Hello Again Golf Fans!

I’m back with more great tips and tricks to help you lower your score and have more fun out on the golf course!

Today I wanted to share a great new gadget with everyone.  It’s the iPhone app designed by Ping Golf called iPing, and it’s designed to help improve your putting!

This handy little iPhone app gives you information on three elements of your putting stroke:  Stroke Type, Impact Angle, and Tempo.  Stroke Type is simply the path that your putter travels on as it moves back and forth.  The app will let you know if your path is straight, a slight arc, or a strong arc.  Impact Angle is the position of your putter face when it makes contact with the ball.  The app tells you how open or closed it was relative to the address position.  Finally, the Tempo measurement is simply the timing ratio of your putting stroke (2 to 1 for example).

After the app collects your information you can share it with friends, or even compare your numbers to the Ping TOUR pros that are pre-loaded on the app!

You can’t improve what you can’t measure, and this handy new app definitely gives you the tools you need to measure improvement and develop a more consistent stroke.  You can download the free app onto your iPhone or iPod Touch, and all you need is the special cradle to clip your phone to your putter.

Well, that’s all for now everyone – I’ll see you out on the course!  Oh, and happy putting!

Your Friend In Golf,

James

Golf Circuit PGA Teaching Professional

 

Pick Up an iPing Cradle at Golf Circuit Today! <=== Click Here!

CURE YOUR SLICE WITH THESE THREE TIPS!

Hello Again Golf Circuit Fans!

I’m back with another blog post designed to help you get the most out of your game, and today I want to focus on one of the most common problems that golfers have – the dreaded slice!  That’s right – I’m talking about the big banana ball that starts out in the middle of the fairway and ends up soaring into the lumberyard.  If you don’t have a problem with a slice yourself I’m sure you know a golfer who does.

Before I tell you my favorite tips for curing a slice I suppose we should probably define it first.  A slice is a golf shot that starts off going somewhat straight and then curves wildly to the right (for a right handed golfer) and usually out of play.

A slice is caused when the angle of the club face is open in relation to the angle of the club’s swing path causing the ball to develop a massive amount of clockwise spin and veer off target (see photo above).

Here are some tricks that just might put a stop to your slice:

• Relax.  Often times a slice can be caused by excess tension in the golf swing which prevents the club face from turning over properly at impact.  By relaxing your hands and forearms on your downswing you should be able to feel the club “turn over” through the impact zone – launching the ball straight down the pipe.

• “Strengthen” Your Grip.  No – I’m not contradicting myself and talking about squeezing the club harder.  By simply rotating your hands clockwise on your club you will “strengthen” your grip and make it easier to return the club to a square position at impact.  Experiment with different grip positions to see how they affect your ball flight and stick with the one that works the best.

• Check Your Alignment.  Often a slice can be caused by overcompensating for poor alignment.  Head to the driving range and lay a golf club or alignment stick at your feet when you are set up to the ball.  Step back and view it from behind to see if it is actually aligned to your target.  If it’s off make an adjustment and then hit some shots keeping the club there to help re-train.

• Experiment with these different tips to see what works best for you – it might just be one of them or it might be a combination of all three, but when you stripe a drive down the middle and it soars straight on line you will know that you’ve found your cure!

That’s all I’ve got for today’s post, so until next time keep it in the fairway!

Your Friend,

James

Golf Circuit PGA Teaching Professional

 

 

Walking The Course Is Easy With These Great Push Carts!

Hello Golfers!

Now that fall is finally here and temps are cooling off I’ve made a big change in my game that I thought I would share with all of you.  It’s given me more energy, helped improve my focus, and lowered my scores, and it’s not a new training aid or swing secret.  It’s even more simple than that – it’s called walking!!

I find that when I am able to walk the course I feel better physically, I have more mental focus, and I am able to shoot lower scores than when I ride.  I’m also able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors without being confined to a riding cart.

