The Sports HQ asked:


Sets for Beginners

You’ve decided to start playing golf for the first time and have booked your first golf lesson at the local driving range.

Before your first lesson the most important thing to do is purchase a suitable set of golf clubs; a golf set is the most cost-effective addition to your setup at the beginning of your golf career instead of purchasing golf clubs individually and a golf bag to store and transport the clubs to and from the golf course or driving range.

Which items of golf equipment are included in a beginner’s golf set? Four types of golf club are usually included; these are known as woods, irons and putters in addition to hybrid golf clubs which is a cross between an iron and a golf wood. In the game of golf a player is allowed to carry up to 14 golf clubs in their bag – in any combination. The cost of golf lessons from a professional can be expensive in addition to purchasing new golf clubs and equipment. If you’ve considered purchasing a set of used golf clubs before your first lesson – be cautious. Used golf clubs can work out to be a false economy if the items arrive with worn grips, fractured shafts (graphite) or missing head-covers. The cost of purchasing new golf clubs for beginners has fallen drastically in recent years with online retailers like The Sports HQ supplying factory direct golf equipment – offering typical savings of up to 85% - compared to the traditional retail store.

The Sports HQ for example manufacturers and supplies beginners golf sets in men’s, ladies and junior editions – with prices starting as low as £29.99 for a junior golf set to £49.99 for a beginner’s set of adult golf clubs. New golf sets from The Sports HQ all carry a 12-month manufacturer’s warranty for extra piece of mind; each golf set is tailored for the specific requirements of the player – for example lady flex shafts in graphite and stainless steel are fitted to all clubs included in the ladies golf set. The Texan Classics Junior Golf Set from The Sports HQ features junior flex shafts on all clubs including a titanium 3-wood, 7-8-iron and putter. All beginners’ golf sets include a deluxe stand bag to securely store each club to and from the golf course.

The Chicago SGS Complete Golf Clubs Set in men’s, ladies and left-handed includes a titanium 3-wood, a 3/4 hybrid rescue club which replaces the 3 and 4 long irons, in addition to 7 cavity back titanium reinforced irons (5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW) – all fitted with stainless steel shafts; the set is completed with a heel and toe balanced putter. All woods and irons included in the Chicago SGS set for beginners feature oversized club-heads for increased forgiveness on off-centre shots – this also inspires confidence and motivation to continue learning and practicing.

After progressing from the driving range to your first outing to a pitch and putt or actual golf course you’ll also require a number of inexpensive golf balls for the duration of the course. All players lose the odd golf ball here and there in the beginning; the transition from driving range to golf course is a big one – suddenly a number of environmental factors like wind speed and direction come into play, and for the newcomer this can translate into the occasionally lost golf ball. The addition of water and sand hazards can also play a main role in losing golf balls. There are two inexpensive solutions to replacing lost golf balls; lake balls are used golf balls which are salvaged from the bottom of vast lakes across the world and reconditioned to a Grade A standard; lake balls offer players the chance to play top brands including Titliest, Noodle and Strata at a fraction of the cost of brand new golf balls. A 2-dozen mix of grade A golf balls can be purchased for £4.99 from The Sports HQ. If you’re determined to play new golf balls – a 2-dozen box of Prosimmon Tour golf balls can be picked up from the same online retailer for £5.99.



Stephanie

lynn12 asked:


i know chelsea piers offers classes but does anyone know of any other places where you can get cheaper rates? cuny perhaps? or if not in manhattan, at least close to a subway station in brooklyn, bronx, queens, etc?

Roberta

Dean R. Iggo asked:


It seems that we always talk about how there is “no such thing as a free lunch”. The fact is that when it comes to golf instruction, this couldn’t be further from the true. Nothing will be able to help you as much as your instructor and your lessons, but there is a lot of free information online that can help you help yourself.

There are many websites, mostly those from the major world golf organizations, which offer free golf swing videos of the pros and instructors right on their site. By using this free resource, you can even perform your own sing analysis. Sound complicated? Just be creative.

Watch Video Relating to Your Instructions

After a golf lesson, go to one of the golf websites and find a free golf swing video that highlights something you learned or discussed at your lesson. Watch the video and learn what it looks like when done correctly. That way, you know how it should feel from your lesson and how it should look from the video.

See Your Own Swing

Next, either video tape your swing, or in the absence of video capabilities, watch yourself take a few swings in a mirror. Compare what you are doing to the video to do your own little amateur swing analysis. Then, next lesson you have, you can talk to your instructor about your swing and what you saw on the free golf swing video you took from the internet.

Use Other Video Resources

The free golf swing videos are not the only clips that are valuable online. You will also find that you can get a visual on what a particular drill should look like, what the roll of a proper putt looks like, and even what the best equipment is. The internet is a great resource for your game; don’t be afraid to use it.

