Start with the Basics

If you’re new to golf, you don’t nee a full set of 14 golf clubs. In fact, you can make do with seven clubs: three woods, two irons, a wedge, and a putter. Some instructors advise beginners to forego a driver altogether, and instead use a 3-wood to hit off the tee. A 3 wood, combined with a 7 wood and 9 wood, are enough to get you started. A 5 iron and a 7 iron are mid irons that will help you in your approach. When it comes to wedges, you’ll probably want to go with a sand wedge that will help prevent you from digging in when you’re hitting from the bunker. You’ll also, of course, need a putter that will help you put the ball into the hole.

Pre-Owned Golf Clubs

If you know you’re going to stick with the game, but aren’t ready to make an enormous investment in clubs, you should seriously consider buying used golf clubs. Pre-owned golf clubs can give you the full set you need to refine your game, and are an affordable alternative to a new set of clubs. For example, Calloway offers certified, pre-owned clubs. The certification ensures the clubs’ authenticity and that the clubs have passed a rigorous inspection of the heads, shafts, and grips, as well as verification of the technical specifications of the clubs. Typically, certified clubs come with a limited warranty.

Making the Leap

Once you’re committed to golf and are seriously working on refining your game, you’re ready to invest in a new set of golf clubs. You have several options, ranging from ready-made sets by brand names like TaylorMade and Calloway to custom made clubs that will match your specific game. It’s worth your while to research which brand of clubs will work best for you, and make sure that you select the right combination of woods, irons, wedges, and putters that will enable you to play your best game.

More than Clubs

Needless to say, a great round of golf involves more than clubs. You also need the right golf shoes and golf accessories to play your best. Thanks to the Internet, you no longer need to rely on your course’s pro shop or big box sporting goods stores to find everything from golf shoes to golf apparel. It’s even a straightforward process to buy golf clubs online. Best of all, you can buy all of the equipment you need at a fraction of retail prices.

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to invest in the golf clubs and golf accessories that suit your level of play and commitment to the sport.

Learn more about Golf by visiting Peak Golf Tips at www.PeakGolfTips.com.

Again, we are all aware the lower back is one of the most oft injured areas of the body in the game of golf. Statistics indicate approximately 50% of all golfers will incur a lower back injury during their playing careers. This statistic tell us a great deal about the importance of keeping the lower back healthy in the game of golf. Outside of the lower back becoming injured from the golf swing.

The situation of performance on the golf course comes into play. Often times prior to injury occurring, a drop in performance will occur. This is a result of the fatigue within the lower back not allowing the mechanics of the golf swing to be executed correctly.

On the PGA Tour keeping the lower back strong and injury free is a daily task. It is understandable how much time is spent on lower back injury prevention when the biomechanics of the golf swing are understood. The biomechanics of the golf swing place the lower back under large amounts of shear force/stress every time you swing a golf club.

Over time, this can easily cause injury if you do not take the correct steps. This leads me to e-mail I received a little while back from BioForce subscriber Bryan

He wrote in with a question about his lower back and here is what he had to say;

“Sean,

I am 54 years of age and a very keen golfer.
Lately I have been experiencing back pain, maybe because of to much golfing?
I need your kind experience to advise me on this subject so that I can enjoy golf
without any harm to my back.”

Thank You,
Bryan

First and foremost the reasons for lower back pain is numerous and is best identified by a qualified physician.

My first suggestion is to get the lower back checked out by a back specialists. This will determine what exactly is going on with the lower back and what is the best treatment.

Now Bryan brings up a very good point in his e-mail. He discusses the possibility that his lower back discomfort is caused by playing too much golf. (you can never play enough golf!, well…maybe)
This absolutely could be the reason why his lower back is “tight” and “sore”.

Again, we know the lower back is placed under high amounts of stress every single swing of the golf club. Over time the muscles of the lower back can become fatigued from the golf swing. This will eventually lead to the muscles of the lower back “giving up” and becoming fatigued.

