Friday, April 30, 2010

PGA Tour Survey

Sports Illustrated has just released their annual survey of 71 PGA Tour players in which they ask of variety of questions.

Here is a sample:

Who will win this year's Ryder Cup?
U.S.: 73%
Europe: 27%

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tiger with the Yips?

According to analysis done by the Somax Performance Institute, Woods may be fighting the yips with his driver.

I have to say it's hard to believe the number one player in the world could have the yips.

Here is some of what they had to say and a video analyzing Tiger's swing.

Many famous golfers in history--Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino among them--found their careers ended by the yips. Our analysis of their swings show they all fought centrifugal force with their driver. This overuses the forearm muscles, creating tension and microfibers that cause the muscles to spasm while putting.

Somax can release the tension and microfibers, but it makes more sense to avoid the problem in the first place.

In our video, we show a simple solution to hitting long, accurate drives without overloading the forearm muscles.

Video and analysis

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Golf in Portugal

It has always been a dream of mine to travel around the entire world playing golf. If I ever win the lottery, the World Series of Poker (which I'm playing in this year), or suddenly get struck by lightning, and my game gets as good as Tiger, or Phil, I plan on taking the around the world never-ending golf vacation.

In the meantime, until that miracle happens, I'll have to research various destinations, such as golf in portugal.

It appears to be a nice little spot with good golf, weather, and variety.


Three prime areas for golf in Portugal are the Algarve, Lisbon, and Madeira.

Algarve: The Algarve has a collection of first class championship courses and resorts along the coastline. The weather is perfect for year round golf. The top destination on the Algarve is Vilamoura, a harbour town that has been transformed into a comprehensive golf complex, with five championship courses. Vilamoura is also known for the nightlife which is perfect for traveling in groups.

Lisbon: The coastal area around Portugal’s capital has emerged as a fantastic location for a golf escape. The landscape features Atlantic beaches, cultural attractions, and outstanding golf options.

Madeira: Located off the North-West coast of Africa, the island of Madeira has an excellent year-round climate for golf, features two golf courses, several terrific hotels, as well as mountain views. The Santo da Serra golf course has hosted the European Tour event for the Madeira Open.

Golf, islands, mountain views, beaches, nightlife, and great weather. Sign me up now.



All Golf travel:

Golf at Pebble Beach
Golf in Vegas
Golf in Scotland
Golf in Panama
Golf in Sicily
Golf in England
Golf in South America
Golf in Spain
Golf in Spain 2

Bio-Visual Focus

Bio-Visual Focus. Sounds serious.

I received an email from a PGA Professional named Tracy Reed who explained his teaching specialties.

He has been researching the golf swing for over 25 years to find the secret of real consistency under pressure situations for competitive golfers. Over the last 5 years he discovered, tested, and proved that secret.

The results have been uncanny in the form of accuracy and distance. The best part is that the results come from just a few additions to the pre-shot routine with no changes to the golf swing. What he pioneered is called Bio-Visual Focus because he has uncovered a process for taking a golfer's mind from a conscious level to a subconscious level for each shot, allowing the golf swing to work at it's best without distraction.

Certainly sounds good in theory. Make your own judgement and check out his website at www.biovisualfocus.com.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Couples ahead of superstar leaderboard


Well, this Masters is certainly starting out terribly.

Or, the best possible scenario.

Fred Couples is 50. Tom Watson is 60. Maybe Jack should have played at 70.

This is the best leaderboard I've ever seen and hopefully it will keep up throughout the entire tournament.

Fred Couples: Coming off three straight wins on the Champions Tour, the 92 Masters champ shoots a career low 66 to lead by one.

Tom Watson: After almost winning the British last year, most people said that was the only major he could contend at because of the links style. As long as they don't set up the course too much differently, he could have a chance.

Phil Mickelson: Very inconsistent all year, but the two-time champ putted great and looks sharp.

Lee Westwood: Always seems to be up there in the Majors recently and said afterword this was the best round he ever played at Augusta.

YE Yang: PGA Champ is looking for his second consecutive major

KJ Choi: Hasn't won a major yet but he is definitely capable.

Tiger Woods: Played great for his first round in 144 days. He could have been the overall leader had he not missed a few makeable putts. Woods did hit the shot of the day at the 9th when he hooked a five iron around the trees with the wind howling to a back left pin location. The ball came to rest about ten feet away and he drained it for birdie.

Anthony Kim: Won last week in Houston, is very streaky, and can get hot on Augusta greens, as he showed last year when he made 11 birdies in round two.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Par 3 contest

(Sean O'Hair had his daughter caddy for him last year during the par 3 contest)

The 2010 Masters Par 3 Contest will be held on Wednesday April 7, 2010 starting at 1:00 p.m. Live streaming video coverage will begin on Masters.com at 2:00 p.m.

  • First played in 1960 and won that year by Sam Snead, the Par 3 Contest has become a Wednesday tradition at the Masters.
  • The nine hole course is par 27, 1,060 yards
  • There have been 70 hole-in-ones made
  • No par 3 Contest winner has won the Masters the same year
  • There have been 18 sudden death playoffs
  • The course record is 20, held by Art Wall and Gay Brewer

Sunday, April 4, 2010

AK heads to Masters with win

AK got his first win today since 2008 at the Shell Houston Open.

He could be a strong contender this week at Augusta, which he proved last year when he made an insane 11 birdies in the second round.

AP Photo / Dave Einsel

Woods arrives early at Augusta

Tiger arrived Sunday at Augusta to hit balls and play nine holes with Mark O'Meara.

"He hit the ball pretty good today," O'Meara said. "He's been practicing the last three or four weeks. He's good to go. It's going to be a different thing for him. But if anyone can handle it, he can."

It's obvious this is the most anticipated Masters of all time because everyone wants to see how the #1 player in the world will react during his comeback appearance.

AP Photo / Charlie Riedel

Friday, April 2, 2010

Stogie anyone?

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Improve your alignment


According to the Somax Performance Institute, Arnold Palmer has the best alignment and the most efficient swing of any pro golfer they have measured.

By watching this video, they say they can help you improve your alignment and accuracy in golf.

Pretty interesting. Check it out if you are working on your game.

Putting Drills from PGA Tour Pro J.L. Lewis

Here are some short game tips and putting drills courtesy of PGA Tour Professional J.L. Lewis.

He's now working with Pioneer Golf, a company that specializes in helping the traveling golfer.

The importance of the short game in golf is severely underrated. During a normal round of golf there will be at least ten opportunities to get up and down from inside 100 yards. If you are at the PGA TOUR level, the average conversion rate to get up and down (to hit the ball on the green and make a one-putt) is 60% for the top players in the world playing their best. For an amateur to reach their playing potential, they should look for the answer in the short game.

The best way to prepare the short game for the golf season and keep it sharp during the year is to follow a routine that is proven to produce lower scores. Here are some putting drills to include in your practice routine

Drill #1: Putt 40, 50, and 60-foot putts until you have made two putts or less from those distances 20 times in a row.

Drill #2: Putt eight-footers with the right hand only until you make three in a row. This will improve your ability to get the ball on line.

Drill #3: Putt with the eyes closed from all distances until ten balls are holed. This will develop speed control and build confidence.

Drill #4: Compete on the putting green with other golfers to simulate pressure. Keep score and remember the best way to become a better putter is to spend time with good putters.

These drills are time consuming and I recommend spending no more than 90 minutes per session, two to three times per week. You will be amazed how your scores immediately improve.