Joe,
I cannot hit a pitch shot to save my life. I have tried everything. I understand the basics and I try to execute properly, but I either blade it or chunk it? What can I do?
Pete

Hello Pete,
Lots of people have this problem, because the pitch is a very unforgiving shot, either you execute it right or the results are terrible. Try different ball positions, a little further to the front foot or back foot, also closer to or further from your body. Experiment with a more upright swing arc while keeping the body very steady. If you have already tried all that, here is another idea that sometimes works, but I cannot guarantee if it will work for you. Sometimes the club itself is part of the problem. Compare the length of your wedge shafts with your friends’ wedges, you might find that your shaft is too long for you. Even if it does not seem too long, have the shaft shortened by at least one inch, maybe more, and have it regripped with a fat jumbo grip. The shorter shaft brings you a little closer to the ball, and the fat grip should help control. If you don’t want to alter your club, find an inexpensive used wedge that has a shorter shaft and compare results. Let us know how it turns out.
Joe

Joe,
I get really frustrated by slow play. Can anything be done?
Sam

Hi Sam,
If you are speaking of competition, then your marshals need to apply penalties to those who are causing delays. If you are speaking of recreational golf, then your local courses need to make some new local rules because if they don’t do this, they will lose money for several reasons. First, golfers will not return to a course where play is slow. Second, the slower the pace, the fewer the number of people that can be on the course at the same time. A quicker pace allows more golfers to play. Third, if the only solution the course can think of is to have their marshals push the pace clock, that will only make people angry, and less likely to return to that course. Here are some local rules that could help solve the problem for recreational play:
..No stroke and distance penalties. Instead, drop where a ball went out of play, the same way as a lateral water hazard.
..No provisional balls, since they are no longer needed (previously only needed for stroke and distance penalties which would no longer be in effect).
..Do not use the “honors” system. Instead play “ready golf” and hit whenever you are ready, as long as you are not distracting another player by doing so.
..Do not mark scores at the green, get to the next tee before you mark scores.
..No penalties for long putts that happen to strike the flagstick. This avoids wasted time waiting for someone to walk over and tend the pin, and then go back to read their own putt.
..Line up your putts from behind the hole while others are putting. When it is your turn, you can only line up your putt from behind your own ball. This avoids wasted time waiting for people to walk back and forth.
..People who cannot keep up with the Pace clock must pick up after 2 putts, and also pick up if they cannot make double bogey.
I am sure our readers have other similar good ideas, let’s hear them! Nobody likes slow play, so let’s help to fix this problem!
Joe

Joe,
I've been playing golf for almost 3 years now. I'm still having a problem in achieving consistency in my swing as a result of severe over-swing problem. I have also been trying several methods to resolve the problem but still unable to get rid of this bad habit. Do you have any good advise or method that I could practice to eliminate this bad habit of my golf swing!
TksChris

Hello Chris,
Habits can be hard to break, so let’s try a different approach. Next time you are on one of those driving range mats with the permanent rubber tee, go to the top of your backswing and pose like a baseball player waiting for a pitch. Do you feel that you are in a strong hitting position? If not, adjust your posture, you must feel comfortable here. Make sure your weight is on your back foot. Check the shaft to see if it points toward the target parallel to the ground. From this position, see if you can strike the rubber tee every time. If you cannot, then try a different posture at the top, for example, do not let the shaft reach parallel, which means your backswing will have to be shorter. If you can view yourself in a mirror it will help. When you find a posture at the top that works for you, then the only purpose of your backswing is to arrive at that position with a nice smooth tempo.
Joe

Joe,
My putting is erratic. What is the best putting grip and how can I check myself for proper alignment?
Greg

