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New Year’s Golf Resolutions

As 2021 (finally) rolls around, I think all of us can look forward to putting 2020 behind us and beginning 2021 optimistic and motivated.  As we talked about last week in our blog, the game of golf grew drastically throughout 2020.  Many new people began taking up golf this year, and a lot of others got back into the game for the first time in many years.  Regardless of experience or skill level, everyone can improve in some area of their game. This blog will discuss potential golf resolutions to strive for in 2021, and hopefully you will be inspired to achieve some of these goals!

To start, here is a simple resolution: practice more!  While playing is a great way to improve, the best way to really lower your scores is to practice in addition to playing actual rounds. Spending some time at a driving range or hitting net can be a great way to work on your game and develop consistency.  If you typically get out to play a round once or twice per week and do not practice in between, you will be surprised to see how much you can improve by practicing just once per week!  When practicing, short game can often be neglected so make sure to also spend some time on the practice greens putting and chipping.  For those of you looking to lower scores in 2021, consider adding some practice time to your weekly routines to supplement your actual rounds!

Another important resolution that ties into practicing more is developing proper habits.  Practicing often with improper habits will not help you improve or develop consistency regardless of how often you practice.  In many cases, it can be more beneficial to practice once or twice per week with proper habits than to practice every day with improper ones.  In addition to practicing with the proper fundamentals, it can also be great to practice with a purpose. For example, dedicating one practice session to just the grip, rather than just swinging without purpose or plan can greatly help you improve in a specific target area.  Focusing on one area per session can help you create strong and correct habits.  Since it can be difficult learning and understanding the proper swing mechanics, consider taking a lesson this year!  To start, just one or two lessons can teach you the basic mechanics like grip, posture, ball position, and how to start/finish the swing.  Once you understand the basics, you can begin targeting each area at specific practice sessions.  The goal of a good golf swing is to be able to consistently repeat your swing, so learning and developing correct habits is the best way to do that.

In addition to dedicating practice time to working on specific skills and mechanics, improving your “golf fitness” can help your game tremendously!  Improving flexibility, balance, and strength can greatly improve your swing and power.

This past year, Britt Marie Fitness began at the American Classic Golf Club.  Weekly yoga for golfers and other fitness classes offered in person and virtually can improve your golf fitness and overall body fitness.  I think many people do not consider the fitness aspect of golf and dedicating some time to that can be a great resolution for 2021 that can improve your swing and general well-being.  To start, a good goal for this year could be to join a few workout sessions or consider getting some 1 on 1 training!  For those looking to get more out of their body and swing, consider taking your golf fitness serious this year.

There are many other potential golf resolutions to strive for in 2021, but I believe these are some of the best to improve your game overall.  Golf is a great game, so if nothing else this year, a great resolution could be to simply continue having fun and enjoy the game more while playing!  Wishing all of you a great new year, and hopefully it will be full of golf!

 

– Sam Cresta, Assistant Golf Professional at American Classic GC

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Golf Clubs 101

The game of golf is continuing to grow and the industry as a whole is booming. According to golf.com, 441 million rounds of golf were played in 2019.  In 2020, golf has continued to grow despite the pandemic.  Golf courses feature an outdoor, open area which allows for social distancing, making golf a safe activity.  Golf proved to be a great way to safely get outside and enjoy some fresh air.  In general, golf is also a fantastic source of exercise and has many health benefits.  The last few weeks in our blogs, we talked about how golf is a great social activity enjoyed amongst friends and family.  While many new players began playing in 2020, many others wanted to, but did not know where to start.  It can be overwhelming getting into golf for those who have never played before, and it can be especially difficult knowing what clubs to purchase and what is all needed to play.  In this blog, we will discuss golf club basics, and talk about what clubs you will need to get started.   Hopefully, you will have a better understanding of golf clubs after reading this, and will be one step closer to getting out to the course!

 Golf clubs include: woods/hybrids, irons/wedges and putters. While the rules of golf allow you to carry up to 14 clubs in your bag, you do not necessarily need to have that many clubs to start. I recommend getting a driver and some other woods, a few irons, and a putter when you are first starting out.  The driver is considered a wood, and woods feature a large head and less loft.  The less loft on a club, the further the ball will go, so woods are more effective on longer shots.  Drivers feature the biggest head and the least amount of loft. They should only be used on your first shot of the hole with the ball on a tee.  The other woods, including a 3-wood or a 5-wood, can be effectively used off the fairway when longer shots are needed to reach the green. The irons are numbered, and a good starting set of clubs can include a 6iron, 7iron, 8iron, and 9iron.  In general, a 9iron features about 41 degrees of loft, while a 6iron features 30 degrees of loft.  The less loft on a club will make the ball travel further, so hypothetically a 6iron will go further than a 9iron. In addition to that, it can be good to get an iron that has a “P” or an “S” on it instead of a number.  These clubs are called wedges and feature even more loft than the other irons. The Pitching and Sand wedges can be effective for shorter and higher shots, and are very beneficial around the greens.

You certainly do not need to spend hundreds of dollars (or even thousands) to get started.  Golf companies sell individual clubs, but many golf club makers also sell very affordable clubs in full sets. I recommend buying a new or used full set of golf clubs.  There are many full starter sets available online that are affordable and perfect to start out with. Full sets will typically include a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 6-9irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter.  This starter set only features 9 clubs, and since you can carry 14 clubs in your bag this can also give you the option to purchase additional wedges or hybrids if you are enjoying the game and want to expand your bag.  These starter sets can cost anywhere from $75-$500, so this is an affordable and easy way to get started.  

-Sam Cresta, Assistant Golf Professional at American Classic Golf Club

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