MISCELLANEOUS
(47).."PRE SHOT ROUTINE"
Many pushed and pulled shot can be caused by poor
alignment and can definitely be reduced with a good
consistent "Pre Shot Routine".
Imagine a railroad track, with two rails
and the wood ties in the middle. The ball is on the
one rail that goes straight to the target. That's
called the "target line."
Your feet should be positioned on the other rail,
which runs parallel and to the left of the target
line.
Here's a good pre-shot routine you should
follow each time you hit a golf shot:
1. Start behind the ball and pick out a piece of
grass, broken Tee or anything about 2 to 4 feet in
front of the ball that is directly between the ball
and your target. This establishs the target rail
that will run from your ball through the piece of
whatever to the target.
2. Now walk around the ball and start your address
by keeping you feet together and approximately
parallel to the target rail. Lay the club on the
rail, lining the club face square to the piece of
whatever so if you looked down the rail the ball,
the piece of whatever and the target would all be
perpendicular to the club face..
3. Separate your feet on a parallel line to the
target line. You do not want your feet pointing at
the target, but parallel to the target line and
pointing a little left of the target.
4. Relax and get comfortable, without changing your
position.
The pre-shot routine is the most important part of
the golf swing and is often the most overlooked. It
does no good to make a "perfect" swing if you are
not lined up to the target.
In fact, if you do not line up properly, you will
almost always compensate in your swing to make up
for your poor alignment. Two wrongs don't make a
right. Never bypass this step.
Once you've established a "pre shot routine" and
are properly
aligned, you can work on correcting the swing flaw
that makes the ball go to the right or left and be
assure it is not because of poor alignment.
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(48).."GOLF BALL MYTH"
The 80 compression golf ball is for women and
seniors.... On a hot day 100 compression golf balls
carry further....80 compression balls come off the
club face faster.....Boy! What a bunch of crap.
Compression is probably the most misunderstood
measurement in golf ball design. Many people have
no idea of what compression is and what it means.
In the early days of golf, the term compression was
originally used as a measurement for golf ball
quality. It was actually used to reference the
tightness of the windings around the center core of
a three piece ball - the tighter the windings, the
better the ball performed. This created a
long-standing perception that compression affects
golf ball distance and performance.
Because golf ball technology uses newer
heat-resistant threads with newer and better
winding equipment for three piece balls, golf ball
compression has become merely a condition of feel,
I repeat, FEEL.
Now with the availability of the consistent quality
of a two piece ball, compression as a measurement
of quality is just about obsolete.
Today the word "compression" in the golf ball
industry relates to a value expressed by a number
in the range from 0 to 200 that is given a golf
ball. This number defines the deflection that a
golf ball undergoes when subjected to a compressive
load. Compression simply measures how much the
shape a golf ball changes under a constant weight.
As golf balls come off the production line, all
three-piece balls and some two-piece balls are
measured for compression and rated. A standard
weight is applied to each ball - one that doesn't
compress is rated 200; a ball that deflects 2/10ths
of an inch or more is rated zero. Between those two
extremes, for every 1/1000ths of an inch that the
ball compresses, it drops one point from 200 and
the compression rating is then established.
Most balls have compression ratings of either 80,
90, or 100; the lower the compression, the softer
the feel. Not every ball marked 80, 90, or 100 is
exactly that rating. The actual rating can fall
roughly within 3-5 points on either side of 80, 90,
or 100. Any balls that fall out of this range are
usually discarded, sold as range balls, or sold as
X-outs.
There have been several published texts to prove
that golf ball compression relates more to feel and
your own superstition than its performance. The
conclusions were, if you take different rated golf
balls which have the same construction,
aerodynamics, and cover material, and use an
automatic golf swing machine such as the Iron Man,
the yardage difference between the balls hit were
negligible, less than two yards.
Do yourself a favor and find a ball that you are
comfortable with and feels good when you hit it and
play it. Do not let the compression hype interfere
with a good feeling shot, just because Ralph says SO.
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(49).."THE KNOCKDOWN SHOT"
.... You don't have to be a pro to learn to play a knockdown or "punch" shot. All it takes is to choose the proper club, alter your set-up slightly, and shorten your swing a bit.
Since you're going to have to swing easier than normal to keep the ball from climbing into the air, you'll have to use more club -- one or two more than normal.
Next, play the ball back in your stance, between the middle of your stance and your right foot, with about 70 percent of your weight concentrated on your left foot. You'll feel as though you're leaning slightly into the ball. Carry your hands forward, so the vision of your left knee is blocked by your left hand.
Make your normal body turn on the back swing, but don't allow your weight to shift to your right foot as you normally would. Instead, keep the 70 percent of your weight on your left foot.
You'll feel like you're making a reverse pivot.
Finally, swing smooth and easy, and stop your follow-through short, with the shaft of the club parallel to the ground. Don't release the club over your shoulder as you would in a normal swing, as the ball will climb higher into the air.
