jones

After reading through posts on this board, this is actually against the rules. When losing a ball you have to hit your next shot from the place you lost the previous ball.

I used the zero friction tees because I got a deal on them. They are tall and skinny, and because of this they break very easily. I usually get one swing out of them and then they chip a bit if not break in 2 pieces. I haven't really noticed too big a difference however it may add confidence on the tee

Has anyone bought these and do they work? I saw then at the store and they say that they make the golf ball more visible when you are looking for it on the course.

Wouldn't the proper tip be to just speed the body up to the wrists/hands???

turning my wrists over at impact -- does this mean I have to speed up my body a bit and slow down my hands a bit? too much inside out -- I have tried hitting with a weak grip and have the same issue. When I first started golfing I had a really bad slice and was coming from way too much over the top so I probably have over-corrected. I also have a similar problem with my hybrids going left ever once in a while which really hurts my game because they tend to go O.B. left.

Hitting the ball fat is one of things that I tend to do quite often and really kills my rounds. I will hit it fat with all clubs, and part of the reason is concentration issues. One way I overcome hitting it fat is by slowing down my backswing. When I am excited and doing well in a round, my tempo starts getting faster which then begins to break down my mechanics. By slowing down the backswing, your tempo is slowed and for many higher handicappers this is a good thing because it will allow for your body to be in a better position at the top of the swing because you will be more controlled. So my advice for cleaner iron shots is to slow down your backswing to a reallllly slow pace when you are hitting the ball fat. One issue I have found with this is that when I slow down the backswing I tend to hit the ball much further with my irons than I normally do, which just complicates things...however this does mean I am hitting the ball cleaner.

What about 50 yard draws or hooks or whatever you want to call it... What are those caused by??? Coming from too much inside? With my 3 wood the ball starts straight and at first looks like a good shot and then it pretty much takes a left hand turn and goes waaaaaaaaay left. I am talking about going from the right side of a large fairway all the way to the rough or even past the rough to the left. Part of the reason may be that the 3 wood looks like it is offset to the draw side, but I am not sure if it is offset?? I tried looking online and could not tell if this club is made as an offset. If I have a club that is offset what can I do about it? Do I pretty much have to get a new club? My 3 wood is in my signature. Also, it doesn't go left as much off the ground as it does when I hit off a tee.

Does this mean my shaft is too weak for my swing? I had an 8.5 degree Ping G2 with a stiff shaft (up until I broke it by throwing about a month ago) and at least half my drives would either be a push slice, hook, or the ball would curve way left. I recently bought a used titleist x stiff shaft, 8.5 degree and it seems to hook much less. It still sails left a bit (much less though) and its not doing the crazy duck hook shots that happened with the Ping. Since I'm relatively new to the game, I really don't know that much info when it comes to club fitting, etc.

I generally move my grip during rounds to compensate for my ball flight. If I am slicing/fading more than I like I go to a stronger grip. If I am hooking/drawing more than I like I go to a weaker grip. If I like where my ball is headed I stay put.

Are you allowed to drop 2 clublengths from red stakes?

No problem, I knew you weren't talking about me. I was just pointing out my situation because I find it crazy that I have been playing the wrong way for a few years now...and thought I was always following the rules. I guess this means that on my local course on a par 4, 330 yard hole with OB to both the left and right I will stop hitting driver and go with a 4 iron off the tee.

This is how I learned to play. I have never had any formal training for golf (never have taken a lesson) so I just listen to what people tell me on the course and after hearing it and seeing certain things done so many times figured it was the way to play. This will definitely change the way I play. Generally when near OB, I hadn't bothered worrying about going out of bounds because I could just drop 2 club lengths away because the one stroke penalty wasn't too big of a deal to me. Now that I know that I must re-hit, I will definitely take OB into consideration and will change the club that I hit.

Wow, I have been playing incorrectly for a while now. When I play I generally get put in a foursome and many of the people I play with do the same with a lost ball. Sounds to me this is a rule that a lot of people are not aware of.