However, I’ve found that some days I can’t even carry my bag for 9 holes without my shoulders and my back becoming fatigued and sore, so I test drove some of the latest and greatest push carts out there today and I wanted to share a few of my favorites!

Sun Mountain Speed Cart V1:  Sun Mountain is a great golf equipment company headquartered in Missoula, Montana and they were the first ones to modernize push cart technology.  Their Speed Cart is still one of the most durable, smoothest rolling, and best looking push carts on the market.  It’s available in a wide variety of colors and has some great options like a brake, umbrella holder, and even an insulated cooler!

Sun Mountain Micro Cart:  If you want a high quality cart but are short on space and want something a little lighter than the Speed Cart V1, check out the Micro Cart.  This four-wheeled model rolls down the fairway nicely, and it weighs almost four pounds less than it’s bigger brother.  It also folds up in a nice compact package to easily fit in your trunk or bag storage space.

Clicgear Model 3.0:  Another pioneer in push cart technology, Clicgear has a great new model that I really like.  It’s designed with super durable aluminum frame just like the Sun Mountain models, and the assembly process is a little different, but once you figure it out it just “clicks” right together.  I guess that’s why they call it Clicgear!

Those are just a few of the great push cart options out on the market today that make walking the course easy and enjoyable.  Do yourself a favor and give one of these a test drive next time you go out and play – your body will thank you and who knows you just might find your new secret to lowering your scores!

That’s all for today’s newsletter my friends…I hope to see you out walking the fairways sometime soon!

Your friend,

James

Golf Circuit PGA Teaching Professional

 

Click Here ====> Check Out Golf Circuit’s Great Selection of Push Carts!!!

Long Irons, Fairway Woods, and Hybrids – Which Is Right For You?

 

Hello Again Golf Circuit Fans!

I’m back with some more great tips to help you get the most out of your game, and today I want to talk a little bit about choosing the right equipment.  I’ve noticed that when it comes to selecting the right clubs for long distance shots many players are confused about the difference between long irons, fairway woods, and hybrids so I thought a little clarification might be in order.  Here’s a quick definition of each…

 Long Irons:  For most golfers these are the hardest of the three to hit well, and because of their small heads and low lofts those who don’t strike the ball consistently with a decent amount of clubhead speed often struggle with long irons.  When they are hit well, however, they deliver a low penetrating ball flight that is ideal for windy conditions and even on mishits they often will not travel far enough to get you into real trouble.  Long irons also perform well from fairway bunkers and rough.

Fairway Woods:  These clubs can be great to use as a substitute for your driver, or when you need to get some distance on an approach shot or layup from the fairway.  Thanks to the extra mass that their head provides fairway woods are often easier to get air born than long irons, and they can travel great distances with a high soaring flight pattern.  Fairway woods do have their limitations however, especially in long grass and fairway bunkers where they can easily get bogged down, and on mis-hits they can cause your ball to fly quite a ways off track.

 Hybrid Clubs:  By combining the head shape of long irons and fairway woods golf club designers were able to create a new genre of golf club called the hybrid.  These clubs perform just as expected – with the accuracy and versatility of a long iron and the distance and easy to hit qualities of a fairway wood.  Hybrid clubs can be a great option for a variety of different shots, and they can even make great chippers when you’re near the edge of the green!

I recommend replacing long irons that you don’t hit well with hybrids, but because of their larger heads and longer lengths you should choose one hybrid down from the iron you are replacing.  For example you should replace a 3 iron with a 4 hybrid, and so on.

That’s all I’ve got for you today – hit ’em well!

Your Friend,

James

Golf Circuit PGA Teaching Professional

 

Check Out Golf Circuit’s Great Selection of Hybrid Clubs <==== Click Here!

 

New sign on new shop

We are in the final stages of setting up our new brick-and-Mortar golf pro shop in Rancho Santa Fe. Here are some pictures of the Sign going up.