The only problem with free online videos is that they are often large so take forever to download. Also some sites offer golf video clips that are either of poor visual quality or poor technical quality.

Always review a site to find out if their video tips are performed by professionals or just weekend warriors, the last thing you want is to spend ages downloading a 5 minute video only to find it was made on a handy cam by some guys who have only been playing golf for a couple of weeks.



Diane

chizza1981 asked:


Anyone know where I can get the cheapest golf lessons in Portland?
By cheap, I meant lessons that are affordable from an experienced golf. Not lesson from a weekend golfer who is looking to make a few dollars. I just want the most for my dollar.

Darren

Helen Hecker asked:


If you’re like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. Golf is a difficult game to master and most golfers don’t have the time it takes to practice, practice, and practice to significantly improve. You may receive all the greatest golf tips in the world, take countless lessons and get superior instruction and still may not be able to gain consistency.

If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as “I play great golf all the time.” Concentrate totally on your game and you’ll get the best score.

When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you’re holding a soccer ball between your knees. At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight. Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you’re going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball.

Before you swing, make sure you’re relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens.

The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing. Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing.

One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that’s applied to it.

Hold a medicine ball and turn back and forth; it must be rotational to improve your driving distance. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you’ll never underestimate golf fitness again. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques.

Most of all don’t waste your money on a golf swing aid you don’t need or will never use. Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper.

If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. There are golf swing aids that will help you with swing alignment. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing. Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.

Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game.

If you can, sit in on a friend’s golf lesson to see if you connect with the pro. Invest in a few of the newest golf books and golf ebooks; older golf books may be outdated. Try to concentrate on one golf swing weakness at a time.



Leslie

Amanda Fain asked:


Golf lessons are expensive. For most of us, it’s just not possible to go out on the green with a one-on-one trainer, as much as we’d like to.

But, here’s an idea. Imagine if you could have a one-on-one lesson with a professional golfer or highly renowned trainer for free, in the privacy of your own home? Impossible, right?

Not exactly! You’re always hearing about how the Internet is revolutionizing the way we do everything, and now’s your chance to reap its benefits. You can get online golf instruction free, and with streaming videos and detailed photos, you can make your game better.

Where To Find The Instruction You Need Online

There are tons of sites offering free golf instruction. Look in any major search engine and you’ll find thousands. But, when you click on those, you might just end up finding ads for something you don’t want or need.

Look For The Big-Names

The best advice for finding good golf tips is to look for names you know. You’ve never heard of Bill Smith from Springfield, Arizona, so why listen to what he has to say? On the other hand, if Tiger Woods is on your screen demonstrating his address position, you’ll probably drop everything and listen, right? For more info see http://www.getgoodatgolf.com/swing/

If you want good advice, look for somebody you trust. This doesn’t have to be golf pros; you can also look online for golf magazines’ websites. These often have a “tips” section where you can find free instruction.

Know What You Need To Learn

Online golf instruction works really well with a regular training course. After your golf lesson, or after a game, run home and plop down in front of that computer. Reflect on your game and think about what needs improvement.

When you use a search engine like Google or Yahoo, the more specific the better. If you are having trouble, for example, with the chicken wing, do a search for “chicken wing” in the search engine. will bring up so mny sites, you won’t know where to look.

Watch Movies

Nothing beats videos for online golf instruction. Internet media technology has gotten so widely-available and effective that everybody can watch videos on the internet. All you need is a good media player and you can download those from their websites.

With an online golf video, it’s just like being there on the green with your instructor. Some websites offer free videos for their members. Usually, you can check out a sample video or two before you join. On many of these sites, membership is free.

Downloadable Software

There is also a wide variety of golf software available. Some of it is expensive, but some sites also offer free downloadable software that you can use while you’re training.

We’d all like to go to golf school and work one-on-one with nationally recognized pro-trainers, but the reality is that everybody has to work. And, very few of us can afford that kind of luxury. Free online golf instruction offers every golfer a way to go to golf school in the privacy of their own home.



Andrea

Smiley 3 asked:


A foursome of guys are waiting at the men’s tee while another foursome of women are hitting from the ladies tee. The ladies are taking their time. When the final lady is ready to hit her ball, she hacks it ten feet. She goes over and misses it completely. Then she hacks it another ten feet, and finally hacks it another five feet. She looks up at the patiently waiting men and says apologetically, “I guess all those f**king lessons I took over the winter didn’t help. “One of the men immediately responds, “Well, there you go, You should have taken golf lessons instead.”

Charlotte

Kris Smith asked:


Whether you want to improve your game or are a complete beginner, there is a range of golf lessons to choose from at Thorpeness Golf Club, a first-class Suffolk golf course. The two PGA professionals, Frank Hill and Christopher Oldrey, offer a full range of Golf Tuition packages.

