Joe,
You say to avoid the no mans land area where you must use a half swing for 20 yards out to 70 yards. I am OK with a full swing wedge, but the half swing I either hit it too low with my pitching wedge or skull it with my sand wedge. I actually get a fear attack as I take my backswing for these shots. Is there anything to cure these things?
Bradford

Hello Bradford,
This is the most delicate area of the game, so you can get the yips for pitching just as bad as yips for putting. As a matter of course management, many golfers try to stay away from these distances due to the same problem you described, but sometimes you will find yourself in those spots anyway, so you might as well try to learn a stroke that can execute these shots with some confidence. It sounds like you only carry 2 wedges, and the soles are different. Notice a sand wedge does not lay on the ground the same way as a pitching wedge because the back edge of the sole is lower than the leading edge while the pitching wedge sole is more flat. The term for this is bounce angle. If your sand wedge has a lot of bounce, this might explain why you are skulling shots if you do not change your ball position. Try playing the SW off the back foot to reduce the effect of the bounce angle. Do not be afraid to take a bigger divot. You might find this works well for shorter pitches but not for longer ones. If that is the case, get a lob wedge which does not have much bounce angle and then you can use your normal ball position for longer pitches with less fear of skulling it. You will also get the extra height that you will not get with a pitching wedge. As strange as it sounds, a pitching wedge is not always the best club to pitch with.
Joe

Joe,
Is your game as consistent as your sarcastic remarks?

Answer: Here is an example of my consistency. Last week I played a quick 9 at my local course Fox Run. The course was empty so I played alone and hit two balls off the tee, first with a hybrid and second with a 3 iron as a contest. On the first hole the hybrid went down the middle but the 3 iron went into a fairway bunker. Then, of course since nobody was watching, the first ball 8 iron went into the cup for an eagle. Although that is hard to believe, the rest of the story is much easier to believe. From the fairway trap, I topped the second ball about 20 yards forward, pushed a wedge into the greenside trap, blasted long and 3 putted for a triple bogey 7. That was a 5 shot swing, resulting in aggregate score of one over par for that hole, which is what I usually score on that hole anyway, thus restoring the fundamental equilibrium of the universe. That should answer your question about my consistency. For what it is worth, over the 9 holes the hybrid went just as far as a decent 3 iron shot, but was much more consistent and forgiving on off center hits. Is it spring yet?

Joe,
Please give me some advice on tendonitis in the right elbow. I am 63, and have played 160 rounds this year and have this pain in my right elbow, and it started in the last part of the year (that is in September). I have never had this condition before. I am interested in preventative measure for the 2007 season, and I have decided to rest my arm for several months before 2007. I have used the common wrap while playing, and have felt no pain while wearing the wrap. But I would like to cure the condition and start anew in 2007. In advance, thanks!
Roger Dodger from Minnesota

Hi Roger,
Wow, 160 rounds is a lot, I think my arm would fall off. Since I am not a doctor, I can only guess what to do. Are you sure this is tendonitis and not arthritis? There are plenty of items you can buy off the shelf at your local drug store for arthritis, just in case that might be the problem. If it really is tendonitis and the wrap seems to help, there is no rule that says you cannot keep wearing the wrap. However if the wrap restricts you, I can understand why you would like to play without it. I have heard other people having this problem if they swing with the flying elbow like Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples or John Daly. I do not know if you also do this or not, but it might be worth a try to swing with your elbows closer together like Vijay Singh or Tiger Woods.
Joe

Joe,
Sometimes I read about how a pro was struggling in a tournament and had to manufacture a swing in the middle of the round. What does that mean and how do they do that? I have always heard that it is a bad idea to try changes in the middle of a round and to save swing changes for the practice range, right?
Ryan

Hi Ryan,
That is a great question. When our muscles begin to tire, they behave differently, so the good swing we had on the practice range can disappear during a round, and we must do something different to avoid ruining that round. People who rely only on their natural ability usually find it harder to make adjustments because they do not know what to adjust. On the other hand, people who understand their swing mechanics already know there are several things going on during a swing, such as the relationship between hip turn and shoulder turn. If either one is turning more or less than usual, the overall swing can change. At the same time, tiring muscles can cause the arc of the swing to become too flat without you realizing it. Your tempo may also change slightly or you may be overswinging. So to manufacture a swing in the middle of a round, you have to analyze the results of your shots and decide which of these things has the best chance to correct the erroneous shots. Most good golfers have a list of keys, or swing thoughts to focus on. On some days, one key may work better than another key. I personally do not want to wait until the next time I get to the practice range, because that is giving up on the round. I simply try some practice swings using another key that I know has worked in the past and see how it feels. If I do not feel confident with it, I will pick a different key until I find a practice swing that give me a feeling of confidence. Your comment about saving things for the practice range is correct for new ways to swing that you have never tried before.
Joe

Joe,
if you are not sure if you hit a ball out of play, if it is a yellow stake you cannot take a provisional, you have to take a drop and play on, but if it is a white stake you are allowed a provisional or else you have to go back to the tee and play it over. Since the ball may be out of play in either case, why is there a difference? Why is it you cannot take a provisional for a yellow stake?

