A huge percentage of high handicap golfers have swing flaws that cause them to slice the ball. For anyone unaware, a slice is a shot that curves excessively to the right for a right-handed player or to the left for a left-handed player. The basic cause is an open club face at impact (where the club face points to the right of the target for a right hander). But there are other flaws that lead to that open club face and, in fact, help to magnify the slice. I want to dedicate this week to helping you cure your slice for good. Today, we’re going to go over one of the biggest causes for the slice: an “over the top” swing. I get the impression that sometimes there is some misunderstanding about what an over the top, or out to in, swing path really is. Let’s talk about that some more. I’m sure most of you have heard talk of the swing plane. That’s an imaginary surface that the club travels along while making the
Golf Etiquette, Part II
Yesterday, in Part I of this two part post about golf etiquette, I covered pace of play and basic care for the course. Today, I want to focus more on safety and consideration for fellow players and course employees. Safety Safety on a golf course is too often overlooked. It seems like such a harmless game. However, there is the chance for serious injury if we aren’t careful. Here are some tips to help everyone stay safe. We all hit bad shots, but when one gets away from us, it is imperative that we yell “Fore!” to alert other golfers that an errant shot may be coming their way. This includes times when it might seem like no one is in danger. Golf courses may seem wide open, but it’s easy for people to be obscured from view in wooded areas, low spots, behind mounds, or in other areas. When a golf ball leaves the face of a driver, it may be traveling upwards of 150 miles per hour and even when it lands is
Golf Etiquette, Part I
Golf is somewhat unique in that there is an entire code of etiquette to guide us. The Rules of Golf tell us how the game is played, but the rules of etiquette tell us how to go about it. I worked at a course for about five seasons while I was in college and have been a player and fan of the game for many years. It saddens me when people who know proper etiquette refuse to do the small things that make the game fun for everyone as if their greens fee gives them ownership of the course. I’ve also come to realize that many people just don’t know many of the details about golf etiquette. I wanted to spend a little time going over the basics so that those who don’t know will get an introduction. I’m also hoping that those who know proper etiquette but ignore it will have a change of heart. Pace of Play Pace of play is a huge problem in the United States. It’s surprising because if you
Want Proof that Golf is Mostly Mental?
I’ve been struggling with my comeback and with my press onward. I’m spraying the ball all over the place. It’s gotten to the point where I made all my planned rounds optional with range sessions waiting to take their place. Up until now, even my range sessions were a struggle. I’ve taken a little time the last few days to recover some, with my new fitness regimen beating me down (I love it, but I just need to build up some endurance). With a little time to kill before heading over to a friend’s house for some July 4th festivities, I decided to hit the range. With the pressure of poor on-course performance removed, and with several days to let my head clear, I had the best range session I’ve had in a long time. Not every shot was perfect, but many were. And when I hit a bad shot, I followed it up with a correction and a good shot. I was like Tiger Woods on the range. Well, OK, that’s an exaggeration. But
Putting to a Distance
When I was first learning the game, a young assistant pro at the course where I worked saw me struggling on the practice green with lag putts and distance control. He shared a tip with me that I’m passing on to you. When trying to get a feel for distance on lag putts, it helps to pace off the putts and then associate a specific stroke with a specific distance as a way to enhance your muscle memory recall. On your practice green, pace off a relatively level putt and figure out the distance. Then make several putts to the target, paying careful attention to the length of stroke you make for that length putt. After a handful of shots, you’ll notice that you’ve grooved a stroke that is of the proper distance most of the time (it doesn’t matter if you’re making the putts). Then, in your mind, you can associate that swing with that specific distance. Say, you’re hitting to a target that’s ten paces from you. After you practice the stroke and
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