PiKapp23

One trick for those shots that I learned from Dave Pelz a couple years ago - the more above you feet the ball is the further down the clubhead you align the ball (toward hosel) I have had the ball at chest height and ended up aligning ball with hosel and hit it perfect. According to what Pelz said this is because of gravity (pulling the clubhead and shaft down during swing). I have followed this rule since I heard that and have been really surprised at how well this works. it's kind of a 'feel' thing to figure out the exact positions but it'll come. Of course, a more flexible shaft means you'll have to align further down than a really stiff shaft. Most of the time if the ball is about knee height I'll align ball just above hosel and make good contact (I play stiff flex shafts).

There are a few companies making 'hybrid' carry/cart bags now that are lightweight, have double straps, but are a little bigger and sit on carts nicely. One that just came out is a model from Burton that has stand legs that can be locked in place so as not to interfer with cart. It's lightweight, but also pretty spacious. I personally only use a cart bag these days because when I walk I use a pull cart and cart bags also work better for those.

I finished the 'Winter' session in first place; 2nd place in 'Spring' session and first thus far in 'Summer' session. I am also in first place overall with 3637 total points with 9 weekly wins and 21 weekly Top 3's out of 26 weeks. I have been going against the expert picks from 'Preview' a lot this year and just going with my gut. I did pick Lucas Glover for the US Open, but that's been one of my few good 'gut feeling' picks of the year. At least I didn't pick David Duval this week (although I did think about it)

It's not that bad, but difficult to do it when playing (unless you're the only one playing that day). If you ask the course they would probably let you walk the course and map without a problem. I have mapped a couple, but played when I did it and the second 9 was not mapped as well as front 9 because I got tired of messing with it.

I bought a set of irons from them a few years ago with a price match. TGW was having a special deal at the time with $200 off on the set I wanted so I decided to ask if they matched and suprisingly they did (they even matched without the cost of shipping, although I had to pay tax (which about evened out with shipping costs for TGW.com).

A couple years ago I would have said Golf Galaxy but since they were purchased by the parent company of Dick's Sporting Good they have reduced the brands and models they carry. I would have to say I prefer Golfsmith now. The closest one for me is in Columbus, OH, which is about 100 miles away, but I make a couple trips a year just for that. They have a lot more brands and models of equipment than Galaxy does now. I've been very disappointed in GG in the last couple years. I know buy more online or travel to Golfsmith or shop elsewhere when I'm on the road somewhere.

I found these online when I first got mine and printed them off. I carry them in my bag just in case: What do the provided custom point abbreviations stand for? LFB - Left Fairway Bunker MFB - Middle Fairway Bunker RFB - Right Fairway Bunker LFW - Left Fairway Water Lay Up LFWC - Left Fairway Water Carry MFW - Middle Fairway Water Lay Up MFWC - Middle Fairway Water Carry RFW - Right Fairway Water Lay Up RFWC - Right Fairway Water Carry FGB - Front Green Bunker RGB - Right Green Bunker LGB - Left Green Bunker BGB - Back Green Bunker RGW - Right Green Water FGWC - Front Green Water Carry FGW - Front Green Water Layup LGW - Left Green Water BGW - Back Green Water CRK - Creek Lay Up CRKC - Creek Carry EOF - End of Fairway

I remember reading something a few years ago about Jack Nicklaus winning a tournament where he said he hit the ball 'thin' the entire tournament. Of course I'm sure his idea of 'thin' is still a pretty good shot, but nonetheless I found it interesting. As others have said: Thin to Win.

For me it would have to be The Masters. It's been my favorite tournament since I was a young teenager. My mother now lives about 15 minutes away, although I still have not gotten to go (I did get to drive by the course one day though - not very impressive from outside, though). I love the golf and the style of play at Augusta (although I wish length weren't as big a requirment as it has become). The Open Championship would be my second choice, especially if it was at St. Andrews.

I think the easiest is to pull the 60*. For most players it's either the least used or the most overused club in the bag. Another option might be to go with a 4W instead of a 3+ and 5W. It tends to be easier to hit off fairway than 3 wood (especially a strong 3) but with similar distance. Larger gaps at the long end of your bag are not a big deal. With irons you typically only want 10-12 yard gaps, but with longer clubs 15+ yard gaps are not a big deal (especially for higher handicap players who tend to be more inconsistent with these clubs anyway). Another less common possibility is to have pull the GW and have the PW weakened (especially since you say you hit it and the 9i about the same distance anyway. If you had it weakened to around 49-50* or so, then next club could be SW and you could keep the lob wedge if you really think you need it. I think it's a good idea in most cases to carry the same 14 (or less) clubs the vast majority of the time as this helps lead to consistency. If you were a 5 handicap then you can change clubs based on the course setup, etc., but as a higher handicap your just asking for inconsistent play. I used to be the same way, but have kept the same club setup for a couple years now and have become much more consistent because of it.

