3 ways to make golf improvement fun

1. be kind to yourself

Einstein did not invent the lightbulb within one day. he worked and worked at it till he succeeded ! we are not robots. don't expect to see drastic improvements in one day. don't be so hard on yourself if you are unable to make changes immediately. feel happy that you are improving a little at a time. don't scold yourself, but instead give encouragement ! you are your best motivator !

2. play golf with a friend who is also committed to improving their golf and having fun at the same time

Majority of golfers complain about how lousy their golf is. they have a competition on who has the worst golf swing, who has the worst yips on the putting green. it is easy to sink into self pity when surrounded by people who only want to whine but do not want to do anything to improve their golf. try to play golf with someone who is encouraging to have fun together on the golf course ! it is more fun to work on improvement with someone going through the same things as you are.

3. eat and sleep well and keep hydrated

Dehydration, hunger and tired-ness are the big killers of patience. when you are thirsty, tired and hungry is when you are most likely to get angry and annoyed when you hit a bad shot or miss a short putt to win a hole. little do you know that the outburst of anger was due to the inability to control your emotions when you do not have enough fuel in your body to maintain the balance of emotions. eat 1-2 hours before your golf game, sip water every 3 holes or so and make sure you have enough rest at night to say good bye to crankiness !

have fun !!

golf tips: how to hit a clean shot out of the bunker

in a fairway bunker ? think the bunker isn't too high and a clean iron shot will clear the top ? 

then you are planning to hit a clean iron shot at the ball out of the bunker. now you need these amazing tips to ensure you execute it perfectly EVERYTIME. 

1. choke down 1 to 2 inches on your iron/wood, taking an extra club to compensate for the distance lost

2. fix your eyes at where you want your club to impact (in this case, it would be directly at the ball instead of 1 or 2 inches behind the ball) 

3. accelerate on your downswing so you able to get the distance you desire. slowing down because of a lack of confidence will likely cause you to impact the sand instead of the ball like a normal bunker shot and it will only fly as far as it 

positive image in golf

projecting a positive image of yourself is all about appearance, behaviour and communication. but if I were to sum it up in one word it would be communication because the way you dress and behave is also communicating who you are to the people around you. Your image is the way you market yourself.

At university we often talked about branding ourselves or thinking of ourselves as a brand. think perez hilton and everything about him and his website that makes him so unique.

positive image is important when going for interviews but it is also very important on the golf course and at the golf club.

I aim to project a friendly but hardworking image when I play golf but I know that sometimes I go into this moody zone and look really unfriendly and unapproachable. I'm still looking for a way to be cheerful when I'm demoralized without having to cover up how I feel.

if I were a golfing celebrity then maybe I'd have to be all smiles all the time but I'm sure some people would call me 'so fake'. You can never please everyone.

good looking people are often more marketable in terms of jobs but in golf its more important to be well groomed, dress smartly and neatly, have confidence and carry yourself well on and off the course in order to gain respect and recognition.

To leave a positive impression on golfers at the golf club and on the golf course, be consistent in the way you portray yourself. That is, dress as you want to be seen. Talk in a way (tone and volume) that you want to be heard. Act in a way you want to be remembered.

We can always dream of being admired from afar and that is possible if you leave people with a good impression.

to top it off, the most important accessory is a big big smile. Share it with all.

funny story: don't lick your golf balls

there was a 65 year old man in Ireland who played golf everyday and experienced lethargy and abdominal discomfort, had dark urine and jaundice. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis.

It was later discovered that this old man often licked his golf balls to clean them, exposing himself to the weed killer used on the greens.

This led to the golfer related hazard called ' golf ball liver'

The doctor ordered him to stop using his tongue to clean golf balls and his symptoms faded.

Funny part is that the next time the greens were sprayed with weed killer, he resumed licking his golf balls to challenge himself for a month. Obviously, his hepatitis symptoms returned.


