Barry's Golf Blog

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12 for The Masters Gameplay Demo (PS3, Xbox 360)

2011-06-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

Today On the Spot, Shaun McInnis gives us a first look at Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters on the PlayStation 3.

Have you putting like a pro ??

2008-05-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

How this simple piece of plastic straightens out your swing.

To swing the putter on a straight line, your right shoulder has to tilt up in the backswing. If your shoulders turn, your putter will swing inside your target line.

And as the putter begins to swing back towards the ball in the downswing, it must continue on a straight line. After impact, the left shoulder has to tilt up in the follow through.

Now, as you well know, that's hard to do. That's where the Putting Connection comes in.

The Putting Connection forces the right shoulder to tilt up in the backswing and the left shoulder to tilt up in the follow through.

In other words, the Putting Connection puts you in the putting stroke favored by the PGA Tour. Better still, it trains you to automatically adopt this stroke every time you putt.

Why is that important? Well, by forcing your putting stroke into this pattern, you'll be using your big muscles... your shoulders... your back... your chest... and not just the wrist.

The result? Your stroke is more consistent... more controlled... and your ball goes in the hole more often.

I personally believe that relying on the small wrist, hand and finger muscles in putts is a big cause of the yips. The Putting Connection forces you to use your bigger, stronger muscles and that helps you avoid the thing every golfer fears.

Naught Golf Instructor Golf Prank

2007-08-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

It's your first golf lesson and as soon as you start you realize he plays golf better with his charm than his clubs. Look the reaction of women who do not know it's a prank. Smile for the camera! --- Learn to play golf from the professionals:

A Different Approach to Improving Your Swing

2007-02-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

If you want to truly maximize your golf potential, a critical aspect of
doing so is your physical conditioning. This is one of the reasons
why Gary Player has been competitive for so long; he puts a lot of
emphasis on the physical side of the game.

With the New Year...is a "new start". You can achieve all your
fitness goals in less than 20 minutes a day, and get a much better
golf game in the process!

My good friend Mike Pedersen is considered one of the TOP Golf
Fitness Trainers in the country and he's here to help you with his
best-selling golf fitness ebook, the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide.

It's "jam-packed" with easy and simple golf exercises that will
quickly improve your power, accuracy and even eliminate your back
pain.

With it being the winter for most of you, this is the BEST time to
do this program. You have a little extra time, so let's get after
it!

I had a chance to sit down and discuss this topic with Mike
recently, and below are some of the things that I realized.

1. More and more golfers are realizing they can do almost as much
or more with in-home fitness programs as they can in a crowded
gym...with all the privacy they want.

2. Exercises done on a machine in a gym that isolate one muscle
group while sitting is the farthest thing from a golf-specific
exercise. Golf utilizes every major muscle group in the body, and
in a sequential movement pattern. Sitting in a machine will not
improve your body for golf.

3. The beauty of hand weights, tubing and balls is the ability to
put your body in the exact same positions you're in for your golf
swing. The more exercises you can do that simulate your golf swing,
the bigger the benefit will be.

4. A golf specific fitness program incorporating golf exercise and
golf stretching will maximize your body's ability to produce
awesome power where it counts...at impact!

If you're ready to improve your game through golf fitness, I highly
recommend that you grab a copy of Mike's new book and focus on
getting yourself in "golf shape" for 2007. It will help your game
more than you realize.

Here for more Info:
http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com/?hop=dnevogt1

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Sunday July 23, 2006

2006-07-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Royal Liverpool
Hoylake, England
July 23, 2006
Final Round

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Tiger Woods, 2006 Open champion (applause).

Tiger, you've defended your championship very successfully. How do you feel at this stage? How do you feel now?

TIGER WOODS: Wow, I don't know where to begin. I just excited, worn out, just so many different emotions to describe right now because I guess it all came out on 18.

But overall it was such a if you're looking at it just from a golf standpoint, it was such a difficult week, with the fairways and greens being as hard and fast, and Chris playing just beautiful golf today. He just kept putting the pressure on me in the group behind. I just had to continue to try to be patient, make birdies whenever I could, but just whatever I do, just don't drop a shot and give him any momentum.

And it didn't quite work out that way. I bogeyed 14 and I believe I bogeyed 12 and he birdied 13. So two shot swing right there. I guess it just then I got hot there at 14, 15, 16, which was nice to give myself a little bit of a cushion playing 17 and 18, because obviously anything can happen on 18. I was able to play it basically stress free.

Q. Can you talk about the emotion on 18, with Stevie there? Did that surprise you that you let it out, let loose like that?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I've never done that. You know me. So it's just I guess all the things that we've gone through of late and I guess I'm kind of the one who bottles things up a little bit and moves on, tries to deal with things in my own way.

But at that moment it just came pouring out and of all the things that my father has meant to me and the game of golf, and I just wish he could have seen it one more time. I was pretty bummed out after not winning The Masters, because I knew that was the last major he was ever going to see. So that one was that one hurt a little bit. And finally to get this one, and it's just unfortunate that he wasn't here to see it.

Q. Do you think the U.S. Open was an unfair test, and after that because you had not played for so long, did you think, I have to prove something to anybody or even to yourself?

TIGER WOODS: Well, the U.S. Open was not an unfair test. That is the hardest Open venue we play. It's just hard.

Q. I didn't mean that so much as the fact that you had no time to really get ready for it.

TIGER WOODS: No, I had plenty of time, nine weeks. I had plenty of time to get ready for it; I just did not execute and I did not play well and subsequently I was only there for two days.

But this week coming into this week I played well at the Western, and I almost won the Western. And I knew that my game was pretty close to where I needed to have it for a major championship, and to come in here this week, my practice rounds, everything was really, I guess, getting better each and every day. And I developed a strategy to play this golf course that I thought suited me and I felt comfortable with it, and I went out there and executed my game plan.

It's just one of those things where you develop a game plan and stick with it and there's times when you need to adjust, but I stuck with it the entire week. I adjusted clubs off the tees, just because the wind conditions kept changing, but as far as the overall game plan, I never deviated.

Q. Chris talked about what he called your uncanny knack of turning it up, doing what you needed to do when somebody is chasing you. One, could you talk about that, and also could you talk about Chris's knack of giving you the best fight all the time?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, as far as what Chris said, I don't intend to do it on purpose; that's not one of those things where I can turn on the switch. I believe in the way I play golf that you turn the switch on the first hole and you have it on the entire time. And you don't try any harder on each and every shot. You have the same effort level, you give it everything you have on every shot.

And for some reason in my past I've seemed to pull things off at the end and I think that's just due to I feel comfortable being there. I've been there enough times. I've had enough success that I feel comfortable being in that situation, and I kept telling myself today that basically only Ernie and I had won this Championship. We're the only ones who have basically won majors on that board. Sergio hasn't done it yet and I'm sure he will soon. Chris hasn't done it and he's come so close the last couple of years.

And I just think that there's certain calmness that comes about being able to say with honesty that I've done this before. And I'm out there and that's the calmness that I feel coming down the stretch.

Q. In light of your emotions at the moment and what you've said regarding your late father, will your celebrations differ in any way or is there anything special you might do given the situation and the circumstances?

TIGER WOODS: This jug will be filled up, I'll tell you that (laughter).

Q. With what?

TIGER WOODS: Beverage of my choice (laughter), and not just once.

Q. May I ask what the beverage of your choice is?

TIGER WOODS: No (laughter). Yes, you can; you just asked. Will I answer? No.

Q. Can you talk about the genesis of your strategy to not hit driver this week? You had said that you didn't know much about this course. Did you read about it on the flight over?

TIGER WOODS: Nope.

Q. It was just when you first got here. Was there a moment when it happened?

TIGER WOODS: No. As I was playing the golf course, I would hit a couple of drives, and the driver would go 350, 370 yards. How can you control that out here? You can't control that. The fairways become they're hard enough to hit as it is, and you add driver and they go that far, now how hard is it to hit? So I just felt in the end if you stayed out of the bunkers this entire week and had just a decent week on the greens, I felt that I would be in contention on the back nine.

And I hit the ball well the entire week and I felt like I had wonderful touch on the greens, except for the last nine holes yesterday. Other than that, I felt that my strategy was sound. It was going to keep me out of trouble.

Guys who were trying to hit the ball over the bunkers, they're going to have shorter clubs on the greens, no doubt about that, but a lot of these flags you can't attack with wedges. On 4, I had I'm aiming 30 feet left of the hole, and I couldn't keep it on the greens. That's the nature of the golf course and the way it was playing this week.

I felt the conservative approach was the way to go. And it lent itself to that this week, especially with four par 5s. And you figure if you just handle the par 5s, that's 16 under par right there. You sprinkle in a few more here and there around the golf course and you're looking pretty good.

Q. Has Hoylake stood the test of time and should The Open come back here, and if so, why?

TIGER WOODS: I think it's a fantastic test. With the golf course being this fast, it lent itself to just amazing creativity. Granted, if you would have had easier pins I'm sure it would have gone lower. These are the most difficult pins I've ever seen at an Open Championship. And a couple of times you feel like if you hit a putt too hard you'll actually putt it right off the green, and you never have that feeling at an Open. But this week it certainly was the case.

And I think because the yardage played short, in some cases, because it was so fast, you hit 3 wood, driver, hitting it 380 yards down there, you're going to have a lot of short irons in there. The only defense they had was pin locations and hard, dry conditions. And we couldn't really go all that low.

Q. Should it come back here?

TIGER WOODS: Yes.

Q. You referenced this; when you got done with your practice rounds, you had a number that you thought was attainable under par on those 5s that you thought you could get?

TIGER WOODS: I just thought if you just played the golf course just solidly that you should be able to shoot somewhere between 12 and 15 under par, not just par 5s, but

Q. But the par 5s specifically?

TIGER WOODS: I never looked at it that way. I just looked at if you played solidly for four days, somewhere between 12 and 15 would be a good score and good enough to win. But we didn't get any wind, until today, and today it finally blew a little bit. And the guys still kept making birdies.

Q. What does it mean, as well, to win this Claret Jug two years in succession, because nobody has been able to do that for a long time, I think it was Tom Watson?

TIGER WOODS: It's a pretty sweet feeling, it really is sweet, to have this for an entire year at home. It's an incredible championship. The golf courses we get to play and the shots that you have to bring to this championship are ones that you never hit any other time throughout the year.

But this is the way how it all started and how I think that it should be played. You should have options to run the ball on the ground. But we play all around the world and that's not normally the case. The only time I think we've ever seen that is maybe at Pinehurst at the U.S. Open or anytime on the sand belt down in Melbourne the ball tends to roll quite a bit. But other than that, most of the golf we play around the world is up in the air.

Q. It didn't even look like you missed shot in your round. By your count how many did you miss and is this the best week you've had?

TIGER WOODS: I didn't mis hit any shots today. I may have started a ball left a couple of times or hit a couple to the right, but they were hit flush, and that's a pretty neat feeling when you're able to do that, to never really mis hit a golf shot, to hit it flush. I started off on line, but at least it's hit correctly and you can always make adjustments for that, and that's easy.

Q. Best long irons?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I have to say because I've never played a golf course like this, either, where you've had to hit so many. I hit quite a few off the tee, obviously, but I don't think I've ever hit this many into the greens, 3 and 4 irons and 5 irons on par 4s. But the golf course allowed itself to run the ball up on basically every hole. You had an opportunity to run the ball on the ground, run the ball into the green. So I just took advantage of that.

Q. Given what you learned from your dad about how to think about golf, the mental approach, what would you think about how you went through this tournament?

TIGER WOODS: He would have been very proud, very proud. He was always on my case about thinking my way around the golf course and not letting emotions get the better of you, because it's so very easy to do in this sport. And just use your mind to plot your way around the golf course and if you had to deviate from the game plan make sure it is the right decision to do that. He was very adamant I play like that my entire playing career.

Q. You're used to cameras following you and clicking off, as well. It seemed like there were a lot of distractions today, perhaps every hole. How did you deal with that, especially on the 12th fairway?

TIGER WOODS: It wasn't the 12th fairway, we had it every hole. We've never seen anything like this before. It wasn't the professional photographers, it was the gallery. They would either bring cameras or camera phones. They kept going off while we were over the shot or preparing to hit the shot or even hitting the golf shot, they were going off. And it was very, very frustrating for Sergio and I because because of all the undue delays that we've had with our caddies and the marshals and trying to get a situation where we can play, we got put on the clock. And it wasn't our fault. But that's just the way it was.

