golf by sean mclean

GOLFING HISTORY EQUIPMENT INSTRUCTION ETIQUETTE

CONTENTS HISTOR Y

GOLF 04

EQUIPMENT

DRIVER 06 IRONS 08 PUTTER 10

INSTRUC TION

04 12

GRIP 12 STANCE 14 BACKSWING 16 FOLLOWTHROUGH 18

E TIQUE T TE FORE 20 HONORS 22 COURSE CARE 24

HISTORY G OL F

The golf game as we know it today began from a 15th century game originally played in the Kingdom of Fife on the Scottish coast. Players would use a stick or primitive club to hit a pebble around rabbit runs and tracks and sand dunes. The game became so very popular that the Scottish parliament of King James II banned it and the also popular soccer in order to not neglect archery needed for military training during the mid-15th century as Scotland was preparing for defense of an English invasion. The ban lasted until

King James IV took up the sport and lifted the ban in the Treaty of Glasgow in 1502. Golf’s popularity and status grew in the 16th century due to royal endorsement. King Charles I played the game in England and the French born Mary Queen of Scots introduced the game to France when she studied there. In fact the term “caddie” came from her French Military helpers who were known in French as cadets. Before 1826 golf was somewhat exclusive due to the expense of handcrafted equipment. Club heads were made from wood from fruit trees or beech

and shafts were made usually of ash or hazel. Golf balls were made from tightly compressed feathers wrapped in stitched horsehide. The Industrial Revolution allowed ordinary people to tour the country for a day or weekend trip and golf clubs popped up everywhere. Metal club heads, shafts, and balls started being manufactured around 1848 which allowed the average person to afford to play golf. This contributed to a phenomenal growth of golf. When golf was made an Olympic sport in 1900, it was confirmed as a global sport.

EQUIPMENT DR I VE R

What was originally made of wood, the driver or 1-wood has the longest range of any club in a golfers bag.

the ball at contact and also because the low loft of the club can cause high left or right spin upon ball contact.

The reason for this is because of the low angle of loft on the face of the club, the added size of the club head as well as the longer club shaft length, which increases speed. It is designed to hit a ball from a tee from a playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first shot off of the tee. The driver is probably one of the more difficult clubs to hit in terms of accuracy, for the reason that the player is farther away from

The club shaft of the driver is sold in different amounts of flex and can dramatically affect the spin, and trajectory of a shot, sometimes much more so than even the loft of the club face. The shafts are sold by the quickness of your swing and come in graphite and steel shafts, though graphite is preferred. There are the L-flex or ladies flex for swings under 70mph, R-flex or regular for speeds to 95mph,

and S-flex or stiff for up to 105mph. If when you hit the driver the club has the tendency go very high and spins the ball far to the left for a righthander you might want to move to a stiffer flex, while shots low and pushed right could partially be because there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough flex. The driver is a club that is worth spending extra money on to get the correct fit and feel as newer technology can make it much easier to get good results. This will make the round of golf much more fun, and could possibly save you from quite a few missing golf balls as well.

EQUIPMENT I R ON S

Generally irons are all metal with a flat angled face and shorter than woods. They received their name because they were originally made from forged iron.

irons to help spin the ball so that it will stop quickly when it touches ground. Higher lofted clubs generally create more backspin and less side spin in general.

They are designed for approaching the green and where accuracy, control, and trajectory are the goals. Average sets of irons today come with the three though nine-iron along with the pitching wedge. The higher the number of the iron will result in a greater loft and less distance. Grooves are inserted horizontally on the

As with the driver the lower the loft the more difficult an iron is to hit. Most irons made today have been given technological advancements such as cavity-back designs which help the ball get into the air faster with a straighter flight, while also being more forgiving for hits not from the direct center of the club face. The design removes

some of the metal from the backside of the club and places it lower to help momentum launch the ball upward much more easily. Some professional players still prefer the full metal back or â&#x20AC;&#x153;bladeâ&#x20AC;? clubs. However, the advantages of it are mainly the ability to create side spin on the ball and feel when a shot is not hit dead center, which definitely does not help most beginners. Iron technology hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t advanced as quickly as drivers so most irons made within the last twenty years will work well for most all players including beginners.

