Ice Golf - are you cool enough?Written by Gary Hill
Ice Golf - only coolest need apply! Want to try ultimate golf challenge on a course where you'll have no trouble staying cool over even most testing putt? You should consider taking up Ice Golf - most amazing development that golf world has seen for decades. Every year thirty six golfers (or lunatics, depending on your viewpoint) gather in Greenland to play in World Ice Golf championship. This year's event takes place in late March and early April. The course is marked out on ice of frozen fjord and you can expect icebergs or occasional polar bear for company! As organisers say: "if you've played on greens of Europe, then you'll find "whites" of Greenland rather special." The World Ice Golf Championship was brainchild of Mr. Arne Neimann, a local resident and hotel proprietor on a small island called Uummannaq, off Greenland's North West coast. He and a friend designed first course in 1997 and sport took off from there. The world championship is played on ice in years when conditions make ice fields safe and predictable. Players compete over two days and play thirty six holes of stroke play. There is a "warm up" tournament day before although "cool down" might be a more applicable phrase to describe effect it has on golfers. In March, when world championships are held, average temperature is minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, but temperatures as low as minus 25 can occur. The dry climate and strong sunshine can make it seem slightly less cold than that - but not by much!
| | FootPower for GolfWritten by William Breland
Although ankle is most injured body part of an athlete, very little is ever done to strengthen stabilizing muscles that prevent rolling in and out. Golfers are no exception in neglecting ankle strengthening. They seldom sprain their ankle swinging golf club, but strength of ankle muscles is very significant to maintaining positions that establish balance, and create a powerful and efficient golf swing.During backswing, moment a golfer allows body weight to move outside neutral position of ankle that was established at address a power leak is created. It then becomes a challenge to transfer weight in forward swing with any consistency. Although this lateral displacement of weight often occurs as a compensatory move due to hip inflexibility, it may be accentuated (or even caused) by weakness of ankle evertors (or muscles that tilt your ankle up on little toe side). The ankle position of forward foot (closest to your target) is a major factor in successful delivery of power at impact. At this “moment of truth” when tremendous force is created from feet upward your ankle should hold fast to its neutral position. Strength of ankle evertors becomes a major factor at this point as body mass is quickly rotating and moving toward target. If your weight has moved outside “power zone” and your ankle has rolled to outside, you have once again created a power leak. The stronger and better trained your ankles are: §The more power you can deliver at impact §The better your ability to maintain proper spine angles §You can more effectively resist compensatory moves in swing Perform this as an exercise and hitting drill. You will gain strength, improve footwork, establish better golf balance and increase swing power as you move from backswing, into your forward swing, to impact and to finish position.
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