Smoltz misses cut in first pro golf tourney by 27 strokes – msnbc.com
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Smoltz misses cut in 1st pro golf tourney by 27 strokes
msnbc.com AP Pitching only as soon as each and every 5 or six days more than the course of a 21-year key league career, appropriate-hander John Smoltz had ample time to create a quite exceptional golf game. Smoltz lastly got to put those golf skills in action this weekend at the … Smoltz misses cut in pro golf foray MLB.com Smoltz shoots 87, requires it as learning knowledge Valdosta Day-to-day Times Smoltz struggles at South Georgia Classic Atlanta Journal Constitution Bleacher Report  - bettor.com (blog) all 294 news articles » |
Dodt wins Avantha Masters
GURGAON, India (AP) Australia’s Andrew Dodt shot a final-round 68 on Sunday to hold off Englishman Richard Finch by a stroke and win the Avantha Masters.
Seven players began the final round tied for the lead, but it was Finch who made the biggest charge, shooting a 6-under 66 to get into contention. Dodt answered with birdies at Nos. 16 and 18 to get to 14 under, good enough for his first European Tour victory.
Richard Bland shot 71 to finish in a group at 12 under, along with fellow Brits Barry Lane and David Drysdale and Tetsuji Hiratsuka. The Japanese player shot 71 two days after his round of 62 set the course record.
Dodt, whose previous best finish was a tie for ninth at last year’s Barclays Singapore Open, began the day one shot off the pace but picked up three strokes by the turn and was well placed with nine holes to play.
A bogey at the 11th threatened to derail the 24-year-old’s bid, but he managed to recover over the final three holes to secure the trophy.
Finch, meanwhile, mounted his charge from down the leaderboard. He shot 32 on the front nine with five birdies and a bogey,but only picked up two more shots down the stretch.
Bland’s 66 had catapulted him into contention on Saturday, and two early birdies allowed him keep pace at the top of the scoreboard. A bogey at the sixth set him back, and although he recovered a shot at the 16th, he wound up with a bogey at 18 to stay winless on the tour.
Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden finished at 11 under, while Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (71) and Englishman Oliver Fisher (70) finished in a group of six players at 10 under.
Categories: golf putting Tags: Barclays, Barclays Singapore Open, Birdies, Bogey, Contention, Darren Clarke, Drysdale, Englishman, Fellow Brits, Fisher, Fredrik Andersson, Hed, Hiratsuka, Japanese Player, Leaderboard, Northern Ireland, Richard Finch, Scoreboard, Strokes, Tour Victory
Couples still leads after second round of ACE
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) Fred Couples returned to the course Sunday and finished up a 5-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead over Dan Forsman entering the final round of the ACE Group Classic.
Couples had five holes remaining in his second round Saturday when play was halted due to darkness. He paired a birdie with a bogey Sunday to remain at 9 under for the tournament.
Scott Hoch (68) and Ronnie Black (69) are three strokes off the pace, with Bernard Langer, Mike Goodes and Tommy Armour III at 5 under. Defending champion Loren Roberts was at 3 under, while Paul Azinger was 1 under in his Champions Tour debut.
The tournament has been trying to get back on schedule after Friday’s opening round was postponed due to high winds with most of the field still on the course.
Categories: golf putting Tags: Ace Group, Bernard Langer, Birdie, Bogey, Champions Tour, Classic Couples, Darkness, Defending Champion, Forsman, Fred Couples, Goodes, High Winds, Holes, Loren Roberts, Naples Fla, Paul Azinger, Scott Hoch, Strokes, Tommy Armour, Tommy Armour Iii
Pre-Swing Fundamentals Reduce Golf Handicaps
Vijay Singh works harder than anyone on the Tour. He spends hours and hours every day working on his game, practicing every facet of it—from putting to chipping to driving—so that he can be the best he can be. In fact, his practice sessions are legendary among the world’s best players. Needless to say, his determination has paid off. He’s earned millions and millions of dollars in prize money.
While you’d probably like to spend more time practicing and playing golf, you can’t always do it. You have too many responsibilities. But hitting balls at the range or taking golf lessons from a pro isn’t the only way to cut strokes from your golf handicap. You can also do it by working on key pre-swing fundamentals—fundamentals that many a weekend player overlooks. By ingraining them, you’ll trim strokes from your golf handicap without ever picking up a club.
Below are six pre-swing fundamentals that help you cut strokes from your scores without going to the driving range:
1. Acquire The Right Mind Set
Having the right mind-set before swinging the club is crucial. It’s even more crucial when driving. Hitting a good opening shot gets you started on the right foot. So work on having a positive attitude before hitting the ball. Don’t think, “Don’t hit it in the water.” Think, “I’m going to hit it right down the middle.” That way, you’ll create positive images of successful shots in your mind. That develops self-confidence.
