Golf Essentials: The video-text sports series

By JC Snead, Sam Snead and John Johnson

Written by two golf pros will have won major tournaments – – one of whom has one more PGA tournaments than anyone and is in the Golf Hall of Fame. The third author is the most experienced NCAA golf coach in modern history. These authorities take you from the very beginning golf knowledges and into the intermediate level. It gives you a full understanding of the game and how to play it. It has been called by professionals, "the best book ever written for beginning golfers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Total Health Publications
• Release date: Jun 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781498961776

Book preview

GOLF ESSENTIALS

Video-text

J. C. Snead—Golf Professional

Sam Snead—Golf Professional

John L. Johnson—NCAA Golf Coach

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TOTAL HEALTH PUBLISHING

Oslo, Norway

Copyright 2014

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Reading This Book

Some of you will read this book as a printed book, others will read it as an ebook. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. When videos are included the ebook reader needs only to click the link, In a print book you would need to copy the link into your internet browser to see the video.

READING E-BOOKS  HAS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES—YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THEM!

E-BOOKS have the advantages of being quickly updated and being much less expensive than print books. Of course they are much less expemsive.

The disadvantages are related to various technologies used to produce e-books and the various technologies used to read them.

Since the books are read on computers, e-book readers, pads and smart phones—the size of the page and the page numbers will vary. For this reason e-books do not use page numbers or an index.

SEARCHING WITHOUT AN INDEX

If you want to look up a word you just put it in the find box under the menu bar Edit category. Or, if your reading device has a search in document bar just enter the word and you will be taken to it.

The Table of Contents will not have page numbers in an ebook, however it will be much more complete than in print books, so searching for the whole line in the table of contents will bring you to the major information page for the topic.

FORMATTING ERRORS OCCUR

In order to accommodate the various types of readers, various file types are used: doc, docx, rtf, epub, mobl, pdf and several others. Converting a book from one file type to others may result in an occasional error, such as: a letter being dropped, two words run together, extra spaces or blank areas between paragraphs, etc. The letter m is sometimes converted to I n for example. Fortunately these errors are few, but they might be disconcerting. (Since there are millions of characters in a book it is amazing that more errors do not occur!) Many of the errors could be eliminated if all books were proofread for every document type—but this would triple the cost of the book. Total Health Publications has opted to go with the lower price option. Rest contented that the original file has been thoroughly proofed—so we trust that any conversion errors are minimal.

About the Authors

J.C. Snead Professional Golfer

J. C. Snead is one of the top touring pros. He has won eight major tournaments including the Australian Open and the 1987 Westchester Classic and an unbelievable double victory of two Andy Williams ' Opens in a row. He has also won four tournaments on the Champions Tour. He is twenty third among the all time top money winners of golf , having earned nearly two million dollars on the pro circuit. His accomplishments are all the more remarkable since he did not start playing golf until he was twenty two years old after playing both football and professional baseball.

In addition to being one of the top putters in the game, he drives the ball long and scores so well that in 1982 he led the tour in the number of eagles. He has also been a member of three Ryder Cup teams . More impressive, is the fact that J. C. is considered a great teacher by his peers.

Sam Snead, Professional Golfer

Sam Snead is a member of the Golf Hall of Fame having won the PGA and Masters championships three times each. At the time of publication he had won more championships than any other golfer—82. Sadly, Sam died at ninety years of age while helping us write this book. The other authors decided to dedicate the book to him. It is our good fortune that he wrote the Foreword as part of his contribution to the text.  Throughout the book he added many tips that he believed would help you.

John L. Johnson

Golf Coach

California State University Dominguez Hills

Dr. John Johnson is a long time golf coach. In fact, he is the dean of college golf coaches. He started the intercollegiate golf team when he was athletic director at California State University Dominguez Hills in 1968. Prior to that time he coached football at UCLA and held the positions of both assistant and head golf coach at UCLA. He is noted for having conducted many scientific studies that prove the importance of strength and flexibility exercises in increasing power in the golf swing. His California State University Dominguez Hills golf teams have been consistently nationally ranked.

Acknowledgement

We are indebted to the well known British golfer Andrew Lillie for his constructive comments on making the book more practical and readable.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Chapter 1 The Game of Golf

Outline

History of Golf

How Golf Is Played

Scoring

Typical scorecard

Getting Ready to Play Arriving at the Course

After the Tee Shot

SUMMARY

Chapter 2  Equipment and Courses

Outline

The Equipment

Golf Clubs

Putter design varies.

The relative lofts and distances for each club

The clubhead

Golf Balls

The Golf Course

Golf Holes

Summary

Chapter 3  The Grip

Outline

The Importance of Fundamentals

Step 1: Gripping the Club with the Left Hand

Step 2: Gripping the Club with the Right Hand

The right hand can be connected to the left three ways.

