After talking to any professional golf teacher, I understand that I receive a great deal of conventional wisdom on how to fix my golf game. Lets call it the 80% solution. As a beginner, this path to a better game is needed and it helps grow our understanding of the game at an exponential pace. I recommend seeking out your local professional for lessons as early in your journey as possible. Knowing this, I often wonder when it is time to put aside the conventional wisdom and walk the of the path of unconventional. I have played golf for 50 years and I am thinking it might be time to take a different path and here is why.
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Pull The Pin It Is Going In!
The big debate on whether the pin should be left in or take out during a golf shot is something that has fallen to personal preference. Most amateurs do not look at the stats of whether the pin is left in has a greater percentage of sinking. They judge their decision by feel. I have friends who are on the opposite side of the fence on this issue. Personally, I will do either, but prefer to have the pin removed. After all of this, putting is not what I am talking about when I suggest pulling the pin. Lets focus on chipping today.
Continue readingDistance or Accuracy Off The Tee
One of golf’s long standing debates is whether distance or accuracy is important off the tee. Depending on the level of a player’s golf skill the answer will vary. I have always been an accuracy advocate because being in play off the tee more often than not has led to many low golf scores. On the days I am shooting around par, I hit the ball straight and relatively long. I was in play with all my shots especially off the tee. Having said this, being able to hit the ball long is important on some courses and having that skill in my bag is very important. Which do you think fits your game the most?
Continue readingAdding A Stroke For No Reason In Golf
Every golfer I know and play a round with will add a stroke or two for no reason. Whether it is a loss of concentration (usual reason), a poor decision or a swing hitch extra strokes are added to our final score just because. These errors are always prevalent in a amateurs game, however it is the avoidable mistakes that really frustrate me after the fact. The challenge is I know the I am making a mistake, but continue down that course of action anyway. A par becomes a bogey, a bogey becomes a double just because I was refused to change my thinking and proceeded down the path of extra strokes. This is so frustrating don’t you think?
Continue readingDoes Watching Professional Golf Help Your Game?
I often wonder if watching professional golf help my golf game. There is no question in my mind that these athletes can perform an a regular basis, however as an aging amateur, I am not sure what they do applies to my game development. I mean, they hit the ball at least 4o to 50 yards farther than me off the tee; hit their irons a country mile; they can putter reasonably well; and they are as slow as molasses trying to roll up hill in January. Nothing they do applies to my game. So, other that watching professional golf for entertainment, I see no value in what they do that helps my golf game. Do you?
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The Grateful Golfer 