Joe, last week you said if someone else from another fairway hits your ball and you cannot find yours, that it should not be a penalty for recreational golf. It really is a lost ball, you have to go back and tee it again. Also you said if you and your buddy are betting money and you are not sure who wins on account of this to just forget to sign the scorecard so both of you are DQ'd and give the money to charity. Instead you should just withdraw from the match. I do think the time has come for a separate set of recreational rules, but that has not happened yet, so we should all play by the same rules or else we will not know where to draw the line, like mulligans and foot wedges, etc.
Bob
Hello Bob, thank you for the feedback, I agree with most of what you said, for example in formal competition, no question, a stolen ball is a lost ball, we both said that. However, in a personal bet with your buddy only, and nobody else involved, you suggested (a) go back to the tee and hit again, which is against local Pace rules which could get you kicked off the course, or (b) withdraw from the match, which is pretty much what I meant by saying tongue-in-cheek to give the money to charity. Not signing the scorecard deliberately was only my poor attempt at a joke. We both also said maybe the time has come to have a new set of recreational rules that avoid unnecessary penalties for things that have nothing to do with cheating. Somebody else stealing your ball is not deliberate cheating on your part. You cannot put that in the same category as the mulligan and the foot wedge, both of which are deliberate actions by the player, not by the ball thief. That’s like saying if somebody steals your car and gets a speeding ticket then it is your fault and you have to pay the fine for that speeding ticket. I am also glad to see your statement that there are several other rules that we both feel should be changed or discarded altogether, and that you are becoming more of an advocate for two sets of rules, one for tournaments and one for recreational golf. That makes you a fellow patriot, just like our forefathers who, instead of meekly giving in to old British tax rules forever, finally objected and eventually got their way. Good thing they did or else we would all be having our daily tea and crumpets and speaking with a jolly good accent. And, since purists insist that a rule is a rule and reform is a no-no, we would also still be playing with hickory shafts and gutta-percha balls. Anyway, my intention is not to offend purists with my tongue-in-cheek remarks, I just like to have a little fun by stirring the pot and watching the fur fly. Thanks again for the feedback Bob, and keep it up.
Joe
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Joe,
FROM TIME TO TIME I SLICE RATHER BADLY.I HAVE DISCOVEREDTHAT WHEN I DO IT I PLAY FROM "OUT" TO "IN". WHAT IS THE SIMPLEST WAY OF COUNTERACTING OUT TO IN SWING PATH?
MANY THANKS
KAS
Hi Kas,
Since I have never seen you swing, I can only guess that your outside in swing has a root cause. I have seen this in other people where the cause is the flying back elbow. I would recommend going to the top of your backswing and stop. Then bring your back elbow as close as you comfortably can to your other elbow, and that will help your downswing to go on an inside out path. Remember, as your body is turning during the downswing, the path of the club is also turning, so you might think you are swinging down the target line, but you are not because the body turn brings the club outside in by the time it arrives at the ball. That is why you must try to swing inside out, because your body turn will bring the club back to square without you realizing it.
Joe
FROM TIME TO TIME I SLICE RATHER BADLY.I HAVE DISCOVEREDTHAT WHEN I DO IT I PLAY FROM "OUT" TO "IN". WHAT IS THE SIMPLEST WAY OF COUNTERACTING OUT TO IN SWING PATH?
MANY THANKS
KAS
Hi Kas,
Since I have never seen you swing, I can only guess that your outside in swing has a root cause. I have seen this in other people where the cause is the flying back elbow. I would recommend going to the top of your backswing and stop. Then bring your back elbow as close as you comfortably can to your other elbow, and that will help your downswing to go on an inside out path. Remember, as your body is turning during the downswing, the path of the club is also turning, so you might think you are swinging down the target line, but you are not because the body turn brings the club outside in by the time it arrives at the ball. That is why you must try to swing inside out, because your body turn will bring the club back to square without you realizing it.
Joe
Monday, January 17, 2005
Joe,
How can clubhead speed be increased?
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
This can best be illustrated by using a ping pong ball and paddle. If you swing very hard with your arms, but with no wrist action, the ball will not go very far. If you swing with all wrist action, but no arms, the ball still will not go very far. So obviously the answer is the combination of arm and wrist action. However, timing is most important. If you use the wrist too soon, you end up with only arm action at the point of impact, hence the term “hitting from the top”, and you get poor distance. You can send the ping pong ball the farthest by swinging your arms first, and delaying the wrist action until the last possible instant. This timing of the wrist snap is most important because it does not just ADD arm speed plus wrist speed, it actually MULTIPLIES them. Think about swinging easy with the arms and hard with the wrist at the last possible moment. Try this with the ping pong ball and paddle and you will see how this will increase distance, then use the same idea with a golf club. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, this is exactly how they get great distance with a seemingly effortless swing.
Joe
How can clubhead speed be increased?
