Joe,
I would like to hear New Year’s Resolutions from you and Jody The Evil Twin.
Reggie
Hi Reggie,
Here are a few, maybe these will trigger you to add more or modify them:
I resolve to hit more fairways than I miss.
When the green is in reach with a short iron, I resolve to hit more greens than I miss.
I resolve to get more pitch shots within 20 feet of the flag more often than not.
I resolve to get more chip shots within 10 feet of the flag more often than not.
I resolve to get more lag putts within 3 feet of the hole more often than not.
I resolve to make at least 2 out of every 3 short putts, (3 to 4 feet).
I resolve to control my temper by replacing cuss words with nonsense words. Sometimes this leads to laughter, which is the best medicine for whatever ails you.
Jody’s resolution is to avoid making stupid resolutions.
Have a great 2006 anyway.
Joe
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Joe,
What does it mean to “fan it open” on the backswing?
Orlando
Hello Orlando,
Fanning it open means the clubface appears to be opening gradually during the backswing, with the idea of keeping the clubface square to your turn. Some people start their backswings by instead keeping the clubface square to the target line too long, resulting in the face being shut at the top of the backswing. Two bad things can happen here, either you keep it shut during the downswing and hit a pull hook, or you open it too much on the downswing and hit a push slice. Of course it seems if you deliberately open the face too much during the backswing, then you have the same problem in reverse. If you think too much about fanning it open on purpose, then you might drive yourself nuts trying to guess how much to fan it, so in my opinion, if you are at the correct position at the top of the backswing, your natural turn has already taken care of this fanning issue without you having to think about it.
Joe
What does it mean to “fan it open” on the backswing?
Orlando
Hello Orlando,
Fanning it open means the clubface appears to be opening gradually during the backswing, with the idea of keeping the clubface square to your turn. Some people start their backswings by instead keeping the clubface square to the target line too long, resulting in the face being shut at the top of the backswing. Two bad things can happen here, either you keep it shut during the downswing and hit a pull hook, or you open it too much on the downswing and hit a push slice. Of course it seems if you deliberately open the face too much during the backswing, then you have the same problem in reverse. If you think too much about fanning it open on purpose, then you might drive yourself nuts trying to guess how much to fan it, so in my opinion, if you are at the correct position at the top of the backswing, your natural turn has already taken care of this fanning issue without you having to think about it.
Joe
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Joe,
What do they mean when the announcers say the reason for a bad shot was a “double cross”?
Don
Hi Don,
An example of a double cross would be when a golfer tries to hit a fade by swinging outside in while intending to leave the clubface open at impact, but during the downswing, a lack of concentration allows the wrists to cross over naturally and fails to keep the clubface open, resulting in double trouble, that is, a pull and a hook instead of a fade, usually sending the ball far away from the target. If you ever want to try a deliberate fade, make sure to rehearse the desired wrist action during your practice swings to keep the clubface open, and maintain this focus during your actual shot.
Joe
What do they mean when the announcers say the reason for a bad shot was a “double cross”?
Don
Hi Don,
An example of a double cross would be when a golfer tries to hit a fade by swinging outside in while intending to leave the clubface open at impact, but during the downswing, a lack of concentration allows the wrists to cross over naturally and fails to keep the clubface open, resulting in double trouble, that is, a pull and a hook instead of a fade, usually sending the ball far away from the target. If you ever want to try a deliberate fade, make sure to rehearse the desired wrist action during your practice swings to keep the clubface open, and maintain this focus during your actual shot.
Joe
Monday, December 26, 2005
Merry Christmas to all blog-readers, paste these links into your browser and have some fun!
www.matchpractice.com/game/
www.funnyjunk.com/pages/minigolf.htm
www.matchpractice.com/game/
www.funnyjunk.com/pages/minigolf.htm
Friday, December 23, 2005
Joe,
I feel all golfers should play the ball down, but you say not always. Why not?
Answer: The pros do not always play the ball down, in wet conditions they are sometimes allowed to “lift, clean, and place”. In the old days, players were not allowed to do that, they had to play from plugged lies, even on the greens. But one day the rules committee grew some brains and changed that rule, so don’t tell me all rules are so sacred that they cannot be changed. That kind of mentality is for mindless people who are incapable of rational thought. That being said, only good golfers should play the ball down. Until they get good, here are the Top Ten reasons why high handicappers should be allowed to improve their lie:
‘1. Pace of play will improve
‘2. The game will be more enjoyable
‘3. The game is expensive, so to get your money’s worth, there is no reason to let bad lies spoil shots.
‘4. If a high handicapper cannot hit a good shot from a good lie, it makes no sense to try it from a bad lie.
‘5. This makes their handicaps lower so it will be easier to beat them in competition.
