Joe, I have read many articles that refer to reading the green. grain, but they don't tell you what to look for and give examples. Up hill breaks, downhill breaks what to look for and where to putt to. Please help as this is the only weak part of my game. Thanks Royal III

Hello Royal III,
The first thing to do on every hole is to observe the terrain as you walk up to the green from 100 yards inward. Which way will water likely drain off the green? That is the way putts will break in general if you do not observe any further undulations while reading any specific putt up close. Try the “plumb-bob” method where you stand behind the ball and hold up the putter’s shaft so you can see the hole along the shaft. Does the hole look perpendicular to the shaft, or is there a tilt? The third idea is to aim at an intermediate target, rather than aiming at the hole. You should already have estimated how much the putt will break, so pick a discolored spot on the green along that line and aim at that spot, it is much easier to hit a spot closer than the hole. Find a practice green that has a lot of slope and observe the differing amounts of break on uphill or downhill putts along the same line. Only with practice and observations can you get a feel for this.
Joe

Joe,
Is it a good idea to use a 1-iron?
Ray

Hi Ray,
Lee Trevino says when there is lightning, hold a 1-iron up in the air because even god cannot hit a 1-iron. Jim Murray says the only time he ever used a 1-iron was to kill a tarantula and that took him 7 strokes. Someone else once said a 1-iron goes just as far as any other club, when you throw them.
When I tried it, I found that a 1-iron hits the ball about as far as a fairway wood when I hit the sweet spot, maybe with a little more accuracy, but the sweet spot on a 1-iron is very small, so when I miss the sweet spot, the distance is much less, so in my opinion it is better to use a fairway wood instead.
Joe

Joe, could u explain how to let go of the built up feeling in the muscles in left side in back swing in forward swing for u can feel the twisting feeling in back swing but forward swing u feel nothing.
(no name)

Hi (no name)
If I understand you correctly, the backswing is stretching the muscles in your left side like a rubber band. This is not a bad thing. When you let go of the rubber band (begin the forward swing with a lower body weight shift), power and speed are released. If you feel nothing in the forward swing, it is because the rubber band has been released and there is no more stretching going on. However, I would like to see you extend your follow thru more, or else you might quit on the shot too early. Try to make your right side feel a stretch when you are posing at the end of your follow thru.
Joe

(from a personal friend in the land of the rising sun…)
Joe,
Sometimes, my biggest frustration is when I go through periods of good ball striking and then into a time when I do not think that any part of my swing feels right. When you take the club back and it doesn't feel right, how do you get that back???
Maybe it is just me, but I found that playing with the right feel adds confidence and I know when I am not doing something correctly. Usually, 95% of the time when I hit a bad shot, I know exactly what I did wrong, because I could feel it. I think it is fair to say that when you are playing well, it just feels right. It can be the short or long game only or the whole thing. I know that I have played many a round where I putt great and it all felt like instinct, but my other swings just did not feel right all day or just the opposite.
Maybe I am bringing this up now because for the last month, nothing feels right outside of my short game. There isn't an iron or wood that feels comfortable when I swing and it shows in my ball flight. I still make solid contact with the ball, but I cannot count on where it will tend to go. Normally, when the feel is there, I know exactly where the ball is going to go.
I am sitting around 83 and cannot move lower. I cannot escape this out of body experience.
David from Japan

Hello David,
Feel is an elusive concept. It seems to come naturally to those who are the most gifted with athletic ability and who play several times per week, but many golfers are not so physically gifted and they cannot play as frequently, and therefore they cannot always count on feel, so instead they must concentrate on mechanics. After reading your symptoms, here is something to try on the range:
(Right handers) Use the left arm to start the backswing, take it straight back (and wide) along the target line. While you are taking it back, your hips are turning naturally and comfortably (unforced). Here is where the "single plane" concept kicks in - before you get to the top of your backswing, use your wrist cock to get the shaft on the same swing plane as your left arm. This should help to arrive at a strong hitting position at the top of the backswing. You can experiment with how high your hands are to optimize your ball striking. For me, higher is better, but may not be the same for you, but it is worth a try. Also, if your target line is 12 o’clock, extend your follow-thru toward 1 o’clock.
Joe

Follow-up from David:
Joe,
I have been meaning to write you back and tell you that I worked mostly on only one thing and that was the 1 o'clock image. I have to tell you that it works like magic. I am able to get much more length without losing accuracy. The confidence it has put into my driver swing as well as my other woods is amazing. While I should not get too carried away, I played around with how comfortable this feels and I am able to swing much harder at the ball than I ever have before. Usually, when over swinging, all kinds of bad things happen, but in my experimentation, focusing on keeping my head behind the ball at impact has allowed to keep everything together when I swing max at the ball.
My wife also tried this advice since I had to share this revelation with her. She also thanks you so much.
Your single plane image fits well as I have tried to eliminate my outside takeaway. I finally shot a 79, first time out with this method. Thank you so much for being the swing doctor.
Talk to you later. Best regards,
David from Tokyo, Japan

Joe,
Please explain the reason(s) why men can hit the ball farther than most women. My husband and I went to a local golf shop and were measured for head speed and were found to be exactly the same, however I cannot hit the ball as far as he can.
Thanks,
Sherry Sanders
Birmingham, AL

Hello Sherry,
Uh oh, my evil twin Jody saw this one, and Jody is one of those male chauvinists with a superiority complex. Since he is really loud, I will put his comments in all capital letters, while my comments are in lower case. HEY JOE, THIS IS A TRAP, DON’T GO THERE. Wait a minute, Jody, there may be some other factors at play here, like is the man outdriving the woman by only a few yards or 20-30 yards? OH COME ON, IF THE SWING SPEED IS THE SAME, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE THE SAME. THE READERS ARE JUST TRYING TO STUMP YOU. Maybe not, is the launch angle the same? We don’t know. WHAT IF IT IS THE SAME, THEN WHAT? Then maybe the man is using a club with more C.O.R. effect, like a trampoline. WHAT IF THEY ARE USING THE SAME CLUB? Then the only other factor I can think of is the rate of acceleration at the point of contact. Measuring swing speed is a snapshot which cannot measure acceleration. Whichever club is accelerating more at the point of contact should propel the ball further. WHAT IF THE WOMAN’S CLUB IS ACCELERATING MORE? Jody, what if the woman is using a very light club while the man is using a heavier club, don’t you think the heavier mass would compress the ball more? BALONEY, ADMIT IT JOE, MEN ARE JUST SUPERIOR. Jody, I bet you don’t get a lot of second dates, do you? Ladies, take heart, you are the only ones who can give life, and then you make life worth living. God bless all of you.
Joe

Joe,
Thanks for the all of the tips and the speed in which I received my videos.
As I have begun working on my goal of at least 20 strokes this season, I
wonder if you have any advice about the golf ball itself.
I like many others (I guess) are using balls based on marketing and golf
buddies. Is there a better way to select golf balls? I begun using Strata
"Straight" as a way to avoid my slice. It seemed to work well but I noticed
that the hold on the greens was not there. This is more likely than not due
to my bad short game.
But what are the concerns we should have when selecting ball purchase??

