Joe,
I wonder if u can help me with this problem. My shots are going much towards the left when I am using the 6,7 irons. If I become too conscious, keep my eyes on the ball etc, I end up slicing the ball much to the right. The phenomena is more pronounced during tee off. Interestingly it does not happen with 5 or 4 iron. Can u help me out. I am a starter with about 6 months into the game.Regards and a happy 2005.
Major Harpreet

Hello Major,
Also a happy 2005 to you. Are you a Major in the Army or Air Force? I'm still laughing because a Major is playing military golf (left-right-left-right). First of all it is not uncommon for anyone to have problems with one or more clubs behaving differently than the other clubs because there is no such thing as a perfectly matched set. This is why serious golfers are having the lie angles of their irons adjusted either more upright or more flat. More upright reduces a slice, more flat reduces a hook. In your case, I think you might be coming across the ball at impact from the outside in. If you do that while your clubface is square, you will tend to hit a pulled shot with no slice. If the clubface is slightly open, your shot will tend to start off as a pull and then slice. This is why you must try to swing from the inside out, because your body turn will bring the club back to square at impact.
Joe

Joe, what do you think of the one-ball rule?
Answer: Here is another case where golf becomes more a game of legalisms rather than a game of skill. Do you really think that someone can really benefit that much by switching balls between shots? Gee, I think I will use a distance ball for drives and switch to a high spin ball for approach shots, a floating ball for water holes, a wiffle ball for short flop shots over a bunker to a tight pin, and then for putting I will use a ball with a built-in gyroscope to reduce the breaks and a built-in magnet to attract it to the cup. Plllllllease!

Joe,
Last summer I had a money match against one of my buddies, and I was winning until the last hole, which is adjacent to the first hole. I sliced my drive into the right rough which is shared by the first hole and I noticed a guy on the first hole was playing a shot from about the same spot. Apparently he hit his drive to the same area. When I got there my ball was gone but there was another ball in the same spot, I think he hit my ball by mistake. He was in a power cart so he was gone before I could reach that spot. I was going to take a penalty for a lost ball, but my buddy said it was not my fault, he saw where my drive was and he agreed the other guy probably hit my ball by mistake, and therefore I did not need to take a penalty. Since I cannot prove this, I feel guilty because I like to follow the rules. Who is right, and who should get the money?
Adam

Hello Adam,
First of all, I have to commend you for honesty, and commend your buddy for sportsmanship. If you are playing by strict tournament rules, I suppose it has to be a lost ball penalty, but in a tournament this is not as likely to happen, so I think the term “recreational rules” apply here since you don’t have forecaddies, even if you are playing for money. Logic says it is not your fault that if someone else hits your ball, but some rules are devoid of logic. If you feel that strongly about applying penalties that have nothing to do with the skill of the contest, then I would suggest you conveniently forget to sign the scorecard, thereby disqualifying both of you, so give your money to charity!
Joe

Joe,
What is the single most important move a golfer can make during a golf swing?
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
If I tell you, I will have to shoot you. Oh, all right, here it is, Merry Christmas. You are likely to get a lot of different opinions about this topic, but here’s mine and here’s why: As you start your downswing, move your back elbow in front of your hip before you strike the ball. This one move makes 4 other good things happen without even having to think about each one. It helps your lower body weight to shift from the back leg to the front leg. It promotes an inside-out swing path. It helps you hit downward at the ball. It helps to delay the wrist break until you really need it. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, also the stop-action camera shots in magazines, and you will see they all do this elbow move, no matter how different their swings otherwise may look.
Joe

Joe,
I just got appointed to be in charge of my golf league for next year, but I am finding it very tricky trying to correctly arrange matches. How can I make a league schedule that makes sure that everyone plays everyone else at least once, and there are no duplications or omissions?
Jim

Hi Jim,
As an example, draw a picture of a skinny clock with numbers and draw lines across like this, 12-1, 11-2, 10-3, 9-4, 8-5, 7-6. This is your first day’s competition. Then keep 12 in the same position while “rotating” (like a dial) all the other numbers clockwise one position (whatever number is left of the 12 will jump over it) and then draw new lines across in similar fashion. If you draw the lines correctly, the result would be 12-11, 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, 7-4, 6-5. This represents your second day of competition. Repeat this process for each new day of competition, just keep “rotating the dial” while keeping the top number in the same place, and draw new lines across. This process will work for any number of players. For an odd number of players, the 12 (or whatever your highest number is) simply becomes the Bye, same process.
Joe

Joe,
Are balls retrieved from water hazards as good as new balls?
Will

Hi Will,
I read somewhere that testing showed the “pond” balls travel only a few yards less than new balls on the average. What these tests did not say is how many yards does any ball lose after it has been used for awhile, even without being in a pond. My guess is that the more a ball is used, the less distance it will travel anyway, pond or no pond. If you have a lot of money, and you want every single yard possible, use new balls. If you are like most people who want to save money, you might choose to use “experienced” balls that you find for free and live with the loss of a few yards, and save some new balls for longest drive contests.
Joe

Joe,
Thankyou for your wonderful tips. let me tell you that i am a girl playing golf since six months and has a 24 handicap. my game was going fine till 4 and a half months but now i can't see any improvment in my game rather it is becoming worse than before. pl. can you tell me the reason for this?
pal

Hello Pal,
If you have only been playing for 6 months, and your handicap indicates you can already break 100, then you have already achieved more improvement than most beginners. However, I like your attitude that you are not satisfied and you want to improve more. Most golfers go thru periods of non-improvement, and part of this is due to slumps (read Sam’s question from yesterday). If you want to improve more, ask yourself the following questions, and if any answer is NO, then work on that part of the game until the answer is YES. Do you make more short putts than you miss? Do you lag more long putts to within 3 feet than not? Do you get more chip shots within 10 feet than not? Do you get more pitch shots within 20 feet than not? Do you get more greenside bunker shots within 20 feet than not? Do you hit more greens with short irons than not? With longer clubs do you get within chipping distance more often than not? Do you keep your drives in the fairway more often than not? Aside from this, you can lower your handicap to 18 if you can bogey every hole, so keep track of every reason that you happen to score worse than bogey on any hole, and then work to eliminate those specific reasons. Good luck!
Joe

Joe,
What causes slumps and how can we avoid them?
Sam

Hello Sam,To execute a golf swing, your body uses hundreds of different muscles of varying sizes and shapes, all trying to work together at the same time. Every day, each one of these muscles gets stronger or weaker, bigger or smaller, in different combinations, depending on how you use them in your daily activities. On any given day, some of these muscles will have a greater or lesser effect on your swing without you realizing it. Trying to make all these muscles work together with precise timing and direction while they are all forever changing in size and strength is a never ending battle. Nobody can ever avoid slumps entirely, everybody gets them, but you can reduce their frequency and their severity by adopting a daily exercise routine to strengthen certain muscles, and to induce “motor muscle memory”. You have to train your swing muscles to behave in a consistent manner. Consider the right handed golf pros who know all the right moves. Does that mean they can play the game just as well left handed? No? Why not, they know all the right moves, don’t they? Realistically, knowing the right moves is not enough, you have to practice them in order to execute them consistently. The more you practice the right moves, the better you get. This goes for everything in life, not just golf. While inducing motor muscle memory, make sure you are training you muscles with the CORRECT moves, because if you induce incorrect moves, they will be much harder to “undo” once your muscles are trained to behave that way.
Joe

Joe,
Whenever I have a short downhill sidehill putt, I get so nervous that if I miss it, it will roll way past the hole unless I baby it, so my stroke gets affected because I am afraid I might baby it too much. Any tips on how to deal with these Yips?
Dutch

Hi Dutch,
Instead of worrying about missing it, tell yourself that you are going to execute the putt to the best of your ability, and even if it does not go in, at least you can say you gave it your best shot with a decent stroke instead of missing it due to a tentative stroke. That’s what The Yips are all about, causing you to make a tentative stroke. The only way to defeat The Yips is to get determined enough to tell yourself that you are not going to make a tentative stroke, you are going to execute the proper stroke no matter what. In the meantime I would suggest you go to a couple of different practice greens and place your ball in similar downhill sidehill positions and keep practicing them until you get a better feel on how to handle them, then you can build a feeling of confidence with those types of putts, or any other tricky types of putts, especially those that you have the most trouble with.
Joe

Joe, why don’t recreational golfers follow the all the Rules of Golf so we can all have a level playing field?

Answer: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. Pros have the best equipment, the best custom fitting, personal swing coaches, the best caddies to give them exact yardage to the pin, and to recommend club selections, and to carry and clean their clubs, and forecaddies to find their ball. They get to practice and play every day on the world’s finest courses. Recreational golfers, for the most part, are at a disadvantage because they cannot afford these luxuries. They are not even allowed to get yardage from an inaccurate optical device, so they must make their own decisions without a caddie’s advice (it could be a penalty to ask anyone else). When pros play, it is just a day at the office, when recreational golfers play, it is a special event. Greens fees can be expensive, so recreational golfers should get their money’s worth by enjoying the game using simplified rules, and not have their round spoiled by USGA-holes. Leave the nit-picky rules for the tournaments. People who play recreational golf do not get to play as often as they would like and they look forward to the enjoyment shot making, and you can’t make good shots out of divots, or sand shots out of footprints, or having to putt thru someone else’s spike marks, or having to hit a ball with mud on it, even the pros have lift-clean-place rules sometimes, even though their courses are much nicer than yours. Do you really think your lies on public courses are likely to be as good as lies on the highly manicured Tour courses? Come on, wake up and smell the coffee. For recreational golf, you can reduce the 162 page rule book a few sentences. For example: If a technical infraction happens to occur, ask this question: Did this infraction have anything to do with gaining an unfair advantage, or did this have anything to do with the skill of shot making? If the answer to both is NO, then for recreational golf there is no need for a penalty, play on. Or, if you enjoy being punched in the nose, you can endear yourself to others (especially those who beat you) by hiding their scorecards so they can’t sign them, and then disqualifying them because they forgot to sign their scorecards.

