On 2nd December 2022, Golf Ireland released its 2023 schedule with a few noteworthy changes. All this builds the expectation that 2023 will be an exciting year for golf players and fans of the sport. After an impressive 2022 Golf calendar, the year ended with the Irish Golf Writers’ Association Awards, where top players like Rory McIlroy, Hugh Foley, Beth Coulter and Jimmy Kinsella received awards for their outstanding performance.

What most people didn’t expect is that there was a rise in golf betting in 2022. As golf tournaments became more popular, many people became interested and even placed bets on their highly-ranked players. Top Irish betting sites offer common markets like the tournament winner and head-to-head matchups and exciting prop bets like hole-in-one, albatross and over/under on the winning score.

Since the year is just beginning and the first championship starts in March, there’s plenty of time to learn about the different bets you can place in golf. But before anything else, why should you look forward to the 2023 golf schedule?

Mark Wehrly, Golf Ireland’s Championships Director, said, “The aim of the restructuring of our championships programme is to create a broader appeal for our events and to make them attractive, living up to the commitments in our strategic plan to deliver a streamlined, inclusive and equitable calendar.”

“The restructuring will also see us deliver our competitions in a smarter way and add value and opportunities for our players, who are at the centre of everything we do.”

Following a strategic plan and a high-performance review by Golf Ireland, there will be many changes this year. The AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship will now have 72 holes of stroke play for two years on a trial basis. On the other hand, the AIG Irish Women’s Close Championship will have a streamlined format with two turns of stroke play. The 16 top players will qualify for the match play rounds in the championship.

The Men’s Championship will happen from 18-20 August at the Malone Golf Club, while Connemara will host the Women’s event from 22-25 June.

An innovative and major highlight of the 2023 calendar is the introduction of a new tournament for women and girls. This will be the Golf Ireland Women’s Championship Series which borrows a lot from the success of the Rose Ladies Series in the UK. The Series will have four regional championships, which will be played one day each and make a complete 54-hole play season.

The championship will only consider players who are over 18 years and aims to attract top female golfers in their 20s, 30s and 40s. As for young girls, Golf Ireland will set up four Regional Girl’s Championships, two of which will be played in conjunction with the Boy’s Regional Championship during the summer season.

In 2022, the first-ever Irish Open for Players with Disabilities was held and was a great success. This time around, the championship will be a flagship event for the European Disabled Golf Association held at Roganstown on the 27th and 28th of June and will give players a chance to get even more points in the World Rankings. The entries for the event are already open, so you can easily check and register on the European Disabled Golf Association website.

The popular Golf Ireland’s Senior men’s championship has been improved with a new Seniors and Veterans’ Stroke Play Championship, which will be hosted at Powerscourt from the 16th to 18th of August. In regard to this, Golf Ireland will also bring back the Veteran Men’s Category with two 18-hole tournaments starting at the regional level in Leinster and Munster.

Amateur championships started by Golf Ireland will again take place in May, with the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open happening on 11-14 May at the Island Golf Club. The next week, the Flogas Irish Women’s and Girls’ Amateur Open Championship will be hosted at Woodbrook from the 19th to the 21st of May.

In line with Director Mark Wehrly’s remarks on “creating a broader appeal for the events”, Golf Ireland will launch a programme for inter-club events, which will run all through the season. In the end, there will be an All-Ireland Final Series held at different venues, including Castleroy on 29-30 August for the Underage Series, Dun Laoghaire from 7th to 10th September, Knightsbrook on 14-17 September and lastly, Westport from 21st to 24th September.

Even though the first championships start around March and April, entries for all tournaments will be open by late January for all willing to participate to register.

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There was a time when golf was considered a sport for old, overweight, and generally unhealthy folks. That’s no longer the case.

Just turn on a PGA Tour tournament today, and you’ll see that most golfers are now thin and fit.

Most professional golfers are now in incredible shape thanks to advances in nutrition, supplementation, and exercise. Speaking of which, does playing a round of golf or pounding balls at the driving range qualify as exercise?

