Guide for Beginning Golfers

Will Phil Mickelson win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in June? I think that is a good question. His golf game over the past few months has led me to believe he stands an excellent chance to do just that. His win at The Masters with an incredible run on the back nine which included two eagles, his second place finish at The Quail Hollow Championship, where he could have easily won had it not been for a course record breaking 62 shot by Rory McElroy, and his tie for 17th place finish at The Players Championship this past weekend have given all indication that he is in a groove and can win any tournament he enters if he gets any momentum going. Phil struggled in the final round at The Players making five bogies. This shows he is not infallible and will have his good and bad days on the golf course as every golfer has experienced, both professional and amateur alike.

There are a number of excellent golfers on the PGA Tour  and with Tim Clark’s victory at The Players Championshiphe may have broken the no win streak by the foreign players.  Since Tiger Woods is out of the picture for now, in my opinion Phil Mickelson is the main contender to win the majors this golf season. Tiger’s missed cut at the Quail Hollow Championship and his neck injury that caused him to with draw from the competition on Sunday at The Players, indicate he is definitely not in form mentally or physically to play the type of golf required to beat Mickelson or an assortment of other good players who will be in the field. I’m not saying another star player such as McElroy, Villegas, Els, Harrington or Anthony Kim could not rise to the occasion but just stating that Mickelson is the man to beat. Any of the players mentioned here can hit golf balls with the best of them but Phil Mickelson is poised to win and he may do it just it a little better than the rest. I also feel he has gained the confidence needed to maintain his poise on Sunday and not fold under the pressure as he did so blatantly at Bethpage Black in 2002 and Winged Foot  in 2006 ( see photo above) where he had real opportunities for victory in the U.S.Open.

I wish Phil Mickelson much success and hope he can be the great player he was meant to be. His sheer pleasure in victory is indicated by the smile on his face in the photo on the left as he gets his second green jacket at the 2006 Masters.  The presenter was none other than Tiger Woods who had won the previous year. Happy Golfing to All!

I had the opportunity to play Trump National Golf Course located in Colts Neck, New Jersey this past Friday. I must admit that Donald Trump knows how to do things one way, top notch. The course was taken over by the Trump Organization a short time ago and was revitalized to the tune of approximately $10,000,000 in upgrades.

The one upgrade that impressed me the most was the addition of a 19th hole situated at the rear of the club house just off the dining veranda. The hole is scheduled to be completed by the end of June. Anyone having lunch or enjoying a beer or other libation after the golf round can watch the golfers hit their golf balls onto the green or in the water as it is an Island Green for all intents and purposes. This is a fun innovation where all the bets made during the golf round will be doubled or lost, depending on who can handle the pressure better. Donald Trump has added another fine golf course to his portfolio and I look forward to playing there again soon. Happy Golfing to All!

This has been a very controversial topic in sports in years past. Many sports fans, less than a few decades ago, believed that golf  was not an athletic sport and it required no skills or strength to play the game well. In the past fifteen or twenty years that perception has slowly changed and the truth has been revealed as to the true athletic ability required for golf. It is a game that requires dedication, practice and athleticism if one is to master the sport and play it with any degree of expertise. Anyone can swing a golf club but striking the ball with the precision and timing it takes to attain the proper distance and accuracy is a horse of a different color, to quote a line from the “Wizard of Oz”. If you are a disbeliever in what I am stating, visit the nearest driving range and try hitting golf balls and see how well you do. You may be surprised  to see how difficult it may be to accomplish the golf swing without extensive reading, practice or taking golf lessons of any kind.