Joe,
I keep reading about older clubs that had names instead of numbers. Can you tell us which of these names match up to today’s numbered clubs?
Cal

Hi Cal,
There were lots of variations in the older named clubs, so you may find different definitions depending on where you look up the information, but in general, a Brassie is a fairway wood. That name came from the brass plate on the bottom to reduce wear. A normal Brassie was a 2-wood, if it had more loft it was a Spoon (3-wood) or a Cleek (4 or 5-wood). A Mashie was like a 5-iron, a Niblick was like an 8-iron, and in between was a Mashie-Niblick (6 or 7-iron). There are others, depending on where they were made. I do not like today’s terms, I think it is stupid to call a 3-wood a 3-metal just because it is no longer made of wood because a 3-iron is also made of metal (duh). We don’t really want to use terms like 3-composite or 3-titanium, do we? I think the solution is to go back to using the old names. My clubs are usually named with 4-letter words, except for the “helicopter” because that’s what it looks like when I throw it.
Joe

Joe,
Will it help to buy an expensive putter?
Pam
Hi Pam,
Putting is the great equalizer in golf, it allows short hitters to have a chance to beat the long hitters who can’t putt very well. When you count all the strokes used for each of your clubs for any round, the putter by far is used the most times, so it makes sense to get a putter that you like. That does not mean it has to be an expensive putter. Consider this, even if you have a perfect putting stroke, you still will not make very many putts unless you read the green perfectly, and who is perfect? The reverse is also true, if you are good at reading greens, you still will not make very many putts if you stroke it too hard or too soft. To make matters more complicated, even if you read the green correctly and make a perfect stroke, the putt may still hit an imperfection in the green and lip out. The answer to your question, in my opinion, is that there is a good chance you can putt just as well with a cheap putter as you can with an expensive putter, just find one that feels good and have a contest between that one against a borrowed goochy-fufu-expensive one and see which one wins the contest. The mind is a powerful thing, so you are more likely to make a more confident stroke with a putter that you like, expensive or not. It is the confident stroke that makes you a better putter, more so than the type of club.
Joe

Joe,
Why is it that I can get my old persimmon fairway woods up in the air more easily than today’s metal headed fairway clubs? I have tried several metals but I can’t seem to get them off the ground consistently.
Monty

Hi Monty,
I have noticed the same thing, and I think it is due to the metal plate on the bottom of the persimmon woods making the center of gravity much lower than today’s metal fairway woods. The metal woods that seem to work the best are the really thin ones like Tight Lies, because they are so thin, the center of gravity has to be lower than the center of the ball. I think the idea of bi-metal or tri-metal might help if the metal sandwich has the heavier metal on the bottom to lower the center of gravity.
Joe (see my Bio at thinkandreachpar.com)

Joe,
All I want for Christmas is the single most important move a golfer can make during a swing.
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
OK, but you will have to be a good little boy first, and wait until Christmas for it.
Joe

Joe,
I live in Canada where the season is very short. Any tips on winter golf?
Answer: Don’t eat yellow snow.

Joe,
I watch lots of golf programs on TV, such as the PGA Tour and I notice that the leading arm or left arm of the pros are always straight right to the top of the back swing during tee off, and fairway shots. I would appreciate if you can tell me how they do that or perhaps what sort of drill to do to maintain a straight left arm during the back swing. Thanks again and bye.
JLIM

Hello Jlim,
The straight arm allows the widest possible swing arc, which leads to higher clubhead speed. If you are having trouble keeping the arm straight, perhaps you are trying to take the arms too far back without enough shoulder turn. Try making the arms work together with the shoulders, and if the elbow starts to bend, do not go back any further.
Joe

Joe,
I finally set my ego aside and moved to a senior flex shaft from a stiff shaft. The first thing I noticed was, someone told me, was the “whip action” of the shaft. The first time was by accident…the ball went long… 260 yards, high with a slight fade. I had slowed down my swing speed from 96 mph to around 80 mph…like I just wanted to hit my drive 100 yards.
Now..how to I repeat this action?
Thanks for any suggestions
Larry

Hi Larry,
In my opinion, if you have a swing speed of 96, a senior flex shaft is too flexible for you. If you try to slow your swing down to 80, the chances are you will not be able to repeat that swing consistently, sometimes you will swing just a little too fast or a little to slow, and the shaft will flex a little too much or a little too less, and as a result you will hit a lot of wild shots. If the stiffer shaft was not working for you, I am guessing you just wanted more distance, but your accuracy was OK, right? If so, try a regular shaft instead of a senior shaft. Good luck.
Joe

Joe,
Shanks. I play on a 10 handicap and on average every couple of rounds I shank the ball badly with irons. My swing is on the correct path I am told and I hit a straight ball. I suspect that my hands drift away from my body nearing impact as I often hit the ball towards the heel of my driver when I start swinging too hard or towards the end of the game when I am maybe getting tired. Would this be the cause and what is the best fix or practice drill to remedy the shank?Regards,Pat.

Hello Pat,
I also had the shanks in the past, and it is a horrifying feeling to see the ball go 45 degrees off line, that can really ruin a round. In my case my weight was too much on my toes. The problem went away when I put my weight more on my heels. This does not mean it will also work for you, because maybe you are already on your heels, I don’t know. If so, you can try a more upright swing because a flat swing will tend to go more outward when you swing hard, as you described. Also when golfers get tired their swings tend to flatten a bit so that could explain it. I hope this helps. Good luck.
Joe (see my Bio at thinkandreachpar.com)

Joe, what do you think of Retief Goosen? Don’t you think he is a bit dry, like a robot?

Answer: You can’t please everyone, no matter who you are. Retief conducts himself like a real gentleman, and when you do that, some people think you are too boring. Maybe Retief can take a few lessons from the Terrell Owens school of manners and etiquette, then after hitting a good shot Retief can do situps, flap his arms, or dance like Ray Lewis. That would be quite entertaining, but the USGA might hit him with a penalty for forgetting to suck a lemon in order to obtain the proper facial expression to play on the tour.

Joe,
I have shot a lot of 18 hole rounds under par and feel pretty good about my game. I know that distance isn't that important to scoring, but it sure helps on longer courses. What can I do to be able to hit the ball farther? What muscles can I build up to hit it farther? I can hit it 250 yards, but not all the time. I have a good enough build to swing the right path. I know that weight shift has a lot to do with it, but is that all?
Thanks

Hello, whoever you are, maybe you are not familiar with our rule that if you do not give you name, the question is handed over to the Evil Twin, which means you never know what kind of answer you are going to get, so Jody what do you think about this?
Answer: The guy is breaking par and is still not happy? I say we beat him up. But wait, how do we know it’s a guy? We don’t, so maybe it’s a gal, and if so, how about a date?

Joe,
I'd like to know your feelings about using drivers with more loft - 11, 12, 13 degrees instead of the conventional 9-10.5 degrees of loft? What is the principles behind more loft on your driver and do you think that more loft would help a golfer like myself who hits the ball relatively straight but I don’t get real good distance.
Terry

Hi Terry,
Older theories promoted lower lofts for more distance, and this only made sense if your drives had some underspin. People used to love to see low line drives rising upwards like a plane taking off, but on today’s softer fairways you do not get as much roll on lower drives, especially if there is some underspin. So today’s theory is to hit higher drives to get longer carry, so your launch angles must be higher to get this carry. Launch angle is not the same as the "loft" angle of the driver due to the way you swing and the type of shaft used, so to get the best launch angle, which is about 9 degrees as measured by a computerized hitting bay, you might need a driver with more loft, even as much as 13 degrees (oh no, I am turning into a techno-geek-nerd!).
Joe

Joe,
I'm just starting having a problem with rolling my arms on the followthru, is there a drill that would help me regain it?thanks Shen

Hello Shen,
Is the problem too much roll or too little roll? If it is too much roll, you probably hook too much, so try to extend your arms more outward to reduce the roll. If you have too little roll, you might have a "chicken wing" on the leading arm. Try to make the leading elbow fold down instead of up.
Joe

Joe,
Why was Francis Ouimet’s US Open victory any more important than other Opens?
Frank

Hi Frank,
Imagine Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh showing up at your local golf club for a tournament, and this teenager who lives down the street joins the tournament, tops his first drive 40 yards into the left rough, and then goes on to beat both of them, winning the tournament with a ten year old caddy carrying only 7 clubs. OK, so Francis was not really a teenager, he just turned 20 one month earlier, forgive me for exaggerating. Harry Vardon (for whom the overlap grip is named) and Ted Ray were the biggest names in golf at that time, just like Tiger and Vijay are today, and they came all the way from England just to get beat in a head-to-head playoff by this skinny little kid from down the street, whose two practice rounds were horrible 88 and 88. Therefore this event, in my opinion, is the most astounding golf story ever, and also was the birth of golf excitement in America, because the newspapers went nuts over the fact that American golfers were just as good as the British legends. As I said last week, you have got to read the book "The Greatest Game Ever Played" by Mark Frost. Amazing stuff.
Joe

Joe,
In the Chrysler tournament recently I saw a golfer apparently hit his ball into a lateral water hazard but he had to go back to the tee and hit again. I thought you could drop and hit from the point where it entered the water? What gives?
Will

