Joe,
How much of a pro golfer’s success is due to good teaching versus his or her natural ability?
Mickey
Hello Mickey,
This is a great topic for debate. There are many good golfers who were self-taught, even if their swings might resemble a polo player without a horse. Lee Trevino said he would never listen to anyone who couldn’t beat him, and very few people could do that. Other good golfers were fortunate enough to be given good instruction from the start, and they continue to have swing coaches and mentors. However in my opinion, whether or not you have a teacher, in order to be really good you need to be blessed with a lot of natural ability, and better than average hand-eye coordination. You do not have to be in the best of physical condition, but you do need a fair amount of athleticism. When you do have natural ability, you do not need to think much about the way you swing. As an example, Ralph Guldahl was on his way to becoming one of golf’s all-time greats. He won the US Open in 1937 and 1938, and he won The Masters in 1939. Then he was asked to author an instruction book. He went into great detail, which forced him into thinking about parts of his swing which had always come naturally to him. After that, he lost his game and never recovered it. So what about golfers who do not have above average natural ability, are they all doomed to mediocrity? No, just be realistic and enjoy this crazy unpredictable game and set your own expectations for success. It is not reasonable to expect golfers like us, who play once, maybe twice per week, to play anywhere near as well as a pro who practices and plays every day, so just enjoy little successes one shot at a time.
Joe
Thursday, June 23, 2005
)Joe,
I am really afraid of sand traps because I usually cannot get out in one try, so what should I do?
Sarah
Hello Sarah,
Many golfers do not have a place where they can practice sand shots, so it stands to reason that greenside bunkers are to be feared. If you ever want to get over this fear, you need to find a facility that has a practice bunker. If there are no such facilities nearby, you might have to be a little creative, like looking around for a park or playground that has a sand box, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit or a nearby beach. Here is how to practice. Without a ball, grip the club with the face wide open (this prevents the club from digging too deep into the sand), and try to hit the sand in the same spot every time (make sure to fully follow through with the clubface still open). If you cannot hit that spot every time, then try a more vertically upright swing path. Once you can do this, then place a ball 2-3 inches ahead of that spot and make the same swing. The ball is likely to go a little to the right of the target (assuming you are right-handed), so don’t fight it, just aim to the left. If you are still having trouble, try a sand wedge that has more “bounce”, which is the downward angle of the bottom of your club measured from leading edge to back of the sole. Some sand wedges have very little bounce, which is good for fairway grass and for coarse sand, while other sand wedges have around ten degrees of bounce, which is better for finer grains of sand. The more bounce a club has, the less it will dig into the sand, so it will get you out consistently with less effort. Once you experience that, you can experiment with distance control by using the same easy swing and varying the ball position (forward usually works best), varying the amount of open face (after gripping the club), and varying how far behind the ball your clubhead enters the sand. Is there such a thing as a club with too much bounce? Yes, if the sand is firm, the club will not penetrate the sand, instead it will bounce off and “blade” the ball, sending it too far. However, this may be a handy shot to have for longer bunker shots that are out of your normal blasting range. For such longer sand shots, open the face a little more than normal and try to pick the ball clean. Even if the club hits the sand first, the club should bounce off the sand and into the ball, sending it about a far as a pitch from grass. This takes a little practice, but it might come in handy some day.
Joe
I am really afraid of sand traps because I usually cannot get out in one try, so what should I do?
Sarah
Hello Sarah,
Many golfers do not have a place where they can practice sand shots, so it stands to reason that greenside bunkers are to be feared. If you ever want to get over this fear, you need to find a facility that has a practice bunker. If there are no such facilities nearby, you might have to be a little creative, like looking around for a park or playground that has a sand box, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit or a nearby beach. Here is how to practice. Without a ball, grip the club with the face wide open (this prevents the club from digging too deep into the sand), and try to hit the sand in the same spot every time (make sure to fully follow through with the clubface still open). If you cannot hit that spot every time, then try a more vertically upright swing path. Once you can do this, then place a ball 2-3 inches ahead of that spot and make the same swing. The ball is likely to go a little to the right of the target (assuming you are right-handed), so don’t fight it, just aim to the left. If you are still having trouble, try a sand wedge that has more “bounce”, which is the downward angle of the bottom of your club measured from leading edge to back of the sole. Some sand wedges have very little bounce, which is good for fairway grass and for coarse sand, while other sand wedges have around ten degrees of bounce, which is better for finer grains of sand. The more bounce a club has, the less it will dig into the sand, so it will get you out consistently with less effort. Once you experience that, you can experiment with distance control by using the same easy swing and varying the ball position (forward usually works best), varying the amount of open face (after gripping the club), and varying how far behind the ball your clubhead enters the sand. Is there such a thing as a club with too much bounce? Yes, if the sand is firm, the club will not penetrate the sand, instead it will bounce off and “blade” the ball, sending it too far. However, this may be a handy shot to have for longer bunker shots that are out of your normal blasting range. For such longer sand shots, open the face a little more than normal and try to pick the ball clean. Even if the club hits the sand first, the club should bounce off the sand and into the ball, sending it about a far as a pitch from grass. This takes a little practice, but it might come in handy some day.
Joe
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Joe,
My game is OK except for the half-shot to ¾ shot, less than a full wedge. I either hit them too fat or too thin, and sometimes I hit it OK but I pull it, and I am throwing away a lot of strokes because of this. I hear this is called No Man’s Land, and we should avoid these distances, but I would rather not. What can I try in order to fix these things?
