Rainy Days Cont'd - Five Things To Do Indoors 1. Stretching

To start off Five Things To Do Indoors, the first I will present is stretching.

Stretching in Golf, I believe, is one of the most important things to keep your body and swing loose, tempo smooth, in balance, and from getting pulled muscles. 

• Wrist, Arm, and Shoulder Stretches

• Take right arm and place straight out putting your hand at 90 degree angle point fingers upward
• Take left hand and pull lightly back fingers to shoulder and hold for 10 seconds
• repeat at least five times
• Switch Arms and hands and repeat
• Using same technique only pointing fingers downward and repeat same as above
• Take right arm and place behind head grabbing wrist with left hand pulling gently for at least 10 seconds. 
• repeat at least 5 times
• change and do same with opposite arms
• Take right arm behind back around hip area grabbing wrist with left hand pulling gently for at least 10 seconds 
• repeat at least five times
• change and do same with opposite arms
• Take right arm in front of body grabbing elbow with left hand pulling gently for at least 10 seconds
• repeat at least five times
• change and do same with opposite arms

The above exercise will assist in flexibility.

• Find a broom stick or you an use one of your long irons or woods (be careful if using your clubs not to bend your shaft).
• Get in your address position and place in the following position:
• Take stick or club behind back and place inside each elbow
• Start with turn of shoulders going in movement of back swing motion which allows your hips to turn naturally
• once you obtain the shoulders at a 90 degree turn (or best turn you can) with weight shifting from neutral position to weight moving toward insight right foot start your down swing motion with weight shifting and moving to the  follow through finish.
• repeat at least 10 times with tempo you would use with normal golf swing.

The above exercise will assist in flexibility, work with tempo of swing, weight shifting, and balance.

Both exercises will also assist in warming you up before your round and practice on the range.  By continually doing these exercises and others you will find that your golf game can improve with increased flexibility, which increases your range in motion and assist in obtaining easier smoother tempo.

 To the right is example of several exercises that will help you loosening up your body muscles:

There are numerous other stretching exercises that you can perform these are just a few.

  By stretching and exercising regularly you will work through the pyramid below eventually achieving all levels:



Next tip will be on Practicing putting on indoor carpet or putting pad.

Until then keep your body loose and stretch often to help keep from pulling any unnecessary muscles.....

Rainy Days continued... Five Things You Can Do Indoors

Well it is another Rainy Day, I guess it really hasn't stopped.  Been raining now for about three days.  Fortunately, it has only been raining and not storming.

You just got your game the way you want it, or, close enough that you are feeling good about your swing and scoring.  You get a long delay for unknown reasons or it is just raining for several days that you cannot get on the course.

Here are five things you can do inside:

1. Keep stretching so you can stay flexible.
2. Practice putting on carpet or indoor putting pad.
3. If you have a room or garage that is safe to swing a 7 iron, you can practice your swing and work on your technique.
4. Chipping Drill Indoors
5. Work on Your Swing Balance.

Over the next few days we will go over all five of these tips.

So until you can get back on the course keep these in mind to once you do you won't miss a beat....

Rainy Day Sundays

Today is a beautiful Rainy Day Sunday.

We have had a steady stream of rain since yesterday afternoon and today it is still beautiful.  I have been enjoying quiet time with my wife.  Her working on her genealogy and me thinking of what next to write about and enjoying a day of golf shows and other sports. 

It has been about three weeks since I broke my finger and I get to see the doctor this next week to see when I can start practicing again.  I have a couple of tournaments I want to get ready for such as the Senior US Open Qualifier in June and a local Pro-Am also in June.

I can't wait to starting working on my short game and eventually work on full swing to get my tempo in tournament condition.

As I have been sitting on my favorite chair looking out the living room window listening to the birds, watching our cat chatter at them, listening to the rain drops hitting the trees and ground along with the wind flowing through the trees and constantly looking at my gorgeous wife doing her thing I thought what rule can I talk about today and it came to me lift clean and place.

When playing golf for many years and with a variety of people I think the most misunderstood rule in golf is how to play lift clean and place properly.  A simple rule made hard by human thinking.

As provided in Rule 33-8a, the Committee may make and publish Local Rules for local abnormal conditions if they are consistent with the policy established in Appendix A.

If local abnormal conditions interfere with the proper playing of the game and the Committee considers it necessary to modify a Rule of Golf, authorization from the USGA must be obtained.

The Appendix A 4a is the one that will be utilized when the tournament director states they will play Lift Clean and Place.

Lifting an Embedded Ball, Cleaning:  Temporary conditions that might interfere with proper playing of the game, including mud and extreme wetness, or warranting relief for an embedded ball anywhere through the green or permitting lifting, cleaning and replacing a ball anywhere through the green or on a closely mown area through the green.

When this is implemented by the Director of the Tournament the proper procedure is to:

• Mark ball before lifting.
• Clean Ball (cannot change ball in play at that time)
• Tournament Rules dictate the distance can be placed from original spot no closer to hole.
• Ball in play

Well time to get back to the peacefulness of the Rainy Sunday and quiet time with my wife.

Until next time,

When playing in the rain keep as dry as you can and have the proper attire to help make the game stay fun..........