First Puttingzone Coach in New Zealand

Golf Instruction “Putting” Geoff Mangum’s unique approach to golf putting instruction is the combination of over 100 years of putting lore with an intensive, 15-year study of the neuroscience of human targeting and movement control processes in the brain and body.

The world’s best and only golf putting instruction designed around the brain’s ability to coordinate movement. “Use your brain to putt your best”.

Using this knowledge-base, Geoff teaches “The Mechanics of Instinct” for putting to allow the golfer to employ and enhance innate targeting and stroke movement processes during the putting routine.

His specially designed routines and techniques are the most innovative in golf instruction in decades, and he regularly teaches the teachers, and has worked with select staff at some of golf’s top schools, including the Jim McLean Golf School and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

Geoff Mangum

Geoff Mangum is widely recognized as the most knowledgeable and effective putting coach in golf for professional players and elite amateurs.

His popular website, The PuttingZone.com, attracts over 75,000 visits monthly from golf’s top players and industry insiders and is the top-ranked website in the world for putting.

His first PGA Tour student, Shaun Micheel, went from 160th in putting on Tour to winning the 2003 PGA Championship on the strength of his putting within two months of working with Mangum.

His first developmental tour pro, Blake Adams, fired a personal-best, course-record, event-record, tour-record 62 the very next morning after a lesson with Geoff and won his event running away from the field. Veteran golf instructors have hailed him as a genius in golf instruction who knows more about putting than anyone on the planet.

Geoff has certified me to teach and coach his “Putting Zone” method here in New Zealand.

Back exercise and golf. Doesn’t that sound like a common denominator? Of all the injuries in golf, the low back is by far the highest one. To explain why doing back exercise for golf is important, a golfer needs to understand why. The golf swing  is one of the most (if not the most) stressful movements on the lower back. Picture this.

You’re in a static position at the start; then you try to rotate your upper body as far as you can go, while keeping the lower body as stable as you can.

This movement all by itself puts tremendous stress on the lower back. If you have a lower level of rotational flexibility, you are at HIGH RISK for low back injuries. You many have one as we speak.

Now picture having the strength to do that backswing, maintaining your golf posture at between 80-100 mph. If you have not participated in a back exercise for golf, you will not be able to generate any power at impact, therefore your driving distance is inadequate.

Does this sound familiar?

It should. I see this all the time on the golf course. Especially with the senior golfers. They have physically declined over the years and have not done any back exercise for golf and cannot generate and club-head speed.

There is hope!

To remove the threat of low back injury and improve your ability to turn back and turn through with power, you just need to do a couple of simple back exercises for golf.

One example of a back exercise for golf that you should be doing several times a day is what I call the Lying Leg Crossover, which is incorporated in all my products.

Here’s what you do:

Lie on your back with your legs extended.
Raise one leg and bend at the knee to 90 degrees and the hip to 90 degrees.
Cross that leg over extended leg, while opposite shoulder stays on ground.
Go until slight pull in butt and lower back.
Hold and repeat once more.
Switch legs and do opposite side.
This is a very simple back exercise for golf and no equipment is required.

Just do this back exercise for golf religiously and you’ll see a HUGE improvement!

Once you measure the distances of each of these shots, viola, you have some exact yardages that you can use for those odd distances.

Second, this system won’t work if your tempo is off. As an example,

After the round, I noticed what was going on, so for the second round I picked up my tempo slightly. All of a sudden I was flying the pin by 5-8 yards and was getting in to worse trouble still (usually it’s better to miss short than go over a green).

Third, the focus is too much on swing mechanics and not as much on the target.

When I think back about my best scores of 64 and 65, those two days I remember hitting long drives in the fairway, hitting the green from long approaches or missing in good spots, getting my short pitches really close, and making putts.

Regarding the short pitches, I was mostly creatively using my 6-iron to hit little bump and runs in to the green and up to the flag. It worked very well – I was just focused on hitting it from here…to there, without any thoughts ofback swing arm position.