Q. Can you recall the longest approach you had into a par 4 this week by chance?

TIGER WOODS: Probably have to say probably 17. I had somewhere around 211 or something like that to the front.

Q. Real quick, how aware were you of DiMarco as you seemed to hit another gear and as he got closer?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Every hole. There's leaderboards on every hole, every green. I was aware of what Ernie and Chris were doing up ahead of me. And Chris made a little bit of a run on that back nine. He kept pushing me. Luckily I was able to make three in a row to give myself a chance to get some breathing room.

Q. Just to follow it up, at 15 you backed off your putt, as I recall, when the roar did you know that was the roar for Chris at 16?

TIGER WOODS: No, it wasn't backing off my putt for that, it was the tee shots on 18. One gentleman already hit and the next guy was about to hit and we didn't know whether he was going to go or not. He was looking at me, I was looking at him kind of deal. He has right of way.

Q. Did you know that Chris had made that putt up there?

TIGER WOODS: No.

Q. In light of some of the comments you made particularly about your late father, does this mean more to you than the titles you won at St. Andrews?

TIGER WOODS: No doubt about it. Absolutely no doubt about it. Basically to win your first tournament after my father had passed away, and for it to be a major championship, it makes it that much more special. And mom was watching, I'm sure she was bawling her eyes out, like she can. So it's going to be an awful lot of fun for me to go back home and see mom and share this with her. I've had amazing support this week with Stevie and Elin and Hank and Steinie and everyone around and Keith. It's been awfully nice to have the support that I've had.

Q. Your strategy off the tee and having to hit all the long irons sort of takes for granted the fact that you have to be hitting your long irons really well. How well were you hitting them? How tough might it have been if you weren't, especially your approaches?

TIGER WOODS: As far as my control, probably one of the best ball striking weeks I've ever had, as far as control. That's shaping the ball, moving my traj and different heights and really controlling my spin going into the greens. It wasn't getting away from me. Yeah, probably one of the best ball striking weeks I've ever had.

If I wasn't hitting it well, as you alluded to, it would have been pretty difficult around here. This golf course you had to really control your ball in order to have a chance. And I was able to do that the entire week.

Also you have to remember that if you're with the flags the way we they were, you're going to have a bunch of 40 and 50 footers, and my pace was good all week. A bunch of tap ins, my pace was really, I felt, sound all week, especially today when I really needed it. I had a lot of kick ins and putts that I thought I made just kind of skirt off on the edge.

How to Hit the Ball well from Uneven Lies

2006-06-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are laughing under your breath wondering what I
am doing writing a tip on UNEVEN LIES. What in the world could I
possible know about uneven lies living in Scottsdale, Arizona?
Well, it is the Grand Canyon State for starters, but yes you're
right, we do not face as many uneven lies as someone from North
Carolina, for example. However, there are plenty of times during
the course of a round when we are faced with a golf ball that might
be on a side hill lie.

Before I begin, I am going to first give you the definition of the
four uneven lies in golf.

Uphill Lie - The easiest of the four uneven lies. The ball is level
with your feet but the slope is up-hill, we refer to this as an
uphill lie.
Downhill Lie - A ball that is level to your feet but the slope is
down hill, probably the second most difficult shot in golf.
Ball Below Feet - The most difficult shot in golf is when the ball
is below your feet
Ball Above Feet - The fourth uneven lie is when the ball is above
your feet.

Don't get confused between an uphill lie, and when the ball is
simply above your feet. These are 2 different lies, and should be
addressed separately. Also, don't get confused with the downhill
lie, and the ball being below your feet. Again, these are 2
different lies.

Let's start with the easiest shot in golf, the up-hill lie. If you
struggle with this shot, you probably swing the golf club to
vertical into the ground and hit a fat shot. Before you prepare for
an uphill lie, you need to think of a few important items first.

1. Make sure you take a less lofted club. When you have an uphill
lie, it will make the ball go HIGHER and SHORTER.
2. The ball will have a tendency to hook to the left, so aim a
little to the right.
3. To avoid hitting the shot fat, check your shoulder alignment and
make sure they are parallel to the ground you are standing on. If
you are on an uphill lie, your back shoulder should be a little
lower that your leading shoulder.
4. The ball should be positioned according to what club you are
using, as though you were on a level lie. (A bit forward for longer
clubs.)
5. You want to make sure you follow through HIGH after impact.

Now we can move on to one of the hardest shots in golf, the down
hill lie. If you have a tendency to struggle with this shot, the
miss hit is usually a top. Follow the steps below and you will see
a huge change in your down hill shots.

1. Because the ball will fly lower, you can take a more lofted club
to help the ball go a little higher.
2. The ball will have a tendency to curve to the right, aim a little
to the left.
3. If you have your shoulders at address tilted level to the down
slope of your lie, this will encourage the club to swing DOWN into
the ball (correct) and not up in the down swing. Thus, you will hit
the bottom of the ball and not the top.
4. Play the ball in your stance according to the club you are using
(again, a little forward for a longer club).
5. You want to make sure you follow through LOW to the ground after
impact.

Now we are back to an easy shot, the ball above our feet. If you
follow the steps below, you will not hit the ground behind the ball
anymore, and the ball above your feet will become your absolute
favorite shot in golf.

1. If you struggle with hitting the ball fat in these shots, make
sure you are standing taller than your normal stance.
2. The ball will have a tendency to fly to the left, aim a little
farther to the right.
3. DO NOT BEND YOUR KNEES
4. This is the main point, the golf club wants to swing more AROUND
your body, let it...DO NOT TRY TO MAKE A NORMAL SWING...let the club
swing around you.

THE HARDEST SHOT IN GOLF. The dreaded, (I can't believe this is
happening to me) BALL BELOW YOUR FEET golf shot. You have come to
the right place, below is the answer.

1. When the ball is below your feet, you will have a tendency to top
it to the right, whiff the ball, or shank it.
2. The address is the most important part of this shot. Bend your
knees and bend WAY over at address. You ALMOST can not bend TOO
much.
3. The ball will have a tendency to go to the right, aim farther
left.
4. The golf club wants to swing up and down, NOT around. LET IT...It
will feel like a lob swing, this is correct. IF you make your
normal swing, you will whiff the ball completely.

Now, forget everything you knew about uneven lies and give this a
try. I KNOW IT WILL HELP! Get back to us with all of your golf
successes.

Tiger Woods' father, Earl, succumbs to cancer

2006-06-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

Earl Woods, who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and became the architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods' phenomenal career, died Wednesday morning at his home in Cypress, Calif. He was 74.
"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply," Tiger Woods said on his Web site. "I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring."

A habitual smoker who had heart bypass surgery in 1986, Woods was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and was treated with radiation, but the cancer returned in 2004 and spread throughout his body.

Last month, he was too frail to travel to the Masters for the first time.

The last tournament Woods attended was the Target World Challenge in December 2004, when his son rallied to win and then donated $1.25 million to the Tiger Woods Foundation that his father helped him establish. The Tiger Woods Learning Center, another vision inspired by his father, opened in February.

Woods decided not to play in the Wachovia Championship this week in Charlotte, N.C. Two of his best friends on tour, Mark O'Meara and John Cook, withdrew from the tournament and flew to California to be with him.

"It's not often that a father of an athlete commands so much respect and attention," Paul Azinger said.

Jack Nicklaus, who also was 30 when his father died, said he had long "admired and related to the close bond" shared by Tiger and Earl.

"My father was my best friend, my mentor and perhaps my greatest support system. Earl was all of that to Tiger," he said.

Earl Woods was more than a golf dad, more than a zealous father who lived vicariously through his son's achievements.

He had played catcher for Kansas State, the first black to play baseball in the Big Eight Conference, and he had been a Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam. But he felt his true purpose was to train Tiger, and he watched his son evolve into the dominant player of his time -- the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam -- and one of the most celebrated athletes in the world.

"I knew Tiger was special the day he was born," Woods said in a May 2000 interview with The Associated Press.

Woods introduced Tiger to golf by swinging a club as his son watched in a high chair. Tiger appeared on the "Mike Douglas Show" at age 2, played exhibitions with Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus, and his television appeal was solely responsible for quantum gains in PGA Tour prize money.

Even so, Woods said he never intended to create a champion golfer.

"I make it very, very clear that my purpose in raising Tiger was not to raise a golfer. I wanted to raise a good person," Woods told Golf Digest magazine about his book, "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life."

Woods gave his son freedom to develop a love for golf on his own, not letting him play unless his homework was done, making him call his father at work to ask if they could practice. Along with the games they played, Woods taught him to be mentally strong by jingling change in his pockets and warning him of water hazards when his son was in the middle of his swing.

It all worked.

Tiger Woods set records that might never be broken by winning three straight U.S. Junior titles, followed by three straight U.S. Amateurs. In 10 years as a pro, he already has won 48 times on the PGA Tour with 10 major championships, and he set a PGA Tour record by going seven years and 142 consecutive events making the cut.

In the foreword to his father's book, Woods said: "In retrospect, golf for me was an apparent attempt to emulate the person I looked up to more than anyone: my father. He was instrumental in helping me develop the drive to achieve, but his role -- as well as my mother's -- was one of support and guidance, not interference."

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Woods will be remembered for providing Tiger every opportunity "to become the world's best golfer and an outstanding representative of the game and its values."

Foremost for Earl Woods was raising a son who could influence life beyond golf. Woods was black and his wife, Kultida, whom he met during one of his tours to Vietnam, was Thai and Chinese.

Tiger Woods won twice in his first seven PGA Tour events after turning pro in 1996 at age 20 and was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Woods predicted greatness for Tiger on and off the course, telling the magazine that his son "will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity."

"He's the bridge between the East and the West," the father said. "There is no limit because he has the guidance. I don't know yet exactly what form this will take. But he is the Chosen One. He'll have the power to impact nations. Not people. Nations. The world is just getting a taste of his power."

Perhaps the lasting image of Earl Woods came the next spring, at the 1997 Masters, when he stepped onto the 18th green and wrapped his arms around a 21-year-old son who shattered records at Augusta National, a watershed victory that changed the appeal of golf and sent him to the greatness his father had always predicted.

Earl Woods was born March 5, 1932, in Manhattan, Kan., the youngest of six children. His parents died by the time he was 13.

His father wanted him to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues, and his mother stressed education. Woods wound up going to Kansas State, graduating in 1953 with a degree in sociology.

Woods did two tours during the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. It was his second tour that shaped the latter part of his life.

He met Kultida Punsawad, who was working as a receptionist in Thailand, and married her in 1969. He fought alongside Lt. Col. Nguyen T. Phong of the South Vietnamese army, a friend he nicknamed "Tiger" because of his courage and bravery. Woods promised Tiger Phong that he would name a son after him.

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born Dec. 30, 1975.

Earl Woods moved to Cypress, Calif., -- to the house where he died -- and set up a makeshift practice range in the garage with a mat and a net, placing his son in a high chair as he practiced.

The education went beyond swinging a club.

"I tried to break him down mentally, tried to intimidate him verbally, by saying, 'Water on the right, OB on the left,' just before his downswing," Woods once said in an AP interview. "He would look at me with the most evil look, but he wasn't permitted to say anything. That's the frustration. He couldn't say a word, but he always had an escape word. He never used it.

"One day I did all my tricks, and he looked at me and smiled," Woods said. "At the end of the round, I told him, 'Tiger, you've completed the training.' And I made him a promise. 'You'll never run into another person as mentally tough as you.' He hasn't. And he won't."

Woods was proud of saying he never left his son with a babysitter, but his goal was to eventually let Tiger run his own life.

"I had pulled back, one item at a time," Woods once told the AP. "Instead of going to several tournaments, it was a couple of tournaments, then one tournament. All of a sudden, he was running everything. I stood there and watched it happen. Because that was my job -- to prepare him to leave."

Besides his wife and Tiger, Woods is survived by three children from his previous marriage.
source from: http://sports.espn.go.com

Frequently Asked Questions

2006-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions that we answer:

Question 1: How is this swing different from the conventional golf
swing or other swing theories?

Question 2: How is this DVD different from the other DVD's out
there?

Question 3: What makes this swing work better and faster than other
swings?

Question 4: When is the first Golf School going to take place?

I encourage you to check out the answers to these questions. You
may be surprised by what you find out.

click here !!