A Stronger Versus a Weaker Grip

Summary

Chapter 4 Stance and Swing

Outline

The Stance

Foot Position

Body Position

The correct setup for driver and iron

Setting Up to the Ball

The Swing

Address and Waggle

Backswing or Take-Away

The Downswing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyCM6PEWceg

HERE IS SAM’S SWING—CONSIDERED THE CLASSIC SWING OF GOLF

Point of Aim

Imparting Spin to the Ball

Choice of Club and Your Swing

Keys for Your Swing

Summary

Chapter 5  Making Corrections in Your Swing

Outline

Slicing

Main causes of slicing

Hooking

Topping

Shanking

Scuffing

Skying

General Comments on Correcting Your Swing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BJsZcGatEo

Summary

Chapter 6 Expecting the Unexpected

Outline

Playing Shots from Non-flat Lies

Downhill Lies

Uphill Lies

Sidehill Lie with the Ball Lower Than Your Feet

Sidehill lie with ball below feet: Stand more erect and move your grip up on the club

Sidehill Lie with the Ball Higher Than Your Feet

Getting Out of Trouble

Playing from the Rough

The rough: The tall grass makes solid contact with the ball difficult

Playing in the Woods

Playing from the Fairway Bunker

Playing from a Divot

Playing from the Water

Playing in Adverse Weather Conditions

Playing in the Wind

Playing in the Rain

Developing the Right Attitude

Chapter 7 Near the Green

Outline

Sizing Up Your Approach Shot

Pitching and Chipping

The Pitch Shot

The Chip Shot

Expected ratios of ball in-the-air to roll for pitching wedge, 9, and 7

Out of the Traps

Address the Ball

How Hard to Swing

Stance and Swing

Summary

Chapter 8  Putting

Selecting a Putter

The two most common putting grips.

The Stance

Normal stance

Ball Alignment

The Putting Stroke

Lining Up the Putt

Increase your chances of making a putt

Reading the Grain

Reading the Slope

Combining Your Reads

The Alignment Mode

The Power mode

Making the Putt

Putting Etiquette

Repairing a divot on the green

Etiquette on the putting surface

Summary of Etiquette on the Green

Chapter 9  Plotting Strategy on the Course

Club Selection

These two Similar Holes Require Different Strategies

When in Doubt, Play Conservatively

Strategy Changes with Each Shot

Summary

Chapter 10 A Strategy for Each Hole

Outline

3 Par Holes

4 Par Holes

5 Par Holes

Three ways to play the same par 5

Playing Around the Greens on 4-Pars and 5-Pars

Summary

Chapter 11  The Rules of Golf

Outline

On the Tee

Scoring

Order of Play

Playing the Ball

Unplayable Lies

On the Green

Mark your ball on the green with a coin

Summary of Penalties Stroke and Distance Penalties

Summary of Rules

Summary

Chapter 12  Etiquette on the Course

Respect a Golfer's Right to Silence

Etiquette on the Green

Be Prepared to Play Your Next Shot

Speed of Play

Keep the Course in Shape

Fore!

Summary

Chapter 13 Practice and Warm-up

The Warm-Up

Some Stretching Exercises

Practicing Fundamentals

Setting the Base

Working on the Y-Shape

Ball Alignment

Practice maintaining the Y with half swings

Cross-Handed Putting

Aiming Your Putt

Drills on the Practice Tee

Balance

Hitting with Your Legs

Pre-match Practice

Decide on Your Practice Plan

Special Shots

Intentional Hook

Intentional Slice

Intentional High Ball

Intentional Low Ball

Drills for at Home or on the Course

Mental Practice

Mental Imagery and Rehearsal

From the Part to the Whole

What to Mentally Practice

When and Where to Mentally Practice

What You Should Expect from Effective Mental Rehearsing

Relaxation

Relaxing Before Taking Your Shot

Concentration

Summary

Chapter 14 Improving Your Game Through Strength, Power and Flexibility

Outline

Importance of Flexibility

Importance of Strength and Power

Post-Exercise Stretching

Exercises for Strength and Power

Summary

Glossary of Common Golf Terms

FOREWORD

I have been playing golf for nearly sixty years. Because of my love of the game, I have been able to travel the world over, make a pretty good living, and have a great deal of enjoyment. It is the enjoyment of the challenge of the game and the union with the great outdoors that makes golf the relaxing but invigorating experience that it is.

I learned the game by watching players when I was a caddie. You can learn from professional teachers. With the aid of this textbook, which is the finest I have ever seen, you can learn quickly and correctly. By concentrating on what you need to know, then practicing conscientiously, you can learn this great game effectively and have a whale of a lot of fun for the next forty or fifty years.

When I was young I was a pretty good football player. I ran a good hundred-yard dash, too—about a ten flat. I even played tournament tennis at one time. But golf was the game that captured my imagination and made my life.

As you learn to play better and better I'm sure you'll find, as I have, that golf is the greatest of the lifetime sports. Have fun!

Sam Snead

Chapter 1 The Game of Golf

Outline

History of Golf How Golf Is Played Scoring

Checklist for Establishing Your Handicap

Checklist for Keeping a Scorecard

Getting Ready to Play

Summary

It has been said that golf is a physical game from the tee to the green but a mental game on the green. It is the mental character of the game that makes it so fascinating. Each course, each hole, and each shot bring you a new challenge. As these challenges are experienced, more and more people are taking up this great game. Today, 27 million Americans now play golf.

Every time you play, you will hit some good shots and some bad ones. The good shots will make you think that you have finally mastered this game. The bad shots will make you wonder if you will ever play well. One of golf's living legends, Ben Hogan, once said that he seldom hit more than five good shots per round. So don't get discouraged. It is a game like life—with ups and downs, troubles and pleasures. It is the complete game.

On the surface the game seems so easy, yet no one has ever played a perfect game of golf. Patience is essential as you learn to tolerate your lack of perfection. Get used to being humbled by the course, the weather, and your lack of perfection—and enjoy the exhilaration of the out-of-doors, your friendly companions, and the enchantment of the game. Take the game as it comes, realizing, as one golf enthusiast has said, that the good shots are accidents and the bad shots are good exercise.

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Sam says

It’s a game where you have to play your foul balls.

History of Golf

The history