Joe - I heard they are going to reduce the distance of all golf balls. What is your opinion about this?

Answer:
I heard the Ohio Golf Association (OGA) is going to have a tournament where everyone has to play balls that are issued to them. I never really understood that there are balls that only benefit long hitters, so that makes if sound unfair that shorter hitters cannot gain a similar benefit. If that is the case, that is not a level playing field. I hear the OGA is also allowing the repair of spike marks. Think about it, it is absurd to allow the repair of ball marks but not spike marks. At last, there are officials out there who are capable of rational thought. That kind of restores my faith in the human race. Maybe the OGA can continue to have progressive ideas, like with today's emphasis on pace of play, abolish the stroke and distance penalty, which could get you thrown off the course by marshals enforcing the pace clock, or by other players who must wait while you march back to hit another ball from the original spot. Don't stop now, OGA, lead the way, there are dozens of other rules that could use improvement.

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what do you think about when you swing?

Answer: I like to keep it simple. For example, in the space of two seconds, this is all I bother to think about. Stance squared, knees flexed, spine straight, grip, elbows in, take the club back with straight left arm, break the wrist when the club is knee high, maintain proper ratio of shoulder turn to hip turn, weight 60% on back foot, maintain knee flex, hands up not too high not too low, shaft points parallel to ground at target at top of backswing, pull down with left arm, shift weight to front foot, back elbow to hip, swing path inside out, maintain wrist angle until just before impact, hit down, fold the front elbow in, extend the follow thru outward, point the belly button at the target, right foot up on the toe, and pose like a statue. And that is just my practice swing, my real swing is a little more complex, but basically that’s all there is to it. (note from Joe – and then of course he hits a 20 yard grounder)

Joe,
I hear lots of advice when hitting to a green, to always take an extra club so you do not short-side yourself. Do you agree?
Dean

Hi Dean,
Not always. I would agree if there were no dangers front or back and the green was not severely sloped, but if the green is sloped from back to front, it is far easier to get down in 2 from the front. It is much harder to stop a steep downhill putt near the hole. Many people not only 3-putt from the back, but also will 4-putt from the back if they leave their first putt short because if they miss the second putt it may roll 4 feet past, and I don’t know anyone who has never missed a 4-footer.
Joe

Joe,
I have tried everything to correct the hitting of my second shot FAT. I've moved the ball up, to the middle and to the back. What do you recommend to help me?
Mickey
Long Beach, CA

Hi Mickey,
Fat iron shots can be caused by a number of things, among the possibilities are improper weight shift on the downswing, trying to scoop the ball up instead of hitting down, a sideways sway on the backswing, or head dipping down during the downswing. As I have said several times before, Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to make sure it remained steady during the swing. Helped his career but gave him a funny looking “do”. Some instructors say it is OK to move your head sideways because it can add power to your swing, but I say extra power is useless if you are prone to hitting fat shots. Keeping the head more steady also helps to prevent overswinging, which is another possible cause for fat shots.
Joe

Joe,
With all the technology improvements in balls and equipment, it is said that older golf courses are becoming obsolete, and people will slowly stop playing them in favor of newer courses. Do you agree?
Aaron

Hi Aaron,
No, I do not agree. Whoever says a course is too short or too easy, ask them if they have ever shot par on it. Chances are they will say no. In that case they have no business saying that. While the techno-geeks may prefer longer courses, there is still a huge base of golfers who do not benefit so much from new technology, so the older courses are just fine for them. Also, the greens fees for older courses are usually lower than fees for the newer courses, so the more affordable courses will always get business from those of us who must watch our budgets.
Joe

Joe,
I get so frustrated with bad shots. I know I can do better because I hit good shots most of the time. How can I succeed in this game?
Sedrik

Hello Sedrik,
Success can be defined in many ways. If you expect perfection, golf will always break your heart. Sam Snead never won the US Open, does that mean he did not have a successful career? Arnold Palmer never won the PGA, was he not a success? Golf is a microcosm of life, neither one offers any guarantees. Golf can be a character builder. It can teach you how to react to adversity, because there will always be adversity, and if you can deal with occasional failure, you can apply this attitude toward other life situations. Golf puts you in situations where a little courage is needed. It lets you dream of the possibilities, so set some personal goals and pursue them, and enjoy the rush of achievement. Golf lets you get away from it all, anticipating the next round on new courses. Appreciate the beauty of nature, and the camaraderie of others. Instead of reprimanding yourself, be able to laugh at yourself when strange things happen, because they always will, you just never know when. Once you understand this, your attitude will improve, and once you begin seeking continuous improvement in whatever you do, you are already a success.
Joe