Ferdinand
Hello Ferdinand,
I’m sure you have heard about the Yips. Most people think The Yips only pertain to putting, but I believe The Yips also apply, maybe more so, to the half-to-3/4 shots. Why? Because this type of shot is a departure from your normal swing, and the opportunity for error is magnified by the many different variations in the length of the backswing necessary to control intermediate distances. Then add the factor of twitching nerves as you are scared that you might be hitting it fat or thin, and you already have too much to think about. Focus on execution and trust your stroke. First, let's address the pulled shot. Most advice on pitch shots say to use an open stance and swing along the body line. This will lend itself to a pulled shot unless you keep the face of the club open during the follow-thru. You can only accomplish that by keeping the hands in front of the club thru impact. Sometimes you cannot help flipping the wrists during the follow-thru, but on a less-than-full shot, you must have the discipline to keep the face open all the way thru, or else the shot will be pulled. Of course, if you pull the shot consistently every single time, just adjust your aim to a more squared stance. There are a number of reasons for hitting too fat or too thin. If you have too much body movement, work on executing the stroke while holding still (comfortably) as much as possible. Keep staring at the spot on the ground where the ball used to be after you hit it, this will prevent you from looking up too soon. Other experiments you can try are different ball positions, different amounts of wrist break on the backswing, different tempos, or a forward press. Above all, on the downswing be sure to keep your hands ahead of the clubhead and keep the face open thru impact.
Joe
My game is OK except for the half-shot to ¾ shot, less than a full wedge. I either hit them too fat or too thin, and sometimes I hit it OK but I pull it, and I am throwing away a lot of strokes because of this. I hear this is called No Man’s Land, and we should avoid these distances, but I would rather not. What can I try in order to fix these things?
Ferdinand
Hello Ferdinand,
I’m sure you have heard about the Yips. Most people think The Yips only pertain to putting, but I believe The Yips also apply, maybe more so, to the half-to-3/4 shots. Why? Because this type of shot is a departure from your normal swing, and the opportunity for error is magnified by the many different variations in the length of the backswing necessary to control intermediate distances. Then add the factor of twitching nerves as you are scared that you might be hitting it fat or thin, and you already have too much to think about. Focus on execution and trust your stroke. First, let's address the pulled shot. Most advice on pitch shots say to use an open stance and swing along the body line. This will lend itself to a pulled shot unless you keep the face of the club open during the follow-thru. You can only accomplish that by keeping the hands in front of the club thru impact. Sometimes you cannot help flipping the wrists during the follow-thru, but on a less-than-full shot, you must have the discipline to keep the face open all the way thru, or else the shot will be pulled. Of course, if you pull the shot consistently every single time, just adjust your aim to a more squared stance. There are a number of reasons for hitting too fat or too thin. If you have too much body movement, work on executing the stroke while holding still (comfortably) as much as possible. Keep staring at the spot on the ground where the ball used to be after you hit it, this will prevent you from looking up too soon. Other experiments you can try are different ball positions, different amounts of wrist break on the backswing, different tempos, or a forward press. Above all, on the downswing be sure to keep your hands ahead of the clubhead and keep the face open thru impact.
Joe
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Joe,
What would you consider to be a perfect round of golf?
Zeke
Hi Zeke,
It depends how picky you want to be. A purist might say you have to shoot 18 for 18 holes, but obviously that is not very realistic. Is a perfect game in baseball one where the pitcher struck everyone out on 3 pitches? That is not realistic either, so no matter how you got the batter out, it is still a perfect game even if every batter hit long fly balls and your fielders made 27 acrobatic catches. In golf do you have to hit every fairway, hit every green, and make every putt? Well, that would be nice, but also not realistic. A more reasonable person might say shooting their best score would be perfect for them. Even then, no matter how good a player is, they can shoot their best round ever and still say there were a few more putts that they could have made. So absolute perfection is an unrealistic goal. Instead, look at it in terms of “expectations” vs. “successes” or “good feelings” about having achieved something. Jody thinks it is perfect just to get a date with the beverage cart girl (this goal still eludes him). So what are reasonable expectations? For most people, and there are exceptions, unless you play every day, you should not ever expect to shoot in the 60’s. Unless you play more than once per week, you should not expect to shoot in the 70’s. If you play less than once per week, you should not expect to break 90. Those who play only once or twice per month should be happy to break 100. So what brings the good feelings of success? If you have never broken 100, but that is your goal, it is a success and a perfectly good feeling when you finally do it. Even if your score was not your best, but you won a match, that’s a success and a perfectly good feeling. If you don’t have a match, create your own against the course. If you had more good holes than bad holes, you won. If you hit more fairways and / or greens than you missed, you won. If you one-putted more times than you 3-putted, you won. If you avoided lost balls or penalty strokes, you won. Feel good about any successes like these. Even if you did not accomplish any of these things, your misadventures can always get a few laughs during the recap of the round afterwards with your friends. Laughter is the best medicine, a good feeling, and if you and your friends had a good time, what can be more perfect than that?
Joe
Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, are you good looking?
Answer: The beverage cart girl has voted me 2nd best looking out of all the members. (note from Joe – all the other members tied for first)
What would you consider to be a perfect round of golf?
