It was good to get back to taking lessons this week. I had my first one in quite a while on Saturday.

After watching me hit a few shots from face on and down the line perspectives, my pro’s first observation was that my takeaway is bad. I’ve been taking the club too quickly to the inside of the line to start the swing.

This is likely due to my work with a one-plane swing. It’s very rotational and the desire to take the club back on the correct plane caused me to go a little bit in the wrong direction. It goes a long way to explaining why sometimes I don’t feel right at the top of the swing and why when that happens, the result is a guaranteed snap hook. Even when I don’t do that, I still have a tendency to pull the ball left.

After putting me in a better takeaway position, my pro gave me a good drill to work on getting in a solid position to start the swing, that he wants me to do each evening at home.

The results were immediate, though.

I got rid of those lousy pulls and started putting a series of 7-iron shots dead on target. I only lapsed back into the old habit a handful of times. The rest of the shots were right on target.

As much as it sounds like a fairytale fix, I’m still going to have to work hard to adopt this change. As soon as I grabbed my 2-iron, I realized I was going to have a lot of work ahead of me. I can’t remember ever shanking a 2-iron before, but I did it a few times on the range.

No worries. It’s a strange-feeling change that will take a lot of work to make. It’s also a divergence from the Hardy one-plane swing, but as I said last week, I’m willing to let that concept go, in favor of good instruction that takes me in another direction. The one-plane swing is one of many and isn’t the only “right” one.

It wasn’t all about identifying mistakes. My pro pointed out a couple of positives in my swing.

First, he said that I have a good athletic move through impact. Second, he said my tempo is pretty good. He said it could use maybe the slightest tweaking, but that it’s really, really close.

The tempo thing was kind of eye-opening. Normally, I’m trying to hit the ball hard. Standing on the lesson tee, I was trying to hit the ball well, with no consideration for distance so I felt like I backed off just a hair. Who wants to hit bad shots in front of someone?

It’s not that I get out on the course and choose hitting long instead of striking the ball well. In fact, I’m having trouble trying to describe the change in my mentality that I felt on the lesson tee. Whatever it was, I think it led to more smoothness in my swing. The explanation could just be a simple as backing off a few percentge points on the effort-o-meter that bought a little of consistency in the process.

In the coming days, I’ll be trying to figure out how to bottle that up and take it to the course with me.

Whenever a major championship is looming, I can’t help but sit here brimming with anticipation. Each major holds a special place in my heart.

The U.S. Open, national championship of the United States conducted by the USGA, is as tough a test as any player will face in any particular year. The coolest thing is that it’s a democratic major. Got game? Then play your way in. If your handicap index is 1.4 or better, you have a shot. A tiny, minuscule, wee, infinitesimal, chance. But hey, it’s a chance.

I love the difficulty of the courses during the U.S. Open. Many people have unkind words to describe those conditions. I say, bring it on. Not because I want to see pros getting embarrassed on such a difficult course, but because the best will rise to the top. A player that isn’t at the top of his game for four rounds won’t be a factor. A player that plays intelligently, with precision, will rise to the challenge. A player that doesn’t know when to take risks or isn’t having a good ball striking week will go down in flames.

I’m having trouble trying to pick a winner this year. Tiger Woods is usually a safe pick, but he’s been injured for a while. He hasn’t played a tournament since the Masters, but he’s ready to go now. He may not win, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

How about Trevor Immelman? He won the Masters this year, but only has 2 top ten finishes in 13 starts.

Phil? I think he always has to be considered. We all know he’s had some bad moments in U.S. Opens, but without a doubt, he could find himself contending on Sunday.

There are so many cases to be made for different players. Justin Leonard won last week. Does he have more major magic? Boo Weekly is an excellent ball striker and has been playing well. Maybe it’s his week. Anthony Kim is an up-and-comer whose time may be here. Can Ogilvy win another? Is Vijay over the hill?

There are so many guys that have a shot.

I’m undecided. How about you? Who’s going to win?

