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Shoulder injuries are as common in golf as pink spandex in the aerobics studio. This is usually the result of poor posture, flexibility issues, and a decreased level of muscular strength and endurance. Of course without stability in the shoulder girdle your swing will not be as efficient as you want it to be. In fact the result usually ends up in developing poor swing mechanics and then rotator cuff injuries. The finest exercise for the shoulder and the core is the Kettlebell Get-up (or some people call it the Turkish Get-up). The Kettlebell Get-up will effectively teach you to brace the abdominal muscles, glutes and lower back. In addition it will work all the major muscle groups’ surrounding the shoulder, including small stabilizing muscles, tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. The Get-up has proven itself as a phenomenal exercise for developing strength, flexibility, and stability in the shoulder joint all of which are essential for an effective powerful swing. Without a doubt including this exercise in your current golf exercise routine is essential if you want functional strength, flexibility and stability, all of which is essential to packing a powerful golf swing. Give it a shot, try it with your bodyweight at first, than add a dumbbell if you don’t have access to a kettlebell. For more exercises like this one check out http://www.back9strength.com, and pick up your copy of Back9Strength: The Ultimate Golf Fitness Rolodex.

How to perform the Kettlebell Get-up

1) Lie on the floor, in a supine position (i.e. face up), next to an appropriate size
Kettlebell.

2) Use both hands to press the kettlebell vertical – directly above your shoulder. Once in position, keep your elbow locked, wrist straight, and your eyes on the kettlebell.
Post your foot close to your buttocks (same side as your working arm.)

3) Allow the weight to drift slightly forward, then push off your posted foot and sit up. It is acceptable to allow your free arm to assist slightly in sitting up.

4) From sitting, slowly move to the kneeling position. This can be done a number of ways. The main thing is to move slowly, keeping your working arm perpendicular to the ground and to finish in well supported, 3-point kneeling position.

5) Slowly straighten your torso, then stand straight up.

6) Now that the fist half of the KGU is over, simply reverse the steps until you have reached your starting point.

For most of us, golf is an individual — not a team — game. Each golfer in your group is playing against the course, and nothing that they do has any real impact on your own game. You can actually play your regular group without ever talking.

But because of this, golfers always are looking for ways to add some interaction to the game. Best ball matches, alternate shot and scrambles are some popular formats. But for most golfers, the way to make things more interesting (and interactive) is to place a few side bets.

The most popular bet in amateur golf is probably the $2 Nassau. It’s a two-sided bet: player against player, or team against team. Nassaus lend themselves to a variety of team play formats. Scramble, four ball and alternate shot matches are common. Teams also can decide to play with, or without handicaps.

The Nasssau gets its name from the Nassau Country Club on Long Island, where the format was invented in the early 1900s. The game also is known as “2-2-2″, and “Best Nines.”

With awards for winning each side (front nine, back nine) and for all 18, the Nassau is essentially three separate bets. In a basic $2 Nassau, the player or team winning all three events would win $6.

For those areas where betting cash is considered immoral, or illegal, Nassaus typically are played for two of something: golf balls, drinks, etc. Winners of all three bets could then win a half-a-dozen balls, or a six pack.

Scoring Nassaus is something akin to that of match play golf. When a player or team has the low score on a hole, they score one point. A tie is a “push. The team or player with the most points at the end of each nine wins that side. The two nines are totaled for the 18 hole award.

But if that’s all there was to a Nassau, it is unlikely that it would be so popular among golfers. The real fun of a Nassau begins with the “press.”

Any time a team or individual is down by two or more points, they can “press” the bet. That means that an additional bet is placed for the remaining holes on the side. The original bet still stands, however. Players involved in a Nassau typically are obligated to accept a press.

Here’s an example of how it works: After six holes, Team A finds itself down by two points. They decide to press. Now, in addition to the original wager, a second bet has been placed for holes seven, eight and nine. If Team A wins two of the three, they still lose the original bet by one point. However, they break even because they won the press. If they lose two of the remaining holes, they end up paying off both wagers. In the best case scenario, they win all three remaining holes, and win both wagers.

In some Nassau formats, the press is automatic when a player or team is down by two.

