Joe,
I've been in a slump for about a month and it hasn't been much fun out there. In fact, I have cancelled some games for the next few days and will try and practice instead in the hopes of finding a solution. I've lost power....am hitting my irons weakly and thin and not making any putts so there's not much joy out there. Hopefully, it's only a phase and will go away as fast as it appeared.
Jerry
Hi Jerry,
Sometimes when we seem to lose power, we try too hard to get it back and we “hit from the top”, which means we not only overswing, but we also use up our wrist action too soon on the downswing. You are doing the right thing by going to the range until you solve your problem. One of the things you can try is a very short backswing, and on the downswing delay your wrist action until the last possible moment before impact. If you can strike the ball solidly every time by doing this, then lengthen your backswing a little at a time until your ball striking begins to suffer, then back off a little and that will be your proper backswing. With proper wrist action your distance should be OK, even if you think your backswing is too short. Watch Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, and Jim Thorpe, among others, who are very successful with a very short backswing. If you still need more distance, I will need to know what kind of clubs you are using, a modern driver might help. As far as putting goes, many people improve immediately by going to a belly putter, even Michael Campbell did this for the 2005 US Open. Let us know if these things helped.
Joe
Monday, November 21, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Joe,
Again thanks for all the great tips, they have helped so much, i am not able to hit my hybred 3 at all, all i do is top it no matter where i place it in my stance, any suggestions, thanks,
Larry
Hi Larry,
If you do not have this problem with all your other clubs, then it would seem your hybrid 3 does not fit your swing. Check the lie angle and shaft flex, are they the same as your other clubs? I suspect not. However, if they are the same, then maybe the shape of the clubhead looks strange to you. If so, that is a distraction. I know some people who only play irons because the shape of woods bothers them. If that is the case, look only at the clubface and convince yourself that the rest of the shape does not matter for ball striking.
Joe
Again thanks for all the great tips, they have helped so much, i am not able to hit my hybred 3 at all, all i do is top it no matter where i place it in my stance, any suggestions, thanks,
Larry
Hi Larry,
If you do not have this problem with all your other clubs, then it would seem your hybrid 3 does not fit your swing. Check the lie angle and shaft flex, are they the same as your other clubs? I suspect not. However, if they are the same, then maybe the shape of the clubhead looks strange to you. If so, that is a distraction. I know some people who only play irons because the shape of woods bothers them. If that is the case, look only at the clubface and convince yourself that the rest of the shape does not matter for ball striking.
Joe
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Joe,
I just wanted to know how I could calculate the loft levels on my irons? I want to match some new wedges and figure I should find out what my iron lofts are first. Is there a simple way that I can do this at home? Cheers and thanks so much.
Jeffrey
Hello Jeffrey,
It depends on how precise you want to be. The simplest way would be to lay the iron face down on a table an use a simple school supply tool like a plastic protractor. If you want to be more precise, take your irons to a golf shop that has the proper measuring equipment, because there you can also get the lie angles and shaft stiffness checked. If you only look at loft angle without looking at the other characteristics, you may or may not get the results you desire.
Joe
I just wanted to know how I could calculate the loft levels on my irons? I want to match some new wedges and figure I should find out what my iron lofts are first. Is there a simple way that I can do this at home? Cheers and thanks so much.
Jeffrey
Hello Jeffrey,
It depends on how precise you want to be. The simplest way would be to lay the iron face down on a table an use a simple school supply tool like a plastic protractor. If you want to be more precise, take your irons to a golf shop that has the proper measuring equipment, because there you can also get the lie angles and shaft stiffness checked. If you only look at loft angle without looking at the other characteristics, you may or may not get the results you desire.
Joe
Monday, November 14, 2005
Joe,
My problem is that my nerves can not take it before a competition, This weekend the 19/11/2005 I am playing club champs and I am the B division defending champ and I am not ready to lose my trophy as yet. I play a good game but I do seem to work on my over all golf that will be accuracy to the pin and one think I do battle with is getting of the T box and chipping I also was end up short of the green. What do you suggest I do to keep my Trophy?
Thanks, Regards.
John vd Sandt.
Hello John,
It is natural to get nervous before any competition. Just remember this is only a game and all the other people are nervous too. One of them may have a hot round and beat you no matter what you do, or maybe you will have the hot round, who knows? Either way, enjoy the thrill of competition, win or lose. You ask what to do to solve your problems off the tee, missing the greens, and poor chipping, yikes, there is not much else left, is there? Try to recall how you felt when you won your B division last time, and have confidence that you can do it again, just play each shot to the best of your ability, one shot at a time, and hope nobody else does any better. Even if they do better, at least give yourself a pat on the back for doing your best, and good luck to you. If you don’t want to lose your trophy, move to another town and take it with you.
