What is the next step? The one that will help you realize the most significant improvement and get you closer to your goals? You have talked to your golf friends, read all of the magazines and spent countless hours on the internet researching what to do next that will result in as much gain as the club fitting did for you. You have been told or read that perhaps you need to change your swing to get more on plane; get wider at the top; fully cock your wrists or cock them earlier in the backswing; or, is it that your quickest gain is more shoulder width? Others have urged you to get more torque in the lower body; and, so many other ideas that you are frustrated instead of ready to move forward. One of you wife's friends has urged you to try Zen golf; and, one of your best golf buddies swears that since he saw a mind coach he has improved greatly. You are too polite to tell him that he should ask for a refund because none of the group can see what he gained.

Any or all of the above would probably provide you some help; however, they will take time and will cost money. If swing changes or attitude adjustments are not the answer, then what do you do next to gain the 10-15% improvement you seek? Whenever you want to improve in any area, I urge people to assess what the experts in the field do when they seek improvement. Over the past 5 years there has been a tremendous phenomena seen on the PGA and all the other professional tours in the world. Tour players everywhere have embraced fitness! Yes, fitness is the area where you can see the greatest changes you want quickly.

When I tell students this I usually get a groan and grimace; but, it does not have to be painful nor tedious. I also get told frequently, “I just don't have time to exercise daily because I have to work and my family and friends take all the rest of my time.” I write to you what I tell my students. “You can always find 20-30 minutes a day and not only will your game improve, but you will also gain in virtually all other aspects of your life.” Weight control or loss will be a positive side-effect. Your doctor will be favorably impressed during your next visit. Your overall health will improve more over time. You'll be more active and alert in the evening after a tough day of work and your family will appreciate it greatly. Yes, even you wife will wonder about the new you as you become more romantic and amorous.

How you ask do all of these benefits happen in 20-30 minutes a day? Is there a magic machine I want you to buy off a 3 in the morning infomercial? Am I trying to sell you a special golf exercise program? No, there are no tricks. If you can walk 20 minutes a day and do some exercises the other 10 minutes, you will be able to see remarkable gains in less than a month.

It is that simple. The 20 minute walk 5-7 times a week will strengthen your lower body, which will help you gain more distance and control. It will also keep you more mentally alert in the later parts of the round that will help you avoid the mental errors common to fatigue, such as club and target selection.

“Okay,” you say, “I understand the value of the daily walk, but what do I do for the 10 minute exercise time?” Again, I advocate that you model the experts. Tiger Woods focuses strongly on his core as clearly evident when he prowls the fairways late in a round. All of the touring pros strengthen their core as an integral part of the daily regime. Take the 10 minutes per day and do exercises that will strengthen your core. There are literally hundreds of exercises available to you, some that use weights and many that do not require weights. You need to select ones that you do not mind doing. I recommend mixing it up to avoid making it a chore. Personally, I use a variety of routines to include 2-3 daily ones that include the use of an inversion table. There are two things that are important. One, spend the 10 minutes. Two, do whatever it is that does not bore you.

If you still believe that you don't have the time then understand that you can break it into two segments. Take the 20 minutes walk and then do the 10 minute exercise session at some other time that better fits your busy schedule. The time you do the two does not matter, but do take the effort and you will be greatly pleased with the rewards.

Gary Hamby

09/23/08

What is a reasonable expectation for most amateurs? A 10 to 20 percent distance gain is one that can be accomplished for almost any average golfer through a couple of different ways with even larger gains possible if the player undertakes more than one of the ways.

The easiest and quickest way to accomplish the 10 to 20 percent gain is to be professionally fitted. The club-fitter will use your current swing to optimize each club in your bag. This will require a number of sessions to get all 14, but it is worth it. The fitter will work with you on each club making sure that the loft, lie, launch angle, spin rate, etc., are all the best attainable for that club. After all of the clubs have been optimized for you, then the fitter will work with you to match the most suitable ball to your swing, clubs and the way you play the game. After such a professional fitting, I have seen as much as 25 percent gain for some players and an average of about 15 percent.

If you are seeking a quick change in distance then you definitely need to work with one of the professional fitters in your area. Launch monitor sessions at the local golf mega-store or retail outlet are typically helpful, but unless managed by a subject matter expert, it will not provide the same benefits as those of the professional.