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
This can best be illustrated by using a ping pong ball and paddle. If you swing very hard with your arms, but with no wrist action, the ball will not go very far. If you swing with all wrist action, but no arms, the ball still will not go very far. So obviously the answer is the combination of arm and wrist action. However, timing is most important. If you use the wrist too soon, you end up with only arm action at the point of impact, hence the term “hitting from the top”, and you get poor distance. You can send the ping pong ball the farthest by swinging your arms first, and delaying the wrist action until the last possible instant. This timing of the wrist snap is most important because it does not just ADD arm speed plus wrist speed, it actually MULTIPLIES them. Think about swinging easy with the arms and hard with the wrist at the last possible moment. Try this with the ping pong ball and paddle and you will see how this will increase distance, then use the same idea with a golf club. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, this is exactly how they get great distance with a seemingly effortless swing.
Joe
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Joe,
Thank you for all your emails and believe me all your information and tips are a constant source of motivation on the continual path of improvement. Is there a recommended club, scale weight (ideal weight) for an experienced 76 year old male (my coach) playing at presently to a 13 handicap. He read in a Seniors Golf book that 13 oz was the recommendation. What is your opinion and recommendation? The second question involves golf etiquette. How do I ask an opponent to move from my line of sight on the putting green, without causing WW3. I either need skills to block out these interferences (which I don't have) or a prayer that stops people taking things personally. Please help me.
Big hugs and prayers
Fay
Hello Fay,
Recommendations are not guarantees. Any "ideal" weight for a club must be tested by you. Maybe that will work for you and maybe it won’t. There are so many other factors at play such as shaft flex and torque, kick point, loft, lie angle, length, etc not to mention your own physical characteristics and swing speed. Rather than getting overly technical on these matters, I think you should try different clubs and simply compare results. These types of specs are more important for those who play every day and want to become scratch golfers. Those of us who play less frequently are not likely become scratch golfers, so if you want to lower your handicap, put more emphasis on chipping and putting. Even scratch golfers do not hit the green every time, but they can get "up and down" from almost anywhere. That means even if you can hit the ball just has well as a scratch golfer, but you cannot get up and down, your handicap will still be double digit, so why waste your time worrying about club specs? As for your second question, you are always going to be playing with people who stand in the wrong place, so you might as well get used to that. There is no single phrase that you can use to ask them to move that is sure to avoid offending them. Some people will understand and others will think you are a jerk for asking. The most diplomatic phase to try would be one that puts the blame on yourself, such as "I’m sorry for asking, but I get the Yips when anybody stands there, it’s not you, it’s me."
Joe
Thank you for all your emails and believe me all your information and tips are a constant source of motivation on the continual path of improvement. Is there a recommended club, scale weight (ideal weight) for an experienced 76 year old male (my coach) playing at presently to a 13 handicap. He read in a Seniors Golf book that 13 oz was the recommendation. What is your opinion and recommendation? The second question involves golf etiquette. How do I ask an opponent to move from my line of sight on the putting green, without causing WW3. I either need skills to block out these interferences (which I don't have) or a prayer that stops people taking things personally. Please help me.
Big hugs and prayers
Fay
Hello Fay,
Recommendations are not guarantees. Any "ideal" weight for a club must be tested by you. Maybe that will work for you and maybe it won’t. There are so many other factors at play such as shaft flex and torque, kick point, loft, lie angle, length, etc not to mention your own physical characteristics and swing speed. Rather than getting overly technical on these matters, I think you should try different clubs and simply compare results. These types of specs are more important for those who play every day and want to become scratch golfers. Those of us who play less frequently are not likely become scratch golfers, so if you want to lower your handicap, put more emphasis on chipping and putting. Even scratch golfers do not hit the green every time, but they can get "up and down" from almost anywhere. That means even if you can hit the ball just has well as a scratch golfer, but you cannot get up and down, your handicap will still be double digit, so why waste your time worrying about club specs? As for your second question, you are always going to be playing with people who stand in the wrong place, so you might as well get used to that. There is no single phrase that you can use to ask them to move that is sure to avoid offending them. Some people will understand and others will think you are a jerk for asking. The most diplomatic phase to try would be one that puts the blame on yourself, such as "I’m sorry for asking, but I get the Yips when anybody stands there, it’s not you, it’s me."
Joe
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Monday, January 10, 2005
Joe, did you have a good year last year, and what was your favorite personal highlight from last season?