Once the muscles of the lower back are fatigued it is a very short step to injury. What is the process of eliminating this type of scenario playing out?

It simply requires the development of muscular endurance in the lower back to withstand the stressors of the golf swing. Bottom line the golf swing is a repetitive movement, requiring the body to perform the swing over and over again. In order for the muscles (lower back muscles included) involved in the golf swing to perform the repeatable movements of the golf swing over and over again in an efficient manner.

Muscular endurance is the ability of the neuromuscular system of the body to perform a repetitive biomechanical movement (i.e. golf swing) without becoming fatigued. How do you develop muscular endurance specific to the golf swing? By simply, implementing golf fitness exercises into a structured program.

In addition to the development of increased muscular endurance the efficiency of the golf swing mechanics may require adjustment. Efficiency within the mechanics of the golf swing can directly affect the amount of stress placed upon the lower back.

Additional research has indicated the shear forces placed upon the lower back of a professional golfer is significantly less than the amateur golfer. The reason for the difference is the mechanics of the golf swing performed by the professional is much more efficient, placing less stress on the lower back.

Stated previously, numerous reasons exist for the lower back to become injured. The mechanics of the golf swing and endurance with muscles of the lower back are only two of many possibilities. If the lower back is weak the shear forces placed upon it by the golf swing will eventually lead to fatigue. The development of higher levels of muscular endurance can counter act this situation. The utilization of golf fitness exercises is best in relation to the golf swing for this situation.

Additionally, the efficiency in which the mechanics of the golf swing are executed affects the lower back. A less efficient golf swing places higher levels of shear force upon the musculature of the lower back causing fatigue and possible injury. A comprehensive golf fitness program to develop higher levels of muscular endurance and the creation of a efficient golf swing golf through instruction may assist keeping your lower back injury free.

Sean Cochran

For additional details visit Peak Golf Tips at www.PeakGolfTips.com.

People do take up golf for different reasons and it does mean something different to almost every player. For some, like my friend, it’s relaxing on a beautiful course and enjoying nature and the scenery. To others it’s a great way to meet with clients and close deals. Some just enjoy an occasional round. Others get hooked and pursue mastery of the game with single-minded passion. But no matter what attracts you to the game of golf, we all have something in common: we need equipment. Lots of it.

Initially I had a real problem with that. Golf shops intimidated me. I didn’t really know much about golf clubs, golf shoes or even golf bags and I was embarrassed about my lack of knowledge. Whenever I went to a pro shop, everyone else seemed to be an expert, knowing everything about golf, except me. I didn’t understand half of what sales people were talking about and I didn’t even understand many of their questions. So I felt they were talking down to me and I resented that.

So I began reading golf books and magazines and asked golfing buddies for advice. I ended up with a good set of clubs, found that some balls worked better for me than others (I am a Titleist man), and spent a small fortune on golf equipment (Nike made a small fortune off me) I did or did not need. Truth be told, my lack of knowledge and my being ill at ease with the sales people in the pro shops probably kept me from enjoying the game as much as I should have.

All of this changed in the past few years. I am an online person. To me, finding accurate and unbiased golf equipment reviews on the web was just what I had been waiting for. I am not talking about just online golf stores or golf bulletin boards. What helped me were sites done by golfing enthusiasts who simply wanted to share their knowledge with others. See, while I used to be aware of the likes of Burton or Ogio or Ping, there wasn’t anyone who told me who truly made the best bag for me. I was told some of the training aids out there really worked while others were a waste of money but I didn’t know which was which. I knew of amazing advancements in golf carts and I had even heard of new technologies like golf gps, but I didn’t know what was valuable information and what was just marketing.

For me, the emergence of golf enthusiast sites with golf equipment reviews made all the difference. I love reading reviews written by real people as opposed to just sales spiels, and I love how some of those sites explain it all in terms that make sense. I love to read and learn, and these days I totally rely on golf sites that are not only entertaining, but also provide me with the reviews I need and even recommendations on where to get the best deals.

See more Peak Golf Tips at www.PeakGolfTips.com.