What value are such gains worth to you? They better be worth big bucks! Sam Snead is famous for having said that one can not buy a good game; and, for years that was a truism in golf. However, that adage is no longer true. Following the advice of the professional club-fitter can help you buy a much better game. However, be aware that typically your entire set will need to be replaced. That is why you need to be prepared to incur significant cash outlays.

If you are not prepared to shell out all the bucks required to get a complete new set of clubs and a couple dozen balls that are optimal for your game, then remember that you can stage the process to be less painful on the wallet at one time. The three areas that I would try to focus on in the first stage are the driver, the putter and the ball. If your budget is tight and you need to go a bit more slowly, then start with the ball; and, then proceed to the clubs one at a time. Most golfers use the wrong driver and putter and unequivocally use the wrong ball. The reason I recommend these three items to start your new game is that you will get the biggest return on investment and see the biggest gains with them. While these three will not be inexpensive, they will be a lot less expensive than a complete new set.

If the satisfaction of hitting a great drive; stiffing a 9 iron to within 10 feet of the pin; and, then sinking that birdie putt are part of your goals, then get an appointment with a professional club-fitter and follow the recommendations. You will be glad that you did and you will notice appreciable improvements instantly. And, your playing partners will get tired of your drives whizzing past theirs and frustrated with you peeling off the money to you after every round. They will also talk amongst themselves wondering how in the world you improved so much and so quickly! Good luck!

A Sport For All

Golf is agme that people of all ages can play together as the course makes provision for Mens, Ladies and Junior tees where every level of player can play according to their standard. Golf is unique in this way as there are not many sports where men, women and children can play together and compete.

Handicap System

The handicap system in golf is another element that makes the game of golf so popular where players are awarded a handicap based on their standard of play. This is determined by returning scorecards regularly which then means you will play to this handicap when on the course regardless of who your opponent might be. In reality, using the handicap system, you could play against Tiger Woods and have a chance to beat him. You could never do this playing him on level terms.

Great Exercise

Golf is without doubt one of the healthiest sports to participate in as it gives the right kind of exercise without exerting stress. A game where we can play in competition and still take time to smell the flowers is recommended for anyone. It is no wonder that many, including myself, consider golf as the best game on earth.

This is crunch time for Nick Faldo the European Ryder Cup captain who tasted success as a player and is now hoping to repeat this as a captain. Nick Faldo was always a loner in the world of golf and now he faces the challenge of trying to bring players together with the kind of team spirit for which Europe have become renowned since their famous victory in 1985.

Europe are the clear favorites to lift the trophy and all the more so with the absence of Tiger Woods from team USA which only serves to add to the pressure on Nick Faldo as he tries to emulate the feats of previous captains like Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher and Sam Torrance. Then again, pressure does not seem to affect Faldo as can be seen from his playing days.

Confidence

Nick Faldo and his assistant Jose Maria Olazabal will have their work cut out to beat the Americans who are possibly more dangerous as underdogs and may even find extra motivation now that Tiger is out of the picture. There will be no lack of confidence on the part of Nick Faldo and this is something he will need to convey to his team, particularly the rookies who have never experienced the pressure of this competition.

Faldo will have to blood some of these players in the early stages of the contest to ensure they are ready for the individual head-to-head battle on Sunday. No doubt, he will play his rookies alongside players who have some experience in the Ryder Cup cauldron in the hope that it will calm their nerves and instill some confidence for succeeding matches. That said, America also have a few rookies who will also be under similar pressure.

Aftermath

Whatever happens at Valhalla over the weekend, Nick Faldo will be on the back page of all the sports pages for one reason or another. If he manages to lead his team to victory he will be a hero and all his decisions will have been fully justified. Should Europe lose to the USA however, Faldo's decision to choose Ian Poulter over Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie will dominate the post match commentaries. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Americans will be much stronger than we think.

Nick Faldo had a playing career in golf that many would love to emulate and he proved himself to be a true winner. The difference on this occasion is that Faldo will have to win without lifting a golf club as he attempts to motivate his team to victory. Europe may be favorites on this occasion but this could easily backfire as the Americans set about proving they can be a force without Tiger Woods, the world's greatest player.

