Joe,
A question from a high handicapper with a limited budget. How much would it help if I got new clubs?
Cary
Hi Cary,
Some people think buying expensive clubs will automatically guarantee better scores. If you have a lot of money, go ahead and get custom-fitted clubs, but if you are a beginner or high handicapper, and you would rather not spend a lot of money, you might first start with less expensive clubs, or borrow some from a friend, and when you find some that you hit really well, then have the specs measured and use those specs when you are ready to buy newer clubs. Everybody is built differently, so your clubs should at least be the right length, shaft flex, and lie angle for you, in order to do your best. Otherwise you may be fighting a slice or hook only because those clubs do not fit your type of swing, while a different set of clubs might help correct slices or hooks without a swing change. For those of us who cannot afford the cost of new clubs, there is only a small financial risk to consider getting used clubs from classified ads, garage sales, or stores that sell used sporting equipment. To even further minimize your risk, ask if you would be allowed to try the clubs at a driving range and possibly get your money back if you do not like the way you hit with them.
Joe
Monday, September 05, 2005
Joe,
There are so many different tips on TV, in magazines, in books, on videos, etc., and some of them seem contradictory to each other, for example on the backswing some say to set the wrist cock early while others say delay the wrist cock until you near the top of the backswing. I am drowning in too much information, how can anyone sort this out? Help!!!
Ian
Hello Ian,
Many tips are aimed a low handicappers who are trying to achieve every bit of distance and control. But the average golfer first needs to focus on consistent ball striking before worrying about distance. Some people have had success with early wrist cock while others avoid that. Some people like to grip it and rip it. However, I do not believe it is good advice for high handicappers to take a full turn and swing hard. Most tips may work for some people, but not for others. Avoid any instructions that are giving you more and more things to think about while you are swinging, since they must be assuming you already can make clean contact on every shot, and you must be playing several times per week. For higher handicappers, or people who play less frequently, I feel we must be careful to keep the game simple. It makes no sense to overly complicate the swing for them. Clean contact on every shot is of paramount importance. We are not robots. We all have different amounts of hand-eye coordination skills and athleticism. No two people are built the same. Everyone has some differences in bone and muscle structure, and the way our natural hinges work (wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, etc.). Although it seems to make sense to try to imitate the way the pros swing to some degree, you can’t expect the average golfer to execute every single move like the pros can. Pros play every day and have personal swing coaches, and the best customized equipment. People who play less frequently and have average equipment, average physical skills, and cannot afford lessons, must tailor their expectations accordingly. It is OK to have a long list of swing keys, but it is hard to think of more than one or two at a time during your swing. Therefore, just pick from your list one key for the backswing and one for the downswing. There may be a certain combination of keys that seem to work better one day and a different combination on another day. Why is that? Because your swing is controlled by many different muscles of differing sizes and shapes, all of which are getting bigger or smaller, stronger or weaker in different combinations every day, so without you realizing it, your swing does change. This is true for all sports, not just golf. Nobody ever maintains a perfect swing for very long. Even Jack and Tiger have always been tinkering with their swings. Just stay with the tips that improve your ball striking consistency.
Joe
There are so many different tips on TV, in magazines, in books, on videos, etc., and some of them seem contradictory to each other, for example on the backswing some say to set the wrist cock early while others say delay the wrist cock until you near the top of the backswing. I am drowning in too much information, how can anyone sort this out? Help!!!