The cure for a fat shot

2006-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

This problem may be easier to fix than you think. You may not realize it, but your back shoulder may be dipping towards the ground. This move forces the club to hit the ground too early. Most of the time it happens when you are really trying to get into the ball. Imagine...You're 200 yards out and you've chosen to hit the 4 iron. When you've got it in your head that you have to hit the ball hard to get it there, it's natural tendency to start your downswing with the hips in an effort to "really get into the ball". That may work in baseball, but not in golf.

I'd like to take you through what happens if you make that move in golf. First, get in the your setup position, now take your backswing and hold it at the top. Now move only your hips horizontally towards the target, and notice the way it forces your back shoulder to "dip". If you've made that "dip" with your back shoulder, it's over. You are going to hit behind the ball 90% of the time, and if you do make good contact, you'll probably end up with a killer slice. Lateral movement is no good for the golf swing.

To avoid this problem, and to simplify your golf swing, keep the lower body out of the equation. If you really want to get into the ball, start your downswing with your arms. It's tough to do if you have a habit formed, but once you get used to it, you won't be hitting the ball fat anymore. Most golfers over-emphasize the weight shift. If you keep your hips still, the weight shift will still occur, but it will happen naturally.

Get to the top, keeping your leading arm as straight as possible. Now start down at the ball with your leading arm fully extended. Your head hasn't moved laterally, and your hips haven't moved laterally. Now to take this to the next step, imagine the entire golf swing, through impact, occurring underneath the upper body.

Concentrate on keeping your front shoulder strong and "down" on the ball. This will enable you to keep your swing on the correct plane, and it will help your hands to keep up with your body. Don't let that shoulder come up and away from the target before impact as that will cause your body to get ahead of your hands leading to fat shots and slices.

This is my first golf lesson

2006-05-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

The schoolteacher was taking her first golfing lesson.

"Is the word spelt p-u-t or p-u-t-t?'' she asked the instructor.

"P-u-t-t is correct,'' he replied.

"Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means merely a vain attempt to do the same thing."

Enjoy a Laugh with this Collection of Golf Jokes

2006-05-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Every golfer needs a good laugh now and again. Our sport is a tough one to master, which perhaps helps explain why golf jokes are such a part of the game. So check out this collection of funny golf jokes, which is growing all the time (and come back frequently to check for new golf jokes). Also, don't miss the links at the bottom, where you can submit your own favorite golf jokes, or have them delivered to your email once a week.

Golf Joke of the Week - The Worst Caddie
Bill and his assigned caddie started off the first tee of the fancy resort course Bill was playing. It was his first time using a caddie, and he was excited.

But by the eighth hole, Bill was already 24 over par. He had lost 9 balls in water hazards. And trying to hack his way out of the rough, Bill had dug a trench a foot deep.

Then, on the No. 9 green, Bill was standing over a 1-foot putt when his caddie coughed right in the middle of his stroke. Bill exploded.

"You must be the worst caddie in the history of golf!" Bill screamed.

"I doubt it," the caddie replied. "That'd be too much of a coincidence."

Maximum Distance in Golf

2006-04-17T03:48:00.000-07:00

"How to Maximize your Distance by Hitting Triples instead of Home Runs " and it's a great overall theory to build your entire swing around. Keep this in the back of your head at all times while you are on the course, and remind yourself of it before every shot. The result will be increased distance and straighter shots because you'll be releasing your hands through the ball better.

Background Info :

Many recreational golfers struggle with slices, blocks, and inconsistency because they don't know how to release their hands through the ball correctly. By "releasing your hands through the ball", I am describing the act of maximizing your club head speed at the moment of impact, and eliminating the "outside-in" movement that creates a slice.

How You Will Benefit:

You'll learn an easy way of "getting your hands through the ball"
You'll be increasing the speed of the club head through the impact zone
You will ensure that the club head is square at impact (which will reduce any slice that you have)
What To Do:

Step 1: Create the "X"

This means that on the follow through, you need to focus on making your forearms cross. This will ensure that your hands have released through the ball correctly. Here's an illustration of what I am talking about.
Notice the "X" that is created after impact and where the shaft of the club is pointed. Practice getting in this position. Practice creating that "X" after impact.

It will be easy to understand the alterative by paying attention to where the club is pointed, which I will explain in the next step.

Step 2: Finish at Third Base

Focus on pointing the club down the third base line on your follow through. In relation to where my feet are pointed in the picture at left, the club is pointed down the third base line. This is what we want.

Many golfers finish their swing with the club straight up in the air, or even pointed down the first base line in relation to their feet. Try that once, and you will feel the extreme "outside-in" movement that produces a slice. This is nothing more than a habit that can be easily broken.

Summary:

So when you are on the tee next time, focus on just 2 things. Make the "X" and "finish at third". That's it. Swinging easy should already be grooved into your swing from the last tip I sent. Focus on these 2 tips, and you should be on your way to consistently staying out of trouble with your driver, which is the first step to scoring better.

Golf Joke of the Day

2006-04-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

The man hit his drive behind a barn and could not see the green. His wife said, I'll open the doors on both ends of the barn and you can hit the ball through the barn to the green. When the husband did this he hit his wife in th temple and killed her on the spot. About six months later the husband was playing golf with a friend and sure enough he hit his ball behind the same barn. His friend said, I'll open the doors on both ends of the barn and you can hit the ball through the barn to the green. The husband said, I don't think I can do this and I hate this hole. His friend said, it's not that hard and why do you hate this hole? The husband said, after bowing his head, the last time I played this hole I got an 8!

Staying Out of Trouble with Your Driver

2006-03-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

Fact: Over 90% of golfers will never be able to compete with you if you can do 3 things relatively simple things (disregard putting for now).
Stay out of trouble with your driver (notice, I didn't say smash the ball 300 yards down the center of the fairway).
Hit 70% of the greens you face from 150 yards in (in other words, learn to control your 8 iron and down).
Chip the ball within 20 ft of the pin, almost every time (regardless of what you may think, this is not that tough).
That's it. So that's what I'm going to help you incorporate into your game over the next few weeks.

What are these tips?

I've decided to release 10 tips regarding the above items. They'll be released once a week, for about the next 10 weeks. They have been designed in response to a growing number of questions about how to truly lower a handicap. And it's my honest belief that the above 3 items are the best places to start, if you want to truly score better.
These tips are meant to be a guide to help you lower your scores on the course through means that most people don't practice. The goal here is for you to round out your game, and for you to take advantage of the fact that I mention above.

How will these tips lower my Score?

Pretty simple really. The tips were designed to be released only once a week, so you could focus on that particular tip for 7 days, incorporate it into your game, and move on to the next.

That's the way you get better at anything, right? Implement 1 step or change at a time. Reading an entire book on golf won't do anything for your game if you don't implement any of it. That's why I designed "The Simple Golf Swing" the way I did, because it's easy to implement. So the key will really be implementing just one step to your game per week.

Tip #1 - Staying out of Trouble with your Driver

So what is it that's really causing problems with your driver? Is it a slice, a hook, or just flat-out inconsistency? Well the good news is that, regardless of what problem you are fighting, there are a few things to incorporate into your game that really will help you. If you're the golfer that's saying right now, "I've battled a slice for 25 years", then this is not going to be the undisputed end of your problem. But you CAN reduce the slice or hook, which will help you score better. So here the first tip is.

Swing Easy. Nothing can be better for your game than learning how to swing the club easier and more fluid. If you go to the range and concentrate ONLY on swinging easy, it will revolutionize your ability to position yourself for a good approach shot when you get onto the course. You will make more consistent impact with the ball, and it will reduce the amount of side-spin you naturally place on the ball because the club head won't be traveling as fast or with as much force. Again, I know you've heard it before, but I ask you to concentrate on this for 1 week. And if you can't physically practice it, visualize it at the office (visualization works great).
Switch to a low spin ball. Lower spin off of the tee means that the ball is going to go more straight regardless of how whether your ball moves right or left. I recommend the Titleist DT SoLo, the Precept Laddie, or the Maxfli Noodle. You can find these balls anywhere from $13 to $20 per dozen, and they will play a large role in reducing the side spin that you naturally place on the ball.

Golf Fatality

2006-03-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

A guy goes golfing with his girlfriend. As he tees off, she steps into ladies' teebox and gets hit in the head with his drive. She is pronounced D.O.A. and taken to the morgue.
The coroner calls him in and says, "She definitely died from a blow to the head caused by the golf ball. But the only thing we can't understand is why was there a golf ball in her rectum?"

"Oh," he replies, "that must have been my mulligan."

How to Get Out of a Buried Lie

2006-03-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

I hope this finds you well, in good health, and playing great golf.
This week's lesson is entitled, "How to Get out of a Bunker
with a Buried Lie", and this lesson could really help you out in
a situation where a buried lie could potentially add a few
unneeded strokes to your round.

This is one of the most feared shots in all of golf by the amateur.
Why? Because it looks so intimidating when you can barely see
you ball, but it doesn't need to be that way. You will be hitting
great shots and impressing your friends when you follow these steps!

Let's say that you just don't have a "fried egg" (where 50% of
the ball is buried) but only the very top of the ball is visible.
What do you do? Follow these steps and you'll be able to hit
any lie that you have in a bunker.
Here's what you do:

1. Choke down on the golf club, about in the same position
as a normal bunker shot (1-2 inches from the bottom of the grip).
2. Take your normal stance, however open it up a little bit.

3. The majority of your weight should be on your front foot

4. Close your clubface and press your hands forward just a
little (this will ensure you to drive the ball out of the sand).

5. Keep your lower body still! This is so important, especially
in this shot!

6. Just like a normal bunker shot take a steep backswing so
that the butt of the club is pointed at the ball. *Remember that
your left arm is going to lead this shot and will be completely
parallel with the ground. Your right elbow is in the locked position.

7. When you start your downswing do not shift your weight - keep
the majority of your weight on your front foot.

8. So once you've started your steep downswing hit about 2 inches
behind the ball. This is very important because if you try and hit the
ball first you'll just drive it back into the sand. By hitting 2 inches
behind the sand will actually lift the ball out your clubface really
doesn't even touch the golf ball. *Remember it's very important to
keep your clubface closed so that is can drive the ball out!

9. Remember to swing through the sand and not stop once you've
hit the sand.
10. Keep your angle steep throughout the shot.

Drill:
At the practice bunker stomp a few balls almost completely
submerged (make sure you can only see a little of the ball.
This will give you so much confidence because this only happens
in a small percentage of sand play. Focus on keeping your club
face closed throughout your swing....I can't stress this enough!
Putting it all together in the bunker:

Normal bunker shot: square to slightly open clubface, evenly
balanced weight or weight on back foot, steep/vertical backswing
(lead with your left arm and keep your right elbow "locked" to its side),
keep your entire lower body still - no weight shifting until you hit the sand.

Buried lie in bunker: slightly closed clubface, forward press your
hand a little, majority of your weight on your front foot, steep/vertical
backswing (lead with your left arm and keep your right elbow "locked"
to its side), keep your entire lower body still.

Here's an easy way to Add 20 Yards

2006-03-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a really good tip that may help you to get rid of your slice. Best of all, it's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and understand why it's being used.
Chances are that you have battled with a slice at some point in your golfing days. To be completely direct with you, dealing with a slice really sucks. It hurts your golf game in many more ways than one.

Luckily, it's fairly easy to fix. I cannot claim that this small tip will completely cure your slice, but there's a good chance that it will, and I hope it does.

When you come into the impact zone, there are really only 2 factors that can determine the "shape" of ball flight.

1. The angle of the club face at impact.

2. The Path the club is taking at impact.

You'd agree, that's really not that tough to understand. The tough part is explaining how to correct it, and keeping this e-mail short at the same time.

Anyway, here's a few things your should concentrate on.

Try to keep your leading shoulder "down" on the ball through impact. This is called staying strong through impact. Lots of times the leading shoulder (left shoulder if right handed) flies up before impact. Now just for a minute, think about what that does to the club head when it's in the impact zone.

Golf is all about thinking and analyzing your shots to get better. A huge part of this game is understanding "why" you're getting a certain result, and the physics behind that result. Thinking through your golf swing will provide huge dividends if you're willing to invest the time it takes.

Get up from the computer and actually go though the motions slowly. Let your leading shoulder fly up as you approach impact and you'll actually be able feel and see the clubface coming from an outside-in path. That causes a slice every time.

