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- Herausgeber: Crowood
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Crowood Sports Guides provide sound, practical advice that will make you into a better sportsperson, whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your sport. Golf is the latest addition to this popular sports guide series and covers choosing the right clubs and clothing, improving your swing to hit longer and straighter shots consistently and also improving your putting, short game and bunker play. Other topics covered include; Discovering if you are flexible enough to have the golf swing you want; Learning how to make the most of your equipment; Making the best use of your practice time with fun challenges; Saving strokes through better course management and learning key mental skills. An instructional and practical guide aimed at beginners and improving golfers, Golf gives advice on choosing the right clubs and clothing, and advice on improving your swing to hit longer and straighter consistent shots, also to improve putting, short game and bunker play. Superbly illustrated with 300 colour sequenced photographs and diagrams. Matt Stables is a PGA Qualified 'AA' Golf Professional, is Today's Golfer Elite Coach and has won a number of professional tournaments.
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Seitenzahl: 196
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013
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Copyright
First published in 2013 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book first published in 2013
© The Crowood Press 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 86126 638 3
Photographs by George Powell, www.gppics.com Diagrams by Charlotte Kelly
CONTENTS
PREFACE
Welcome to the Crowood Sports Guide: Golf. The aim of this book is to equip players of all abilities and experience with the tools to excel at golf and to enjoy the game. This book is aimed as much at the complete beginner who is just looking to start the game, as it is at experienced players who wish to take their skill to the next level. It is important to understand a number of different areas to play to your best, and many aspects will be looked at so that you have the tools to improve and enjoy this great game.
The first section will take you through the history of the game in the hope that the great players and golf’s evolution will inspire you to play and understand the modern game. Then in Part Two we will describe the stages of getting started, the basics of the technique or the swing, then putting and the short game. This section is designed for the beginner – but even the more experienced should review the information contained herein, as there will be something to help even the most advanced player.
In Part Three we will cover more advanced swing ideas, and then discuss other areas that may have an impact on your performance and enjoyment of the game, such as to how to use your practice time, the mental game, how your equipment performs, and your fitness for golf. It will also cover subjects such as how to keep improving your swing, understanding how the body works, swing plane, and the correct impact position.
Each chapter will begin with a synopsis of the objectives discussed within it, and will then explain in more detail how these objectives might be achieved. Note that the text assumes that the player is right-handed. Left-handed players should simply reverse the terms.
PART 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE GAME
CHAPTER 1
THE HISTORY OF THE GAME OF GOLF
In this section the objectives discussed are:
To understand golf’s beginningsTo learn about the greats of the game in order to be inspired by, and to learn from themThe Early History of Golf
The game of golf has a long history, the first mention of a stick and ball game going back to the Netherlands in 1297, where the Dutch played a game with a stick and a leather ball with the aim of using the least number of strokes to get the ball to a target a few hundred yards away. And there is even evidence of some form of the game being played in China in around the year 1000AD. But the consensus is that the modern game evolved in Scotland, and that golf as it is today – played over eighteen holes – also originated in Scotland.
The first documented mention of golf in Scotland appears in an Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1457, when King James II of Scotland prohibited the playing of the games of ‘gouf’ and football, as these were a distraction from archery practice for military purposes. Bans were again imposed in Acts of 1471 and 1491, with golf being described as ‘an unprofitable sport’ and an unwanted distraction. Mary, Queen of Scots, was accused by her political enemies of playing golf after her second husband was murdered in 1567; George Buchanan subsequently wrote that she had been playing ‘sports that were clearly unsuitable to women’.
Golf was banned again by parliament under King James VI of Scotland, but golf clubs and balls were bought for him in 1502 when he visited the home of golf, St Andrews in Scotland. The account book of a lawyer named Sir John Foulis of Ravelston records that he played golf at Musselburgh Links on 2 March 1672, suggesting that The Old Links, Musselburgh, is the oldest playing golf course in the world. There is also a story that Mary, Queen of Scots, played there in 1567, demonstrating that she was the first golfing celebrity of her time.
