Clinic and Progress Update

I’m continuing to attend the weekly golf clinic and I’ve seen significant improvement with my short game. Before we begin our clinic session, the course is allows us to play a few holes to warm up and become more comfortable on the course. This practice has significantly improved the group’s confidence level and has provided for some friendly competition.

We now have a new coach, who is a Lady Golfer. She is currently the golf coach for one of the local high schools and is a 7 handicap from the men’s tees, 5 from the women’s tees. I’m still learning about the handicap system, so I won’t go into an explanation.  You’ll have to research on the internet – when I do learn more I’ll add on to this post. Anyways – the basic idea of the handicap is the lower the number the better you're ranked as a golfer in comparison to other players. The fact that she is in the single digits means that she is an excellent golfer. So far, we have had two clinics with her and both have proven that she will be a good fit.

I’ve been having a big problem lately. Regardless of whether I’m hitting a driver or 6-iron or 8-iron, I’m hitting waaayyy to the right, this is also known as a slice.  Our previous instructor has not been able to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Needless to say… I’ve been VERY frustrated.

When we had our first session with the new coach, I was looking forward to hearing her opinion and hoping she could help fix my problem. During this clinic, we went to the driving range and practiced with an 8-iron. This allowed the new instructor to get to know all of our swings and where we need to improve. Unfortunately, she was unable to figure out what I was doing wrong.

During our second clinic this week, we practiced our chipping on the course practice green. I was happy because the short game is the one area where I’ve actually been doing well.  

Below is an example of a putting green. We had a little competition – each of us would chip from the edge of the green to see who could get their ball closest to the designated hole. I ended up winning and got luck with my last chip actually making it in the hole. It’s great to have a little bit of a confidence booster before I start slicing when I take a full swing! Anyways, it was fun and made all of us really focus on doing our best.  Competition is good!

                                                                                            

 

We then moved to the practice range… where the slice would once again emerge. Our instructor displayed her frustration in not being able to figure out what I was doing wrong. She made me run a few drills to see if we could narrow down the options of what might be the problem – it’s my grip or something I’m possibly doing with my wrists on the downswing.  After the range, we headed out to play a few holes on the course. The first hole is a Par 4 so I whipped out my driver and hit it to the right. This time I felt the club shift in my hand. The second shot, I hit my 5-wood.  Again, I felt the club rotate in my hand and the ball went right. I thought for sure it had to be my grip. I removed my glove to get a better feel next time I hit the ball with a full swing. I moved my ball next to the green on the fringe, chipped really close to the hole and made it in the hole with one putt. It was getting late so a few of the other ladies went home and three of us remained.

Second hole was a short Par 3 –  I grabbed my 8-iron and we each hit a few times from the tee box. The first  ball when straight right… big surprise. Taking my glove off made me realize something didn’t feel right with my grip. The other two ladies hit their balls really well. Both of these ladies are in their mid 60s and both are really good. Each of them played when they were younger and decided to pick it up again. Anyways, each of the ladies hit their balls straight but not far enough to be on the green. I played  with my grip for a bit and adjusted my left hand. I remembered Ben Hogan’s Book and the illustrations concerning the grip. I finally realized what I was doing wrong! All I needed to do was to return to the basics. I set up my ball to hit my second shot and BAM! – I hit it straight and made it just on the fringe of the green. One small change to my grip and I was back on track. Finally!

Moral of the story – go back to the basics when something isn’t going right with your swing.

Ladies Group Clinic

So.. Last night I attended the group clinic for women (mentioned in a previous post) and it was so much fun! For each clinic, a different topic is covered. This week we reviewed chipping, pitching and putting.

We began with a cocktail and a short time period for socializing. The group was small, which allowed kept my nerves somewhat relaxed. There were a total of 4 of us attending the clinic. Two were beginners and one was similar to me - she could make it through a round, but her swing needs some tweaking.

We ended the course by playing one hole to see how we would perform after our lesson. I definitely saw an improvement and learned a few things that the Internet videos did not cover. The PGA professional was really nice and so helpful in describing how to improve. I plan to attend a few more of the weekly clinics before buying any private lessons.