Joe
My problem is that my nerves can not take it before a competition, This weekend the 19/11/2005 I am playing club champs and I am the B division defending champ and I am not ready to lose my trophy as yet. I play a good game but I do seem to work on my over all golf that will be accuracy to the pin and one think I do battle with is getting of the T box and chipping I also was end up short of the green. What do you suggest I do to keep my Trophy?
Thanks, Regards.
John vd Sandt.
Hello John,
It is natural to get nervous before any competition. Just remember this is only a game and all the other people are nervous too. One of them may have a hot round and beat you no matter what you do, or maybe you will have the hot round, who knows? Either way, enjoy the thrill of competition, win or lose. You ask what to do to solve your problems off the tee, missing the greens, and poor chipping, yikes, there is not much else left, is there? Try to recall how you felt when you won your B division last time, and have confidence that you can do it again, just play each shot to the best of your ability, one shot at a time, and hope nobody else does any better. Even if they do better, at least give yourself a pat on the back for doing your best, and good luck to you. If you don’t want to lose your trophy, move to another town and take it with you.
Joe
Friday, November 11, 2005
Just for once, maybe during the off season, I would like to see a “retro” tournament where all golfers must use hickory shafts and identical gutta percha balls. They cannot use their own equipment, they are supplied with a set of ten clubs, so there are no advantages for anyone, they have to adapt to the equipment. They would have no caddies so they must carry their own clubs, make their own guesses on yardages, and read their own putts. Nobody has any help. Now let’s see who is brave enough to risk embarrassment under these conditions. Even if this was only 9 or 18 holes, wouldn’t that be cool?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Joe,
What do you think of Jean Van de Velde’s comments on women being allowed to qualify for the British Open?
Tina
Hi Tina,
Poor Jean is really taking a beating, isn’t he? I am not one to kick a man when he is down, but with tongue in cheek, let’s look at his powers of judgment. When asked why he played so aggressively on the last hole of the ’99 British Open, when he could have played conservatively and won easily, he said he did not want to look like a coward. Hmmm, that means he would rather throw away a spot in history as an Open winner than to risk having someone call him a coward. Powers of judgment? Isn’t it also cowardly to do the wrong thing just because you are afraid of what others might think? On the other hand, if his goal was to be in the news and to keep people talking about him, maybe you can consider that to be good judgment both then and now, because in that sense he has succeeded. Maybe because of this he can get a spot on Leno, Letterman, or Oprah.
Joe
What do you think of Jean Van de Velde’s comments on women being allowed to qualify for the British Open?
Tina
Hi Tina,
Poor Jean is really taking a beating, isn’t he? I am not one to kick a man when he is down, but with tongue in cheek, let’s look at his powers of judgment. When asked why he played so aggressively on the last hole of the ’99 British Open, when he could have played conservatively and won easily, he said he did not want to look like a coward. Hmmm, that means he would rather throw away a spot in history as an Open winner than to risk having someone call him a coward. Powers of judgment? Isn’t it also cowardly to do the wrong thing just because you are afraid of what others might think? On the other hand, if his goal was to be in the news and to keep people talking about him, maybe you can consider that to be good judgment both then and now, because in that sense he has succeeded. Maybe because of this he can get a spot on Leno, Letterman, or Oprah.
Joe
Monday, November 07, 2005
Joe,
I admire the consistent, 3/4 power swing used by Dana Quigley. Do you know of any golf video or instruction manuals that discuss Dana's methods. The 3/4 swing may also be easier on the body as we get older.
R. Guy Dodson
Hi Guy,
I also believe in the shorter backswing, I use it too, and so do others like Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, Doug Sanders, Moe Norman, and all the followers of Natural Golf (that does not mean they all use every aspect of Natural Golf, it is only the short backswing that they have in common). Here is why I like the shorter backswing. For most golfers, the further you take the club back, the more trouble you can get into. Those who can afford to practice and play every day may be able to get away with taking it further back because daily activity makes it easier to stay in a groove. One of the major magazines (I forget whether it was Golf Digest or Golf Magazine) had a feature story on Dana’s swing, complete with frame by frame illustrations and explanations, but other than the shorter backswing, Dana does nothing fundamentally different with the rest of his mechanics, but his success is due to the perfect timing of his arm and wrist action. For most of us, it would be easy to lose this timing when you take the club too far back, and you may be “hitting from the top” which robs you of power. With a shorter backswing, it is less likely that you will hit from the top.
