Golfc

Golf Potpourri

by

Mac Stevenson

Keep a Record of All Shots During 2010

Even though it’s just been a few weeks since we were playing in short-sleeve shirts, golfers are feeling early symptoms of Cabin Fever. It’s that time of the year when most of us can’t do much but think about playing golf. However, there’s a way that you can study your game during the offseason.

Keeping a history of each shot you hit during almost every round of the coming 2010 season will benefit your golf game and it’s enjoyable. And it’s easy.

After each round, when possible, you should keep a record of the shots you hit with each club--good and bad. You have to do it while the shots played during a round are still fresh in your mind.

The way to do this is to design a record-keeping chart where you can quickly list--following the round--the good and bad shots you hit with each club. After you design a chart, have enough copies made that you’ll have a clean sheet ready when you want to record the results of a round.

As an example: Take a sheet of paper from a legal pad and number the holes (1-18) on the left hand side, allowing one lined space per hole down the sheet. At the top, enter columns about one inch wide for (1) drives, (2) fairway woods, (3) long irons, (4) short irons, (5) chips, (6) pitches, (7) sand shots, (8) and putts. This will leave space at the bottom for miscellaneous remarks.

When you fill in your chart, put a plus (+) for a good drive and a minus (-) for bad one. If the drive is in the fairway, circle the + or -. Use a simple + or - for all the other shots, except putts. For putts, your code should be L (for lag), M (for medium length), and S (for short). On a bad lag putt, enter an L-. On a good medium putt, enter M+ and so on. You can improvise on your personal code; it’s not hard and can be fun.

You should have a place to enter the date, score, and type of weather you played in. Weather is probably the biggest factor in good or bad scores.

You’ll need space at the bottom of your record-keeping sheet to total the results of the following shots:

Driver--List how many drives you hit well or poorly over 18 holes. And you should also record how many fairways you hit.
Fairway woods--This club is usually needed on par fives or long par fours. For a metal three you hit well, enter 3+. Same procedure for a metal four or five.
Long irons (2-3-4-5)--Simply record the number of satisfactory or poor long irons you hit. You’ll have an individual standard you can use in describing whether or not each shot is a plus or minus. Example: for a bad 4-iron (4 -).
Short irons (6-7-8-9-pw-sw)--These are full shots, but shorter distances than shots you hit with the long irons. They are irons hit with a full swing, about 80-140 yards in length.
Chip shots--These are shots struck with anything from a 7-iron to a sand wedge from just off the green that you expect to run quite a distance. Record all the good and bad chips during the round.
Pitch shots--A pitching wedge or sand wedge is usually the club of choice on these shots. They are high, soft shots hit from just off the green in an attempt to get up and down in two.
Sand shots--These shots are normally played with a sand wedge; however, on longer sand shots you might use a pitching wedge or 9-iron.
Putting--This becomes a bit more complicated. You should enter how you do on lag putts (anything in the 20-60 foot range), medium range (5-15 feet), and short putts (4 feet and shorter). The number of putts during a round can be a very misleading statistic; on some days your chipping and pitching will be so good that you won’t use as many putts as normal. You have to keep a record from numerous rounds to get a true picture of what’s giving you trouble on the greens.

When you become mired in a slump--as we all do from time to time--compare the diary you kept while playing well and see where the main differences are. That will be an invaluable aid in figuring out what you need to work on to improve your scores.

This record-keeping method takes just a few moments to fill in after a round of golf. If you’ve never done it, take the time to design a chart that’s easy to use. After recording shots for a full season, it will be very helpful in figuring out what you need to work on in the early spring.

Here’s wishing one and all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Practice Putting While it’s Snowing

In much of the nation, when you look out your front window all you see is ice and snow. Golfers have to restrict their activity to watching the pros on TV and putting on the rug in front of a roaring fire.

After all the lessons and instruction and studying of various shots, the putter is still the most important club in your bag. Winter is the perfect time to work on your stroke and putting fundamentals in anticipation of a successful spring start. Putting on your rug at home isn’t the same as the greens on your golf course, but the winter practice will pay dividends during the upcoming season.

When talking about putting fundamentals, we leave solid ground; the styles of many skilled putters vary as much as the weather. However, there are three rules that most good putters follow:

Perhaps most important is keeping your head as steady as possible during the stroke. Everyone has a tendency to move their head too soon to see where the putt is going. And when you twist your head, you also get unwanted movement from the rest of your body.
All golfers should at least begin with the reverse-overlap grip. If you don’t understand this, ask a good player or your pro for some free advice. It isn’t complicated and most advanced players use this grip.
Regardless of your grip or width of stance or any other idiosyncrasies, concentrate on taking the putter straight back and straight through on the short-to-ten-foot putts.

Practicing on the rug will help you achieve a smooth and repeating putting stroke. It won’t feel exactly the same on the golf course because you won’t always have a level stance, but it will be beneficial over the long run.

It will also help if you find a straight seam in your rug where you can practice your stroke without a ball. This will be an asset in training yourself to take the club straight back and straight through. On long putts, the putter will have to come slightly inside the desired line on the backswing. But on short, quick putts it’s straight back and straight through.

There’s an old saying among golfers that a faulty putter will eat the head off your driver. In golfers’ talk, that means if your putting goes awry, you’ll start hitting other shots badly by trying too hard to make up for the inept putting. Conversely, if you sink a couple of putts, you can’t wait to get to the next tee and play another hole.

Golf is a crazy game. When you’re playing well, each shot seems easy and the putts drop and you’re convinced that you finally have the secret and you’ll play splendid golf from then on. But when your game turns sour, you decide that it’s all over and you’ll never play well again. It can drive you batty. Whoever said “golf is a humbling game” knew what they were talking about.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to putting woes. Even talented pros go through putting slumps that knock them out of tournament after tournament. And it can last for a long time. Putting is tied so closely to the mental makeup of your game that it’s difficult to snap out of a bad-putting stretch that causes your scores to skyrocket. During the winter, there’s no pressure when you work on your putting indoors, and you can regain your confidence. That’s why it’s so beneficial to work on your stroke during the off-season.

During cold weather, you can install refinements in your grip and stroke that will help you get off to a fast start this coming spring.

If you finished the 2009 season putting poorly and you practice on the living room rug, you’ll snap out of your putting funk this spring. And don’t be too proud to invite friends over who are good putters and ask for their advice. That’s a great way to spend the time-outs and halftimes during televised basketball games. Have your friend check your alignment and the path of your stroke; you may have slipped into a bad habit that you’re not aware of. And you can do the same for him or her. You can also compare notes on grips and stance; it will be fun and beneficial to your putting stroke.

Warm-up in Winter is Vital

The concept of global warming has suffered a serious setback so far this winter; if the rest of the winter is anything like the beginning, golf is going to be limited indeed for the next six to eight weeks.

However, when there’s a break in the weather and you get a chance to play, golfers of all ages should take extra care with their warm-up routines prior to playing.

Every golfer should take the time to make sure their muscles and tendons are as loose and flexible as possible before they step up to that first tee ball of 2010. This is especially true for senior players, who don’t loosen up as easily as their younger counterparts. All players can sustain pulled muscles or other injuries when they don’t go through a warm-up routine.

Injuries aside, if you just rush to the first tee and take a few quick practice swings and then tee off, you won’t play your best golf. And cold weather will make it worse. You can play the entire 18 holes without swinging freely.

It’s best for all players to go to the driving range and warm up slowly by hitting some range balls; however, that isn’t a viable option during the winter months. The driving range is uninviting during cold weather. A word of caution when you do go to the practice range: Don’t hit so many balls before you tee off that you get tired in the middle of the round. Once again, senior players are more susceptible to this problem than young players.

When you’re on a tight schedule, a loosening-up session at home before leaving for the course is an excellent alternative to the driving range. Do the exercise where you bend from the waist and at least come close to touching your toes and loosen up gradually.

When the early morning stiffness begins to dissolve, take some smooth easy swings with a short, weighted indoor practice club. This is not a golf club; it has a regular grip and a short shaft with a weighted head on it. This is a great warm-up aid and they’re available at almost any golf shop or pro shop at a reasonable price. Even though the warm-up club has a short shaft, make sure you take practice swings in a room with a fairly high ceiling.

Players of any age who have had back problems should be sure they do some stretching exercises before leaving for the course. Check with your doctor or chiropractor to find out which exercises are best for you. Early in the morning—when you’re not loose—is when golfers are most susceptible to throwing out their back. Anyone who has gone through that agony knows how important it is to do everything possible to see that it doesn’t happen again.

Try and get to the course early enough to hit a few chips and putts, even if you don’t have time to go to the driving range. If you go right to the first tee with no warm-up, it will take you several holes to get a feel for the greens.

Even though winter has a long way to go before giving way to early spring, you still might catch some fairly nice days. Take plenty of warm clothing. Seniors will have a hard time making good swings early in the round if they’re chilled. It’s better to start out with too much clothing than not enough; you can take extra clothing off whenever you want, but you can’t put it on if it’s in your closet at home.

It’s beneficial for all players to walk some—particularly seniors who might still be a little stiff and cold at the start of the round. If you use a cart, try and ride with someone who will either do all the driving or at least share it with you. When you walk, take the club you’ll need for your second shot so you don’t hold up play. In some cases, you might have to carry two or three clubs to be sure you have the right one for your next shot.

