mellojoe

I hope I don't sound like an idiot here... I mean this with nothing but positive intentions. Have you thought about Credit Cards? Not that I'm advocating going into debt, but that you can often times find good deals on introductory offers with Credit Cards. 0% for 6months. 0% for 12 months. Etc. Thus, you could put the whole lot on the card and force yourself to pay it off before the end of that period. However, the traps with Credit Cards is that they don't require you to pay them off in full. You can just make a "minimum payment" paying off only the tiniest fraction of the principle balance. Thus, they make a ton of money, and you pay for something simple for years. In theory, though, they provide a way to make payments on purchases.

Where do you take your practice swing? Behind the ball, head in line with the ball and target? Next to the ball, parallel to the target line? Perpendicular to the target line, head in line with the ball and target? Lately, I've been seeing all kinds of ways in which people take their practice swings. I've just been standing just next to the ball, so that my clubhead acts like its is going to hit the ball, but 6 inches away from it. ((If you were to lay a compass flat on the ground instead of the ball. North points toward target. I stand just WEST of the normal position, as a right handed golfer.)) That way I just have to inch forward into position, and I've practiced everything as close to the real thing as possible. I'm a beginner, so now is the time to practice GOOD HABITS. What do you think? Should I be standing behind the ball so that my head is in the right position, just a few yards farther away from the target? What do you all do?

John Daly at +29. Bless his heart.

We play honors from the fairways and greens. But tee'ing off its just whoever is ready. And, we're not that strict about honors, really. If someone is standing over their putt/chip looking, thinking, looking thinking, someone who's ready will just go ahead and go (as long as they are not in the first guys way, obviously). Or, if you have a great approach and you are right near the pin for a tap-in, and the rest of us are struggling to get out of the rough, go ahead and tap-in and then watch the rest of us while trying not to gloat.

Would this be a time to use the "FEET TOGETHER" drill?

Awesome. You can have a bad day, but then you can have a great day. Almost an Eagle. That's tremendous!

Magic Eraser and OxiClean? Billy Mayes should work for the Golf Channel.

Great shot! I had a drive one time with my 3-wood that went about 240 or 250. I was doing the math in my head just standing there. The guys had to yell at me, "Hey, you going to play that or just stare at it!" I couldn't believe it went that far. I wrote it down on my scorecard under all the names: "Drive 3w 240". I felt like I needed to mark the occasion.

Remember: Once you get into trouble, you have to reset your view of "PAR" for that hole. Let's say you are on a Par 4. Your drive shot goes into the deep rough. Now, Par for you is 5. The rest of the hole has to be played with this mentality. Lose a stroke to get back to the fairway. Don't think "Ok, I'm hitting 3, and I have to get to the green in 1 and 1 putt to save par." Not going to happen. You need to say, "I'm hitting 3, so I can get it onto the green and still 2 putt for par. Or I can put it close to the green, chip close to the pin, and still 1 putt for par." Add to Par for each bit of trouble you get into. That way you can manage the disaster. If you Birdie that hole (relative to the new Par), then you are in great shape. If you Bogey, then its still not that bad. Put that mind set and it will keep you from trying to subconsiously do too much on your next shot. OH! Also: I saw this at the LPGA from the near-winner (she was leading until the last day when another lady had a phenomenal finish). Sometimes sideways is the fastest way foward. She had a bad drive right behind a tree. Instead of trying to do too much, she just popped it directly sideways (maybe 10 feet forward) back to a good position in the fairway. She ended up PAR for the hole (4) which kept her going right to the finish. Sometimes, sideways is the fastest way to the pin.

I just got a new ball marker. $1 Bolivian coins. They aren't too shiny, a little bigger than a quarter, and much thinner. My wife's family is from Bolivia, so when her brother and sister moved in with us (temporarily, I hope) they brought some coins for me.

Actually I sign my ball. My name in real life is the same as a famous person's, so I "autograph" my ball as kind of a joke. If I just use my first name "JOE" it works out real nice as a little mark.

