Golf - Is there only one right way to chip?
Advice comes from those who have had success with a given method. Different people have had success with different methods, so you may hear or read some conflicting advice. No method will work unless you have your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. If you can do that, then the main issue becomes distance control.

There are 3 chipping methods, 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. The only limitation is to be sure the shot can carry over the taller grass and land the ball on the green.

Method 2 - use only 2 clubs to chip (one for minimum loft, one for maximum loft) depending on the amount of loft needed to clear the taller grass. Use the same backswing, but vary the tempo depending on the distance desired.

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 the same tempo.
(see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)

Golf - Why do pros preach fundamentals, yet their swings all look different?
There is a difference between fundamentals (what everyone should do) and mannerisms (individual peculiarities). Most of the mannerisms occur on the backswing, because the backswing’s only purpose is to arrive at a strong hitting position at the top, and if you can do that it may not matter how you get there (right, Jim Furyk fans?). From there, the fundamentals take over, and the downswing happens so quickly that you may not notice the pros’ similarities (lower body weight shift and moving the back elbow in front of the hip before ball contact). Once the ball is struck, the differences in the follow thru positions again are mostly mannerisms (right, Arnold Palmer fans?). (see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)

Golf - 5 ways to advance from being an average putter to being a good putter – 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 execution.

Golfer A putts to 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. Golfer A’s putter face will rotate less than Golfer B’s putter.

Golf - Which is the best ball to use? If you are a low handicapper, you can try the softer high spin varieties. However if you are a higher handicapper, it probably does not make that much difference. You have probably heard advertisements from several different manufacturers claiming that their ball is the best. You also have probably heard that there are rules that limit a ball’s initial velocity, so it is likely that all the major golf ball makers are already at those limits. If they wanted to, they could probably make an illegal ball that goes much further. The pros usually have to play the ball of their sponsor, so how different could all these balls be?
That means if you want distance, any of the major brands will be OK. Some balls claim to have “high spin”. Sounds cool, but if that is true, you can expect to increase your slice or hook, which negates the value of being able to stop the ball on the green more easily. Trying to spin the ball on “public” greens may be futile, because those greens are usually not as soft as the greens on plush private courses, so the extra spin might not make much difference to the average golfer anyway. If you really really like spin, use a ball with a cut or scrape on it (just kidding). If you like more distance, line up the seam of the ball vertically along the target line (not kidding, this also promotes a better roll for putting - supposedly).
Some people claim they can feel a difference in the “softness” of the ball when they hit it. Don’t be fooled by this. Any ball will feel softer if you hit it on the sweet spot of the club, and the same ball will feel hard if you fail to strike the ball on the sweet spot. Some people say they can tell by the sound; gimme a break, does it go “doink” or “squish”? If you think any of these balls are soft, allow me to bounce one of them off your head, and then you can tell me how soft it feels.
They say hard swingers are supposed to use harder higher compression balls, yet some of them prefer to use the Lady Precept for its softer feel (no wisecracks from you perverts out there).
So the bottom line is this: Unless you are a low handicap golfer, it probably makes little difference which ball is better for you. The marketing hype is just playing on your mind. Pinnacle is a very popular ball, but it gets me no better results than a Top Flite. My heart tells me to use Titleist, but my scorecard says it’s no better than a Maxfli. However, the mind is a very powerful thing, so you have to feel confident with whatever ball you are using. If you feel luckier by playing Callaway or Nike, then go for it, the positive attitude will do you good. Me, I’ll just use whatever my ball retriever can dredge up from the nearest ponds, and save the ball money for some extra beers. One more thing, whichever ball you choose, use the same brand/type during a round, or else your distance control might be a little inconsistent.

The best swing aid I have ever seen is the “Freddy-Connect”, for 3 reasons.
It clearly shows you your swing path at contact.
It clearly shows you whether the face of your club is open, closed, or square at contact.
It encourages you to focus on the impact (i.e. keep your head down) so you can observe what the device is showing you.

What Makes You A Success At Golf?