Doing some stretching and swinging indoors before you leave for the club is an excellent way to start your golfing day. If the course is close to your home, the warm-up routine will keep you loose until you get to the first tee and take a few more practice swings. You’ll play better golf and you won’t be susceptible to muscle and tendon strains that can not only ruin your round, but put you out of action for weeks or months.

Watching Golf on TV Will Help Your Game

Watching professional golfers on TV can help your game—both physically and mentally.

If you enjoy watching golf on TV and don’t have high definition (HD), you’re denying yourself some great entertainment. The scenery on the golf courses that the pros play is spectacular in HD; it’s the next best thing to being there. In fact, considering the crowds and problems seeing the pros play, it’s better than being there.

One of the assets of having HD is the chance to get digital video recording (DVR) to go with the regular TV viewing. This is a simple-to-use device that allows you to tape any show you want and watch it when you have some free time.

You can record professional golf tournaments on your DVR that are televised in HD and the recordings are just as clear as watching the tournaments on live TV. It’s actually better than watching the tournaments live because you can fast forward through the incessant commercials.

The Golf Channel carries most of the PGA tournaments on Thursdays and Fridays; if you have DVR, you can record a tournament while you’re working and watch them that night or whenever you have some free time. It’s best if you try to avoid knowing the scores before watching your recording; that way it’s just the same as watching the tournament live.

Once you’ve recorded a tournament on your DVR, there’s a strategy for viewing the pros that will help your golf game, especially the short shots. Your remote has an “Instant Replay” button that you may not be familiar with. It’s easy to use. When you see a player hitting a shot that you want to study, you can press the Instant Replay button as many as seven or eight times to analyze the fundamentals of the shot. Each replay takes about eight seconds, and your recording will automatically go forward with the tournament if you don’t tap the replay button again.

If you want to learn how to hit a chip shot correctly, watch Steve Stricker the next time you record a PGA tournament on your DVR. His form is perfect and so are most of his chip shots. When you record him hitting this shot, it will be worth your time to hit the replay button about ten times and really study his technique. It’s flawless.

One mental benefit from watching the PGA, LPGA, and senior tours on TV is that you will become enthusiastic about your upcoming spring golf. In most of the country, Al Gore’s global warming has been mysteriously absent for the past two and a half months. Watching the pros in Florida and California and Arizona and Hawaii while a blizzard is howling outside is soothing to the soul.

While extolling the benefits on golf on TV, it’s a good time to scold the announcers and TV coverage. They spend way too much time showing putts. The moments that are best suited for TV coverage are the short pitch shots and chip shots. If the cameras are correctly positioned, you can see the flight of the ball throughout each shot. That’s not true on full shots.

As for the announcers, their boring reading of putts is disconcerting to say the least. “What do you see Gary? It looks to me like it will move half a ball to his left . . . but these greens are hard to read.” Over and over and over. Sometimes the announcers need to heed an old saying: “silence is golden.”

Watching golf on regular TV will help your game too, but if you can fit HD and DVR into your budget, you’ll never spend more rewarding entertainment money.

Leave the Highly Sophisticated Shots to the Pros

Early spring is not far off and the days are slowly getting longer and warmer and most of us can’t wait to get to the course and try some new shots that we’ve watched the pros hit on TV. If you’re anxious to try some new shots with new clubs, do yourself a big favor and practice before you try it in a tournament or money match.

After watching Phil Mickelson hit a flop shot during a PGA tournament on TV, numerous amateur players can’t wait to get to their course and try that shot. Don’t do it.

Professional golfers are playing a different game than we are when it comes to highly sophisticated and tricky shots. These are the best players in the world and most of them haven’t done anything but play golf since they were ten years old. So don’t get the idea that you can go out on the course and hit the same kind of shots that they do. It won’t work.

One of the new clubs that has gained favor with the pros is the lob wedge. It’s a risky club. Most amateurs will be better off if they stick to a pitching wedge and sand wedge and become thoroughly familiar with both. Low-handicap players can benefit from learning to play with a lob wedge, but most amateurs will benefit by sticking to their sand wedge for basic short shots.

The aforementioned flop shot is not for the average golfer. It’s not a shot that very many of the pros use, so why should you rush to the course and try it; you’re liable to skull it and injure one of your playing companions. Learn how to hit the conventional pitch shot with your sand wedge and you’ll be money ahead.

Another shot frequently played by the pros is a chip shot that’s hit by blading a sand wedge on purpose from the fringe. This shot takes perfect hand-eye coordination and hours of practice before it can be mastered. Amateurs will do themselves a favor if they stick to the standard chip shot from the fringe.

Another Johnny-come-lately in the repertoire of the pros is the unorthodox method of using a hybrid club to hit chip shots. Many amateurs are now attempting this shot during their weekly outings, and most of them try it without even practicing the shot. They’ll end up wasting shots around the green. Once again, stick to the basic short shots that you’ve practiced and used over time.

Professionals often hook or fade their shots around trees when they’re in trouble. Most amateur golfers will be better off pitching safely back to the fairway. Hitting a controlled hook or fade is one of the toughest shots in golf and more often than not you’ll just end up in more trouble if you try it. And don’t believe the old adage that trees are 90 percent air; they’re 90 percent tree.

No matter what else you copy, do not imitate the pros pace of play; they’re playing for their living and it’s a different game than we’re used to. Keep yourself moving at a brisk pace. Playing slow like the pros won’t help you at all.

If, after all these warnings, you’re still determined to try difficult shots you see the pros use while watching PGA tournaments on TV—practice them first. You’ll quickly find out you need a very good lie to hit a flop shot. And you’ll need a lot of practice to blade a chip shot with your sand wedge. Don’t try unorthodox shots for the first time during a round of golf. If you do attempt some of these shots, you’ll regret it when it’s time to settle the bets on the 19th hole.

Almost all amateur golfers will be better off sticking with shots they’ve used over the years. Leave the fancy stuff to the highly talented guys who earn their living on the PGA Tour.

Analyze Your Game Before Spring Practice

After a long and particularly bone-chilling winter, spring has finally arrived. It’s that time of year when almost all golfers can’t wait to head for the driving range with a big bucket of balls and hopes for an improved game in 2010.

The problem is that most players start their golfing season with no master plan as to how to get their game in shape for the summer season ahead. All practice is beneficial if you use the proper fundamentals, but having a long-range plan for the upcoming season is very beneficial.

A majority of golfers don’t take the time to seriously analyze their games before embarking on a vigorous spring practice schedule. It’s easy to examine your game in minute detail to determine which shots you should practice at the beginning of the season.

The first thing to do is to sit down and chart a typical, albeit hypothetical, round of golf. You’ll have to imagine being on a course that you play frequently and are familiar with. And you have to be honest with yourself; from memory, chart the shots and strokes on each hole that you will hit during a typical (for you) round of 18 holes. It doesn’t matter whether you usually shoot around 70 or 100 so long as the chart is accurate and realistic concerning your golf game.

The following is a chart from my home course for an imaginary round of golf when I shoot 80; you can do the same thing with your game.

Chart symbols: (D=Driver) (3-W=3 wood) (4-W=4 wood) (5-W=5 wood) (P=pitch shot) (C=chip shot) (Pt=putt) (9-I=9 iron) and so on with the irons.

#1 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (2 Pts)=5

#2 Par 3—(7-I) (2 Pts)=3

#3 Par 5—(D) (3-W) (3-W) (9-I) (3 Pts)=7

#4 Par 3—(4-I) (2 Pts)=3

#5 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (1 Pt)=4

#6 Par 4—(D) (5-W) (2 Pts)=4

#7 Par 5—(D) (3-W) (8-I) (2 Pts)=5

#8 Par 3—(5-W) (C) (2 Pts)=4

#9 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (2 Pts)=5

Front Nine Score=40

#10 Par 5—(D) (3-W) (7-I) (P) (1 Pt)=5

#11 Par 3—(4-I) (C) (2Pts)=4

#12 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (2 Pts)=5

#13 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (2 Pts)=5

#14 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (1 Pt)=4

#15 Par 3—(5-I) (2 Pts)=3

#16 Par 4—(D) (3-W) (P) (3 Pts)=6

#17 Par 3—(5-I) (1 Pt)=2

#18 Par 5—(D) (3-W) (7-I) (C) (2Pts)=6

Back Nine Score=40

Total=80

Now, to analyze your game for practice purposes, you have to subtract your putts from the rest of your shots. In the hypothetical round charted above, I used 34 putts over the 18 holes. Subtracting the putts (34) from the total score of 80, I see that I hit 46 shots other than putts. Don’t surmise from this analysis that putting isn’t important; quite the contrary, the putter is the most important club. But this study is to determine which clubs need work on the driving range and the putter doesn’t factor in.

Keep in mind that I’m using my own game to illustrate this charting method. Your game will be entirely different, but you can use the same system.

Here’s how the different shots (minus putts) added up over my typical 18 hole round:

Drives Fairway Woods Full Irons Chips

12 14 9 3

Pitches
8 =46

Right away—using the chart for my game—it becomes obvious that I’m hitting more drives and fairway woods than other shots. The drives and fairway woods accounted for 26 of 46 shots, which equates to 56.5 percent of the total shots. That tells me immediately that the driver and fairway woods need plenty of practice. Incidentally, fairway woods include everything from the 3-wood to a 7-wood. And full irons include your 3-iron through the sand wedge when you take a full swing. Chips and pitches are self-explanatory.

