Awesome Golf Carts

Phil Mickelson had just won the Tour Championship, the fourth and final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Won it? More like dominated it. Despite an embarrassing quadruple-bogey 8 on Thursday, Phil Mickelson shot brilliant rounds of 66 and 65 on the weekend for a nine-under 271 to finish three strokes ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods, who didn’t leave empty-handed either. Woods ended up atop the standings in the controversial-yet-ultimately-exciting playoffs to take his second FedEx Cup title, which came with a $10 million prize. In other words, Mickelson won the battle but Tiger won the war.

That battle, however, may have long-term implications, thanks to MacKay’s brainstorm. Mickelson recently confided to MacKay that he was struggling with his putting stroke, something that had been obvious for months. MacKay suggested that he call Dave Stockton, a two-time PGA Championship winner and the 1991 Ryder Cup captain, who ranks among the best putters in the game’s history.

Stockton happened to be in San Diego, where Mickelson lives, last month to work with Michelle Wie at an LPGA tournament. Stockton and Mickelson got together, and in only a couple of sessions they rediscovered the deadly stroke that Mickelson brought to the Tour 17 years ago.

Mickelson used to have a forward press at address — that is, he moved his hands well ahead of the ball to begin his stroke. That’s how Stockton putted, too, and he had Mickelson go back to his old setup. “Dave said, ‘Nobody will putt as well as you and I because we’re leading with the back of our hands,’ ” Mickelson said. “This is the best way to putt. Once he said that, I went, ‘Yeah, that’s right.’ It’s been a night-and-day difference.”

The stat of the week at East Lake was Mickelson’s 36 one-putt greens during the 37th win of his remarkable career. NBC analyst Johnny Miller was so taken with Mickelson’s performance that he picked him as the Tour’s player of the year — for 2010.

Here are SI’s picks for the end-of-2009 awards

Tags: Golf Tips by admin
Comments Off

With the world’s finest golfers flocking to Scotland for the British Open, the great golf courses in the U.S. are freed up for you to enjoy. Check out our top searched list of golf courses and see if your favorite made the list.

Top Searched Golf Courses on AOL Search:
1. Blue Monster Golf Course — FL
2. Turnberry Golf Course — Scotland
3. St. Johnsbury Golf Course — VT
4. Congressional Golf Course — MD
5. Bethpage Golf Course — NY
6. Stonewall Golf Course — VA
7. Arrowhead Golf Course — CO
8. Rutgers Golf Course — NJ
9. Pine Hills Golf Course — MA
10. Ironwood Golf Course — WI

Defending champion Padraig Harrington is trying to become the first player to win three consecutive British Opens since the 50s. I hope the competition, which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, doesn’t distract him from the beautiful sites of Turnberry Golf Course, where they are playing. The second most searched golf resort on our list, and the only international one, is situated on the coast of Scotland with a beautiful light house and 5-star hotel.

Golfing can be an expensive hobby. A round of golf at the Blue Monster Championship Course (number 1) can run you upwards of $300. Tack on to that the price of golf clubs and golf balls and you are looking at spending big bucks on a day of golfing. Thankfully, there are still some golf courses that maintain the splendor of the sport without breaking the bank. Pine Hills Golf Course, number 9, was created to rival the country’s most prestigious golf clubs, but they only charge a daily fee to golf.

The forecast looks like we’re teeing up for some great golfing weather this weekend. Where do you go to hit the links? Find a golf course near you by searching on AOL Search.

The Longest Golf Course In The World

Justin Timberlake Celebrated For His Friendly Course

Tags: Golf Tips by admin
Comments Off

Driving the ball longer is the ultimate goal for most golfers, and there’s no doubt we all can improve our distance off the tee by making a few simple adjustments.

The following golf tips will absolutely improve your driving distance potential …

1. Turn on the power:
During the backswing turn your right shoulder away from the ball while shifting your weight and the club head back (right handed golfers). This puts you into a powerful position at the top of the backswing.

2. Generate power to the ball:
Much of the power in your golf swing comes from a solid base. As you swing the club down from the top of your back swing feel as though your front leg is as solid as it can be. At impact your front hip should be turning out of the way so you can straighten the front leg upon impact. Allow the force of your swing to let the hands release the club head into the follow-through position.

3. Loosen up:
Before your round, hit as many driver shots as possible (15 to 20), making a full backswing and full follow-through. These full swings will get your body loose faster than any other exercise. Also, end on a good shot, as it will be the last thing you remember before you hit that opening tee shot.

4. Chin at the ball during impact:
Keep your chin over the ball while swinging though the impact zone. Allow the force of your swing to pull your head up after you hit the ball, as this will keep you “behind the ball” upon impact. All good players do this to generate power.

5. Maintain your spine angle:
Power comes from releasing your coil at impact. When you hunch over the ball you lose your coil and decrease swing speed. The proper address position is to stick out your butt, straighten your back and bend from the hips. (Feel like you are about to sit in a chair.) Try to maintain this position through the entire golf swing. Begin by taking easy half swings to get the feel. As it becomes more comfortable lengthen your swing and increase the speed.

Experiment with these tips and find the one or two that help the most. Practice those and see your distance increase.

How to Drive a Power Fade

Tags: Golf Tips by admin
Comments Off