Golfd

Golf Potpourri

by

Mac Stevenson

Moderation is Wise When Making Spring Changes

It’s late spring and summer draws near; after the long and bitter winter, the flaws in your game seem unimportant. But as the weather warms and your golf foursomes become more competitive, you will become dissatisfied with parts of your shot-making ability.

Have you been suffering from one of those awful spring slumps when your golf game isn’t where you think it should be? Has an important facet of your game refused to come around as it should have? More often than not a minor change in your stance, posture, grip, or ball placement will snap you out of a dreadful slump.

Before going further, keep in mind that the forthcoming suggestions are based on shots hit from level lies; as an example, the ball placement in relation to your left foot on a fairway wood shot wouldn’t be the same for a level lie as it is on an uphill or downhill lie.

Changes in your fundamental approach to different shots should not be extreme unless you discern from watching instructional videos that what you’re doing is way off. Sometimes just a slight adjustment on certain shots can correct a problem. And when the modification works, it will give your confidence a much-needed boost.

These key thoughts can change from round to round, especially in putting. The worst dilemma in golf is when you lose confidence in your putting. Even the pros go through seemingly unsolvable putting woes.

What can you change when your putting is just terrible? This is something that every serious golfer goes through from time to time. When you make a change, don’t make the alteration too drastic.

If you’re in a putting slump, experiment with your grip. You might want to move the position of your left hand or right hand on the grip, just a slight change. Or you can try moving the ball back or forward slightly in your stance. Another change worth trying is moving your hands an inch or two forward or backward in relation to the ball. You might even want to change the position of your head over the ball.

All of these fundamental changes should be very slight until you hit on something that helps. Then your confidence will surge and hope springs to the forefront. Any of these trivial-seeming experiments can help if your putting has gone south.

Second only to putting woes is a driver that won’t behave off the tee. If you’re mishitting your driver, the game is going to be a struggle and not much fun.

If you’re slicing, try strengthening the grip on your left hand--moving it slightly clockwise. If you’re hooking, try the opposite; move your left hand counterclockwise to a weaker position.

When all kinds of bad things are happening with the driver, try slowing your backswing. Or make an attempt to hesitate on the transition from backswing to downswing. Keep your head steady throughout the swing. Most of the time, head movement is the main culprit. Keep your feet firmly planted to keep from swaying; this also aids in keeping your head anchored. Change the position of the ball in relation to your left foot, moving it back or forward a half inch or so. All of these examples are minor keys, but one of them might be just the one to get you going in the right direction.

If you’re hitting your full iron shots poorly, most likely you are swaying on the shot. You lose balance and either hit behind the ball or scull it. Work on keeping your feet solidly planted and your swing smooth, all the while keeping your head steady through the shot. It helps if you can concentrate on seeing the divot your club-head makes before your head comes up. Experiment with the position of your hands in relation to the ball in your stance. If you’re hitting a lot of fat shots, moving the hands back slightly at address will often help. All experimental switches should be moderate.

With chip shots and pitch shots, improper balance and head movement cause most of the bad shots. Make sure you keep most of your weight on the left foot; here again, just a minor adjustment, nothing that makes you real uncomfortable. And hand position is very important on these shots. You may have slipped into a bad habit as to where your hands are placed when you start your backstroke. Work it out with some experimentation during a practice session.

And another most important tip: Keep a journal or diary of what changes you make and when you make them. Describe the problem and the solution. This can help you a year or so down the road when you start having the same problem with your putting, driving, or something else; if you keep a journal, you might find the solution right there.

When you discover a key idea or swing thought that really helps, don’t let it escape into thin air. Record it in your journal.

Match Play Nerves are Susceptible to Panic

Match play is seldom used on the PGA and LPGA tours anymore, which is unfortunate as it is an entertaining form of tournament golf. Despite match play’s absence on the major tours, the Ryder Cup still uses match play as its format and it has become one of the most prestigious events in professional golf. In addition, match play is still used extensively for most club and city championships.

It’s that time of year when club tournaments and city tournaments and state tournaments—using the match play format—are fast approaching.

In match play, the player who wins the most holes between two contestants over 18 holes wins the golf match. In medal play, the lowest total number of strokes for the entire round determines the winner. In tournaments, there’s a significant difference between medal- and match play: In match play, you’re competing against just one opponent; in medal play, you’re playing against everyone in your flight or—in some tournaments—the entire field.

There’s a common piece of advice heard from one golfer to another concerning match play: “Don’t pay any attention to your opponent, just play the course.” That’s not only poor advice, it’s Mission Impossible from a mental standpoint.

The most fascinating aspect of match play is that your strategy changes constantly depending on what your opponent does. This is most evident on putts.

As a hypothetical example, you could have a slick, six-foot, downhill putt to win a hole, or the same putt to halve the hole. If it’s for a win, you have to be cautious because if you three-putt, you lose the hole. In other words, you should baby the putt down the slope. However, if that same treacherous putt is for a halve, you can putt it firmly because if you miss and go eight feet by, it doesn’t matter. The hole is lost anyway.

Strategy changes on tee shots too, depending on what your opponent does. If your adversary tees off first and hits one into the heavy rough, maybe you should put away your driver and hit a three wood for accuracy. Every situation is different and your strategy depends on the confidence you have on certain shots.

You shouldn’t abandon your normal game, but you can’t ignore the position your opponent is in either.

Getting off to a good start is vital in match play, much more so than medal play. The worst thing about going one-down is that you’ve put yourself in position to go two-down. And that can be big trouble.

Successful match play is a matter of gaining a winning momentum. It can go back and forth all day. This phenomenon is similar to evenly matched college basketball teams being up and down in a close game. Golf is a game of streaks (good and bad), and it’s most obvious in match play.

In match play, you need a killer instinct. Don’t ever feel sorry for your opponent. When you get a player three-down, you should focus on gaining a four-up advantage. If you ease up and start feeling sorry for someone, momentum can switch in the blinking of an eye and your control of the match dissolves.

A tough competitor in match play will test your nervous system like few other things in the world of sports. And if your opponent happens to be someone you don’t particularly care for, the tension can be numbing. In the latter situation, you have to battle for control of your emotions. If you tighten up and try too hard, your coordination and shot-making ability will be gone for the day—and the match too.

You can’t panic; it’s crucial to maintain your poise and focus, regardless of the opponent and the situation you’re in at the time. Easier said than done.

Golf’s capricious streaks are most obvious in match play. It’s the most exciting and entertaining format of tournament play, and the PGA is making a big mistake in not scheduling more match play tournaments. The Ryder Cup, which is all match play, is the most exciting golfing event on the planet.

Short Shots from Heavy Rough are Rugged Test

Anyone who watched the TV coverage of the recent U.S. Open at Pebble Beach should be convinced that short shots from heavy rough are the toughest test in golf.

Summer is here and the rough on most golf courses has become lush and green and stringy and tall and juicy—particularly close to the greens.

Since most of our golf courses have watered fairways, the roughs stay challenging throughout the summer, and the tall grass close to the greens is a constant challenge.

The most difficult short shot in golf is the pitch shot close to the green out of heavy, tall rough. This is true for golfers of all skill levels.

When you’re faced with one of these short pitch shots—in grass that is from one and a half to four or 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 to this 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.

Several 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.

Sand shots and pitches from heavy grass have one thing in common: each must be practiced diligently in order to develop the confidence needed to hit the shot successfully during competition. When you practice, 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 on a low arc and catch too much grass before it moves 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 fast 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 much more difficult 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 it often, you’ll find that you’re luckier than your opponents.

Course Management is an Acquired Skill

The 2010 golf season and summer are moving by quickly, and it’s a perfect time to review your season and ask yourself what changes you should make.

Think back while the memories, good and bad, are still fresh in your mind and recall mental mistakes you have made in the heat of battle. This includes unforced mistakes that occur when you make errors in judgment, which fall in the category of course management.

