Michael

Participation is currently decreasing 2-4% per year. From 2016-2018, the closure rate is 150-200 courses per year. New course to closed ratio stands at 1:8. Adidas golf revenue fell 66% from 2016-2018. Adidas tried to sell some of their golf brands (Adams, Ashworth, ...) for 1.5 billion, which was considered a fire sale. They got $425 million. The world's largest golf retailer went bankrupt. Obesity is on the rise; video sports are taking over; golf is relatively more expensive. Real estate is more expensive. Consider the price per golfer per acre and compare that to other sports. New variants of golf are being invented - not because golf itself is more popular. Even lovers of the game complain about the playing time. The county club model of bringing kids to play golf/tennis/swimming all day is almost dead. Many courses really don't have a real course pro anymore. Due to increasing hurricane and typhoon intensity, any course near certain parts of the oceans (like the entire US eastern seaboard) will be un-maintainable. Expect to see grass diseases that will defy attempts for a cure. Air conditioned carts on artificial grass will be a temporary solution only for the aging well-to-do. I expect 1 or 2 two extreme advances in technology will make current courses obsolete very quickly, even for average players. Nevermind that these advances will violate USGA/R&A rules; people will be happy to ignore those rules. Any hole under 300 yards will be a par 3, partly because the hole size will vary between 6 to 12 inches in diameter. Some courses will try and survive by shortening to 4000 yards - par 30-40. Thus, the game seen on TV will be on a select few courses that no one else can play. There will debates about which variant of golf is really "golf". More money will be made by turning that land into a Amazon-like warehouse, of which 25,000 more will be needed.

Given that I think golf as an outdoor sport will be non-existent in 30-40 years, I think smaller courses are temporarily inevitable. Not sure that means it is better.

I was B-FIt for Bridgestone Tour B330-RX golf balls - Louis Oosthuizen -12 - Victor Dubuisson -9 - Jordan Spieth -8

What the media does or doesn't do is not the issue. You're suggesting that a captain has a significant role on the outcome. I disagree, especially when the score is 16.5 to 11.5. Europe had a slightly stronger team, but not a 5 point stronger team. Yes, something is wrong, but it is not the captain. Just look at the recent history. Watson should admit he failed; Mickelson should admit he and his team failed. That is how the recovery begins (as opposed to pointing fingers).

Henrik Stenson -8 Victor Dubuisson -4 Martin Kaymer -5 And I want to win a Call. BB Driver.

Two points I don't think have been mentioned yet: 1. Even though belly putters don't rank high in the PGA putting stats, I believe I read those players became significantly better putters after switching, and 2. I'm guessing the R&A; does not care, but I am sure the USGA is afraid the equipment manufacturers will sue them. It was entirely possible that Ping could have busted the USGA had their square groove case gone to court and won.

I guess I have a different take on this. Some of it comes from a slight back pain I use to have (not from golf), and some of it comes from yoga. 1. Both anterior and posterior tilt are not good, assuming this goes against the natural curves of the spine. Trying to force an exaggeration of one position or the other causes stress. 2. Most of the pictures show set-up or top of the back swing. The key picture should be impact. This is the position where you apply the most force, and it is the position that applies the most stress on the spine. I think a good movie of the typical down swing would show a golfer's spine starting to approach the ground because he is using force to hit the ball. But the golfer immediately resists that downward move by "bending" the spine in a C position. If they don't resist, they would hit a fat shot. Thus, the spine at impact does not resemble the spine at address for most golfers. This impact position is stressful, I would maintain. 3. Since pros are good golfers, I guess the assumption is that their spine positions must be good too. There is credence to this, but I am not totally convinced. We really need a study that analyzes their spine agility and strength after 20 or so years of swinging. We all know great golfers with bad backs. Would set up pictures of Couples or Zoeller look that much different? 4. If your spine is strong, then a bad spine position might cause something else to go bad, like the hips or shoulders. 5. I recommend yoga, mainly because it makes you aware of what position your spine is in. A lot of bad back posture is due to ignorance (lack of awareness) of what your spine is doing.

