Hello,
I am 63 years old and started golfing right after my retirement in 1992. I am slowly dropping my handicap down from once a 36 to now a 18 yet want to get better. I realize you must practice a lot which I rarely do and that could be the main problem. I would like to get better with my irons without changing a whole lot of things. I have bought numerous videos and golf magazines and after I've watched or read hints to improve my game I get worse. I know old habits are hard to change and I seem to be a little stubborn when things don't go right and go back to what got me where I am at the present. I seem to pull the ball left on 90 percent of my shots where I know I could improve my game if I could only straighten this problem a little. I'm getting a divot before the ball is struck, seems as though I'm taking the club back to fast and dropping my shoulder on the down stroke to get as much distance as I possibly can get with an iron. I think should get me to the green. Usually a 5 iron gets me 150 yards, then a 7 iron does the same thing at times but always left of the green. I try to compensate by aiming right of the flag by a whole lot and the ball goes right where I was aiming most of the time to the right of the green. Yet when I aim at the pin the ball goes left of the green. No consistency what so ever. I know your going to say go practice on a range, but I'd rather be out on the course where I enjoy doing what I like to do. All I want is a tip from you that I can take with me while I'm golfing and improve my game just a little. I know this may seem stupid to you for what I'm asking and what I refuse to do and that is go to a range and hit balls. I've tried this many times before and my game didn't improve, I believe in on the job training while playing cause it's more fun. Three more strokes off my handicap and I'd be happy for now.
Thanks,
Gerald Koski Sr
Hi Gerald,
The mind is a powerful thing, and sneaky too. When you aim at the flag, the mind allows your natural tendency to pull, and when you aim to the right, you mind adjusts your swing to finish to the right, and the ball goes right where you aimed. You may have already discovered the solution to your problem, and many others also have this problem. Convince your mind that if you try to swing down the target line while your body is turning, by the time your club gets to the ball, your body turn causes the path of the club to turn left also, which causes a pulled shot. Your mind already knows when you aim to the right, the ball goes straight, so your solution is to line up at the flag, but do not swing down the target line, direct your downswing a little to the right, and your body turn will bring is back to square, which is down the target line. Let us know how it turns out.
Joe
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Hello,my name is Mike. I’m 13 years old and I love golf. I can hit 200 yards on an average swing but on some swings the ball just goes straight down to the ground and doesn’t hit the fairway. Why is this? Please email me back with your best answer. Thank you.
Hi Mike,
I am assuming you are using a driver with a deep face. If you look closely, you can see a bulge in the face, so if you strike the ball high on the face, it will fly high and long. However, if you strike the ball low on the face, the bulge is your enemy because it sends the ball too low. Try teeing the ball as high as you can without hitting popups. If this does not work for you, find a 3-wood with an oversized head. The extra loft might be all you need. Good luck!
Joe
Hi Mike,
I am assuming you are using a driver with a deep face. If you look closely, you can see a bulge in the face, so if you strike the ball high on the face, it will fly high and long. However, if you strike the ball low on the face, the bulge is your enemy because it sends the ball too low. Try teeing the ball as high as you can without hitting popups. If this does not work for you, find a 3-wood with an oversized head. The extra loft might be all you need. Good luck!
Joe
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Joe,
My putting has been scaring the heck out of me....I read the putts and hit the distance but my line is off..Especially short ones...I push, I pull...Is this the yips?...I'm from Kansas City and remember Watson having a similar problem...My buddies accuse me of having a pebble taped to the front of my putter...please help..
Sincerely, Sean
Hello Sean,
It could be the Yips, it sounds like your left and right hands are fighting each other for control. When one of them wins you push your putts, and when the other hand wins, you pull, and you never know which hand will win. Here is a way to force them to work together. Take your Driver (yes, your Driver), which is about the same length as a belly putter. Put both hands low on the shaft, and press the shaft onto your belly, wherever it is comfortable. You will be surprised how smooth your putting stroke becomes, because when the shaft is anchored into your belly, the hands cannot fight each other. When you see the improvement, you can either invest in a belly putter or make your own by simply cutting off part of the rubber top of your putter’s grip and inserting any type of shaft extension down into the hollow shaft of your putter. Even a wooden dowel will work, or a piece of broken shaft that already has a grip on it. Also, you can experiment by gripping the club different ways to see which is best for you, like reverse overlap, left hand low, hands split apart, etc., almost any grip will work with a belly putter. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Joe
My putting has been scaring the heck out of me....I read the putts and hit the distance but my line is off..Especially short ones...I push, I pull...Is this the yips?...I'm from Kansas City and remember Watson having a similar problem...My buddies accuse me of having a pebble taped to the front of my putter...please help..
Sincerely, Sean
Hello Sean,
It could be the Yips, it sounds like your left and right hands are fighting each other for control. When one of them wins you push your putts, and when the other hand wins, you pull, and you never know which hand will win. Here is a way to force them to work together. Take your Driver (yes, your Driver), which is about the same length as a belly putter. Put both hands low on the shaft, and press the shaft onto your belly, wherever it is comfortable. You will be surprised how smooth your putting stroke becomes, because when the shaft is anchored into your belly, the hands cannot fight each other. When you see the improvement, you can either invest in a belly putter or make your own by simply cutting off part of the rubber top of your putter’s grip and inserting any type of shaft extension down into the hollow shaft of your putter. Even a wooden dowel will work, or a piece of broken shaft that already has a grip on it. Also, you can experiment by gripping the club different ways to see which is best for you, like reverse overlap, left hand low, hands split apart, etc., almost any grip will work with a belly putter. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Joe
