giantbear

I got tagged last year from real close range just below the elbow on the inside of my left arm. I was 20 yds in front and 20 yds to the back of a guy teeing off on a par three with his driver. As a walker, i wil lsometimes walk up the backside of a player, after all, how do you get hit when you are to the back of a players swing. Well, i'll tell you. Although a short hitter with a slow swing speed, in this instance my friend turned on the ball from overswinging, made great contact and hooked a pull all the way left which curved right into me. Dropped me like a stone. Luckily for me it was a scramble, so i grabbed his cart, drove to the kitchen and got a bag of ice and made it back to take my trurn putting. Played out the round icing between shots and then was out for a several days until the swelling went down. Getting hit at close range is not fun. Almost as little fun as getting run over by a golf cart, but that's a whole nother story.

This one covers my driver. Otto the Syracuse mascot

I'm all for an occasional practical joke during a fun round, but if there is money on the table or its part of a tourny, or if the joke might cause me to hurt myself, such as touching me during my swing or throwing something at me, or might damage my clubs, well, you better prepare yourself for an ass kicking as my response. Many years ago someone pulled the club between my leg while swinging routine on me and i jared my back badly as a result, was out of commission from life for 3 weeks. I have also seen people's bags fall off the cart, on grass, and had major damage to the clubs. Remember, if you are going to pull a joke, you better be prepared for the consequences, such as a club up your ass.

6 More weeks of tax season before i can even think of getting to the range.

Glad to hear you and the wife are ok, things can be replaced, people can't. Now, if your clubs are ok, can we bust up mine and throw em in the trunk??? I would love to pick up some new x-20's ;)

You sure this was about golf??

I warm up before each round if possible, maybe 20 balls. After my Saturday round i will usually hit the range for about 45 minute to work on something, usually iron play or wedge play on the pitching range. During the week, if time allows, i get in another 45 minute session at the range before playing in the afternoon. I try and always hit the driver a few times each session just cause its fun to boom em sometimes.

I watch the right side of the ball with my left eye until i see the green underneath.

These are the best i have heard as well, the first is a big problem for me. Another tidbit i picked up from watching Tiger is something he does when reading his line, cupping his hands around his eyes to shield the sun. Helps me to read the greens.

I hate the obviouse advice 'avoid the water' 'don't hit it short' 'keep your head down'. They drive me crazy.

Interesting considering the average score has been 100 for many many years. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/24/news/golf25.php

I would guess that, for most amatuers, the pros are right. But remember, if you have a 15 or better index, you are better than most amatuers and like any general advice, it may not be applicable to you. I know a lot of the players i play with who are over a 15 tend to consider how far a perfectly hit shot will go for each club instead of how far it usually goes. If they hit an 8 150 on a perfectly hit shot but usually hit it 140, they grab the 8 instead of the 7. I try and play the swing i brought. Sometimes i am hitting it well and other times, i am off in my power and 10 yds short, so on those days, i grab some extra club.

I just bought a new driver in August, I wanted to increase the head size as i thought i was losing too much yardage to equipment. My first criteria was feel. I always felt the large headed drivers felt too big when i swung them, so i was looking for a big head with a small head feel. I hit em all before buying. My second criteria was consistency of play. I took them out on the range for several days to see how consistently i hit them. I have a habit of hitting a new club really well and then setteling in with it. I narrowed it down on the range and then took the two finalists out on the course, see how they felt in game situations. To me, a club that is the longest but doesn't feel right to me is not going to allow me to take advantage of the clubs length. I may not have wound up with the 'longest club' out there, but it is the right club for me.

I hate gimiky holes. You know the type of hole, where the only reason its tough is crazy aspect to the hole. A course in Fl, par 5 where the only way from the 15 marker to the green is over a grove of tall trees, a hole on LI, par 5 with too many angles to the landing areas, par 4 where the right side of the green is blocked out by a tree from the middle of the fairway.

I love me my 60* lob wedge. Many a time it has saved a round. If i miss the green, more likely than not i am hitting my lob wedge next