Back to Lori's Articles | Previous Article | Next Article

Island Golfer March 2008
Get Started, Get Comfortable, Go Play     

Welcome back to the golfing season and congratulations to those of you who continued to play over the winter. I tried to get away to warmer conditions as much as possible. One of my holidays included Florida and during this trip John and I went to the PGA Golf Show. It was an amazing show and over the next few months I will be filling you in on some of the details.

One of the best things for me is that I am now a TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor. The seminar was given by the Titleist Performance Institute and was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I teach many types of golfers that come in many shapes and lots have injuries. This training has made it much easier to see why a golfer would struggle because of an injury that may be recent or from years ago. There is so much information that I will break it down by the month for you. If you would like to be tested, please call me and I would love to put you through the test to see how we can get your fitness and golf on the same level.

This month I will try to give you all the information to get you started for the golf season. You need to feel comfortable to continue playing golf. There are too many ladies quitting the game because they feel intimidated and uncomfortable. Hopefully this will help.

Booking a Tee-Time

• Phone the Pro Shop at the course you would like to play.
• Ask if they make tee-times and if so, how far in advance can you make a booking.
• If possible, request a tee-time for your preferred day.
• Book your tee-time. Your time may sound odd like 11:23.
• It is very important for you to be there in plenty of time to tee off at that time.
• Tee times often run on 8 or 9-minute intervals so be ready to play at your time.
• Ask about present course conditions. For example, is the course really wet, are the greens in good condition, how long will it take to complete your round.
• Inquire about the dress code.
• Ask the price of the green fees for 18 or 9 holes.
• Find out if the course allows metal spikes or if it is soft spike only.

Buying Golf Equipment

1. When it is time to buy golf clubs they must be custom fitted to ensure they are suitable for the body type and swing motion of each individual.
2. Custom fitting includes the three parts of the golf club; head, shaft and grip.
3. Head - look for head style and lie angle.
4. Shaft - look for shaft type; steel or graphite, flex and length.
5. Grip - look for style and thickness.
6. Custom Fitting determines these specifications.

Why Custom Fit?

1. A properly fitted club will enable a golfer to most consistently hit shots in the center of the clubface aimed directly at a target.
2. Myth – “ I am not good enough to be club fit. I could use any equipment and it wouldn’t work”.
3. A golf club that is not fitted properly can affect a golfers swing motion negatively. A golfer will make adjustments in their swing motion, regardless of club used, to get a center hit aimed at the target. Most times this doesn’t work out.

Where can I get Custom Fitted and how much will it cost?

1. Most professional shops at golf courses offer this service. When looking for equipment an appointment can be arranged with a trained CPGA professional.
2. The cost of the fitting is usually included in the price of the equipment.
3. However if this is not the case, a fitting will cost $35.00 to $50.00.
4. A fitting will take 30 – 45 minutes in length.

What clubs do I need to get started?

A new golfer can start out with a modified set of clubs.
1. One wood (5 or 7-wood)
2. Four irons (5, 7, 9, PW, or SW)
3. Putter
4. Bag
5. Balls and tees

A beginning golfer can get nicely equipped with woods, irons, putter, and a bag for as little as $350.00. For this price you can have your equipment perfectly suited to your needs.

Choosing which tees to play

1. Tee selection should be made based on your skill level rather than gender.
2. Select the tee which will allow you to reach the green on most holes in two shots less than the par if you hit good shots. For example, you should play the forward tees until you can comfortably reach most of the par-4 holes in two shots.
3. Remember, golf is supposed to be fun. Playing the golf course shorter will make it more enjoyable until your skill level warrants a bigger challenge.

This should be enough information to get you started in the right direction, but if you have any more questions please send me an email or give me a call. No question is too stupid!!