Joe,
I used to be a pretty good putter, and I never really believed what I read about how the yips affect senior golfers until I got them myself, and my putting got worse and worse. I have tried everything, fancy putters, belly putters, chest putters, claw grips, cross handed grips, you name it and I have tried it. I got books from Pelz, Utley, Crenshaw, Watson, and other putting gurus, but I still have the yips. I am right handed and I even tried putting left handed, nothing seems to work. I am out of ideas. I need a new and different idea, is there anything else I can try?
Bernie

Hi Bernie,
You came to the right place because I have been there too. When ordinary methods do not work, you might as well try something else. Here is what I did, and it is still working. Of course there is no guarantee that this will work for you, but at least it is another thing you can try. You won’t hear this anywhere else because this is my own discovery. Take a regular length putter and grip it with your left hand really low on the shaft below the grip. Use your wrist to press the handle against your forearm and keep it there. Now add your right hand below the left with an ordinary ten finger grip. Keep your head completely still, make sure the handle is still pressing against your forearm, and use your shoulders to make the stroke. I use an open stance and center ball position for this, but you can experiment with whatever stance and ball position that works best for you. Of course you will have to bend over quite a bit, so find a comfortable stance, but if this hurts your back, get a longer putter and you will not have to bend over so far. If this works for you, consider getting your putter regripped with a much longer grip so your hands do not have to grip the skinny shaft. Let me know how this turns out.
Joe

Joe,
I am not a golfer but my husband reads this newsletter, and now he makes me read it too. Up to now it seemed stupid to me, the complicated rule book makes no sense, all you are doing is hitting a ball into a hole. Is it OK to ignore the rule book and just have fun and go play? Otherwise give me some reasons why I should bother to try it?
Jane

Hello Jane,
If you are a beginner, don’t worry about the rule book so much until you decide to take the game more seriously. Golf can be simple but purists make it overly complicated. If you want reasons to try it, here are some facets of golf to consider. Ages and genders do not matter, all can play together. Children can learn to play it well, while adults can never master it. Every round brings unexpected thrills while seemingly good shots can end up in disaster. It can be treated like a science, or a puzzle. Answers to problems are only temporary, good swing corrections only last for awhile, and then they no longer work for no apparent reason, so one must learn how to make adjustments. It requires concentration, but is played better when feeling relaxed. It allows you get into the great outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature. It satisfies the thirst for adventure, but frustrates the mind. It can be rewarding and it can be maddening. You can experience the thrill of a good shot and the agony of a shot gone awry. For every attempt you never know for sure which one you will get, until the ball stops rolling. It gives you a great opportunity to meet new friends and to recap the round afterward, recounting good shots and bemoaning bad breaks and injustices, encouraging each other and ourselves. Just as in life, you can use each experience as a chance to grow, improve, and reach your full potential. Because of these things, golf is the greatest game ever invented. That is why you should bother to try it.
Joe

Joe,
i'm 67 years on this earth, (can't say old or young) started golf three years ago, have a fairly good athletic body, plays golf twice weekly, left handed , from 9iron to 3 iron between 85 &150 yds. with a slight draw 3&5 wood between 160 & 180 on good shots. my driver a vicious slice about 200 yds out of bounds, normaly use a strong grip, would i be better off to weaken my grip. also my clubs are a cheap grade would better clubs improve my game can't seem to break 100.
frank.

Hello Frank,
If you draw all your other clubs but slice the driver, get a different driver, it does not match the rest of your set, and yes, better clubs might help, but don’t discard your old clubs too soon, you might find a little draw is a good thing, and there is no guarantee that newer clubs will perform any better until you try them. I would not recommend changing your grip if you can draw the ball with your natural stroke. There must be another reason why you cannot break 100 besides your driver, I suspect you need to work harder at chipping and putting. Good luck to you.
Joe

Joe,
I am a 71 year old male in good physical shape. I am using Taylor 465 driver with 9.5 degrees. For a month now I haven't been able to launch the ball. They just seem to be low drives. Would I be helped with a new Taylor R545XD with 10.5 degrees?
ThanksJay

Hi Jay,
I had the same problem as you. Trying to adjust my swing to get more height did not work. I finally tried drivers with 15 degrees loft and for me they work great. I have a Ping G2 that has a draw bias and a Golfsmith Snake Eyes High Launch model that I can hit straight or fade with a little weaker grip. There is a theory that a shaft with a low kick point will make a big difference in launch angle, but for me it also introduces wildness, but maybe that’s just me. If you really like Taylor Made, try the shaft with the low kick point.
Joe

Joe,
I've got a problem I can't seem to shake. I keep hitting into my left side (in baseball we call it stepping in the bucket!). What drills can I do to solve this situation. When I do this the ball is either pulled left, or I cut across the ball and slice it. I'd appreciate any help I could get.
Tom VanoverSpringdale, Ohio

Hi Tom,
In baseball when you step in the bucket, your front foot actually comes off the ground and comes back down away from the target line. If you are doing the same thing you probably are shifting too much weight to the back foot on the backswing. I would recommend the toe drag drill as shown in the Body Golf videos. If your front foot is not really leaving the ground, your pull is probably caused by your downswing path. This happens to many people who try to swing down the target line while their body is still turning, and by the time the club arrives at the ball, the turning has caused the path to change, and that leads to a pull. Try to change your downswing path. If you consider your target line to be 12 o’clock, if you are right handed, extend your follow thru to 1 o’clock. If you are left handed, extend to 11 o’clock.
Joe

Joe,
i have handicap 14. these days i suffer from putting. Most the time, when i take the club back it goes to inside and result miss the hole and cost me one shot extra. i have tried many way but without success. My main problem is one metter away from the hole. Kindly let me know if you have any tips for me in this regard.
rgds
bahman

Hello Bahman,
Since I have never seen the way you putt, I can only guess that your backstroke is too long. For a one meter putt, keep the backstroke as short as possible and keep the clubface square to the target all during your follow thru. If you can do that, you should make more putts.
Joe

Joe,
I don't know if it's due to improper use of arm, my shoulder inflexibility, but one point caught my intention. Someone watching my pitching/chipping noticed that my front arm wrist breaks way too early, about 1/2 the way to hip high. When that happens, bad things occur as my wrists/hands flip on the way down and I ground the ball. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Larry

Hi Larry,
Some instructions say to break the wrists early and some disagree. I feel it is an individual preference, whatever leads to better ball striking. In your case whatever you do, you cannot allow your wrists to flip on the way down, keep your hands ahead of the club all the way thru contact. As a drill, take the club back and stop, set your wrists to the desired angle, and keep them locked in that position as you execute your downswing.
Joe

Joe,
There is a theory that an object flies farthest when it starts with a 45 degree launch angle. That seems ridiculous to me because in golf that would be like a popup. What do you think?
Louie

Hi Louie,
This theory assumes the object has no underspin and the force path of the propellant is also at 45 degrees. In golf the ground obviously prevents such an angle for the path of the club, so there must be some loft on the clubface in order to keep the ball airborne longer. The more loft, the more you have underspin. If the ball were to be launched anywhere near 45 degrees with underspin, it would balloon up to an even higher angle, and the result would be like a 9 iron shot. So the ideal launch angle would have minimum underspin but still be as high as possible to stay airborne as long as possible. With the ground being in the way, it is not easy to hit the ball while the club is in the upswing, but if you play the ball further forward in your stance, you can at least reduce underspin.
Joe

Joe,
I am fighting a hook, and I am told that my grip is OK (Vs pointing at the chin), but I am rolling my forearms too much, but that is my natural move, and whenever I try a move that feels unnatural, I have poor contact. Other than just playing for my hook, is there anything else I can try?
Herbert

Hello Herbert,
During the setup, look at your leading arm. If your leading elbow is pointing at the target, this could cause your arms to roll on the downswing. If you have ever seen a photo of Ben Hogan’s setup, both his elbows are pointing in toward his body. This helped Ben fight his hook because the forearms are less likely to roll as much from that position. I hope this helps you.
Joe

Joe,
With today’s better balls and better clubs, the experts say a lot of courses will become obsolete because they have no more room to expand. But everyone I talk to says they are not scoring any better than they ever did. How can this be if everyone is hitting the ball longer than before?
Tabby

Hi Tabby,
Many courses in my area cannot expand, so they have undergone renovations to make them more attractive and more difficult, some call it tricking up the course by adding more bunkers and water hazards and letting the rough grow taller. But the main thing I have noticed is faster and more sloping greens with thicker grass around and up against the edges, so if you miss the green, there are no easy chip shots. You can forget about chipping with any other iron but a wedge. Even if you hit the green, if these greens get firm, your approach shots will bounce on and over into the thick grass. So even when these courses are not longer, they are certainly not as easy to score on.
Joe

Joe,
If a wider swing arc leads to more distance, it would seem to make sense to use clubs with longer shafts than standard length. I have tried such clubs without much success. What is the reason for this?
Ray

Hello Ray,
It is true that clubhead speed increases with wider swing arc, but there is something more important going on here. The longer the shaft, the more difficult it is to strike the ball in the middle of the clubface, which we call the sweet spot. I have seen cases where a golfer improved simply by getting shorter shafts than normal and being able to strike the sweet spot more often. Longer shafts may give you occasional longer shots, but your average distance is not that great if you have more mis-hits. Unless you can strike the ball on the sweet spot every time, longer shafts may not be such a great idea.
Joe

Joe,
Here's a question that I've never seen asked or answered: What is a drill or a technique to help hit the ball on the sweet spot more consistently? Everyone talks about hitting the ball on the sweet spot but what is a good drill to get you into hitting that sweet spot.
Thanks,
Bill Lapitsky

