HighlandLaird

I had L4/5 and L5/S1 discectomies in 1991, with further surgery in 1994 and 1995. I was able to play golf again within a month of the operations. Rehabilitation exercises need to be adhered to, but you'll find that once the surgery is complete, there is very little reason not to return to golf, unless of course you have also had a spinal fusion, when it will take at least three months ro recover. Long term, there is the danger of spinal stenosis, which unfortunately I now suffer from, with numb feet !!! But I'm damned if I'll give up golf----I've bought a buggy and I'm still rolling along..... Keep at it, and good luck.

Fat shots. This is the typical fault with those who hit their irons fat, probably because the swing becomes steep, with an over-the-top approach and out-to-in attack. At address, if you lower the club, the butt should touch the thigh just above the knee cap. This is an intermittent fault I have had for years, especially when I do not play for a while ( every winter where I live !) and I have to remind myself to stand further away----it instantly cures the "fats".

Thank you all for your contributions!! You really are very kind to try to help, and I must say, I have been trying everything you have said, and my distance is creeping up. Many thanks. The only suggestion that was disruptive was to take viagra------it's keeping me away from the course..............

No, it isn't like calling oneself "doctor". I am a doctor, and I earned the degree the hard way. British "knighthoods" are political appointments, and unearned. Please do not confuse the two, sir.

I am Scottish, but greatly disapprove of these political titles. They have been given to pop stars like Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Eltom John, so they are thoroughly discredited and an absolute joke. I do not recognise them and never would call someone by such a ludicrous title. Having said all that, Faldo was number one in the world, and never took performance-enhancing drugs. Can a certain American, with an animal nickname say the same???? Almost certainly, no.

You're so right, socketeer. I know a guy who heard that an advertised gizmo would give him 25% better mileage per gallon from his car, so he bought four ! There really is one born every minute.....

Yes, unfortunately, I had three separate operations for herniated lumbar discs in 1992, 1994 and 1995, then had a cartilage removed from right knee in 2010. Just an old wreck, I suppose. I'll certainly try your suggestions.

Sadly they won't allow that here in England. They're obviously much nicer people in Texas!

Get clubs that fit you, then stick with them. Constant change results in never being truly "used" to your equipment, producing constant doubt. As Arnie Palmer said, there's no point practising with clubs other than your own. They make wonderful clubs today, but you won't necessarily hit them as well as the ones you're used to. It really is vital-----I still have a Tom Morris 1 iron made for me in 1964 in St. Andrews, still with the original stiff Accles and Pollock shaft and I have used it so often that even at my age of 71, I still hit it well, off the ground or a tee peg. I've tried other 1 irons, and simply cannot hit them at all. I remember Lee Trevino in the 1970s, with a John Letters bag, hood up so we couldn't see what clubs he used---but I sneaked a look, and they were NOT Letters clubs, but very old, partly rusty irons he obviously liked. He certainly hit them superbly. Advertising agencies make fortunes from persuading us to buy, buy, buy.........and so do the pros who endorse clubs! It's amusing that used clubs are often in great condition, yet cost very little----and it's cheap to adapt them, with changes in lies, shafts, shaft lengths and grips, but the manufacturers don't want you to know this.

Sam Snead was a better striker than Hogan, much longer and just as straight. He also won more tournaments on the PGA tour than anyone else (82) and a reputed 200+ worldwide. He scored 59 on several occasions, one of which was in the Greenbrier Tournament, and achieved before Geiberger's. He was involved in three playoffs with Ben Hogan, one of which was for the Masters, and won them all. AND----what a swing!!!! IMHO, only Bobby Locke made a purer contact with the golf ball than Sam.

Thank you very much indeed gentlemen for your helpful replies----I shall try what you suggest, and report back! I'm going to get some weights and start 'working out' as you recommend. Thank you again for taking the time and trouble to help this desperate old man !!

From 1975 to 1980, the 7 iron had a loft of 40 degrees. From 1980 to 1995, " " " " " " " 36 " From 1995 to today, " " " has " " " 33-34 degrees. The shafts of irons are also half an inch longer today than in the 1980s. So really, the current 7 iron is equivalent to Jack Nicklaus's 5 iron !

Used to be a very long hitter, and had a plus handicap, but over the last three or four years I have lost many yards, not just off the tee but also with the other clubs, and in the last thirty years,. I've lost over 50 yards off the tee. As a result, my handicap is rising quickly. I've tried lessons, a looser grip, thinner grips on my clubs, longer drivers, more lofted drivers, more flexible shafts, excercising with a heavy club, changing balls, all to no avail. Is this nature telling me to buy a recliner chair or is there hope? Any help would be greatly appreciated !!