Answer: Every year is a good year, and if you don’t think so, just try missing one of them. I had two personal highlights. On the first one, I chunked a chip shot from the back of a steeply sloped green that just barely made it onto the putting surface, almost stopped, and then slowly trickled 40 feet down the steep slope, coming to rest one foot from the pin. Naturally, I just strutted up to the hole, twirling my club like a baton, whistling and tipping my cap like I knew what I was doing. My buddies were impressed, complimenting me for having such a delicate touch. If only they knew the truth, but why should I tell them? The second highlight was on a 136 yard par 3 where my dyslexic buddy and I had a bet for closest to the pin. He went first and hit the green about 30 feet way. When it was my turn my mind went blank (as it frequently does) so I asked my dyslexic buddy what the yardage was and he said 163 (the little trickster), so I took out a 6 iron which would have been way too much club but I hit it thin so it traveled shorter than it should have and ended up on the green anyway, 5 feet closer than him. Serves him right. This goes to prove it is better to be lucky than good.
Joe
Answer: Every year is a good year, and if you don’t think so, just try missing one of them. I had two personal highlights. On the first one, I chunked a chip shot from the back of a steeply sloped green that just barely made it onto the putting surface, almost stopped, and then slowly trickled 40 feet down the steep slope, coming to rest one foot from the pin. Naturally, I just strutted up to the hole, twirling my club like a baton, whistling and tipping my cap like I knew what I was doing. My buddies were impressed, complimenting me for having such a delicate touch. If only they knew the truth, but why should I tell them? The second highlight was on a 136 yard par 3 where my dyslexic buddy and I had a bet for closest to the pin. He went first and hit the green about 30 feet way. When it was my turn my mind went blank (as it frequently does) so I asked my dyslexic buddy what the yardage was and he said 163 (the little trickster), so I took out a 6 iron which would have been way too much club but I hit it thin so it traveled shorter than it should have and ended up on the green anyway, 5 feet closer than him. Serves him right. This goes to prove it is better to be lucky than good.
Joe
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Joe,
Why do you think Tiger Woods wants to change his swing from time to time?
Sid
Hello Sid,
Tiger is not the only one. Jack Nicklaus admitted to be always tinkering with his swing, and so did many others. We humans are easily fooled into thinking that once we are swinging good, we will always swing like that forever. We forget that a golf swing involves hundreds of different body muscles, all of which get stronger or weaker every day, and therefore your swing changes without you even realizing it. Therefore we all must get used to the idea that a golf swing is never permanent, you will always have to find ways to adjust. Many times you will hear of a golfer having to “manufacture” a swing in the middle of a tournament because his or her old swing was not working anymore. All our swings are a continuous works in progress, and those who understand how to make adjustments have a big advantage over those who insist on swinging only one way just because it used to work in the past. In other words, your swing thoughts may be the same, but your muscles are not behaving the same way as they did in the past.
Joe
Why do you think Tiger Woods wants to change his swing from time to time?
Sid
Hello Sid,
Tiger is not the only one. Jack Nicklaus admitted to be always tinkering with his swing, and so did many others. We humans are easily fooled into thinking that once we are swinging good, we will always swing like that forever. We forget that a golf swing involves hundreds of different body muscles, all of which get stronger or weaker every day, and therefore your swing changes without you even realizing it. Therefore we all must get used to the idea that a golf swing is never permanent, you will always have to find ways to adjust. Many times you will hear of a golfer having to “manufacture” a swing in the middle of a tournament because his or her old swing was not working anymore. All our swings are a continuous works in progress, and those who understand how to make adjustments have a big advantage over those who insist on swinging only one way just because it used to work in the past. In other words, your swing thoughts may be the same, but your muscles are not behaving the same way as they did in the past.
Joe
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Joe, I heard psychologists and psychiatrists were studying The Yips. What have they found out?
Stosh
Hi Stosh,
I found this in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” by Mark Frost, which by the way is one of the best golf books ever written. The symptoms are categorized by psychologists and psychiatrists as specific expression of a diagnosable anxiety disorder. At their worst, the brain literally ceases to function, the ability to focus evaporates, inappropriate thoughts light up the mind like firecrackers, small-muscle motor control vanishes. For people who have never fallen into their grip, it is difficult to comprehend the unholy terror the yips inspire. Psyches crumble. Strong men weep. Some decide to give up the game rather than continue to face the furies that descend upon them. That’s just among amateurs, imagine what it’s like when you depend on making putts for a living.
Joe
Stosh
Hi Stosh,
I found this in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” by Mark Frost, which by the way is one of the best golf books ever written. The symptoms are categorized by psychologists and psychiatrists as specific expression of a diagnosable anxiety disorder. At their worst, the brain literally ceases to function, the ability to focus evaporates, inappropriate thoughts light up the mind like firecrackers, small-muscle motor control vanishes. For people who have never fallen into their grip, it is difficult to comprehend the unholy terror the yips inspire. Psyches crumble. Strong men weep. Some decide to give up the game rather than continue to face the furies that descend upon them. That’s just among amateurs, imagine what it’s like when you depend on making putts for a living.