By using this charting method, you will discover that certain clubs are more important than you thought they were and vice versa. And it’s simple to use.

After you start playing regularly in the spring, you can chart actual rounds and see how close they are to your imaginary round. You’ll be amazed at how similar the two are.

Sometimes we can’t see the forest through the trees; take the time to examine your game closely before you begin your spring practice sessions. It will be time well-spent.

How to Handle Compulsive Talkers

Outside distractions are a much bigger problem for most golfers than crowd noise is for athletes in other spectator sports. Golf is such an individual sport and requires such intense concentration that any kind of interruption that interferes with your focus is a significant issue.

When someone in your group insists on talking when you’re trying to hit a full shot or putt, most of us just go ahead and hit the shot while the compulsive talker drones on. If you hit a good shot, you congratulate yourself on being able to block out the unwanted interference.

But what happens when you miss the shot? If you’re like most of us, you become very irritated with the talker. You might say something, or you might keep it bottled up inside, but the damage is done either way. And with your emotions out of control, you’ll likely miss your next shot as well.

Golf is hard enough without having to deal with a number of annoying mental and physical distractions that can destroy a good round. The number-one cause of aggravation and loss of concentration among serious golfers is fellow players who won’t be quiet while you’re trying to putt or hit a shot.

When confronted, these compulsive talkers give the excuse that they’re just out for a good time and anyone who is bothered by their talking is taking the game too seriously. The reality is that either the offender knows little about golf etiquette, is inconsiderate of the other players, or both.

Some of the talkers will say, “Football and basketball players have to get used to the noise, why can’t you?” That’s so ignorant it doesn’t merit a reply; the sports are entirely different.

Way, way too many golfers won’t be quiet while their playing companions are trying to hit a shot. And it can ruin the round if you’re trying to play your best in a tournament or serious game.

How can you let these non-stop talkers know that you’re upset without starting an all-out war? The best way is to step away from the shot or putt and give the guy a direct look to let him know he’s being a nuisance. This usually works, but some players are oblivious to everything but themselves, or just plain stupid.

When you run into a compulsive talker that won’t take the hint, you have a real problem. The next step is to back away from the shot and say, “Fore please.” That should do it. Of course by then you’re mad and motor mouth is mad and the golf is ruined.

There’s just no easy way to solve this problem of rudeness without a direct confrontation with the compulsive talker; you can make sure you don’t play with him or her again.

Two other common and unwanted agitations are cars going by and honking or players yelling from an adjacent fairway. In most cases, you can back off from the shot and start over with no harm done.

Another disturbing habit some players have is standing in your line—behind the pin—on a chip shot or putt. This is much like the talker; the only way to solve the problem is by asking him to get out of the way. Or you can decide it’s not worth the confrontation and go ahead and putt or chip. Either way your concentration on the shot is destroyed; if you proceed and hit the putt or chip poorly, then you’re really angry.

One thing you can do in this situation is to tell yourself that, if you’re focused, you won’t be able to see the guy in your line while you’re striking the ball. But the problem is that you won’t be concentrating on the shot.

If you hurry a putt just to get out of the way and miss it, you’ll be so mad at yourself that it will take several holes to get over it; by that time your score will be in a state of disrepair. When this happens, it’s your fault and no one else’s.

That’s not to say you should play slow, but some two-foot putts are tough and it’s perfectly all right to be sure you’re ready before you putt.

Once in a while you might not feel right about how or where you’ve teed up your ball to start a hole. If you’re not comfortable with the placement, take the time to move and tee it up again. Don’t hit it because you’re afraid of being portrayed as a slow player. And this doesn’t mean you should take extra time on every tee. These are infrequent instances involving an uncomfortable feeling when you’re not set up correctly on the tee.

It’s vital to learn how to control your temper and maintain concentration when one of your playing companions is rude enough to distract you. And it’s a lot easier said than done.

Don’t Ignore Details Before an Important Round

When you prepare for a round of golf, inattentiveness concerning small details will have an adverse effect on your game.

Be sure and have five or six ball markers in you pocket before teeing off. Fumbling around trying to find a marker while preparing to putt can become a distraction. And make sure you have a divot-repair tool and enough tees for 18 holes.

If you wear glasses, keep a lens cleaner or clean handkerchief in your bag in case of rain or your glasses becoming smudged. It’s disconcerting to try and play with a smeared lens.

If you use sun screen—and you should—apply your protection at home before you leave for the course. Something with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 45 or more is best; everyone who plays a lot of golf should use a sun screen cream.

Keep a rain cover for your clubs in one of your bag compartments. If it rains and your grips become wet, it can ruin your round.

Before an important round, check the soft spikes in your golf shoes to make sure they’re in good shape. And clean the grooves in your clubheads thoroughly; use the sharp end of a nail to be sure you remove all the grime that becomes lodged in the grooves and reduces backspin.

Many golfers take the playing tips they receive from well-meaning fellow players too seriously. Everyone should get expert advice before trying to make a drastic change in your normal game.

Almost all golfers are guilty of doing too much thinking while they’re in the middle of a round. The time to think and experiment is on the driving range, not on the golf course.

When you’re playing a serious round of golf, make sure you have a good grip and setup and then let it happen. Don’t allow yourself to have more than one swing thought on the same shot.

On bad-weather days, always make a realistic adjustment in your scoring expectations. If the wind is blowing 30 mph or it’s rainy, add some strokes to the score you hope to shoot. Bad weather affects all golfers; just remember that your opponents are playing in the same conditions.

Before a round that’s important to you, write down an exact warm-up schedule; the evening before your game is a good time to do this. Make it sensible and adhere strictly to your timetable. For most golfers a 40 minute warm-up is plenty. Make sure you don’t hit too many full shots and tire yourself before you even tee it up. If you have a 10:00 a.m. tee time, your warm-up routine should be listed something like this:

9:10-9:30 a.m.—Work on pitches and chips and a few sand shots.
9:30-9:40 a.m.—Practice with your putter using intense concentration. A short session is better than having extended putting practice before an important round. Ten minutes is sufficient.
9:40-9:55 a.m.—Hit three shots with a nine-iron, three with a seven-iron, and three with a five-iron. Then hit three full shots off the grass with your metal three and three or four tee shots with your driver. It’s important to hit the full shots at the conclusion of your warm-up routine because you want to be in a groove when you move to the first tee.
9:55 a.m.—Move leisurely to the first tee, you’re confident and ready.

When you go to the course, take your written warm-up list with you. And keep your watch handy so you can be certain that you’re right on schedule during your warm-up routine. It’s important to avoid a feeling of being hurried or anxious.

Another tip in conjunction with your warm-up shots: Always have a damp towel on your bag so you can quickly clean the clubs you’ve been practicing with.

Not planning your warm-up routine carefully can be the precursor to a bad round; you’ll find yourself in a panicky rush without proper preparation.

Of course this type of extensive planning isn’t necessary before every friendly round, but it’s important for tournaments or games when you want to play your best.

All of these seemingly minor details appear insignificant by themselves, but each one can cause a break in your concentration before or after you start an important round of golf. If you prepare yourself properly, you’re mentally and physically on the way to the kind of round you want to play.

Be Prepared for Emotional Mood Swings on Golf Course

More often than not, your mental outlook before your round begins will determine how you play on that particular day. On days when everything is good at the start, your game can be ruined if you lose your emotional control. With the holiday season here, it’s a good time to reflect on how to improve the mental aspect of your game for the coming 2010 season.

In golf, it’s easier to become impatient with yourself or fellow players than it is in any other sport. Psychiatrists call it displaced aggression. It’s imperative to keep your emotions under control in order to play the best golf that you’re capable of. When you hit a poor shot or miss a short putt, don’t start looking for an outside agent to blame.

This battle to be composed and patient will help with your everyday games, but it’s even more critical in tournaments.

In tournament play you know you’re going to have good and bad streaks. After a disastrous hole, try your hardest to control your negative feelings and focus on the next shot—realizing that you can’t get all the lost strokes back on one hole.

Your patience will be most severely tested after a bad start in an important medal-play tournament. If you make a double-bogey or worse on the first hole, a feeling of desperation can destroy your rhythm and concentration for several holes. That’s when patience is most important.

One of the hardest things to do in a medal play tournament is to assess your situation calmly and objectively after a shot that puts you in serious trouble. The main thing to avoid—after you hit a bad shot—is the double- or triple-bogey. To do so, you often have to hit a sacrifice shot back to the fairway and play for a hard par or easy bogey. Players often create their own disasters; they try and hit a miracle shot from trouble and end up in a worse dilemma.

Most important of all: When you decide to play a sacrifice shot, do so with the full concentration and caution that you would use on a normal shot. How many times have you seen a player—stymied under a tree—chop at the ball in anger and end up in more trouble because the shot was carelessly hit?

When in severe trouble, disgusted and frustrated players more often than not hit the wrong club and play the sacrifice shot poorly—hitting the ball through the fairway and into more trouble.

When putting in medal play tournaments, achieving equilibrium between aggressiveness and patient conservatism can be difficult indeed.

It’s easy for players to let the fear of failure become master for the day and that results in tentative putting—a round killer. You must use mature judgment on when to be aggressive and when to be cautious.

The most destructive emotion that almost all golfers succumb to at one time or another is deciding to try and just “hold on” when you have a great round going.

