============================================================== [ Tom T's Golf Tips ] Issue 1 - Date 02/22/12 ============================================================== HELLO, AND WELCOME TO OUR FIRST ISSUE You're receiving this newsletter because you signed up at TomTuckerGolf.com, are a friend or student of Tom Tucker, or were recommended by a friend. If you do not wish to receive our free golf tips email newsletter, there's an unsubscribe link at the end of this issue, and please pardon the interruption. This isn't my first rodeo - so to speak - in publishing a golf tips email newsletter.  I broadcasted 178 issues while I was the Teaching Pro at the Batavia Country Club, and feedback from my readers was very positive. My teaching venue has since changed to the Plum Creek Driving Range and Practice Facility in Batavia, NY. For a brief bio with my credentials please click  here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ What you can expect from this newsletter is excellent advice on how to improve your game and your practice based my personal experience as a teacher, a college level golf coach, and an avid student of the game. The tips you get will be a combination of my original tips, as well as "tweaked" tips. "Tweaked" means that I saw a tip in my ongoing study and research that I mostly agreed with, but changed something to suit my viewpoint. I normally include a quick tip and a longer featured tip in each issue. BTW, if you wish to comment or respond to anything in any newsletter, please email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com The same goes if you have any golf related question that you would like answered, or if you have any ideas for topics you would like to see addressed in upcoming issues. In fact, the featured tip for this issue came as a result of my introductory email to my list of 350 past and present students that I sent out last week. A student asked if I would include information on weight training for hitting a "long ball" (in his words). So, I did - It's the featured tip in this issue. Enjoy! Tom ============================================================== To Join our newsletter group, please click here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/contact.html For Directions to Plum Creek, please click here: http://plumcreekdrivingrange.com/?page_id=34 In this issue: - TCT Quick Tips: Submitting Handicap Scores - Golf Tip: Weight Training For Hitting the "Long Ball" - Golf Lessons - Sponsors Unsubscribe instructions are at the bottom of this newsletter. ============================================================== Tom T's Quick Tip - Submitting Handicap Scores ============================================================== Here are the maximum scores you may submit according to your GHIN handicap: If your handicap is: 9 or less, you cannot take more than a double bogey If your handicap is: 10 through 19, the maximum you can take on any hole is 7. If your handicap is: 20 through 29, you cannot take more than an 8. If your handicap is: 30 through 39, you cannot take more than 9. And if your handicap is: 40 or more, you cannot take more than a 10. Check your scorecard before you enter your score into the handicap system to make sure it's correct according to these guidelines. ============================================================== Tom T's Featured Tip - Weight Training To Hit It  Further ============================================================== What I dislike about our climate from a golf perspective is that we can't play enough outdoor golf throughout the entire year. But by viewing this as a half full, not half empty scenario, it gives us a chance to work on our strength, conditioning, and swing faults that we can correct with indoor drills. Last week, a student asked me for advice on weight training to help him hit a "long ball".  Here it is. First of all, I have some background in exercise physiology, and I also developed the training program for the GCC Golf Team when I served as their coach in 2010 and 2011.  We went from being a new sport to placing fourth at the NJCAA National Tournament in 2011, and I attribute a whole lot of that success to the training program.  Not just the physical aspect, but also the self discipline that was developed as a result of trudging to the gym at 6 am for 2 hour conditioning and swing training workouts, three or four days per week all winter long.  The game of golf favors a disciplined mind. I've laid out three weight training programs here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/workouts.html because the information was too lengthy to put in the body of this newsletter. A Fall, a Pre-Season (Spring), and an In Season program. Follow the instructions and you will gain the strength to hit the ball further, guaranteed. I also included a great core workout. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE ... (as they say in those infomercials) Obviously, hitting the ball longer is also helped by a good swing, square contact, the correct angles at impact, etc. Those factors aside, If you simply lift and do nothing else, you will be a stronger person that hits the ball shorter than before you started lifting. You'll feel good, you'll look good, but you'll lose distance. A weight training program must be accompanied by swing speed drills or you swing speed will decrease - period. You haven't inhibited swing speed by pure muscle gain or decreased flexibility as many may imagine. It will simply be inhibited by the additional weight you've gained through your strength program. In next weeks' issue, I'll lay out some very simple swing speed drills that will help anyone gain swing speed. As I said before, you'll need to do some of these drills to maximize the gain from your strength program. I analyzed the results from The GCC golf teams I coached, and they gained an average of 6 mph per player with similar weight training and swing speed drills. If you don't like - or can't do - weight workouts for some reason, the swing speed drills will still help you gain swing speed - but likely not as much as if you combine them with a strength program. One more very important thought - you can increase your swing speed tomorrow by simply thinking "Swing Fast" as opposed to "Swing Hard".  This one thought will change your swing dramatically, try it - you'll like it. Enjoy, Tom ============================================================== Golf Lessons ============================================================== Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or at ttucker@rochester.rr.com for more information. Lesson rates are here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html ============================================================== Sponsors ============================================================== Batavia Country Club - check out their spring rates http://www.bataviacc.com/rates.html ============================================================== All the best, and remember: Victory Loves Preparation ~ Anonymous Tom Tucker Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility WGTF "Top 100 Golf Teacher" USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional Cell: (716) 474-3005 Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com/testimonials.html http://plumcreekdrivingrange.com/?page_id=34 http://www.usgtf.com/top_100_wgtf.html