The Early Era 1860 to 1930
Golf started to become established as an international sport in the late nineteenth century, with over a thousand courses coming into existence in the UK. It also started to expand in the United States, with 267 clubs in 1910, and 1,100 clubs by 1930. Golf was truly on the rise and growing rapidly. The golf ball was also changing rapidly, because prior to 1930 there were numerous different types in use and it was continually evolving. The first balls used were called ‘featheries’ as they were made up of a stitched leather outer layer stuffed with feathers; however, due to the cost of manufacturing these golf balls they were replaced by gutta perca balls, which were made from the dried sap of a Malaysian Sapodilla tree. They developed from there into a ball with a liquid-filled core, which was surrounded by a layer of rubber thread and a thin outer layer. This was first developed by Coburn Haskell in the early 1900s, and this concept of a wound ball was developed and refined, and was still in use until the early twenty-first century.
The modern golf ball is made of several layers of different synthetic materials such as urethane. By using differing materials and layers, and with the aid of modern design technology, balls can have a variety of playing characteristics that will suit different players. The design process and quality control has improved, which has meant that balls are much more consistent in their performance, something that the early balls were not.
The current majors started to be played during this era, with the Open Championship in 1860 and the US Open in 1895. These helped to popularize the game and encouraged participation.
One of the great players of the era was Bobby Jones, who as an amateur won all the major tournaments of this time. In 1930 he completed the Grand Slam, when he won the US Open, the Open Championship, and the British Amateur and US Amateur championships. He also opened the Augusta National Golf Club, where he founded one of the modern majors, The Masters. Playing his first Open Championship at St Andrews in Scotland, he famously withdrew after eleven holes by tearing up his score card, stating that he didn’t like links golf. Despite this he was well known for his sportsmanship both on and off the golf course. Ironically he won the Open Championship at St Andrews on his way to the Grand Slam in 1930.
Another great player of the era who helped popularize the game was Walter Hagen, famously playing numerous exhibition matches across the United States and around the world. He had an aggressive style of play and a love of tailored clothing, which helped raise the profile of professional golfers and the game.
1930 to 1960
During this period golfing equipment further developed, with the introduction of steel shafts in the clubs, replacing the wooden hickory shafts used previously. This meant that the swing began to evolve to cope with the different playing characteristics, as the steel shafts were more uniform in the way they played; they could be tailored for mass production, and modified to suit the individual.
The great players during this era were Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson. Byron Nelson famously won eleven consecutive tournaments and eighteen events during 1945, with a stroke average of sixty-eight. This record remains to this day – his stroke average is similar to that of modern players, but considering he had inferior equipment as compared to today, and played on courses that were far less manicured, this only goes to demonstrate his ability.
Ben Hogan was a legendary ball striker known for his tremendous work ethic, as well as his ideas on how to swing. His book The Five Fundamentals of Golf has had a huge influence on the modern swing and coaching. He overcame much adversity during his life, starting with his father committing suicide when Hogan was a child. After struggling early on in his career, he continued to work hard and developed his technique. He was penniless a number of times and didn’t win his first professional tournament until he was twenty-eight, ten years after he turned professional. In February 1949 he was involved in a car accident, which left him with a fractured pelvis, collar bone and left ankle, chipped rib and blood clots, from which he nearly died.
Despite this Hogan returned to the golf course within a year and went on to win the 1950 US Open. In 1953 he recorded one of the best seasons in professional golf, winning three of the four modern majors. He was not able to compete in the USPGA Championship, as the dates clashed with the Open Championship. His achievements were even more impressive insofar as the injuries he suffered affected him for the rest of his life. He is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, and one of the best ball strikers. His determination and dedication to the game is something many players have tried to emulate.
Sam Snead is the last of this great threesome; he currently has the most wins on the PGA Tour with eighty-two, and was known as ‘Slammin’ Sam’. He possessed a great natural swing, which created seemingly effortless power, and was a natural athlete. He was the opposite of Ben Hogan, who worked so very hard to become a great player, and soon found his feet on the tour by winning five times during his first year. He had a long career, which could be attributed to his flexibility and fitness. He is the oldest player to win on the tour, at fifty-two years old, and his swing and his style of play were both natural and admired by many.
During the 1950s the game continued to develop and expand. Golf was broadcast on the television for the first time, which helped to bring its popularity to a wider audience. Magazines and news media coverage also helped to increase interest in the game.
1960 to the 1980s
In most eras of golf great players have come in threes, and heading into the next era these players would be Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. This threesome became known as the ‘big three’. They all had different styles, and would excite the golf world throughout their careers. In the early sixties Arnold Palmer had emerged as the dominant golfer, whose attacking ‘go for broke’ style of play was admired and had won him an army of fans, affectionately known as ‘Arnie’s Army’.
