Golf In New York City Blog

Six million people a year see a doctor because of back pain. This complaint accounts for more doctor visits than any other ailment except colds. In many cases, that pain could have been avoided by using the proper technique to lift objects. I cringe when I see most golfers lift their clubs out of the car trunk. It is bad enough many of us have to endure back pain, please do not tempt the odds!
Here are Some tips to remember the next time you lift:

• Use the bag drop if one is provided.
• Allow attendants to help you with your golf clubs.
• Plan ahead how you will lift the clubs. Do Not Hurry.
• Move close to the trunk before lifting.
• Separate your feet. Shoulder-width apart to give you a solid base of support.
• Maintain the natural curve of your spine; do not bend at the waist.
• Tighten your stomach muscles.
• Bend your knees slightly.
• Keep your back straight.
• Lift with your leg Muscles.
• Do not twist your body. Instead, point your toes in the direction you want to move and pivot in that direction.
• Do not try to lift an object that is too heavy or awkward. Get help instead.
• Always store your clubs as soon as you are finished playing!

Good Golfing

1 - Practice your grip, stance, and routine at home and don’t waste valuable practice time learning these skills.
2 - Start with chipping and loosen up by hitting ten yard chips.
3 - Practice impact and a flat left wrist.
4 - You belong on the paractice range everybody is engrossed in their own game.
5 - Nobody care what you do, nor are they looking at you.
6 - Start off by swinging a club smoothly and slowly without a ball.
7 - Start practicing with the short clubs and work your way up through the bag.
8 - Hit the irons and fairway woods off the grass or the mat - Not from a tee.
9 - Practice with a purpose and stick to your plan!
10 - Take lessons. You can not do it on your own.
11 - Above all else HAVE FUN.

When you get there (preferably early, around 8:30 a.m.) have a plan. This will save a lot of milling around the clubhouse area deciding what do to: follow a specific player or group; walk the course; or grab a seat in the grandstand. Free pairing sheets are distributed at the entrance will tell you who is teeing off when and on which nine. For practice rounds consult the appropriate scoreboard at the course.

Here our ideal plan – not because it’s necessarily better than any other, but just to start you thinking about how you might adapt it to suit your preferences.

Unless you’re a TV cameraperson or commentator, a blimp pilot, or a tournament official or volunteer, there are only two ways to follow a golf tournament in person: follow a particular group through 18 holes, or plunk yourself down in some good viewing spot and watch the passing parade. Of course, you can come up with your combination of both options, depending on how you feel that day, the nature of the golf course, the size of the crowds, the weather, or your horoscope for the day after.

Our plan’s first step is for you to pick a group of golfers to follow (most often three to a group). Keeping in mind that crowds tend to follow the “name” golfers, you should usually pick someone whose name you recognize but who is not likely to draw a huge crowd. Then follow his or her group so you can see more and get closer to the action. Following Tiger Woods or John Daly may be glamorous, but you are likely to see less and walk more. Once you have selected a group, off you go, following along for the first nine holes.

When your group finishes their first nine, wish them well and head back in the direction you came from, about a hole or two from the clubhouse. The idea is to find a good vantage point, not too far from a refreshment stand and a restroom, where you can watch the rest of the field come through.

Since you are walking half the course and hopefully are traveling light and have left your cell phone at home, try to find some natural (preferably soft) seating or a viewing grandstand. That’s our plan, and we hope it helps in putting yours together. To further help in your planning, we’ve listed some of the good points of sitting and walking.

Sitting

If you’d rather not walk the course, there are some definite advantages to sitting in one spot. For example:

• Sitting on a comfortable beach chair is undeniably easier and probably more relaxing than walking the course and trying to keep up with a group. You’ll get a good spot if you get out there early.
• You’ll become an expert on the hole you’re watching. Binoculars may be a help on long par 4’s and 5’s.
• You’ll get to enjoy the surroundings between groups. There is something relaxing about the ebb and flow of activity while watching, say, from behind a green. Staying in one spot also lends itself to getting to know your fellow sitting spectators, perhaps more so than walking, and also the volunteers posted at the hole.
• You’ll get to see at least a good part of the field as they pass by your spot, and you can compare how different players handle the same hole.
• At Wykagyl for the Sybase Classic, a good spot is behind the 8th green. It is shaded by trees and affords a terrific view of the second shots as the women pros come over the hill and into the green. The 9th hole is to your left, and restrooms and refreshments are a relatively short (but steep) walk up the hill to the clubhouse area.
• At Westchester for the Barclay’s Classic, a superb spot is to the golfer’s right of the 11th hole, under a huge tree. You can see where drives end up on this difficult par 4 and the long second shots it requires to a well-trapped and sloping green. Be prepared for second shots rattling around in the big tree. Restrooms and a refreshment stand are steps away, and during lulls in the action you can view golfers coping on the 16th green after tee shots on a long and difficult par 3.

Walking

• You’ll get some good exercise. Just so you don’t overdo it, remember that a course of 6,800 yards covers almost 4 miles just from tees to greens, and you can add another mile just getting from one hole to another through l8 holes. If the layout is hilly, of course, that adds to the effort and both Wykagyl and Westchester are mountain goat courses.
• You’ll get a feel for the course, and you can enjoy some varied scenery on the way. Sure, golf courses are not truly natural environments, but for the urban or suburban dweller, they sure beat malls and parking lots, which incidentally don’t supply habitats for plants and animals.
• You’ll see how the players in your group handle different situations and how each manages his or her game and the course. You’ll also get a good idea of the way the round is going for the players and how each handles adversity or success.

A side benefit of following a particular group is that you may, depending on the size of the gallery, get to know, at least in passing, relatives and spouses of the players, which will make the experience just that much more enjoyable.

Whether you walk or sit (or both) is up to you. The important thing is to get off the couch and out in the air in person.

Enjoy the show.

Call an old golf buddy! Relive the memories. He or she may become a new golf buddy for life.

Give your old clubs to a child or to a junior golf program! Are you really going to use them again? Most kids need clubs. The local golf shops can have them cut down to size, If necessary.

Attend a tour event. We have many in new york. You can watch close up how the professionals play and pick up some pointers.

See your swing on video tape! This can be a real eye opener. Preferably watch your swing in slow motion. If you are really daring, compare it against some of the tour professional’s swings.

Attend a golf school there are many available at many dIfferent price ranges. Most are in great locations. This will be a golf improvement vacation. You will improve by totally dedicating a few consecutive days to instruction. Try to find a school that is compatible with the swing style your golf coach endorses.

Take a series of lessons! If Tiger needs instruction so do the rest of us. We all need coaching. Pick a golf instructor and stick with them. There are many fine local PGA or LPGA professionals in our area. Take a lesson periodically to make sure your game is heading in the right direction.

Analyze your game! At a minimum, after each round count how many fairways you drove your ball onto, how many greens you hit in regulation, and how many putts you had. More statistics will help you to improve your game. This will let you and your coach know exactly where your game needs work.