Ian
Hello Ian,
Many tips are aimed a low handicappers who are trying to achieve every bit of distance and control. But the average golfer first needs to focus on consistent ball striking before worrying about distance. Some people have had success with early wrist cock while others avoid that. Some people like to grip it and rip it. However, I do not believe it is good advice for high handicappers to take a full turn and swing hard. Most tips may work for some people, but not for others. Avoid any instructions that are giving you more and more things to think about while you are swinging, since they must be assuming you already can make clean contact on every shot, and you must be playing several times per week. For higher handicappers, or people who play less frequently, I feel we must be careful to keep the game simple. It makes no sense to overly complicate the swing for them. Clean contact on every shot is of paramount importance. We are not robots. We all have different amounts of hand-eye coordination skills and athleticism. No two people are built the same. Everyone has some differences in bone and muscle structure, and the way our natural hinges work (wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, etc.). Although it seems to make sense to try to imitate the way the pros swing to some degree, you can’t expect the average golfer to execute every single move like the pros can. Pros play every day and have personal swing coaches, and the best customized equipment. People who play less frequently and have average equipment, average physical skills, and cannot afford lessons, must tailor their expectations accordingly. It is OK to have a long list of swing keys, but it is hard to think of more than one or two at a time during your swing. Therefore, just pick from your list one key for the backswing and one for the downswing. There may be a certain combination of keys that seem to work better one day and a different combination on another day. Why is that? Because your swing is controlled by many different muscles of differing sizes and shapes, all of which are getting bigger or smaller, stronger or weaker in different combinations every day, so without you realizing it, your swing does change. This is true for all sports, not just golf. Nobody ever maintains a perfect swing for very long. Even Jack and Tiger have always been tinkering with their swings. Just stay with the tips that improve your ball striking consistency.
Joe
Friday, September 02, 2005
Joe,
For some reason, I have acquired a huge slice that I never had before. Always had the confidence to walk up to the tee and drive it straight down the fairway, now I hesitate, not knowing where it may end up. Penalty strokes and bad lies are killing my game, not to mention adding to my utter frustration. (Trying to stay out of last place in my league). Friends have been helping me with my swing and I have now made so many changes to my grip, stance and position to the ball, nothing feels good or has helped correct the slice. The slice is not as pronounced with my 3 or 5 wood, but have lost all confidence with any club. Do you have any suggestions to starting from scratch? It is getting late in the golf season here in Canada and would like to end the year on a positive note. Not seeing my swing, I know it is not easy, but I will try anything.
(no name)
Hello Noname,
If you never had this slice before, are you using different clubs? If so, go back to the old ones, or at least try a different set. Clubs that are heel-weighted should reduce a slice. Since you say you have already experimented with grip, stance, ball position, etc., I can only say your best chance of success is to use a “strong” grip and an inside out swing path, extending the follow-thru outward to avoid coming across the ball, which is one of the main causes for slicing.
Joe
For some reason, I have acquired a huge slice that I never had before. Always had the confidence to walk up to the tee and drive it straight down the fairway, now I hesitate, not knowing where it may end up. Penalty strokes and bad lies are killing my game, not to mention adding to my utter frustration. (Trying to stay out of last place in my league). Friends have been helping me with my swing and I have now made so many changes to my grip, stance and position to the ball, nothing feels good or has helped correct the slice. The slice is not as pronounced with my 3 or 5 wood, but have lost all confidence with any club. Do you have any suggestions to starting from scratch? It is getting late in the golf season here in Canada and would like to end the year on a positive note. Not seeing my swing, I know it is not easy, but I will try anything.
(no name)
Hello Noname,
If you never had this slice before, are you using different clubs? If so, go back to the old ones, or at least try a different set. Clubs that are heel-weighted should reduce a slice. Since you say you have already experimented with grip, stance, ball position, etc., I can only say your best chance of success is to use a “strong” grip and an inside out swing path, extending the follow-thru outward to avoid coming across the ball, which is one of the main causes for slicing.
Joe
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Joe, is Golf better than sex?
Answer: Consider the following and judge for yourself: You don't have to sneak your golf magazines into the house. If you are having trouble with golf, it is perfectly acceptable to pay a professional to show you how to improve your technique. The Ten Commandments don't say anything against golfing with someone else. If your partner takes pictures or videotapes of you golfing, you are less likely to worry about them showing up on the Internet when you become famous. Your golf partner won't keep asking questions about other partners you've golfed with. It's perfectly respectable to golf with a total stranger. When you see a really good golfer, you don't have to feel guilty about imagining the two of you golfing together. Nobody will ever tell you that you will go blind if you golf by yourself. When dealing with a golf pro, you never have to wonder if they are really an undercover cop. You don't have to go to a sleazy shop in a seedy neighborhood to buy golf stuff. You can have a golf calendar on your wall at the office, tell golf jokes and invite coworkers to golf with you without getting sued for harassment. If you want to watch golf on television, you don't have to subscribe to a premium cable channel. Nobody expects you to promise to golf with just one partner for the rest of your life. A good golf partner will never say, "What? We just golfed last week, is that all you ever think about?" Foursomes are encouraged, you can still make money doing it as a senior, three times a day is possible, your partner doesn't hire a lawyer if you do it with someone else. A below par performance is considered good, you can stop in the middle and have a cheeseburger and a couple of beers, the game is always willing to screw you (with bad breaks), you don't have to cuddle with your partner when you're finished. If your equipment gets old and rusty, you can replace it.
