Joe,
I have had problems lining up these new large head drivers with closed faces. Can you explain the proper setup for these? I was used to lining up the bottom of the driver head perpendicular to the target line, now what?
Gregory
Hello Gregory,
Not all drivers have closed faces, so just look around and you can find one to your liking. If you have already purchased this driver with the closed face, and you do not like it, you can always trade it in. If you do like it and you want to keep it, there are two things you can do.
First, you can hold the club an inch off the ground, line up the bottom of the driver head perpendicular to your target line and re-grip while you are doing so. Don’t lay the club on the ground or else it might throw you off again. If this happens to cause a push or slice, then you might be better off gripping with the closed face.
Second, you can change your setup routine. When lining up a shot, I would recommend doing the same thing that “spot bowlers” do, which means they do not look at the pins, instead they aim at a spot on the lane that is aligned with the target. For golf, just stand behind your ball and pick a spot on the ground along the target line a few feet in front of the ball. Then take your stance aligned at this spot without worrying about whether or not the bottom of the driver is perpendicular to the line.
Joe
(got a question, send it to golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)
Thursday, December 11, 2003
For some reason, when I feel that I am properly "stanced" in preparation to hitting a golf shot, my club head over hits the ball; that is, the ball and the head of the club make contact at the heel of the club head.
As a result, even when I fell like I have the perfect stance, and after taking some preliminary swings which feel good, I then align my club head about an inch or two from the ball prior to swinging. This has for the most part accounted for the over swinging and brings the clubhead back square with the ball. I have taken lessons trying to work this problem out, with no success; have practiced ad nausium to correct it, with little success, and finally came to the conclusion that maybe I am rotating on my feet during my down swing which is pushing the club forward as I attempt to hit the ball. Thus, leaning purposefully on my toes at set up has brought me some success but it is not very comfortable trying to hit the ball with that kind of set up.
For the most part, and I do play a lot, I am more comfortable positioning the club head back from the ball at set up, allowing that during my swing, for some reason, the club will advance forward and position the club head squarely with the ball. If I don't do that, I will hit my irons fat, and with my driver will "swing over the ball", thus hitting the ball with the heel of the club head and hitting the ball decidely to the left. I am a right handed golfer.
I want to go back to my days of yore, where I could set up with the club head directly behind the ball, knowing that when I swung, the club head would come directly back through that swing plane.
Anything you can offer in the form of suggestions would be very helpful, I'm sure.
Oliver
Hello Oliver,
There are a number of possible reasons for this. I will have to assume this is true for all of your clubs, and therefore you are shanking your irons. If not, then your set is not matched correctly. Anyway my number one suggestion is to avoid putting your weight on your toes, instead put your weight back more to your heels. This usually solves the problem, but if not, then perhaps your knees are flexed too much in your stance. Just use a little bit of knee flex, not too much.
Posture is very important, so you must extend your derriere backwards to keep your spine in proper position. If the problem still persists, then another possibility is that you were using different clubs during your days of yore. If you still have your old set, try them again and see if there is any difference.
If that does not help, the next thing to try is borrowing clubs with shorter shafts and stiffer flex. Let me know what happens after all this.
Joe
As a result, even when I fell like I have the perfect stance, and after taking some preliminary swings which feel good, I then align my club head about an inch or two from the ball prior to swinging. This has for the most part accounted for the over swinging and brings the clubhead back square with the ball. I have taken lessons trying to work this problem out, with no success; have practiced ad nausium to correct it, with little success, and finally came to the conclusion that maybe I am rotating on my feet during my down swing which is pushing the club forward as I attempt to hit the ball. Thus, leaning purposefully on my toes at set up has brought me some success but it is not very comfortable trying to hit the ball with that kind of set up.
For the most part, and I do play a lot, I am more comfortable positioning the club head back from the ball at set up, allowing that during my swing, for some reason, the club will advance forward and position the club head squarely with the ball. If I don't do that, I will hit my irons fat, and with my driver will "swing over the ball", thus hitting the ball with the heel of the club head and hitting the ball decidely to the left. I am a right handed golfer.