‘6. Course conditions on public courses are far more likely to give bad lies than tournament courses.
‘7. It makes little difference to anyone else whether their score comes out to 110 or 130.
‘8. Because sortagolf.com says so
‘9. It defeats cheaters who, when you are not looking, either step on your ball or improve their own lie.
‘10. It upsets the mindless purists, which always brings me great pleasure.
I feel all golfers should play the ball down, but you say not always. Why not?
Answer: The pros do not always play the ball down, in wet conditions they are sometimes allowed to “lift, clean, and place”. In the old days, players were not allowed to do that, they had to play from plugged lies, even on the greens. But one day the rules committee grew some brains and changed that rule, so don’t tell me all rules are so sacred that they cannot be changed. That kind of mentality is for mindless people who are incapable of rational thought. That being said, only good golfers should play the ball down. Until they get good, here are the Top Ten reasons why high handicappers should be allowed to improve their lie:
‘1. Pace of play will improve
‘2. The game will be more enjoyable
‘3. The game is expensive, so to get your money’s worth, there is no reason to let bad lies spoil shots.
‘4. If a high handicapper cannot hit a good shot from a good lie, it makes no sense to try it from a bad lie.
‘5. This makes their handicaps lower so it will be easier to beat them in competition.
‘6. Course conditions on public courses are far more likely to give bad lies than tournament courses.
‘7. It makes little difference to anyone else whether their score comes out to 110 or 130.
‘8. Because sortagolf.com says so
‘9. It defeats cheaters who, when you are not looking, either step on your ball or improve their own lie.
‘10. It upsets the mindless purists, which always brings me great pleasure.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Joe,
I see in magazines how you are supposed to have the toe of the club pointed up during the backswing when the club is halfway back and parallel to the ground. They say this means the club is square to the target. I don’t get it. The clubface is pointed to the side, right? I cannot look back during a normal swing to see if the toe is pointing up, so if this is so important, how can I get a feel for this? Please explain.
Slightly Confused
Dear Slightly,
Sometimes the way things are explained can be taken the wrong way, so a different way of explaining the same thing is in order. Picture your swing being like a door. The doorknob is pointing to the target. Then the door swings open and the doorknob is no longer seems to be pointing to the target, but considering the turning motion, the knob is definitely square to the turn, and will again be square to the target when the door turns back to the original position. If you have trouble relating this to the real clubface, consider the palm of your back hand being parallel to the clubface. Now you no longer have to think about the clubface or the toe of the club because you can feel whether or not your palm is in proper position. If you can feel your palm being in a vertical position when the club is halfway back, chances are pretty good that the toe will be pointing up. I hope this helps.
Joe
I see in magazines how you are supposed to have the toe of the club pointed up during the backswing when the club is halfway back and parallel to the ground. They say this means the club is square to the target. I don’t get it. The clubface is pointed to the side, right? I cannot look back during a normal swing to see if the toe is pointing up, so if this is so important, how can I get a feel for this? Please explain.
Slightly Confused
Dear Slightly,
Sometimes the way things are explained can be taken the wrong way, so a different way of explaining the same thing is in order. Picture your swing being like a door. The doorknob is pointing to the target. Then the door swings open and the doorknob is no longer seems to be pointing to the target, but considering the turning motion, the knob is definitely square to the turn, and will again be square to the target when the door turns back to the original position. If you have trouble relating this to the real clubface, consider the palm of your back hand being parallel to the clubface. Now you no longer have to think about the clubface or the toe of the club because you can feel whether or not your palm is in proper position. If you can feel your palm being in a vertical position when the club is halfway back, chances are pretty good that the toe will be pointing up. I hope this helps.
Joe
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Joe,
I saw John Daly talk about using one hand to putt with during practice. According to John, this gives you a better feel for rolling the ball to the hole. I tried this, and found my distance control to be much better. My problem is I loose this "feel" when I put my left hand back on the club. I've been putting one handed most of the season with some success. The problem is sometimes the club twists slightly causing me to be off line. Is there a way to keep my left hand from taking over my putting stroke?
Hoobler
Hi Hoobler,
There are lots of theories about putting, and just because something works for one person, does not mean it will work for everyone. Many people try to keep their back hand out of the stroke, not the front hand, and that is why the “claw” grip has gained attention due to the success of Chris DiMarco and Mark Calcavecchia. Assuming you are right handed, you are trying to keep the opposite hand off the stroke, so Chris and Mark might beat you up for saying that. However, if you try to put equal pressure from both hands on your putting grip, it could be that one hand or the other is your naturally dominant hand, so it tries to take control over the other hand thus interfering with your stroke. If your dominant hand happens to be your back hand, then just use your other hand with very light pressure, which might steady your twisting without losing your feel. If this does not work, try a belly putter, which forces your hands to work together, thus eliminating the battle of which hand wants to take over.
