Greg Baresel

Many times when you hear people talking about getting the most distance out of their drives or irons, you probably hear the word timing used as they talk about how to achieve this. Or, when you watch the professionals play (especially in person) the distance they achieve seems to come so effortlessly and smooth. Although a discussion of the entire golf swing isn't within the scope of this article, let's talk about the timing. Timing is a word that is often bantered about when discussing the golf swing and more precisely achieving maximum distance; but timing of what? And how do I achieve it? In a nutshell, when is comes to getting the most efficient distance out of your golf shot, the timing element is the timing of the release of the stored energy that has amassed during the process of your golf swing. Again, for the purposes of this article, let's fast forward just a bit to the point where you are at the top of your golf swing. At this point, if all has gone well...

People are always on the lookout for tips to make their golf game better.  Golf isn't an easy sport to master.  Those of us who love the game know that the more information you have regarding the swing, course management, putting, etc. the better the chance you have of scoring lower.  That's why we will take golf tips from almost anyone who's willing to offer. So what kind of golf tips can I offer up in this article?  Space is limited, so I'll try to focus only on those tips that are most asked for.  First, if you have a bad temper, you probably shouldn't take up golf.  I'm just kidding, really.  Actually, golf can be good for your mental state.  You may find that you can take out your frustration on the golf course in productive ways and perhaps you can gain better control of that temper! Since most people have trouble with their setup, our first set of golf tips will deal with the setup. * Position your body so your body is parallel wi...

Your swing will change, your accuracy and distance will improve with practice, and you'll become deadly with a putter, but you will always do these things while standing on your feet. Your feet need to be comfortable! Have you ever developed a blister while walking or running? It's all you can think about and it ruins the experience. Don't let uncomfortable shoes ruin your golf game. This is one area where you shouldn't let your frugality make the decision for you. You will be wearing these shoes many times and they should be considered an investment. Comfort should be your biggest concern when buying shoes. Your foot should not move at all on your heel when you walk, yet your toes shouldn't feel cramped. Have your shoes professionally fit to your feet and walk around in them before you buy them. Proper golf shoes should be waterproof so that your feet remain dry in damp conditions. Good socks are important too; they will wick perspiration away from y...

Tournament Preview This week the PGA Tour heads to Michigan to take on the Donald Ross designed Detroit Golf Club. This is the first year of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The course will play over 7300 yards. There isn’t much information out yet since this is the first year of the tournament.  Defending Champion - N/A Top Players In Field - Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Gary Woodland, Chez Reavie, Patrick Reed Course Information Tournament Set-up Par: 72  Yardage: 7,330 Course Statistics Average Green Size: 5,150 sq. ft.  Average Tee Size: 3,900 sq. ft.  Acres of Fairway: 30 Number of Sand Bunkers: 87  Number of Water Hazards: 1 Turfgrass Greens: Bentgrass /  poa annua  .085”  Tees: Bentgrass /  poa annua  .350”  Fairways: Bentgrass /  poa annua  .350”  Rough: Bluegrass mix 3.5” Additional Notes • Horton Smith, who w...

Many of the top touring professionals know that winning on the tour today takes much more than a great game of golf. The field is far too competitive to leave any of the key contributing elements to chance. Preparing their bodies for play is a critical component to a golfer's success under the most competitive conditions. How you structure your golf fitness program is essential to your overall performance on and off the course. Here are some ways you can ensure you are getting the most out of training program while utilizing the strength of your core as a building block for success. Specific to golf: Get rid of the traditional gym machines which focus on isolating specific muscle groups and require no stabilization work by additional muscle groups. Integrate some old and new fitness tools which allow you to move your body in a more functional setting. These include cable machines, fitness balls, medicine balls, balance disks, traditional dumbbells and don't forget about ...

Long time PGA Tour veteran, Chez Reavie, is back in the Winner’s Circle. His last win was back 2008. Heading into Sunday’s round Chez had a 6 shot lead, but history tells us that is not safe at TPC River Highlands. In the last 14 years The winner of the tournament was at least 6 shots back of the leader heading into Sunday’s final round. In the end Reavie was able to hold off Keagan Bradley to bring home the win. The Stats That Count In my Travelers Championship preview I predicted that a shorter hitter would have a chance this week since the course isn’t really long.  (Click Here to read the article.) Which meant to win it would come down to approach shots and putting. Reavie hit 75% of his greens in regulation and averaged 31.4’ from the hole which ranked him 2nd in the field. Chez hit 83.9% of his fairways (T3) and only averaged 279.2 yards off the tee. He ranked first in shots gained total. Just like most weeks the player that hits a lot of greens will have a ton of...

It's when you start to play golf that you learn fastest. If you have bad golfing habits today, you probably learned them when you first took up golf. But the good news is that anyone can break bad habits and learn good ones. Here are a couple of tips to help you on your way to playing better golf. 1. Your aim is vitally important. If you can't send the ball in the right direction you will never get it in any of the holes. The clubface is the only thing that propels the ball, so line up the clubface with the intended target first, then take your stance with your shoulders parallel to the target line. 2. Always aim away from potential problems. Tee the ball on the side where the problem is. This will help to keep the ball in play and avoid penalties. 3. Bad wrist action equals a bad shot in 90 percent of cases. Keep the left wrist flat in relation to the back of the left forearm and the back of the left hand, and don't swing the club back farther than shoulder turn...