CT Golf Tips - Your Online Golf Resource

Connecticut native World Class Golf Pro Mike Colandro has championships including the Air New Zealand Shell Open in 1987, the West Australian PGA, 2 Connecticut and Maine Open Victories, and a playoff win in the Victorian Open on the Canadian Tour. Mike brings his expertise and experience to CT Golf Tips to help you improve your game, keep up on the latest info on Golf, Courses, and Equipment.

Here, in the northeast, a new year is starting and everyone is anxious to get out and play. It is important to keep your expectations down due to lack of playing due to inclement weather. Realize that you can’t just pick up where you left off last year and accept what the game gives you, especially if you are starting to compete as high school and college players are.

• It is still cool out and the ball does not go as far, consider that when choosing correct club.

• Check equipment to see if you need to get new grips, check lie & loft of your irons, and if buying new clubs, always try them first.

• Courses are not in the best of shape, so expect a few bad kicks out there, along with the greens being quite bumpy until May.

• Work more on short game because you will probably hit the ball more off line to start and will need to depend on chipping and putting.

Growing up in New England (Newington, CT), I never played too well in high school but was on a state champion team. My game would get better in the summer, and I won some big events as a 17 year old kid. In 1970, I won the Hartford District Am in a 6 man playoff (18 holes) at Goodwin Park. That was the year I decided to just play golf and no other sports because I loved golf and excelled in it. Winning in an 18 hole playoff, against the best am’s in the state, made me believe that I can compete at a higher level. In 1975, I won the Hartford Distract Am again and the New England Publinx Championship and that made me a believer that I can win. Although I qualified for the PGA Tour at Pinehurst in 1979, I did not win until a pro mini tour event in Hilton Head, S.C. in 1980. The lesson here was to keep on trucking and do whatever it takes to keep playing tournament golf.

Being a new golf season, one needs to check Basic Fundamentals. To start, you need to check your posture over the ball. Stand straight up, with your head at a small tilt, then bend at your knees and pelvis slightly. Stick your butt out to create a constant spine angle. Keeping this spine angle constant throughout the swing will make it easier to stay down and through each shot, therefore, creating consistent, repetitive swings.

Next would be to check your alignment, which means where your shoulders, hips and feet are aiming. They should be pointing in a similar direction, this will create a release that is down your target line. You can use another club, just lay it down on your feet line and check your shoulders and hips. You also can use a mirror, video tape, or take a golf lesson. Taking a lesson or series of lessons can be very beneficial, just to have a pair of eyes to see just where you are aiming. When I was playing and today, most pro’s work on their alignment with their caddies or coaches keeping an eye on them.

This is where the average golfer could benefit from a playing lesson. During a playing lesson, many things can be addressed while on the golf course. Sometimes golfers do one thing on the practice tee and something different on the course. Early in the season, it is important to take a private or playing lesson so you can get off to a good start. To get the most out of your lesson, ask any question and be alert. Show up early so you can relax and stretch out or hit some balls to warm up. This will keep the lesson moving and you will maximize your time along with your learning capacity.

In conclusion, there are many other tips that we will go through each week. I hope these tips will help and visit CTGolfTips.com next week for more Golf.

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