Joe
I admire the consistent, 3/4 power swing used by Dana Quigley. Do you know of any golf video or instruction manuals that discuss Dana's methods. The 3/4 swing may also be easier on the body as we get older.
R. Guy Dodson
Hi Guy,
I also believe in the shorter backswing, I use it too, and so do others like Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, Doug Sanders, Moe Norman, and all the followers of Natural Golf (that does not mean they all use every aspect of Natural Golf, it is only the short backswing that they have in common). Here is why I like the shorter backswing. For most golfers, the further you take the club back, the more trouble you can get into. Those who can afford to practice and play every day may be able to get away with taking it further back because daily activity makes it easier to stay in a groove. One of the major magazines (I forget whether it was Golf Digest or Golf Magazine) had a feature story on Dana’s swing, complete with frame by frame illustrations and explanations, but other than the shorter backswing, Dana does nothing fundamentally different with the rest of his mechanics, but his success is due to the perfect timing of his arm and wrist action. For most of us, it would be easy to lose this timing when you take the club too far back, and you may be “hitting from the top” which robs you of power. With a shorter backswing, it is less likely that you will hit from the top.
Joe
Friday, November 04, 2005
O Great Philosopher, you think you know everything, so let me give you a tough question. What is the meaning of life?
Answer: I don’t know everything, but I know this much, and actually that is not such a tough question. A great part of the meaning of life is to glorify your Creator by giving thanks for what you have, to treat others with respect, to make the world a better place using whatever talents you are given, to brighten someone else’s day, and if you are not sure how to do that, just make people laugh, because laughter is the best medicine for whatever ails us. Now let me give you a tough question – if I were to tell you my vacuum cleaner sucks, is that good or bad? And if you get it wrong, you get 7 years bad luck.
Answer: I don’t know everything, but I know this much, and actually that is not such a tough question. A great part of the meaning of life is to glorify your Creator by giving thanks for what you have, to treat others with respect, to make the world a better place using whatever talents you are given, to brighten someone else’s day, and if you are not sure how to do that, just make people laugh, because laughter is the best medicine for whatever ails us. Now let me give you a tough question – if I were to tell you my vacuum cleaner sucks, is that good or bad? And if you get it wrong, you get 7 years bad luck.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Joe,
I always hit the ball too low with a driver, and I have already tried the 11.5 degree models. The 3-wood works but the smaller face sometimes gives me popups or grounders, so I need the bigger clubface and also I feel the need for more distance off the tee. Do I have to change my swing? I would rather not because I can hit the rest of my clubs OK, and I have already tried the forward ball position which helps a little but not enough.
Simeon
Hello Simeon,
If you are not interested in swing changes, check out which companies make drivers with extra loft. Maybe they only come in Seniors or Ladies models with shafts that have too much flex for your swing, but you can place a special order to have any clubhead with any shaft. For example, I saw a guy with a problem just like yours who ordered a 400cc Senior/Lady head with a loft of 15.5 degrees and had a stiff shaft installed, and he immediately saw a dramatic improvement in his driving distance because the launch angle was higher, and that was exactly what he needed.
Joe
I always hit the ball too low with a driver, and I have already tried the 11.5 degree models. The 3-wood works but the smaller face sometimes gives me popups or grounders, so I need the bigger clubface and also I feel the need for more distance off the tee. Do I have to change my swing? I would rather not because I can hit the rest of my clubs OK, and I have already tried the forward ball position which helps a little but not enough.
Simeon
Hello Simeon,
If you are not interested in swing changes, check out which companies make drivers with extra loft. Maybe they only come in Seniors or Ladies models with shafts that have too much flex for your swing, but you can place a special order to have any clubhead with any shaft. For example, I saw a guy with a problem just like yours who ordered a 400cc Senior/Lady head with a loft of 15.5 degrees and had a stiff shaft installed, and he immediately saw a dramatic improvement in his driving distance because the launch angle was higher, and that was exactly what he needed.
Joe
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Joe,
I need to know exactly where do you put both the left thumb and the right thumb on your grip?
(no name)
Dear No Name,
First of all, never wrap the thumbs around the shaft like a baseball bat, the thumbs should stay close to the forefingers. You can view this in any magazine or book that has illustrations (including my book). As you take your grip, view the shaft in terms of clock positions, with 12 o’clock being the side of the shaft that is away from your body. The tip of the left thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 1 o’clock, and the tip of the right thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 11 o’clock. This is true for both right handers and left handers. Your thumb and forefinger on both hands form a “V” which should point somewhere between your back shoulder and your chin. You can adjust the position of this V to correct hooks or slices. To help correct a slice, move the V to point to the back shoulder. To help correct a hook, move the V to point more towards the chin.