I have a question concerning hitting the ball out of bounds. I generally miss 1 to 3 out of bounds each round, and my understanding of the rules is that I have to take a drop 2 clublengths from where it went out of bounds. When playing with a friend, they said that I could drop it on the fairway but no closer to the hole instead of under the trees where I made the drop. Is this true? What is the official word on making drops when going out of bounds, or not being able to find my ball in the woods?

Much of the time after an iron shot I have a grass indentation on my iron face in the shape of a ball. Does this mean I have hit it fat?

I recently broke my driver at the hosel and am shopping for a new one Last 2 games I used my 3-wood which for some reason hooks every single time so I have decided to use only irons and a hybrid for a little bit. I don't remember the last time I hit an iron off the tee on a non par 3, so I think it will be fun to use clubs that I rarely use.

A local golf course charges $50 to get fitted and they said it takes about an hour. Does this sound like a proper fitting? How do you know if they are fitting me properly?

One thing I have noticed that helps me is choking up on the club. Lately I have been carrying 60, 54, and 50 degree wedges. I find that it is easier for me to choke up on the club either all the way with the lob wedge for a short shot than taking a 3/4 backswing. You may want to try this out to take off distance. Each half choke up on the grip will take off a certain amount of yards. For me, choking up is easier to do than do a 3/4 backswing.

I think this is hilarious--I was recently wondering this too because... About 3 weeks ago I started a workout routine with a personal trainer and my arms and shoulders were very sore up until about last week, although I am still not completely flexible and am still a bit sore. I did not (still do not, but not as bad) have complete range of motion. For example, I could not stretch my arms (locking my elbows) without pain and tightness. A week after starting this routine, without the ability to completely stretch out my limbs without pain, I decided I wanted to play golf after work. I figured if I stretched out my arms well before the game I would be flexible enough to hit well, etc. I was wrong, and it was stupid to play like this.... I explained this to one of the guys in my foursome, but after 6 holes and me not being able to stay in the fairway at all, he decided he was going to give me golf tips to straighten out my swing. I generally am on the fairway or the rough most of the time, but being that I couldn't stretch my arms completely I couldn't hit a fairway if my life depended on it. This game I was usually far off the fairway or on another hole's fairway. Well...one of this guy's tips (he had too many for his skill-level) was that my shoulders were slightly open and did not line up with my feet and kept trying to give me tips on how to line everything up. I am glad I saw this post because being that I am newer to the game I did not know if this should be the case or not. Anyhow, to end this day of golf...on the 9th hole I bladed my gap wedge from 100 yards out about 40 yards past the green. My arms were hurting quite a bit by this time and the guy wanted to keep playing....I said "bye" to the guy...grabbed my ball, went home...and iced my arms.

I've been considering taking the 3-wood out of the bag lately and going back to the 60 degree. I have a 17 hybrid that I can hit very straight and it goes pretty far. Since I hit the hybrid straighter and the 3-wood and hybrid are pretty close on distance I've been hitting the hybrid instead of the 3-wood. My 3-wood tends to slice just a tad to the right and the hybrid goes straight.

