Joe,
The logic for having rules is to prevent anyone from gaining unfair advantages. Using the same logic, why is it legal to allow a caddie to read a putt for you, or tell you what the exact distances are and what club to hit? Why don’t the rules say you must do this yourself? Aren’t those things a part of your own personal decision-making skills? You are allowed to ask a caddie for exact distance, but you cannot use a “range-finder” device for the same reason, and the device is not all that accurate anyway, so that’s a dumb rule. Isn’t this like a chess player being allowed to get advice from his/her “caddie” in the middle of a match? Isn’t this like a kid in a spelling contest having a “caddie” to give advice in the middle of competition? How is this fair to those of us who cannot afford caddies? I think players should have to make their own decisions as part of their overall skills. What do you think about this?
Josh
Hello Josh,
I think you have a good point. It is not a level playing field for golfers who cannot afford caddies, because you get no help at reading greens, while local caddies have seen so many putts, they know how every green will break. You can have a perfect putting stroke, but you still will not sink many putts if you can’t read the greens correctly. Those who can afford caddies have a definite advantage, not only do they avoid worrying about the read, but also they can blame the caddy for every missed putt while you only have yourself to blame.
Joe
Friday, March 25, 2005
Joe,
I can hit the ball better than my buddies, but they usually beat me because they putt better. I don’t understand why I cannot putt as well as my buddies if they are not as athletic as I am. Help!
Harold
Hello Harold,
Sometimes we overlook the little things. Any one of the following points might make a difference. For example, are you more like Golfer A or Golfer B?
Let’s assume Golfer A and Golfer B have similar putting strokes and they can both read a green equally well, but Golfer A makes more putts and 3-putts less often than Golfer B. How can this be?
Golfer A uses a putter design that is weighted at the toe and at the heel, but not in the center. Golfer B uses a straight blade. Since they both have similar strokes, they both miss the sweet spot on the putter by the same amount. Golfer A gets better results due to a larger sweet spot.
Golfer A has confidence in the read and can concentrate fully on executing the stroke. Golfer B changes the read as he/she stands over the ball (why bother with the original read in that case?). This can result in a tentative stroke due to worrying about the read instead of executing the proper pace of the stroke.
Golfer A aims at a spot on the green on the way to the hole, a spot that is close enough to hit every time. Golfer B does not use an intermediate target.
Golfer A improves touch for distance control during practice by noticing how far the backswing goes for certain distances, and then steps off those distances. Golfer B just relies on feel without thinking about the exact distance. As a result, Golfer A’s second putt is usually 1-2 feet long, while golfer B’s second putt is usually 3-4 feet long.
Golfer A’s putter has a fat grip, Golfer B’s putter has a skinny grip. In both cases, any accidental hand rotation will cause the putter face to rotate off line. Due to the fatter grip Golfer A’s putter face will rotate less off line than Golfer B’s putter.
Golfer A observes the terrain while walking up to the green from 100 yards on in, and can see which way water would most likely drain off the green, because this is the way all putts will break if you are not sure of other reads. Golfer B only reads putts after he/she gets on the green.
Both golfers have the Yips, but Golfer A uses a belly putter, which reduces the effect of the Yips.
Good luck Harold, I hope this helps!
I can hit the ball better than my buddies, but they usually beat me because they putt better. I don’t understand why I cannot putt as well as my buddies if they are not as athletic as I am. Help!
Harold
Hello Harold,
Sometimes we overlook the little things. Any one of the following points might make a difference. For example, are you more like Golfer A or Golfer B?
Let’s assume Golfer A and Golfer B have similar putting strokes and they can both read a green equally well, but Golfer A makes more putts and 3-putts less often than Golfer B. How can this be?
Golfer A uses a putter design that is weighted at the toe and at the heel, but not in the center. Golfer B uses a straight blade. Since they both have similar strokes, they both miss the sweet spot on the putter by the same amount. Golfer A gets better results due to a larger sweet spot.
Golfer A has confidence in the read and can concentrate fully on executing the stroke. Golfer B changes the read as he/she stands over the ball (why bother with the original read in that case?). This can result in a tentative stroke due to worrying about the read instead of executing the proper pace of the stroke.
Golfer A aims at a spot on the green on the way to the hole, a spot that is close enough to hit every time. Golfer B does not use an intermediate target.
Golfer A improves touch for distance control during practice by noticing how far the backswing goes for certain distances, and then steps off those distances. Golfer B just relies on feel without thinking about the exact distance. As a result, Golfer A’s second putt is usually 1-2 feet long, while golfer B’s second putt is usually 3-4 feet long.
Golfer A’s putter has a fat grip, Golfer B’s putter has a skinny grip. In both cases, any accidental hand rotation will cause the putter face to rotate off line. Due to the fatter grip Golfer A’s putter face will rotate less off line than Golfer B’s putter.
Golfer A observes the terrain while walking up to the green from 100 yards on in, and can see which way water would most likely drain off the green, because this is the way all putts will break if you are not sure of other reads. Golfer B only reads putts after he/she gets on the green.
Both golfers have the Yips, but Golfer A uses a belly putter, which reduces the effect of the Yips.
Good luck Harold, I hope this helps!
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Joe,
I have a problem flying shots from a wet
sand trap. please help with some advice.
thank you
john neily
Hello John,
You cannot treat wet sand the same way as dry sand. If
your normal sand shot uses a wedge with a lot of
"bounce" (the sole having the rear lower than the
front), it will not penetrate the wet sand so you are
likely to skull the ball over the green. Try a wedge
with little or no bounce like a lob wedge or pitching
wedge. Many people do not take the time to practice
these shots, but those who do practice them will
understand quickly what works and what does not.