Joe
Friday, December 31, 2004
Joe,
I wonder if u can help me with this problem. My shots are going much towards the left when I am using the 6,7 irons. If I become too conscious, keep my eyes on the ball etc, I end up slicing the ball much to the right. The phenomena is more pronounced during tee off. Interestingly it does not happen with 5 or 4 iron. Can u help me out. I am a starter with about 6 months into the game.Regards and a happy 2005.
Major Harpreet
Hello Major,
Also a happy 2005 to you. Are you a Major in the Army or Air Force? I'm still laughing because a Major is playing military golf (left-right-left-right). First of all it is not uncommon for anyone to have problems with one or more clubs behaving differently than the other clubs because there is no such thing as a perfectly matched set. This is why serious golfers are having the lie angles of their irons adjusted either more upright or more flat. More upright reduces a slice, more flat reduces a hook. In your case, I think you might be coming across the ball at impact from the outside in. If you do that while your clubface is square, you will tend to hit a pulled shot with no slice. If the clubface is slightly open, your shot will tend to start off as a pull and then slice. This is why you must try to swing from the inside out, because your body turn will bring the club back to square at impact.
Joe
I wonder if u can help me with this problem. My shots are going much towards the left when I am using the 6,7 irons. If I become too conscious, keep my eyes on the ball etc, I end up slicing the ball much to the right. The phenomena is more pronounced during tee off. Interestingly it does not happen with 5 or 4 iron. Can u help me out. I am a starter with about 6 months into the game.Regards and a happy 2005.
Major Harpreet
Hello Major,
Also a happy 2005 to you. Are you a Major in the Army or Air Force? I'm still laughing because a Major is playing military golf (left-right-left-right). First of all it is not uncommon for anyone to have problems with one or more clubs behaving differently than the other clubs because there is no such thing as a perfectly matched set. This is why serious golfers are having the lie angles of their irons adjusted either more upright or more flat. More upright reduces a slice, more flat reduces a hook. In your case, I think you might be coming across the ball at impact from the outside in. If you do that while your clubface is square, you will tend to hit a pulled shot with no slice. If the clubface is slightly open, your shot will tend to start off as a pull and then slice. This is why you must try to swing from the inside out, because your body turn will bring the club back to square at impact.
Joe
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Joe, what do you think of the one-ball rule?
Answer: Here is another case where golf becomes more a game of legalisms rather than a game of skill. Do you really think that someone can really benefit that much by switching balls between shots? Gee, I think I will use a distance ball for drives and switch to a high spin ball for approach shots, a floating ball for water holes, a wiffle ball for short flop shots over a bunker to a tight pin, and then for putting I will use a ball with a built-in gyroscope to reduce the breaks and a built-in magnet to attract it to the cup. Plllllllease!
Answer: Here is another case where golf becomes more a game of legalisms rather than a game of skill. Do you really think that someone can really benefit that much by switching balls between shots? Gee, I think I will use a distance ball for drives and switch to a high spin ball for approach shots, a floating ball for water holes, a wiffle ball for short flop shots over a bunker to a tight pin, and then for putting I will use a ball with a built-in gyroscope to reduce the breaks and a built-in magnet to attract it to the cup. Plllllllease!
Friday, December 24, 2004
Joe,
Last summer I had a money match against one of my buddies, and I was winning until the last hole, which is adjacent to the first hole. I sliced my drive into the right rough which is shared by the first hole and I noticed a guy on the first hole was playing a shot from about the same spot. Apparently he hit his drive to the same area. When I got there my ball was gone but there was another ball in the same spot, I think he hit my ball by mistake. He was in a power cart so he was gone before I could reach that spot. I was going to take a penalty for a lost ball, but my buddy said it was not my fault, he saw where my drive was and he agreed the other guy probably hit my ball by mistake, and therefore I did not need to take a penalty. Since I cannot prove this, I feel guilty because I like to follow the rules. Who is right, and who should get the money?
Adam
Hello Adam,
First of all, I have to commend you for honesty, and commend your buddy for sportsmanship. If you are playing by strict tournament rules, I suppose it has to be a lost ball penalty, but in a tournament this is not as likely to happen, so I think the term “recreational rules” apply here since you don’t have forecaddies, even if you are playing for money. Logic says it is not your fault that if someone else hits your ball, but some rules are devoid of logic. If you feel that strongly about applying penalties that have nothing to do with the skill of the contest, then I would suggest you conveniently forget to sign the scorecard, thereby disqualifying both of you, so give your money to charity!
Joe
Last summer I had a money match against one of my buddies, and I was winning until the last hole, which is adjacent to the first hole. I sliced my drive into the right rough which is shared by the first hole and I noticed a guy on the first hole was playing a shot from about the same spot. Apparently he hit his drive to the same area. When I got there my ball was gone but there was another ball in the same spot, I think he hit my ball by mistake. He was in a power cart so he was gone before I could reach that spot. I was going to take a penalty for a lost ball, but my buddy said it was not my fault, he saw where my drive was and he agreed the other guy probably hit my ball by mistake, and therefore I did not need to take a penalty. Since I cannot prove this, I feel guilty because I like to follow the rules. Who is right, and who should get the money?
