Secret Martial Arts Techniques
Many people who are keen in martial arts often seek out the latest and greatest martial arts techniques. What all of them hope to achieve is to master some secret martial arts moves that will enable them to fight better and more effectively than their rivals.
Here are a couple secret martial art techniques which are difficult to find on the internet or anywhere else. Though all of these tricks and techniques are practical, remember to use them after diligent practice and after thought:
Secret Martial Arts Techniques #1 Time and Eye Contact
When martial arts are used as a form of self defense, the most critical component is time. If only you got a bit of time before the attacker made his next move, you could easily win the fight.
You can gain such a gift for time if you start to watch the opponent’s eyes during the fight. The direction in which your attacker is looking would be a determining factor in the speed with which he is going to act and you could effectively use the opponent’s gaze to your advantage.
For instance, if your attacker is looking directly at you, it indicates that the attack would come very fast, but if he is looking away from you, this means that you can get a few seconds to prepare for your strikes. Though simpler during a competition when there are a lot of repetitions of moves, this can be tough during a street attack.
If that is the case, make an attempt nevertheless to study his eye pattern. What you are essentially looking for is his blinking pattern. Try and gauge the time when he would next close his eyelid. This is the time when you have to plan your strike and make contact with the attacker. Essentially, when you can predict a blink, you can be ready to strike.
People not only blink, their eyes also wander, even when they are on the attack mode. Simply bide your time till the attacker even takes a glimpse at the door and you could attack him at that instant. Even when he looks at your feet, you can grab that short time lapse to your benefit.
With some practice, this secret martial arts technique can be put to some great use and you can even track and control your own eye motions to your own benefit.
Secret Martial Arts Techniques #2 Breaking Momentum
When you see someone moving aggressively towards you, have you ever wondered how to put a break to the momentum, redirect him and make the potential attacker pass you by? Well, there is a very practical yet little known and lesser practiced secret martial arts technique that is to execute a stop kick on the shins or a jab on the eye. That could stop the first impact of the attacker on you.
Your attacker has to stop to give a counter attack to you. You do not have to aim at being successful with your eye jabbing, but the whole idea is to stop his forceful forward movement. As soon as he has stopped for a while, step on his or her foot.
Find the top of the opponent’s foot without even looking down. If you do look, then your move becomes obvious to the attacker. The art of finding the opponent’s foot can be perfected with practice.
Your next move is to push your opponent as soon as you have pinned down and trapped his or her foot. Imagine what the impact is going to be on his body when you have mastered the perfect art of pushing down someone when his foot is trapped.
Click HERE to get FREE access to the Inner Secrets of Martial Arts Success where you can learn about the TOP Fighting Styles. Transform yourself into a devastating human fighting machine with our valuable advice at http://www.martialartsmagic.com.
Snowboarding Defined & Taking Good Care Of Equipments
Snowboarding is basically surfing but on snow rather than on water. Snowboarding started around the 1960’s but really made itself known with its debut at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan. Since then it has become one of the fastest growing sports with over 7 million people participating in the United States alone.
Snowboarding is a winter sport and is therefore difficult to participate in at any other time due to lack of snow. There are many ski resorts that now have slopes that are for snowboarding only so for those interested in trying out snowboarding ski resorts are a good place to start.
The main equipment that you will need for snowboarding is the board itself, snowboard boots and snowboard bindings. Of course you should also wear a good quality helmet and gloves. You can rent this equipment at ski resorts if you want to try out the sport before purchasing any equipment. It is actually a good idea to rent the equipment first anyway to find out which brand and size is best suited for you. Look for my latest article about snowboard sizing.
The main styles of snowboarding are ‘freeride’ and ‘freestyle’ with ‘freecarve’ also being quite popular.
Freeride
This is the most common style of snowboard riding and probably the easiest. It is the style that you want to be doing if you are a beginner as it is simply just riding down a mountain. Whether it is the mildest of slopes or the steepest of slopes if you are just doing a straight ride down the slope then it is a freeride.
A rider however can use some tricks while riding freeride if he chooses by using any natural terrain that may be on the slope he is riding on.
When riding freeride riders will usually have a soft boot and the snowboard itself will often be longer with stiffer flex, this is to ride effectively on any type of snow condition you may encounter.
Freestyle
The freestyle style is when the rider uses man made obstacles such as boxes, jumps, half pipes, quarter pipes, rails and more. They will use these objects to perform tricks such as aerial or jib tricks.