Joe,
Most of the putts I miss are pulled. I do not want to try anything unconventional to fix this, so I am really concentrating on a perfectly squared stance and keeping my stroke straight back and thru, but unless I try to push it on purpose, the pull is always there. What can I do?
Pat

Hello Pat,
Everyone has natural tendencies. Some instructors will categorize you as a natural push or pull in terms of how many inches left or right (on a 10 foot putt), and then simply tell you to aim that much away from the hole. If that works for you, fine, but in many cases I have found that a squared stance can cause a pull if your ball position is too far forward. Be careful what you consider to be unconventional, open your mind to other possibilities like closing your stance a little by moving your back foot away from the line, and allowing your backstroke to be slightly inside the line. I challenge you to have a contest using this method against your usual method. I predict this new method has a good chance of winning.
Joe

Joe,
I think I have a pretty good putting stroke because I can make straight putts, but I am always mis-reading breaking putts. Sometimes I am not even sure if a putt will break left or right. Is there anything I can try so I can read breaking putts better?
Elmer

Hi Elmer,
Stand on any flat surface (any floor indoors is usually not sloped), close your eyes and notice how your heels feel at the same level as your toes. Also the surface is not causing you to lean to keep your balance. Then find a sloped surface like a driveway or sidewalk and do the same drill. You will probably feel your toes higher or lower than your heels depending on the slope. You will also notice you have to lean a little bit to keep your balance. This also can work on a putting green to give you an idea of which way a putt will break if you are not sure. Another method to try is plumb-bobbing, where you use your putter’s shaft as a plumb-bob by dangling it in front of you as you view the cup. If the cup appears perpendicular to the shaft, the putt is straight. If the cup is tilted, the putt should break in the downward direction of the tilt. It also helps while you are on the fairway to get an overall view of the area around the green to see which way rain water is likely to drain from the green, because putts will generally break in that direction, especially toward ponds or streams. Try these and let us know if they helped.
Joe

Joe,
I am reading in magazines about the “X-factor” where the shoulders are supposed to turn much more than the hips to get extra power. If that is true, why do some instructions say to get a good hip turn, is that not contrary to the X-factor which says to limit the hip turn? Who is correct?
Tom

Hello Tom,
This is one of many areas where people debate which is better, and some of it depends on your body build and your degree of athleticism. Here is my opinion. The X-factor can create some whipping action only if the downswing move is executed properly with the lower body going first. However, rather than limiting the hip turn, I feel you should allow the hips to turn naturally and compare results. I also feel that you can generate even more whipping action with a bigger hip turn as long as your timing on the downswing is correct, again with the lower body going first, as evidenced by the swings of Bobby Jones and John Daly, and how about J.B Holmes who was outdriving everyone in Phoenix recently with a short backswing and big hip turn? Am I mistaken, or did that look a lot like Sensei Mark in the Body Golf videos? This is a good experiment for the practice range, just try varying amounts of hip action and see what works best for you.
Joe

Question - how did Golf get it’s name?

Answer: All the other four letter words were already taken. Actually, I read somewhere that the word was an acronym for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. If that is true, what would the game be called if Ladies had invented it? Maybe “WOMAN” for Women Only, Men Are Nothing, or “GIRL” for Game I Really Love. The answer I like best, however, I saw on a T shirt in the gift shop at Marytown in Mundelein, IL, it said Golf Offers Love & Forgiveness.

