Looking for the perfect way to spend your 4th of July weekend? We’ve got you covered.
Join us for a drink and a fun game of corn hole on the back lawn after your round!
Corn hole is complimentary. See bartenders for bags.
We hope to see you!
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Join us next Friday for Mike’s Hit It Longer Clinic!
The clinic will be held from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, July 5th. The cost is $20 and includes instruction as well as the driving range.
Contact Mike Jezeierski, Head Golf Professional to sign up!
Call Mike at (860) 923-9591 or email at mjezierski@racewaygolf.com
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Written by: Brian Hill
Golfers spend hours getting properly fitted for golf clubs and invest hundreds of dollars for the latest in club technology, but the sometimes overlook the options available in golf balls. Golf ball technology has come a long way from the “featheries” of yesteryear. Those balls were basically leather sacks stuffed with wet goose feathers. When the feathers dried, the ball filled out. Featheries were a vast improvement over the wooden balls preceding them, just as modern balls are a substantial improvement over the first rubber balls called gutties.
Golf balls are manufactured to favor distance or control, although ball manufacturers try to reach a compromise between the two with some models. Distance balls have a lower spin rate, which results in a longer shots. The covering is made of a harder material, such as surlyn, rather than the softer urethane. But the low spin rate and hard feel make these balls more of a challenge to control — around the green, for example. Recreational players with higher handicaps often prefer balls that are designed to travel a longer distance.
Balls made for control have a soft feel when struck. Their increased spin makes the balls more maneuverable around the green and out of tough lies. The dimple pattern on the ball facilitates this control. The dimples reduce the drag on the surface of the ball, causing it to stay in the air longer. If you’re an accomplished amateur with a low handicap you’ll probably prefer a golf ball that gives you more control.
According to “The Golf Book,” the differences between distance balls and control balls are less obvious than 20 years ago. Advances in technology, manufacturing processes and materials have resulted in the compromise ball, allowing longer distance than a control ball but a softer feel than a distance ball. The golfer can get the best of both types of balls.
Some balls have a core that gets softer toward the center. Soft cores cause greater energy transfer upon impact, resulting in longer distance — and also softer feel. This design helps golfers with lower swing speeds increase their potential distance. Choose a ball that matches your swing speed and strength.
The USGA puts limitations on the size, weight, speed and the potential distance of golf balls. The initial velocity and distance as tested using USGA equipment is limited, and the standards are updated to reflect the currently available equipment. A ball must be no smaller than 1.68 inches, but there is no limitation on how large it can be. It must weigh no more than 1.62 ounces, but it can be lighter.
Source: GolfWeek.com
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This Father’s Day, treat dad to the ultimate golf gift!
On sale NOW
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By Jim McLean
People say the golf swing is all about impact. But it’s what you do before impact that determines if the strike will be any good. Getting into a solid position at the top lets you swing freely on the way down. You don’t have to fight your way back into position.
Let’s look at three things in my backswing here. First, I’ve stayed in my forward tilt toward the ball. My left shoulder is lower than my right. I’ve simply rotated around my spine, so my height hasn’t changed from address. Maintaining this tilt gives me a great chance to return the club precisely to the ball.
Second, my left wrist is flat. The left wrist controls the clubface. If my wrist was cupped (bent back), the face would be open. That turns the downswing into a recovery mission, where you have to try to shut the face or else swing way left to make room for a slice.
Finally, my back leg is braced and supporting most of my weight. This is a big one because from here, I have the leverage to drive toward the target and push off the ground. If the back leg is in a weak position, chances are the upper body will take over coming down—and that’s a killer.
Nail these positions, and the downswing is a lot simpler.
MCLEAN is based at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.
Source: GolfDigest.com
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By Peter Sanders
The game is a puzzle and all the pieces fit together. Each round is a mix of good shots, average shots and bad shots or errors. The challenge is to find the piece of your game’s unique puzzle that is your greatest weakness so you can target your improvement time and money on the highest impact area. If you track the simple good and bad outcomes listed below for a few rounds, your strengths and weaknesses will become apparent.
Goals: Hit 7 fairways, and limit your driving errors to 2 – preferably of the No Shot variety (see Errors below).
Distance: I will ignore this and assume that you are playing from the appropriate tees for your game.
Fairways: Hitting fairways is important as we are all more accurate from the short grass.
Errors: Far more important than Fairways hit is your FREQUENCY and SEVERITY of misses. ShotByShot.com users record THREE types of Driving Errors:
Goals: 5 GIRs and 1 Penalty/2nd (see below)
Penalty/2nd: This means either a penalty or a shot hit so poorly that you are left with yet another full approach shot greater than 50 yards from the hole.
(Shots from within 50 yards of the hole)
Chip/Pitch: If you miss 13 greens, you will have at least 10 greenside save opportunities. Your goals should be:
Sand:
You should have 2 greenside save opportunities. Your goals:
Putting
You need 36 putts. Aim for:
Source: GolfWRX.com
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By Michael Breed
The thing about hitting fairway woods off the turf is, most golfers feel like they have to help them into the air. They look down and don’t see much loft on the clubface, and they know they want to launch the ball high, so what do they do? The classic mistakes are playing the ball off the toe of the front foot and hanging back on the downswing to try to lift the ball. Both are killers. — with Peter Morrice
Let’s get you a clear plan for using these clubs. It starts with ball position. Yes, you’ve got a long club in your hands, so you want to play the ball forward—but not too far forward. Make sure it’s at least a couple of inches inside your front foot.
Next, to make a good strike, we have to look at your backswing. Resist the urge to just lift your arms straight up. You need some width to your swing arc, so focus on extending your hands away from the target. And not just your lead arm; feel your trail arm stretching back. This width will help you later.
Finally, you have to trust that you have enough loft to produce the trajectory you want—and you do! Keep your chest pointing down toward the ball through impact (above). Don’t pull your chest up or tilt it away from the target, or you won’t hit the ball solidly. With your chest down and the club coming in nice and shallow, you’ll catch the ball and brush the ground after impact. That’s how you flush a fairway wood.
OUR BEST LESSONS, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
Last spring, we launched Golf Digest Schools, a video subscription service designed to help you play better golf. We’ve worked to make it everything you love about Golf Digest instruction—in curriculum-style video programs. These are not tip videos; these are developmental lessons from golf’s top teachers. We’ve added multiple programs from Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, Hank Haney and dozens more. The best advice on driving, iron play, short game, playing strategy, even golf-specific fitness. Join us, and you’ll have all the tools at your fingertips—right on your phone—to have your best year ever. Learn more about Golf Digest Schools at golfdigest.com/allaccess.
MICHAEL BREED is Golf Digest’s Chief Digital Instructor.
Source: GolfDigest.com
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