Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun

By David J Bodner, Sr

Playing Golf is a rewarding game of skill that must, somehow, be learned.
GOLF: LEARN TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN is a book that can get you to the top of your game; wherever it may take you. The doors of learning and playing golf are always open for all types of players - Old, Young, Male, Female, Handicapped, Serious, Casual, Just-Looking -ANYONE!
Using the explained USGA Handicapping System and playing from various Tee Position, we can all compete with the best and the worst of them and still have Fun.
Author David J. Bodner provides clear and detailed explanations with information, filling the reader with all aspects of this cherished game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David J Bodner, Sr
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370682812

David J Bodner, Sr

David J. Bodner Sr. : As a young lad from upstate New York, David's father gave him a set of Hickory-shafted clubs.He had learned his game from the ground-up practicing at the near-by Mechanicville Golf Club. David has designed, developed and presently manufactures - on a small scale - the American-Made "Loft Below Equator" putter (LBE). The web site is: lbeputters.com.He has also authored the book "Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun" in order to fill in and clarify the void of the many confusing details for golfers wanting to learn and play the game of golf. As a fellow golfer he has found that there is a dearth of instruction that can be overwhelming, confusing and yet compatible all at the same time.Instructors of the past and present are often saying the same things and, at the same time, different things to describe individual techniques that David attempts to clarify.As a teacher for 34 years in Amsterdam, NY his talents to describe and explain difficult details qualify him as a good source of information and a man who wants golf to be enjoyed by all.David's current home is in Pass Christian, Mississippi where he and his wife enjoy the Mississippi Coast and many days of golf year-round.

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Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun

Smashwords publication

Copyright © 2015 by David J. Bodner Sr.

Revised 2017

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise

without prior permission of the author except as provided by

USA copyright law.

The Author did not interview any of the celebrities referred to

in this book, for the descriptions are based solely on publicly

available information. Any opinions within are derived from

the sole interpretations by the author.

The opinions expressed by the author are based on his

knowledge

Published in the United States of America

ISBN:

Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun

By David J. Bodner Sr.

Copyright 2016 revised 2019

by: David J. Bodner Sr.

Smashwords Edition

Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun

By David J. Bodner Sr. a Smashwords edition

Golf is a game meant to be played, enjoyed and discovered again and again.

Learning the skills related to golf and practicing them can allow discovery anew with every attempt.

Enjoyment can be found every step along the way by the astute student, seeking to understand and be mystified by both the subtle and obvious mysteries of this enchanting game.

Golf: Learn to Play and Have Fun

Table of Contents:

Introduction:

Forward: About your Author

Chapter 1 – An attitude adjustment before we begin: Success or failure: The Measuring Devices Within.

Chapter 2 – Rules – The Handicapping System provided by USGA.

Chapter 3 – Skill versus Struggle, and the true Definition of a Golfer.

Chapter 4 – Instruction.

Chapter 5 – Basic Number One – Getting Ready for the grip – The Details via this book, via this instructor, the author.

Chapter 6 – More on the Grip – The left and right of it.

Chapter 7 – Grip Styles.

Chapter 8 – Basic Number Two – The clubs by design: Off-set, Closed-faced, Neutral, and Open-faced; The Club Shaft Lean – Setting the Shaft to the ground.

Chapter 9 – Basic Number Three – The Set-Ups …to the ball.

Chapter 10 Basic Number Four – The Stances, and their elements of control.

Chapter 11 – Basic Number Five – The Circular and Whirling Swing Path on a Turning Body.

Chapter 12 – Basic Number Six – Understanding the Swing Path on the ground; or Horizontal Arc along the ground.

Chapter 13 – Basic Number Seven – Understanding the Vertical Swing Paths – From the ground Up, Down and Up again.

Chapter 14 – The turning and releasing movements between the legs, ...and then after impact.

Chapter 15 – The Rotational Movements from the left hip-high to the top at the finish.