Hi there, all of you who wonder about the types of balls, unless you are a single digit handicap, most any ball brand or type will do. If you really want to get technical about the types of balls, check out the March issue of Golf Digest. I don't get any commission for saying that, I just think there is far too much marketing hype about what a ball can do for you. Consider this - How did the old timers ever shoot under par using balls that were far inferior to today's balls? To answer your questions more specifically, if your goal is to improve by 20 strokes, you probably are only going to accomplish that with improved ball striking and improved short game. Until you do that, your ball selection will not make that much difference. Spin is unlikely to help holding a green unless your course conditions are very good, and most of us play in conditions that are “firm” (like a parking lot), so the effect of spin is reduced. Every now and then I am asked to divulge my tongue-in-cheek “meticulous scientific method” of selecting a ball, but you would not like it, so never mind.
Joe

I have a problem with hitting the ground behind the ball at times. I cannot seem to correct it. Could you give me a pointer on how to correct hitting the "big ball" before the small ball? My game would improve by at least 5 or 6 strokes if I could correct this.
Thanks
Jerry Brown

Hi Jerry,
Most of the time I have seen this problem, it was due to improper weight shift. When your swing is finished, all your weight should be on the front foot. If that is not the case, you must work on this. If that is not your problem, then make sure your head remains steady during the swing. Jack Nicklaus's instructor used to grab the back of his hair before he swung to make sure he knew when he was moving his head out of position. Some instructors say it is OK to allow your head to move sideways, but that is only for people who want extra distance and they already have no problems with ball striking.
Joe

hi joe,
since the last time i emailed you about my duffing problem, i've managed to remove most of it. it still happens -- but not much now. how did i do this? i found a usgtf pro in singapore (67-year old single handicapper), who taught me rhythm and swinging with my shoulders. or and the proper way to address the ball. he suggested i hover the ball, take a rhythmic and slower 3/4 backswing and use my right shoulder to release the club from top. He said hit down on the ball, and throw the release to the right and release low (for irons). the result? straight (or if i prefer, draw or fade) shots. wow, i normally take between 26-30 shots (excluding putts) per 9 holes. this past saturday i hit 23 shots (5 of which were penalty strokes - he hadn't taught me how to drive yet, hence the penalties). By the way, i use a 10-finger grip because i've a torn ligament in my right last finger, and that finger hits a lot after a round if i use the overlapping. the shoulder turn bit is fantastic ... i now use a lot less hands, and connect cleanly on almost all the shots (i get the occasional duff and mishit when i look up). coach says i'll be able to cut my handicap to single digits by year's end. yesterday i got the lesson on woods and lo and behold, the ball goes straight now. long and i think i probably got 20 more yards from my 265-275 avg. the only thing is, i putt like a person without a clue. i use a 43" odyssey 2-ball belly putter (i'm too handsy). try as i might, i avg about 18-22 putts per 9-holes. the lowest i've had were 15 and 16 putts per 9 (and that's probably because i landed in the bunker often so i got it close ...because the net scores were about the same). Is it mental? strength? everybody tells me putting is about feel ... how you you learn feel? i got my long game in place now, and i can even chip and bunker out some. but putting .... oh my!
thanks for the advice.
DC

Hi DC,
Glad to hear about your progress. You are using an instructor from the USGTF (just like me), good decision. Now let's try to fix your putting problems. I also think your decision to use a belly putter is good. However, I am not sure you are using it correctly. Here is what I want you to try. Assuming you are right handed, put both hands lower on the shaft. Use your left hand to firmly press the end of the shaft into your belly all during the stroke. Experiment with different types of grips. Vijay Singh uses the belly putter with a left hand low grip. I use the right hand low, with both hands split apart. You have to find out which one works best for you. Have a contest and let us know how it turns out.
Joe

Hey there is too much information, both audio and video. We all can't afford to buy ever one of them. Since 80 % of all golfers slice could you please give us a little info on how to stop it. I have just recently signed up for your tips and greatly appreciate them. My son and I enjoy golf and I would like to be able to rid him of that slice. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Jim West

Hi Jim,
There are many things that contribute to a slice, such as the hand positions on your grip, your swing path, the way you use your hands during the swing, the way you shift your weight, the clubface position at impact, and even the type of equipment you are using. You don’t have to buy every video, just the right video for your problem. Having never seen your swing, I can only guess that you need to change your grip to a “stronger” position and swing with more of an inside-out swing path on the downswing.
Joe

Question, I just received your newsletter for the first time and enjoyed reading it very much. I have a question I'm sure you can answer for me but first a little history about my self. I'm 59 years old with a handicap of around 15. My big problem is, I'm still trying to kill my driver and fighting the urge to hold back. My driver is a 10 deg 580 with a regular shaft and my swing speed is 92 to 95 with a 3/4 swing. The old bones are to stiff to get it back any further, if you know what I mean. I usually hit it about 255 (+ -) 20 yards somewhere usually on the golf course but have been known to hit water holes, houses, and a lot of other places I shouldn't be. Matter of fact you could probably use some of my drives in your daily jokes material. My irons are the new Ping G2's with the 3 and 4 being HL's and to my standards, I'm very much satisfied with how I hit them. (Love the HL's) I would like (I think) to start using a 3 wood of the tee's to give me more consistency hitting fairways. I've been told and read many times over the years that the 3 wood would do the trick. (You know, a lot more straight and a little less distance) The 3 wood I have now has a very narrow face and it's almost impossible to hit off the tee, which is another consistency story. My question is: What type of a 3 wood would you advice/recommend I try to hit of the tee box. Is a high dollar club compatible with the mid range clubs in reference to 3 woods, or does it matter? Trying out a club all spring is something I really don't have time or patience for. Keep in mind that I would not use it the fairway just on the tee box?
Again, I appreciate you and your newsletter...I look forward to here your comments.
Thx's....Eddy

Hi Eddy,
I had the same problem, so I got a jumbo 3-wood with a deep face and I am very happy with it. I cannot hit it off the fairway but I don’t care because, as you said, that shot is for the club with the narrow face. If you cannot find a suitable 3-wood, look for a driver with maximum loft, like 15 degrees. I have never seen one, but I have heard they are available. To me the only difference between that driver and my 3-wood is the number 3 on the bottom. Both have huge heads and the same amount of loft. My choice is the John Daly Extreme model which is very reasonably priced.
Joe

The old pro in Milwaukee, ( I forgot his name) said you should use your hands on the upswing and your arms on the downswing. Forget your hips, etc. What do you think?
Frank Harenza

Hi Frank,
I believe there is no single method that will work for all golfers, but there are a lot of good ideas and bad ideas to choose from. I think the simplest ideas have the best chance of working, so I think the idea you mentioned is worth trying. There is nothing wrong with this idea, but I predict it will work for some folks and will not work for others due to other things going on with the swing that I would have to personally see in order to better understand. You forgot to mention whether or not it worked for you or for others. Let us know.
Joe

Joe,
Your tips are very helpfull. I am having trouble turning, i am 64, no physical problems, but cannot for the likes of me understand how best to turn.
michael persaud

Hello Michael,
Richard asked me to respond to your question. I have to assume you are already a consistent ball striker, and you just want more distance, and more turn, properly applied, can produce more distance. Before you concentrate on turning, make sure you never do anything that hurts consistent ball striking. On the practice range, you can always have contests between your “swing A” and your “swing B” and see who wins. I like Hal Sutton’s advice on turning by using your entire body as a unit, everything working together, arms, hips, shoulders at the same time. Others will disagree and say just turn your shoulders but not your hips. You have to experiment with the many available methods to find which method works best for you, because we are all built differently, as you may have noticed I say this a lot.
Joe

Joe,
I am in my 70's and quite small-sized. I can hit my driver straight although I can't hit long. My biggest problem is the irons, especially the long ones (1-4). I would appreciate if you could give me some tips on how to hit these clubs consistently. Thanks. Jim

Hi Jim,
Many golfers have a hard time hitting long irons because the sweet spot is very small, the shafts are longer, and any error seems to be magnified. Sometimes the problem is in the mind when looking at low-lofted clubs. You might be thinking you must try to lift the ball, which is a mistake. Try to focus only on the leading edge of the iron without worrying about the amount of loft on the clubface. Hit down on the ball with the leading edge and see what happens. Convince yourself that if you can just strike the ball at the equator with the leading edge (with a downward blow), the ball will spin up the clubface no matter what the loft is.
Your equipment may be a factor. If your set of clubs was custom fitted, you have a better chance at success, but if not, consider replacing your long irons with a 7-wood and 9-wood. Try to attend demo days and see if a different brand of club works better for you, or maybe a different shaft flex, or different design, such as blades or offset styles, muscle-backs or cavity-backs. Also you can try the new styles of utility woods, which are designed to take the place of long irons. They have a head design that is a hybrid between an iron and a wood, and some people say they are easier to hit than long irons. Let us know how things work out for you.
Joe

At age 70 I have read and been told to shorten my backswing to about 3/4. I tried it with limited success but when I go back to a full swing I hit it farther and straighter. Is the shortened backswing really better for older golfers?
Thanx-Richard

Hi Richard,
There must have been a reason that someone told you to shorten your backswing. If you are hitting it farther and straighter with a longer backswing, and your ball striking is just as good, then you have no reason to shorten it. The same idea may work for one person but may not work for everyone because we are all built differently. Maybe the person who told you this was afraid you might develop back pain if you swing too hard, but if you have no back pain, go ahead and enjoy your extra distance and accuracy. Just because your backswing is longer does not mean you are swinging any harder, so as long as you are not straining, your longer swing should be OK for you.
Joe

