RainmanP

Well, I'm not sure if Ben was kidding, but as the previous poster stated it is a VERY common problem among new players and those of us who have it creep in sometime. A proper downswing starts with the hips then shoulders which pull the arms and club down to the ball. New golfers tend to swing with their arms, so instead of the clubhead dropping down to the ball along a plane in line with the shoulders it tends to loop "over the top" following path over and in front of the shoulders approaching the ball on an outside/in path resulting in slices. Keeping that right elbow tucked in or bringing it back down to the right side is one of the things that helps prevent an over the top swing.

Just relax and have fun. If your scores are consistently in the 80s, particularly low 80s, you could probably make the team at just about any high school.

Last Sunday on 2 back to back decent length par 4s I had nearly identical situations. On both I got off so-so drives that faded into light rough with trees blocking my view of the green, but far enough away to not be serious obstructions. The first I was about 180 out with a slight uphill lie (back of an old tee box). Hit my Hogan 3h hybrid, and dropped it on the green. Two puts for par. Next hole, similar situation but about 210 out with an iffy lie, took a smooth swing with my 1h hybrid onto the green but a LONG way from the hole so 3 putts. Hitting greens from that distance my not sound like that big a deal, but the way I have been struggling lately, I was thrilled.

OTOH, I doubt you would see the general golfing public clamoring to play the "Pro Tour Only" ball that drives 20 yards LESS than the commercial model. :)

A pure grand slam would be the U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship and Masters all in the same year. No one has done that. Bobby Jones won the grand slam of his day, Open Championship, British Amateur, U.S. Open, and U.S. Amateur.

I agree with Paul21. 160-180 yd par 3, wind blowing from right to left, hit a little cut up into the wind so that the ball just dies and drops straight down to the green. I used to be pretty deadly with that shot, but I haven't gotten it back since I started playing again.

The golf swing is not one big muscle movement. It is a system of dozens of tiny movements performed automatically by dozens of tiny muscles that have learned to work with each other. When you change even one tiny thing all those little muscles have to re-learn their new parts in relation to the whole. Building muscle memory takes a lot of repetitions.

Dipgolf, I guess one man's "dead" is another man's "solid". I love the solid sensation when I hit the ball with my Hogan CFT 3H. Since I play at a lower level than you "feel" in the sense of control is a bit of an abstract to me. To me that "dead" feel instills a feeling of confidence that the dense little head is powering right through the ball and is unlikely to be deflected by anything. It was love at first stroke. I liked the club so much I found myself using for par 3s from 175 to 205 yards, 190-200 yd fairway shots, and tee shots where 200 yds down the middle was preferable to the trouble awaiting an errant drive. I liked it enough that am currently awaiting delivery of a CFT 1H 17*. As an LSU graduate it breaks my heart to disagree with a Rebel. :) Regards, Raymond

Is the adjustability really intended for frequent use like that anyway? I thought the idea was just to tune it to your swing and change it only if your swing changes. I would think that good players would not want to make changes during a round even if they could. How do you know the adjustment is going to do exactly what you expect it to?

At this point in my golfing life I prefer playing a variety of courses. Like NCGolfer my retirement dream would be to live in a golf community, belong to the club, and have my own little golf cart charging in the garage for my daily round, hopefully most of the time with my wife, if I could ever get her out to the range to continue her lessons.

As you may know from reading other posts I have just started playing again after a long layoff. I have been watching tournaments on TV and have a question about a big difference in swings from what I was taught. I guess theories have changed. I was taught to keep the right elbow in close to my side on the back swing. Keeping that elbow quiet is one of my two swing cues. Now it looks like all the pros have a huge "flying right elbow" as it used to be called. Is the idea that this increases the distance the clubhead travels and thereby allows additional time for increasing acceleration and, therefore, distance?

Thanks again. That's what I was concerned about - the swinging motion of the shaft against the lip of the tube wearing a spot on the shaft.

Thanks for the links, guys. May I ask what you searched on to come up with those? I Googled all kinds of combinations of golf, club, organizer, insert, etc., and only got back mainly to Ogio bags!

Stacy, I agree that one grows by challenging oneself. Think of me as playing devil's advocate on this subject. Let me stress right off the bat that my concerns have absolutely nothing to do with sex. I feel the same way about young men in the same situation. Michelle may become a great pro, or she may not. Only time will tell. There are thousands of young men, and women, who can and do drive the ball 300+ yards down the middle and shoot subpar golf on a regular basis. Hundreds of them attempt to go pro but relatively few become really successful. At the pro level there is more to the game than 300 yard drives and occasional subpar rounds. Just about any successful pro will tell you that at their level the game becomes 80-90% mental. That grind of playing and being successful on the amateur circuit and the lesser tours gives a young person the opportunity to develop the confidence and right mental toughness to make it in the big leagues. Consider this: does anyone here know of ANY 15-18 year old that DOES know fear? Almost without exception, they are sure that they know everything and have an inflated, often, unjustified confidence in their abilities. How many get a driver's license and within a month are sure they are better drivers than any adult? My concern about situations like Michelle's is that young people who don't attain pretty quick success in that environment can lose confidence and suffer subtle mental effects that may take years to overcome. If she starts having some success, great, but if she doesn't we won't know if it is because she really wasn't quite as good as everyone thought or if she is just not mentally ready due to her lack of experience. We will just have to see how things develop. Regards, Raymond

Clarification noted.

