Guide for Beginning Golfers

In this writing I will discuss The Grip, which is Step 1 of my seven step checklist for the golf swing. After years of reading, practicing and experimenting with different methods and techniques to prepare for the golf swing I have broken it down simply to seven steps that work for me. Since I am not a professional golf instructor and I don’t claim to be, I will only present proven ideas and methodology that work for me. Every golfer is different and what works for one does not always work for someone else. On the other hand there are basic principles and techniques that can be gainfully utilized by 95% of golfers and I strongly feel that the steps I am presenting here will work for a majority of those reading this article. I have taken over thirty years of experience and assimilation of the correct golf swing to present this information to you. The seven steps in my swing checklist are 1- The Grip, 2 – The Set Up, 3 – The Waggle, 4 – The Back Swing, 5 – Tempo, 6 – The Down Swing, & 7 – The Follow Thru. I placed Tempo in the middle because it is an integral part of the entire swing from start to finish and will be elaborated on in a future writing.

As stated previously, when I first learned to play golf, it required a lot of experimenting and reading golf books and magazines in order to really get a feel for the correct golf swing for me. The grip is a very important and integral part of the golf swing. There are a number of different types of  grip methods. There is the Vardon Grip ( named after the great Harry Vardon one of the premier golfers of the early 20th century ) The Baseball Grip, also appropriately named because the grip is similar to one you may use to hold a baseball bat, and my personal favorite, The Interlocking Grip, which incorporates the interlocking of the two hands together to form the grip. Note: Many of the instructional books, DVD’s and Videos will illustrate these grips if you would like to see them in a visual presentation. If you are sports oriented and have never read or viewed any instructional information about the grip then you may have a tendency to use and feel more comfortable with the baseball grip as I did initially. Although it felt more comfortable I wasn’t satisfied with the results. One day I was playing in a group with a considerably better player, probably a two to four handicap. I took note to some of his swing techniques and one of the things I noted was his golf grip. As we were waiting on one hole I asked him about it. He showed me how to do it and I have not changed my grip since. The steps I now use in setting my golf club grip are as follows: 1- I set or cradle the club in the creased part of the fingers of my left hand allowing the top of the club to protrude approximately 1″ to 1 1/2″ past the bottom part of the same hand which will actually be facing upward and toward your waist and belt area when you set the club to prepare to swing. Note: While gripping with the left hand make sure the clubface stays closed or close to perpindicular to your target line. Also for a fairly strong grip, which I would highly recommend, make sure the first two or even three knuckles of your left hand are positioned facing up so you can see them when looking down on your hand and club. Then allow the thumb of the left hand to lay across the top of the grip on a slight angle to the right while keeping the thumb straight and on top of the club. Note: There are various ways to grip the club ( stronger and weaker grips ) to allow your swing to work the ball right or left but it is a more advanced technique should not be attempted until your game has progressed to a certain level. Next, set the club in the creased part of the fingers of the right hand and interlock the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left, thus the derivative of the name interlocking grip. The meaty part of the palm of your right hand, connected to the thumb, should be facing upward so you can also see it similar to the knuckles of the left. Note: You can experiment at the range with the adjustment of the strength of the grip that works best for you, (turn hands to right for a stronger grip and left for weaker ) Also, please note that the grip methodology noted above is for the right handed player and should be reversed for the left handed golfer. Another important thing to remember, which will also be addressed in Step 2 – The Set Up is – Do Not let your right shoulder come forward when taking the grip with the right hand. It should remain back and aligned with your left shoulder. It should also be slightly lower than your left since your right hand is set lower on the club when taking the grip.