With a little practice, you'll find this shot is not difficult to play. The wind will not affect your shot if you learn to hit the ball underneath it!
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(50).."WHEN TO PRACTICE"
The best time to practice is right after you play.
If you ask most golfers what they do on the
practice range, many say they follow a routine.
They begin with a wedge or 9-iron and work up to a
driver.
My advice is to avoid getting into any routine when
you practice. You need to practice the shots that
are giving you problems, and those shots will
change from day to day.
The tendency of most players is to practice with
the clubs they like and avoid the ones they don't.
You won't fix your problems this way.
The best time to practice is right after you've
played, while your body is still warm and the
problems you experienced are fresh in your mind.
Provided your round has not drained every ounce of
your strength, this is when practice is most
effective.
If you're really not having any problems but just
want to go to the range for a workout, it's a good
idea to break down your typical round of golf to
see which shots you need to practice the most. For
example, in a regulation round of golf, a scratch
player would hit approximately 14 drives, four
fairway woods, four long irons (2, 3, 4) eight
medium irons (5, 6, 7), six short irons (8, 9, PW),
four chip shots, two bunker shots and 30 putts for
72.
Based on those numbers, he or she should spend
almost half the time on the putting green, about a
fourth of the time hitting tee shots and the rest
of the time divided among all the others.
Break down your own rounds, see which clubs you use
the most or the shots you've been having problem
and you'll know what to practice.
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(51).."SET MAKE UP"
Question: What is the best set make up for an
average player? I like my driver, hate my 3 wood
and like my 5 wood. I'm fine with my irons until I
get to No. 4 and below. I seldom take them out of
the bag because I never hit good shots with them.
Should I eliminate the clubs I don't like or should
I learn to use them, even though I think it's
futile?
Assuming that you're going to adhere to the
14-club limit, you want to assemble a set with
which you use all the clubs and have no "distance
gaps." The short and medium irons are fairly easy
to hit for most players. The problem usually
occurs, as you've found out, when you get down
around the 4-iron.
To illustrate how to pick the set that suits you
best, I've made up a list of clubs and yardages.
These yardages may not apply to your game, but
you'll be able to apply the same principle.
Woods
Driver - 200 yards
3-Wood - 190 yards
5-Wood -180 yards
7-Wood - 170 yards
9-Wood - 160 yards
11-Wood - 150 yards
13-Wood - 140 yards
15-Wood - 130 yards
Irons
2-Iron - 190 yards
3-Iron - 180 yards
4-Iron - 170 yards
5-Iron - 160 yards
6-Iron - 150 yards
7-Iron - 140 yards
8-Iron - 130 yards
9-iron - 120 yards
P. W. - 110 yards
S. W. - 90 yards
The idea is to pick a set that gives you a
consistent distance spread from club to club. If
you do not hit your 3 and 4 irons then take them
out of the bag and replace them with a 5 and 7
wood. This will at least close any distance gaps
created because of the not used clubs. As you can
see, there's an overlap between the woods and irons
all the way from 130 to 190 yards. If you're not
comfortable hitting a 3-iron, eliminate it and add
a 5-wood.
The same goes for all the others, down to the
15-wood, which goes about as far as the 8-iron. If
you have trouble with the irons, take them out of
the bag and add the corresponding woods. The same analogy holds for the woods.Most
players find the lofted woods easier to hit than
the long irons because of their larger heads and
added lofts.
When I custom fit clubs one of the
important factors I consider is set make up.
There are no rules when it comes to choosing the
set make up that best suits your game. The object
of the game is to have fun, not to beat yourself
up.
At my shop, I fit players with the clubs that
are the easiest to hit, with no yardage gaps
between them. This makes the game more enjoyable,
and that's what it's all about!
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(52).."OVERSWINGING"
.....Overswinging is very common among players striving for more distance.
Mathematically a longer arc should create more club head speed. Not so,unless done correctly. Overswinging will definitely throw the clubhead in a very poor swing plane.
How far should you take the club back? Only as far as you can turn your shoulders-with balance. If the club goes back farther than the shoulders,the left wrist will break down. This will not only open or close the club face but will take the pulling action away from the legs,thus allowing the shoulders or hands,or both to take over and dominate the forward swing. This type of motion puts the club in an outside-in plane (Over the top).
How does a player cultivate the proper length of back swing? We are all individuals and our muscle coordination is not the same,therefore it would be foolish to try to force the club to a parallel position at the top of the back swing. Trying to take the clubhead to parallel will not only shorten your distance it will wreck your accuracy as well. So returning to the earlier premise:The club should not go back any further than you can turn your shoulders.
How can golfers learn this? By feel, Keep the left wrist in a flat position in relation to the back of the left forearm and back of left hand. This will allow the wrist to hinge naturally,not break,which will allow the club to go back only as far as the shoulders turn. Practice this drill daily,and before you know it your muscles will get conditioned and trained to stretch further under control to create the arc you desire without over swinging.
