The Genius Continues: Golf Genie Practice Drills

When I was playing golf wretchedly competitively on my high school team, we used to practice every day of the week. Drills, drills and more drills. And then walk 9 holes. I have two points to make on that:

First, I always needed a reminder on how do the drills. I mean, I remembered two or three of them, but I would always forget the rest (and there were a bunch). Second, for some reason (perhaps it was the omnipotent teenager in me), I never thought to stretch. On that later point:

The summer after my senior year (golf season had just ended) my sciatic nerve decided to incapacitate me for two weeks straight. I couldn't drive (mainly because I couldn't get in the car), or even walk really. And I certainly couldn't golf...for like two months! I blame the whole ordeal on not stretching before teeing-off on the first hole.

Nearly 19 years later, I received the one product that would have solved both my problems: The Golf Genie Practice Drills Pocket Guide. The first four pages? Pre-swing stretches. The rest of the book? All the golf drills you could possibly imagine - all in one place and conveniently located right in your golf bag.

I'll tell you what; I like this Golf Genie company. Last summer, I had nothing but praise for its Tee to Green Pocket Guide; "a practical, quick reference guide to pulling-off all the different golf shots you may encounter out on the course."

The Practice Drills Pocket Guide, the company's second offering, is the perfect compliment to the Tee to Green Pocket Guide. Packed with more than 60 pages of stretches and drills, this guide will get you prepared for your round, tournament or just a Nassau with your golf buddies.

Not playing golf today? Even better - the Practice Drills Pocket Guide features plenty of practice routines that can be performed at home, at the range or on the putting green. And perhaps my favorite; There's a quick guide for 45-, 30-, 15- and 5-minute pre-round routines that can get your muscles an mind focused on the task at hand (of course, knowing how late I show up at the course, I'll probably only have time for the 5-minute routine)!

As with the Tee to Green Pocket Guide, the Practice Drills Pocket Guide is easy to use. Each drill features a few numbered steps with simple and fun diagrams to get you going through the proper motions in seconds flat. No gimmicks or gadgets - just "PGA-proven" drills that were contributed by top PGA instructors.

Ready to add one to your golf bag? The Golf Genie Practice Drills Pocket Guide retails for $15 in pro-shops all over the country or at golfhelptips.com. But in preparation for the upcoming season, we'll be giving away 25 for free! Yep - five Practice Drills Pocket Guides a week for the next five weeks - all through our Facebook page. What do you have to do to get one? Just become a fan and wish yourself luck, because we'll be choosing the winners at random!

Good luck Golfstinks fans! And remember: Practice makes perfect (or at least less wretched).

Related Posts:
Golf Genie is Genius

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Happy New Year Golfers! Here's 50 Bucks...

From time to time throughout the year, we here at the Golf Stinks blog will take a moment to thank our fans for all their support - and this is another such occasion.

This time around, we'd like to express our gratitude by running a $50/$50 New Year's Eve giveaway through our Facebook page! Here's how it works:

On New Year's Eve at 11:59 PM, we will pick one NEW fan (anyone who became a Golfstinks Facebook fan since 12/1/10) to win a $50 gift card to Golf Galaxy!

But what about all of you who were fans before December? Well, that's where the 50/50 part comes in! Whoever referred the first winner will ALSO win a $50 gift card to Golf Galaxy!

That's right, we're giving away TWO $50 gift cards! We thought this would be a great way to welcome new fans while rewarding our long-time fans! So start telling your golfing buddies to "like" the Golfstinks Facebook page ASAP - the more friends you refer, the greater your chances of winning! But hurry, we'll be posting the winners on our Facebook page on December 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST!

Click HERE to become a new fan (hit "like") or start referring your friends (hit "suggest to friends")!

Thanks again, good luck and Happy New Year!
-Golfstinks Team

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Play Golf, Save Money!

