken like a true OVER THE TOP GOLF student.

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Keywords for this article: golf, swing, over the top, lesson, instruction, eBook, cure over the top golf swing, cure slice, fix over the top golf swing, golf instruction, golf lesson, learn golf, outside-in swing

Revised 09-03-2012