Pastor and USGTF Golf Teaching Professional, Dave Mumford, is available to teach a workshop demonstrating the fundamentals of golf combined with the fundamentals of the Christain faith. He will be demonstrating golf skills related to:
- Grip
- Stance
- Posture
- Alignment
- Short Game
As he demonstrates, he will be relating the golf skills to the following Christian topics:
- Salvation
- Repentance
- Faith
- Obedience
- Good Works
This workshop is for all golf levels and/or for anyone interested in the Christian faith.
Golf Lesson 1. GOOD GOLF STARTS WITH A GOOD GRIP
For right handed golfers: With the back of the right hand facing the target (at address position), place the club in the left hand so that the shaft is pressed up under the muscular pad at the inside heel of the palm, and the shaft directly across the top joint of the forefinger. Crook the forefinger around the shaft. Close the fingers FIRST around the shaft, then the remainder of the hand. The V formed by the thumb and hand will point to the right eye. Reverse for left handers. The hand will be positioned on top of the shaft. You should be able to look down at the hand and see two knuckles. More on the grip and the spiritual application tomorrow.
The Grip- Part 2. GOOD GOLF BEGINS WITH A GOOD GRIP
There are two basic functions to the lead hand. (1). To hold on with correct pressure. To do this, the club needs to be secure from the takeaway, to the middle of the swing and most importantly at the top of the swing. If the club separates from the palm, the grip pressure is not firm enough. (2). Not To Break Down. At the top of the swing the club will remain secure and firm in your lead hand all the way through impact. No twisting, turning or regripping of the club on the way down. To build a solid golf game the fundamentals are crucial. The same is true in terms of having a meaningful life. From a spiritual aspect, sin has a grip on us and the only way to defeat it is through salvation in Christ. The Bible tells us in Psalm 51:5, ” I was shapen in inquity (wickedness, unrighteousness), and in Sin (fallen, sinful disposition) did my mother conceive me.” According to God’s Word, I am a Sinner! By conception and by birth. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. To have God’s grip on your life, you must repent from your sins and receive him by faith. God’s grip is eternal, loving, compassionate, nurturing, perfect, pure, righteous, powerful, just. John 10:28 says, ” And I (The Lord Jesus Christ) GIVE unto them eternal life; and they (you and me) shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” More on grip and salvation tomorrow.
The Grip- Part 3. GOOD GOLF STARTS WITH A GOOD GRIP
Today we will look at the Right hand grip position. The right hand is more complicated than the left. Now that’s encouraging!/lol. Why you ask? It is the stronger of the two hands and has the tendency of the right forefinger and thumb taking charge during the swing. These two pincher fingers work great for opening doors, picking up your morning coffee cup, etc., but can really work against you for building a good, solid grip and a consistent golf swing. The muscles of the right forefinger and thumb, when applied to the grip with too much pressure, will automatically engage the muscles of the right arm and shoulder. This in turn will cause the player to hit the golf ball from the right side instead of driving through the golf shot and ending up with your weight shifting to the left side of the body. This is also true for a left handed player. The end result will be No Unity with the hands. The hands must work together! A good exercise to strengthen the left hand or lead glove hand is by using a hand grip. Use this for 3 sets of 25-50 reps for a two week period until you feel stronger in the fingers. The following pictures will show you how to place the hands correctly on the golf club. Practice these drills for 5-10 minutes a day. When the golf season starts, you will be better prepared to play good golf. More on the spiritual application next time. I mentioned in Step 3. the fundamental facts about salvation in Jesus Christ. I taught on the importance of the right hand being positioned correctly on the club. When you have your hands on the club in the right position they will produce unity, stabiltiy, control, and power. Ephesians 1:20 says, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places.” The Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven in a literal glorified human body seated at God’s right hand in a position of privilege, of Power, and of distinction for you and me. Because of who He is and what He continues to do, the believer in Christ has eternal security, the power to live a godly life and the promise of God to never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).