Golden Ram "Tom Watson" forged heel-shafted blade putter. Fabulous feel

If your grips become slippery, just scrub them with washing-up liquid and warm water, being sure to rinse off the soap before drying---you'll find they quickly become tacky again, and often better than when newly installed. I also play gloveless, and so thicken my grips beneath the left hand, and slightly less beneath the right. I used Golf Pride Tour Velvet ribbed, but now find Black Widow, ribbed white grips become slippery less easily and give better traction and feel. At the moment, they're also cheaper, so you can experiment at low cost. I've tried cords, but playing gloveless, there is a nasty tendency to 'skin' the left thumb, especially when hitting irons from hard ground !

I find that grips "keep" for a long time, especially if you keep them in air-tight plastic bags. As for the Black Widow grips, I have some "ribbed" white ones, and they give superb traction and feel. I love them, but of course, as with most things in golf, it's all personal preference. I find round grips unpleasant, and always use ribbed ones, and until recently have used Golf Pride Tour Velvets, but now prefer Black Widow ribbed----they do not become slippery as quickly and need scrubbing with soap and warm water less often.

I started golf at the age of 13 in 1955 when the only golf shoes available were those with metal spikes, apart from the few available with rubber "maze" pattern soles, which were useless when it was wet. I must say I find the newer plastic cleats OK, except on hilly, wet courses where you really do need metal spikes---I've taken a tumble more than once because of this. My own preference is always for metal spikes---they are the best all round, and there is very little evidence for them causing more damge to greens than any other type. Indeed they seem to help with aeration. Most clubs here in Britain still allow metal spikes, although I understand they are banned at many American courses. Sadly, it is very difficult to find new shoes with metal spikes, but fortunately, I'm not very hard on my shoes, and I still have some from years gone by---even some tan brogues with "kilties" believe it or not. Does anyone know of manufacturers still offering metal-spiked shoes?

Bobby Locke was undoubtedly one of the finest strikers and indeed golfers. He was unorthodox, in that he hooked every shot about 50 yards in the air. When he won the Open Championship at St. Andrews in 1957, he aimed at Tom Morris's shop at the 18th, WAY to the right of target, and put the ball to 12 inches! A South African, he was leading money winner in the USA on the PGA tour in 1947, so the American pros got together and had him banned!!!! He then decided to play in Britain, and he won countless tournaments including FOUR British Open Championships. I saw him give an exhibition once, and he proved he could hit absolutely any shot----high fade, low fade, high hook, low hook, or straight shot! He was an absolute magician. He has been forgotten in America, because of the jealousy of the American pros, who did not like him taking what they considered to be "their" money!! After he left the USA, he invited Sam Snead to play in South Africa, and they played 18 matches against each other. Locke won 17, and the other one was halved!! Close behind Locke would be Peter Thomson, then Lee Trevino, Dai Rees, Jack NIcklaus and Peter Alliss. However, I have to say that the absolutely BEST striker I have ever seen (and I played in several British Opens, as well as British, French and other European Amateur Championships) was a man few have heard of----T.H.T. (Tom) Fairbairn, an English pro who won many British tourneys in the 1950s and 1960s. He was simply unbelievably good, and no description can convey the sound of a drive or long iron shot of his----"crisp" does not begin to sum it up. Every single shot seemed to come out of the exact sweet spot, and iron shots never showed a trace of being mishit or misaligned. I think there have been many golfers who have been exceptional strikers, producing wondrous ball flights, but of whom we have never heard because they were not necessarily successful competitively, for whatever reason. Some simply couldn't be bothered, and some just did not like competition. I played several rounds with a young man in Germany who hit fabulous, towering, drawing fairway woods, and one irons, and hardly ever hit a poor shot, but who was so dedicated to his profession, he gave up golf at an early age!! Many are the reasons for lack of competitive success, especially in the past. When I was good enough to be a pro in the late 1950s and the 1960s, there was absolutely NO money in pro golf, and anyone with a professional career (I'm a retired doctor) didn't even consider being a pro. Indeed, turning pro was rather akin to becoming a street sweeper in Britain, at least!! Even in the US, little money was made, except by the most successful, like Casper, Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Weiskopf et al. As Arnie has pointed out, in those days, you had to win, and win often, to make a good living---the also-rans were poor! Nowadays, any player on the PGA or European Tour is rich, without ever having to win a tournament, far less the multiple wins of the likes of Palmer and co. Sorry to ramble on, but I'm reminiscing, as we're currently snow-bound here, near the highest town in Britain-----hope I haven't bored you guys too much, and let's hope for a good summer!!