Chapter 16 – Odds and Ends... Extra bits and pieces of valuable advice from A to Z:

A. Subtle Foot Positioning – Affects the golf swing.

B. Hip Adjustments – Affects a Square Set-up of Hips and Shoulders.

C. Positions that encourage a Long Shot off the Tee.

D. Positions that encourage an accurate shot with the Irons.

E. Back-swing: Tendency to Sway or to Turn.

F. Shift the Base of the Spine from Right Hip to Left Hip for a full shot First.

G. Accurate and Greater Distances from Center-face hits.

H. Fanning the Face; or Holding the Club's-face Square.

I. Downward Arc into the Ball.

J. Pointing the Club's-shaft to identify a good release.

K. Weight Shifting Theories.

L. Wrist Actions upon impact.

M. Swing Planes – One Plane and Two Planes.

N. Turn-Through; No Quitting - to keep the spine angle....

O. The Shoulder Turns around the Spine at some point.

P. Experiencing a Shoulder turn on a Shifting Spine.

Q. Hip-joints for Irons and for Woods.

R. The Split-Hand Grip: Teaching Technique.

S. Understanding the Right Hand.

T. The Left Hand, its Forearm and Arm.

U. The Right Hip Thrust.

V. Weight-shifting: Tip to the Right Foot's Heel on back-swing.

W. Getting the Left Shoulder-joint over the Left Leg.

X. The Extended Trigger-finger.

Y. The Right Elbow Position.

Z. Extension on the Follow-through.

Extra Last-Minute Thoughts: Just before you swing!

AA Right down and in....Left up and back...Rotational

BB Intentions of the Down-Swing

CC Extension

DD Right Elbow Positioning

EE Freely Release

FF Choosing clubs

GG Wrist action and hammer action on a diagonal

HH Starting the downswing

II Left Knee on back-swing

JJ Golf-swing - Right sided or Left sided

KK Covering the ball with no back-swing sway

LL Swing Level for longer Drives

MM The 45-degree hip-joints

NN On the back-swing: Straighten, Keep the bend, or Bend the right knee more...?

OO The last thing to do...?

INTRODUCTION

In the game of golf, producing low scores, enjoying the game and hoping, always, to be most consistent; ever growing, and always improving are: its ultimate goals.

The game of Golf is one, reflected in rippling pools of time as a game of numbers that are: Never low enough! As most golfers will agree, we can always remember where the Numbers could have been recorded as: Just one tiny-bit better, ...if only...!

Golf is more than a numbers-game, however. It is a respectable sport played, in time, by all kinds of Golfers; …and this very important fact must never be forgotten!

Natural Talents of Golfers:

Some people boast in their belief that a Golfer has to have, or be born with only natural talents to play the game well; and that without this natural-born talent, a person will never be good enough to play at a consistently high enough level with the rest of us good and highly skilled folks!

I'm afraid that some people, subconsciously, never try this fascinating game when they discover that they cannot initially strike the ball perfectly and send the ball wonderfully through the sky, onward to expected and fanciful locations, …landing onto pristine lands of their choosing.

As most of us know, this game of golf can be full of discouragements, ...more than the novice anticipates! One is, therefore, cautioned by your author to remember that this game has been played on a road that many have traveled before; and successfully by people much less talented than others may have perceived them to be: talented.

I would, further, encourage those who fail, initially; to keep at it. Talent or the lack of it is not the answer; and I strongly profess that anyone can accept golf's challenges, learn, constantly improve, and enjoy!

The fact is that most professionals are never completely happy with their skills, and are often striving to make improvements and changes to some part, or parts of their highly proficient games.

Education and enjoyment are realistically: important keys for a golfer to carry on his or her back; ...keys that will open doors to make golf’s emerald-green paths full of sunshine.

Scrap the idea, then, that you must be a young, naturally talented individual possessing powerful muscles and good looks.

David and Goliath

Thankfully one can look to history which further demonstrates proof that there are many types of individuals in all sorts of endeavors who have overcome the Doom-Sayers' criticisms of people. Critics adore looking outside themselves, gossiping and making random unfounded accusations.

Positive thinking overcame this negatively charged concept of naturally-born, talented-people-thinking a long time ago when David slew the Giant Goliath. No one at that time thought David had a chance!

Though it is true that some may rise higher and faster than others; it is not predicated that only the few are chosen with perfection; ...and it is not true that there is a specific limit on achieving golf-happiness and success because of fantastic and super-human skills.

Details and Learned Swings

The details surrounding a golf swing are much more important than any external and general statements about a person’s talent, or professed skill. Accounts of a person’s talents by certain arrogant TV announcers and outside observers have no business getting into a personal golfer’s mind, ...and ought, often, to be ignored.

Thoughts of big, young muscles, wide or narrow shoulders, tall stature, stocky-framed, athletic build, chubby tummy, male, female, old or crippled, etc.; ...all types have been commented on before; and, I suggest, are to be dismissed by golfers as invalid commentary.