Things are starting to come together. Every time I hit the course or the range or the practice green, I feel just a little more sharp than the last time. My scores are coming down, but my 18-hole scores are nowhere near where I want them to be. Last time out, I shot an 88 that could have been much lower, were it not for two blow up holes on the first nine. I managed a 41 on the second nine to get me to 88.

I’m starting to mix in birdies fairly regularly. I’m also facing a lot more makeable birdie putts. I’m not making as many as I’d like, but it’s a step in the right direction.

I did something yesterday that I’ve been putting off for too long. I scheduled a series of three lessons with the pro at my home course. It’s a switch for me from my regular pro that I’m making for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a lot closer to home and is more convenient. Second, I haven’t had a lesson for a while so this is a good time for a fresh look at my swing and what I’m trying to accomplish. A new perspective may help me make some big strides. I’m not “firing” my original pro. Sometimes a fresh perspective is quite valuable, though, so that’s exactly what I’m getting.

The only apprehension I have is that I’ve been working on my own toward developing the Jim Hardy one-plane swing. We discussed this before I scheduled the lessons. While he is somewhat familiar with Hardy’s concepts, he doesn’t teach a cookie-cutter style. Instead, he prefers to match the swing to the player’s ability, much like Butch Harmon does.

I’m prepared to let go of the one-plane swing if my pro feels that it’s best for me. I definitely agree with his preference of not trying to mold a player to a swing that may not be suitable. I think I’ll be best served by trusting in an experienced professional. After three lessons, I should have a good idea of whether things are moving in the direction that I like.

I’ve had a poll in the sidebar for a while now asking what club you have the most confidence in. OK, so technically that might not be your “favorite” club, but let’s pretend it is, because I’m tapped out on catchy titles right now.

Anyway, as of this writing, there are 241 responses that break down as follows:

• 8i (14%, 34 Votes)
• 7i (13%, 32 Votes)
• Driver (12%, 28 Votes)
• Pitching Wedge (11%, 26 Votes)
• Putter (10%, 24 Votes)
• Hybrid (8%, 19 Votes)
• Sand Wedge (7%, 17 Votes)
• 5i (6%, 15 Votes)
• Fairway Wood (5%, 12 Votes)
• 6i (4%, 10 Votes)
• 9i (4%, 10 Votes)
• Lob Wedge (4%, 9 Votes)
• 3i (1%, 2 Votes)
• 2i (0%, 1 Votes)
• 4i (0%, 1 Votes)
• Other (0%, 1 Votes)

Once again, I find the poll results to be completely fascinating. Some things really surprised me, while other things were completely expected.

In the no surprise category, the two clubs inspiring the most confidence are the 7-iron and the 8-iron.

When I was learning the game, I was taught by an old-school pro that I should warm up and hit a lot of full shots on the range with a 7-iron. I’m not sure if there are many other people that do that (I don’t anymore), but it would certainly explain the high level of confidence. If you hit it a lot, you’re going to be comfortable with it.

Another factor involved is that the 7-iron and 8-iron are short irons with lower centers of gravity that are easier to hit than long or mid irons. Mis-hits are usually more forgiving and getting the ball up in the air is no problem.

Many players have problems with the finesse game, so wedges and half 9-irons are tough shots. With the 7 and 8-irons, the players are most likely going to swing away and hit a full shot. The shorter, friendlier clubs, coupled with the more repeatable full swing, tend to give players more confidence because they get more consistent results.

Also coming at no surprise is that the long irons do not give players confidence. That’s one of the big reasons that fairway woods and hybrids are so popular. They make it easier to get the ball in the air and are more forgiving. Players have been having trouble with long irons forever.

Maybe I’m a mutant, but the 2-iron was my second choice. I have a lot of confidence in that club. I hit it long and straight, around 240-245 yards if I catch it well. I also find it’s good for shaping shots. I can turn it left and right with more reliability than I can with other clubs. If I’m on a tight hole or if my driver is off on a particular day, then the 2-iron is a no-brainer for me. If my 2-iron is off - well, then I’m in trouble.

