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US Sports Volleyball: Dominate the Net – 5 Must-Try Drills for Pin Hitters and Canada 🇨🇦 vs. Slovenia 🇸🇮 - Highlights Week 3 Men's VNL 2025

 

• By Sam DeJoseph

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Swing to Deep Corners 

What You’ll Need: 

A regulation volleyball court, net, volleyballs, and a partner to toss or set for you. Get ready to bring the heat! 

Let’s Get Into It: 

Mark off each deep corner of the court using tape, cones, hula-hoops—whatever you’ve got!  These are your target zones, your bullseye. 

Start at one pin and crush the ball into the opposite deep corner. Then move to the other pin and do it again—back and forth, like a machine. As you get comfortable, ramp up the power with every swing. Your goal? Precision and power, from both sides of the court. 

Want to spice it up? 

Set a personal challenge—maybe 10 perfect hits in a row. Or better yet, go head-to-head with a teammate and race to see who can nail the most hits into the corners first. Winner gets bragging rights (and maybe the loser does pushups). 

This drill will sharpen your control, boost your accuracy, and build your confidence on both pins—so you can become a more balanced, dangerous, and unstoppable player. 

Game on.  

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High Ball Out of System Hitting 

One of the main things that pin hitters are tasked with is getting kills in bad situations and ending long rallies! This drill caters to that need by giving players a chance to gain the ability to hit high out-of-system sets to gain ball control and power to be a terminal player. 

What You’ll Need: 

A regulation volleyball court, net, volleyballs, and a partner to toss or set for you. Let’s Get Into It: 

Time to turn tough situations into point-scoring opportunities! Your setter starts in the middle back, launching a high ball out to the pin. As the hitter, your job is to wait it out, close to the set with control, and then bring the heat with a high, powerful swing—even when it’s not the perfect setup. 

This drill is all about making something out of nothing. Master your timing, adjust your footwork, and become the kind of hitter who scores when it really counts. DON’T HIT TO  ZONE 6!!! 

 Level Up the Challenge: 

Dial in your accuracy—pick a zone before you swing and hit it with purpose! Want even more of a test? Throw a blocker in your face and learn to tool the block, hit around it, or go high hands to make your shot count.

Being great isn’t about perfect sets—it’s about what you do when things get tough. This drill builds your confidence, your vision, and your ability to deliver under pressure. Become your team’s go-to in the chaos.

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Transition Hitting 

Every hitter will need to be able to be effective in transition to be great, This fast-paced drill will prepare you for in-game action! 

What You’ll Need: 

A regulation volleyball court, net, volleyballs, and a partner to toss or set for you.  

Let’s Get Into It: 

Start up at the net like you're about to shut down a hitter—hands up, eyes locked in. The moment you hear the smack of the ball on the other side, explode off the net with three quick,  powerful steps backward—this is your backwards approach into attack mode. 

Your setter is waiting. As you plant, they’ll toss or set the ball—then it’s go time. Swing hard,  swing smart, and keep moving. The drill is fast-paced—reps come one after another, so stay light on your feet and ready to fly!

This drill sharpens your transition footwork and builds your ability to hit effectively off the net, just like in a real game. 

Level Up the Challenge: 

Aim to hit every zone on the court—line, cross, deep corner, and short tip. Make it a game: 

- 3 clean kills in a row 

- Hit all 6 zones before you stop 

- Race a teammate to complete the challenge first 

Push your speed, precision, and power. Become the transition hitter no defense wants to face.

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3 Shot Sequence 

All hitters need to have a deep bag of tricks that they can go into throughout a game. Whether this is crushing a ball, tipping it short over the block, or having a super good roll shot, there are many ways that great pin hitters will score. The aim of this drill is to develop your ability to score in many ways. 

What You’ll Need:

A regulation volleyball court, net, volleyballs, and a partner to toss or set for you. 

Let’s Get Into It: 

Start in your normal attacking position, locked in and ready to strike. Your setter will toss or set you a ball—go off! Choose any attack you want: a full-power swing, a sneaky tip, a crafty roll shot, or even a bold opposite-hand smack. Once you land, don’t stop—the next two balls are coming fast! 

You’ll get three attacks in a row, and each one should be a different shot. Mix it up, keep it unpredictable, and work on being the kind of hitter defenders hate to read.

 Level Up the Challenge:

Make it tougher (and more fun!) by setting up target zones on the court—cones, hoops, tape,  whatever works. Try to land each of your three attacks in a different target. This pushes your accuracy, creativity, and court awareness to the next level. 

This drill trains you to get your feet to the ball and build a killer arsenal of shots, so you can score from anywhere, at any time. Get versatile, get dangerous, and get ready to dominate the net! 

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Pass/Dig to Swing 

One of the BIGGEST keys to being an elite all-around pin attacker is mastering the art of transitioning from passer to powerful hitter — and this drill is your ticket to leveling up!

What You’ll Need: 

A regulation volleyball court, net, a few volleyballs, court tape, and a partner to toss or set to you. Bonus points if you’ve got a block or full defense to test your skills! 

Drill Breakdown: Let’s Get Moving! 

Start by taping out your transition pathway on the court:

 

- Straight line for your shuffle after the pass. 

- Slanted line for your explosive approach into the hit. 

