Downrange45

Ball striking has been giving me fits. Just seemed to leave me. However, I just stumbled onto a swing thought that has me striking the ball better than any time this year. On page five of this month's issue of Golf Tips, there is a one page article on ball striking called "Nail Your Impact". The author suggests imagining a golf ball with a nail through the center, pointing down at a 45 degree angle. The article shows a photo of same. Imagine you are trying to "hammer" the nail into the ground. Obviously, you could not swing in an upward motion and drive the nail. You would have to hit down, trapping the ball in order to do it. I took that image to the course today and the results were amazing. Just what I needed. On the second hole I hit a perfect five iron shot and I never even reach for my five. This could very well save my season. I hope it helps someone else.

My primary trigger point for allowing pressure to destroy my game comes from the fear of looking bad in front of an audience, especially people I do not know. If I think someone is watching me the ball could literally go anywhere. Conversely, I always play my best when I am alone and no one is in sight. When playing at my country club that happens often. Other venues not so much. I really do not know why the opinion of others regarding my golf game is so important because I am well aware there will ALWAYS be more guys out there better than me than the other way around and I have never proclaimed to be a good golfer, just the opposite. But somehow my competitive spirit just cannot accept being the duffer to a bunch of stripers. I dream of a day when I could step up to the first tee box with a group of complete strangers looking on and send a beautiful drive down the middle like I do when alone. Do not see that in my future.

I have no idea where to start. We spent a week in Myrtle Beach at the end of April, half of that time refreshing in golf school. I came out of that playing my best overall in years and after playing every day I returned and hit the ground running, showing up at the club nearly every day, either at the range, on the course or both. After about two weeks I went back to inconsistent play, but in a way I cannot understand. Last year my driver was my most consistent tool and that had never been the case. I transitioned out of a Nike VRS through a Ping G30 and finally on to a G30 SF TEC. Once again my driver had become my most trusted friend until the last couple of rounds, in which an ugly looking pull has developed. My hybrids have always been solid, in many cases saving me from times when the driver was not my best friend. Now my hybrid striking is so bad unless there is a tee involved I do not even bother. My irons are a totally different story. When my hybrids were rock solid my iron striking was really bad. Now it is reversed as I am hitting the irons well and reach for my 5 instead of a hybrid on par 5s. A few months ago I would not have even carried a 5. Last fall most of my approach shots landed on the green. Now I cannot hit a barn from 125 in. My short game around the green has always been lacking. This past week I discarded my 60 degree in favor of a 58 degree. On Thursday, using that club I saved par on three holes by hitting it close with that club. With the 6, 7 & 8 shots are nearly always straight, sometimes a nagging pull spoils a good strike, but contact is not always solid. At times I hit high, soft towering shots with mid irons and sometimes I do not get all of it and the shot comes up short. The only club that remains solid and dependable round in and out is the 12 degree TaylorMade Mini Driver that I use when driver is too long or when I lack confidence in the G30. Every round it seems like some of my game is spot on and other parts fail. The shots that give me fits are rarely the same from one round to the next. I cannot afford a full time golf coach so I have no idea what to do. The rain here has slowed me down the past couple of weeks, but I have spent so much time out there this year I have the darkest tan of my adult life. Not sure what comes next.

Here is the thing: people are down there on vacation, they plan and save for these trips for months in advance and one would think the red carpet would be out. Actually, I think they should have a hospitality ambassador out there apologizing for the crowded conditions created by their over booking. Instead they send some guy out to ruin the otherwise good time. But people still go in droves and that is why they can get away with it.

Now we are talking. I wonder how golf courses select personnel for marshal positions. Often, they harass golfers doing all in their power to play quickly, especially when the problem lies with over booking the course and too close tee times. Many must see it as a requirement that they act like a jerk. Other times I have witnessed idiots looking for lost balls for ten minutes or more, hitting multiple balls and exhibiting no knowledge of course manners and no marshal to be found. Personally, I would never complain about another golfer but marshals often use as an excuse that "others are complaining". My wife and I are currently planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip for the spring (an area notorious for obnoxious marshals) and I plan to request courses with reasonable marshals as an objective when I work with our packager. Maybe if enough people express displeasure and make nasty marshals an issue when booking, courses will reign them in a bit.

Not sure who Ed Ault is, but what a devious mind he has. Also, you may have a masochistic streak. I can see myself picking up on that one. Very punishing. Good luck.

Maybe I am not thinking clearly here, but there seems to be some inconsistency regarding slow play issues and promoting the game. I read that golf as an industry is in financial difficulty and numbers must increase to keep from losing manufacturers and courses. On the other hand, there is all this concern over "slow play". Beginning golfers are going to play slow. Fact. In my humble opinion, nothing is more intimidating and frustrating to a beginner than to be harrassed because they are not playing with the speed and proficiency of more experienced golfers. If you want more interest in the sport, you have to let the beginners learn. This seems unrealistic, but if the powers that be do not want slow players on courses, I guess lessons should,be mandatory before anyone can set foot on a golf course. I wonder if any of the people so up in arms can remember when they started and how it felt to "hold other people up". When things are clicking, I play really fast. I do have off days and the one thing that ALWAYS makes my game worse and therefore slower is to have a Marshall on my butt.

Looking for suggestions that would complement a mid handicap husband and wife team. We went down three years ago and attended golf school at Legends split with a half week at the beach. This time it will be all about the golf rather than just squeezing in three rounds on the Legends courses. School helped me and I played my best golf on Heathland that week. Looking for,courses that are female friendly for the wife. She does not care much for,water hazards. Any advice would be appreciated.

About a month ago my wife played a round with her daughter, one of her immature fellow attorneys and his father. After finishing a particular hole that boy wonder apparently scored less than his liking, he dropped his ball and promptly hit it as hard as he could down an adjacent road where he almost struck a man walking his dog and could have hit a moving car. She and I were playing a resort course in Maryland two weeks ago and a father and young adult son were just ahead of us. The son was playing well but the old man was struggling to keep it in the fairway. They had offered to let us play through earlier but every hole was busy so we declined. Both seemed calm at the time. They finished a hole on which the father had been OB twice. He putted out, turned and threw his ball as far as he could. Seemed out of character at the time.

Par 3 hole 15 at my home club. 150 yards with a three club elevation climb. Deep swale between tee box and green. Small green at top with steep drop off behind green and guarded by bunkers in the front. You cannot hit either long, short or right due to tree and cart path. Just a little wiggle room on the left. I never play it well.

Consistency. Hole 18 on Tuesday was typical. Best drive of the day, middle of the fairway. Hybrid down the middle leaving me a 9 iron to the green. Two straight crazy shots off the toe with the face wide open. Deft little pitch from hole 9 fairway over a bunker and under tree branches to the green (I must have closed my eyes). One putt. Exhausting.

Currently I would have to say my Game Golf tracking system. I have always wanted to know my club yardage under actual playing conditions. Hitting balls from a flat lie on a range is just not the same. The system allows me to relive the round and analyze the results. I can chart my progress and easily measure my improvement.

I would like to get a set of Edel wedges for next year. How did you get fitted for those?

The only problem I have with solo is some holes on my course play directly into the sun in the evenings. Overcast is no problem but when the sun is out I often never see my ball flight on tee shots. Without a partner I have no idea where to look. Believe it or not, all my tee shots are not dead center in the short grass.