Answer: For the same reason in North Dakota, it is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on. It is dumb but true, you can look it up. This means if you are not sure that your shot cleared a pond with yellow stakes, you have to walk all the way around the pond to see if you can find your ball. If you cannot, you must walk all the way back and drop behind the pond, no provisional is allowed for yellow stakes, only white ones. This means if you are in North Dakota, you can possibly get arrested for falling asleep due to the slow play this dumb rule can cause, unless you remember to take your shoes off first.

Joe,
I read somewhere that the rule makers are thinking of reducing the number of clubs allowed in your bag from 14 to 10. What do you think of this idea?
Tanaka

Hello Tanaka,
I like the idea because it adds another level of skill required to adjust your swing with the same club rather than using the same cookie cutter swing for an entire set of clubs. However, I do not think the club manufacturers will allow this, they want to sell more clubs, even if all of them are not necessary. I would like to see the limit even lower than 10. Francis Ouimet used only 7 clubs to win the 1913 US Open, and Richard occasionally suggests during the off season you might do just as well playing with only 8 clubs. I put this to the test myself and found Richard and Francis were right, you can play just as well with half a set. Driver, putter, sand wedge, pitching wedge, 8 iron, 6 iron, and a hybrid 4. Whenever my distance to the green was in between clubs, it was not a problem to compensate by either swinging a little easier with more club, or adjusting the grip to a little weaker or stronger position and playing for a fade or draw. You can learn a lot about your swing this way. Walking is good exercise. No need for a pull cart, the bag was much easier to carry, in fact I was able to use a tiny Sunday bag, as light as a feather like a quiver for arrows. You might ask, what about the lob wedge? Well, for most people, unless you are really good with the LW, it can cost you more strokes than it can save you. Most people can pitch just as well or better with the SW. What about fairway woods? Based on what I have seen, most people can hit a hybrid 4 as well or better than any fairway wood or long iron. What about the missing irons? Not very many people hit all their irons equally well anyway because even in a matched set the shafts are all different lengths. If you carry only your favorite irons, and they happen to be either the even numbers or the odd numbers, you might have more confidence in each shot. Those of you who have the guts to try this might be in for a big surprise. For example, the next time you have a mediocre front 9 with all 14 clubs and your total score will not be important, use only the half set for the back 9 and put some excitement back into the round to see if you can beat your front 9 score with that half set. Have fun with this experiment.
Joe

Joe,
If you accidentally bend or dent a club, why is it a penalty if you use it anymore during a round?

Answer: For the same reason in Seattle, residents may not carry concealed weapons longer than six feet, it is just another dumb rule. The rulemakers must think damaged clubs are giving you an unfair advantage. If that were the case let’s all improve our games by bending and denting our clubs. Maybe stores will jump on the bandwagon too, and make some extra money by selling bent clubs at premium prices.

Question, why is it illegal to use a tee to flick a bug out of your putting line, supposedly because you might be testing the surface, but you can use a tool to repair a ball mark, which of course is a much better way to test the surface?

Answer: For the same reason it is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license in California, a rule is a rule. It is true, you can look it up. And the purists who are incapable of rational thought had better follow this one too or else I would have to question their integrity.

(scroll down a page or two, for some reason there is a lot a blank space before the next question)

Joe,
Are there any rules that prohibit a man from using a golf ball designed for women? I like to use the Precept Lady because I can get them for $9.99 a dozen and I like the feel. I think they're very similar to Maxfli's Noodle, but I save about $5-6 per dozen. Some of the guys in my Wednesday night men's club have given me a hard time about using a ladies ball.......until I outdrive them.
Sincerely,
Darren Meyers
Silver Lake, KS