Going to parallel is not the answer to solid shot making,and power. Distance is the speed of the lower body pulling the speed of the motion of your left arm corresponding together to launch the ball towards the target.
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(53).."WEDGES ?"
Degree Gap between wedges- As manufacturers have
decreased the loft on their irons to "increase" the
distance that certain irons hit a golf shot,
pitching wedges have also decreased in loft causing
a degree gap between the pitching wedge and the
standard sand wedge. For instance the average loft
of pitching wedges has decreased from 50 degrees to
47 degrees, thus leaving about an 8 - 9 degree gap
between the PW and the SW. This degree gap can
equal a 25-30 yard difference making it difficult
to hit shot in that gap distance. This problem has
been the cause for the introduction of new "gap
wedges".
What to look for when buying a wedge.
1. Look for a wedge with the appropriate degrees to
help improve your short game. When buying a gap
wedge make sure that it divides the gap evenly
(i.e. if you have a 48 degree PW and a 56 degree SW
buy a gap wedge with 52 degrees of loft.)
2. Approach wedge This wedge would be your gap
wedge or your pitching wedge that you would use for
longer approach shots. You probably want a wedge
that is similar in design and feel to the rest of
your iron set. Since you will not be playing many
sand shots with the approach wedge, the bounce
should be slight. Bounce is the degree angle that
the leading edge of the sole is above the rear edge
when the club shaft is held straight up and down.
The higher the bounce angle, the more the leading
edge of the club will be above the ground level as
the clubhead is swung through impact. The higher
the bounce angle, the higher the probability of
skulling approach shots from firm fair ways.
3. Length Whether considering an approach wedge or
a sand wedge, make sure that the length of the club
is consistent to the rest of your iron set. In
other words, make sure that it decreases in length
by about a 1/2 inch from your next longer iron.
4. Sand wedges Sand wedges are designed to help
players get their ball out of sand bunkers or heavy
grass. Therefore there are specific characteristic
for good sand wedges:
They are heavier. This makes it easier for the
club head to be swung through greater resistance,
such as sand or heavy grass.
Higher degree of bounce. Ideally, the club face
should contact the sand a couple of inches behind
the ball; the high bounce allows the flange (the
under side of a sand wedge) to glide through the
sand and plop the ball up into the air and out of
the bunker.
Special Considerations- Players should assess
their sand wedge needs before purchasing a wedge
solely because it has the highest bounce angle or
because it is the most aesthetically pleasing sand
wedge. Bounce is very important and should be
considered in relation to the individual player and
the predominant kind of bunkers that he/she plays
out of. Players should try to match their sand
wedge to their sand-playing ability. Expert sand
players take less sand behind the ball thus causing
more back spin. These players should consider sand
wedges with lower amounts of bounce and a narrower
sole or flange. Beginner sand players that are more
concerned with just getting out of the sand should
consider sand wedges with a high degree of bounce
and a wider sole or flange.
Standard loft degree for sand wedges is 56 degrees,
but some can be found with higher lofts. I would
recommend the standard degree unless your home
course has many deep bunkers with fast greens that
call for shots out of bunkers that get up into the
air quickly and stop quickly on the green.
Lob wedges Lob wedges normally have 60 degrees of
loft or more. These wedges are for "touch" shots
around the green. These shots need to get into the
air quickly and land softly. When trying to decide
whether you need a lob wedge or not, consider the
results that you get from around the green on your
normal round. If you find yourself hitting shots
that roll well past the pin or hit shots fat in
trying to get them into the air, then you might
want to consider a lob wedge.
The bounce on lob wedges should be more than a gap
wedge, but less than a sand wedge. Lob wedges come
with different degrees of bounce and you should
decide on the amount of bounce based on how often
you might use it for sand shots.
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(68).."LONG PUTTS"
"Long putts are difficult for both professionals and amateurs. There are three things you have to remember to be a good long putter."
The first thing is to concentrate on the distance. The first thing I do every time is step off to the hole to see how far it is. The putt we're going to work on today is 25 steps so that's 75 feet. Then I stand out to the side of the putt and try to concentrate. Is it uphill or is it downhill? I'm working more on my distance rather than the line.
That brings up the second thing. Keep your mind uncluttered. What happens so many times is that our minds get so filled up with so many facts and so many things about the putt that we forget what is important. It's like driving a car. If you start looking at things along the side of the road, you forget what's important -- the car that's right in front of you. A mistake in your line can be six or eight feet. But with distance, it can be 25 feet and that's a lot bigger mistake.
The third, really important thing -- just stay relaxed. This will allow you to concentrate on your distance. This putt is about 75 feet with a two to three foot left to right break, so let's get at it and see what we can do. When I get over the putt, I already know my line. Now how big of a stroke is 75 feet? Take several practice swings to get the feeling of a 75 footer and go ahead and stroke at it.
When I practice longer putts my concentration is on my tempo and I use my toes as guides to different length long putts. 4 inches past my right foot to 4 inches in front of my left foot equals a 60 foot level putt and so on.
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