So what’s the answer here? I’m not sure there is a right answer, but at least you’ve got three options – use the clock system, get creative, or just don’t leave yourself those kinds of shots in the first place.

The majority of the game of golf is putting – pure and simple. It looks so easy – rolling that little ball into a nearby hole. But mastering the skill has threatened many a golfer’s sanity.

Here are a few putting tips to help improve your putting skills.

• Use just one ball when you practice your putting. This is closer to what a real game is like. You tend to concentrate better this way than if you have a bucket of balls to keep digging into. And be sure to practice your putting daily.

• Putting isn’t all in the wrists. When you’re putting, the palms of your hands face each other. This prevents one hand from dominating and ensures that both work together for you.

• Make sure you’re totally relaxed before you strike the ball. Loosen up your muscles so they feel flabby and jelly-like. Never tense up your muscles when putting!

• Make your back and follow through strokes the same length.

• Keep your putter face square by weakening your left hand and strengthening your right.

• Rely less on your wrists and more on your shoulders when putting.

• Keep that left wrist firm.

• Relax your knees a little. Don’t lock up.

• Your heels should be shoulder-width apart.

• Gary McCord advises that on curved putts, keep your feel parallel to the line you’ve chosen, not parallel to the hole.

• As you make contact with the ball, you want to accelerate the putter. Keep the putter grip moving toward your target.

• It’s better to miss a putt by sending it beyond the hole than by having it come up short. Finishing off the shot will be easier.

• Practice your putt at home on your carpet when the weather is bad or you can’t get to the golf course.

• Find a putter that works well for you and stay with it.

• Have something at stake at every hole so you become accustomed to putting under pressure.

Now you just need to put this Putting tips to good use.

Walking in a golf course cannot be imagined nowadays, and most courses are persistent about golfers renting a powered golf cart. Apart from the hard task of walking with heavy clubs and equipment, going in a cart will look better certainly better.

Hence many golfers are buying their own vehicles. In places like a golf course neighborhood, people usually use their own carts to commute.

Hence carts can also be used to commute in their surroundings in addition to golf courses. The problems like golf cart rental fees and other rental issues can be solved by having a cart of your own. But a fee is required at some clubs fee for one’s own cart.

Using own carts enable golfers to personalize their commutes according to their tastes and needs. It may be customized by using different colors, heaters, air conditions, refrigerators, and even radio and television in the cart.

Golf carts for luxury are common. Many feature loaded carts with more features than regular vehicles can be found on the internet. The features you should opt for depends on your requirements, frequency of play and more importantly your budget.

Spending your holiday in a relaxing way… Sotogrande is one of the beautiful places in Spain designed to entertain tourists and assure their relaxation. It is situated in the south of Spain, to be more exact, on the Costa del Sol and the fact that it is situated here makes it possible for Sotogrande to enjoy a wonderful climate.

Sotogrande is not one of the towns in Spain that have a back history; it was built from nothing by the American Joseph Mimicking, who created a wonderful place for relaxation with golf courses, a beautiful marina, luxurious hotels and nice restaurants situated in the middle of an amazing landscape.

Unique places

The unique thing about Sotogrande is the fact that it has about 20 kilometres of coast which offer breathtaking views of Gibraltar. A very nice place to spend some hours with your loved ones is the Octogono Beach Club, a place which is perfect for families with children, because while you enjoy a delicious traditional meal, the children can use their energy on the playground.

The club also has a pool and a garden where you can relax after a day spent sightseeing or practising a water sport.

You can never learn enough information on how you can improve your core strength, especially if you’re a golfer. Getting to know how good your core strength is, is an absolute must.

This will tell you how efficiently your abdominals are working and whether you need to concentrate on this area alone before starting on other areas of your golf swing or if your core strength is already efficient.