Joe,
One of my biggest problems is controlling my swing tempo. My practice swing is picture perfect with a "Controlled " tempo. However when I place a ball in front of me, forget it I'm completely out of control. And if I slow down there is not much improvement. I think too much about this . Help
jerry

Hi Jerry,
Sometimes we ingrain a swing thought that gets in the way. Instead of Tempo, I would recommend finding a different swing thought or “key”, and there are many to choose from. Just pick them one at a time because you cannot think of too many things while swinging. How about the word “Control”? And while you are swinging, you can think of exactly what it is that you want to “Control”, for example, Control the downswing inside-out, or Control my weight shift properly, or Control the extension of my follow-thru. Find one that works best for you, and let us all know how it is going.
Joe

Thanks for the email about shanking. I have the other dreaded problem - I duff too many shots, most of which hit the ground 3-6 inches behind the ball. I lose distance, and sometime injure my shoulder. I've tried positive steps -- just as adjusting my balance towards the heel, but it's temporary. I figure it's primarily a balance issue, and have tried ways and means to correct this. sometimes it works, usually I revert. On bad days, I duff my drives as well, and then all hell breaks lose (the hooks come into play). I'm 5'10 165lbs. I use Titleist 690.cb irons with flighted rifle 5.5 shafts and player's midsize softies. my 7-iron goes 160-170 yards. My average drive goes 260-275yds. Recently, I've also had a pull problem where shots go 30 yards left from where I'm aiming. Then during the Sony open weekend, I watched Paul Azinger begin his grip with his right hand, then insert his left hand later. I tried that and to some degree, I've managed to get the ball to go within 15-yards less-left. however, sometimes it goes 15-yards right and that usually spells big trouble. When I started duffing (which then leads to hooks) and pulling shots, I've been incurring an average of 6-8 penalty shots per 9-holes. most painful. Can you help?
best regards,
dc

Hello DC,
Since I have never seen your swing, I can only suggest a few things. First of all, you have plenty of power, so you can afford to shorten your swing until you get rid of the duffing. Keep your head steady and your leading arm comfortably straight. If you allow that arm to bend, that may contribute to poor ball striking. Your observation of Paul Azinger’s grip is interesting, I do that also. Which grip do you use, interlock, overlap, or ten-finger grip? You may be able to cure your hook by experimenting with a different grip. I have seen too many people struggle with the interlock, which they insist is the best just because Tiger and Jack use it. I have tried all 3, and for me the best is the ten-finger, although I have used the overlap for most of my life. Have a contest on the practice range, one grip type against another, and see which one wins.
Joe

Joe,
I have a terrible habit of trying to swing too hard, swinging from the top. Because of this I never get my weight to shift.
Ed Ellstrom

Hello Ed,
As a drill, start at the top of your backswing to get a feel for your best power position. Then move your lower body first to start your downswing. When you finish, all your weight should be on your front foot. Using a mat with a permanent rubber tee, see if you can strike the tee every time using this drill. Once you are able to do this drill comfortably every time, then find a backswing that lets you arrive at this same “drill” position at the top of your backswing, and let the same drill take over. Be a smooth swinger, not a home run hitter. The ball will go just as far, maybe farther.
Joe

Joe,
At the outset I would like to say that your letters and tips have helped me in improving my game a lot. Thank you so much. I now wish to ask you a few clarifications. 1. Can a player use an iron to putt or putter is mandatory. 2. What is the correct size of the flag on the flagstick and what flag should be used so that it is visible from a distance and does not merge with the background. 3. How does one play iron shots from rain wet fairways. I always muff the shot. Should one use one more or less club depending on the distance to the pin. Thanks. Vikram.

Hello Vikram,
Sure, you can use an iron to putt, there is no rule that says you have to use a putter. There are stories about pros getting angry and breaking their putters, and they had to finish their rounds putting with an iron. Flag colors are not normally selected according to the background. Many courses are using red, white, or blue flags to indicate whether the hole is placed at the front part of the green (red), or the middle of the green (white), or the back of the green (blue). This should help your club selections by adjusting one or two clubs accordingly. I have never seen specifications for exact flag sizes, but most flags I have seen are about 18-20 inches wide and about 12-14 inches high. On shots from wet fairways, remember the casual water rule. If your stance causes water to rise up around your shoes, you can get a free drop to drier ground no closer to the hole. Otherwise, play the shot like a fairway bunker shot, choke up on the club to compensate for your feet sinking into the ground and play the ball a little further back in your stance to help avoid hitting it fat, and use one more club than normal.
Joe

Hi my name is Ian and I am a 7 handicap. I was just wondering how I would hit a chip shot with spin so it can stop close to the pin. Normally i just try to get the trajectory higher but sometimes the lie makes that very difficult to do. Any advice you could give would be extremly helpful. Thanks
Ian

Hello Ian,
Unless you are playing on very soft greens, I would not worry about trying to put spin on a chip shot, just allow for a certain amount of roll. Even on pitch shots or flop shots, unless the ball hits a soft spot on the green, it is not going to stop, because you can’t put a lot of backspin on any shot that is less than a full shot. You can only expect the ball to stop at distances where a full swing is required, because it is the force of the full swing that imparts the most backspin. You may have noticed the pros on TV can get their chips to “check up” and roll slowly to the hole, but remember they are playing on the best of conditions. If you try that in firmer conditions, the ball may or may not check up, and if it doesn’t, then it will skid and end up too far past the hole. If you want to try that anyway, make sure to clean the grooves on your clubface with a small wire brush (every time), and hit more sharply down at the ball to impart more backspin.
Joe

Joe,
I have worked on my driving for the past 3 or 4 months and I can basically hit 95% of my tee shots straight with good distance using 80% effort. What seems to be creeping in, within the last few weeks, is the tendency to create topspin on the ball with the effect of losing height and distance. I don't notice any change in my set up and it is driving me nuts. Any ideas?
Regards
Dave

Hi Dave,
Topspin with the driver is usually caused when the ball position is too far forward. If you prefer not to change that ball position, you will have to use a more downward stroke to prevent topspin. You may have heard that topspin produces more roll, but I do not like that idea because, as you said, the loss of hang time will cause loss of distance. Of course, too much hang time results in ‘ballooning’, but there is a happy medium. In your case, ballooning is not a problem, so the downward stroke should give you some backspin instead of topspin, which will result in more hang time. Have you changed drivers recently? If so, maybe your new driver does not have enough loft for your swing. If your drives are too low, why fight it? Just try a driver with more loft.
Joe

Joe,
I'm currently playing Mixed pennants, my partner plays off five and I
play off twelve, he is continually telling me I reverse pivot. I don't
want to sound stupid in asking what that is.... so I'll ask you, what's
a reverse pivot.
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Your question is not stupid, in fact it is a very important question. Just to make you feel better, I am going to also sound stupid by asking you what is a Mixed pennant (now we are even)? A reverse pivot is an improper weight shift which is the opposite direction from the proper shift. The proper shift on the downswing is to transfer your lower body weight from the back foot to the front foot, finishing with all your weight on your front foot, and the only part of your back foot that touches the ground is your toe. The reverse pivot does just the opposite, you finish with all your weight on the back foot, and this is a bad thing that you need to correct.
Joe

Joe,
When I begin to feel really good off the tee with 3 or 4 well placed and consistent drives the dreaded pull happens. It is well struck and travel straight , but usually in the deep left rough or woods. How can I maintain that drive down the middle of the fairway drive? This pull to the left really causes me doubt and my whole game goes to crap. Tom Bolko

Hi Tom,
You are not alone, many people have this occasional problem, even the pros on TV. Nobody hits the fairway every time. If you miss it badly, you can attribute this to a momentary lack of concentration. Since you have already hit a couple of good shots in a row, you might feel there is no further need to concentrate as much. You can’t wait to see where the shot goes, so you might cut short your follow thru, and without proper extension down the target line, the tendency is to pull. Try concentrating on completing a full follow-thru down the target line and let me know if that helps.
Joe

Joe,
I' ve been golfing for 5 years and still trying to find the proper ball for my ability. At the age of 52, with a handicap of 18, and above average swing speed, I've used 2 and 3 piece balls with 36 to 67 compressions. My questions are: Can compression ever be too low ? What is a good compression ? Is there a good combination of multi - layer / compression ?
Wayne