Hi Greg,
The most popular putting grip is the reverse-overlap, but some people have also had success with other types of grips including regular overlap, ten-finger, split hands, left hand low, index finger down, and the “claw” (different variations used by Mark Calcavecchia and Chris DiMarco). One way to test what is best for you is to use a square tiled floor as a guide. Using a putter that has an aiming line on top, position that line along a floor tile line and take a stroke, while watching how the line on the putter follows the tile line. Is it steady or does it wobble too much? Whatever grip/stroke keeps you closest to the tile line may be best for you. It is normal for the backswing and the follow to move slightly inside the tile line. To check your alignment, again use the tiled floor where the tile lines intersect. First, hide the intersection of the lines with a piece of paper or cardboard and place your putter in the address position, aiming down the tile line. We are going to use the vertical tile line to check that your clubface alignment is perpendicular to the target line. Have someone pull out the piece of paper and see if your putter face is lined up straight with the vertical line. Do this several times to see how consistent your aim/alignment is. The next step is to place a ball along the tile line and see if your stroke can keep the ball rolling along the tile line. You may be surprised to find that you have a tendency to pull or push your putts. If you cannot keep the putts straight along the tile line, then try to keep the putter square to the hole all during the follow-thru. Have another person behind you to verify whether or not the path of your stroke is pulling or pushing the ball off line. Try this using different putting grips to prove which one is best for you.
Joe

Joe,
I seem to pull all putts. The best I can do is not look. Please help!!Sam

Hello Sam,You have already provided a clue. When you don’t look, you don’t pull. Trust your line and execute your stroke, keeping your blade square to the target. If you look up too soon, your blade may no longer be square to the target, thus causing a pull. After the ball is struck, keep staring at the spot where the spot where the ball used to be. Don’t look up until you have completed your follow thru with the blade still square to the target, even if you can’t wait to see if you made the putt. Don’t worry, nobody is going to move the hole while you are not looking.
Joe

Joe,
I have a question, When I start the down swing do I pull the club through With my left side? I know my power comes from my right side but I've been pulling the ball to the left, I hit it solid but left, not all the time but enough to cause me problems.I'm 72 years old and I don't have the club head speed I used to have. I've been play golf for about 50 years.
Thank you
Jim

Hi Jim,
Different swing thoughts work for some people but not all people. If pulling down with the left side causes pulled shots, but it also improves your ball striking, then all we have to do is to cure the pull, because good ball striking is most important. If you are pulling down along the target line, don’t forget that your body is also turning at the same time, which means by the time your club gets to the ball, the turning action is no longer down the target line, but instead it starts to turn to the inside, which will cause a pull. Try to adjust by pulling down on a path that is inside out. Then your body turn will bring you back to square at impact.
Joe

Question: How many purists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answers:
-Two, one to recite and oversee the proper procedure while the second guy removes the old bulb and marks the spot with a coin while the power is still on. Then the first guy makes funeral arrangements.
-It takes 2 or 3, one to hold the lamp upside down while another holds the bulb with arm extended at shoulder height and tries to drop it into the socket. After 3 attempts you are allowed to call an electrician.
-I just spent over an hour searching thru the rule book, and I cannot find anything that describes how to do this. We will have to call an official for a ruling.
-None. That is my spouse’s job and she is not a purist. (burp) Honey, another beer please while you are getting the bulb, and hurry up, it is dark in here.
-And the winner is…You know how a good idea is signified by a light bulb going on over your head? Well, there are some purists out there whose bulbs definitely need to be changed, but they won’t allow it.

You Make The Call:
After watching his putt stop at the lip of the cup, a frustrated golfer kicks the shaft of his putter and bends it a little. Then he taps in. Is this a penalty? Why or why not?


Answer - You cannot use a club that has been altered or damaged other than during the normal course of play (a display of temper isn't considered normal). The Rules call for disqualification.

Conclusion - If nobody is looking, you can cuss up a storm, uproot the ball washer, tip over your golf cart, use the flagstick as a javelin, and you can continue to play, but if you bend your putter, the purists will hunt you down and descend upon you, and drag your sorry carcass off the course.

