I noticed yesterday that Lorena Ochoa, the former world's No. 1 woman player, revealed that she's about nine weeks pregnant. I'm happy for her, and admire the fact that she always seems to have her life in proper perspective. At the height of her playing career, she approached the game the same way. I found an article that she wrote with her lifelong coach, Rafael Alarcon, for Golf Digest in April of 2007. Her advice still holds true today: It will help you be more consistent on the course, whether you're trying to Break 100, 90 or 80. Here's hoping you play your best this weekend, and remember you can follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: Get ready to play
Before the round: The morning of a competitive round, I do a series of stretches and yoga poses in my room for about an hour. At the course, I swing a club over my head several times before I start hitting balls. This loosens my arm and shoulder muscles, and keeps me from getting hurt.
During the round: When I'm hitting a shot, I focus 100 percent, but between shots,
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Results for April 2011
Back to The Instruction Blog Index
Fitness Friday: Why push-ups are great for golf
Editor's note: Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske, Golf Digest
Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction Blog. He
gives you a health and fitness tip or an exercise or stretch to
get your body warmed up for the weekend. This week he explains why push-ups are great for your game and shows how to do them correctly. Look for Saturday
Morning Tip tomorrow, and remember
to follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
About a year ago, I contacted several top fitness experts across the U.S.--Mark Verstegen of Athletes' Performance, Randy Myers of Nike Golf, Gray Cook of Functional Movement Systems and Mike Boyle of Strengthcoach.com to name some--and asked them to give me their top-five exercises. As suspected, dead lifts appeared at the top of most lists because they are great total-body strengthening exercises.
But most everyone also gave kudos to a timeless classic--the push-up. It was refreshing to hear because the push-up is perhaps one of the simplest exercises to do. You can bang out 10 in Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
About a year ago, I contacted several top fitness experts across the U.S.--Mark Verstegen of Athletes' Performance, Randy Myers of Nike Golf, Gray Cook of Functional Movement Systems and Mike Boyle of Strengthcoach.com to name some--and asked them to give me their top-five exercises. As suspected, dead lifts appeared at the top of most lists because they are great total-body strengthening exercises.
But most everyone also gave kudos to a timeless classic--the push-up. It was refreshing to hear because the push-up is perhaps one of the simplest exercises to do. You can bang out 10 in Read more
Brandt Snedeker: How to go low
Brandt Snedeker has always been a streaky player, and even when he misses greens, his short-game magic produces the kind of low numbers that get everyone's attention, even the tournament's leaders playing two hours behind. That's exactly what happened yesterday at the PGA Tour's Heritage, when the man from Vanderbilt blistered Harbour Town's tight and tricky front nine with six birdies, then birdied three holes on the back nine, including 18, to sneak into an eventual sudden-death playoff. Fast-forward to the playoff, and another birdie on the 18th hole to match Luke Donald's. So that was 10 birdies in 19 holes.
But Snedeker would be the first to say it wasn't just the birdies that won him the tournament. The glue that kept his round together was the three times he hit delicate chips to get up and down for par (first hole, fifth hole and the 17th in the playoff).
Golf Digest Senior Editor of Instruction, Peter Morrice, remembers researching an article with Snedeker on the short game, photographed at Sea Island, Ga.
Read more
But Snedeker would be the first to say it wasn't just the birdies that won him the tournament. The glue that kept his round together was the three times he hit delicate chips to get up and down for par (first hole, fifth hole and the 17th in the playoff).Golf Digest Senior Editor of Instruction, Peter Morrice, remembers researching an article with Snedeker on the short game, photographed at Sea Island, Ga.