Hello Wayne,
The worst that can happen if you use a ball having too-low compression is that you lose a few yards on your shots, but that may be counteracted by allowing better feel for the short game. So the net result, in my opinion, is that your handicap will probably not be affected much by your ball selection. However, if you really want to find a ball that maximizes your distance, find a facility that has a computerized hitting bay and try hitting balls having different construction and different compression, and view the computerized results, and then you will have a better idea. If you want to lower your handicap, you must look beyond the long game. The type of ball does not really matter if you have inconsistent ball striking. It is nice to seek every advantage you can find, but in my opinion, the handicap seldom gets lower unless you work more on the short game than the long game.
Joe

(see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)

Joe – I live in Pennsylvania and last week I was out in my back yard in the snow. I had my seven iron and I drew a line in the snow and took easy swings to see if I was hitting it fat or thin. I always hit the ground before the line. This tells me I am hitting it fat on the golf course. I even tried to slow my swing down and also to keep turning my body thru the shot and still hit it fat. Any tips as to what I can do to hit it crisp?
Tom

Hello Tom,
You made no mention of whether or not you also hit a lot of fat shots on the course last year. If you did not, don’t worry about your snow drill. There is a possibility that you are not really hitting it fat, the snow may be cratering outward when you strike it. Also remember that the top of the snow is higher than the ground on a flat lie That kind of reminds me about Chi Chi Rodriguez chunking one while giving a demo, and then joking that this happened because the ground there was higher than the ground in Puerto Rico where he came from. Also remember that hand-eye coordination is a factor. When you are swinging at a ball, you are not looking at the ground like you were when you were trying to hit the snow, instead you are swinging at an object that you are seeing above the ground. You are not trying to hit the top of that object, you are trying to hit the lower half of that object. Your hand-eye coordination has trained you to swing a little lower than the top of the object that you are looking at. That being said, if you really did have a lot of fat shots last year, try a more aggressive forward weight shift to start your downswing.
Joe

Joe,
I have lost considerable amount of distance on my shots, particularly the drive. I am only averaging 180 yards on the drive. There was a time that I was getting 220-240. I cannot figure it out.
‘r.dowe

Hello r.dowe,
Is this a sudden thing, how long ago were you hitting 220-240? Are you using the same clubs or a different set? Assuming this is with the same set of clubs, loss of distance can be caused by several things, among them “casting” or hitting from the top, or reverse-pivot instead of proper weight shift on the downswing. Trying a wider swing arc may also help.

Joe,
Perhaps you can help me with this question. Why can I hit my 3 wood
consistently further than my Driver, even when both go fairly straight?
Thanking you
Regards
Lance Evans.

Hello Lance,
If both clubs are not from the same matched set, that might be part of the answer, but let’s assume they are from the same set. Distance is a result of clubhead speed and launch angle. If your driver shots are too low you have less hang time, so the extra loft of the 3-wood will give you more hang time and more distance. Use the driver when you are against the wind and use the 3-wood when you are with the wind. Also consider trying a driver that has more loft.
Joe

(see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)

Joe,
Here's a topic I would like to see addressed, Ball placement in the stance. I was always taught to move the ball forward from center in my stance for the driver and longer clubs but I've never hit those clubs consistently well. Then I read a book by a teaching pro who suggests hitting all normal shots with the club head in the center of the stance for all clubs. The concept here is that keeping the swing the same for all clubs (just vary the swing plane) eliminates one complexity of the game and simply makes more sense. I tried it and found it to work better for me but when I mention it to most experienced players, they disagree but can't tell me why you should hit a driver off your left foot instead of more in the middle.
Ray Salinas

Hello Ray,
This topic, like many others, will be debated forever. There is such a thing called “conventional” teaching, which is to vary the ball position depending on which club is being used. However, how many of us really have a conventional body, with hundreds of conventional muscles and bones with the same conventional ranges of motions working together to perform a conventional golf swing, and a conventional amount of hand-eye coordination and athleticism? Consider conventional methods as a starting point, and make adjustments from there.

Most instructors will recommend the types of things that work for them personally, of course, because they have first hand proof that it works, and that logic is OK but it is not always conventional. This is why you will always hear different opinions from one instructor to another. However, let’s face it, we are all uniquely built individuals, so what works for any one of us, may not work as well for everyone else. There is no single way that is best for everyone.

If you need a little support, fear not, the Body Golf tapes also recommend the center ball position, just like you, so maybe you are already a step ahead of others. There are many good golfers who use center ball position, and there are many other good golfers who use variable ball positions. You may even be surprised to find that a different set of clubs will perform better or worse with either of these ball position philosophies, depending on how well your clubs have been fitted to your swing.

I prefer to keep it simple. Find out where your natural swing produces a divot. If you are swinging well, that should be a consistent spot, place the ball just behind that spot so that you will strike the ball just before your divot begins. If you are not swinging well, and you cannot find a consistent spot where your divot begins, your lower body weight shift needs to get more consistent. The Body Golf tapes will show you how.
Joe

Joe,
Here's one for ya. In my quest to become a better golfer I am making
progress in most areas except getting a divot in front of my iron shots. It
seems no matter what I try as far as putting the ball back in my stance I
Chunk it! And the further back I put it leads to a reverse pivot and I know
thats not right. I can do it for short chips but when I try it for long
swings I am like the Chocolate(Chunky)! Am I forever just going to be
satisfied with being a sweeper of the ball? Rich K

Hello Rich,
You are focusing too much on ball position. I would recommend a more aggressive weight shift onto your front foot to start your downswing. The Body Golf tapes have drills for this like the toe drag and the step thru. Another thing that "sweepers" do is called the "chicken wing" where the front elbow bends outward right after impact, preventing the downward blow that you need to take a divot. If the chicken wing is your problem, keep your elbows together as you follow thru in an extended outward direction. If you can do this, you should have no trouble hitting down and taking a divot, even with a ball position that is more forward.
Joe

Quick question. I use a distance ball, Maxfli Noodle, because it seems to
really reduce my slice and I get nice straight drives. However, I miss the
spin around the greens. Is there a way to get spin from my wedges with a
distance ball? Maxfli makes a Noodle spin ball, but every time I experiment
with a ball that promotes spin, my slice comes back.
Jeff

Hi Jeff,
It makes sense that a ball designed for spin will increase a slice if you are not contacting the ball squarely. I have to assume you are a low handicapper who plays only plush courses, because most average golfers play in firmer conditions where it is harder to appreciate the advantage of a spin ball around the greens. If you happen to be playing on firm conditions, use the distance ball because the spin ball may not work anyway in firm conditions. If conditions do favor the spin ball, you can reduce your slice by using a little bit stronger grip (I assume you know what that means, if not, the V's formed by your thumbs and forefinger point more toward your back shoulder).
Joe

Joe,
The older I get, the more inconsistent my ball striking becomes. What can I do about this?
Alan

Hello Alan,
This is a common thing for most folks, including myself. In our younger years, our hand-eye coordination was better and our bones and muscles were more limber so they performed more consistently and they did not get tired as quickly. People who exercise regularly will have a better chance to keep those bones and muscles near peak performance, but the enthusiasm to keep exercising sometimes goes away. Golf gives you no guarantees, but it stands to reason that if you are enthusiastic enough to seek better ball striking, maybe you could convince yourself that the extra exercising is worthwhile. There is an excellent “Executive Fitness” video on the thinkandreachpar web site which addresses the proper muscles without exerting yourself.

However, let’s say you are already exercising, and better ball striking is your main goal. The first thing to do is to clear your mind about needing to get maximum distance. Then consider the idea that the further your backswing goes, the more trouble you might get into. Watch the Champions Tour, guys like Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe. They do not take a full swing, but they win a lot. An older guy named Moe Norman has been called one of the best ball strikers who ever lived, and he also has a very short backswing. So the next time you go to the range, start with a half backswing and see what happens. Forget about losing distance, just focus on contacting the ball cleanly every time. You might even be surprised to see that the ball still goes far enough, and in some cases just as far because you are no longer “hitting from the top” or “casting”. Once you get a feel for consistent ball contact with the half backswing, then you can lengthen it ever so slightly, and if you continue to get good results, lengthen it a little bit more until your ball striking starts to suffer, and then you will have a better feel for how far back is too far back.
Joe

Joe,
I hit a driver Straight 95% of the time and 5% off the time I push my drive, I can always hit a fade when the hole calls for it but I cannot Draw the ball. I have a son who is a Professional Golfer he says point your feet and your hips where you want it to start, and you driver face at where you want it to finish. I must manipulate my hands subconsciencely I always hit it straight. Would an offset driver where the face is 4% closed help me to draw the ball. Kindest Regards
Norm


Hello Norm,
Wow, 95% straight with a driver? You must be really good! Not very many golfers can hit any club straight 95% of the time, much less the driver. Are you sure you want to tinker with this? Mark Calcavecchia has taken away all the dangers on the left side of the course by refusing to hit a hook, and you might be better off doing the same.