My third round of golf ever. The first time I had played with this particualar group, 3 older guys who were all really nice and really funny. I told them, "Guys, I'm new. I don't think I've played 18 holes total in my life" They were very nice to me, and I proceeded to play the best round ever. I still haven't played that well. I was hitting drives with my 3-wood (I still do). And they were all straight as an arrow down the middle of the fiarway. Not too far down, but still decent shots. Sure, I hit some bad ones, but for me it was a great day. i shot a 50 on the front 9, which is my best 9 ever. I still haven't hit better than that. The guys kept looking at me saying, "You sure you're not hustling us?" Of course, one guy shot a 37, and the other two shot like a 40 each, so I know that they were just being polite, but it still felt great. Really nice guys, we still play together sometimes. That was a fun day. I felt like a king.

Use your 3-wood. Leave the driver at home. Seriously. When I practice with my Driver, I can't predict where it will go. Straight? Hook? Slice? Nowhere? 10-yards forward and 10-yards sideways? So, until I can afford to get a lesson specifically on long woods and Driver, I don't use it. I find my 3-wood to be easier to hit, plus the mental aspect of it is not to KILL IT but to swing smoothly to put the ball in play. I like the tip of calling it the "Play Club" instead of "driver". Makes good sense. Swing easy, put the ball in play. The higher loft of the 3-wood means more backspin, which means less sidespin, which means straighter trajectory. I can hit my 3-wood 200, sometimes 240 yards. I'm happy with that. its not a mile, but as long as it is straight I end up in good shape. Better than hitting my driver 200 yards into the woods. Now, as soon as I can schedule a lesson, I plan on getting advice on the long woods and Driver specifially. Then I'll start using the big-stick again. Another quick beginner tip: If you see a hazard in front of you, go down one club to a higher loft. I find that gives me a little more confidence knowing that I'm going to go up and over the danger, instead of topping it and watching it bee-line straight into the hazard. On one course we play, you tee off directly over a pond. Instead of using my 3-wood "InPlay" club, I switch down to my 5-wood. My brain tells me "I know it is going to fly over the hazard" so I don't get as nervous. Works for me. Good luck! Have fun!

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I'm keeping my eyes on the garage sales up here in this golfing community as well as eBay to see if I can find a used pair of hybrids. I'm thinking a couple of decent ones will give me a good feel to know if I like them and what I want to spend on some good ones. THANKS!

Paige Mackenzie Ai Miyazato, a tiny little thing but she can hit it a ton Morgan Pressel Emma Cabrera-Bello These are some of the girls/ladies we saw in person at the event who caught my eye as really cute. We got to see several from a pretty good vantage point on the Par-3 11th. They came right next to us. It was pretty cool. I was hugely impressed with Ai Miyazato from japan. Just so tiny, so fit, and just a dynamite. I guess I was being stereotypical thinking that a small, petite, cute girl couldn't play that well. But, man could she.

No matter how bad you play, one good shot will make you come back for more. No matter how good you play, you will always find one shot you wish you could have done better.

This is kind of the same story with me, to a degree. I am starting to hit my 5-i fairly well, and the rest on down are easier. However, from 3-wood to 5-i is a pretty big gap. And, I'm not too good with a fairway wood off the grass (only off a tee). So, I'm thinking the hybrids are right up my alley.

Golf + Boss = have fun. Sure, being competitive is important, but letting your boss get to know how nice and respectable you are is MORE important. Remember: "In life, it is not what you know, but who you know." The more you get to know your boss, the better your chances for advancement combined with a smooth work environment. Plus, a little forgiveness when you make a mistake. People are more likely to let the little things slide if they know that you are a good person with a big heart and a desire to be good. Its much easier to "fire" a faceless name. But, really. This kind of event is all about the social aspect. Get to know your boss, get to know your boss' family, let them get to know you. Oh, and free golf? I'm down anytime.