Joe,
Why do instructors say that a harder swing can result in less distance?
Larry

Hi Larry,
A harder swing has less of a chance to hit the “sweet spot” on your clubface. An easy swing that hits the sweet spot will send the ball farther than a hard swing that misses the sweet spot.
A hard swing may cause improper weight shifting, which may reduce your clubhead speed. Proper weight shift from the top of the backswing starts going from the back foot to the front foot before the downswing begins, setting up the power of a whip without extra effort.
Clubhead speed at impact is the sum of arm swing and wrist snap. A hard swing usually starts the wrist action too soon when the downswing begins, so there is no more acceleration added from the wrist by the time the clubhead gets to the ball, resulting an “all arms” swing and overall slower clubhead speed. For maximum distance, you must save the wrist action until just before impact. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, and you will see the wrist snap is held back until the last possible instant. That is why most of the pros may look like they are swinging very easy, but they still generate a lot of clubhead speed with that last-second wrist snap.
Joe

Joe,
what would you do if your girl friend dressed up in a really sexy outfit and told you to tie her up and do anything you wanted?
Answer: I would tie her up and then go play some golf.

Joe,
Please help me because I am desperate. I am shanking nearly all my chip shots and short pitches from every distance whichever technique I use yet I seem to be okay with the longer pitch shots.
Frank Orrell

Hello Frank,
Shanking usually results from your weight being too much on your toes. Try standing a little more on your heels. Try a more upright backswing because a flat swing can cause shanks. Also compare the length of your wedge shafts with your friends’ wedges, you might find that your shaft is too long for you. Even if it does not seem too long, it might help to have the shaft shortened by at least one inch, maybe more, and have it regripped with a fat jumbo grip. The shorter shaft brings you a little closer to the ball, and the fat grip should give you more control. If you don’t want to alter your club, find an inexpensive used wedge that has a shorter shaft and compare results. I hope this helps.
Joe

Question,
Maybe you can help me understand shifting weight. When I try to go to the right side on the backswing and the left side on the follow-through, I move off the ball and mis-hit it...
An instructor said to keep the lower body still and turn the upper body, but when I do that I don't get any distance and feel that I am not shifting my weight properly....Help!

Answer - In your case, I would recommend starting with your weight already on the back leg, that way you do not have to worry about shifting back and off the ball. It is much more important to shift your weight properly on the downswing, and you can do that by pushing off the inside of the back foot to start your downswing.
Joe

Joe,
I was told that I should get a driver with a longer shaft because it will give me more distance, but whenever I try a longer shaft, my distance is actually less. How do you explain this?
Linda

Hello Linda,
This is one of those theories that seems to make sense, but it only works if you can strike the sweet spot of the clubface every time. A longer shaft also theoretically makes it harder to hit the sweet spot because the ball is a little farther away from you. Any shot that misses the sweet spot will not go as far as a shot that hits the sweet spot, so if the shorter shaft allows you to hit the sweet spot more often, then that would be a better choice.
Joe

Joe,
I thought it was supposed to be a Fundamental to have the club pointing at the target at the top of the backswing, but I see photos of Phil Mickelson, John Daly, and even the great Bobby Jones pointing the club way across the line. How do you explain that?
Pete

Hello Pete,
In my opinion, that is a mannerism, not a fundamental. It sure does look picture perfect when someone can point the club straight at the target, but that is no guarantee to result in a good shot. Starting from the top of the backswing, what happens next is an inside-out swing path, which the body turn brings to a square path at the point of contacting the ball (like a swinging door). When you think about the plane for an inside-out swing path, pointing it across the line at the top only helps to put the club on that plane, so I do not see anything wrong with that, as long as your results are good. If, however, you have a hook problem, then you might be pointing it too far across the line, but most people slice, so this idea may help to cure it.
Joe

Joe,
I am getting contradicting information about different ways on how to hit chip shots. Is there only one right way to chip?
Charles

Hello Charles,
Different people have had success with different methods, so you may hear or read some conflicting advice about which method is best (most methods agree on proper setup, so we will skip that). They all have one thing in common. No method will work unless you keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. If you can do that, then the main issue becomes distance control.