Saturday Morning Tip: All about putting
You want to break 100, 90 or 80 this weekend? Then focus on what really matters--getting the ball in the hole. Today, legendary putting guru Todd Sones gives you some tips that will work right now, to help you sink more putts. Good luck with your game, and remember to follow me on Twitter at RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: Don't move that head
Keeping your head still is fundamental to good putting. You can practice this by taking your setup with the top of your head against a wall, then hitting some putts. Editor's note: This is a great tip to do indoors on a carpet, even before you head to the course. And if the toe of your putter slides gently along the wall, you'll know your eyes are correctly positioned over your putting line./RS
Breaking 90: Swing longer, not faster
The length of your stroke should change based on the distance to the hole, but your tempo
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: Don't move that head
Keeping your head still is fundamental to good putting. You can practice this by taking your setup with the top of your head against a wall, then hitting some putts. Editor's note: This is a great tip to do indoors on a carpet, even before you head to the course. And if the toe of your putter slides gently along the wall, you'll know your eyes are correctly positioned over your putting line./RS
Breaking 90: Swing longer, not faster
The length of your stroke should change based on the distance to the hole, but your tempo
Read more
Fitness Friday: First-aid for golfers' ailments
Editor's note: Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske, Golf Digest
Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction Blog. He
gives you a great health and fitness tip or an exercise or stretch to
get your body warmed up for the weekend. This week he offers advice on dealing with common season-opening golf injuries. Look for Saturday Morning Tip tomorrow, and remember
to follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
For many people across the U.S., April marks the start of golf season. That means dragging the clubs out of the garage, heading to the local driving range or course, and trying to find some semblance of a swing to start the new year. Of course, your set of clubs isn't the only thing that needs to have the cobwebs
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
For many people across the U.S., April marks the start of golf season. That means dragging the clubs out of the garage, heading to the local driving range or course, and trying to find some semblance of a swing to start the new year. Of course, your set of clubs isn't the only thing that needs to have the cobwebs
Read more
Saturday Morning Tip: All about word play
I've been writing instruction articles with the legendary teacher and Golf Digest Teaching Professional Jim Flick for more than 25 years. The one thing that always strikes me when we get together is how important the choice of words is to him. Whether he's coaching Jack Nicklaus, Tom Lehman or a 20-handicapper, the words he uses, and the images they convey, mean everything to him. Here are three examples, based on your goals of Breaking 100, 90 or 80, from Jim to you. Let's hope they help your game this weekend. And remember to please follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: The word 'power' can be the root of evil
I love power, but I hate that word in the context of a golf swing. Why? Because when a golfer thinks of power, it conjures up an image of brute strength to swing the club. Trying to be powerful only results in a death grip and creates tension in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and back. Such tension inhibits the muscles from firing quickly and results in slower--not faster--clubhead speed. Tight muscles are slow muscles. Relaxed muscles will hit the ball farther. If you feel your face tensing up at address, you're making to much of an effort.
Breaking 90: On pitches, forget the words 'world-class finish'
So many players who want to break into the next level try to make a picture-book finish and look
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: The word 'power' can be the root of evil
I love power, but I hate that word in the context of a golf swing. Why? Because when a golfer thinks of power, it conjures up an image of brute strength to swing the club. Trying to be powerful only results in a death grip and creates tension in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and back. Such tension inhibits the muscles from firing quickly and results in slower--not faster--clubhead speed. Tight muscles are slow muscles. Relaxed muscles will hit the ball farther. If you feel your face tensing up at address, you're making to much of an effort.
Breaking 90: On pitches, forget the words 'world-class finish'
So many players who want to break into the next level try to make a picture-book finish and look
Read more
Fitness Friday: Have a ball when you work out
Editor's note: Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske, Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction Blog. He gives you a great health and fitness tip or an exercise or stretch to get your body warmed up for the weekend. This week he offers his thoughts on strengthening your core by using the physio ball. Remember to follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
You've probably seen them in the gym -- those big, bright inflatable balls that look like children's toys. They're called physio/exercise/Swiss balls and if you really want to amp up your exercise routine, you'd be smart to start using one.
"As far as the physio ball, it's a great and diverse piece of equipment," says Jeff Banaszak, founder of Back9Fitness and one of the top trainers on the PGA Tour. "The benefits are that it is very safe for everyone to use (close to the floor when you sit or lie on it) and we can use it for just about everything--from core strengthening, dynamic stabilization and all kinds of mobility training."
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
You've probably seen them in the gym -- those big, bright inflatable balls that look like children's toys. They're called physio/exercise/Swiss balls and if you really want to amp up your exercise routine, you'd be smart to start using one.
"As far as the physio ball, it's a great and diverse piece of equipment," says Jeff Banaszak, founder of Back9Fitness and one of the top trainers on the PGA Tour. "The benefits are that it is very safe for everyone to use (close to the floor when you sit or lie on it) and we can use it for just about everything--from core strengthening, dynamic stabilization and all kinds of mobility training."
Read more
Saturday Morning Tip: Playing with images
We're back to our goals of Breaking 100, 90 or 80 with today's tips for the weekend. Many of you have been asking for non-mechanical thoughts, rather than very specific, analytical information. So I've turned to one of the brightest teachers in the game, Golf Digest Teaching Professional Josh Zander, who was the 2003 Northern California Teacher of the Year and is tremendous at devising visual images to hit better shots. Here are three tips from Josh that won't wear you out. Let me know if you like this kind of instruction, and please remember to follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: Hit pitch shots like bunker shots
As in chipping, a lot of amateurs play pitches with the ball too far back, causing the club's leading edge to dig at impact. The pitch is like the sand shot, except you don't swing as hard. Play the ball about middle, and keep your weight slightly forward. The club's bounce should graze the grass the way it slides under the ball in the sand. This is more forgiving than playing the ball back, because the club can actually hit the ground behind the ball and still slide through.
Breaking 90: On the tee, play on thin ice
A great image for hitting better drives--especially if you tend to pop the ball up or run your driver into the ground--is to pretend you're swinging on a sheet of thin ice. Try to sweep the
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Breaking 100: Hit pitch shots like bunker shots
As in chipping, a lot of amateurs play pitches with the ball too far back, causing the club's leading edge to dig at impact. The pitch is like the sand shot, except you don't swing as hard. Play the ball about middle, and keep your weight slightly forward. The club's bounce should graze the grass the way it slides under the ball in the sand. This is more forgiving than playing the ball back, because the club can actually hit the ground behind the ball and still slide through.
