MISCELLANEOUS
(114).."GREENSIDE ROUGH"
The 5 "Musts" to have good shots from the greenside rough.
1. FEEL FOR THE LIE
When practicing from greenside rough, you should run your hand over the top of the ball, touching the blades of grass only. This tells you how far down the clubhead must go to make solid contact. Most golfers look at the top of the grass, not the bottom, so that's where they swing the club. Therefore, the bottom of the swing arc is too high. You have to swing down into the grass to get the ball airborne.
2. TAKE A GOOD LOOK
"The five-second stare down." Once you have a feel for the depth of the rough, stand behind or near the ball and really look at the shot. Think about which club you want to use, how far you want to carry the ball, and, most importantly, what you must do to hole it. Don't entertain any negative thoughts; be positive.
3. CUT THE GRASS
Take some practice swings to the side of the ball based on your feel for the lie and stare down. Swing to the bottom of the grass and don't be afraid to take a divot; the pros do. If you brush the top of the grass with your practice swing, you'll likely do the same when it's time to play the shot. Basically, you'll be practicing a skull shot.
4. GET A HEAD START
MAKE SURE TO KEEP your head even with or slightly ahead of the ball -- never behind the ball -- at address. This places the bottom of the swing arc just behind the ball, ensuring a crisp, downward blow. Be careful not to dial in too much loft. A sand wedge or lob wedge with the face laid back provides more than enough loft to get the ball up, so there's no need to open the face farther.
5. GAUGE YOUR M.P.H.
Your arms and the shaft should form a "Y" at address. Maintain this position through impact, varying the speed of your swing according to the lie; the more grass there is between the ball and the clubface, the more clubhead speed you need through impact, and vice versa.
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(115).."COURSE MANAGEMENT"
When playing a hole, many factors must be considered. Most players consider only one, "Is it a par 3? If not, then grab the driver." This one-decision theory will not get you to the next level. The proper thought process should start at the tee box and continue throughout the hole. Questions that you should consider when playing a hole are:
How long is the hole?
Do I need to hit a driver?
Are there any special conditions to be aware of?
For example;
-Is the landing very demanding?
-Is a "hazard" or "out of bounds" in play?
-Will I drive the ball through the fairway?
-Which club do I want to approach the green with?
-Can I reach that bunker?
When playing a hole all ways, try to start with a club you have the most confidence in. This, in many cases, will not be the driver. You may have no choice due to the length of the hole, but don't always assume you must hit a driver. If you watched any of last year's PGA championships you would have seen golf management at its best-most players teed off with irons on almost every hole. This was due to narrow landing areas, sharp turning dog legs and creating the desired approach shots.
The art of playing the game is not just about ball-striking skills, it's where you strike the ball and the decision you made before you struck it. Be smart...use common sense, play within your abilities and don't fight the odds. Chipping out into the fairway is usually a smarter choice than trying to thread a shot between two trees with a two foot gap.
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(116).."GRIP PRESSURE"
This week we talk about grip pressure. It is not often talked about in golf books, but it's a critical factor in the execution of a successful golf swing. For it is here, and only here, that the golfer comes into contact with the club during the swing. And it is the pressure your fingers exert on the club that determines your pace, coordination, motor skills, everything. .
REMEMBER THAT GOLF IS MORE OF A FINESSE GAME THAN A POWER GAME.
You have to understand that the most effective way to strike a golf ball is to swing through the the ball, as opposed to "hitting at it." And that the grip on the club is the means to achieving that end. And that the best grip is one where you the golfer are in control of it from the beginning of the swing to the end of that swing.
THE GRIP PRESSURE SHOULD BE AS LIGHT ON THE CLUB AS IS POSSIBLE AND YET STILL BE IN CONTROL.
Because of centrifugal force, the clubhead, which, at rest, begins at zero miles an hour, actually gets up to speeds upwards of 100 MPH at impact. You have to have a firm enough grip to handle a clubhead travelling that fast, and yet, have a smooth enough grip pressure to deliver the clubhead accurately and squarely into the ball. You have to grip it light enough to be able to control a swing that is causing a clubhead to travel tremendously fast.
KEEP THE GRIP PRESSURE AT A CONSTANT (LIGHT, BUT IN CONTROL) THROUGHOUT THE SWING.