Hi Bill,
I like to start with the double clubber drill as shown in the Body Golf videos. Then I use a single club and a practice mat that has a permanent rubber tee and repeat this back and forth motion, trying to clip the tee on both the forward stroke and the backward stroke continuously. This helps to train your muscles into the same groove for each stroke. If you can do this every day, it should help your consistency.
Joe

Joe,
I have been trying several different brands of balls, but I do not notice much difference between them. I shoot in the 80s and I think I could shoot in the 70s if I can just hit more greens. I can hit pretty straight but I always seem to be long or short even tho I think I am using the right club for the distance, wind or no wind. What kind of ball might help me?
Tyrone

Hello Tyrone,
It is possible that you are going long or short because you are using different types of balls, each of which may be giving you different distances for the same kind of shot. This is less likely to happen if you just picked one type of ball and stayed with it all the time. Since you are hitting straight, you might also benefit from a high spin ball instead of a distance ball. The opposite would be true for people who do not hit straight.
Joe

Joe,
Are used golf balls any worse than new ones? Is there any way to tell when it is time to stop using a ball?
Ned

Hi Ned,
Sometimes used balls are worse, especially if they have been hit too many times. Do not use any balls having scuff marks, even small ones, because those can affect the way the ball flies. If the ball has no marks, you can do this rebound test to compare one new ball to one used ball. Find a smooth cement surface and hold the two balls together in the same hand, as high as possible over your head. Drop the balls together and see if they both rebound to the same height. If they do, they are both OK to use.
Joe

Joe,
I'm left handed. Don't hold that against me. I can hit the ball realistically 300 yards every drive. My problem: it is a crab shoot as to where it will go 200 yards straight 100 due east, 250 yards straight 50 yards due west. It looks good on the driving range but it kills me on the course and tight courses forget it. My 180 yard 7 iron goes pretty straight most of the time, but ego won't let me play golf with that off the tee and hitting 4th on the second shot. Please advise.
Rich

Hi Rich,
Since I have never seen your swing, there are a lot of possibilities here. If you hit a 7-iron off the tee and you still have the longest drives in your group, that should squash the egos of the others in your group, and in return that should help your own ego. I guess that means you also have this problem with fairway woods and lower numbered irons, or else you would be using them instead of a 7 iron, right? Have you always had this problem or only recently? Have you tried to shorten your swing? Have you tried a different set of clubs? It could be that your clubs are not matched to your swing. On the other hand, if you are able to hit most of your clubs straight, then try a different driver, because there is a good chance your current driver is not matched to your other clubs. There are so many different types available that will give you different results with the same swing. Even the same brand with a different shaft will make a difference. Try to attend some demo days where you can try out different types for free.
Joe

Joe,
Any tips for those of us who lose concentration when we get nervous?
Laurie

Hello Laurie,
Everyone gets butterflies in the stomach, so the trick is to make those butterflies fly in formation. In other words, accept the fact that you are nervous, don’t fight that feeling because it is not going to go away. Tell yourself that the more nervous you feel, the more you are going to focus on execution. You can only control what happens before the ball is struck. After that you are only an observer, so just make sure you finish your stroke completely before you look up. Most people who give in to nervousness cannot wait to see where the ball goes, so they look up too soon and never finish the stroke properly, whether it is a putt, a chip, or a full shot. Part of a game plan is to know ahead of time what you will focus on, whenever you get a case of the heebie-jeebies. Then when that happens, you are already prepared. The swing thought is to execute fully, and don’t cut it short.
Joe

Joe,
I thought it was a good thing to keep your head down, but now I am hearing it is not a good thing. Which is it?
Ken

Hi Ken,
Some people are so intent on keeping the head down that they hunch their head down between the shoulders like a frightened turtle. This will definitely interfere with your turn, so I prefer to say keep your head steady and stare at the ball spot even after the ball has been hit. Furthermore, push your shoulders down at address so you will be able to turn more freely. This will also widen your swing arc which will increase your clubhead speed. I hope this clarifies things.
Joe

Joe,
I am a beginner and I know that the lower numbered clubs are supposed to hit the ball farther, but I hit my 5 iron farther than my 3 and 4 iron, and I hit my fairway woods farther than my driver. Am I a freak of nature? What is going on here?
Lonnie

Hi Lonnie,
This is not a freak of nature. It is not always true that lower ball flight means longer shots. It is entirely possible to hit the ball too low if the ball does not stay in the air long enough, especially in wet conditions. In the old days conditions were a lot dryer and firmer, so the ball would roll forever, so low shots were preferred, but nowadays conditions are generally softer, so you get less roll, so the ball must stay airborne longer. My advice is to replace your long irons with hybrids and replace your driver with one that has 15 degrees loft.
Joe

Joe,
I understand the knees are supposed to be flexed before the swing, but when I do that I feel my turn is restricted. Is it OK not to flex the knees?
Kenny

Hello Kenny,
There is a term called an athletic stance, which is used in several sports like baseball, basketball, football, and more. The idea of this stance is to be in good firm balance and in a position that is ready for action. For golf, the knees should be flexed, but less so than other sports, because as you pointed out, it is possible to flex them too much which will restrict your turn. I do not think you will have much success with zero knee flex, just allow them to flex a little bit, and your turn should not be restricted by them.
Joe

Joe,
It is really cool when the pros can make the ball back up when hitting the green on an approach shot. What swing changes do I have to make in order to do that?
Becky

Hi Becky,
Be careful about making swing changes if you are already striking the ball consistently. It is never as important to get shots to spin back as it is to get clean contact on every shot. Even pros cannot make backspin work when the greens get "firm", and they get to play on the best greens while the rest of us have to play on public courses that have greens that are about as firm as a parking lot. So unless you are a single digit handicapper, forget the spin and just keep striking the ball better and avoid tips that cause fat or thin shots. If you are a single digit handicap, and you do want to get more spin, clean your iron grooves before every shot with a small wire brush, play the ball a little further back in your stance and hit down at it.
Joe

Joe,
I have been trying the X-factor theory to get more distance by turning the shoulders more and the hips less, and it works most of the time, but sometimes I block the shot out to the right. I do not feel like I do anything wrong, but it just happens too often and I don’t know why. Help!
Jonathan

Hello Jonathan,The X-factor requires perfect timing on the downswing between your lower body going forward and your shoulders trying to catch up. If your hips are too quick and your shoulders cannot catch up in time, a blocked shot is a likely result. Instead of the X-factor, you might want to try a one piece backswing which means the shoulders and hips work together so there is no timing difference. The golfer whose timing is best is Annika Sorenstam who seems to just flow into the ball, watch how her shoulders and hips work together without the X-factor.
Joe

Joe,
For the backswing, is it better to set the wrists early or at the top?
Ed

Hello Ed,
Although some people have success setting the wrists early, most people get inconsistent results with this because the wrists set a little earlier one time, and a little later the next time. Those who use the one piece backswing tend to have more consistent results because the wrists do not set until the top of the backswing. The important thing is to reach your best hitting position at the top of the backswing. If you can feel that strong position, then try both methods and use whichever method that gets you there.
Joe

Joe,
I would like to putt with my shoulders as you suggested . . .Sometimes this works great . . .But often times, I move my whole body with the shoulders with terrible results . . . .Is there something I can think of to use only the shoulders?
Ed

Hello Ed,
There is no single putting method guaranteed to work for everyone. Using the shoulders is only a common recommendation on the best chance for success for those who have not been able to find any other method that works for them. In your case, I can only guess that you tried the shoulders because you were not satisfied with your other methods, whatever they were. It may be time for you to try a belly putter, which forces your arms, shoulders, hands, and body to work together. Many golf stores have a putting area where you can try one. You can even make your own by cutting a hole in the top of the grip and inserting a broken shaft to any desired length, even a wooden dowel will work. Good luck to you.
Joe

Joe,
I cannot seem to get any consistency to hit longer chip shots and pitches, many times I will hit the ball thin or fat. I have tried to follow all the conventional ways to do these shots but I just cannot do it. What else can I try?
James

Hello James,
Most of the time this is caused by failing to keep your hands ahead of the club. If you allow your wrists to flip too soon, the likely result is a thin or fat shot. If the conventional methods do not work for you, you might as well try something unconventional to keep the wrists from breaking. For example, you may have heard of the term called a flying elbow. Usually this term is not recommended, but on putts and chip shots if this helps to keep your wrist locked, then it might be worth a try. Move your back elbow outward so that your forearm is more along the target line and feel how this bends your wrist. Now if you can keep the wrist in this position while you execute the stroke, your ball striking may improve. Again, this is a bit unconventional, but it might be worth a try.
Joe

Joe,
Firstly thank you for all the great tips. Hopefully you receive this email and respond. It would be highly appreciative of you. I've being playing golf for almost a year now and I'm hooked. I would like some advice on a good practice routine at the driving range.
Regards
Christopher

Hello Christopher,
First of all warm up with some stretching and some double clubber drills. To avoid wasting any balls, swing at a tee first. Always have a target. Start with wedge shots. Whenever you hit two good shots with one club, move up to the 9-iron, then 8, then 7, etc. until you have used all your clubs. Then try a few half wedges and when all this is done, pretend you are playing a hole by starting with a driver, then a short iron, then a half wedge. Then play another pretend hole by starting with driver or fairway wood, and a different iron. Do not hit too many shots with the same club. By alternating clubs you will avoid the problem of getting into a groove with one club and being unable to hit any other club. Good luck to you.
Joe

Question:
Tiger was recently criticized for saying he putted like a spazz. Do you think there was anything wrong with that?