Think of it like a runway for your attack!

After each pass, explode off the line, plant, and attack with INTENT — whether it’s a high-powered swing, a deceptive tip, or a cheeky roll shot. Gradually increase the tempo of both your approach and the set to simulate real game speed! 

 Crank Up the Challenge: 

- Pick your target zones and try to nail them consistently — don’t just hit, place with purpose. 

- Add a blocker and practice hitting around or tooling the block like a boss. • Have extra players?

Run it live with a defense and test your decision-making under pressure! 

Why It Matters: 

This drill is your game-changer. It trains your body to react quickly and efficiently, helping you become a lethal threat on the pin. With clean footwork and killer shot selection, you’ll be unstoppable from both serve, receive, and defense. 

Now go own that court and turn every pass into a point!

If you want to level up your game as a hitter or want more volleyball drills, check out Play Better Volleyball Hitting featuring Coach Santiago Restrepo! This is a great clinic that will allow any player or coach to up their game to the next level!

US Sports Softball: Three Competition-Based Hitting Drills For Your Softball Team and 🇲🇽 Mexico vs 🇺🇸 USA WBSC U-15 Women's Softball World Cup 2025

 

• By Grant Young

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Finding ways to simulate a competitive environment during a softball practice can be a tricky matter. 

All coaches know that hitters (and any other athlete) perform better under pressure if they’re used to doing so. And giving players this experience is a great way to boost their confidence when game day arrives and they find themselves squaring off against the opposing team’s top pitcher.

But with daily practices being such a low-stakes, low-intensity endeavor, coaches often need to get creative if they’re to get their hitters to engage and prepare to compete once their at-bats begin to matter. 

While this can be a daunting task for coaches, considering how hectic their schedules and practice routines surely already are, letting a softball coaching legend like Brittany Scarafiotti lay out the blueprint for making practice drills competitive is the perfect solution. 

Coach Scarafiotti (who used to go by Coach Lee) has been a head softball coach at various high schools in Texas since 2018. In 2023, Coach Scarafiotti’s Keller ISD high school softball team was 6A Regional Quarterfinalists and produced the first Playoff wins in school history. Prior to the beginning of her successful coaching career, Coach Scarafiotti was a former DI collegiate softball student-athlete for Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2014. 

Coach Scarafiotti knows that running competitive hitting drills helps build her players’ confidence at the plate, and has been a major catalyst for their success. And this has not only helped her high school teams win games, but getting her players used to competing at practice has given those who’ve ascended to the collegiate level a leg up on their peers, as well. Her ‘Competitive Drills and Pressure Practice’ course will provide you with all the info you need to turn your practices into a space for cultivating competitive excellence. 

Target Practice

One unconventional method that Coach Scarafiotti utilizes with her high school softball hitters is hitting Fungos often. 

“Any time an athlete can hit Fungo, I’m a big component of it,” Coach Scarafiotti said. “It’s teaching them to see where they toss the ball, good barrel control, still working good hitting mechanics. It’s just on a smaller scale.” 

One fungo-based drill that Coach Scarafiotti utilizes is what she calls the target practice drill. It starts with a player who’s holding a Fungo and three softballs standing along the first base line a few feet away from home plate while the fielder is standing near third base. 

The player with the Fungo will then hit a ground ball to the fielder, who will attempt to field it cleanly and throw it back to a net that the hitter is standing in front of. That process will then repeat with the rest of the softballs before the two players switch places. 

This target drill can become competitive if there are multiple different teams (i.e., partners) taking part in the drill. In this case, the entire thing can be timed, and the team that gets the quickest time while fielding every ball and hitting every fungo cleanly is the winner. 

Another important part of making practice drills competitive and engaging is having a reward for the team that wins. Often it can be the team that wins gets to skip conditioning or doesn’t have to shag balls at the end of practice, but coaches can get creative with whatever reward best suits them.

Beat the Runner

Another one of Coach Scarafiotti’s favorite drills with her team is what she calls the “Beat the Runner” drill. 

For this drill, you will need to have players at every single position in the field and another team ready to hit. From there, you’ll have one hitter on a tee at home plate hit the ball. Regardless of where they hit it or whether it’s fielded, that player is going to run around all the bases. 

The fielders will field the ball; and if it’s hit in the infield they’ll throw it to first base, home, third base, second base, first base, and home in hopes of doing so before the runner reaches home. And if the ball is hit in the outfield then the initial throw will go to home, then third base, second base, first base, then back to home. 

In other words, the goal is to throw the ball around the horn before the hitter gets back to home plate. 

Ideally, you’ll have enough players to field two full teams and bat around the lineup, then tally which team has the most points (the fielding team gets a point if they get it around the horn in time, hitting team gets a point if they make it to home). 

But if you don’t have enough players then come up with some other creative way to tally and determine a winner and loser. 

Your Count or Way Ahead

A third drill that Coach Scarafiotti uses to simulate high-pressure situations is the ‘Your Count or Way Ahead’ drill. 

This is a practice with live at-bats between pitchers and hitters. When it’s a ‘Your Count’ day, that means every at-bat begins as if the count is 2-0. Therefore, pitchers need to throw a strike and batters are looking for something to hit.