When you allow yourself to think harmful thoughts: “If I can just par in, I’ll have a 38” or “If I can shoot a 40 on the back nine, I’ll break 80”—that’s when you stop attacking the golf course and let the fear of failure become the master. When you have a great round going, stay aggressive.

Another sure sign that your round is getting away from you is when small distractions that don’t usually bother you begin to destroy your concentration. When someone is talking on the adjacent fairway or a passing car shatters your focus, step back and have a harsh talk with yourself. Try and relax. You can regain your composure, but it’s much easier said than done.

The more tournaments you enter, the better you’ll become at handling the attendant pressure and distractions and playing up to your capabilities.

If you think about these potential predicaments during the off-season, you’ll be better equipped to handle the trouble shots next summer.

The most important aspect of medal play is patience. Play within yourself and don’t become discouraged after a bad hole. Keep trying, but don’t let your determination become desperate. Be patient and concentrate and good things will happen.

2010 New Year’s Resolution—Know the Significant Rules

It’s hard to believe, but 2009 is just about gone and it’s time for those New Year’s Resolutions. Since it’s winter, when most golfers will be spending their spare time indoors just wishing they could play, studying the important rules should be your first 2010 resolution.

That sounds simple. It isn’t. Some of the rules are complicated and difficult to understand. The rules book published by the USGA is a good place to start, but don’t try and absorb everything in the USGA’s booklet; it’s tough going. Check your library and you’ll find some well-illustrated books on the rules of golf. When you find a rules book that’s easy to understand, it would be a good investment to buy one for ready reference.

The following are simple definitions of the most basic and frequently used rules that average golfers need to understand:

OUT OF BOUNDS—This is the same as a lost ball. You must go back and hit your next shot from the same place that you hit the ball that went out of bounds. You add a one-stroke penalty and also lose the distance. No exceptions.
LOST BALL—First of all, forget hazards. This information is for amateur golfers who lose their ball in the rough or trees and need to know what the options are. Many players think it’s all right to drop a ball where they think the lost ball is and go ahead and play. This is okay in a friendly game if you want to save time. But, in tournaments, you have just one option: You must return to the place where you hit the shot that resulted in the lost ball and play another. The penalty is stroke and distance. If you hit one in the rough off the tee and lose it, you must go back to the tee and hit your next shot, which will be your third shot.
FREE DROP—When you take relief from ground under repair, cart paths, staked trees, or an immovable object, there’s no penalty. You simply take a stance and place the clubhead (no closer to the hole) where you will strike the ball. Put a tee down where the clubhead is and you get one club length from there to drop your ball. The problem area has to interfere with your stance or swing; a line-of-flight dilemma isn’t a justification for relief.
UNPLAYABLE LIE—You can declare any ball from any lie—except in a hazard—unplayable and take a drop. It’s a one-stroke penalty. You have three options: (1) You can take the ball back to the location where you hit the previous shot and hit your next shot from there. (2) You can drop your ball within two club lengths from the unplayable lie, no closer to the hole. (3) You can take your ball back as far as you want in the line of flight (that means keeping the spot where the unplayable lie is and the flag on the green in a straight line back to where you want to drop the ball). It’s important to find your ball because the penalty is only one stroke for an unplayable lie and two-strokes for a lost ball. Quite often your only option on an unplayable lie is to go back and hit from the position of the previous shot. If two club lengths won’t give you relief and taking it back in line-of-flight just takes you further back in the trees or out of bounds, you have no other alternative.
NEAREST POINT OF RELIEF—This is supposed to be a simplified definition as described in the USGA rules booklet: “It is the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies: (i) that is not nearer the hole, and (ii) where, if the ball were so positioned, no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there.” Most professional writers average 13-16 words per sentence; this definition is a 59-word monstrosity that might as well be in a foreign language. Ask your pro for some help on this one.
HIT THE WRONG BALL—One of the most common errors made by average golfers is to hit the wrong ball, usually on the second shot on par fours or the second or third shot on par fives. This is a costly mistake. Hitting the wrong ball is loss of the hole in match play and two strokes in medal play. In medal play, you have to go back and play your own ball and add two strokes to your final score on the hole. It’s an easy mistake to make and that’s the reason you should mark your ball with some kind of symbol that’s easily recognizable.

These are just a few of the rules that are often misunderstood by amateur golfers; there are 34 rules of golf. You can check your library for good books on the rules, or you can order the official rules booklet from the USGA. It’s available online (www.usgapubs.com) or you can call toll free 1-800-336-4446; the cost is $3.50 and that includes shipping and handling.

If you play golf seriously, it’s a necessity to become well-versed on the rules. And that’s not easy. In fairness to the USGA and all involved, some of the rules are—by their very nature—complicated, and it takes some serious study to become skilled in the clear understanding of the rule book.

Shape up Your Short Game Indoors

Winter is delivering some final haymakers over much of the nation, and this is a perfect time to fine-tune your short game indoors.

Practicing your short game inside during cold weather will lower your scores on the course. And—if you’re one of the working people and only get to play once or twice a week during warm weather—you can improve your short game at home. This method is unconventional, but it works and will benefit male or female golfers of any age.

Your chipping and putting will improve dramatically; consequently, so will your scores.

The equipment that you need is both inexpensive and easy to find. Just a few basic items are required:

You’ll need a small piece of astro turf carpet that you can find in a golf shop or carpet store; something close to 2 feet by 3 feet or slightly larger will suffice.
For chipping, you’ll need a rounded net that is mounted on a stand. These are available in golf shops or discount stores.
You don’t want to break any windows, so one or two dozen plastic practice balls will be essential.
It’s recommended that you buy a throw rug that is close to the astro turf in thickness so you’ll be chipping off an even lie.

Once you have the training aids, you can practice your chipping stroke in the comfort of your home at any time of the day or night. This practice method will instill confidence and a reliable chipping stroke that will carryover to the golf course during your weekend games. You can also practice your putting on the rug, alternating between that and chip shots.

One of the amazing benefits of this training method is that you will notice a difference in how comfortable the club feels in your hand on the golf course—just because you’ve been doing some practicing at home. This alone results in increased confidence.

Before you begin practicing chip shots, be certain that you’re using the proper fundamentals. If you practice with one or two technique flaws, your efforts will be counterproductive. Bad habits are implanted and you’ll become worse instead of better. However, when used correctly, this practice system of chipping plastic balls from a practice mat into a net will enhance your ability to stroke the vital chip shot.

Before you begin your indoor practice, you should have nine important fundamentals memorized. And it would be helpful to write these down on a note card for quick reference. The nine basic fundamentals for chip shots:

(1) Choke down on the chipping club.

(2) Use the Vardon grip or ten-fingered grip with the back of your left hand facing the target.

(3) Your stance should be 8-12 inches wide and slightly open (facing to the left of the target for right-handers).

(4) The ball should be played off the back foot. This will vary on the golf course, depending on the lie.

(5) Start your backstroke with your hands well ahead of the ball.

(6) On the backswing, take the clubhead up fairly steeply so you’ll hit the ball with a descending arc.

(7) Keep most of your weight on your left foot and leg throughout the chip shot. (This is for right-handed players, it’s just the opposite for southpaws.)

(8) Make sure you keep your head absolutely still during the shot.

(9) Keep your wrists firm during the stroke—not locked, just firm. You will have a slight wrist cock, but nothing more.

The ideal club to practice with is the pitching wedge; however, you can also use an 8- or 9-iron or a sand wedge. Chip shots should be hit into the net from two to three feet away.

Here’s a word of warning: The astro-turf practice mat may be too forgiving if you’re hitting behind the ball. Be sure you are stroking your indoor chip shots properly— making contact with the ball before you strike the turf. If you’re hitting behind the ball, move your hands further forward and make sure you keep your head anchored.

This indoor practice method is perfect for busy guys and gals. If you watch TV, get up and hit chip shots during the commercials. You can hit 24 chip shots during three commercial breaks. And you can practice anytime you feel like it, day or night.

Practice very short back swings for delicate chips, and a longer stroke for imagined 20-30 yard pitch-and-run shots. With plastic balls, you won’t break any windows if you skull one.

Don’t make work out of this indoor practice routine; you can improve your short game with 10-30 minutes of indoor practice every day or every other day.

Indoor chipping practice will help players of all skill levels; you’ll learn how to stroke chip shots just like you do putts, and your newfound skill and confidence will accompany you to the golf course and lower your scores.

Golf’s Most Challenging Short Shot

Across most of the nation, the last patches of snow are melting and the days are getting longer and soon the grass will turn green and begin to grow--long, stringy, and juicy--close to the greens.

When you have a short approach shot out of tall rough, your last thought before you strike the ball should be to hit it harder and more firmly than you would on the same length shot from the fairway. It helps to take one or two extra practice strokes.

The pitch shot from right next to the green out of heavy, tall rough is one of the hardest shots in golf. This is true for players of all skill levels.

On these short pitch shots—in grass that is from two to five inches tall—the best club is your sand wedge. This club has a heavy flange that is just as helpful in getting the clubface through the tall grass as it is sand. A pitching wedge or 8- or 9-iron doesn’t have enough weight or loft for this particular shot. The only exception is when you have a lot of green to work with and want to hit a long pitch-and-run shot that squirts out of the rough.