So what can you do to correct it? Well, for starters, try to learn to keep your leading shoulder strong. Keep that shoulder "Down" on the ball all the way through impact, even after the ball is gone and flying straight down the fairway. Here's an illustration of what I'm talking about.
As you can see, the leading shoulder is still down. The triangle is still there. Most importantly, my body has NOT gotten ahead of my hands. This is a HUGE distinction. As you may notice, the left shoulder is actually higher than the right shoulder. So what do I mean when I say "leading shoulder down"?

You have to envision yourself from the back looking down on the ball. When I say "down", I mean that the leading shoulder and chest are still facing the ball through impact.

So even though it may seem like the leading shoulder is higher than the trailing shoulder, it's still facing the ball at impact. NOT TOWARDS THIRD BASE in comparison to the ball. That would mean that you have let the leading shoulder fly up.

Hand action is huge in this game. You must learn to release your hands correctly through the ball. Meaning that you release the hands while the leading shoulder is still "down", or facing the ball.

If you are currently playing with the conventional swing method, it's really easy to let your body get ahead of the ball. One of the many things you will learn in "The PurePoint Golf Swing" is how to avoid that trap.

Keep the leading shoulder down and let your arms and hands release through the ball and you will see the ball go farther and higher. This will take a while to get used to.

The key is to let your arms release through the ball, while your left shoulder is "Down" on the ball. To do this you will need to rotate your forearms correctly, and use your leading ELBOW (not shoulder) as a hinge. So another way to explain this movement would be that your hands are still moving towards the target, but your leading elbow has almost stopped.

Another one would be to initiate the downswing with your arms. I'm sure that's the exact opposite of what you've heard before. Starting the downswing with the arms is a tough thing to do.

You want the ball to go the maximum possible distance. So subconsciously, many people have the problem of letting their body get way ahead of their hands. That's the number one slice-producing move among golfers today. It's probably the toughest one to fix, because when you're at the top of your backswing, all you can think about it crushing the ball.

Instead of thinking maximum distance, think minimize slice. Start the downswing with your arms. Get to the top of your backswing, and then the first move should be with the arms. Put this move together with keeping the leading shoulder down, and it will do wonders for both your woods and your irons.

If you look at any of the really good players, you will see that they actually initiate the downswing by "pulling" the club down with their arms. They do NOT start the downswing by twisting the chest towards the target. That is a very important distinction to make.

How to Get out of Bunkers

2006-03-21T20:23:00.000-08:00

This lesson is entitled, "How to Get out of Bunkers", and everyone knows how frustrating they can be if you don't know the proper mechanics to get out of them. But the bottom line is, for the pros, bunker shots are some of the easiest shots on the course.

These steps will ensure that you have the right mechanics for getting out of bunkers. Once you've read these steps, practice them and get used to hitting out of bunkers, and they will become just as natural as a regular short game shot. These steps will give you the solid foundation that you need for bunker success.

Here are the steps: (note: These steps apply to a normal sand bunker. Not wet or hard sand)

1. Choke down on the golf club (Have your right index finger about an inch from the bottom of the grip). Choking down gives you the control with the club and also allows you to "feel" the shot rather than hitting it.

2. Narrow your stance a little and play the ball a few inches forward in your stance. This will also aid in controlling the shot, and it will contribute to higher ball flight.

3. Dig into the sand with your feet a little and get comfortable.

4. Keep your body completely still throughout (no twisting hips).

5. Start your swing with your arms and keep your swing vertical. The end of the grip butt should be pointed at the ball at the top of your backswing. (Don't bring the club straight back, remember steep is better here!)

6. Your left arm should be parallel to the ground and fully extended at the top of your swing.

7. Then start your downswing at the sand focusing to hit 1 inch behind the ball. Don't focus on hitting the ball, hit the sand an inch behind and the ball will get out every time!

8. Your arms and body follow the ball as it leaves the sand.

9. Remember steep angle into the sand is key here, however you don't have to swing too hard, we are not blasting the ball out we are advancing it.

Drill:
Go into a bunker and take 3 clubs your pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a lob wedge(if you have one). Remember that you can get creative with shots; just because it's a sand wedge doesn't mean that you'll "feel" the most comfortable or give you the best results. But I want you to notice the difference in design and performance.

Regardless, hit a few shots with each club and really notice the difference in how the ball comes out of the sand. Then choose the club that bests suits you. But remember on all these clubs swing steep and hit 1 inch behind the ball. You can even draw a line 1-2 inches behind the ball and aim for that line.

At home, office, or at the course take practice swings and focus on bringing the club up at a steep angle. Watch as your grip end points to the ground. And stop there - this is the position that you want to be in. A great way to see if the grip is pointed over the ball is sticking a tee in the grip handle. Do that a few times to ensure that you know where to stop the golf club and start your steep downswing. Then the downswing is easy! Just hit an inch behind the ball. Practice this for a few days then go have fun in a bunker!

How Better Course Management can Lower Your Golf Score

2006-03-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Whether you are just starting to learn golf, or you have been golfing
for many years and you're just looking to refine your game, this will
provide a good direction of focus for this season.

If you want your score to drop by any significant amount, you should
learn to hit your 150 yard club, and learn to hit it very well.

By "hitting your 150 yard club very well", I mean being able to step up
to the ball, and KNOW that you can hit any green that is 150 yards away.
Every time, any condition, with no pressure.

You need to get to the point in your game where you can hit those 8
or 9 irons very consistently and accurately. Anyone can do this. Believe
it or not, 150 yards is not very far away, and most greens these days
are very big targets. The short irons should be the easiest club in your
bag to hit. And if they aren't the easiest clubs to hit, you should work on
them until they are.

Once you master that shot, everything else is a simple adjustment. Your
swing will be on, and you can simply add or take away a little club to
adjust for varying distances.
That's step 1.
Step 2 is designing your game to work around your "guaranteed
150 yard shot".

Let's say you are on the average 400 yard par 4. If you have that 150
yard shot in your bag, then it should be very easy for you to get onto the
green in 3 shots.

Think about this...(I know you wouldn't really do this) but if you have the
150 yard shot, you can hit it off the tee, and again for your second shot,
and end up 100 yards out hitting 3 from the fairway.

Now you've put yourself in a good position, which is what course
management is all about. And better yet, if you have the 150 yard shot
down, your 100 yard shots are likely to be working a lot better as well.

Even if you get yourself into trouble off the tee, just lay up to 150 yards
out, and use your 150 shot to get on the green. This will do a ton of good
for your golf game. You're on in 3, and you can still save par or make
bogey with a 2 put.

Start small, and master the 150 yard shot. Then build your game
around it. If you do this, you won't have to worry about so many bunker
shots, chip shots, and all the other specialty shots that make this
game so frustrating.

If you can get this shot down, you've taken the first step to breaking
down your game and lowering your scores. Then you work on your
putting, and then you work on your driver.

Now, I realize golf isn't as easy as I've made it out to be above, but it
really can be if you have the 150 yard shot. I can guarantee that you'll
be playing the best golf of your life this season, if you keep focus on
improving that 150 yard shot. It is essential!

That's it for this newsletter. I'll be in touch in the next few weeks with
some putting tips that should really have you stroking the ball.

Until Next time,

Golf Balls and G-Spots

2006-03-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

What's the difference between a girl's G-spot and a golf ball?

A man will spend hours looking for the golf ball!

Golf Fatality
A guy goes golfing with his girlfriend. As he tees off, she steps into ladies' teebox and gets hit in the head with his drive. She is pronounced D.O.A. and taken to the morgue.

The coroner calls him in and says, "She definitely died from a blow to the head caused by the golf ball. But the only thing we can't understand is why was there a golf ball in her rectum?"

"Oh," he replies, "that must have been my mulligan."

FUNNY PICTURE: HOLE IN ONE

2006-03-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

~StoryJokes~

2006-03-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

Luke and Obi-Wan are in a Chinise restaurant and Luke's having trouble.
Finally, Obi-Wan says, "Use the forks, Luke."

Darth Vader and Luke.
Suddenly in the middle of the fight, Darth Vader pulls Luke to him, and whispers "I know what you're getting for Christmas!"
Luke exclaims "But how??!?"
"It's true Luke, *breath* I know what you're getting for Christmas."
Luke tries to ignore this, but tears himself free, screaming "How could you know this?!"
Vader replies, "I felt your presents."

Two Gamorrean guards are walking down a narrow, deserted canyon when suddenly a Krayt Dragon comes out and starts chasing them.
One of the Gamorreans stops to put on his best running shoes.
"Don't waste time," shouts the other one, "you can't outrun a Krayt Dragon with those!"
"I don't have to outrun the Krayt Dragon," says the first one as he finishes lacing his shoes, "I just have to outrun you!"

"What's the difference between a lightsaber and a blaster?"
"I don't know."
"You'd be a fine one to send after my lightsaber."

Yoda and Obi-Wan walked into a bar and bought a 5 dollar drink.
Yoda, seeing that he only had 4 dollars asked Obi-Wan, "Have a dollar do you? A little short I am."

Two droids were talking.
One says to the other, "Did you beat the Wookiee at Dejarikk?"
And the other answers, "Yes, but it cost me an arm and a leg."

One day Luke gets fed up with life as a farmer so he goes to see Old Ben the local magician.
Luke: Ben I'm really fed up being a farmer can you turn me into something else?
Ben: Like what?
Luke: Well I guess it would be cool to be a Dewback.
Ben: Ok but only if you're sure.
Luke: I'm sure all right but let me go off and have one last drink as a human.
Luke goes off to have his drink.
Owen and Beru are getting worried so they go and see Old Ben to see if he knows where Luke is.
Owen: Hey, Ben, have you seen Luke today?Ben: Yes. He's gone for a drink but he won't be Dewback until later

A random joke . . .

2006-03-09T02:56:00.000-08:00

Someone died playing golf

Fred got home from his Sunday round of golf later than normal and very tired. "Bad day at the course?" his wife asked.

"Everything was going fine," he said. "Then Harry had a heart attack and died on the 10th tee."

"Oh, that's awful!"

"You're not kidding. For the whole back nine it was hit the ball, drag Harry, hit the ball, drag Harry."

The laws of golf

2006-03-07T03:21:00.000-08:00

Defininte laws of golf
LAW 1: No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.

LAW 2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.

LAW 3: Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water.

LAW 4: Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.

LAW 5: No matter what causes a golfer to muff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant "You looked up," or invoke the wrath of the universe.

Tiger Woods holds on to defend title

2006-03-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods knew he had to keep making birdies to stay ahead of the pack, and he delivered the kind of shots that make him so difficult to beat. Everything changed on the 18th hole Sunday in the Ford Championship. All he needed was a bogey. He did that, too. With a one-shot lead, his ball in the rough and a 9-iron in his hand, Woods watched from 170 yards away as David Toms ran his 60-foot putt to the bottom of the green, then missed the next one to fall two shots behind. "I just said, 'Anything in the back bleachers, right bleachers, just anything over more »

2006-02-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Respecting the game’s fundamentals can quickly help you to become a better player
When I video my swing, the one position I look at most closely is here, at the halfway-back or 9 o’clock position. Specifically, by the time my left arm is horizontal with the ground, I like to see my wrists fully ‘loaded’ and (looking down-the-line) I want to see my hands right here, in the middle of my chest (i.e. not too ‘deep’ or inside the line, and not outside my body). If you compare it with the original shaft angle at address, you can see that the process of setting the wrists causes the shaft to steepen fractionally as the club swings up. This is perfectly OK, as it encourages the desired shallowing of the plane on the way back down. So why not simplify your backswing, using this 9 o’clock position as your key checkpoint. As you develop the technique to set the clubshaft at a 90-degree angle to your left arm, so you will enjoy the powerful sensation of being ‘loaded’ up as you complete your turn to the top – energy you can then release in the downswing.

The set-up:
Comfortable,
balanced, ‘grounded’

Working with my coach David Leadbetter I am constantly reminded of the need to create and maintain good body angles at the set-up.
It starts with a firm foundation, my weight is balanced on the balls of my feet, and I gently flex my knees as I bend from the hips to create a comfortable spine angle.

Maintaining height is important, so when you work on your set-up, remind yourself to stand up tall, allowing your arms to hang comfortably.
A note on ball position. I generally only move the ball position to influence the type of trajectory I’m looking for. Otherwise it stays fairly constant (and I use the T-square when I practise to make sure it is).

Should I need to increase the effective loft on the clubface to hit higher shots I simply move the ball a few inches forward (be aware that doing this also tends to encourage left-toright spin); to hit a lower, punchier type of shot, I would play the ball back (which gives you right-to-left spin).