Hi Will,
The Rule says (and I think it is a bad rule) that someone must have watched and seen the ball actually enter the water, or else it is considered to be a “lost ball” which means you must go back to the tee. I think this is a bad rule for a couple of reasons. First, the pace of play is greatly hindered any time you have to march back to the tee and play again, everyone on the entire course behind you will suffer for this. Aside from that, even if you did watch the ball go into the hazard, you probably lost it anyway, so the penalty is different for a watched ball that got lost in the water instead of a lost ball that was not watched and ended up in the same place. Look, logic says if you hit a shot out of play, the penalty should be the same no matter if it is water, OB, lost ball, or unplayable lie. This should be a game of skill, not technicalities. Nobody should ever ever ever have to walk back to the original spot to play the next shot, it would be more logical to just take the penalty and hit from the spot nearest where the ball went out of play. But that is only my opinion, the rules say otherwise, but rules like this hurt the game. When I make my first billion dollars I am going to buy the USGA and change that stupid rule.
Joe

Joe,
I think belly putters should be illegal because it anchors the end of the club, let’s go back to the original rules of the game. What do you think?
Ernie

Hi Ernie,
If we go back to the original rules, then you also must play a plugged ball as it lies, even on the green. You also were not allowed to clean mud off your ball, even on the green. Try to putt with a wad of mud stuck to your ball and maybe you will understand that sometimes the rules really do need to be changed, otherwise it becomes more of a game of bad luck instead of skill. Belly putters have saved the careers of several pros, and they also have given new hope to recreational golfers who otherwise were going to quit the game because of the Putting Yips. However, if you really do not like belly putters, you can still get rid of those Yips by pinning your front elbow to your torso firmly (the anchor you mentioned) and using the “claw” grip like Mark Calcavecchia, which reduces unwanted right hand motion, and using your shoulders to make the stroke instead of your hands.
Joe

Joe, does golf give you a peaceful feeling?
Answer: The geese laugh at you, the trees taunt you, the sand mocks you, the water calls your name – there is no peace. This is war.

Joe,
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
1. WHY I TEND TO HIT THE BALL "THIN" OFF MY IRONS.
2. WHAT DRILLS CAN I DO TO HELP THAT.
3. I HAVE A REAL HARD TIME GETTING THE CLUB BACK TO PARELLEL AND INOTONLY WATCH THE PROS BUT SOME GUYS AT DRIVING RANGES DOING ITEFFORTLESSLY. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MYSELF WITH THAT?THANKS,Rob Wing


Hello Rob,
I think your number 3 might have something to do with your number 1. You might be so concerned with getting the club back to parallel, that you ball striking may be suffering because of that. Although it looks like the classical thing to do, it is not absolutely necessary. Some of us are not built the same as others so we cannot swing the same way. Look at how short the backswings are for Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, and several others, they do not even come close to parallel, and yet they are very successful. As for your number 2, I would recommend the drills shown on the Body Golf videos, such as the double clubber and the toe drag drills. You may also find that the Body Golf drills and exercises might result in your getting closer to parallel without having to concentrate on that.
Joe

Joe,
Thank you for accommodating me in your golf tips. I've been playing for almost six months now but I still could not break 100 on my games. Could you also help me cure my left arm to be strait during backswing up to impact on the ball and slice.
Respectfully yours
Alex Ricohermoso

Hello Alex,Keeping the left arm straight (assuming you are right handed) accomplishes two good things. It assures the widest possible arc, and the wider the arc, the higher the clubhead speed. It assures a more consistent arc, for example, if you allow the left elbow to bend, you have to be consistent in how much it bends or else the arc will be inconsistent, and therefore your ball striking will be inconsistent. Of course you should not make too much of an effort to keep it perfectly straight or else you might restrict your natural swing, just keep it comfortably straight. If you are slicing, there are probably other reasons at play, possibly your grip or your weight shift, or your swing plane.
Joe

Joe,
What about the head during a Golf swing? There are some people that say that the head has to be absolutely still and the eyes have to be on the ball during the swing until the follow through. Contrary to this, there is a school of thought that the head being still is a myth. This states that if the head is still, it robs the power that the body can generate. Surely, Golf instructions are more difficult than the game itself. Would appreciate your insight and advice in this matter. Regards,Vinodh.

Hello Vinodh,
Absolutely still is incorrect. Steady is correct, meaning that the head can rotate a little bit. It is true that you can get more power by allowing the head to move sideways during the backswing, but that is only for people who have no problems with good ball contact. If you find yourself hitting shots fat or thin or wild, then I would recommend keeping the head more steady and avoid the sideways movement. As we said to Sid from Australia last week, Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to prevent too much head movement, and I think you will agree it worked for Jack, he had a “fairly nice” career, right?
Joe

Joe,
Have you ever played the “A-ball” (from almostgolfball.com) on a par-3 golf course?
Abbie

Hello Abbie,
Yes, just recently I used it on a short par 3 course, Walnut Greens in Schaumburg, IL. For those of you who never heard of it, the A-ball looks exactly like a real ball but it is much lighter, so it travels less than half the distance of a real ball, but it hooks and slices just like a real ball. This essentially turns the par 3 course into a regulation sized course, so you can use all your clubs. Since there is much less walking, you can finish a 9 hole round in one hour. You are not likely to lose it since it does not travel so far, and it floats if you happen to hit into water. The only disadvantage would be a windy day because the lighter ball is more affected by wind. The almostgolfball.com website is worth a visit because it describes the many other new ideas being used with this “A-ball”, like Happy Gilmore style long drive contests and makeshift courses in your local parks. You can order these online or get them from some of the larger golf stores.
Joe

Joe,
I took up golf almost 2 years ago. A regular weekend golfer, I usually card a score of low 90 for 18 holes. A good round is close to the 90s and a bad one touching the 100s. I use a Wilson Deep Red 420cc driver and get about 225 meters off the tee. My shots are usually straight and hence am able to keep the ball in play most of the times. My problem is my iron shots. I usually hit the 9 iron 100 meter and a 7 iron 120 meters. However, I usually hit them fat. There is a BIG divot starting at about 2 inches behind the ball. I loose power in the shot and hence never make the required distance. Looking at the divots, they are straight - hence assuming I am not coming either inside out or out to in in my downswing. I am wondering, what causes this and how can this be fixed. I have tried different tricks to see how it can be fixed but to no avail. I have never taken any professional golf lessons and have taught myself basically through reading and your valuable emails. One of the Pro's once told me that I have a fantastic golf swing and very good rhythm. He also said that I need to fix just a few things in my game to hit in the 70s - has someone heard of golf nirvana! The problem is he didn’t tell me what to fix? - smart man! Wondering what you can advise on this problem of mine.Regards,SIDMelbourne, Australia

Hello Sid,
A fantastic golf swing can be compared to doing a hula hoop. You may be able to do a beautiful hula dance, but if the hoop falls to the ground, the good rhythm does not matter. Fat iron shots can be caused by a number of things, one possibility is a sideways sway on the backswing. Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to make sure it remained steady during the swing. Some instructors say it is OK to move your head sideways because it can add power to your swing, but I say what good is extra power if you are hitting fat shots? Keeping the head steady also helps to prevent overswinging, another possible cause for fat shots. Make this your primary swing thought and let us know how it turns out.
Joe

Joe,
Setting Goals is supposed to help. Other than shooting a better score or lowering my handicap, can you be more specific?
Gene

Hi Gene,
Specific goals can make you feel better even when your scores do not show immediate improvement. For example, we all know that sometimes we fix one part of our game, only to see another part of our game go sour, so your scores may not show improvement, but hey, if you did fix one part of your game, what if your fix is a lasting fix, and then you fix another part of your game, and then another? Here are some examples on how to set goals: First, determine what is normal for you, then keep track like this: In a normal round of golf, what if you 3-putt one less time than normal? What if you got up-and-down one more time than normal? What if you hit one more green in regulation than normal? What if you hit one more good drive than normal? What if you made one less mental/strategic mistake than normal? What if you had one less flub than normal? What if you had one less penalty shot than normal? Each one of these improvements seems minor, but if you can put them all together, they can add up to several strokes improvement per round! These are only a few examples of goals, there are many other ways to set them. Set small goals like these for yourself and keep track of them, and celebrate the ones you achieve, especially on days when your score is not so great, at least you have something to feel good about. By working on this process, one day you will put it all together and have your best score ever.
Joe

Joe, does it help to wear a glove?
Answer: Sure, if your hands are cold, or if you are playing baseball, or if you want to do a Michael Jackson impersonation.

Joe,
What is swingweight and how much does it matter?
Bill

Hi Bill,
Swingweight is the ratio of the weight of the clubhead to the overall weight of the whole club. This idea was intended to give a consistent feel from club to club in a matched set. Some people do not care about feel because when they start hitting good shots with a funny-feeling mismatched club, that starts feeling good mighty quick. Swingweights are measured in a goofy letter-number scheme, the higher the letter and number, the heavier the swingweight. Most swingweights are in the C and D areas, longer hitters prefer D. All D’s are heavier than all C’s, so D1 is heavier than C9. How much does this matter? Some people (techno-geeks) swear this is important to them, others (like me) feel it cannot be so important because in a set of irons, as the iron numbers get higher, the shafts get shorter and the clubheads get larger, therefore the feel will not be exactly the same anyway. So you have to do your own experiments and come to your own conclusions.
Joe

Joe,
I was wondering if you could provide insight into an issue that I am encountering while inquiring about golf clubs (since my clubs are 20+ years old and not in the greatest shape). What is preferable -- regular flex or stiff flex? I have read that it depends on your clubhead speed -- and with my size (I'm 5'11" and approx. 210 lbs) and the techniques taught by Mark in the Body Golf series -- I probably can generate above average club speed. However, I'm still not sure whether I should get regular flex or stiff flex for my clubs. I would appreciate any insight you can provide on this issue so I am more knowledgeable when shopping for new clubs. Thanks,Bill Kemple, Jr.