The centrifugal force of a fast moving clubhead will automatically force you to have to have a firm grip. And too fast of a swing will cause you to have to increase the grip pressure to control that club even more. This is why a smooth, evenly paced backswing is considered so important. But a smooth, even grip on the club throughout the swing -- with a pressure that tries to remain constant throughout -- translates into a swing that can remain in control, and yet builds up enough power to hit the ball the distance you require. Grip it the same through the entire swing back and through.
WHEN IN A CRISIS SITUATION, GRIP IT AS LIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE.
Forget the possibility your swing won't have enough grip behind it. The natural tendency is to grip it too tight. Concentrating on gripping it extra lightly will allow you to strike the ball more cleanly and efficiently. It will serve to discourage you from gripping the club too tightly, which is the cause of many of the golfer's mis-hits.
The bottom line about grip pressure is to grip it as lightly as you can, while maintaining control of the swing. I've heard the term "grip it like you are gripping a bird by the neck," or "grip it like you're gripping an egg." No matter how smoothly you grip the club, the natural forces of the unfolding swing will provide all the clubhead speed you need. Your goal, as always, is to strike the ball as squarely and efficiently as possible If you tighten your grip you tighten your fore arms and the end result is a open face at impact. you tighten your grip you create tention and that is the lasr thing you need in your golf swing. Ever wonder why your practice swing feels so good and the cut at
the ball does not..think about it...Your grip pressure should be as light on the club as you can get away with, and should be ONLY AS FIRMLY ON THE CLUB AS IT NEEDS TO BE....just like your practice swing.
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(117).."X FACTOR"
What is the "X" factor? Simply put it is the difference in rotation between the hip turn and the shoulder turn.
To acheive an efficient x-factor you must turn your shoulders 90 degrees on the backswing to generate power. That's great, but only if you can turn your shoulders 90 degrees without over-turning your hips. If you turn your shoulders 90 degrees and your hips 50 degrees, you'll get an X-Factor of 40. Perfect. But you can achieve the same by turning your shoulders 75 degrees and limiting your hip turn to 35 degrees.
Most golfers X factor is very small ie. the hip turn and the shoulder turn are almost the same. The main reason is over rotation of the hips during the swing. A great drill to limit the hip turn and promote a larger "X" factor is after you have established your address position....pivot your right foot so the toe is pointing to the left (right handers) foot. The more you point it left the less you will be able to rotate your hips during the swing and therefore you will have to turn the shoulders more, thus increaseing the "X" factor. This is were the long ball hitters get the distance...Tiger, Daly, Love all have enormous "X" factors.
Most good ball hitters limit their hip turn and their shoulders come around until they pointing about at the ball. The long ball hitters shoulders rotate well behind the ball. This does require great flexibility, so don't overdo this drill. The important thing is to develope an "X" factor, but one that is comfortable for your body and physical abilities.
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(118).."DRIVING TIPS"
Your perfect shaft length...
Sure, longer shafts can mean longer yards, but only up to a point. As shaft length increases, your clubhead speed will actually begin to decrease, once a threshold has been reached. Grab a swingspeed meter and test different shaft lengths, beginning at 43 inches. The shaft that enables you to move the clubhead the fastest is the longest one you should use. Beware: Distance should never be a substitute for control.
Test-drive a driving iron....
Let's face it. A driver simply isn't the club for everyone. It's the longest club in the bag and, therefore, the most difficult to control. A viable option for players who struggle with the big dog is the driving iron, equipped with anywhere from 12 to 17 degrees of loft (about the same as a 3-wood), but with a shaft length more typical of a 3-iron. An added benefit is perimeter weighting, which can help shots hit near the heel or toe find a portion of the fairway. As the new millennium dawns, more and more golfers are giving the driving iron a second look.
Vary your trajectory....
There's more than one way to skin a golf hole, including adjusting your trajectory off the tee to match the playing conditions. Hitting a low shot can pay dividends in two ways, mainly by cheating a headwind and producing more roll. A higher tee ball can add yards when hitting downwind or from an elevated tee box. The easiest way to vary your trajectory: alter your tee height. As a general rule, tee the ball higher for high shots and lower for low shots.
Live with your slice....
You've tried everything to cure your slice and nothing seems to work. Big deal. A fade can be a great weapon off the tee--if you plan accordingly. If you're plagued with a left-to-right ballflight, forget about the middle of the fairway. As you set up to the ball, move your target to the left-hand side of the fairway. If your tee ball fades, you'll be in position A. If you happen to hit it straight, you're still in the fairway. Need more convincing? Give Nicklaus, Woods, Montgomerie or Duval a call.
