Truly the Recreational Golf Swing

The grip of the most accurate golfer in history, Moe Norman:  Using his single plane discovery with a more upright stance due to spinal issues, the Golfer's Footprint - www.golfersfootprint.com for a self-instructional and maintenance purpose along with Off-Season Learning and maintenance: and the use of clubs not found in conventional golf stores from Hireko Golf - this is truly the definition of The Recreational Golf Swing. 

    One can practice anytime and even use the footprint indoors on the carpet while swinging over the impact area with the proper strong grip to reinforce that crucial zone in the swing.  Practice balls or large marshmellows are great to hit off of the footprint while indoors to maintain the correct hand position during impact.  The speed in the swing is mainly imparted between nine and three on a clock if one is facing the golfer.  If one pictures the numbers on a clock while facing the golfer you will realize that this shorter swing zone is totally possible to do in a standard room with eight foot ceilings.  There is no high back swing necessary or high finish so the club will never collide with the ceiling.
    Again using the lofted clubs at degrees of 16, 33, 37, 45, and perhaps 50 along with a putter, one can play great great golf.  The same swing and the same club design make all aspects of learning a golf swing are easier and more repeatable.  Perhaps one won't get that 250 - 320 yards off the tee with the 16 degree club, but this club can be used in the fairway also while being able to reach the 200 yard zone - More often in play however.  More shots in play equals better scoring an a more repeatable swing does not require long shots as the System Q hybrids from Hireko Golf all swing the same.  My previous blog has the link where one can order.  I alway order one inch longer shaft in graphite and one and a half longer in steel shaft because of the more upright stance.  Lately I have ordered a standard size grip whick allows me to tightly grasp the grip and maintain the club face square through impact.  There is a Golf Pride grip that appears like a wrap grip and that is my choice at this time. 
    If one is just starting out, start with a 33 degree loft, learn a sound repeatable swing and then move toward the 16 degree and perhaps next the 45 degree.  Just keep in mind that everyone will have a certain distance they hit these clubs depending upon the speed and stability they have in their swing.  Putting is its own art so one needs to find the putter they prefer and a method for putting.  I can show what I have learned in a later blog.  At first with the Recreational Swing I played a few golf holes in the latter part of the day and learned to putt ( chip putt actually ) with the 33 degree club.  This taught me some touch around the green and I even practiced this on a carpeted floor at home.  The best part of this is the fact that the same grip can be used in putting unless one decides to experiment as time passes. 
    So for the non-golfing - leisurely golfer - once to a few times a year - this Recreational Golf Swing is ideal.  No one to this point has tried to excel with the swing but it certainly is possible.  Why not, considering one can hit solid shots more often and very accurate shots so great golf is possible.  Can one find a driver that is similar to the 16 degree wood that can attain more distance for the tee shots?  That might be my next journey.  For now hitting shots more in play and teaching others will be my main goal.

Hireko Golf as a fine source for the hybrids

<a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-3046505-10454264" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-3046505-10454264" width="120" height="90" alt="Hireko - Custom Fit Golf Clubs at Discount Prices!" border="0"/></a>

Hireko Golf is where I found the System Q hybrids that have been most proficient to use in place of conventional irons.  The links to Hireko Golf Components are printed above in this blog. 
    I am now using a one inch longer graphite T-65 shaft that is grey and red in color along with a Lampkin Oversize Jumbo grip.  One can log onto the site and find the clubs under the Hybrids classification.  From that point there will be a spot to choose the degree ( these go from 16 - 55 degree ) and then customize your club by choosing shaft, length of shaft, grip style, type of grip, ferrule - which is the piece on the shaft attached just before the head of the club.  You will also receive a head cover with an order. 
    The 33 degee is the best club when first beginning and for using as a one club recreational approach to golf.  One can even learn to putt fairly well with it at first as I will show on one of my next blogs.  I should mention too that the lightweight steel shaft works well too as I started with that lightweight one and eventually just wanted a bit more distance so I tried the graphite shaft.  Both are very efficient but make sure to order at least one inch longer because of the upright stance in this style. 

So the hybrid club golf swing can be learned and played at first with one club, a 33 degree hybrid.  I use the System Q from Hireko Golf, a golf components company in California.  This is one of many hybrids that can eventually take the place of all irons in someone's set and game if they choose.  At first it is simply easier to learn a single-plane swing using the most vital mechanics of swinging a golf club and use the Golfer's Footprint for a guide on the ground.  I will detail the grip of this swing although in the pictures here notice I am not using body spin or back torque plus no high back swing is necessary to produce solid shots.  That grip I have mentioned does keep the club face square through impact longer than a traditional grip where the club face will roll over through impact and produce a shot that travels right to left.  I would rather know the ball is headed toward the target verses trying to play that right to left curve/draw.  You will notice how I stay back behind the ball at impact which is a vital component of any swing.  Even baseball & hockey players stay back at impact when they swing.  I will be seeking a golf course for the Sundowner's League I mentioned earlier so I will keep everyone posted if I locate one.  Perhaps other courses would contact the first course and check on the traffic and late day ( pre-sundown) revenue.  Meanwhile, a game at home using the Golfer's Footprint to protect the lawn and practice balls can be used to take turns and hit toward any simple target - like a rope in the shape of a circle on the ground.  Take 10 shots and score per round.  Maybe play nine rounds and see who scores the most points.  One point per ball in the circle.  Have fun.

After several months of experimenting I have now discovered a new venue similar to croquet for those who do not want want the game of golf offers. This game, considered the Sundowner's League will play for the $5.00 price of adult mini-putt at a course with up to perhaps 6 on one hole. Just a group of friends getting out in the last hour plus of the day and using one club, suggesting a 33 degree hybrid, which allows the ball to go airborne well and travel a distance of 160 yards if struck really well. One super feature is the use of a Golfer's Footprint guide board. This can be used at home for continued practice either using practice balls or one new gadget called the Strike-N-Reel, which is a tethered practice ball. One never has to pick up practice balls using this unique item. One ball! That's all! just like real golf or just like Sundowner's golf where you get only one shot still but Par, Bogey, etc. are not part of the game. It is simply the number you get when your ball lands in the cup on the hole. The purpose of the hybrid club swing is to make things easier plus self-instructional when using the mechanics I will show in the next blog. Basically one uses a high lofted hybrid with an oversize grip, a single-plane grip that maintains the club in one plane when swinging it ( founded by Moe Norman of Canada when establishing the legacy of the most perfect ball striker in golf ever), the use of the Golfer's Footprint, and ten minutes a day to maintain a swing path. What is really unique about just using the Footprint on the ground is the fact that once you can strike this flexible board across the red arrow on it and hear it dong-sound as the club passes over it, then you are ready to strike a ball. It is a pre-routine that trains one to stay back behind the ball and make solid contact. I actually practice hitting on it with no ball by setting it on the ground and swinging across the yellow middle section that is found along the red arrow at the impact area. I like hearing the dong as the board jumps in the grass which tells me that I am really staying down regarding my spine angle when striking across the impact zone. You can see this with the picture provided.

The Strike-N-Reel provides an easy way to train while reeling one ball back to myself and not needing to pick up practice balls. This unit is ideal for those 'on the road' as a way to maintain a swing while at the hotel. Sometimes there just isn't time to go off to a range for practice when business takes most of the day's time.