International 18 US 16 adam scott

I agree, what's not to like? The comment from senorchipolte is correct: you fan open your hands going back. Hey, it's not modern, but Hogan did it. It can stop a hook, if that's a problem for you. You are really just missing details. For example, you swing back well, but you do not wind up. Figure out how to torque your torso (excuse the alliteration) like a rubber band. One reason is that you let your weight fall on the outside of the right foot (note that I did not say sway). Keep the weight on the inside of the right foot. On the downswing, you hit down well, but you do not drive the club head thru - it's like you think there is nothing left to do once you make contact. So you are a swinger, not a hitter. If you want to be come the latter - and I am not sure your should - start lifting weights.

Drills are hit or miss. Maybe the 15th one you try is the one for you. A new attitude may help. Consider this: hitting an (iron) shot on the low point of one's swing is a trick shot that requires much more timing and coordination. I'm convinced a tour pro would miss more often swinging that way than swinging with a descending blow. Taking proper divots requires overcoming the fear of hitting it fat. So step over from the dark side and start hitting with a descending blow and just endure all those fat shots that will eventually come. If you play or practice enough, the time will come when you will forget how to swing the old way. That will be the start of improvement. Take my word for it, a descending blow with the club square at the ball with a release after impact is probably the greatest feeling in golf. You can have my holes-on-one (all 2 of them).

Trying to hit the ball at the low point of one's (iron) swing is a trick shot that requires much more timing and coordination. I'm sure tour pros could not hit as many good shots swinging that way. And that is why so many people who do not take divots have problems. If you think about it, a descending blow is actually much easier - there are far more opportunities to hit the ball square as the club descends. A descending blow, however, requires a release of the hands after impact - unless you prefer to keep the club stuck in the ground. A release of the hands after impact requires a kind of "letting go", which many golfers are afraid to do. Golf is a lot about overcoming fear.

Tom Lehman, right? (Except very little hip turn on your part.)

A lot of talent in that swing. I totally, totally agree with cbrian. You swing with your hands, and you swing too horizontal. Think "one piece swing". I cannot tell, but is your left wrist cupped (or bowed) at the top? Keep it flat - if that causes a hook, then change your grip.

I agree that wrist cupping is a major slice move. But most people cup, or cup even more, during the swing than they do at address. A flat wrist at address is a nice aid, but it is even better to be aware of what it feels like during the swing. To me, it does not feel like it does at address (because of gravity). One more thing, many pros/teachers, including Hogan, will tell you the wrist should bow forward at impact.

I agree with all the prior posts, but I want to tackle this from a different angle. You have the old Japanese style swing. When Jumbo Ozaki was #1 in Japan, all the Japanese pros started copying him. He swung with his upper body, especially his pecs. And they were long. In fact, you almost look like you lift weights. Since you don't play every day like Jumbo did, you upper body probably does not rotate fast enough as much as it should, and I would guess you have a lot of pushed shots, especially with the longer clubs. The solution is not necessarily to rotate the upper body faster, unless you start playing more. The solution is to coordinate the lower body with the upper body, i.e., keep them in sync. If you want to slow down the lower body (which you appear to be doing right now), then slow down the upper body. And vice versa. Start thinking of grace and rhythum; stop thinking about body parts. You are an excellent candidate for switching over to swing visualization. (If you don't push a lot of shots, then ignore everything I said.)

OK, so I will be the first to comment. Yes, you are not flipping (your hands, I assume) anymore. The hooks are probably due to a death grip with the right hand. The grip is ok, except that you are taking the right thumb almost entirely off the shaft, giving yourself the opportunity to swing more with your right palm and less with your right fingers. If you weren't so physically strong, or if you didn't swing so fast, your right hand would probably not be a problem. You can keep that grip if you want, but you are going to have to learn to swing with a stronger left hand. Give that a month or two. Now here is the bad news. Notice your head. It goes up on the backswing, then it goes back down at impact, then it goes back up on the follow thru. There is only one PGA tour pro I know that did this. Your club therefore goes vertical, giving yourself another easy opportunity to pull the club (left). However, I love the follow thru toward the target - in your case, you need to do that to compensate for a possible pull-hook. Long term, you are going to need to swing on plane - just keeping your head still is not enough. Depending on your athletic ability, this could be easy or difficult. I would say your potential for a better swing is there. Start reading about swing plane.