And if it’s a ‘Way Ahead’ day, that means every at-bat begins as if the count is 0-2. That means the hitters must stay alive while the pitchers are trying to get a strikeout. 

The point of both versions of this drill is that either the pitcher or hitter will be confronted with what’s likely a losing situation. This will get them more comfortable when facing these situations in the actual game.

 

US Sports Golf: The Evolution of Golfing Techniques and Their Impact on the Sport: A Comprehensive Analysis and William Mouw shoots 9-under 61 to win

 

• Author Solomon Lartey

The Evolution of Golfing Techniques and Their Impact on the Sport: A Comprehensive Analysis

1. Introduction

Golf, a sport renowned for its precision and skill, has evolved dramatically over the centuries. From its origins in the rolling hills of Scotland to the manicured greens of today’s most prestigious courses, golfing techniques have been shaped by time, culture, and innovation. This analysis will explore the progression of these techniques and their profound impact on the sport, delving into the evolution of equipment, the pivotal role of technology in coaching, and the elevation of professional golfing to an elite industry.

Early golf sought to master a simple set of mechanics, and the dawn of golf videos shifted focus from ball trajectory to player form, highlighting posture and club angle at impact. From the 1970s onwards, advancements in swing analysis used electronics to monitor motion variables, transitioning from early video analysis to formats that monitored forwards yaws, hip and trunk rotation, and shoulder angles. Concurrently, various swing theories and techniques emerged, and educators turned to addressing the psychological nature of golf for performance enhancement. These combined techniques made it possible for experts to implement customized golf swings for increased power and accuracy.

In 1995, the worldwide interest in professional golf was further magnified by the advent of the Tiger Woods era. Golf, long considered an elite game of leisure, became a multi-billion dollar and highly magnified industry, resulting in an unprecedented boom in tourism. The rise in interest has positively impacted various areas linked to golf, ranging from equipment manufacturing to courses and hotels. The golf tourism factor has closely stimulated social needs and encouraging research into enhancing player performance. Attention spans have been decreasing, shifting focus on the macro to the micro. As world championships can be won with a last putt from roughly 60 feet or ca four frozen seconds of the putt rolling over the lips, and as research has shown the game to be played under 5 pars around the world annually, it would appear that impractically larger swings produce a larger chance of desired outcomes than other models.

Despite the financial advancement of the game, player performance has been found stagnant in the years since the mid-1990s, even when adjusting for age as deeper understandings of playing conditions have been implemented. The theory of requirements has recently been complemented by the theory of progression, unveiling golfers to exhibit adaptations to their technique related to different effects of club-ball interactions utilizing under moments during swings. Consequently, contemporary professional male golfers more commonly adopt the hitting technique than a swing technique.

2. Historical Overview of Golfing Techniques

Emerging in the 15th century in Scotland, golf was played on the Town Moor in Edinburgh, using wooden clubs and hand-carved balls. These initial techniques, as demonstrated in illustrations from the 15th and 16th centuries, showed a varied grip and swing, suggesting a natural evolution in golfing play and techniques. With its spread into England, Ireland, and Europe, golf matured as a sport, creating a need for standardized rules and equipment. In 1744, the first known set of golf rules was drafted in Edinburgh, leading to the evolution of golfing techniques. Long-shots, greens, shovels, and the brassie became key components of the game. The 19th century also witnessed the invention of iron clubs and the subsequent emergence of golfing clubs from St. Andrews. (Cousins, 2023)

During the early years of its introduction to America, within two decades, golf was being played at a variety of courses in nearly every densely populated area, notably in New York City. Now rapidly growing in sporting popularity, golf was formally adopted by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 1894. Its increased participation, from the low-income population to upper socio-economic classes, facilitated the establishment of new tournaments with longer prizes. Moreover, women became increasingly involved as a result of the burgeoning interest in golf. Subsequently, the competitive spirit led golf balls to undergo an evolutionary change, advocating for golfing clubs and balls that were closer to the present-day variety. (Austin, 2022)

With the turn of the century, attention was concentrated on the rebirth of golf and its recuperation from its ancillary school of excesses. Gear swept aside knickerbockers, silk knicker trousers, and other somberly colored clothes in favor of a predominating cap and jacket of tweed, medium grey mixed with warm brown and rich yellow. Not only golf but tennis as well had inspired vigorous notice and into it had rushed the whole nation. Taming the wildness of golf, in 1903, Wilding had become the amateur champion of the United States before winning Wimbledon the following year. This period remained otherwise notable because Big Bertha knocked all other golf balls silly and nearly into the junk pile with its huge face of 6.79 inches head attached to a shaft of 47 inches. (Rebanal Martínez, 2021)

3. Key Traditional Golfing Techniques

Golf is a sport that has a long history behind it. Since the sport gained huge fame and number of followers across the globe, several golfing techniques have evolved and altered the playstyle and style of the game. Golfing techniques occurred both naturally and innovatively. The focus of this section is to analyze the most impactful and widespread golfing techniques that have impacted the game most. (Suzuki et al., 2021)

