ABPositive

My prediction: all these tips to improve the pace of play are useless... until players realize how slow they actually are. Like any problem, it starts with recognizing there is one. I am talking about your own pace. It is easy to point out at other's, because you can see their slow routine. How about yours? You think you're fast? Chances are you're slower than you think, and you are becoming even slower when you expect a round to be slow. So my prediction is that the overall pace of play will improve once players become conscious of their own pace. There is a way to make players aware of their own pace. This is called the zero-tolerance marshall. I have seen this in action at Poipu Bay in Hawaii. Every cart is fitted with a transponder that transmits the GPS location of the cart to the club house. The club house has a map with a dot for each cart. And if a cart is slow, and not letting groups pass them, you can be sure the marshall is on the way. Granted, not every club can afford GPS-equipped golf carts. But there must be a cheap way of doing this.

It's safe to say that all the world-class players are extremely competitive athletes. You don't get to that level if you are not competitive, if you do not live for competition. Listen to the words of Arnie and Jack... What will they miss? Eagles and birdies? No, simply the competition. When Mickelson says that in the long run he can't beat Tiger's record, he is not giving up. He will still play hist best, compete and try to beat Tiger in the next event. He is just drawing a lucid picture on how their lifetime achievement will compare.

I had a similar experience. I hit those same low shots and figured the ball was climbing up the face, then hit the hosel. A shank, but it didn't leave as obvious a mark on the hosel as a "regular" shank. Clean your club really well, and look carefully after a low, right shot if you spot any white mark on the hosel. You could also use some marking product (tape, powder, etc.) to figure out where the club made contact with the ball. Put some of that tape on the hosel, that might reveal it.

I am in my second season. Although I'm nowhere close to consistent, I see some consistent improvement . My handicap has been going down 1 shot a month, on average, since I started. Time is the scarce resource for me. All the tools are in front of me to progress: lessons, books, equipment. So I try to get the most out of my practice time. On the driving range, I almost always take 15 minutes on the self-service video. It's 5 bucks, but definitely worth it. My pro showed me what to look for, and I can always spot 1 problem creeping in my swing. I can take corrective actions before it's too late. Last, I'll take satisfaction when I manage to implement in my swing what I have in mind, regardless of the result. As my first teacher said, focus on good fundamentals, and good results will come with time.

Just bought a set of MX-25 and couldn't be more pleased. They feel very solid, and I get the buttery feel when I hit it dead center, like the ball was never there. There is a tendency on the tour, and many players are choosing cavity backs instead of blades. CB forgiveness does serve good players too. So they pick the Titleist 755's over the 695MB's. I know that Mizuno doesn't have a direct competitor (in their current line anyway) to the 755's, but you might want to give Titleist sticks a try ; they are close to blades, in looks and performance, but are still forgiving. Hope this helps

"A hit must be perfectly timed, but a swing will time itself." -Grantland Rice A favorite quote because it's a swing thought I can take to the course!

I think it depends on your level. I am a beginner and here's what my pro tells me. For the *full swing*, I need a stable lower body. No swaying of the hips, and during the back swing and shoulder turn, let some resistance build up in the hips by not actively turning them (you do not want to freeze them though). For the *short game* (pitches, half wedges), the hips turn at the same angular speed as the shoulders, and provide the tempo for the swing. According to him, this is the only way to make consistent contact with shorter swings. I know that more advanced players use the legs and hips more actively, and that gives them an additional source of power. It is, however, dangerous for a high-handicapper to use the lower body actively, as it introduces a new layer of complexity. Not what you need when you are trying to make good contact.