The reason is that once you change your hand action to hit a hook, now you have to worry about the varying amounts of hook, and there also is a possibility that you will lose the ability to hit the ball straight anymore.

Nevertheless, if you really want to hook, go ahead and get the driver with the closed face, and listen to your son's advice along with one more thing which has to do with your hand action.

Your current hand action at impact is very good, right down the target line to hit the ball so consistently straight. That is possibly why you cannot hook even when you try to because this hand action comes so naturally to you. In order to hook, your hands have to be rolling over at impact which may be unnatural to you. Some people prefer to think of rolling the forearms instead, but now you have to worry about how much to roll the hands or the forearms. This may take a lot of practice to avoid wild shots or mis-hits.

Again I am concerned that you might lose the motor muscle memory that gives you good natural hand action and control that you already have. Try this on the range, but also keep trying to hit straight shots on demand so you don't lose your 95% accuracy when you need it.

Joe

Joe, is it safe to assume that the best instructors are also the best players? Greg

Hi Greg,
It stands to reason that any instructor must also be a pretty good player, but the instructor must also have good communication skills. I have seen cases where good players who happened to be blessed with a lot of natural ability cannot understand why students who are not so physically blessed cannot execute the same motions as the good player to whom this comes so naturally. Not everyone has the same degree of hand-eye coordination and athleticism. I would recommend choosing an instructor who became a good player by starting out as a hacker and has had to go thru the pains of learning from their own mistakes and how they had to correct them. Watch out for instructions that get too complicated. You cannot possibly be thinking of too many different moves during a swing.

Another idea to avoid is the one that says all golfers must swing the same way. That is not reasonable. We are not robots, we are all uniquely different human beings, with different body structures and hinges with differing ranges of motion, different degrees of hand-eye coordination and athleticism. Some people think instructors must always be better than their students, but if that were true, then Butch Harmon must be better than Tiger Woods, right? The best instructors are those who have good communication skills and are able to convey the right ideas to the right person.
Joe

Joe,
Some of Ben Hogan’s information says to hit the ball lower and your scores will improve, and I think that is working for me. However, my driver now hits the ball so low that my 3-wood gets more distance because it has more hang time. However, the face of the 3-wood is not very tall, so I sometimes hit popups. I have tried other drivers, but I seem to get the same result.
Joey

Hi Joey,
Guess what, we have something in common besides having the same name, I hit most drivers too low also. It is hard to argue with anything Ben Hogan has said. I agree with his statement that trying to hit the ball lower is a good thing because it makes you hit down at the ball more steeply, which improves consistency in ball striking. Therefore, the only drivers I can hit farther than my 3-wood are those with maximum loft, like 12 degrees, but they are hard to find. So I did the next best thing, which is to find a 3-wood with the biggest available head with the tallest clubface (to avoid popups), and now my tee shots are much better thanks to the 15 degree loft. The mind is a powerful thing. Just because you see a number 3 on the club, you might think you are giving up distance because you are not using a driver. Instead, just think of a tall-faced jumbo 3-wood as a mislabeled driver with a little extra loft.

Speaking of Ben Hogan, I read somewhere that he as such a perfectionist that he once had a dream of getting an ace on the first hole, and then the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. He had a score of 17 after 17 holes. On the 18th hole his shot sailed right at the flag, bounced once, and then lipped out. He said “When I woke up I was mad as hell�.

Joe,
Sometimes I hit shots too fat and sometimes too thin. Any suggestions on improving this?
Andy

Hello Andy,
Usually this is a result of a swing that tries to sweep the ball up off the ground. I would recommend hitting down at the ball, so that your club first strikes the ball at the equator and then takes a divot. Notice on TV how the pros take a divot on every fairway shot. By hitting down, the ball spins up the clubface, even when you strike it at the equator. If you do not hit down, and you strike it at the equator, the result is a grounder or low line drive. This means by hitting down you improve your margin for error. Even if you think you are risking hitting more thin shots (and you might not), this is better if you have eliminated fat shots, because fat shots usually do not travel as far as thin shots. Everyone hits occasional bad shots, but there is an old saying that improvement begins with better bad shots.
Joe

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)

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

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

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.

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

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

Joe, My buddy has always been just a little better than me. He keep busting on me that i have a great swing but the final score tells the picture. If my swing is so good why can't i beat him. I need tips, training ideas, mental strategies, is there anything I can do to shut this guy up for next year, I just got promoted at my job so the money should allow me to get some one on one training with a golf pro but anything you can help with would be greatly accepted thanks again. Drew

Hello Drew,
Sometimes you can go to any driving range and see golfer A hitting next to golfer B. They both hit the ball about the same. However, golfer A cannot break 90 and golfer B has a single digit handicap. The moral of the story is that a great swing will only get you so far. Golfer B is better at chipping and putting, but you could never tell that by watching full swings.

If you were to keep charts on both yourself and your buddy, you might find that both of you hit the same number of fairways and greens, but your buddy has more 1-putts than you do. You might think your putting is just as good as your buddy's, but maybe your buddy gets his/her chip shots closer to the hole. The charts will tell you which parts of the game you need to improve on, if you are ever going to beat your buddy. Set goals for yourself. Make every putt within 3 feet. Lag every long putt to within 3 feet and you will seldom 3-putt. Get all chip shots as close to the hole as possible. The more you practice these "scoring" shots, the better you will get at this. Good luck!
Joe


(got a question? Send it to golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Joe,
I wonder how much winter generally effects a golfers game. (I live in the Baltimore, Maryland area) I know I am somewhat effected by the excess clothing that hinders my full swing. In addition to that it just seems like I am not getting my normal distance. How does the cold effect ball flight? Do you have any suggestions for swing modifications to accommodate the excess clothing.
Sheila

Hello Sheila,
For clothing, I would recommend a few layers of light loose-fitting clothing rather than one heavy layer. Don't try to overswing. Cold weather will cause the ball to lose distance anyway, so you will have to adjust your club selections accordingly.
Joe

Joe, I thoroughly enjoy the tips. I am a new golfer and have a problem. I can hit my irons fine, but when it comes to the driver, I cannot hit the driver. I spent two practice sessions working on hitting the driver and did not work on the irons and got to where I could hit the driver with very good accuracy. On my next practice session I picked up the irons, and I could not hit the irons. Everything seemed to be out of whack. Then when I got to hitting the irons right again, I could not hit the driver. It kept going back and forth. Is this typical for a new golfer, or are there two swings. One for the irons and one for the driver?
Bill

Hi Bill,
Some people are able to get away with using a different swing for the driver and the irons, but I would recommend finding a different driver that allows you to use the same swing for all clubs. If you are anything like me, you might need a driver with a loft of more than 12 degrees, or a 3 wood with an oversized head and deep face (to avoid popups), which is really no different than a driver with extra loft.
Joe

(got a question? Send it to golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Joe,
I am a 11 H'Caper. I have been going thru your articles almost everyday. They make very interesting reading. I wanted some advice---- When the round is going exceedingly well, suddenly from out of the blue I begin to shank especially so with the 3 & 4 irons. What could be the reason----is it a flat swing which is what I suspect or any other. If you could rectify this I will be extremely greatful.
Thanks, Bala

Hello Bala,
Although shanks with long irons can be partly attributed to a flat swing, the first thing you should try is to keep your weight more on your heels. I also had the shanks until I realized my weight was too much on my toes. If you find that you still have the shanks, you may want to consider using a 5-wood and 7-wood instead of the long irons. I hope this helps.
Joe