The usual stance used in freestyle is the ‘duck foot’ stance which is when the back foot is facing the back end of the board. Freestyle riders usually use a shorter board that has additional flex.
Freecarve
Freecarve or race is the style of snowboarding is used mainly for racing and carving. There is very little jumping if any with freecarve style as it generally focuses on carving.
Whatever style you prefer to use many resorts will be offer the appropriate slopes for you. Many resorts now have parks with rails and halfpipes for those wishing to performs some tricks.
Snowboarding is becoming a very popular sport among men and women of any age so be careful if you are trying it out you may soon be hooked.
Let’s Move On To Tips In Taking Care Of Snowboarding Equipments
Frequent snowboarding can take its toll on your boards as well as other gears. In order to make them last and save you from further costs, it’s best that you take care of them well. Maintenance is always the key when you own valuable items.
Snowboards need regular tuning to enjoy them for many seasons and maximize your experience in this ultimate winter sport. You have to take care of your gear especially when the winter season comes to an end. Not being able to maintain it well may only result in poor performance or early deterioration of your board.
But before you try to do anything yourself, we share some tips that will give you helpful information on what parts of your board require special care and whether it’s time you should bring them to the shop and be professionally maintained. Of course, doing the basic maintenance yourself can save you money and you can do it without the use of many specialized tools. However, if you want to smoothen the snowboard’s base, never attempt to do it alone as a specialized grinder is the only tool that can do the work.
Clean is in
Cleaning the board is the first important step any snowboarder should take. Grime and dirt are most likely to build up on your board so make sure that you get rid of them at the end of the winter season. The best product to use is a citrus cleaner because it not only takes away dirt but also removes any dead wax from the base. All you have to do is just apply the cleaner and use a clean cloth or rag to get rid of dirt or any residue.
Check the edge
After cleaning, check your board to find out if there are certain portions that need fixing. Look carefully at the edges and the base. If the edges appear to be dull or burred, they need to be filed to keep them in good shape.
As for the base, if you see any minor damage, you can easily fix it with a tune-up kit that should include a p-tex candle. However, if you’re not certain about this, better bring your equipment to a snowboard shop and have it tuned up.
Wax to the max
Once you’ve seen that your board in is in good condition, it’s time to apply a new coat of wax. The things you will need at this stage are a scraper, iron and wax, preferably an all-temperature wax. Any iron will do but there are irons specially made for waxing a snowboard.
Now, while using the iron, apply a thick coat of wax on the base and make sure that it covers not only the base but the edges as well. Then scrape the wax from the base and the edges. The wax here serves to prevent the board from drying out and the edges from getting rusty while it is being stored.
Proper storing
Your snowboard together with your gear should be kept in a cool dry place during the hot summer months. As much as possible, don’t store them in the basement. Boots that are the soft type should be properly cleaned and should be applied with foot oil to maintain its softness.
Following these tips is a sure way to have durable and long lasting snow boards. So, keep them in mind and have a great experience with snowboarding.
The author’s web site Snowboards Rack provides information about Dragon Snowboard Goggles DX, Lamar Snowboards and snowboard storage rack.
Used Golf Clubs Buying Guide
Golf equipment can get expensive as you start buying more and more branded golf equipment. In this era of recessionary trends the option that you have is to buy used golf equipment and that will help you save enormous sums of money over a period of time.
Golf clubs is an expensive item within the golf equipment set that can be bought used and there are several on-line and offline shops that sell used glob club sets or even used golf clubs. These shops sell branded and high end golf sets at a discount to the original prices as these are pre-owned. But there are certain things that you should be careful about before you go ahead and start looking for used equipment.
Golfers know that grooves on a golf club are what is really needed for a golf ball to be driven further and with a spin. That means that when you start your hunt for golf club or club sets then you need to buy clubs that have good club face which means that they have good grooves on the club face.
The next important area for golf club is the shaft and the shaft needs to be closely inspected when buying the used golf clubs. Close inspection is a must for the shafts as the cracks in the shaft may not be easily detected with the naked eye. There are two types of shaft available which are graphite shaft and the metal shaft. Each has its own characteristics and you need to be aware of the way they work so as to eliminate any chances that you will get a faulty shaft when buying the used golf clubs.
The golf club is held with a grip on the top of the golf club and that grip can be an important factor for you as a golfer. If the grip is worn and damaged then my suggestion would be to try buying the new one or try some other used golf club.
If you are buying on-line then get the pictures of the club face , shaft and the grip individually so that you are reasonably sure about the quality of the golf club you are buying. Also make sure that you have the right to return if you do not find the club satisfactory. It will save you a lot of agony and hassle later.