Adam
Hello Adam,
First of all, I have to commend you for honesty, and commend your buddy for sportsmanship. If you are playing by strict tournament rules, I suppose it has to be a lost ball penalty, but in a tournament this is not as likely to happen, so I think the term “recreational rules” apply here since you don’t have forecaddies, even if you are playing for money. Logic says it is not your fault that if someone else hits your ball, but some rules are devoid of logic. If you feel that strongly about applying penalties that have nothing to do with the skill of the contest, then I would suggest you conveniently forget to sign the scorecard, thereby disqualifying both of you, so give your money to charity!
Joe
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Joe,
What is the single most important move a golfer can make during a golf swing?
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
If I tell you, I will have to shoot you. Oh, all right, here it is, Merry Christmas. You are likely to get a lot of different opinions about this topic, but here’s mine and here’s why: As you start your downswing, move your back elbow in front of your hip before you strike the ball. This one move makes 4 other good things happen without even having to think about each one. It helps your lower body weight to shift from the back leg to the front leg. It promotes an inside-out swing path. It helps you hit downward at the ball. It helps to delay the wrist break until you really need it. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, also the stop-action camera shots in magazines, and you will see they all do this elbow move, no matter how different their swings otherwise may look.
Joe
What is the single most important move a golfer can make during a golf swing?
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
If I tell you, I will have to shoot you. Oh, all right, here it is, Merry Christmas. You are likely to get a lot of different opinions about this topic, but here’s mine and here’s why: As you start your downswing, move your back elbow in front of your hip before you strike the ball. This one move makes 4 other good things happen without even having to think about each one. It helps your lower body weight to shift from the back leg to the front leg. It promotes an inside-out swing path. It helps you hit downward at the ball. It helps to delay the wrist break until you really need it. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, also the stop-action camera shots in magazines, and you will see they all do this elbow move, no matter how different their swings otherwise may look.
Joe
Monday, December 20, 2004
Joe,
I just got appointed to be in charge of my golf league for next year, but I am finding it very tricky trying to correctly arrange matches. How can I make a league schedule that makes sure that everyone plays everyone else at least once, and there are no duplications or omissions?
Jim
Hi Jim,
As an example, draw a picture of a skinny clock with numbers and draw lines across like this, 12-1, 11-2, 10-3, 9-4, 8-5, 7-6. This is your first day’s competition. Then keep 12 in the same position while “rotating” (like a dial) all the other numbers clockwise one position (whatever number is left of the 12 will jump over it) and then draw new lines across in similar fashion. If you draw the lines correctly, the result would be 12-11, 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, 7-4, 6-5. This represents your second day of competition. Repeat this process for each new day of competition, just keep “rotating the dial” while keeping the top number in the same place, and draw new lines across. This process will work for any number of players. For an odd number of players, the 12 (or whatever your highest number is) simply becomes the Bye, same process.
Joe
I just got appointed to be in charge of my golf league for next year, but I am finding it very tricky trying to correctly arrange matches. How can I make a league schedule that makes sure that everyone plays everyone else at least once, and there are no duplications or omissions?
Jim
Hi Jim,
As an example, draw a picture of a skinny clock with numbers and draw lines across like this, 12-1, 11-2, 10-3, 9-4, 8-5, 7-6. This is your first day’s competition. Then keep 12 in the same position while “rotating” (like a dial) all the other numbers clockwise one position (whatever number is left of the 12 will jump over it) and then draw new lines across in similar fashion. If you draw the lines correctly, the result would be 12-11, 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, 7-4, 6-5. This represents your second day of competition. Repeat this process for each new day of competition, just keep “rotating the dial” while keeping the top number in the same place, and draw new lines across. This process will work for any number of players. For an odd number of players, the 12 (or whatever your highest number is) simply becomes the Bye, same process.
Joe
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Joe,
Are balls retrieved from water hazards as good as new balls?
Will
Hi Will,
I read somewhere that testing showed the “pond” balls travel only a few yards less than new balls on the average. What these tests did not say is how many yards does any ball lose after it has been used for awhile, even without being in a pond. My guess is that the more a ball is used, the less distance it will travel anyway, pond or no pond. If you have a lot of money, and you want every single yard possible, use new balls. If you are like most people who want to save money, you might choose to use “experienced” balls that you find for free and live with the loss of a few yards, and save some new balls for longest drive contests.
Joe
Are balls retrieved from water hazards as good as new balls?
Will
Hi Will,
I read somewhere that testing showed the “pond” balls travel only a few yards less than new balls on the average. What these tests did not say is how many yards does any ball lose after it has been used for awhile, even without being in a pond. My guess is that the more a ball is used, the less distance it will travel anyway, pond or no pond. If you have a lot of money, and you want every single yard possible, use new balls. If you are like most people who want to save money, you might choose to use “experienced” balls that you find for free and live with the loss of a few yards, and save some new balls for longest drive contests.