Answer: Consider the following and judge for yourself: You don't have to sneak your golf magazines into the house. If you are having trouble with golf, it is perfectly acceptable to pay a professional to show you how to improve your technique. The Ten Commandments don't say anything against golfing with someone else. If your partner takes pictures or videotapes of you golfing, you are less likely to worry about them showing up on the Internet when you become famous. Your golf partner won't keep asking questions about other partners you've golfed with. It's perfectly respectable to golf with a total stranger. When you see a really good golfer, you don't have to feel guilty about imagining the two of you golfing together. Nobody will ever tell you that you will go blind if you golf by yourself. When dealing with a golf pro, you never have to wonder if they are really an undercover cop. You don't have to go to a sleazy shop in a seedy neighborhood to buy golf stuff. You can have a golf calendar on your wall at the office, tell golf jokes and invite coworkers to golf with you without getting sued for harassment. If you want to watch golf on television, you don't have to subscribe to a premium cable channel. Nobody expects you to promise to golf with just one partner for the rest of your life. A good golf partner will never say, "What? We just golfed last week, is that all you ever think about?" Foursomes are encouraged, you can still make money doing it as a senior, three times a day is possible, your partner doesn't hire a lawyer if you do it with someone else. A below par performance is considered good, you can stop in the middle and have a cheeseburger and a couple of beers, the game is always willing to screw you (with bad breaks), you don't have to cuddle with your partner when you're finished. If your equipment gets old and rusty, you can replace it.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Joe,
Golf sets used to have only two wedges and now I hear we should carry four, why is that, and how many wedges do you think should be in my bag, and which clubs should I replace with extra wedges?
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
In the past, golfers got by with only the pitching wedge and sand wedge because they wanted to stay within the 14 club limit without having to give up any other woods (3) or irons (8). Today’s irons have lower loft angles than before, so you need a Gap wedge for the distance between the pitching and sand wedges. Also with today’s course designs, a Loft wedge can do a flop shot better than a sand wedge. I recommend removing your long irons to stay within the 14 club limit. You can still carry 3 woods as long as one of them has some loft which covers the same distance as a long iron, and gets out of rough and bad lies better than a long iron.
Joe
Golf sets used to have only two wedges and now I hear we should carry four, why is that, and how many wedges do you think should be in my bag, and which clubs should I replace with extra wedges?
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
In the past, golfers got by with only the pitching wedge and sand wedge because they wanted to stay within the 14 club limit without having to give up any other woods (3) or irons (8). Today’s irons have lower loft angles than before, so you need a Gap wedge for the distance between the pitching and sand wedges. Also with today’s course designs, a Loft wedge can do a flop shot better than a sand wedge. I recommend removing your long irons to stay within the 14 club limit. You can still carry 3 woods as long as one of them has some loft which covers the same distance as a long iron, and gets out of rough and bad lies better than a long iron.
Joe
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Joe,
Every time I think I have really grooved my swing, the groove does not seem to last very long. Does this means that groove was not really a good way to swing?
George
Hello George,Maybe your swing was OK. This typically happens to people who do not follow a regular daily exercise routine. Their muscle tone changes more depending on their daily activities, and as the muscle tone changes, so does your swing without you even realizing it. People who keep their muscles toned with daily exercise are more likely to keep their swings in the groove because daily activities have less effect on changing your overall muscle tone.
Joe
Every time I think I have really grooved my swing, the groove does not seem to last very long. Does this means that groove was not really a good way to swing?
George
Hello George,Maybe your swing was OK. This typically happens to people who do not follow a regular daily exercise routine. Their muscle tone changes more depending on their daily activities, and as the muscle tone changes, so does your swing without you even realizing it. People who keep their muscles toned with daily exercise are more likely to keep their swings in the groove because daily activities have less effect on changing your overall muscle tone.