Let’s take a look at what the research has to say.

Calories Burned Playing a Round vs Hitting Balls at The Range

Does golf qualify as exercise? According to this research from NutriStrategy, yes it does. However, does it qualify as “good” exercise? That all depends on what type of golf activity and how long you do it.

For example, playing a full round of 18 holes of golf burns more calories per hour than simply hitting golf balls at the driving range. All of that walking on the golf course burns off a lot more calories than just practicing your swing on the range.

There are also other factors to consider, like whether you walk the course while carrying your clubs or use a golf cart. Take a look at the following chart to see how many calories each golf activity burns per hour based on your weight.

Tips to Make Your Next Round of Golf More of an Exercise

By using the above chart, we can give you some tips on how to make your next round of golf more effective at calorie burning. These suggestions may help you burn calories and even lose some weight (if that’s your goal).

1. Walk Instead of Riding in a Golf Cart

This tip is the most obvious. Walking is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise and can lower your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Most health experts agree that people need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. 

Walking while carrying your golf clubs or even walking while using a pull cart would be considered moderate exercise. However, playing a round of golf while using a golf cart is likely light exercise.

As we learn from the above table, a 205-pound average golfer burns 93 more calories per hour by walking and carrying clubs than by riding in a golf cart. That may not sound like a lot, but it adds up to a significant amount of extra calories burned over a four-hour round of golf.

Carrying your clubs on a regular basis can result in greater strength, which could give you a bit of power off the tee. If you aren’t able to carry your clubs, start off by using a pull cart instead. Doing this will help a 180-pound person burn an extra 65 calories per hour over using a golf cart.

2. If You Do Use a Cart, Spend Less Time in It

We know that most golfers prefer using a golf cart during their rounds. While that’s not ideal from an exercise standpoint, anything is better than nothing. You are much better off playing golf than simply sitting at home on the couch.

One way to burn some extra calories, even if you’re using a cart, is to not spend too much time sitting in it. You may be thinking, “Well duh, thank you Captain Obvious,” but stick with me.

The next time you are waiting on the tee box for the group in front to finish, do some stretching to increase your flexibility instead of just sitting in the cart. This will burn more calories, keep your muscles warm, and will make you less likely to suffer a strain or pull.

Tips to Make Hitting at The Range More of an Exercise

Even casual golfers know that to take strokes off their handicaps, they must spend lots of time honing their swings at the golf driving range.

The problem is that a 205-pound person burns 140 fewer calories per hour at the driving range versus playing golf on an actual course (if walking and carrying clubs). However, we have some tips that will help you get more exercise while at the golf range.

1. Stretch Before and After Your Range Session

Stretching before any form of exercise is a fantastic habit to develop. Before you begin any golf activities, make sure to warm up and stretch your shoulders, arms, lower back, hamstrings, buttocks, and hips.

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds before moving on to the next one.

2. Work Your Abdominals at the End of Your Practice Session

Just because you are at the driving range doesn’t mean you can’t give your abdominal muscles a good workout.

When you’re finished hitting golf balls, drop down on the mat and knock out some crunches and leg lifts. This will give you more core strength, which will eventually lead to more yardage off the tee and less chance of lower back strains.

A good drill is to hit 50-60 balls and then do 50-60 reps of some form of ab work. Some folks on the range may look at you kind of funny, but you aren’t there to impress them.

Remember, the purpose of a good range session is to lower your handicap and get a good amount of exercise.

3. Don’t Forget to Work on Your Short Game

Remember, the most efficient way to shoot lower scores is to improve your short game. Don’t leave without hitting several putts on the practice green and chip shots out of a bunker if possible.

Doing this will also extend your overall practice time and help you burn more calories.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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I was coached by various teachers for the first fourteen years of my golfing journey. Each one helped shape my game. 

Some of them added incredible value to my game, while others dismantled my ability to swing a club. This post aims to help you decide if golf lessons are worth it.

Besides highlighting the advantages and downsides of coaching, I will explain what it did for my game. 

