Feb
8
2012
Spring Break Camps Announced
Jan
19
2012
To all parents with little golfers…
Make golf more fun!
Most of us have been around golf long enough to have heard “bend your knees”, “keep your head down”, “keep your eye on the ball”… I have even heard “don’t forget to breathe”. These tips won’t help fast track your child’s passion or learning for the game of golf, so skip them. Instead, do your best to create a fun non intimidating environment for them to play the game and sure enough they will improve fast just by DOING. Here are a few ideas to help create a fun non intimidating environment:
- Play a course that is the right length! You are only doing your child a dis- service by playing a full length golf course. The object of the game is to put the ball in the hole, if the hole is physically far away and might take them 15 shots to get it in, they will feel intimidated and not have much fun. Start them close to the hole. They will want to put the ball in the hole right away and the sense of achievement will make them enjoy the game!
- If they can hit their driver 40 yards don’t start them from longer than 80 yards from the hole. LET THEM TEE IT UP EVERYWHERE. The rules of golf are for competition play, alter them as much as possible to let your child have more fun. Let them take two whiffs and then allow them to throw the ball. Let them keep advancing along the golf hole so they get to their goal FASTER.
Golf should be fun for adults too!
How do we make golf more fun for adults too? This is a great question which needs to be addressed by the golf industry as a whole. With so many rules and so much etiquette the game can appear as NOT FUN to youngsters in the beginning. Make it fun for them, create new games on the fly. For this hole we are only going to use 1 club or the least amount of putts on this hole wins… GET CREATIVE, HAVE FUN and they will love the game just like you!
- James Presnail is a PGA of Canada Teaching Professional with the Golf Institute at Fraserview. He is also the Head Golf Professional at Gleneagles Golf Course in West Vancouver. You can contact James at 604-921-7353 (golf shop), 604-318-0306 (cell) or golf@westvancouver.ca.
Jan
11
2012
Equitable Stroke Control
What is Equitable Stroke Control?
As many of you know Equitable Stroke Control is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicapping purposes. It is used in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. An Equitable Stroke Control chart sets a maximum number that a player can post on any particular hole based on the player’s handicap at that course.
Example of Equitable Stroke in Use
For example, a 20 handicap takes a 9 on the last hole at Fraserview after hitting two balls into Vivian Creek. When that player is entering their score in the computer to track their handicap they must enter an 8 for the 18th hole because they are not allowed any scores more than 3 over par and the 18th hole is a par 5. A second player in the group also scores a 9 on the 18th hole. Their handicap is 35 so they keep the 9 marked on their card as is for handicapping purposes.
Change to USGA method
For whatever reason Golf Canada (formerly the RCGA) and the USGA have been using different systems for Equitable Stroke Control. As of March 1st, 2012 the RCGA will adopt the current USGA method. Golf British Columbia has provided an article about the change and an interview with Matt McKay, Manager of Rules and Handicap with Golf Canada on why the change is occurring.
You can read the full article here.
The changes to Equitable Stroke Control can be found in the chart below:
Jan
5
2012
Here’s to great golfing in 2012!
The team at The Golf Institute at Fraserview would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and a great 2012 golf season! Come visit us in the golf shop to check out some great merchandise specials, lesson promotions and our Winter Golf Card.
Our golf shop is open from 8am to 7pm daily with the driving range opening at 11am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at 8am Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our staff is here to answer any questions that you may have and to help you get your game ready for the 2012 season.
Our Winter Lesson Promotion gives you two great options to keep your game in shape! Take either three 30 minute lessons or a 90 minute playing lesson for ONLY $99. Call 604-257-6923 to book today!
Oct
8
2011
Golf Tip – Chipping & Targets
May you hit it where you are looking…
Physical technique aside, picking a landing spot for the ball is something you always need to focus on while chipping. It’s kind of like driving your car to the grocery store. In order to get to the grocery store, you find a secondary target – the parking lot. Similarly in chipping the target destination is the hole, but you should only be trying to imagine a landing area appropriate for the ball to come to rest near the hole. So even if you are trying to sink the chip shot, the hole shouldn’t be where you are aiming. Aim where you want the ball to land!
What is your target?
