Every golfer in the pro ranks has some aspect of his or her swing that stands out. For big Sepp Straka (above), who has three wins on the PGA Tour, it’s the power he generates swinging down. Sure, he’s listed as 6-foot-3, 235 pounds in the PGA Tour media guide (and probably bigger in real Read more…
What happens when a natural force—and we’re not talking the explosion in “CaddyShack”—moves your ball? This is a situation that comes into play quite often, especially on seaside courses where winds can be howling. And there is a Rule that determines what should happen next. To clarify, “natural forces” does not mean shading a golf Read more…
In all fairness to the USGA and R&A, a major revision to the Rules of Golf was already in the works when the U.S. Open came to Oakmont Country Club in 2016. Still, it’s somewhat amusing to think that a golf ball moving just a fraction of an inch on a breezy summer day was Read more…
It’s common to think of training muscles or muscle groups individually. You do dumbbell arm curls with the intent of getting bigger or toner biceps, right? Squats are for the glutes. Use the leg-extension machine to make the quadriceps firm. There’s nothing wrong with this mind-set, especially if you have very specific goals in the Read more…
Among the countless changes to the Rules of Golf in the past five or six years is the terminology used to describe certain things or situations. For example, using the term “all square” in match play when describing a situation when neither side is up. That is soooo pre-2019. The term is now simply “tied.” Read more…
This list of major-championship winners who swing a golf club with their lead wrist in flexion at the top of the swing (bowed, bent toward the palm) is pretty impressive. Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa—even Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino did it in their heydays. If you wonder why so Read more…
If you play golf on a course with a lot of trees, what we’re about to describe might sound a little too familar: It’s not uncommon to hit a golf ball toward the tree line only to see it disappear into the branches, needles or leaves and never come down. Palm trees are especially stingy Read more…
At the Mexico Open at Vidanta in February, defending champion Jake Knapp was battling just to make the cut when he hit a bunker shot on his final hole (the ninth) of the second round. The ball didn’t make it out of the bunker, and in frustration, Knapp swiped the sand with his club. This Read more…
Team competitions are covered under Rule 24 – and they’re a big thing in the competitive golf landscape with the Ryder and Walker Cups coming up later in the year, not to mention all the pennant matches staged across the country. If you’re involved in one of these events, there are a few important things to remember about “helping” other members of your squad during a big match.
Abdomen muscles such as the rectus and transverse abdominus are hugely responsible for keeping the body stable when you perform any athletic activity, that includes swinging a golf club 90 miles per hour or faster. Without those muscles firing, you’d have a heckuva time swinging in balance much less trying to get the clubhead squarely Read more…
Back in 2019, shortly after the USGA and R&A enacted major revisions to the Rules of Golf, there were a few instances on the professional tours when players faced penalties for violating Rule 10.2b(4). In short, there was a lot of confusion about when golfers should be penalized for having their caddie stand in the Read more…
There is no catch-all, perfect exercise for golfers, but there are several that have wide-ranging benefits to improve performance on the course and help ward off injuries. One such exercise you might consider for your workout right now—if you haven’t already—is the Romanian deadlift. Commonly known as RDLs, think of them as a reverse action Read more…
You’ve hit your ball into the rough, fescue, gorse, anywhere but the fairway and are anxious to go see just where it wound up. Can’t blame you; there’s only three minutes of search time before the ball is considered lost (Rule 18.2). That said, some golfers don’t even bother to look, presuming they’ll be better Read more…
Timing is everything, as they say, so credit goes to Golf Digest for having great timing in speaking with Jack Nicklaus on the topic of, well, timing. Shortly before his legendary one-shot victory over Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf in the 1975 Masters, Nicklaus was asked about getting his golf swing tuned-up for spring. Before Read more…
The story seems to be told and re-told every time a young bomber reaches the professional ranks. When asked how they got so long off the tee, they’ll say as junior golfers, they just swung as hard as they could and then figured out over time how to find the fairway with that swing. From Read more…
Australian Golf Digest
