Tips for the Ladies

Article
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The majority of the golfers we work with at the United States Golf Academy are female. Our female students are players of all types; some are competitive, some social, some are young and some are like me who have been young for a long time. With the exception of some political issues which many of us in the industry are diligent about changing, golfers are golfers and their problems are the same.
1. Their clubs do not fit their posture or swing. Easily the most common problems we address are club fitting issues. Too long and too heavy being the most frequent. Unfortunately, many women play with “hand me downs”, which are often old technology and much heavier than we play today. We have seen some miraculous results for players by just changing equipment.
2. More club speed. I am “gender blind” when it comes to golf swings. Every player I work with man or woman has problems that are unique to them. So for every player there are two ways to develop more club speed. Physical strength or better technique. Technique is what holds most players back and so time spent to improve technique is valuable, especially when combined with a proper club fit.
3. Neglected short games. Physical strength or stature has very little to do with shots around the green. Putting and chipping are learned skills and have the most influence on our final score. Again you want to make sure you have equipment that fits your stature. Especially when it comes to a putter. There is very little room for error when it comes to shots around the green making our equipment choices much more important than shots form the fairway or off the tee. Simply put, for shots around the green, you need a club that lofts the ball in the air, one that you hit on a lower trajectory that runs out, and a putter that fits your posture.
4. Find your favorites. For less experienced players, we encourage them to find their favorite clubs and use them. You need a favorite from off the tee. You need a favorite for longer shots from the fairway, for shorter shots from the fairway and clubs for around the green. As you get better you will add more favorites to your bag, expanding your options, but for now don’t hit a shot with a club you don’t like. It takes the fun out of the game.