Answer: What goes around comes around. Tiger was only trying to be funny, just like when Fuzzy Zoeller tried to joke about Tiger winning his first Masters, saying the food will be something like greens and watermelon. There was no intention of offending anyone, it was only a joke. The sad thing is that Fuzzy really took a beating for saying that, and I don’t remember Tiger coming to his aid, and as a result Fuzzy, one of golf’s most charitable ambassadors, was brought to tears. Just one example of how the press will do anything to get a story by creating unnecessary controversy.

Joe,
My swing on the range is fine, but on the course I cannot seem to repeat the good shots I left on the range. This is driving me nuts. What is going on here?
Ronnie

Hello Ronnie,
On the range there is no pressure, no penalty for a bad shot, so your mind is more relaxed. Also you are swinging every few seconds so it is easy to get into a good rhythm. On the course you only swing once every several minutes, and the mind knows there are potential penalties out there on every shot. The mind is a powerful thing. It can change the way you swing without you being aware. Sometimes in the middle of your stroke you could feel a little fear, and when that happens the stroke is usually ruined. You have to train yourself to execute a stroke with certainty, without any fear. If you can commit yourself to that and a bad shot still results, then you can be pretty sure your error was mechanical and you can take steps to correct it. You can already have good mechanics but a sudden fear thought can spoil a swing. If you don’t understand that you might be trying to correct mechanics that had nothing wrong in the first place. These are mental errors that you must be strong to overcome.
Joe

Joe,
I hear sometimes the pros get put on a clock for slow play. How is that fair to a fast player who must play with a slow player?
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
In my opinion, it is not fair to the faster player. That player is trying to hurry up while the slower player does not care, but both get the penalty for slow play. I think the time has come to use a shot clock for individual golfers, just like basketball, if you don’t get the shot off within a specified number of seconds, a penalty is assessed to you alone, not your playing partner. Another idea might be that when it is your turn, you can only line up a putt from behind your ball, walking elsewhere on the green should be disallowed. You would be able to do that either while first walking up to the green or while it is someone else's turn.
Joe

Joe,
If I want to make sure my hands are in the correct position at the top of the backswing, is there an easy way to feel this without having to stop and look?
Theo

Hello Theo,
One way to do this is to think about where your thumbs are. Usually you do not have to look to feel their position. At the top of your backswing if your thumbs feel like they are under the grip or on the swing plane, you are probably in a good position. You might want to stop at the top of your backswing and see where you natural position is, especially when you feel good about your swing. That way, the next time you get into a slump, you can do the same check to see if this position has changed.
Joe

Joe,
I am a pretty good putter on the practice green, but on the course I seem to lose my touch. I am aware that nerves can have something to do with this, so I try to put some pressure on myself on the practice green, but the results are the same. Can you suggest something?
Al

Hello Al,
I have seen this happen with people who like to use some wrist action for their putting stroke. On the practice green, even when you try to apply some false pressure, the wristy stroke can work OK, but on the course where the pressure is real, the wrists are more prone to The Yips. Hal Sutton explains that small muscles do not work well under pressure, so rely on the big muscles instead. That is why you see so many pros putt with their shoulders and not their wrists.
Joe

Joe, were you self-taught or did you learn from others? What was the most important thing you learned?
Sammy

Hi Sammy,
I am mostly self-taught, but I did learn some important things from others. In this game you never really stop learning because we all have slumps and we need to know how to get out of slumps. The most important thing I learned was while playing with my first 7-club set I was always faced with shots that were in-between distances, so I had to either swing harder with a shorter club or easier with a longer club. My results were always better by swinging easier with the longer club. Then when I was able to afford a full set of clubs my game was in pretty good shape because there were fewer in-between shots and I already learned the hard way that swinging too hard seldom produces good results.
Joe

Joe,
Can you tell me why is it that the pros take such a huge divot and the ball goes the distance, but when I tend to hit under the ball and get a divot my ball goes half the distance. Why ?
John

Hi John,
The pros are not hitting under the ball, they are hitting down at the ball, striking the ball first and then the ground. They do this on purpose because a downward stroke results in more backspin on the ball. The fairways they play on are very lush, so the divots are usually quite large. Public courses are usually not so lush, so with the same swing the divots are likely to be smaller. In your case, you are probably striking the ground before striking the ball. This is known as a fat shot and that is why it goes only half the distance.
Joe

Joe,
I hit the ball much farther than my buddies, but I cannot seem to beat them. This is so frustrating. I don’t think their short games are that much better than mine, so I am at a loss to figure this out. Any help would be appreciated.
Hal

Hello Hal,
You have got to chart you shots in order to identify which area of your game needs the most attention. For example, do you hit more fairways than you miss? With each of your irons, do you hit the green more often than you miss? When you pitch and chip, do you get the ball within 1-putt range more often than not? Do you 1-putt more often than you 3-putt? If you can answer yes to all these questions, then you should be able to beat your buddies unless they also are saying yes to the same questions. If that is the case, you will have to “raise the bar” on the same questions, you must specify how many times yes must beat no for each question. This is the great thing about golf, you can never be so good that there is no room for improvement. And for people who cannot hit the ball very far, like your buddies, the great equalizer is the short game, so they still have a chance to beat long hitters like you. Every shot is a circumstance that could turn out great or horrible. Your next emotion could be a great thrill or a stunning disappointment, you never know, you can only anticipate, and that’s what makes this game so fascinating.
Joe

Richard,
I can't seem to get my timing back. Especially on my fairway woods and hybrid clubs. I either top the shot or hit it fat. I am a bit stiff now and I may be giving in to the device that is under my left collar bone. Any ideas or drills I can do. I have even gone back to hitting a five or six iron and I have intermittent same problems, with only a good shot every third or fourth time.
Hawk

Hawk I am sending this email to Joe DeLorenzo. Lets see what Joe has to say.
Joe, here is the email I sent you from Hawk. He is 70+ and has just had some kind of transmitter or something installed in his brain to help with the shakes and balance. He is an avid golfer and is trying his best to keep playing. Can you offer anything to him?
Richard

Hello Hawk, I hope you are doing well. It is good to see your love for the game is not going to stop you despite the challenges you are facing. I can imagine this transmitter is sending occasional pulses to your nervous system, and I am not clear on how frequent these pulses occur. If they occur at random times during your swing, I can see why that might cause a twitch that could result in occasional fat and thin shots. It is not easy to focus on one or the other when both are occurring. Here are some things to try. In my book, 30 Ways to Lower Your Scores, there is a concept called the Wagon Wheel, where your head is the hub and your leading arm is a spoke. If the hub moves too much, or if the spoke bends too much, the arc of the swing changes, leading to fat or thin shots. Another possibility is the timing of your weight shift. Do the double clubber drill as shown in the Body Golf videos, because this drill helps ingrain better timing and proper weight shift, you can feel it much more surely. While doing this drill, also think about the Wagon Wheel concepts and hopefully things will start to get better. Good luck to you.
Joe

Question - course conditions in my area are terrible. I have complained at the pro shops but little has changed. How can one person make a difference?

Answer: I am one of those people who are just happy to be out on any course anywhere, so conditions do not bother me so much. However, sometimes I notice the complainers are the same people who do not bother to fill divots or fix ball marks on greens, or rake sand traps. Seems to me if you fail to do those things, you have no right to complain. I hope you are not one of those people, may they be infected by the fleas of a thousand camels. If you already do those little repairs, I take it back, good for you, you are setting a good example. There is one stupid rule that says you can fix ball marks but not spike marks, but I say when everyone is done putting, fix the spike marks also as a courtesy to other golfers. Even if you say the ball mark cannot be yours because you have never hit a green in your sorry life, fix one or two extra anyway, it only takes a moment. Ask you pro shop to post signs saying conditions are not likely to improve much unless all golfers do their part to help correct these things. The sign can also mention the fleas.

Joe,
We have a friend who plays golf with us. He takes a long time to hit the ball. We are uncomfortable and don't know what to do or say to him without hurting our friend's feelings. What is the amount of time one has to hit the ball? How would you approach this problem?Mickey

Hi Mickey,
This is not an easy one. No matter what you say, your friend’s feelings may be hurt. Some people are not even aware that they are playing too slowly, and they act surprised and in denial when they are told to speed up. Furthermore they openly state that they refuse to play sprint golf or polo. If you have a friendly ranger at your course who is good with diplomacy, explain your plight to him or her. Maybe the ranger can explain that your group must pick up the pace OR ELSE. That way no individual is accused, and it establishes a sense of urgency for your group to stay on the clock. If you friend still does not get it, then it is time to say you do not want to get kicked off the course for slow play, so let’s agree to be a little more strict with each other. Let’s line up our shots while others are shooting, and take less than ten seconds to hit when it is our turn. If that doesn’t work, you could solve your problem by inviting Jody to play in your foursome. Read on…

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what would you do about this?
Answer: Diplomacy is not my strong point. People expect wise cracks from me anyway, so I have no problem saying stuff like Please while we are still young, or I think rigor mortis may have set in, or Are you one of the Palace Guardsmen? Or Do you want me to time you with a sundial or a calendar? Or if you stand there much longer you will start to grow roots and attract pigeons.