2. Perfect Your Grip
Many golfers—especially beginners—overlook the importance of having the right grip. These players don’t fully understand how the grip affects your swing. Since your hands are the only part of your body touching the club, how you grip it is critical. It determines clubface position. If your grip is incorrect, your clubface will mirror it and be either open or shut. The perfect grip has both hands rotated 45 degrees to the right for right-handed golfers.
3. Develop Good Posture
Posture is another pre-swing fundamental weekend golfers overlook. Golf is an athletic activity. You must be in the optimum starting position to be able to “explode” when you need to. If you’re slouched over or too straight at address, you can’t generate the kind of swing discussed in golf lessons and golf tips. In short, good posture lets you make a good pivot. Use a full-length mirror to examine your posture. Make sure you’re in the right position at address.
4. Apply Proper Grip Pressure
Work on holding the club with the right grip pressure. If you grip the club too hard, you’ll “strangle it,” preventing you from swinging fluidly. If you hold the club too loosely, you’ll lose it during your swing. You must apply the right grip pressure to strike the ball well. Good swings come from good, free-flowing pressure, not death grips. More importantly, applying the right grip pressure produces the right tempo during your swing.
5. Align Your Body Properly
If you’ve ever shot a gun, you know there’s no point in pulling the trigger if you don’t aim the gun properly. The same thing is true in golf. If you don’t aim yourself properly, you won’t hit your target. When your bodylines cross, your chances of making a free flowing swing greatly diminish. That means anything can happen. Work on aligning your body to the target line and let your swing flow. Good alignment produces a good swing path.
6. Find The Right Ball Position
All good swings start with the club descending into the ball—even when you hit driver off the tee. But playing the ball too far back or too far forward in your stance when driving throws your swing off. You’ll pop the ball up, dribble it off the tee, or hit some other type of ugly, embarrassing shot. Good ball position results in good contact. Lay a club down so the toe is against the heel of your front foot. The shaft will stick out two inches from your heel. That’s where your want to position the ball on a drive.
These six pre-swing fundamentals are as critical as any swing fundamentals you work on in golf instruction sessions or read about in technical articles offering golf tips. They are timeless. Work on them in your home or at the office as often as you can and make then an integral part of your pre-shot routine. Ingraining them will impact your golf handicap more than your think.
Jack Moorehouse
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/preswing-fundamentals-reduce-golf-handicaps-1018719.html
Categories: golf putting Tags: Balls, Driving Range, Facet, game, Golf Handicap, Golf Handicaps, Golf Lessons, Good Posture, Handed Golfers, Having A Positive Attitude, Images, Playing Golf, Posture, Practice Sessions, Prize Money, Right Foot, Self Confidence, Strokes, Swing Fundamentals, Vijay Singh
Odyssey White Hot Tour # 5 Putter
As the golf adage goes, players drive for show and putt for dough. You can cut strokes off your game during a friendly weekend round when using the Odyssey® White Hot® Tour #5 putter. The weight ports in the sole maximize consistency and distance control, enhance feel, and provide better roll characteristics. The White Hot® Tour insert is constructed of an elastomer core for enhanced feel and truer roll.
Categories: putt putt golf games Tags: Adage, Consistency, Distance Control, Elastomer Core, game, Odyssey 5, Odyssey Putter, Odyssey White Hot, Ports, Putter Golf, Shopping, Strokes, Yahoo
American leads Moonah Classic by 4 strokes
FINGAL, Australia (AP) American Jim Herman has shot a 10-under-par 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the Moonah Classic.
Herman was the best of the afternoon group of golfers on the Moonah Links course on Thursday, overtaking Australian Andre Stolz, whose 66 from the morning had led much of the day.
Americans Jim Carter and Bobby MacWhinnie and Australian Paul Sheehan were tied for third with 67s in the jointly sanctioned U.S. Nationwide and Australasian PGA tour event.
Categories: golf putting Tags: Andre Stolz, Australasian Pga Tour, Australia, Golfers, Jim Carter, Jim Herman, Leads, Paul Sheehan, Pga Tour Event, Stroke, Strokes
Golf Digest Magazine – Official Subscription Site
Subscribe to Golf Digest magazine and take strokes off your game with our golf instruction and tips. Plus, get equipment reviews, course ratings, tour news and more.
Categories: golf review Tags: Game Tips, Golf Digest, Golf Digest Magazine, Golf Instruction, Golf Magazine, Golf Tips, Magazine Subscription, Shopping, Strokes, Tour News, Yahoo
Putting and Chipping Brace
Putting and Chipping Brace Developed with Michael Breed (a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Channel personality, and head golf professional at Sunningdale CC in Scarsdale, NY) the Putting and Chipping Brace stabilizes your wrists. This insures a square club face at impact, consistent loft, and predictable shots. The Putting & Chipping Brace was developed by top teacher Michael Breed. It’s strap goes on your leading wrist. It keeps your forearms at a consistent distance from each other, producing “quiet” hands in the putting and chipping strokes. It fully adjusts to fit different hand positions and sizes.