Using effective course management will become a habit that lowers your scores; conversely, poor course management can become a costly tendency. It’s way too easy to become careless and lazy and lose concentration during preparation for seemingly easy shots.

Course management is a term that is misunderstood by almost all golfers. Most players think course management is what you employ when you are in deep trouble. It’s much, much more than that. If you’re thinking golf and concentrating, course management plays a roll on just about every shot—admittedly, some are more demanding than others.

The most common concept of course management is getting out of trouble without making a double-bogey or worse on the hole. And this is important. You have to keep your poise and make sure you don’t compound your problems by hitting a dumb shot when you’re in deep trouble.

Most course management, however, takes place when you are not in trouble. For example, you should consider your strategy carefully on your tee shots on par 4s and 5s. Which side of the tee should you use? That depends on your game and where the trouble is. If you have a tree line down the right side of the fairway, you should drive from the left side of the tee to give yourself the most possible room for error.

Another consideration is whether you should hit your driver or a more-lofted wood that’s easier to control. And the wind is a factor. A lot of players just step up and hit it and then bemoan the fact they didn’t play the wind. You have to concentrate and analyze before you play your shots.

Many golfers ignore course-management strategy on chips and pitches, and that’s a big mistake. On greens that have a severe uphill-downhill slope, where you leave your chip or pitch shot is of the utmost importance. And many golfers don’t take this into consideration before they play the shot. When possible, it’s almost always better to leave yourself below the hole. None of us can leave the ball where we want to on every shot, but you should have a plan instead of just stepping up and playing the short shot without any thought about the putt you’ll have.

Course management is a factor on tee shots on par 3s. Depending on the severity of the slope of the green, you have to consider carefully where you want to leave the ball. And don’t always aim for the pin. If it’s tucked in behind a trap, you’ll often be better off playing for the middle of the green. It’s no worse to be a little long than slightly short. Most senior golfers fail to use enough club on par 3s; don’t hesitate to use a driver or metal-three wood from the tee on long par 3s. Don’t let false pride get in the way and use an iron just because your playing companions do.

Planning your strategy is often most important when you’re putting. Some putts are treacherous and deserve more caution than straightforward putts that are fairly level and don’t break much. It’s fine to be aggressive, but often discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to putting. Few things in this life are more disheartening than having a three-foot, downhill putt for a birdie and turning it into a bogey by being too bold and three-putting.

Efficient course management means using common sense and concentration on almost every shot. If you’re thinking golf and focusing on each shot, you’ll be way ahead of your opponents who are daydreaming instead of planning their next shot.

Mental preparation must be made before every shot, not just when you’re mired in trees and rough. That’s true course management. And it’s not too early to start thinking about how you can improve in this area before summer is gone.

Stress on the Golf Course Causes Loss of Self Control

Stress can cause you to lose your sense of control on the golf course just the same as when you are under pressure in everyday life. Tiger Woods’ present predicament is a perfect example. The result is close to panic.

On the golf course, when you find yourself in serious trouble, it’s easy to lose your composure because you allow a feeling of anxiety to take charge of your inner self. And usually the situation is not as hopeless as you interpret it to be.

Being realistic about your ability is one of the most difficult mental tasks that we all face on the golf course. And that doesn’t mean you should ever take a defeatist attitude toward your game; just be practical in how you try and overcome obstacles such as a bad lie or some other plight.

Whether on the golf course or in everyday life, it’s difficult for all of us to recognize our limitations. Accepting our shortcomings and learning to live with them is vital in daily life and it’s important on the golf course.

All golfers occasionally hit poor shots at the worst possible time. The normal reaction is to have a feeling of desperation creep into your psyche, feeling you have to do something spectacular to make up for the bad shot. For most of us that isn’t possible and it’s inviting disaster to even attempt near-impossible shots.

Often we find ourselves in an untenable situation on a particular shot because of the weather, a prior poor shot, or our limited ability. When this happens, don’t try to force a miracle shot that will lead to a round-ruining hole.

Here are six examples of problem shots that all golfers encounter from time to time:

(1) On a par four or five, you can have a long approach shot to the green because of a poor tee shot or a fierce headwind. If it’s a shot that you are unlikely to hit successfully with a three-wood, use a more-forgiving club like a five-wood that will leave you in a good position for the approach shot. The percentages are against reaching the green with the three-wood and you can end up in the rough or a trap if you try it.

(2) When you have an 80-100 yard iron shot that’s downwind to a pin set behind a trap on a downhill lie, don’t try and hit a miracle shot to get it close. You’re in a situation where you have to accept a par or bogey and go on to the next hole. Be sure and hit your approach safely on the green so you don’t jump up a double-bogey by hitting a dumb shot.

(3) Don’t be embarrassed to hit a wood instead of an iron to a long par three into the wind, even if your playing companions all hit irons. It’s a game of how many, not how. Play within your own capabilities.

(4) On slick, downhill putts with a lot of break, allow more break than you need to in order to stop the ball close the hole. If you try and make the putt, chances are you’ll let it get away and three-putt. However, circumstances during a particular round will dictate whether or not to do this. But it’s a good rule to play more break than you think you need on treacherous downhill putts. In other words, you’re sacrificing a long-shot chance to make the putt in order to be certain of a two-putt.

(5) On short pitch shots out of heavy rough close to the green, it’s easy to try to be too cute with them. You have to chop down on the shot and hit it firmly to be sure it comes out of the heavy rough. This shot is extra tough to get close to the hole and the first consideration should be to make certain that you get it on the green within easy two-putt range.

(6) When an errant tee shot puts you in the trees and you have a choice between hitting through a narrow opening or pitching back to the fairway, take the safer route. If you try and hit a full shot through a narrow opening, you can end up in even more trouble and jump up a double- or triple-bogey.

That’s just six examples of difficult shots that can lead to wasted strokes; there are so many situations that require you to rein in your emotions that they could fill a book.

You have to think on the golf course and you must maintain your concentration and poise. Be aware of and accept your weaknesses and make the best of unfavorable situations; that’s a practical rule for golfers of all skill levels.

Don’t Ignore One of Golf’s Most Important Fundamentals

The most underrated and one of the most important fundamentals in the game of golf is making sure you are using a grip that is correct for your game. If you’re not certain whether or not you’re using the proper grip, have your pro or a skilled player check your grip for any flaws that can adversely affect your game.

This is especially vital if you’re a beginner; starting with an improper grip is a recipe for failure, right from the beginning.

The most common flaw most golfers develop is originated right at the beginning of the swing process—the grip. This vital fundamental does not receive nearly the attention it deserves with the great majority of serious players.

For beginners, young or old, the most important first step is to develop a grip that is basically sound and suited for your game. One problem is that many golfers play fairly well with a bad grip; what they fail to realize is that they’re limiting their potential because of an improper grip.

When a player develops a poor grip and still plays good golf, it’s difficult to get him or her to change. The reason is simple: Changing a grip you’ve become used to is complicated because the adjustment feels so uncomfortable at the beginning. And bad habits are hard to break; altering a poor golf grip is just as difficult as any other damaging habit that is ingrained over time.

So, if you have a grip that is fundamentally unsound, don’t be misled into thinking it will be easy to correct. It sounds simple to just change the position of your hands on the club, but it isn’t. But, if you persevere and practice with a grip that is right for you, the dividend will be improved play on the golf course.

The golf grip isn’t emphasized as much as other aspects of the golf swing because it’s harder to describe and display on videos. However, you can get a good feel on how to hold the club from Mike’s videos.

The fundamentals are tricky because the same grip won’t work for every player, there’s a degree of individuality that must be taken into account that depends on a golfer’s age and strength and other factors.

