Trav

No question Pelz can come across as the all-knowing, overly analytical engineer (reminds me in a way of Johnny Miller) and I don't think it's possible to faithfully follow his every direction and still play relaxed (fun) golf. However, even if I don't adopt every one of his recommendations, I take his basic point to be that it's very helpful to develop a good repeatable routine so you don't have to think about more variables than necessary, and his book offers many suggestions and tips that are useful in "ingraining" things you want to be able to do without having to think about them every time so you can focus on the variables of each putt. Even if I don't really putt in a complately straight line swing, I find his tips useful and his book is a good read every so often to remind me of things I had forgotten. That guru beard still has to go.

Faldo can laugh all he wants (and probably wants to, to forget the Ryder Cup). Gainey's tempo is no faster than Aussie Rod Pampling and anybody looking at Furyk's swing would probably say he couldn't play either. When I saw Donatello I couldn't believe it. Amazing he would caddy for Gainey given their BB history. Gainey may not make it past Q school or play in more than a handful of tournaments, but he's already done more than a lot of people predicted. Good for him, and good luck to him.

For what may be a less important reason to a lot of people, I use the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500, which is not tournament legal because of the slope feature. The reason is that I like to play when traveling and I prefer something that will help make an unfamiliar course more playable (read = enjoyable) during a vacation, etc. Some resort courses have GPS but typically they don't have the slope feature, and frankly I'm not sure they are always accurate. You can get a good deal on ebay if you're patient.

I can't say for sure whether a mat would damage your clubs, though the pros at my club say it could (and on those days when the club range has mats, they even suggest warming up with older clubs). However, while I can surely understand the desire to use those shiny new sticks (and it must be tough to put them away until spring), why even take a chance with good clubs for something as unimportant as indoor golf? What you want to maintain is a good swing groove. Older clubs will work just as well.

Maybe there are Hooters in Europe strategically located near Euro Tour courses. I daresay any of us who had been blessed with such talent would get down on our knees each morning in thanks, whereas it looks like John gets down on his knees each evening and tanks.

This is an important point and relates to the need to practice from lots of different lies and distances so you know how big a swing to take. When you're standing over the shot, it's easy to start thinking negatively due to lack of experience with how a ball will react from a particular shot and worrying the ball will go too short, too far, etc. But once you gain confidence from consistently repeating a shot in practice and knowing how the ball will act, the negative thoughts dissipate. What I'm saying is - if you look at a 20 yard shot as simply repeating a shot you have practiced enough to know how it turns out, it's easy to focus on simply repeating the shot technique and not worry over the shot outcome.

A lot of truth in this. More foregiving heads can lead to less disciplined swings. Sort of like a budget - unless you're Bill Gates, you always find a way to be at the limit.

Saw Furyk do it a couple seasons ago. Didn't work for him either, as he bogeyed. Announcers made a big deal about showing his respect for course and upbringing as greenskeeper's son by repairing his divot, but the fact is that he had a sizeable divot on the green and the "repair" was pretty ugly - it must have taken weeks to grow back. I can understand a pro doing it, but when I have faced this situation on my club's course I have not, and would not, injure the course condition to potentially save a stroke in normal play. Not worth the inconvenience to fellow members. It's not all about me.

I know you must have too much time on your hands - but that WAS a good use of it!

Rotella's books are gentle reading, but basically they all say the same thing: Don't get down on yourself, think positively, enjoy the game and don't obsess about the bad shots/putts. Not bad things to be reminded of, but IMO they're like eating popcorn - when you're done, you don't feel terribly satisifed. If you're looking for concrete suggestions, try Pelz's books (Short Game Bible and Putting Bible). Lots of stuff to underline and go back and re-read, lots of very situational-specific shot and swing advice that has helped me a lot, even though I don't follow all his suggestions (like using a 64* wedge). For entertainment, John Feinstein and Feherty are always enjoyable. I don't read Woods' books seriously because he and I don't have the same swing in common. Or much else. It would be like reading Kobe's book for dunking tips. I'm going to try to read some rule books this winter. The "quizes" show me how little I know about the finer points of the rules, which of course are the actual points you really have to know in serious play.

I think it was Gary Koch, not Hicks - but you're right about the tone of voice. There seemed to be a stunned silence, then someone made a lighter comment, as though prompted by the producer to lighten things up quick. I get real tired listening to him announce with great precision how the putt will break when he's off somewhere in a studio, not there reading the green. I have to think other announcers are as tired of hearing Miller proclaim the "final" opinion on everything, including obvious ones like the putt going in the cup noted above, as we are.