3.1. Grip and Stance

One of the most significant developments in golfing techniques was the discovery of proper grip and stance styles. These two techniques are the most basic in golfing and play a significant role in determining the outcome of the game. The selection of the proper grip is critical to play the game properly. The grip of the driver is one of the major factors in determining the play and path of the ball. Selecting the proper grip technique allows the golfer to strike the ball from all the surfaces of the golf course evenly. Early on, a lot of golfers adopted the splitting of the index finger technique of gripping, either overlapping or interlocking or gripping with all 10 fingers. However, learning to grip it properly takes much more time as the public exposure to it was minimum. Gradually with technological advancement, special caps were developed and ball tracking gadgets were invented. These gadgets and balls provided instant outcome of the game after the impact of the driver. Analyzing the golf ball spin and path, the experts suggested changing the grip technique enabling the golfer to point their thumb at the high left region of the shaft while keeping their hand rotated clockwise by 45 degrees. Using this grip technique, a golfer's club face would start at maximum closed position preventing the draw hook of the ball. (Navarro Lasunción, 2024)

Other widely used grip techniques with curved driver and ridges on the shape of the driver head resulted in an unintended hook path on the right leading to a miss-hit. Matched with the wrong stance, the unintended hook path continued with hands placed in front of the ball leading to an insufficiently closed face preventing the draw path. There were also recommendations from gear effect drives used having a shaft positively tilted towards the right from the vertical being useless for the golf set with driver have a head of a high vertical angled aligned with the fore link tilt. While this tended on increasing miss-hit affecting the distance, this also caused the hit on the optimal impact with the club face not parallel to the path of the driver nearly impeding the general tendency on time delay producing a meanwhile unliking swerve from players. (Trustees)

The stance in core requires power and this golf pose, playing a significant role between address and impact, has received little attention from teaching professionals compared with grip or swing techniques. Golfers with stable stance in general do not raise or lower their heads before or into backswing be likely to achieve more consistence shots. Thus, investigating the effect of stance technique requires assessing its amplitude throughout the whole swing and comparing the address and impact postures.

The head movement produced in the stance would bed a golfer to start the swing along a wrong path in a miss-hit with a hook or slice shot. Additionally, right-players flare to poorly rotate their hips and shoulders producing shoring shots. On the other side, flexibility across the upper body or within the lower body drives somewhat core-level players needing over-rotation of the upper body during the backswing or excessive forward push with the lower body after impact. However, few golfers are properly taught to stretch manually to reach a wider stance before address.

3.2. Swing Mechanics

Another traditional golfing technique is swinging in sync with the body. This technique teaches the players to follow the core rotational swing mechanics and circle the driver around one axis to play the ball instead of swaying axis in a miss-hit forming either slice or hook shots. Using amateurs (body type mass 74.5 kg height 1.75 m ) and ten top professional golfer's (PGA tour average drive distance 288.5±11.5 yards) with club heads sampled by high-speed cameras and various targets, this traditional technique has also been developed. Parameterizing a three-dimensional inverse kinematic model representing overall body and club movement, the effect of the traditional technique and stored parameters is compared through performing a full golf swing, addressing how the differences around the average from the parameters stored within each group affect the likelihood on miss-hit. (Hasley et al.2023)

The method concentrates on the motion aspect, choosing a local coordinate system at ground level with an origin fixed in the position of the golf ball and with axes pointing down the fairway, left and up for distance and vertical movements respectively. With regards to twenty-nine parameters describing the movement of the golf swing covering both body angles, positions and club face positions, the results yield a greater likelihood on miss-hit with amateurs than with top professionals severely indicating that educational systems would greatly enhance the precision of this sport. (ToSell & Saturday)

Modern golf is a sport of precision. Therefore, playing under different configurations on course, club, equipment and environment match with the swing mechanics of players define unique characters influencing the outcome of the play. By controlling for some factors, affecting the probability of miss-hit can be categorized into three parts conventionally referred to as play styles influencing the stance and swing. Enhancing performance comprises techniques altering stroke playstyle to almost systematically inhibit execution with miss-hit or miss-rim.

3.1. Grip and Stance

Central to the essence of golf lies the grip and stance—the foundational techniques upon which every other element of the game rests. Irrespective of the club in hand or the skill level of the golfer, this initial and primal action inevitably shapes the success of every shot played. Despite the subtle variations among golfers, whether leisurely players, seasoned amateurs, or elite professionals, grip and stance exhibit remarkable uniformity and graphical simplicity. Analyzing these two techniques sheds light not only on the sport as a whole but also on the everyday champion or played ball. (Wells, 2022)

Progressing from the outside in, the stance serves as the golfer's base of support throughout the entire swing. Only with solid, equal foundation can the golfer swing the club forwards and backwards around that fixed point. Both feet part distance and angle to the ball relative to the target are memories etched in the minds of most conscientious amateur golfers. Conversely, the grip, a more complex technique, consists of multiple actions made by both hands with the fingers and thumb of each hand against the club at the same time. Upon the grip is built the inadvertent pivot of the swing, the hands on the club controlling the face of the club and thus ultimately influencing the path of the arc. (Yang et al.2021)