The hole was played as a scramble. Basically, each of us would hit a ball. The next time we hit will be at the location of the "best" ball. You would continue this process until someone makes it in the cup. 

We began by using our drivers - Hole #9 is a par 3(which means it should take you three shots to put the ball in the cup). My drive was terrible.. I was so nervous.. I thought to myself..."At the range, I'm much better than that". One of the ladies hit a great shot in the middle of the fairway, so we all took our next shot from her ball position. The next shot was about 92 yards from the hole. The PGA Instructor recommended a 9 iron or pitching wedge(PW) to hit the shot. My ball ended up arriving at the best position for the second shot, so we would use my ball position for the next shot. It landed just at the edge of the green, and we were ready to practice our chipping. This is where our lesson comes into play. With my pitching wedge, I struck the ball so it would land a few feet onto the green and then roll close to the hole. It wasn't the best one, but I was really proud of myself for doing so well. We then used the best ball placement to practice our putting. All 4 of us made it into the cup on the first try. Our instructor was proud.

After the lesson concluded, I realized how great it felt to finally meet other women that share my interest in golf. One lady in particular(the one similar to me) shared her grief of not knowing any other lady golfers so we exchanged numbers while planning to play next week. We'll be playing 9 Holes prior to our next clinic. Now I need to go practice! 

Ladies Golf Fashion

Natalie Gulbis

Golf offers something for everyone. Maybe you want bright colors.. Maybe you want to dress a little sexy or perhaps you want to be more conservative. I'd like to share with you some well known lady golfers and their fashion.

Natalie Gulbis is sporting a typical outfit that is comfortable on the golf course. She looks professional and cute at the same time

Watch out when you're wearing skorts ladies. You don't want to be caught bending over and exposing your rear.

Al Miyazato

Al Miyazato is wearing some really cute shorts. Hmm.. I need to find those.

Cheyenne Woods

Cheyenne Woods is looking classy while reading her putt at the edge of the green. Sporting a pretty shade of purple that looks nice with her skin tone.

Holly Sonders

Holly is wearing a cute skirt with her blue ensemble. She played golf in college and participates in the Golf Channel's instructional program. She'll give you tips on how to improve your game. 

Lexi Thompson

Lexi  is known for wearing bright colors and fun patterns. Her shirts are typically loose fitting. 

Paula Creamer

Paula Creamer is known for her love of the color pink. She refers to 

herself as the "Pink Panther". One of her golf club head covers is the actual Pink Panther. She's an excellent player and always displays some fun fashion examples. 

Sandra Gal

Sandra Gal was recently voted the hottest female golfer by Golf Digest. What I love about this is that she appears to be just a normal girl-next-door kinda gal. In the picture she is wearing a super cute red dress.

Michelle Wie is wearing a plain polo and shorts. This is typically what I like to wear. I'm still careful not to bend over in shorts. I tend to squat down like Cheyenne Woods is doing in the above pictures. Make sure you keep your knees together when you do this move.

Michelle Wie

Vicky Hurst

I posted this picture of Vicky Hurst because I really like her hat. I have a thing for hats. This style of hat is a golf classic. My paw paw has one just like it from way back when.

Zakiya Randall - Flashy

Zakiya Randall - Classy

Zakiya Randall participated in the Big Break Atlantis show, where a group of women compete in a variety of different golf challenges. She always stood out for her fashion. Mainly because it consisted of extremely short spandex shorts and tight tops that showed her mid-drift. Although it's not my style, I applaud her for making an attempt to be different and to broaden the ideas for fashion in golf. I added another picture of Zakiya that shows her in a classy outfit. She's wearing a cute shirt with a round kneck(no collar) and one of those cute hats, like Vicky. Love.. Love this outfit.

