Golf For Dummies^®, 3rd Edition

by Gary McCord

• ISBN13: 9780471768715
• ISBN10: 0471768715
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

When it comes to improving your golf game, everyone's an expert, even other beginners who don't play any better than you. Get help from real experts. Golf For Dummies, Third Edition, features easy-to-follow instructions for hitting the ball farther and straighter, and shaving strokes off your game. It gives you: Advice on adjusting your grip, stance, and swing Helpful tips from the top players in the game New methods for improving improve your short game Exercises tailored to keep you fit and improve your game Reviews of the latest golfing equipment The latest on new organizations and websites for golfers Details about great new courses Accounts of golf's greatest moments and players Playing golf is fun-playing better is even more fun. With a little help from Golf for Dummies, Third Edition, you'll have the time of your life whenever you lace up your cleats.

Author Biography

Author and CBS television golf analyst Gary McCord is a PGA Senior Tour champion and a golf instructor to many celebrities.  Gary possesses tremendous teaching ability and instructs and consults with more than 20 Tour players.  With his friend and fellow CBS commentator Peter Kostis, he co-founded the Kostis/McCord Learning Center at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Gary also starred in the Golf For Dummies tutorial DVD.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
What You're Not to Read	p. 2
Foolish Assumptions	p. 2
How This Book Is Organized	p. 3
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 6
Getting Started: No, You Can't Hit the Ball Yet	p. 7
What Is This Thing Called Golf?	p. 9
The Goals of the Game	p. 9
Why Play Golf?	p. 11
What You'll Find on a Typical Course	p. 12
How You Can Become a "Real" Golfer	p. 13
Living the Golf Life	p. 14
Gearing Up	p. 17
Golf Balls: The Dimple Derby	p. 17
How to Choose Your Weapons	p. 20
When You Know Your Game	p. 24
When to Use Each Club	p. 25
Tradition versus Technology: Keep Tinkering with Success	p. 26
Clothes: How to Dress Like a Pro	p. 30
Accessories: The Stuff You Need	p. 31
Do I Need Lessons?	p. 33
Finding Out What You Need to Work On	p. 34
Where to Go for Lessons	p. 36
Getting the Most from Your Lessons	p. 39
Other Sources of Golf Info	p. 42
Getting Fit for Golf	p. 47
Why So Many New Golfers Give Up	p. 48
Five Secrets to Success	p. 49
The Keys to Golf Fitness	p. 49
Tests and Exercises	p. 52
Where to Play and Who to Play With	p. 71
Driving Ranges	p. 72
Public Courses	p. 72
Country Clubs	p. 74
Resort Courses	p. 75
How to Fit in on the Course	p. 76
When You're the Worst in Your Group	p. 77
When You're Not the Worst	p. 78
Jerk Management	p. 78
You Ain't Got a Thing If You Ain't Got That Swing	p. 81
Getting into the Swing of Things	p. 83
It All Starts with Balance	p. 83
Different Strokes for Different Folks	p. 85
Flight School	p. 85
Building Your Swing	p. 89
Starting the Swing: First, Break It Down	p. 104
Refining Your Swing	p. 115
What Type of Golfer Are You?	p. 115
Establishing Your Swing Plane	p. 117
Going Where Others Have Gone Before	p. 121
Putting: The Art of Rolling the Rock	p. 123
You Gotta Be You	p. 124
Mind Games	p. 124
The Most Important Club in the Bag	p. 125
Building Your Stroke	p. 129
Short Putts: Knee-Knockers	p. 143
Long Putts: Lags	p. 145
Shh! Nobody Mentions...the Yips	p. 146
The Art of Aiming the Ball	p. 148
Speed kills	p. 151
Chipping and Pitching	p. 153
Golf Has Its Ups and Downs	p. 153
Chips Ahoy!	p. 155
Make Your Pitch	p. 160
It's Your Sandbox: Bunker Play	p. 165
Bunkers: Don't Call 'Em Sand Traps!	p. 165
The Problem with Sand Play	p. 167
To Be - Or Not to Be - Handy from Sand	p. 167
The Splash	p. 169
Buried Alive!	p. 172
Common Faults and Easy Fixes	p. 175
Typical Problems and Simple Solutions	p. 177
Skying Your Tee Shots: The Fountain Ball	p. 178
Slicing and Hooking	p. 179
Topping the Ball	p. 182
Duffing and Thinning Chip Shots	p. 182
Can't Make a Putt?	p. 185
Shanking	p. 186
The Push	p. 188
The Pull	p. 188
Power Outage	p. 189
The "Worm Burner"	p. 189
Spraying the Ball	p. 190
Hitting from the Top	p. 190
The Reverse Pivot	p. 192
Swaying Off the Ball	p. 193
The Belly-Button Twist	p. 194
A Swing That's Too Long	p. 194
A Swing That's Too Short	p. 195
Not Enough Backspin	p. 195
How to Beat Bad Luck and Bad Weather	p. 197
Eat Your Roughage!	p. 198
Tree Trouble	p. 199
Special Shots	p. 199
Toupee Alert: Strong Winds Reported	p. 206
Waterworld: Swingin' in the Rain	p. 208
A Game for All Seasons: Weathering the Elements	p. 209
Taking Your Game Public	p. 215
Ready, Set, Play!	p. 217
Warming Up Your Body	p. 217
Warming Up Your Swing	p. 221
First-Tee Strategies	p. 222