Hello Darren,
You are not the only one who discovered this. Several years ago golfers who wanted more distance would use high compression balls, but these balls lacked the feel as you mentioned. When oversized drivers came out, golfers discovered that they could hit lower compression balls just as far or farther than higher compression balls, but they also liked the feel of lower compression balls, so the Precept Lady began selling like hotcakes. Other companies recognized this and came out with their own versions of Lady balls. Precept also went one step further for those macho types who felt funny hitting a Lady ball, by introducing the Laddie for men, which also had low compression but not quite as low as the Lady. There is no rule that says you cannot use a Lady ball, you do not even have to wear a skirt.
Joe

Joe,
Question - I am a swayer (Not really a word), but I tend to sway on all shots, my back hip moving laterally. It's inherent from playing years of baseball, having taken up golf later in life. Don't know how to stop it, as when it gets bad, tend to reverse pivot as a result.Any ideas?
Larry

Hi Larry,
It is not easy to overcome motor muscle memory, it takes lots of drills to unlearn something. Start by posing at the top of your backswing and notice where your hips are. If the hips have swayed too far back, move them to the correct position while you are still posing and get a good mental feel for that position, just like a baseball player. Then try to repeat your backswing over and over again until you can arrive at your new position. Take a look at the way Kenny Perry swings. No hip motion at all until he gets to the top of the backswing and then all of a sudden he turns the hips and begins the downswing. Here is another thing you can try. While addressing the ball, tilt your spine toward your back leg while keeping your hips forward. This places most of your weight on the back leg, so there is no need to shift weight during the backswing, Just keep the hips forward and your head steady. On the downswing, make sure all your weight ends up on your front foot, and this should correct your reverse pivot.
Joe

Joe,
I am ready to buy new clubs and I am thinking about trying stiffer shafts. Is there such a thing as too stiff? What would happen if you get shafts that are too stiff for you? How would I know which is the right amount of flex is best for me?
Bud

Hi Bud,
Many golf shops have a monitor that measures your swing speed and launch angle to give you an indication of which flex is best for you. Unless you have a very high swing speed, with ordinary stiff shafts you might 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, that being the flex translating to variations in clubface positions, but today’s 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. Depending on your swing speed, this spring effect should happen just before impact in order to get maximum clubhead speed and launch angle. 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 matched sets of clubs, just a stick with a hunk of wood or metal on the end, playing on scruffy fairways and greens with golf balls that were far inferior to what we have today. If those guys had the chance to play with today’s equipment, I think they would beat today’s pros. Maybe someday in heaven we will find out.
Joe

Joe,
I get so mad when I have a good round going and then all of a sudden I start hitting iron shots straight to the right. It does not feel like I hit it off the toe, it feels like a fairly solid hit. My confidence is ruined because on every subsequent swing I am afraid it might happen again, so I get very tentative. This does not make any sense to me, one shot straight ahead, next shot straight to the right. Is there anything I can do to help prevent this?
Samuel

Hello Samuel,
Take a look at ball marks on the clubface. I think you are striking the ball too close to the shaft hosel, and this is called a shank, and it will send the ball far to the right. I also have experienced the shanks, and I found a couple of ways to cure them. I my case, I was standing with too much weight on my toes. When I put a little more weight on my heels, the shanks disappeared. Another possible reason for those who have a rather flat swing plane is that the harder you swing, the more the clubhead extends further from your body due to centrifugal force, increasing the chance of striking the ball on the hosel. If you like swinging hard, try a more upright swing plane, and let me know the results. One more thing to consider, maybe your irons are not fitted properly to your body build, better visit your local pro shop and check this. If the shafts are too long, just have them shortened and regripped, it is not that expensive. Good luck!
Joe

Joe,
How about settling a friendly discussion. Bunkers and rakes. Are rakes to be left in or out of the bunkers?
Thanks, Dick Bruce

Hello Dick,
There is no rule one way or another. Each course may have its own preference, so ask at the pro shop. If you want to make it easier for the guys who mow the grass, put the rakes inside the bunkers but not on a sloping area. However, on the usga.org site there is a “decision” misc/2 that says it is better to leave the rakes outside the bunker just in case a ball rests against the rake, because if that happens and you move the rake, the ball might roll down the slope and you might not be able to replace it in the same spot, resulting in a stroke and distance penalty, which I think is really a stupid rule, because if the rake was not there the ball would have rolled down the slope anyway. You don’t want to get into debates with usga-holes, it is like trying to wrestle a pig. All you do is get muddy, and the pig likes it. After I make my first billion, I am going to buy the usga and change all their stupid rules.
Joe

Joe,
What is your opinion on why the Americans have not done very well in the last several Ryder Cup matches?
Javy