Joe,
I have a question on what type of shaft to use. I currently have an old set of Great Big Bertha (1997) irons (regular graphite shafts). I do not have an official handicap. My game is all over the place generally high 80's to low 90's on a course of about 6300 yards. I am considering purchasing the new Great Big Bertha irons or the fusion version (2006). Recently, while playing I tried a 7 iron of one my playing partners hitting to a par 3; the club was a GBB 2005 model with a uniflex steel shaft. Compared to my 7 iron the shot I hit exploded off the club face giving me 10-15 yards (approximately 150 yards in total) greater distance. I tried it later in the round with similar results. My swing speed with a 6 iron (Mizuno MP60) was measured at the golf shop at 72 mph. I am 60 years old and seem to be hitting shorter all the time. At what point should one move to graphite senior shafts over regular graphite. Can one expect an increase in swing speed due to the lighter more flexible shaft? Is accuracy greatly reduced?Your opinion is greatly appreciated.Marshall

Hi Marshall,
With irons, I would choose accuracy over distance. There really is no advantage to hitting irons for longer distance. Club manufacturers may brag about this but some of them are only de-lofting the irons. Just because you are holding two different 7 irons does not mean they both have the same loft. The one with the lower loft will hit the ball farther. But why do we want the ball to go farther, just so we can brag that we can sometimes reach a long par 4 with a drive and a 7 iron? Isn’t it better to be able to do the same thing more consistently with a 6 or 5 iron? That being said, I was never a believer that graphite shafts will help your iron play. In my opinion, using stiffer steel shafts will help accuracy. So you lose a little distance, who cares, the upside is that you have less of a distance gap between clubs. The only clubs that matter for distance are your woods, not your irons. Go ahead and get graphite shafts for your woods for distance, but irons are not made for maximum distance, they are made to control distance.
Joe

Joe - I heard they are going to reduce the distance of all golf balls. What is your opinion about this?

Answer:
I heard the Ohio Golf Association (OGA) is going to have a tournament where everyone has to play balls that are issued to them. I never really understood that there are balls that only benefit long hitters, so that makes if sound unfair that shorter hitters cannot gain a similar benefit. If that is the case, that is not a level playing field. I hear the OGA is also allowing the repair of spike marks. Think about it, it is absurd to allow the repair of ball marks but not spike marks. At last, there are officials out there who are capable of rational thought. That kind of restores my faith in the human race. Maybe the OGA can continue to have progressive ideas, like with today's emphasis on pace of play, abolish the stroke and distance penalty, which could get you thrown off the course by marshals enforcing the pace clock, or by other players who must wait while you march back to hit another ball from the original spot. Don't stop now, OGA, lead the way, there are dozens of other rules that could use improvement.

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what do you think about when you swing?

Answer: I like to keep it simple. For example, in the space of two seconds, this is all I bother to think about. Stance squared, knees flexed, spine straight, grip, elbows in, take the club back with straight left arm, break the wrist when the club is knee high, maintain proper ratio of shoulder turn to hip turn, weight 60% on back foot, maintain knee flex, hands up not too high not too low, shaft points parallel to ground at target at top of backswing, pull down with left arm, shift weight to front foot, back elbow to hip, swing path inside out, maintain wrist angle until just before impact, hit down, fold the front elbow in, extend the follow thru outward, point the belly button at the target, right foot up on the toe, and pose like a statue. And that is just my practice swing, my real swing is a little more complex, but basically that’s all there is to it. (note from Joe – and then of course he hits a 20 yard grounder)

Joe,
I hear lots of advice when hitting to a green, to always take an extra club so you do not short-side yourself. Do you agree?
Dean

Hi Dean,
Not always. I would agree if there were no dangers front or back and the green was not severely sloped, but if the green is sloped from back to front, it is far easier to get down in 2 from the front. It is much harder to stop a steep downhill putt near the hole. Many people not only 3-putt from the back, but also will 4-putt from the back if they leave their first putt short because if they miss the second putt it may roll 4 feet past, and I don’t know anyone who has never missed a 4-footer.
Joe

Joe,
I have tried everything to correct the hitting of my second shot FAT. I've moved the ball up, to the middle and to the back. What do you recommend to help me?
Mickey
Long Beach, CA

Hi Mickey,
Fat iron shots can be caused by a number of things, among the possibilities are improper weight shift on the downswing, trying to scoop the ball up instead of hitting down, a sideways sway on the backswing, or head dipping down during the downswing. As I have said several times before, Jack Nicklaus’ instructor used to grab the back of his hair to make sure it remained steady during the swing. Helped his career but gave him a funny looking “do”. Some instructors say it is OK to move your head sideways because it can add power to your swing, but I say extra power is useless if you are prone to hitting fat shots. Keeping the head more steady also helps to prevent overswinging, which is another possible cause for fat shots.
Joe

Joe,
With all the technology improvements in balls and 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?
Aaron

Hi Aaron,
No, I do not agree. Whoever says a course is too short or too easy, ask them if they have ever shot par on it. Chances are they will say no. In that case they have no business saying that. 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.
Joe

Joe,
I get so frustrated with bad shots. I know I can do better because I hit good shots most of the time. How can I succeed in this game?
Sedrik

Hello Sedrik,
Success can be defined in many ways. If you expect perfection, golf will always break your heart. Sam Snead never won the US Open, does that mean he did not have a successful career? Arnold Palmer never won the PGA, was he not a success? Golf is a microcosm of life, neither one offers any guarantees. Golf can be a character builder. It can teach you how to react to adversity, because there will always be adversity, and if you can deal with occasional failure, you can apply this attitude toward other life situations. Golf puts you in situations where a little courage is needed. It lets you dream of the possibilities, so set some personal goals and pursue them, and enjoy the rush of achievement. Golf lets you get away from it all, anticipating the next round on new courses. Appreciate the beauty of nature, and the camaraderie of others. Instead of reprimanding yourself, be able to laugh at yourself when strange things happen, because they always will, you just never know when. Once you understand this, your attitude will improve, and once you begin seeking continuous improvement in whatever you do, you are already a success.
Joe

Joe,
Most of the putts I miss are pulled. I do not want to try anything unconventional to fix this, so I am really concentrating on a perfectly squared stance and keeping my stroke straight back and thru, but unless I try to push it on purpose, the pull is always there. What can I do?
Pat

Hello Pat,
Everyone has natural tendencies. Some instructors will categorize you as a natural push or pull in terms of how many inches left or right (on a 10 foot putt), and then simply tell you to aim that much away from the hole. If that works for you, fine, but in many cases I have found that a squared stance can cause a pull if your ball position is too far forward. Be careful what you consider to be unconventional, open your mind to other possibilities like closing your stance a little by moving your back foot away from the line, and allowing your backstroke to be slightly inside the line. I challenge you to have a contest using this method against your usual method. I predict this new method has a good chance of winning.
Joe

Joe,
I think I have a pretty good putting stroke because I can make straight putts, but I am always mis-reading breaking putts. Sometimes I am not even sure if a putt will break left or right. Is there anything I can try so I can read breaking putts better?
Elmer

Hi Elmer,
Stand on any flat surface (any floor indoors is usually not sloped), close your eyes and notice how your heels feel at the same level as your toes. Also the surface is not causing you to lean to keep your balance. Then find a sloped surface like a driveway or sidewalk and do the same drill. You will probably feel your toes higher or lower than your heels depending on the slope. You will also notice you have to lean a little bit to keep your balance. This also can work on a putting green to give you an idea of which way a putt will break if you are not sure. Another method to try is plumb-bobbing, where you use your putter’s shaft as a plumb-bob by dangling it in front of you as you view the cup. If the cup appears perpendicular to the shaft, the putt is straight. If the cup is tilted, the putt should break in the downward direction of the tilt. It also helps while you are on the fairway to get an overall view of the area around the green to see which way rain water is likely to drain from the green, because putts will generally break in that direction, especially toward ponds or streams. Try these and let us know if they helped.
Joe

Joe,
I am reading in magazines about the “X-factor” where the shoulders are supposed to turn much more than the hips to get extra power. If that is true, why do some instructions say to get a good hip turn, is that not contrary to the X-factor which says to limit the hip turn? Who is correct?
Tom

Hello Tom,
This is one of many areas where people debate which is better, and some of it depends on your body build and your degree of athleticism. Here is my opinion. The X-factor can create some whipping action only if the downswing move is executed properly with the lower body going first. However, rather than limiting the hip turn, I feel you should allow the hips to turn naturally and compare results. I also feel that you can generate even more whipping action with a bigger hip turn as long as your timing on the downswing is correct, again with the lower body going first, as evidenced by the swings of Bobby Jones and John Daly, and how about J.B Holmes who was outdriving everyone in Phoenix recently with a short backswing and big hip turn? Am I mistaken, or did that look a lot like Sensei Mark in the Body Golf videos? This is a good experiment for the practice range, just try varying amounts of hip action and see what works best for you.
Joe

Question - how did Golf get it’s name?

Answer: All the other four letter words were already taken. Actually, I read somewhere that the word was an acronym for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. If that is true, what would the game be called if Ladies had invented it? Maybe “WOMAN” for Women Only, Men Are Nothing, or “GIRL” for Game I Really Love. The answer I like best, however, I saw on a T shirt in the gift shop at Marytown in Mundelein, IL, it said Golf Offers Love & Forgiveness.