Categories: golf putting Tags: Amp, Club Face, Forearms, Golf Channel, Golf Magazine, Hand Positions, Head Golf, Loft, Michael Breed, Personality, Quiet Hands, Scarsdale Ny, Shopping, Strokes, Yahoo
Odyssey White Hot Tour Rossie 35 Putter
As the golf adage goes, players drive for show and putt for dough. You can cut strokes off your game during a friendly weekend round when using the Odyssey White Hot Tour Rossie putter. The weight ports in the sole maximize consistency and distance control, enhance feel, and provide better roll characteristics. The White Hot Tour insert is constructed of an elastomer core for enhanced feel and truer roll. Weight ports in the sole allow for optimal weighting to maximize consistency and distance control, enhance feel, and provide better roll characteristics Bronzed Tour finish reduces glare and provides the aesthetics accomplished players prefer White Hot Tour insert is constructed of an elastomer core that is highly resilient for enhanced feel and truer roll and a thin, firm cover infused with urethane for fine-tuned responsiveness
Categories: putt putt golf games Tags: Adage, Aesthetics, Consistency, Distance Control, Elastomer Core, game, Glare, Odyssey Putter, Odyssey White Hot, Ports, Responsiveness, Shopping, Strokes, Urethane, Yahoo
Different Golf Balls and Basic Golfing Rules
Having the right golf ball is important. There are two basic types of balls (spin and distance) and two basic ball coverings (balata and surlyn). This set of tips will explain them.
Spin
As its name dictates, a spin ball is designed to spin. These balls have 3 parts to them:
A central core (liquid, most of the time)
Rubber windings
A cover made of a thin, soft material called balata
Distance
A distance ball, made for longer shots, has a much harder core and a harder cover. The core is made of a firm synthetic material, and the cover is a hard durable material called surlyn. This combination allows the ball to travel greater distances.
Dimple Myth
There’s a popular myth that says more dimples on a golf ball means a higher trajectory. This isn’t true. The average golf ball has between 350 and 450 dimples, and this number doesn’t make any difference in the path your ball takes. Trajectory is actually determined by the dimple’s depth and not the number.
GOLF TERMS
The game of golf seems to have a language of its own. This next set of tips will give you some common golf terms and their definitions.
Par
Par is the number of strokes a player should take to complete a round. It’s calculated by yardage and then gives you 2 strokes at the green. For instance, a par 5 hole gives you three strokes to get on the green, and then two putts to get your ball in the hole.
Tee
A tee is normally a wooden or plastic peg that the ball is placed on for hitting the first shot of each hole. Originally this was a pile of sand used to elevate the ball for driving.
Green
According to the official golf rules, the green is the whole golf course. However, it more popularly refers to the putting surface at the end of each hole. Greens vary in shape and size, but most are oval or oblong in shape.
Fairway
The fairway is the area that runs between the tee and green of a golf hole. This area is well maintained so the ball will move well on it. The grass on the fairway is usually cut at a height from 3/8 of an inch to a half-inch.
Handicap
Handicap is a number that represents how well a golfer plays. This number is the number of strokes a player may deduct from his actual score to adjust his scoring ability to the level of another golfer. The lower a golfer’s handicap, the better the golfer is.
Divot
Most shots from the fairway will scrape off the top of the turf where the ball was sitting. A divot is the turf that is scraped up, and the scarred area in the fairway where the turf had been. It is polite to replace and stomp down the turf afterwards.
Lie
Lie has two meanings:
Where the ball lays. A common expression would be a good lie, which means the ball is on a great piece of grass. A bad lie, would mean it’s on a rough piece of grass, or a hazard.
How many strokes it took to get the ball where it sits.
Address
The position a golfer takes as he or she stands over the ball, ready to hit it. The club must be grounded (touching the ground) for a golfer to be considered at address.
Hazard
A hazard is anything on a golf course designed to obstruct play. These hazards can be:
Sand traps
Water
Rough
Flagstick
A flagstick is a movable marker to show the location of the hole. Many courses will color code the flags on flagsticks to tell you if the hole is near the front, center, or back of the green.
Fore
Fore! is what you yell if your shot is in danger of hitting or landing by another player or group of players on the course. You yell fore! to warn players to watch out.
Mulligan
You won’t find this is in an official rule book, but when you’re playing a friendly game of golf, sometimes you or someone else will swing and miss, or a make really bad shot. A mulligan allows you to take that swing over without penalty.
Allan Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/different-golf-balls-and-basic-golfing-rules-95413.html
Categories: golf greens Tags: Balata, Central Core, Dimples On A Golf Ball, Distances, Durable Material, Fairway, Golf Balls, Golf Hole, Golf Rules, Golf Terms, Golfing Rules, Greens, Official Golf, Peg, Putts, Soft Material, Spin Ball, Strokes, Synthetic Material, Trajectory