HAHA its quite unlikely anyone I know would do that. But sometimes people just need reminding....

give encouragement to a golfer day

wow this is my 66th post ! One sixth my goal of having 365 posts by the end of this year. Go go shuyan ! At least if I don't achieve my play golf goals, I can achieve a different sort of golfing goal. Doesn't really seem like such a big deal but hopefully by the end of this year I can use this blog for some monetary purposes

anyway, my message is that it's always great to play with encouraging golfers. we can do with alot more helpful friendly gracious people and less of poor golfing partners. i don't mind people who don't play well but please don't slam your clubs. i've really learnt to control my temper alot better. people ask me why i smile when i hit a bad shot or why i laugh when i miss the putt. its my way of knowing that even if i don't hit a good shot now, i will next time. just trust in whatever i'm doing. although there are so many times when i'm not even sure what it is i'm trusting in, i just have the belief that it's all coming together soon and hard work definitely pays off

so, everyday can be 'give encouragement to a golfer day' ! you don't need to give swing tips or anything, just be a pleasant playing partner. smile often and don't whine. tell them that they're doing a good job and not to give up. i believe in the saying that 'you get what you give'. be nice to other golfers and they will eventually be more encouraging to you too. of course you can't expect that everyone will do so. but you get my point

i'm really grateful to all the people who have encouraged me all this while. you've really kept me going :)

longer drives and iron shots: do plank exercises for core strength

Core strength and stability exercises can improve your golf fitness and reduce the risk of injury. Your core muscles are the centre and foundation of your golf swing and getting a stronger core increases your power and adds distance to your long shots. It also helps you become more stable in your short game so you are more precise and controlled when pitching and chipping onto the green.

I have never thought of myself as a person with a weak core. but when i first started doing planks (which is a very  basic core strenghtening exercise) i really struggled and could hardly hold my bum up. On saturday, it was my first time doing a 7 minute plank and i was quite amazed that i could actually survive the entire 7 minutes without giving up. it wasn't easy but i definitely performed much better than i would have done 6 months ago.

wanna drive longer off the tee? wanna hit longer with your irons?

then try doing planks at least 3 times a week. you should see improvements within a month. you'll feel stronger when you set up to the ball and the backswing becomes more controlled.

if you've never done a plank before, this is how you start

full plank looks like this

1. Balance on your elbows and toes, while keeping your body in a straight line.
-focus on those core muscles (around the tummy area) to make sure you lift your bum up.
**don't arch your back

you can do it sideways to a mirror to check

2.hold for 30seconds
3.repeat 2-3 times

4.slowly build up your strength till you can hold for 1 minute or even 1.5 minutes

if you have difficulty doing the full plank, start out with the half plank instead where you balance on your elbows and knees while keeping your back in a straight line.

you may need to find the right weight distribution so you feel the strain in your core area instead of in your shoulders. i tend to lean forward to balance myself on my shoulders, but that is incorrect, if you are doing that, you might want to try shifting your weight more onto your toes.

a more advanced plank is the side plank

side plank looks like this

1.Lie on your side with elbow and toes on the ground

2.lift yourself up to form a plank with body in a straight line

-make sure your hips are not resting on the ground. 

3.hold for 30 seconds 

check out http://www.ab-core-and-stomach-exercises.com/isometric-exercises-for-stomach.html">ab core and stomach exercises for better images 

don't  miss out on the opportunity to impress your playing partners with your improved drives and iron shots. Read this http://www.nashuaplainfield.k12.ia.us/highschool/ath/golf/prac/fitness/core_flex.pdf">article for more exercises on improving core strength and flexibilitydocument

water is of utmost importance in golf

water is something you cannot do without on the golf course. I don't mean the water features around the golf course. Those are dangers and really can make me extremely nervous when I'm not playing well.

I mean water is of utmost importance in the golf game because it is essential to stay hydrated. Our body is 70percent water and you need all of it to function properly.

especially in singapore where its really REALLY hot and gets so humid when its about to rain or just after a storm. It can really feel like you're in a sauna or rather a steam bath. Its the same for all other outdoor sports too. sweat just trickles down your face and appears on your arms and legs. Even my eye area sweats which fogs up my sunglasses. Sweat even gets onto my eyelashes and rubs against the lenses that makes it even more blurry.

you lose water by the bucketloads so you have to make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated so your brain can function properly to analyse your ball position, distance, wind etc. And also you need to be able to fire up all those muscles to hit the ball the right distance instead of feeling lazy and chucking at the ball so it lands 10meters short.

I also feel that I am less likely to get sunburnt when I have drank enough water.

drink plenty of water during your golf game. I usually sip every 3 holes and drink more or more frequently as I feel myself getting dehydrated .