Hello Bill,
The proper shaft flex for you depends on your clubhead speed. The shaft acts as a spring to increase clubhead speed at impact. If your swing speed is slow, then a stiff shaft may rob you of distance because there is too little spring action, but a more flexible shaft will bend more at the top of the swing and on the downswing it will begin to catch up to your hands. As your hands reach the impact position, the shaft “unbends” and springs forward to catch up to your hands, and as a result the clubhead speed becomes greater. A more flexible shaft will not work for those with higher swing speeds because it bends so much that it cannot “unbend” fast enough to catch up to the hands. For people with higher swing speeds, a stiffer shaft will work better because it unbends faster. Be careful, there are a lot of variations in brands, for example a stiff shaft from one brand might flex just as much as a regular shaft from another brand. The best thing to do is to attend demo days at a driving range where you can hit several different shaft types and compare results. Some driving ranges will even let you hit their demo clubs if you pay for a bucket of range balls. If you don’t mind paying a fee, you can get more scientifically fitted by a professional club fitter. When in doubt, decide what is more important to you, distance or accuracy because you might get a little more distance from a more flexible shaft with less accuracy, while a stiffer shaft is less likely to twist and cause the clubface to turn off square, so the accuracy might be better at the expense of a little distance.
Joe

Joe,
I must admit to really enjoying the compilation of dvd's finally with the book. My frustration is that consistency for me is in my faults, not where it should be. The one problem I can't seem to get rid of with my irons is all too often I top the ball, or hit it with the heel. I rarely gain height in my shots. Unfortunately I tend to tense up when this occurs which only further frustrates me. The local golf pro keeps saying that I don't use my legs, if I did all would be well. I toe drag quite well and finish through fine so I just try to concentrate on relaxing. I'll get there one day!
Geoff

Hello Geoff,
Topping the ball can be caused by a number of things, so here are some possibilities. First, if you are trying to lift the ball with your swing, you must change your thoughts into hitting down more sharply at the ball. Strike the ball and then the ground, taking a divot. The ball will then spin up the clubface and go airborne. I am not the first to say in order to make the ball go up, you must hit down. You can see this with a ping pong ball if you give it a downward stroke with the paddle it will rise, and if you hit it with an upward stroke it will dive downward. If you are also hitting the ball on the heel, then a possible cause is having your weight too much on your toes. Try putting a little more of your weight on your heels and you may feel better balance during your stroke.
Joe

Joe,
what do you say to your opponents before a match?
Answer: I tell them I am going to kick their butt, and after that I am going to beat them at golf too (unless, of course, they happen to be bigger than me)

Joe,
I have been golfing for 5 years and have a very good drive, long irons and putting. My whole game goes to the dogs when I have about a 30 yd. pitch or shorter chip, which is sometimes my second shot on a short hole. I don't like to take a divot, but I think I'm not hitting the bottom of the ball by not doing so. Is there a tip out there to help me? I enjoy the newsletter and all the advice.
Thanks, Bette

Hi Bette,
Pitches and chips are the scoring shots that separate the low handicappers from the high handicappers. You can go to any driving range and watch two people banging out impressive shots, but their handicaps may be 5 shots apart and you would not be able to tell which person was better, which means more time should be spent on the short game instead of the long game. In your case, if you do not like taking a divot, that means your swing is a “sweeping” swing that has little margin for error. I would recommend improving your margin of error by striking the ball at the equator with a downward stroke. That way, the ball will spin up the clubface, unlike the sweeping swing which strikes the equator resulting in a low line drive or topped shot. Also on the downswing do not break your wrists, let the hands lead the clubhead all the way into the follow thru.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what do you think about the Taylor Made R7 driver with the adjustable weight screws?
Answer: It’s a screwy idea, but it might be fun to screw around with, as long as you don’t screw up your swing trying to screw the right weights into the right screw holes. It gives a whole new meaning when you hit a bad shot. Instead of saying screw it, you can actually do it.
(note from Joe – Jody, I think you have a screw loose, and it’s not in your driver)

Joe,
I can’t afford to buy new balls all the time, so how long do older balls keep their distance?
Matt

Hi Matt,
One way to tell is to hold a new ball in one hand and another ball in the other hand. On a smooth sidewalk, hold them as high as you can and drop them at the same time and compare how high they rebound.
Joe

Joe,
If Ben Hogan was such a great ball striker, why did he say that all straight shots are accidents?
Ray

Hello Ray,
I have no business speaking for Ben, but here is what I think he meant. If you try to hit a straight shot every time, you will only sometimes succeed. If you can “shape” your shots by deliberately hitting a fade or a draw, then you have taken away the dangers that are on one side of the hole or the other side, and even if the ball happens to go straight you are still safe as long as you are not aiming directly at the dangerous area. This does not mean you need two different swings, you can have the same swing with two different grips, one “stronger” to promote a draw, and one “weaker” to promote a fade. If you think about it, when you try to hit the ball straight you do not really know if it might go left or right, so you can get into trouble more easily because your margin of error is smaller. When you can shape your shots, fairways and greens become essentially twice as wide because you know you are not as likely to miss on the wrong side, so you do not have to aim down the middle, and therefore your margin of error becomes larger to the other side.
Joe

Joe,
Just a quick question, I’m a 2 handicapper and I hit my driver about 290 metres and my wedge 125 the problem is that all my short irons go a long way for a short iron e.g. 8 iron 155, 6 iron 180, but that’s where it stops if I’m 200 out I can’t get there with a well struck 3 iron, what’s the deal there. Thanks for listening and hope to get some feedback.
Phil

Hi Phil,
You must be stronger than a gorilla (or is that you, Lefty? nawwww). Since a meter is about 10% longer than a yard, that means (rounding it off) you are hitting your driver about 320 yards, your 8 iron 170 yards, your 6 iron 200 yards. That begs the question about how far can you hit your 5 and 4 irons, my guess would be (using a rule of thumb 10-15 yards per club) your 5 iron would go 210-215 and your 4 iron would go 220-225 yards. If that is the case I would bench the 3 iron and use a hybrid club or 7 wood instead. Many people besides you have trouble hitting longer irons, that’s why the new sets are coming out with hybrid clubs replacing the longer irons, so why fight it? Just go with technology.
Joe

Joe, since you are such a philosopher, what do you think about human ignorance and apathy?
Answer: I don’t know and I don’t care.

Joe,
I noticed there are a lot of new types of tees available like the “brush” tee to reduce the friction of the ball leaving the tee. Does this really make that much difference?
Harvey

Hi Harvey,
I read somewhere that makes about as much difference as your car being slowed down from a bug hitting your windshield. However, here is an experiment you might want to try. Take one of those rubber cylindrical tees that are used on driving range mats, and cut it to your desired height. Then cut a notch about a quarter inch square at the top. Point this notch toward your target and tee the ball. The idea here is that when the ball is struck, there might be some side friction from the tee to the ball which might reduce sidespin and thus reduce slices or hooks. It might be worth a try.
Joe

Joe,
Three years ago my handicap was 17 now it is 31! I simply can not resist looking up and hitting from the top. I go to the driving range and my swing is fine but I can not take it to the course. After fifty five years of golf maybe its time to give it up. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Best regards, Bob Schuessler

Hello Bob,
Hitting from the top and looking up are both related to a “reverse pivot” which results in your weight ending up on the wrong foot. The Body Golf videos have some excellent drills that will surely correct this, like the toe drag drill and step-thru drill, both of which will assure that you finish with all your weight on the front foot. Once you can do that, it will be easier to keep looking at the ball spot after contact. Also, you must realize that on the range there is no pressure while on the course the fear of a bad shot will make your muscles behave differently. On the range you are swinging every few seconds so it is easy to get into a good rhythm, while on the course you are only swinging once every several minutes, so be sure to take a few practice swings before every shot. Don’t give up, just swing easy and make good contact on every shot. Even if you bogey every hole, that alone will get you back to your original handicap. Best of luck.
Joe

Joe,
My buddies and I had a discussion, since golf is a never ending search for perfection, and we cannot agree on what a perfect round of golf would be, what is your opinion?
Ronnie

Hello Ronnie,
Be reasonable, nobody is going to score 18 for 18 holes. No matter how good a player is, many players can shoot their best round ever and still say there were a few more putts that they could have made. So absolute perfection is an unrealistic goal. Instead, look at it in terms of realistic expectations vs. “successes” or “good feelings” about having achieved something. Unless you play every day, you should not expect to shoot in the 60’s. Unless you play more than once per week, you should not expect to shoot in the 70’s. If you play less than once per week, you probably should not expect to break 90. Those who play only once or twice per month should be happy to break 100. So what brings the good feelings of success? If you have never broken 100, but that is your goal, it is a perfectly good feeling when you finally do it. Even if your score was not your best, but you won a match, that’s a success and a perfectly good feeling. If you don’t have a match, create your own against the course. If you had more good holes than bad holes, that’s a win. If you hit more fairways and / or greens than you missed, that’s a win. If you one-putted more times than you 3-putted, that’s a win. If you avoided lost balls or penalty strokes, that’s a win. Learn to enjoy each of these wins. Even if you did not accomplish any of these things, your misadventures can always get a few laughs during the recap of the round afterwards with your friends. Laughter is the best medicine, a good feeling, and what can be more perfect than that?
Joe

Joe,
Any idea about what happened to Kenny Perry’s swing?
Kenny

Hi Kenny (hmmm, this would not be the real Kenny, would it? nawwww),
KP has an unusual backswing, which supports my theory that the only purpose of the backswing is to arrive at a strong position at the top of the backswing. That position may be different from person to person, so this position is studied carefully by serious golfers. When they are playing well, they have their swing videotaped, and then when they are not playing well, they compare their current swing to their best swing and look for differences. One of the things they seem to believe, which I do not think is so important, is to point the club down the target line at the top of the backswing. I believe there are other things more important to look for, and to focus on that “mannerism” may distract attention to other “fundamentals” that occur during the downstroke. KP and Tiger have both gotten concerned when they viewed themselves “coming across the line” at the top. As we have pointed out before, many successful golfers come across the target line all the time, so maybe that is not the right thing to focus on. I would prefer to look at the path of the downswing, the amount of weight shift, and the position of the back elbow before impact. Good luck, Kenny.
Joe

Joe,
what is the most satisfying thing about golf?
Answer: I agree with Henry Longhurst. The most exquisitely satisfying act in the world of golf is that of throwing a club. The full backswing, the delayed wrist action, the flowing follow-through, followed by that unique whirring sound, reminiscent of a passing flock of birds, this is without parallel in sport.