Using the Vardon grip—which is right for almost every golfer—is the way to go and the important basics include the following:

Put all four fingers of the left hand around the shaft with your thumb on top of the shaft.
Place the small finger of your right hand over the index finger of your left hand. And then put the other three fingers of your right hand around the shaft with the right thumb on top of the shaft.
When you address the ball, the back of your left hand and the palm of your right hand should be facing down the target line.
Make sure your hands are close together and firm, not tense, on the grip of the club.
Your left hand should be the dominant hand when you begin your swing. Make sure your grip is slightly firmer with your left hand than the right.

The above points are vice versa for left-handers.

Even though the Vardon grip is, by far, the most popular and used by most golfers, the ten-finger grip is often better suited for some senior golfers and ladies who have small hands. The fundamentals are the same, but all ten fingers are on the grip. Get some advice from a professional before trying this.

The best way to get started with a sound grip—or correct a bad one already established—is to study videos closely or go to a teaching professional or a skilled player for help.

Don’t be bashful about asking for some free advice from your pro or an accomplished player who you’re acquainted with. This doesn’t require an expensive lesson; the grip isn’t complicated, but it’s important to establish good fundamentals. Beware of taking unsolicited advice from someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

After you’ve developed a sound grip, you can experiment with small adjustments to find out what is best for you. If you move your left hand to the right (clockwise), it encourages a hook; moving it the other way, to the left (counterclockwise) encourages a slice.

It should be noted that none of these basics apply to the putting grip. Even the pros differ wildly in their choice of putting grips, so that will take some research and experimenting on your part to find out what’s best for you.

Finally, as your game becomes better and more refined, you’ll discover that your grip isn’t the same for every shot. The basic Vardon grip remains the same, but you will learn to adjust your hands for short shots as opposed to the tee ball with your driver. Practice and sound guidance from your trusted advisers will aid you in this area.

Don’t ignore the grip; it’s the most overlooked fundamental in the game of golf. And it’s one of the most important.

Use Moderation in Adjustments

With the Ryder Cup being played this week, many golfers will watch the matches on TV and then search their video collection for the proper technique on how to hit different shots. These golfers often discover new shots they’re not familiar with while watching the pros on TV and they can’t wait to rush out to the course and try it. Don’t do it. The flop shot off the fringe, using a full swing, is a perfect example. Leave shots like that to the pros.

It’s often beneficial to make adjustments in the fundamentals of your golf game, but many players make the mistake of trying radical changes that have no chance of success. By making judicious alterations in your grip, stance, or swing, your chances for lasting improvement increase.

All golfers are constantly searching for the secret that will elevate their game to the high level that they so ardently desire. This is true for youngsters or veterans who are on life’s back nine. Everyone thinks they are close to a major breakthrough that will make them the player they yearn to be. And that’s not just okay, it’s great.

Nowhere is the timeless expression—“Hope springs eternal in the human breast”—more appropriate than in the game of golf. The craving for improvement never dies.

Modest as opposed to drastic change is the rule that golfers should follow. The only exceptions are players who have developed so many bad habits that they have to retool their entire game with help from a teaching professional and instructional videos.

Often a slight change can help when you’re missing too many short putts. This affliction affects many golfers because they take the putter back too far on the short ones. Try shortening your backstroke on short putts.

But here we leave solid ground because who is to say what is or isn’t a short putt. That’s for you to decide. Just shorten your backstroke slightly on what you perceive to be short putts and see if that doesn’t help. And you have to practice this new concept on the putting clock; you shouldn’t be trying changes in your stroke during a competitive round.

If you’re hitting your full shots poorly, you might have slipped into a bad habit of ball-placement in relation to your left foot. As an example, perhaps you’re playing the ball too far forward with your driver; when you implement a change, make the adjustment slight. Just move the ball back an inch or two in your stance. Experiment. Moderate changes can make a big difference.

Ball position is very important on short chips and pitches. These aren’t hard shots and you can become proficient executing these vital shots if you use the proper fundamentals while practicing. If you’re mishitting either of these shots during competition, you can correct the problem on the course if you’re thinking golf and concentrating. Often all that’s needed is a small change in the stance or hand position. Make sure your weight is balanced properly on these short shots, keeping most of your weight on your left foot.

If you’re playing poorly, a drastic change in your grip might be necessary. If there’s one major fault that many golfers suffer from, it’s using a grip that’s fundamentally unsound. Altering your grip is difficult because it feels so strange and uncomfortable—a total alteration from what you’re used to. And it’s important to get some good advice before you make a significant adjustment. Your best bet is to check with a golf professional who knows your swing or study videos that show, with precision, how to grip the club. It’s that important.

Moderation in how many shots you hit before a competitive round is a must. The only time for extensive practice is on a day when you’re not going to play. Even then, it can be counterproductive to practice certain shots when you’ve become fatigued. Short and focused practice sessions will improve your game more than long periods of hitting shots after you’ve become tired. Age is a factor here; younger players can practice longer without tiring and losing their timing and rhythm.

Your putting warm-up before a round is a matter of personal choice. If you’re in a putting slump, you should try altering your warm-up routine. It’s difficult to concentrate for long periods of time on the putting clock; brief and intensive sessions are more beneficial than putting for an hour or more without a break.

Make the adjustments in your golf game—whether they are changes in your stance, grip, or swing—in small increments. Drastic changes lead to big problems. Moderation is the key.

Walking Nine Holes is Exercise Aplenty

Walking has become the favored form of exercise for most adults in the U.S. The youngsters still prefer running and jogging and weight lifting, but walking is the most popular form of exercise that is recommended by doctors across the nation.

If you walk nine holes of golf, you will far exceed the suggested 30-minute time frame; walking nine holes takes about two hours and it’s close to two and a half miles. That’s a lot of beneficial exercise.

Every golfer—if their health allows—should walk at least nine holes per round. If you just plop yourself in a cart and ride the entire 18 holes, you aren’t going to get much productive exercise.

An 18-hole round of golf should be a combination of healthy exercise, fun, and camaraderie; however, after walking the front nine, continuing by foot on the back nine can become the equivalent of a forced march with a full field pack while in the employ of Uncle Sam.

Depending on your age and condition, carrying a full-size bag or pulling it on a cart can become so tiring that it takes all the fun out of the game.

Have you ever tried playing the front nine carrying an extra-light, no-frills canvas bag? It should be a bag that’s just a shell of light canvas with a ball holding pocket and no other extras. I’m talking about a golf bag so small and light that you can’t carry all of your clubs in it.

For the front nine—when you’re going to walk with a featherweight bag—you should carry a driver, three-wood, five-wood, five-iron (or one of the new hybrids), seven-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and your putter. You can vary the clubs you carry according to the course and your game, but try playing and walking with just eight clubs on the front nine.

If you’re past your prime, like most of us are, walking nine holes is plenty—that’s two and a half miles carrying a bag. That’s a lot of exercise. And be sure that you have comfortable golf shoes. It’s no fun to walk nine or 18 holes when your feet are hurting.

Don’t carry a lot of extra balls in your light bag, two or three is plenty. If you have a dozen golf balls in your bag, you’ll be carrying a bag that’s heavier than necessary.

Your first reaction is going to be that your scores will balloon if you don’t have all your clubs. That won’t happen. You’ll be surprised to find, over time, that you will score just as well with eight clubs as you do with the full compliment of 14. And you’ll learn how to hit some new shots. If you have a 115-yard shot, and it’s too close for your seven-iron, you’ll have to hit a soft, three-quarter shot. And you’ll have to hit some punch shots when you’re going against the wind because you won’t have the club you would normally use.

If you play with a regular group of friends, you can occasionally borrow a club. In other words, if you have a nine-iron shot and your nine-iron is back at the clubhouse, just borrow a nine-iron from one of your friends in the foursome.

If you’re going to ride a cart the back nine, you’ll want to have your large bag—with the rest of your clubs—in a handy place so you can make a quick switch at the turn.