Beginning golfer, here. Right now, I play mostly with my 3-wood off the tee and then move down to 5-iron. I am still learning how to properly hit my driver, so I don't use it much. I use my 3-wood fairly frequently, and my 5-wood often as well. I can hit my 5-iron pretty decently, but I stay away from the 3-i and 4-i since I'm not consistent with them, either. My 7i is my go-to club. I've been told that hybrid clubs are a great way to bridge the gap between my fairway woods and my long irons. I've never hit one. I've never used one. What should I look for in hybrid clubs? What brands are forgiving for beginners? Which ones are suitable for low-budget? (I don't want to spend a ton of money since I'm still a beginner. The "best of the best" would be useless in my hands at this point.) Which ones should I stay away from? Basically: Can you recommend a good couple of hybrid clubs for a beginner? (My wife is taking me garage sale shopping in several golfing communities over the next few weekends, so I'm thinking I could pick up a steal.)

Paula. On the 4th of July, I went to the LPGA tournament here. I have to say, Natalie is a very beautiful woman. However, Paula is much better looking. Natalie has that.... college sorority girl look that seems to attract drunken frat-guy-obnoxious middle-aged men. Paula is much more classy looking and has a much softer look about her. She's extremely good looking, and more attractive to me than Natalie is. Another note: those are only 2 of the ladies on tour. There are a TON of stunning women on the LPGA. There are fewer "butch" looking women these days then there used to be. Since so many of them are in shape, their natural beauty comes out. And a few are just out--and-out hot. In fact, I'd say that Natalie and Paula are not the best looking ones on tour these days. They are good players, but no longer the hottest on tour.

I never knew how to actually line up my putt, so someone showed me this tip: Lay your ball down using a guide on the ball (text, logo, drawn line, etc) aimed at the line you want. Then step back about 10 feet to check to see if that line on the ball is on line. Once you get that line on the ball lined up where you want, stop looking at the hole. Line your putter up with the line on the ball. Strike away. I don't know if I'm explaining that well. But, for me, it has helped me to at least get the ball started on the right line. I was just guessing before, but now I know that I am on the line I have chosen. And, I'm stealing your tips about keeping your head down adn listening for the ball to go in. THat seems like a GREAT tip. I can't wait to try it.

One word: RELAX! Sure, I'm horrible at this game. But, I was getting worse, and I couldn't figure out why. Finally a guy I was with said to me, "Your practice swings look fine, but you really tense up when you are about to hit." It shocked me. So, I simply concentrated on ... nothing. I actively forced myself to relax. I took my smooth practice swing, and then I tried to replicate that relaxed feel for the real thing. I started hitting consistently and solidly. I was in hog heaven. So, now, for every swing regardles of setup, ball position, do I want to go high, do I want to roll, ... none of that matters at the very end. After thinking about what I want to do, when I set up to actually do it, I only think one thing: RELAX. And it works.

Wouldn't that make the game more inconsistent? Aren't bunkers challenging enough for the average player?

I saw a really neat tip in a random magazine: #1) Use a 3-wood off the tee. Doesn't matter if the first hole is a long par 5, just use an easier club to hit. Small mistakes with the Driver are magnified more than small mistakes with a fairway wood. The higher loft means more backspin, which means less sidespin, which translates into less slice/hook. If your first drive puts you solidly in the fairway, even if its a bit shorter than you'd like, it will give you some confidence going into that second shot. or #2) Use a 3/4 swing. Again, you may lose 20 to 30 yards off the drive, but not as much as you think you'll lose. Solid contact is the most important. A shanked drive off the 1st tee puts more pressure on the second and third shots, which puts pressure on the whole tournament. A straight drive off the 1st gives you more confidence going into that second shot. I forget which magazine, but those are ripped right out of them. Seems like good ideas to me. GOOD LUCK!

As soon as I saw the title, I thought "7 iron". It would definately force you to get really comfortable with that one club, which would be a good thing for us beginners. If you took out the gimmiky part of it by adding a putter, I'm sure you could find this to be somewhat adventageous. If you add a wedge to your bag, you could probably play one day with a 5-iron and then play another day with the 7-iron and then one day with a hybrid. That would force you to become really good with those three clubs (plus the putter). Eventually, you'd bring your whole bag with you, and since you've probably figured out some basic distances with those clubs you would know whether to go up a club or down a club from your starting points (hybrid, 5-i, 7-i, wedge). Actually.... I have nothing to do Thursday afternoons. I wonder if I could try this little experiment myself to work on grooving a swing with some key clubs.