Joe
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Joe,
Thankyou for your wonderful tips. let me tell you that i am a girl playing golf since six months and has a 24 handicap. my game was going fine till 4 and a half months but now i can't see any improvment in my game rather it is becoming worse than before. pl. can you tell me the reason for this?
pal
Hello Pal,
If you have only been playing for 6 months, and your handicap indicates you can already break 100, then you have already achieved more improvement than most beginners. However, I like your attitude that you are not satisfied and you want to improve more. Most golfers go thru periods of non-improvement, and part of this is due to slumps (read Sam’s question from yesterday). If you want to improve more, ask yourself the following questions, and if any answer is NO, then work on that part of the game until the answer is YES. Do you make more short putts than you miss? Do you lag more long putts to within 3 feet than not? Do you get more chip shots within 10 feet than not? Do you get more pitch shots within 20 feet than not? Do you get more greenside bunker shots within 20 feet than not? Do you hit more greens with short irons than not? With longer clubs do you get within chipping distance more often than not? Do you keep your drives in the fairway more often than not? Aside from this, you can lower your handicap to 18 if you can bogey every hole, so keep track of every reason that you happen to score worse than bogey on any hole, and then work to eliminate those specific reasons. Good luck!
Joe
Thankyou for your wonderful tips. let me tell you that i am a girl playing golf since six months and has a 24 handicap. my game was going fine till 4 and a half months but now i can't see any improvment in my game rather it is becoming worse than before. pl. can you tell me the reason for this?
pal
Hello Pal,
If you have only been playing for 6 months, and your handicap indicates you can already break 100, then you have already achieved more improvement than most beginners. However, I like your attitude that you are not satisfied and you want to improve more. Most golfers go thru periods of non-improvement, and part of this is due to slumps (read Sam’s question from yesterday). If you want to improve more, ask yourself the following questions, and if any answer is NO, then work on that part of the game until the answer is YES. Do you make more short putts than you miss? Do you lag more long putts to within 3 feet than not? Do you get more chip shots within 10 feet than not? Do you get more pitch shots within 20 feet than not? Do you get more greenside bunker shots within 20 feet than not? Do you hit more greens with short irons than not? With longer clubs do you get within chipping distance more often than not? Do you keep your drives in the fairway more often than not? Aside from this, you can lower your handicap to 18 if you can bogey every hole, so keep track of every reason that you happen to score worse than bogey on any hole, and then work to eliminate those specific reasons. Good luck!
Joe
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Joe,
What causes slumps and how can we avoid them?
Sam
Hello Sam,To execute a golf swing, your body uses hundreds of different muscles of varying sizes and shapes, all trying to work together at the same time. Every day, each one of these muscles gets stronger or weaker, bigger or smaller, in different combinations, depending on how you use them in your daily activities. On any given day, some of these muscles will have a greater or lesser effect on your swing without you realizing it. Trying to make all these muscles work together with precise timing and direction while they are all forever changing in size and strength is a never ending battle. Nobody can ever avoid slumps entirely, everybody gets them, but you can reduce their frequency and their severity by adopting a daily exercise routine to strengthen certain muscles, and to induce “motor muscle memory”. You have to train your swing muscles to behave in a consistent manner. Consider the right handed golf pros who know all the right moves. Does that mean they can play the game just as well left handed? No? Why not, they know all the right moves, don’t they? Realistically, knowing the right moves is not enough, you have to practice them in order to execute them consistently. The more you practice the right moves, the better you get. This goes for everything in life, not just golf. While inducing motor muscle memory, make sure you are training you muscles with the CORRECT moves, because if you induce incorrect moves, they will be much harder to “undo” once your muscles are trained to behave that way.
Joe
What causes slumps and how can we avoid them?
Sam
Hello Sam,To execute a golf swing, your body uses hundreds of different muscles of varying sizes and shapes, all trying to work together at the same time. Every day, each one of these muscles gets stronger or weaker, bigger or smaller, in different combinations, depending on how you use them in your daily activities. On any given day, some of these muscles will have a greater or lesser effect on your swing without you realizing it. Trying to make all these muscles work together with precise timing and direction while they are all forever changing in size and strength is a never ending battle. Nobody can ever avoid slumps entirely, everybody gets them, but you can reduce their frequency and their severity by adopting a daily exercise routine to strengthen certain muscles, and to induce “motor muscle memory”. You have to train your swing muscles to behave in a consistent manner. Consider the right handed golf pros who know all the right moves. Does that mean they can play the game just as well left handed? No? Why not, they know all the right moves, don’t they? Realistically, knowing the right moves is not enough, you have to practice them in order to execute them consistently. The more you practice the right moves, the better you get. This goes for everything in life, not just golf. While inducing motor muscle memory, make sure you are training you muscles with the CORRECT moves, because if you induce incorrect moves, they will be much harder to “undo” once your muscles are trained to behave that way.
