Effective course management means you should be playing the game like a chess match, thinking a few moves ahead. When you start the day, you know several things including your skill level and what your current tendencies are. For instance, maybe for the last week, your tendency has been to draw the ball, and your consistency has been off with a number of thinly-struck toe hits so your misses have been short and left. You should be attacking every hole with that information in mind. Before you stand over every shot you should be thinking where you’re trying to hit the ball and where a miss is most likely to go. Then you need to evaluate how likely you are to miss, and what the consequences are for the next shot if you do miss. If you’re hitting a driver off the tee and a sweeping hook that goes shorter than you expect has you flirting with an out of bounds area, then you really should be thinking of a more conservative approach if you
Book Review: Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible
Without question, this is one of the books that changed my golfing life. Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible brings science to the game of golf in a way that is easy to understand and practice. It helps take guesswork out of the short game by providing an understanding of the finesse swing and the statistical realities of the game of golf from 100 yards and in. Pelz left a career in NASA to pursue his love of golf. His scientific background and love for the game come together perfectly to bring order to the short game, where before there was chaos. Chapter Listing Score Counts in Golf Understanding the Game and Its Realities The Five Games of Golf Mechanics of the Short Game How to Score Distance Wedges The Pitch Shot Chipping and the Bump-and-Run The Sand Shot Short-Game Equipment Everyone Has a Short-Game Handicap Secrets of the Short Game The Future Highlights As would any book that covers the short game, this book covers the swing technique for every shot you’re going to face
Are You A Stickler For The Rules?
How well do you know the rules of golf? There are only 34 rules defined by the USGA (not counting Appendix I, II, and III which involve local rules, conditions of competition, and equipment). Unfortunately, it’s easy to encounter situations where it might not be apparent how to score a specific situation, so there’s a whole book covering decisions on the rules. Many people have a vague understanding of the rules. The major stuff, at least. However, having a solid understanding of the rules, and playing by them, will help you post an accurate score. This is critical if you ever hope to play in serious competition. First off, your handicap will more accurately reflect your real skill level. Secondly, while it’s important to know when to penalize yourself, it’s just as important to know about the things that will work in your favor. For instance, did you know that if your ball is in or lost in a water hazard, you have two options of how to proceed (not counting playing it where it
Walking Versus Riding
The debate has been raging for decades. Walk, or ride a cart? It seems like both sides of the argument are full of absolutists and lots of opinions that use the words “right” or “wrong”. It’s like the Coke versus Pepsi debate. To me, walking wins out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I never take a cart. If I’m playing with a friend that I know likes to ride, I’ll ride. But I believe that walking definitely has a positive effect on a round. For one, it helps keep you more loose. Especially on a cooler day. Taking a shot then sitting down/riding until the next shot keeps you from really getting and saying loose. Cart riders will notice that they do loosen up some after several holes. Usually, that’s because they end up having to do some walking to the places they can’t take carts, like in sensitive areas or around the greens. Another benefit to walking is that it gives you a chance to think about your next shot, or what
Repetition
The only real way to make any kind of permanent change to the golf swing is through repetition. It sounds like a given, but often times we start learning something and achieve some success then move on to something else before going through enough repetition to commit it to muscle memory. It’s like rolling a boulder up a hill. If you stop pushing too soon, it’s going to roll back down to the bottom. Repetition doesn’t just build muscle memory. It also builds mental strength. As you begin to groove the swing, confidence grows. When it comes time to execute under pressure, you’re more likely to perform well. Repetition is especially important in putting because it’s such a delicate matter. Some of you may be familiar with Phil Mickelson’s 100-ball putting drill. It was shown to him by the great Jackie Burke. I remember reading about it a while back before hearing that Phil had given it a try, and it fascinated me. The basic idea is that you line up ten balls in a
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