Joe
I need to know exactly where do you put both the left thumb and the right thumb on your grip?
(no name)
Dear No Name,
First of all, never wrap the thumbs around the shaft like a baseball bat, the thumbs should stay close to the forefingers. You can view this in any magazine or book that has illustrations (including my book). As you take your grip, view the shaft in terms of clock positions, with 12 o’clock being the side of the shaft that is away from your body. The tip of the left thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 1 o’clock, and the tip of the right thumb should rest on the shaft at approximately 11 o’clock. This is true for both right handers and left handers. Your thumb and forefinger on both hands form a “V” which should point somewhere between your back shoulder and your chin. You can adjust the position of this V to correct hooks or slices. To help correct a slice, move the V to point to the back shoulder. To help correct a hook, move the V to point more towards the chin.
Joe
Friday, October 21, 2005
Joe,
I have just seen the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and I thought it was fantastic. Should I not bother to read the book if it is all the same stuff? What did the movie leave out from the book, if anything?
Bob
Hello Bob,
They did a nice job on the movie, but the book has so much more interesting detailed information that I think you will enjoy the book even more. For examples of what the movie did not show, the book tells the whole story about how Harry Vardon rose to prominence, how his disease almost killed him but left him with The Yips. The movie only shows his hands twitching but does not explain why. The book says how he was almost booked on the Titanic, how he toured the US and beat everyone wherever he went, how Francis and his brother built a 3 hole course in their backyard, the transition between the gutta percha ball and the modern ball, and gives a shot by shot description of the most important holes in the 1913 US Open. The book also describes how this was also a young Walter Hagen’s first Open, and he almost stole the show, but the movie ignores Walter, as well as many other colorful characters that the book describes in rich detail. The movie showed a close match while the book showed wild leaderboard swings, and end of the contest was also different. The movie ends with a few brief statements about Harry, Francis, and Eddie, but the book goes into great detail about what happened afterwards to every single character besides those 3. I could go on and on about the differences between the movie and the book, but in my opinion this book is a masterpiece, and it ranks among the finest pieces of literature a golfer could ever hope to read. If you do not read this book you are really missing out on a lot of enjoyment.
Joe
I have just seen the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and I thought it was fantastic. Should I not bother to read the book if it is all the same stuff? What did the movie leave out from the book, if anything?
Bob
Hello Bob,
They did a nice job on the movie, but the book has so much more interesting detailed information that I think you will enjoy the book even more. For examples of what the movie did not show, the book tells the whole story about how Harry Vardon rose to prominence, how his disease almost killed him but left him with The Yips. The movie only shows his hands twitching but does not explain why. The book says how he was almost booked on the Titanic, how he toured the US and beat everyone wherever he went, how Francis and his brother built a 3 hole course in their backyard, the transition between the gutta percha ball and the modern ball, and gives a shot by shot description of the most important holes in the 1913 US Open. The book also describes how this was also a young Walter Hagen’s first Open, and he almost stole the show, but the movie ignores Walter, as well as many other colorful characters that the book describes in rich detail. The movie showed a close match while the book showed wild leaderboard swings, and end of the contest was also different. The movie ends with a few brief statements about Harry, Francis, and Eddie, but the book goes into great detail about what happened afterwards to every single character besides those 3. I could go on and on about the differences between the movie and the book, but in my opinion this book is a masterpiece, and it ranks among the finest pieces of literature a golfer could ever hope to read. If you do not read this book you are really missing out on a lot of enjoyment.