While the momentary grip on the club is the fiest action shared by every golfer, uniqueness of the grip lies in regards to the club. Each club is different in form and feel, hence muscle memory is burnt by the unique act repeated with each club, and new twists in hands and wrists are added onto the basic grip. These intricacies are due to the fact that putter, iron, hybrid, wood, and driver all possess different lofts, lengths, and thus unique flex dynamics (whether aiming to keep the ball low, induce a slight loft, or to arc up the drive). Nevertheless, the grip is the only act from which the later swing peace is unwound. (Hocknell et al., 2020)(Holland et al.2020)

3.2. Swing Mechanics

In traditional golfing techniques, swing mechanics play a vital role in imparting the necessary power, accuracy, and consistency to the flight of the ball. The golf swing can be simply visualized as an arc of circular motion around a fixed axis, in which the clubhead moves towards a pivoted point in front of the body. A fundamental postulate of the golf swing is that the club must not be swung across the body during the downswing. It must instead be swung down and out. The path of the clubhead takes a symmetrical arc: down and in during the downswing, and up and out during the follow-through. The path of the golf ball must be compatible with the path of the clubhead at impact. The club must be swung down from a position well above the line of the ball so that the clubhead meets the ball just as the clubhead is on an outward path.

Another key point of traditional golf swing mechanics is that it must conform to ball-centering and impact position requirements, no matter how the club is gripped and so the wrist hinge or how minimized the lateral movement there is of the protruding body parts. The clubhead must be swung similarly around stacked vertical axes on both the back and forward motions. Both the backswing and follow-through must be performed in an arc motion that is of a uniform radius and is centered behind the body's core. In order to square the clubface at impact, the club must be swung reflexively over-restricted through the slot. In an attempt to prevent the ball from going to the right, the club must either re-extend a protruding arm or a wrist has to be unhinged too late.

There are biomechanical adjustments to traditional swing mechanics to create a normal golf swing free from hooked strokes. Adjustment of the arm's length of swing and pivot point is performed, so as to consider the baseball swing mechanics of working in a wider arc while continuing to adhere to the traditional grip. In line with fixed pivoting points of both the anchored legs and a core, the arms must be freed from the body's pivot to control the swing radius of the club circled by the arms. This could in turn free the clubs of being swung excessively within the body. To create an arched swing path, the shoulders and the forearms must be swung downwards by movers in charge of the pulled sides of the torso.

4. Technological Advancements in Golf Equipment

In the intricate tapestry of golf’s storied heritage, it’s frequently the quiet evolution behind the scenes that has had the most lasting consequences. Though it is often easy to recall the flamboyant politicians and pro athletes who have played the game, the focus here is instead on lesser-known figures who have played a crucial part in changing the nature of the sport. Decades before the modern game took hold, innovators tinkering with rudimentary wooden instruments had a profound effect on how golf was played. Given the game’s glacial and genteel pace of life, it is easy to misconstrue golf as a quaint pastime sustained by social and economic traditions. However, golf has never really stopped changing. Indeed, the game is replete with breakthroughs in technique that have irrevocably shaped how the sport is played. Greenkeeping, the ball, and the club have all received attention in this study on the evolution of golf equipment. (Millard, 2023)

In each instance, innovations that worked their way upwards from relatively small roots transformed the fabric of the entire sport. It wasn’t always a linear or easy process. Opposition to rubber balls was widespread, and clubmakers feared what would happen to golf in the transition from wooden to metal-headed clubs. As alternatives have arisen, so too have concerns about their sustainability for the game. But legislation has kept pace with innovation, and throughout golf’s history such changes have had a far-reaching effect on the mechanics of technique and the playing of the game itself. Arguably, the most impactful development has been the introduction of technology. Club-making methods and material sciences have outstripped the skill of the club professional, as has the golfiness of golf course design. At one fell swoop, this has rendered the great par-threes of the craft obsolete. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the world of golf has been left wanting. In some respects, the game’s rich history has underestimated the effect technology would ultimately have on golf. In challenging the adequacy of human endeavour, it is likely to continue reshaping technique and the sport for decades into the future. As golf begins its own paradigm shift, it is likely to usher in a new generation of feral and free-spirited golfers bent on domination.

5. Modern Golfing Techniques

The advent of technological innovation and scientific advancement, primarily identifiable in the last two decades of the twentieth century, prompted a revolution in golfing techniques and methodologies. An emerging industry, golf biomechanics inadvertently fueled this revolution by mechanizing and simplifying golf swings while theoretically minimizing the risk of golf-related injury. By accurately measuring the kinematically remarkable movement of the human body in two and three-dimensional spaces, golf biomechanics began to prompt a re-evaluation of past golfing methods. Meanwhile, an upswing in the use of golf simulators and innovative golfing training was notable. Previous errors in golf swings were corrected or slowed with the incorporation of slow-motion kinetic studies. Resultingly, a revolution similar to the re-evaluation of swinging techniques in golf biomechanics and pseudo golf was prompted within golfing cultures. A list of referential golfing figures of modern golfing techniques and their techniques has become a cultural norm in the global golf culture. An index is commonly referred to for golfing techniques and their analysis, and a checklist could readily and easily find its way into an amateur golfer's golf bag. Most of modern golfing techniques are biomechanical or kinematic by nature and gradually becomes mechanical, offering universally applicable and culturally broad methodologies. With the mechanical nature of golfing, modeling is prominently involved, reducing golf swings and inquiry into a system of modularity on repeatable, testable motion.