I want to go back to my days of yore, where I could set up with the club head directly behind the ball, knowing that when I swung, the club head would come directly back through that swing plane.
Anything you can offer in the form of suggestions would be very helpful, I'm sure.
Oliver
Hello Oliver,
There are a number of possible reasons for this. I will have to assume this is true for all of your clubs, and therefore you are shanking your irons. If not, then your set is not matched correctly. Anyway my number one suggestion is to avoid putting your weight on your toes, instead put your weight back more to your heels. This usually solves the problem, but if not, then perhaps your knees are flexed too much in your stance. Just use a little bit of knee flex, not too much.
Posture is very important, so you must extend your derriere backwards to keep your spine in proper position. If the problem still persists, then another possibility is that you were using different clubs during your days of yore. If you still have your old set, try them again and see if there is any difference.
If that does not help, the next thing to try is borrowing clubs with shorter shafts and stiffer flex. Let me know what happens after all this.
Joe
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
I have thin hands and arms, what is the best grip ? I currently have a strong grip , otherwise the club gets loose. My arms are as close together so that i complete my swing with arms, shoulders and hands, one compact unit. When i used more right hand , got more distance but the obvious hook or fade. Now i've changed to a more controlled swing using my left arm. But distance has been sacrificed , my 6 irons goes 145 yards. sam
Hello Sam,
The interlock grip must be OK, because that’s what Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus use (I don’t use it for the same reason you mentioned, the club gets loose in my hands during the swing). The overlap grip must be OK because that is what the majority of good golfers use. The baseball grip, if you want to be picky, is a misnomer because when holding a baseball bat, your thumbs are wrapped around the grip, while in golf the thumbs do not wrap around the grip, but point down instead. Hence the term “ten finger grip” is more appropriate, and although it is not as widely used as the other grip types, it is gaining more popularity, and some very good golfers are using it.
It has been said that the interlock grip is most effective for people with smaller hands. I have seen cases where people with larger hands have been using the interlock and have struggled with it, and their games improved when they used a different grip. Personally I do not have big hands but I have never had much luck with the interlock. Most of my life I have used the overlap, which feels most comfortable to me, so for a long time I never considered changing it, but now I am experimenting with the ten finger grip. Why? Because like most people, I am never totally satisfied with my ball striking consistency, so I cannot resist tinkering. So here is what I have discovered, although I admit this is a bit unconventional, and may not work for you, but I like to share new ideas (purists may have a problem with this, but I don’t care because it works for me). Instead of looking where the V’s are pointing, I look where the “lifeline” is pointing.
When I take my stance, I view the circle of the top of my club shaft as a clock, 12 o’clock being up and 6 o’clock being the side closest to my body. Since I am right handed, I place my right hand on the shaft first and notice where my palm’s “lifeline” is on the clock. Then I just snuggle the left hand in. I hit my straightest shots when this lifeline is at 4 o’clock, and if I want to fade I put it at 3 o’clock or 3:30, and if I want to draw I put the lifeline at 4:30 or 5 o’clock. Not only is my ball striking improved, but I am also able to shape the shots much more predictably than before without having to change the way I swing the club.
Most right-hand instruction says to place your left hand on the club first, but if you do that it gets in the way and you cannot see where the lifeline meets the clock on the shaft. Not only that, but then the position of the left hand becomes an unwanted variable which you would not have to worry about if you just snuggle it in when the right hand goes on first. However, if you like placing your left hand on first, I suppose you can find your own way to get the same results. But that’s just my way, unconventional as it may be. I’m not saying this is best for everyone, it is just something to try if you are struggling with other grips. You have to decide for yourself which grip works best for you and how to adjust it. Try them all on the range, especially if you are in a prolonged slump.