Joe
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The Evil Twin’s Challenge - Part 2 (true story):
In review from last post, I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course (par 70) on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes caused the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and also he could only use 7 clubs. He played the front nine 6 over, and the back 9 is much harder, so I like my chances to win the bet. His drive on the 10th hole is drawing downhill toward a water hazard, but stops just short. Lucky dog. He then hits the green, but 3-putts again, now he is 7 over. YES!! He hits the 11th in regulation with a birdie opportunity, but gets too aggressive and goes 3 feet past, and the par putt bounces away from the cup again (YES!!), now he is 8 over and my mind is reviewing some exotic dinner menus and my mouth begins to water. He hits the 12th in regulation, but he is 40 feet left and above the hole facing a steep downslope, and he lags 6 feet short, that’s nasty, but I cannot help but chuckle because if he misses this one it may not stop near the hole. The par putt curls slowly, zigzags a couple of times in slow motion, hangs on the lip, and then drops. Lucky dog. He hits the 13th in regulation and lags to 2 feet. Even these 2-footers are no sure thing on aerated greens because the aeration holes are rather large and each one has a dent around it, but somehow he makes it with another 360-ringer. On the 14th it usually takes a pretty good drive to clear the creek, and you must clear it to have any chance to reach the green in 2, and he was not using the driver today, but he leans on the fairway wood, almost comes out of his shoes, and barely makes it over the creek. Then he hits the green, but on the lower tier with the hole on the upper tier. Then he drops this 40 foot bomb on me. Ouch. Lucky dog, but still he is 7 over. The 15th is a par 3 with a green that slopes steeply back to front. He hits the green 40 feet right of the flag and curves the bouncing lag putt 3 feet past. Now I am getting worried because he is starting to make putts despite the aeration holes and dents. If he can make a 40 footer, surely he can make this 3 footer, but NO, it bounces away for another 3 putt bogey (YES!!), now he is 8 over. He hits the 16th in regulation, 30 feet below the hole, lags to 3 feet, and it bounces away again (YES!!) and now he is 9 over. He hits the par three 17th with a 20 foot birdie putt, which he had better make, because the 18th hole is very difficult even without an aerated green. I figure his only chance to finish 9 over and win the bet is to birdie right now on 17 and then bogey 18. His approach putt bounced to a stop about 3 feet from the hole. What a relief. I feel even more relieved when he again misses the 3 footer, now he is ten over and his bet is all but lost. When his is not looking, I am doing cartwheels. Let’s see, should I have the lobster or the chateaubriand, and maybe some la poupedou French wine? He hits the narrow 18th fairway and then pulls his approach on the left side of the green more than 50 feet above the hole. His only slim hope is to sink this ridiculous birdie putt to get back to 9 over and win the bet. I smile at the futility of it all as he strikes the downhill putt on a line about ten feet left of the hole and then it begins to arc down the hill as I walk over to offer my condolences, but…wait a minute, it’s curving closer, you have got to be kidding, get away from there…NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!…. I hang my head as there are screams and high fives all around, except for me of course, I still don’t believe it. If I had not seen this for myself I would say this was all made up. Eight 3-putts and 2 penalties, and I still lose the bet. So what do you suppose he ordered for dinner? Beer and pizza of course. At least he let me have some.
In review from last post, I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course (par 70) on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes caused the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and also he could only use 7 clubs. He played the front nine 6 over, and the back 9 is much harder, so I like my chances to win the bet. His drive on the 10th hole is drawing downhill toward a water hazard, but stops just short. Lucky dog. He then hits the green, but 3-putts again, now he is 7 over. YES!! He hits the 11th in regulation with a birdie opportunity, but gets too aggressive and goes 3 feet past, and the par putt bounces away from the cup again (YES!!), now he is 8 over and my mind is reviewing some exotic dinner menus and my mouth begins to water. He hits the 12th in regulation, but he is 40 feet left and above the hole facing a steep downslope, and he lags 6 feet short, that’s nasty, but I cannot help but chuckle because if he misses this one it may not stop near the hole. The par putt curls slowly, zigzags a couple of times in slow motion, hangs on the lip, and then drops. Lucky dog. He hits the 13th in regulation and lags to 2 feet. Even these 2-footers are no sure thing on aerated greens because the aeration holes are rather large and each one has a dent around it, but somehow he makes it with another 360-ringer. On the 14th it usually takes a pretty good drive to clear the creek, and you must clear it to have any chance to reach the green in 2, and he was not using the driver today, but he leans on the fairway wood, almost comes out of his shoes, and barely makes it over the creek. Then he hits the green, but on the lower tier with the hole on the upper tier. Then he drops this 40 foot bomb on me. Ouch. Lucky dog, but still he is 7 over. The 15th is a par 3 with a green that slopes steeply back to front. He hits the green 40 feet right of the flag and curves the bouncing lag putt 3 feet past. Now I am getting worried because he is starting to make putts despite the aeration holes and dents. If he can make a 40 footer, surely he can make this 3 footer, but NO, it bounces away for another 3 putt bogey (YES!!), now he is 8 over. He hits the 16th in regulation, 30 feet below the hole, lags to 3 feet, and it bounces away again (YES!!) and now he is 9 over. He hits the par three 17th with a 20 foot birdie putt, which he had better make, because the 18th hole is very difficult even without an aerated green. I figure his only chance to finish 9 over and win the bet is to birdie right now on 17 and then bogey 18. His approach putt bounced to a stop about 3 feet from the hole. What a relief. I feel even more relieved when he again misses the 3 footer, now he is ten over and his bet is all but lost. When his is not looking, I am doing cartwheels. Let’s see, should I have the lobster or the chateaubriand, and maybe some la poupedou French wine? He hits the narrow 18th fairway and then pulls his approach on the left side of the green more than 50 feet above the hole. His only slim hope is to sink this ridiculous birdie putt to get back to 9 over and win the bet. I smile at the futility of it all as he strikes the downhill putt on a line about ten feet left of the hole and then it begins to arc down the hill as I walk over to offer my condolences, but…wait a minute, it’s curving closer, you have got to be kidding, get away from there…NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!…. I hang my head as there are screams and high fives all around, except for me of course, I still don’t believe it. If I had not seen this for myself I would say this was all made up. Eight 3-putts and 2 penalties, and I still lose the bet. So what do you suppose he ordered for dinner? Beer and pizza of course. At least he let me have some.