Here are 3 chipping methods for distance control, find the one that works best for you.

Method 1 - use the same stroke and tempo, knees to ankles, for all distances, just change the club to adjust for longer or shorter shots. This usually works best for those who have enough confidence in their stroke that they never hit it fat or thin, they can hit the sweet spot every time.

Method 2 - use only 2 clubs to chip (one for minimum loft, one for maximum loft) depending on the amount of loft and carry needed to clear the taller grass. Use the same backswing, but vary the tempo or acceleration depending on the distance desired. This usually works best for those who have a good sense of touch.

Method 3 - use only 2 clubs to chip depending on the amount of loft needed. Vary the length of the backswing for distance control, and keep a consistent tempo. This usually works best for those who do not have enough confidence to rely on touch.

The Evil Twin’s Purist Corner – Point and counter-point:
Point – (Mantra) – A rule is a rule and you cannot change the rule because all rules are good rules.
Counter-Point – Not all rules are good rules. Lemmings have a rule, if the first lemming marches off a cliff into the sea, then all the following lemmings must do the same (or else they might be penalized?).
In this case, if I were a lemming capable of rational thought, I might be tempted to get a parachute and life vest, or to consider breaking the rule (gasp!).

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

Joe, what kind of courses are your favorite and least favorite?
Answer – I like uncrowded courses that are not too expensive. Unfortunately these can be hard to find. What I really do not like is when I get talked into going to an upscale course, and two guys grab your bag out of your trunk before you can get your shoes out. Then you park your car and pay your greens fee and if you are lucky you can find your clubs somewhere on a motorized cart about a half kilometer from the practice area. You might be wearing your best golf outfit, but compared to everyone else you look like a commoner. Then you finally get to the first tee and then you get a lecture from a "course host," who has more stories than Mother Goose, and finishes by admonishing you that if your cart leaves the cart path, or if you cannot keep up with the Pace rules, you will be asked to leave. Having to stay on the cart path usually means a six-hour round, but they put you on the time clock anyway. Then another host takes pictures of your group and tries to sell them to you. Then you have to decide which of the 5 sets of tees to play. Then you finally get onto the course and then the beverage cart girl drives up, and if you order something and hand her a 5, she looks hurt if you ask for change. At the turn the least expensive fast food is a gourmet sandwich for $7 and a $3 drink, and don’t forget the tip. When you are done, whether you like it or not, a couple of kids grab your bag and start cleaning your clubs, and of course you will feel guilty if you don’t tip them too. Then a guy drives up in a golf cart and offers to take your clubs to your car. Where does it end? When you drive to the exit, there might be a guy who politely asked if you enjoyed your experience here, are we supposed to tip him too? These places are for people who say “Tally Ho the Fox”, but not for people like me who prefer to say “There goes the little *!@#$%”. Suddenly the local muni does not seem so bad.

Joe,
But one thing which has been bothering me is that I have a severe problem of hooking the ball, so I have to compensate for it while taking a shot but the problem is that sometimes it doesn’t hook at all and I land up out of bounds, I request you to please help me overcome this problem and advise some remedy to it ................... What the HELL am I doing wrong .Regards Kabir

Hello Kabir,
Since I have never seen you swing a club, I can only give some suggestions. First of all, do you hook only your driver or all your clubs? If only the driver, then trade it in for another model. I have seen many cases where drivers are so different that the same swing can produce a hook with one driver and slice with the other. Secondly, if you hook all your clubs, then I suspect your grip may be too “strong”, meaning the V’s formed by your thumb and forefingers are pointing beyond your back shoulder. Adjust your grip so that the V’s are pointing between your head and back shoulder. Some people even point them at the chin. What kind of “compensation” are you doing? If it is the grip position that I just described, then thirdly I would look at your swing plane, I suspect it might be too flat. Try a more upright plane and see if that helps.
Joe

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