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
Thursday, October 21, 2004
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
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
Monday, October 18, 2004
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
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