Here is a simple test that you can do at home to find out how efficient those abdominals really are:

1. First, lie down on a flat surface on your back.
2. Bend your knees so that you’re feet are on the floor.
3. Place one hand underneath your back, directly in line with your navel.
4. Press your back into your hand so that you feel hard pressure on your hand.
5. Take a deep breath in then slowly exhale and as you do so gently lift your right leg just off the floor.
6. Inhale and lower the leg back to the floor. Exhale and repeat on the left leg.
7. Note exactly how much pressure you placed on your hand underneath your back throughout this
exercise.

1. Was the pressure on your hand:
a) Hard
b) Medium
c) Light
d) No pressure

2. Did the pressure remain constant throughout this exercise?
a) Yes
b) No

If you answered a to both questions then you’re core stability is working efficiently and you will only need to maintain your core strength.

If you answered b-d for question 1 and b to question 2 then your core strength is not working efficiently and you will need to concentrate on strengthening the abdominals.

You’ve heard it said dozens of times. Golf is a game of “feel”. You just know instinctively when something’s right or wrong for you. It sounds a little confusing, doesn’t it? Let’s try to take that vague feeling and put it into words and action.

First off, let’s address the technique of swinging with all your might. If you swing really hard, then you can’t get the feel of a correctly hit ball and your muscles don’t learn the feel of correct balance. When players have the feel of the shot, their muscles and sense of touch are tuned in to the correct gauge and balance and they just know they can hit the ball.

When you want to lunge at the ball, your power should be developed by twisting your body. If you learn this, it won’t take 3 or 4 years before you’re hitting the ball a good distance. When you keep failing with a certain shot, just stop and think what you’re doing, what you’re trying to accomplish. Don’t try any certain method unless you have a definite purpose for using it.

Always remember the basics. Think in your mind how it feels to prepare properly for a shot.

One important point is that it’s not necessary to feel the power during the stroke. You want to swing easily. It’s the energy that’s transferred to the ball that counts. Get rid of every little detail that destroys your balance and you’ll get on the right track. Cut out everything that’s not comfortable.

Your ability to keep your balance and be comfortable is the measure of the amount of power you can use successfully. Many players lift their heads at the last instant. This doesn’t add power to the stroke. It actually takes power away from it.

It may sound tricky but you really want to be as comfortable as possible while playing a game and to do things as easily, flexibly and fluidly as possible. Much of this comfortability is purely mental.

Make sure you keep your eye on the ball while you’re moving. That’s what counts. When you’re doing things comfortably your strength is being properly applied.

The second you brace your muscles, you’re moving away from the correct way of playing. If you want to see if your method is right, check your comfortability level. If you get better results with your own method then follow your own method and don’t try to imitate someone else.

If you want to learn from someone, ask them why they’re swinging in a certain way and if you can learn the reason then you can apply the knowledge in your own way. Just trying to imitate someone else’s swing doesn’t benefit you.

Over time, you’ll acquire the ability to know what shot feels right, what club feels best, what decision you should make. That’s the feel. The instinct. The touch of greatness!

Ninety percent of golf is mental. Oh heck, make that 95%! Arnold Palmer stated, “The toughest 6 inches in the game of golf is between a player’s ears”. The fastest way to lower your score is to master the ability to focus. Most golfers tend to think they must practice more, find a new instructor, buy more videos, get the swing right, change those clubs.

But one of the often overlooked and most important mental aspects of the game is focus.

Now you want to make sure you focus on the result you want. In golf the shot is determined by your level of concentration. You’ve likely just rushed right in and played shots without concentrating. No wonder the ball ended up going haywire!

It’s better to make ten focused swings than 100 quick, thoughtless ones. Your swing will naturally break down when you’re fatigued. So be sure to take a break when you’re practicing. Brain breaks give your mind and body a chance to implement what you’re learning.

One way to practice the art of focusing is to light a candle and stare into the flame, only thinking of the flame. Every time your mind starts to move to any other thought, bring it back to the flame. Think of the dancing orange colors, how they melt inside of each other.

The first time you do this, you might be hard -pressed to last for 3 minutes. Work up to 20 minutes, and your ability to focus on anything will have improved immensely. You’ll be able to take this enhanced skill to the golf course.

