Those of you that have played the Nintendo Wii know what I am talking about. But for those of you that don't don't know what the Nintenod Wii is, let me give you quick introduction. If you already know all about the Wii, then you can just jump down to the next paragraph.
The Nintendo Wii is a video game console that requires more than just sitting on the couch and moving your fingers and thumbs. You actually have to get up and do life like motions to make your video game character move in the same way you do. In other words what you do with your body your character mimics on the TV screen.
I'm not going to go into details on how this works, because frankly I'm not a video game guy and I have no idea how it works. I'm just glad it works and I bought the Wii for my 5 kids so they would have be "active" when they played video games and not just sit on their back ends. Needless to say it's really cool technology if you've never seen it.
The Nintendo Wii comes with a golf game. This game requires you to "swing" your Wii remote like you would a golf club. Now obviously you can't swing a little 6 inch by 2 inch remote control the same way you would swing a golf club, but the motions are similar. You take a backswing, and then come down and swing through the ball.
Now I don't think this has helped my golf game much at all if any, it's just too different, you don't swing at nearly the same speed and you have no feel for hitting a ball. Although I do thing it has helped during the winter months to stay flexible and at least have my body get a feel for a golf swing on a much scaled down swing.
Having said that, where I absolutely believe this has improved my game is putting. I have no doubt my putting has improved dramatically because of practice on this game. For the first few months I had the Wii, I played the little 9 hole game over and over again. I got to the point where I could pretty much hit any put under 40 feet. I started to get a little bored and then I discovered "Training". This allows you to practice various aspects of your game, driving, chipping and putting.
Once again, I don't think driving and chipping on this will help you much if at all on your "real" golf game but the putting absolutely. In this training you just practice hitting puts at various distances with various breaks in the green. The more puts you make the higher your score and you win metals- bronze, silver, gold. It's pretty fun. So with practice I was quickly up to golf metal status each time.
I live in Utah where we have cold winters and it's pretty hard to play golf during those months, but when last spring came along, I was anxious to get out there and play some golf. I "practiced" (and I use that term loosely) all winter on the Wii. I really didn't think that "practice" would translate to lower scores on the golf course, but I was amazed at the results.
My handicap went down 3 strokes from what it was last fall. How does that happen over the winter playing very limited golf? I was consistently hitting more puts over and over. I started reading greens better and hitting puts at near perfect speed each time with any thing under 25 feet. I didn't make every put, but I was definitely making many, many, more puts inside 25 feet. That is about the max speed you'd swing the Wii remote to hit a put on the video game. Now can I say with 100% surety I'm a better putter because of the video game, of course not.
But think about it, the majority of your strokes in a game come on the green. If you can knock in "makable puts" (I deem that anything inside 25 feet) then your scores can go way down.
Now golf is such a mental game, maybe it was more confidence than "practice" on a video game, but hey when I comes to getting better at golf, I'll take any edge I can get to be better. All I know is that my handicap is now consistently 3 shots better than it was the previous year. Happy Golfing!
Latest Golf Articles
The Proper Golf Swing Setup in Two Easy Steps
By: Tim Heeter | 23/07/2008
The mental check off list associated with the typical golf swing setup is far too long. Most amateurs worry about too many factors rather than following a few short steps. The following two easy steps will help you get in the proper golf swing setup each time you step up to the ball.
How to Custom Fit Your Golf Club
By: Migo | 21/07/2008
Describing some of the points that need to consider when decide to custom fit a golf club.
Greg Norman Conquest at British Open
By: jackyluo | 21/07/2008
Twice former champion Greg Norman, who plays more tennis than golf at the age of 53, spectacularly stole the limelight from the game's best players in Thursday's opening round at the British Open.
What to Expect in Affordable Golf Clubs
By: Jeffrey Veal | 20/07/2008
Golf clubs are a golfer's best friend. They don't have to cost you an arm and a leg if you take the time to find the right bargain. With just a little research, you can find the right clubs for your game at an affordable price.
How To Find A Golf Instructor
By: Max Johnson | 20/07/2008
You want to learn how to play the game of golf. Now the questions come flooding through your mind. Do I need to take golf lessons & instruction? How do I find a qualified golf instructor? How long should the lessons be and how often should I take them? What should we be working on in my golf lessons & instruction sessions and how long until I improve?
Michelle Wie's Disqualification
By: Robert H. Kelly | 19/07/2008
This article brings up some important points on Michelle Wie's disqualification.
How You Can Improve Your Overall Accuracy
By: Alex Weidmann | 19/07/2008
Whether you're teeing off with a driver, or going for that long chip, accuracy is one of the most important parts of golf. Unfortunately it's not always the easiest thing to be consistent with, but I'm here to give you a few tips to be more accurate, more consistently.
Short Game Shot With A Tight Lie
By: Max Johnson | 19/07/2008
Playing a short game shot from a tight lie (little grass) can be very difficult. Trying to play on a tight or a thin lie from around the green, presents plenty of physical and mental issues for us to fight through. Many players do not have confidence when it comes to playing a short game shot off of a thin lie to get the ball on the green let alone close to the flag.
Sports and Fitness 
