Golf Practice Blog

The state of Texas has a long and proud history with the game of golf, and it’s current players and teachers are no exception.

Houston’s Jim Hardy has been named the PGA Teacher of the Year for 2007.

“Being honored like this is a very humbling experience,” said Hardy. “You always kind of hope such things come your way, but when they call to say you’ve been chosen, it’s kind of hard to believe. It’s really a wonderful thing.”

“I’m so proud that it happened for the Southern Texas PGA, too,” added Hardy. “We have many outstanding teachers within our Section . . . I kind of feel that we won as a Section, and it’s especially meaningful to be in the same company as Harvey Penick and Chuck Cook as PGA of America Teachers of the Year.”

Read the rest of the article about Jim Hardy from TexasGolf.Blogspot.com.

PracticeRange.com offers two outstanding Jim Hardy titles to assist in your golf training regimen:

1. Plane Truth for Golfers
2. Master Class: Plane Truth For Golfers

Though a bit early for the holiday gift-giving season, the staff at PracticeRange.com has decided to add 2008 golf-themed wall and desk calendars to its offering of golf books. We have 12- and 16-month titles available for the 2008 and 2008-2009 calendar years, and there are plenty of options to choose from:

1. Amazing But True Golf Facts Desk Calendar
2. Golf Courses: Fairways of the World Wall Calendar
3. Golf Digest 365 Days of Golf Wall Calendar
4. Golf Digest 365 Golf Holes Desk Calendar
5. Golf Resorts Wall Calendar
6. Natalie Gulbis All-Golf Wall Calendar
7. Sports Illustrated Classic Golf Courses Wall Calendar
8. Sports Illustrated Golf Desk Calendar
9. World’s Most Difficult Golf Holes Wall Calendar

Golfers are the type of people who will get up early on a Saturday… on purpose… in order to beat the heat to the first tee, so we figured they’d be the same sort who would like to beat the holiday shopping rush.

Please visit our Calendars section at PracticeRange.com for that perfect gift for the golfer in your life.

By Katharine Dyson
Golf Press Association Contributing Lifestyle Editor

While recently playing golf on a hot sticky day with my friend, we were waiting for the par-3 green to clear.

If you’re quenching your thirst with flavored waters like Glacéau’s VitaminWater, two 20-ounce bottles add up to 250 calories. Go ahead, read the fine print.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the Golf Press Association by Katharine Dyson.

For the best golf fitness training aids, please visit PracticeRange.com!

By JOE E. CERVI
The Pueblo Chieftan

Fresh air. Green grass. Authorized hookey. The chance to learn a life sport free of charge.

Ortiz is one of many kids who was introduced to golf for the first time in high school. As a member of the Eagles’ team, Ortiz hits range balls and practices as often as he likes, travels to tournaments and gets instruction free of charge.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the Pueblo Cheiftan by Joe Cervi.

For the best golf training aids for your junior golf beginner, please visit PracticeRange.com!

Of course, you had no idea it was my birthday on September 1st, so it’s ok that you didn’t get me anything. However we did have lots of orders for golf training aids over the long weekend, so I’ll consider that enough of a birthday gift from our golfing community.

I did receive an interesting email from another blog & newsletter to which I subscribe…

“Happy Birthday to you!
May the Golf Gods bless you;
With a birdie and a chip-in,
Plus a hole-in-one too!

Over bunkers and hazards,
Fly your ball in between,
May your buddies be wowed,
By your drives to the Green.”

Now with the proper inspiration, perhaps for my next birthday all of our PracticeRange.com customers can get together and write a touching birthday song and dedicate it to me.

Enough about me though. As promised a few weeks ago, with the advent of the new month we have our top selling products list hot off the presses for your review.

PracticeRange.com best sellers (in order of popularity):

1. 2Thumb Putter Grips
2. Swingyde
3. The Impact Bag
4. The Grip Coach
5. Plane EZ
6. Impact Ball
7. Dynaflex Pro Gyro
8. The Plane Stick
9.The 3-Club Tour with Hank Haney
10. Venus on the Fringe

I’m sure something on this list will help clear up that last hangup with your golf game. And remember for this time next year… I wear a medium shirt and my favorite color is blue.