Joe
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, since you and Joe play in Chicago you must have to compensate for a lot of wind, by the way, why is Chicago called the Windy City?
Answer: Because Wisconsin sucks and Indiana blows, and Chicago is caught in between. (note from Joe – apologies to our neighboring states, diplomacy is not Jody’s strong point; the real reason for the Windy City nickname is not due to weather, it is from the east coast politicians calling Chicago’s politicians a bunch of blowhards, that’s true, you could look it up).
Jody, since you and Joe play in Chicago you must have to compensate for a lot of wind, by the way, why is Chicago called the Windy City?
Answer: Because Wisconsin sucks and Indiana blows, and Chicago is caught in between. (note from Joe – apologies to our neighboring states, diplomacy is not Jody’s strong point; the real reason for the Windy City nickname is not due to weather, it is from the east coast politicians calling Chicago’s politicians a bunch of blowhards, that’s true, you could look it up).
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Joe,
I can usually chip pretty good, but when the grass is high near the green, I have trouble chipping. What can I do about this?
Chad
Hello Chad,
This is not an easy shot because the tall grass sometimes grabs your club and your shot comes up short, but if you give it a little extra oomph, sometimes the grass does not grab your club and the shot goes too long. Here are some things to try. First, play the ball farther back in your stance and use a more lofted club. This will force you to strike the ball with a more descending blow which will prevent the high grass from snagging your club. Second, open the face of the club. This will allow the club to slide thru the grass more smoothly without getting snagged. Of course, this will send the ball to the right of your target, so just compensate by aiming left and swing aggressively along your body line.
Joe
I can usually chip pretty good, but when the grass is high near the green, I have trouble chipping. What can I do about this?
Chad
Hello Chad,
This is not an easy shot because the tall grass sometimes grabs your club and your shot comes up short, but if you give it a little extra oomph, sometimes the grass does not grab your club and the shot goes too long. Here are some things to try. First, play the ball farther back in your stance and use a more lofted club. This will force you to strike the ball with a more descending blow which will prevent the high grass from snagging your club. Second, open the face of the club. This will allow the club to slide thru the grass more smoothly without getting snagged. Of course, this will send the ball to the right of your target, so just compensate by aiming left and swing aggressively along your body line.
Joe
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Joe,
Ever since I HAD MY LEFT KNEE REPLACED i DEVELOPED THE YIPS IN THESE TWO AREAS. My putting is okay & my long game is okay. If I'm within 20 yards from the green I rarely git up & down in 2. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Emmanuel Shedlock
Hello Emmanuel,
I don’t know which chipping method you use, but since your putting is OK, you can use your putting stroke for chipping, just choose the right iron that gives you the same distance control as your putter. Of course you must change your ball position to your back foot and make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead all the way thru the stroke. However, this only works for chips that do not have to carry very far over tall grass. If your carry must be longer, then take your wedge and strike the ball as hard as you would strike a putt which would have double the distance. In other words, if it is a 40 foot chip, then with the wedge strike the ball as hard as you would strike an 80 foot putt, because half the energy of your stroke is spent sending the ball upward.
Joe
Ever since I HAD MY LEFT KNEE REPLACED i DEVELOPED THE YIPS IN THESE TWO AREAS. My putting is okay & my long game is okay. If I'm within 20 yards from the green I rarely git up & down in 2. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Emmanuel Shedlock
Hello Emmanuel,
I don’t know which chipping method you use, but since your putting is OK, you can use your putting stroke for chipping, just choose the right iron that gives you the same distance control as your putter. Of course you must change your ball position to your back foot and make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead all the way thru the stroke. However, this only works for chips that do not have to carry very far over tall grass. If your carry must be longer, then take your wedge and strike the ball as hard as you would strike a putt which would have double the distance. In other words, if it is a 40 foot chip, then with the wedge strike the ball as hard as you would strike an 80 foot putt, because half the energy of your stroke is spent sending the ball upward.