Joe
Hello Sam,
The interlock grip must be OK, because that’s what Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus use (I don’t use it for the same reason you mentioned, the club gets loose in my hands during the swing). The overlap grip must be OK because that is what the majority of good golfers use. The baseball grip, if you want to be picky, is a misnomer because when holding a baseball bat, your thumbs are wrapped around the grip, while in golf the thumbs do not wrap around the grip, but point down instead. Hence the term “ten finger grip” is more appropriate, and although it is not as widely used as the other grip types, it is gaining more popularity, and some very good golfers are using it.
It has been said that the interlock grip is most effective for people with smaller hands. I have seen cases where people with larger hands have been using the interlock and have struggled with it, and their games improved when they used a different grip. Personally I do not have big hands but I have never had much luck with the interlock. Most of my life I have used the overlap, which feels most comfortable to me, so for a long time I never considered changing it, but now I am experimenting with the ten finger grip. Why? Because like most people, I am never totally satisfied with my ball striking consistency, so I cannot resist tinkering. So here is what I have discovered, although I admit this is a bit unconventional, and may not work for you, but I like to share new ideas (purists may have a problem with this, but I don’t care because it works for me). Instead of looking where the V’s are pointing, I look where the “lifeline” is pointing.
When I take my stance, I view the circle of the top of my club shaft as a clock, 12 o’clock being up and 6 o’clock being the side closest to my body. Since I am right handed, I place my right hand on the shaft first and notice where my palm’s “lifeline” is on the clock. Then I just snuggle the left hand in. I hit my straightest shots when this lifeline is at 4 o’clock, and if I want to fade I put it at 3 o’clock or 3:30, and if I want to draw I put the lifeline at 4:30 or 5 o’clock. Not only is my ball striking improved, but I am also able to shape the shots much more predictably than before without having to change the way I swing the club.
Most right-hand instruction says to place your left hand on the club first, but if you do that it gets in the way and you cannot see where the lifeline meets the clock on the shaft. Not only that, but then the position of the left hand becomes an unwanted variable which you would not have to worry about if you just snuggle it in when the right hand goes on first. However, if you like placing your left hand on first, I suppose you can find your own way to get the same results. But that’s just my way, unconventional as it may be. I’m not saying this is best for everyone, it is just something to try if you are struggling with other grips. You have to decide for yourself which grip works best for you and how to adjust it. Try them all on the range, especially if you are in a prolonged slump.
Joe
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
i just cannot get my clubface parallel to my left arm on the backswing, its close but not good enough, it causes inconsistency.
Mukesh Singh
Durban, South Africa
Hello Mukesh, it is a pleasure to communicate with someone so far away. Sometimes we focus on a theory that we think is correct for all golfers, such as your comment on getting the clubface parallel to the left arm on the backswing. I have see cases where golfers perform better with the clubface being slightly closed, rather than parallel to the left arm. I would recommend trying instead to focus on getting the shaft parallel with the left arm.
Mukesh Singh
Durban, South Africa
Hello Mukesh, it is a pleasure to communicate with someone so far away. Sometimes we focus on a theory that we think is correct for all golfers, such as your comment on getting the clubface parallel to the left arm on the backswing. I have see cases where golfers perform better with the clubface being slightly closed, rather than parallel to the left arm. I would recommend trying instead to focus on getting the shaft parallel with the left arm.
Monday, December 08, 2003
I have started golf at the age of 61 years. Seeing people hit the ball long distances, I have been trying get the same distance. I get a maximum of around 220 yards with driver. But that too not very consistently. After practicing for several months, I was told that it is becasue of my age that I don't get the desired distance. Do you think this is true? and if not what should I do get a longer distance. Should I slowly increase the speed of the drive in its down swing (I have tried to bring the club down with a greater force. This way I lose control of the stroke and my whole game get badly affected. In fact changing into my normal swing become difficult then. I have therefore stopped trying to get long distances.) Do you have any suggestion?
Sen
Hello Sen,
A forceful swing has less of a chance to hit the ball on 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 slower clubhead speed. For maximum distance, you must save the wrist action until just before impact. This is best demonstrated with a ping pong ball and paddle. How far can you hit the ping pong ball with an all-arms swing compared to using your wrist? 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, followed by a long high follow-thru.