Introduction To Golf Lessons

I was luckier than most golfers because I was coached from an early age. Without thinking about it, my game progressed rapidly. It was only later that I understood the positive impact coaching had on my game.

Learning the fundamentals of golf gives you the best chance of becoming good at the sport. The best way to do this is to visit a good coach from the onset. A better understanding of posture and swing mechanics will help you strike the ball better. 

Otherwise, you will spend your days aimlessly chasing a dimpled ball around acres of land with no purpose.

My first coach focused on the importance of tempo in a swing. Instead of him setting me up with a driver and letting me bomb it, we spent a lot of time working on my short game to get used to the center of the clubface striking the ball.

If I had never had that guidance from day one, I don’t think I would have gotten to a low single figure as an early teen. Coaching helped me see the importance of timing versus generating an accelerated swing speed.

Are Golf Lessons Worth It?

Yes, golf lessons are worth it if you wish to improve faster than the average player. Without the various coaches who influenced my game, I doubt I would never have become a low handicapper in my early teens.

But, rather than take my word for it, let me explain how fourteen years of coaching worked out for me.

What Golf Lessons Do For Your Game

1. Improve Etiquette

Although etiquette has little to do with improving your golf game, it will help you survive on a golf course as a beginner. The protocols set out by golf courses are in place to make sure everyone respects one another, the golf course, and the game.

If you are unfamiliar with etiquette before venturing onto the course, you may annoy fellow golfers, and ruin their rounds. A golf coach provides this information, equipping you with the necessary knowledge for success at the Country Club.

2. Identify Weaknesses

Trained teaching golf professionals need to identify weaknesses in your setup, swing, and ball flight. 

Grip

The first port of call for coaches is your grip. As Golfweek explains, the incorrect grip makes it difficult to control the club through the swing.

Unfortunately, this was a stumbling block for me because every coach I went to tried to change my baseball grip for an interlock setup. That has always been an uncomfortable feeling for me and I would immediately revert to the baseball grip.

Now, full disclaimer, I believe the interlocking grip gives the average golfer better control over the club. However, I have used the baseball grip since I was four, and it is what I feel most comfortable with.

In my final year of high school, my school qualified for the World School Golf Challenge in New Zealand. The teacher in charge of golf suggested that the team visit one of the local PGA professionals for lessons in the build-up.

The first thing he did was change my grip, and with two months to go to a Major event, it wreaked havoc with my game. I got to the point that I had zero confidence in my ability, even though I was a 4-handicapper, I felt like a beginner. Needless to say, that relationship did not last long.

Great golf coaches will work around that to find solutions, as many of my coaches did. But not everyone agreed, which is why I had multiple instructors during my youth. 

Ball Position

Despite the complexities of a golf swing, many players get their shots wrong because of the incorrect ball position at address. A golf coach helps you understand when to position the ball in the center, forward, or back of your stance.

Thanks to the first coach I ever had, I quickly understood how to set up for a tee shot versus a fairway wood or a long iron and a wedge. These instructions have helped me strike the ball consistently throughout my amateur golf career.

Backswing

Another factor that coaching helped me understand was keeping your club on plane. Your downswing is where this is vital, but if you can start your backswing on plane, it is easier to get it back to that position before impact.

My years of experience have taught me to feel when I take my club away on the incorrect line. That means I can stop at that point and reset instead of continuing and striking a wayward shot.

Downswing

My experience with golf coaches also taught me how to keep your club on plane and when to know if it veers off target. It is beneficial to understand swing faults to address and correct them immediately.

If I slice or hook a shot, it doesn’t take long to identify the error and fix it for my next attempt.

Clubface At Impact

The angle of your clubface at impact determines the shape of your shot. If you can’t get the clubface square at impact you generate side spin. That can cause you to hook or slice your ball.

All the above features are determining factors in the position that the face ends up at contact. My coach taught me what steps to follow to get it square at impact. Plus, he explained what angle produces which shape.

For example, when your clubface remains open through impact, you typically generate left to right sidespin, resulting in a fade or slice shape. 