Yet, modeling entails a reduction of the complex mixture found in golf swings while representing only the most relevant aspects of motion and, in turn, negating specific conditions. As a result, a model raises the concern of an inevitable cultural appropriation that homogenizes bodily motion, associated consciousness, and adherent verbalizations, other than casting golf swings as “an intuitive game” that renders golf swings and their culture art-like. Therefore, in light of its social frames, paradigmatic and iconic, golf modeling necessitates a comprehensive analysis - understanding both the affordance it bears for concentrated interests in bodily technique, consciousness, and culture, and its subsequent cultural epiphenomena. The inroad for such an analysis is gained via an inquiry into the pioneering models of golf swings by acclaimed golf figures. Similar to today’s golf syllabuses that gather iconic figures’ golf swings and disseminate their mission-statement-like verbalization, prominent golfing figures’ modeling gratifies a prospective golfer desire to enhance golfing techniques, reckoning the cited concern of reproducible golf swings. This takes the next question as to how to improve such reproducible golfing techniques, which barely offers mutual and specific answers, other than modeling without a framework to analyze the social nexus that holds the compliant relationship between bodily technique and consciousness. Therefore, within the modern golfing culture entirely pervaded by golfing modeling, golf figure studies appear necessary. (Yordanov et al., 2022)

5.1. Biomechanics and Kinematics

Biomechanics and Kinematics: Human body and strength have greatly affected how bio-mechanics has emerged in sports. Body types and strengths vary from person to person. Some people have better swing speeds, while others have better swing lines. In Golf, the primary movement is rotation at the shoulders, pelvis, knees, and feet. All these rotational body movements affect club speed and distances. This biomechanical analysis focuses on the golf swing motion with a right-handed player, encompassing positions from the back swing, down swing, and follow through for bio-mechanical explanations. A major intention of this analysis is to determine and discuss some key bio-mechanical aspects of the golf swing in comparison to the golf swings of the rookie and the professional players filmed by the St-2 mini camcorders. In this analysis, the veterans and their swings would be also looked at with respect to biomechanics to check the swings and movements. (Gould et al.2021)

Clubs’ types and specifications are a big part of modern golf. Golf manufacturers spend so much time, money, and effort trying to make golf technology that provides players with better equipment that makes the overall game easier. The main types and specifications in clubs are the loft, lie, length, weight consistency, swing weight, shaft tip age, grooves, and face types. The lifetime of endurance and consistency of clubs is often compared with other sports like tennis or baseball. Weather and play can affect the precision and potential of the equipment and change how they perform. The rules of club types are based upon the USGA rules. The creativity and skills in the play can be lost or changed with overly complex club technology. The point of this analysis is to investigate clubs as modern technology, equipment of golf, history, types, strengths, and rules.

Lastly, putting has been very computerized in recent times, and these systems are mainly found inside the houses of golfers. Systems to putt are hugely mechanical and computerized. To the public, these are regarded as an illegal use of equipment by the USGA rules. The industry of golf is now entering a scientific and mechanical time. Tennis, baseball, basketball, other sports, and their athletes think of ways to get better by using better, smarter technology. Human be-havior, flexibility of the biomechanics of golf is studied more than it ever has been. The general idea of golf has modernized from traditional club use to mechanical bio-mechanical and technological golf ways. The game of golf is still the same as it once was and should feel and sometimes be used that whether the game hasn’t changed much.

5.2. Mental and Psychological Strategies

In addition to physical considerations, the evolution of golfing techniques must involve an overview of the mental and psychological strategies in the game. Golf presents a generally unique sporting challenge, unlike most other popular sports. Golfing matches can last from a short 2 hours to over 4 hours, involving the same (comparative) situation throughout the round, with the main additional variable from a golfing perspective being the course location. The game itself does not have other competitors impeding the performance of other competitors, which is a primary aspect of most competitive sporting events. Such factors mean that these variables need to be dealt with in different ways practically and mentally. As a result, golfers must fine-tune techniques in terms of performance, understanding the zone of control, and preparation before and even during a round. This could best be illustrated by considering the case of one Mexican golfer. (Whitehead & Jackman, 2021)(Oliver et al.2021)

Sometimes the metagame needs to be understood to strategize the techniques further and control each performance based on strategic choices that could depend on the golfing situation, physical environment (ground, wind, and heart rate), and mainly performance and situation statistics. Although similar comparative techniques concerning the hurdles must be used (such as meteorological statistics and ground understanding), the golfer possesses a personal meta-knowledge. Despite winning tournaments against male players, the winning techniques were first based on knowing which holes are best for the average male player and trying to comprehend such stats from a different viewpoint, taking the ESPN Stats and Info team’s possible projections to understand the whole player perspective holistically. One advantage was that overall performances could be compared, but not on a stroke basis. From such differences and distances, possible plays to gain advantage on putting and driving could be analyzed depending on whole distance outputs, grass, topography, and other possible required pitches. Such edge considerations were planned and used progressively throughout rounds.