Zeke
Hi Zeke,
It depends how picky you want to be. A purist might say you have to shoot 18 for 18 holes, but obviously that is not very realistic. Is a perfect game in baseball one where the pitcher struck everyone out on 3 pitches? That is not realistic either, so no matter how you got the batter out, it is still a perfect game even if every batter hit long fly balls and your fielders made 27 acrobatic catches. In golf do you have to hit every fairway, hit every green, and make every putt? Well, that would be nice, but also not realistic. A more reasonable person might say shooting their best score would be perfect for them. Even then, no matter how good a player is, they can shoot their best round ever and still say there were a few more putts that they could have made. So absolute perfection is an unrealistic goal. Instead, look at it in terms of “expectations” vs. “successes” or “good feelings” about having achieved something. Jody thinks it is perfect just to get a date with the beverage cart girl (this goal still eludes him). So what are reasonable expectations? For most people, and there are exceptions, unless you play every day, you should not ever expect to shoot in the 60’s. Unless you play more than once per week, you should not expect to shoot in the 70’s. If you play less than once per week, you should not expect to break 90. Those who play only once or twice per month should be happy to break 100. So what brings the good feelings of success? If you have never broken 100, but that is your goal, it is a success and a perfectly good feeling when you finally do it. Even if your score was not your best, but you won a match, that’s a success and a perfectly good feeling. If you don’t have a match, create your own against the course. If you had more good holes than bad holes, you won. If you hit more fairways and / or greens than you missed, you won. If you one-putted more times than you 3-putted, you won. If you avoided lost balls or penalty strokes, you won. Feel good about any successes like these. Even if you did not accomplish any of these things, your misadventures can always get a few laughs during the recap of the round afterwards with your friends. Laughter is the best medicine, a good feeling, and if you and your friends had a good time, what can be more perfect than that?
Joe
Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, are you good looking?
Answer: The beverage cart girl has voted me 2nd best looking out of all the members. (note from Joe – all the other members tied for first)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Joe,
Every time I have a few good rounds, just when I think I am permanently improved, another slump occurs. How do you explain that?
Serj
Hello Serj,
Someone once said the likelihood of repeating a good score is inversely proportional to how many people you tell about it. Everybody gets slumps in every sport. Our body movements involve hundreds of muscles trying to work together. Every day, each one of these muscles gets stronger or weaker, bigger or smaller, depending on how you use them in your daily activities. On any given day, the sum of these muscle changes will have a greater or lesser effect on your swing without you realizing it. So are we all doomed to mediocrity? No, 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. The Body Golf tapes have exercises specifically for golfers. If it were simply a matter of knowing all the right moves, then everyone should be able to play just as well left handed or right handed. The reason most of us cannot is motor muscle memory. This goes for everything in life, not just golf. Just like playing a musical instrument, you have to practice in order to be consistently good. The more you practice the right moves, the better you get. 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
Every time I have a few good rounds, just when I think I am permanently improved, another slump occurs. How do you explain that?
Serj
Hello Serj,
Someone once said the likelihood of repeating a good score is inversely proportional to how many people you tell about it. Everybody gets slumps in every sport. Our body movements involve hundreds of muscles trying to work together. Every day, each one of these muscles gets stronger or weaker, bigger or smaller, depending on how you use them in your daily activities. On any given day, the sum of these muscle changes will have a greater or lesser effect on your swing without you realizing it. So are we all doomed to mediocrity? No, 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. The Body Golf tapes have exercises specifically for golfers. If it were simply a matter of knowing all the right moves, then everyone should be able to play just as well left handed or right handed. The reason most of us cannot is motor muscle memory. This goes for everything in life, not just golf. Just like playing a musical instrument, you have to practice in order to be consistently good. The more you practice the right moves, the better you get. 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
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Joe. How do you hit "through" the ball?Thanks in advance.
Dean
Hi Dean,
The idea is to continue accelerating smoothly all the way into the follow thru. If you don’t do this, you may “quit” on the shot too soon. Many people have a beautiful practice swing because there is no ball to stare at, but when the ball is there, it tells your mind “hit me, hit me”, and that seems to change the way you swing, instead of just executing the same smooth practice swing while the ball just happens to be in the way. Usually if you have proper weight shift on the downswing, you will hit through the ball without having to think about it. A good drill for this would be the “double clubber” as shown in the Body Golf videos.
Joe
Dean
Hi Dean,
The idea is to continue accelerating smoothly all the way into the follow thru. If you don’t do this, you may “quit” on the shot too soon. Many people have a beautiful practice swing because there is no ball to stare at, but when the ball is there, it tells your mind “hit me, hit me”, and that seems to change the way you swing, instead of just executing the same smooth practice swing while the ball just happens to be in the way. Usually if you have proper weight shift on the downswing, you will hit through the ball without having to think about it. A good drill for this would be the “double clubber” as shown in the Body Golf videos.
Joe
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Joe,
i am 44 years old and just really began playing golf this year, the owner of my company invited himself to come play in a tournament in town and requested my presence, however, since i have fallen in love with the game, and with your help i have already gone from shooting in the 140's to the one teens, i go to the range everyday and hit a large bucket, however, i cannot seem to figure out my four iron, the rest of my clubs i am hitting somewhat respectively but i cannot do anything over ten yards on the ground with the four iron, can you help
thank you,
larry
Hello Larry,
Your are not alone, many other people also have more trouble with the longer irons. They seem to have a smaller sweet spot than the shorter irons, so the errors are magnified on a slight mis-hit. Only the better players are able to hit the sweet spot nearly every time. But what about the average golfer? By the way, everyone has a different opinion on what is an average golfer. Just for the sake of discussion, let's say the average golfer cannot break 100. If this is the case, what does this average golfer shoot on a par 3 course? I'm guessing an average of 4-5 on every hole. If that is the case, if you ever want to break 100, you might do better to work on the short game more than the long irons. OK, back on the subject, you still want to know more about long irons anyway, here are a couple of ideas. It could be that your clubs do not fit you properly. Try to attend demo days and see if a different brand of club works better for you, or maybe a different shaft flex, or different design, blade or offset styles, muscle-back or cavity-back. It could be that your problem is in your mind. Try to focus only on the leading edge of the iron without worrying about the amount of loft on the clubface. Hit down on the ball with the leading edge and see what happens. Convince yourself that if you can just strike the ball at the equator with the leading edge (with a downward blow), the ball will spin up the clubface no matter what the loft is. If none of this works, try the new styles of “hybrid” utility woods, which are designed to take the place of long irons. Many people say they are easier to hit and much more forgiving on slight mis-hits than long irons.