Riding a cart for 18 holes four or five times a week becomes expensive fast. That’s $50 or more a week and a lot of golfers can’t afford that. A lot of public courses that charge $10 for 18 holes on a cart will charge $6 or $7 for nine holes. That’s not only unfair to the players, it’s outrageous. Course managers should be encouraging their players to walk as much as they can, and they shouldn’t charge over $5 for the back nine if their cart rental is $10 for 18 holes.

Most golfers can easily walk nine holes, but that back nine can become pure torture if you run out of gas. And that takes all the fun out of the game. Try this method of carrying a lightweight bag with just seven or eight clubs on the front nine, and then ride the back.

You’ll get all the exercise you need, and the back nine will be fun instead of drudgery.

Golf Course and Driving Range—Two Different Worlds

All golfers who practice on the driving range extensively have had the experience of striking the ball almost perfectly—to the best of their ability. You then say to yourself, “If I hit it like this tomorrow, I’ll shoot a 68.” And the next day on the course, you mishit shot after shot and shoot an 88. It’s happened to all of us.

Here’s the question that bedevils golfers of all skill levels: Why can’t I hit the ball on the golf course like I do on the driving range?

When you decide on a practice schedule, do so with the realization that you aren’t going to strike the ball as consistently or as well during a round of golf as you do on the driving range.

Numerous reasons explain this lack of being able to hit the ball as well on the golf course as you do on the driving range:

With no one bothering or distracting you, your timing and rhythm become natural and easy on the driving range.
You have a perfectly level lie on the driving range and can tee the ball up before each shot. This isn’t true on the golf course.
Pressure and tension are not your constant companions on the driving range; however, they are during an important round of golf. You may try and tell yourself that this shouldn’t make any difference, but it does.
By hitting each club repeatedly, you develop a feel and confidence that isn’t there on a normal round of golf. You shouldn’t hit over four or five consecutive shots with one club during a practice session; everything becomes too repetitive. One exception: If you’re having horrible problems with one club, like your driver, you may want to practice with just that club.
One huge difference between the golf course and driving range is that you don’t have to wait between shots while practicing. Sometimes the wait between shots during a round of golf can be as much as 10 minutes, and that destroys timing and mental focus.
During practice no one is watching and you aren’t competing against anyone. That in itself is relaxing and aids in your concentration. And vice versa.

You may ask yourself: If this is all true, why practice? The benefits are numerous, although they may not be as apparent as you expect.

If you’re having big problems with one shot in particular, practicing that shot can cure what’s wrong. If you hit a shot over and over and over, you’ll experiment until you find some little key like a grip adjustment that helps. And that will transfer over to the golf course. It’s usually counterproductive to try and experiment during a round of golf, but all of us do it from time to time.
Practice will help over the long haul. The problem with most golfers is that they expect immediate improvement from one or two practice sessions. This may not happen. It’s even conceivable that you’ll play worse for a while if you make major changes in your swing or grip. But, if the changes are fundamentally sound, you’ll show progress over time with extensive practice.
Your timing will improve on the golf course because you’ll know from practicing certain shots that you are physically capable of hitting them correctly. Just knowing you have the ability to hit shots properly adds needed confidence. Admittedly, knowing you can and doing it are two different things; nevertheless, that little bit of extra confidence will carry the day over a period of time.

Putting is a different world. Just like the rest of your game, putting practice will help eventually. But for most golfers, no club in the bag is as fickle and unfaithful as that tormentor—the putter.

Putting—like other shots—will improve with practice and slight changes in grip or stance that are discovered on the practice green. All golfers, since the game was invented, have been seeking the one secret that will make them great putters. And that search is never ending. Everyone goes through stages when the putts are dropping and they think they finally have the secret. Unfortunately, the magic dissolves as quickly as it appears. That’s true for amateurs and pros alike.

Don’t let your expectations become too high when you have an especially good session on the driving range. But don’t get discouraged when you can’t hit the same type shots on the course the next day. Practicing will improve your game, but it’s an ongoing process that takes time.

Golf’s Omnipresent Dilemma

What’s the worst feeling you can experience on the golf course? The answer is easy. Your favorite foursome has been called to the first tee and you’re eager to get started on what looks to be a perfect afternoon. There is one foursome ahead of you, and you stand quietly to one side while they tee off.

The first golfer (can be male or female) on the tee takes five awkward practice swings, and then tops the tee shot—barely moving the ball off the tee box. Everyone in their group laughs, obviously out for nothing more than a good time. The die is cast. You’re in for a miserable round of slow golf, and what had been a good mood dissolves as surely and swiftly as an early morning fog.

Slow players are, by far, the biggest threat to the popularity of golf. And they are everywhere and becoming more of a problem all the time. That’s because there are more golfers.

Golf needs beginners; however, they are the worst offenders for two reasons: They don’t know how to play and the majority of them have no knowledge of golf etiquette. This isn’t to say that novice golfers should be discouraged from playing, but they should have to acquire a basic level of skill before they are allowed on the golf course.

A beginner doesn’t have to take the expensive route of having a lot of lessons from a pro. But it does help to have one or two lessons from a teaching professional to learn the fundamentals of grip, stance, and swing. At that point, studying golf tips from instructional videos can be most helpful. And then the beginner should hit practice balls on the driving range and learn the basics of chipping and putting on the practice green.

Another option for a new player is getting a skilled player to help with some free instruction. Novices should be certain it’s someone who knows what they’re talking about, or they can receive some detrimental advice.

It isn’t difficult for beginners to become skillful enough to keep pace with the other players on the course; however, a rookie shouldn’t just buy a new set of clubs and head for the first tee.

Beginners who refuse to take instruction before they start playing should have to tee off during slow times, and they should be told by the pro to let faster golfers play through.

Besides a lack of skill, the character traits that cause “some” beginning players to hold up all the golfers behind them are an absence of both common sense and basic consideration for others. These clods cause problems in everyday life and they are golf’s biggest dilemma.

Beginners aren’t the only obstacle to enjoyment on the golf course. Fivesomes should be banned; on most courses they are. Not all fivesomes are slow, but when you get behind a lethargic group, the day is ruined. Consequently, fivesomes should become a thing of the past.

All of us are guilty of some minor transgressions from time to time that cause play to be slower than it need be:

Players should never write down the scores on or beside the green while players back on the fairway are waiting to hit.
When a player in your group skulls a chip shot over the green, go ahead and putt instead of waiting for him or her to walk clear across the green to hit the next shot.
Play ready golf on the tee. Forget who has honors except during serious tournaments. Whoever is ready to hit, get up there and let it go.
Use some judgment on where you leave your cart or golf bag while putting. Leave them as close to the next tee as feasible while you finish playing the hole.

No matter how much effort goes into trying to educate golfers to keep play moving, there are a certain number of inconsiderate ignoramuses that are always going to be a problem. They should be dealt with accordingly by a marshal. These people should be told to skip some holes or get off the course; they cannot be allowed to ruin the day’s golf for everyone playing behind them.

Life’s too short and golf is too great a game to allow slow play on any of our golf courses. It’s a problem that can be easily solved with a dose of common sense and consideration for others and logical rules that are fairly and firmly enforced.

Confidence Counts in Club Selection

On many shots during a round of golf, you will have a choice of several clubs you can use. Go with the shot and club that you have the most confidence in. No one knows your game like you do; feeling confident about your decision on how to play a particular shot is more than half the battle.

Hit the shot with the club that you have the most confidence in; that sounds simple, but indecisiveness causes problems.

