Joe,
I have a debate with my friends over which is more important to think about, the backswing or the downswing. What do you think?
Bobby
Hello Bobby,
Although both are important, I think the downswing is much more important. The purpose of the backswing is to arrive at your best hitting position at the top, so if you fail to do that it will make it more difficult to hit a good shot. However, even if you make a perfect backswing, you can still mess up the downswing by improper weight shift, flying elbow, hitting from the top, coming across the ball, looking up too soon, etc. Therefore, my vote goes to the downswing being more important. Baseball players would agree because they have no backswing, they just set up in a certain position at the top of the backswing, and control the rest of the swing from there. If you are struggling, do this drill. Start at the top like a baseball player and make sure you are doing the right things on the downswing, like shifting your lower body weight to the front foot and bringing your back elbow in front of the hip, and then completing your follow-thru. Once you get a good feel for that, then just make your backswing arrive at the same position at the top.
Joe
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Question - Two competitors arrive at the green where they notice several ball marks and spike marks around the hole, some of which happen to be in both their putting lines. They both agree this is unfair so they repair the ball marks and spike marks. Is this OK to do?
It is OK to repair ball marks but not spike marks that are in your putting line. Both players are disqualified for agreeing to waive a Rule.
Jody, my Evil Twin, what do you think of that rule?
Answer: Purists are not allowed to use logic. If the players in front of you don’t like you, they can rough up the green with spike marks and then you are at an unfair disadvantage. How come it is legal to repair ball marks but not spike marks? Why is it important to treat them any differently? Where is the logic in that? Huh? Huh? Can’t tell me, can you? OK then admit it, the rule makes no sense, so why don’t any of the rule makers have the guts to change goofy rules that detract from fairness and the enjoyment of the game?
It is OK to repair ball marks but not spike marks that are in your putting line. Both players are disqualified for agreeing to waive a Rule.
Jody, my Evil Twin, what do you think of that rule?
Answer: Purists are not allowed to use logic. If the players in front of you don’t like you, they can rough up the green with spike marks and then you are at an unfair disadvantage. How come it is legal to repair ball marks but not spike marks? Why is it important to treat them any differently? Where is the logic in that? Huh? Huh? Can’t tell me, can you? OK then admit it, the rule makes no sense, so why don’t any of the rule makers have the guts to change goofy rules that detract from fairness and the enjoyment of the game?
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Joe,
I have heard or read in more than one place that in order to improve, sometimes you have to work on swinging a certain way and accept the idea that you will get worse before you get better. How long do you have to wait before you stop getting worse and start getting better?
Wong
Hello Wong,
Life is too short to accept getting worse for any period of time. I do not agree with those who say you must swing exactly a certain way, because everyone is built differently and therefore may have to swing a little differently in order to get better results. Of course there are certain fundamentals involved, but executing those fundamentals may look a little different from one person to another. If you are correctly executing certain fundamentals, at the very least you should not be getting any worse than you already were when you were swinging incorrectly. Maybe if you told me which swing aspect you were told to execute, then I could tell you how important or unimportant that aspect may be compared to other aspects. Imitating the way the pros swing can mislead you by looking at the wrong part of the swing because some swing actions are not really fundamentals, they are only mannerisms. For example, people make fun of Jim Furyk’s swing, like it is a one man game of twister, but what you are seeing on the backswing are mannerisms, while on the downswing Jim has excellent fundamentals, just like all the other pros.
Joe
I have heard or read in more than one place that in order to improve, sometimes you have to work on swinging a certain way and accept the idea that you will get worse before you get better. How long do you have to wait before you stop getting worse and start getting better?
Wong
Hello Wong,
Life is too short to accept getting worse for any period of time. I do not agree with those who say you must swing exactly a certain way, because everyone is built differently and therefore may have to swing a little differently in order to get better results. Of course there are certain fundamentals involved, but executing those fundamentals may look a little different from one person to another. If you are correctly executing certain fundamentals, at the very least you should not be getting any worse than you already were when you were swinging incorrectly. Maybe if you told me which swing aspect you were told to execute, then I could tell you how important or unimportant that aspect may be compared to other aspects. Imitating the way the pros swing can mislead you by looking at the wrong part of the swing because some swing actions are not really fundamentals, they are only mannerisms. For example, people make fun of Jim Furyk’s swing, like it is a one man game of twister, but what you are seeing on the backswing are mannerisms, while on the downswing Jim has excellent fundamentals, just like all the other pros.