Higher loft means higher launch angle (surprise). Higher loft also means higher backspin rate, which has two effects: (1) your ball flies higher, and (2) it overtakes side spin - this translates into straighter drives. So... Choose the highest loft possible. Start from a high loft and make your way down, until you reach you optimal launch angle. You will have to try on a launch monitor to figure this one out. The shop should also have a chart with optimal launch angle for your particular swing speed. For me, with my 83 to 90 mph (average to slow swing speed), the launch angle I needed was 16 degrees, and a 10.5 loft did it. All depends on how you catch the ball (whether your sweep it, or if you catch it on the way up like you should). Hope this helps Cheers

1) Stop playing with equipment designed for low handicapers 2) Accept I am a hacker and get myself a set of shovels 3) Using said shovels, bring handicap down to 10, so I can buy myself clubs I really like to look at

Except for the driver, putter, and sand shots, I always hit down on the ball. With fairway woods, because the swing plane is flatter, and the club head shape, I don't take a divot. It's almost like sweeping ; but I am still hitting down a bit.

Checkout my statistics page: http://www.blogmygolf.com/blogs/agui...tatistics.html If find these the most useful - Is there something else I should keep track of?

Here's some tip for golfers of my ability (20 hcp). Once you hit consistently straight shots, you can start and play with draws / fades. Below is an exercise my pro indicated and that you can try on the range. Setup normally, just like for a straight shot. Everything is square to the target line: shoulders, hips, feet, club face. Now open your shoulders slightly, maybe 10 degrees. For a right handed player, this means turn your shoulders to the left. Only open the shoulders ; feet, hips, club face remain parallel to target line. Swing normally: fade. Now try the other way. Close your shoulders 10 degrees, swing normally: draw. Even a 20 handicapper like me can do it (on the range at least). With this, you can draw or fade 5 or 10 yards. If you need more than this, I guess the next step would be to tweak your club face, but this is beyond my skill. Hope this helps - Cheers

...until the U-shape groove debate comes to a conclusion? You never know, I might be a "highly skilled player" within 2 years.

Thanks guys... I'll try and find a shop that has both... If you know other forged+forgiving clubs, please drop a suggestion! Cheers Alexis

All, Am in the market for new irons... I am still a high handicapper (20). I am taking lessons, and my handicap is dropping every time I play. My last 10 scores are 4 in the 100-105 range, 5 in the 90-99 range, and an 87. I have been playing with the Cobra 3100 I/H, but the vibration-dampening inserts are dropping one after the other. My first thought went to the PING raptures / G5s, so I hit a few balls at a shop, but I think I want more feedback, to motivate me to enhance my swing. Am looking for a sweeter feel overall too. Anyone would have some experience with both the Mizunos MX-25 and the Titleist 775 CB? Which one would be more forgiving? How about the feel? Cheers Alexis

I started a year+ ago, and (a) took plenty of lessons, (b) spent plenty of time at the range, 3 to 4 times a week, and (c) played once a week. I agree with most replies... Get the basics, don't follow gimmicks or well-intended advice from other golfers. Take lessons. To give you a benchmark of what to expect in terms of progress, you can check out my blog at http://www.blogmygolf.com/blogs/aguinebe/home.html . It contains all my stats and a few notes, hope they'll help! Cheers --ABPositive

Vokeys are known to have a heavier head than other wedges. Try with another brand with a lighter head. This may help your hands stay ahead of the ball?

I play much better if I hit 30 balls on the range before the round. I noticed that I do better when I adjust my round's goal to how well I did on the range. If I hit poorly on the range, I'll tell myself "you're not in great shape today, just do your best to break 100". This removes some of the tension I have after a bad driving range session. If I hit the ball well, I'll tell myself "break 90 today" ; this lofty goal (for me anyway) makes sure I stay focused... With a good swing, I know I can do it, but it still requires me to pay attention. Hope this helps

This is coming from a handicap 29 golfer The putting drill I like most, is to putt to the front of the cup, then to the center, then to the back of the cup. Start from 2 feet, then 3 feet, 4 feet, etc. Do this on a flat part of the green. You will realize that there is actually a broad range of speeds (on a flat green that is), that sinks the ball in the cup. Given a distance, the hardest is usually to putt so that the last turn gets the ball in the hole. This is where you learn "touch". The purpose of putting to the back of the cup is to give you confidence on those short breaking putts. You can ram them to the back of the cup, almost eliminating the break. Hope this help...