Feel the resistance from the
ground up...
Looking at this sequence face-on, you get some idea of the resistance in the lower body –specifically the right knee and thigh. That’s the feeling I have; I am turning and coiling against the resistance in the right knee and thigh, winding my torso and coordinating my arm-swing. Obviously a secure footing is vital, and the new Tour 360 shoe from adidas has significantly helped

Probably the best way to explain the sensation and illustrate the move I am looking for through the transition, at the start of the downswing, is to show you the baseball drill (above). Holding a club up at about waist high, swing back as if making a baseball action, and then ‘settle’ your lower body as you change direction; you want to get this ‘squat’ look in the legs as you make to start back down and your weight shifts back across to the left side. Get the hang of this move and you will create a wonderful sense of ‘lag’ as your upper body recoils in response to this lower body action. As if by instinct, the arms shallow the plane of the swing and you’re all plugged in for a powerful acceleration of speed through the impact area. And that’s exactly what you are looking to achieve in the swing itself, as you see in the sequence below. From the top, I wait for this subtle move in the feet and knees, unwinding from the ground up as my left foot and left knee signal the reverse in momentum. The left knee (in fact the whole left side) is – for a split-second – pulling away from the right hip (and whole right side). That dynamic move increases the torque in my swing.

On working with ‘Lead’...
David [Leadbetter] and I have worked hard on improving the ‘lines’ of my swing. We all have individual tendencies to be wary of, and mine is sometimes to get the club working too ‘deep’ behind my body on the backswing, to the extent it ends up across the line at the top. Now that it’s on a much better line, I am able to focus on the dynamics of my body action to maximise energy. With David’s help, I really feel that I am able to benefit from the energy I store up in the full ‘setting’ of the wrists going back; through the transition I feel the ground through my feet and have the confidence to unwind aggressively through the ball.

Now Just Stop Trying

2006-02-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

By now, you've stopped trying to improve after reading my first article and have taken some pressure off your game. Now it's time to take the next step in our journey towards "Mushin Golf." Now I want you stop trying completely. Stop "trying" to do things in your golf game and you will definitely improve your scores.

When I coach golfers on the mental side of the game, I like to give them "tools" during each session that they can immediately take to the course and begin applying. During my first session, I almost always deal with golfers who have become over analytical with their golf swings and begin to get very judgemental with themselves after a bad shot. They begin to break down their swing in their head, and in the process are tearing down their game. A tool I give them to help immediately return their focus back to the "moment" is a breathing technique that is very simple, yet very effective. The y always respond with something like "That's simple. That's all I have to do?" I reply with a simple yes and then we recap. At the end of the session, I always hear the golfer say "Ok, I'm going to try the breathing technique when I begin to lose focus this week." Try, I ask them? "You just said how simple it was, why would you have to try and focus on your breathing?" By definition, if you are trying to do something, you must not believe that you are fully capable of success, otherwise, why would you say that you are going to try? You wouldn't, you would simply "do". The difference between "doing" and "trying" is the difference between confidence and mistrust and success and failure.

Most golfers have a lot of "try" in their games. They try to hit a drive down the middle, or they try and make that 4 footer for par, or they try and not analyze their bad shots. They "try" at everything and end up destroying any chance of playing to their potential. In truth, if the golfer would get rid of the word try from his vocabulary, his scores would improve instantly. A golfer could then stand over a shot to a tucked left side pin near the water's edge and say to themselves "I'm going to hit a draw to that pin." That sounds much better and instills much more confidence than saying "I'm going to try and hit a draw to that pin," doesn't it? That's not to say that if you've never hit a draw in your life you are all of a sudden going to hit one, but you are opening yourself up to playing to your potential when you don't doubt your ability.

All golfers struggle with doubt even Ben Hogan. It is, perhaps, the single greatest killer of the golf swing. In Hogan's "Five Lessons", he admitted that it wasn't his technique that kept him from winning, it was his lack of trust in his ability. Let me quote him directly from "Five Lessons" starting on page 113:

"...But my self-doubting never stopped. Regardless of how well I was going, I was still concerned about the next day and the next day and the next.
In 1946 my attitude suddenly changed. I honestly began to feel that I could count on playing fairly well each time I went out, that there was no practical reason for me to feel I might suddenly "lose it all." I would guess that what lay behind my new confidence was this: I had stopped trying to do a great many difficult things perfectly because it had become clear in my mind that this ambitious over-thoroughness was neither possible nor advisable, or even necessary."

To me, that is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING Ben Hogan ever wrote. It's not the cupped wrist, the braced right leg, the movement of the hips or anything else. It's that Hogan finally stopped doubting himself and stopped trying. It's funny that I've never seen another golf instructor talk about this, but it makes sense. Most instructors and golfers alike get bogged down in the technical detail of the swing that they never get to the "end of the book." It's kind of an inside joke to me, it's as if Hogan wrote in great detail about the technicalities of the grip, the hips, the swing plane etc., knowing that all his competitors would read his book and get overwhelmed to the point of not being able to swing a golf club, only to say at the very end that it was just a joke. Of course, I don't believe that to be true, but one could read in a bit of whimsy if so inclined.

During your next round of golf, stand over your shots with a certain disregard for the outcome. Stop caring without being careless. If you aren't so consumed by the results of your shot, you won't feel as if you have to try so hard and will finally begin to open yourself up to hitting more consistent golf shots with less effort. It might feel like you're not even trying ;-)

Swing sequence: Mu Hu

2006-02-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

One in a Billion

Swing symmetry
Junior golfers who haven't played other sports often need to develop their left sides. Mu hits balls with his left hand only to help keep his right side quiet through impact. At first Mu could hardly make contact. Now he stripes 'em.

Swing sequence: Face-on

Swing sequence: Downline

ONE PLANE GOLF SWING

2006-02-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

Setup
The spine angle is more bent over at address allowing the shoulders to rotate on a steeper plane. This, in turn, allows the club to swing up. Ben Hogan, the classic one planer, stood more erect at address and then swung his shoulders on a steeper plane during his swing. Jim Hardy advocates the hands be under or just inside the chin at address.

Vijay Singh has a bit steeper spine angle than David Toms and has his arms out away from his body a bit more. This sets the golfer up to have a more "around" swing path.
Backswing
In the one plane swing, the arms will swing up slightly to a position where they are on plane with the shoulders at the top of the swing. There are far fewer "moving parts" because the left arm never leaves the chest to swing up on a steeper plane. Because the swing is more "around" than "up", the body may stay more to the left with less lateral shift, if any, to the right. This reduces the need to have a large slide back toward the target during the transition. The key in the one plane swing is swinging the arms around behind the body rather than lifting of the arms in front of the body. Ben Hogan advocated that the right leg not move back at all during the backswing, keeping the body very centered throughout the swing.

Vijay swings the club more around on a more natural swing arc. His arms have done nothing independent here, they are simply following his body's lead. Hardy would rather see the club closer to the right thigh at this point with the left arm angled more in rather than straight down the line.

Vijay's left arm and shoulder match up very much on the same plane at the top. But nobody matched up as well as Ben Hogan. Hogan's left arm and shoulders were perfectly on plane, exactly parallel with each other, while Vijay is slightly above. Note how much more upright David Toms' body is compared to Vijay. Singh has his shoulders much more out over his toes, a trademark of the one plane swing. Below is a picture of me at the top of the swing hitting a mid iron.

Transition
Because your arms are always on plane and never lift, there is no need to wait for them to drop. Your body can begin to rotate back toward the target as aggressively as you like and the arms should simply follow. The natural instinct at the top of the swing is to get the club head back to the ball as fast as possible in order to strike it with authority. Of course, this is the key detriment to swinging on two planes where you simply must create some sort of delay during the downswing to let the arms fall back down on plane in a position to strike the ball. Hardy points out that in a one plane swing, all you do from the top is rotate the body back to the left after setting your weight more on your left side. Everything rotates together, reducing the dependency on timing and rhythm to blend the upright swinging of the arms and the flatter turning of the body. Unfortunately, many golfers swing their arms "up" on the backswing and then try and rotate their bodies back to the left as hard as they can. In essence, they are combining characteristics of the two swings, which doesn't work and creates the dreaded "over the top" move creating a pull slice.

Vijay gets back parallel to the plane earlier than Toms, and then matches up perfectly halfway down.

Back on plane, but Hogan never strayed far from it. Vijay stays closer than most today.
Downswing
In the one plane swing, the arms, club and shoulders are already on the proper plane, allowing the golfer the freedom to simply rotate the body back to the left. With the left arm velcroed to the chest, the body can rotate as hard it likes without ever worrying about trying to control the arms. It is important that the golfer properly use his body to swing the club and not the arms. Golfers who are accustomed to swinging their arms to generate power often find this one of the biggest challenges. No longer requiring the arms to try and control the club, the golfer can do what he instinctively wants from the top of the swing - swing hard. You'll quickly find that this swing will feel more natural, more like hitting a baseball off a tee. A downswing mantra would be "swing left".

Vijay is not in a classic one plane impact position here according to Hardy, but he has done an excellent job of returning the club to its original position established at address. Vijay's swing, like most golfers on tour, is a bit of a hybrid. Vijay works hard at keeping his left arm glued to his chest throughout the swing. You've no doubt seen him swing with a golf glove under his left arm. That is a major key to the one plane swing and helps the body stay more in control of the club and make a full turn on the backswing.
The principles that Jim Hardy has come up with can act as a guideline for golfers to help understand the concept of the two swings. As you learn more about the two swings, you will see that most professional golfers exhibit traits from both swings, although you will benefit from learning the principles and choosing one swing or the other.

Which Swing is Better?

2006-02-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

Neither the one plane or two plane swing is necessarily better than the other. There are numerous examples of world class ball strikers that fall into both categories. But, if you haven't already picked up a club and started working on learning the one plane swing that Jim Hardy talks about, then perhaps you might want to consider the following:1. Look at the two photos below taken of Tiger Woods at the 2005 Buick Invitational (left) and the 2000 British Open. There is no question that he is moving more to a one plane swing with the aid of Hank Haney. Understand, that no matter what Nike tells you, you're NOT Tiger Woods. But, you can learn some things from the best golfers in the world. The most compelling thing to take note of this is one of the main reasons Tiger has said he is switching: to have more managable misses. This is the ultimate of goal of all golfers at every level. To be able to score with your misses.

Tiger has mentioned that he has always "struggled" with a very aggressive body rotation back to the left because it left his arms behind in the swing. This often put him in the "stuck" position he bemoaned so often. Tiger was taught by Butch Harmon to make his hips wait or rotate more slowly to give the arms more time to drop back down on plane from their very "high above the head" position. His other option was to swing his arms faster so they catch up with the body. When he successfully did this, he hit the ball superb. But, when Tiger's body outraces his arms - when his timing is even slightly off - he struggles wildly. Because he is able to generate tremendous clubhead speed in the 120+ mph range, a slight mis-timing and the ball misses right three fairways over or duckhooks 200 yards out from the tee if he flips his hands trying to save the shot.

Tiger mentioned in the January 2005 issue of Golf Digest that he wanted to "own" his golf swing and that only two other golfers in the history of golf have ever owned their swings - Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. For any golfer to own his swing, he must strip out any unnecessary movements, reduce his dependency on timing and not rely on the small muscles of the hands and arms to control the golf club. The one plane swing that Hogan used accomplished exactly this.