Monday, October 17, 2005
The Evil Twin’s Challenge (true story):
I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes cause the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and since he is always telling people how much fun it is to play with only 7 clubs, this time let’s see what HE can do with only 7 clubs. So he chooses a fairway wood, 3 irons, 2 wedges, and the putter. Par at our course is 70 so he has to shoot 9 over to win the bet. The first 2 holes are par 4’s and he hits both greens in regulation. The approach putts bounced, hopped, skipped and jumped to 2 feet and he manages to make pars. The 3rd hole is a long par 3 into the wind and his tee shot found a bunker. He blasted out to 6 feet, and the putt started at the hole but zigzagged away, and now I knew the game was on, because unless his par putts were under 3 feet, he had no chance on these aerated greens. The 4th is a par 5 and his drive ends up behind 2 trees so I figured he had to chip out, but no, he takes a gamble by hitting a hook between them right at the lateral water hazard on the right and it draws back into the fairway. Lucky dog. He hits the green and lags to 2 feet and gets his par. On the 5th, his drive goes into the water hazard. YES!! He drops, hits the green and 3 putts for double bogey. Now the game is really on. He pars the next hole, a short par 3. On the 7th, he is on in regulation, lags to 3 feet, and the putt zigzags and lips out. Now he is 4 over (YES!!). On the 8th the drive is pulled into an unplayable lie. There is no truth to the rumor that I stepped on it, so it’s a penalty, then he drops and hacks it out of the rough onto the green about 60 feet short of the flag. The lag putt is 6 feet short, and again the next putt zigzags away from the hole. Double bogey, now he is 6 over (YES!!), and apparently cannot stop the bleeding. He hits the 9th green in regulation, but has a downhill sidehill 50 footer, which he lags to 6 feet below the hole. Now he is really in trouble, but this time the putt takes a lucky bounce and does a victory lap around the lip and falls in. Not to worry, the back 9 is much harder than the front 9 so I feel pretty good about the bet so far. (to be continued)
I bet Joe a dinner that he could not break 80 at our local course on the day after they aerated the greens, because the aeration holes cause the ball to roll like a pachinko game, and since he is always telling people how much fun it is to play with only 7 clubs, this time let’s see what HE can do with only 7 clubs. So he chooses a fairway wood, 3 irons, 2 wedges, and the putter. Par at our course is 70 so he has to shoot 9 over to win the bet. The first 2 holes are par 4’s and he hits both greens in regulation. The approach putts bounced, hopped, skipped and jumped to 2 feet and he manages to make pars. The 3rd hole is a long par 3 into the wind and his tee shot found a bunker. He blasted out to 6 feet, and the putt started at the hole but zigzagged away, and now I knew the game was on, because unless his par putts were under 3 feet, he had no chance on these aerated greens. The 4th is a par 5 and his drive ends up behind 2 trees so I figured he had to chip out, but no, he takes a gamble by hitting a hook between them right at the lateral water hazard on the right and it draws back into the fairway. Lucky dog. He hits the green and lags to 2 feet and gets his par. On the 5th, his drive goes into the water hazard. YES!! He drops, hits the green and 3 putts for double bogey. Now the game is really on. He pars the next hole, a short par 3. On the 7th, he is on in regulation, lags to 3 feet, and the putt zigzags and lips out. Now he is 4 over (YES!!). On the 8th the drive is pulled into an unplayable lie. There is no truth to the rumor that I stepped on it, so it’s a penalty, then he drops and hacks it out of the rough onto the green about 60 feet short of the flag. The lag putt is 6 feet short, and again the next putt zigzags away from the hole. Double bogey, now he is 6 over (YES!!), and apparently cannot stop the bleeding. He hits the 9th green in regulation, but has a downhill sidehill 50 footer, which he lags to 6 feet below the hole. Now he is really in trouble, but this time the putt takes a lucky bounce and does a victory lap around the lip and falls in. Not to worry, the back 9 is much harder than the front 9 so I feel pretty good about the bet so far. (to be continued)
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Joe,
i have two questions for you, on a par three, do you suggest using a tee of the box or the natural surface, i have hit good and bad shots with both, and just want to be consistent, and also, when approaching the green with an iron, is it better to hit the ball with the intention of leaving a divot or not leaving a divot, i have heard different sides to this theory and figure yours will be the one i go after,
thanks again,
larry gardner
Hi Larry,
Always use a tee. Jack Nicklaus once said the same thing because air has less resistance than ground. For your second question, go ahead and take a divot because that ensures a downward stroke. If you try to sweep the ball without taking a divot, you might strike the ball at the equator and hit a low line drive. Striking the equator with a downward stroke will cause the ball to spin up the clubface, so your margin of error is better with a downward stroke.