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In my previous writings I spoke about my Myrtle Beach and Disney World golf vacations, which are two excellent choices for golf and vacation destinations, no two ways about it. I had been alternating between both places for about ten years and had some great times but we were ready for a change, for something different. Where would we go next ? I had always wanted to return to Las Vegas since my first visit there in 1976, but just never had the opportunity. I had stopped in Las Vegas for three days on my return trip home from my Honeymoon in Hawaii, my favorite place on the planet, met some friends there and had a blast. In 2002, my 50th birthday was quickly approaching and my significant other surprised me with a gift that I did not expect, a four day golf trip to Las Vegas. Can it get any better ? I guess maybe a five or six day trip would be better but she wanted to make sure we did not go broke while we were there so four days was a good compromise. We were staying at the MGM on Las Vegas Blvd., more commonly known as “The Strip”, where most of the more famous hotels in the city were aligned. From Mandalay Bay, The Luxor, Excalibur and New York, New York on the one end to Circus, Circus, The Riviera, The Sahara, and The Stratosphere on the other, and The Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Paris and Bally’s in between how could you go wrong ?  Then there was the golf. Upon review of the available golf courses we chose three venues that we thoroughly enjoyed. We played Bears Best, a Jack Nicklaus design and who is my favorite player of all time, as some of you may remember from a previous writing, Angel Park, an Arnold Palmer design and another magnificent golf venue, which includes three courses, The Mountain being my favorite, and last but certainly not least is Bali Hai, adjacent Mandalay Bay, right on the Strip. Jacks’ Bears Best course was designed by utilizing the signature hole layouts of some of his other outstanding golf course acomplishments to date and reproducing them in the Las Vegas landscape. The green fairways contrasting with the desert mountains and sand dunes in the background was a breathtaking site, especially if you have never been in the desert before. Angel Park was also very enjoyable and there was a great view of the golf course and a real green miniature golf course, the only one I had ever seen, right off the dining veranda and the club house. It was a great setting for lunch as we took in the gorgeous panoramic view. Bali Hai was as exotic as the name exudes. With well over two thousand Palm Trees imported by the course designers, and many thousands of other varied forms of exotic plant life, complimented by the beautiful white sand bunkers, it added a tropical touch of the South Pacific to the desert, a unique and fun innovation to say the least. After 36 holes of golf at Bali Hai, my birthday celebration meal was a real treat. Dinner at the elegant Wolfgang Puck, “Cili” restaurant located right on premises, in the club house, at the Bali Hai golf course. The design and the ambiance of the restaurant and clubhouse was a continuation of the tropical theme so blatantly displayed on the golf course. Great food, fine wine, dessert and espresso with a touch of Sambuca to top off the meal, which included some live piano music playing in the background was the icing on my birthday cake so to speak. After our dining experience at Cili’s we headed to the casinos. New York City is known as “The City That Never Sleeps”, but Las Vegas is the literal personification of that expression. We walked from one end of the Strip to the other stopping at almost every well known Casino in town and all the joints were hopping no matter what time we went in. New York, New York, MGM, The Bellagio, Caesars, Bally’s and Paris were our favorite stops. I actually won a few grand at The Bellagio but gave it right back at the Paris, but you only live once, or do you ? – a topic for another time, so having fun should be the priority. It’s only money. Once you become enamored with the casino atmosphere and lack of daylight and get into a hot run on the Blackjack or Craps tables, it is very easy to transpose night and day. The hours pass quickly and I see many people having dinner at 5:00 or 6:00am and breakfast at 10:00pm or midnight for that matter. Since we were playing golf , we usually went to sleep around midnight and were out and about by 5:00am or so the next morning, which is when we noted the varied dining habits of the habitual gamblers and night time crowd. As we strolled down the Vegas Strip I could almost feel the presence of some of the larger than life personalities who frequented Las Vegas in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy and the rest of the Rat Pack to name a few. I was especially reminded of Frank because Frank Jrs.’ face was plastered on the big sceeen video monitor and he was singing all of his dads hits and doing a pretty good job of it at that. Wayne Newton has been a lifer in Vegas and is still as popular as ever. Las Vegas has perhaps the biggest line up of top notch entertainment in the world. Wayne Newton, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett and The Blue Man Group plus the first class Magic acts and much more all entertain in Las Vegas. The list of famous Las Vegas personalities from the Golden Age would not be complete without including mention of perhaps the most well known and idolized entertainer of all time, Mr. Las Vegas himself, the veritable “King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley”.  His name is synonymous with the hierarchy of Las Vegas Royalty, they don’t refer to him as the King for nothing. The list goes on and on, but just check on line if you are planning a visit and you will note a dozen or more top rated shows at any particular time you may choose to plan a trip there. On our next night we walked the entire Strip again, aka Las Vegas Boulevard, starting at Mandalay Bay and finishing at the Sratosphere. We stopped in a least a half dozen Casinos, including MGM, New York, New York, Paris, Ballys’ and The Bellagio. The lights were incredible and the water light show in front of The Bellagio was most enjoyable and entertaining. It also kept me out of the casinos for a while longer and saved me some dough which made the time spent there that much more rewarding.

We revisited Las Vegas about four months later and we got some great deals on golf and hotel rooms. I guess they figured they should lower the rates for anyone crazy enough to play golf in 114 degree temperatures. It was tough I must say, but we played and still had a good time, wet face cloths and all. It was another wonderful vacation under our belt and they just keep getting better. If you’re considering Las Vegas for your next trip, I can guarantee you won’t be bored. It truly is the “City That Never Sleeps”. You can get some terrific packages, both for golf or just to stay and play at the resorts. Las Vegas is truly the ultimate playground for the over 21 crowd. Happy Vacationing and Golfing To All !