There are numerous instances when it’s difficult to determine which shot you should try to play:

When you’re in the short fringe, just off the putting surface, should you use your putter or hit a chip shot with a lofted club? That depends entirely on how you feel about the shot; use the method that feels right at the time.
When you have a fairly long shot into the green, should you hit a long iron or one of your lofted fairway woods, such as a 5-wood or 7-wood? For most players, the fairway wood is easier to hit, but it all depends on your skill level and the club you have the most confidence in. There’s no substitute for feeling good about a shot before you hit it.
How you approach a particular putt may vary greatly from hole to hole. Whether or not you should be aggressive may depend on the situation during the heat of competition. And the slope of the green comes into play. Try and approach every putt with a strategy that gives you confidence.
Should you play a medium-range approach shot directly at a difficult pin or go for the middle of the green. No one can tell you what you should do at a particular moment during an important round. But in most cases you’ll be better off if you listen to your inner self and go with the shot you feel comfortable with.
On an approach shot, should you try and hit a pitching wedge hard or use a smooth 9-iron? This is just an example, but you will know, down deep, which shot you should hit. No one knows your game better than you do.
When you have an approach shot just off the green, should you hit a chip shot or a pitch shot. It’s often the case where either shot has a chance to be successful; you should use whichever shot feels right to you at that moment.

These are just a few of the examples that could fill a book. While watching TV, when you see a pro hit a lob shot just off the green don’t think that’s a shot you should start using. That’s inviting disaster. Use unemotional judgment when you’re deciding how to play a certain shot, and then use the club you feel confident with.

If you fear a certain shot—such as a chip shot, rather than putting from off the green—then practice the chip shot until you have confidence using it. Putting through a lot of fringe doesn’t work out well over the long run and you’ll be ahead of the game if you practice your chip shots until you have the needed confidence in that shot.

Videos are helpful because they give you the proper fundamentals for various shots. That gives you the tools you need for constructive practice that results in increased confidence on troublesome shots during important rounds.

As an example, if you dread a certain type pitch- or chip shot, buy videos about the short game and work on that shot until you have the confidence to use it during competition. Golf magazines can help too, but there’s nothing better than watching the shot being hit properly.

When you try a shot that the pros use—and you don’t have confidence in it—you’re asking for trouble. If you go ahead and foul up, you’ll know you should have gone with your gut feeling. And that’s almost as disturbing as the missed shot. Go with the shot that your inner self tells you has the best chance of being successful.

It’s Cool Again—Start Walking Some

If you’ve been using the excuse that it’s too hot to walk during your golf games this summer, that justification no longer applies. Summer is fleeing and cooler weather is here across most of the nation. Fall is the perfect time to try walking at least nine holes; health experts across the country claim that walking is the best exercise for all ages.

If you play in the morning, there’s an added benefit to saving the golf cart for the back nine. When it’s cool early in the day, you won’t be cold if you’re walking; open golf carts are bone chilling.

Walking at least nine holes shouldn’t be a problem for most golfers, particularly after the hot weather is gone. If you’re out of condition, try gradually working yourself into shape by walking anywhere from three to five holes each round. That will require a playing partner who is willing to drive the golf cart.

An 18-hole round of golf should be a combination of healthy exercise, fun, and camaraderie; however, after walking the front nine, continuing by foot on the back side can become like a torturous forced march with a full field pack instead of a pleasant round of golf.

Depending on your age and condition, carrying a full-size bag or pulling it on a cart—even for nine holes—can be so tiring that it takes the enjoyment out of the game.

Have you ever tried playing the front nine carrying an ultralight, no-frills canvas bag and then riding the back? It should be a bag that’s just light canvas with a ball-holding pocket and no other extras. I’m talking about a golf bag so small and light that you can’t carry all of your clubs in it.

On the front nine—when you’re going to walk with a featherweight bag—you should carry a driver, three-wood, five-wood, five-iron, seven-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and your putter. You can vary the clubs you carry depending on the course and your game, but try playing with just eight clubs on the front nine while walking.

If you’re on life’s back nine, like many of us are, walking nine holes is plenty—that’s about two miles carrying a bag. That’s plenty of exercise. And be sure you have comfortable golf shoes; it’s agony to walk nine or 18 holes if you have barking dogs.

Don’t carry a lot of extra balls in your light bag, two or three is plenty. If you keep a dozen golf balls in your ball compartment, you’ll be carrying a bag that’s heavier than it needs to be.

Your first reaction is going to be that your scores will suffer if you don’t have all your clubs. They won’t. You’ll be surprised to find out, over time, that you will often score as well or better with eight clubs as you do with the full set of 14. And you’ll learn how to hit some new shots.

If you have a 115-yard shot and it’s too close for a full seven-iron, a soft, three-quarter shot will be required. You will have to hit some punch shots when you’re going against the wind because you won’t have the club you would normally use.

When playing with a regular foursome of good friends, you can occasionally borrow a club. In other words, if you have a 9-iron shot and your 9-iron is back at the clubhouse, just borrow a 9-iron from one of your friends in the foursome.

If you’re going to ride a cart on the back nine, you’ll want to have your large bag—with the rest of your clubs—in a handy place so you can make a quick switch at the turn.

Riding a cart for 18 holes four or five times a week becomes expensive fast. That’s $50 or more a week and many golfers can’t afford that. A lot of public courses that charge $10 for 18 holes on a cart will charge $6 or $7 for nine holes. That’s not only unfair to the players, it’s grounds for serious protest. Course managers should be encouraging their players to walk as much as they can, and they shouldn’t charge over $5 for the back nine if their cart rental is $10 for 18 holes.

Most golfers can walk nine holes, but that back nine can become agony if you run out of gas. And it takes all the fun out of the game. Try this method of carrying a lightweight bag with just seven or eight clubs on the front nine, and then ride the back.

You’ll get all the exercise you need, and the back nine will be fun instead of drudgery.

Some of Golf’s Popular Gambling Games

One of the best kept secrets among golfers nationwide is that gambling on the golf course is both accepted and widespread. Technically, it’s against the law, but no one pays any attention to such outdated drivel.

The variations of gambling games are numerous and some are simple and some are complicated. Reasonable gambling on the golf course adds to the enjoyment and excitement of the game.

Gambling during your friendly games will help you in tournament play. Those 3- and 4-foot putts aren’t so easy when they’re worth a dollar. While gambling with friends on the golf course, you’ll learn how to handle the pressure that is omnipresent in tournaments. And this is true for the gals as well as the guys.

Did you know that gambling on the golf course is illegal? It is. This is another example of how hypocritical the politicians are who make our laws. Our lawmakers encourage citizens to spend their hard-earned money on lotteries—where they have no realistic chance of ever winning—but then tell us it’s illegal to gamble on golf or other sports. Of course no one pays any attention to these antiquated and stupid laws.

Playing partner-matches in a foursome is the most entertaining and accepted way to gamble on the golf course. You can keep the same partner for 18 holes or change every six holes, which is called a Round Robin. Both matches are popular.

Match Play (low ball wins the hole) is the normal format when two players are partners against the other two in their foursome. The most common bet is a one- dollar Nassau; that means you play the front nine for $1, the back nine for $1, and the entire 18 holes for $1. That’s three separate bets over 18 holes, and any of the matches can be pressed (start a new bet on the next hole) at any time. However, most foursomes employ the rule that you can’t press until a team is dormie (down by the same number of holes left to play) or out. That keeps everything friendly.

In addition to the Nassau, foursomes can play for points on the side. This adds drama and it’s fun. You can start for a dime a point and then whichever team is behind can double the points on the nine holes you’re playing.

After the front nine, the price of the points reverts to where it was when you started. Points can be doubled more than once, so you would do well to be cautious as to where you set the price per point to begin the match. If you start at a quarter a point and double the points three times, you’re playing the last hole for two dollars a point. You can lose all five points on a hole and that adds up to $10 real quick. And that’s just one hole.

Points You Can Play For

LOW BALL—The player who has the low ball on any hole wins a point for himself and his partner. Conversely, the opposing players both lose a point.