Buying used golf clubs is definitely a money saver but there are some risks attached to it.
The author is an advocate of buying used equipment for golfing and he also goes for buying used corporate logo golf balls to cut costs. Used corporate logo golf balls are usually available online at great prices if you buy in bulk.
Choosing the Correct Golf Ball For Playing
If you are planning to buy golf balls then you should be aware about a few things so as to make an intelligent and an informed decision. This decision will impact what you purchase and for how much.
Now if you are a beginner you need not go and buy yourself a high end golf ball. In the market there are golf balls that are available for beginners , intermediates and the absolute professionals. The factor is the kind of game you play and how do you play. The ball can vary if you are a long or a short hitter. The ball may vary if you hook more than you slice . That means you need to decide the type of game you play . Usually a short hitter would need the ball to go a long distance than a long hitter.
Rather than worrying about anything that I have said before the best bet for beginners is to get the cheapest possible balls and try to improve the game. At the beginner level you will probably lose a lot of balls and that may impact your budget. You are better off buying golf balls in bulk as that will help reduce cost. Also never ever lose sight of the fact that almost anybody who is an advanced player started as a beginner and patience definitely is a virtue you need to have.
There are two piece low compression balls available from leading manufactures of the ball which help in going good distances with even slower swing speeds. Then there is another type which is two piece performance golf ball which can go longer distances with absolutely no spin. As you gain proficiency in your game then you need to have advanced balls to help keep up with your game and these balls are known as multi layer balls. Each layer of the ball gives you several benefits like the urethane covers give that special spin, soft covers give that feel and firm mantle helps go the distance.
The advanced category of balls come with very high prices and make sure to check at all stores and compare prices before you buy the high end variety of golf balls. These golf balls definitely give you an edge when you play professionally but yes they cost a fortune.
So in short choosing a golf ball which is right for you is important so as to not to wash your budget with red ink but also gives you an opportunity to improve your game.
The author suggests buying in bulk corporate logo golf balls for getting that benefit of great prices. Most beginners should go for that as these special corporate logo golf balls are best for them and have steep discounts attached with them.
Titleist Golf Balls- A Buyers Guide
If you play golf you will have heard of Titleist, manufacturer of one of the worlds finest golf ball, the Pro V1.
Titleist have been producing golf balls for over thirty years and have a huge list of acheivements to back up their reputation as a leading light in the golfing world.Currently they have six balls in their catalogue so how do you choose the right one for you.
Lets start by looking at the range.
Premium Balls
Pro V1 - Recently revised the Pro V1 is the most durable, Tour proven golf ball in the range. This ball has a soft core encased in Ionomer with a 392 dimpled Urethane Elastomer cover. Great I hear you say but what does it mean?The soft core gives outstanding feel for iron play and the 392 dimples mean a higher penetrating trajectory to give a longer driving distance and and dynamic drop and stop control.A ball which is premium priced but you do get what you pay for.
Pro V1x - The sister ball to the Pro V1.This ball has a dual core matched with fewer dimples, 332, to give a flatter penetrating flight.It has the same softer Urethane Elastomer cover to give the increased short game spin for total control at greenside. Generally this ball drives the furthest.
With either ball once you have driven it down the fairway and wedged it onto the green the AIM, or Alignment Integrated Marking helps you to drain it in the hole.
Mid Range Balls
NXT Tour Designed with the average to skilled player in mind the NXT Tour features a dual core with a Fusablend cover.The 392 dimples give a high spin ,higher trajectory which translates as more carry and less roll thereby giving the drop and stop control round the greens.
NXT Extreme - A harder ball than the Tour with 332 dimples and as before this gives a lower spin off the tee and a flatter flight.This is a ball for the higher handicappers who need a little help keeping on the straight and narrow.
Budget Range
Although called budget range these are not low end balls. Developed with the same thirty year tradition of design excellence these balls have a place in anyones bag.
DT Carry - A large soft core engineered ball with a revolutionary 252 high lift dimple design ensuring greater distance.Tough durable Surlyn cover.
DT Roll - Combination of soft core with 392 dimples giving lower flight and maximum roll and the Titleist design experience this is a great ball for those dry summer fairways.
Norman Stanley is a weekend hacker and part time tutor with particular interests in the mental game and short game wedge playAll Golf
Wedges
Planning The Perfect Hilton Head Golf Vacation
A Hilton Head golf vacation is a great way to relax, rejuvenate, and hone your golfing skills. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country, and this article will provide some information about golf tournaments and courses on the island, to help you plan your next vacation.