Some of the fundamentals for the pitch from deep rough are different from the same shot from the fairway, but most are the same. The setup is the same; you take an open stance with your hands slightly ahead of the ball and your weight mainly on your left foot and leg. Play the ball off the middle of your stance with the clubface slightly or fully open, depending on the length of the pitch. The most important difference from a pitch out of the rough and one in the fairway is that—in the rough—you have to grip the club more firmly than normal, particularly with your left hand. If you don’t, the clubhead will turn when it catches the heavy grass and cause a poor shot.

Just like shots from the sand trap, pitches from heavy grass must be practiced diligently in order to develop the confidence needed to hit this shot successfully during competition. When you practice, be sure to give yourself some poor lies in the tall grass. Even though there are a number of similarities between the sand shot and a pitch out of the rough, subtle differences exist. Each shot must be practiced until you have the fundamentals down pat.

The first thing to concentrate on is bringing the club up quickly by breaking your wrists sooner than normal, much like sand shots. If you don’t, the clubhead will come into the shot at such a low angle that it will catch too much grass before it reaches the ball. It’s important to have a clear mental picture of what the clubface and ball will do during this testing shot. Remember, like the sand shot, your clubface won’t touch the ball because there will be grass between it and the ball. You have to hit the shot with a firm stroke and sharply descending clubhead that will hit just behind the ball. Gripping the club firmly is a must. Just remember to break your wrists quickly on the backswing.

Even though this shot is similar in many respects to the sand explosion, it isn’t the same because the clubhead doesn’t go under and through the ground like it would sand. But it does hit just behind the ball and the tall grass cushions the shot as it comes off the clubface. You have to practice this and use these fundamentals until you get a feel for the shot. It will be time well spent because it’s a shot you’ll encounter frequently on most golf courses.

During competition, the first priority is to make sure you get the pitch from the rough on the green. If you try and get too cute, it’s easy to leave the shot in the rough and jump up a really bad score on the hole. You must hit this shot with a firm downward stroke.

The pitch shot from the rough is harder than a sand shot and you’ll need some luck in most cases to get it close. But if you use the proper technique and practice frequently, you’ll find that you’re luckier than your opponents.

Spring Howlers will Test Your Mettle

In much of the nation winter has loosened its fierce grip and hints of spring and warmer weather abound. Those welcome changes are accompanied by another that isn’t so welcome—the almost daily presence of howling spring winds.

During the televising of PGA, LPGA, and the Champions Tour, the announcers describe what they call treacherous and fierce winds. These announcers have no idea what a really howling gale is; they are common during early spring across the Central Plains.

On TV, the flags wave gently in the breeze; on the Central Plains, the flags stand straight out and the flag poles weave drunkenly, bent by the force of the unrelenting wind.

When playing in the wind, most golfers think of two types of shots: those with the wind at your back and shots with the wind in your face.

There are actually four standard wind shots: the two above-mentioned examples and those played in a crosswind—left to right and vice versa.

Crosswinds are tricky. Many golfers don’t realize that a crosswind will knock your ball down and cause a loss of distance similar to a shot directly into the wind. The effect isn’t as extreme, but there’s a definite loss of distance in a crosswind.

Here’s the important thing to remember about full shots in a strong crosswind: Most golfers err by not allowing for enough drift. If the wind is extreme from right to left on a 150-yard par three, you have to start your shot well to the right of the green. That’s easier said than done, but you can train yourself to do it.

The low punch shot—usually struck with a five- to seven-iron—is a great weapon in the wind. You play the ball well back in your stance, move your hands forward, and strike down on the ball with an abbreviated backswing and follow through.

A punch shot is not difficult to master, but it does require some practice. Contrary to the common perception, a punch shot can be useful with the wind at your back as well as in your face. And it can be helpful in a crosswind.

The punch shot produces a low, driving shot that minimizes the wind’s effect.

Winds on the Central Plains in March, April, and May often gust to 40 or 50 mph. That makes it hard to keep your balance. Make sure you have your feet firmly planted and try and keep your swing smooth.

On iron shots into the wind, be sure and use plenty of club. If it’s a shot you would hit with a seven-iron on a still day, don’t be afraid to go down to a four- or five-iron.

A strong wind will affect your short game as well as the full shots. It’s hard to maintain balance on chips and putts.

Three- and four-foot putts are particularly treacherous because it’s so hard to stroke the ball. Just remember that everyone has the same problem; the wind isn’t challenging you alone.

The best way to handle those short putts is to hit them as quickly as possible without destroying your rhythm and concentration. You might have to give it a bit of a jab stroke, but do it quick and you’ll make some of ‘em.

It does help to widen your stance in the wind, but putting is such an individual skill that you’ll have to work out your own method for putting in a strong wind.

Playing in a fierce wind will challenge your mental toughness to its very limit. If things start going bad, it’s easy to become discouraged and blame the wind—you must resist this form of self-pity.

You’ll become tired much quicker than normal. Playing in a Central Plains howler for four hours makes you feel like someone’s been beating on you with a rubber hose.

When fatigue becomes the master, your resolve crumbles and mistakes become more frequent. That’s why it’s important to follow the number-one rule in the wind: Use more club than you think you need and swing smooth. Not easy, smooth.

Use common sense and recognize what you are capable of and what is impossible when playing in a violent wind. Raise your scoring expectations before you tee off—that’s just being realistic and will fend off discouragement.

If you really want to learn how to play in the wind, visit Kansas for a week or so in early spring. You’ll get a chance to play in a howling gale almost every day.

PGA Tour Needs Some Young Guns with Real Bullets

The PGA Tour has been underway since early in January, but the real action begins this week with the first major of the season—the Masters at Augusta National.

Tiger Woods will be unfairly granted sole possession of the spotlight because of all of his sexual escapades that have so engrossed the national media for the past few months. Despite all the interest that Woods’ so-called return will generate, the PGA Tour is nothing like the golden decades of the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

The biggest transformation has been caused by the equipment. Many of the professional golfers on tour average over 300 yards on their drives; this is because of the metal heads and graphite shafts on the drivers and the hot golf balls, all of which keep adding distance. Equipment regulations that will restrict this never-ending pursuit for more distance are badly needed.

If you haven’t noticed, many of the big names skip more tournaments than they play. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are two prime examples. And who’s to blame them. With tournament play and endorsements, Tiger and Phil make an exorbitant amount of money. They can pick and choose the tournaments they want to play in.

Tiger’s absence shouldn’t matter that much, but it does; when Woods doesn’t play, TV ratings drop drastically during those tournaments. And so does the number of paying, on-course fans. Few, if any, professional athletes in any sport have ever had the charisma and drawing power that Tiger brings to the PGA Tour. That charisma, however, may have decreased with many golf fans during the last few months.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, great golfers like Sam Snead, Julius Boros, Byron Nelson, and Ben Hogan were dominant on the PGA Tour. But they had plenty of competition and the players had to make money in tournaments or the family finances were in trouble.

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were rivals when Nicklaus won his first U.S. Open in 1962. But they had plenty of fierce competition from the likes of Gary Player, Hale Irwin, Ray Floyd, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, and many others. Tom Watson became one of the tour’s leading players in the late 1970s and 80s.

In those days, the biggest names played in almost every tournament on tour. They had to finish high in the standings to make any significant money. That was pressure that today’s tour players don’t face.

If you take a close look at the 2010 PGA money list through March 31, the figures are staggering:

#1—Steve Stricker $1,974,300

#2—Ernie Els $1,951,106

#3—Camilo Villegas $1,861,500

#4—Dustin Johnson $1,722,950

#5—Ian Poulter $1,505,025

#6—Paul Casey $1,470,700

#7—Matt Kuchar $1,406,013

#8—Geoff Ogilvy $1,314,606

#9—Hunter Mahan $1,244,793

#10—Jim Furyk $1,222,987

And to further illustrate that the PGA Tour is great way to make a living, the player who is 50th on the money list, Kris Blanks, has collected $419,824.

These money winnings are for the 2010 season, which is still in the early stages. When the player listed 50th on the money list has made close to a half-million dollars in three months, it’s easy to understand why the intense competition of years gone by is missing.

Another factor to consider is that these dollar figures do not include advertising money or endorsements; those numbers are amazing.

It’s difficult to compare players of different eras, even more so today because of the changes in equipment. But the mental toughness isn’t there with the current members of the PGA Tour.

TV coverage, except for the majors, has become boring. For one thing, they show so much putting that it’s enough to put you to sleep. And a number of the announcers try to be comics rather than commentators.

Johnny Miller is an exception; Miller’s broadcasting is outstanding and he tells it just like it is. He often teams with Dottie Pepper, who is also talented and entertaining on TV.

What’s missing on today’s tour is the spirit of competition that existed in the aforementioned decades. This lack of competitiveness shows up in the Ryder Cup Tournament, where the soft American team has often been humbled in recent years.

Too much money and too much coddling causes today’s pros to fold when the pressure is on. Financial problems are inevitable if the TV money ever tightens up, and that seems certain if the competition doesn’t improve.

The tour needs some young guns that are talented and tough enough to challenge Woods, but today all of them are just rich youngsters with pop guns.

Pre-Shot Planning is the Difference Maker

A number of factors, both physical and mental, are involved before you can make a decision on how to play a particular shot during a round of golf.

Most missed shots occur before you ever take a club out of your bag. All players think they can obtain the best-possible results from every shot and that’s a laudable goal if those potential results are realistic.