John Letters Master Model, double flange. Wonderful irons, which Gary Player and Lee Tervino played.. But best of all (and I have had almost every blade iron made) is the 1999 Ben Hogan Apex. They have a good degree of "bounce" in the sole, and a lovely "buttery" feel. The only drawback is that if you want to change the shafts, they take taper tip, but are of such soft steel, they are easily drilled out to 0.370" for parallel tip shafts-----I have done this on my set, which comprises 2-SW, plus 54degree gap wedge.

It reminds me of the man who heard that a gizmo would save 25% of the fuel his car used, so he bought four.

I remember a friend of mine, a very good player, was asked how such a small fellow (he's only 5'4") could hit the ball so far and so well. His reply summed up this topic perfectly, although some may think him immodest:- "Sheer unparalleled ability" There is no substitute for sheer athletic ability. You cannot teach a flat-footed, knock-kneed unathletic softie to play golf (or any other sport) well !!

A 3 wood shaft will have been "tipped" by at least 1" and will therefore be stiffer than a driver shaft. If it is an "R" shaft, it will be stiffer than a driver "R" shaft, and if it is an "S" shaft, it will be slightly stiffer than an "S" driver shaft. This adjustment is made, because a 3 wood head is heavier than a driver head. In addition, of course, the 3 wood shaft will be approximately 1" shorter than a driver shaft, but you can lengthen it by removing the grip and epoxying in a shaft extender, cut to correct length, and replace the grip, or alternatively, you can add weight to the driver head-----the equivalent for a 1" shorter shaft would be 6 grams in the head, which can be added as lead tape. Hope this helps. In my Piel tan leather bag:- Ping G2 driver with Dynamic Gold steel shaft R300 (Tipped 1") Callaway Big Bertha 3 wood (DG R300 steel shaft) Tom Morris Pro Flight 1 iron with Accles & Pollock stiff steel shaft Ben Hogan Apex (1999) blade irons with stiff (4) steel shafts Wilson R31 Sandy Andy Beryllium Copper sand iron Chicago Classic 58 degree lob wedge Golden Ram Tom Watson forged blade putter.

I think most of us would rather be anonymous, especially if we have a chronic shank.......!

Happy New Year Pasatiempo and everyone else! I'm a member of an Alister McKenzie course here in Britain---the greens are hell, with vicious slopes, but otherwise it's OK. I've been playing golf for nearly 60 years and have always played with blades, because they were the only irons available in the 1950s, but I have tried cavity backs. These always go very well for a short time, but are so forgiving that in a very short time, I start mis-hitting them as there is no real "feed-back". I return to my blades and instantly get feed back and this automatically improves my striking. I have therefore dumped the cavity backs I experimented with, despite now being 71. If I were you, I'd certainly go to blades, but get them with plenty of "bounce" in the soles----I use Ben Hogan Apex blades (with 4 (stiff) shafts for this reason---they have a lot of "bounce", and in consequence do not have to be hit absolutely perfectly to get a good strike. Blades with little or no bounce are extremely difficult to hit well, even for those with a shallow angle of attack. The Nike VR blades also have very good "bounce". David Graham designed for McGregor for years when they still made superb irons, and he maintained that ALL irons should have plenty of bounce. He (and I agree) felt that this is really the most important aspect of any iron, as you can hit down with confidence, without fear of "digging". Indeed, it is possible to hit slightly "fat" shots, and the club will bounce and take the ball with it, without loss of power. Try it--you'll never look back. Good golfing in 2013!!

Sorry, didn't give my club specs ---here they are:- "Piel" tan leather bag. Ping G2 driver with 44.5" Dynamic Gold R300 shaft ) Callaway Big Bertha 3 wood (15 degrees) with 43" Dynamic Gold R300 shaft ) All with orange knitted pompom covers. Taylor Made 19 degree rescue with Dynamic Gold R300 shaft ) (Sometimes use the rescue, others I use the Tom Morris 1 iron) 1 iron = Tom Morris "Pro Flight" with Accles & Pollock stiff steel shaft --40" (Made for me in St. Andrews in 1964 when playing in the "Boyd Quaich" Tournament) 3 to PW = Ben Hogan Apex (1999) blades with "4" shaft (stiiff steel) Wilson Sandy Andy (R61) Beryllium Copper 54 degree wedge ( Snake Eyes forged 60 degree wedge (bent to 58 degrees) ( both DG R300 shafts, tipped 1" more than usual for these clubs Ram "Tom Watson" forged heel-shafted blade putter (almost identical to Wilson 8802) Now use "Grasshopper" Senior Pro electric buggy with full weather protection (essential in Britain---the rain hardly ever stops !)