Yani Tseng

Yani Tseng

Yani Tseng

Yani Tseng tends to dress a bit more conservatively. Her golf wardrobe consists of sweaters, pants, bermuda shorts, and polo shirts. For someone who would prefer to play without revealing too much skin, she would be a good example to follow. Perhaps you get invited to play with a boss or a few "big wigs" from your company. You wouldn't want to dress too skimpy or have something happen like the picture above with purple skort girl flashing the viewers. Dressing conservatively will help to keep business in the mind of your golfing partners. Men are such visual creatures....They get distracted.

Anna Rawson

Anna Rawson captures my attention with her fashion style. I love her hats, her sunglasses, and the neutral colors. Some may call it boring. I call it classy and reserved.

And just for fun, I added a picture of Ricky Fowler. I think he's cute. Ricky has brought a new fashion sense to golf for men. He has also attracted a younger crowd to the sport and seems to be genuinely a nice guy. No skeletons have emerged from the closet yet. I hope they don't because so many kids look up to him. Every time I watch a PGA tournament, there are so many kids wearing their flat bill hats like Ricky. Anyways, yes.. he's hot.

- Shopping -

I've found a few nice items at my local sporting goods stores. There are some expensive retailers online, but I'm not interested in spending a lot of money for just one item. Right now, I'd like to focus on getting better at the game. I'll splurge when I go on a beach trip to play golf at a fancy resort :D

At the moment, my wardrobe consists of a few skorts, several pairs of shorts in a variety of colors, and polo shirts. I have one pair of Bermuda shorts. 

Depending on where you live, local stores may lack a variety of clothing for the lady golfer. I'm petite, so my main problem is finding the right size. We all have issues shopping no matter what size or shape we are, so just do your best. Just make sure you dress appropriately when you head out to play a round or go to the driving range for practice.

                 

What I've learned so far

The golf swing is such an interesting and strange body motion. I remember the first time I tried it. "What the heck. This feels weird." Everything felt weird... the grip, keeping my left arm straight (my boobs are going to get in the way... they aren't big but they're still in the way!), being told to move closer to the ball.. I knew it was going to take some time to get used to the motions.

I have always been athletic. I played volleyball, was a cheerleader, and danced all of my life...so I would categorize myself as being athletic. After somewhat getting over my fear of the golf course, I became more observant. Most of the men out there playing are far from being "in shape". Most of them appear to be of retirement age and go out just to have fun. So if you think you can't do it just because you weren't good at sports, think again. Take a good look when you go out to the driving range or the golf course. You'll soon realize that you really can learn how to play. 

Another positive to learning the game of golf is that it's something I can still do later on in life - God willing I live that long. The older men are the best to watch out on the course. This one old man cursed every time he hit ball and then later on he would just laugh and have a good ole time. It didn't matter that he didn't play well. You could tell he enjoyed being out on the course with his friends.

I do believe my history of being athletic helped me to learn more on my own, but next week I plan on taking lessons from a local PGA pro. The golf course I recently discovered is very laid back and the prices are the most reasonable around my area. They have group clinics for women on Thursday nights every week. I'll let you know how it goes! It'll give me a chance to meet the course pro teacher to see if I want to take private lessons. The group clinics are $10 per event. Private lessons are $50 per hour. Not too bad. Right now I'm completely capable of making it through a round of 18 holes, but my goals are higher than capable. My competitive nature has me wanting to get to the tournament level. So there's my goal. 

For the basic golf swing, it's imporatant to break down the mechanics of each motion. A coworker of mine, who plays in tournaments throughout the country, mentioned the following book as being an excellent source of reference.

Supposedly it is "The Golfing Bible". He said it's really all you need to achieve a proper golf swing. It is written by the famous professional golfer Ben Hogan. This book was originally written as a series of magazine articles for Sports Illustrated back in the day - published in 1957. It has really helped me to understand the swing breakdown and why each part of the swing is critical to create a straight shot. It wasn't until I read this book that my swing greatly improved. It's also great if you can't afford professional lessons. YouTube and the Golf Channel Website are great resources to find instructional videos, as well. There are so many resources nowadays that anyone with Internet and money to buy a used set of clubs can learn to play.  