Working with an instructor helps you easily identify when you leave your clubface open or closed at impact. And, if you follow the above tips, you should be able to correct that.

Short Game

My first coach made me spend more time practicing chips and putts than anything else. Besides improving my skills around the green, it helped nail down the art of ball striking. I used to chip hundreds of balls every session, just trying to get the middle of the clubface to strike the ball.

As my ball striking improved, I began focusing on distance control. That led to more up and downs and fewer double bogeys. Plus, I learned how to read greens and judge the weight of a putt, thanks to my first golf coach. Even today, my chipping and putting is the best part of my golf game.

3. Correct Flaws

Once your golf instructor has determined your swing flaws, the next step is to correct them. If you watch YouTube videos, you should also know where you are going wrong. However, the videos do not provide the corrective action that a lesson with a private coach will.

Within a few minutes of visiting a qualified golf coach, you can be on your way to fixing the kinks in your game.

4. Learn Practice Drills

Once a coach has identified the weak areas of your swing, the next step is to assign practice drills to improve your ability. These drills help improve your skill level and increase your consistency on a golf course.

Without the guidance of golf professionals, it is challenging to know whether you are executing the drill correctly. You can spend hours practicing something. But if you are not doing it right, it is a waste of time.

Some coaches may encourage you to purchase training aids to enhance your practice experience. However, there are plenty of drills you can do, without acquiring additional accessories.

5. Match You with The Right Equipment

Besides the tips and guidance provided by golf coaches, they also determine whether you are using the correct equipment. If you never get coached, you may never know that your clubs are not suited to your game.

6. Gain Consistency

When you combine the above elements, it produces consistency in your golf game. That helps you improve your scores and leads to fewer bogey putts and more birdies. 

Why Some People Are Hesitant About Taking Golf Lessons

1. Price

The cost of golf lessons is what puts many average golfers off. Attending a few lessons may cut into your green fees budget, and it is understandable why you would forego coaching. However, golf is an expensive game, and if you invest in a set of golf clubs, you want to know how to use them as best as possible.

However, the money you spend on coaching will save you countless rounds of frustration. It prevents you from consistently making the same mistake.

2. Changes Can Be Uncomfortable

This downside applies to golfers who have played the game for some time and are comfortable with their current setup. 

A golf coach will change your setup, grip, and swing to help you maximize your performance. However, these changes can make you feel uncomfortable during your swing and make you relearn how to hit a golf ball.

The reality is that the changes do positively affect your game. But, they take time to get used to and can result in several poor gross scores before you get the hang of it.

3. Time Consuming

The final reason why many golfers never get coaching is that it is time-consuming. You need to set aside an hour or two a week for lessons, which is a big ask for busy individuals. 

Even as a school kid, I found it challenging to fit in two lessons a week, on top of league matches, practice rounds, and my education. 

One positive of the pandemic is that golf coaches have taken their lessons online, allowing you to practice remotely at any time.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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There is no feeling more painful for golfers than inflicting damage on your clubs.

Unless you got mad and intended to do it, then go ahead. However, despite their Frankenstein appearance, does it impact your performance? In this post, I answer the question of if you can still golf with a dented driver.

I will explain everything you need to know to save you from a heart attack the next time you accidentally scar your club head.

Will a Dented Driver Head Affect Your Shot?

According to golf coach Mark Crossfield in the video below, clubhead dents have no bearing on your performance. I can attest to that, being the disorganized golfer I once was.

I hardly used wood or iron covers, and when I did, I would be annoyed with them after the first hole and throw them into my bag. That meant that I owned a few chipped and dented clubs, and they worked well enough for me to end my teen years as a low handicapper.

However, my clubs only had minor damage. In a video by Conan Elliot from Camas Meadows Golf Club, he makes a different case to Crossfield. He explains that deep indentations on the clubhead affect the aerodynamics and center of gravity (CG) of a driver:

If the indentation is severe, it can damage the weighting of your clubhead and increase the risk of instability through impact. However, it takes extreme events to damage your club that badly. I have seen many snapped driver heads, but never one that is dented beyond playability.

