What Women Golfers Want: Fitness That Works

After having a dormant golf game all winter thanks to the abundant snow, I'm starting to plan for the long-awaited spring. To get me ready to hit the golf course, I did some research on women’s golf fitness. Here is a great article with some really easy exercises you can start now to ensure you’ll be ready to hit the course in the coming months. Enjoy!
- Jen

Annika Sorenstam leads the field of women golfers who improve their games by becoming more fit. While you may not have access to the same trainers or time as Annika and the other pros, you can still get great fitness results with only a few simple exercises. Women golfers typically need more work in the area of upper body, wrist, ankles and hip area strength than their male counterparts.

Here are a few simple exercises that will greatly improve your game and don’t require a gym or trainer.

1) One of the best exercises for overall strength for golf is the typical pushup. A counter-top – incline – pushup works well also. You can do them with your elbows out for chest strength; then do them with your elbows rubbing your sides to work the triceps. Work up to 20 pushups. Golf benefit: Good for upper body strength and shoulder and spinal stability -- two of the most important factors for insuring proper swing plane control during the entire swing.

2) For more upper body strength, perform a Lat Press Down using your club. Get in address position on one leg. Drop 10 degrees more with a straight back. Extend out your opposite arm with your club on the floor for support. Press down on the club with your arm to raise your body to an erect position. Work up to 20 times with each arm while standing on the opposite leg. Golf benefit: This strengthens your lats which are the main upper body muscles that bring your arm around for your swing. The single leg address position stance builds spinal stability and strengthens the major muscles of your ankle, knees and hips.

3) For wrist strength, hold your club in one hand while standing on the opposite leg. Rotate your wrist to move your club left and right and back and forth like you are painting with it. Repeat 20 times each direction. Golf benefit: The stance works your spinal stability and ankles, knees and hips like the previous exercise. The wrist movements strengthen your wrists for better club face control at impact. It also strengthens your wrists in the event you hit a hard object (the ground, rock, root, etc.)

4) Finally, perform a Hip Flexor Stretch. Tight hip flexors are the root cause of a number of muscle imbalances, swing faults and back pain issues. To stretch, place your right foot on the first step of any stairway. Place your left foot three stairs up. Hold onto the railings if you need help to balance, drop your pelvis toward the steps between your feet with your back straight up or even extend it backwards if you can. Switch feet and repeat on the other side. (You can also switch sides as you attempt to walk up the stairs to get a good strengthening workout for your legs.) Perform 3 times on each side, once every day.Always follow any back extension (bending backwards like in the hip flexor stretch) with a forward bend or flexion. Stand and roll down so that your palms are on the floor with your knees bent, much like you would bend over to tie your shoes while standing. Keeping your palms on the floor, try to straighten your legs. This will stretch your back and hamstrings. Golf benefit: Improves posture, reduces back pressure, allows abdominals to tighten, allows back and gluts (your buttocks) to strengthen and hamstrings to release. This also improves your setup, golf posture, back endurance, range of motion for your legs and hips during backswing and your ability to stay in the proper swing plane throughout your entire swing.

Ladies, these are just a few of the many “no special equipment needed” and “do anywhere” exercises that you can perform to build a stronger and more flexible body to improve your golf game. You can easily incorporate the pushups and hip flexor stretches into your daily routine whenever you are near a countertop (I do mine in the bathroom or kitchen) and a stairway (when I go to an upper floor in an office or at home). Here’s to a better you and a better game! Article By: Alan Smith
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Check out the new Spring 2008 Collection of women's golf apparel, golf bags and golf accessories!

Find a fun golf bag this season!

When I first started playing golf a few years ago I went out and bought a red golf bag. It was the best looking ladies golf bag the big box store carried and though I didn’t love it, I was pleased with my purchase. The second my coworker, who is an avid golfer, heard about my purchase she gasped in horror. She told me that red golf bags were NOT acceptable for the golf course. Being a newcomer to the sport, I felt very relieved that I had run my choice by her before hitting the golf course and embarrassing myself. So, I promptly returned the red bag and bought a plain black golf bag. Boring, but definitely would not stand out.