One the most well known golf courses on the island is Harbour Town Golf Links, home to the MCI Classic, one of the top events on the PGA Tour. Recently given the ranking of the 57th best course in the world by Golf Digest, Harbour Town is also bordered by the famous Harbour Town lighthouse and the neighboring marina features shops, fine dining, and other entertainment opportunities.
Sea Pines Ocean Course is among the oldest golf courses in the area, and was renovated in 1996 by PGA Pro Architect Mark Mccumber and features a signature oceanfront 15th hole with panoramic views of the water, as well as several lagoons and bunkers. This course is also one of two courses that are Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary courses within the Sea Pines resort.
Palmetto Dunes boasts an extensive lagoon system and bunkered greens. This Hilton Head golf course is famous for its ocean views, particularly those from the tenth hole of the Robert Trent Jones course. The George Fazio course is considered to be one of the most challenging courses on the island, and is the only par 70. The Arthur Hills course is also both beautiful and challenging in its own right, and provides many opportunities for off balance lies.
Another popular island course spot is the Daufuskie Island Resort, which is home to two signature courses that re accessible only by boat from Hilton Head. Bloody Point, a Parkland style golf course, borders the ocean, marshes, and rivers on many of its holes. The second course, Melrose, is a Jack Nicklaus designed course featuring many ocean front finishing holes.
These are just some of the many Hilton Head golf courses that visitors can choose from. Some people refer to Hilton Head as the golf island, due to the abundance of courses and golfing opportunities and the year round perfect weather. Just make sure to make your reservations early, as the popular hotels and rentals book quickly, particularly during the peak season, and when you are planning your next visit the area, be sure to bring your golf clubs with you.
If you liked this article and would like more information, please visit Hilton Head Golf
How Bob Champion Overcame the Odds and Became a Legend
True sporting legends are usually made, not born. A few greats have been destined for fame since birth though. Bob Champion is one of these natural-born legends, but his courage and dedication are the qualities for which he is most admired.
Champion, born in Yorkshire, England in 1948, was surrounded by riders and hunters from the very beginning. His father was an avid huntsman who took young Bob riding frequently. These early experiences instilled in him the love of horses and riding that would eventually carry him to a Grand National championship.
At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race. After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. His special way with the horses continued to win him races, as well as respect. He also proved to have a special way with women. His tempestuous love affairs were well-known and sometimes amusing to those around him.
Champion tried his luck racing in America and continued to enjoy success. His career eventually took him back to Britain, where he had dreams of winning the Grand National. He raced in the Grand National eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life took a major detour on the way to fulfilling his dreams.
In 1979, Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In true Champion fashion, Bob refused to believe that his doctors were correct. He stubbornly insisted that there was a mistake in the diagnosis.
The diagnosis wasn’t wrong. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live, with only a 40 percent chance of survival. Things looked grim, but he was given a second chance. An extremely aggressive program of chemotherapy, if begun immediately, might just beat the odds. Champion agreed to begin the treatment the very same day.
Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer and told that they will most likely die within months would take some time away from work. Not Bob Champion. He returned to training and racing while still in treatment and set his sights on winning the 1980 Grand National.
Unfortunately, Champion’s treatment had not been easy on his body. A large-scale infection nearly claimed his life and he was forced to put off his Grand National ambitions temporarily.
Champion was soon recovering from his various hardships and back in training. In 1981, he rode Aldaniti in the Grand National. The two were a perfect pair: both hard-working, stubborn and recovering from serious health problems. Champion’s cancer and Aldaniti’s three leg injuries caused almost everyone to speculate that the team wouldn’t get near the winner’s circle.
The two survivors melded on the Aintree Racecourse that April day in 1981. Their victory is one of the most memorable and emotional moments ever to be recorded in horse racing. Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history.
After his Grand National championship, Bob Champion continued to race and win until 1983. By that time, he had approximately 500 wins to his credit. After leaving racing, he focused his energy on training horses and running the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The charity has raised millions of pounds for cancer research and Champion continues to raise funds for it to this day.
Although Aldaniti died in 1997 and Bob Champion retired from training horses in 1999, they are both legends of the horse racing world. Their legacy is a sense of hope for all those who follow in their paths. They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump.
Read more about the Grand National and get the latest odds at http://www.grand-national.me.uk
Why And How Should You Play Tennis?
