Patrick Gilmore

I wonder if some of the confusion stems from how we translate what we see into an aimpoint. If you see a line then relate it to the hole you might say inside right or two balls left. You know that what you see is a curve that if you start your ball on that path it will curve into the hole. On longer putts this is silly, but on short putts, under 10 feet, if break is not severe, it can be expressed this way. On long putts it will screw up your alignment. I blame this trend on golf announcers looking for shorthand way to communicate break.

I believe Peltz's research showed most am's under read, but I feel that most go about reading putts poorly, and speed control is even worse, so if speed was better then fewer would be low. I know speed is part of the read, but watch newer golfers, low putts finish just by the hole and high ones well past. I feel new golfers should emphasize long putts in practice.

I feel there is a feedback mechanisn at work here. During practice and play players believe that what the see is real. What happens is that their brains/bodies learn to translate what they see into the results the seek. Of course this leads to inconsistency. I feel this is why there are some who pull or push puts, as long as consistently, often, at least some days, putt well. This is why I laugh when people insist on keeping the flag in on longer putts. If you aim at the hole when you putt it will almost always miss unless on pool table like greens.

You may want to start by identifying a golfer, maybe a pro on TV who you feel has a similar body type to you, even better if their personality type matches yours. After that find some analysis of that golfers swing, golf magazines often have online photo reviews of top golfers swings. If they have a coach look them up and see if their thoughts make sense to you. Read through the forum section on this site discussing golf books. The thing about instruction is that much of it is aimed at golfers who have certain swing styles. Some of it is mostly a persons preferance, grip interlock, overlap, baseball etc. In time you will learn that certain tips just don't apply to your type of swing.

When at the range try to determine the distance the ball lands, not finishes at. I practice frequently, but if you don't then try to compare how much differnce the wind makes on different visits. The final part is judging lies and elevation changes. Of course you will find that certain greens will have varying release, roll and over time you will learn to adjust for that as well. I feel most new golfers do not take enough extra club into the wind and not enough less with the wind.

It doesn't seem like you have much of a choice. Most of the hats offered are branded. I can choose to buy one with my favorite sport team, home course etc, but very little without some type of identiification is available. Izod made this a valuable marketing tool when I was young, before that only a very few very high end products were identified by logos. Unfortunately using logos seems to have replaced quality as the way to market your product in clothing. I have noted a steady decline in the quality of materials, construction, and originality even in the supposedly premium brands. There was a time when you could purchase shirts, slacks, hats etc. and expect them to look good for up to 3 years with proper care. Nowdays you are lucky if they last to the end of the current season.

Amount lost is of course variable, based on genetics, injury, and fitness level. I was never long so my lost distance is probably not as great, maybe the same percentage? as long hitters. At age 35 I averaged 235. max 260, at 55 I average 215, max 235. I am about 1 1/2 clubs shorter on longer irons about 1 club on short irons. Without the advances in shafts and stronger lofts I suspect the drop would be more. I often play with some even older guys and there is a definite connection between their general health and how much distance they retain.

Part of this is that the tenets of S & T are now being emphasized by instuctors not under the S&T; umbrella. I have repeatedly heard players and instuctors using phrases like cover the ball, use the ground as a power source, etc. S & T mostly tries to identify historically proven concepts, test them against science and provide a framework to learn them in. For those focused on ball striking, especially with the irons S &T; has a lot of merit. For those with other priorities, distance etc emphasis on other things, provided you have the talent, John Daly for example, may suit you more. Commentators hob nob with the golf establishement. Because of this I feel they are very resistant to ideas outside of the old guard of players and instructors. From my perspective this is both good and bad. Some fashionable ideas turn out to be worthless, on the other hand some good ideas get rejected. Either way I always remind myself that what works for a talented young PGA player, x factor, for example, makes little sense for my middle aged body.

I know its a flip response, but to quote a corny old song, you got to know when to hold em and you got to know when to fold em. Like a lot of power players when he is not on his game he has trouble dialing back and scraping it around to save a poor round. When a guy who hits it so far gets off the misses just kill you.

I said a bit of both, but as Dirty Harry would say a mans got to know his limitations. I will play careful strategy with hopefully aggressive shots when I need to. The one thing I rarely do is try the hero recovery after a bad tee shot. Its one thing to pin hunt on a short hole or easy pin position, but turning a bogey into a triple by deluding myself I have phil the thrill or tiger skills is just stupid golf.

I think I may have created a duuplicate account? See after my last post I became Patrickl, I would prefer to stay allin?

I hate it when I flub a simple shot. The tap in you swipe at, the short chip etc. Because you know you have thoughtlessly given away strokes it really takes the fun out of a round.

Sometimes companies presence varies considerably by country. I suspect Wilson and Yonex are bigger players outside the USA. I have been very satisfied with my Wilson and Tour Edge clubs. I am carrying Cleveland wedges and a Taylor Made putter so I hope that is because I am open to what works for me at my budget level and not anything else.

I agree, This is why putts for GIR is more important then total putts. My total putts is low because I have few GIR, chip adequately and putt well. My total putts per round two years ago, didn't keep it last year, was 31.6. My putts per GIR was 1.89. I rarely had a putt of less than 15 feet on a GIR. It's hell to be old and a short hitter. I once played from the red tees to test this, I shot 2 under par, 15-16 shots better than my normal score. .