Jack Nicklaus emerged at the US Open in 1962 and beat Arnold Palmer in a play-off to get his first win and major championship. This proved unpopular with Arnie’s Army and was the beginning of a great rivalry that created a lot of interest in the game and helped increase its popularity. This was the beginning of Nicklaus going on to become the most successful golfer of all time: by the end of his playing career he had won two US amateur championships and eighteen professional major championships, plus seventy-six PGA Tour wins and eight major wins on the Senior Tour. He finished in the top three in major championships forty-six other times.
His consistency over many years can only be admired. His last major win came at the 1986 Masters, and is considered to be one of the greatest tournaments of all time. He marched through the back nine in thirty shots to win his eighteenth major. The biggest lesson we can all learn from Nicklaus was his mental game and course management.
Arnold Palmer was most dominant from 1960 to 1963, before Nicklaus arrived on the pro scene, but he continued to win numerous tournaments and also won seven professional majors. He popularized the Open Championship in Britain with the top American professionals, because at that time they didn’t want to travel to play in the tournament. Palmer won the tournament in 1961 and 1962, raising international interest in the event. He was intent on being a world player, as opposed to just focusing on the American circuit.
His popularity did a huge amount to increase golf’s support, which meant the growth of professional golf continued. He played without fear, and was always aggressive, which made his style fun to watch. His charisma took golf to a new level as he created a lot of interest in the game, in much the same way that Tiger Woods has done in recent times.
Gary Player was one of the most travelled athletes in history, and has always possessed great enthusiasm and drive for everything he does. He was a major advocate of being fit, and was one of the first golfers to use fitness as a way to improve his performance. This is something we can learn a great deal from. His career was not as long as those of Nicklaus and Palmer, but he made up for it in determination, mental strength, a great short game and hard work. He won nine major championships and six Senior Tour majors, and had over 120 professional wins. He was also a great ambassador for South Africa during a difficult time in its history, and was voted sportsman of the century in his home country – he even had his face on a stamp. He estimates that he has travelled over 15 million miles in his career in his desire to be a world player and to popularize golf around the world.
Each of the big three has left a considerable legacy to the game, including traits we can learn from them. In particular they are responsible for the design of numerous courses around the world: Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus have each been involved in over 300 course design projects, and Palmer over 250. These courses are all over the world, and will ensure that people keep playing and enjoying the game for many years in the future. These three players have also inspired many with their skill, sportsmanship and love of the game.
1980 to the mid-1990s
Into the 1980s the big three were still playing, but a new wave of golfers came to the fore. American players were leading the way, but there were also some great players emerging in Europe. There was a belief that American players were superior to the Europeans, and this was demonstrated in the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup was founded as a biennial match for professional golfers played between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. Up until 1977 the USA had won twenty-one out of twenty-four of the matches played, and ten in a row. To make the matches more competitive, in 1979 it was decided that from then on they would include Europe as well. One man in particular was to prove inspirational in changing the balance of power in these matches, namely Severiano Ballesteros. Seve, as he was affectionately known, was becoming a great player, having won the Open Championship in 1979 and the Masters in 1980.
He had a very distinctive style of play. He was not always the straightest player off the tee, but he was able to recover in spectacular fashion most of the time, and had a great short game. He turned pro at fifteen, and learnt the game with a 3 iron by practising on the beach near his home in Santander, Spain. He used to build his own course on the beach, and would use his imagination to play all different types of shot. The result of this was that he could produce different types of shot, and had a great feel for the short game. He also possessed an undeniable will to win, and a respectful love of beating the Americans.
The match versus the Americans in 1983 proved to be a turning point in the Ryder Cup. The match was won by the Americans, but this match was the closest it had been in a number of years. Nick Faldo says that Seve walked into a despondent dressing room and said that it proved they were beatable. This new-found belief carried over to the next match, where Europe won at the Belfry. The momentum continued to build, and in 1987 Europe won the Ryder Cup for the first time on American soil, with Seve suitably holing the winning putt.
