Sep
27
Golf Birthday Gifts — A Quick Introduction
Filed Under Golf Clubs
Buying a birthday gift for the golf fanatic of the family has never been an easy task. The possibilities seem endless, a new piece of golf equipment, the latest golf training aid, a box of golf balls, or perhaps even a golf lesson? Who knew buying a birthday gift for a golfer could be so complicated!
Simple Idea - Golf Impact Indicators
Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing.
There seems to be a new golf teaching tool or golf training aid on the market every other week. The Whippy Tempomaster is an amusing golf teaching tool at first sight, but is extremely effective at teaching a golfer about the tempo of a golf swing. You can find this particular golf teaching tool on eBay in the $75 range. The Swing Setter by David Leadbetter is a popular piece of equipment that is actually used by several professional golfers, Michelle Wie included. The Swing Setter will set you back $85 on eBay or $130 in retail stores. Another, less expensive option is a golf impact bag. For about $35 your birthday boy can whack away at a heavy bag, learning the correct position and feel at the moment of impact. Any of these options would make a wonderful birthday gift for your golfer.
Concentrate totally on your game and you’ll get the best score. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also. Golf requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and is often overlooked.
Unless the person you are buying this golf birthday gift for is a scratch golfer, a golf lesson is always a wonderful idea. Local golf courses, country clubs and driving ranges will often sell single lessons or packages of lessons both to the individual and as a certificate that you could use as the golf birthday gift. A golf lesson from a respectable local professional should cost you anywhere from $50-$100. The birthday boy or girl may not be as excited initially…but they will be thanking you down the road!
The traditional Father’s Day gift for the golfing dad seems to be a box of his favorite golf balls. This would make for a fine golf birthday gift as well. Be sure to find out his favorite brand or type of golf ball and head on down to your local golf shop to pickup a dozen. If he does not use a specific brand, or you want to keep it a surprise, the major sport chain retailers generally have several brands of golf balls on sale. If your golf birthday boy or girl is a new player, try finding some low spin golf balls. Golf balls can cost you anywhere from $10 a dozen on up to $45. Unless your gift recipient plays golf several times a week, stick in the $10-$20 range.
At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.
Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you. Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find.
Old Standby – A Box of Golf Balls
Before you swing, make sure you’re relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. Try not to grip the club too tightly.
Workouts with straight crunches won’t improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead. Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you’ll never underestimate golf fitness again.
Another Option - Golf Teaching Tools
Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing.
Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight.
Most of all don’t waste your money on a golf swing aid you don’t need or will never use. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.
Wise Decision – Golf Lessons
Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop.
Golf Impact Indicators are pieces of tape or sometimes calls golf dust that can be applied to the club face at the driving range or practice range. This will let your golf birthday gift recipient know where they are hitting the ball. This can run from about $5 for impact tape to $15 for a can of golf dust. You may have a hard time finding this in a local store, check it out online.