Joe
I saw John Daly talk about using one hand to putt with during practice. According to John, this gives you a better feel for rolling the ball to the hole. I tried this, and found my distance control to be much better. My problem is I loose this "feel" when I put my left hand back on the club. I've been putting one handed most of the season with some success. The problem is sometimes the club twists slightly causing me to be off line. Is there a way to keep my left hand from taking over my putting stroke?
Hoobler
Hi Hoobler,
There are lots of theories about putting, and just because something works for one person, does not mean it will work for everyone. Many people try to keep their back hand out of the stroke, not the front hand, and that is why the “claw” grip has gained attention due to the success of Chris DiMarco and Mark Calcavecchia. Assuming you are right handed, you are trying to keep the opposite hand off the stroke, so Chris and Mark might beat you up for saying that. However, if you try to put equal pressure from both hands on your putting grip, it could be that one hand or the other is your naturally dominant hand, so it tries to take control over the other hand thus interfering with your stroke. If your dominant hand happens to be your back hand, then just use your other hand with very light pressure, which might steady your twisting without losing your feel. If this does not work, try a belly putter, which forces your hands to work together, thus eliminating the battle of which hand wants to take over.
Joe
Monday, December 12, 2005
Joe,
My game has steadily improved all year, but at the end of the year my scores got worse. Even tho my iron shots are crisp and on line, they seem to end up further from the hole than summertime. Also I have a lot more 3-putts even tho my putting stroke feels just as good as summertime. Is there something about fall that makes it harder to score?
Frankie
Hi Frankie,
Yes it is harder to score in the fall, mostly due to the conditions of the greens. Many courses do not change the pin positions as often as summer, so the foot traffic around the hole causes two problems that you do not see in the summer. First, the green becomes firmer near the hole and softer away from the hole, so shots that land near the hole will skid instead of biting, and shots that land short of the hole will stick instead of running up to the hole. As a result, all your approach putts are going to be longer, and that is one reason for more 3 putts. The other reason is the “slick donut” around the hole packed down by everyone’s stances for short putts. This donut area is a 2 to 3 foot circle away from the hole because nobody steps much closer to the hole to pick up their ball, so the center of this donut is raised like an imperceptibly shallow volcano, causing any putt which is not perfectly on line to veer away from the hole, so to sink any putt is like walking a tightrope, there is no room for error. Lag putts that normally stop close to the hole are likely to keep going right on thru this slick area resulting in fewer tap-ins. Just enjoy the game and don’t be too disappointed if you shoot a few strokes over your average.
Joe
My game has steadily improved all year, but at the end of the year my scores got worse. Even tho my iron shots are crisp and on line, they seem to end up further from the hole than summertime. Also I have a lot more 3-putts even tho my putting stroke feels just as good as summertime. Is there something about fall that makes it harder to score?
Frankie
Hi Frankie,
Yes it is harder to score in the fall, mostly due to the conditions of the greens. Many courses do not change the pin positions as often as summer, so the foot traffic around the hole causes two problems that you do not see in the summer. First, the green becomes firmer near the hole and softer away from the hole, so shots that land near the hole will skid instead of biting, and shots that land short of the hole will stick instead of running up to the hole. As a result, all your approach putts are going to be longer, and that is one reason for more 3 putts. The other reason is the “slick donut” around the hole packed down by everyone’s stances for short putts. This donut area is a 2 to 3 foot circle away from the hole because nobody steps much closer to the hole to pick up their ball, so the center of this donut is raised like an imperceptibly shallow volcano, causing any putt which is not perfectly on line to veer away from the hole, so to sink any putt is like walking a tightrope, there is no room for error. Lag putts that normally stop close to the hole are likely to keep going right on thru this slick area resulting in fewer tap-ins. Just enjoy the game and don’t be too disappointed if you shoot a few strokes over your average.
Joe
Friday, December 09, 2005
Joe,
I can hit my irons fairly straight, but I am always missing the green short or long. What should I do?
Srini
Hello Srini,
It is time to look at your thought process for club selection. Pay more careful attention to which club you can count on to hit the ball 150 yards. Most courses have a marker for 150 yards to the middle of the green, not to the pin, so you need to trust your club for specific distances and be sure to adjust at least 1 club for pins that are not in the middle of the green, either front or back. For example, if you usually hit a 7 iron 150 yards, use that club when you have 145 yards to the pin because you might not hit it perfectly every time. In other words if you hit it perfectly, you will only be 5 yards past the pin, and if you do not hit it perfectly, you still may be short of the pin, but at least you have a better chance of being on the green. From this 150 yard reference point, add or subtract one club for every ten yards of distance required. Also add or subtract one club for gentle wind, and at least 2 clubs for stiffer wind. Also add or subtract one club if the green is elevated or downhill. If your ball striking is fairly consistent, just trust those adjusted distances and you should soon be hitting more greens.
