We all know golf is a game of misses. The only shots that come off exactly as we want are the ones that go in the hole, and many times they still didn’t happen exactly as we wanted. Have you ever made a putt that hit the hole so hard, it popped a few inches in the air before falling? Then you know what I mean.
So often, I find myself (and observe others) being fixated on the cup, no matter [...]
posted in Course Management • 5 Comments
A few weeks back, I was contacted by a reader who is interested in learning how to read lies and suggested the topic to me. I thought it was a great idea, so here we are. He pointed to a recent golf telecast where Nick Faldo, in discussing the new groove regulations for 2010, pointed out that players are going to have to do a better job of reading lies now.
As most of you probably know by now, grooves in [...]
posted in Ball Striking Tips, Course Management • 2 Comments
The poll in the sidebar asking for your most dreaded shots has been running for a while and as time goes on, I’m getting a much clearer picture of what kinds of golf shots you collectively don’t want to face.
Previously, I covered the tee shot on a tight driving hole, and the long carry over water. Since then, the tight tee shot was overtaken by the delicate downhill pitch/chip over a bunker with the pin cut close, moving it to [...]
posted in Course Management, Short Game Tips • 2 Comments
I’m still eagerly following the sidebar poll where I asked you to tell me about your most dreaded shots in golf. Previously we covered tee shots on tight driving holes. Currently in second place with 15% of the vote, we’ll turn our attention toward the universally hated long carry over water.
I’m a little surprised that this type of shot is the subject of such dread because the solution has nothing to do with swing fundamentals. Conquering these shots has everything [...]
posted in Course Management, Mental Game • 6 Comments
This month, as I was leafing through the current issue of Golf Magazine (Feb. 2008), I came across an article featuring Retief Goosen about how to dominate par three holes. It’s a nice article with some good tips, but there was one bit of information in there that blew me away.
Now, I should preface that by saying that I’m amazed sometimes at what I think I understand but really don’t, at least until something clicks. This article gave [...]
posted in Course Management • 5 Comments
For the last few days, we’ve been talking about the dreaded slice. Yesterday, I focused on the “over the top” move, that often leads to a slice (and possibly a pull-hook). While that might be a big reason that golfers slice the ball, it’s not the only possibility.
Remember that a slice is caused by an open club face at impact. Having a faulty swing path, as with an over the top swing, is a definite factor. [...]
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My name is Mike Gray and I'm a software engineer pursuing my dream to become a golf pro.
Life in the Rough is a chronicle of my journey. It covers my progress, my successes, my setbacks. I'll share everything I learn and do along the way, including reviews and tips. Maybe what I learn can help you too.