Joe
i am 44 years old and just really began playing golf this year, the owner of my company invited himself to come play in a tournament in town and requested my presence, however, since i have fallen in love with the game, and with your help i have already gone from shooting in the 140's to the one teens, i go to the range everyday and hit a large bucket, however, i cannot seem to figure out my four iron, the rest of my clubs i am hitting somewhat respectively but i cannot do anything over ten yards on the ground with the four iron, can you help
thank you,
larry
Hello Larry,
Your are not alone, many other people also have more trouble with the longer irons. They seem to have a smaller sweet spot than the shorter irons, so the errors are magnified on a slight mis-hit. Only the better players are able to hit the sweet spot nearly every time. But what about the average golfer? By the way, everyone has a different opinion on what is an average golfer. Just for the sake of discussion, let's say the average golfer cannot break 100. If this is the case, what does this average golfer shoot on a par 3 course? I'm guessing an average of 4-5 on every hole. If that is the case, if you ever want to break 100, you might do better to work on the short game more than the long irons. OK, back on the subject, you still want to know more about long irons anyway, here are a couple of ideas. It could be that your clubs do not fit you properly. Try to attend demo days and see if a different brand of club works better for you, or maybe a different shaft flex, or different design, blade or offset styles, muscle-back or cavity-back. It could be that your problem is in your mind. Try to focus only on the leading edge of the iron without worrying about the amount of loft on the clubface. Hit down on the ball with the leading edge and see what happens. Convince yourself that if you can just strike the ball at the equator with the leading edge (with a downward blow), the ball will spin up the clubface no matter what the loft is. If none of this works, try the new styles of “hybrid” utility woods, which are designed to take the place of long irons. Many people say they are easier to hit and much more forgiving on slight mis-hits than long irons.
Joe
Monday, June 06, 2005
Joe,
Very often I have a very good practice session on the range, but I cannot seem to repeat those good shots on the course. It makes me feel like practice does no good for me. What can I do?
Paul
Hello Paul,
On the practice range, there is no pressure, since there is no penalty for a bad shot. Also since you are swinging every few seconds on the practice range, your muscles can get into a good relaxed rhythm. On the course, however, it is several minutes between each shot, so there is less rhythm and that makes it easier to tense up. So how can we keep pressure from affecting our shots? I like Hal Sutton’s advice on this. He says the smaller muscles do not work under pressure, so use your bigger muscles to swing . All muscles are controlled by nervous impulses. Pressure sends lots of extra impulses into our nervous systems, and it stands to reason that these impulses have a greater effect on our smaller muscles than they do on our bigger muscles. In other words, a wristy swing is more likely to break down under pressure than a body (arm/shoulder) swing. This is especially true for putting, chipping, and pitching. That explains why the Body Golf concept is likely to improve your game. You might want to view the Body Golf videos. Other ideas that might be worth trying to combat pressure are a consistent pre-shot routine such as a “waggle” or a “forward press”, or taking a deep breath and exhaling half way before you begin your stroke. Then, if you are really serious about doing everything possible to reduce pressure on yourself, and give yourself the best chance to succeed, get the “Own The Zone” CD’s by Jennifer Scott, also available from the thinkandreachpar site, and you will have a way to condition your mind to handle pressure.
Joe
Very often I have a very good practice session on the range, but I cannot seem to repeat those good shots on the course. It makes me feel like practice does no good for me. What can I do?
Paul
Hello Paul,
On the practice range, there is no pressure, since there is no penalty for a bad shot. Also since you are swinging every few seconds on the practice range, your muscles can get into a good relaxed rhythm. On the course, however, it is several minutes between each shot, so there is less rhythm and that makes it easier to tense up. So how can we keep pressure from affecting our shots? I like Hal Sutton’s advice on this. He says the smaller muscles do not work under pressure, so use your bigger muscles to swing . All muscles are controlled by nervous impulses. Pressure sends lots of extra impulses into our nervous systems, and it stands to reason that these impulses have a greater effect on our smaller muscles than they do on our bigger muscles. In other words, a wristy swing is more likely to break down under pressure than a body (arm/shoulder) swing. This is especially true for putting, chipping, and pitching. That explains why the Body Golf concept is likely to improve your game. You might want to view the Body Golf videos. Other ideas that might be worth trying to combat pressure are a consistent pre-shot routine such as a “waggle” or a “forward press”, or taking a deep breath and exhaling half way before you begin your stroke. Then, if you are really serious about doing everything possible to reduce pressure on yourself, and give yourself the best chance to succeed, get the “Own The Zone” CD’s by Jennifer Scott, also available from the thinkandreachpar site, and you will have a way to condition your mind to handle pressure.