Level 5 ( 4 - Scratch Handicap Short Game )

2006-02-19T02:32:00.000-08:00

Well, most golfers are trying their hardest just to get to your level. But that's little consolation if you're a low handicapper and you're the one trying to get better! I think you'll find in going from a 2 to a scratch might take you as much time as it took to go from a 20 down to a 12. But that's not to say that it can't be done, because it can. If you have a focused attack, and the time to put into it, you might find yourself being surprised at how much better you can get, even at your handicap. In this level, you'll learn some strategies and techniques behind great practice, even if you have limited time. You'll learn about some of the different grass conditions and how to handle them, and we're going to learn some of those tricky shots that you're going to need to know how to play as you get into some bigger competitions. Now most people at this handicap level have a short game that's pretty darn good. But you know what? Pretty darn good at this handicap level is not going to get it. To be a truly expert player in this game, your short game needs to be at least good, and that's minimum requirements. What we need it to be is excellent. And that's where putting that time and effort into working on the right things is going to help you. Let's take a moment for a close look at the statistics behind putting and it will show you how important the short game is to the very expert player. On the PGA Tour, studies have shown that the Tour player is going to make in the mid to high 90's of their percentage of 3 foot putts. That means that they are rarely missing from 3 feet. Move that same proficient golfer though out to 6 feet and the percentage goes down to 50 percent, so they're only making half of their 6 footers! Move them out 3 feet again and it gets cut in half again, down to about 25%. Now when you watch the golfers on TV you would swear that they're making more putts than this, but you have to remember, when you're watching golf on TV, you're watching the 5 or 6 players out of 155 that are making a lot of putts that week. That's why they're on television! So it tends to give us a little bit of a skewed perspective on how good the PGA Tour players are in putting. To put those statistics to work, let's take 2 golfers and let's make them about college level, so they're going to average about 9 greens per round. Let's say that golfer A has an excellent short game. He's going to chip the ball about 3 feet from the hole on average. Golfer B has an okay short game. He's going to chip it 6 feet from the hole on average. And let's make them hit the ball identically the same, so they're both going to hit 9 greens per round. Well, Golfer A after 18 holes, has no bogies, because he's going to make in the high 90 percentile of his 3 foot putts. Golfer B, who chips it to 6 feet, is going to make 4 or 5 bogies per round. Well, all of a sudden, after one round, Golfer A has Golfer B by 4 to 5 shots. After a 72 hole tournament, you're looking at 16 to 20 shots! This is just an absolute blowout. And they've hit the ball exactly the same. I guarantee you when Golfer B finishes that tournament, he's going to wonder how Golfer A beat him so badly. So the bottom line here is that the short game at this handicap level is absolutely huge. After viewing this level, you'll have all the tools you'll need to get the very most out of your scoring game... I guarantee it! As always, if you're not thrilled with this level, then send it back for a full refund. Don't miss this chance to take your game to the next level!

Level 4 ( 5 - 11 Handicap Short Game )

2006-02-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

You know, of all the levels of short game instruction this might be one of my favorites. Most golfers at your handicap level really know how to hit a lot of the shots, but an improvement in the short game can be a great way to lower your scores in no time. So often times it can be just reading those situations, making sure you're making a good choices, and knowing how to hit some of those funny little shots around the green.In this level, I'm going to show you how to play those shots as well as one I love that I call the modified lob, a lot easier to play and a lot more consistent. We're also going to talk about how to choose the right equipment to get the most out of your short game. We're also going to learn some strategy and technique behind the 50 yard shot, one that can often times cause the golfer fits, and much more.You know how the scenario goes: You play with a low handicapper, only to find that you're just as long and just a straight. Get around the green however, and you fall miles behind. It's no mystery where great scoring comes from.Not after this level! Make sure you understand all the elements of great short gaming so you can post some of those great numbers too. As always, if you don't love this level, then send it back for a full refund. You've got nothing to lose! Make sure and order your level today. You're going to love it!

Level 3 ( 12 - 19 Handicap Short Game )

2006-02-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I tell you, you've far surpassed most people in this game. The average golfer shoots over a 100 every time he goes out. You certainly surpassed that level, but you've got a ways to go before you get to that single digit handicap. How to do it? Well, this is a big part of it, and that is having a good short game to back up your hitting. This area, the chipping, becomes ultra-important for being able to post a good number. Even the game's best players are only averaging about 12 greens per round, which means that they're chipping some 6 times per round on average. My goodness, is that a lot of times having to chip for par! With that being said, on the PGA Tour, if you average even par, you're at the back of the bus! These guys are averaging one two under per round, so that means they're basically getting it up and down like crazy, as well as throwing in a few birdies. You can see that there's no denying the importance of the short game for scoring.Now what you'll be learning in this level is how to read some of the different situations out on the course, and how to choose the shots to match those situations. Also, how do you use the different clubs to create those different shots that you're going to need. We'll learn how to read those different sand conditions, play some buried bunker shots and we'll also learn the all-important technique behind chipping from different slopes.If you want to get the most out of your short game, then you're going to love this series. As always, if you don't absolutely love my product, then I'll give you a full refund. You've got nothing to lose! Make sure and order your level today. You're going to love it!

Level 2 ( 20 - 30 Handicap Short Game )

2006-02-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

You know, frankly, I really enjoy teaching golfers at this handicap level. Most 20-30 handicappers can hit some really nice shots, and with a little sharper short game can knock of 5 to 10 shots in no time. With the very proficient player, improvement can be much more difficult, where even improving half a shot can be a challenge. Now as you'll hear me say often throughout this series, it's rarely a lack of talent that holds golfer's back, it's a lack of knowledge... so once they understand the technique necessary to play the different shots, they almost always do a lot better, and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the 20 to 30 handicap range.Now what you'll learn in this level, after a review of the basic chipping technique, is how to hit successfully from the rough and sand. We're also going to go over how to choose the different shots and different clubs from around the green. Many times, just due to lack of experience, the golfer might choose a shot that's actually much more difficult than the shot they really need to play. So I'll help you a little bit with your decision making process from around the green as well.Don't miss your chance to get to the next level. As always, if you don't absolutely love this series, then I'll be happy to give you a full refund...so you've got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today....You're going to love it!

Level 1 ( Beginner Short Game )

2006-02-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

You know, getting started in this game by doing it right is so important! The groundwork you lay now will be with you for months and years to come.Ask any great player about the importance of the short game and you might be surprised at how they rank its importance for scoring. I couldn~Rt agree more... It's certainly been my experience that someone can learn relatively quickly to hit the ball well enough to get off the tee and get down the fairway just fine. However, if you've ever been on the course, you know that a good score can be ruined in a hurry with just one bladed chip shot into the bunker and three more to get out!After this level, you'll understand what makes a good chipping motion and how to apply it to your game. The fundamentals are not complicated, but they are essential to have a good short game. You'll also learn everything you'll need to know about getting out of bunkers successfully, making you the envy of all your friends!As with all of my products, if you're not completely satisfied, just send it back for a full refund. You~Rve got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today... You're going to love it!

Level 5 ( 4 - Scratch Handicap Full Swing )

2006-02-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt, most golfers would give their right arm to be right where you are with your game right now. But that's little consolation if you have that three handicap and you want to get to a zero! Now most golfers at your level really have just about all the shots. The power is good, getting off the tee fairly well, solid iron shots, a decent short game and putting game, but it all needs to be tightened up if you want to get all the way down to that zero handicap. It's not really so much about troubleshooting anymore. In other words, it's not so much about how to make solid contact every time, it's really about getting the most out of what you have, and again, most golfers at this handicap level have a lot!In this level, we really roll up our sleeves and talk about working the ball... the different methods of doing so, and how to practice the different methods. We also talk about how to use that ability when you're playing, to make the golf course much easier.You'll also learn about the best way to practice, and how to make that practice translate a lot better to the course. I'll also talk about how to keep a great score going, and how to turn it around when you get off to a bad start.I think you'll really love this tape because the low handicapper has a really tough time finding information that applies to them. The information on this tape is the same information that I give to my students on the PGA Tour.I'll also teach you some strategies from the rough, a couple of really good trouble shots, and how to make your practice time much more effective, even if you have a limited time to practice. As always, if you don't absolutely love it, you can send it back for a full refund. ..You've got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today... You're going to love it!

Level 4 ( 5 - 11 Handicap Full Swing )

2006-02-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well, you know, this handicap level is such an interesting one because you're far better than most of the players that you see and most of the players you play with, yet if you get a hold of somebody that really knows what they're doing, like a low single digit golfer, you still feel like you're miles behind. Well, I guess both are true a little bit, but hopefully, after seeing the 5-11 handicap full swing level, you'll have a crystal clear road map as to how to get a little bit closer to some of those low handicap players. You know, one of the misconceptions about the game at this level, is that you have to be too precise... that if you're not throwing up 4 or 5 birdies in a round, then you've got no chance to shoot a really low score. However, if you ever watch a one or two handicap or play a round of golf, you might be surprised to see an amazing amount of missed shots. However, when these fine players do miss, they usually miss in a place that's not too bad. Why? Because they're really good at choosing the right shot for the situation. In this level, I'll help you to learn how to make some of those choices and help you to develop a shot that you can rely on out on the course.I'll also teach you some strategies from the rough, a couple of really good trouble shots, and how to make your practice time much more effective, even if you have a limited time to practice. As always, if you don't absolutely love it, you can send it back for a full refund... You've got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today... You're going to love it!

Level 3 ( 12 - 19 Handicap Full Swing )

2006-02-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

Well, if you're at this handicap level, you're better than most. Did you know that over 50 % of all golfers shoot over 100 on average? That being said, you still have a way to go before you can get to that coveted single digit handicap.Now most golfers at this handicap level can really hit some nice shots. However, it's really time to start to learn some of those on-course techniques that help the fine player put up a good score. Remember, it's not just about the swing, it's learning how to get around the course.In this level, I'll show you how to handle the wind with a really easy and effective method of playing those wind shots. I'll also show you some great escape techniques, so when you're in trouble, you can get out!There's much more, including one of my favorite pieces about how to maximize your power. Great players, when they swing, posses a motion very similar to that of cracking a whip. That's why they can look like they're swinging so easy, and still generate that tremendous power. I'll show you how you can hit the same way, with absolutely no loss of accuracy. I guarantee you've never heard power analyzed and explained like this! You'll also see how it works in super slow motion, filmed with the same cameras that the aerospace industry uses in analyzing their products.This piece in itself might be worth the price of admission!As always, if you don't absolutely love it, you can send it back for a full refund... You've got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today... You're going to love it!

Level 2 (20 - 30 Handicap Full Swing)

2006-02-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

You know, the 20-30 handicap level is one of my favorite levels to teach, because many times, with just a little bit of extra knowledge, and some practice, you can knock off some 5 to 10 shots in your handicap in no time. For the 4 handicapper to improve to a 1 or a 0, it can be a hard fought battle. But for this handicap, if you can just do a few things better on the course, you are in business!Most golfers I see at this handicap level can really string together some nice shots, especially out on the range where the conditions are nice and flatâ€¦where they don't have to move around too much. But get them out on the golf course and they really seem to have a tough time with some of the different lies, like uneven lies, and hitting out of the rough. This tape takes the mystery out of those on-course shots and gives you a crystal-clear idea of what you need to do to be successful out on the golf course. If you've struggled before in trying to hit good golf shots out on the golf course, you're probably trying to make them too much like the range. You do need to alter your swing just slightly for these shots on the course, and now you'll understand why and what those alterations are. Also, aiming is a huge factor at this handicap levelâ€¦ I wish someone had taught me how to aim a little better as a kid growing up! I'll teach you how to aim out on the course just like the pros. It's easy to do and takes just a little practice. Troubleshooting can also be a huge factor in getting the most out of your game. Everybody misses shots, but you need to be great at figuring yourself out so that the occasional bad shot doesn't turn into a long-term problem! After the discussion of troubleshooting, you'll never head down another dark alley ever again. You know, it's been my experience that it's so often not a lack of talent that's holding most golfers back, it's a lack of knowledge. Once you're given the right information about how to play certain shots, you can almost always perform better on those shots. Remember, it's not just about the swing, it's about knowing what to do on the course, and after viewing this level, you will! As always, if you don't absolutely love it, you can send it back for a full refund. ..You've got nothing to lose. Make sure to order your level today... You're going to love it!

Michelle Wie's Open status in doubt

2006-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Michelle Wie's Open status in doubtMorgan Pressel fired the first shot two weeks before the LPGA Tour even began. During a conference call for the Fields Open in Hawaii, the 17-year-old rookie said Michelle Wie should have to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open instead of getting an exemption. Several veterans were outraged when Wie got a a special exemption to the Women's Open in 2004, although she tied for 13th to earn a trip back. Last year, Wie was tied for the lead going into ...more>>Phil Mickelson set for Pebble Beach >Campbell has fond memories of Vines >Sergio Garcia to skip Match Play >WGC events causing global headache

Level 1 Beginner Full Swing

2006-02-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

You know, this game is always a challenge, no matter what your level. It seems that challenge is made a little bit easier when you know what to do, especially when you're getting started. The level one full swing tape will show you everything you need to know to get started on the right foot. You'll learn about the swing shape, how it works, and why it's important. You'll also learn about how to make solid contact every time with the different clubs, both the irons and fairway woods, as well as that all important driver. Some of the footage from this level is used as review, even for the expert golfers... So this is information you can use for years to come, even as you even as you get better and better.You'll learn about how the pros do it, and you'll see them in super-slow motion...We've actually filmed the golf swing with a camera that takes some 1000 frames per second, the same technology that aerospace uses to analyze their projects. You won't believe how cool these shots are, and how helpful they are to analyze exactly what happens during a good golf swing. No more misconceptions about what you're supposed to do. With these shots, there's no more guessing.With the same method you'll learn in this tape, I've taught hundreds of new golfers to get started and I've seen amazing results...where they're able to play successfully on the golf course, and have FUN, in no time. No more guessing.. .you'll learn everything you need to know to get out there and have a great time!