Joe,
Different ads for putters illustrate that some putters have a little loft to start the ball slightly off the ground while others are saying it is better to get the ball rolling immediately. Which way is better?
Wayne

Hi Wayne,
In my opinion it does not matter. Sometimes you will notice the pros on TV will chip from the fringe with the flag out of the hole because they are trying to hole the shot. That suggests they could putt almost as well with a wedge as they can with a putter, so a little loft is not a bad thing, right? So do you think anyone will design a putter that looks like a wedge? I think not. Just because a lofted ball might skid, does not mean it will skid off line unless it hits an imperfection on the putting surface. Getting the ball rolling immediately and hitting the same imperfection on the putting surface will likely have the same effect. I figure this debate is mostly due to marketing hype trying to sell different types of putters. A straight putt will stay straight whether it rolls immediately or skids a little. Rather than worrying about how the ball rolls, consider most putts are missed due to mis-reads. Any breaking putt has different lines depending on speed. A putt that dies at the hole will need more break than an aggressive putt that would go past the hole. On a breaking putt, even if you have the perfect putter and you make a perfectly straight stroke on the perfect line, you still miss it if the speed is a little too hard or a little too soft because the break will be different. All you can do is try different styles of putters yourself and see which design gives you more confidence. It is confidence that produces the best results.
Joe

Joe,
What kind of stuff would you like to see in the next golf movie?
Greg

Hi Greg,
I would like to see a sequel to “The Greatest Game Ever Played” to capture some of the interesting true stories in the book that the movie left out, such as the young unknown Walter Hagen’s great effort that came very close to winning the same 1913 US Open which was the venue for the movie. The book also had several other colorful characters that could easily make another movie most interesting. I ask all our readers to send this request in to Disney, maybe if they see enough interest, they might do something about it. Maybe they can call it “Greatest Game – Part 2”.
Joe

Joe,
A golfer must really have to be good to get a single digit handicap. I have some buddies who all hit the ball pretty well, but their handicaps vary greatly. Where is this fine line that separates them?
Steven

Hi Steven,
Let’s say on every hole, golfer A and golfer B hit the same number of fairways and the same number of greens. They each chip and pitch the ball the same also. On each hole they are both faced with par putts in the range of 6 to 10 feet. Golfer A is a scratch player because she makes almost every putt in that range. Golfer B is an 18 handicap because he misses almost every putt in that range. There is your fine line. Nobody will ever be a scratch player unless they can get up and down from anywhere near the green. Even the best pros do not hit every green in regulation, so they must have fantastic short games to survive. Yet most golfers think the way to get better is to spend all their practice time banging balls on the range. Many golfers already hit the ball well enough to just get near the green in regulation, but that’s where the real scoring begins. If you cannot make putts consistently in the 6 to 10 foot range, you have simply got to get your chip shots closer to the hole. Scoring is all about the short game. And as Baretta used to say for emphasis, THAT’s the name of THAT tune.
Joe

Joe,
I am 77 years old. My score usually is hi 90's or low 100/s.My swing speed with a driver is between 74 and 78. Is it possible for someone my age to lower my handicap?
Sincerely
Florian

Hi Florian,
It is always possible to lower your handicap, just how much depends on what your current handicap is. It is harder for lower handicap players and easier for higher handicappers. It has nothing to do with swing speed. At your age that is not a bad swing speed, I hope I can do that when I am 77. Ask yourself these questions:
Do you make every short putt? Do you lag every long putt close to the hole? Do you get your chips and pitches close enough to the hole to give yourself a chance to one-putt? Are you aiming properly? Do you have trouble with sand shots? Are you sure you are using the right grip? Are you sure you are using the best possible setup, stance, posture, ball position? Are you satisfied with your mechanics, backswing, downswing, follow-thru? Are you making the best decisions on club selection depending on the situation? Are you getting the most out of your practice sessions? I can give you answers to all these questions and more, just order the book “30 Ways To Lower Your Golf Scores”, available from the Products link at thinkandreachpar.com.
Joe

Joe,
I'm an older golfer having just taken up golf at 52 about a year and a half ago. I have some flexibility limitations in the shoulder and arms (e.g., can't lift arms above head without a lot of pull on the back). I seem to have a problem I've been unable to fix with regards to stability and maintaining the spine angle. Almost every time I do a back swing, when I try to bring the club around and up, my body lifts up and back in response to this motion. It's almost like falling away, so I lose all leverage in returning the club to the ball. I have begun stretching exercises, but it hasn't really helped yet. I've tried to manufacture tons of different backswings, but with not success.
Larry

Hi Larry,
I do not know if you always had these limitations, or are they due to a recent injury, so for the sake of discussion I will assume you have always had these limitations. I would recommend the next time you go to a practice range, try this drill. Take your setup at a mat with a permanent rubber tee, otherwise just place a tee in the ground. Instead of concentrating on how you do the backswing, just assume a comfortable position at the top and take a downswing. Adjust your position at the top until you find one that results in better balance and consistently strikes the tee every time. Once you can do that, all you have to do is find a backswing that gets you to that same position at the top. Be careful not to overswing on the backswing or else you will have your original problem all over again. I hope this helps you.
Joe

Joe,
I hear conflicting instructions, one that says to keep the head still, and other “experts” that say show me someone who keeps the head still and I will show you someone who cannot play. Which is correct?
Cal

Hello Cal,
Jack Nicklaus had an instructor who used to grab the back of his hair to keep his head steady while he swung. There is a difference between the terms “still” and “steady”. Still means don’t move it at all (which is not correct). Steady means you can rotate it while you keep it in the same place. Some people can also get away with allowing the head to move slightly back during the backswing, but not up or down. If you look closely at Jack’s swing, you will see just before he begins the backswing, his head turns back a little, and then he keeps it steady.
Joe

Joe,
I have read in several magazines that when using the driver you are supposed to tee it very high, play it way forward in your stance, and hit the ball on the way up. I get better results by playing a normal ball position, and so do other people that I know. What is the idea here, and why does it not work for people like me?
Peter

Hi Peter,
The theory behind hitting the ball on the way up is supposed to increase launch angle and reduce underspin which then keeps the ball from “ballooning“ and losing distance. However I think this advice is only for those with very high swing speeds who prefer maximum distance without worrying about accuracy. For people with lower swing speeds there are some advantages to underspin. For one, underspin somewhat cancels out sidespin, thus reducing hooks or slices. Secondly, underspin keeps the ball airborne longer. Thirdly, if you hit the ball too much on the way up, you might give it topspin, resulting in the ball diving instead of rising, like a “duck hook”, thus losing distance. This can also be illustrated with tennis and ping pong balls. Although the recommended ball position for most golfers can vary depending on the club being used, there is nothing wrong with experimenting to see which ball position works best for you, because we are not robots, so there is no one single ball position that is guaranteed to work for all golfers.
Joe

Joe,
Are the terms flying elbow and chicken wing both meaning the same thing?
Trish

Hi Trish,
No. The flying elbow refers to the top of the backswing when the back elbow is too far away from the body. The chicken wing refers to the follow thru when the leading elbow is bent outward, which is always a bad thing that will rob you of power and accuracy. The flying elbow is not always a bad thing depending on how you swing. Although it is not recommended, several good golfers get away with it because their first move on the downswing is to quickly get the back elbow to the hip ahead of the club. Among those who have flying elbows are Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, and John Daly. If you want to avoid a flying elbow, study Vijay Singh, who keeps the back elbow close to the body.
Joe

Joe,
And, as per most of your readers, I also have a question, that has been bothering me for quite a while.... Most surely, you have heard of the golf club known as a "Chipper"... reportedly to be used to "chip" (equipped with a slight loft ) from the frog hairs of the greens, or a slightly longer distance, toward the cup placement. This smaller club also has a wide, flat bottom and appears to look like a putter.
Snuffy

Hi Snuffy,
Yes I have tried one of those Chippers and I found it is only useful from the “frog hair” but not from deeper grass where a lofted iron will work better. Also, if you choose to use one, which other club will you take out of your bag to stay within the 14 club limit? Most golfers can chip just as well with an iron, and since you can also hit full shots with an iron but not with a Chipper, I see very little advantage in using a Chipper. If you really want to try one, you may be able to find it on ebay or a second hand golf shop. If you do find one, have a contest to see if the Chipper works any better than one of your irons. I predict it may work better from the fringe, but not from the deeper grass beyond the fringe. I also predict the Chipper will do no better than a putter from the fringe.
Joe

Joe,
The first move in starting the downward swing has always been a mystery to me! Can you help?
Rherrl

Hello Rherrl,
Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV and you will see the first downswing move is the lower body going forward just before the backswing is completed. This creates a whipping action, maximizing clubhead speed.
Joe

Joe, how do you draw the ball, how do you address the ball, and how important is it to keep your eye on the ball?

Answer: To draw a ball, take pencil and paper, make a circle and fill it with dimples. To properly address the ball, say “Hello, ball”. It is apparently not important to keep your eye on the ball because the USGA has a machine that has no eyes at all, but it still can hit the ball 300 yards every time.