Whatever your standard we’re certain that a golf lesson in Suffolk with either professional will leave you motivated and ready to tackle the difficult coastal course.

The tutors:

Frank Hill is a playing professional on the European Seniors’ Tour and a very experienced teacher. His approach is not to reconstruct your wing, but to make small, effective changes that will allow you to develop and build on your natural game.

Christopher Oldrey is the other half of the Thorpeness Gold Academy and Pro-Shop team. Christopher has become a member of the PGA to undertake his training and become a qualified professional.

Thorpeness Golf Club offers Suffolk golf breaks that include intensive and detailed golf lessons. These cover all aspects of your game from bunker play to putting. With the added bonus of video teaching and the analysis facility at the Thorpeness Golf Academy, you can impress your fellow golfers with your improved game.

Round off your day with a relaxed dinner, talking about your lesson, your experiences on the Suffolk golf course or just the gorgeous surroundings of wonderful Suffolk coast.

For young enthusiasts there is junior coaching and also competitions to test their skill and progress. Suffolk golf events are organised throughout the year and more information can be obtained by either calling the golf office on 01728 454351 or visiting the website.

The Thorpeness Golf Club course is a par 69 on the men’s card (SS70) and for the ladies it is a slightly more generous par 74 (SS72). With trees, heather, gorse and strategically placed bunkers you need to hit the right shots to score well.

Built on sandy soil, the course drains very well and is therefore playable all year round. In summer the sprinkler system ensures ideal conditions.

Thorpeness hosted the European Seniors Mixed Open in May 2001, the Suffolk Ladies’ County Championships in May 2002 and the South Eastern Seniors’ Championship in September 2004.

There is no doubt that the only way to fully appreciate Thorpeness is to go and play. However, to give you a flavour of the course, here is a description and narrative of 4 holes selected and described by our Professionals: -

3rd Hole:

This is Thorpeness’ Signature Hole, 394 yards from the back tees. It is a sweeping dog-leg to the left, round the Meare and past a well-bunkered approach to a severely sloping green. A good tee shot is required, just left of centre to leave the best angle to the green. The men’s tees are right outside the Clubhouse restaurant adding extra pressure – a truly dangerous hole.

7th Hole:

A pretty, short hole of 175 yards. The tee shot is across a lily-covered lake to a small well-guarded green. A straight tee shot is required, taking care not to miss the green on the left.

12th Hole:

A picturesque driving hole measuring 370 yards. It has a generous fairway, lined by silver birch, gorse and heather, playing to a slightly crowned green. The challenge is selecting the right club for the second shot; under-clubbing is the danger.

18th Hole:

A 434 yard par 4 and a great finishing hole. Two good shots are required to get home to a green similar in design to the Road Hole at St Andrews. With the backdrop of Thorpeness’ famous ‘House in the Clouds’ and windmill, this is a memorable finish to the round.



Duane

Leslie Wright asked:


Golf has primarily been a game for men until the past few years. Women are starting to see that there’s more to golf than just hitting a ball. While men are still leading the stats in “who’s golfing”, women are starting to make up a larger portion than they did in years past. More and more lessons, golf teaching aids, and even special clubs and gear are being made available to the women joining this great game.

According to what the National Golf Foundation defines as “core” golfers (those who play at least eight times a year and an average of 37 rounds yearly) women currently make up 18 percent of the 12.5 million golfers. What’s more important to note is how many women are picking up the game of golf over the past few years. The number of occasional female golfers (those playing between 1 and 7 times a year) soared from 2.6 million in 1997 to 4.3 million last year! Seeing the opportunity to market products to this new group of golfers, opens up the door to many manufacturers inventing newer and better golf teaching aids in order to keep these beginning golfers interested in playing the game.

With women making more appearances on the golf courses, course directors are also starting to pay attention. In addition to lessons and golf teaching aids, they’re seeing new opportunities to extend their invitations as well as some new income springing up from the ladies. For example, at The Boulders in Scottsdale, AZ, there are golf and spa packages where ladies can enjoy spa treatments in between golf lessons.

Here is a stat you might not know: PGA pro tour players miss 50% of their 6 foot putts! There is a golf teaching aid designed specifically for this purpose. Any golfer knows the importance of improving your short game, and this tool is one of the best on the markets.

Another important tip is to remember to take the shot you’re given…not the shot you want. As easy as this may sound, it’s not always so simple. While it’s tempting to take that “Tiger Woods” in between the trees and over the bunker shot…many times it’s better to take the straight shot back into the fairway.

To all the ladies joining this great game of golf, know that you can’t be a pro the first time on the course! Golf is a game of patience, fun, and skill – and the best golf teaching aids are right here at your fingertips!



Keith