In many respects, golf is like poker—you have to play the percentages on every shot. Don’t try and take more than the golf gods are willing to give you. Examine your lies ever so closely, even in the fairway, before you decide on how you want to play the shot.

When you hit your drive in the fairway on a long par four or a par five, don’t automatically pull your 3-wood out of your bag for the second shot. Check your lie. If it’s a good one, go ahead and hit whatever club you want. But if it’s a tight lie and you think you might have trouble making good contact with a 3-wood, go to a more-lofted club like a 5-wood. The distance you lose won’t be that important and a missed shot with a 3-wood could prove costly.

During PGA tournaments on TV, many golfers watch the pros hit their drivers off the fairway and they can’t wait to get to their course and try the same shot. Don’t do it. Unless you have a very good lie, it’s quite difficult to hit a driver off the fairway. Under normal circumstances, the risk far exceeds the reward on this shot. It takes a highly skilled player to use a driver from the fairway.

Trying to hit a high pitch shot from a tight lie on the fairway is asking for trouble—the tighter the lie, the tougher the shot. Most sand wedges have a wide flange on the bottom and it’s next to impossible to get the club under the ball from a tight lie. When feasible, you’ll be better off playing a pitch and run shot. The pitch isn’t a hard shot from a good lie, but it’s a challenge when the ball is sitting down.

Lies in heavy rough are difficult to judge and it’s best to err on the side of caution. As a general rule when you’re in deep rough, don’t hit a wood any less-lofted than a 5-wood unless you have an abnormally good lie. More often than not you’ll do yourself a favor by just hitting a lofted iron back to the fairway.

Never try and hit a big fade or hook from the rough; the grass gets between the clubface and the ball and it’s impossible to put much spin on the ball.

Another tough shot is when your ball comes to rest against the first cut of rough adjacent to the putting surface. Quite often the best shot you can play is with a putter, making sure you hit down with a chop-type stroke on the putt. This shot takes practice.

When you find yourself in a fairway bunker, the most sensible shot in most cases is with an iron. If it’s a long way to the green and your ball is sitting up in the trap and you don’t have a steep lip to go over, sometimes you can hit a lofted wood from fairway traps. But usually it’s best to play the percentages and hit an iron back to the fairway.

Back in the fairway, you can catch a bad break and find your ball in a deep divot. In my opinion you should get a free drop, but that’s not what the rules say. Who said life is fair? Your best shot is to use an iron and hit down and through the shot. You have to hit it like a punch shot. Don’t try and hit a wood or you’ll really make a mess of the hole.

There’s one place where you determine what kind of a lie you have, and that’s on the tee on par 3s. A lot of players toss their ball on the ground and hit it. That’s poor thinking. Put the ball on a tee and you’ll improve you chances of hitting a good shot. You can set it very low if you like, but the tee shot on par 3s is much easier to hit from a tee than off the ground.

Keep your poise and use common sense when deciding what to do with a poor lie, whether it’s in the fairway or rough. Don’t try shots that are next to impossible because of an unlucky lie. The breaks will even out over the long haul.

Unconventional Shots Seen on TV are Best left to the Pros

Most golfers, from now until spring, will have to experience the game vicariously by watching the pros on TV. That time doesn’t have to be wasted; much can be learned from watching the professionals play in tournaments that are televised.

Watching PGA professionals hit unconventional shots during tournaments on TV is one thing: Attempting to hit the same type shot on your home course is likely Mission Impossible. Don’t try it—stick to what you do best.

Professional golfers are playing a different game than we are when it comes to highly sophisticated and difficult shots. These are the best players in the world and most of them haven’t done anything but play golf since they were ten years old. So don’t get the idea that you can go out on your course and hit the same kind of shots that they do. It won’t work.

One of the relatively new clubs that has gained favor with the pros is the lob wedge. It’s a tricky club. Most amateurs will be better off if they stick to a pitching wedge and sand wedge and become thoroughly familiar with both. Low-handicap players might benefit from learning to play with a lob wedge on certain courses, but most amateurs will profit by sticking to their sand wedge for basic short shots.

The flop shot that Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have made popular is not for the average golfer. It isn’t a shot that many of the pros use, so why should you rush out to the course and try it. You’re liable to skull it and injure one of your playing companions. Learn how to hit the conventional pitch shot with your sand wedge and you’ll be money ahead.

Another shot frequently played by the pros is a chip shot from the fringe that’s hit by blading a sand wedge on purpose. This shot takes exceptional hand-eye coordination and hours of practice before it can be mastered. Amateurs will do themselves a favor if they stick to the standard chip shot from the fringe.

Another Johnny-come-lately in the repertoire of the pros is the unorthodox method of using a fairway wood to hit chip shots. Many amateurs are now attempting this shot during their weekly outings, and most of them try it without even practicing the shot. They’ll end up wasting shots around the green. Once again, stick to the basic short shots that you’ve practiced and used over time.

Professionals often hook or fade their shots around trees when they’re in trouble. Most amateur golfers will be better off pitching safely back to the fairway. Hitting a controlled hook or fade is one of the toughest shots in golf and more often than not you’ll just end up in more trouble if you attempt it. And don’t believe the old adage that trees are 90 percent air; they’re 90 percent tree.

No matter what else you copy, do not imitate the pros pace of play; they’re earning their living and it’s a different game than we play. Keep yourself moving at a brisk pace. Playing slow like the pros won’t help you at all.

If—after all these warnings—you’re still determined to try tricky shots you observe the pros using during tournaments on TV, be sure and practice them first. You’ll quickly learn that you need a very good lie to hit a flop shot. And you’ll need hours of practice to blade a chip shot with your sand wedge consistently. Don’t try tricky shots for the first time during a round of golf. If you do attempt some of these shots, you’ll regret it when it’s time to settle the bets on the 19th hole.

Almost all amateur golfers will be better off sticking with shots they’ve used over the years. Leave the fancy stuff to the highly talented guys who earn their living playing golf.

Plan Practice Strategy for Spring 2010

The Central Plains and Upper Midwest have just been blanketed with a deep cover of snow and ice; nevertheless, it’s not too early to start planning your spring practice strategy. In fact, this is a great way to pass some idle time and stimulate your enthusiasm for the coming golf season.

Before long, the days will start to lengthen and the sun will begin its slow journey to be closer to us. That’s hard to believe looking at the snow outside, but it’s true.

On the first warm day, most golfers want to and go out and hit a full bucket of practice balls. That won’t help your game much; in fact, it can be counterproductive.

It’s easy to develop bad swing habits when you practice with too much clothing on during chilly weather. Under these conditions, most golfers have a tendency to shorten their backswing and that causes an unnatural rhythm.

And even if you catch a nice day or two and hit a lot of practice balls, the benefits will be fleeting because cold weather is sure to return and put you back indoors for lengthy layoffs.

After being inactive for a week or even less, it’s the same as starting from square one again. You wouldn’t think a one-week layoff would affect your game, but—after a few days when you don’t play—timing and swing thoughts disappear like a morning mist. Any swing groove you start to develop will vanish after a three- or four-day layoff.

Another caution: It’s easy to overdo after a long period of inactivity. Your enthusiasm is bubbling and you can’t wait to get to the driving range and then the course.

Take it easy. Many golfers are dormant for two or three months during the winter and the muscles and tendons used in the golf swing lose their tone and elasticity. Golfers with a history of back problems should be particularly cautious; make sure you stretch and loosen up before you play. And don’t let your back get too tired because that’s when it can go out.

Relax and enjoy the early games without overdoing the physical part, and don’t worry about your scores the first few times out.

Any off-season conditioning work you do will be of great benefit when you start playing during the first days of warm weather. Here again, exercise within your limits depending on your age and physical condition.

What you can work on in the early spring is your short game. It won’t hurt anything if you’re all bundled up in warm clothing. Also, if you practice your short game for a half hour or so before one of your first games of the new season, it will produce immediate and positive results.

Chipping and pitch shots and putting can be honed close to the clubhouse where you can take a break to warm up. If cold weather forces a week’s layoff, you can continue to chip and putt indoors at home—thus insuring that the stroke developed while practicing outside doesn’t go AWOL.

Working on your putting after a long layoff can be particularly beneficial; that’s especially true for long approach putts that require a certain feel.

The time to begin hitting full shots on the driving range is when the spring weather stabilizes to the point where no long layoffs appear likely, and you don’t have to wear heavy clothing that restricts your swing.

If you concentrate on your short game during the unpredictable early spring, you’ll be way ahead of your fellow competitors when stable weather arrives.

One final thought as we prepare for another safe and fun season of golf: Let’s not forget our many thousands of young people in the armed services who won’t be playing golf during this spring of 2010; instead they’re enduring unimaginable hardships for us in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Backswing-to-Downswing Moment is Vital

On all full shots, there’s a moment-of-truth when you switch from the backswing to the downswing. During the winter months, when it’s snowing and blowing, is the perfect time to work on that transition from the top of your backswing to the downswing.

The equipment you’ll need is modest: just a short, weighted practice club that’s available in most golf shops, discount stores, or pro shops. This practice on your timing can be done indoors while the winter wind is howling; you can focus on your tempo and it’s also good exercise.

The moment-of-truth in the golf swing is the instant you reach the top of your backswing and begin the downswing. Warm up slowly and then practice your swing while concentrating on a slight hesitation at the top before your start your downswing. It’s best to put on a pair of tennis shoes so you’ll have non-slip footing and good balance.