Joe,
I'm having a problem hitting my fairway woods, some times I strike them well and other times I can't hit one for the life of me. Also I don't get the distance I should out of them when I do hit one well. can you help me with this problem.
Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,
Of course I would have to see your swing to say for sure, but I can surmise that your fairway woods do not have enough loft. If you like the model you are using, try the 5-wood and 7-wood, the distance you lose will not be much. Compare that distance to your long irons. If there is no difference, then try different models of fairway woods.
Joe

Joe, u r doing a great job and helping alot of golfers,can u help me to solve my swing problem: My practice swing is very good (though fast by normal standards as pointed out by my fellow golfers) but when it comes to actual ball striking ,back swing becomes much much shorter, which people attribute to me becoming (maybe) tense,can u help in my case ,I am 52yrs old,but has atheletic body ,i am encouraged to write in view of ur offer of seeking help from joe by sending email
Thanx, Resham

Hello Resham,
You are correct in your self-diagnosis on being tense causing your quick backswing. I have read things from several experts who say that nobody ever swung the club back too slow, so take that advice, and go real real slow and see what happens. If that does not work, let me know something more specific, like are your bad shots fat or thin, sliced or hooked, all clubs, or just woods, or irons, etc.
Joe

Joe, u r doing a great job and helping alot of golfers,can u help me to solve my swing problem: My practice swing is very good (though fast by normal standards as pointed out by my fellow golfers) but when it comes to actual ball striking ,back swing becomes much much shorter, which people attribute to me becoming (maybe) tense,can u help in my case ,I am 52yrs old,but has atheletic body ,i am encouraged to write in view of ur offer of seeking help from joe by sending email
Thanx, Resham

Hello Resham,
You are correct in your self-diagnosis on being tense causing your quick backswing. I have read things from several experts who say that nobody ever swung the club back too slow, so take that advice, and go real real slow and see what happens. If that does not work, let me know something more specific, like are your bad shots fat or thin, sliced or hooked, all clubs, or just woods, or irons, etc.
Joe

Hi,
Any idea why I am hiting my driver 260yards and yet my 3 iron could not go further than 190 and my 7 iron goes not farther than 145 yards. I also only hit my 3 wood no more than 210 yards. but my irons give a consistent distance of about 10 yards. I am a 15 handicapper. Do I need to change my equipment or practise more?? Since I know that the driver usually hits about 20 yards further than the longest club and that is crucial on approach shots. Please recommend. Thanks
Jack

Hello Jack,
If you can hit shots consistently to the distances you mentioned, then your 15 handicap is probably not due to your equipment, it is probably due to your short game. Let's say you are always on or near every green in regulation. If you can get "up and down" half the time, your handicap would be around 9. Anyway, what kind of equipment do you have? I am surprised by the difference in distance between your driver and 3-wood, are they the same brands and same shaft flex? If you truly can hit your driver 260 yards, then you ought to be able to hit irons a little farther than the distances you mentioned, so newer equipment might also help. Just make sure you get better at getting up and down.
Joe

Joe, how do one pick a ball because of the dimples is it more or less any guide lines one could go buy.
thanks ////ron

Hi Ron,
Unless you are a low handicap player, the dimples are not going to matter. If you are already a low handicapper, you probably already know which ball works best for you. Since all of us are unique individuals, the only way to tell which ball is better for you is to have a contest. The ideal way would be to find an uncrowded course (if there is such a thing in your area) and play two balls. Which one wins? In prior newsletters I have already stated my "meticulous scientific method" of selecting a ball, so let me know if it bears repeating.
Joe

Joe, I have a quick question for you. I play with a set of 1996 callaway big bertha irons and i love these irons. Recently 3 of the little badges (dome stickers) have fallen off during swings, and i could find them. How do i go about getting some replacements without having to buy new irons. I guess it is just a cosmetic flaw. I just want them to look good again. Callaway just suggested getting newer irons. What do you think?
Thank you for your time. Joe from Indiana

Hello Joe,
Well, if you said you did find them, then just glue them back on. If that is a typo, and you really meant that you could not find them, ask your local golf shops if they could put a replacement badge on your club. If you buy a new club, you run the risk of that club not being as good as your present club due to tolerance differences. If it were me, and I really liked the club, I would not give a #$%*& about the sticker, but that is just me, you decide.
Joe

Joe, I have recently changed over my Irons from blades (Lynx) to the Oversize offset clubs King Cobra. I am an 8 handicapper, now playing like 18, I either skull the ball or the club digs in behind the ball. The problem is obviously the OFFSET, so how do I overcome this. Secondly, can Joe tell me how to go about deciding wether to make the clubs 1 or 2 or even 3 degrees upright, if the lie is too flat ?
Regards, Nippy

Hi Nippy,
It sounds like you did not get fitted properly before you bought new clubs. It is possible that your blades had more appropriate specs for you, such as length and shaft flex. I am not sure how you came to the conclusion that you need your lie angle adjusted to be more upright, but if you did notice the scuff marks on the bottom of the sole being more toward the toe, then you are correct, but before you take them to a golf shop to have them bent more upright, compare the shaft lengths and flexes. You can only blame the offset if all other variables are equal.
Joe

(got a question? email to golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Joe,
I play mostly all woods like 15,13,11, and so on. I carry a 9
iron a pitching wedge and sandwedge. My reason are simple as I
don't draw the woods but do draw all of my irons. I am now trying
to keep to wrist stiff and I can see by doing that I am now
hitting a 7 iron straight. My only problem I am not holding the
club in my left hand softly rather I am holding it a little
tight. Is this wrong? I find when hitting a iron ,it seems to
me that I come over the ball instead of hitting straight thru the
ball. With wood I feel I definitely hit straight thru the ball.
Should I still be holding the club a little tight or try to
loosen up on it?
Carole


Hello Carole,
It sounds like you have different swings for different
clubs. It would be nice if you could have the same
swing with all clubs. It is possible that your set of
clubs is not matched very well. If they were, you
would not have to worry about how to make adjustments
for this club and for that club. Your grip should be
neither too tight or too loose. Try to attend some
"demo days" where you can try different types of clubs
for free, and you might be surprised at how much
difference there is between brands.
Joe

Joe, I have a one and three iron-wood, Calloway brand. Number One wood is 11 degree. Am able to hit my three wood between 180 and 200 yards. My one wood goes 20 yards shorter than the three. When first acquired I used to slice consistantly with the three wood. It was so much lighter than my old small head woods so I decided to add some lead tape to the bottom back section of the head. This definitely helped to get me back on my 'straight ball'. Weight added to the one wood made no difference as far as being able to hit it longer than the three wood. In spite of my advanced age I am still quite flexible and do have a good body turn. Not seeing me swing ,I'm sure makes it difficult to analyze but perhaps you might have several reasons for the discrepency. (My short game keeps me shooting in the mid eighties )
Thank you....... Ed


Hello Ed,
There are a lot of people who cannot hit their driver as far as their 3-wood because their drivers do not have enough loft. Installing lead tape on your club is a good thing, if you want to reduce a slice, you put the tape at the heel. I recommend you get a driver with more loft, or a 3-wood with a huge head and a really tall face. If you cannot find one, I recommend the John Daly "Extreme" model. The 5-wood is just as big as most normal drivers, but it has the extra loft of 20 degrees. The 3-wood has 15 degrees loft and is just as big as most jumbo drivers. The driver is 500cc, which is about the size of a Buick.
Joe

Joe,
I have developed a problem with my swing although being a capable golfer (h,cap 20)i can not seem to be able to rectify it. on driving of the tee i keep hitting it right or left with no obvious reason this dosn't happen with irons off the tee or the fairways please can you help
thankyou steve

Hello Steve,
If it is true that all your shots are fairly straight except your drives, then perhaps all your clubs are properly fitted to your swing, but your driver is not. You might be surprised how many differences there are in drivers. Try to attend some demo days or go to a golf store that has a computerized hitting bay and bring your driver with you to compare results against other brands.
Joe

Joe,
How can I tell if the clubs I'm using have the correct lie angle
for my height? Also how would I go about measuring the lie angle?
Thanks Joe from Staten Island NY

Hello Joe,
There are a few different ways to check this. First
of all, lie angles that are too flat will tend to push
your shots to the right, assuming you are right
handed, and conversely the lie angles that are too
upright will tend to pull your shots to the left.
Check your divots, are they deeper near the toe or
near the heel? If deeper near the toe, the lie angle
is too flat. Most golf shops that have a hitting bay
will allow you to put tape on the sole of the clubs
and hit balls off a "striking board". If the tape
gets scuffed nearer the toe, then the lie angle is too
flat, a proper lie angle will show scuffs in the
center of the sole. I have always suspected most
golfers have lie angles that are too flat because when
they are fitted, they are incorrectly using the
address position of the hands and arms. The correct
position is the impact position when the arms and
shaft are on the same plane. If your shots happen to
push or slice, you can partially correct this by
having your lie angles bent more upright. Some golf
shops will do this for a fee, but you may have to sign
a waiver due to the risk of breaking the club in the
process.
Joe

Joe,
I have asked this question many places and never got an answer. Perhaps you will attempt one. What is the highest percentage shot if you are on hardpan and neeed to go over a sand trap with little green to work with? This can happen where the ground is hard near a cart path. Is it almost better to try to run thru the trap? use a lofted wedge? Use a 9 iron?