Joe
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Joe,
I have a debate with my friends over which is more important to think about, the backswing or the downswing. What do you think?
Bobby
Hello Bobby,
Although both are important, I think the downswing is much more important. The purpose of the backswing is to arrive at your best hitting position at the top, so if you fail to do that it will make it more difficult to hit a good shot. However, even if you make a perfect backswing, you can still mess up the downswing by improper weight shift, flying elbow, hitting from the top, coming across the ball, looking up too soon, etc. Therefore, my vote goes to the downswing being more important. Baseball players would agree because they have no backswing, they just set up in a certain position at the top of the backswing, and control the rest of the swing from there. If you are struggling, do this drill. Start at the top like a baseball player and make sure you are doing the right things on the downswing, like shifting your lower body weight to the front foot and bringing your back elbow in front of the hip, and then completing your follow-thru. Once you get a good feel for that, then just make your backswing arrive at the same position at the top.
Joe
I have a debate with my friends over which is more important to think about, the backswing or the downswing. What do you think?
Bobby
Hello Bobby,
Although both are important, I think the downswing is much more important. The purpose of the backswing is to arrive at your best hitting position at the top, so if you fail to do that it will make it more difficult to hit a good shot. However, even if you make a perfect backswing, you can still mess up the downswing by improper weight shift, flying elbow, hitting from the top, coming across the ball, looking up too soon, etc. Therefore, my vote goes to the downswing being more important. Baseball players would agree because they have no backswing, they just set up in a certain position at the top of the backswing, and control the rest of the swing from there. If you are struggling, do this drill. Start at the top like a baseball player and make sure you are doing the right things on the downswing, like shifting your lower body weight to the front foot and bringing your back elbow in front of the hip, and then completing your follow-thru. Once you get a good feel for that, then just make your backswing arrive at the same position at the top.
Joe
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Question - Two competitors arrive at the green where they notice several ball marks and spike marks around the hole, some of which happen to be in both their putting lines. They both agree this is unfair so they repair the ball marks and spike marks. Is this OK to do?
It is OK to repair ball marks but not spike marks that are in your putting line. Both players are disqualified for agreeing to waive a Rule.
Jody, my Evil Twin, what do you think of that rule?
Answer: Purists are not allowed to use logic. If the players in front of you don’t like you, they can rough up the green with spike marks and then you are at an unfair disadvantage. How come it is legal to repair ball marks but not spike marks? Why is it important to treat them any differently? Where is the logic in that? Huh? Huh? Can’t tell me, can you? OK then admit it, the rule makes no sense, so why don’t any of the rule makers have the guts to change goofy rules that detract from fairness and the enjoyment of the game?
It is OK to repair ball marks but not spike marks that are in your putting line. Both players are disqualified for agreeing to waive a Rule.
Jody, my Evil Twin, what do you think of that rule?
Answer: Purists are not allowed to use logic. If the players in front of you don’t like you, they can rough up the green with spike marks and then you are at an unfair disadvantage. How come it is legal to repair ball marks but not spike marks? Why is it important to treat them any differently? Where is the logic in that? Huh? Huh? Can’t tell me, can you? OK then admit it, the rule makes no sense, so why don’t any of the rule makers have the guts to change goofy rules that detract from fairness and the enjoyment of the game?
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Joe,
I have heard or read in more than one place that in order to improve, sometimes you have to work on swinging a certain way and accept the idea that you will get worse before you get better. How long do you have to wait before you stop getting worse and start getting better?
Wong
Hello Wong,
Life is too short to accept getting worse for any period of time. I do not agree with those who say you must swing exactly a certain way, because everyone is built differently and therefore may have to swing a little differently in order to get better results. Of course there are certain fundamentals involved, but executing those fundamentals may look a little different from one person to another. If you are correctly executing certain fundamentals, at the very least you should not be getting any worse than you already were when you were swinging incorrectly. Maybe if you told me which swing aspect you were told to execute, then I could tell you how important or unimportant that aspect may be compared to other aspects. Imitating the way the pros swing can mislead you by looking at the wrong part of the swing because some swing actions are not really fundamentals, they are only mannerisms. For example, people make fun of Jim Furyk’s swing, like it is a one man game of twister, but what you are seeing on the backswing are mannerisms, while on the downswing Jim has excellent fundamentals, just like all the other pros.
Joe
I have heard or read in more than one place that in order to improve, sometimes you have to work on swinging a certain way and accept the idea that you will get worse before you get better. How long do you have to wait before you stop getting worse and start getting better?
Wong
Hello Wong,
Life is too short to accept getting worse for any period of time. I do not agree with those who say you must swing exactly a certain way, because everyone is built differently and therefore may have to swing a little differently in order to get better results. Of course there are certain fundamentals involved, but executing those fundamentals may look a little different from one person to another. If you are correctly executing certain fundamentals, at the very least you should not be getting any worse than you already were when you were swinging incorrectly. Maybe if you told me which swing aspect you were told to execute, then I could tell you how important or unimportant that aspect may be compared to other aspects. Imitating the way the pros swing can mislead you by looking at the wrong part of the swing because some swing actions are not really fundamentals, they are only mannerisms. For example, people make fun of Jim Furyk’s swing, like it is a one man game of twister, but what you are seeing on the backswing are mannerisms, while on the downswing Jim has excellent fundamentals, just like all the other pros.
Joe
Monday, May 30, 2005
Joe,
Why is a belly putter supposed to be any better than a regular putter? What advantage is there, if any?