Joe
Monday, May 30, 2005
Joe,
Why is a belly putter supposed to be any better than a regular putter? What advantage is there, if any?
Bill
Hi Bill,
Some people can putt just fine with a regular putter, others get “The Yips” where the two hands are fighting each other for control. Sometimes the left hand wins and sometimes the right hand wins, resulting in poor consistency of the stroke. The belly putter eliminates this problem because by anchoring the butt end of the shaft against your belly, the hands have no choice but to automatically work together smoothly, especially when you grip with your hands lower. I highly recommend golfers who get The Yips should try the belly putter. You do not have to buy one, you can make your own by cutting a hole in the top of your grip. Since the shaft is hollow, you can add an extension for any desired length (even a wooden dowel will work). If you still do not wish to do that, you can simulate the anchoring action with your regular putter, just pin either one (or both) of your elbows to your hip and make the stroke with your shoulders. If you are getting The Yips, you have nothing to lose, so it is definitely worth a try.
Joe
Why is a belly putter supposed to be any better than a regular putter? What advantage is there, if any?
Bill
Hi Bill,
Some people can putt just fine with a regular putter, others get “The Yips” where the two hands are fighting each other for control. Sometimes the left hand wins and sometimes the right hand wins, resulting in poor consistency of the stroke. The belly putter eliminates this problem because by anchoring the butt end of the shaft against your belly, the hands have no choice but to automatically work together smoothly, especially when you grip with your hands lower. I highly recommend golfers who get The Yips should try the belly putter. You do not have to buy one, you can make your own by cutting a hole in the top of your grip. Since the shaft is hollow, you can add an extension for any desired length (even a wooden dowel will work). If you still do not wish to do that, you can simulate the anchoring action with your regular putter, just pin either one (or both) of your elbows to your hip and make the stroke with your shoulders. If you are getting The Yips, you have nothing to lose, so it is definitely worth a try.
Joe
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Hi Joe,
this is a strange game, and as we all know, our games evolve (for better or worse) constantly. as a beginner i struggled with duffers, toppers and slicers. all of which were a result i guess from acombination of bad technique and too much lower body and head movement. to solve the slice and after watching one of nick faldo's videos, i flattened my swing plane ever so gently until i hit astraight ball for about 3 months. straight as a rocket it went and when i added some hot sauce on it, i upped my driving distance from 200m to an average of 260m, with max hits at 290m. then I started drawing the ball. lovely sight, those, especially when it is controlled. but a strange thing happened. the right to left shot which i replaced with a straight and then a softly drawing shot which went more and more left. i started fighting the dreaded pull, which led to hooks. i'd say this now -- i'd rather slice the ball then hook it. i'm sure many golfers can identify with this and if you will, please correct my analysis:the slice was a result of an outside in swing by flattening my swing angle a little, it forced an inside to out swing because i was consciously flattening my swing to prevent the slice, i overdid it and the swing then went in-out-in. this made me adjust my grip a little to open up the face a little (not the right thing to do i know) by adjusting my grip, i second guessed that aspect and that led to an occasional loosening at the top of the swing which led to wild hooks so i revamped and broke down my swing and then i discovered that if you keep staring at the ball and keep your spine angle until after the ball has been struck, the ball goes straight again. but a strange thing happened -- distance loss. from an average of 250-260m on drives, i was barely breaking 220m. so i did multiple pushups and core exercises, to no avail. one day on the course, while getting outdriven by my retired friend who is 20 years older than me, i gave up. had nothing to lose, so all i did was "follow the book": eye on ball, head still, relax, gently swing back and release. 250m. 230m. 260m. 240m. i found my distance again. i started swinging those weighted clubs as well and unless i hit the toe (draw) or heel (fade), i pretty much hit it straight and with decent length now. but something else happened the other day. i was 5-over after 12 holes and then i 3-putted the next two for bogeys. next thing i knew, i got a bogey+double+triple (on a 180m par 3 -- in water) before rescuing the 18th with a one putt bogey. the two 3-putts killed me and i basically choked. What does one do when a good round goes south. how do i recover mentally? i know these things happen, but i'd rather prefer to stop the bleeding earlier. help?