Its worth it even if it makes your bag heavier. You don't want to be in the of golf course, thirsty and panting like a dog with no source of clean water nearby. It's a really yuck situation.

always heed the lightning siren

if you also live in sunny singapore, my favourite country, you would be updated with the recent crazy weather here. it's hot and sunny in the afternoon but come 3.30pm, the dark clouds just appear from nowhere. at 4.00pm, there might be a bit of sunshine. within a minute, at 4.01pm, it'll start to rain. and the past week or so has graced us with the magical THUNDERSTORM..... you'll see lightning flashing through the clouds and hear thumber, even the occassional crack of when you know the lightning's really close by.

today, i learnt never to doubt the siren to close the course. megan and i got stuck at the halfway house for an hour. and it was probably the most frightening one hour of our lives. i'll never think of lightning in the same way again.

it must have been one of the worst thunderstorms of late because the lightning rating was 29 !!!!when the reading reaches 4, they already close the course !

we could see the lightning flashes in front of us, to the left and to the right. no way were we going to step onto the golf course. we thought that the halfway house would be the safest place to be. it would have been even better if they had food and drinks there but all the staff had already left.

just as we were in the midst of taking photos, lightning crashed just 20m next to the halfway house. there was a giant ball of light in the middle of the tee box next to us. CLAP ! the thunder was so loud and piercing that my right ear which was nearer to it hurt. megan and i hid under the table screaming because it really was the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me.

i bet you'll never forget it if you have such a close encounter with lightning. so i'll never underestimate it when i hear them close the golf course because of lightning. this is my advice: you wouldn't want to be NEXT to the ball of light if the lightning really crashes next to you. it really is no joke so if you hear the siren that will be followed by the announcement " we are sorry, play is suspended until further notice", take cover immediately !! don't leave anything up to chance

golfers ! protect your scalp from the sun !

The sun can be very damaging to the skin and thats a known fact. Women are especially concerned about protecting from the sun because of the UVA and UVB rays that can cause sunburns, early aging and eek skin cancer. 

You are exposed to secondary UV exposure on cloudy days, in the shade and even while indoors. But often when playing golf, it is out in the hot sun and that's exposure to outdoor UV rays. We know the harmful damage the sun can do to our skin but often neglect the damage that can be done to our SCALP ! 

this is an important issue for men because an unhealthy scalp can lead to bald spots and thinning. it's also undesirable for women to have thinning hair. who doesn't want luscious long flowing hair that looks like you just came from a shampoo advertisement ?

Here's some tips on how to protect your scalp

1.Protect yourself !!

Apply sun protection prior to each time you are going to be in direct or indirect contact with the sun. Try using a sunblock with SPF 15 or higher. Apply to your face, neck and ears and don't neglect your scalp if you have bald spots or if your hair is thinning. 

(hmm applying sunblock to a healthy scalp does not sound very feasible to me, but just do as you deem fit

2.Take cover !!

My parents always remind me to practice in shady spots on the golf course. Try to wear clothing that expose as little to your skin as possible and wear a wide brimmed hat for additional protection. (i seldom see people wearing WIDE BRIMMED HATS these days and they don't look especially good on men but err a baseball cap should do fine, just remember to put sunblock on your neck and ears)

3. Avoid the afternoon sun

The sun is the brightest 10am and 2pm so try to avoid direct exposure to sunlight during this time as the UV rays are the strongest

Don't forget about your head the next time you prepare for your golf game and hope you have fun !

    

   

 

right sized shoes for good balance in the golf swing

good balance is essential in the golf swing because you need it to get good weight transfer and contact the ball with your body in the right positions

i've often heard that flexibility is very important in golf. but it cannot be stressed more that balance is even more important because you can be very flexible and be able to do a backward bridge, but if you have horrible balance, you will be just as likely to get injured.

from my experience, i've learnt that your feet size changes with your height and body weight. i found it strange that i used to buy size 5 footjoy shoes but suddenly changed to a size 6 after going to melbourne to study. after wearing the size 6 for about a year, i moved back to singapore and found that they started to get looser and looser. at first i just thought it was because my socks were getting thinner over time after washing. but then i realised that i was getting smaller/thinner. i find it so much easier to swing in my old size 5 shoes.