) Joe,
About 6 weeks ago I was playing well before we went on vacation, in fact I was on the verge of breaking 80 at our home course and played well while on vacation, but as soon as we got back from vacation it was like I left my swing on the plane to go somewhere else? For some reason I have started hitting everything with my shoulders instead of with my arms and hands. I know by bringing my shoulders through first it leads to a direct pull or a serious slice, and I notice now that since I'm not swinging through I'm also hitting off my back foot. I know what I'm doing, but I can't stop swinging with my shoulders, can you help?Chad

Hello Chad,
Everyone has their own favorite swing thoughts, but sometimes they get in the way. In your case, I see no reason why your shoulders, arms, and hands cannot work together rather than separately. Do the double clubber drill as shown in the Body Golf videos, and you will feel a flowing motion starting from the lower body followed by the shoulders, arms, and then the hands. Delay the wrist break as long as possible. Make sure you start the downswing with the lower body, that way you are less likely to hit off the back foot.
Joe

Joe,
i am 13 and i would like to know which is the best make of golf ball and golf club
david
Hi David,
All the major brands of balls and clubs are pushing the limits of technology, so there is no single brand that stands out over all the others. You will see from magazines and web sites that the clubs used by the pros are many different brands. Pick your favorite pros and see what equipment they use. Annika likes Calloway, Phil likes Titleist, Tiger likes Nike, Vijay likes Cleveland, Padraig likes Wilson, lots of people like Ping. If cost is not an issue, and you want to play your very best, get custom fitted whenever you buy clubs. Some people still think new technology is a big advantage, but if that is true, why is it that the average scores for all golfers have not improved for many years? Think about it, it’s just a stick with a hunk of metal on the end. Since you are still young and growing, I would not invest a lot of money at this time because you will be outgrowing your clubs often. If you do not have a lot of money, you can still do very well by getting second-hand clubs from used equipment stores or even from flea markets and garage sales. Try them at a practice range and if they don’t work, just keep trading them in for other sets. Some of these sets are surprisingly good even if they look a little beat up. And if you want to save money on balls, just get a ball retriever and walk along some of the water holes on any course, and you will never have to buy balls again, and you will have many brands to choose from and decide which is best for you.
Joe

Joe,
Are we supposed to leave rakes inside the sand traps or outside the traps?
Andrea

Hi Andrea,
There is no requirement either way. Some courses recommend one or the other. If you leave the rake in the trap, you make it easier for the guys who mow the grass. If you leave it outside the trap, you make it easier for the next person to use (or to trip over). Most courses prefer to leave them in the sand.
Joe

Joe,
which is more strict, the 10 Commandments or the Rules of Golf?

Answer: We had better hope “Thou Shalt Not Kill” is not interpreted by the USGA. It would be a penalty if you take a divot, because you are killing the grass. You usually have to kill whatever food you are eating, even fruits and veggies are a form of life. So I guess in order to avoid a penalty you would have to starve. Also, don’t ever kill any mosquitos, roaches, ants, spiders or any other kind of bug, just let them bite you, or else, as in the Rules of Monopoly, you will be handed a card that says “go to Hades, go directly to Hades, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.”

Joe,
I am 70 yrs.old and 5' 3"and resumed golf after 25 years. My equipment is almost as old as I am. I wish to buy new irons and woods. Do I need graphite shafts and should they be adjusted for my height? At the moment I am not getting any distance. I would be grateful for any help.Bob Ivinson

Hello Bob,
Yes, I think anyone who is going to buy new clubs should get properly fitted, or else your new clubs might not work very well for you. Graphite shafts are not an absolute necessity, but they might help, depending on how you swing. Try to visit a store that has a computerized hitting bay where you hit into a video screen and it tells you how many yards your shot would have traveled, it shows you the ball flight, hooks or slices, and launch angles. Then you can more easily compare results with different types of clubs.
Joe

Joe,
what would you do if you ever won the Lottery?
Answer: I would spend half of the money on wine, women, and song, and then I would spend the other half foolishly.

Joe,
Any ideas on how to get better tempo into the swing? I am smooth on the backswing but seem to want to hurry on the down swing. My back swing looks good until I reach the top and then I seem to want to unload. How do I ease into the downswing?
Scott

Hello Scott,
I think the double clubber drill shown in the Body Golf videos will help to promote better tempo. This drill makes it pretty hard to hurry the downswing, you can just feel the better tempo, so just don’t fight it, go along with it. The more you do it, the more your motor muscle memory ingrains the smoother tempo. Another benefit from this drill is that you can more easily see the path the clubhead is taking at the ball position. Most people are not aware whether or not this path is down the target line or across the ball.
Joe

Joe,
We are starting a new recreational league, and we would rather do something new and different other than the conventional handicapping system. Most of us shoot between bogey and double bogey. Do you have any other ideas on how we can level the playing field and have a little more fun?
Grace

Hello Grace,
Here are some ideas for situations like yours. 1-You can use a modified “Stableford” scoring system where your league decides how points are awarded, for example, 1 point for a bogey, 2 points for a par, 5 for a birdie, 0 for double bogey, and minus one point for higher, that way a disastrous hole will not hurt so much, and pace of play will improve when you fail to hole it for a double bogey, just pick it up. Another idea – play “bingo-bango-bongo” where points are given for the first person on the green, the person closest to the hole when everyone is on the green, and the first person to hole a putt. To be fair, the person furthest away must shoot first. Another idea -instead of handicaps, award a certain amount of “mulligans” per round depending on a person’s average score. Another idea - award mulligans according to their position in the standings, for example, first place gets 1 mulligan for the next week, 2nd place gets 2 mulligans 3rd place gets 3, etc., but if you do that, be careful to avoid slow play. Have fun!
Joe

Joe,
I have read and heard in several places that you can hit chip shots just like you hit putts, but when I try that, my club gets slowed down by the taller grass and my chips end up short. If I try to hit it harder to compensate, then the club does not get stuck in the grass and my chips end up too long. How can I fix this?
Adam

Hi Adam,
For chip shots, the putting method only works on short grass. When the grass is taller, you must make the following adjustments. First, change the ball position to the back foot, or even further back depending on how tall the grass is. This allows your backswing to come up out of the taller grass and results in a more descending downstroke which again avoids getting caught in the taller grass. The more you play it back, the more lofted club you will need or else the shot will come out too low. Start with an 8-iron and see what happens. Also you must remember to keep your hands way ahead of the clubhead all during the stroke. Lock your wrists to prevent them from breaking, and your follow thru should end with the clubface still pointing at the hole. Let us know how it turns out.
Joe

Joe, what’s wrong with Tiger’s swing?

Answer: Hey everybody has got an opinion, so here’s mine. He made a curious statement when he revamped his swing several years ago. He said he was getting away with murder by pointing the club across the target line at the top of the backswing. If that is getting away with murder, look at Bobby Jones’ swing, also Phil Mickelson, John Daly, and many others come way across the target line (who says crime does not pay?). Therefore I think he is focusing on the wrong thing, there can’t be anything wrong with that, it only sets the club into a good plane for the downswing path at the ball. There are far more important things to worry about than that. Tiger, if that is what you are thinking, you may be looking in the wrong area, perhaps even messing up other parts of your swing. Go ahead and cross that target line at the top, just like you did at the 1997 Masters, and see what happens.