Another personal understanding of individual techniques based on performance intimate knowledge is how to be in “the zone.” This involves controlling and understanding many thoughts, visualizations, and sensations (mindfulness) concerning positive and negative traits and stimuli that promote or disrupt performance. This level was progressively obtained through rigorous daily effort and analyze of various performances under such conditions. Once trained, it is essential to exercise this state to dispose of it and be ready for use at any point. Such a technique is closely related to breathing and some routine actions before swinging with the putter, shorter clubs, and driver, which help to place the tasks within the best condition zone to control them suitably. Using the context to feel emotions and stimuli clearly is crucial to signal immediately where it is best (and needed) to focus more and not just continue to shake player heads.

Being relaxed is also a constant approached challenge, especially when tied for first or leading. In this state, focus is lost and hence control, and it must be planned before and after the round to either maintain a fluent rhythm when playing or breathe and try to feel relaxed on each action otherwise. On the physiological aspect, alcohol can be exploited to be used and limit to achieve a certain performance point.

6. The Impact of Evolving Techniques on Performance and Strategy

Through analysis of archived materials, the impact of technology and scientific knowledge on golf techniques is assessed. Instructions were initially rudimentary but became more structured and based on anatomical insights and human behavior. A shift from fundamental improvement with awareness to technique refinement for elite players was observed. Changes commonly target styles of movement rather than player individuality and requirement. Analysis of past and current documents reveals the impact and concern regarding the influence of evolving techniques on golf performance and strategy selection. (Wells & Langdown, 2020)

The impact of evolving techniques on performance and strategy selection: An analysis based on archived materials on golf technique instruction spanning more than 120 years emphasizes the influence and concern surrounding technique. This analysis distinguishes four periods in the evolution of instruction and discusses the resulting focus of performance improvement and strategy selection.

With the advent of increasing technology and scientific knowledge, including progress in physical education, structural exploration of the human body, the notion of unconscious motivation, video and computer instruction, and sports psychology, golf techniques recorded between 1869 and 2008 are analyzed to examine the impact of evolving techniques on golf performance and strategy selection. All the documents are archived in England, specifically the British Library of Sports and The Open Championship.

The performance of golf is determined by a sequence of strategy selections and executions, considering two phases of action: strategy consideration, which refers to creating a sequence of actions to execute at a specific time, and strategy evaluation, which refers to checking the overall cost-effectiveness of the selected strategies. With such a historical perspective, the impact of evolving techniques can be evaluated in terms of changes in the focus of performance improvement and strategy selection. Hence, the disposition of past and present golf instruction documents is examined in terms of the focus of evolving coaching knowledge, norm observation, and coaching view of players, all as targets for consideration. (Roberts et al.2021)

7. Conclusion and Future Directions

The game of golf has evolved in multiple ways over the years, with changes in clubs and technology, the construction of courses and walking or buggy riding, the professionalization of the sport, changes in the amateur ethos, and societal perceptions. This review addressed these topics and provided insight into the evolution of golfing techniques and their impact on the sport. In particular, the evolution of golf clubs with historic roots, technological developments, and the golf swing mechanism were elaborately discussed. It is hoped that this review would help in the future understanding of golf and assist in making decisions over the future of golf.

In conclusion, golf is the game of putters and drivers, greens and fairways, wedges, and who knows how many others when it comes to clubs. A golf club in the strictest definition implies a stick with a curved end, or several curved ends that are used to hit the golf ball. Golf clubs comprise of shaft, club head, hosel, grip, and face. There are several types of clubs used in golf, putting clubs, short clubs, mid-range clubs, long clubs, wedges, and drivers. The design and material of clubs can dramatically affect the flight of a golf ball. Using the right type of club can help a player improve their game. This paper presents historical roots of clubs from refashioned farm implements to highly machined titanium heads, discusses the evolution of clubs over the years and ends with future expectations over clubs.

Although golf swings appear to be simple to the untrained eye, close-up viewing demonstrates the remarkable complexity of motions involved. Throughout the golf swing, a complex interplay of biomechanics and motion exists. Golfers generate kinetic energy in a swinging motion and transfer throughout the golfer to the hands that holds the club. This energy is converted into a ball-launching motion powered by a series of motion-to-force conversions acting on the club’s head. The golf swing is a movement skill, involving dynamic coordination of legs, hips, trunk, shoulders, arms, hands, and clubs in a serial way. It’s important in both golf swing analysis and instructional improvement to recognize and understand the biomechanics supporting the golf swing.

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Hasley, I.B., Ostby, T.D., Fjosne, C.M. and Jelsing, E.J., 2023. Etiology and Prevention of Common Injuries in Golf. Current sports medicine reports, 22(6), pp.210-216. [HTML]

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Holland, S., Dickey, J., Ferreira, L. and Lalone, E., 2020. Investigating the grip forces exerted by individuals with and without hand arthritis while swinging a golf club with the use of a new wearable sensor technology. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, 234(3), pp.205-216. [HTML]

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Gould, Z.I., Oliver, J.L., Lloyd, R.S., Neil, R. and Bull, M., 2021. The Golf Movement Screen is related to spine control and X-factor of the golf swing in low handicap golfers. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(1), pp.240-246. [HTML]

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Solomon lartey, a PhD student at Teeside university, researcher, business manager, influencer and construction supervisor.