Joe,
At the top of the back-swing, how I can I tell or feel that I have fully cocked my right wrist (I am a leftie)? I try to keep my left hand very passive as I take the club to the top of the back-swing but I am never quite sure that I have fully cocked the right wrist.
Regards,
Roger Dukhan
Toronto, Ontario Canada

Hello Roger,
It is easy to assume that a fully cocked wrist translates into maximum power, but there comes a point where your ball striking might suffer if you cock your wrist too much. Everyone would like to have a picture perfect swing but we are not all built the same. Some people find it easy to get the club shaft parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing, while others, like me, prefer the shorter backswing in the interest of better ball striking. So to answer your question, you can cock your wrist as much as you want as long as your ball striking does not suffer. Some great golfers go past parallel at the top, like Phil Mickelson, John Daly, Bobby Jones, and many more. Have someone take a video of your swing and see your wrist positions with differing amounts of wrist cock. Also check your distance at the range with differing amounts of wrist cock, you might be surprised to find you are losing distance with too much wrist cock because it sometimes causes “casting” or hitting from the top.
Joe

Joe,
I would like to hear New Year’s Resolutions from you and Jody The Evil Twin.
Reggie

Hi Reggie,
Here are a few, maybe these will trigger you to add more or modify them:
I resolve to hit more fairways than I miss.
When the green is in reach with a short iron, I resolve to hit more greens than I miss.
I resolve to get more pitch shots within 20 feet of the flag more often than not.
I resolve to get more chip shots within 10 feet of the flag more often than not.
I resolve to get more lag putts within 3 feet of the hole more often than not.
I resolve to make at least 2 out of every 3 short putts, (3 to 4 feet).
I resolve to control my temper by replacing cuss words with nonsense words. Sometimes this leads to laughter, which is the best medicine for whatever ails you.
Jody’s resolution is to avoid making stupid resolutions.
Have a great 2006 anyway.
Joe

Joe,
What does it mean to “fan it open” on the backswing?
Orlando

Hello Orlando,
Fanning it open means the clubface appears to be opening gradually during the backswing, with the idea of keeping the clubface square to your turn. Some people start their backswings by instead keeping the clubface square to the target line too long, resulting in the face being shut at the top of the backswing. Two bad things can happen here, either you keep it shut during the downswing and hit a pull hook, or you open it too much on the downswing and hit a push slice. Of course it seems if you deliberately open the face too much during the backswing, then you have the same problem in reverse. If you think too much about fanning it open on purpose, then you might drive yourself nuts trying to guess how much to fan it, so in my opinion, if you are at the correct position at the top of the backswing, your natural turn has already taken care of this fanning issue without you having to think about it.
Joe

Joe,
What do they mean when the announcers say the reason for a bad shot was a “double cross”?
Don

Hi Don,
An example of a double cross would be when a golfer tries to hit a fade by swinging outside in while intending to leave the clubface open at impact, but during the downswing, a lack of concentration allows the wrists to cross over naturally and fails to keep the clubface open, resulting in double trouble, that is, a pull and a hook instead of a fade, usually sending the ball far away from the target. If you ever want to try a deliberate fade, make sure to rehearse the desired wrist action during your practice swings to keep the clubface open, and maintain this focus during your actual shot.
Joe

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Joe,
I feel all golfers should play the ball down, but you say not always. Why not?

Answer: The pros do not always play the ball down, in wet conditions they are sometimes allowed to “lift, clean, and place”. In the old days, players were not allowed to do that, they had to play from plugged lies, even on the greens. But one day the rules committee grew some brains and changed that rule, so don’t tell me all rules are so sacred that they cannot be changed. That kind of mentality is for mindless people who are incapable of rational thought. That being said, only good golfers should play the ball down. Until they get good, here are the Top Ten reasons why high handicappers should be allowed to improve their lie:
‘1. Pace of play will improve
‘2. The game will be more enjoyable
‘3. The game is expensive, so to get your money’s worth, there is no reason to let bad lies spoil shots.
‘4. If a high handicapper cannot hit a good shot from a good lie, it makes no sense to try it from a bad lie.
‘5. This makes their handicaps lower so it will be easier to beat them in competition.
‘6. Course conditions on public courses are far more likely to give bad lies than tournament courses.
‘7. It makes little difference to anyone else whether their score comes out to 110 or 130.
‘8. Because sortagolf.com says so
‘9. It defeats cheaters who, when you are not looking, either step on your ball or improve their own lie.
‘10. It upsets the mindless purists, which always brings me great pleasure.

Joe,
I see in magazines how you are supposed to have the toe of the club pointed up during the backswing when the club is halfway back and parallel to the ground. They say this means the club is square to the target. I don’t get it. The clubface is pointed to the side, right? I cannot look back during a normal swing to see if the toe is pointing up, so if this is so important, how can I get a feel for this? Please explain.
Slightly Confused

Dear Slightly,
Sometimes the way things are explained can be taken the wrong way, so a different way of explaining the same thing is in order. Picture your swing being like a door. The doorknob is pointing to the target. Then the door swings open and the doorknob is no longer seems to be pointing to the target, but considering the turning motion, the knob is definitely square to the turn, and will again be square to the target when the door turns back to the original position. If you have trouble relating this to the real clubface, consider the palm of your back hand being parallel to the clubface. Now you no longer have to think about the clubface or the toe of the club because you can feel whether or not your palm is in proper position. If you can feel your palm being in a vertical position when the club is halfway back, chances are pretty good that the toe will be pointing up. I hope this helps.
Joe

Joe,
I saw John Daly talk about using one hand to putt with during practice. According to John, this gives you a better feel for rolling the ball to the hole. I tried this, and found my distance control to be much better. My problem is I loose this "feel" when I put my left hand back on the club. I've been putting one handed most of the season with some success. The problem is sometimes the club twists slightly causing me to be off line. Is there a way to keep my left hand from taking over my putting stroke?
Hoobler

Hi Hoobler,
There are lots of theories about putting, and just because something works for one person, does not mean it will work for everyone. Many people try to keep their back hand out of the stroke, not the front hand, and that is why the “claw” grip has gained attention due to the success of Chris DiMarco and Mark Calcavecchia. Assuming you are right handed, you are trying to keep the opposite hand off the stroke, so Chris and Mark might beat you up for saying that. However, if you try to put equal pressure from both hands on your putting grip, it could be that one hand or the other is your naturally dominant hand, so it tries to take control over the other hand thus interfering with your stroke. If your dominant hand happens to be your back hand, then just use your other hand with very light pressure, which might steady your twisting without losing your feel. If this does not work, try a belly putter, which forces your hands to work together, thus eliminating the battle of which hand wants to take over.
Joe

Joe,
My game has steadily improved all year, but at the end of the year my scores got worse. Even tho my iron shots are crisp and on line, they seem to end up further from the hole than summertime. Also I have a lot more 3-putts even tho my putting stroke feels just as good as summertime. Is there something about fall that makes it harder to score?
Frankie

Hi Frankie,
Yes it is harder to score in the fall, mostly due to the conditions of the greens. Many courses do not change the pin positions as often as summer, so the foot traffic around the hole causes two problems that you do not see in the summer. First, the green becomes firmer near the hole and softer away from the hole, so shots that land near the hole will skid instead of biting, and shots that land short of the hole will stick instead of running up to the hole. As a result, all your approach putts are going to be longer, and that is one reason for more 3 putts. The other reason is the “slick donut” around the hole packed down by everyone’s stances for short putts. This donut area is a 2 to 3 foot circle away from the hole because nobody steps much closer to the hole to pick up their ball, so the center of this donut is raised like an imperceptibly shallow volcano, causing any putt which is not perfectly on line to veer away from the hole, so to sink any putt is like walking a tightrope, there is no room for error. Lag putts that normally stop close to the hole are likely to keep going right on thru this slick area resulting in fewer tap-ins. Just enjoy the game and don’t be too disappointed if you shoot a few strokes over your average.
Joe

Joe,
I can hit my irons fairly straight, but I am always missing the green short or long. What should I do?
Srini

Hello Srini,
It is time to look at your thought process for club selection. Pay more careful attention to which club you can count on to hit the ball 150 yards. Most courses have a marker for 150 yards to the middle of the green, not to the pin, so you need to trust your club for specific distances and be sure to adjust at least 1 club for pins that are not in the middle of the green, either front or back. For example, if you usually hit a 7 iron 150 yards, use that club when you have 145 yards to the pin because you might not hit it perfectly every time. In other words if you hit it perfectly, you will only be 5 yards past the pin, and if you do not hit it perfectly, you still may be short of the pin, but at least you have a better chance of being on the green. From this 150 yard reference point, add or subtract one club for every ten yards of distance required. Also add or subtract one club for gentle wind, and at least 2 clubs for stiffer wind. Also add or subtract one club if the green is elevated or downhill. If your ball striking is fairly consistent, just trust those adjusted distances and you should soon be hitting more greens.
Joe

Joe,
I do not seem to play well with regular shafts, but I am told my swing speed supposedly is not high enough for stiff shafts. What would happen if you get shafts that are too stiff for you?
Sara

Hi Sara,
With older stiff shafts you would lose distance and hit the ball too low, but you might be a little more accurate. I used to think that stiffer shafts were always preferable because they theoretically would reduce an unwanted variable of a flexing and twisting shaft making it harder to square the clubface at impact, but now the shaft technology has introduced the low-torque concept which helps keep the clubface square while the shaft is flexing but not twisting. This allows us to take advantage of the shaft's spring-effect without sacrificing accuracy. So now it is less dangerous to optimize your swing speed by experimenting with different amounts of shaft flex. It makes me wonder how in the world did the old time golfers ever shoot par with wooden shafts? It gives you a sense of how good those guys really were. No technology, no precisely matched sets of clubs, just sticks with hunks of metal on the end, playing on scruffy fairways and greens with golf balls that were far inferior to what we have today. Wow, these guys must have been really good.
Joe

You Make The Call
On the first tee, a golfer addresses the ball and accidentally knocks the ball off the tee. Then he re-tees in a different spot within the legally marked area, but first he pulls out some tall grass and pats the ground flat behind his ball. Then he tees off and hits a tree and the ball rolls back against the tee marker. He then removes the tee marker, plays his shot, and puts the marker back. How many penalty strokes apply here?

Answer: There are no penalty strokes applied here, there was nothing illegally done. Since a stroke had not yet been played from the tee ground, accidentally knocking the ball off the tee does not count. It is OK to remove tall grass or any other object from the tee ground, and also to tap it flat with your club. The tee markers are fixed until the ball is in play, but after the first shot is played they are considered moveable obstructions.