Shop thousands of the world’s best golf training aids, golf books and golf DVDs at PracticeRange.com and feel free to email us to request a printed catalog of our featured products.

By Sean Cochran
From PGATOUR.com

As we continue with our series on golf fitness exercises to improve your game it is time to discuss clubhead speed. Over the past couple of weeks we have been discussing tee shots and the benefits of golf fitness training for this aspect of your game.

An integral component of tee shots, especially those hit with your driver, is clubhead speed. Clubhead speed is essentially the rate of speed at which the club impacts the golf ball. The higher the rate of speed, the farther the golf ball will travel. So it only makes sense when hitting driver that clubhead speed becomes an integral component of the game.

Read the rest of Sean Cochran’s article about increasing clubhead speed at PGATOUR.com.

Click here to view the full line of golf fitness products at PracticeRange.com.

Far Hills, N.J. - A proposed amendment to the 2008 Rules of Golf regarding additional forms of club adjustability has been approved by the USGA. Any such adjustment(s), however, cannot be made during a stipulated round. All new forms of iron and wood adjustability must be approved in advance by the USGA.

The Rules of Golf currently state that woods and irons must not be designed to be adjustable, except for weight. In March 2005, the USGA first indicated an interest in allowing more types of adjustable features on woods and irons and on Feb. 27, 2007, the USGA published a proposed Rule change.

The USGA decided to adopt the proposal after consideration of comments from manufacturers and other interested parties. The USGA believes the changes regarding adjustability can help many golfers obtain clubs that are well suited to their needs. There is no change to the Rules regarding putters, which already allow weight and other forms of adjustment.

“We believe that helping average golfers without taking away from the challenge of the game is a good thing for golf,” said Dick Rugge, USGA senior technical director.

“PGA Tour players have long had the opportunity to have their clubs adjusted or modified quickly and often. This has allowed them to fit their clubs to their swings as they feel the need to do so. By relaxing the rules to permit club adjustability, average golfers can enjoy similar fitting benefits.”

Any questions regarding the change to the rules governing adjustability of clubs should be sent to the USGA, attention Dick Rugge, P.O. Box 708, Far Hills, NJ 07931, Fax 908-234-0138, e-mail: drugge@usga.org.

Click here to order your copy of USGA Golf Rules Illustrated.

By RICK MARTINO
Scripps Howard News Service
Tuesday, September 04, 2007

One of the true learned skills of playing golf is the ability to read greens. Even for experienced players, this skill varies from course to course because there are many different types of grasses used on various green surfaces, and many outside factors that have an effect on the roll of the ball.

– 3. The line chosen for the putt.

Read the rest of this artice by Rick Martino at ScrippsNews.com.

For the best golf training aids to help you line up putts and read greens, visit PracticeRange.com!

By Mel Callender
San Marcos Daily Record Columnist

When should golf begin?

I believe a parent should introduce a child to all sports, allowing that child to play in a lot of different sports to see which game they enjoy the most. Should your child take an interest in golf, then there are various organizations that have programs that are geared to your child’s age. These programs can offer instruction, opportunities to play and compete with other players of their skill and age level.

Read the rest of this article by Mel Callender at The San Marcos Daily Record.

For the best golf training aids for your junior golf beginner, please visit PracticeRange.com!

LONGWOOD, Fla. - Five men including the winner of the record-setting seven-man playoff at the Boeing Classic use the I GOTCHA Ready Warm-Up System to safely stretch and relax their body before taking on the competition. The seven golfers made history Sunday competing in the largest playoff in Champions Tour history.

The I GOTCHA Ready is so popular that more than 70 players on the Champions Tour use it including seven of the top 15 money leaders.

“The three-step process of the I GOTCHA Ready Warm-Up System starts with helping establish a smooth tempo and powerful release while effectively increasing flexibility and warming up the golf muscles,” said Jim Light, president and founder of Pro Line Sports, Inc. “It’s like having three products in one. The warm-up routine only takes a minute and will have golfers loose while building distance and flexibility.”

Whether you are a Tour player or an avid golfer, the quick & easy twist-n-lock design of the I GOTCHA Ready allows golfers to safely stretch their body helping to prevent possible injury.

The I GOTCHA Ready Warm-Up System comes in three weights and is available at PracticeRange.com for $28.95 plus $6.30 shipping and handling.