Baog

Because in the scenario you describe your opponent would be using the rules for your disadvantage, which is generally uncool, even in match play (see Suzanne Pettersen at the Solheim Cup). It would be similar to cheering when you miss a short putt to halve a hole.

I voted for putters. I've spent so much time looking for one that will work for me. I've even made some heads myself from hardware store parts. I would never stick with one for more than a few months. I've finally settled on just two, a Ping Anser 5K and a Bettinardi Baby Ben that are set up almost identically except that one's a blade with no alignment line and one is a mallet with a long, bold line. Now I just switch between the two when I feel like I need a change.

I'm often nervous for the opening tee shot because I don't play often. I'm worried the round won't go well but I'll have to wait several weeks to get another opportunity for a good round. Once I've hit a few shots, I'm generally fine, regardless of how well that first shot went.

Aren't these statements contradictory? It seems like your shot selection goal should generally be to give yourself the greatest chance to get the ball on the green in regulation, without being overly concerned with a short-side miss.

Thanks Mike. I'd noticed that on short irons I get more consistent directional results with a shorter swing but I didn't know why and I'd been reluctant to do that on the longer clubs because I don't want to give up any distance. In comparing the 5SK video to my own swing, I can see how much less I turn my body at A3 than Eric does in the good swing example. I see how the tee drill you suggested would help that.

I've been Playing Golf for: 20 years My current handicap index or average score is: high 70s on fairly easy courses. I often hit 12+ greens but I'm not a good putter and usually not a good course manager, missing greens that I should not miss and then failing to get up and down. In my 20s when I had an index it was usually in the 4 - 5 range. Now, I don't play as often and I am more like an 8 but I don't have an official index. My typical ball flight is: 5 yard fade or straight. I'm a pretty straight hitter but I almost never draw the ball. The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: straight pull. Because I almost never draw the ball, I almost always aim left and either miss just left or the ball fades back to the target but occasionally I'll hit a pull that gets me into trouble. Less often I hit a big slice. I know my swing path is out to in and that's what I've been working on (it's getting better). I'm also working on a related issue of cupping my left wrist at the top of the backswing. I'd love to hear some drills or suggestions for the wrist cupping at the top. Thanks for looking and any help or suggestions. Videos:

You're right. I wasn't thinking about the possibility that the provisional didn't go as far as the first shot so the search hadn't started yet. Also, "deem it to be the ball in play" was an inelegant way to say "abandon the search for your first ball." I suppose that even if you quit looking, someone else could find your ball before you've hit the provisional again and you'd be stuck with it.

If I have already hit the previously provisional ball a second time (fourth shot) then the provisional is the ball in play and it doesn't matter what other balls are subsequently found. In fact, I don't think that you have to hit it, I think you can just deem it to be the ball in play. If you find the original and want to declare it unplayable to hit another from the tee, you can't use your provisional, you have to go back an hit another. The provisional can only be used in case of a lost ball. Otherwise your decision on how to take the unplayable lie relief would be influenced by the known result of your next shot.

If your tee shot is so bad that you are considering abandoning it, you may want to still declare your next shot a provisional in case you hit that one crooked too, then you have two balls to look for. If the provisional is decent, you can immediately declare your first drive lost and play the provisional.

I've been playing Dynacraft PC3 irons (Ping i3 blade knockoffs) for about 14 years. I originally got them because they were cheap and came in a 3* flat version. I built them with (at the time) premium shafts and grips. I've been happy with them ever since. One advantage to cheap clubheads has been that when I decided that I'd really like irons with less bounce, I simply ground down the bounce and added some lead tape without feeling like I was ruining their resale value or aesthetics. I could change my irons for the cost of one hour and 15 grams of lead tape.

I'm an attorney, which has really cut into my golfing since my law school days. Now I think about golf a lot more than I play.

Hello from Roanoke, Virginia. I am looking forward to learning and participating in the discussions. I've learned a lot from the site already. I'm new to this site but not to golf. In my late teens and 20s I played a lot but since having a family, I only get to play about 10 times a year. I've been able to mostly maintain my (decent) swing, making center-face contact but struggling with clubhead path and face angle on the full swing. I'm fairly small for an adult male (5'6", 140 lbs) and I've never been able to find a good source of information for what, if any, difference that makes for a good golf swing. Any suggestions for threads to help the short golfer? Thanks, Baog