Indeed, conversation is heavily linked to golf. It is a comfortable common ground for people, usually male, meeting for the first time and a convenient ice breaker at events and social functions-the ever popular topic of golf has saved many conversations from those dreaded uncomfortable silences!

In business, golf is viewed as a somewhat vital accessory to the boardroom and a person’s golfing ability (or lack thereof) is considered relevant to whatever proposal they have made. The logic of this is somewhat dubious, but the importance of being at the very least, a capable player, is not something taken lightly in the business community. Much informal maneuvering up the career ladder is done from the seemingly relaxed, although in reality, deadly serious walks along the fairway of whatever over priced course your boss is a member of!

Too many, golf is more an important credential than a hobby, a symbol of personal status and ability. Many see having an assured, capable and confident game as being reflective of their own personality and their golf game is consequently one other thing to be admired about them! Having time to spend on the golf course is an indicator of success and being a person of prominence – i.e. you have made it to such a level in your career that you make your own decisions and can happily choose to spend an afternoon on the golf course should you please!

Of course, some simply play for enjoyment, it is a game after all. With enough time and practice you can become good at it and it’s not in the least bit complicated in theory. Many view perfecting their golf game as a challenge and schedule in a game as often as they can. Many professional sports seem beyond the reach of the common man or woman, but being good at seems within our reach and this has contributed greatly to its massive popularity.

Personal attributes are required to really take your game to a high standard- discipline, ability, talent, assurance, patience, confidence and mental strength. These admirable qualities are all embodied in Tiger Woods, already a legend of the game and still only in his early thirties. His ability is such that he has transcended the game and is recognisable all over the world as being symbolic of what can be achieved if you are extremely motivated and determined. Another superstar will emerge soon as becoming great at golf is an achievable goal and even if you don’t make, you can enjoy the journey!

In the gentleman's game of golf the first name that pops into just about everyone's mind is Tiger Woods and rightly so. But, before Tiger there was another golfer that still is greater than Woods and his name is Jack Nicklaus. In other sports, there are athletes that are competing to become the best of their sport and even though many of you reading this article will soon learn, there were athletes far better than those that we tune-in to watch and root for today.

1. Jack Nicklaus: Greatest Golfer in the World

   
   
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   Jack Nicklaus was playing professional golf long before Tiger was even a cub and his record of the most won major PGA tournaments still stands to this very day. Although, Tiger Woods is on track to toppling this record as well, as long as injuries doesn't end his incredible career early. Jack has won 18 professional majors, has been the PGA Tour of the Year 5-times, and is a member of the World Golf Hall Fame. He also has posted in 2nd place 19-times, Top 3 finishes 48-times, Top 5 finishes 56-times, and Top 10 finishes 73-times and most of these wins came before Tiger was old enough to hold on to a club.

2. Babe Ruth: Greatest Baseball Player in the World

   
   
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   Babe Ruth played baseball from 1914 to 1935 and was known by other names such as “Babe”, “The Bambino”, and “The Sultan of Swat”, but no matter what we call him he was no doubt the greatest baseball player to have ever set foot on the field. He scored an incredible 714 home runs before retiring in 1935, which stood for another 39 years until Hank Aaron broke the record in 1974. Babe proved that it was possible to rack up 60 home runs in a single season in 1927, in which this record stood strong for another 34 years, until it was finally broken by Roger Maris (1961). Ruth had the 10th highest batting average of .342 in baseball history and he recorded a .690 career slugging percentage and a 1.164 career OPS, which still holds as a record in major league baseball today.

3. Michael Phelps: Greatest Swimmer in the World

   
   
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   The 23 year old, Olympic American swimmer Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer in the world hands down. He has kicked his way to winning an astonishing 14 Olympic Gold Medals and 2 Bronze Medals after combining the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics together. Let's not forget that Mr. Phelps has also competed in the World Championships and won 18 Gold Medals and 3 Silver Medals in those games. The world's greatest swimmer has competed in the Pan Pacific Championships in 2002 and 2006 and accumulated another 8 Gold and 3 Silver medals all the while competing in the 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 4 x 100m freestyle relay, and 4 x 200 freestyle relay. He has broken countless world and Olympic records and is considered to be the greatest Olympian of All-times.