Visit http://guideforbeginninggolfers.com and http://mddeagle.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/ for more valuable golf info, especially for the beginner to learn “The Right Way”

We have to give credit to Mr.Walt Disney, whose ability to manifest his dreams is second to none. Walt, or out of respect, I should say Mr. Disney, opened Disney Land in Anaheim, California in the mid-fifties, at just about the time the Brooklyn Dodgers were leaving their fans in Brooklyn and heading for Los Angeles, California. His vision was not yet complete though, he had found a perfect piece of property in Orlando, Florida where he would initiate the creation of the most Magical Land on the face of the planet. This was also the place where another and maybe final portion of his dream would be realized. In the spring of 1990 I had planned my first golf vacation ever to Myrtle Beach and it was such a wonderful trip I was soon ready for another. While I was contemplating my next golf and vacation destination, slated for the fall or late summer of 1990, my significant other came up with what later turned out to be an excellent suggestion. How about Disney World ? I said, “I have never been to Disney World or Disney Land for the that matter but what about golf ?” I was reminded that the Buick Classic, which I think it was called at the time, was played at Disney World so “Duh”, there must be golf courses there, right ? Yes, there were. In fact, Disney World was a stop on the PGA Tour since opening in 1971, if I’m not mistaken. The Magnolia and the Palm were the two courses that high lighted the tournament. There is also Lake Buena Vista, a course less known but one that turned out to be very enjoyable to play. I was convinced that we should give it a shot, what could we lose ?

In September of 1990 we were headed for what turned out to be one of the best vacations ever. We booked our hotel right on Disney premises at, “The Disney Inn”, a quiet little section of the resort adjacent the two main golf courses, The Magnolia and The Palm. A few years later, the Inn was turned over to the U.S. Government and from my perception, it  is now utilized for the armed services entertainment and supplementary needs. We were disappointed when we couldn’t make our future reservations there because it was an out of the way place where we could enjoy peace and quiet. We now frequent the other resorts, especially Port Orleans, which is centrally located and reasonably priced. Although not quite as sequestered as The Disney Inn, it provides an amount of privacy, beauty and and just the right touch of ambiance in the surroundings to be enjoyable as well. In the process of booking our golf reservations, we were advised that there were two other newer courses at The “Bonnet Creek” Resort, not too far from where we were staying. They were named Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge, and were designed by two of the premier architects of the time, Tom Fazio and Pet Dye respectively. Having kept up with my Golf Digest subscriptions, I was well versed in the reputation of these two golf architects, and it dawned on me that I had just recently read about the openings and rave reviews received when they had first opened a short while ago. Since we were able to visit Disney World  for six days, it allowed us enough time to play a different course every day and one course twice if we chose to. Luckily, we were able to reserve tee times at the two new courses at Bonnet Creek. So, our room, airfares, rental car and tee times were booked as we waited impatiently for the next few months to go by so we could venture off to another unforgettable golf vacation.

Unforgettable is just what it turned out to be. Our days there commenced with awakening in a magnificent suite at the Disney Inn Resort, which included a view of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs carved into the hedges outside our room, enjoying the sunrise each morning with an overview of a water feature in the courtyard area outside, which was landscaped with beautiful and exotic plantlife and fauna, then off to a cheery musical  breakfast fare at The Contemporary Resort where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy entertained and joined us for some fun, and last but certainly not least, the anticipation of playing golf on any one of five magnificent golf venues, each one better than the next. How could you beat it ? We enjoyed every one of the golf courses, especially the two new Bonnet Creek courses, Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge. After golf, we enjoyed a quick lunch at the Clubhouse Dining Room, which overlooked the golf course. But then, the fun had just begun; it was off to one of the Magical Parks that are part of the Disney World Resort.

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In a previous writing I stated that I had been playing golf for about thirty years or so. For the first 13 years of the thirty, I had played the game but never realized the collateral benefits to be derived from the game. I used to arrive at the golf course, set up my bag and clubs on the golf cart, and proceed to go out on the course and beat that little white ball around until it got into the intended hole. Golf was meant to be a fun and delightful experience, not one of frustration or anger because the ball did not respond to your every whim and command. For the new or beginning golfer, who has not experienced the roller coaster ride of emotions and frustrations that you can encounter during a round of golf, don’t be disheartened, you soon will. That is unless you employ the proper mindset right from the beginning and do not take the game too seriously.

