Wayne Hudler

How close to the pin are your 80 yard and in shots? If you stick them close, real close, then you can do without it. Otherwise it might help you score better to have one. I carry a 58*

I think it can't hurt to have them adjusted for lie angle. You want the feel of the club, the way you set up to it to be the same. Otherwise your swing plane will be different than expected. I say have them checked for sure.

I'm working on keeping my left wrist (I'm right handed) flat throughout the backswing. Seems I have a tendency to cup the wrist which opens the clubface. I get push or push/slice shots that way. A flat wrist on the other hand combined with a strong grip gives me the desired draw.

I am working on adding more power to my full swing. To do that I am working on a more powerful set up position. At address, I am working on having my elbows point toward my hips with the inside of the elbows facing up. Then I want to bring them as close together as possible. When done correctly it makes a huge difference, adding as much as 30 yds to my drives and a club longer than normal with the irons. The watch out is when moving the forearms and elbows closer together you can create tension in the shoulders and upper arms. That is taking it too far and will restrict movement and ruin the golf swing.

So JCP907 have you decided what you'll do? I have a membership and play twice or more weekly. My club doesn't have a reduced rate for range balls unless you get a monthly package in addition to the regular fee. I favor the practice rounds over the range balls. You must be able to repeatedly hit the same shot. By that I mean to get the value from the practice round, I will play by myself and hit 2 balls the whole round. Then if a shot doesn't go as I like I then will drop another and give it another try. This really helps when I working on particular tip or move. Have to be careful not to hold up play for those behind you, so practice when play is the lightest.

RIDuffer - you sould like one dedicated golf nut. I played under similar conditions myself. Some folks just don't understand, do they? Winter time is a great time to improve your golf game. Indoor putting practice, use a mirror and work on your stance, alignment and set up, golf stretching and exercise routines are all part of my winter preparation. Another thing I believe helps is video games. I have the Tiger Woods game for the Wii. It helps me with course strategy, you know, thinking through each shot. Is it better to be long or short on this approach? I do live in Charlotte and can play year round. We still deal with cold and wind, plus the occassional snow but we schedule a match each weekend all year long.

I have owned the 5-iron for some years now. I use it often to help me get my swing back on track when things go awry. It works for me...bet it would work for you too.

Great that Phil's video helped you. So why did you bother to come on here if the tips won't help you? Doesn't make sense. Tips may be conflicting. Everyone's swing is unique in some way, so their tips would be different too. There are one plane swings and two plane swings. Folks who fade while others draw. High ball hitters vs low ball hitters. The reader just needs to sort through these tips and glean what might apply to their swing or experiment with something different in an effort to find something better. Either way the forum tips have value. Even to you.

While on the range you may find your list very beneficial, particularly when working on a specific swing flaw. But if you take those thoughts to the course, I think you're seriously over thinking. A long held golf axiom is to "relax". I believe in it. How can one be relaxed (both physically and mentally) and at the same time checking a list of swing thoughts?

Why is it some people can't help but "strain at a gnat?" If this is a friendly game with no more than a small wage at stake then the standard inside the leather gimme makes perfect sense. Over the course of 18 holes your opponents may have missed a gimme if he had to putt it, but then so would you. Sum zero.