Joe
I can hit my irons fairly straight, but I am always missing the green short or long. What should I do?
Srini
Hello Srini,
It is time to look at your thought process for club selection. Pay more careful attention to which club you can count on to hit the ball 150 yards. Most courses have a marker for 150 yards to the middle of the green, not to the pin, so you need to trust your club for specific distances and be sure to adjust at least 1 club for pins that are not in the middle of the green, either front or back. For example, if you usually hit a 7 iron 150 yards, use that club when you have 145 yards to the pin because you might not hit it perfectly every time. In other words if you hit it perfectly, you will only be 5 yards past the pin, and if you do not hit it perfectly, you still may be short of the pin, but at least you have a better chance of being on the green. From this 150 yard reference point, add or subtract one club for every ten yards of distance required. Also add or subtract one club for gentle wind, and at least 2 clubs for stiffer wind. Also add or subtract one club if the green is elevated or downhill. If your ball striking is fairly consistent, just trust those adjusted distances and you should soon be hitting more greens.
Joe
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Joe,
I do not seem to play well with regular shafts, but I am told my swing speed supposedly is not high enough for stiff shafts. What would happen if you get shafts that are too stiff for you?
Sara
Hi Sara,
With older stiff shafts you would lose distance and hit the ball too low, but you might be a little more accurate. I used to think that stiffer shafts were always preferable because they theoretically would reduce an unwanted variable of a flexing and twisting shaft making it harder to square the clubface at impact, but now the shaft technology has introduced the low-torque concept which helps keep the clubface square while the shaft is flexing but not twisting. This allows us to take advantage of the shaft's spring-effect without sacrificing accuracy. So now it is less dangerous to optimize your swing speed by experimenting with different amounts of shaft flex. It makes me wonder how in the world did the old time golfers ever shoot par with wooden shafts? It gives you a sense of how good those guys really were. No technology, no precisely matched sets of clubs, just sticks with hunks of metal on the end, playing on scruffy fairways and greens with golf balls that were far inferior to what we have today. Wow, these guys must have been really good.
Joe
I do not seem to play well with regular shafts, but I am told my swing speed supposedly is not high enough for stiff shafts. What would happen if you get shafts that are too stiff for you?
Sara
Hi Sara,
With older stiff shafts you would lose distance and hit the ball too low, but you might be a little more accurate. I used to think that stiffer shafts were always preferable because they theoretically would reduce an unwanted variable of a flexing and twisting shaft making it harder to square the clubface at impact, but now the shaft technology has introduced the low-torque concept which helps keep the clubface square while the shaft is flexing but not twisting. This allows us to take advantage of the shaft's spring-effect without sacrificing accuracy. So now it is less dangerous to optimize your swing speed by experimenting with different amounts of shaft flex. It makes me wonder how in the world did the old time golfers ever shoot par with wooden shafts? It gives you a sense of how good those guys really were. No technology, no precisely matched sets of clubs, just sticks with hunks of metal on the end, playing on scruffy fairways and greens with golf balls that were far inferior to what we have today. Wow, these guys must have been really good.
Joe
Saturday, December 03, 2005
You Make The Call
On the first tee, a golfer addresses the ball and accidentally knocks the ball off the tee. Then he re-tees in a different spot within the legally marked area, but first he pulls out some tall grass and pats the ground flat behind his ball. Then he tees off and hits a tree and the ball rolls back against the tee marker. He then removes the tee marker, plays his shot, and puts the marker back. How many penalty strokes apply here?
Answer: There are no penalty strokes applied here, there was nothing illegally done. Since a stroke had not yet been played from the tee ground, accidentally knocking the ball off the tee does not count. It is OK to remove tall grass or any other object from the tee ground, and also to tap it flat with your club. The tee markers are fixed until the ball is in play, but after the first shot is played they are considered moveable obstructions.
On the first tee, a golfer addresses the ball and accidentally knocks the ball off the tee. Then he re-tees in a different spot within the legally marked area, but first he pulls out some tall grass and pats the ground flat behind his ball. Then he tees off and hits a tree and the ball rolls back against the tee marker. He then removes the tee marker, plays his shot, and puts the marker back. How many penalty strokes apply here?
Answer: There are no penalty strokes applied here, there was nothing illegally done. Since a stroke had not yet been played from the tee ground, accidentally knocking the ball off the tee does not count. It is OK to remove tall grass or any other object from the tee ground, and also to tap it flat with your club. The tee markers are fixed until the ball is in play, but after the first shot is played they are considered moveable obstructions.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
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
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.