First off, for at least me, I do not use the same swing with the driver, 3 iron, 7 iron or wedge. The swing speed is different for each one. I don't hit the 3 iron well so I don't even have it in my bag so by your stupid logic, if I can hit my wedges then I should be able to hit my 3 iron. This isn't the case with me or golfers all around. I am also calling BS on the fact that you actually saw a few baseball players mashing the ball at your local range for a few reasons: 1) It is currently college baseball season and you said you saw them swinging a couple of days ago as of Saturday. The game would have been during the week. During baseball season, games are played on basically a daily basis. For example, LSU's baseball team played 5 games last week and played at home. These games started at 6:30pm or 7pm. Baseball players are required to get to the field about 2 and a half or 3 hours before the game starts because they need to stretch, have fielding practice, hitting practice, etc. They also have to eat and go to class and study. This leaves little time to mess around at the local golf course. Even if they had the time... ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS Baseball hitters play golf during the off season, not during the season. During the baseball season, baseball hitters do not hit golf balls because the golf swing messes up the baseball swing. One session of swinging the golf club can mess up your baseball swing for 10 games or more and a baseball player will not take this chance. If you don't believe me, here is a quote from Ryan Church of the Nationals: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcspo...0_times_a.html Between innings, Church discussed his golf game; he doesn't play at all during the season, because it messes with his baseball swing. "Pitchers'll do it because they've got nothing else to do," he said. "It might help their swing." He didn't mention his arch rival, Coach Redding. He didn't have to. Church said when he starts playing golf after the baseball season, his swing is initially broken, and he retreats into "grip and rip." I asked which direction this makes the ball go. "Left," he said, "and right." You have been arguing in this thread for 6 months ; then 2 days after I posted Albert Pujols baseball swing you then for the first time AFTER 6 MONTHS just happened to see some baseball players hitting the long ball at your local range and decided it is in fact possible for someone to hit it 300 yards and not be a very good golfer (20+ handicap). You are a liar. They weren't at the range, they would not have been. They would have been anywhere but the golf range! What really happened was you saw Pujols swing and top 100 golf teachers teaching to use the baseball swing and you realized you were totally wrong. You just aren't man enough to admit that from that picture, it is obvious that Pujols could hit it 300 yards if given 5-10 hours of training (he probably needs less) on how to hit the driver straight enough to go 300 yards. If he only learned how to hit the driver relatively straight (didn't learn putting, chipping, etc) he would be a 30+ handicapper that could hit 300+ yards. grantc79, just admit you're a liar . You didn't see college baseball players at the range. I've shown that 20+ handicappers can hit it 300+ yards. Ryan Church of the Nationals says he uses the "grip and rip" method and the ball goes both left and right. If it goes left and right, then it also goes down the middle. He says he is a 15 handicap which isn't too far off from a 20 handicap. I would be willing to bet that putting and chipping is the reason he is a 15 instead of a 20 and before he was a 15, he still used the "grip and rip" to hit the driver. This would mean he would have been a 20+ handicapper with the ability to hit it 300+. Point proven -- 20+ handicappers can hit it 300+ yards

You mean like this? You just described Albert Pujols swing. Flat left wrist, and the uncocking and rolling of his left wrist at impact. This guy could probably hit a golf ball 350+. Check out his lag and how quickly his bat rotates. Do you see how his bat is pointed at home plate for most of the swing and then all of a sudden rotates? This is how he stores his power and this is where power comes from whether you are playing golf, baseball or any other swing that requires rotation of a object that hits. This must be why Top 100 teacher Tom Patri wrote an article about How to turn your baseball swing into a golf swing http://blogs.golf.com/top100/2008/10...-turn-you.html You have no clue about the baseball swing. This swing has great fundamentals that will transfer to golf. Top 100 golf teachers teach it, you need to get a clue. You think you know more about the golf swing than you do.

My point was that you cannot put everyone into your cookie cutter mentality where a 7-iron is easier to hit than a driver. My idea of hitting the 7 iron well is hitting it from 160 out onto the green 60-70% of the time. I am not there yet. 280 is a rare occurrence with a bounced drive and is probably irrelevant. Point was, I bounce the driver and the ball goes straight. If I bounce the 7-iron, the ball goes 50-60 yards. You are completely ignorant when it comes to this subject. Here is a little snippet written by top 100 golf teacher Tom Patri Here is a quote from him. Its an article titled How to turn your baseball swing into a golf swing : http://blogs.golf.com/top100/2008/10...-turn-you.html If you're a baseball fan and still remember what it's like to swing the bat, you can actually improve your golf swing. It's a drill I do with my students all the time to teach them how to unwind their hips and increase their lag . The first thing I have a baseball-loving student do is swing his golf club like a baseball bat and take a video of him doing this. This is why I didn't need to "learn" how to create golf lag -- because I already have it from my baseball swing. Get a clue buddy. You're talking out of your rear end. Re-read what I wrote. I never said I attempt to bounce the driver off the ground. I mentioned how its good when it happens because it always goes straight. 240-270 straight is pretty good. 280 has happened once or twice. You're reading comprehension is pretty awful. I never said I swing the golf club exactly like a baseball bat. This would cause a massive slice. I said things are very similar and baseball skills crossover to golf. Top 100 teacher Tom Patri agrees. Maybe you know more than he does??? Its pretty obvious you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