“Dad, I want to learn to play tennis,” my fourth grader beamed, handing me a sheet of paper. She bounced from one foot to the other waiting for me to finish reading –A local parks and recreations tennis instructor visited her school during gym class to show the kids how to play tennis. The paper explained a new program offered to beginners.
Even though my daughter was excited, I had reservations. Tennis? Isn’t that a game for rich folks played at country clubs on warm Sunday afternoons? But my daughter’s enthusiasm bolstered me into action. We signed up for the free clinic held before the start of the program, just to see if we liked it.
During the free clinic, a coach talked to parents while the children ran through drills on court. I watched my daughter swing her racket and miss the ball. She threw a smile in my direction as she ran to the back of the line. And there was that hop, from foot to foot again while she waited for her turn.
It wasn’t until several days later, after a phone conversation with one of the volunteer moms who helped out with the free clinic that I finally made up my mind. Her words not only encouraged me, but she somehow, in a positive way, made me feel as though I’d be lacking as a parent if I DIDN’T sign my daughter up.
What makes tennis such a great game? And why do 25.1 million people worldwide play it? Well, for starters, tennis is fun. But more than that, tennis is a universal sport offering different opportunities to different players, among some of the following:
Competition - Picking up a quick friendly match at the local courts, or entering into sanctioned USTA and World Team Tennis events, a competitive tract exists on almost all levels of play, from the novie player on up to the professional.
Character Building - Honesty is a huge one. On the recreational level, instant replay doesn’t exist. Line judges aren’t present at most of the matches. It’s up to the players themselves to call lines and follow the rules. Many young players may start out making incorrect calls, but the quickly learn this isn’t the right thing to do. But other character building traits such as determination, commitment, sportsmanship, and teamwork can all be learned through playing the game.
Family Sport- The entire family can learn to play and develop their games, thus strengthening the bonds between parent and child, between siblings and even between both parents.
Individual or Team Sport - both tracks are available to compete on. I recommend participating in both. The camaraderie of a team effort and the individual - nobody to blame but yourself - are both great environments for children (and adults) to learn different lessons.
Stress Reliever - When you’re out there hitting that little yellow ball, nothing else matters. Not bills, not grades, no emotional turmoil one might be going through outside of tennis.
Maintain Physical and Mental Fitness - Once you learn how to stroke the ball, then you learn how to place it, and to anticipate where your opponent might place his ball. Tennis is a thinking game. Plus, you’re running up and down, and from side to side…tennis is great for mind and body.
Social and Networking Outlet - Many players get together before and after matches for activities outside of tennis. Also, since the sport is universal, it offers countless networking opportunities. And, you can be almost be guaranteed that if you travel to any city, or up and move, you will find a tennis family upon your arrival.
Lifelong Sport - Tennis, like few sports out there is a game you can play your entire life.
Today, eight years later, my daughter still plays tennis. And now, because of her, so do both her parents as well as her boyfriend. 25.1 million people can’t be wrong. Pick up a racquet and get in the game.
Tennis Beginner Tips
Beginners just learning to play tennis are going to face a lot of frustration. It takes time and patience to start getting the hang of things. The most importing thing, however, is to avoid beginner mistakes so that you can minimize the frustration to a minimal level. I am going to share with you 5 tennis tips for beginners that will help you get started the right way.
One. The first tennis tip for beginners is not to try too hard. Yes, do not try to hard at first even if your coach tells you to. It is common to try too hard to get a better result, but that is often not the case in tennis. If you find that you are having trouble with a stroke or technique, try softening your grip and muscles and don’t worry about hitting the ball perfect at first until you have the technique down. It takes time to get the required skills to play tennis. Start with normal soft hits at first.
Two. The second tip is try not to have any expectations. If you find that you are expecting a certain result every time you will find yourself getting more and more frustrated. You will develop at your own pace so try not to stress over it. It will all come to you in time but if you start expecting certain results you can set yourself back.
Three. Next I want you to realize that there are no mistakes, only feedback. If you shoot the ball into the net hit the ball higher next time. You don’t need to complicate things live follow through, with your knees, or other things as this will come naturally.
Four. This tip involves movement. No matter what is happening on the other side of the court I want you to constantly be moving. You can jog, make small hops, dance, or whatever you must do to keep moving. Standing still will only make your movements more stiff and you will have a harder time getting to the ball and making a good shot. Keep Moving!