Bill
Hi Bill,
Some people can putt just fine with a regular putter, others get “The Yips” where the two hands are fighting each other for control. Sometimes the left hand wins and sometimes the right hand wins, resulting in poor consistency of the stroke. The belly putter eliminates this problem because by anchoring the butt end of the shaft against your belly, the hands have no choice but to automatically work together smoothly, especially when you grip with your hands lower. I highly recommend golfers who get The Yips should try the belly putter. You do not have to buy one, you can make your own by cutting a hole in the top of your grip. Since the shaft is hollow, you can add an extension for any desired length (even a wooden dowel will work). If you still do not wish to do that, you can simulate the anchoring action with your regular putter, just pin either one (or both) of your elbows to your hip and make the stroke with your shoulders. If you are getting The Yips, you have nothing to lose, so it is definitely worth a try.
Joe
Why is a belly putter supposed to be any better than a regular putter? What advantage is there, if any?
Bill
Hi Bill,
Some people can putt just fine with a regular putter, others get “The Yips” where the two hands are fighting each other for control. Sometimes the left hand wins and sometimes the right hand wins, resulting in poor consistency of the stroke. The belly putter eliminates this problem because by anchoring the butt end of the shaft against your belly, the hands have no choice but to automatically work together smoothly, especially when you grip with your hands lower. I highly recommend golfers who get The Yips should try the belly putter. You do not have to buy one, you can make your own by cutting a hole in the top of your grip. Since the shaft is hollow, you can add an extension for any desired length (even a wooden dowel will work). If you still do not wish to do that, you can simulate the anchoring action with your regular putter, just pin either one (or both) of your elbows to your hip and make the stroke with your shoulders. If you are getting The Yips, you have nothing to lose, so it is definitely worth a try.
Joe
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Hi Joe,
this is a strange game, and as we all know, our games evolve (for better or worse) constantly. as a beginner i struggled with duffers, toppers and slicers. all of which were a result i guess from acombination of bad technique and too much lower body and head movement. to solve the slice and after watching one of nick faldo's videos, i flattened my swing plane ever so gently until i hit astraight ball for about 3 months. straight as a rocket it went and when i added some hot sauce on it, i upped my driving distance from 200m to an average of 260m, with max hits at 290m. then I started drawing the ball. lovely sight, those, especially when it is controlled. but a strange thing happened. the right to left shot which i replaced with a straight and then a softly drawing shot which went more and more left. i started fighting the dreaded pull, which led to hooks. i'd say this now -- i'd rather slice the ball then hook it. i'm sure many golfers can identify with this and if you will, please correct my analysis:the slice was a result of an outside in swing by flattening my swing angle a little, it forced an inside to out swing because i was consciously flattening my swing to prevent the slice, i overdid it and the swing then went in-out-in. this made me adjust my grip a little to open up the face a little (not the right thing to do i know) by adjusting my grip, i second guessed that aspect and that led to an occasional loosening at the top of the swing which led to wild hooks so i revamped and broke down my swing and then i discovered that if you keep staring at the ball and keep your spine angle until after the ball has been struck, the ball goes straight again. but a strange thing happened -- distance loss. from an average of 250-260m on drives, i was barely breaking 220m. so i did multiple pushups and core exercises, to no avail. one day on the course, while getting outdriven by my retired friend who is 20 years older than me, i gave up. had nothing to lose, so all i did was "follow the book": eye on ball, head still, relax, gently swing back and release. 250m. 230m. 260m. 240m. i found my distance again. i started swinging those weighted clubs as well and unless i hit the toe (draw) or heel (fade), i pretty much hit it straight and with decent length now. but something else happened the other day. i was 5-over after 12 holes and then i 3-putted the next two for bogeys. next thing i knew, i got a bogey+double+triple (on a 180m par 3 -- in water) before rescuing the 18th with a one putt bogey. the two 3-putts killed me and i basically choked. What does one do when a good round goes south. how do i recover mentally? i know these things happen, but i'd rather prefer to stop the bleeding earlier. help?
dc
Hello DC, nice to hear from you again. You certainly are a student of the game, but this game gives no guarantees. Just when you think you have things figured out, something changes, and guess what, change is the only constant in golf. That is why you hear of great golfers always revamping their swings. Even Tiger and Jack admit to doing that constantly. Why? Because all our body muscles are always getting stronger and weaker in different combinations. It takes hundreds of muscles working together to execute a golf swing, so you can image what a “house of cards” a golf swing really is. It only takes a few misbehaving muscles to make those cards tumble, so the key is to be able to make adjustments when your results are changing, and they always will change, trust me on that one. The last part of your message had to do with the mental game. Sometimes we get so upset over a 3-putt that it affects our concentration for the next shot. If you allow that to happen, you may never stop the bleeding, as you put it. You can only play the game one shot at a time, so don’t let misfortune get in the way of your mental process for the next shot. Everyone encounters misfortune. Some people deal with it correctly and some don’t. Mental discipline is a must. Those who understand this can stop the bleeding earlier. There is no other way.