) Joe,
Can you suggest a drill that will improve my ability to hold my wrist snap until I reach the ball. I know that many times my wrists break before I reach the ball and all my power is gone.
S. M. Werren

Hello SM,
There are a couple of things to try. First, go to the top of your backswing and pause. Then fire your lower body without swinging, the left arm and wrist stay cocked. This is intended to train your upper body to wait a little longer. Another drill is to again go to the top of the backswing and this time complete the swing in slow motion without breaking the wrists at all. Then repeat this increasing the speed each time, remembering to keep the wrists from breaking at all. When you try this at full speed, you may discover it is impossible to complete the swing without breaking the wrists, but you will have delayed the wrist break as much as possible.
Joe

Joe,
I have noticed one of the reasons for slow play is the fact that players of lesser ability refuse to play from the forward tees. I suppose it would be too embarrassing for guys to play from the “ladies tees”. Any ideas on how to solve this?
Andy

Hi Andy,
You are right, if other male golfers in a foursome are not playing from the forward tees, then it would take some courage for a short-hitting guy to walk up to the forward tees, he would get a lot of giggles. I suppose it is possible for courses to impose restrictions on which tees you must use based on your handicap, but each golfer must decide what gives them the most enjoyment out of the game. Do you really want to have a chance to hit greens in regulation without having to use fairway woods for every shot? If so, go ahead and play the back tees and live with your higher scores. If not, swallow your pride and move up to the shorter tees, which by the way, should no longer be called the ladies tees because there are a lot of ladies who can hit the ball farther than a lot of men, and I am sure these ladies do not use the forward tees.
Joe

Hi There,
I am a weekend golfer averaging between 83 and 90 per round...if I can just pin point my problem with my driver I'm sure I'll be able to lower my scores...the problem is that at the driving range I hit my driver almost perfectly every time ...but when I get to the tee I seem to pull my drives which is extremely frustrating .....what do you suggest I do to solve this annoying problem......maybe I'm trying to hit too hard ...maybe I'm turning too early ...I do not know .......driving range it works...on the tee it does not.....please suggest some drills that I can do to correct this.
Kindly
Saadiq

Hello Saadiq,
Some drills that will work are shown in the Body Golf videos, such as the double clubber and the toe drag. Many golfers find that everything seems to work better on the range than on the course, and there are 3 main reasons for this. First of all, if your range has rectangular mats, they help your alignment, while on the course you don’t have this help, so whenever possible, go to a range that has grass tee areas and align yourself to specific targets. Secondly, on the range there is no pressure, no penalty for a bad shot, so the muscles are more relaxed. On the course, muscles behave differently when the pressure factor is in play. Thirdly, on the range you are swinging every few seconds, so it is easy to get into a ‘groove’, while on the course you only swing once every several minutes, so it is harder to maintain this groove. I suggest on the range to get a mindset the same as on the course. Put a little pressure on yourself by picking a target, and tell yourself that unless you hit it at the target, you are going to deny yourself one of life’s many simple pleasures for the day, like watching TV or surfing the internet, or whatever penalty you choose, just to add a little fear factor.
Joe

Hello, I was excited when I saw the title of your ezine on 8/3 'thumb and palm' because I have had a reoccurring problem with my left thumb (I'm right handed golfer). The problem is a pain after play sort of like I've been stressing that joint. My game is ok (just need more practice to keep the cobwebs away), handicap about 6.1, but my thumb is sore all the time. Are you familiar with this complaint? Anything I can do... I don't like bowling!!!thanksdave baehr

Hi Dave,
If your thumb has no pain unless you play golf, then your grip may need adjustment. If you have not already been experimenting with different grip styles, I would suggest trying the ten finger grip, no overlapping or interlocking of the fingers, and weaken the left hand position to take the pressure off the thumb. Your handicap indicates you are a good golfer, so your ball flight must be fairly consistent. If you can strike the ball solidly and consistently with a different grip, and the thumb no longer hurts as much, then just learn to live with whatever new ball flight tendency you might have as long as it is consistent. The weaker left hand position may lead to a fade, but if so, you may be able to compensate with a stronger right hand position.
Joe

Joe,
did you ever have an omen that you were going to have a bad round?
Answer: Yes, I once lost my ball in the ball washer on the first tee.

Joe,
Greetings and Salutations. Hi My name is Brian Varley. I watch the Golf Channel over here in Britain. Dave has had a clinic on putting recently. However he did not cover my own method which was used by Sam Snead. When the system of putting -Croquet style was banned, Sam went over to the 'Side Saddle' method. Now I have used that for 30 years and find it the best because, it is like bowling, and skittles. There is no movement across the body, just a straight line through the putt. There is no turning of the hands after the putt has been struck. I still cannot comprehend why it has not been seized on by the golfing instructors. Your comments would be welcome.
Brian the Lion

Hello Brian,
Most people are too embarrassed to try different things, but the embarrassment goes away when the putts start to fall. Sam Snead and Ben Hogan were two of the best who ever played, but both of them, as well as many other golfers, lost their putting touch in their later years, so they had to do something. In Sam’s case, the side saddle method worked for him, and I commend you for also having the courage to try it. I myself have tried lots of different methods because I was never satisfied with my putting. I decided to have a series of contests to determine which method was best for me. You need the pressure of a contest or else everything seems to work well on the practice green. I tried different grips, different putters, different stances including side saddle, and the clear winner, and I repeat, the CLEAR winner, was the belly putter with left hand low like Vijay Singh (even though Vijay has now gone back to a conventional putter). Here is the reason this works for me. My hands would not work together consistently, one hand would always overpower the other and I never knew which one would do that (this may be one of the main reasons for The Yips). The belly putter method removes this problem by reducing the hand action. Anyway, there is no guarantee this will work for you, you must have your own contests and see which method is best for you, including the side saddle. Best of luck.
Joe

A Bit of Golf Trivia:Which golfer has a reputation for being one of the best ball strikers ever? Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Greg Norman, Moe Norman?

It's Canadian pro Moe Norman, winner of over 50 events in Canada. Moe was called “Pipeline” because he hit the ball straight every time. Ben Hogan, who believed all straight shots were accidents, watched Moe on the range one day, and kept saying “accident” after every one of Moe’s shots. After awhile, Ben gave up and told Moe to just keep hitting those “accidents”.

Moe’s comments on the golf swing:
"Why am I called the greatest ball-striker? Because I have the least moving parts. I keep it simple."
"Stay within yourself. I never swing 100 percent. Most of the time, it's 80 percent. Sure, you can swing 100 percent and the ball will go further, but it's work. Swing easy. Golf isn't a game of violence. Just bump it !"
"With a short backswing, you can't get off line. How can you not hit it straight when you do that?"
Moe’s comments on the mental side of golf:
"Be your own best friend. Have a good attitude. Don't let the game eat you – you eat the game. When you step up to the tee, be glad you're up. Don't be afraid."
"I never got mad at myself. Why? Because getting mad only makes you swing worse."
"Golf isn't supposed to be work. It's to have fun. So have fun!"
"Golf is easy. People make it hard."

Joe,
I have a problem on the course with my irons, in that I'm hitting them higher but shorter in distance. I use to hit my PW 120 yards; 9-130; 8-140; 7-150; 6-160; 5-170; 4-180; and 3-190 yards. Now, my irons distances are 20 yards or more less, but my shots are straighter and more consistent than before. I'm just wondering what I'm doing wrong and how I can fix this because of the changes in distances I'm having trouble hitting the greens with my irons. I practice a lot but again those distances fluctuate. Please Help.
Thanx,
Mike

Hi Mike,
I am guessing you noticed this when you got a new or different set of irons. This happened to me when I began using a different set. There are two reasons for this. The lofts are different from brand to brand, and also a more flexible shaft tends to send the ball higher than a stiffer shaft. Now if you tell me your “problem” happened all of a sudden with the same set of irons, then I have to ask if you have changed your swing recently. If so, you have to tell me how you changed it before I can comment any further. Actually, this may not be a bad thing if you just trust your new distances since you said you are straighter and more consistent. I would think you should be able to hold more greens with higher shots. Golf is a control game, so don’t get caught up in the macho mentality that you must hit your irons farther than everyone else.
Joe

Hi Joe,
This is probably a beginner's question, but that's about where I am. I've got a problem I was told was common to women golfers. It doesn't matter which club I use, seven iron or driver, everything I hit goes about 125 yards (the blessing is that I hit straight). This is fine on an executive course, but frankly, I have distance envy. Any tips??
Thanks,
Barbara

Hello Barbara,
If clubhead speed is too slow, then all clubs will hit the ball about the same distance. To increase clubhead speed, I would recommend a more aggressive weight shift on the downswing together with a delayed whipping action from your wrists. This means it would help to build up your wrist strength any way you can. Some examples would be pushups, or lifting hand weights with your wrists, with as many repetitions as you can stand every day. Gene Sarazen used to be a carpenter, and he attributes his distance to the hand strength he developed while hammering nails. Actually, a good drill would be to get on your knees and hammer some nails into a board sideways, or along the same path as your golf swing. I hope this helps you.
Joe

Joe,
I am a somewhat forgetful person, I leave wedges at the side of the green and forget to pick them up after putting out, and I sometimes move my ball marker for someone else’s putt, and then forget to move it back to the proper spot for my putt. Any ideas on how to overcome this?
Josh

Hi Josh,
There are two ways to remember to pick up your chipping club, one is to leave it in the direction of your bag so after you putt out you might trip over it, and the other is whenever the flagstick is pulled and laying on the green, lay your club on top of it, so whoever puts the flag back will say “hey whose wedge is this?” About the ball marker, whenever you have to move it for someone else’s putt, put a tee in your hand and keep it there until it is your turn to putt, and then you can ask yourself “Why is there a tee in my hand? Oh, now I remember, I have to move my marker”.
Joe

Joe,
Just a few words to let you know that when I receive your tips via e-mail I practice them and  find them to be a great help. Now can you help me on this part of my game, When driving I get very little run on the ball. i.e. when the ball lands it stops within a few yards, I have tried many different makes of balls but to no avail. Can you please help?
Keep up the good work and thank you.
R Webb.

Hi R.Webb,
I do not think the type of ball matters on running drives. Course conditions are the primary factor. Your course probably has soft fairways. Now if you tell me everyone else’s ball runs farther than yours, then they must be hitting it lower than you. More information is needed here, like how far do your drives carry in the air? If you are a short hitter, do you hit your average drive high or low? If you are a long hitter, and you are usually in the fairway, you are doing great, who cares about roll anyway? Do you have this problem also on dry rock-hard fairways that are downhill and with the wind? If you do, then the golf spirits must have put a curse on you. (Jody says you should quit using a sand wedge for your drives).
Joe

I constantly hit behind the ball. I think I am casting early. Any thoughts or drills you can recommend in order to fix this swing flaw. Thank You
John Adams, Birmingham, AL.