Joe,
I've been in a slump for about a month and it hasn't been much fun out there. In fact, I have cancelled some games for the next few days and will try and practice instead in the hopes of finding a solution. I've lost power....am hitting my irons weakly and thin and not making any putts so there's not much joy out there. Hopefully, it's only a phase and will go away as fast as it appeared.
Jerry

Hi Jerry,
Sometimes when we seem to lose power, we try too hard to get it back and we “hit from the top”, which means we not only overswing, but we also use up our wrist action too soon on the downswing. You are doing the right thing by going to the range until you solve your problem. One of the things you can try is a very short backswing, and on the downswing delay your wrist action until the last possible moment before impact. If you can strike the ball solidly every time by doing this, then lengthen your backswing a little at a time until your ball striking begins to suffer, then back off a little and that will be your proper backswing. With proper wrist action your distance should be OK, even if you think your backswing is too short. Watch Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, and Jim Thorpe, among others, who are very successful with a very short backswing. If you still need more distance, I will need to know what kind of clubs you are using, a modern driver might help. As far as putting goes, many people improve immediately by going to a belly putter, even Michael Campbell did this for the 2005 US Open. Let us know if these things helped.
Joe

What do you say to people who talk while you are putting?

Answer: Don’t let my putting interrupt your conversation, or, Where did you learn to whisper, in a sawmill? These are usually the same people who get disturbed by the uproar of butterflies in the nearby weeds.

Joe,
Again thanks for all the great tips, they have helped so much, i am not able to hit my hybred 3 at all, all i do is top it no matter where i place it in my stance, any suggestions, thanks,
Larry

Hi Larry,
If you do not have this problem with all your other clubs, then it would seem your hybrid 3 does not fit your swing. Check the lie angle and shaft flex, are they the same as your other clubs? I suspect not. However, if they are the same, then maybe the shape of the clubhead looks strange to you. If so, that is a distraction. I know some people who only play irons because the shape of woods bothers them. If that is the case, look only at the clubface and convince yourself that the rest of the shape does not matter for ball striking.
Joe

Joe,
I just wanted to know how I could calculate the loft levels on my irons? I want to match some new wedges and figure I should find out what my iron lofts are first. Is there a simple way that I can do this at home? Cheers and thanks so much.
Jeffrey

Hello Jeffrey,
It depends on how precise you want to be. The simplest way would be to lay the iron face down on a table an use a simple school supply tool like a plastic protractor. If you want to be more precise, take your irons to a golf shop that has the proper measuring equipment, because there you can also get the lie angles and shaft stiffness checked. If you only look at loft angle without looking at the other characteristics, you may or may not get the results you desire.
Joe

Joe,
My problem is that my nerves can not take it before a competition, This weekend the 19/11/2005 I am playing club champs and I am the B division defending champ and I am not ready to lose my trophy as yet. I play a good game but I do seem to work on my over all golf that will be accuracy to the pin and one think I do battle with is getting of the T box and chipping I also was end up short of the green. What do you suggest I do to keep my Trophy?
Thanks, Regards.
John vd Sandt.

Hello John,
It is natural to get nervous before any competition. Just remember this is only a game and all the other people are nervous too. One of them may have a hot round and beat you no matter what you do, or maybe you will have the hot round, who knows? Either way, enjoy the thrill of competition, win or lose. You ask what to do to solve your problems off the tee, missing the greens, and poor chipping, yikes, there is not much else left, is there? Try to recall how you felt when you won your B division last time, and have confidence that you can do it again, just play each shot to the best of your ability, one shot at a time, and hope nobody else does any better. Even if they do better, at least give yourself a pat on the back for doing your best, and good luck to you. If you don’t want to lose your trophy, move to another town and take it with you.
Joe

Just for once, maybe during the off season, I would like to see a “retro” tournament where all golfers must use hickory shafts and identical gutta percha balls. They cannot use their own equipment, they are supplied with a set of ten clubs, so there are no advantages for anyone, they have to adapt to the equipment. They would have no caddies so they must carry their own clubs, make their own guesses on yardages, and read their own putts. Nobody has any help. Now let’s see who is brave enough to risk embarrassment under these conditions. Even if this was only 9 or 18 holes, wouldn’t that be cool?

Joe,
What do you think of Jean Van de Velde’s comments on women being allowed to qualify for the British Open?
Tina

Hi Tina,
Poor Jean is really taking a beating, isn’t he? I am not one to kick a man when he is down, but with tongue in cheek, let’s look at his powers of judgment. When asked why he played so aggressively on the last hole of the ’99 British Open, when he could have played conservatively and won easily, he said he did not want to look like a coward. Hmmm, that means he would rather throw away a spot in history as an Open winner than to risk having someone call him a coward. Powers of judgment? Isn’t it also cowardly to do the wrong thing just because you are afraid of what others might think? On the other hand, if his goal was to be in the news and to keep people talking about him, maybe you can consider that to be good judgment both then and now, because in that sense he has succeeded. Maybe because of this he can get a spot on Leno, Letterman, or Oprah.
Joe

Joe,
I admire the consistent, 3/4 power swing used by Dana Quigley. Do you know of any golf video or instruction manuals that discuss Dana's methods. The 3/4 swing may also be easier on the body as we get older.
R. Guy Dodson

Hi Guy,
I also believe in the shorter backswing, I use it too, and so do others like Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, Doug Sanders, Moe Norman, and all the followers of Natural Golf (that does not mean they all use every aspect of Natural Golf, it is only the short backswing that they have in common). Here is why I like the shorter backswing. For most golfers, the further you take the club back, the more trouble you can get into. Those who can afford to practice and play every day may be able to get away with taking it further back because daily activity makes it easier to stay in a groove. One of the major magazines (I forget whether it was Golf Digest or Golf Magazine) had a feature story on Dana’s swing, complete with frame by frame illustrations and explanations, but other than the shorter backswing, Dana does nothing fundamentally different with the rest of his mechanics, but his success is due to the perfect timing of his arm and wrist action. For most of us, it would be easy to lose this timing when you take the club too far back, and you may be “hitting from the top” which robs you of power. With a shorter backswing, it is less likely that you will hit from the top.
Joe

O Great Philosopher, you think you know everything, so let me give you a tough question. What is the meaning of life?

Answer: I don’t know everything, but I know this much, and actually that is not such a tough question. A great part of the meaning of life is to glorify your Creator by giving thanks for what you have, to treat others with respect, to make the world a better place using whatever talents you are given, to brighten someone else’s day, and if you are not sure how to do that, just make people laugh, because laughter is the best medicine for whatever ails us. Now let me give you a tough question – if I were to tell you my vacuum cleaner sucks, is that good or bad? And if you get it wrong, you get 7 years bad luck.

Joe,
I always hit the ball too low with a driver, and I have already tried the 11.5 degree models. The 3-wood works but the smaller face sometimes gives me popups or grounders, so I need the bigger clubface and also I feel the need for more distance off the tee. Do I have to change my swing? I would rather not because I can hit the rest of my clubs OK, and I have already tried the forward ball position which helps a little but not enough.
Simeon

Hello Simeon,
If you are not interested in swing changes, check out which companies make drivers with extra loft. Maybe they only come in Seniors or Ladies models with shafts that have too much flex for your swing, but you can place a special order to have any clubhead with any shaft. For example, I saw a guy with a problem just like yours who ordered a 400cc Senior/Lady head with a loft of 15.5 degrees and had a stiff shaft installed, and he immediately saw a dramatic improvement in his driving distance because the launch angle was higher, and that was exactly what he needed.
Joe

Joe,
I need to know exactly where do you put both the left thumb and the right thumb on your grip?
(no name)

Dear No Name,
First of all, never wrap the thumbs around the shaft like a baseball bat, the thumbs should stay close to the forefingers. You can view this in any magazine or book that has illustrations (including my book). As you take your grip, view the shaft in terms of clock positions, with 12 o’clock being the side of the shaft that is away from your body. The tip of the left thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 1 o’clock, and the tip of the right thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 11 o’clock. This is true for both right handers and left handers. Your thumb and forefinger on both hands form a “V” which should point somewhere between your back shoulder and your chin. You can adjust the position of this V to correct hooks or slices. To help correct a slice, move the V to point to the back shoulder. To help correct a hook, move the V to point more towards the chin.
Joe

Joe,
I have just seen the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and I thought it was fantastic. Should I not bother to read the book if it is all the same stuff? What did the movie leave out from the book, if anything?
Bob

Hello Bob,
They did a nice job on the movie, but the book has so much more interesting detailed information that I think you will enjoy the book even more. For examples of what the movie did not show, the book tells the whole story about how Harry Vardon rose to prominence, how his disease almost killed him but left him with The Yips. The movie only shows his hands twitching but does not explain why. The book says how he was almost booked on the Titanic, how he toured the US and beat everyone wherever he went, how Francis and his brother built a 3 hole course in their backyard, the transition between the gutta percha ball and the modern ball, and gives a shot by shot description of the most important holes in the 1913 US Open. The book also describes how this was also a young Walter Hagen’s first Open, and he almost stole the show, but the movie ignores Walter, as well as many other colorful characters that the book describes in rich detail. The movie showed a close match while the book showed wild leaderboard swings, and end of the contest was also different. The movie ends with a few brief statements about Harry, Francis, and Eddie, but the book goes into great detail about what happened afterwards to every single character besides those 3. I could go on and on about the differences between the movie and the book, but in my opinion this book is a masterpiece, and it ranks among the finest pieces of literature a golfer could ever hope to read. If you do not read this book you are really missing out on a lot of enjoyment.
Joe