This match symbolized a great new era in European golf, with great players winning the world’s biggest tournaments. Seve would win five majors, and Nick Faldo would be on his way to becoming the best English golfer of all time, winning six majors. Sandy Lyle and Bernhard Langer would win two majors each, and Ian Woosnam won the Masters in 1991. These five golfers would be Europe’s big five players of their generation, and would continue to be instrumental for Europe both in the Ryder Cup and in winning tournaments around the world.
An official world ranking system was introduced in 1986. There were other great players during this period, notably Greg Norman and Tom Watson. Greg Norman has great charisma, and his style of play was aggressive and explosive. He was one of the greatest drivers of a golf ball. He won the Open Championship twice, as well as ninety professional wins all around the world; he has also become a very successful businessman away from golf. He is best known for his near misses in the majors, and was unlucky on several occasions, as well as hitting some poor shots at the wrong time. In 1986 Bob Tway holed a bunker shot on the last hole to beat him, and in 1987 Larry Mize holed an outrageous chip across the green on the second play-off hole to beat him in the Masters.
He was also a victim in PGA Tour events when Robert Gamez holed his second shot from 187 yards to beat him on the last hole at Bay Hill, and David Frost holed from a bunker to beat him in New Orleans. He led all four major championships going into the last day in 1986, but only won one of them. He also let a number of tournaments slip through his fingers, particularly the 1996 Masters when he had a six shot lead going into the final round before surrendering to magnificent play by Nick Faldo. He could have won many more majors, especially the Masters – but all in all he had an outstanding career, and during its course was ranked world number one for 331 weeks.
Tom Watson was a great all-round player. He won eight major championships from the late 1970s, and enjoyed five wins in the British Open where he was especially good at handling the bad weather and seemed to love the conditions. In 1977 he had one of his great duels with Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry in Scotland. Both played exceptional golf, and were well in front of the rest of the field on the final day. Watson hit the ball to a few feet on the last hole to beat Nicklaus by one shot: this tournament became known as ‘the duel in the sun’. Watson went on to win over seventy events and six senior majors.
In 2009 he returned to Turnberry at the age of fifty-nine for the Open. He led until the last hole, needing a par for victory. On his second shot he hit it very much like he did in 1977: straight at the flag, but a firm bounce carried it through the green, and a missed 8ft putt resulted in a bogey. He lost in the play-off to Stewart Cink, and left everyone disappointed that he didn’t win a record sixth Open championship and become the oldest winner of a major championship.
As well as the above great players of the game, there were numerous others making their mark. Payne Stewart was much loved; known for wearing plus fours and for his smooth languid swing, he won three majors, including the US Open in 1999. He was tragically killed in a plane crash later that year.
1996 to the Modern Day
In 1996 Tiger Woods turned professional after winning three consecutive US amateur championships. He quickly made his mark by winning two tournaments, and then in 1997 he won his first major, The Masters, by twelve shots. He dominated fields by hitting the ball further and straighter than had ever been seen before, and displayed excellence in all areas of the game.
His biggest influence on the game was his conviction that to be a successful golfer you had to be an athlete, and his superior fitness level was a tremendous asset. Besides this he really was an excellent all-round player, and always excited the golfing audience – television viewing numbers always increased when he was playing. He would go on to dominate golf with a standard of play that was exceptional. Up until 2009 he won fourteen majors, and was ‘player of the year’ ten times in twelve years. He created excitement each time he played, and hit many great shots when he needed to.
He was trained from a young age by his father Earl, and won numerous events first at junior level, then as an amateur, and then professionally. He used Jack Nicklaus as a model, and together they set the aim of beating Nicklaus’ record of winning eighteen professional majors. In 2001 he won The Masters, meaning that he held all four major tournaments at the same time. This had not been achieved before in the modern era, and was dubbed the ‘Tiger Slam’. Although the wins were not achieved in the same season, it is still seen as the greatest achievement since Bobby Jones’ Grand Slam in 1930. Despite fitness issues and personal problems that started at the end of 2009 and continued through 2010, he continues in his quest to beat Nicklaus’ record.
During this time there have been several advances in the use of technology. Golf ball design changed from a wound core to a new multi-layer construction of synthetic materials, which meant the ball would go further; it could also be manipulated to produce a different spin and feel, resulting in better performance. Today’s players are aided by computer-designed equipment and better materials; also clubs can be designed to fit the individual player, which in theory makes the game easier for the average player, and improves performance at professional level.