EQUIPMENT PU T T ER

Putters are a special class of clubs with a loft not exceeding ten degrees, designed primarily to roll the ball along the grass, generally from a point on the putting green towards the cup. Contrary to popular belief, the face of a putter is not flat and usually has the loft of around five degrees from truly perpendicular. This helps to lift the ball from any indentation it has made from resting on the green. Some putters also include grooves or a textured surface on

the face to promote roll rather than a skid off the impact, which increases rolling distance and reduces bouncing over the turf that could cause the ball to go offline from its target. Putters are generally 33â&#x20AC;? to 35â&#x20AC;? and should allow you to keep your shoulders relaxed. It should also not cause any pressure to your back and will let your eyes align directly over the ball. This is definitely the one club that you should choose what feels best to you and gives you the best results despite any gimmicks as you will use this club more than

any other and the less you have to use it the better. There are a couple sayings in golf, “drive for show, putt for dough”, as well as, “It’s not how you drive, it’s how you arrive”. These can be very true as many golfers focus far too much on their drive when it’s the “short game” close to and on the green that will give the biggest impact on your overall score.

INSTRUCTION GR I P

2) There are variations in the style of grip and interaction with the hands but I recommend the interlocking grip. This makes the connection between hands much more even and allows the pressure to be placed evenly between them. This grip is made by crossing the index finger of the hand at the end of the club with the little finger of the hand further down. This grip should be used on all clubs with the exception of the putter. This is the golf grip utilized by Jack Nicholas, Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie. It's also best for small or weak hands. The golf grip is one of the most important parts of the golf swing as it is the only part that is in contact with the club. The hands must work together as a single unit when striking a ball with power.

1) For a right-hander the grip starts with the left hand towards the bottom of a club grip with the thumb pointed directly down the club shaft toward the grip mark, which allows you to align yourself squarely with the club. With your arms extended straight out you should be able to see two knuckles of your bottom hand.

3) Lastly, the top hand is wrapped over the bottom so that the thumb of the top hand reaches across the left side of the alignment marker on the grip. The lifeline of the top hand should completely cover the thumb underneath and the first three fingers of the top hand should grip the club above the bottom hand. The connection between hands should make a line that points toward the right shoulder for a right-hander or vice versa for a left-hander.

INSTRUCTION S TA N C E

Overall the golf stance should promote balance and align yourself to the line you want the ball to travel.

1) A good way to know how far away you should stand is to point your arms straight out from your body while holding the club, start to sit slightly as if there is a chair behind you and let your hands drop until the club makes contact with the ground. The width of your stance should put your feet at shoulder width apart and the balance should be even between the heel and balls of your feet even though the tendency is to lean forward automatically.

2) If you place a club connecting the tips of your toes that line should be parallel to where you want the ball to go. After your feet are set you should make sure that the line between your shoulders is travelling the same line. If your foot closest to the target is too far back or forward you could have the tendency to pull the ball in that direction or slice across the ball causing unwanted side-spin. The same is true for the alignment of your shoulders.

3) The placement of the ball can be affected by which club you choose. Generally a middle number iron will have the ball placed evenly spaced split between your feet, while longer clubs might be more comfortable setting up with the ball more toward your left foot or towards the target area. The most important part of the stance is to place yourself in a position that isn't uncomfortable and gives you the best chance to make solid contact toward your target.

INSTRUCTION BAC K SW I N G

away from the target your weight should shift to about sixty percent to the side your hands are on.

2) Halfway through the club should be pointed directly away from the target and the club face should be parallel with the ground. Your shoulders and hips should also feel free to turn comfortably away from the target. Overall the feeling should be a turn and not a sway to one side. Feel free to let your outside knee turn in from the target as well on the backswing.

The main purpose of the backswing is to generate power for the follow through. The closer you are to keeping a smooth backswing will allow an easier return to the ball for solid contact.

1) The backswing starts with the hands moving slowly toward the opposite line of your target. Your left arm should always be straight for right-handers or a straight right arm for leftys. Letting this break down will cause multiple problems trying to connect back with the ball. As you move your arms

3) The right knee is the foundation in the backswing. It should not slide to the side or lock itself at the top of the backswing. When you have made a full turn back the club head should now point toward the target and your weight should be about eighty percent on the outside foot. One important step in this process in that your head remain still throughout. Your eyes are your depth perception to the ball and changing the distance up or down greatly during the backswing will result in a very difficult return to the ball.

INSTRUCTION FOL LOW T HROUGH A fluid acceleration toward the ball to finish is what you should keep in mind for the follow through. Many things are happening quickly during this step so make sure to make a fluid movement through the ball.