The issue I could see if you went with very low bounce is that if you play courses with sand a little softer than the normal muni or with turf that is wet/soft very often you'll quickly find yourself chunking shots in those conditions. If you play your vast majority of rounds on very firm conditions then it 'might' make sense to have very low bounce on all clubs (I know a lot of players in Texas play with less bounce). In an ideal world it would be nice to switch between bounces for different courses and conditions, but we usually just have to make a choice. 10* is probably a good choice. I carry a 56/13 and 51/8. In very sand I'll sometimes use the 51 or deloft 56 a little (and thus lessen impact of bounce).

In the past when I used the Callaway FT Hybrids I had this issue because the face was not very tall. At that time I just switched to hitting an iron. Since I changed to the Mizuno Fli-Hi CLK hybrids I have not had this issue. They have a taller face that is also not as long front to back. Of course the best fix is just to stabilize your body so you're not dipping into ball, but I combined that with a different hybrid and have done well.

19* is a bit too much, but if you play normal sand ever I would think you'd want to have wedge with 10-14* of bounce (that's the normal range for a 'sand' wedge).

I'm playing a little more than my normal right now because I'm teaching my friend's 14 year old son to play. I play 18 holes on Sunday (usually), plus 9 holes on Tuesday evening. Saturdays I either take my protege out to play (typically par 3 or executive courses) or I go to the range. Additionally, I play 1-2 extra rounds per month during the spring-summer-fall seasons. During the winter months I play every weekend that has temps above about 30 degrees with no snow on the ground. Last year I played something like 65 rounds counting weekday 9's. This year I expect that number to be a little higher.

For both drivers and irons, the best on the market is last years model (it's not like there has suddenly been some great new technology breakthrough ). For driver just find the one you like the look of best and have the shaft shorted to no longer than 45 inches (and perferably 44 inches or less). For the average rec player this will help keep the ball in play a lot more and because shots are more likely to hit the sweet spot they will usually be longer anyway. As for irons once you have decided on a category (Super Game Improvement, Game Improvement, Player) the majority of the irons within that category are going to be similar. Most of the time it's just about what you prefer the looks and feel of best. The average rec player should probably be using either SGI or GI irons and should look at sets with hybrids that replace at least the 3 and 4 irons. As far as what is probably the most preferred by 'hackers', I would bet Taylor Made drivers (maybe Nike second) and in SGI irons I would say Adams might be the most popular right now, with Callaway and Taylor Made maybe being most popular with GI irons.

Typically there isn't much too it. They just try to make sure you get the correct length for your stance and try to make sure the lie angle is correct (usually they want the sole of the putter to be flat on the ground in your stance). I know some places also look at the specific hosel/shaft configuration that works best for you as well (although I've only seen that done once). As for the question of "Is it worth it?" that's a bit subjective. A putter is a very personal thing as is the putter stroke. The correct length and lie are important, but there are people who like the toe of their putter to be a little high and some like putters that are too short (look at Jack Nicklaus). I always felt it wasn't worth it, but many do. I think the most important thing is to find a putter you like the look and feel of that works best with your stroke. Most golfers consider the length when they buy, but don't really pay attention to the hosel configuration. For example, I have realized that my stroke works best with a center-shafted putter, but it took me several putters to realize this. I can not use a putter with a plumber's neck at all and dislike any putter where face is behind the shaft more than just a few millimeters (likewise, I dislike when the face is ahead of shaft as well). The same config doesn't work the same for everyone (hence why there are so many), so find what you like and what you seem to stroke the ball with best. If a putter fitting helps give you more confidence in your putter then by all means do it.

Basically for either lie I try to get my shoulder parrallel to the surface and put the ball back in my stance to help ensure good contact. Of course this means that I usually have to aim a little bit one way or the other depending on the direction of the lie, but I have found this works much better for me as opposed to moving the ball around. I play the ball back for most awkward lies.

As others have already said, start with lessons. I know this is typically the less fun option, but being that you are new it's much easier to get lessons have get those good habits ingrained now than waiting until you've been playing a few years and picked up bad habits. If you decide to play instead, just be smart about it and play shorter courses (par 3 and 'executive' courses - no par 5's on those) and keep the driver in the bag. When you play or go to the range try to only hit ball with about 50-75% swing and try to become somewhat consistent with that before going to a full swing (which should still only be about 85-90% or so). This will help properly ingrain the proper mechanics of the swing. The key to getting better at this game is to be very patient and practice the right things. Also, spend more time putting and chipping practice than the long game since this is where most newer players strugggle the most (and may seasoned veterans as well). Most important of all is just have fun.