Golfers come in all varieties, ...each being unique in God's eyes.

Today and throughout history there have been numerous examples of proven, unorthodox approaches and styles which have been shown to be quite successful; and by some very distinguished golfers, ...and by those who are possessive of all body sizes, muscle flexibilities, shapes, sexes and ages.

The reality of unique and unorthodox swing patterns is continually demonstrated even by a vast variety of today’s tour level players.

Unique techniques employed by excellent and modern golfers demonstrate that not one of them swings exactly the same; and that all have developed particular swings for each specific situation, and in their own ways!

Obviously, one can pick out similarities in techniques; but there are also obvious differences unique to each golfer. This uniqueness is what the learning-golfer needs to cultivate and be patient to grow from.

Differences to any standard or cookie-cutter style of swing can often be observed by examining each detailed approach and style of certain golfers, exhibited throughout golf’s rich history; and as related to their specific knowledge for each of their swings.

Often these golfers, in history, have developed differently, and have blended-concepts to fit their unique styles of play!

As an example: Lee Trevino has played an accurate fade for most of his driver shots with a very open stance. Bobby Jones has played a hook or draw with a distinctively closed stance, ...a deep inside move, and an over-the-top swing motion that went to perfectly square. Jack Nicholas has had to rebuff comments about his flying right elbow on his back swing; yet proved his swing with exemplary and consistent play. Tiger Woods has shown that a strong dip of the head, as he goes into the downswing, dispels the notion that the head must remain perfectly still while the body turns down and into the ball. Curtis Strange describes his head as moving from one box to the other and back again; …so much for keeping the head still!

Repeatedly throughout history the perfect and commonly-accepted and taught instruction has been proven to be: not the correct instruction for another professional pro and proven golfer.

The direct details related to many of history’s proven golf swings have allowed perfection to their body movements. These particular body movements when associated with their chosen and particular golf swings have been executed precisely for repeatable swings that each professional has successfully performed with.

Each swing exhibits differences; each is exquisite. History has proven them to be so!

Obviously, Jim Furik's looping swing looks different and odd to others, but it gets the job done in a precise manner. Bubba Watson's long distances and curving ball flight have all been described with wonder and curious awe away from the normal. Yet none who-plays-golf would deny their outstanding records of play and score.

Know Your Details; Learn Your Swing

Elite professionals in the history of golf all know their own swing details intimately for each situation; and each swing is therefore uniquely performed with a personal high level of consistency.

All the related details of an individual’s swing – professional or amateur – must therefore be clearly understood by that individual who is attempting to learn about his or her game.

To generalize: another individual's swing may not be the right way to approach your instruction!

Individual and personal details must be known on their own time - scheduled so they can be employed by the individual golfer to suit his or her personal, specific and general needs; and, of course, for a chosen golfing situation, ...of which there are many!

To clarify: the professional knows what to expect and knows how to perform when putting, chipping, pitching, mid-iron and long iron shooting, and driving under varied conditions and for specific circumstances. They know and understand the details involved in all aspects of each of their chosen swings. One long drive does not make up for a botched sand shot, a badly planned chip-shot and 4 careless putts!

Professionals, like you and I, are as God created: unique and generally on the edge of perfect, ...yet somewhat flawed.

We are each unique, yet we are not all that different! Our goals and efforts to achieve them provide paths to our unique destinies.

Understanding and Learning

Of course, it is sometimes better to observe and learn a specific golfing grip correctly from a standard and generally accepted instruction initially. Studying an instruction, first, might be better than to come back to it after a general-experimentation-process; that may eventually lead to that precise, correct and standard grip that the golfer will want to use.

Understanding from script, however, can be easier; but it is not the only way to learn.

Learning takes place in a variety of ways.

No one has an instinctive grip given to him or her by birth. Therefore, again, using the word talent needs to be removed form ones learning process.

It is an outright insult to an individual attempting to learn and practice a detail of fact.

The terms: practice, knowledge, understanding and hard work should supplant any naturally-talent thinking.

When learning about gripping the hands to the club, for example, a variety of good grips ought to be understood first, learned correctly and then practiced fitting the individual’s preferences. After appropriate details are understood and attempted, the individual can, then, work to instill within him or herself what feels correct and comfortable.

Some may work-out: holding onto the club earlier than others, ...like grease-lightning!

Some may learn better like the thinking-turtle!

Those, like the rabbit, may miss certain important and consequential details along the way because of their quickness. Others, like the foxy turtle, may get stuck in the mire of details and not be able to decide until it's too dark out there in the forest.