1) The follow through begins with your weight starting to shift toward the target. This allows your hips to be able to turn out of the way before your hands follow through. A sign that your weight isn't shifted enough is the ball being pushed out to the right upon contact.

2) Maintaining the straight left allow yourself to swing down through the ball. A mental block that can develop with beginners is the feeling that you need to lift the ball upward on the follow through. This is untrue and will prevent you from getting solid contact with the ball. The club will do this work as long as you follow down and through. What is important is letting your wrist roll over which will help you keep momentum and square the club face with the ball. This is one of the most difficult parts of the game which will take time and practice.

3) The finish of your follow through should have you facing the target and give you the feeling that if you needed to you could take a step forward toward it. A finish that lets your hands end up high is a positive thing. One of the most important things during this process is knowing it is a goal to reach these positions but solid contact is the priority. It can be very overwhelming to think where you are positioned during all of these steps but overall they are just a guide or resource to help you stay consistent in your progress.

E TIQUE T TE FOR E

It is common to hear the word “fore!” being shouted on any golf course around the world. Use of the word dates back to 1878 and it literally means “ahead” or “look out ahead”. There is another version in the history of the word which involves the forecaddy whose job it was to stand in the fairway and yell when would yell "fore" when a ball and landed and been found. By either version, today good golf etiquette dictates that golfers should yell “fore”

upon hitting any shot that might risk hitting another golfer. Many times new golfer will feel embarrassed about hitting a shot that could potentially strike another player and in that moment forget to voice that the other player needs to look out. During play, if you hear fore being yelled near you, the first reaction might be to look around for the incoming ball, but a better reaction would be to shield your face and duck. It is probable that the ball will not hit you, but you should protect yourself since you would have no idea from which direction the ball is coming.

I have been hit by a golf ball before as well as hit another person and I have never seen anyone directly mad at me as long as I yelled out fore ahead of time. As a side note, I have been at a golf course where someone had let his dog named "Thor" loose and yelled all around trying to get him to return. Just for my paranoia, if you have a pet that rhymes with Thor please keep track of them near the golf course!

E TIQUE T TE HONOR S

Any player who has “honors” is a player who is the first one to hit from the tee box. On the first tee, honors can be determined randomly, by flip of a coin, straw drawing, or by any way the players decide. After the first tee, the player with the lowest score on the preceding hole goes first; the secondbest score goes second, and so on.

hole determines “honors”. The player who is farthest plays first, from any position on the golf course other than the tee box. The exception is when all members of the group have agreed to play “ready golf” which stands for “hit-when-ready”. Ready golf is usually played when golfers are trying to speed up, which can be the case if the golf course is very busy and tee times are backing up.

The order of hitting from the previous tee carries over in the case of ties. On the fairway, the distance the player is from the

Although "honors" is specifically mentioned in the rules of golf there is no specific penalty for not following it. Thus, “honors” is just a

part of the golf etiquette. However, if you are playing with a group that you are not immediately familiar with it would be considered bad manners or etiquette to go before it is your turn to take the tee. On the bright side, if your previously played hole didn't go as well as you like and another person has the honors you have extra time to figure out how you might adjust. You also have the advantage of seeing how another person's shot is affected by wind or other hazards before it is your turn.

E TIQUE T TE COURSE CARE Golf courses are located in some of the most beautiful places in the country. Every player has a duty to do whatever he can to keep the course in good condition. Care should be taken to not drop or throw clubs purposely. Such action might cause divots. Every golfer should repair any divots that he makes. If possible find the divot and quickly put it back in place, tamping it down so the grass can keep growing. If there isn't a piece to put back many courses leave sand nearby to fill the divots made by a swing.

Divots made by the ball landing on the green should also be repaired. There are very inexpensive green repair tools that can fix the indentions that the ball makes when it hits the green. This is one of the most important things to repair on the course as the greens can be the most difficult part of the course to keep in good condition. Repairing these marks will also have an impact on other players ability to putt. If you are driving a golf cart make sure to keep them away from the greens and

hazards. The wheels on carts can damage these areas greatly. Many course have a "90 degree rule", which means that you can drive the cart along the concrete cart path but you should take a 90 degree turn toward you ball Lastly, after hitting or walking in a bunker, always rake the sand to repair the damage to the area where the ball landed as well as the impressions your feet have made in the sand.

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