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A three-wood:  From off the green??!!!???.

It may sound preposterous to some, but the three-wood chip is a great shot to have in your arsenal when the ball lies no more than a foot into the first cut of rough. For starters, a three-wood won't snag.  You know why we like this concept?  Because it works for Tiger Woods!!! I first tried this out in South Carolina, USA.  It since has become my "Carolina Pitching Wedge".

The key to working this shot is to keep the left arm fairly straight but relaxed throughout. The more tension, the quicker the stroke, resulting in a loss of distance control. Grip down with the palms facing each other, similar to the way you would grip a putter. Place the forefinger and thumb of your lower hand on the shaft for better feel and control of the club head. Then, use your wrists to pop the clubface into the ball (kind of like an axe, but not as hard as you would if you were splitting wood, or whatever else you use an axe for).  That will propel the ball airborne just enough to coast along the top of the grass.

The rest, we shall say, is putting history.

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OK, so you had a bad round.  But you don't know exactly WHAT was bad!  Next time out, turn your scorecard into a diagram.  Under the section where you put the players name, place the following: Hit Fairway, Hit Green, and # of Putts.  Then, for each hole, you can check that particular column or row if you hit the fairway, or if you hit the green.  You can also put down the number of putts it took to get in.  You can get detailed.  For example, under "Hit Green" you can put the number of shots it took you to get there.  On a par 4, it typically takes two (not for me!!).  If it took you 4 shots to get there, put '4'.  You'll have an excellent understanding of where your game needs work!!

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Putts:

As the Irish say, "99% of putts that don't reach the cup don't go in, and the other 1% are always short". Bottom line, beginning golfers should ALWAYS play to go beyond the hole. Ideally, your misses will stop 18" after the hole, but, practice makes perfect. I'd rather see you be long by 3 feet than short by 6". At least you know the miss MIGHT have gone in if lined up right. The short putt stands as much chance of going in as I do winning against Davis Love III in match play.

Also, match the stroke of your putt with your golf swing. If you have a short swing (i.e. your left arm doesn't go too far in the air during your backswing), your putting stroke should match. Same with if you have a long swing. You should have a long stroke. Your Body doesn't like you fighting it.

Lastly, the average golfer 3 putts or MORE 7-8 times a round. OUCH!! One of the primary reasons (besides being a beginner or weekend golfer) is that your eyes LOVE to play tricks. If you have a 20 foot or longer putt, I guarantee you that your eyes are going to think that it is only 16 feet. Has to do with triangulation of the eyes. But who cares about the science of it. The fact is, until you are skilled enough to REALLY gauge distance, factor in a couple feet for longer putts. You won't regret it!!

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Not all golf course are Flat

And boy, can that be a pain!!  OK, here's how to handle:

Side of the hill, ball above your feet:  Lean into the hill, and choke up on the club (put your hands further down the shaft.  That's it, no magic secrets. (sorry).  Lean forward more, keep the same ball position, and choke up on the club.  Swing, and amaze your friends!

Side of the hill, ball below your feet:  Lean back more so that you retain your balance on the downslope.  Grip the club all the way at the top so you use ALL the club. 

Uphill Lies:  My favorites.  I feel like the ball is on the tee!!  Keep your shoulders balanced. They will tend to 'weigh' more on the right leg.  Play the ball forward, toward your big toe.  Take one club more than you normally would play.  If you would hit a six, play a five instead.  Swing normal, and watch that ball GO!

Downhill Lies:  Not my favorites.  But I am getting better.  Again, keep your shoulders balanced, even though the weight is geared towards your left foot.  Play the ball BACK in your stance.  A little back of middle should do the trick.  Take one club less than normal.  If you would hit a seven iron, play an eight.  You are trying to hit down into the ball, so take a full, high swing.  Then shout FORE!

For these lies, swing at about 75% of your speed.  This maintains your balance..

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Open Green (no perils in front, i.e bunkers, waters, large rough, etc), and about 20 to 70 yards out? Use an eight iron!! Choke down, place the ball 2 inches in front of your back heel, take a backswing like a putt, and swing. DO NOT BREAK YOUR WRISTS! Keep your head down. Your backswing will determine the length the ball goes. As accurate as a putt, and much safer than lofting the ball. This is guaranteed to save you three strokes a round!

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The key is getting your putter's face aligned properly. Here are some tricks. After you've lined up your putt and see the intended line, place the ball down so that the logo points straight down the line -- don't point the logo at the hole (unless it's a perfectly straight putt); point it at your line. Then, simply align your putter head so that it is perpendicular to the logo.

Another trick is to pick out an intermediate target: a discoloration in the green, a repaired ball mark or a particular blade of grass, that lies directly on your intended line, but only two or three feet in front of your ball. When you are aiming your putter head, forget about your line and the hole and focus on this intermediate target.

Perhaps the easiest way to align your putter head correctly, is to stand behind the ball and look at your line-- then carefully place the putter head behind the ball aiming towards your target line. Then, making sure not to move the putter head, walk around to the side of the ball and take your putting posture.