Joe
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Joe,
I am desperate for help. I just can't bring my range swing to the course. I practice diligently. At the range I work on all my clubs & chipping. I can hit 200 balls at the range & never top a shot or shank an iron, 70% of my driver hits are long and true, my irons are high & straight, taking divots consistently. Well, I get to the course and sure enough start to shank & top shots, skull my short irons & chips, and pull many shots to the right (I'm a lefty), and rarely take a divot. My swing feels the same & I am relaxed. I know I'm a good ball striker, I watch myself do it all the time. Any suggestions?
Joe - Cleveland, Oh
Hi Cleveland Joe,
On the range there is no pressure, on the course every shot counts so you know you cannot afford to waste a shot. On the range you are swinging every few seconds, so you can get into a good rhythm. On the course you are only swinging once every several minutes, so it is harder to get into any rhythm. Did you ever notice while on the range if you hit too many consecutive shots with a driver, then you have trouble hitting a short iron? The lengths of the shafts are so different that it takes time to adjust if your muscles get too used to hitting drivers most of the time. I would recommend you make changes to your range routine. Start with wedges and whenever you hit a good shot, change clubs and work your way up to the driver. Then put some pressure on yourself by playing an imaginary hole. Pick two targets that define the left and right limits of your fairway, and pretend they are OB markers. If you get your drive in between them, pick any iron and target and see how close you can shoot to it. Then pick a target for a half wedge shot and assume one putt if you hit it very close, two putts if you are reasonably close, and 3 putts if you are way off. What did you score? Try this over and over again, creating the same pressure you would have on the course. For your mental game, it is OK to get butterflies, just make the butterflies fly in formation. It is natural for anyone to get nervous, just accept that and be determined to execute to the best of your ability on each shot, one at a time. Don’t let an occasional bad shot bother you, this happens to everyone, just forget it and do your best on the next shot.
Joe
I am desperate for help. I just can't bring my range swing to the course. I practice diligently. At the range I work on all my clubs & chipping. I can hit 200 balls at the range & never top a shot or shank an iron, 70% of my driver hits are long and true, my irons are high & straight, taking divots consistently. Well, I get to the course and sure enough start to shank & top shots, skull my short irons & chips, and pull many shots to the right (I'm a lefty), and rarely take a divot. My swing feels the same & I am relaxed. I know I'm a good ball striker, I watch myself do it all the time. Any suggestions?
Joe - Cleveland, Oh
Hi Cleveland Joe,
On the range there is no pressure, on the course every shot counts so you know you cannot afford to waste a shot. On the range you are swinging every few seconds, so you can get into a good rhythm. On the course you are only swinging once every several minutes, so it is harder to get into any rhythm. Did you ever notice while on the range if you hit too many consecutive shots with a driver, then you have trouble hitting a short iron? The lengths of the shafts are so different that it takes time to adjust if your muscles get too used to hitting drivers most of the time. I would recommend you make changes to your range routine. Start with wedges and whenever you hit a good shot, change clubs and work your way up to the driver. Then put some pressure on yourself by playing an imaginary hole. Pick two targets that define the left and right limits of your fairway, and pretend they are OB markers. If you get your drive in between them, pick any iron and target and see how close you can shoot to it. Then pick a target for a half wedge shot and assume one putt if you hit it very close, two putts if you are reasonably close, and 3 putts if you are way off. What did you score? Try this over and over again, creating the same pressure you would have on the course. For your mental game, it is OK to get butterflies, just make the butterflies fly in formation. It is natural for anyone to get nervous, just accept that and be determined to execute to the best of your ability on each shot, one at a time. Don’t let an occasional bad shot bother you, this happens to everyone, just forget it and do your best on the next shot.
Joe
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Joe,
ANY ADVICE TO CURE HITTING LEFT (EITHER BY HOOKING OR JUST PULLING IT STRAIGHT LEFT), ALSO POPPING THE BALL UP AND THEREFORE SHORT ON DRIVES,EVEN THOUGH THEY FLIGHT MAY BE STRAIGHT, IS ALSO A SYMPTOM.