US Sports Hockey: How To Coach Hockey: Creating a Winning Culture and 10 Minutes of Nikolaj Ehlers Highlights

 

• By Jackson Chlebowy

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Every Coach wants to be successful, but what does it take to coach a winning team? Coaching is more than just drawing up plays and strategizing for the next opponent. it’s about leadership, setting expectations, and cultivating a winning mentality amongst your players and staff. Some coaches falter under the weight of responsibility and the immense pressure of leading a team. However, those who reach the pinnacle of success do so by establishing a clear vision, fostering a strong team culture, and setting unwavering standards.

Coach David Urquhart, a seasoned expert in the world of coaching, has crafted an approach that prioritizes these key elements. Coach Urquhart is a former collegiate and European hockey player turned coach after getting his master's degree in sports psychology. He has served as the head coach for McGill University,  an assistant coach for the San Diego Gulls, and an assistant coach for the Serbian men's national team. In his course ‘Hockey Cultures of Excellence: What do Winning Coaches Do’, he shares his insights into the game, the importance of culture, and how to effectively implement it within a team to be successful. Through his teachings, you’ll gain valuable knowledge about how a coach’s vision can shape a team’s identity and propel them toward greatness. Let’s explore these essential coaching principles and how they contribute to building a championship-caliber team.

Setting Standards: The Foundation of Success

Every great coach understands that without clearly defined standards, a team will struggle to find consistency and cohesion. Standards serve as the building blocks for how a team will operate and interact with one another. Ultimately shaping how players/staff treat one another, practice habits, and in-game execution. These expectations extend beyond athletic performance and include individuals' work ethic, accountability, and behavior. A coach who enforces discipline ensures that players push themselves to their full potential while maintaining a sense of professionalism and respect for one another and the collective team. When a team collectively buys into these standards, they create an environment where players motivate one another to meet and exceed expectations.

What is Culture?

As Coach Urquhart explains, culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an organization. It is an intangible force that defines an organization's identity and dictates how players interact, train, and compete. A successful culture does not appear overnight or implement itself. It takes consistent reinforcement and effort to cultivate and instill the desired attitudes, values, goals, and behaviors.

 

Creating and implementing a culture of success requires buy-in from you as a coach. It is one thing to talk about your goals and values as a coach, but if you do not act in line with what you say are your goals, values, and standards how do you expect your players and staff to buy in? Creating a winning culture starts at the top. It takes a concerted effort from team leaders to get your players and staff to buy in. Players and staff will mirror the energy and actions of their leader. If you want to instill positive characteristics, values, and goals in your players, you must be dedicated to acting in accordance with them. In other words, you can talk the talk, but you must walk the walk.

The Power of a Coach’s Vision

A coach without a vision is like a captain steering a ship without a map. A coach's Vision acts as a compass, providing direction and purpose and guiding the team toward long-term goals. The most successful coaches understand that their vision must be ambitious and attainable, inspiring their players while keeping them grounded in reality. If your vision does not come across as authentic or believable, it will be very difficult to get players to buy in or believe in you as a leader. 

A well-defined vision gives athletes a better understanding of purpose, both their individual purpose and the purpose of the overall vision. It also gives athletes a better sense of team identity, who they are, and what they are striving to achieve. Whether your team's goal is to win the championship, develop young players, or instill a particular play style, a clear vision will ensure that everyone is aligned and on the same page working toward a common goal. Without a collective sense of purpose or collective effort toward the same goals, the team risks complacency or lack of motivation in the face of adversity.

Every player needs to be rowing the boat in the same direction for the team to be successful. Players need to individually believe in the vision before it can effectively guide them to the desired destination. Your vision as a coach should not need to be strictly intangible, there must be physical manifestations of your culture and vision present around your team. Photos, slogans, and diagrams are a great way to remind players of the direction the ship is meant to be sailing.

A good example of this comes from legendary NBA head Coach Steve Kerr, who emphasizes and reinforces the importance of “Joy” in their locker room. As a part of his vision, he finds it important that players play with a sense of joy and almost child-like excitement. This value can be seen on the court with how much fun the warriors seem to be having when they play. Steph Curry is always smiling and celebrating whether they're playing a regular season game or the NBA final. This value of “Joy” did not just come to fruition overnight, Coach Steve Kerr made a concerted effort to incorporate messaging and actions that facilitated the value of “Joy”. This theme of “Joy” is just something that is incorporated into everyday life for Kerr’s Warriors. For example, the Warrior's practice facilities are covered in photos of Warriors players smiling and celebrating on the court. They even incorporate funny clips, movie quotes, and entertaining editing to keep the players laughing and to keep things light during film sessions. For your values as a coach to become accepted by your team, they must become the norm and be incorporated into everything you do as a team.  

Final Thoughts: Coaching Beyond the X’s and O’s

At its core, coaching isn’t all about strategy and game planning. It’s about leadership, vision, and culture. It is important to recognize that your influence extends beyond the playing field. As a leader, you will shape the character, mindset, and work ethic of your players. By setting high standards, fostering a winning culture, and instilling a powerful vision, a coach creates a lasting impact that will stick with their players far beyond their playing careers. Players who experience strong leadership will carry the lessons they learned with them throughout their lives.

For aspiring coaches, the path to success is clear. You must commit to a vision, uphold your standards, and build a culture that inspires excellence. With these principles in place, any coach can turn their dream of success into a reality.