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Scoring

Golf is a game of numbers.  A four is a four is a four.  Remember, one of those, and two of those, and one of those equals four.  How you get there is irrelevant.  So, what are we saying?  Play smart!  If you have an opportunity to hit the ball through a thicket of trees that has a 5% chance of succeeding, or kicking (whoops, I mean pitching) it out to the fairway, play smart.  Set yourself up fro an easier shot.  Then, one-putt.  One putts save a lot of strokes.  I recommend everybody do it as often as possible.

Play the course.  Don't let the course play you.  If you can wallop the ball 280 yards, but the fairway is 10 yards wide at that point versus hitting the ball 220 to a fairway that is 40 yards wide, which should you go for?  OK, you should go for 220, but I will acknowledge that 'letting it loose' is more fun.  Until you add up the strokes on the hole.

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Have a Video Camera??  TAPE YOURSELF!! You will be AMAZED at how bad you look swinging the clubs, and very impressed with yourself that you can pick out the flaws!!  WARNING:  WE are our own worst critics.  You will find a lot that can be improved.  Work on one area at a time (i.e. follow through, backswing, keeping head down, etc.) 

A GREAT trick I once tried was rather simplistic in nature.  As mentioned, I get a lot of practice on the course.  One day, I brought my neighbors video camera (you didn't think I would take mine, did you????)  I fastened with bungee cords the video camera to the front metal frame that holds the windshield on my cart.  Whenever I came to my ball, I turned the camera on.  After my (mis)hit, I turned the camera off.  I was kind enough to also do that for my partner.

I found out MORE during that 15 minutes (yes, the tape was ONLY 15 minutes.  Think about it) then I had learned in the previous five years.  Try it, let me know if it works for you.

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Build Your Confidence!!

What can you do to build confidence? Here are some quick tips:

• Approach each putt believing you'll make it. But if you don't, be realistic: remind yourself that even the best players in the world only make about 50% of six foot putts.
• Even if you feel that you need to be aware of what you're doing wrong, don't lose sight of what you're doing right. After each shot, go over what went well. Say things to yourself like, "Contact was solid," or "My tempo was good," or "I planned that shot well."
• Keep a daily diary of the positive aspects of your game. Review the diary weekly, and visually recall what you did well (well, maybe not daily.  I know I don't have the time to play that often, but too late, I already wrote this, and it is easier to keep typing then to erase).
• Become more aware of the conditions under which you achieve optimal performance (as if there may be such a thing). Be especially attuned to your state of mind: e.g., do you play better when you're energized or when you're relaxed? The more you understand about yourself as a player, the easier you'll find it to create confidence-building experiences for yourself.

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The key to hitting low, crisp chip shots is keeping your left wrist (if you are a right hand golfer) straight.  Most errant shots occur because the left wrist bends at impact.  It should remain straight.  By keeping your left wrist solid, the ball will stay on the target line, and you'll find the ball rolling towards the pin.  You do not have to scoop the ball on a chip shot.  Think of it as an extremely long putt!!!

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When you are in a greenside bunker, and you need to get out (like you would need to stay in??), the most common mistake made is taking a half swing, and not following through.

Try this:  Pretend the ball is lying on a pancake, or sprinkler head.  You want to aim FOR THE FRONT EDGE of the 'pancake' that the ball is lying on.  DO NOT stop your swing upon contact.  FOLLOW THROUGH to get the ball out. 

By hitting the sand first, and hitting through the ball, you will not 'skull' it.  The ball will pop up gently, with the sand, and roll right into the cup (ok, but it will be much closer).  Do you watch pro's, or other good golfers?  Wonder why they 'take so much sand' with them?  Now you know!  Remember, don't hit the ball, hit the front edge of the pancake, and follow through.

Let your backswing determine the distance you need to go, not your follow through!

And always count to one one thousand before you lift your head.  That will insure that you KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!!

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How far should you stand from the ball?   Take your regular left hand grip.  Hold the club straight out.  Slowly lower to the ground.  There you go.  Set up to shoot.  You should have no more than a fist and a half between the end of the club and your body.  Feel uncomfortable?  GOOD!!  You know it must be right.

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Ever play when the sun is scalding your brain, and the humidity threatens to cut off your breathing capacity (yet, you still ventured on!! My kind of golfer)?  Then, you reach for a towel to wipe your face, and, oh man, it's the same towel you used to clean your clubs with.  Doesn't that soil in your hot, wet face feel great!!  Try this:

BEFORE you start your round, get a clean, wet towel.  Use the clip that normally is used to attach to your bag, and clip it to the top of the cart above/beside your bag (hey, if you are walking, you are out of luck).  All carts have a roof top 'hole' of some variation to clip your towel on.  You now have a ready made face cloth that you will not confuse with your 'club towel', and you can moisten as you play.  Simply throw a cup of water that you should be drinking!! on it, or use the dispensers that are typically at every second or third hole.  It's free, clean, and handy.  (For purists, I have played at some pretty nice exclusive clubs, and I have seen this several times.  Point is, it really is not unbecoming)

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We firmly believe we have insisted upon the necessity of keeping your wrist straight / solid / DO NOT FLEX for chips shots.  If you find you just can't get the hang of this, then find a pen (or a pencil).  Next time you have to keep your right wrist fixed, stick a pen between your watch so that it covers your wrist and part of your palm.