While I have you on the topic of targets I want you to ponder this: Let’s say I go out for a round of golf and shoot 78. The actual hole is only my target 5-10 times out of those 78 strokes. How is that possible? The hole isn’t my target off the tee, it usually isn’t my target from the fairway, it isn’t my target chipping, and it is very rarely my target while putting, unless the putt inside 2 ft and dead straight. So take the time to think about what your target really is.
If you have any questions about the hole not being your target or any other golf techniques please send me an email at jwpresnail@gmail.com and I would love to chat about it.
- James Presnail, TCCP Level 4, Head Golf Professional, PGA of Canada
Sep
21
2011
Golf Tip – Target Alignment
Target Alignment
So many times in golf we forget that our objective is to propel a ball towards a target. We get so caught up in “trying” to hit the ball that we forget that what is most important is not the ball but the target.
Here is a tip to help you stay aware of the target throughout your full golf swing.
Pick a target either on the range or the golf course. Create a very clear picture of that target in your mind. Your visualization of the target should be so clear that you can still picture it when you look down at the ball. With this picture in your mind take a golf swing. REMEMBER don’t ever lose the picture of the target from start to finish. You may find the golf ball becomes fuzzy to your eye or that you are no longer staring at the golf ball but merely gazing at it. If you can get into this state you are much more attached to the target and your body will eventually react accordingly.
Target awareness is something most amateur golfers have not given much practice, however consider this statement: Most professional golfers stare at the target and glance at the golf ball; most amateur golfers glance at the target and stare at the golf ball. Food for thought!
- Tom Monaghan , TCCP Level 5, Head Golf Professional, PGA of Canada
To learn more from our instructors come see us at TGIFraserview – 604‐257‐6923.
Aug
18
2011
August Golf Tip
Back to Basics – Checking your Alignment
This may sound like a really simple tip – but most of us don’t check our alignment regularly.
Golf is hard enough when trying to hit a straight shot towards our target but it will be even harder trying to hit the target while aiming at a bunker!
Checking your alignment is a very easy process and should be done regularly. Next time you are at the driving range try aiming at a certain target down the range. Then take the golf club that you are holding and lay it parallel to your feet. Step directly behind the club to see if you are actually aimed at your target. You may be amazed at the result.
Take the time to check your alignment regularly during practice and you will see results.
- David Lin, TCCP Level 4, Teaching Professional, PGA of Canada. David speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English and teaches golfers of any level.
To learn more from David or one of our other instructors come see us at TGIFraserview – 604‐257‐6923 or TGIFraserview.com.
August Promotion: Purchase Five 30 minute lessons for $245 and receive a 4-hole playing lesson for Free! (Must be used in August. Playing lesson must be booked by your golf professional at non-peak times).
Aug
9
2011
Lessons also available at Gleneagles
We have expanded and golf lessons are now also available at Gleneagles Golf Course in West Vancouver from PGA of Canada Golf Professional James Presnail. James has taken on the role of Head Golf Professional at Gleneagles and will be offering his teaching and coaching expertise as well as his management skills to the facility.
To book a golf lesson with James you can contact him at 604-318-0306.
View James’ bio and lesson rates here.
Mar
21
2011
Golfers that have a long backswing
How to Shorten your Backswing:
I taught over 70 lessons this past weekend @ the golf show in Vancouver. Over 75% of those lessons were on length of swing, and how it relates to the target. In my honest opinion I believe that a long backswing is a backswing away form the ball. But in fact, your golf swing should be away from your target. And on the flip side, your golf club release should be at propelling an object toward the target, not the ball! I made this quick video for Golfers that have a long backswing, enjoy!
Mar
15
2011
Thomas Edison
Learning through failure, like Thomas
Rumour has it Thomas Edison doesn’t believe he failed 1000 times before creating the perfect incandescent light bulb. Instead, Thomas has been quoted as saying “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”
Perhaps in golf we don’t ‘learn’ enough from our mistakes…Instead we try and ignore them and forget about them and try and create that perfect shot. I played a tournament on Monday and topped 3 balls. I was nervous for some reason and the nerves got me thinking about topping the ball… which I haven’t done in what seems like forever. So in the spirit of Thomas Edison, I decided to truly LEARN from my mistakes, and go practice topping the ball, and this video came to light. Enjoy
DONT FOREGET ABOUT YOUR BAD SHOTS, LEARN FROM THEM, call us at Fraserview for lessons this season! 604 257 6923