One trick I do for when it's really too cold to play is go to Golf Galaxy and hit on simulator. It's not a perfect way to do it, but at least it helps with muscle memory retention. I just usually go in when it's not busy and hit irons and/or driver like mine for a while. No one bothers me. I have spent over an hour before doing this. In fact, I fixed a long time ballstriking issue last winter on the simulator and my game has improved because of it. My friends and I also play down to around freezing temperatures. One friend is talking about setting up this old barn on his property to use during winter for hitting by putting in a net, buying a mat covering up the cracks in walls, and buying an indusrial heater. It'll still be cold, but it's better than nothing. I know some people who use their garages like this too, even if you just pull the car out long enough to hit some balls.

While I with the others simply because it's the right thing to do, I will also point out that the new Taylor Made R9 drivers as well as the Nike SQ Dymo Str8-Fit drivers might be a good option for you. The great thing about these is you can adjust them to help correct your slice, but are not stuck with a draw biased driver for if/when you correct it. If nothing else this gives you a feeling of comfort. I do not have an issue with a slice or hook, but still went with the Str8-Fit simply because it was comforting knowing I could buy one driver and not be tempted to buy something else if something happened with my swing that resulted in a bad ballflight. I am currently playing with the clubface square, but have played with setting for fade and draw and have to admit it does make those shots easier without trying to force it. With those drivers at only $300 right now (at least the Nike and the R9 460) they are a good price.

The 3 things I look for and judge a course on are the following: 1). Fair design - the biggest pet peeves on courses for me are too many blind shots and too many fairways with so much side-hill slope that the ball runs into bad spots. I do not mind a couple of either of these, but hate when courses do not reward good shots or, even worse, punish good shots. I like a challenge, but find it demoralizing when I have hit a good shot only to have it roll into trouble because of side hill. 2). Well maintained fairways with consistent grass. I would prefer bent grass fairways, but as long as they are well maintained and the grass is consistent condition, length and texture through the course I don't have a problem with it. 3). General course maintenance - I'm referring to the course simply being well taken care of. Good tee boxes, well maintained bunkers (with actual 'sand' and not gravel and greens that roll smoothly and are consistent speedwise from one to the next. BONUS: Pace of play, greens without crazy undulations, layup areas on long/difficult holes, visually attractive and a fair challenge for players of all levels, attractive cart girls, nice clubhouse.

I prefer to play in the AM, but do not like to go off too early for a number of reasons (including the fact I like to sleep at least a little longer on weekend than during week). About the earliest time I prefer is about 8am with the latest being about 5:30pm to ensure getting 18 in before dark. At this time of year about 8:45-9:00pm is the latest a player can finish and still have light. For the most part I think courses in the area have first tee time somewhere around 6:30am, although I know a few courses have 6:am right now. If I have nothing going on that day I like to tee off about 9:30-10:00am. That allows me to sleep in, get a good breakfast in me and not have to rush (I like to spend 30-45 minutes on practice range, plus 15+ minutes on practice/chipping before playing). Obviously, the great thing about a really early tee time is you seldom have slower players in front and can get around quite a bit faster.

Within about 15-20 minutes of the I-275 loop of Cincinnati we have about 50 courses (about 25 or so actually inside the loop) and within about a 1 hour drive we have close to 100 courses (includes Lexington, KY and Dayton, OH). We are pretty lucky in this area to have so many good courses. I play around 25+ courses a year in the area.

I don't think new clubs are the answer, although because this stupid game is so mental it might. If your pro can't get you to the point of hitting these irons at least somewhat consistently you might want to check out a different pro. As for the shafts - at this point that is also partly mental. I know when I have bought something and then get an idea that something about what I bought is not right it gets in my head and I have trouble getting past it. The MP-52's are the most forgiving MP irons possibly ever from Mizuno. They are not that much more difficult to hit than some of the game improvement irons suchs as the X series irons from Callaway. If you can get through your current struggles I think you'll be better off in the long run with the Mizzies. And I'll assume you have already done this, but make sure your irons are properly fit for you (such things as length, lie, grip size - these are all easy to fix and low in cost). Shaft flex is also really important, but costs more. The PX shafts are kind of expensive to just replace your current with. If money is not an option, then go for it because this might help give you more confidence and help your improvement process.

An interesting game to play is Bingo-Bango-Bongo (or some such name). The 3 names refer to the 3 'money' events on each hole - First on the green; closest to the hole; and first to hole out. In most playings of this game the score doesn't matter - just those three parameters. First on could be one players 2nd shot if the other player hits a longer drive and the others work the same way. The closest to the pin is determine once all (or in your case 'both') players are on the green. First In is interesting because the person furthest from hole has the first opportunity. It's a fun game to play with 2-4 players. Of course, you can easily make it 4 'games' per hole if best score also counts. If you made each game worth .25 then each hole is worth $1.