The most common result of a dented driver is its hideous cosmetics. Every time you address your golf ball on the tee, your driver’s head will remind you of your abusive actions. It will fill you with guilt for a few months, but then you get used to it.

Can You Fix a Dented Golf Driver?

When your driver contains a crater the size of Diamond Head and it impacts your game, you have 3 options (detailed below). In short, good luck to those hoping to fix it on their own. The damage is near impossible for even your local golf club repair shop to execute.

Option #1: Send It To The Manufacturer

Contacting the manufacturer is your first port of call to repair a dented clubface. If the driver is from a major brand, you may have a local rep you can reach out to. Alternatively, you can talk to the person you purchased the driver from.

The manufacturers are the only ones who can repair the head. That is because of its complex one-piece design that requires precise care. They will assess the depth of the dent and may charge you extra for the repair. The manufacturer may find that the head is irreparable and send you a new one instead.

Option #2: Keep Using Them

Significant concavity may impact CG and aerodynamics. However, result variations are typically minimal. Lower handicappers and professionals may notice the slight difference in clubhead speed, coefficient of restitution, and accuracy. However, the average golfer will not suffer significant setbacks.

Therefore, those players on a budget or who play infrequently can keep using the battered driver.

Option #3: Buy A New Club

Should your driver be ancient and belong in a vintage sports auction, you might consider purchasing a new club. There is no point in going on a mission to fix it when you could snatch up a new big stick. You do not have to purchase one of those expensive drivers. There are plenty of affordable options on the market.

How to Tell If Your Driver Is Too Dented to Continue Using

Appearance

The first way to determine if your driver is too dented to continue using it is to inspect it with the naked eye. If you see a cavity on the clubhead or face, run your finger across it. Should your finger drop significantly into the indentation, the severity of the damage may be enhanced.

Identifying a dented club is only part 1 in accurately determining if your club is fatally damaged.

Take It To A Club Fitter

When you spot a dent in your driver, I suggest taking it to an expert before panicking. Visit your local club fitter or golf repair workshop and get their opinion on the matter.

They may find that the head can continue, saving you hundreds of dollars. In addition, your local fitter may have the contact details of the relevant representative to contact about fixing it.

Sound

This is not an accurate test to identify if your driver is severely beaten up. However, you know how a normal strikeout of the sweet spot sounds and should listen for that at impact. Should your club produce a clicking sound, parts may be loose inside the head.

Clubhead Speed

You should use a launch monitor to accurately determine whether the condition of your driver impedes your game. These devices provide precise data on various elements of your launch, velocity, and yardage.

Some models are excessively priced, but you can find moderately priced options that the average player can afford. A reliable and accurate option is the FlightScope Mevo.

If a personal launch monitor is out of the question, strike a deal with your local pro shop or club fitter to use their device.

Set up your launch monitor and hit 5 to 10 drives to receive insight on your clubhead speed. If you are consistently lower than your average, then the dent may have hurt the aerodynamics of the driver. That means it produces increased drag and slows down through impact.

Ball Speed

Employ the launch monitor again to determine your ball speed data. Tee up a few shots to ensure that you are warmed up. You must swing the same way you would before the club was damaged. If you generate less ball speed than average, your driver may be injured.

On the odd chance, you find that it produces increased ball speed, I would stop complaining and keep using the driver.

Launch

Another way to tell if your dented driver has impacted your game is to assess your degree of launch. Look at whether you are launching it higher, lower, or the same as before. Any variations from your usual results might be induced by your golf club.

Distance

Like you did for your launch and velocity tests, use the launch monitor to assess your driving distance. If your yardage is less than before, I would take a few extra swings to ensure I am striking the ball cleanly.

When you are happy with your ball striking, analyze the results again. If it is still shorter than before, the driver could be hurting your distance game.