You'll get the hang real quick.  If you STILL don't, use a pencil sharpened on both ends.  OUCH!! You'll get the hang real fast!!  :-)

(Note to readers:  We don't REALLY encourage you to use a sharp object.  Only if you have medical insurance, and don't mind pain!!)

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Putting:  The elusive problem for all golfers!  How do you putt?  For starters: go straight back with the putter - one inch for each foot of distance the ball is from the cup, and then straight though with a smooth swing of equal distance beyond the strike point.  Make the necessary minor adjustments for existing conditions.  You must "see" the imaginary line - from the ball to the cup.  There are very few putts that you aim straight at the hole!

Having said that, putting is mostly about speed, not aim.  If the putt breaks more than a couple of inches, you need to get both right in order to make the putt (or get both *wrong*, such that they cancel out). Aim is more important out to about two feet.  Beyond that, you need both.  Outside of ten feet, it's all about speed.  You're not likely to make the putt no matter what you do and your read of the break isn't likely to be off by more than a foot or two.  But boy, can you get the speed wrong by more than that . . .In my experience, almost all three-putts are caused by poor speed control on the first putt (and a resulting second putt that's more than two or three feet).

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Drive for show, putt for dough.  It's that simple.  Well, not really, but we'll get to that in a few issues!  Most of us get our practice in on the 18 holes we play.  And that's fine.  A driving range is good for measuring distance, and is beneficial.  But how much time and effort do we really have.

Let's face it, practice is on the 18 holes we play.  Bottom line.  And that's OK!

However, because putting is so integral, I do recommend that you spend the $5-8 to get the homemade putting practice machine. Click here for more details.

For a crude, but effective method of gaining the correct backstroke, lay a two by four down on the ground.  Place the ball 2 inches from the two by four.  Take your putter, and place the inside head against the two by four.  A good putting stroke will keep the head of the putter alongside the two by four during your backswing, and during your downswing.  Get the feel of it.  That's how your stroke should feel!
 

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Ok, we've all been there.  Some of us are still there, said the author as he looked in the mirror.  You're golfing with three other people, and you are obviously the worst golfer.  How do you handle, what is the 'etiquette'?  Well, if they are friends, there really isn't any.  However, follow these as rules of thumb:

• Don't delay play.  If you are on your tenth shot, or twelfth, or fifteenth, pick the ball up.  You're probably holding people up behind you, and just as importantly, you are frustrating YOURSELF!!

• If you're scoring every hole, give yourself your last shot number plus two.

• If you lose a ball, look for it yourself.  This promotes faster play, and your friends will appreciate it.

• If you don't find the ball, take a stroke, drop near where you think it is, and hit away.

• Don't look for a ball for more than three minutes

• If you are having a bad day, don't complain and whine.  The people you are playing with don't want to hear it.  If you are going to open your mouth, maybe ask for advice.

• Remember, you're supposed to be having fun.  If you are not, stop playing.  My worst day on a golf course is better than sitting at home doing nothing!

• NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER  OFFER ADVICE UNSOLICITED TO A PLAYER WHO IS CLEARLY BETTER THAN YOU, AND RARELY OFFER TO SOMEONE WHO IS CLEARLY WORSE.  THE ADVICE MUST BE SOUGHT OUT, NOT GIVEN!!!

Again, you know your friends better than I, and these are rules of thumbs.  Not all of them conform to the "Royal Book Of Golf Published By The Golf Kings", but if you read them a couple times, I bet you would agree.

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All great players have good hands, and that's why it's so crucial to develop a proper grip. First, should you use an interlocking or overlapping grip? Someone with large hands probably should use an overlapping grip. Small hands, an interlocking grip. Next, comes grip balance within the confines of each hand. The weight of the shaft should be balanced so you always have control throughout the swing. Another important element is the position of your left thumb on the shaft. Players who extend their thumbs hit the ball high and straight.

Those who shorten the length of the thumb are likely to hit the ball low and left. Grip pressure is another checkpoint. Try holding the club as tightly as you can, then hold it loosely. The correct pressure is somewhere in between. Finally, see how many knuckles are showing on your left hand. If you see most of them, you'll likely hit a hook or draw. Fewer, and the ball will go high and right. Experiment with these basics and you'll find a grip that's best for your hands

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How hard should you grip the club?  ANY club, driver, fairway, chip, putter.  The real question is how EASY should you grip it!! It must NEVER be tight.  Think of your grip this way:  You have a fragile bird egg in your hand.  How hard can you squeeze before the egg breaks.  Well, you DON'T want the egg to break, unless you are mean, and then unsubscribe, you cold hearted monster!!  That's how EASY your grip should be.  This is extremely tough to master, but try and be conscience of it the next time on the course.  You may be pleasantly surprised!!

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