Tips from a golf coach

One thing I have wanted to do with this blog was to do more than just comment on the state of professional golf. I have been looking for a golf coach who could provide the kind of useful tips for the every day golfer to help him or her improve their game.
So it was a fortunate set of circumstances that led me to meet up with such a coach while playing behind a tournament at my course here in Colorado.
His name is Robert D. Bates and from time to time, Coach will provide tips to improve your game. I can vouch for him as he dropped one on me as we were playing and I have already reaped the rewards of his tutelage.
So without any further ado, here is Coach Bates' first tip:

Golf’s Rubber Band Syndrome
By: Robert D. Bates

In order to play golf as well as your body will allow you to; one must be limber, especially in the arms and shoulders.
So, what has this to do with a rubber band? As a rubber band gets pulled and stretched, it’s kinetic energy is being stored and wants to be released. If you stretch a rubber band to a point of much resistance and then let it go, it snaps back. This is typical of what happens when a golfer goes to the first tee with out being limber.
When you first head out to the driving range or, if you must, go to the first tee, your arms and shoulders will seem tight and your swing will not be as fluid as it would be if you had done some stretching exercises. A typical first hole swing is to bring the club back in your swing to a point where resistance is felt and then quickly make your forward swing even though the backswing has not been completed. More often than not, it will not be a pretty shot.
Try the following procedure and see if you don’t get a straighter, more favorable shot. Take whatever club you are using and either keep a heavy club head cover or one of those rubber ring weights on it and slowly mimic a golf swing. The purpose of this is to slowly stretch the muscles in your arms and shoulders. It is NOT a practice swing. You take the club back ever so slowly until your left shoulder (for righties) is under your chin. Do this several times.
Then when you take your actual tee shot, take the club back again, low and slow and when you get to the top of the swing, i.e., your left shoulder is under your chin, hesitate for a second, then you may follow through with a forceful swing if you want.
It is a good idea to follow this procedure with each tee shot during the entire round of golf because from the time you finish with your putting, in which you will only be using your small muscles, you will probably be a little stiff and need the stretching exercise again.
Try this procedure the next time you play golf and see if it does not improve your shots and lower your score.