Hello John,
Casting is a possibility, also this can be caused by trying to lift the ball. Lifting never works. Think more about just making contact and let the loft of the club do the lifting. Two things that can help this problem are a more aggressive weight shift on the downswing and at the same time try to hit the ball on more of a steeper downward path. You are doing it right when you strike the ball first and then take a divot. This gives you a better margin of error when you hit down because the ball will spin up the clubface even when you make contact at the equator. If you are not hitting down and you strike the equator, you will hit a low line drive or grounder.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, I just got hooked on golf when I hit one long and straight and out of sight. Why can’t I do that all the time?
Answer: Because the first one was a fluke.

Joe,
I BEEN PLAYING ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW (WEEKEND PLAYER). I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO READ  THE GREENS. WHAT TO LOOK FOR. SO I CAN IMPROVE MY GAME.
THANK YOU
RONALD 

Hi Ronald,
Reading the green starts when you are still on the fairway. First look at the overall terrain and see which direction rain water will likely flow off the green. Putts are likely to break generally in that direction. When you are on the green, without getting in the way, try to read other people’s putts and see if the results were the same as you expected. Watch Jim Furyk and others who use the “plumb bobbing” method of dangling the shaft to see if the hole appears perpendicular or tilted to the shaft. On a practice green, take notice if most of your reads tend to play too much or too little break in both directions. If the grass appears to be growing all blades in the same direction (called the “grain”), the putts will likely break in that direction. Faster greens and downhill putts break more than slower greens and uphill putts.  I hope this helps you.
Joe

Joe,
Secrets are noted by teachers here and there, such as Hogans' secret, but recently a book by a young man who shagged balls for Ben indicated that it was not the supination of the left wrist but rather the "driving of the right knee" toward the ball along with the right side as a unit. Any more info on this?
Bill

Hi Bill,
All of us are built differently, so a “secret” move for one person may or may not work for another person. Many times a “magic move” will work for awhile, and then it will stop working and you won’t know why. There are a lot of things going on during a golf swing, and sometimes a magic move will result in aligning your muscles in a good way. But your muscles are changing every day, some stronger, some weaker, in different combinations, so it stands to reason that many of these “secrets” fall in the category of “Mannerisms” which are different than “Fundamentals” which are more important. For example, in Hogan’s case the supination of the wrist is a mannerism that leads to the fundamental of lining up the club shaft on the same plane with the leading arm for the downswing. The driving of the right knee is the mannerism that leads to the fundamental of shifting the lower body weight from the back leg to the front leg. If you only think of the mannerisms without the fundamentals, then you have to guess how much or how little to supinate the wrist or how hard to drive the knee. By thinking of the fundamentals instead, you can get rid of that guesswork.
Joe

Joe, which golf rules would you change?:

Abolish stroke and distance penalties and provisional shots. Nobody should ever have to walk back to replay a shot, that is against the pace of play. Think, USGA, think!

Take the luck factor out of the game. Allow free lift from divots because landing in a divot is only bad luck. No difference between loose impediments or obstructions, neither one of them belongs there anyway. If you can move a dead animal, you should also be able to remove a live animal, which is against today’s rules. Dumb, real dumb.

Get rid of the penalty for the ball accidentally moving when addressed. What is the big deal? No advantage gained, no penalty. If that could be a new rule, that would make it more of a game of skill, and less of a game of chance.

People who have never broken 100 should be able to improve their lies anywhere, anytime, even use a tee until that magic number is broken.

Get rid of the term “ladies tees”. The forward tees and all other tees should be according to skill levels. There are ladies who hit the ball farther than men, and men who cannot hit the ball as far as ladies. This would speed up play if those who shoot higher scores were forced to play from the forward tees.

There should be no penalty for giving advice. Pros get advice from their caddies, while the average golfers who cannot afford caddies are not allowed to ask anyone, or even use an inaccurate optical device. Get serious, why would you ask an opponents anyway, they might give you bad information, and your well-meaning buddies are probably guessing as much as you are. Get rid of stupid unnecessary rules like this.

Joe,
Recently I've developed a hard pull to a hook with my driver, my thinking on this is that I may be to stiff in my swing and not doing a good job with my weight transfer. The only problem with trying to correct is not wanting to mess with my swing until I'm sure thats the problem. Look forward to your response. Thanks much, and keep up the great tips in the newsletter.
Don
 
Hi Don, 
I think you are right in deciding not to mess up your swing just for a driver. That suggests you are hitting your other clubs OK. If this is true, simply find a different driver because they are all so different. Recently, a reader was hitting all clubs OK except the driver which was going to the right, the opposite problem from yours. We suggested to get a heel-weighted driver to correct this, and I am guessing your driver may be heel-weighted, causing your pull-hook. Try some of the jumbo drivers that are not heel-weighted and let us know how it turns out.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what bothers you the most about the people who believe all the rules of golf are good rules?
Answer:  They can vote and they can breed.

Joe,
This makes me really mad. Why is it that things always seem to work on the practice range but do not seem to work as well on the golf course?
Andrew
 
Hi Andrew,
It’s all about pressure. On the practice range, there is no pressure, since there is no penalty for a bad shot.  Also since you are swinging every few seconds, your muscles can get into a good rhythm.  On the course, it is several minutes between each shot, so there is less rhythm and that makes it easier to tense up. Tense muscles do not work the same as relaxed muscles.
Joe 
 

Joe,
I have a practice area in my yard that is 130 yards long. It is a steady up hill of about 25 to 30 feet above my feet. How do I determine the true distance for this up hill lie. Is there a formula?
If you could answer this question I would be grateful.
Thanks, Rick Rhodes

Hello Rick,
I do not know of any formula, but if I were you I would already know which club I usually use for 130 yards, and then hit several balls with that club in your yard and measure how far short your average shot ends up. On the course, always take at least one more club whenever you notice the slightest uphill approach, and if it is rather steep, consider taking two more clubs, also factoring in the wind and the type of lie that you have.
Joe

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JOE.
THE QUESTION IS "HOW DO YOU SLOW DOWN YOUR SWING"? I HAVE BEEN SWINGING TO HARD FOR 45 YEARS WITH MY IRONS AND WOODS.
THANKS,
RON S.

Hi Ron,
After 45 years I think your motor muscle memory may be so ingrained, that it may be hard to “unlearn” your quick swing, but here is one thing you can try. The Body Golf videos have a tempo drill called the 2-club drill. If you do that drill every day, your tempo will eventually become ingrained and you will have then trained your body to swing with the same smooth even tempo that you seek. There is no way you can swing too fast with the 2 club drill, so just go with the flow and enjoy.
Joe

Joe,
I heard you can get more distance by hitting a draw rather than a fade. Why should it make any difference which way the ball curves?
Ron

Hi Ron,
A draw or hook is caused by the clubface being slightly “closed” at impact, so the loft is decreased, which is like hitting the ball with a lower numbered club. Similarly, a fade or slice is caused by the clubface being slightly “open” at impact, so the loft is increased, which is like hitting the ball with a higher numbered club.
Joe

Joe,
For 40 years I have played with persimmon woods--Wilson Staffs with steel shafts, regular flex. Great clubs that refused to die. Finally I put them out to pasture and bought a new set of metal woods because everyone said I needed new technology on my side.
Well, these new woods are fun to play with, and they have graphite shafts with lots more flex action. The Hammer driver is 10 degrees, and I hit the ball much further and higher with them--great for clearing tall trees. BUT, I tend to push the ball right with a natural swing--no slice--just to the right. I can easily over compensate and hook it but that solves little. I never did this with the old woods with steel shafts. The ball usually went straight with just a slight controlled fade that I liked. Only the Hammer Driver tends to go right--the 3-and 5-wood are fine whenever I connect.
Seems like a very fundamental correction is needed. My feet are pointed correctly, in line with the fairway, but the ball goes right. What should I do to correct a push right that is a straight ball all the way out? Any suggestions would be appreciated
Ed

Hello Ed,
I had the very same problem when I first tried the new jumbo drivers, and I found that the larger heads were harder to get squared to the ball at impact. So I attended a few “demo days” to see if there was any difference between brands, and yes there are differences. I found that the problem goes away with “heel weighted” drivers. In fact, some of them are so heavily heel-weighted that you may have to fight a hook. Examples are the John Daly Loco Crazy Long, and the Cleveland Launcher. You can try adding lead tape to the heel of your current driver and that might help you.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, how can you say the rules are too complicated? Can’t you read?

Answer: I guess the pros can’t read either, because they are always asking for rulings and holding up play until an official shows up.

Joe,
I would like to know why is it that the pros do not play like we do, just one player no help from a second man (caddy) and do their own thinking and find their own distance to hit or to put, I always taught that golf was one on one not two on two. What do you think about that I asked that question many times and so far so bad I never had an answer maybe I'll get one from you. Thank you.
Roger

Hi Roger,
You make a good point, it does not seem fair that the average golfers cannot use devices that measure distance, but pros can have caddies who can tell them the exact distance to the half-yard. Furthermore, golfers who cannot afford caddies do not have anyone to read greens for them, or forecaddies to find their shots in the rough, or have anyone to ask for advice (not supposed to ask opponents). This is why I feel recreational rules should be different than tournament rules. In defense of the pros, look at it like a race car driver who has a pit crew as a support function just as a caddie is a support function in formal competition. It would be pretty funny to see a race where the driver has to fill his/her own gas and change his/her own tires.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, in my opinion, golf is a game of integrity, so if you do not follow all of the traditional rules, you have no integrity. How do you justify not following all the rules?