i know golf shoes can be really expensive and its hard to find one that is absolutely perfect. make sure you try on your golf shoes after reading this and check that they are the right size. if they are too big, your feet will be slipping and sliding inside the shoe and cause you to lose balance. or not, you will be putting too much pressure on your feet to try and maintain your feet position in the shoes. furthermore, wearing shoes that are too big on the golf course might cause you to lose your balance not just in the swing, but when you're walking on slopes and hills. you might twist your ankle. ouch.

in short, make sure your golf shoes are the right size. invest in a good pair and you will find you have better balance in the swing :)

easy way to hit a draw shot

for people like me who are currently quite clueless as to how to hit a draw or a fade shot, but know that they are useful shots. here is a good and simple way to do so.

A draw shot it useful in windy conditions because the ball tends to fly lower and will run more on the fairway. you are likely to use this shot when the wind is blowing into you or when you are playing a dog leg left hole.

ehow.com has an article called

How to Hit a Draw Shot in Golf

read it at http://www.ehow.com/how_1166_hit-draw-shot.html

many people have referred to this article and i'm sure it does prove useful.

This is a tip i would personally recommend to golfers who want an easy miracle in hitting a draw shot. it is simple and easy and you don't need to change your swing much. a small adjustment in the way you stand can lead to the same effect.

stand slightly farther away from the ball when you want to hit a draw shot. this will create more space between your body and club on the downswing. this widens your swing arc and you will find it easier to swing the club around your body.

try it out and i hope it works well for you as it has for me.

ps: don't stand too far away from the ball. you only want to move backwards about an inch.

pps: you may try varying how much further your stand from the ball and see the effect on the ball flight

finally, stay confident in your golf swing and don't give up !

serious practice everyday brings to light flaws in my swing and golf game

it's only because i've been playing everyday and practicing much much more that i have created problems in my body.

first one that occurred was a pain in my right wrist. somthing about inflammation of the little cartilage in between two of the bones. that cartilage is so small that it may not even be shown on those diagrams that doctors use to show and describe it to their patients.

anyway, the physiotherapist in australia said that it's uncommon for people to get a pain there for golfers. however, probably reasons for this appearing in female golfers is

1. too much wrist action on the backswing (cocking too violently)

2.weak core (the body isn't strong enough to rotate and so has to rely on the wrists to get more power)

i later discovered that i do too much of a punch on the downswing such that i swing fast on the start of the downswing but show down as i am about to contact the ball. this causes me to hit the ball at a slow speed and doesn't make the ball go very far.

daddy and i have been working on improving my hitting area and increasing clubhead speed in that area (between 3pm and 9pm if you think of your swing as a clock)

after about 3 months now, i have solved the problem and my right wrist is now pain-free WHEEEEEEEE

however, last week i accidentally did something weird and injured my left wrist which hurts especially when i try to do a scoop shot grrr.

i'm constantly learning about how various aspects of the swing affect my body and how to minimise damage

i think i am so lucky to have learnt all this things. i feel like i know more about this area than others because i spend more time playing golf and thus am more susceptible to injury. good thing is that i get to learn from it heeeheee

golf biomechanics swing analysis

i did a biomechanics swing analysis recently. i got all plugged into this machine with sensors put around my head, my chest, my waist etc

i was hoping to find a miraculous way of hitting my new nakashima irons better. i had been topping all my shots ever since i got them.

main thing i discovered was that i had bad posture. i hyperextend which means that in pulling my shoulders back, i arch my back which is not good i guess. so we spent the rest of the hour improving my posture.

i have to pull my shoulders back while tucking my pelvis toward my belly button and also bend my neck downwards.

i think i tend to stretch my neck upwards when i stand and my sister's friend once commented that i look very proud. probably because of me elongating my neck so i seem to be sticking my nose up in the air. haha

been working on this new posture which puts less pressure on my shoulders which have been tight for a long long time (such that it's painful when i massage it) and get more rotation through my back muscles which are the big muscles in the body

although mark says that i should have gotten a print out with all sorts of numbers such as hip rotation, spine rotation and all other angles and stuff. i didn't.

i still feel it has benefited me and my golf swing :)

my shoulders have been less tight and i am finding it easier to get into a good posture and still make a good swing. yay for me !!