Five. This last tip is my favorite. It is to wait. Wait and be patient because it will take time for all of this to start making sense to your brain. It takes time for your brain to adjust to all of the information that you are feeding it. When you get instruction to do a certain shot, do your best then wait. The result will come soon enough, I promise!
So, this concludes my 5 tennis tips for beginners. If you are serious and want to learn how to play tennis the right way, you need to have proper instruction and training.
The author’s web site Prince of Racquets dot com provides information about discount tennis racquets especially Prince Tennis Rackets and Wilson Tennis Racquets.
Chipping Lessons That Really Work - I Am Not Joking
We have all heard during our chipping lessons that you must get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible. We have heard it from our golfing buddies to our local PGA Professional. Is it always a good idea to get the ball rolling as soon as possible and why is everyone so emphatic that this happens?
Once you have missed the green, you first must decide which type of shot you need to hit. Here are the questions that you need to be asking yourself to get the most from your chipping lesson to determine what type of shot you need to perform:
What does your lie look like? You hear this all of the time, especially on TV. What they are basically referring to is how much of the back of the golf ball can you see or will be able to get the clubface to the ball without any grass interfering between the two. This will be one of the factors that determines whether you end up chipping or pitching the ball onto the putting green.
What is the distance to the putting green and to the hole? You will need to factor the distance off the green as well as the distance form the edge of the green to the flag. Keeping in mind that the ball will be flying low and rolling out quite a ways once it hits the green, the farther off the green you find yourself then the more green you will need to work with on the shot.
Is the putting green going uphill or downhill where you want to land the ball? You must realize not all putting greens are created equal. Rarely will you have a straight or flat chip to the hole. This means that the slopes and undulations on the putting green will not only affect the roll of your chip but maybe your shot selection as well. If you are looking to land your ball on a spot that has severe slope to it, you may want to change that spot to a flatter one, if available. This could change the type of shot you are going to need to make. However, it is much easier to control how far your ball will roll when it lands on a flat surface.
If the ball does not go in the hole, where do I want the ball to finish? There are really two sides to this. Most players understand that you want to have the ball stop close to the hole. True. However, what most players do not understand is that you also would like to have the remainder be and UPHILL putt. Why? Would you want a three foot uphill or a three foot down hill putt? Without question, the answer is I want an uphill putt.
Have we answered the question “Is it always a good idea to get the ball rolling as soon as possible?” The answer lies in the spot you are attempting to land the golf ball. If it is on a severe slope you are better off to pick out a spot that is flatter and you can better control the roll of the golf ball once it hits the putting green.
Max Johnson of VGS Golf Click for more Short Game Theories by Stan Utley or Dave Pelz. Click for Golf Training Aids.
Do You Need A Belly Putter?
On Thursday and Friday, Sergio Garcia conquered the greens at The Open Championship with a belly putter. What length of putter is right for you? How do you find the correct putter length for you?
Conventional Putter
A conventional putter would be measured from 32 inches to 36 inches. To insure the putter fits properly, take your stance while the sole (bottom) the putter is flat on the ground. Your arms should feel as they are hanging straight down and your eyes should be positioned over the ball. You may check this by dropping another golf ball from in-between your eyes while taking your putting stance. This ball from between your eyes should hit the golf ball on the green.
Next, allow your arms to freely hang and take your grip. Once comfortable, this should reveal your proper putter length.
“The rule of thumb is: If you can use a conventional putter, then use a conventional putter” says Bill Craig, Head Professional at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center in Houston, TX.
The Belly Putter/ The Long Putter
The Belly Putter or Long Putter would be a putter 37 inches or longer. The belly or Long Putter attaches to your body to insure a pendulum stroke while eliminating wrist movement. With varying lengths some players literally place this in their belly while other will anchor the putter to their chest with one hand. Many players who use this style do so because they have been challenged by “the yips” or as Sergio said after his round today “I just wanted to try something different.”
Fitting the length of a belly or a long putter is much more personal than the conventional putter. Your eye-line will be .inside. the ball due to the length of the shaft. The sole of the putter needs to lie flat on the green. You will need to try many different lengths as all of us are built differently. Unfortunately, trial by error is the best way to find the proper length for the belly or long putter. Your local PGA Professional can help you with this.
The main advantages of the longer putter length are 1. the putter is anchored against the body 2.wrist action is minimized. The main disadvantages that are discussed are 1. feel is reduced 2. distance control is more difficult.
Which putter length is right for you? Take the time and use these putting tips to find the correct putter length for you.
Max Johnson of VGS Golf - Click for more on Belly Putters or Putting Training Aids.