Golf is expensive. I could say nothing more and there would be no argument. The cost of the sport is what keeps many from getting into golf to begin with. For starters, you need the equipment to play. Clubs, a bag, shoes, balls, tees, etc...not too mention the certain type of clothing you may be required to purchase if you don't already have it. And that's before you even get out there! You didn't even pay your greens fees yet! Hell, I've been playing golf for years and the cost is what keeps me from playing more than anything else.

For years, many of us have waited for "twilight" times to get a break on greens fees. Some of us have a buddy working at a course who will get us a discount when the boss is gone. I know I've skipped out on a day of work a few times to play a course for a lower rate. But what if there was a better way to cut into the cost? Maybe you can make this game a little easier on your wallet. Well, for a mere $67 you can discount your rounds of golf for an entire year! How is that you say? Well, with the Player's Pass of course!

The Players Pass allows members to play courses for a fraction of their regular prices. And for only $67, the membership practically pays for itself after only two or three rounds at any of the participating courses. I know what you're thinking..."Sure, but you have to play on a Tuesday afternoon, tee off at 3:30 and it's only valid from December through February." Well, you'd be wrong. The beauty of the Player's Pass is that it's valid for an entire year. And at the 2,000+ participating courses throughout the country, weekends are included! With that many courses included in the Players Pass network, you're bound to find a participating course near you.

So what are these discounts you ask? Well, how about a 2-for-1 greens fee? How about discounts between $20-$50? How about discounts of up to 70%?!

Maybe you ask "Yeah, but what are the courses? Are they the crappy tracks that no one wants to play anyway?" I can only base my findings on my own experiences here in Connecticut but, of the eleven courses listed, the grouping is pretty impressive. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised to find a discount at Fox Hopyard Golf Club included in the group. "The Fox" is a superb all around course and is easily one of the top three in the state! Several other courses included are also among the better tracks CT has to offer. So I would suggest logging onto the site and taking a look at your states listing. You just might be pleasantly surprised.

So this sounds like a pretty good package, right? Sure it does. But you know what could make it better? If it was free! Our friends over at Players Pass have agreed to give away one free membership to a golfstinks reader. And as usual, it's quite simple to enter your name for a chance to win. Simply head over to the golfstinks facebook page and hit "like." What could be easier than that?! We'll choose one random winner and you could be on your way to playing cheaper golf without rushing to beat the sunset!

Go to the golfstinks facebook page, click like, win a Players Pass and swing 'til you're happy!

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In Case Of Emergency, Pop Trunk

So if you're like me and you drive a smaller sports car, you understand trunk space is at a premium. I remember one occasion when I was picking my wife up from the airport. She had two bags with her (Insert your favorite mother-in-law joke here).

Problem was, I forgot to take my golf clubs out of the trunk. Uh-oh. There's no way the larger of the two bags (Insert your second favorite mother-in-law joke here) was going to fit. Luckily, I do have a backseat. It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but it is a backseat nonetheless. So after a bit of a fight with the larger of the two bags (again...joke) we were on our way home; disaster averted.

My wife doesn't understand why my clubs were in the trunk anyway, considering I hadn't played recently and had no plans to play again soon. I try to explain to her that you never know where you're going to be when a round of golf breaks out. So it's best to be prepared. She thinks I'm an idiot. She's probably right.

Now when I say my trunk is small, I mean it's small. It's so small in fact, there is actually a diagram on the underside of the trunk lid showing how to fit two golf bags in there! I guess somehow the great minds at Infiniti must have know this car would eventually find it's way into a golfers driveway!

But the fact that a diagram showing golf bags in my trunk exists at all is what I find astonishing. The diagram does not explain how to fit luggage in the trunk, although I wish it did. Instead, it shows two golf bags. So obviously, some research went into finding out how many people travel with golf clubs in the trunk. And considering the diagram found its way into my car...I guess it was a relatively high number.

Now it's not just the clubs themselves that take up the space - it's the shoes, the umbrella, a couple of boxes of balls and whatever other random things are in there. Throw all of that crap into one small space, and you can see how disorganized it can get. Anyone else have this problem? Well how about this for a solution - don't pick your wife up from the airport!