I completely disagree with this. I have been playing a little over 2 years now (played about 15 times when I was younger) and the driver is easier for me to hit than the 7 iron -- and here is why: To hit the 7-iron flushly, you must hit with the correct depth on the ground and in the correct spot. If you hit it fat (my issue) with the 7-iron then your shot will not go close to where you are aiming. Also, it will slice a bit. Either way you will not hit the green. Basically, the room for error is less with an iron due to the fact that you have to hit it off the ground. A driver is much easier to hit. You do not have to be as accurate with the driver because if you are little off the fairway it generally does not hurt as much. For me, I tend to bounce the driver off the ground before I hit the golf ball. When this happens, suprisingly, the ball tends to go dead straight and it generally only loses about 15-40 yards from a swing that does not bounce. I have had drives go 280 when bouncing the driver. Bouncing the driver tends to happen to me about once or twice during an 18 hole round and they are welcomed because they go dead straight. If I were to do the equivalent bounce with the 7-iron, the shot would end up fat and would not be close to hitting the green. The margin for error with irons is not as great. I won't speak for others that hit well with the driver and not as well with the irons, but I never learned anything about : -a flat wrist -forearm/shaft relationship through release to create lag -cocking/uncocking I have read about but when I try to cock my wrists on my backswing it feels weird so I just do things naturally. My point is, when it came to hitting the golf ball I just went up and hit it. What I learned from a friend of my dad's who golfed at a driving range was: -the grip (I have a "baseball grip" where my right pinkie is squashed up against my left pointer--I do not overlap fingers...thumbs still faced downward). This is all and I did not learn until later that you can turn your hands to prevent slices, etc. I went up and hit the ball as hard as a could and sliced it about as far as it went down the range. I began playing by aiming waaay left. -keep the left arm straight in the backswing, which I probably still do not keep totally straight (I am a righty) Since then the only thing I have focused on is fixing the slice (aim). Lately I have been having issues going left a bit. Things that I have learned about are: -swing plane (used to go way over the top which caused the slices). Along with this comes keeping the right arm near my stomach to keep the plane down. -grip pressure and a strong grip to prevent slicing. -keeping the clubhead aimed at the target in the backswing (I can't focus on this easily because I haven't videotaped my swing) -ball position. I used to hit my drives with the ball in the middle of my stance. I learned less than a year ago this was a reason my aim was totally messed up. It is now right next to my left foot. These are the only things I pay attention to or have learned for hitting the driver. I never learned about the flat wrist or the forearm/shaft relationship or other things to create power. I also don't like cocking my wrists, I am pretty sure I do this somewhat naturally though. For me, power comes from knowing how to swing a baseball bat and combining that with the tools needed to straighten out the swing. I have been asked by people I have played with how I hit it so far and I can't really answer that question, I just tell them that I played baseball for a long time. This is completely and utterly wrong when it comes to my situation. You are trying to put everyone in a cookie cutter scenario and that is not really feasible. My situation is above. You are very confused when it comes to driving ability and I am assuming that other than golf, you've never played another sport for a good amount of time that requires the use of a something that needs to be swung.

Slices steal distance from drives. The bigger the slice, the more distance lost. This could be one reason you don't have as much distance on your drives.