Accuracy

If you start hooking or slicing shots like never before after denting your driver, you may pin the blame on the damage. These results should prompt you to get the clubhead checked out and replaced if necessary.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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Over the years, I’ve heard stories of golf ball divers making millions of dollars retrieving lost balls from ponds and lakes. While I am impressed and tip my hat to them, I question the quality of these products once retrieved.

In this guide, I answer the question, can golf balls get waterlogged. I look at the impact that a wet golf ball has on your original shape and carry distance. Plus, I explain the process that refurbishers follow to produce a recycled golf ball.

Are Golf Balls Still Good After Being in Water?

Gordan McKay, a Chemical Engineering Professor from Harvard, says water modifies the properties of the polymer cover. That impacts the performance of your shots. McKay says that the impact of damage depends on the time golf balls have spent underwater.

The consequences of a waterlogged golf ball are a massive decrease in distance and erratic ball flight.

Although there is evidence supporting the impact of waterlogged balls, I do not believe it to be a train smash for casual golfers. Take a high handicap golfer, for example. They do not strike the ball cleanly and consistently and lose distance whether they are teeing up a brand new Pro V1 or a refurbished Srixon Soft Feel.

Therefore, a waterlogged ball will not be as catastrophic to your results as it may be for superior golfers. A low handicap golfer may demand precise distance and accuracy as they attempt to score from any position on the golf course.

If a waterlogged golf ball takes 20 to 30-yards from your drive, you may want to splurge on a new sleeve.

How Long You Can Leave Golf Balls in Water

Vice Golf suggests that water will break through the outer layers within 12-hours of the ball entering the pond. They have found that the hydrophilic feature of a urethane or surlyn golf ball is the culprit.

A golf ball consists of hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophobic zones repel water while the hydrophilic areas attract it. This optimizes the performance of your golf ball in adverse conditions.

The hydrophilic sections help the ball mitigate bad weather. Conversely, the hydrophobic zones help keep the interior of the ball dry.

The polymer outer shell works hard to protect the golf ball core. However, the molecular structure breaks down after several hours. As a result, the hydrophobic zones repel water. Therefore water seeps through micro-cracks and drenches the ball’s outer and inner core.

How You Can Tell if a Golf Ball is Waterlogged

Once golf ball covers are dry, it is difficult to identify if they carry water damage. The only way you will know is in the golf ball’s performance.

Total Mass

If you suspect that a golf ball has endured water damage, you might conduct a weight test. Pull out the scale and see the weight of a new ball from the same range. Then compare it to the old one with liquid damage.

I have found that balls with water damage are heavier than usual, which impacts the consistency of your flight. If too much weight exists in one area, it may cause the golf ball to deviate from its original flight plan.

Color

The color of the golf ball cover is one of the big signs it is waterlogged. Plus, it is the only way to detect the ball’s condition with the naked eye.

Your ball may have been at the bottom of a lake for sometime if it carries a brownish-yellow tinge on the cover. The water damage causes degradation of the coating, removing the glistening finish on the ball.

You can restore some color to the ball with a wash. However, it is difficult to completely eradicate the scars of water damage.

Audio

When you strike a fresh new ball with your driver, you should hear a pleasant ping sound. That signals to the other golfers on the course that you have crushed your drive. Unfortunately, waterlogged balls do not produce as pure a sound.

Marginal water damage may induce a faded ping sound. Conversely, severely soaked golf balls may deliver limited to no acoustics.

Float

We have established that golf balls do not float in normal conditions. However, if you place a fresh golf ball in seawater or a diluted salt h20, it should float. If this does not occur, it could mean that the molecular structure of your ball is damaged, and the density of the ball is more than the saltwater.

A standard golf ball carries a density of 1.09-grams/milliliter. That is higher than freshwater. Freshwater reaches 1-gram/milliliter, which is why a golf ball sinks to the bottom of a pond. Conversely, when salt is added to the equation, the density of the two elements is on a par.

As a result, when a golf ball sinks in saltwater, it carries a higher density ratio than saltwater. This means it is heavier than it should be because of water damage.