Breaking 90: On the tee, play on thin ice
A great image for hitting better drives--especially if you tend to pop the ball up or run your driver into the ground--is to pretend you're swinging on a sheet of thin ice. Try to sweep the
Read more
Fitness Friday: Interval training for golf
Editor's note: Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske, Golf Digest
Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction Blog. He
gives you a great
health and
fitness tip or an exercise or stretch to get your body warmed up for
the weekend. This week he offers his thoughts on the benefits of interval training versus steady-state cardio training, and tells you which is best for golf. Remember to follow me on
Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Many people have asked about the benefits of interval training when compared to steady-state cardio training. Intervals are any exercise that alternates periods of strenuous activity with periods of considerably lower activity. Steady-state cardio is any exercise where the level of activity remains roughly the same throughout.
"Intervals leave steady-state cardio in the dust," says Chris Noss, one of the top trainers on the PGA Tour. Here are four reasons why you should incorporate interval training into your workout.
1. Golf is a "burst" sport, meaning it's played with short bursts of energy followed by periods of low activity. Interval training helps prepare the body for those bursts. Even better, it trains the body to perform under duress. So even though you're mentally stressed about hitting that wedge shot over water or keeping steady over that crucial putt, you'll have the physical coordination to pull it off.
2. The up-and-down nature of intervals makes your heart work harder and keeps the body from getting used to the activity. Steady-state cardio suffers from the law of diminishing returns because the body adapts to stress over time and doesn't have to work as hard to perform the same activity. With intervals, you're making your heart stronger.
3. Because you are training your heart to be in a steady state of alertness, intervals help raise your metabolism and are proven to be more effective at burning fat than is steady-state cardio.
4. And perhaps the most appealing reason is that studies have shown 15 to 20 minutes of interval training has a greater health benefit than 60 minutes of steady-state cardio. Not only does it save time, but it also puts a lot less stress on the joints you're already damaging when you play golf.
You can turn just about any strenuous physical activity into an interval training session. Even strength training can be done in intervals by taking very short breaks between sets. Trust me, you'll be gasping for air in little time.
Here is a sample interval workout I routinely do on the treadmill. Keep in mind that the speeds I'm running at might be too fast/slow for you. You should adjust to your level of fitness, physical limitations, etc. You want your fastest speeds to be about 80 percent of what you could do if you were running full out.
Do a three-minute warm-up at 6.5 mph, then alternate walking at 4 mph for 60 seconds and running at 8 mph for 60 seconds. Keep the walk/run pattern consistent except for increasing the speed you run by 0.5 mph with each cycle up to 10 mph. Then decrease the run speed by 0.5 mph until you get back down to 8.5 mph. Total time should be 20 minutes.
-- Ron Kaspriske
Tom Lehman's go-to shot
Tom Lehman, the winner of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic on Sunday, made an interesting comment about his swing about a half hour after hoisting the trophy. "What I have done well [throughout my career] is draw the ball, and so every teacher I ever had, every lesson I ever had, I always said 'don't ever, ever, ever try to get me to do anything where I can't draw the ball.' " Then Lehman went on to say that he told his teachers, "If you think I hook it too much, then make it less high or something, but I always want to hook it."
He might have also mentioned that this go-to shot really works for him. At the Mississippi tournament, Lehman hit 35 of 42 fairways, or 83.3 percent, tied for second in the field. He also averaged 287.5 yards off the tee (10th in driving distance) and hit 76 percent of the greens in regulation (T14).
Lehman says only three people have influenced his swing over his lifetime: his father (who gave him the fundamentals), his coach at the University of Minnesota, Les Bolstad (who got him on the right path with his swing), and Golf Digest Teaching Professional Jim Flick (who for the past 20 years has kept him on the right path).
I spoke with Flick about Lehman's technique and how adopting some of Tom's principles might help the average golfer. Flick had a lot to say: "It's true that Tom told me not to change his basic draw ball-flight," Jim says. "The main thing I did
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He might have also mentioned that this go-to shot really works for him. At the Mississippi tournament, Lehman hit 35 of 42 fairways, or 83.3 percent, tied for second in the field. He also averaged 287.5 yards off the tee (10th in driving distance) and hit 76 percent of the greens in regulation (T14).
Lehman says only three people have influenced his swing over his lifetime: his father (who gave him the fundamentals), his coach at the University of Minnesota, Les Bolstad (who got him on the right path with his swing), and Golf Digest Teaching Professional Jim Flick (who for the past 20 years has kept him on the right path).
I spoke with Flick about Lehman's technique and how adopting some of Tom's principles might help the average golfer. Flick had a lot to say: "It's true that Tom told me not to change his basic draw ball-flight," Jim says. "The main thing I did
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