On a full golf shot it’s easy to make a smooth transition from your backswing to the downstroke—right? Wrong. The most important fundamental—and hardest to accomplish—of the golf swing is that fleeting moment when you start your downswing. If you try and hit it hard from the top of your backswing, all is lost.

When you start your swing—whether it’s a full shot, chip, pitch, or putt—keep the tempo smooth. That doesn’t mean slow. We all differ on our natural swing speed; without destroying your natural rhythm, try to keep your backswing smooth and deliberate rather than quick and jerky.

This concept of being smooth is vital on the transition from backswing to downswing. However, it’s much easier said than done. Almost all of us have a tendency to become anxious and impatient at the top of our backswing; consequently, we are too quick at the start of the downswing. And that destroys timing and distance.

When you’re “in the zone”—particularly on full shots—the smooth backswing and forward transition seems so natural and easy that you’re certain you’ve got it right once and for all. The secret is yours. This is when you get your best distance off the tee, but golfers are never satisfied. When you’re hitting it really solid, the feeling that you can give it a little extra takes charge. That’s when your timing collapses.

The backswing becomes quicker and you try and hit it from the top of your swing. That magical feeling of confidence and timing dissolves like a puff of smoke and your smooth stroke is gone.

This idea of an easy and deliberate backswing is just as important on putts and short shots as it is on full shots. On chips and putts, you should have the thought of letting the clubhead do the work. In other words, keep the transition smooth and stroke the shot, rather than stabbing at it.

The transition from backstroke to forward stroke in putting is crucial. When you get too quick, as we all do from time to time, you jerk your stroke on the forward movement and push or pull the putt.

Even the pros are inconsistent on their putting. No two days are the same. That’s partly because our nerves can vary a great deal from day to day.

For some reason, you can feel perfectly relaxed on one day and as jumpy as a one-pawed cat on a tin roof the next. If you have an important round of golf coming up, lay off the caffeine. Too much coffee can definitely make you tense, and that’s not good for your golf game. This occasional nervousness isn’t a personal flaw; it’s just a part of our physiological makeup.

A smooth and short backstroke on short putts is vital; if your backstroke is too long, you’ll decelerate as you strike the ball and that’s a fatal flaw. Take it back smooth and let the putter head do the work.

Try and keep your entire routine on the golf course deliberate without being slow. And keep the backswing and transition to your downswing rhythmic on every shot you play. No one can do this every time they hit a golf ball, but it’s a great swing thought to go to when you’re having a rough round. And you can get ready for this spring by practicing the backswing-to-downswing movement indoors.

Plan 2010 Practice Time

Improbable as it seemed a few weeks ago, the 2010 golf season is almost here and it’s a good time to begin planning your early spring practice strategy. You will enhance your opportunity for a fast start if you concentrate on your short game—namely putting, pitch shots, and chip shots.

Focusing on your short game early in the season has three advantages:

This is the quickest way to improve your scores; short shots separate the winners and losers.
When cold weather intervenes, you can still spend a few minutes on the practice green before you become chilled. In other words, you won’t lose everything you’ve gained with early practice.
If it gets real chilly, you can continue working on short shots and putting indoors.

There are two vital shots that every golfer can learn to execute successfully: the chip shot and pitch shot.

Pitches and chips are more important to average players because they hit fewer greens in regulation; consequently, they have to depend on their short game more than highly skilled players. This is particularly true for women and older men who don’t hit the ball as far as low-handicap players.

Success begets success. Short shots are a part of the game that all players can improve on. And you’ll find that improving your skill with short shots will help the rest of your game because you’ll become more confident. Average players don’t need great strength or extraordinary coordination to become proficient around the greens; they just need to practice extensively while using the proper fundamentals. And then they need to learn to concentrate on these crucial shots during actual play. That’s not always easy.

If you develop a solid chipping and pitching game, it will help your putting dramatically. Your putting won’t necessarily change, but you’ll have more easy putts because your approach shots will be closer to the hole. That’s how you begin to shoot lower scores.

Using the proper fundamentals on these two shots is vital; it’s counterproductive to practice bad habits. The following instructions assume you’re right-handed and hitting off a level lie. You’ll have to make adjustments for uphill or downhill lies.

Chip Shot—Play this shot from the back of your stance, close to even with your right foot. Keep your weight primarily on your left foot and keep your hands ahead of the ball. Take the clubhead back and up and strike the ball with a slightly descending arc. Most important of all, keep your head absolutely steady.
Pitch Shot—Play the ball off the middle of your stance with your hands slightly ahead of the ball. Your weight should be mostly on your left side. Take the clubhead back rather steeply and strike the shot with a descending stroke, keeping your head still.

You must concentrate on keeping your weight balanced with no head movement. Everyone has a tendency to look up quickly to see where the ball is going. It’s also helpful to watch skilled players hit these shots; imitation is beneficial so long as you imitate what is fundamentally sound.

You can practice short shots for longer periods of time without getting tired because they don’t take the same energy as full shots. Every player who wants to hit these shots correctly should practice extensively—using the proper technique—until you have the skill to play both shots effectively.

As far as which clubs to use on these two crucial shots, there’s room for personal preference. Using just a pitching wedge or sand wedge for both pitch shots and chip shots has merit. Most important, you become thoroughly familiar with how these clubs will react on either shot. Some players like to hit chip shots with a 6-iron or 7-iron clear up to the pitching wedge. It’s a matter of what you have confidence in.

The problems begin when you transfer from the practice green to the golf course during competition. Players know they can hit the shots correctly because they’ve done it while practicing, but they become anxious and uncomfortable on the golf course. Like putting, good short shots require confidence. Don’t give up. The main thing is to keep your head steady throughout the shot. That’s easier said than done, but it can become a part of your game. And that’s when you’ll be on the way to being a good short-game player.

Concentration on the course is crucial. Picture the line and distance and the mechanics you want to use and stroke the shot with no head movement. You can train yourself to do it consistently. Religious practice of these two shots will do more for your game than you considered possible.

Don’t Expect a Smooth Spring Start

Don’t expect your golf game to be as advanced in the early spring of 2010 as it was in the late summer of 2009. We had a rough winter and chances are you haven’t been able to play or practice for the last four months. Swing thoughts and basic fundamentals haven’t awakened from the long hibernation.

In the early spring, almost all golfers are going to go through streaks when they can’t play close to their normal skill, no matter how hard they try. Some would call this an early season slump; it’s really just the normal problems you’re likely to go through after a long, cold winter.

Golf is a crazy game. When you’re playing well, everything seems easy and you’re convinced that you finally have the secret and you’ll play well from then on. But when your game turns sour, you decide that it’s all over and you’ll never get it back. It can drive you batty.

When you go into one of those horrendous early spring periods when you play bad day in and day out, the first thing to do is try and determine the main culprit that’s causing poor scores. Is it driving, fairway woods, full irons, chips and pitches, putting, or a combination of all the above?

If you’re off to a really bad early spring start, chances are you’re having trouble with more than one facet of your game. Another factor can be problems in your personal life off the golf course; when this happens, it’s almost impossible for it not to affect your golf game.

Putting is the most common cause of a prolonged period of poor play. There’s an old saying among golfers that your putter can eat the head right off your driver. In other words, if your putting turns sour, you’ll start hitting other shots poorly by trying too hard to make up for the inept putting. Conversely, if you sink a couple of putts, you can’t wait to get to the next tee and play another hole.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to putting woes. Even the most skilled pros go through putting slumps that knock them out of tournament after tournament. And it can last for a long time. Putting is tied so closely to the mental makeup of your game that it’s difficult to snap out of a bad-putting stretch where your scores soar. All you can do is keep practicing and try not to put too much pressure on yourself while you’re on the course—easier said than done. But, if you stay with it, you’ll eventually snap out of your putting slump.

Putting on the rug at home is beneficial; it won’t improve your touch because of the difference in actual greens and your living-room rug. But working on your stroke in the privacy of your home will help. You can develop a rhythm and smooth stroke that will transfer to the golf course.

Minor adjustments can help you claw your way out of the bad-playing pit. What about your warm-up routine? Sometimes a drastic change can help you snap out of a prolonged slump that is driving you up the wall. Try it with no warm up; you won’t want to stay with this, but it might help to just go out to the course and take a few swings on the first tee and start playing. Anything that changes your mental outlook can help.

One thing that won’t help is hitting so many balls on the driving range that you’re exhausted before you start the round. If you’re young and strong you might get away with this, but the old codgers had best conserve most of their energy before they play the course.

The best advice is don’t get too excited when you’re playing well and don’t get too low when things aren’t working the way you want them to. Just remember, it doesn’t take much to ruin the timing of a golf shot. No one is going to play many rounds without hitting some bad shots. Learn to take the bitter with the sweet and your slumps will be less severe and of a shorter duration.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Golf should be fun whether you’re playing well or not. It’s no secret that it’s more fun when you’re playing your best, but there are a lot of young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan who would be happy to trade places with you—regardless of how they played.

On-Course Practice is Best

You have no doubt heard the expression that practice makes perfect—that’s not necessarily true. In fact, if you practice a bad habit with incorrect fundamentals, it can be counterproductive. The 2010 golf season is upon us and this is a perfect time to analyze and improve our practice techniques.