If you're just starting out, look for a golf course that's laid back, has reasonable prices, and a friendly staff. You'll have lower green fees, cart fees, and costs for practice at the range. A bucket of range balls is about $5-$10 per bucket.

Tips when you're just starting out:
1. If you don't feel comfortable learning on your own, take a lesson or become friends with someone who is willing show you some basics.
2. Even if you feel uncomfortable - do it anyway! Go to the driving range and practice. Some courses have clubs that you can rent, if you're not ready to buy.
3. Always pay attention to signs on the course and around the clubhouse - it's important to conduct yourself in a way that is proper to the golf course rules.
4. Always call ahead to discuss any dress codes for women - for example: some of the nicer courses do not allow women to wear shorts. Generally, women should wear pants, skorts(not too short), capris, and shorts(not too short and if allowed). NO DENIM. For tops - if it has a collar then it's acceptable. A fashion article to come later.
5. Meet guys that play golf - when you hear them talking about golf, express your interest. Getting invited to go out on the course is a great start to learning general rules. You can observe and learn course etiquette, as well. 

6. Buy the above book. It really is an excellent source to understanding the golf swing. I used the book in combination with watching YouTube videos to clarify anything the book could not show visually.

7. Watch the tournaments on TV - you can learn a lot  just by watching the pros.

Suggestions for Free Online teachers

Go to You Tube and search the following two names in quotations below:

1. "The Lady Golf Teacher" - She provides some simple lessons on a variety of topics. explains in a simple way. If she has an Australian accent, you're in the right place. 

2. "Mark Crossfield" -  He is more technical(which I like because I'm an Engineer) and discusses a wider variety of topics. He also provides some reviews on equipment, which is helpful if any of you decide to purchase a set of fitted clubs. 

Either teacher mentioned above seem eager to help and are open to providing guidance upon request. Visit their YouTube channels for some free lessons. 

Brief History - well... I tried to be brief

Hi Everyone, I decided to start a blog to promote women in golf and to share my experiences as a beginner. As a woman in a male dominated sport, it can be intimidating.... For some of us, anyway.

I was introduced to golf when I was 17 years old(2003). My current boyfriend played for his high school team so he taught me a few basics. Stand like this.. Keep your left arm straight. He also taught me the interlocking grip, which the oh so famous Tiger Woods chose for his grip. We would hit the driving range a few times a week and I would watch him play from the golf cart. He would always encourage me to play so every now and then I would jump out the cart, take a swing and then return to my seat....I wouldn't want to hold anyone up. Pretty shy back then!

While I was eager to become involved in the sport, my shy personality and the intimidation of being around so many men somewhat freaked me out. 

College came and my current boyfriend and I split. The focus became engineering school. No need to elaborate on the time I needed to dedicate to that part of my life. Everything else was on the back burner. 

After graduation and another two boyfriends(who both played golf), I decided to purchase my own set of clubs. I've played one round with a set of PING clubs that belonged to a previous boyfriend's mother. He was around 6'5" and his mother just happened to be my height... 5'3". What a difference it was to finally play with clubs that fit me. I was hooked at that moment and decided to purchase my own clubs(2012). I found the cheapest set of women's clubs I could find and voila! I became a lady golfer.

For another year, I went through the same routine. I'd play with the current boyfriend, who provided a shelter from addressing an underlying problem; intimidation of being a woman in a male dominated sport. I had already experienced a lot of negativity from my job in Construction(engineering.. Remember??). Something I learned about myself is that I tend to choose activities or fields that are the most challenging for me... hence.. the golf obsession. In the long run, I know it will make me  a stronger person and confident in whatever situation arises. This is part of my attraction to the sport. The other part is that it's really fun. 

I hope that you also challenge yourself in the weakest areas of your life so that you can overcome your personal obstacles to be the best you. 

My goal for this blog is to provide encouragement and tools for becoming a lady golfer. There are so many benefits to learning this game and there are so many women missing out on opportunities. 

Thanks for visiting.