Joe
Sen
Hello Sen,
A forceful swing has less of a chance to hit the ball on 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 slower clubhead speed. For maximum distance, you must save the wrist action until just before impact. This is best demonstrated with a ping pong ball and paddle. How far can you hit the ping pong ball with an all-arms swing compared to using your wrist? 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, followed by a long high follow-thru.
Joe
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Joe, I have been suffering for a long time in perfecting my putting. I have changed the way I putt several times. I discovered that I don't get the direction nor the feel of the distance. This was even after reading quite a few books on putting, but I have not been able to perfect it. I still find it difficult to putt as close as 5 ft away.
This is how I putt. By resting my elbow on my stomach I find that I have greater control on the putter, i.e. the putter moves in a straight line (Earlier when I was not resting my elbow on the stomach I used to find that the putter shakes while striking the ball. Thus making it difficult to keep the direction, and at the same time there was no feel of the direction) With the current technique, I have a better feel of the direction as well as distance. However, I still don't feel confident about putts as short as 5 ft from the whole. Is there any way I can improve my putting?
Prashanta
Hello Prashanta
Most people have a putting stroke that is not steady enough. To prove this, go to any square-tiled floor and see if you can keep your stroke steady along (or slightly inside) one of the lines in the floor. You will likely see the club jittering above and below the line during the stroke. Some people will spend a lot of money on a new putter, thinking that this might solve their problem, but before you waste your money, you must first do something about the steadiness of your stroke.
Here is how I found instant improvement. Recently I was in a Wal-Mart store which had square-tiled flooring, and while my wife was taking her time shopping, I went over to the golf aisle and tried various types of putters along the floor tile line, all of which showed a little jitter in my stroke. Then I noticed for the first time that there were some belly-putters on the rack. I never had tried these things because they were too expensive, but I put it to the tiled-floor test, and I noticed that by pressing the longer shaft against my belly, the stroke really did improve, very steady, no more jitters. It still seemed a bit expensive, so I made my own belly-putter by cutting a hole at the top of my putter’s grip and inserting a piece of broken shaft, making the overall length 43 inches. My next round showed immediate improvement in my putting, so I am sold on this belly-putter idea. I believe the shaft being pressed onto your belly will prevent and eliminate the unwanted wrist actions that make the stroke unsteady. You might want to try one yourself.
Joe
This is how I putt. By resting my elbow on my stomach I find that I have greater control on the putter, i.e. the putter moves in a straight line (Earlier when I was not resting my elbow on the stomach I used to find that the putter shakes while striking the ball. Thus making it difficult to keep the direction, and at the same time there was no feel of the direction) With the current technique, I have a better feel of the direction as well as distance. However, I still don't feel confident about putts as short as 5 ft from the whole. Is there any way I can improve my putting?
Prashanta
Hello Prashanta
Most people have a putting stroke that is not steady enough. To prove this, go to any square-tiled floor and see if you can keep your stroke steady along (or slightly inside) one of the lines in the floor. You will likely see the club jittering above and below the line during the stroke. Some people will spend a lot of money on a new putter, thinking that this might solve their problem, but before you waste your money, you must first do something about the steadiness of your stroke.
Here is how I found instant improvement. Recently I was in a Wal-Mart store which had square-tiled flooring, and while my wife was taking her time shopping, I went over to the golf aisle and tried various types of putters along the floor tile line, all of which showed a little jitter in my stroke. Then I noticed for the first time that there were some belly-putters on the rack. I never had tried these things because they were too expensive, but I put it to the tiled-floor test, and I noticed that by pressing the longer shaft against my belly, the stroke really did improve, very steady, no more jitters. It still seemed a bit expensive, so I made my own belly-putter by cutting a hole at the top of my putter’s grip and inserting a piece of broken shaft, making the overall length 43 inches. My next round showed immediate improvement in my putting, so I am sold on this belly-putter idea. I believe the shaft being pressed onto your belly will prevent and eliminate the unwanted wrist actions that make the stroke unsteady. You might want to try one yourself.
Joe
