Golf Instruction

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Golf Balls

Size of the golf ball

The “Rules of Golf” says that a golf ball’s diameter must be a minimum of 1.680 inches / 42.67 mm. A smaller ball would fly much further than a larger ball. The reason for this is simple: with a smaller diameter the ball has less air resistance, or in other words, it displaces less air as it flies. Because of this, most manufacturers produce golf balls with the minimal diameter (1.680 inches / 42.67 mm). The rules also state that the ball must be round, but I guess you knew that…

Weight of the ball

A golf ball’s weight must not exceed 1.620 oz./ 45.93 g according to the “Rules of Golf”. The heavier the ball, the greater its momentum, and the less it would be slowed down by air resistance. Hence it would tend to fly further. For this reason most manufacturers produce golf balls with the heaviest sanctioned weight of 1.620 oz./ 45.93 g.

Compression Rates

In the manufacturing process, some two-piece, and all three-piece balls are rated by their compression measurements. This is done by pressuring them with a standard weight

Balls that don’t deform at all are rated Compression 200, while balls that deform by 0.2″ or above are rated Compression 0. These are the two extremes, and between them balls are rated in intervals of 0.001 inches. The Standard Compression rate is usually 90 or 100. the higher the compression rate the harder the feel, and vice versa. Almost every ball is subject to a compression rating. Compression rates of 80 and 100 are also found.

However, manufacturers are not bound by an official standard. Hence one manufacturer’s compression rate of 100 can be different to another manufacturer’s compression rate of 100. This can mount up to a 3.5 point difference in either direction. In addition, some balls don’t even have the compression rate printed on them.

According to a host of surveys, low speed swing players are better off using golf balls with a Compression rate of 80. Players with an average speed swing should choose Compression 100, and Compression 110 is best for high swing speed players.

The weather should always be taken into consideration when deciding on compression rates to use. Low compression balls are best for colder weather, while high compression balls perform better in hot weather.

Tips for choosing the right golf balls for you:

Considerations for Driving

Distance balls are designed to fly further and with more accuracy. This means you will be less likely to land in the rough, in a hazard, or out of bounds. Distance balls have their drawbacks, however, as they will be harder to stop on the green. Mid to high handicappers should favor a distance ball. If you would like more detailed advice we recommend getting the Golf Beginner Guide, a great resource for new golfers.

Optimum Performance in Your Approach

Spin balls are made with outer layers that take on more spin when you strike them with angled club faces. Drawing or fading around obstacles and hazards therefore becomes easier, as they will bend more to the left or right. They also take on more backspin when struck with a lofted club – this is important, as the balls will therefore stop more quickly on the green.

Whilst spin balls used to be made with fragile outer layers that were prone to damage, this problem has now been largely averted with the introduction of solid multilayer construction, replacing the old flimsy balata covers.

Getting More Control

Distance balls designed to stop quickly when on the green, but with minimum risk of slicing or hooking are known as control balls. The Nike One and Titleist Pro V1 are members of the new generation of balls that are so versatile they will perform in any situation.

Balls for Slow Swingers

Known variously as Ladies or Senior balls, these balls increase driving distance to improve the scores of players with slower, less powerful swings.

Choosing the Right Putting Ball

Differently designed golf balls will roll for different distances on the green. As a rule of thumb, harder balls role further. The difference is more than you would think. Teaching professionals recommend that you putt with the same kind of ball all the time, as this will help you to calibrate, feel, learn and reproduce the connection between stroke strength and distance. As most balls aren’t perfectly balanced, they won’t roll absolutely true, but higher quality balls will be generally more likely to stay on course, due to higher standards of quality control during manufacture.

Affordability

Try to always play with the same golf balls that you practice with. So if you can’t afford to practice with a high quality ball, don’t switch when playing competitions. A ball that has been overused will no longer be spherical, and so is no good to you. Play balls that you can afford to replace regularly.

Source: The above information is just a small morsel taken from the Golf Beginner Guide. This 272 page ebook is full of golf tips and advice like the above.

If you can improve your golf short game, you can greatly cut strokes from your score. Here is a video that should help you improve your chip shots. Once you finish, head to Simple Golf Swing for more solid information on improving your golf game.

The Ping Golf Club – The Lowdown

One of the most important things a golfer should concern themselves with is his golf club because, according to experts, it is one of the main reasons why they do not hit the ball properly. This is the exact reason why the Ping golf club was developed.

Karsten Solheim  invented the ping golf club. The story has it that Karsten was practicing golf but he could not hit the ball consistently well. He started to design and experiment his very own putter so that he could play better golf.  By the year 1959, his putter experiments had evolved into 1A design. As he tried to decide a name for his club, he heard the sound of his putter and declared proudly to his wife that he would name the putter from its sound, hence the name “ping”. At that same year, Sports Illustrated published an article in their August issue regarding the ping golf club and dubbed it as a musical putter.

This was the beginning of success for the ping golf club. At present, the Ping golf club is manufactured in Phoenix, Arizona by Karsten Manufacturing Corporation. There are more than 400 patents registered for the ping golf club and each of these designs are all innovative and very original designs that are suited for each and every golfer.

In the year 1962, the Heel-toe weighting type of ping golf club was granted patent. This design was the one that revolutionized other modern designs of the golf clubs that are manufactured today. In the year 1969, another type of ping golf club was introduced which was the perimeter-weighted, investment-cast iron. The reason for this type of ping golf club is that the perimeter weighting is able to increase the moment of inertia; thus when a ball is not struck squarely on the face it makes the club more forgiving.