Joe
this is a strange game, and as we all know, our games evolve (for better or worse) constantly. as a beginner i struggled with duffers, toppers and slicers. all of which were a result i guess from acombination of bad technique and too much lower body and head movement. to solve the slice and after watching one of nick faldo's videos, i flattened my swing plane ever so gently until i hit astraight ball for about 3 months. straight as a rocket it went and when i added some hot sauce on it, i upped my driving distance from 200m to an average of 260m, with max hits at 290m. then I started drawing the ball. lovely sight, those, especially when it is controlled. but a strange thing happened. the right to left shot which i replaced with a straight and then a softly drawing shot which went more and more left. i started fighting the dreaded pull, which led to hooks. i'd say this now -- i'd rather slice the ball then hook it. i'm sure many golfers can identify with this and if you will, please correct my analysis:the slice was a result of an outside in swing by flattening my swing angle a little, it forced an inside to out swing because i was consciously flattening my swing to prevent the slice, i overdid it and the swing then went in-out-in. this made me adjust my grip a little to open up the face a little (not the right thing to do i know) by adjusting my grip, i second guessed that aspect and that led to an occasional loosening at the top of the swing which led to wild hooks so i revamped and broke down my swing and then i discovered that if you keep staring at the ball and keep your spine angle until after the ball has been struck, the ball goes straight again. but a strange thing happened -- distance loss. from an average of 250-260m on drives, i was barely breaking 220m. so i did multiple pushups and core exercises, to no avail. one day on the course, while getting outdriven by my retired friend who is 20 years older than me, i gave up. had nothing to lose, so all i did was "follow the book": eye on ball, head still, relax, gently swing back and release. 250m. 230m. 260m. 240m. i found my distance again. i started swinging those weighted clubs as well and unless i hit the toe (draw) or heel (fade), i pretty much hit it straight and with decent length now. but something else happened the other day. i was 5-over after 12 holes and then i 3-putted the next two for bogeys. next thing i knew, i got a bogey+double+triple (on a 180m par 3 -- in water) before rescuing the 18th with a one putt bogey. the two 3-putts killed me and i basically choked. What does one do when a good round goes south. how do i recover mentally? i know these things happen, but i'd rather prefer to stop the bleeding earlier. help?
dc
Hello DC, nice to hear from you again. You certainly are a student of the game, but this game gives no guarantees. Just when you think you have things figured out, something changes, and guess what, change is the only constant in golf. That is why you hear of great golfers always revamping their swings. Even Tiger and Jack admit to doing that constantly. Why? Because all our body muscles are always getting stronger and weaker in different combinations. It takes hundreds of muscles working together to execute a golf swing, so you can image what a “house of cards” a golf swing really is. It only takes a few misbehaving muscles to make those cards tumble, so the key is to be able to make adjustments when your results are changing, and they always will change, trust me on that one. The last part of your message had to do with the mental game. Sometimes we get so upset over a 3-putt that it affects our concentration for the next shot. If you allow that to happen, you may never stop the bleeding, as you put it. You can only play the game one shot at a time, so don’t let misfortune get in the way of your mental process for the next shot. Everyone encounters misfortune. Some people deal with it correctly and some don’t. Mental discipline is a must. Those who understand this can stop the bleeding earlier. There is no other way.
Joe
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Joe, how do you know when you are going to be in a slump?
Answer: There are lots of signs, for example, when you go fishing and your first cast misses the lake; or when you lose a ball on the first tee in the ball washer; or when your rice krispies are silent; or when you have car trouble on the only day when you forgot to bring your cell phone; or when you are broke and in a hurry and your ATM is out of cash but doesn’t tell you until you have already navigated thru 15 screens.
Answer: There are lots of signs, for example, when you go fishing and your first cast misses the lake; or when you lose a ball on the first tee in the ball washer; or when your rice krispies are silent; or when you have car trouble on the only day when you forgot to bring your cell phone; or when you are broke and in a hurry and your ATM is out of cash but doesn’t tell you until you have already navigated thru 15 screens.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Joe,
I HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECT ...BUT NEVER AN EXPLANATION OF WHY SOME TALENTED ... BLIND GOLFERS CAN SHOOT IN THE 80s. I WILL BE INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS.SINCERELY;JOHN AFFLECK
Hi John,
For those of us blessed with the gift of sight, it is hard to imagine doing anything blind, or deaf, or without one of your limbs. However, anyone who is in love with life has made up their mind that they are going to enjoy life any way that they can. Imagine yourself suffering an accident and losing your sight. You would have a choice of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, or instead finding friends who are willing to help you maintain your love for golf by taking you to a practice green and lining you up for a putt. Imagine feeling the thrill of tapping the putt and hearing it fall into the hole. Those of us who have good sight should try closing our eyes and feeling this, not only is it pretty cool, but it also helps you concentrate on trusting a proper stroke without looking up too soon. It is said that whenever a person loses one of their senses, all the other senses compensate by becoming more keen. Then imagine you (as a blind person) are taken to a practice range where you can execute a swing without visual distractions, and feel the thrill of hitting the ball right on the sweet spot. Your friends give you feedback on the results of your shots. Then you can go onto a course and your friends can guide you the same way. If you can contact the ball cleanly every time, and your friends can make all your distance and alignment decisions for you, then it is possible that you could get no worse than a bogey on each hole, and therefore shooting in the 80’s is within the realm of possibility.