Sorry honey; just kidding. Seriously though, finding a solution to this problem would be pretty great, right? Finding it cheaply would be even better. But finding it on a website better known for selling dining tables would be completely unexpected! But sure enough, here it is:

Pretty sweet, eh? I can squeeze just about every golf accessory I have, short of my clubs, into that one convenient package. And no kidding...it's just a click away while surfing http://www.diningroomsdirect.com/.

See, that site is a branch of http://www.csnstores.com/. They have just about everything you can shop for on that site - furniture, household goods, clothing and yes, golf accessories. If you're on the dining room site, you just click the tab at the top that says "view all 200 csn stores" and then search "golf trunk" on that page. I've done it for you HERE.

Not bad for under $60! But you know what could make it better? What if it was free?! Well, for one lucky Golfstinks reader, it can be. As with all of our great Golf Stinks blog giveaways, simply head over to our Facebook page and "like" us. That's it! That's all you have to do to enter! We'll then randomly choose one lucky winner, and we'll be in touch!

One warning though - once you have this thing, you no longer have any excuses for allowing your trunk to look as bad as it does. You no longer have the ability to say "I'm sorry honey, there's no way that will fit in my trunk. We'll have to take your car." And you will certainly have no excuse for leaving any bags (you know what to do here) sitting on the airport curb.

Swing 'til you're happy!

*Update - In response to the comment asking if the diagram on the inside of my trunk actually exists, here you go! I couldn't believe it when I saw it either...

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A Thank You to Golf Stinks' Fans & Readers

You may have noticed we have a new promo running over at the right-hand side of the page. Back at the beginning of June, Stinky Golfer Greg wrote a post about the Golf Genie pocket guide where he stated, "Golf Genie has found permanent residence in my golf bag."

From easy-to-digest tips on straightening-out your slice or hook, to simple diagrams that help you get back to the basics for your grip or swing, the Golf Genie pocket guide is an invaluable on-course tool for both golf beginners and veterans alike.

Now, Golfstinks has partnered with Golf Genie to help give back to our fans and readers - We're giving away 5 Golf Genie pocket guides a week for the next 10 weeks! The Golf Genie pocket guide retails for $15, but 50 lucky winners will get to own the best golf swing and shot-making guide on the market for free!

So, how do fans of Golfstinks get a chance to win one? Easy: Simply "Like" our Facebook page and that's it! Be sure to revisit our FB page every week because we'll be announcing 5 random winners weekly from now till the middle of October!

We appreciate all the support you've given us during the first year of our blog, so consider this just a little thank you from us. Good luck and enjoy!

-The Golfstinks Team

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Get A Free Golf Genie iPhone App! It's Easy & Free!

JUST 3 DAYS LEFT! The good folks over at Golf Genie have handed us a bunch of free iPhone downloads of their awesome app (a $5 value)! How can you get one?

JUST CLICK HERE

Then "like" the post about the promo on our Facebook page - it's that easy! Oh, and be sure to check out Stinky Golfer Greg's review of the Golf Genie here.

These iPhone app codes expire Thursday, so get yours today!

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2 Days Left on our Caddyshack Blu-ray Giveaway on Facebook!

During the commercials of today's coverage of the US Open, hop over to Golfstinks' Facebook page and enter to win a free Blu-Ray DVD of Caddyshack!

All you have to do is put your favorite Caddyshack quote on our Facebook wall and you're automatically entered to win!

We're not just giving away 1 or 2 Blu-Ray DVD's - nor just 3 or 4 either. Nope, you have the chance to win one of 5 Caddyshack 30th anniversary Blu-Ray DVD's!

Enter to win HERE and enjoy the Open!

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Walk or Ride; Which Game of Golf do you Play?

Before you tee-off on the first hole; heck, before you even fork-over your hard-earned money in the pro shop; you have to decide the answer to a simple question: Am I going to walk or ride? Until recently, I never thought this could mean playing two different games.