Another innovative movement for the ping golf club was the application of investment casting in the manufacture of the K Series Irons. This is not really a new technology in fact; the old name for it is the lost-wax process. The purpose of this type of method is to ensure precise detail and consistency to all of the parts of the ping golf club.

Another type of patent for the Ping golf club is the Cushin Selective Filtering Insert. This is a patented invention which screens out and disperses the unwanted frequencies that can harmfully affect muscle, bone, and connective tissue. Through this invention, the golfer receives less vibration with greater feel on each shot.

The reason why the ping golf club has gained in popularity and is widely used is because of its innovative, ever-changing yet reliable design. These designs are what people, particularly golfers, recognize about ping golf club.

What if you lose one of your ping golf clubs? Not to worry. Serial numbers are here to save you! In every ping golf club, there are serial numbers which are etched on every PING iron. If ever there is a need to replace one club, the company has the exact specs at the time of manufacturing on file and could actually build a new club to match your set.

The Callaway Golf Company is an American sporting goods company in California that specialized in golf equipment. The Callaway Golf brand is well known and respected.

Big Bertha is one of Callaway Golf’s famous club.

Let’s talk a little about how you should go about finding the golf clubs that are best for you.

With so many clubs out there, deciding which one to get can be a tough decision. Here are some tips on how to narrow down the selection.

*  Decide on your levels of play
Some play for the weekend game and there are others who’d like to move up in the ranks. If the occasional game is your pace, a low- to mid-performance club can work for you, while a high-performance club is suited to those who’ll play more regularly.

*  Set a budget
The notion that the more expensive the club, the better it is simply doesn’t hold water anymore. If you do enough homework and read reviews you’ll find a club that matches your level of interest. Don’t be afraid to check out used clubs as they can give you the best chances of getting the club you need at a good price.

Here is a brief run-through of kinds of golf clubs and what each one does.

Woods
A typical golfer’s bag will have a driver (called 1-wood) and a couple of fairway woods (3- and/or 5-wood). A driver is the longest club (usually 45 inches) making it the toughest to control during a swing.

Irons
Irons feature thin clubheads with grooves on it. Experienced players opt for a blade style iron while beginners get a cavity-back style. A blade-style has a clubhead with a full back, whereas a cavity back’s clubhead is hollow. It is hollowed out to create a perimeter weighting effect helpful for less-experienced golfers.

Irons are categorized as long (1, 2, 3,4), mid- (5,6,7) and short (8,9). Short irons are the easiest to hit while the long ones are the hardest. The shorter the iron, the more loft there is and for beginners, the more loft, the better. The 7 iron happens to be my favorite.

Putters
Putters are the golf clubs most often used in the game and come in clubhead styles of blade, heel-toe and mallet. Lengths come in belly putters, standard and broomstick (long) putters. Which option to get is a personal choice.

Utility clubs/hybrids
The clubs combine features of woods and irons and are best for beginners who may not want to buy too many clubs straight out.

Finally as a final word before taking them out of the store, most new clubs fit individuals at the average height of 5’10” for men and 5’5” for women. If you are significantly shorter or taller than these figures, you should get your club fitted to your height.

Start off with these considerations to build on your research when choosing your golf clubs. The game becomes that much more fun with the little effort you make now. You might want to check the Callaway Golf brand to see if it fits into your particular game.

Swing Smoothly

When I get a golf club in my hand, I get that feeling of wanting to knock the cover off the ball.  I am betting you are feeling the same thing? It feels good to put all of my strength into hitting the ball.  Just hitting the ball as hard as I can does not mean that I play good golf though.

If you just need to relieve a little stress, then swinging with all your strength may accomplish your goals.  However, if you want to play golf well, then you are going to have to hold back on the power a little.

One of the most frequent mistakes is to swing the golf club too hard.  A hard swing shows that you have power, but accuracy is the name of the game in golf.

You need to relax when you are swinging.  This helps you swing easily and will help to reduce your power.  If you put your feet closer together, then you can further reduce the strength of your swing.  Tensing up will also cause you to use too much effort.

Your center of gravity is also very important.  Keep your center of gravity the same and your head will stay still.  If you keep both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing, then your center of gravity will be stable.

If you jerk your body then your head will move and you will not be able to focus on the ball.  This can also change your center of gravity.  It is imperative that you keep your feet planted so that all your weight will be concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball.

Expending very little effort should be your goal.  If you hit the ball correctly, then it will feel smooth and easy.

Don’t tense up when you are about to make contact with the ball.  If you tense up, your balance will be thrown off.  You want the club head to travel in a straight line to make contact with the ball.

To help correct slicing, see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can send the ball.  If you send the ball too high, it gets into the wind and can go left or right on rough ground.

You want to only use the amount of power that you are able to control.  The goal of the game is not power, but accuracy.  You want to be able to control every facet of your swing so that you hit the ball cleanly and it goes where you want it to go.

The distance will come from your clean and correct swing, not how much power that you put into it.

You want to try to gradually increase your speed during your swing until you connect with the ball solidly.  If you do not have a smooth swing, then you are pulling your hands somewhere during the swing.  Keep your head as still as you would if you had a glass of water balanced on top of it.  This will help to improve your swing and help you to swing more smoothly and fluidly.

Swing at a decent enough speed to keep yourself from becoming tense and stiff.  Don’t swing too slowly or so hard that you feel the effort of the swing.  Stay relaxed.

Try to keep the idea of power out of your head.  Keeping your power under control during your golf swing so that you can be more accurate is what counts!