powerfade

Distance should have nothing to do with your decision. It should be based on how often you hit the sweetspot. Don't tell me you hit it there all the time. Be honest with yourself. Buy some impact tape. Go to the range and see how close you are to the sweetspot. A step better would be to play a practice round of golf using the tape. Change it often. If you aren't consistently hitting the sweetspot, your decision should be easy.

In regards to the last sentence...as a PP mentioned, you want to maintain the knee bend you had at address all the way to the top of the backswing. If you look down at your right knee at address, your kneecap is pointing to around 1 o'clock. As you turn back, maintaining the knee bend, allow your kneecap to move to the 2 o'clock position. Turning back against this firm right knee helps avoid a reverse-weight shift and gives you something to turn your right hip & shoulders around.

'Fire your hips' and compare your driver to others on the market with a swing analyzer. Don't let your size get in the way. Charles Howell is small in stature but can absolutley rip the ball. It's amazing to see the speed at which his hips fire through impact. Make sure you're not sliding through impact. I play a Tri Metal (Hip Steel) 3 wood. I love that club. In your case I'd compare your driver head-to-head to others before making a purchase. You'll be looking for optimal spin/launch/ball speed rates. Chances are the newer drivers will perform better than your 5+ year old technology. Another (probably better) approach is to focus on the shaft.

Did he not understand what was going on? You would think he'd be all in favor of not giving your bro the strokes, then play on. Did he have trouble on the first 3 holes which was probably the real reason for his ridiculous reaction?

Get an old shaft. Stick it in the ground a couple inches left of your left hip. Swing. After you realize you're hitting the shaft consistently, try turning your hips on the forward swing so that you don't hit the shaft. It's a weird feeling. It will not be comfortable. You will have to get used to it, but ultimately, you will understand what a hip turn is versus a slide. BTW - your weight has to be on the left side through and after impact. If you are moving backwards to the right to avoid hitting the shaft...that's a reverse weight shift/reverse pivot. Don't do that.

Are you trying to mess up my swing

I couldn't really fit an answer into the poll choices. ('Once in awhile' would be the option I chose) Typically, I stay away from beer on the course because I'm usually playing a money game or a tourney. If things are going really bad, I may have a beer or two hoping to relax me. If I'm playing with my brother in laws or friends from work, I won't hesitate to have a few beers with them. I'm out there having fun.

I would agree with that. You can also bet those holes are not severely uphill or downhill (no slopes to catch, etc).

Swinger. I'm a bit tall (6'3-1/2" in shoes) but not strong armed. I rely on a large swing arc and a big shoulder turn (among other things) to get my distance. I do try to make sure I'm swinging through the ball with the back of my left hand and a firm left wrist. I think this helps me with accuracy. Bringing the right hand into the picture results in mad hooks.

..and I believe the pro 'average driving distance' stats are taken from a few specific holes per tournament...not every drive they hit.

Read Stan Utley's "The Art of Putting". Practice his technique. Use the right putter. Don't think too much.

The usual... Dollar Dots - Gross only (all for par or better) Skins Sandy Barky Froggy (water hazard) Dirty Par (desert, waste area, scrub, etc) Lizard (chip in) Sticky (putt longer than flag stick) Polesky (approach for birdie less than length of flagstick) Progressive Greenies (closest to the pin - par or better. 1st par3=1 dot, 2nd=2 dots, etc) Reverse Greenies (Greenie opportunity but 3 putt...other players get a dot) Piggy's...calling your up and down from off the green...if you miss other players get a dot) Front 9 low gross Back 9 low gross Overall low gross Front 9 low net Back 9 low net Overall low net Front 9 fewest putts Back 9 fewest putts Overall fewest putts Progressive Birdies (1st birdie made in group=1 dot, 2nd=2 dots, etc. capped at 5 dots. $5 birdies on the back nine makes for some excitement. We've even done Long Drive Dots (must hit stay in fairway) on predetermined holes (basically anywhere a driver can be used). You must 'qualify' by making par or better. We'll sometimes play 'rotating partners' as well. I didn't realize we had so many dots in play until I wrote this.

heyscuba - You simply have to state what you are taking relief from. In this case, he should state he's taking relief from the stake (immovable obstruction). Find the nearest point of relief and drop within 1 club. He could then decide if wants to take relief from the cart path doing the same procedure. State you are taking relief from the cart path and continue on. Remember another thing about taking relief...there is only one 'nearest point of relief'. It could affect which direction the relief from the two separate obstructions takes you.

I was less than a minute away from declaring a lost ball this past Saturday in a tourney. The ball was found...plugged. (Moist fairways during the overseeding).

Now, as to the procedure, I've been told to mark the ball, pick it up with two fingers, and carefully place it back on the ground out of the way. This removes the question as to whether the player cleaned the ball. When it's time to replace it, do the opposite. One thing to keep in mind is while you cannot clean it, you may rotate it to any position before placing it back in play on the exact same spot. If there's a little dirt clod on the ball, you'd be sure to rotate the ball to where it doesn't come into play. Is this how you all understand the procedure?