HIGH BALL—If a player has the highest score in the foursome, he loses a point for himself and his partner on that particular hole. The opponents both win a point.

BIRDIE—When a player makes a birdie, he wins two points (birdie and low ball) for himself and his partner. This assumes, of course, that there is just one birdie on the hole.

PROXY—The player closest to the pin in regulation. This is self-explanatory. As an example, the player whose second shot on a par four is the closest to the pin wins a point for himself and his partner. The shot must come to rest on the putting surface.

SNEAKER—If you get up and down from off the green for a par, you win a point for your team. If you’re short of the green in two on a par four and chip up and sink your putt for a par, that’s a Sneaker. This is a counterbalancing point for players who don’t hit the greens in regulation as often as their competitors. It’s a great equalizer for anyone with a good short game.

It’s important to keep the stakes modest unless the players have plenty of money and like the excitement of competing for high stakes. There’s nothing wrong with that if you know what you’re getting into on the first tee and you’re comfortable with the amounts involved.

Don’t ever allow yourself to be embarrassed into playing for more money than you can afford to lose comfortably; some guys who are lucky enough to have plenty of dough—usually inherited or gained by a pragmatic marriage—like to try and high dollar other players on the first tee. Swallow your pride and let him know you aren’t going to play for that kind of money.

Gambling should be fun and add to the enjoyment of the game; don’t become involved in any gambling games that become too personal and bitter. Play for modest stakes that you can forget about on the 19^th hole.

It’s Colder—Time to Work on Your Short Game

Summer has dissolved on the Central Plains and the Upper Midwest as surely as a puff of smoke rising from a camp fire. And September was here for but a fleeting moment; warm summer breezes have been replaced by sharp northern winds with a promise of snow and ice to follow.

Colder weather will bring your winter golfing gear out of the rear of the closet and you’ll go from shorts and golf shirts to windbreakers and long pants. Your swing won’t feel as fluid and you’ll find you don’t hit the full shots with the same skill level that’s possible during warm weather.

Your overall game will deteriorate to some degree because of colder weather and the short game becomes more important for golfers of all skill levels.

Chilly weather is going to dampen the desire and practicality of going to the driving range for long periods of time to hit full shots. You can practice your short game in less time without freezing.

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. And it’s true for all players when the weather turns cold.

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 green; 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 change, but you’ll have easier 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 crucial; it’s counterproductive to practice bad habits. By using short-game videos you can develop the proper fundamentals, which aren’t complicated. 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, with the ball 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 descending arc. Most important of all, keep your head absolutely steady
Pitch Shot—Position 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 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 correct.

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 close to the hole 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. It becomes very frustrating when golfers have poor chipping and pitching rounds after they’ve worked hard on the practice green. That happens. Like putting, good short shots require confidence. Don’t give up. The main thing is to keep your head anchored 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 essential. Chipping and pitching is pressure-filled with everyone watching you, just like putting. Picture the line and distance and the stroke you want to use and strike the shot with no head movement. You can train yourself to do it consistently. Practicing these two shots religiously will do more for your game than you imagined possible.

Learn How to Handle Tournament Tension

The golf season has finally arrived across most of the nation and it’s time to prepare for your upcoming city and club tournaments.

When you play in a tournament or money game with your friends, worrying about poor shots that might happen and tension become close relatives.

Two kinds of pressure on the golf course can affect how you play and they are very different:

The pressure you feel while playing in any of your local tournaments is just as real and challenging as the tension the pros face on the PGA Tour.
Stress and anxiety caused by gambling on the golf course can be even more intense than tournament play.

You should never play for big money with someone who has a lot more of it than you do. If the money factor is significantly more important to you than it is your opponent, he or she has a huge psychological advantage before you ever tee off. Lee Trevino has said the toughest pressure in golf is playing a $100-nassau when all you have in your wallet is $20.

Playing for money, however, can be an asset in preparing for tournaments. The key is to keep the stakes reasonable and well within what you can afford to lose. When playing for money, you should hole all putts—just like tournament play—unless it causes your group to play too slow and holds up other players.

The only way to learn how to handle pressure is to play in money matches and tournaments, where stress and tension are going to be omnipresent.

In tournaments, the player who is a veteran and competes often has a decided edge over anyone who plays in just one or two events a year. You have to compete frequently if you want to play well during tournament pressure. And don’t be afraid of failure. After you’ve gained tournament experience, you’ll find you play just as well under pressure as you do during conventional rounds.

There’s a marked difference in the type pressure you will face in medal- and match play tournaments. In medal play, every shot counts and the tension is continuous throughout the 18 holes. Pressure builds—depending on the situation—in match play.

As an example, if you’re three up with four to play, the pressure is obviously on your opponent. And you often have shots that aren’t so daunting because of what your opponent has done; if your foe hits one out-of-bounds, then you can relax knowing you should win the hole.

During a pressure-packed round of golf, seemingly small distractions will have a tendency to upset you more than they would during everyday golf. You must bring all your concentration to bear in order to avoid losing your composure.

The club that is most susceptible to tournament pressure is the putter; if you’re giving it all you’ve got, controlling the nervousness over crucial putts is difficult to do. It’s a good habit to keep your head steady, but don’t be afraid to move it just slightly after you’ve stroked the putt—just following the putt with your peripheral vision when it’s rolling. If you try and keep your head absolutely rigid, it can make the stroke too stiff and tense.

A lot of golfers don’t play in tournaments because they’re ashamed when they don’t perform up to their normal standards. That’s depriving yourself of excitement and fun. Everyone has disappointing tournaments, just as you have bad days during routine rounds of golf. After a poor showing, the key is to analyze what went wrong and determine to do better in the next tournament.

Many players change their normal routines during tournament play, and that’s a big mistake. If you usually study putts from behind the ball, do the same in tournament play. And take just one practice swing if that’s how you always play. Don’t look at putts from every angle and get yourself all nervous and confused, and don’t take four or five practice swings and tie yourself in a knot.

Tournament golf is an adventure, and you can learn to cope with the ever-present stress. In fact, you will often play better than normal in tournaments because you keep trying after a bad shot or hole. But to become a pressure player, you have to participate in numerous tournaments until you’re familiar with and understand how to handle the tension and pressure that are your constant companions.

Poor Fundamentals Cause Wasted Practice Time

Ever heard the expression, “Practice makes perfect”? Here’s another thought: In golf, if you practice with improper fundamentals, it can do more harm than good. All you’ll do is solidify bad habits that will be hard to break.

When you discover what you think is a flaw, don’t be bashful about asking for advice. Looking at videos that focus on your problem has become a great teaching device. You can also ask an accomplished player to help you. However, make sure that you ask someone who knows what they’re talking about; that’s easier said than done.

You can improve your golf game by practicing extensively with the proper fundamentals and it will be fun, not work. If you just go out and hit balls without making any basic changes, you’ll just be practicing bad habits and making them worse.

As an example, everyone can sharpen their short game with practice. The pitch shot from just off the green is the most-common approach shot for most golfers. If you study videos on the short game before you practice, the benefits will be significant. There’s something about seeing how something should be done—as opposed to reading about it—that leaves a more-lasting impression and also makes using the correct fundamentals easier.

If you enjoy hitting practice balls, it will benefit your golf game if you occasionally take a day off from playing 18-holes and devote that time to practicing. How often you do this depends on how serious you are about your golf, and whether or not you’re having big problems with your game.

Most players go to the practice area for one main reason: they are playing poorly. A long practice session will prove that you are physically capable of hitting certain shots the way you want to. Just knowing that you can do it is more than half the battle.

Before you embark on a long practice session on shots you’ve been having trouble with, be sure you have the proper techniques and fundamentals clear in your mind. Taking a lesson from your pro or watching instructional videos should be all the help you need. And it won’t hurt to ask good players, who you know well, for their advice. It’s counterproductive to work on a particular shot for a half hour if you’re not using the correct fundamentals.