Joe
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Joe,
Whenever I have a short downhill sidehill putt, I get so nervous that if I miss it, it will roll way past the hole unless I baby it, so my stroke gets affected because I am afraid I might baby it too much. Any tips on how to deal with these Yips?
Dutch
Hi Dutch,
Instead of worrying about missing it, tell yourself that you are going to execute the putt to the best of your ability, and even if it does not go in, at least you can say you gave it your best shot with a decent stroke instead of missing it due to a tentative stroke. That’s what The Yips are all about, causing you to make a tentative stroke. The only way to defeat The Yips is to get determined enough to tell yourself that you are not going to make a tentative stroke, you are going to execute the proper stroke no matter what. In the meantime I would suggest you go to a couple of different practice greens and place your ball in similar downhill sidehill positions and keep practicing them until you get a better feel on how to handle them, then you can build a feeling of confidence with those types of putts, or any other tricky types of putts, especially those that you have the most trouble with.
Joe
Whenever I have a short downhill sidehill putt, I get so nervous that if I miss it, it will roll way past the hole unless I baby it, so my stroke gets affected because I am afraid I might baby it too much. Any tips on how to deal with these Yips?
Dutch
Hi Dutch,
Instead of worrying about missing it, tell yourself that you are going to execute the putt to the best of your ability, and even if it does not go in, at least you can say you gave it your best shot with a decent stroke instead of missing it due to a tentative stroke. That’s what The Yips are all about, causing you to make a tentative stroke. The only way to defeat The Yips is to get determined enough to tell yourself that you are not going to make a tentative stroke, you are going to execute the proper stroke no matter what. In the meantime I would suggest you go to a couple of different practice greens and place your ball in similar downhill sidehill positions and keep practicing them until you get a better feel on how to handle them, then you can build a feeling of confidence with those types of putts, or any other tricky types of putts, especially those that you have the most trouble with.
Joe
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Joe, why don’t recreational golfers follow the all the Rules of Golf so we can all have a level playing field?
Answer: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. Pros have the best equipment, the best custom fitting, personal swing coaches, the best caddies to give them exact yardage to the pin, and to recommend club selections, and to carry and clean their clubs, and forecaddies to find their ball. They get to practice and play every day on the world’s finest courses. Recreational golfers, for the most part, are at a disadvantage because they cannot afford these luxuries. They are not even allowed to get yardage from an inaccurate optical device, so they must make their own decisions without a caddie’s advice (it could be a penalty to ask anyone else). When pros play, it is just a day at the office, when recreational golfers play, it is a special event. Greens fees can be expensive, so recreational golfers should get their money’s worth by enjoying the game using simplified rules, and not have their round spoiled by USGA-holes. Leave the nit-picky rules for the tournaments. People who play recreational golf do not get to play as often as they would like and they look forward to the enjoyment shot making, and you can’t make good shots out of divots, or sand shots out of footprints, or having to putt thru someone else’s spike marks, or having to hit a ball with mud on it, even the pros have lift-clean-place rules sometimes, even though their courses are much nicer than yours. Do you really think your lies on public courses are likely to be as good as lies on the highly manicured Tour courses? Come on, wake up and smell the coffee. For recreational golf, you can reduce the 162 page rule book a few sentences. For example: If a technical infraction happens to occur, ask this question: Did this infraction have anything to do with gaining an unfair advantage, or did this have anything to do with the skill of shot making? If the answer to both is NO, then for recreational golf there is no need for a penalty, play on. Or, if you enjoy being punched in the nose, you can endear yourself to others (especially those who beat you) by hiding their scorecards so they can’t sign them, and then disqualifying them because they forgot to sign their scorecards.
Answer: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. Pros have the best equipment, the best custom fitting, personal swing coaches, the best caddies to give them exact yardage to the pin, and to recommend club selections, and to carry and clean their clubs, and forecaddies to find their ball. They get to practice and play every day on the world’s finest courses. Recreational golfers, for the most part, are at a disadvantage because they cannot afford these luxuries. They are not even allowed to get yardage from an inaccurate optical device, so they must make their own decisions without a caddie’s advice (it could be a penalty to ask anyone else). When pros play, it is just a day at the office, when recreational golfers play, it is a special event. Greens fees can be expensive, so recreational golfers should get their money’s worth by enjoying the game using simplified rules, and not have their round spoiled by USGA-holes. Leave the nit-picky rules for the tournaments. People who play recreational golf do not get to play as often as they would like and they look forward to the enjoyment shot making, and you can’t make good shots out of divots, or sand shots out of footprints, or having to putt thru someone else’s spike marks, or having to hit a ball with mud on it, even the pros have lift-clean-place rules sometimes, even though their courses are much nicer than yours. Do you really think your lies on public courses are likely to be as good as lies on the highly manicured Tour courses? Come on, wake up and smell the coffee. For recreational golf, you can reduce the 162 page rule book a few sentences. For example: If a technical infraction happens to occur, ask this question: Did this infraction have anything to do with gaining an unfair advantage, or did this have anything to do with the skill of shot making? If the answer to both is NO, then for recreational golf there is no need for a penalty, play on. Or, if you enjoy being punched in the nose, you can endear yourself to others (especially those who beat you) by hiding their scorecards so they can’t sign them, and then disqualifying them because they forgot to sign their scorecards.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Joe,
I keep reading about older clubs that had names instead of numbers. Can you tell us which of these names match up to today’s numbered clubs?