Young guns: Does Garcia have best shot at Tiger?

2006-02-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

**FILE PHOTO** Sergio Garcia of Spain watches a drive from the 16th tee during the third round of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005, in Greensboro, N.C. Garcia is one of the few Tour regulars in their 20s who are thought to have a good shot at someday dethroning Tiger Woods. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Woods starts his 30s with another win

2006-01-30T03:04:00.000-08:00

Last Man Standing
Tiger Woods is now 9-1 in PGA Tour playoffs. (AP Photo/Chris Park)
Tiger Woods wasn't at his best Sunday at the Buick Invitational -- until it mattered the most . After a wild back nine at Torrey Pines, Woods birdied No. 18 to get into a playoff with Jose Maria Olazabal and Nathan Green , then won his 47th PGA Tour title on the second extra hole.

Tiger Woods didn't make a putt beyond 10 feet the entire weekend, had raked balls all over the Torrey Pines greens and had just hit a miserable lag putt on the 72nd hole with the tourney on the line.
Faced with making an eight-foot birdie putt to join two others in a sudden-death playoff, Woods used some reverse psychology on himself as he stood over the ball.
"Of all the thing things that had happened today, I thought, `At least I still have a chance,' " Woods said. "I turned it into a positive."
The result was positively predictable. After playing less than his best for much of the day, Woods willed the ball into the hole and then defeated Jose Maria Olazabal and rookie Nathan Green in a playoff to become the first four-time winner in Buick Invitational history. Despite a trio of three-putt holes early in the round, Woods managed to sink the tying putt when he needed it most to join the pair at 10-under, despite the fact that his confidence wasn't what it might have been.
"It's always more meaningful to do it when you absolutely have to," he said.
From then on, the results followed traditional patterns. After Green bowed out with a bogey on the first extra hole, Woods won for the 47th time on the PGA Tour when Olazabal missed a four-footer for par on the next green.
Woods improved to 9-1 in playoffs, which isn't surprising given how much he relishes the do-or-die challenge of playing extra holes. It was his third playoff win in the past nine months, dating to his overtime Masters victory over Chris DiMarco last April.
"It's fun -- you either win or lose, right here and now," said Woods, who shot 72 in the final round. "It's like match play, but you only get one chance."
Actually, Woods thought he had little chance for much of the day, but nobody made a move on the South Course, which on Sunday played at a whopping 7,630 yards. In fact, none of the nine players stationed in the last three groups shot better than 71, and third-round co-leaders Sergio Garcia (75) and Rod Pampling (76) blew up early.
That didn't mean there weren't plenty of guys with a chance. At one point on the back nine, there were eight players locked in a tie for first, and major championship winners Phil Mickelson, Woods and Olazabal were right in the thick of it. Twelve different players representing six different countries had a piece of the lead at some point.
Mickelson birdied the 13th to move into a tie for first, then bogeyed three holes in a row and finished eighth, one of many players who sputtered badly on some lumpy greens. In fact, when Olazabal missed his putt on the second playoff hole, Woods apologized about the way things ended.
"I feel bad," Woods said. "That's not how you want to win."
In his first start of the year, Woods wasn't the only guy battling rust. Olazabal, the 2002 Buick winner, hadn't played competitively in 10 weeks.
"I'm not going to say it's nice to finish second and lose a playoff, but it's been a good week," said Olazabal, who shot 69.
If Olazabal could put a positive spin on things, then Green was almost doing cartwheels. In just his second start on the U.S. tour, the world's No. 253rd-ranked player has already locked up his card for next year and hung in there with the game's best players.
"I had an absolute ball this week," said Green. "To come out of the box and achieve what I have achieved, you couldn't script it any better. I have sort of overachieved on what ability I have."
The capabilities of Woods continue to be uncharted. On a day when he was far from his best, he still managed to grind out yet another win on an extremely punitive course. In his first start since turning 30, he proved he isn't over the hill.
"Not yet," he smirked.

Golf Swing

2006-01-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

A huge part of this swing is teaching golfers to complete a correct weight shift. Many people look past this, but a good weight shift really has several components. AND... they all have to come together perfectly to get optimal ball flight.
So we've built "The PurePoint Golf Swing" around completing a good weight shift, and the results have been amazing. Check out the video to learn more, and remember that in the DVD we go into MUCH more depth about the fundamental itself, and how to check to ensure that you are completing it correctly. see here http://www.purepointgolf.com/drills/drill2.php

Phil Mickelson likes look of new PGA Tour schedule

2006-01-28T02:26:00.000-08:00

The shorter PGA Tour season starting next year is not exactly what Phil Mickelson had in mind, but he said on Tuesday it likely would bring together the top players more often.
Mickelson recently suggested mandatory attendance for the stars at 20 tournaments each year.
The 2007 schedule, built around a points race called the FedEx Cup, will stack three "Championship Series" events at the end of the year, followed by a Tour Championship in September.
"We're going to play together more often -- not every tournament, though," Mickelson said at the Buick Invitational. "We'll have probably three or four more tournaments ... where the top guys will all play. But wouldn't it be great if we had 20 events where everybody played together? It would be cool."
Still, the Masters and PGA champion had few complaints.
He has been criticized in recent years for ending his season early, saying in 2004 that he had a tough time getting motivated after the majors were over. Late last year, he skipped the season-ending Tour Championship, and then skipped the tour's season-opening Mercedes Championships this month.
Mickelson said he would play next year all the way through the Tour Championship.
"The big thing for me is that I need an end point," Mickelson said. "I can go at it hard, with the idea that once you go to this point, you can take some time off. What I like now is there's an end point, as opposed to dragging on for 12 months and never having the point where you relax and say, 'OK, we're done for a while."'
Mickelson said he had no discussions about a shorter season with PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, saying he was approached with the idea at the Ryder Cup in 2004.
That was OK with him, too.
"I don't think players should be involved in the tour," Mickelson said. "I don't think we should have any say. I think it should be just like it happened. I think the commissioner should run the tour just like he did."
Several players in Hawaii said they felt left out of the loop during the decision to have a shorter season, and the tour's negotiations for a TV contract. But Mickelson offered praise for Champions Golf Club in Houston, which is run by Jack Burke Jr.
"It's one of the greatest clubs because Jackie Burke has a vision and he makes all of the decisions, and the club stays consistent with that thought process," he said. "I think it's a great way to run a golf club, and it would be a great way to run the tour."
Mickelson tied for fifth last week in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the start of a year in which he will play six of the first seven tournaments through the Ford Championship at Doral in March.
Tiger Woods makes his 2006 debut this week at Torrey Pines, where he is the defending champion, but the top five players in the world will not be at the same event until the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa during the last week in February.
"I just wish we would play against each other more often," Mickelson said. "I think the new schedule in '07 does that. Not as much as I would like, but it does it more."
Mickelson's idea of the top players in 20 events a year was reminiscent of Greg Norman's plan for a world tour in 1994, when the Shark proposed a series of tournaments for the top 30 or 40 in the world.
That plan gave way to what is now the World Golf Championships, run by the tour.
"He's a brilliant individual and he's one of the guys that I respect the most, because of a lot of the decisions and ideas he has," Mickelson said of Norman. "I know that we somewhat stole the idea to make the World Golf Championships. So there you go. It must have been a pretty good idea."

Tiger Woods returns to action this week

2006-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods will break a habit this week for only the second time in almost a decade by launching his PGA Tour campaign at the Buick Invitational in San Diego.
Eight times over the last nine years, the game's leading player has started his golfing year at the season-opening Mercedes Championships in Hawaii.
The sole exception came in 2003 when he broke the trend for the first time while recovering from knee surgery that took place in mid-December of 2002.
He ended up missing the first five events of the 2003 season before returning to action at the Buick Invitational.
The rest of the time, though, Woods has kicked off at the winners-only tournament in Kapalua, Hawaii, with the Buick following either second, third or fourth in his schedule for the season.
Like 2003, this year is different. The 10-times major winner decided to spend more time with his family over the Christmas and New Year period and delay his opening event by three weeks.
A lesser player might view this move with a huge measure of suspicion, perhaps even with self-doubt, as sportsmen and women can be very superstitious people who never like to change a successful recipe.
Yet Woods is a very different and special case. The best player since Jack Nicklaus, and some would argue the best of all time, Woods is very much his own man.
Meticulous in his approach to every aspect of the game, he would never rush into a decision, especially with his carefully crafted playing schedule.
At the end of a highly successful 2005 campaign highlighted by victories at the U.S. Masters and the British Open, he made it clear he needed a rest and some quality time with his family.
"It's been a long year and it's taken its toll," he said. "I'm just looking forward to putting the clubs away for a while. I probably won't remember my birthday."
Woods turned 30 on December 30.
He is now about to embark on his 10th full season as a playing professional with a glittering curriculum vitae behind him and the likelihood of many more records and majors to come.
Already the winner of 46 PGA Tour titles, he ranks first on the all-time PGA Tour money list with career earnings of $55,770,760.
"I can't believe I have been out here for almost 10 years," Woods said.
"Granted, my body feels it from all the wear and tear of competing and travelling, but the time has gone by quickly.
"Most golfers are just starting to reach their peaks in their thirties," he added. "Hopefully, that's the case for me."
Woods has made no secret of his burning desire to go past the record haul of 18 major titles piled up by Nicklaus. He lies third in the all-time standings with only Walter Hagen (11) also ahead of him.
"If I play the way I know I can play, I think I can get there (to 18)," he said.
"But I have a lot of work ahead of me, and a lot of things I need to do to make myself peak at the right times and get all the things coming together.
"Winning major championships is what I want to do for the rest of my career."
For the moment, though, he has the Buick Invitational to defend at Torrey Pines this week and the omens are certainly good for him.
His record at both the Mercedes Championships and the Buick Invitational is impressive, to say the least.
Since 1996, he has played at the Mercedes eight times, winning the title twice and never finishing outside the top 10.
He has won the Buick three times in the last eight years, with the worst of his five other starts a tie for 10th.
Starting a PGA Tour season at the Mercedes Championships or the Buick Invitational probably does not matter one jot for the success rate of Tiger Woods.

Golf-ShowShiner combines

2006-01-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Golf-ShowShiner combines a full color motion sign with 18 money making advertisements and a commercial sole cleaning machine designed to clean dirt, mud and grass build up from the soles of golf shoes by utilizing two powerful rotating nylon brushes.
No other golf product offers so much for the golfer, the golf course, and you! The golf-ShowShiner is perfect for golf courses, golf resorts and driving ranges.
This is a great product for placement outside a pro-shop, or at the exit of a driving range. The Golf-ShowShiner replaces the unsightly worm metal brushes with a state-of-the-art professional looking unit that will enhance the look of the location.
The Golf-ShowShiner will keep golfers happy while making you a lot of money!
Source from:http://www.golfshowshiner.com

Grace Park

2006-01-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Grace Park
Background
Joined LPGA: 2000
Birthday: March 6, 1979
College: Arizona State University
Height: 5'7"
Birthplace: Seoul, Korea
Residence: Phoenix, Ariz.
Exempt Status: Exempt

Named the 1999 SBC Futures Tour Player of the Year, Park finished first on the tour money list. She won five of the 10 Futures Tour events she participated in. In addition, Park played in five LPGA Tour event in 1999, including the U.S. Women's Open, where she tied for eighth, and The Safeway LPGA Golf Championship, where she finished second behind Juli Inkster.
During the 2001 season Park won her second career title at The Office Depot, the third event of the season, defeating Karrie Webb by one stroke. She also posted a total of six top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish at the AFLAC Champions Presented by Southern Living.
Major Victories
None
LPGA Tour Victories
2003 Michelob Light Open 2002 CISCO World Match Play 2001 The Office Depot 2000 Kathy Ireland Greens.com LPGA Classic 1999 Betty Puskar FUTURES Golf Classic 1999 YWCA Briarwood FUTURES Classic1999 SmartSpikes FUTURES Classic1999 Carolina National FUTURES Classic1999 The Greater Lima FUTURES Open

Take your pick

2006-01-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

As many as 19 different ticket packages, including daily and weekly ticket options, are now available for the 2006 PGA Championship, tournament organizers have announced.

