The idea of periodization has been around a very long time for athletes at all levels. The concept is simple. If you started with the goal in mind, let's say it was to win the Club Championship or place in the top 3 in your next Amateur event, then you would plan accordingly.
Generally, an annual plan is used, although it is not uncommon to use longer periods of time especially when working with a younger developing athlete.
Periodization occurs when you break down all of the segments into actual manageable parts, always keeping the long term goal in mind. Your master plan may be broken down into which phase you are in, for example, are you in your competitive stage or pre-competitive stage? This information is then used to determine which strategies offer the most benefit at any given point in time.
If you use a holistic approach to golf improvement, then you also periodize each important component as in the physical, mental, technical and strategic side.
While this many sound like a lot of information to track, this is the very point of periodization. Breaking down all of the important parts into simple tasks you can complete daily and/or weekly which fit comfortably and naturally into achieving your long term goal.
What is the real payoff for you? Well, just like the pros, when you prepare in this manner you leave nothing to chance. You have less margin for error and a higher probability of meeting or succeeding your goals.
To give you an idea of how to periodize a program for golf, first consider your competitive season, then employ the following ideas.
Phase 1 - Restoring optimal flexibility or range of motion in hips, spine and shoulders.
Phase 2 - Choose adaptation exercises where the main objective is to involve many muscle groups while preparing joints, tendons and ligaments for the work ahead. Build a solid base of support through stabilization exercises.
Phase 3 - Build strength. Consider increasing your loads, time under tension and create an opportunity for increased force production.
Phase 4 - Power production. Not you can convert all of your previous efforts to completion of the process where all energy is stored and transferred in efficient movement patterns for the benefit of your golf swing.
Phase 5 - Active recovery and rest. Don't forget that every body needs a recovery period so it can maintain gains made throughout the year while protecting the body from injury.
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Monday, 11 May 2009
Golf Equipment Tips to Help Lower Your Score
When you get into top of the line clubs, there truly isn't much of a difference between the different makes and brands. There is quite a difference between the top of the line clubs and the cheap knock-offs, but you have to take into consideration how much you are going to play. If you only plan on playing a few times a year, there is no point in dropping a grand on a set of clubs.
When you begin searching for the perfect set of clubs, there are really four things you want to take into consideration; the size of the head and swing weight, flex of shaft, lie angle and the loft. When looking at the size of the head, a general rule of thumb is the larger club head you have the lower your score will be. This will allow you to work with the ball more and get more power from it.
When looking at the shaft of the club, the flex of the shaft is what you truly need to focus on. The flex will influence the ball flight and give you more distance, but it can be more difficult to control. A stiff shaft will give you more control, but you will lose a lot of distance on your shot. Generally, the faster your swing is the stiffer the shaft should be.
The lie angle can be tested by placing your clubs on a lie board or looking at the divots. A divot that is deeper at the toe shows you have your lie is too flat, while divots that are deeper in the heel show you that your lie is too steep. Having a lie that is too flat will cause the head of your club to turn in a way that you will push your shots, and a lie that is too steep will do the exact opposite.
The last tip you want to look at is the loft. The golf club loft should especially be considered when looking at the woods. A slower swing will require more loft and flex and the opposite is the case for a faster swing. High handicap players should get a loft of 9 to 12 degrees.
While there are many things you want to take into consideration when purchasing your golf equipment, the best golf equipment tip is to focus primarily on the clubs you purchase. The clubs you buy can have a huge affect on your shot, and the way you swing a club will help decipher what clubs are best for you.
When you begin searching for the perfect set of clubs, there are really four things you want to take into consideration; the size of the head and swing weight, flex of shaft, lie angle and the loft. When looking at the size of the head, a general rule of thumb is the larger club head you have the lower your score will be. This will allow you to work with the ball more and get more power from it.
When looking at the shaft of the club, the flex of the shaft is what you truly need to focus on. The flex will influence the ball flight and give you more distance, but it can be more difficult to control. A stiff shaft will give you more control, but you will lose a lot of distance on your shot. Generally, the faster your swing is the stiffer the shaft should be.
The lie angle can be tested by placing your clubs on a lie board or looking at the divots. A divot that is deeper at the toe shows you have your lie is too flat, while divots that are deeper in the heel show you that your lie is too steep. Having a lie that is too flat will cause the head of your club to turn in a way that you will push your shots, and a lie that is too steep will do the exact opposite.
The last tip you want to look at is the loft. The golf club loft should especially be considered when looking at the woods. A slower swing will require more loft and flex and the opposite is the case for a faster swing. High handicap players should get a loft of 9 to 12 degrees.