Joe
i have two questions for you, on a par three, do you suggest using a tee of the box or the natural surface, i have hit good and bad shots with both, and just want to be consistent, and also, when approaching the green with an iron, is it better to hit the ball with the intention of leaving a divot or not leaving a divot, i have heard different sides to this theory and figure yours will be the one i go after,
thanks again,
larry gardner
Hi Larry,
Always use a tee. Jack Nicklaus once said the same thing because air has less resistance than ground. For your second question, go ahead and take a divot because that ensures a downward stroke. If you try to sweep the ball without taking a divot, you might strike the ball at the equator and hit a low line drive. Striking the equator with a downward stroke will cause the ball to spin up the clubface, so your margin of error is better with a downward stroke.
Joe
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Joe, which exercises do you recommend?
Answer: Here is a way to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. Just don't overdo it. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-LB. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-LB. potato sacks. Then 50-LB.potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-LB. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.
Answer: Here is a way to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. Just don't overdo it. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-LB. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-LB. potato sacks. Then 50-LB.potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-LB. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Joe,
I have recently had a severe spinal problem, which is still under treatment. I do not know, whether I will be able to play again. I read by chance an article on Fred Couples dated about 8-10 years which said that he had a similar ailment. We all now know that he is back to fully fit state and playing as well as ever. I want to seek his experience of treating himself and other related information. How can I contact him. I am 64 yrs old, play to 7 handicap now. I live in India. Do you have any advise for such ailing golfers like?Regards.Col Nirmal Singh, Retired
Hello Col Singh,
I am sorry to hear about your ailment. It would be hard for a retired 7 handicapper like you to give up the game, so I wish you the best of luck to get your back in playing shape. Many other golfers besides Fred have back problems, even Tiger Woods. Sometimes the problem is muscular and sometimes it is spinal. The safest way to swing would be to keep the spine straight by extending your rear end outward during setup. Those who fail to do this are risking back pain because more stress is placed on turning a bent spine. However, now that you already have the pain, you must be careful about the type of treatment you seek. A good chiropractor might be able to help, but not all chiropractors are equally skilled, so if you are thinking of going this way, be sure to choose one that comes highly recommended. I do not know the specifics of Fred’s treatment, but you can use your web browser to search for information about Fred and others by simply entering his name (or others also) and "back pain" into the search box, and you will find many links to read.
Joe
I have recently had a severe spinal problem, which is still under treatment. I do not know, whether I will be able to play again. I read by chance an article on Fred Couples dated about 8-10 years which said that he had a similar ailment. We all now know that he is back to fully fit state and playing as well as ever. I want to seek his experience of treating himself and other related information. How can I contact him. I am 64 yrs old, play to 7 handicap now. I live in India. Do you have any advise for such ailing golfers like?Regards.Col Nirmal Singh, Retired
Hello Col Singh,
I am sorry to hear about your ailment. It would be hard for a retired 7 handicapper like you to give up the game, so I wish you the best of luck to get your back in playing shape. Many other golfers besides Fred have back problems, even Tiger Woods. Sometimes the problem is muscular and sometimes it is spinal. The safest way to swing would be to keep the spine straight by extending your rear end outward during setup. Those who fail to do this are risking back pain because more stress is placed on turning a bent spine. However, now that you already have the pain, you must be careful about the type of treatment you seek. A good chiropractor might be able to help, but not all chiropractors are equally skilled, so if you are thinking of going this way, be sure to choose one that comes highly recommended. I do not know the specifics of Fred’s treatment, but you can use your web browser to search for information about Fred and others by simply entering his name (or others also) and "back pain" into the search box, and you will find many links to read.
