Joe, do you believe exercising can help your golf game?
Answer: No, I don’t like exercising and here’s why…
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there too. I found out the advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier. The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again. My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell she is. I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing. I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country. And last but not least: I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump out of my glass.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Joe,
I would like to know what you think of this. Hold your clubs in your right hand the same way you would hold a hammer and use a baseball grip, does that make sense or not?
Yvon Jervais
Hello Yvon,
This does indeed work for many people, but make sure you know the difference between a baseball grip and a ten finger grip. The baseball grip wraps the thumbs around the shaft the same way you do with a baseball bat, but the ten finger grip places the thumbs down the shaft, not around it. When you hold the hammer, do you wrap your thumb around it? Most people do not. I have said this before, but it bears repeating, that Gene Sarazen attributes much of his golfing ability to his job as a carpenter pounding a lot of nails, so it must make sense.
Joe
I would like to know what you think of this. Hold your clubs in your right hand the same way you would hold a hammer and use a baseball grip, does that make sense or not?
Yvon Jervais
Hello Yvon,
This does indeed work for many people, but make sure you know the difference between a baseball grip and a ten finger grip. The baseball grip wraps the thumbs around the shaft the same way you do with a baseball bat, but the ten finger grip places the thumbs down the shaft, not around it. When you hold the hammer, do you wrap your thumb around it? Most people do not. I have said this before, but it bears repeating, that Gene Sarazen attributes much of his golfing ability to his job as a carpenter pounding a lot of nails, so it must make sense.
Joe
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Joe,
The golf course of which I am a member here in Cape Town is set up in such a way where most of the better shots required is a draw. My “natural” shot is a fade and I suppose that I can aim/direct my shots more to the left side of the fairway but in many instances this is even more of a hazard because of the trees that line the fairway. I needed a draw shot in my bag – but also a consistent draw shot! So I went through all my books and magazines looking for the simplest instruction to play a consistent draw.
I found all the – “aim the club head to where you want to hit the ball and align your feet right of target then play your shot along the feet-line”. I also found the stronger grip instruction which does not refer to the feet-club alignment theory.
What I really need to know is if one must use a combination of these tips or just one or the other? Will the draw become a snap hook if the tips are combined? Does one have to play the ball forward or back of centre in the stance? Must the ball be teed up high or low and is it safe to play these shots with the driver or must one rather go for a 3-iron or 3-wood?
The crazy thing of it all is that I worked hard to join my club and when I arrived I was a good 15 handicap and improving. Not having the draw shot in the bag and trying all sorts of aiming techniques has pushed my score returns up as well as my handicap. It’s frustrating when one puts a lot of time into a sport you are really passionate about but the performances is poor. Your “guru” guidance in simple instruction will be very much appreciated.
Cheers.
Andre' Carstens
Hello Andre, and thank you for promoting me to guru.
If you do not want to change your swing, the simplest and quickest way to get a draw is to get a driver that is heel-weighted. Several brands offer these, such as the Cleveland Launcher or the Ping G2. If you cannot afford them, there are older less expensive models of the same brands and other brands that are also heel-weighted like the Loco Crazy Long. However, your comments on the stronger grip should help. The feet-alignment theory is really the same thing because when you aim the club at the target, the instructor is assuming you have not yet taken your grip, you are only placing the club on the ground. Then you align your feet right of target, then you take your grip. The result is a strong grip. It is just like taking your normal grip with the clubface closed. If you always hit a fade, your swing path is probably outside-in, so to hit a draw you must work on swinging inside-out especially on the downswing. You can experiment with different ball positions forward and back of center, most people get better results near center. Tee the ball as high as you can without hitting a popup, usually the equator of the ball is even with the top of the club. Let us know if this helps.
Guru Joe
The golf course of which I am a member here in Cape Town is set up in such a way where most of the better shots required is a draw. My “natural” shot is a fade and I suppose that I can aim/direct my shots more to the left side of the fairway but in many instances this is even more of a hazard because of the trees that line the fairway. I needed a draw shot in my bag – but also a consistent draw shot! So I went through all my books and magazines looking for the simplest instruction to play a consistent draw.
I found all the – “aim the club head to where you want to hit the ball and align your feet right of target then play your shot along the feet-line”. I also found the stronger grip instruction which does not refer to the feet-club alignment theory.
What I really need to know is if one must use a combination of these tips or just one or the other? Will the draw become a snap hook if the tips are combined? Does one have to play the ball forward or back of centre in the stance? Must the ball be teed up high or low and is it safe to play these shots with the driver or must one rather go for a 3-iron or 3-wood?
The crazy thing of it all is that I worked hard to join my club and when I arrived I was a good 15 handicap and improving. Not having the draw shot in the bag and trying all sorts of aiming techniques has pushed my score returns up as well as my handicap. It’s frustrating when one puts a lot of time into a sport you are really passionate about but the performances is poor. Your “guru” guidance in simple instruction will be very much appreciated.
Cheers.
Andre' Carstens
Hello Andre, and thank you for promoting me to guru.
If you do not want to change your swing, the simplest and quickest way to get a draw is to get a driver that is heel-weighted. Several brands offer these, such as the Cleveland Launcher or the Ping G2. If you cannot afford them, there are older less expensive models of the same brands and other brands that are also heel-weighted like the Loco Crazy Long. However, your comments on the stronger grip should help. The feet-alignment theory is really the same thing because when you aim the club at the target, the instructor is assuming you have not yet taken your grip, you are only placing the club on the ground. Then you align your feet right of target, then you take your grip. The result is a strong grip. It is just like taking your normal grip with the clubface closed. If you always hit a fade, your swing path is probably outside-in, so to hit a draw you must work on swinging inside-out especially on the downswing. You can experiment with different ball positions forward and back of center, most people get better results near center. Tee the ball as high as you can without hitting a popup, usually the equator of the ball is even with the top of the club. Let us know if this helps.
Guru Joe