Joe Damin
Hello to another Joe D,
Pulls are caused by the path of your club going to the inside at impact. Many people think they are swinging down the target line, but their body turn brings it to the inside before impact. Have a friend stand behind you to watch your swing path to verify this. The remedy is to make your backswing go inside out, that way your body turn will bring it back to square at impact. Hooks are caused by the face of the club being “closed” at impact. This can be corrected by adjusting your grip to a “weaker” position. Popup drives can be caused by incorrect ball position, I am sure you have already tried to tee the ball lower, right? If a centered ball position does not work for you, try it more forward, even as far as your front foot, and let us know how it turns out.
Joe
ANY ADVICE TO CURE HITTING LEFT (EITHER BY HOOKING OR JUST PULLING IT STRAIGHT LEFT), ALSO POPPING THE BALL UP AND THEREFORE SHORT ON DRIVES,EVEN THOUGH THEY FLIGHT MAY BE STRAIGHT, IS ALSO A SYMPTOM.
Joe Damin
Hello to another Joe D,
Pulls are caused by the path of your club going to the inside at impact. Many people think they are swinging down the target line, but their body turn brings it to the inside before impact. Have a friend stand behind you to watch your swing path to verify this. The remedy is to make your backswing go inside out, that way your body turn will bring it back to square at impact. Hooks are caused by the face of the club being “closed” at impact. This can be corrected by adjusting your grip to a “weaker” position. Popup drives can be caused by incorrect ball position, I am sure you have already tried to tee the ball lower, right? If a centered ball position does not work for you, try it more forward, even as far as your front foot, and let us know how it turns out.
Joe
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Joe,
Using a belly putter has improved my accuracy, but now I am having trouble lagging longer putts close to the hole. I do not want to give up the belly putter idea, so what can I try?
Ted
Hi Ted,
I use a belly putter also, and I have experienced the same problem. Here is something that has helped me, so maybe it can help you too. Hold the putter with your leading hand only, and bend your wrist so that the shaft stays pressed against your forearm. Then add your other hand to the grip and use your shoulders to make the stroke. The butt of the shaft is no longer against your belly, but this type of stroke feels more solid and smooth. Have a contest with your old stroke against this stroke and see which one wins.
Joe
Using a belly putter has improved my accuracy, but now I am having trouble lagging longer putts close to the hole. I do not want to give up the belly putter idea, so what can I try?
Ted
Hi Ted,
I use a belly putter also, and I have experienced the same problem. Here is something that has helped me, so maybe it can help you too. Hold the putter with your leading hand only, and bend your wrist so that the shaft stays pressed against your forearm. Then add your other hand to the grip and use your shoulders to make the stroke. The butt of the shaft is no longer against your belly, but this type of stroke feels more solid and smooth. Have a contest with your old stroke against this stroke and see which one wins.
Joe
Monday, July 25, 2005
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Joe,
The rules are intended to make sure nobody gets an unfair advantage. Since you seem to have a problem with some of the rules, can you give an example where the rules did not promote fairness?
Stickler
Hi Stickler,
Most people have heard the story where Tiger’s gallery removed a large boulder from his line of play. Is that fair to golfers who do not have a gallery large enough to move the boulder? No, of course not. That means that the rules allow an unfair advantage to those who have a gallery. One would think a gallery is an “outside agency” that was going to affect the next shot. That would suggest that your gallery can break a tree branch for you as long as you don’t do it yourself, but no. On the other hand, a player who was leading the tournament was disqualified for having a second caddie just because his young son carried his putter to him. Do you really think there was any unfair advantage gained by this action? No, of course not, that idea is outrageously stupid. Such rules violate the spirit of fair play and therefore should be modified or abolished. At the very least there should be a process to allow local officials to overrule instances where accidental infractions had nothing to do with a shot or otherwise gaining unfair advantages. Scores should be based on shotmaking skills, not technicalities that have nothing to do with trying to cheat. For those who want to preserve the ancient tradition of the game, go back to playing wooden shafts and gutta percha balls or else you might be a hypocrite. If you can live with violation of ancient tradition by using high tech equipment then you can also live with improving rules to assure fair play and common sense rather than perpetuating stupid concepts just because they are traditional concepts. Tradition says golf clubs must have a “normal form”, yet look at some of the weird putter designs that are allowed. Once upon a time the (unchangeable?) rules said you had to play your balls from plugged lies, even on the greens, so you had to hack the ball out with an iron. Imagine trying to putt on such hacked up greens after wet weather. If you want to stick blindly to tradition, then don’t complain about the condition of the greens. Ball marks are nowhere near as bad as wedge divots. How come they violated tradition by changing that rule? Because once in a great while, the rulemakers do have a logical thought, that’s why, but that unfortunately does not happen often enough. Maybe someone should wake them up and inform them of the “continuous improvement” concept used in all other sports rules and business processes. Don’t get me started on this, I could go on all day. Grrrrr.