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Greatest Basketball Player in the World

   
   
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   The 7 foot 2 inch center for the Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975) and later for the Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1989) stands virtually alone at the top of basketball's elites. Sure, some avid basketball fans will frown at this fact, but when considering that basketball is a team sport and much of a player's greatness derives from their willingness to feed the talents of the other players, then he is the best ever. He scored 38,387 career points, 17,440 rebounds and made 3,189 blocks and was awarded the NBA MVP six-times and won 6 NBA Championships, before retiring in 1989.

5. Pete Sampras: Greatest Professional Tennis Player in the World

   
   
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   Pete Sampras is the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen commands a court. During his long and exciting career, he has collected 14 Grand Slams men's singles titles, won Wimbledon singles title 7-times, won the US Open singles title 5-times, won the Grand Slam Cup 2-times, won 11-times on the ATP Master Series and won on the ATP Tour an impressive 32-times. Pete Sampras was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 17, 2007, after proving to the world he is really the greatest in the world of Men's Tennis.

6. Pele: Greatest Soccer/Football Player in the World

   
   
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   Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) formally played Brazilian Football from 1956-1977 for the Santos (1956-1974), New York Cosmos (1975-1977) and played for the National Team of Brazil from (1957-1971) and scored 1280 goals. His great ball handling skills on the field would become legendary and make Pele a national treasure of Brazil. Check out more about Pele's dominating career.

7. Muhammad Ali: Greatest Heavyweight Boxer in the World

   
   
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   Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) an Olympic Gold Medallist in the 1960 Rome Games for the Light Heavyweight division and a 3-time World Heavyweight Champion is still the only man to have won the heavyweight boxing championship three back-to-back times in history. “The Champ” competed in 61 total fights and winning 56 times and an unlucky 37 fighters were knocked out by the powerhouse punches by the World's Greatest Heavyweight Boxer - “The Louisville Lip” Muhammad Ali.

Who in the world could possibly disagree with these seven athletes' total dominance of their sports? Bring your best nominations to the table, because I firmly believe that my choices are the greatest athletes in the world - prove me wrong.

Let Your Game Speak - Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is the man, and this make me cry I was so happy. If you didn't get to watch him play, go watch his clips. The dude is the best.

Tiger Woods and his Bouncing Ball

This is one most amazing videos ever, it is just pure brilliance. I could watch this all day and still be impressed. I suggest you try to attempt this feet yourself. I did, and I got it, like three times in a row, twice.

Maybe - Michael Jordan

Another brilliant commercial, I have Michael on this list a lot. The dude was the man.

Nike Freestyle Basketball to a Beat

I love this commercial. It gets me in a good mood every time I watch it. It is basically basketball set to a beat. Perfection.

Failure - Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan on failure, enough said.

Nike “Football”

This clip is pretty impressive. I am not a soccer fan at all, but this made me immediately want to go play. Plus, I love the ending.

Nike Football School

This is a ridiculously awesome look at the Elite of the NFL in a “high school” environment.

Heart - Michael Jordan

This is a good ride. It is kind of nerve raking. My heart is beating so much faster than the commercial. I watched it twice.

It's All About Tempo -Tiger Woods

Tiger shows everyone just how easy it truly is.

First of all let us consider the raw numbers.

Jack Nicklaus

Tour Victories:

• PGA Tour: 73
  
• Senior PGA Tour
• (113 total victories worldwide)
• 286 Top Ten Finishes and Money leader 8 years

Major Championships:

• Professional: 18
  
• Masters: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
  
• U.S. Open: 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980
  
• British Open: 1966, 1970, 1978
  
• PGA Championship: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980

Major championship performances

• Starts - 163
• Wins - 18
• 2nd place finishes - 19
• Top 3 finishes - 46
• Top 5 finishes - 57
• Top 10 finishes - 73
• Longest streak of top-10s in majors - 13

 

Tiger Woods

Tour Victories:

• 144 Top 10 Finishes and money leader 8 times

Major Championships:

• Professional: 13
  
• Masters: 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005
  
• U.S. Open: 2000, 2002
  
• British Open: 2000, 2005, 2006
  
• PGA Championship: 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007

Major championship performances

• Starts - 53
• Wins - 13
• 2nd place - 5
• Top 3 - 3
• Top 5 - 3
• Top 10 - 4

As you can see Nicklaus has a longer resume' so therefore reigns as #1 golfer of all time. And yet as you can see Tiger has done more at an earlier age than Jack did. Which brings me to point number 2. The field.