The Evil Twin’s Challenge - Part 2 (true story):
In review from last post, I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course (par 70) on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes caused the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and also he could only use 7 clubs. He played the front nine 6 over, and the back 9 is much harder, so I like my chances to win the bet. His drive on the 10th hole is drawing downhill toward a water hazard, but stops just short. Lucky dog. He then hits the green, but 3-putts again, now he is 7 over. YES!! He hits the 11th in regulation with a birdie opportunity, but gets too aggressive and goes 3 feet past, and the par putt bounces away from the cup again (YES!!), now he is 8 over and my mind is reviewing some exotic dinner menus and my mouth begins to water. He hits the 12th in regulation, but he is 40 feet left and above the hole facing a steep downslope, and he lags 6 feet short, that’s nasty, but I cannot help but chuckle because if he misses this one it may not stop near the hole. The par putt curls slowly, zigzags a couple of times in slow motion, hangs on the lip, and then drops. Lucky dog. He hits the 13th in regulation and lags to 2 feet. Even these 2-footers are no sure thing on aerated greens because the aeration holes are rather large and each one has a dent around it, but somehow he makes it with another 360-ringer. On the 14th it usually takes a pretty good drive to clear the creek, and you must clear it to have any chance to reach the green in 2, and he was not using the driver today, but he leans on the fairway wood, almost comes out of his shoes, and barely makes it over the creek. Then he hits the green, but on the lower tier with the hole on the upper tier. Then he drops this 40 foot bomb on me. Ouch. Lucky dog, but still he is 7 over. The 15th is a par 3 with a green that slopes steeply back to front. He hits the green 40 feet right of the flag and curves the bouncing lag putt 3 feet past. Now I am getting worried because he is starting to make putts despite the aeration holes and dents. If he can make a 40 footer, surely he can make this 3 footer, but NO, it bounces away for another 3 putt bogey (YES!!), now he is 8 over. He hits the 16th in regulation, 30 feet below the hole, lags to 3 feet, and it bounces away again (YES!!) and now he is 9 over. He hits the par three 17th with a 20 foot birdie putt, which he had better make, because the 18th hole is very difficult even without an aerated green. I figure his only chance to finish 9 over and win the bet is to birdie right now on 17 and then bogey 18. His approach putt bounced to a stop about 3 feet from the hole. What a relief. I feel even more relieved when he again misses the 3 footer, now he is ten over and his bet is all but lost. When his is not looking, I am doing cartwheels. Let’s see, should I have the lobster or the chateaubriand, and maybe some la poupedou French wine? He hits the narrow 18th fairway and then pulls his approach on the left side of the green more than 50 feet above the hole. His only slim hope is to sink this ridiculous birdie putt to get back to 9 over and win the bet. I smile at the futility of it all as he strikes the downhill putt on a line about ten feet left of the hole and then it begins to arc down the hill as I walk over to offer my condolences, but…wait a minute, it’s curving closer, you have got to be kidding, get away from there…NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!…. I hang my head as there are screams and high fives all around, except for me of course, I still don’t believe it. If I had not seen this for myself I would say this was all made up. Eight 3-putts and 2 penalties, and I still lose the bet. So what do you suppose he ordered for dinner? Beer and pizza of course. At least he let me have some.

The Evil Twin’s Challenge (true story):
I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes cause the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and since he is always telling people how much fun it is to play with only 7 clubs, this time let’s see what HE can do with only 7 clubs. So he chooses a fairway wood, 3 irons, 2 wedges, and the putter. Par at our course is 70 so he has to shoot 9 over to win the bet. The first 2 holes are par 4’s and he hits both greens in regulation. The approach putts bounced, hopped, skipped and jumped to 2 feet and he manages to make pars. The 3rd hole is a long par 3 into the wind and his tee shot found a bunker. He blasted out to 6 feet, and the putt started at the hole but zigzagged away, and now I knew the game was on, because unless his par putts were under 3 feet, he had no chance on these aerated greens. The 4th is a par 5 and his drive ends up behind 2 trees so I figured he had to chip out, but no, he takes a gamble by hitting a hook between them right at the lateral water hazard on the right and it draws back into the fairway. Lucky dog. He hits the green and lags to 2 feet and gets his par. On the 5th, his drive goes into the water hazard. YES!! He drops, hits the green and 3 putts for double bogey. Now the game is really on. He pars the next hole, a short par 3. On the 7th, he is on in regulation, lags to 3 feet, and the putt zigzags and lips out. Now he is 4 over (YES!!). On the 8th the drive is pulled into an unplayable lie. There is no truth to the rumor that I stepped on it, so it’s a penalty, then he drops and hacks it out of the rough onto the green about 60 feet short of the flag. The lag putt is 6 feet short, and again the next putt zigzags away from the hole. Double bogey, now he is 6 over (YES!!), and apparently cannot stop the bleeding. He hits the 9th green in regulation, but has a downhill sidehill 50 footer, which he lags to 6 feet below the hole. Now he is really in trouble, but this time the putt takes a lucky bounce and does a victory lap around the lip and falls in. Not to worry, the back 9 is much harder than the front 9 so I feel pretty good about the bet so far. (to be continued)

Joe,
i have two questions for you, on a par three, do you suggest using a tee of the box or the natural surface, i have hit good and bad shots with both, and just want to be consistent, and also, when approaching the green with an iron, is it better to hit the ball with the intention of leaving a divot or not leaving a divot, i have heard different sides to this theory and figure yours will be the one i go after,
thanks again,
larry gardner

Hi Larry,
Always use a tee. Jack Nicklaus once said the same thing because air has less resistance than ground. For your second question, go ahead and take a divot because that ensures a downward stroke. If you try to sweep the ball without taking a divot, you might strike the ball at the equator and hit a low line drive. Striking the equator with a downward stroke will cause the ball to spin up the clubface, so your margin of error is better with a downward stroke.
Joe

Joe, which exercises do you recommend?

Answer: Here is a way to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. Just don't overdo it. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-LB. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-LB. potato sacks. Then 50-LB.potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-LB. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.

Joe,
I have recently had a severe spinal problem, which is still under treatment. I do not know, whether I will be able to play again. I read by chance an article on Fred Couples dated about 8-10 years which said that he had a similar ailment. We all now know that he is back to fully fit state and playing as well as ever. I want to seek his experience of treating himself and other related information. How can I contact him. I am 64 yrs old, play to 7 handicap now. I live in India. Do you have any advise for such ailing golfers like?Regards.Col Nirmal Singh, Retired

Hello Col Singh,
I am sorry to hear about your ailment. It would be hard for a retired 7 handicapper like you to give up the game, so I wish you the best of luck to get your back in playing shape. Many other golfers besides Fred have back problems, even Tiger Woods. Sometimes the problem is muscular and sometimes it is spinal. The safest way to swing would be to keep the spine straight by extending your rear end outward during setup. Those who fail to do this are risking back pain because more stress is placed on turning a bent spine. However, now that you already have the pain, you must be careful about the type of treatment you seek. A good chiropractor might be able to help, but not all chiropractors are equally skilled, so if you are thinking of going this way, be sure to choose one that comes highly recommended. I do not know the specifics of Fred’s treatment, but you can use your web browser to search for information about Fred and others by simply entering his name (or others also) and "back pain" into the search box, and you will find many links to read.
Joe

When is an ace not an ace? If the ball is resting against the flagstick and you pick it up. The ball has to fall all the way to the bottom of the hole before you pick it up, otherwise it is a one stroke penalty and you have to place the ball on the lip of the hole and putt out for a 3.
My point of view - Another stupid rule. If the ball is resting against the flagstick I don’t see how it could not be in the hole. If you move the flagstick to allow it to fall to the bottom, aren’t you illegally influencing the movement of the ball? If someone would try to deny me a ace for that I would offer them to smooch my voluminous derriere.

Joe,
Sometimes I get to play alone, which is nice because I can play fast and hit extra shots, but sometimes I miss the competition of playing against others. I have tried to create my own competition by playing one brand of ball against another brand, but that just becomes a putting contest, and some shots are duplications from the same general spot with the same club. I need some new ideas.
Chet

Hi Chet,
Divide your set in half, one half against the other, like even numbered irons against odd numbered irons. The half that gets the putter cannot use the driver, and the half that gets the driver must also putt with the driver, which by the way works surprisingly well when you use the driver like a belly putter. You decide which side gets which wedges. Now you have drama on every shot because you cannot use the same club from the same spot, and you have to prove that your regular putter can beat your driver-putter. Also, you will get a feel for how to adapt when you are “in-between” clubs. If you do not want to go to that extreme, here is another idea. Play your first ball with your usual club selections, and play your second ball using one club more with an easier swing, and see who wins.
Joe

Joe,
I have so many swing thoughts that I am afraid if I forget any one of them I might mess up the shot. I need a single swing thought that eliminates the need to worry about all the other ones. Any ideas? Do you have one for yourself? If so, what is it?
Theodore

Hello Theodore,
This is like the holy grail, the magic move that solves everything, wouldn’t that be nice? It is OK to have a list of “keys” for the backswing and another list for the downswing, but it is not realistic to think of too many at the same time while you are swinging. So the next time you are on the practice range, select one key at a time and see which one works best. This will not always be the best because your body muscles are always changing. Next time a different key might work best, but not forever. This approach will allow you to adapt more quickly when you have trouble on the course. My favorite for the backswing is to keep the front shoulder level while the back shoulder rotates around my neck. Everything else seems to fall into place when I do this. That is no guarantee it will work for you, but it might be worth a try.
Joe

Joe,
I read instructions that say to let your arms hang down at address, and there should be an angle between your arms and the club shaft. But when I do this, I hit a lot of fat shots. Then I tried the single plane setup where there is little or no angle between the arms and the club shaft and then I hit a lot of thin shots. Is it OK to simply find a happy medium between the two extremes?
Ned

Hi Ned,
In your case I think that would be one possibility for a quick fix. However, another possibility is maybe you were trying to be too rigid when extending your arms downward, so relax and keep your weight off your toes and the fat shots should be less frequent.
Joe