Joe
I HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECT ...BUT NEVER AN EXPLANATION OF WHY SOME TALENTED ... BLIND GOLFERS CAN SHOOT IN THE 80s. I WILL BE INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS.SINCERELY;JOHN AFFLECK
Hi John,
For those of us blessed with the gift of sight, it is hard to imagine doing anything blind, or deaf, or without one of your limbs. However, anyone who is in love with life has made up their mind that they are going to enjoy life any way that they can. Imagine yourself suffering an accident and losing your sight. You would have a choice of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, or instead finding friends who are willing to help you maintain your love for golf by taking you to a practice green and lining you up for a putt. Imagine feeling the thrill of tapping the putt and hearing it fall into the hole. Those of us who have good sight should try closing our eyes and feeling this, not only is it pretty cool, but it also helps you concentrate on trusting a proper stroke without looking up too soon. It is said that whenever a person loses one of their senses, all the other senses compensate by becoming more keen. Then imagine you (as a blind person) are taken to a practice range where you can execute a swing without visual distractions, and feel the thrill of hitting the ball right on the sweet spot. Your friends give you feedback on the results of your shots. Then you can go onto a course and your friends can guide you the same way. If you can contact the ball cleanly every time, and your friends can make all your distance and alignment decisions for you, then it is possible that you could get no worse than a bogey on each hole, and therefore shooting in the 80’s is within the realm of possibility.
Joe
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Joe,
Thanks a lot for your reply. I never thought I would ever get online free golf tips. My Names are Johnson Omolo I work and live in Kampala Uganda. I HAVE BIG TROUBLE WITH MY GOLF SWING. Most of the time on my down ward swing to hit the ball the club face is closed. We have no good golf teacher in Uganda. The guy teaching golf was a 4 handicapper who turned pro. I cant tee off with a wood.Johnson
Hello Johnson,
You are not the only one who has trouble with the golf swing, everyone else does also. It is a never ending struggle, so enjoy every small success. In order to help you, we would have to view your swing, but we don’t mind making a few suggestions. The easiest method to solve general problems is to view the Body Golf videos. For more specific problems, like your closed club face, make sure you are using the correct grip, and control your wrist action down the target line, because those who roll their wrists too much usually end up with wild shots. Why do you say you cannot tee off with a wood? What is the result? Maybe that particular wood does not fit your swing? Let us know more details.
Joe
Thanks a lot for your reply. I never thought I would ever get online free golf tips. My Names are Johnson Omolo I work and live in Kampala Uganda. I HAVE BIG TROUBLE WITH MY GOLF SWING. Most of the time on my down ward swing to hit the ball the club face is closed. We have no good golf teacher in Uganda. The guy teaching golf was a 4 handicapper who turned pro. I cant tee off with a wood.Johnson
Hello Johnson,
You are not the only one who has trouble with the golf swing, everyone else does also. It is a never ending struggle, so enjoy every small success. In order to help you, we would have to view your swing, but we don’t mind making a few suggestions. The easiest method to solve general problems is to view the Body Golf videos. For more specific problems, like your closed club face, make sure you are using the correct grip, and control your wrist action down the target line, because those who roll their wrists too much usually end up with wild shots. Why do you say you cannot tee off with a wood? What is the result? Maybe that particular wood does not fit your swing? Let us know more details.
Joe
Monday, May 23, 2005
Joe,
Why are the impact and address positions so different in swing sequences? It doesn't look like they return to address. The hips are open, the spine angle is more, the head is further behind the ball, the hands are forward. It is completely different to address. Why do people say you have to return to address at impact, when impact is so obviously different. The other thing is, if you drop your right shoulder, your spine now has a bend in it halfway up your back. If you make a turn from here your head must lift up.-- Doug Kercher
Hello Doug,
You are correct in saying the positions are obviously different. I do not believe it is reasonable for the impact position to look exactly like the address position because at address nothing is moving, while at impact your weight is actively shifting from your back leg to your front leg and your hips are in the midst of turning. Different people have different ways of explaining things, so interpretations will also be different, especially cause and effect. I do not believe dropping your shoulder is a cause, it is an effect from the way you start the downswing. Instead, I prefer the cause to be getting your back elbow in front of your hip, which will accomplish the same thing without lifting your head up.
Joe
Why are the impact and address positions so different in swing sequences? It doesn't look like they return to address. The hips are open, the spine angle is more, the head is further behind the ball, the hands are forward. It is completely different to address. Why do people say you have to return to address at impact, when impact is so obviously different. The other thing is, if you drop your right shoulder, your spine now has a bend in it halfway up your back. If you make a turn from here your head must lift up.-- Doug Kercher
Hello Doug,
You are correct in saying the positions are obviously different. I do not believe it is reasonable for the impact position to look exactly like the address position because at address nothing is moving, while at impact your weight is actively shifting from your back leg to your front leg and your hips are in the midst of turning. Different people have different ways of explaining things, so interpretations will also be different, especially cause and effect. I do not believe dropping your shoulder is a cause, it is an effect from the way you start the downswing. Instead, I prefer the cause to be getting your back elbow in front of your hip, which will accomplish the same thing without lifting your head up.
Joe
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Honest, I did not make this up. I really did read this recently in a magazine. The author has got to be the ultimate purist instructor. My comments are in parentheses( ). Here goes: “At the top of the backswing for right handed golfers the left shoulder must internally rotate (as opposed to externally rotate?) and horizontally adduct (what does that mean and how do you do that?). This requires flexibility in the left posterior rotator cuff muscles (what about the anterior, should I shut them down?) and scapular muscles (I wear a scapular but it does not have muscles). The right shoulder needs to abduct (is that the same as adduct?) about 75 degrees (I will need to see a digital readout as I swing, I don’t think I can move that precisely) and externally rotate about 90 degrees (I think I am going to sprain every muscle in my body) to be in the ideal position (and then after all that you top the shot anyway). This also requires rotator cuff strength and shoulder capsular flexibility” (at least my cap is flexible). (This guy has got to be kidding, does he really think people are going to understand and implement that?)
