AMA Thread (@iacas)

[iacas]

  On 8/13/2016 at 2:30 PM, dennyjones said:

One of the more difficult shots for me is in a wet fairway.   It seems like I'm never getting my weight forward enough and hitting behind the ball.    I try to stand taller but I still either hit it thin or fat.

Suggestions?

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Standing taller won't do much, typically.

You've probably got the answer right there: you're not getting your weight forward properly, or you're not achieving Key #3 at least.

Working on those things will help, but here's a slightly off-the-wall idea that I want you to try. First, take an extra club so you can make a slightly shorter, more controlled swing. Second, play the ball a ball more forward in your stance, so you can feel that you not only can go forward, but that you must go forward to hit the ball well.

[onthehunt526]

Hi Erik,

This is a sort of follow-up on a previous question:

You stated before that you don't like looking in the past, but look forward. Do you have any future goals or aspirations for the Sand Trap site, in your teaching golf, or maybe some other endeavor?

[iacas]

  On 8/23/2016 at 5:03 AM, onthehunt526 said:

You stated before that you don't like looking in the past, but look forward. Do you have any future goals or aspirations for the Sand Trap site, in your teaching golf, or maybe some other endeavor?

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I don't have any real goals or aspirations for TST. I like what it is, and hope it can continue to be kind of what it is. I'd love to find four solid sponsors/partners for 2017, and the search for that will begin soon (with PING and GAME GOLF being at the top of the list of course), but that just lets the site run smoothly and with the latest software, and so on.

I'd love to have a great Newport Cup in 2017. Work on that will begin soon, too.

Teaching? I'm happy with what I do. I don't plan to move or do anything radical, so I just want to keep doing what I've been doing: growing, learning, and giving it my best every day. Do that and the future tends to take care of itself.

[woodzie264]

Hey @iacas,

Quick question: how does GHIN combine 9 hole scores? Do they just add the differentials together or is the formula more sophisticated than that? 

I've been unsuccessful finding the answer on-line. Thanks

[DaveP043]

I think I can save @iacas fingertips a little wear and tear.  You can find that answer here:

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14379

in Section 5-2.d.  Essentially, the two scores are added together, and then a differential is determined.  The Course Rating is the sum of the ratings for the two nines, while the Slope is the average of the two slopes.

[iacas]

  On 10/20/2016 at 5:42 PM, DaveP043 said:

I think I can save @iacas fingertips a little wear and tear.  You can find that answer here:

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14379

in Section 5-2.d.  Essentially, the two scores are added together, and then a differential is determined.  The Course Rating is the sum of the ratings for the two nines, while the Slope is the average of the two slopes.

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Yup.

Next question?

[Strat-Pack Rick]

@iacas How do I know if my stance is too wide ? I feel as if I get too wide sometimes which hinders my weight transfer. In an effort to not be so steep I widened my stance and have had zero benefits . With my 5-6-7 irons I havent found a comfortable stance. Right now Im a little tiny bit farther than shoulder width apart with the ball in my left armpit or shirt logo. I realize its probably hard for you to diagnose me from a thousand miles away but please try, haha. Thanks-Rick

[Hardspoon]

  On 12/17/2016 at 7:12 PM, Strat-Pack Rick said:

@iacas How do I know if my stance is too wide?

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My turn to save @iacas' fingertips a little wear and tear:

Create a MySwing thread on this site, or (even better) join Evolvr: http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/

[Strat-Pack Rick]

  On 12/17/2016 at 7:24 PM, Hardspoon said:

My turn to save @iacas' fingertips a little wear and tear:

Create a MySwing thread on this site, or (even better) join Evolvr: http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/

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  On 12/17/2016 at 7:24 PM, Hardspoon said:

My turn to save @iacas' fingertips a little wear and tear:

Create a MySwing thread on this site, or (even better) join Evolvr: http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/

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Nice...... but can you save me $50 a month ? Wear and tear on the ole wallet, haha. Wish I could go that route but I cant

[Hardspoon]

  On 12/17/2016 at 7:47 PM, Strat-Pack Rick said:

Nice...... but can you save me $50 a month ? Wear and tear on the ole wallet, haha. Wish I could go that route but I cant

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The MySwing thread is free, and I'd guarantee someone would tell you whether your stance is too wide.

OK, let's end the thread-hijack.

[iacas]

  On 12/17/2016 at 7:12 PM, Strat-Pack Rick said:

@iacas How do I know if my stance is too wide?

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This thread isn't really about specific, individual instructional questions (there are far better places for that), so I think @Hardspoon gave you the answer I'd give you.

Too wide a stance limits how much your hips can pivot (slightly) and how far forward they can transfer on the downswing. It widens the area where low point can occur.

[RandallT]

Has TST gone through any distinct "phases" as you look back in retrospect? For example, were there lean times when few posters contributed much? Or some incredible heyday period where there were just tons of good people creating good topics?

or do you divide simply into preShorty/Shorty/postShorty? That's a joke, @Shorty (if u r still there).

Or perhaps any historical stats on posts per month? 

Basically feel free to answer whatever you want about how you look back on TST history, as many of us here may not be aware of the early days. 

[Ernest Jones]

  On 1/3/2017 at 3:58 AM, RandallT said:

Has TST gone through any distinct "phases" as you look back in retrospect? For example, were there lean times when few posters contributed much? Or some incredible heyday period where there were just tons of good people creating good topics?

or do you divide simply into preShorty/Shorty/postShorty? That's a joke, @Shorty (if u r still there).

Or perhaps any historical stats on posts per month? 

Basically feel free to answer whatever you want about how you look back on TST history, as many of us here may not be aware of the early days. 

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Great query. 

[iacas]

I don't really want to answer. It's not something I have at my fingertips and I don't want to spend the time to look it up.

TST is seasonal. December is the slowest month historically. Even then we see 300k+ unique visitors.

[Ernest Jones]

  On 1/3/2017 at 5:19 AM, iacas said:

I don't really want to answer. It's not something I have at my fingertips and I don't want to spend the time to look it up.

TST is seasonal. December is the slowest month historically. Even then we see 300k+ unique visitors.

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Alright then, what size shoes do you wear?

[iacas]

  On 1/3/2017 at 5:21 AM, Ernest Jones said:

Alright then, what size shoes do you wear?

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10 or even 9.5 wide in a skate. Up to 12 in other things.

[woodzie264]

In general, for those of us who are either older or have older body parts, aside from losing distance, is there any issue with taking the club back to more of a 9-9:30 position instead of 11-11:30.  I find when I try to extend my takeaway to a higher point, I lose accuracy (I assume this is because I lose Key #1).  

[iacas]

  On 2/27/2017 at 12:47 PM, woodzie264 said:

In general, for those of us who are either older or have older body parts, aside from losing distance, is there any issue with taking the club back to more of a 9-9:30 position instead of 11-11:30.  I find when I try to extend my takeaway to a higher point, I lose accuracy (I assume this is because I lose Key #1).  

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I think that distance is important… to the point at which you're losing "too much" accuracy.

But that point is farther down the road than most people in your situation seem to think. I'd encourage you to film your swing and check out what flaw starts to exhibit itself from 9:00 to 11:00.

Also… check your 9:00 swing - it may be closer to 11:00 than you think, and your 11:00 swing may just be really long. Or you bend your left arm or something.