Answer: You must be one of those people who turn yourself in to the police every time you drive 5 mph over the speed limit, and insist on getting a ticket, after all, you broke the rules. If you don’t do this, how do YOU justify it, where is YOUR integrity?

Joe,
What do you think about too much technology and illegal clubs?
Ted

Hi Ted,
Appendix II Section 4 of the official Rules state that the club must be plain in shape, yet some of the new putters look like Lunar Landing Modules, and they are deemed legal, so I think some of the rules are laughably inconsistent. I feel that if technology makes the game more enjoyable for you, then go for it. You just have to understand that if you ever want to play in formal competition, you must be careful to follow the rules. If you are just a recreational golfer, it really does not matter. Most putts are missed by misreading them, and no high tech putter will ever help that problem, even if you stroke the putt perfectly. Consider major league baseball allowing only wooden bats, but metal bats are allowed for all other levels. You can apply the same logic to golf. Unless you are playing in formal competition, use any kind of club you want and enjoy the game to the fullest.
Joe

hi joe,
I've recently changed my swing, making it simpler, with less thinking parts -- it's basically a straight head and spine, swing back and down. this has improved my consistency tremendously and i've managed to cut about 5 strokes off my score within the first 4 rounds of play. the only problem I have (other than putting, which is a constant) is with distances. The new swing, while accurate, is killing my judgement. as a guide, i've dropped about 15-25 yards a club from the 9 iron up. the pitching wedge is less severe, with only a 5-10 yard loss, so that's no issue. the other wedges I carry -- 51*, 56* and 60* -- have kept their usual distances. so i continue the upper body workout, and pushups, the core training and also work the quads for stability, and stretch like a cat out of bed. still no difference -- and to make matters worse, i now have jumping distances. it could be inaccurate distance markers, but i now occasionally get both my regular distance and the new swing loss of distance. The swing is not an upright swing ... neither is it flattish. it's about 45-50* at the top of my backswing. i used to hit my 7-iron 165-170yds. With the change and in spite of the training, i get anywhere from 143-150yds (when it low) to 170yds. i'm thinking that this new swing, while rhythmic and stable and accurate, is slow in swingspeed than its flattish predecessor (which causes the occasional pull/hook). which is the other thing i should bring up -- i still occasionally forget to focus and pull/hook the shot and the distances then are normal. So i guess the question i'm really asking is -- how do i increase swingspeed without compromising accuracy. like i've said, i've worked really hard each evening and i get no results. i've done religiously the simple dumbell drill that richard that advised some weeks back and while I feel stronger and more confident, i'm not seeing any results. and as you will surely concur, 143-150yds on a 7-iron is pathetic. i've lost even more distance with my driver ... from a regular 275-290 yds previously to only 230yds at best now. help please?!?
best regards,
cd

Hello CD,
Since I cannot see your swing, I can only suggest some possibilities. Your new swing has improved your scores despite your loss of distance, so your control must be vastly improved. Extra distance might cause you to lose that good control, but all of us golfers are never satisfied we want it ALL, right? Good for you, let’s see what we can do. First of all, you can call your current swing your “A” swing that you can always come back to when other “B” or “C” swing experiments might fail. I am assuming you are using the same clubs as before. If you are using different clubs, that might account for some or all of the distance loss. If that is not the case, your loss of distance could be “casting” or “hitting from the top”, which means your downswing uses up your wrist action too soon. Try delaying the wrist snap until the last possible instant before impact. Also make sure your lower body weight shift is aggressive, and extend your follow-thru fully.
Joe

Hello,
In your golf tips one of the tips say “You are separating your hands at the top of the backswing.” How do you correct this, what do you look for at the top of the swing.??
Jimmy Walker

Hi Jimmy,
With a proper grip, I don’t see how the hands can separate at the top of the swing unless one of the hands is letting go of the club. Whatever grip style you are using, interlock, overlap, or ten-finger, try the other two to see if they are better suited for you. If the problem persists with all 3 grip types, there are a number of drills you can try. First, swing the club back and forth several times with one hand, and then the other. This should train your hand muscles to hang on to the club. Notice the amount of wrist break with each hand, because if you use too much wrist, that might cause one hand to slip a little. Next, try a normal backswing and stop at the top and check your hands for slipping. Get the feel for starting the downswing with good hand control. When you get the feel for that, the only purpose of the backswing is to arrive at that position. Good luck!
Joe

Joe,
I have played golf once per week for many years, so I should be getting better and better, but I am not. I should not be hitting as many poor shots as I do. I don’t understand why. Any ideas?
Tim

Hi Tim,
If you play once per week, but you do not practice in between, then it is not logical to assume that things will get better while you continue to do things the same way as always. Nothing is going to get better unless you change the way you do things. If you cannot get to a range in between rounds, just hit some wiffle balls at your local park. At least you ball striking should improve. Have a contest with your current grip against a different grip. Many people think the interlock grip is best just because it is used by Tiger and Jack, however many people find that the overlap works better, and the 10 finger grip works best, despite the perception that it is a beginner’s grip, which is a false perception. Some people are blessed with a lot of natural athletic ability, while others must work at it to get better. Set some realistic expectations. There are not very many low handicappers who play or practice only once per week. On a daily basis, you can do the simple drills shown in the Body Golf videos, and you will be on your way to improvement.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, which shots are your favorites?
Answer: The mulligan, the foot wedge, and the conceded putt

Joe,
I keep reading about how the speed of a green is measured with a Stimpmeter. How does this work, when did they start using this, and who invented it?
Jill

Hi Jill,
The Stimpmeter was conceived by Edward Stimpson back in the 1970’s, but was not accepted by the USGA until 1997. It’s really quite simple. The higher the number, the faster the green. 7 would be slow, 8 would be medium, and 9 would be fast. Tournament speeds are over 10. The device consists of a 36 inch aluminum rail with a notch (to hold a ball) 6 inches from one end. The rail is slowly raised until gravity releases the ball (at about 20 degrees elevation), sending it to roll the remaining 30 inches down the rail onto the green (at a fairly level place) and the roll distance is measured. This is repeated for the opposite direction, 3 balls for each direction. The middle ball for each direction is measured, and the average for both directions becomes the official reading, in feet, so if a green is “stimped” at 9.5, the ball must have rolled 9.5 feet.
Joe

Joe,
I have one question for you. How I make good swing if my body only 165 cm high and 64 kg weight.
Thanx alot
Usman

Hello Usman,
Let’s see, if my math serves me right, you are about 5 feet 5 inches tall and you weigh about 140 pounds. There is no reason you cannot make a good swing no matter how tall or how short you happen to be. You can study the swings of shorter golfers like Gary Player, Ian Woosnam, or Corey Pavin, or you can study the mechanics of the LPGA players, who are living proof that your size is not a factor to be a good player. Another good choice, of course, would be to study the Body Golf videos.
Joe

Joe,
I have been playing golf about 18 months now with a 20 handicap. I am having a problem with distance. When I hit my lofted clubs and wedges the ball flies straight but the ball is really high. I just do not get the carry I feel I should. For instance a 160 yard shot I am using a seven iron. My mid and long irons have good distance but also fly really high.. What in your opinion could be the cause? Also any ideas on exercises that could cure the problem? Thanks for any help you can give.........
Sean

Hi Sean,
This sounds like a nice “problem” to have. Lots of people would love to hit their shots high and straight. You should have no problem holding any green. However, since you want more distance, there are some things you could try. First of all, if you have older clubs, the lofts may be higher than modern clubs. Borrow another set at a range and see if you get the same or different results. If that is not the case, you may need a more aggressive weight shift to the front foot on your downswing. If you are looking for exercises and drills, the Body Golf videos have some excellent examples.
Joe

) Joe,
I would like to know how to handicap, alternate stroke play for a 2 person team. What percentage of a person's handicap is used. This format will be used in a member-member tournament to be played in July in South Carolina. I feel this will speed up play when the temperature is in the 90"s.
Thank you,
Joan Strasser

Hello Joan,
The official rules of golf do not say anything specific about this, so the local rules take precedence. One simple example might be to simply add up the handicaps of both players and use the sum for the team. Personally, I never cared much for alternate stroke play because you are paying two greens fees to play one ball, you only get to hit half the shots. For the money, I would much prefer playing every shot, but that’s just me. Also, if your partner is having a bad day, there is very little you can do to save the team unless you hole everything, and then your partner feels guilty, and then you feel bad, etc. I don’t mean to rain on your picnic, I just prefer the scramble format, that way nobody has to feel guilty for bad shots. If speeding up play is the issue, you can make other local rules, such as max-double-bogey (pick it up if you do not hole the bogey shot), and max 3-putt (pick it up if you do not hole the second putt). Have fun!
Joe

Joe,
The pro's are able to swing smoothly inside, outside to back inside. They are able to open there shoulders very soon. Most everyday golfers slice and never get that swing plane where it belongs. I know there are many gadgets and simple fixes out there for sale. How about a simple training tip for free that can get people swinging on the right track.
Jim West

Hi Jim,
I’m not sure there is such a thing as a “simple fix”, there is so much information available that you never know which piece is best for you. It depends on your individual physique and how you swing, and since I have never seen you swing, I can only suggest a few things. Slices (or hooks) occur when the clubface is not square to the ball at impact, so you may have to adjust your grip. Swing plane could be a factor if the path is not square to the target line. When analyzing a pro’s swing, pay less attention to the shoulders and more attention to the way they execute the downswing, especially the weight shift to the front foot. The Body Golf videos have some excellent drills for this, and for fixing slices.
Joe