How long should a serious practice routine last? That depends to some extent on your age and overall physical condition, but from one to one and a half hours is long enough for most players. You can hit every shot you’ll encounter on the golf course while practicing for an hour and a half.

Start your session with short shots that aren’t tiring and then work on your putting. Finish with the full shots on the driving range. And don’t become discouraged if you start hitting some poor shots because you begin to tire; the same thing happens during competition.

A word of warning: Just because you hit shots as well as you’re capable of on the driving range, don’t expect that to automatically carry over to the golf course. On the driving range, you’re relaxed and get into a perfect rhythm. This type of practice will improve your game over the long haul, but don’t expect any short-term miracles.

Shots you face during serious competition differ greatly from those you practice on the driving range; nevertheless, multiple repetitions on the range will eventually pay off when you’re playing serious golf.

Improvement in golf isn’t an immediate process; it’s an insidious phenomenon that requires a lot of patience and practice and playing. And even then, slumps will occur when you least expect them. But so will periods when you play really well.

Long-term and permanent improvement on the vital short shots is assured with diligent practice using reliable fundamentals. This is true for all players, regardless of age, strength, or skill level. You’ll gain confidence in these shots as you have success on the practice green and the golf course.

It’s an added plus that practicing chips, pitches, and sand shots isn’t as tiring or time-consuming as the full shots. You can hit 100 of these crucial shots during a half hour of practice, and it won’t tire you too much before a regular round of golf. If you’re limited on the time you can spend practicing, this is the way to go.

Practice doesn’t help much if it isn’t accompanied with enthusiasm. If you don’t like to practice, it won’t be of benefit to go through long sessions. But most players enjoy some practicing; how much depends on your individual tastes. If you set aside one day—every two or three weeks—for a long practice session, your game will improve with time. Just don’t expect it to happen overnight.

Golf Gambling Adds Excitement

Gambling on the golf course is widespread and—for the most part—adds to the fun and excitement of the game. The different gambling games and their variations are almost limitless.

Using partner matches in a foursome is the most popular way to gamble on the golf course. You can keep the same partner for 18 holes, or you can change every six holes—this is called a Round Robin. Both matches are fun and entertaining.

Match Play (low ball wins the hole) is the normal format when two players are partners against the other two in their foursome. The most common bet across the nation is a one-dollar Nassau; that means you play the front nine for $1, the back nine for $1, and the entire 18 holes for $1. That amounts to three separate bets over 18 holes, and—in some groups—any of the matches can be pressed (start another bet for same amount) at any time. However, most foursomes employ the rule that you can’t press until you’re dormie (down by the same number of holes left to play) or out. That keeps it friendly.

In addition to the Nassau, foursomes can play for points on the side. This adds drama. You can start for a dime a point and then whichever team is behind can double the points on the nine holes you’re playing.

After the front nine, the price of the points reverts to where it was when you started. Points can be doubled more than once, so you should to be cautious about setting the price-per-point to begin the match. If you start at a quarter a point and double the points three times, you’re playing the last hole for two dollars a point. You can lose all five points on a hole, which adds up to $10 real quick. And that’s just one hole.

Points You Can Play For:

LOW BALL—On any hole the player who has the low ball wins a point for himself and his partner. Conversely, the opposing players both lose a point.
HIGH BALL—If a player has the highest score in the foursome, he loses a point for himself and his partner on that particular hole. The opponents both win a point.
BIRDIE—When a player makes a birdie, he wins a point for himself and his partner. This assumes, of course, that there is just one birdie on the hole.
PROXY—The player closest to the pin in regulation. This is self-explanatory. As an example, the player whose second shot on a par four is the closest to the pin wins a point for himself and his partner. The shot must come to rest on the putting surface.
SNEAKER—This point was learned the hard way from an old friend at Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Ludington, Michigan. If you get up and down from off the green for a par, you win a point for your team. As an example, if you’re short of the green in two on a par four and chip up and sink your putt for a par, that’s a sneaker. This is a great point for players who don’t hit the greens in regulation as often as their competitors. It’s a great equalizer for anyone with a good short game.

Here’s an example of how the point game works. Players A and B are playing C and D. On a par four, Player A has a bogey 5 and his partner Player B makes a birdie. Player C gets up and down from off the green for his par and Player D hits the green in regulation (not as close to the pin as Player B who makes the birdie) and two putts for a par. Team A&B gets one point for low ball, one for the birdie, and one for the proxy. Team C&D gets a point for Player C’s sneaker and Player A’s high ball. When the dust settles, Team A&B wins one point on the hole.

If a foursome doesn’t want to play points, they can play skins. In the old days they were called “eggs.” You can play skins for any amount; normally the amount is doubled for birdies.

If you’re playing handicaps, make sure it’s clear on the first tee that any birdie that you get with the aid of a stroke counts the same as a natural birdie; otherwise, you’re getting hustled. A skin is when you have the low score in your foursome; when that happens, you win the amount (anywhere from a quarter to $5 or higher) of the skin from each of the other members of the foursome.

It’s important to keep the stakes reasonable unless participants have plenty of money and just like the excitement of playing for high stakes. There’s nothing wrong with that if you know what you’re getting into on the first tee and you’re comfortable with the amounts involved. If you want excitement and tension, you’ll experience all you want when you step up to a five-foot putt that’s worth a hundred or two. For most of us, that’s too much drama.

Don’t ever allow yourself to be embarrassed into playing for more money than you can afford to lose comfortably; some guys who are lucky enough to have plenty of dough—usually inherited or by marriage—like to try and high dollar other players on the first tee. Swallow your pride and let him know you aren’t going to play for that kind of money.

Use Limited Practice Time Wisely

For any number of reasons, our practice time often becomes more limited in late summer and early fall. Sometimes it’s just because most of our important tournaments are over and we don’t make time for extensive practice. And it shows on the scorecard.

It’s amazing how fast the touch on short shots deserts us after a short layoff because of inattention. Just going for a week or two without any serious practice will affect your short game.

There’s something in the mind—that no one can clearly define—that tells each player how hard to hit a chip shot or a putt to achieve the desired distance. That instinct doesn’t work well after a prolonged period of inactivity. And that’s why a short warm-up session on the putting clock before a round of golf is so beneficial.

This is a painless practice routine that will help following lengthy inactivity. Before you go out to play your first round after a short layoff, practice your short game—even if it’s just for a few minutes.

It can’t be emphasized too much that the proper fundamentals must be used or your practice time will be wasted effort. Mike’s video, “Short Game Clinic”, will be a great aid in making sure you practice using the correct fundamentals.

Even if you’ve stopped practicing regularly, you can work on your chips, pitches, and putts for ten minutes before you tee off, which helps a lot.

If you let your practice habits slip, you’ll have more short shots around the green because you won’t be as effective from tee to green. In other words, you’re going to miss more greens and be trying to get up and down from off the putting surface for your par or bogey.

A short practice session on the putting clock will be particularly beneficial on long approach putts. If you don’t stroke a few before you play, you’ll struggle to find the right feel on long putts.

Because of the forced layoffs that become more frequent in late summer, infrequent practice on the driving range isn’t going to help your game as much as it does during spring and early summer.

Two reasons that infrequent practice won’t have any lasting benefit to your game are:

You will have lost many of the key swing thoughts that have been beneficial to your game throughout the main part of the season. Practice on the driving range will still help, but if you don’t maintain a regular practice schedule your game will suffer.
Even if you start to hit it sweet and feel good about your swing, it won’t last because a busy schedule will occasionally force a layoff. After not playing for a week or more, you’ll lose everything you’ve gained. It’s just like starting all over again in the spring.