Most golfers think the only kind of practice that’s necessary is to go to the driving range and hit a large bucket of balls. That’s a common concept and it will help your game, but going to the driving range isn’t the best way to practice.

Select a time when your golf course isn’t busy and crowded and practice under actual playing conditions on the course. You can either walk and carry a light bag with just a few clubs or take a cart and use every club in your bag. Both routines have advantages:

If you carry a light bag and take a driver, three-wood, five-iron, seven-iron, sand wedge, and a putter—that’s all you need. You can alternate the clubs you use for this practice method.
Using a cart has advantages too. You’ll have all your clubs and can hit every club in your bag. And you can skip around the course to holes that don’t have any players on them. If the cost isn’t a deterrent, taking a cart is best for on-course practice.
The accessories that you’ll need include a divot-repair tool, plenty of tees, and at least 10 used golf balls. You should use old balls in case you hit a few wild shots and want to move on without retrieving them.

By practicing on the course, you can hit every shot that you encounter during a regular round of golf:

Full shots off downhill or side hill lies are tough for almost all amateur golfers. Instructional videos are available that describe the proper method for these tricky shots. Copy the important fundamentals on a 3x5 file card and carry it with you for quick reference on the course.
Short pitch shots from tight lies, often over sand traps, are almost impossible. Have you ever tried running this shot through the trap with a five- or six-iron? Sometimes—in a match where you have to get it close—this might be your only chance. You’ll be amazed at your ability to improvise shots when you’re practicing by yourself; everyone becomes too stereotyped on how they play some of these confidence-shattering shots.
Pitch shots played from just off the green in heavy rough can be improved immeasurably with practice. These are demanding shots and the only way you can master them is by practicing from the green-side rough.
Four different sand shots strike fear into the souls of many golfers: normal lie, downhill lie, uphill lie, and buried lie. They aren’t hard. It’s very important to carry note cards on how to hit each of these shots. Practice the proper fundamentals on how to execute each of these shots and you’ll be amazed at how much you can improve in a short time.
Long putts with big breaks cannot be practiced on most putting clocks. Learning how to lag these long, breaking putts close to the hole can cut several strokes off your scores.
Approach shots that come to rest on the edge of the putting surface against the first cut of rough can be killers. You’ve seen the pros hit this shot by blading a sand wedge. This is not a smart approach for amateurs; it’s better to experiment with a putter or chipping club (anything from a seven iron to a sand wedge) to find out which works best for you.

The advantages of doing your practicing on the golf course rather than the driving range are numerous indeed. This isn’t to say that practice on the driving range is not beneficial because it is. But practice on the course will help more over the long haul.

One of the most important benefits is that you don’t use the same level stance and hit the same shot with the same club over and over. And when you’re on the course, you can work on shots that have been giving you the most trouble during actual play.

While practicing on the course, it’s possible to work on your short game, which you can’t do at the driving range. This is particularly true of sand shots and difficult pitch shots out of the rough.

Choose a pace that you’re comfortable with. Playing four balls for nine holes is the equivalent of 36 holes of golf and may be too tiring; practice time will be wasted if you become exhausted. Playing five or six holes with three or four balls may be plenty to begin with.

By using this three- or four-ball practice method under actual playing conditions, you’ll be surprised at how much you can improve your game and confidence. Find your comfort zone with this routine and you’ll discover you’ve never enjoyed practicing so much. And your game will show it.

Without Steady Balance—All is Lost

Many golfers have suffered through poor balance for so long they don’t know what proper balance feels like.

If you make a smooth, steady swing, you should be able to hold a stable follow-through with the weight on your left foot. Many players lose their equilibrium and come close to falling down at the end of their swings.

One of the most important and least emphasized fundamentals of the golf swing is consistent balance. Maintaining steadiness throughout the swing is much easier to talk about than it is to achieve.

The proper stance and set up before you start your backswing is crucial; you should have your knees flexed slightly and bend at the waist. And make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both feet and keep your behind in a position like you’re about to sit down. If your weight is too far forward—on your toes—when you begin your backswing, you’ll never recover the balance that you need to hit solid shots.

During warm up before you practice, swing the club slowly and concentrate on maintaining the best possible equilibrium. Then, as you gradually increase the tempo, focus on keeping your balance as steady as possible.

By maintaining your best possible balance during the swing, you will improve the tempo of your swing without thinking about it. The swing has to be smooth in order to keep an even weight distribution. In other words, your swing tempo will improve when you’re thinking only of staying steady.

On full shots, keep your left foot solidly planted on the ground. Don’t raise your left heel like pros used to teach; you’ll get the weight shift you need without raising your left heel.

If your natural swing rhythm becomes too fast on any shot, you’ll lose your balance and mishit the shot. Everyone has a natural tempo; you have to learn how to maintain your balance and stay within your inherent swing speed. It doesn’t take much improper movement to lose enough balance to miss the shot; keeping everything smooth on the takeaway is the start to excellent swing balance.

It’s important to keep your stability from the waist down on tee shots with the driver. If you sway (let your weight get to the outside of your back leg), you’ll lose balance and power on your drives.

On full iron shots, swaying is a periodic problem for golfers of all skill levels. It’s imperative to keep a solid, balanced lower body on full iron shots; if you lose your balance, you will either hit behind the ball or hit it thin. A steady and smooth and slight weight shift will enable you to hit your full iron shots solid and that’s where power and accuracy come from.

A firm base and controlled balance is just as important on short shots as it is on full shots. Everyone thinks it’s simple to keep a steady stance on chip- and pitch shots. Not so. On short pitches and chips, you should sense a very slight rocking motion in your legs and feet, but very solid balance of your lower body throughout the shot. If you sway at all, your head will move and you’ll hit the shot thin or fat.

These same fundamentals apply to putting. Contrary to popular belief, it’s easy to get stroke-destroying body movement on your putts. And that’s fatal. Watch the pros on TV when they putt; their lower bodies are absolutely anchored during the putting stroke. Nothing should move from the waist down while you’re putting. If you have body movement, your balance will be off and it will be impossible to have a smooth putting stroke.

Practice finishing your full swing with your weight perfectly balanced on your left foot and leg at the completion of the shot. When you’re having problems with your game, think about balance on all shots. It’s common to allow unwanted movement that causes poor stability during full- or short shots, and often you aren’t aware that you’re doing it.

Working on a coordinated swing balance will improve your game on all shots. Good balance leads to good shots.

Practice will Produce Progress Over the Long Haul

Summer will soon be upon us and it’s not too early to begin thinking about and preparing for the golf tournaments you are serious about. In most of the nation, city tournaments and club championships are contested in June and July; you will undoubtedly want to fine-tune your game for these events.

You may not care for tournament golf; if this is the case, you’ll still enjoy the game more if you practice and improve your shot-making to the extent that you can compete on even terms with your regular group.

On days when you have some free time and can’t play with your regular foursome, turn that time into a rigorous practice session instead of just taking the day off.

Occasional long and intensive periods of practice will lower your scores. These practice routines—when done properly—are time consuming and tiring. Consequently, you don’t want to do it so often that it turns into unpleasant work. And you want to carefully plan your practice so you’ll get the best possible benefit from your efforts.

Older players get tired more easily, so they should prepare for their long practice sessions with care. These extended and intense practice routines should be done in the following order:

Start your practice with 15-20 minutes on the putting clock while you’re still fresh. Don’t overdo the putting practice, but work hard at it during those 20 minutes.
After putting, work on your chip shots, pitch shots, and sand shots. The short game is vital and you should be sure you’re using the proper fundamentals when you work on it.
Move to the driving range and start practicing with all the clubs in your bag, first hitting short irons and then moving to the longer irons.
Hit your driver and fairway woods last because these are the clubs that will tire you the quickest.

How long you practice with each of the above-mentioned clubs will vary from player to player. Try and get in as much work as possible without becoming so fatigued that the practice becomes a chore and less beneficial. Hit balls until you’re pleasantly tired.

Don’t expect your long practice session to help your game the very next time you play, although it might. These occasional extended practice routines will improve your game over time if you practice the proper techniques and fundamentals.

Almost every serious golfer will admit that they hit the ball better on the driving range than they do on the course during a competitive round. This is normal. After all, you’re perfectly relaxed, hitting from a level lie, and you develop a repeating rhythm on the driving range. But don’t become discouraged when you don’t hit it as well on the course; practice will pay off over the long haul. You’ll hit fewer horrible shots and your consistency will improve.

During competition, don’t approach a pitch- or chip shot by telling yourself: “I hit this shot perfectly when I was practicing yesterday.” That puts too much pressure on your game. Forget the practice and concentrate on the shot. Just remember that shots hit during competition are entirely different from those on the driving range or chipping green.

One very positive result of long practice sessions is that you’ll realize you’re physically capable of hitting some superb golf shots. Even if you don’t do it right away on the golf course, you’ll know in your mind the potential is there. Stay with your practicing, even though you will still suffer through some disappointing golf games just like everyone does.

Your short game will improve dramatically if you practice it frequently for shorter periods of time. And it’s less tiring to hit pitches and chips than full shots. Just 20-30 minutes before a round working on your short game will pay huge dividends.

Practice should be fun. If you do it too often and for too long, it becomes work. So plan a schedule that you can enjoy, and be patient; lasting improvement in your golf game will be gradual and almost imperceptible. But over a period of a month or more, you’ll realize you’re getting better.