Playing Games	p. 231
Keeping Score	p. 231
Practicing	p. 232
Rules, Etiquette, and Scoring	p. 235
Blimey, It's a Stymie: The Ancient Rules of Golf	p. 235
The Rules Today	p. 236
Etiquette: How to Play the Right Way	p. 244
The Handicap System	p. 246
How to Keep Score	p. 249
Penalty Shots	p. 252
Gamesmanship and Sportsmanship	p. 255
Wanna Bet?	p. 255
Picking Partners	p. 258
Match-Play Smarts	p. 258
Never Give Up	p. 259
Playing with Your Boss	p. 260
Surviving a Pro-Am	p. 262
Golf: It's Electric!	p. 267
Golf on TV	p. 269
Why Golf Is So Popular	p. 273
Golf and Television	p. 274
What to Watch for on TV	p. 279
What to Look for in the Top Pros	p. 280
Take Your Punishment	p. 281
Golf on the Web	p. 285
Cool Cyber-Golf Sites	p. 285
Online Course Guides	p. 295
Virtual Pro Shops: Buying Golf Gear Online	p. 298
Tiger versus Golden Tee: The Best of Virtual Golf	p. 301
The Leader: Tiger Woods PGA Tour	p. 301
Golf Simulators: Almost Reality?	p. 303
The Golden Tee Phenomenon	p. 304
The Part of Tens	p. 305
Golf's Ten Commandments	p. 307
Take Enough Club to Get to Your Target	p. 307
If You Can Putt the Ball, Do It	p. 308
Keep Your Head Fairly Steady	p. 308
Keep Your Sense of Humor	p. 308
Bet Only What You Can Afford to Lose	p. 308
Keep the Ball Low in the Wind	p. 308
Take Some Golf Lessons	p. 309
Do Not Give Lessons to Your Spouse	p. 309
Always Tee It Up at the Tee Boxes	p. 309
Never Blame Yourself for a Bad Shot	p. 309
Gary's Ten Favorite Courses	p. 311
Pebble Beach (Monterey, California)	p. 312
Pine Valley (Clementon, New Jersey)	p. 312
Cypress Point (Monterey, California)	p. 312
Shinnecock Hills (Southampton, New York)	p. 313
Pinehurst No. 2 (Pinehurst, North Carolina)	p. 313
Whistling Straits - Straits Course (Kohler, Wisconsin)	p. 314
Bandon Dunes (Bandon, Oregon)	p. 314
Royal Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia)	p. 314
Harbour Town Links (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)	p. 315
Long Cove Golf Club (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)	p. 315
Gary's Ten Favorite Public Courses	p. 317
Alvamar Golf Course (Lawrence, Kansas)	p. 317
Bethpage State Park, the Black Course (Farmingdale, New York)	p. 317
Cog Hill No. 4 (Lemont, Illinois)	p. 318
Grayhawk Golf Club, Talon and Raptor (Scottsdale, Arizona)	p. 318
The Homestead, Cascades Course (Hot Springs, Virginia)	p. 319
Ocean Course (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)	p. 319
Pinon Hills Golf Course (Farmington, New Mexico)	p. 319
San Luis Rey Downs (Bonsall, California)	p. 320
Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course (San Diego, California)	p. 320
Tournament Players Club (TPC) at Sawgrass, Stadium Course (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida)	p. 321
Gary's Ten All-Time Favorite Male Players	p. 323
Walter Hagen	p. 323
Fairway Louie	p. 324
Phil Mickelson	p. 324
Jack Nicklaus	p. 325
Mac O'Grady	p. 325
Arnold Palmer	p. 325
Sam Snead	p. 325
Titanic Thompson	p. 326
Lee Trevino	p. 326
Tiger Woods	p. 326
Gary's Ten All-Time Favorite Female Players	p. 327
JoAnne Carner	p. 328
Laura Davies	p. 328
Juli Inkster	p. 328
Nancy Lopez	p. 328
Meg Mallon	p. 329
Annika Sorenstam	p. 329
Kathy Whitworth	p. 329
Michelle Wie	p. 329
Mickey Wright	p. 330
Babe Zaharias	p. 330
The (More Than) Ten Worst Golf Disasters	p. 331
Jean Van de Velde, 1999 British Open at Carnoustie	p. 332
Greg Norman, 1996 Masters	p. 333
Gil Morgan, 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach	p. 333
Mark Calcavecchia, 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island	p. 334
Patty Sheehan, 1990 U.S. Women's Open at Atlanta Athletic Club	p. 334
Scott Hoch, 1989 Masters	p. 334
Jeff Sluman, 1987 Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass	p. 335
T. C. Chen, 1985 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills	p. 335
Hale Irwin, 1983 British Open at Royal Birkdale	p. 335
Jerry Pate, 1982 World Series of Golf at Firestone	p. 336
Tommy Nakajima, 1978 Masters	p. 336
Billy Casper, 1968 Bob Hope Desert Classic	p. 336
Roberto DeVicenzo, 1968 Masters	p. 337
Marty Fleckman, 1967 U.S. Open at Baltusrol	p. 337
Arnold Palmer, 1966 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club	p. 337
Arnold Palmer, 1961 Los Angeles Open at Rancho Park	p. 338
Billy Joe Patton, 1954 Masters	p. 338
Byron Nelson, 1946 U.S. Open at Canterbury	p. 338
Sam Snead, 1939 U.S. Open at Spring Mill	p. 339
Ray Ainsley, 1938 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills	p. 339
Roland Hancock, 1928 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields	p. 340
Appendixes	p. 341
Golf Speak	p. 343
Golf Organizations	p. 361
Associations	p. 361
Golf Schools	p. 362
Component Companies	p. 364
Index	p. 365
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.