Thanks, Eric. The thing is, I like my old bag. It is still in great condition and I just like how it looks. I read your review on the Ogio, and that organizer system sounds pretty good. Are things like that available as inserts to retro fit other bags? Regards, Raymond

Many years ago I used tubes in my bag to keep the clubs better organized. Then for some reason I stopped. I have put new grips on my clubs that are nice an grippy, but it also makes them more difficult to get in and out of the bag. I am getting concerned about premature damage to the edges of the grips. Is there a downside to using plastic tubes? Will they cause wear on graphite shafts? Are there some with softer edges to avoid this? Is there a better alternative short of a new bag with built in dividers? Thanks, Raymond

I have to echo Donald on this. I have a 61* wedge that is a thing of beauty when hit well, but at my modest level that can be challenging. More often the oh-so-flat head almost slides right under the ball resulting in a chili-dip or goes to the other extreme and blades a line drive. Admittedly, I am not the world's best player, but I am a little better than that. No such problems with my P or S. I have decided that at my current level I am actually more comfortable and consistent hitting a pitch and run with a 9 iron on those 50-60 yd shots than trying to hit the 61*. Just a word of caution. They are sexy, but can be challenging to hit well. I would demo a few if possible to see what feels best. Regards, Raymond [QUOTE=Donald MacKenzie] One bit of advice: Don't get a lob wedge just to say you have one. I know a couple people who have 60-degreee wedges in their bags and never use them. It can be a tricky club to hit on full swings. You may find that you can do everything you'd like to do with your lob wedge with your current sand wedge. [QUOTE}

Generally I think that paying dues has the potential to make one better in a chosen field. Occasionally, an individual who has leapfrogged that growing process will become a star player in their field, but generally it is those who have honed their craft on the grindstone of experience that become more solid performers. It's like building a house on an inadequate foundation. It may look great initially but become shaky under stress. Only time will tell if Michelle will become a star with staying power or just a cute momentary diversion who never fulfills her full potential. I am not a fan of "American Idol", but my wife and daughters are fascinated by it so I wind up being expose to it on a regular basis. Without exception, I consider even the best of the performers mediocre. They may have strong voices, but their inability to sing in tune consistently is inexcusable. They have not done the work required to refine their instruments yet they are foisted on the audience with the implication that they are among the best talents in the country. I would say that even the best performances I have heard were not up to the level of a hundred unknown local artists in this area who are pounding out underpaid gigs trying to make it in the business. You can listen to them all night and never hear a note off key. On the one hand, Michelle's reasoning has merit - the expenses of travelling to an amateur or small pro tournament are the same as travelling to a LPGA event with no prospect for much, if any, payback. And playing with superior players certainly can help improve one's game. But paying those early dues and building the confidence of being the best at one level can build the mental durability required when one moves up to the next level and has to struggle to compete at that level and it does not come right away.

Thanks, Jim. I will have to find out the name of the course the guys usually play. Let me know where you play in Tahoe. There is a remote possibility we may be up there later in July. Regards, Raymond

Jim, I note you are in MA. I will be THERE in June, Salisbury Beach to be exact. Are you familiar enough with that area to suggest a nice course? I will be playing with some other guys who may be a bit price sensitive, probably not over $50-60 weekday green fees. Thanks, Raymond

I was just remarking on the similarity of the towns names and the similarity of the holes. I guess there are a lot of those uphill/downhill hole juxtapositions on those courses up in the hills. Down here in the flatlands we have to build any kind of elevation changes so most courses are just flat. Regards, Raymond

Can someone describe to me how an impact bag or swing stick helps one's golf swing? What is the theory behind them? What is the feedback that let's you know what your swing is doing? It just seems like you could flail away at will but not be able to tell what your swing is actually doing. I can see how it might help develop power, but couldn't you be practicing bad habits without realizing it?

Shucks I thought I had invented Parrot Bay (or other coconut rum) and diet pineapple soda. I call it pina faux-lada. Tasty, but not a regular thing. My favorite beers - Hoegaarden, Spaten Franziskaner, and Bass. At home I usually have a few bottle of good ol' Miller High Life in the fridge. Unfortunately, I learned long ago that, for me, beer and golf don't mix. Sigh. Even one beer, though I don't feel a thing, throws something off just enough that I play even worse than usual. When I was younger it was routine at the course I played to have a beer and hot dog between 9s. I can't tell you how many promising front 9s were thrown away on the back. Hmm, now I think about it, maybe it was the hot dog! At a relaxed get together I like Jack neat. For more introspective times I dig into my selection of single malts for one that fits the mood or the weather. Islays for heavier occasions, Speysides for lighter ones. Always neat. Ice dulls my taste buds, and everything tastes the same. And, of course, a nice hand-rolled Honduran goes well with all of the above!

Golf shoes aren't that much different from any shoes you will be walking in. I wear Footjoy because almost regardless of the model, they feel comfortable as soon as I try them on. Etonics usually feel good also. Most other brands just don't feel right on my feet, to the extent that I can't imagine walking in them. The Footjoy "Greenjoy" line are reasonably priced and comfortable. Every foot is different so you pretty much have to try them on.