DoGolf Jonathan

I completely agree - you definitely should work out your whole body. I have seen a lot of guys who were good golfers and just lifted weights and then got really stiff and their swings just wasn't as fluid anymore.

Are you guys purchasing the mat to practice at home? I have never thought about buying a mat because I just don't have the room at home to hit the balll more than 5-10 yards and wasn't sure if it was worth it.

Thanks for the heads up - I can't wait to go try them out at the store!

Great pointers, thanks drglew.

That is genius! The only thing that would have made it better were if they let the customer grab the tees themselves instead of the clerk. Nevertheless, still awesome!

Being in Los Angeles, I usually play golf year round. So I would say, barring any rain in the forecast, I usually play a round the week between Christmas and New Years!

I definitely agree. There is a huge difference between someone who can play golf and someone who can teach golf. I think for the most part a lot of the pros go through strenuous training and techniques to be able to be a good pro, but for some reason or another, can't put their teachings into action for themselves. Also, sometimes it is just pure talent. Take Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, etc, etc... all these guys have pros who most likely don't play golf better than they do, but they are still being coached. It is because the coach may not have all that it takes. Just my few cents.

I personally HATE it when a golfer who doesn't know the rule walks ALL OVER your line on the green when he is trying to get to his ball. This is a great pet peeve!

Very useful information, thanks!

If you have the cash laying around, then I say why not just go for the quality ball that you like. But I do agree, if you are just beginning, you are going to lose a lot of balls and you most likely won't be able to tell the difference. I have bought everything from refinished balls to high end quality ProV1s. I played fine with both and like using my refinished balls on the courses that are more challenging that I know I have the potential of losing a ball here or there.

Very interesting data, MiniBlue. I had no idea but its hard to argue with the proof you supplied. And it makes sense that the closer targets are closer to actual because there probably isn't that big of a distance variation from the ball at 60-100 yards. Thanks for the insights!

Yukari, I completely agree - I NEVER on golf days unless it is after the round. But by then, I'm just knocked out from the 18 holes.

Shorty, I think you're right. If you aren't out there competitively and know what it takes to be a pro, surrounded by pros, and realizing the sacrifice necessary, then it'll be a real big wake up call to just jump in the deep end.

Welcome, GolfETA! What courses do you regularly play at down in OC?

Great - I would consider myself a recreational golf, so I'm okay. Also, I am definitely giving myself different muscles rest and rotating them.

Setting cardio aside, I'm just curious to know how many days a week you golfers out there hit the gym regularlyand for strength training/weight lifting. Is such a thing as going to the gym too much that it affects your swing because your muscles are fatigued. What are some of your thoughts and stats? For me: Age: 30 Weightlifting/StrengthTraining: 4-5 times a week THANKS!

I actually have two under armour t-shirts and everytime I wear them to work out, I usually feel the material is a little harsh. Do any of you feel this way? Is the material probably from the type of t-shirt I get? I'm assuming that long sleeve gives a much smoother feeling?

Wow, I would have never thought of using the Callaway golves. I have been using FootJoy ever since I stared playing golf 15 years ago, but with your recommendation, I'm ready to go try out some of these "most comfortable" gloves ever! Thanks for the tip!

That's an interesting concept. Now that I think about it, I normally swing the handle, but I try to concentrate on which way my club head is facing on the backswing and follow through. I'm going to go through some of the testimonials a little more to see what I can decipher. Thanks for the intro to this book!

jswang, I also have somewhat flat feet and they are pretty wide as well. I usually feel a little too tight on the sides of my feet. I have been looking for some good golf shoes for some time and found some good Nikes for about $80 at Sport Chalet. I would say, for your flat feet, perhaps try out a couple of pairs of Adidas and Nike that sacm3bill suggests.

That's a great deal and a nice surprise from the saleslady. I have been looking for a pair of good shoes at a decent price but have been unsuccessful. Sounds like you came away with a steal - way to go!

Also, I think if you log in to oobgolf or myscorecard.com those two sites are great at calculating your correct handicap. Also, most of the time they have the course slope and par in there already so you don't have to stress over that stuff. Just a helpful thought.

My apartment is pretty small, but I tried this a couple of times and the most I was able to do was do a few smooth, controled swings with a pitching wedge or my Cleveland wedge (when it was new) or just putting on my carpet. I think when I pull out the driver, all hell will break loose and I'd smash everything!

I often don't choke down on my putter too much. I really like that smooth pendulum feeling from the weight of the club head. I would say, I agree with most people on this post that I usually leave approximately 1-2" from the top... probably more error on the side of 1-1.5".