Joe,
Different ads for putters illustrate that some putters have a little loft to start the ball slightly off the ground while others are saying it is better to get the ball rolling immediately. Which way is better?
Wayne

Hi Wayne,
In my opinion it does not matter. Sometimes you will notice the pros on TV will chip from the fringe with the flag out of the hole because they are trying to hole the shot. That suggests they could putt almost as well with a wedge as they can with a putter, so a little loft is not a bad thing, right? So do you think anyone will design a putter that looks like a wedge? I think not. Just because a lofted ball might skid, does not mean it will skid off line unless it hits an imperfection on the putting surface. Getting the ball rolling immediately and hitting the same imperfection on the putting surface will likely have the same effect. I figure this debate is mostly due to marketing hype trying to sell different types of putters. A straight putt will stay straight whether it rolls immediately or skids a little. Rather than worrying about how the ball rolls, consider most putts are missed due to mis-reads. Any breaking putt has different lines depending on speed. A putt that dies at the hole will need more break than an aggressive putt that would go past the hole. On a breaking putt, even if you have the perfect putter and you make a perfectly straight stroke on the perfect line, you still miss it if the speed is a little too hard or a little too soft because the break will be different. All you can do is try different styles of putters yourself and see which design gives you more confidence. It is confidence that produces the best results.
Joe

Joe,
What kind of stuff would you like to see in the next golf movie?
Greg

Hi Greg,
I would like to see a sequel to “The Greatest Game Ever Played” to capture some of the interesting true stories in the book that the movie left out, such as the young unknown Walter Hagen’s great effort that came very close to winning the same 1913 US Open which was the venue for the movie. The book also had several other colorful characters that could easily make another movie most interesting. I ask all our readers to send this request in to Disney, maybe if they see enough interest, they might do something about it. Maybe they can call it “Greatest Game – Part 2”.
Joe

Joe,
A golfer must really have to be good to get a single digit handicap. I have some buddies who all hit the ball pretty well, but their handicaps vary greatly. Where is this fine line that separates them?
Steven

Hi Steven,
Let’s say on every hole, golfer A and golfer B hit the same number of fairways and the same number of greens. They each chip and pitch the ball the same also. On each hole they are both faced with par putts in the range of 6 to 10 feet. Golfer A is a scratch player because she makes almost every putt in that range. Golfer B is an 18 handicap because he misses almost every putt in that range. There is your fine line. Nobody will ever be a scratch player unless they can get up and down from anywhere near the green. Even the best pros do not hit every green in regulation, so they must have fantastic short games to survive. Yet most golfers think the way to get better is to spend all their practice time banging balls on the range. Many golfers already hit the ball well enough to just get near the green in regulation, but that’s where the real scoring begins. If you cannot make putts consistently in the 6 to 10 foot range, you have simply got to get your chip shots closer to the hole. Scoring is all about the short game. And as Baretta used to say for emphasis, THAT’s the name of THAT tune.
Joe

Joe,
I am 77 years old. My score usually is hi 90's or low 100/s.My swing speed with a driver is between 74 and 78. Is it possible for someone my age to lower my handicap?
Sincerely
Florian

Hi Florian,
It is always possible to lower your handicap, just how much depends on what your current handicap is. It is harder for lower handicap players and easier for higher handicappers. It has nothing to do with swing speed. At your age that is not a bad swing speed, I hope I can do that when I am 77. Ask yourself these questions:
Do you make every short putt? Do you lag every long putt close to the hole? Do you get your chips and pitches close enough to the hole to give yourself a chance to one-putt? Are you aiming properly? Do you have trouble with sand shots? Are you sure you are using the right grip? Are you sure you are using the best possible setup, stance, posture, ball position? Are you satisfied with your mechanics, backswing, downswing, follow-thru? Are you making the best decisions on club selection depending on the situation? Are you getting the most out of your practice sessions? I can give you answers to all these questions and more, just order the book “30 Ways To Lower Your Golf Scores”, available from the Products link at thinkandreachpar.com.
Joe

Joe,
I'm an older golfer having just taken up golf at 52 about a year and a half ago. I have some flexibility limitations in the shoulder and arms (e.g., can't lift arms above head without a lot of pull on the back). I seem to have a problem I've been unable to fix with regards to stability and maintaining the spine angle. Almost every time I do a back swing, when I try to bring the club around and up, my body lifts up and back in response to this motion. It's almost like falling away, so I lose all leverage in returning the club to the ball. I have begun stretching exercises, but it hasn't really helped yet. I've tried to manufacture tons of different backswings, but with not success.
Larry