Hello Javy,
Some people think all the Americans have to do is show up to win. I think that is a dangerous attitude. Every so often I will mention one of the best golf books ever written, The Greatest Game Ever Played, by Mark Frost. In this book you will get a feel for the extra passion the Brits have whenever they play Americans. In my opinion, we need to give credit to the Europeans for playing better golf instead of saying the Americans played poorly. You can still play well and get beat anyway, especially by passionate opponents. I say hats off to the Euros instead of what is wrong with the Yanks.
Joe

Joe,
I think it would be really cool to play under the same conditions as the tournaments where the rough is grown tall and the greens are lightning fast. Why don’t more courses do that?
Chen

Hello Chen,
Pace of play is usually the reason. If the rough is too tall, it is sometimes hard to find the ball, and the constant searching will delay play. Overly fast greens are also going to slow play because everyone will be 3-putting. Also it is not healthy for the greens to always be cut too short. Conditions such as these are more suitable for tournament golf than recreational golf. If you ever hear about a course bragging about their high rough and double digit stimpmeter readings for their greens, you can count on a very slow round.
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, last week the topic came up about the advantage of using more expensive balls. Let us hear what you have to say about what difference it will make if I use a four dollar ball instead of a one dollar ball?
Answer: The difference is you will be three dollars poorer with little change to your game.

Joe,
Do expensive balls really help? What ball do you use and why?
Jim

Hi Jim,
I like the Pinnacle Exception because for me it seems to have the right mix of spin, feel, and distance, and it is more reasonably priced than the more highly advertised balls. Other good balls that are not expensive are the Wilson Pro Staff 360 Tour, Maxfli Noodle, and the Top Flite XL Extreme. I do not seem to score any better with more expensive balls. This does not mean these balls will be best for everyone. For those of you who hook or slice too much, you may do better to use a low spin or a distance ball.
Joe

Joe,
I find it confusing when I read instructions, some of which say to take a full shoulder turn but not much hip turn. I find this to feel most unnatural. If I turn the shoulders fully, my club goes past parallel, which I hear is not a good thing. This seems like too much to think about. What is so bad about turning the hips also, is there such a thing as too much hip turn?
Hank the Shank

Hello Hank,
Some instructions are intended for low handicappers who have better than average athleticism. Golfers with average athleticism might do better to keep things a little more simple. It sounds nice to say you should imitate the swing of the pro, but that is hard to do unless you have the same degree of athleticism as the pro, which is not likely. Average golfers should consider this, the farther you turn, the harder it might be to meet the ball on the sweet spot of the clubface. Therefore you have a better chance if you take a comfortable amount of shoulder turn, and allow your hips to turn naturally without restricting them (be careful not to sway). Only increase your turn if you can hit the sweet spot most every time. Also, going past parallel is not always a bad thing. John Daly, Phil Mickelson, and several others go past parallel, even the great Bobby Jones did that, so as long as you are making good contact, no need to change.
Joe

Joe,
How do you explain the unusual swings of Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry, who do not swing at all according to any instructions you will find anywhere? How are they able to get away with that?
Willie

Hello Wille,
Jim’s college golf coach said he would never make it on the tour unless he changed his swing, boy was he wrong. Kenny Perry’s swing has been described as home grown. In either case, nobody else even tries to swing like that. How do they get away with it? The answer lies in understanding the difference between mannerisms and fundamentals. Backswings are mannerisms, downswings are fundamentals. Jim and Kenny do not look much different than any other pro on the downswing, therefore their fundamentals are correct. Their backswings, although unusual, succeed in getting them into proper position at the top, which indicates it does not matter how you get there, so the different ways that they get to the top are only mannerisms. On the takeaway Jim sets his wrists early, bringing the club inside, but then raises his arms up to get on plane, which looks very loopy. Kenny raises his arms with no body movement, and just before he gets to the top, he turns his hips and shoulders to get on plane. Both guys at that point are in a powerful position, and that is the most important idea here. Again, the only purpose of the backswing is to get you to your most powerful position at the top.
Joe

Joe,
What is recommended, a thinner grip or a thicker grip?
Ramon

Hello Ramon,
It depends whether or not you want more or less hand action. A thinner grip allows more hand action, a thicker grip reduces hand action. Since everyone has different sized hands, here is a way to tell how thick your grip should be. When you grip the club, the tips of your fingers should be just barely touching the heel of your palm. If your grips are too thin, your fingers will pressing too much into your palm, and this might cause the club to rattle around in your hand. I personally prefer my grips to be on the thicker side because it gives me a feeling of better control.
Joe