I think the biggest surprise in the results is that the driver is so high. It finished at a solid third place, only a few votes back.

It surprises me because many players have trouble hitting the driver. Many pros recommend that high-handicappers leave it in the car, rather than risk getting into big trouble during a round. Some players tend to try for the 300 yard drive too much and end up playing out of everything but fairway. I’ve played approach shots from the adjacent fairway a few times in my day.

Maybe players are just practicing with the driver a lot. I do tend to see people hitting a lot of drivers at the range. Or, maybe Life in the Rough readers are top-notch players (well, we already know that’s true ) and the driver is simply no problem.

One thing is clear, players aren’t going to have confidence in clubs that they don’t practice with, or at least hit a lot on the course. Could it be that the list of clubs that players have the most confidence in directly corresponds to the list of clubs that players practice with the most? There could be some correlation, but that was the previous poll question and driving finished way down on the list (check the poll archive here for previous polls).

It’s possible that perception and reality are differing. In other words, some players may not realize how much time they actually spend bombing drives on the range and naturally have more confidence driving. It’s the driving range, after all.

Confidence comes from reliability. I’ve seen players that hit 200 yard drives that slice about 40 yards, who hit the fairway just about every time. You don’t have to have a sound swing, as long as it’s consistent. That could also explain the confidence in the driver. The 40 yard slicer that’s in the fairway every time would probably like to hit 300 yard laser beams, but there’s something to be said for being in the fairway all the time.

One thing I’d like to see is more confidence in clubs with a higher relative importance. The putter should inspire the most confidence. After that, wedges. Then short irons. Then probably the driver, followed by everything else. The reason being, to get the most out of your game, those clubs should get the most work and if they get the most work they should be the most consistent and if they’re the most consistent, then they should spark the most confidence.

Of course, reality doesn’t work that way. My own list doesn’t follow that trend. Incidentally, my vote in the poll was the 9-iron. I don’t know why, but when I pick up my 9-iron, I rarely mis-hit it, and my yardage is dialed in to about 140 yards. I feel like I can work it left or right whenever I need, and I can usually dig out a few extra yards when I need them.

How about your own bag? Which club gives you the most confidence? Why do you think that is?

I’m hesitant to use this stump to complain about things, but I’m going to indulge myself for a few moments. It seems like every time I go to the golf course, I’m reminded that golf course etiquette is becoming extinct. I’m not necessarily talking about how a player interacts with his group. I’m talking about how he interacts with other players and with the course itself.

Maybe I just have expectations that are too high. I got a job at a golf course before I had ever learned the game. Before that, I think I played once and had only been to the driving range with friends here and there.

A salty old pro, Bob, taught me that there was a right way and a wrong way to do things. He let me know that two (or more) people sharing clubs is forbidden because it unduly delays play. He taught me that there was a proper way to dress on the golf course. He explained to me that waving up the next group on a par three before your group putts out speeds up play. I haven’t seen that one in years.

There were many other golf influences on me at that time, as well. I understand that I had an education in golf that a lot of people don’t get, but a lot of these things are well known and yet are still ignored by more people than you can believe.

Carts

During part of my golf course employment, I was a ranger. All I had to do was roam around the course and let people know when they got out of line.

I’ve discovered over the years that cart signs and ropes along cart paths are irrelevant. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen hold ropes down with their foot so they could drive over them. Then, I’d confront them, and invariably the excuse would be, “sorry, I didn’t see the ropes.”

It’s truly amazing that the cart slowed down and their foot flailed out and landed on the ropes in just such a way that let the cart pass right over. Of course, the cart doesn’t always pass right over. Sometimes it gets hooked on the rope and yanks out like 50 yards of stakes and ropes. Or, they don’t bother to hold the ropes down and instead choose to just mow down a stake at full speed.

Ropes are put up at the direction of the maintenance superintendent, not to punish golfers, but to protect sensitive (usually wet) areas.

Then there’s the less common, but exponentially worse offense: riding the carts on tees or greens. I’ve seen this one too much. Many courses have signs directing carts away or notes on the scorecard asking that players stay 30 feet away from greens. When I was a golf course ranger, I’d be showing you the exit if I saw you on a green with a cart.