Hi Larry,
I do not know if you always had these limitations, or are they due to a recent injury, so for the sake of discussion I will assume you have always had these limitations. I would recommend the next time you go to a practice range, try this drill. Take your setup at a mat with a permanent rubber tee, otherwise just place a tee in the ground. Instead of concentrating on how you do the backswing, just assume a comfortable position at the top and take a downswing. Adjust your position at the top until you find one that results in better balance and consistently strikes the tee every time. Once you can do that, all you have to do is find a backswing that gets you to that same position at the top. Be careful not to overswing on the backswing or else you will have your original problem all over again. I hope this helps you.
Joe

Joe,
I hear conflicting instructions, one that says to keep the head still, and other “experts” that say show me someone who keeps the head still and I will show you someone who cannot play. Which is correct?
Cal

Hello Cal,
Jack Nicklaus had an instructor who used to grab the back of his hair to keep his head steady while he swung. There is a difference between the terms “still” and “steady”. Still means don’t move it at all (which is not correct). Steady means you can rotate it while you keep it in the same place. Some people can also get away with allowing the head to move slightly back during the backswing, but not up or down. If you look closely at Jack’s swing, you will see just before he begins the backswing, his head turns back a little, and then he keeps it steady.
Joe

Joe,
I have read in several magazines that when using the driver you are supposed to tee it very high, play it way forward in your stance, and hit the ball on the way up. I get better results by playing a normal ball position, and so do other people that I know. What is the idea here, and why does it not work for people like me?
Peter

Hi Peter,
The theory behind hitting the ball on the way up is supposed to increase launch angle and reduce underspin which then keeps the ball from “ballooning“ and losing distance. However I think this advice is only for those with very high swing speeds who prefer maximum distance without worrying about accuracy. For people with lower swing speeds there are some advantages to underspin. For one, underspin somewhat cancels out sidespin, thus reducing hooks or slices. Secondly, underspin keeps the ball airborne longer. Thirdly, if you hit the ball too much on the way up, you might give it topspin, resulting in the ball diving instead of rising, like a “duck hook”, thus losing distance. This can also be illustrated with tennis and ping pong balls. Although the recommended ball position for most golfers can vary depending on the club being used, there is nothing wrong with experimenting to see which ball position works best for you, because we are not robots, so there is no one single ball position that is guaranteed to work for all golfers.
Joe

Joe,
Are the terms flying elbow and chicken wing both meaning the same thing?
Trish

Hi Trish,
No. The flying elbow refers to the top of the backswing when the back elbow is too far away from the body. The chicken wing refers to the follow thru when the leading elbow is bent outward, which is always a bad thing that will rob you of power and accuracy. The flying elbow is not always a bad thing depending on how you swing. Although it is not recommended, several good golfers get away with it because their first move on the downswing is to quickly get the back elbow to the hip ahead of the club. Among those who have flying elbows are Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, and John Daly. If you want to avoid a flying elbow, study Vijay Singh, who keeps the back elbow close to the body.
Joe

Joe,
And, as per most of your readers, I also have a question, that has been bothering me for quite a while.... Most surely, you have heard of the golf club known as a "Chipper"... reportedly to be used to "chip" (equipped with a slight loft ) from the frog hairs of the greens, or a slightly longer distance, toward the cup placement. This smaller club also has a wide, flat bottom and appears to look like a putter.
Snuffy

Hi Snuffy,
Yes I have tried one of those Chippers and I found it is only useful from the “frog hair” but not from deeper grass where a lofted iron will work better. Also, if you choose to use one, which other club will you take out of your bag to stay within the 14 club limit? Most golfers can chip just as well with an iron, and since you can also hit full shots with an iron but not with a Chipper, I see very little advantage in using a Chipper. If you really want to try one, you may be able to find it on ebay or a second hand golf shop. If you do find one, have a contest to see if the Chipper works any better than one of your irons. I predict it may work better from the fringe, but not from the deeper grass beyond the fringe. I also predict the Chipper will do no better than a putter from the fringe.
Joe

Joe,
The first move in starting the downward swing has always been a mystery to me! Can you help?
Rherrl

Hello Rherrl,
Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV and you will see the first downswing move is the lower body going forward just before the backswing is completed. This creates a whipping action, maximizing clubhead speed.
Joe