Several years later, I look back and laugh. There are so many great colors and patterns available to today’s women golfers that it is quite overwhelming when choosing a new golf bag. Some of my favorites are from Keri Golf and Cutler Sports.

Keri is known for their distinct bright colors and fun patterns, while Cutler offers a great line of very sophisticated women’s golf bags. Regardless of your preference when it comes to golf bags, there are options that will fit every woman’s taste. As for me, I have about 6 that I have my eye on at the moment!

If you're looking for a new golf bag this season, check out the Pink Golf Tees website for a wide selection of women's golf bags.

The Best & Worst New Golf Products for 2008

It's that time of year... The 2008 PGA Expo was last week and many new products, brands, and gizmos were introduced to the market. Here are some highlights compiled by the Golf For Women magazine on some of the best and worst new products coming on the market. Enjoy!
...............................

Ah, the PGA Merchandise Show. For 55 years, this trade show has showcased the latest and greatest that golf has to offer, featuring more than 500,000-square-feet of toys and gizmos. I tell everyone it's my personal playground. While some golf gadgets are genius, others are, to say it nicely, bizarre. So I've created a list of products that are great and others that are, um. Not. So. Great. I call it Thanks...But No Thanks.

Thanks...
Shaft Skinz: You may have seen plastic sheets on Fore Inventors Only. Blow-dry them onto your shafts to spruce up your clubs in under 10 minutes. With more than 75 designs and colors, you're bound to find some you like. And don't worry, they're easy to take off.

Stackable Luggage: Club Glove is coming out with a line of stackable luggage (meaning you can pull three or four bags with just one hand) that have internal bags and compartments, making organization and travel easy. So go ahead and pack those cute shoes "just in case."

My Sports Alarm Clock: The only way to turn off this golf ball-shaped alarm clock is by throwing it. Now you can finally get back at that annoying buzzer!

Chill Cooling Sport Towel: Pull this cotton towel, made primarily with water and alcohol, out of its bag and it'll stay cool for three hours. Need I say more?

Club Count Technology: Though it has never happened to me, my sister has lost way too many golf clubs. I should get her this Cleveland Bag, which has a system of built-in electronic sensors that know how many clubs are in your bag. It chirps and lights up when you don't put a club back in your bag, which means my chirping days are over. Score.

K-Vest: This training device deserves a full article, but I'm so excited about it I won't be able to sleep right if I don't include it on my list. It works best if you have your teacher (or anyone else you trust) put it on you and calibrate it to recognize your correct swing positions. Afterward, swing normally. If you nail those correct swing positions you're rewarded with music. It's instant audio feedback you can rock to all day.

Daphne's Headcovers: Okay, so these have been around for 25 years. But every time I see the cute headcovers in pro shops the selection is severely limited. So I got excited when I found out I can order any (or all) of their headcovers online. Now comes the hard part: should I order the Maltese headcover, or the camel? Or the deer, the peacock, the rose, the clown fish or the pig? Or the trash can?

Never Bend Putter Grips: Slip these on your putter (above, right) and you'll never have to bend down to grab your ball. The suction cup attached to the end of this grip does all the work for you.

...But No Thanks
Green Novelties Putters: Want to learn the definition of sleazy? Check out these putters (left), which feature stickers of women in bathing suits saying things like, "Hit it...hard!" and "Wanna Play?!" The company claims the "sexy adult golfing girl putters will improve any golfer’s game." Yeah. Enough said.
The Caesar Dimpleless Golf Ball: I thought dimples were sorta essential to the golf ball. Was I wrong? Could someone really think dimples were aesthetic and nothing more? Apparently Cayman Golf, a Georgia-based company, did. They created Caesar, golf's first-ever dimpleless golf ball (left). The company claims that even golfers with incorrect swing paths cannot impart sidespin on the Caesar, meaning players will never hook or slice it. Sure they won't; without dimples the ball will never travel far in the air, whether it be left, right or straight.
Ashdon Golf Putter: The putter (right), which just came on the market, is hideous. But I didn't judge it by its appearance, so I tried it out (even though it's important to like the way your putter looks). Putting with it didn't convince me. So I asked Ashley, the daughter of the man who invented this putter, what it was all about. The first thing she said? It's the only putter that's toe is connected to the heel. Um, I think the toe of every putter face is connected to the heel. The second thing? That Rankmark rated it the number one putter in the country. She then gave me a printed version of an e-mail Rankmark sent to Ashdon Golf that listed the top nine putters, showing Ashdon was listed first above Odyssey, Nike and others. The only problem? The list is in alphabetical order.