My current club asks that players ride the carts in the fairway and keep them out of the rough because of the way the rough is maintained. Of course, that rarely deters anyone. Especially the people that bomb a shot onto the next hole. On one particular hole, I see players routinely ride through the rough between holes to get to the adjacent hole and even through a marked hazard that separates them.

Have we in the United States become so lazy that we can’t walk 30 feet to the putting surface, or across a semi-dry hazard? Do we need to avoid ropes or destroy them?

Course

Golf courses are extremely expensive to maintain. By the time you include labor costs, equipment, pesticides, and everything else, it gets into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, even at your local muni.

Even with all that, there are still things that the maintenance crew can’t always deal with and it’s up to us as players to do the things that are expected of us.

The biggest duty players have is repairing ball marks. Ball marks that don’t get repaired will take weeks to heal correctly. And even then, it will lead to a bumpy putting surface that won’t roll true, usually until the next time the greens are top-dressed.

I guess maybe it’s just my course, but sometimes late in the day, I can count a couple dozen unrepaired ball marks on any particular green. Those scars add up over time and lead to bumpy greens. If you don’t fix ball marks, you’re not only making life difficult for other players, but chances are you’re adding to the slow degradation of the greens that will come back to bite you later.

Another big one is dealing with divots properly. Some courses ask that they be replaced. Others want them filled with a sand mixture. You can find out your course’s policy in the pro shop. The important part is that whatever it is, you do it.

Golf course superintendents work hard to keep crab grass and other bad grasses from growing on the course. Consequently, most courses apply a pre-emergent chemical to the turf to prevent the growth of these grasses by creating a chemical barrier in the soil.

When a divot is cut from the turf, that barrier is removed. If the divot isn’t replaced or filled, then crab grass and other weeds will begin to occupy that spot very quickly.

No one wants to play on a fairway that’s covered with weeds. So why are there so many divots that don’t get dealt with? It’s one thing when a divot explodes and can’t be replaced. But if you leave a chunk of sod laying there or an unfilled divot, then you’re not doing your part.

Players

Treatment of the course is one thing, but the treatment that fellow players give to each other is the one that really disappoints me sometimes.

Golf is supposed to be a gentleman’s (and ladies’) game. It seems, however, that players seldom consider each other when on the course. How about some basic courtesy out there?

For instance, when you’re out playing with your buddies, maybe you didn’t stop for a second to think that you’re not the only group on the course? Next time your group lets out a cheer fit for a hockey game after one of you chips in to save double bogey, consider that someone on the adjacent tee is going to be steaming if he’s in the middle of his back swing when the good times start to roll.

If some stranger stood next to you and intentionally shouted during your back swing, you’d be pretty angry. Think about that next time you’re out there.

Along those lines, if you’re using a gas-powered cart, show a little consideration for nearby players. Sometimes it seems like players believe there is some sort of invisible barrier between the holes. If I’m ten yards away from you on an adjacent hole, then believe it or not, when you jump in your cart and speed off, it’s going to be a little distracting if I’m in the middle of my swing.

The same thing goes for when your group putts out and you’re on the way to the next tee. If you’re going to pass close to another tee (or a player on an adjacent hole) that has addressed the ball, then give him a few seconds to hit his shot before continuing on. The next player will wait for you to pass before addressing his shot, but for a player already in the middle of his swing, the results could be disastrous.

In my estimation, many of these breaches are alcohol fueled. Especially improper use of golf carts and excessive noise on the course. It’s disappointing that players can’t save that for the 19th hole, but I guess that’s just the way of things these days.

Thanks for letting me get these things off my chest. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide to etiquette. It’s a few of the most egregious things I see just about every time I set foot on a golf course. Let’s all do our part to maintain the rich tradition of etiquette, sportsmanship, and fellowship that golf has developed over the centuries.

Click here for the USGA guidelines on golf etiquette, for a much more comprehensive guide to proper behavior on the golf course.