During a brief warm-up on the putting clock, your feel on putts will improve and carryover during the upcoming round. You can also work on short chips and pitch shots before you tee off. Even if you haven’t been practicing, a short warm-up session will really help.

The method is simple: Take five balls and hit 10 pitch shots, 10 chip shots, and then spend the rest of the time practicing lag putts and shorter putts. Those 10-15 minutes will go by fast.

If you conduct a brief practice session on the putting clock before you play, you’ll shave some strokes off your score. When practicing chips and pitch shots—after a layoff—you’ll get a feel for the club and a rhythm to your stroke. You will also reawaken a sense of how hard to hit those shots once you’re out on the course.

A brief workout on your short game before you play will have immediate benefits; it will help you enjoy your late-summer games more than you would if you have no feel whatsoever on the chips and putts. And it won’t be a long, tiring session—just a few minutes before you tee off.

Modest Adjustments Can Snap Slump

Golfers often describe the current state of their games as “playin’ good” or “playin’ bad.” For some inexplicable reason, both conditions can dominate over a period of time. Unfortunately, the “playin’ bad” syndrome often lasts much longer than its more favorable counterpart.

When you game is going poorly, the most serious lapse is often putting, but it can be your driving or approach shots as well. When it continues indefinitely, it goes from a temporary problem to an extended slump.

Golf is an ongoing mystery; it’s not unusual when you have a problem scoring as well as you should—even after playing and practicing frequently all summer.

Has your game been tainted by a slump? Has an important facet of your game refused to come around as it should have? More often than not, a minor change in your stance or posture or grip or ball placement can snap you out of the dreaded slump.

Changes in your fundamental approach to different shots should not be extreme unless a teaching professional tells you that what you’re doing is way off. Or you might recognize that you have an obvious flaw while watching one of Mike Moran’s videos. Sometimes just a slight adjustment on certain shots can break you out of a slump. And when the modification works, it will give your confidence a much-needed boost.

Key swing or pre-shot thoughts can change from round to round, especially in putting. The worst kind of a slump in golf is when you lose confidence in your putting; even the pros go through seemingly unsolvable putting woes.

What can you change when your putting is just terrible? This is something that every serious golfer goes through from time to time. In most cases, it’s important that you don’t make the alteration too extreme.

If you’re in a putting slump, experiment with your grip. You might want to move the position of your left hand or right hand on the grip, just a slight change. Or you can try moving the ball back or forward slightly in your stance. Another change worth trying is moving your hands an inch or two forward or backward in relation to the ball. You might even want to move the position of your head over the ball.

All of these fundamental changes should be very slight until you hit on something that helps. Then your confidence will surge and hope springs to the forefront. Any of these trivial-seeming experiments can help if your putting has gone south.

Second only to putting woes is a driver that won’t behave. If you’re mishitting your driver, the game is going to be a struggle and not much fun.

If you’re slicing, try strengthening the grip on your left hand—moving it slightly clockwise. If you’re hooking, try the opposite; move your left hand counterclockwise to a weaker position.

When all kinds of bad things are happening with the driver, try slowing your backswing slightly. Or make an attempt to slow the transition from backswing to downswing. Keep your head steady throughout the swing. Most of the time, head movement is the main culprit. Keep your feet firmly planted to keep from swaying; this also aids in keeping your head anchored. Change the position of the ball in relation to your left foot, moving it back or forward a half inch or so. All of these examples are minor keys, but one of them might be just the one to get you going in the right direction again.

If you’re hitting your full iron shots poorly, most likely you are swaying on the shot. You lose balance and either hit behind the ball or top it. Work on keeping your feet solidly planted and your swing smooth, all the while keeping your head steady through the shot. It helps if you can concentrate on seeing the divot your clubhead makes before your head comes up. Experiment with the position of your hands in relation to the ball in your stance. If you’re hitting a lot of fat shots, moving the hands forward at address will often help. All experimental switches should be moderate.

With chip shots and pitch shots, improper balance and head movement cause most of the bad shots. You should try keeping more of your weight on the left foot; here again, just a minor adjustment, nothing that makes you real uncomfortable. And hand position is very important on these shots. You may have slipped into a bad habit as to where your hands are placed when you start your backstroke. Work it out with some experimentation during a practice session.

And another most important tip: Keep a journal or diary of any changes that you make. Describe the problem and the solution. This can help you a year or so down the road when you start having the same problem with your putting, driving, or something else; if you keep a journal, you might find the solution right there.

When you discover a key idea or swing thought that really helps, don’t let it escape into thin air. Record it in your journal.

USGA Handicap System Needs New Premise

The USGA handicap system is monitored by well-meaning individuals who have the game of golf’s best interest at heart. But the problem with the present system is its basic premise: Handicaps are based on what it’s possible for you to shoot, not what you’re likely to shoot.

Basing your handicap on what it’s possible for you to shoot because of one hot round is unfair and ridiculous. It should be predicated on what you are likely to shoot, not what you are capable of shooting during an abnormally hot round. All of your scores—good and bad—should be averaged together to determine your handicap.

The USGA hierarchy has made the handicap system way too complicated and unrealistic. At the present time, your handicap is established on what your potential is, not an average of all the scores you’ve actually shot.

Your latest handicap rating is based on the lowest 10 of the last 20 scores that you’ve turned in. In other words, your 10 worst scores are discarded and count for nothing. This makes no sense. If you happen to have one hot round, it lowers your handicap dramatically. And conversely, your poor rounds are tossed in the trash and disregarded.

Every round and each stroke should count and they should all be averaged together in order to come up with a fair and realistic handicap.

It appears that the present system is set up primarily to thwart cheaters. Golfers that strive for unfair handicaps by posting only their high scores can’t be stopped, but they will be discovered over a period of time. And they will be ostracized by the players who try to establish fair handicaps.

Weather becomes too much of a factor using the USGA method. By throwing out the worst scores, they discard most of the high scores that are recorded on bad-weather days.

The problem is that all the players with handicaps don’t play on the same days. If all the scores were posted, the inclement days would even out over a period of time and the weather would become less of a factor.

Another rule the USGA imposes that detracts from realistic evaluation is disallowing players with low handicaps from taking more than a double-bogey on any hole. That’s absurd. Every stroke on every hole should count.

If every golfer records the total score from each round and divides the total of those scores by the number of rounds, you’ll create a fair handicap. Players shouldn’t be penalized for having a hot round; however, those exceptional rounds should be averaged in with the worst and mediocre scores.

The USGA Handicap System manual resembles the fine print in insurance policies; trying to read and understand it is tough going indeed.

Here’s an example of how this one main fault could be simplified: If your course is a par 70 and you post your last 20 scores and divide the total strokes by 20 and that figure is an average of 82, then your handicap should be a 12. It’s that simple.

The USGA is to be lauded for their method of rating courses and implementing the Slope system; this is most important for golfers who play on numerous courses. And it takes a lot of skill and hard work to rate courses fairly and intelligently. For their work in this area, the USGA is to be commended.

The USGA system works well so far as the slope factor for different courses is concerned. In fact their handicap system is a good one if they would just count all the scores and strokes and take an average of all your rounds.

While on the subject of handicaps, be very careful on the first tee with handicap bets. The handicap system is based for play over 18 holes of golf. If you have a seven handicap and your opponent has a 14, make it clear on the first tee that you won’t accept any press bets on holes where your competitor has a stroke and you don’t.

If you come to the 18th tee and have your opponent out and he has a stroke and you don’t, letting him press is giving away your hard-earned money. That’s the same as giving him a stroke-a-hole on a bet. Thats a loser.

The USGA handicap system is too complicated and it’s not an accurate reflection of your golfing skill. Your handicap is based on your potential, not the actual average of all your scores.

Undoubtedly the people in charge are trying to regulate a fair and useful system. But they need to simplify the entire process and make the handicaps an average of what players actually shoot, not what is within the realm of possibility.