I planned my first golf trip in April of 1990 and decided to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ”The Golf Capital Of The World”. My experience on that trip gave me a whole new outlook on the game. I guess you can say it was a Turning Point in my perception of what golf was really all about. You can think of it as just a game, like I did for the first 13 years playing, or you can realize and enjoy the more obscure collateral benefits of the game. What are these benefits, you ask ? Take the time to “Stop And Smell The Roses”. What do I mean by that ? Most golf courses are designed utilizing the natural beauty of the surrounding terrain as a backdrop. Beside the intrinsic beauty of the course itself, you can often see nature at its best. When I started visiting Myrtle Beach and subsequently Florida, the wildlife and surrounding fauna and plant life was incredible. Not to mention the huge sprawling Elms, Oaks and Magnificent Cypress Trees and Palms, whose mere existence and appearance exuded a climate of an exhilirating and at times exotic nature. Speaking of Nature, there have been many a morning that I have ventured out onto a course only to encounter a family of deer meandering across the fairway or grazing in the brush adjacent any particular golf hole. Some of my most memorable experiences, where I have encountered nature at its best, were at Pawleys Plantation ( near Pawleys Island – South part of the Grand Strand and a Jack Nicklaus design ), The Witch ( off of Route 544 south of 501) , and Oyster Bay ( Located in North Carolina ). The first time I visited The Witch ( early 1990’s), it was an eerie but exhilirating experience. I normally schedule the tee time early, around 7:00am, so we can play 36 holes if we so choose. When we arrived at the course, we signed in at the pro shop, saw the starter and were sent out to the first tee. The first tee is a good distance from the clubhouse, which by the way is built in the shape of a witches hat. A few minutes later we arrived at a secluded area at the first tee. It was prior to sunrise and I would guess about a quarter mile or so away from the clubhouse. There was a misty fog hovering over the landscape for as far as the eye could see. It appeared to be everywhere and it blanketed the cart paths and the entire golf course. This added an eerie, almost spooky Halloweenish feeling, but appropriate ambiance to the setting of The Witch. The course was named, The Witch – how more appropriate can you get ? Once the sun rose and the fog burned off, the course returned to its normal beauty and personna. On the next hole we were greeted by an alligator attempting to make some unsuspecting bird his prey. I guess the bird was flying too low over one of the ponds where the gator lived and he was looking for breakfast but luckily for the bird, he got away. I have seen at least a dozen or more gators in my last 18 years or so visiting Myrtle Beach and Florida. Most of the time the gator would be resting peacefully along side the golf hole sunning themselves.  Even though the gator appeared to be sleeping, I would not recommend retrieving a golf ball that may have come within close proximity to them. Although I only mentioned three courses as my most memorable experiences, almost every course has so much to offer in the way of natural beauty and wildlife, not to mention the intrinsic beauty of the golf courses themselves. Many golf courses provide homes to many varied forms of wildlife, including families of turtles, ducks, geese and the like abounding in their ponds and man made and natural lakes and streams alike. Swans, Ospreys, Egrets, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and so many other species of birds too numerous to mention also abound around the courses in the temperate southern climate of Myrtle Beach and Florida. Since vacationing in Myrtle Beach almost 18 years ago I have enjoyed the experience of golf so much more. The game of golf in itself is a wonderful experience but coupled with the beauty of nature and the associated wildlife and plant life that abounds on most courses, it provides and unbeatable combination, which compliments the enjoyment of the game. While playing a game that I enjoy more than any other on the planet, the exhiliration and experience is now magnified many times since I have learned to “Stop And Smell The Roses” during the course of my round. We all want to play well but the enjoyment of the golf experience should be your first priority and not just what you score on your card. Take a tip from me - the next time you are on a golf trip or visiting your local course, “Stop And Smell The Roses”. It will add a different perspective to the game that you may have never realized or appreciated before.