Hitting the draw or fade doesn't require manipulating your swing. It's all in the setup (see below). For both setups, swing along your toe line to produce the desired shot shape.
Fade it!....
To hit the ball from left-to-right, set up with your toe line pointed left of target and your clubface at the target.
Draw it!....
To hit the ball from right-to-left, set up with your toe line pointed right of target and your clubface at the target.
Tee the ball at the right height....
If you play with one of the new low CG drivers, hopefully you haven't forgotten to lower your tee height. A ball teed to match a regular driver will be too high for a shallow-faced driver. Regardless of the type of driver you play, tee the ball so that its equator bisects the top of the clubhead.
Develop a go-to driver swing....
Tight fairway, match on the line. You need to put the ball in play. It's a situation most amateurs fear, which is why you need to develop a go-to driver swing-- a second serve, if you will. This is the swing that produces the most accurate drives, not the most "oohs" and "aahs" from your playing partners. The key is control, which can be yours if you simply choke down on the club (about an inch) and swing at 75 percent.
Become target-aware....
A big reason why amateurs don't hit a majority of their fairways is poor alignment, or lining up to an ill-defined target. This is understandable because the expanse of most fairways makes picking a precise target difficult (compared to lining up to the cup when putting or the flagstick on approach shots). On the tee, it's crucial that you select a specific target. Look for clouds, distant trees or even a telephone pole to target your landing area. It will help strengthen your alignment and setup and likely produce more accurate shots.
Extend, extend, extend....
Ballooning tee shots are most often caused by hitting the ball on too steep of an upswing. In trying to over-control their drives, golfers often "steer" the clubhead through impact, rather than swinging through impact. A good mental image to help conquer this flaw is to picture hitting a ball directly in front of the ball you've teed. If you extend to the imaginary ball, you'll hit better drives.
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(119).."FAIRWAY WOODS"
Groove the perfect fairway wood swing...
Hitting a fairway wood is very similar to hitting a driver in regard to the setup, although you'll discover the best results if you play the ball a bit farther back in your stance than where you'd play it with a driver. As for the swing, Tour players harmoniously agree that the word "sweep" is a good word to think of when envisioning the perfect fairway wood motion. Sweep indicates that you must catch the ball on the upswing. It also instills the notion that it's a slow, controlled movement, not an abrupt, steep lurch. The key to all this is the generation of a wide swing arc, especially on the takeaway. That's why the advice "low and slow" is so often used to describe the takeaway with the fairway woods.
Sole search...
More and more, fairway woods are designed with the intent to be used as trouble clubs. These "versatility" woods typically feature special sole designs and rails that allow them to cut through rough or glide easily over sand and hard pan.
Opt for the long three...
If your driver gives you fits, you're in luck. Many manufacturers offer "long" 3-woods, designed with 13 degrees of loft and a shaft length more typical of a fairway wood. The stronger loft should provide you with ample distance to set up a reasonable approach, while the shorter shaft length should make the club easier to control.
Beat the fairway bunker...
Don't always lay up from a fairway bunker. The sole design of most fairway woods will help it glide easily over the sand, whereas the leading edge of a long iron will tend to dig. Set up with a shoulder-wide stance and favor your weight toward your back foot. Aim left of your target with an open stance and open the face a little. Also, choke down on the club after you firmly dig your feet into the sand. As for the swing, don't be afraid to take a little sand. You'll still be able to get a lot of club face on the ball. Expect the ball to fade, so choose your target carefully.
Make it a low cg (center of gravity)...
Most amateurs agree that woods are easier to hit than long irons, which has fueled the recent trend toward replacing long irons with fairway woods. Nevertheless, fairway woods still require sound mechanics in order to produce the results you need to post a good score. For many, getting the ball airborne off the turf is difficult. That's why manufacturers have developed fairway woods with lower centers of gravity and shallower faces. These design elements effectively make it easier to get the ball airborne, help the ball fly higher and allow it to land softly at the target.
Know what replaces what...
By now, golfers know that fairway woods can be viable alternatives for the long irons. If you've thought about making the switch, it's important to know which fairway wood replaces which iron. Otherwise, you'll leave gaps in your bag that will make club selection a real nightmare. Use the chart below to dial in your fairway wood set in accordance with the clubs you'd like to leave in your closet.