When you’re playing, just think about the next shot. During down time, allow your mind to relax and wander for a few minutes. Don’t try to concentrate the entire game, or you’ll get very fatigued, very quickly. Save the mental workout for thoughtful shot decisions and center on what shot you’re going to play next.

Also, keep your cool and behave in an emotionally controlled manner. You will perform more effectively. In the great game of golf, emotions soar and fall quickly. You can go from totally happy to totally ticked off in no time at all. In fact, the feeling of anger is actually a series of reactions that happen in just 1/30th of a second.

Stop it at the first spark. The important thing is to figure out what is really making you angry. Think of the grand scheme of life and how today is just a speck. Your golf game is a speck on a speck. It helps to minimize the situation and look at the big picture of what’s really important in life.

Master the mental art of focus, and you’ve got 95% of the game of golf all figured out!

The game of golf is truly an individual sport. The basics are the same for everyone; however, due to the differences in peopleís body types no two people will ever have the same golf swing. Each person will have to adapt their bodies to perform a proper golf swing in their own way.

Taking the time to develop your own method of playing golf will greatly improve your enjoyment and success at the game. Practicing the basic fundamentals of the game until they are ingrained in your muscles will lead to confidence on the course, and that confidence will lead to success and enjoyment of the game.

One of the most basic steps that you can put into action and see an immediate improvement to your golf swing  is to keep your head still and look straight at the ball. The position of your head should be straight in line with your spine, and your nose should be raised up a bit so that when you start to swing, your left shoulder fits under your chin.

Many players tuck their heads into their chests to try and keep their heads still and look straight down at the golf ball. Unfortunately, they cannot perform a proper golf swing while in this position.

If you are one of the many that are having difficulty keeping your head straight and an eye on the ball try the following. The next time you approach the ball, assume the correct stance with your feet and knees in position but keep your head and back straight, bend forward slightly at the waist and look straight at the ball.

If you try and take a swing in this position, your left shoulder will most likely hit your chin. While keeping your eyes on the ball, raise your head slowly until your left shoulder does not hit your chin. Make sure that your head does not move from side to side by keeping your eyes fixed on the ball.

Slowly go through the backswing and downswing portions of your golf swing. Do not hit the ball and do the follow through. Practice this portion of your golf swing focusing on keeping your head straight and eyes on the ball.

Practice this exercise in your backyard for about 25 times in a row and then take a break and relax a bit, then start again. Make minor corrections to your head and body position as needed to keep your eyes straight on the ball and your left shoulder from hitting your chin.

This exercise will “train” your body, and your muscles will “remember” the correct position you need to be in to perform the movement correctly. Think about any sports athlete, they train and train to place their bodies in the correct stance and position to properly execute the movements necessary to be successful in their particular sport.

You are doing the same thing by “training” your body to keep your head straight and position itself so that you can successfully execute a proper golf swing.

Another basic step that can work greatly towards improving your golf swing is to relax. I know it is easier said then done, especially when you are getting ready to put all your power into drive with an audience of either your co-workers, or better still your friends who will not let you forget it if you mess up.

However, relaxing your muscles will help you to maintain the proper balance that is important to a great golf swing. Regardless of the golf clubs you use, your balance is the primary foundation of your golf swing, and the way to achieve good balance is to practice.

A good way to practice improving your balance is to assume the address position with your club, relax your body and try holding it there for about 30 seconds. Does it feel like you have more weight on one foot or the other? Is one part of your body more tense then another?

Keeping your head straight and maintaining good balance are just two basic parts of a great golf swing. The exercises given above are just two ways that you can start training now to improve your golf swing. You can work on either one separately, or combine them together into one exercise. Improving your golf swing begins and ends with you.

Training the muscles of your body to properly perform specific movements takes time and practice. The effort spent improving your golf swing will pay off on the course. Through exercise and practice, you will be able to slip into the proper address position and perform an effortless, powerful golf swing and feel just as if you were sliding your hand into a warm soft glove.