Joe
The rules are intended to make sure nobody gets an unfair advantage. Since you seem to have a problem with some of the rules, can you give an example where the rules did not promote fairness?
Stickler
Hi Stickler,
Most people have heard the story where Tiger’s gallery removed a large boulder from his line of play. Is that fair to golfers who do not have a gallery large enough to move the boulder? No, of course not. That means that the rules allow an unfair advantage to those who have a gallery. One would think a gallery is an “outside agency” that was going to affect the next shot. That would suggest that your gallery can break a tree branch for you as long as you don’t do it yourself, but no. On the other hand, a player who was leading the tournament was disqualified for having a second caddie just because his young son carried his putter to him. Do you really think there was any unfair advantage gained by this action? No, of course not, that idea is outrageously stupid. Such rules violate the spirit of fair play and therefore should be modified or abolished. At the very least there should be a process to allow local officials to overrule instances where accidental infractions had nothing to do with a shot or otherwise gaining unfair advantages. Scores should be based on shotmaking skills, not technicalities that have nothing to do with trying to cheat. For those who want to preserve the ancient tradition of the game, go back to playing wooden shafts and gutta percha balls or else you might be a hypocrite. If you can live with violation of ancient tradition by using high tech equipment then you can also live with improving rules to assure fair play and common sense rather than perpetuating stupid concepts just because they are traditional concepts. Tradition says golf clubs must have a “normal form”, yet look at some of the weird putter designs that are allowed. Once upon a time the (unchangeable?) rules said you had to play your balls from plugged lies, even on the greens, so you had to hack the ball out with an iron. Imagine trying to putt on such hacked up greens after wet weather. If you want to stick blindly to tradition, then don’t complain about the condition of the greens. Ball marks are nowhere near as bad as wedge divots. How come they violated tradition by changing that rule? Because once in a great while, the rulemakers do have a logical thought, that’s why, but that unfortunately does not happen often enough. Maybe someone should wake them up and inform them of the “continuous improvement” concept used in all other sports rules and business processes. Don’t get me started on this, I could go on all day. Grrrrr.
Joe
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Joe,
When the ball lies against a collar of thick grass at the edge of a green, my club usually gets stuck when I try to chip it. I have even tried the “bellied wedge” where you hit the ball at the middle and that sometimes works, but not when the grass is really thick. Is there any other way to handle this?
Barnie
Hi Barnie,
This may sound somewhat unconventional, but if the bellied wedge does not work for you, position the ball way back in your stance, and try using the putter with a very steep downswing, banging the ball down into the ground. The ball should pop up and roll forward with overspin. With a little practice you can get a feel for distance control with this shot.
Joe
When the ball lies against a collar of thick grass at the edge of a green, my club usually gets stuck when I try to chip it. I have even tried the “bellied wedge” where you hit the ball at the middle and that sometimes works, but not when the grass is really thick. Is there any other way to handle this?
Barnie
Hi Barnie,
This may sound somewhat unconventional, but if the bellied wedge does not work for you, position the ball way back in your stance, and try using the putter with a very steep downswing, banging the ball down into the ground. The ball should pop up and roll forward with overspin. With a little practice you can get a feel for distance control with this shot.
Joe
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Joe,
I have read in several books and magazines that you should make a full shoulder turn, but I get better results with less turn. Any comments on this?