The Wanamaker Trophy awaits at Medinah. Take your pick
As many as 19 different ticket packages, including daily and weekly ticket options, are now available for the 2006 PGA Championship, tournament organizers have announced.
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Tickets to the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club -- one of golf's four international major championships -- are the perfect stocking stuffer for the golf fans in your life this holiday season.
And it's never too early to secure tickets for this anticipated sellout event set for Aug. 14-20, 2006, at one of the world's most prestigious golf courses.
This year, the PGA of America, which conducts the tournament, has created ticket packages in more varieties and prices than ever in an effort to accommodate as many fans as possible.
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"By creating 19 different ticket package options -- from seven-day Clubhouse Tickets to Daily Practice Round Tickets -- the PGA of America is trying to make it possible for everyone to come out to Medinah and experience one of only four major championships contested each year," said tournament director Michael Belot.
Tickets range from $20 for a daily practice-round ticket to $450 for a coveted Clubhouse Season Ticket good for all seven days of the event. Other ticket packages include weekly, two-day, and daily grounds tickets. Tickets may be reserved by going to the tournament website at www.pga2006.com or by calling 1-800-PGA-GOLF (742-4653).
The defending champion at this year's PGA Championship is celestial lefty Phil Mickelson, who won the 2005 PGA at Baltusrol. Mickelson is expected to be joined by the incomparable Tiger Woods, who won one of his two PGA titles the last time the tournament was at Medinah in 1999; two-time U.S. Open champions Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, both of South Africa; Vijay Singh, winner of two PGA Championships and The Masters, and Sergio Garcia of Spain, who electrified the Medinah crowd in 1999 with his exuberant challenge of Woods during the final round.
The 2006 PGA will be the final opportunity for players to earn points toward a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which will take on Europe in team match play Sept. 22-24, 2006, at the K Club in Straffen County, Ireland.
Attending the PGA Championship is expected to give Midwestern golf fans an opportunity to see a number of international stars who have not competed in the Chicago area since the 2003 U.S. Open. The PGA Championship is one of golf's four major "grand slam" events along with the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, meaning that all the highest-ranked players from all over the world cherish the opportunity to play.
2006 PGA Championship officials have vowed that The 2006 PGA Championship will be one of the most fan-friendly major golf championships ever.
Shuttle buses will take no more than 10-to-15 minutes to deliver fans from offsite parking lots to The PGA Championship Village, the main hub of activity centrally located in front Medinah's grand clubhouse and within just a few hundred yards of the first tee and 18th green.
The PGA Championship Village will be an inviting, garden-like environment that will feature concession areas, an outdoor dining deck, a giant video screen on which to follow the TV broadcast, and a 35,000-square-foot merchandise tent, tournament officials said.
"We are doing so-called 'little' things that we hope will add up to the best major golf championship experience our fans have ever had," said Art Frigo, a Medinah member and general chairman of the 2006 PGA Championship. "We don't think it's enough just to bring the best players in the world to Medinah. We want golf fans to be able to enjoy it."
The PGA Championship is one of four premier golf events conducted by the PGA of America. Others include the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Since 1916, golf's best professionals have been competing for the PGA Championship's coveted Wanamaker Trophy. Past champions include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Walter Hagen.
The 88th PGA Championship will be played August 14-20, 2006 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill. The 39th Ryder Cup is schedule to be played at Medinah in 2012.
The PGA of America, founded in 1916, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

News Index

The 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club is your chance to see the greatest golfers up close, and there are lots of ways to see the action. Get your tickets today before they're gone!Buy tickets today!

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Tiger Woods

2006-01-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

Eldrick (Tiger) Woods, now 29 years of age, has had an unprecedented career since becoming a professional golfer in the late summer of 1996. He has won 63 tournaments, 46 of those on the PGA TOUR, including the 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005 Masters Tournaments, 1999 and 2000 PGA Championships, 2000 and 2002 U.S. Open Championships, and 2000 and 2005 British Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger became the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA TOUR, and is the career money list leader. click here

How To Get Your Junior Started In Golf

2006-01-20T21:16:00.000-08:00

The game of golf is experiencing a “boom” of new life as youth are discovering the excitement of a day at the course. New facilities that offer children affordable access to play the game are being constructed throughout the country and the world. This article is written for parents to offer tips on how to attract their youngsters to play this “game for a lifetime”.
Ideally, your son or daughter will approach you one day and express an interest in learning to play golf. You may have to cultivate that interest in them because you appreciate the qualities that golf embodies and want your children to share those experiences. No matter because you, the parent, are the person who must provide access and offer encouragement to your children.
One of the keys to getting your child interested in golf is finding a program that they enjoy participating in. Select a program that nurtures their interest and stresses having fun. A visit to www.juniorlinks.com is a way to find out what programs are available in your area. Other information sources may be your local recreation department or your local PGA Professional. Many schools also have golf programs and these are a great way for the serious junior golfer to develop his or her interest.
Ultimately, parents are the catalyst to the growth of their child’s interest in golf. A visit to the driving range where your child and you can spend time together is an excellent way to get started. Invite some of your child’s friends along so that they associate golf with FUN. Unless you are qualified to teach, don’t worry too much about instructing your child. Just make sure that he or she gets an opportunity to hit some balls and enjoy the exercise.

NIKE Power Distance Super Series 2 Golf Balls

2006-01-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

SUPER FAR
>>Thin, low-spin distance cover
>>Large, high-energy combustion core
>>Thunderous power and high initial velocity fire the Super >>Far long and straight
>>An ideal choice of weapon to defeat fairway bunkers and long doglegs
>>Compression: 80
SUPER FLY
>>Larger overall diameter for more lift
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>>Super Fly has a monster trajectory that soars high to ride the wind
>>Bulging core and super-sized diameter increase turbulence for more lift and carry
>>Compression: 75
SUPER SOFT
>>Softened ionomer cover for great feel
>>Low-compression combustion core
>>The Super Soft ball is perfect for shot shapers, ball benders and corner cutters
>>Use it's responsive touch to control your approach and land softly on target
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The Original Tiger Woods

2006-01-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

New Stuff . Featured Articles.
Tiger wins the 2002 U.S. Open!!!
Tiger wins The 2002 Masters!!!
Tiger wins The 2001 Masters!!! Completes the TigerSlam!!!
Tiger named SI Sportsman of the Year 2000!!!
Tiger wins British Open, completes Grand Slam!!!
New Tiger Nike Commercials!!!
Tiger Woods wins World Golf Championship!!!
David's U.S Open Story"...Tiger at the U.S. Open" a featured article!! EXCLUSIVE!
She saw him again"...and he saw Me! II" a featured article!! EXCLUSIVE!
Update--What's in Tiger's Bag!!
New Tiger Woods Photographs!!Exclusive!
Tiger Woods Fan Mail Address(By Popular Demand)!!! EXCLUSIVE!
Tiger Quiz (What is that white band around his finger?)By Popular Demand!!! Exclusive!
"...and he saw Me!" a featured article!! EXCLUSIVE!
"Tiger Tips" a featured article!! EXCLUSIVE!
Tiger played in 1997 Skins Game!
THANK YOU!!!
'The Great American Golfer' a featured essay!!Exclusive!
Tiger Titleist Irons Coming Soon...
Tiger's Eyes! a featured peom!!Exclusive!
GET TIGER SHOCKED! (Requires SHOCKWAVE)

Player's Image Product Features:

2006-01-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

How to Use the Player's Image:

Pre-Swing Fundamentals - Posture Posture refers to the golfer's stance, balance, weight distribution, and the angle of the golfer's spine. Incorrect posture will result in a loss of distance and accuracy in your golf shots. Feet Placement Proper foot placement is easy to achieve with the Players Image.

Knee Flex
Bend your knees until they appear in the bottom of the Player's Image and then straighten the knees until they just disappear. The front of your kneecaps should be directly over the balls of your feet. Feel the balance you now have achieved.
Spine Angle
Bend forward from the hips (not the waist) until your shoulders are directly over your kneecaps. At this point your shoulders should be visible on or between the shoulder alignment lines on the Player's Image Shoulders that are above the bold alignment line indicate you are bent over too far. Shoulders that are below the bottom line indicate you are not bent over enough.
In the perfect setup position we should be able to draw a straight line from the balls of your feet through the front of your kneecaps and shoulders to just below the base of your neck.
Arms and Hands
Next, allow your arms to hang freely from your shoulders, palms facing each other. Bring the palms of your hands together, directly below your shoulders. This is the correct hand position for a 5-iron through a sand wedge. For longer clubs you may want to position your hands further away (under chin in the Player's Image) while still maintaining balance between the balls of your feet and your heels. Your hands should appear within the shoulder alignment lines.

2006-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

PGA TOUR Victories
(46) 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic. 1997 Mercedes Championships, Masters Tournament, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Motorola Western Open. 1998 BellSouth Classic. 1999 Buick Invitational, Memorial Tournament, Motorola Western Open, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational,
National Car Rental Golf Classic/Disney, THE TOUR Championship, WGC-American Express Championship. 2000 Mercedes Championships, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, U.S. Open Championship, British Open Championship, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, Bell Canadian Open. 2001 Bay Hill Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, Memorial Tournament, WGC-NEC Invitational. 2002 Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, Masters Tournament, U.S. Open Championship, Buick Open, WGC-American Express Championship. 2003 Buick Invitational, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, 100th Western Open presented by Golf Digest, WGC-American Express Championship. 2004 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. 2005 Buick Invitational, Ford Championship at Doral, Masters Tournament, British Open Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, WGC-American Express Championship.
www.tigerwoods.com.More

2006-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

In How I Play Golf Woods reveals the many facets of his game and offers a plethora of tips and advice aimed at all levels of play. Unlike most golf guides How I Play Golf begins with the short game--putting, chipping, and pitching--before moving onto swing mechanics and hitting off the tee. Produced in conjunction with Golf Digest, the book is lavishly photographed and illustrated and offers a gold mine of useful ideas and mental images Tiger has collected over the years. Throughout, Tiger recounts memorable shots from his relatively brief career; for example, his only "perfect" shot (a 3-wood on No. 14 at St. Andrews) and his first putt at the 1995 Masters (a 20-footer for birdie on No. 1 that missed and rolled off the green). How I Play Golf is not only a first-rate instructional guide, it also communicates a passion and respect for the game that beginners, hackers, and low handicappers should find inspiring.From Publisher's Weekly: This instructional book reaches far beyond the links. Woods talks about his experiences and his attitudes toward golf and life. The conversational tone is quite engaging. On watching the ball, Woods says, "If you're like me, you can't wait to see if the ball is tracking toward the hole right after the golf ball leaves the putterface.... The tendency to peek too soon causes your head to move and leads to off-sloppy contact.... I found an effective way to fight the problem: I practice putting with my left eye closed, so I can't see the target line at all with my peripheral vision. That makes it easier to keep my eyes looking straight down." Accompanied by wonderful photos, the book reads as if Woods is right there with the golfer, providing instructions .

Tiger Woods Foundation DonationThe Tiger Woods Foundation is dedicated to making a direct impact on young people through programs emphasizing education and character development. Each year, The Tiger Woods Foundation helps millions of children achieve their dreams. Through support from organizations and individuals, like you, we are able to empower young people to reach beyond their everyday lives and discover new possibilities for the future. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please choose an amount from the menu below. Every gift makes a difference. Twenty-Five Dollars : $25.00 Fifty Dollars : $50.00 Seventy-Five Dollars : $75.00 One Hundred Dollars : $100.00

2006-01-12T02:23:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods USA

Full Name: Eldrick T. Woods
Born: December 30, 1975
Cypress, California
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180 lbs.
Age: 30
Swings: R
College: Stanford University
Debut: 1996
Years Profesional: 10

Player News from ROTOWIRE

December 21, 2005 - Woods will begin the 2006 season at the Buick Invitational in late January, then will head overseas to the Dubai Desert Classic from Jan. 19 to Jan. 22, his official web site reports.Notes: The next event on his official schedule is the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 22 to 26. He's frequently played the Nissan Open in the past since it's in his native L.A., but that may change this year given how he's wanted to take a more cautious approach with his schedule after saying he took on too much last season. With the trip to Dubai in January, it doesn't sound like Tiger is going to play much on the PGA Tour in the first three months of next season.