Joe
I have a problem flying shots from a wet
sand trap. please help with some advice.
thank you
john neily
Hello John,
You cannot treat wet sand the same way as dry sand. If
your normal sand shot uses a wedge with a lot of
"bounce" (the sole having the rear lower than the
front), it will not penetrate the wet sand so you are
likely to skull the ball over the green. Try a wedge
with little or no bounce like a lob wedge or pitching
wedge. Many people do not take the time to practice
these shots, but those who do practice them will
understand quickly what works and what does not.
Joe
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Joe,
How does any golfer know which ball is best for them? Every brand says they are the longest, softest, best feel, etc., they can’t all be right.
Bill
Hello Bill,
All the ball manufacturers are already pushing the limits of the allowable specs, so there is not that much difference in performance among brands. The mind is a powerful thing, so if you believe you do better with a certain brand, then maybe that creates a positive attitude which helps your confidence. Pick a ball and stay with it for awhile. If you keep changing types of balls, your distance judgment might be affected if some balls behave differently for you. Realistically, only the low handicap players playing on upscale courses are likely to benefit from the high spin balls. If you have a problem with hooks or slices, a high spin ball might make it worse. A high spin ball theoretically will stop on the green better, but that depends on ideal course conditions. I’m sure you have seen the pros on TV bounce over the green anyway when the greens are firm. The number of layers in ball construction, again, is only important to the low handicappers, it will not make that much difference to the average players. Some players can tell the difference between harder or softer balls, but any ball will feel soft if you contact the sweet spot of your club, and it will feel harder if you miss the sweet spot. If you think a ball is really soft, bounce it off your head and then tell me how soft it feels (just kidding, don’t try this at home).
Jody, my Evil Twin, what is your opinion?
Answer: I think the purists should indeed try that bounce test at home, I suspect they won’t feel a thing.
How does any golfer know which ball is best for them? Every brand says they are the longest, softest, best feel, etc., they can’t all be right.
Bill
Hello Bill,
All the ball manufacturers are already pushing the limits of the allowable specs, so there is not that much difference in performance among brands. The mind is a powerful thing, so if you believe you do better with a certain brand, then maybe that creates a positive attitude which helps your confidence. Pick a ball and stay with it for awhile. If you keep changing types of balls, your distance judgment might be affected if some balls behave differently for you. Realistically, only the low handicap players playing on upscale courses are likely to benefit from the high spin balls. If you have a problem with hooks or slices, a high spin ball might make it worse. A high spin ball theoretically will stop on the green better, but that depends on ideal course conditions. I’m sure you have seen the pros on TV bounce over the green anyway when the greens are firm. The number of layers in ball construction, again, is only important to the low handicappers, it will not make that much difference to the average players. Some players can tell the difference between harder or softer balls, but any ball will feel soft if you contact the sweet spot of your club, and it will feel harder if you miss the sweet spot. If you think a ball is really soft, bounce it off your head and then tell me how soft it feels (just kidding, don’t try this at home).
Jody, my Evil Twin, what is your opinion?
Answer: I think the purists should indeed try that bounce test at home, I suspect they won’t feel a thing.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Joe,
Controversy, controversy. Why can’t we have rules that are clear enough that no controversy is needed?
Cedric
Hello Cedric,
Controversy keeps certain topics in conversation. The more conversation, the more interest there is in the topic, the more news coverage it gets, whether it is about golf or any other topic. Take for example the NCAA football polls, they always cause arguments, which gives the sports talk show hosts plenty of material for their shows. That is why you will probably never see any college football playoffs, it would kill all the lively discussions. That also is the case for college basketball. There is always going to be controversy over which teams make the tournament and which teams were left out. I suppose you could let every team into the tournament, but the first round would be a joke. Instead, I would start the field with the 32 best teams getting a first round bye. The other 32 spots would be “play-in” spots, for which the next 64 best teams would have to win one game to get into the usual field of 64. That means 96 teams would qualify, and there should be little argument from those who cannot make the top 96. Then I would send all the losing teams from that play-in round as automatic entries into the NIT tournament. We could send this to the NCAA and the NIT for consideration, but I think they prefer to have all the controversy too keep the sports talk shows going.
Controversy, controversy. Why can’t we have rules that are clear enough that no controversy is needed?
Cedric
Hello Cedric,
Controversy keeps certain topics in conversation. The more conversation, the more interest there is in the topic, the more news coverage it gets, whether it is about golf or any other topic. Take for example the NCAA football polls, they always cause arguments, which gives the sports talk show hosts plenty of material for their shows. That is why you will probably never see any college football playoffs, it would kill all the lively discussions. That also is the case for college basketball. There is always going to be controversy over which teams make the tournament and which teams were left out. I suppose you could let every team into the tournament, but the first round would be a joke. Instead, I would start the field with the 32 best teams getting a first round bye. The other 32 spots would be “play-in” spots, for which the next 64 best teams would have to win one game to get into the usual field of 64. That means 96 teams would qualify, and there should be little argument from those who cannot make the top 96. Then I would send all the losing teams from that play-in round as automatic entries into the NIT tournament. We could send this to the NCAA and the NIT for consideration, but I think they prefer to have all the controversy too keep the sports talk shows going.