Tom
Hello Tom,
This is another concept that causes debate. In my opinion a full turn is recommended only for those who are blessed with a lot of athleticism and good hand-eye coordination. There certainly is nothing wrong with trying this on the practice range, but for many people this does not work because their ball striking suffers. In order to improve ball striking, start with a shorter turn until you can strike the ball on the sweet spot every time, and only then should you increase your turn a little at a time until your ball striking begins to suffer. Then you will have a better idea of the optimum amount of turn that is right for you. This is not always due to your type of body build. John Daly does not look like he is in the best of shape but he has such good athleticism and hand-eye coordination, that he has the biggest turn you will ever see. Other guys with an average build like Dana Quigley have a very short turn but he is very successful because he is so consistent. The more you turn, the more you risk trouble, so if you want more consistent ball striking, do the experiment mentioned above and find the right amount of turn for you.
Joe
I have read in several books and magazines that you should make a full shoulder turn, but I get better results with less turn. Any comments on this?
Tom
Hello Tom,
This is another concept that causes debate. In my opinion a full turn is recommended only for those who are blessed with a lot of athleticism and good hand-eye coordination. There certainly is nothing wrong with trying this on the practice range, but for many people this does not work because their ball striking suffers. In order to improve ball striking, start with a shorter turn until you can strike the ball on the sweet spot every time, and only then should you increase your turn a little at a time until your ball striking begins to suffer. Then you will have a better idea of the optimum amount of turn that is right for you. This is not always due to your type of body build. John Daly does not look like he is in the best of shape but he has such good athleticism and hand-eye coordination, that he has the biggest turn you will ever see. Other guys with an average build like Dana Quigley have a very short turn but he is very successful because he is so consistent. The more you turn, the more you risk trouble, so if you want more consistent ball striking, do the experiment mentioned above and find the right amount of turn for you.
Joe
Monday, July 18, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Joe,
Every time I shoot a good round and share the joy with my friends, I cannot seem to do it again the next time. Is there a reason for this?
Esther
Hello Esther,
Someone once hypothesized that the likelihood of repeating a good performance is inversely proportional to the number of people you tell about it. Does that mean you can’t ever tell anyone about a good round? Not really, that would be no fun. But you do have to be realistic when you go out the next time and remember how you achieved the good score, you cannot just assume it will happen again without good concentration. You can only do it again when good practice sessions allow you to have a certain amount of confidence in every part of your game. The part of your game that you neglect to practice is most likely the part that will cause problems in your next round.
Joe
Every time I shoot a good round and share the joy with my friends, I cannot seem to do it again the next time. Is there a reason for this?
Esther
Hello Esther,
Someone once hypothesized that the likelihood of repeating a good performance is inversely proportional to the number of people you tell about it. Does that mean you can’t ever tell anyone about a good round? Not really, that would be no fun. But you do have to be realistic when you go out the next time and remember how you achieved the good score, you cannot just assume it will happen again without good concentration. You can only do it again when good practice sessions allow you to have a certain amount of confidence in every part of your game. The part of your game that you neglect to practice is most likely the part that will cause problems in your next round.
Joe
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Hi Joe,I wonder if you could help me - I have been playing golf for about 10 years, my handicap has gone out from 12 last year to 17 at present. I don't know what has gone wrong, but suddenly my backswing is only about a quarter swing, I cannot hit an iron at all, which used to be one of my strengths! I am also not getting any distance of note on all my shots. I realize that it is probably not possible to fix my problems via e-mail, but is there anything I can do?Regards Pieter Lindenberg
Hello Pieter,
If you are aware that your backswing is only a quarter swing, I assume that you have taken steps to correct this, but for some reason you cannot. Do you have an injury that is restricting your turn? If not, I would recommend the double clubber drill as shown in the Body Golf videos. This drill will help you attain a natural turn and good tempo without restricting anything. You are correct in saying it is not always possible to fix your problems by email, but if you can provide more details, maybe we can help. For example, what are your swing thoughts on your backswing and downswing? Unless we know this, it is hard to say what to do and what not to do. Let us know.
Joe
Hello Pieter,
If you are aware that your backswing is only a quarter swing, I assume that you have taken steps to correct this, but for some reason you cannot. Do you have an injury that is restricting your turn? If not, I would recommend the double clubber drill as shown in the Body Golf videos. This drill will help you attain a natural turn and good tempo without restricting anything. You are correct in saying it is not always possible to fix your problems by email, but if you can provide more details, maybe we can help. For example, what are your swing thoughts on your backswing and downswing? Unless we know this, it is hard to say what to do and what not to do. Let us know.
Joe