Launch Monitor

The remaining ways to determine if your ball is waterlogged require a launch monitor. The technology provides accurate data on your launch, shot shape, and total distance. Without a launch monitor, it is challenging to determine this information.

Launch

Given the change of the dimple pattern and the weight of the ball, you can expect to experience an inconsistent launch. In my experience, severely waterlogged balls struggle to get airborne. The lack of friction, compression, and power causes it to fly low and lose carry distance.

Inconsistent Flight

For example, I used to frequent a range with ponds scattered around. Their golf balls did not float. Instead, they placed nets underneath that fed the balls into a pipeline and back to the pro shop.

The problem was that they sat there for hours on end, becoming severely waterlogged. Often, the ball would start in one direction and then go the other way. I induced a fade, and then it would draw back onto a straight line, mid-flight.

I have seen Rick Shiels use a Polara Ultimate Straight ball that does that on purpose. However, these range balls were not behaving. Now, you may not experience that much of a deviation, but watch out for flight inconsistency and the distance of your shots. In addition, evaluate your launch and descent angles to see if they are consistent.

Loss Of Distance

Vice Golf explains that water harms the core of your golf ball. That is the predominant energy source in the ball, and it helps you maximize your distance. After it is damaged by water, a ball cannot enhance compression and friction through impact.

Therefore, if a golf ball spends a week at the bottom of a lake, it will affect your tee shot distance by 5 to 10-yards. In addition, they have found that 3-months submerged in water can knock 20 to 30-yards off of your driving distance.

A 1996 article by Golf Digest discusses the impact of a waterlogged ball on total distance. In their study, a golf ball was resting on the bottom of a pond for a minimum of 8-days. The golf ball in question was a 2-piece construction, and the water was found to harden the ball, reducing compression.

As a result, the test subject struck a new 2-piece ball 250.7-yards. However, when they teed up the waterlogged design, it went 244.9-yards.

Will Waterlogged Golf Balls Dry Out?

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory carried out tests on waterlogged golf balls in 1998. They found that even if you dry the golf balls at high temperatures, it will not evaporate the moisture from the inner layers. As a result, the ball is scarred with permanent damage.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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The other day I got an email from a reader asking where to focus their eyes when hitting a golf ball. I thought about it for a while because I focus my attention on the impact zone at address. I go into autopilot, and follow my pre-shot routine, then induce my golf swing.

The reality is that your eyes should follow your clubhead from impact through to the top of your upswing. That helps you get your body in a position that launches the ball high along your target line.

In this post, I will explain where you can focus to maximize your power, distance, and accuracy.

Does Eye Focus Impact Your Shot?

Where you focus your attention does not necessarily determine the outcome of your shot. Of course, that is prompted by the position of your clubface relative to the target line through impact. However, it does help you focus on achieving the desired shot shape and flight.

Look at it as a golfer’s meditation. You clear your mind of every thought and envision the shot you intend to play. This eliminates negative thoughts of poor shot execution and landing in the drink or bunker. Instead, it offers clear vision and puts you into the zone.

My vision work focuses directly behind the equator of the golf ball. This aligns my eyes with the impact zone, precisely where I wish to see the sweet spot of the clubface before contact. From there, I follow the clubhead to the top of my upswing. This motion produces optimal launch, and I find it is easier to clear my hips through impact.

Should I Keep My Head Down?

My late father always preached to keep my head down and follow-through, which confused me. When I kept my head down and followed through I consistently hooked the ball. That is because it felt awkward clearing my hips through impact.

As I gained more experience, I realized it helped to keep my head still on my backswing and downswing. However, when the clubhead reached the impact zone, I turned my high visual acuity to the clubhead. I would watch the clubface strike the ball and follow it in the air. This requires optimal timing of your body movement to keep every element synchronized.

Not only did this improve my consistency, but it also made it easier to find my ball. Especially when I generated a slice into the left-hand rough.

Therefore, I suggest keeping your head down until your clubhead reaches the impact zone. Then follow the clubhead through to the top of your upswing.