One problem with Nassaus is that it can be difficult to keep track of the wagering. At the end of 18, it would not be unusual for players to have placed six or seven separate wagers.

Nassaus also can become quite expensive — even with the initial $2 limit. A Nasssau that has been pressed, double pressed, and triple pressed can quickly add up.

Players usually avoid mass confusion and bank-breaking payouts by limiting the presses to no more than two per nine holes. Some matches also allow presses only on the last four holes of each nine.

If the number of presses is controlled, Nassaus can be a very friendly betting format. The players who are down (presumably the less skilled players — at least on that day) control the pace of the wagers. And because the bet is broken into two nines and a total, a bad nine won’t ruin the whole day.

The next time you’re out on the course with your regular foursome, try a Nassau — if only for a couple of sleeves of balls.

A last couple of words of caution: Betting is not legal in all jurisdictions. Players should be aware of local regulations before placing a wager. And players should always remember to never bet more than they can afford to lose. Set a budget at the beginning of a match and stick to it.

Read more about golf at Golf Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com

Having the right set of golf clubs can be critical to your personal performance on the golf course. The right set of golf clubs can give you the confidence and the capability to perform at the top of your game.

New golfers who are looking for a starter set of golf clubs should consider purchasing good-quality clubs on the resale market rather than settling for cheap new clubs. It would also be a good idea to get suggestions from a golf coach or golf professional.

But even after you’ve gotten advice and considered all the golf club reviews, there are several personal factors to think about. Your own size, shape, strength and style of play should be taken into account when choosing golf clubs.

A standard set of golf clubs includes irons, woods and a putter. Irons are numbered from two through nine. The faces of the irons are set at an angle to provide lift. A number two iron has a lift angle of 18?, and the angle increases four degrees for every successive iron.

The golf club shaft also gets shorter as the numbers go up; that is, the shaft of a two iron is longer than the shaft of a nine iron. Woods are numbered from one through five. The general rule is that lower numbered clubs hit the ball farther, but not as high. In addition to extra lift, higher numbered clubs also give the ball more backspin.

Irons

Let’s talk about the irons. Traditional irons have the club’s weight concentrated behind the middle of the head. This design creates what is known as the sweet spot, the perfect place on the club to make contact with the ball.

Traditional irons are preferred by many golf pros because of their great precision and control. However, if you don’t make contact with the golf ball precisely on the sweet spot, these golf clubs are simply unforgiving.

It’s now also possible to get irons with a peripheral weight design. These are also known as cavity-backed or game improvement golf clubs. The weight is more evenly distributed around the edges, which is like expanding the sweet spot of the golf club.

Cavity-backed golf clubs are much friendlier to new players. They are mainly intended for beginners or inconsistent players. However, cavity-backed clubs can also be found on the pro golf circuits as well. So if this design really works well for you, don’t let the name “game improvement” club scare you away.

Woods

Woods are so named because they were traditionally constructed of wood. Teeing off and long fairway shots are both situations that call for woods. Traditional wooden drivers are still favored by many golf pros. Alas, much like traditional irons, these woods are merciless if your contact with the ball isn’t perfect. For this reason, woods made of metal now rule the amateur game.

Today’s woods are constructed with hollow shells that offer greater distribution of weight. The only drawback of these new designs is that it may be more complicated to shape or control the ball. Graphite heads offer the best performance, but also have the highest price.

The shafts of golf clubs come in different degrees of flex: soft, regular and stiff. In general, stronger players who are more proficient at the sport should opt for stiffer shafts. Most golf club shafts are constructed of steel or graphite.

Putters

Putters are, for many players, the most personal item in the bag of golf clubs. Putters range from very basic to exotic designs. If you purchase a complete set of golf clubs, it will probably include a basic putter. Eventually, you should probably change a standard putter with a design that’s more compatible with your playing style. This is something that may take some trial and error. But after playing a few rounds and spending time in practice, you should be able to find one that works for you.

You could take a lifetime deciding on the optimum set of golf clubs to give you the best performance. It’s far better to stop dwelling on how much better you might be and get out there developing your skills with a ‘best effort’ in choosing your golf clubs.