Golf is a game where it is just you against the golf course or another golfer with whom you may be competing with. There is no one to blame, no team mate to vent on if something goes wrong and the ball is mishit. You alone must take responsibility for your failures, but on the other hand it is you who will revel in victory when you hit a career shot to a tight pin placement, score an eagle, birdie, hole in one or any other milestone achievement which the game will provide you with an opportunity to accomplish. It is the one great shot during the golf round that will keep you coming back for more. If you are competitive, golf is a sport which will keep your interest piqued as you will always have chances to better your last score and you can set that goal in your sights. If you discourage easily if you don’t succeed initially at golf then it may not be the game for you. Many have tried and failed and given up before ever really giving themselves a chance to see if they could improve and play better. Most of the people who fall into this category are the first ones to say that golf is not an athletic sport and it is a silly game. I’ll be the first to admit it is not easy to hit golf balls consistently well time after time. I will never say it does not require skill, stamina and athletic ability to play well because all three components are very much required to play the game of golf with any degree of skill. I have been trying to improve my golf game for over thirty five years now and counting and will probably never quit attempting to shoot par on a regulation 18 hole golf course. This is on my bucket list as I have come close a number of times but I have some work to do if I am to accomplish this goal in the next few years. I am nearing sixty and the physical stamina and strength required for a good golf game fades a bit each year as a person reaches a certain age.

One of the greatest aspects of Golf is that it can be fun no matter what the skill level or age of the golfer may be. It is also human nature to enjoy something more if you are proficient at the techniques or skills necessary for the sport. The young man in the photo above is my nephew James Hopkins, who is in excellent physical condition and is now twenty years old and ready to take on the world. He won the Mr. Teen Long Island contest in his first attempt a few short years ago and will be competing again in August 2010 as an adult. I can attest first hand that he will give any competition a run for the money and I will be surprised if he does not take home the winners trophy in his class becuase he has the proper mindset required for a winner – He believes in himself. I am presently showing him some of the techniques and strategies required for golf and imparting some of the knowledge gained from my thirty plus years of experience playing this incredible sport. He has tremendous potential and the one component that will allow him to succeed is his desire to play well, his enjoyment of the game of golf and as stated previously, the belief in his ability to succeed. I knew of another young man, who entered the golf scene in 1997 and who believed in his abilities like no other since Jack Nicklaus, and that youngster was none other than Tiger Woods, if you did not already guess.  If you want to be successful in golf or in life itself, DO NOT GIVE UP and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Happy Golfing to All!

Rory McIlroy has showed a lot of promise after turning professional at 18 just a couple of years ago. He beat Phil Mickelson and Angel Cabrera, this years and last years Masters Champions respectively. Rory is finally coming into his own after overcoming some back problems over the past year or so which is unusual for such a young man of only twenty years old.

He shot an unprecedented final round score of 62, which broke the course record by two but his eagle 3 on Friday allowed him to make the cut and give him the opportunity for the win. Tiger Woods struggled and missed the cut for only the sixth time in his career. His play was predictable given the stress of his pending divorce from Elin Nordegren, and the isolation from his children. But this day was about Rory McIlroy who is hitting golf balls with the best of them. I knew this was going to be an interesting golf season and it was good to see Phil in the hunt again so soon after his Masters victory a few weeks back . Phil made a late charge but a bogey on the final nine all but ended his chances for a win.

Congratulations to Rory McIlroy, who won the Quail Hollow Championship in style with a closing 62 on Sunday. Happy Golfing to All!

There have been varied opinions about this component of the golf swing but I am a proponent of the straight left arm. When I first started playing golf I had the hardest time keeping it straight because I was overturning on the back swing and it was difficult to do under those conditions. It also felt very uncomfortable at first.

After reading and experimenting enough when hitting golf balls at the range I realized that when I was able to allow the left arm to remain fairly straight through impact it made a significant difference in both an accurate direction and distance achieved.  If you analyze this part of the swing  you will realize that it makes sense since the arm is set up to the club and the ball with a straight arm if the set up is performed correctly and the goal is to allow the club head to return to the same spot during the impact part of your swing. If you bend your arm this will become much more difficult to do.

Fore: The arm can bend slightly but the straighter it remains the better and more accurate the outcome will be.

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