golfer swing

Get the kids off the couch and outdoors this holiday

 

Tuesday, 04 December 2018

What’s happening on tour?

 

After watching a thoroughly enjoyable Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open, I had to check the setting on my TV as the course looked just spectacular, we can look forward to this week’s SA Open. This year the host club is Randpark Golf Club with R17 500 000 in prize money up for grabs with most of our top players and a host of superstars competing led by tournament host Ernie Els; Louis Oosthuizen; Brandon Stone; Branden Grace; Charl Schwartzel; last year’s winner Chris Paisley; Matt Wallace; Edoardo Molinari; Oliver Wilson; Matteo Manasero and the Afrasia winner, Kurt Kitayama is also entered.

 

Junior Academy

 

As the year comes to and end it is nice to see the positive results from some of the players in our Junior Academy, well done toMartin Smit for helping these young golfer to continually improve.

“It brings me great pleasure today to see four of my students excelling at the end of the year, after 4 terms of hard work and practice ( and a little fun along the way). Amy Fletcher aged 14,is playing at Kloof CC in the KZNLGA Trials, and shot 72 76 to lead by 18 shots (wow!). Charlotte Phipps aged 11, shot 84 (nett 64) impressive as she is the youngest in the field.”

“I’m also proud to announce that Akhil and Kairav both 11 years old, have been selected to represent KZN U16 Ethekweni Team.”

junior golf academy

Kid’s Christmas Holiday activities 2019 Mount Edgecombe Junior Golf Academy
junior golf academy christmas holiday kids golf activities

 

Out with the old, in with the new!

 

We have brand new Srixon balls for you this month and as you can see one of our most avid members testing them out “Durban style”. At least he isn’t wearing flip flops?

srixon golf balls
New Balls

golf exercizes
This is Dave in preparation for the photo shoot

golf swing

 

The gift that keeps on giving

 

Not sure what to get that special golfer in your life for Christmas? Why not give them the gift of better golf by purchasing a lesson voucher from me? It’s guaranteed to put a smile on their face.

golf christmas vouchers

 

December Opening hours

 

december operating hours

 

The direction of technology

 

Materials open up your opportunity

Adjustable drivers, while being main-stream, have until now come along with some compromises,
especially with forgiveness.

golf driver By using weight strategically, designers have been able to extend the size of the hitting zone.

The leading 2018 drivers not only protect ball speed away from the sweet spot, they protect the launch conditions.

That means, despite a slightly off-centre ball strike, you still get the length of ball flight and distance you expected.
Originally, the weight required for adjustable
hosels reduced the amount of weight available
to the club designer.
That’s not the case anymore. More than enough
weight is available to the designer to allow them
to develop a driver packed with forgiveness.		 adjustable hosels

The adjustable driver improvement

Now though, new manufacturing processes, new lighter but stronger materials, have provided the designers of adjustable drivers with enough discretionary weight to give you adjustability and forgiveness.

 

What motivates you?

 

What are you most looking forward to, as you arrive?

We’re trying to gain a better understanding of what’s important to our golfers. Last week we had a simple question relating to social golf vs competitive golf. If you missed it and want to answer,

This week we want to understand what you look forward to most as you drive to the golf club. Again a simple question. And again, to preserve privacy, your name is optional. So what inspires you?

golf trophy winner

Let us know

This is just one question. It might make you think though.
Let us know now.

Happy golfing!
Steve

steve cottingham mount edgecome golf academy
golf shot

The gift that keeps on giving



Wednesday, 28 November 2018

The gift that keeps on giving

Not sure what to get that special golfer in your life for Christmas? Why not give them the gift of better golf by purchasing alesson voucher from me. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on their face.

christmas golf lessons

 

The grand finale…

Remember that the final Friday Night Under The Lights takes place on 07 December. There will be live music, fun competitions with cash and golf prizes as well as Srixon and Cleveland demos. Don’t miss out! Diarise and come and join us.

 

Nice one, Luke!

Well done to Luke Mayo on making it through stage one of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School. Luke shot 5 under par at Maccauvlei, and is through to the final stage in March next year.

luke mayo

 

Vacation-station

This week I have taken a few days off to take Monica to Umzolozolo Game Reserve for her birthday. We are having a wonderful time and I must congratulate Neil an Lizette Loudon on their wonderful Lodge on the Nambiti Game Reserve near Ladysmith. This 5 star lodge, on a reserve, with the Big Five is only 3hrs drive from Durban, wordclass!

umzolozolo game reserve umzolozolo logo

 

The direction of technology

Tracking everything

Most of us think that the advances in golf equipment must come to an end.
Especially as the design of clubs (and golf balls) is now so tightly regulated.
But, we suspect there’s another big change on the horizon.

flightscope tracker The data gathered from launch
monitors blew away some myths,
and opened the eyes of club
designers, fitters, and golf coaches
to what produced the biggest improvements.
Launch angles, spin rates, smash
factors, rise angles, face angles,
angle of attack can now all be
used with different clubs, to
create an exact fit to your
performance in the fitting bay.

golf tracker data

But, what’s coming is the capture of your data on every single shot you play. There are already clubs and gadgets that allow the collection of some of the data required to fit you.
As that is filled out and refined, when you come into have a fitting we’ll be able to download your on-course data and know the exact specifications that will help improve your playing performance.