Joe
Sunday, October 02, 2005
When is an ace not an ace? If the ball is resting against the flagstick and you pick it up. The ball has to fall all the way to the bottom of the hole before you pick it up, otherwise it is a one stroke penalty and you have to place the ball on the lip of the hole and putt out for a 3.
My point of view - Another stupid rule. If the ball is resting against the flagstick I don’t see how it could not be in the hole. If you move the flagstick to allow it to fall to the bottom, aren’t you illegally influencing the movement of the ball? If someone would try to deny me a ace for that I would offer them to smooch my voluminous derriere.
My point of view - Another stupid rule. If the ball is resting against the flagstick I don’t see how it could not be in the hole. If you move the flagstick to allow it to fall to the bottom, aren’t you illegally influencing the movement of the ball? If someone would try to deny me a ace for that I would offer them to smooch my voluminous derriere.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Joe,
Sometimes I get to play alone, which is nice because I can play fast and hit extra shots, but sometimes I miss the competition of playing against others. I have tried to create my own competition by playing one brand of ball against another brand, but that just becomes a putting contest, and some shots are duplications from the same general spot with the same club. I need some new ideas.
Chet
Hi Chet,
Divide your set in half, one half against the other, like even numbered irons against odd numbered irons. The half that gets the putter cannot use the driver, and the half that gets the driver must also putt with the driver, which by the way works surprisingly well when you use the driver like a belly putter. You decide which side gets which wedges. Now you have drama on every shot because you cannot use the same club from the same spot, and you have to prove that your regular putter can beat your driver-putter. Also, you will get a feel for how to adapt when you are “in-between” clubs. If you do not want to go to that extreme, here is another idea. Play your first ball with your usual club selections, and play your second ball using one club more with an easier swing, and see who wins.
Joe
Sometimes I get to play alone, which is nice because I can play fast and hit extra shots, but sometimes I miss the competition of playing against others. I have tried to create my own competition by playing one brand of ball against another brand, but that just becomes a putting contest, and some shots are duplications from the same general spot with the same club. I need some new ideas.
Chet
Hi Chet,
Divide your set in half, one half against the other, like even numbered irons against odd numbered irons. The half that gets the putter cannot use the driver, and the half that gets the driver must also putt with the driver, which by the way works surprisingly well when you use the driver like a belly putter. You decide which side gets which wedges. Now you have drama on every shot because you cannot use the same club from the same spot, and you have to prove that your regular putter can beat your driver-putter. Also, you will get a feel for how to adapt when you are “in-between” clubs. If you do not want to go to that extreme, here is another idea. Play your first ball with your usual club selections, and play your second ball using one club more with an easier swing, and see who wins.
Joe
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Joe,
I have so many swing thoughts that I am afraid if I forget any one of them I might mess up the shot. I need a single swing thought that eliminates the need to worry about all the other ones. Any ideas? Do you have one for yourself? If so, what is it?
Theodore
Hello Theodore,
This is like the holy grail, the magic move that solves everything, wouldn’t that be nice? It is OK to have a list of “keys” for the backswing and another list for the downswing, but it is not realistic to think of too many at the same time while you are swinging. So the next time you are on the practice range, select one key at a time and see which one works best. This will not always be the best because your body muscles are always changing. Next time a different key might work best, but not forever. This approach will allow you to adapt more quickly when you have trouble on the course. My favorite for the backswing is to keep the front shoulder level while the back shoulder rotates around my neck. Everything else seems to fall into place when I do this. That is no guarantee it will work for you, but it might be worth a try.
Joe
I have so many swing thoughts that I am afraid if I forget any one of them I might mess up the shot. I need a single swing thought that eliminates the need to worry about all the other ones. Any ideas? Do you have one for yourself? If so, what is it?
Theodore
Hello Theodore,
This is like the holy grail, the magic move that solves everything, wouldn’t that be nice? It is OK to have a list of “keys” for the backswing and another list for the downswing, but it is not realistic to think of too many at the same time while you are swinging. So the next time you are on the practice range, select one key at a time and see which one works best. This will not always be the best because your body muscles are always changing. Next time a different key might work best, but not forever. This approach will allow you to adapt more quickly when you have trouble on the course. My favorite for the backswing is to keep the front shoulder level while the back shoulder rotates around my neck. Everything else seems to fall into place when I do this. That is no guarantee it will work for you, but it might be worth a try.
Joe
