WGT Golf News

After this evening, the 2009 Ping Rapture V2 Pro clubs will no longer be available for purchase in the Pro Shop. This is your last chance to purchase these clubs, as they will be replaced by the 2010 Ping Rapture V2 Pro Clubs which feature improved consistency and precision as well as a slightly faster swing meter. If you currently own these clubs you will still be able to play with them.

It's May!  That means a fresh batch of monthly tournaments for you to compete in.  Check them all out here.

by Josh Zander

As we all know, there are many golf swings in the Hall of Fame and none of them look alike. But what they all have in common is that they can control their ball flight. After all, all we want as golfers is predictability. A few years ago I asked the #1 player on the Stanford Golf Team how he was hitting it. His answer was that he was hitting it too straight and could not curve the ball. He thought the new equipment made the ball fly too straight. Imagine that! We should all have that problem. The real reason he hits it so straight is that he has a stable release that keeps the clubface square to the arc around impact. These players tend to be very accurate but do not curve the ball much. Players with stable releases can still curve the ball but it requires set-up adjustments. Many great players also use the roll release. Phil Mickelson just won the 2010 Masters using it. Bubba Watson is another example of a player who uses it and he certainly does not have a problem curving the ball. In this day of forgiving equipment and computerized video analysis, I think we have lost the art of shot-making. Old schoolers like Sam Snead used to find their desired ball flight by playing “spin the ball” on the range. If they were hooking it on the golf course, they would slice it for a while on the range until they neutralized their ball flight. Once they found their favorite flight, they were good to go.

What kind of release do you have? Once you know this, you can use use the correct fundamentals to make it successful. As I explain in the video, the fundamentals of each release are significantly different. Impact is the moment of truth and if you want predictability to your ball flight, you need to know how to use your release to achieve your desired ball flight.

WGT extends its congratulations to modoherty, who was the randomly selected winner of the Cybergolf Open.  modoherty won a real Taylormade r9 Iron Set 3-PW with Steel Shafts, estimated retail value of $800.

Check out all of the other tournaments that we currently have running, and enter for your chance to win great prizes.

The Visit Edgewood Tahoe Challenge ends on April 30, so if you haven't entered yet, now's the time!

The grand prize for this sweepstakes challenge is an incredible trip for two to beautiful Lake Tahoe and a stay at Edgewood-Tahoe's exclusive Twin Pines Cabin, located on the lake, with four rounds of golf included.  Two more winners will get two rounds of golf at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, and five winners will get week-long passes to attend the American Century Championship held from July 13 – July 18, 2010 at Edgewood Tahoe.  See rules for details.

There will be some site maintenance occurring early Sunday morning between 12am and 2am Pacific Time.  Users playing during this time may experience some unexpected errors.  Please be sure to save your games, and our apologies for any inconvenience.

Purchase credits anytime from noon on April 23 until noon April 24 Pacific Time and get a 10% credit bonus. That means for every dollar you deposit, you'll get 110 credits!

Use WGT credits to upgrade your equipment in the Pro Shop, enter premium tournaments, or challenge other players in match play games.  Deposit now and get more bang for your buck.

To purchase credits, click on the ACCOUNT button under your username  on the upper left hand side of the screen, then click on the Buy  Credits tab.

By Josh Zander

Why is the finish so important? After all, isn’t the ball gone? This is a comment I get sometimes from some students. The finish is the result of having done correct fundamentals along the way. Watching the 2010 Masters this past weekend, I was so impressed by runner-up Lee Westwood’s balance at the end of his powerful golf swing. Westwood’s balance is the result of an on-plane motion which allows him to deliver an efficient blow to the golf ball without having his body compensate for any loops in his swing.

The finish is also the result of trying to hit a ball with a specific flight. If you want to hit the ball low, your finish should be low, If you want to hit the ball high, your finish should be high. If you want your ball to fade as a right-handed golfer, your hands should finish more left and away from the target line. If you want your ball to draw, your hands should finish closer to the target line.

The bottom line is that the golf swing is over in less than two seconds and you don’t have time to think about all the positions along the way. If you rehearse a swing that ends in balance and has one of the aforementioned finish positions, you have a good chance of hitting correct positions along the way. My students are so psyched when I have them do follow-through drill that improves their backswing positions. Give yourself some credit. You are a better athlete than you thought!

Make it part of your routine to rehearse the finish you want based on the ball flight you desire. Hold it for a few seconds to feel your balance and to tell your brain what ball flight you want. Feeling it will get you there more often than just thinking about it. I have my juniors always hold their finish for a count of five. Lastly, swing as fast as you can as long as you can hold your pose. After all, it’s fun to hit it far and you can’t get distance without clubhead speed.

For those users who haven't found these great guides yet, it's time to improve your game!

These Putting Tips written by Nivlac (now known as WGTNiv) and Iconian's guide to Chipping and Pitching will help improve your short game.  If you need more tips or have specific questions, ask our helpful community of users in the forums.  You'll find some friendly WGT veterans there who will be happy to share their expertise and advice.

Check out these replays of aces on Oakmont from The USGA Virtual Championship front 9 closest-to-the-hole challenge. 

Click on a username to see that player's replay.