Talent Does Not Exist in the Way Commentators Imply....

I do not deny that the word talent exists because most of us humans have uniquely designed: hands, heads, eyes, feet, shoulders, hips, tummies, etc. These parts are our talents.

The fact that most of us possess these different and God-given parts explains that we have human-unique talents. Being tall or small, young or old, strong or weak, thin and wiry, male or female; ...all are truly individual physical talents that cannot be denied.

Some of us, as well, have learned to function with these unique body parts (our God-given talents) more smoothly than others, initially.

However, don’t forget, while you learn this great game: that with practice and understanding, any one of us can succeed at its highest level, ...via an open mind to learning.

Which Way to Learn: General, Detailed, or Lucky Learning?

With practice anyone will learn to swing a hammer to hit a nail on the head.

Some of us learn slowly while others pick up this task rather quickly.

Boasting about how or when he or she does this task because of their talent to swing the hammer better seems fool-hardy to me.

One of the greatest things about this game of golf is that it doesn’t matter how big, how strong, how weak, what sex, or how physically or mentally handicapped you might be. All golfers, and on their own schedule, are capable of getting those numbers consistently down and enjoying themselves!

They can all swing a hammer made of the same size with the same strength and speed to knock that nail into the wood!

If the hammer size and weight change, things will be different because the efforts applied to the different hammer will change. The person swinging the hammer, in most respects, will remain the same and quite adequately adapt.

Numbers in golf-scores can go down with: learned, detailed and practiced skill; and, of course, with a wee-bit of luck! Likewise, the swinging of a hammer to the nail's head has the potential to become more efficient with each new swing: ...Sore fingers holding the nail will be a thing of the past!

Eventually the young and inexperienced carpenter will learn to swing that hammer quite effectively.

So, which is it: Generalized learning or Specific?

There are those who believe that only general swing techniques should be explained first; then corrected later with details or tips to fill in the gaps. Obviously, this is a viable approach to learning; especially when the specifics of golf instruction often get to be too overwhelming and oppositely confusing in their details.

Others select a more detailed and mechanical approach to learning. Here, exactness of body positions and detailed movements becomes the singular focus of the learning golfer. Exactness to strict detail and perfection they believe is the route to daylight!

One method of learning is really, not significantly better than another. Both are methodical, and both are honourable approaches.

Personally, I feel that learning analytically from a correct, understandable and detailed technique, first, offers a short cut by offering understandable and complete direction to its detail. This, rather than by learning from the correction of general teachings with an abstract and experimental approach.

However, general techniques have their equal place in one’s learning process, especially when putting the full-swings together in a smooth, comfortable and repeatable manner. Masters winner Bubba Watson would agree with his home-made approach.

Often one might find it is better to dispose of the learned and detailed specifics; and then, try a general and devil-may-care approach to the learning.

In the end, the best philosophy seems to be: to mix and match at your comfort!

To those who believe in being lucky and just being a Natural-born-player, I do suggest that you mustn’t be too hasty with your lucky charms!

We all can use a bit of luck now and then; but, alas, luck and being natural has little to do with success in learning how to play golf over the long haul.

Casual Golfers

One of the many nice things about Golf is that golfers, who are not searching for perfection, can simply play this fascinating game of golf as carelessly as they choose, within generally accepted rules, ...and just for the outright fun of it! Golf is a game, after all.

The landscapes of this precious Golfing-Land should make us all appreciative of God’s varied nature, granted to us and for us to care for, and to enjoy.

Casual golfers can equally have fun, and choose not to be serious about the details, or generalities if they so desire! This game was meant for all to enjoy, ...and at all levels.

Within all of us there are parts of us that want to get better and parts of us that just want to enjoy and be thankful for the moments we share with friends, ...as we are surrounded by God’s glorious nature, absorbing life with a smile!

The Professional Advantage

PGA players are all well-practiced; consistently capable at manoeuvring the ball; and today, largely, due to equipment improvements, and a wide variety of video and electronic learning equipment, especially long!

They are often able to keep up with the latest equipment changes and swing styles fitting them into their personalized swings. They are astute with their unique techniques used for all the various and required shots; and in situations that they perform under, ...often, with superior and magical regularity.

(Thank-goodness the USGA has finally limited the length of the driver to 48 inches; and is concerned with the types of materials that go into making a super-ball that can go bouncy, bouncy!)

With the aid of simulators, assistants and