Granted, I've only hit the tip of the iceberg here. I'll post more info about the latest trends (hint: colors are going to be huge) and how golf will be more women-friendly this year than ever before.

-Ashley Mayo
Golf For Women Magazine

Golf Articles/Stories Needed

Thanks to everyone for the great response to the Pink Golf Tees website so far! It is very exciting to hear from you. We are currently building the Resource Center section of the website and I am looking for anyone who is interested in contributing articles or content. Personal stories on how you first got into golf, your favorite things about golf, etc. would also be great. Let me know if you are interested and I'll send you more information.

Jen
Pink Golf Tees

The Pink Golf Tees website is live!

Happy New Year! I am happy to announce that the Pink Golf Tees website is officially live! Please visit www.pinkgolftees.com when you get a chance and let me know what you think. We're adding new products daily, so there is more women's golf apparel, equipment, and accessories to come.

Jen
Pink Golf Tees

Etiquette on the Green

Once you tee off and make it to the green, there is a whole additional set of rules.

Etiquette on the Green

1. The ball with the longest distance to the hole has to be played first.
2. Don't step on putting lines of your flight partners.
3. Mark your ball as soon as it lies on the green.
4. When holding the flagstick, don't stand too close to the hole. Watch for any shadow your body may produce in the sun because this may interfere other players in their game.
5. Don't stay too close to your flight partners when they want to take their puts.
6. Don't move or speak as long as your flight partners play their balls.
7. Don't pull the ball out of the hole with your putter as this may damage the hole. Bend down and pick it up.
8. Avoid any damage of the green! (flag hole, spikes, pitching holes!). Remove all traces before leaving the green.
9. Replace flagstick carefully. Do not damage the hole!
10. Leave the green as soon as possible. There is time to note your score while waiting for tee-off on the next tee.

Basic Golf Etiquette Tips for Beginners

Golf is one of the oldest sports out there. Those who have played for a while know the ins and outs, but for beginners the basic golf etiquette can be a little muddy. Here are 20 basic golf etiquette tips you should know before you hit the course:

1. Be sure to be patient and respect other players on the course as you wish to be respected.
   Don't produce any loud noise. Normal speaking or conversation is ok; shouting or loud laughing is not!
2. Be prepared to arrive at your scheduled tee-off in time.
3. Always check your marker and your ball number in order to avoid confusion (and possible stroke-penalties!) during the game.
4. Don't make practice swings on the teeoff zone.
5. Do not stand too close behind, near or in front of any other player.
6. Be absolutely quiet while any other player wants to make his shot.
7. On the first tee usually the player with the lowest handicap has the right to start the game by doing his first shot. On all other tees the player with the best score out of the previous hole has "the honor", meaning he has the right to play his ball first.
8. Always be prepared to play your ball in order to avoid any delay in the game.
9. Leave tee immediately after you made your shot.
10. Take care for a flowing game! Don't stand or wait if not necessary.
11. Don't play your stroke if other players intend to do their puts on any green in the neighborhood.
12. Don't play your shot as long as any player in front of you may be in hit distance to you.
13. Replace divots and step it into place, repair any damage caused e.g. by your spikes, pitch marks etc. immediately.
14. After any bunker play be sure to use the rake and leave the bunker in perfect condition.
15. Don't drive your buggy or trolley over teeoff areas, greens or through sand bunker.
16. Before putting be sure to leave your trolley somewhere beside the green, preferably in an area beside the next teeoff zone.
17. Adapt your walking speed to that of your flight partners. Neither walk too fast nor to slow, try to stand somewhere beside the player who has to do the next shot.
18. While walking to your ball, try to consider how to play it best.
19. If possible, try to observe not only your own but also the balls of the other players in your flight. This will help to save time in case one of your partners may not be able to find his ball immediately after his shot.
20. In case you or your flight is forced to search after any lost ball, invite the following flight to follow through before continuing your search.

Business Golf Tip #2 - Are you ready for business golf?