Hello Alan,
This depends on the situation. Can you live with a bogey or do you feel you must go for the par and possibly risk a double bogey? Let's say you need a par, and the sand is hard and the trap has no lip. In that case you can try to run the ball thru the trap, otherwise don't try that if the sand is soft and the trap has a lip. If you can live with a bogey, you can consider playing around the trap unless that leaves you too far from the hole. If you really need a par
and the trap has soft sand and a lip, open the face of a sand wedge, so it will not dig into the ground, but instead the sole will bounce off the ground and into
the ball. With a little practice this shot should work. Good luck!
Joe

got a question? send it to me at golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Joe,
Over the last few years I have developed a vicious snap hook. I am right handed and quite often my right hand will roll over on the downswing and create a snap hook that will travel 150 yards forward and 75 yards to the left. I have tried to relax the right hand grip, rotate my hips and various other fixes with mixed results. I may have two or three good swings during an 18 hole round where my drives will be straight and approximately 275 to 285 yards. All others will be snap hooks. I never had this problem till about two years ago and since then I have been unable to remedy this situation. When I go to the range I am able to hit drive after drive either straight or with a light power fade. Not so on the course. Help! Richard

Hi Richard,
From your message I assume you only hook with the driver, not with any other club. At the range, are you using the grassy area or the mats with the permanent rubber tees? When you are using the mats, the tees are always at the same height. On the grass when you use your own tees, maybe you are teeing the
ball too low. If this is not the case, try a more upright swing plane and make sure to hit down on the ball more steeply, and extend your follow thru on an inside-out line.
Joe

(got a question? send it to me at golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Joe, I need help. Any solutions to an improved result from 90 yards to the green would help my game (?) a bunch. I am 72 and have struggled with this for years. I feel as though I am jabbing my club at the ball – no rhythm, no true feel, no accuracy, no confidence, to name but a few inner observations. Please help! Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chuck Phifer

Hi Chuck,
If I understand your problem correctly, it is the partial wedge shot, which many other people suffer as well. If you have not already tried different types of wedges, maybe that would help. If you have already tried this with no success, then you must do two things. First, make sure on the downswing that your hands are leading the club all the way down, including after the contact. Second, keep your club shaft on the same plane as your leading arm. Let me know if this helps.
Joe

(got a question? send it to me at golfwithjoey@yahoo.com)

Question: Is there a drill I can work on that will keep me from rolling out on my right ankle when trying to hit my driver. I am a pretty straight ball hitter, but I hit my 3 wood farther than my driver. If i keep my right heel off the ground i can crush my driver but I feel to awkward. Thanks for your help.

Answer: If you are rolling the right ankle during the backswing, your stance may be too narrow. If you are rolling the ankle on the follow-thru, you may be swinging too hard. I would recommend the 2-club drill like a baseball player warming up in the on deck circle. While doing this drill, the right heel should only come off the ground when finishing the follow-thru. I do not think it is a good idea to have the right heel off the ground during the backswing, you might lose balance. Instead, during the backswing, let the inside edge of your right foot feel the weight shift, and push off from there to start the downswing.

Another Season Comes To A Close
Where did the summer go? How did time slip by so fast? The cold air is already slipping down from Canada. The fall colors have gone. We can never be sure when the weather will dictate that our next round of golf might be our last of the year. Come on, Indian Summer, thank goodness for global warming. There are so many leaves fallen to the ground that it is hard to find your ball in the middle of the fairway (but most of us are not used to being in that position anyway). In a few days, the season will be only a memory of some remarkable shots, like the awesome majesty of a moon-shot popup drive, 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 ripped apart by a sizzling worm-burner, some “almost-good” rounds, and plenty of laughs with good friends. There is no better therapy for life’s daily stresses. Hurry, 2004.

Joe,
Do you have a comprehensive program to eliminate a hook ?---All my shots go from right to left, I find it impossible to even fade the ball, if I try to, I pull hook it.

Hello Doug,
Rather than presenting a complicated program for this, since I have never seen you swing, here are two simple things to try. First, weaken your grip. Notice that your thumb and first finger form a V, which in your case should point toward your chin, both hands. Secondly, most people who tend to pull their shots are not aware of their swing path. If you are a right handed player, and your target is at 12 o'clock, you may think you are swinging at the target, but your body is also turning as you swing, so by the time your club gets to the ball, your swing path is actually going at 11 o'clock. to compensate for this, try to extend your follow-thru toward 1 o'clock, and your body turn will probably bring the swing path closer to 12 o'clock at impact. Let me know if this helped.
Joe

Joe,
Thank you for the opportunity to ask questions. I have developed a consistent pull hook with all my clubs. This tells me I have developed the habit of coming over the top at the start of the downswing. Do you have any drills I can use over the winter to ingrain the correct starting movement from the top? Thanks again!
Bill

Hello Bill,
Here is a drill that might help. Begin at the top of your backswing and hold that pose. Begin the downswing by starting your lower body weight shift first, but don't finish the swing, just stop your swing when your elbows pass in front of your hips. Is the club shaft on the same plane as your front arm? Are your elbows too far apart? Have your wrists begun to snap too soon? Repeat this until you get these 3 checks right. Then finish the swing inside-out. In other words (for right handers) if your target line is 12 o'clock, extend your follow-thru towards 1 o'clock.
Joe

Joe,
I am 5' 7 1/2" tall, and am of average build (165 lbs). I measure 34" from ground to wrist with shoes on. My question is what length should my driver be and is there a 1/2" length reduction in each succeeding wood/metal as there is in irons. Thank you J. Keane

Hello J.K.,
Although there is a "recommended" driver length according to a person's height and build, I would need to know first if you consider yourself to be a good consistent ball striker who does not need more distance. Let's say you already are a good ball striker who wants more distance, then I would say to try longer lengths. If you are not such a good ball striker, then I would recommend shorter lengths which might improve your ball striking. The best thing for you to do is to get fitted somewhere that has a computerized hitting bay, and compare results with clubs of different lengths. Sometimes you will find the brand makes a difference also, and we have not even begun to mention other factors such as shaft flex, torque, kickpoints, lie angles, loft angles, swingweights, grip sizes, etc. Some people who think about all these things just throw their arms up and run away screaming into the night, and then use the John Daly philosophy, just grip it and rip it.
Joe

Joe,
I read in a recent golf magazine an article about Jan Stephenson. One of her comments was to the effect that Tiger Woods was getting the club in front of him; however, he was not doing it the best way. Please describe the position "club in front." What does it do to help your ball striking? How is the best way to get the "club in front" of you? What are the common errors we amateurs make?
John

Hi John,
All instructors have their own theories about what things are most important, and to me, this is not one of them. I would love to be able to do things Tiger's way, even if it is not the best way. Who says it is not the best way, is there somebody out there who is better than Tiger and can show him how to do it right so the poor guy can win once in awhile?

Let me attempt to answer your last question first. Among the common errors we amateurs make are to over-analyze each part of the swing. The best thing we can do is to simplify things instead of over-complications which will surely hurt ball-striking consistency.