I would like to mention another, perhaps, more important collateral benefit of the game. Golf can be a frustrating and delightful experience at the same time. One or two holes you may play well, and then wonder what transpired on the next when you double bogey or worse ? It’s the nature of the game. When I am having a bad day on the golf course I recall a book given to me that taught me some very important aspects of the game. Golf can be a game of enlightment about yourself and about life. I feel compelled to recommend the aforementioned book that I was given as a birthday gift by my sister and mother about a year ago. It is called “Golf For Enlightment” The Seven Lessons Of Life by Deepak Chopra. I had heard of Mr. Chopra before but I am an avid fan of his now. If you take this somewhat spiritual journey with Adam and Leela, Mr. Chopras characters in the book, you may be amazed to see how playing the game of golf could relate to the game of life itself. He can tell it so much better than I and it is a book I would highly recommend for both the beginner and experienced golfer as well. You can visit his website at www.chopra.com or www.randomlargeprint.com It can help you immensely with your outlook of the game, which in turn will give you a much greater chance for success in both the game of golf and maybe life itself. As always, Happy Golfing To All !                                                                                                    

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I mentioned Jack first, or should I say, Mr. Nicklaus in the title because alphabetically and historically I think he deserves that courtesy but they both should be credited with phenomenal accomplishments for their time in Golf History. I grew up with Jack for my golf hero just as I had Mickey Mantle as my baseball idol in my formative years. I have admired many ball players since but no one can take the place of Mantle in my book. There have been many great players both in his era and subsequently that may have even been historically and statistically better than he, but he still remains an all time favorite to me. As far as I am concerned, Mantle was the best and will always be the best, case closed. The same goes for Jack Nicklaus, he will always be number 1 in my book. Tiger is a phenom, no two ways about it and it would have been a heck of a battle to see Tiger and Jack go head to head in their primes. It would be like Mohammed Ali vs. Rocky Marciano – who was really the best ? We’ll never know for sure on either count but our minds can play it out and choose who we think would come out on top. I’m a big Tiger fan also and Phil Mickelson is not far behind, but watching Jack’s duels with Mr. Arnold Palmer, and I mention his name with all the respect it deserves, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Johnny Miller and  Tom Weiskopf was incomparable to the modern day era of golf, at least in my book. I don’t mean to take anything away from the modern day PGA Pro - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and more than a handful of other players including Fred Couples and Davis Love 111, whose ability with a golf club would most likely allow them to be competitive in any era are all great players, it’s just not the same game to me. Through no fault of their own, the equipment and golf ball technology and advancement accessible for the modern day professional has made golf a different game than it was 20 years or more ago. I was a youngster at the time other golfing greats before like Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Bobby Jones ( actually a little before my time – I don’t want to pre-date myself ), Cary Middlecoff and the like were around but I can still watch some of their duels on “Shells Wonderful World Of Golf” and I would have loved to see them compete in the modern day era. These guys used wooden clubs and inferior golf balls and were still striping 250 to 280 yd. drives down the middle and shaping shots like it was second nature to them. My favorite is the duel between Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan at Pine Valley, New Jersey( rated # 1 course in the world )- I’ll leave it to your imagination to figure out who the winner was but BH were his initials. When I was following Jack or should I say Mr. Nicklaus in my youth, I never imagined that anyone could ever match his record let alone beat it. So many golfing greats had phenomenal records in their careers, ( Arnold, Gary, Tom, Ben, Sam, Byron, Bobby and the rest) but he was well ahead of the pack. Tiger has shown the world what the “Power Of The Mind Or Thought Can Do”. His dad Earl helped him establish early in his childhood, that if you want to be the best, to set that goal in his sights and contemplate on it every day and visualize yourself accomplishing that goal. It is public knowledge that Tiger had his sights and mindset on Mr. Nicklaus’ record at a very early age. It was an unreachable goal for most because they would not let themselves believe that it was possible, but not for Tiger and that’s what makes him stand out among the rest.

It is inevitable that Tiger will beat Jack’s record, as long as he remains healthy, and I wish him well on his quest. After all, records are made to be broken. He is a remarkable player and  I would like nothing more than to see him in action one day. My ideal foursome would be Mr. Nicklaus, Mr. Palmer,  Tiger ( I can say Tiger because he is more than a few years younger than I )and naturally myself. What a day it would be. I can hit the ball fairly well and I always wondered how I would fare against the best. In my younger days at Marine Park or Marine Dunes Golf Course in Brooklyn I hit the ball well and Par 4’s and 5’s were usually within reach on my second shot, depending on wind conditions. I know it may never happen but I can Dream, can’t I ? You never know. No one can stop you from dreaming. So, whatever your goals in life may be, whether it’s be to beat Jack or Tigers record, Jordan or Kobe in Basketball, Marciano, Ali or Roy Jones in boxing, Montana, Marino or Brady in football ( I had to mention some players from the modern era or I really would be dating myself ), or any other ideal, goal or person in a livelihood that you idolize don’t ever give up – Take a tip from Nike – “Just Do It”

Visit http://guideforbeginninggolfers.com and http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/  for more valuable info on golf