2-wood (13 degrees).. Replaces ... 1 - Iron
3-wood (15 degrees).. Replaces ...1 or 2 Iron
4-wood (17 degrees).. Replaces .. 2 Iron
5-wood (18 degrees).. Replaces 2 or 3 Iron
6-wood (20 degrees).. Replaces 3 or 4 Iron
7-wood (22 degrees) .. Replaces 4 or 5 Iron
9-wood (25 degrees) ..Replaces .. 5 or 6 Iron
11-wood (27 degrees) .. Replaces ..6 Iron
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(120).."SLICE HELP"
Note: When practicing this drill, don't expect the ball to travel as it normally would. The inherent slope for this lie creates natural trajectories that are far from perfectly straight. Don't concern yourself with ballflight. The goal of this article is to help you fix the swing flaw that causes the slice, not to hit perfect golf shots.
The Drill:
Practicing hitting balls that lie above the feet will help those golfers that struggle with the swing errors associated with slicing. Players who slice the golf ball typically have too steep a downswing plane and swing from outside the target line to the inside through impact.
The first and most important adjustment you must make when hitting balls that are above your feet is to stand taller. Also, you need to swing on a flatter plane or you'll inevitably hit the ball fat. The angle or axis of your spine is what controls your natural swing plane. In order to swing the club more horizontally, you must stand taller.
When a you stand taller to the ball, it makes it easier to turn the shoulders fully. As you stand taller and turn the shoulders deeper, you effectively shallows the golf swing, enabling you to swing from the inside on the approach to the ball. A steep golf swing goes hand-in-hand with a poor shoulder turn.
As a by-product of a good shoulder turn, you will also notice a better weight transfer. The shoulder turn has two responsibilities in the golf swing. One is to swing the club on an arc to the inside of the golf ball. The other is to transfer the weight to strike the ball powerfully.
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(125).."RISK vs REWARD 1"
In golf, the risk-reward question is of major importance. Nobody wants to lose their weekly nassau on an ill-advised forced carry or foolish attempt at a full-swing flop shot. But these situations can tantalize you, and the question of whether or not the risk is worth the reward isn't always an easy one to answer, especially around the greens. To help make sense of some of these dilemmas, we'll examine five situations where there's a clear, high-risk, high-reward choice, as well as a safer, more prudent option. These are all sand wedge-scoring situations that you might face in a typical round of golf.
Situation 1:
The ball lies short of the green on a good lie, and there's plenty of green to work with.
"fly and stop" Risk
The odds-on favorite for bank-breaking results from this situation is the fly and stop. To float the ball close to the hole and stop it dead, play the ball off your front foot and assume an open stance and open club face. Set up with your hands slightly ahead of the ball, and make a long swing without any release of the hands or club head. By holding on to the club through impact, you'll impart more spin on the ball, which should help it check up near the hole.
"the low road" Reward
Position the ball in the middle of your stance, and let your hands press the club well forward. The club face should be square, or even a bit closed, to promote more run when the ball hits the green. A shorter swing and abrupt follow through will produce the desired low trajectory. Because this shot will be rolling on the green for a longer period of time, it's important to take the slope into consideration. Although the shot might not produce the greatest reward, the safety factor makes it a solid option.
Situation 2:
"bunker shot with an uphill lie."
Another toughie. It's easy to dig the club head into the slope and leave the ball in the bunker. You need to be careful here, but with practice, you can learn to get the ball on the green with relative ease, and even spin it close to the hole.
"spin city" Risk
Again, be sure to play the ball forward in your stance. Align your shoulders with the slope, so that your left shoulder is significantly higher than your right. Make sure the club face is wide open because this shot requires plenty of loft. Take a long swing that travels on the same angle as the slope. Depending on the severity of the upslope and the height of the lip of the bunker, this shot will require a harder, more aggressive swing. Regardless, it requires an extreme amount of wrist cock and a close nipping of the ball from the sand. It's crucial to get spin on this shot, or there's no way it will stop near the hole.
"old faithful" Reward
The safer shot in this situation is to play an explosion shot and simply get the ball on the green. To play this shot, align your shoulders level to the ground, not to the slope. This will be more of an explosion shot, so concentrate on getting the leading edge of the club to dig into the sand. This shot will also require a lot of force, so swing hard, and don't be afraid to take plenty of sand. Since backspin and height aren't as important here, play this shot with an open stance, but with a fairly square club face. This is a good option if you fear blading the ball, which is easy to do in this situation.
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