Experience the impact on your game now

If you haven’t been for a fitting, then we’d encourage you to at least schedule a driver assessment.
With the knowledge we now have about ball flight and what creates the optimum result,
we can often create quite spectacular improvements.

 

What motivates you?

The social experience or …

We’re very interested in gaining a better understanding of what’s important to you.
Over the next three weeks, we’d like you to answer a simple question each week.
We won’t store any personal data, indeed you won’t even have to give us your name (unless you want to).
But we will collate the data to gain a better understanding of what we need to improve.
So starting this week:

Social Competition
social golf competitive golf

Let us know

For you, what is the relative priority of the recreational and social experience vs golf as a sporting competition?
Let us know now.

CLICK HERE

Happy golfing!
Steve

 

golf swing

Bertus is playing his best golf ever, and you can too!

Thursday, 22 November 2018

Tour News

 

Phil vs. Tiger…no comment!

 

These ladies are keen!

 

After the success of our last “bunnies” group, several of the ladies asked to continue with their tuition and as a result we now have the “bunnies level 2 clinics”! This week, 9 ladies arrived to practise their iron play and to learn a little about playing from sloping lies from myself and Sikhumbuzo. I am delighted to see this enthusiasm! The fact that after their lesson on a Wednesday morning they then get to play a few holes on Thursday under the gentle wings of some of our lady members, makes this programme the envy of many clubs in SA.

ladies golf training

Our Bunnies having a hoppin’ time out on the range

 

So close for Bertus!

 

Bertus Versteegh is plaing his best golf ever!

 

Bertus approached me about 2 months ago for help with his game and was prepared to travel down from Amatikulu each week for a lesson. The past weekend he was the runner-up in their Club Championship, missing top honours by a single shot!

“ I can’t believe the difference in my game, that is the best golf I have ever played and the drills we worked on in the past few lessons have eliminated my slice and improved my distance”. – Bertus Versteegh

Below is a video of the drill that helped Bertus, please watch it and see if it helps you.

best golf ever golf training video

It doesn’t matter which aspect of your game you are looking to improve, we will have an approach to help you on your journey to better golf and more fun. Contact us to book a lesson.

 

We have some fresh turf in the field

 

It’s nice to have Melissa join us.

 

Melissa Eaton (LPGA player) has joined our team and teaches on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at the Range. This week she had a group of ladies perfecting their bunker play…fantastic to see!

If you want to sign to join one of our weekly ladies groups, contact us here.

 

Hole more puts

 

Better distance control equals less than 3 putts

 

During the first three weeks, we have discussed the importance of the correct loft at impact and how crucial it
is to fit a putter to match your technique.
The correct launch off the putter face allows you to improve your control of ball speed on the green.
Get that right and you’ll roll the ball consistently every time.

golf distance control

‘Launch’ is the angle the ball comes off the putter face. Too high or low a launch off the putter face will affect your distance control, dramatically. Lack of consistency will affect your feel and confidence, and that just exaggerates the problem.

Let’s get you closer from further

 

Do you often feel you made a great stroke yet the result was disappointing? Launch is a vital factor to get
right and can be poor due to your equipment or your technique. Let us help

 

Play more golf

 

Have you played Scramble with friends?

 

Most golfers, when asked what they look forward to most say: “having some fun with my friends”.
So here’s a suggestion for you. Play a Texas Scramble – if you do want to compete with
each other then play a Scramble Drive.

golfing fun

You all tee off together and then, on all but the Par 3s, choose the best drive and all play your second shot from there. It means you’re together on the tee, all together with your second shot (again on all but the Par 3s), and again on the green. It is a really social format.

golfing get together

Hitting golf shots from the fairway

 

Sometimes it just doesn’t work for you off the tee. And while we know that improving your short-game is
your quickest route to a lower score, we also know a day hunting for balls in rough and forest,
because of wild tee shots, is the quickest way to a less happy experience. If you struggle off the tee,
then come and see us. Don’t live with a game that has you hunting golf balls

 

Happy golfing!
Steve