Where to Focus Your Eyes For a Draw

If you want to learn how to hit a draw, you should follow our step-by-step guide. This tip is to help you get into the zone before hitting a right to left shape if you are a right-hand golfer.

Golf coach Clay Ballard suggests employing eye dominance to the back right side of the golf ball. This is to help you envision swinging along an inside-out line with a closed clubface. Swinging your club along this line will start the ball to the right and curve it left towards your target:

Where to Focus Your Eyes For a Fade

You should set your eyes on the back left side of the golf ball to compose yourself to strike a fade. Opposite to a draw. You must swing the club from outside to inside and connect the ball with an open clubface.

Turning your attention to this part of the ball makes it easier to visualize bringing the club in from the outside inwards. Your swing path and the angle of the clubface at contact start the ball left and fade it right towards the flag.

Where to Focus Your Eyes For a Straight Shot

You watch the left side of the ball to induce a draw and the right for a fade. That leaves the center of the golf ball. This is where Ballard suggests focusing your attention on producing straight shots.

Focusing on this spot encourages you to deliver a square path and clubface through impact, leading to straighter shots and more time on the fairway.

Where to Focus Your Eyes For a Bunker Shot

When I am in the bunker, my focus shifts slightly. Instead of paying attention to an area of the ball, I focus on the sand. The aim in that scenario is to strike the sand before my ball. That helps me get under it and impart spin on the dimples. A common fault by amateurs is not committing to your bunker shot and being afraid to take sand.

If you strike your golf ball cleanly out of the sand trap, you lose control and generally fly the ball well past the cup. The quantity of sand that you take before your ball depends on the type of shot you wish to play and how far you are from your target.

When there is limited green to work with, you want to take at least 2-inches of sand. Conversely, on longer bunker shots, an inch or less is sufficient to generate sufficient ball speed for the given distance.

Where to Focus Your Eyes When Putting

The difference between a good player and a high handicap golfer is their putting skills. Superior golfers roll more putts in and possess a killer up and down record. Besides their ability to read greens and produce magical touches with a wedge and putter, they visualize each shot.

Golf Coach Todd Kolb recommends that his students always start their putting setup with their lead eye on the back center of the golf ball. In other words, if you are left-handed, that would be your right eye:

I recommend this tip is to set your eyes up for a straighter stroke with limited face twisting. As a result, it helps you strike the ball with a square putter face at impact to start your golf ball on its intended line.

That is not to say other techniques do not work. I, for one, prefer looking directly down onto my golf ball. I find that this position keeps everything aligned. However, you may find that focusing inside or outside the line works.

I suggest following Kolb’s advice for starters and seeing how you get on. If that doesn’t work, you can try the other setups to identify the most comfortable option.

Once you have determined the ideal eye position, I recommend marking the relevant points on an alignment stick to help you consistently practice this setup.

What Do The Pros Do

Focus On The Whole Ball – Jack Nicklaus

The player with more major titles than any other in history explained that he didn’t waste time with a part of the ball. Word is that he was interested in seeing the entire thing. That was enough to visualize his shot, execute, and lift trophy after trophy.

This is different from Clay Ballard’s advice for amateurs, who need to scale down their target for improved results.

Look Ahead Of The Ball – Annika Sorenstam

Annika does not tell others how to swing a golf club, but maybe we should listen to her. The highest-earning LPGA Tour player clearly knows how to operate. She found that looking ahead of the ball through impact produced the most consistent results.

Focusing a few inches ahead of your golf ball encourages you to take a divot after impact. This promotes a cleaner striker for consistent distance and accuracy.

Look At The Logo Of The Ball – Tiger Woods

Golf Magazine explains that Tiger fixates on the logo of his golf ball to ensure maximum concentration. They note that when the big cat is on the driving range, he alters the setup of the golf ball to reflect the logo in varying positions. This enables him to zero in on the spot where he wants to connect the golf ball.

The idea behind this method is to reduce the size of the target. This helps you to reduce the severity of your misses. That is why it helps to pick a spot, focus on it, and visualize executing the ideal strike.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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