Cal
Hi Cal,
There were lots of variations in the older named clubs, so you may find different definitions depending on where you look up the information, but in general, a Brassie is a fairway wood. That name came from the brass plate on the bottom to reduce wear. A normal Brassie was a 2-wood, if it had more loft it was a Spoon (3-wood) or a Cleek (4 or 5-wood). A Mashie was like a 5-iron, a Niblick was like an 8-iron, and in between was a Mashie-Niblick (6 or 7-iron). There are others, depending on where they were made. I do not like today’s terms, I think it is stupid to call a 3-wood a 3-metal just because it is no longer made of wood because a 3-iron is also made of metal (duh). We don’t really want to use terms like 3-composite or 3-titanium, do we? I think the solution is to go back to using the old names. My clubs are usually named with 4-letter words, except for the “helicopter” because that’s what it looks like when I throw it.
Joe
I keep reading about older clubs that had names instead of numbers. Can you tell us which of these names match up to today’s numbered clubs?
Cal
Hi Cal,
There were lots of variations in the older named clubs, so you may find different definitions depending on where you look up the information, but in general, a Brassie is a fairway wood. That name came from the brass plate on the bottom to reduce wear. A normal Brassie was a 2-wood, if it had more loft it was a Spoon (3-wood) or a Cleek (4 or 5-wood). A Mashie was like a 5-iron, a Niblick was like an 8-iron, and in between was a Mashie-Niblick (6 or 7-iron). There are others, depending on where they were made. I do not like today’s terms, I think it is stupid to call a 3-wood a 3-metal just because it is no longer made of wood because a 3-iron is also made of metal (duh). We don’t really want to use terms like 3-composite or 3-titanium, do we? I think the solution is to go back to using the old names. My clubs are usually named with 4-letter words, except for the “helicopter” because that’s what it looks like when I throw it.
Joe
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Joe,
Will it help to buy an expensive putter?
Pam
Hi Pam,
Putting is the great equalizer in golf, it allows short hitters to have a chance to beat the long hitters who can’t putt very well. When you count all the strokes used for each of your clubs for any round, the putter by far is used the most times, so it makes sense to get a putter that you like. That does not mean it has to be an expensive putter. Consider this, even if you have a perfect putting stroke, you still will not make very many putts unless you read the green perfectly, and who is perfect? The reverse is also true, if you are good at reading greens, you still will not make very many putts if you stroke it too hard or too soft. To make matters more complicated, even if you read the green correctly and make a perfect stroke, the putt may still hit an imperfection in the green and lip out. The answer to your question, in my opinion, is that there is a good chance you can putt just as well with a cheap putter as you can with an expensive putter, just find one that feels good and have a contest between that one against a borrowed goochy-fufu-expensive one and see which one wins the contest. The mind is a powerful thing, so you are more likely to make a more confident stroke with a putter that you like, expensive or not. It is the confident stroke that makes you a better putter, more so than the type of club.
Joe
Will it help to buy an expensive putter?
Pam
Hi Pam,
Putting is the great equalizer in golf, it allows short hitters to have a chance to beat the long hitters who can’t putt very well. When you count all the strokes used for each of your clubs for any round, the putter by far is used the most times, so it makes sense to get a putter that you like. That does not mean it has to be an expensive putter. Consider this, even if you have a perfect putting stroke, you still will not make very many putts unless you read the green perfectly, and who is perfect? The reverse is also true, if you are good at reading greens, you still will not make very many putts if you stroke it too hard or too soft. To make matters more complicated, even if you read the green correctly and make a perfect stroke, the putt may still hit an imperfection in the green and lip out. The answer to your question, in my opinion, is that there is a good chance you can putt just as well with a cheap putter as you can with an expensive putter, just find one that feels good and have a contest between that one against a borrowed goochy-fufu-expensive one and see which one wins the contest. The mind is a powerful thing, so you are more likely to make a more confident stroke with a putter that you like, expensive or not. It is the confident stroke that makes you a better putter, more so than the type of club.
Joe