The following are a list of premier golfer's that played against Nicklaus. I chose the elite. There were of course other quality players over the Nicklaus hey day.

Gary Player

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 24 (163 tournament wins worldwide)
• Major Championships: 9
  
• Masters: 1961, 1974, 1978
  
• U.S. Open: 1965
  
• British Open: 1959, 1968, 1974
  
• PGA Championship: 1962, 1972

Arnold Palmer

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 62 (245 Top 10 finishes)
• Major Championships: 7
  
• Masters: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
  
• U.S. Open: 1960
  
• British Open: 1961, 1962

Tom Watson

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 39
• Major Championships: 8
  
• Masters: 1977, 1981
  
• U.S. Open: 1982
  
• British Open: 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983

Lee Trevino

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 29
• Major Championships: 6
  
• U.S. Open: 1968, 1971
  
• British Open: 1971, 1972
  
• PGA Championship: 1974, 1984

Ray Floyd

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 22
• Major Championships: 4
  
• 1969 PGA Championship
  
• 1976 Masters
  
• 1982 PGA Championship
  
• 1986 U.S. Open

Billy Casper

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour: 51 (236 Top 10 finishes)
• Major Championships: 3
  
• 1959 U.S. Open
  
• 1966 U.S. Open
  
• 1970 Masters

Hale Irwin

• Tour Victories: PGA Tour:
• 20 Major Championships: 3
  
• 1974 U.S. Open
  
• 1979 U.S. Open
  
• 1990 U.S. Open

Johnny Miller

• Tour Victories: 25
• Major Championships: 2
  
• 1973 U.S. Open
  
• 1976 British Open

Larry Nelson

• Tour Victories: 10
• Major Championships: 3
  
• U.S. Open: 1983
  
• PGA Championship: 1981, 1987

Now let us examine the elite players during Tigers climb to the top and assault on history. And also there other competitive quality players that aren't quite at the level of these I am mentioning. Of course there may be some on the horizon to challenge Woods like those of Nicklaus's day.

Phil Mickleson

• Tour Victories:33
• Major Championships: 3
  
• Masters: 2004, 2006
  
• PGA Championship: 2005

Vijay Singh

• PGA Tour: 31
• European Tour: 12
• Major Championships: 3
  
• Masters: 2000
  
• PGA Championship: 1998, 2004

Ernie Els

• PGA Tour: 16
• European Tour: 21
• Major Championships: 3
  
• U.S. Open: 1994, 1997
  
• British Open: 2002

You need to consider also that that Jack and Tiger played in different era's with different equipment. Of course that is a relative point. I believe to that Jack Nicklaus faced a more competitive group of golfer's during his prime. That being said Tiger is still putting up impressive stats. His streak of making the cut 142 times in a row is unbelievable. Byron Nelson had the record at 113.

One day we will have to say that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever but intil he pads his stats a little more and breaks the record 18 majors I still give Jack the nod as the reigning King of Golf.

I think it's time though that we acknowledge some of the greats that have come before Tiger Woods. Take Bryon Nelson the guy Tiger Woods was trying to catch. Nelson won 11 straight tournaments, a number of people today still think the record will never be broken. I will have to agree with them. Nelson was a legend and sometimes we forget about the players that came before Woods who set the standard. Let's not forget the great ones to as we talk about the up and coming great ones.

Last Sunday (Aug. 6, 2006), the world's no. golfer established another record, this time as the youngest player ever to rack up 50 PGA tour titles.

Woods, who claimed the Buick Open title (Grand Bank, MI) to achieve this feat, has been breaking record after record since he turned professional 10 years ago. This win has pushed him past another golf great Jack Nicklaus, who achieved the same feat at the age of 33. (The record holder for most wins is Sam Snead, whose total haul is 82 titles.)

Thus far, Woods, who looks poised to add to his growing pile of records in the years ahead, has managed to snatch a total of 50 wins out of 196 tournaments (compared to Nicklaus' 50 out of 262), or roughly one out of four events he has joined. His career wins include 11 majors.