For many, this question is easily answered. On the one hand, you have the walkers; these people either want some exercise or they are traditionalists who feel walking is the way golf was intended to be played (or both).

On the other hand, you have the riders (not counting when a course has a mandatory cart rule), who are usually bucketed into two groups: people who physically need to take a cart, and those who just don't take the game of golf too seriously.

Think about that second group for a moment...

Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with someone wanting to ride around the course just having fun. In fact, it seems golf would lose a ton of business if it weren't for people wanting to do that. But many times this leads to behavior on the course that serious golfers consider unacceptable...But that's because we're playing two different games!

Not long ago, I asked if you drink while you golf. Most people who took my poll said they don't drink during the round. But really, there's this notion that some rounds are for serious play and other rounds are just for drinking and fun. Maybe I'm a few fries short of a Happy Meal, but this never even occurred to me before - that these are two different games we're talking about here; one walking, not drinking and playing the game seriously; and the other riding, drinking and just out there smacking balls every which way while you spend time with your buddies. See? Two different reasons for being out on the course.

Consider this: Our pals over at Of Course posed the "walk or ride" question the other day on their Facebook page and received some interesting responses; things like "I ride because how else am I suppose to carry a case of beer around on the course?" And other gems like "Golf is the only sport that allows drinking and driving" and "when I want to play serious, I walk." That last comment suggests sometimes people play rounds seriously, while other times they're out there just to drink and have fun - in which case they take a cart. In fact, the majority of those commenting rode simply because they wanted to use the cart as a portable keg.

Now I understand the fellas over at Of Course appeal to a certain demographic, but this "two different games" notion seems to be a reality in golf - it's no wonder those playing one game don't get along with those playing the other...albeit one group is usually breaking a pleathora of etiquette rules. Angrily we think: "Hey, we're all out here trying to play golf, right?" Ah, see now that's where we've been wrong.

Take the poll and let us know what game of golf you play:

Do you Walk or Ride?

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Sometimes Golf Stinks...But we Love it Anyway

Every once-in-a-while, we here at Golfstinks are going to talk about...well, Golfstinks. We appreciate the following we have garnered through this blog, and feel it's time we tell you what our main site (golfstinks.com) is going to be all about!

Did the phrase "golf stinks" ever cross your mind after hitting a bad shot or having a poor round? Of course it has! But there's always that one awesome shot or that one great round that keeps us coming back for more, right? The thing is, you don't have to be good at a sport to love it.

For too long, average Joe golfers (and we make up about 99% of golfers out there) have been searching for a community they can feel comfortable in. A community that doesn't pass judgment; that doesn't push zany, game-improving equipment on you; which doesn't overwhelm you with golf instructional tips that typically leave us feeling more confused and frustrated.

How do you get better at golf? You play. All the time. Constantly. For most of us, this is simply not a viable option. Golf is not our job; it's our passion, our hobby, our release, and our chance to retain camaraderie with friends or to just get away from our everyday lives. Golfstinks' job is to help you get the most fun out of this great game as you possibly can. Period.

Golfstinks will be unlike any social media site you've seen. Facebook, MySpace and others try to manage your life - which, let's face it, is busy (have you looked at your wall lately)? Escape with Golfstinks - we'll just manage your golf life - where you're free to immerse yourself in golf and relax. Golfstinks makes it easy for golfers to share insights, course reviews and photos. We will welcome all skill levels with open arms and make them remember why they love golf in the first place. Feature articles won't really discuss the PGA Tour, but rather provide content a true weekend hack could appreciate. Featured courses won't just be the expensive ones either, but rather the affordable hidden gems that are waiting to be enjoyed. Oh yeah, and Golfstinks is 100% free.

So come discover why golfstinks.com (like movies including The Greatest Game Ever Played, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and yes, Caddyshack), can inspire the golfer in all of us. Golf is a game; you should have fun playing it. Join the Golf Revolution now by providing your email address HERE!

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