Success can be hard to define, since it is such a relative thing. You must be aware that golf is full of unexpected twists of fate. Murphy’s Law takes effect most of the time, whatever can go wrong will go wrong sooner or later. A perfect-looking shot usually ends up too long or too short, or gets a sideways bounce. Shots that come close to trouble usually get sucked into it. When you have a shot perfectly lined up, you chunk it. The more you root for a putt to drop, the more it tends to veer off line. Just when you think your slice is cured, it comes back whenever trouble is on the right. The wind stops whenever you play for it, and kicks up again when you don’t play for it.

Like it or not, bad breaks are part of the game. You can complain and sulk all you want, but that is not going to change anything. To be a success, challenge yourself to keep your emotions in check no matter what happens. Which is more fun, sulking or chuckling at this futile search for perfection? Do you think you are the only golfer who has strange things happen to them?

You are a success if you can get thru a round without losing your dignity, enjoying your good shots and accepting your bad shots as just part of the game. Enjoy the awesome majesty of a moon-shot popup, the the graceful curve of a banana-peel slice, the feeling of helplessness as the ball heads toward the water hazard, the perfect symmetry of ever-growing circles that the ripples create, the impressive rooster tail from the morning dew being parted by a sizzling worm-burner. Bring it on, Mother Nature, give me your best shot, you are not going to make me lose my cool. If you can do that, the world needs more people like you.

Also enjoy the natural beauty of the course, the magical feeling of a good shot, a good score, or a fortunate bounce (and if you must, say ‘in your face’ to Mother Nature). Above all, be considerate of other golfers. Avoid unnecessary delays. If you are not doing well, make it fun for others. That makes you a success in anyone’s opinion, and they will always look forward to playing with you.

Golf - Why does a hook travel further than a slice?
Since a hook is caused by the clubface being slightly “closed” at impact, the loft is decreased, which is like hitting the ball with a lower numbered club. Similarly, a 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.

The Driver vs. the 3-wood
Times have changed. It used to be true that most people were better off using their 3-wood off the tee rather than their driver. At the time, the size of the club head was not much different. Driver clubheads were only slightly bigger than 3-wood clubheads.
However, the clubheads on the newer jumbo model drivers are so much bigger than the 3-woods, that it might make more sense to try one.
Why? Did you ever notice that sometimes when driving with a 3-wood you will hit a popup, or a grounder, or hit it off the toe or the heel?
Well, with the jumbo driver, you can tee the ball up so high, that it is not likely that you will ever “top” the ball or hit any grounders.
The face is so tall that it is not likely that you will ever hit any popups.
The face is so wide that it is not likely that you will ever hit it off the toe or off the heel.
The only mistake you can make is to hit the ground before you hit the ball.
You can miss the “sweet spot” of the club face and still have a decent drive instead of a flubbed shot. You may hit the ball left or right, but chances are that it will be a tendency either way, and therefore more consistent and predictable.
Let’s say it is a “wash” between the number of 3-wood shots that are flubbed vs. the number of driver shots that go offline enough to get into trouble. The net result is longer tee shots and better scores.

Golf - What is better, a skinny putter grip or a fatter grip? Let's say your hands accidentally rotate 1/8 inch during your stroke. On a skinny grip, let's say this rotation causes the clubface to move 5 degrees away from square. Now with a fatter grip, the same 1/8 inch rotation is a smaller percentage of the grip circumference, and therefore the clubface movement may only be 1 degree away from square. Here is an experiment you can use to challenge this idea. Get a piece of pipe insulation at your local hardware store. This can be easily slipped over your putter's grip to fatten it, and remove it whenever you want. Have a putting contest between skinny grip and fat grip and see who wins, you might be surprised.

Golf - Which are the best drivers? From personal experience, there are two, the Cleveland Launcher 400 and the Ping TiSi. Every other one is a distant 3rd at best.

SWINGFIXER - Golf tips, information on other sports, and life in general. (works in progress)
To see more about me, log on to www.golfteachingpro.com/joedelorenzo