VealCutlet

I was recently fitted, and my smash factor went up as shaft length decreased. With my driver, I was getting lower clubhead speeds (-2mph), but better quality of contact, and higher ball speeds (+7mph) with a -.5" length shaft. Smash factors went from 1.39 average to 1.5. Saw similar results with irons, -.5" shaft length and moving from reg steel to stiff flex. I don't want to blame the equipment to start with, but that may be a factor.

First thing - check your alignment. Line up a shot, have a friend lay a club along your foot line, and step away before swinging. You may find that you're standing open to the target line, which will promote the fade. Once alignment is addressed, I would check your left wrist position at the top of the backswing, and at impact. If your wrist is cupped (as in the picture) at the top of the backswing, it will probably result in an open face at impact. Straightening the wrist at the top should help close the clubface at impact. This has helped cure some shanks I've been experiencing, and promotes a right-to-left flight pattern for me. Good luck.

I try to make my actual swing replicate the practice. I usually take 2 practice swings. The first is an exaggerrated swing to reinforce hip turn and downswing path. Then I set up next to the ball, and try to incorporate those thoughts, as well as tempo, into an actual practice swing. Then I step to the ball, assess the target, turn my head to the ball which then triggers my backswing. I have never measured my clubhead speed on the backswing, but a 15mph gap seems like a lot. Just don't do this. Not a bad practice swing... http://youtu.be/FLOlxVNSzcg

Tem-po, tem-po, tem-po! Starting with the putter, through the wedges, irons, and woods. As of right now, I feel like I have finally "figured out" my putting stroke - I have avoided 3-putting over my last few rounds completely. My chipping, pitching, and overall wedge play have also improved, and I now feel confident that I can control distance with those tricky 40-50-60 yard half-wedge shots. Irons and woods are still WIP.

I'm just funnin' a bit with the shorts-are-for-children thing. I wear shorts most of the time in the Summer, but there is some strange idea that I just can't escape that reminds me of something I must have seen when I was a kid...something about a schoolboy who turned a certain age and became "old enough to wear long pants." Weird? Yes. I played a semi-private course that required long pants, but never a pure public course. And I'd imagine that a muni course wouldnt' be able to strictly enforce a dress code anyway.

I'm guilty of wearing shorts during the warm months, but I have this weird idea that men should NEVER wear shorts (unless you're under 12 years old) except while cycling, playing tennis, running, or working out at the gym.

This is a bit of a Straw Man argument. In what scenario would anyone tip a waitress for asking "would you like an appetizer?" if you didn't order one, or for asking if you want another Pina Colada, and you said "not now"? However, it does seem everyone has a hand stuck out looking for a tip these days. The worst is probably ballpark food servers...who do make at least minimum wage, and expect a tip after charging $13 for a 12 oz beer.

Years ago, I got paired a number of times with a guy who liked to smoke hash on the course. I found it annoying (and no, not because he didn't offer me a hit - it just wasn't my thing.) He'd always ride in a cart, and put his pipe in one of the beverage holders. I walk this course all the time so I didn't have to deal with riding with him, but one time, we were matched up with an older guy who talked about "working for the city." Hash-man got all paranoid and worried about this guy possibly being a cop, and it totally ruined his round. Thankfully I haven't seen him in years.

Shot a 91, (Par 72, 69.5/123). A real mixed bag with 4 pars, 2 drives OB, 2 balls in water hazards, sand on 6 holes and 34 putts (zero three+ putts.)

Par 3, about 130 yards to the flag. Hit a 9 iron pin high, but about 10 yards right. Ball hung up on steep grassy downhill ledge on the far side of a greenside bunker. When I got to the ball my thought was that I wished the ball had just gone in the bunker, because there lie was too steep to have any chance of getting over the sand in 1 stroke. Upon further inspection, the lie appeared fluffy enough to slide a club under, so I thought I had a chance to at least get over the trap. The bunker was too deep to put my left foot in and make a swing, so I set up on the ledge, my body probably 60 degrees open to the target line, opened my lob wedge face as much as possible, and made a few practice swings to see if I could keep my balance. I swung and the ball jumped over the bunker, landed on the green, and stopped less than 1 foot past the hole...par. Given the lie, hazard, stance, and result, I think this was the best shot I've ever made.

I think what you're describing is what happens when the pace of play gets too slow. You wait around for what seems like forever, then you finally get a chance to hit your shot, and inevitably you rush and make a crappy swing. The anxiety of waiting is psychologically taxing, and often leads to bad shots...slower play...ad infinitum.

Par 71, 69.7/118/6260 yds. Typically 5 hours and 30 minute delay from original tee-time. I answered "always", because I play most of my golf at NYC/Long Island public courses. There are just too many people in the area and not enough courses. These courses basically have no rangers to keep the pace of play reasonable. Combine that with general cluelessness about course etiquette and pace of play, and it's a recipe for disaster. Another issue in NYC is that as the courses have upgraded their facilities, they have been booking outings at a staggering rate. Great for business, but as a public facility, bad for the people who are essentially providing the business the public space. I looked at the outings calendar at my local course recently and saw that virtually every Wed-Friday through September/October were booked with outings...which just means the course is closed and public golfers have to run over to the next course, which will either have an outing of its own, or will be overcrowded with public golfers.

Kissena Park, Flushing (Queens) NY Par 64 62.2/104 I shot a 77 today and probably could have scored a few strokes less, but the greens had been aerated recently and every putt bounced around like a ping pong ball. Then again, I hit two drives into neighboring fairways, and wound up making GIRs and par both times.

It would help to know how you are missing when you 3-putt. Is the issue distance control or is your line bad? I agree with SonicBlue that a simplified approach can work well for most people particularly when trying to determine the line of the putt. But if you're 16 feet away from the hole on your first putt, and wind up 10 feet past the hole, or 6 feet short, you need to work on distance control. A drill that I like is the "ladder" drill. Grab a few balls and set them along a line at 3, 6, 9, and 12 feet (approximately), preferably on flat ground. Go up to the shortest ball and putt, then putt the next ball, and so on. Realize that the length of your backswing should determine the distance of the putt. Longer putts should have longer backswings. You'll want to feel the clubhead accelerate through the ball...but don't rush your stroke. Make sure all of your strokes are done with the same rhythm regardless of the length of your stroke.