dc
Hello DC, nice to hear from you again. You certainly are a student of the game, but this game gives no guarantees. Just when you think you have things figured out, something changes, and guess what, change is the only constant in golf. That is why you hear of great golfers always revamping their swings. Even Tiger and Jack admit to doing that constantly. Why? Because all our body muscles are always getting stronger and weaker in different combinations. It takes hundreds of muscles working together to execute a golf swing, so you can image what a “house of cards” a golf swing really is. It only takes a few misbehaving muscles to make those cards tumble, so the key is to be able to make adjustments when your results are changing, and they always will change, trust me on that one. The last part of your message had to do with the mental game. Sometimes we get so upset over a 3-putt that it affects our concentration for the next shot. If you allow that to happen, you may never stop the bleeding, as you put it. You can only play the game one shot at a time, so don’t let misfortune get in the way of your mental process for the next shot. Everyone encounters misfortune. Some people deal with it correctly and some don’t. Mental discipline is a must. Those who understand this can stop the bleeding earlier. There is no other way.
Joe
this is a strange game, and as we all know, our games evolve (for better or worse) constantly. as a beginner i struggled with duffers, toppers and slicers. all of which were a result i guess from acombination of bad technique and too much lower body and head movement. to solve the slice and after watching one of nick faldo's videos, i flattened my swing plane ever so gently until i hit astraight ball for about 3 months. straight as a rocket it went and when i added some hot sauce on it, i upped my driving distance from 200m to an average of 260m, with max hits at 290m. then I started drawing the ball. lovely sight, those, especially when it is controlled. but a strange thing happened. the right to left shot which i replaced with a straight and then a softly drawing shot which went more and more left. i started fighting the dreaded pull, which led to hooks. i'd say this now -- i'd rather slice the ball then hook it. i'm sure many golfers can identify with this and if you will, please correct my analysis:the slice was a result of an outside in swing by flattening my swing angle a little, it forced an inside to out swing because i was consciously flattening my swing to prevent the slice, i overdid it and the swing then went in-out-in. this made me adjust my grip a little to open up the face a little (not the right thing to do i know) by adjusting my grip, i second guessed that aspect and that led to an occasional loosening at the top of the swing which led to wild hooks so i revamped and broke down my swing and then i discovered that if you keep staring at the ball and keep your spine angle until after the ball has been struck, the ball goes straight again. but a strange thing happened -- distance loss. from an average of 250-260m on drives, i was barely breaking 220m. so i did multiple pushups and core exercises, to no avail. one day on the course, while getting outdriven by my retired friend who is 20 years older than me, i gave up. had nothing to lose, so all i did was "follow the book": eye on ball, head still, relax, gently swing back and release. 250m. 230m. 260m. 240m. i found my distance again. i started swinging those weighted clubs as well and unless i hit the toe (draw) or heel (fade), i pretty much hit it straight and with decent length now. but something else happened the other day. i was 5-over after 12 holes and then i 3-putted the next two for bogeys. next thing i knew, i got a bogey+double+triple (on a 180m par 3 -- in water) before rescuing the 18th with a one putt bogey. the two 3-putts killed me and i basically choked. What does one do when a good round goes south. how do i recover mentally? i know these things happen, but i'd rather prefer to stop the bleeding earlier. help?
dc
Hello DC, nice to hear from you again. You certainly are a student of the game, but this game gives no guarantees. Just when you think you have things figured out, something changes, and guess what, change is the only constant in golf. That is why you hear of great golfers always revamping their swings. Even Tiger and Jack admit to doing that constantly. Why? Because all our body muscles are always getting stronger and weaker in different combinations. It takes hundreds of muscles working together to execute a golf swing, so you can image what a “house of cards” a golf swing really is. It only takes a few misbehaving muscles to make those cards tumble, so the key is to be able to make adjustments when your results are changing, and they always will change, trust me on that one. The last part of your message had to do with the mental game. Sometimes we get so upset over a 3-putt that it affects our concentration for the next shot. If you allow that to happen, you may never stop the bleeding, as you put it. You can only play the game one shot at a time, so don’t let misfortune get in the way of your mental process for the next shot. Everyone encounters misfortune. Some people deal with it correctly and some don’t. Mental discipline is a must. Those who understand this can stop the bleeding earlier. There is no other way.
Joe