Since I did not yet read Jan's article, I have to guess at what she meant. Maybe it has to do with the moment of impact, for example did the club position catch up to the hand position for square contact? It seems to me for the "club in front" concept, the average golfer might over-do this and hit from the top, which robs you of power or causes a snap-hook. To maximize power, you want to delay the wrist snap until the last possible instant before impact. Most people find that the club will square up anyway, and if it does not, the worst that can happen is a power fade, and we can make further adjustments from there. Let me know if this helps.
Joe

Question: I am a senior citizen and I have never played golf, but some of my friends are urging me to try it. Unlike me, they all started playing at an earlier age. They took me to a driving range, but I made a fool of myself, so I am reluctant to go on to a real golf course. Is it simply too late for people like me to learn the game?
Grandpa Fuzzy

Hi Grandpa Fuzzy,
It is never, never, never too late to enjoy this game. Here are my recommendations. Take things one step at a time. Step 1 is zero cost - Borrow a putter from a friend and go to any local course that has a practice green, and you can putt as long as you want for free. Start with short putts about 3 feet. When you can make most of them, see if you can lag longer putts to within 3 feet most of the time.
Step 2 is also zero cost – Borrow a 7-iron and wedge from a friend and practice chip shots. This is not allowed on some practice greens, so make sure to check which ones will allow chipping. Start with shorter chips using the 7-iron from just off the fringe. The only difference between this shot and a putt is the ball position should be more toward your back foot, and the stroke should keep the hands ahead of the club at all times. When you get the hang of that, try the wedge to chip from a little further away from the green. You will have to hit the ball a little harder with the wedge because the energy of the club is directing the ball more upward rather than forward. Try to land the ball on the green and let it roll to the hole.
Step 3 is low cost – Get a set of cheap clubs from a garage sale and go to a driving range. Never try to hit the ball hard or you will mess up. Just keep the head steady, keep the leading arm straight, and hit down at the ball, don’t try to lift it, let the club do the work. Take notice how many yards you can hit each club.
Step 4 – Go to a par 3 course to develop some confidence.
Step 5 – Once you have made it thru the previous 4 steps, you are already just as good as many other people who play the full size courses. Enjoy the game for the rest of your life!
Joe

Joe,
Why do the TV announcers sometimes call a fairway club a “3-metal” instead of the traditional “3-wood” that we are used to hearing? I know it is no longer made of wood, but the last time I checked, a 3-iron is also made of metal. How do you feel about this?
Anita

Hello Anita,
Good point! I agree with you, I don’t like the term 3-metal either. What if they start making clubs out of other materials? Will the announcers start calling them 3-plastics, or 3-ceramics? I feel the announcers should go back to the original terms like "brassie" or “spoon” or “cleek”. Then it no longer matters what material the clubhead was made from.
Joe

Joe,
My problem is that I used to think power came from swinging harder with my arms. I now have learned that body rotation and free hinging wrists provide the power. The problem is that I have swung incorrectly for so long that half way thru the round I find myself slipping back to all arms. I am left handed and the ball is going dead right. Are there any exercises or swing thoughts to help prevent this? thank you, Tom

Tom:
Power comes from clubhead speed. To maximize this, change the idea of free-hinging wrists to controlled hinging. On the downswing, you must delay the wrist
snap until the last possible instant before impact. This will increase your clubhead speed. Proper lower body weight shift is also a major factor. Other things can help also, but don't do any of them if they hurt your ability to strike the ball on the sweet spot every time.

Joe,
What do you recommend for the mental side of the game? Cary

Hi Cary,
I would recommend going to the thinkandreachpar web site and getting “Own The Zone” by Jennifer Scott, who not only hypnotizes you, but also whispers in your ear as your coach and gives you some mental images. My favorite is “white circle against blue sky, hanging, hanging”. Last week I focused on this as I approached the green with an 8-iron, and it snuggled up to 6 inches from the pin, and I thought hey Jennifer, that one is for you.

Question: With all the technology improvements in equipment, it is said that older golf courses are becoming obsolete, and people will slowly stop playing them in favor of newer courses. Do you agree?
Jim

Hi Jim,
No, I do not agree. While the techno-geeks may prefer longer courses, there is still a huge base of golfers who do not benefit so much from new technology, so the older courses are just fine for them. Also, the greens fees for older courses are usually lower than fees for the newer courses, so the more affordable courses will always get business from those of us who must watch our budgets.

Here is a way for any golf course to increase their business. People love to see their name on display, so they could have a bulletin board that shows the 3 (or any other number) best scores ever posted from each set of tees. Starting a new list each year keeps the incentive going. Another idea, if your course can stand the administrative effort, is to have separate lists for “shotmaker’s rules”, where you carry only 10 clubs, or 7 clubs, etc., but in doing so you get to improve your lie. Many people would welcome the challenge, especially when they find out their scores are not much higher when using fewer clubs. With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless for promoting more business.
Joe

Hey Joe, I hear you are from the Chicago area, how about them Cubs? Hahaha
Len

Hi Len,
I guess I could try avoiding this by saying I am a Sox fan, but wait a minute, they also choked against the Twins. Oh well, I can always look forward to the football season, but wait a minute, hope for the Bears? Oh well, how about hockey, but wait a minute, hope for the Blackhawks? Oh well, how about basketball, but wait a minute, hope for the Bulls? Oh well, I can always go out and play some golf, but wait a minute, the season is just about over, here comes winter, w-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-h!!!

I would like to know how many golf structures teaching) are there? Is the
PGA of the States structure better than the PGA of
Europe? I enjoy reading your material and i wish one day i could have your
knowledge. I am a professional for two years already and feel
that i have lots too learn. I am teaching beginners but it is a challenge
because in Portugal they think they know it all after 10 lessons. Im
South African and i know how practice is important. I am doing a project on
the following topics: how to teach, how to play, how to manage and product
knowledge. If i have any difficulty may i ask for your help?
Keep in touch
Victor

Hello Victor,
Sure, you can ask for help any time. We all have a
lot to learn, golf is a never-ending learning
experience. There is so much information out there,
you have to be careful to select the things that work
for you, because all tips do not work for everyone.
Since you have been a pro for 2 years, I would like to
know which organization you belong to. I would
recommend looking up the World Golf Teacher's
Federation (wgtf.com) because you can affiliate
yourself with any of 35 countries that belong to the
WGTF. I am certified by the USGTF and I found it to
be a wonderful organization, very helpful. They can
help you with all of your questions.

I would like to know how many golf structures teaching) are there? Is the
PGA of the States structure better than the PGA of
Europe? I enjoy reading your material and i wish one day i could have your
knowledge. I am a professional for two years already and feel
that i have lots too learn. I am teaching beginners but it is a challenge
because in Portugal they think they know it all after 10 lessons. Im
South African and i know how practice is important. I am doing a project on
the following topics: how to teach, how to play, how to manage and product
knowledge. If i have any difficulty may i ask for your help?
Keep in touch
Victor

Hello Victor,
Sure, you can ask for help any time. We all have a
lot to learn, golf is a never-ending learning
experience. There is so much information out there,
you have to be careful to select the things that work
for you, because all tips do not work for everyone.
Since you have been a pro for 2 years, I would like to
know which organization you belong to. I would
recommend looking up the World Golf Teacher's
Federation (wgtf.com) because you can affiliate
yourself with any of 35 countries that belong to the
WGTF. I am certified by the USGTF and I found it to
be a wonderful organization, very helpful. They can
help you with all of your questions.

Question: I can usually chip pretty good, but when the grass is high near the green, I have trouble chipping. What can I do about this?

Most people who have this problem can do two things to improve. First, play the ball farther back in your stance and use a more lofted club. This will force you to strike the ball with a more descending blow which will prevent the high grass from snagging your club. Second, open the face of the club. This will allow the club to slide thru the grass more smoothly without getting snagged. Of course, this will send the ball to the right of your target, so set up aiming left and swing along your body line. If you try to swing outside in, you may not contact the ball consistently and cleanly.

Question: I purchased a 9 wood but can't seem to find the proper setup ball position. Most of the time I end up hitting it off the toe or chunk it. I use this club on a 140 yard par 3. Can you help me?

Answer: If you are hitting all your clubs well except your 9-wood, I suspect it simply does not match the rest of your set. The shaft flex may be too little or too much compared to the rest of your set. See if you can exchange the club for another one with a different shaft flex. Most 9-woods have a very thin profile, so it may not be a very forgiving club, you have to hit the sweet spot just right, or else the results may not be any better than using a 5-iron. If you use a 9-wood off a tee, the risk is high for a popup.