My biggest fear was making a fool of myself in front of my boss, coworkers, or clients on the golf course. Sure, I have my great days on the course, but I also have some really bad days, too. Here are some pointers to help you feel confident that you are ready to hit the course for work-related events.

Most women golfers fall in between the extremes of either being very experienced or beginner golfers. So how good to you have to be for business golf?

• Most of the time, you should be able to hit a ball about 100 yards off the tee, hit a middle iron (or hybrid club) at least 75 yards on the fairway
• Be able to hit out of a bunker successfully two out of three times
• Know how to reach a green when you are 50 yards from the pin
• Take only one practice swing
• Three-putt or less on most greens
• Know proper green etiquette
• And know when to give up and put the ball in your pocket
• Most important: If you can play nine holes just by yourself and finish the nine holes in 90 minutes or less (or 18 holes by yourself in less than three hours), you are good enough to accept most business golf invitations.

Even if your game is not great on the day you play, if you feel comfortable with the above criteria, then you will not slow down your group or those behind you. Unless you are playing in serious competition, if you are having a very bad hole it is usually okay to pick up your ball and hope for miracles on the next tee.

Jen

Pink Golf Tees

Business Golf - Basic Etiquette Tips

OK, so we've established that business golf is a vital element for most women's career development. Here are some tips on the basic etiquette of business golf:

• If someone's about to tee off, the chances of a brilliant shot are very low. So keep your eye on that person's ball, so you know exactly where it lands. When you find the ball for them, people are relieved, and they see you as someone who's on top of things, who pays attention to detail.
• If you happen to hit a longer, straighter ball than the person you're playing with (especially if that person is your boss), say something nice about an earlier shot of his or hers, if you can. Take the focus off your game and keep it on theirs.
• Never, ever give advice unless directly and specifically asked for it.
• Don't force a discussion of business topics on the golf course. Save it for the '19th hole,' that is, the clubhouse bar. Why? Someone who is playing well, who is 'in the zone', doesn't want to be distracted by business talk. And someone who is playing badly needs to concentrate. He or she doesn't want to be distracted either.
• If you take a lousy shot, don't whine about it. Just move on.

In following posts I'll dive into the specifics of proper attire for women conducting business on the golf course, how to know if you're ready for business golf, and more.

Jen

Pink Golf Tees

Two tips to improve your golf swing

I came across this article the other day and thought it offered a quite interesting tip (see #2) on how to improve your golf swing. Hope you find it useful!

So you want to improve your golf swing? Don’t we all! It's one aspect of the game common with many golfers keen to attain a golf swing good enough to form the foundation of a consistent game. The honest truth... most part time golfers won't do anything about improving their golf swing simply because they enjoy the outing and the social aspect of the game. But if you are reading this article, then you are certainly serious about picking up a tip or two to help develop some consistency in that swing.

Why is it so many players have difficulty maintaining a consistent swing? For new players, the ability to eliminate bad habits from their game is easy. For more experienced golfers it's not so easy but it's doable. One tip I picked up early in my golfing career when I was having trouble with my back swing certainly transformed and helped me improve my golf swing.
In fact, this one tip not only helped me eliminate the unco-ordinated knees and falling shoulders during the process of the swing but helped me add a strong mental side to my game.

How To Improve Your Golf Swing
The back swing is a big problem area for many players and most of the time it can be corrected without too much fuss and effort. For some reason, the left knee is allowed to collapse on top of the right knee during the back swing process. The result:

- the shoulders tend to collapse and drop in the process and
- your hips will tend to go into a swaying motion

What's up with this? The result is always hit and miss. Sometimes you hit the ball flush and most times you don't. Two things you can try:

- when about to play the swing, just imagine your left knee is drawn towards the area you intend to hit the ball and
- if this is difficult to implement, grab your favorite soccer ball or basketball and place them between your knees during practice sessions.

The first tip was handy but it was the second tip which helped this author. It's amazing but after several practice sessions using a soccer ball, every time I played a round of golf for several months after it felt like that ball was always there during the swing process. The effect can be dramatic and worth the effort if you are serious about wanting to improve your golf swing. Article by Dean Caporella.

- Jen

http://www.pinkgolftees.com/