While there are many things you want to take into consideration when purchasing your golf equipment, the best golf equipment tip is to focus primarily on the clubs you purchase. The clubs you buy can have a huge affect on your shot, and the way you swing a club will help decipher what clubs are best for you.
Sunday, 3 May 2009
What Are Golf Balls Made Of That Make Them Go So Far?
In the chemistry of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics, surface structures are vital physical element. History has it that there are things that seem to be peculiar on their make-up hundreds of years ago which eventually came up with a better composition based on scientific research. And a golf ball is the best paradigm of this theoretical stand in history.
During the earliest days of golf on the eastern coast of Scotland, most players used ancient apparatus in order to play the game in a more disorganized and informal way. Here, the first clubs and golf balls are made up of wood.
It was on 1618 that the feather golf ball was finally introduced. This was commonly known as the "Featherie". This feather golf ball was a handcrafted ball made with goose feathers securely pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere. This is being done while the ball is still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded creating a hardened ball.
But because these kinds of golf balls are specially handcrafted, they usually cost higher than the clubs. In doing so, only a few privileged people could afford to play golf during those times.
Next, came the Guttie golf ball. This prehistoric kind of golf ball was made from the rubber like sap of the Gutta tree that can be found in the tropics. Normally, these Guttie balls can be easily shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually used as a golf ball. With its rubber nature, guttie balls can be cheaply reproduced and can be easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.
However, between the two earliest forms of golf balls, the feather golf ball was said to travel farther than the gutties. This is due to the smooth surface of the gutties that limits the capacity of the golf ball to cover more distance.
With this new scientific analysis, the developers of golf ball finally came up with balls with the "dimples" that are predominant in modern golf balls nowadays.
Dimples are crafted into golf balls so as to reduce the aerodynamic drag, which will be acting on the ball if it were totally smooth. This is because smooth balls, when sailing through the air, leave a huge pocket of low-pressure air in its stir therefore creating a drag. With the application of drag, the ball slows down.
Hence, by having dimples on golf balls, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball. This, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results to a smaller wake and lesser drag.
Dimples also help players to put backspin on a shot making the golf ball break off on the putting green.
The idea of putting dimples on golf balls can be traced back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. It was during this time when the players observed how their shots become more and more predictable as their balls turned rough from play.
When William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell ball in 1905, golf balls finally took their modern form.
From then on, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf balls took its form with standard size and weight.
Today, there is an abundant selection of golf balls to fit different golf game and condition. There are golf balls that offer control, while some offer distance. In whatever ways golf balls vary, only one thing is common and known. Golf balls are not just elements of the sports arena; they are more than ever paradigm of a concept in physics.
During the earliest days of golf on the eastern coast of Scotland, most players used ancient apparatus in order to play the game in a more disorganized and informal way. Here, the first clubs and golf balls are made up of wood.
It was on 1618 that the feather golf ball was finally introduced. This was commonly known as the "Featherie". This feather golf ball was a handcrafted ball made with goose feathers securely pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere. This is being done while the ball is still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded creating a hardened ball.
But because these kinds of golf balls are specially handcrafted, they usually cost higher than the clubs. In doing so, only a few privileged people could afford to play golf during those times.
Next, came the Guttie golf ball. This prehistoric kind of golf ball was made from the rubber like sap of the Gutta tree that can be found in the tropics. Normally, these Guttie balls can be easily shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually used as a golf ball. With its rubber nature, guttie balls can be cheaply reproduced and can be easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.
However, between the two earliest forms of golf balls, the feather golf ball was said to travel farther than the gutties. This is due to the smooth surface of the gutties that limits the capacity of the golf ball to cover more distance.
With this new scientific analysis, the developers of golf ball finally came up with balls with the "dimples" that are predominant in modern golf balls nowadays.
Dimples are crafted into golf balls so as to reduce the aerodynamic drag, which will be acting on the ball if it were totally smooth. This is because smooth balls, when sailing through the air, leave a huge pocket of low-pressure air in its stir therefore creating a drag. With the application of drag, the ball slows down.
Hence, by having dimples on golf balls, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball. This, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results to a smaller wake and lesser drag.
Dimples also help players to put backspin on a shot making the golf ball break off on the putting green.
The idea of putting dimples on golf balls can be traced back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. It was during this time when the players observed how their shots become more and more predictable as their balls turned rough from play.
When William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell ball in 1905, golf balls finally took their modern form.
From then on, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf balls took its form with standard size and weight.
Today, there is an abundant selection of golf balls to fit different golf game and condition. There are golf balls that offer control, while some offer distance. In whatever ways golf balls vary, only one thing is common and known. Golf balls are not just elements of the sports arena; they are more than ever paradigm of a concept in physics.
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