When You Have Been Away

February 26, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

I have been asked as the first thing I would recommend as a place to start when away from the game of golf for a time. I have pondered this question a fair bit and always come back to the same question: What is it you want to accomplish – short or long-term success?

I know answering a question with a question seems like I am avoiding the question, but it really is important to my answer. So for those just starting again or have had 5 months of winter, this is what I came up with as a way ahead.

Short term – go to the range and practice hitting the ball. Try and reproduce muscle memory that will ensure a consistent swing. Make sure you use every club in your bag and mix it up. Hitting driver most of the time is not the answer. Once you have determined how far you ball will travel on a consistent basis, head to the chipping and putting green. Practice chipping with your 7/8 iron, PW and 60 degree wedge. Hit from different distances. Then putt! Putt for as long as you have chipped. Realistically, this whole process should take about 1 hour. 20 minutes on the range, 20 minutes chipping and 20 minutes putting. This approach is generally more fun for the player and they feel they will have immediate success. Of course that varies depending on the skill of the player.

Long term – head to putting green first! Practice putting for 20 minutes and chipping for 20 minutes, the sand trap for 10 minutes and pitching from 25-35 yards for 10 minutes. Once you have established your short game, then start working on our long game. Practice your short game for the first two weeks, then head to the range alternate times for 30 minutes. I have found that muscle memory in your short game is harder to achieve, but has greater long-lasting results.

Well I can hardly wait to start golfing, I guess you figured which approach I am going to use….the long-term. I am well into my workout routine to prepare for golf season in 48 days. Hope this helps. I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links!

What Makes People Laugh

February 7, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

What makes people laugh? Really, what does make people laugh on the golf course. Everyone is different and each situation has the potential to bring a smile to your face. This topic is very interesting because golf should not be all about focus, mental imagery, a perfect swing, or scoring low. It is important to enjoy yourself on the course; it really helps lighten the load.

Many years back I was playing in a tournament to make a military team. I was in the last group and playing with three friends. We had played on the team for several years together and were very comfortable with how each other played. My friend was the last to tee off on the first hole and the rest of us were watching in silence. For the first time ever, my friend whiffed his drive, the ball hit red tee marker, went up in the air and landed three feed behind him. At first, the three of us were shocked, but then could not hold in our laughter! We know this is very cruel and we should not have laughed, but we could not resist. My friend, after the fact, told us he was amused as well and said he did everything in his power not to laugh as well. After the tough start, he shot extremely well and finished second overall.

Other thing that make me laugh is hitting the ball out of a sand trap over the green into another sand trap. It reminds me of the movie “Happy Gilmore” and I say I spend more time in the sand than David Hasselhoff.

When I four putt, I laugh so I do not cry!

Finally, I laugh at the goofy freaking lies I get in the middle of the fairway. I know, but I really find them amusing.

There are many things that make people laugh on the golf course, whats your favorite?

Putting Guides – Part 5 of 5

December 26, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

Reading the greens! This is the most difficult part of putting and why I left it until last. Reading the greens sets up your entire stroke. If someone cannot read the greens it is like playing darts with your eyes closed – you generally know which direction to through the dart, but that is about it. So here are my tips on how to read a green.

First, I pace off the distance of my putt. I know how to putt the ball from 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 feet with relative accuracy. This skill is honed by going to the putting green and placing a tee at each distance and practicing. Once I have determined the distance of the ball from the hole, I look at the slope of the green.

The slope of the green will determine if it the putt will break left or right. Additionally, it will determine home much. My general rule is 1 inch to one foot. For every inch the ball is below or above hole, I adjust my putting distance accordingly. So if the hole is two inches above my ball on a 12 foot putt, I will adjust my distance to 14 feet. It is something that I have used over the years with good success. This rule is affected by the cut and grain of the green.

If the green is playing fast (cut low), I increase my ration from 1:1 to 1:1.5 or 1:2 (inches of elevation to distance). Additionally, the grain is important, especially in the evening. The grass follows the sun, so this will determine if you are putting into the grain or with the grain of the green. Again, I adjust my putting distance accordingly. This leaves determining your line.

Determining your line is not as difficult as one may think. Once you have applied the above, it comes down to speed. Picking a line has much to do about confidence. Once you have decided that the ball breaks a specific amount, be confident and go for it. Something to keep in mind, the softer you hit the ball, the more break you must play! If you play the ball 2 inches outside the right edge, but you are putting down hill with the grain and you barely have to hit the ball to get it to the hole. You will need to play about 3-4 inches of break. The softer you hit the ball, the more break you must play.

Lastly, except in rare instances, if the ball is within 3 feet of the hole, forget the break and hit the ball into the hole. Most amateurs, myself included, over-think short putts. I have found that if I just hit the ball into the hole, I will make 9 out of 10. So on short putts, think less and bang the ball into the hole.

Well that is it for me on reading the greens. I will say that I am going to try and plumb-bob this year because it might come in handy on the difficult greens. Ian Hardie at golfhabits.com explains this skill very well.

I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season! I wish you all the best. I am a grateful golfer!

Putting Guides – Part 4 of 5

December 20, 2012April 3, 2024 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

“As regards stance and manner of hitting the ball, it is for the individual to discover on the green the means that suit him best with the club that gives him most confidence.” Harry Vardon – How To Play Golf

Any building, bridge, tree or person have one thing in common – a strong foundation. In golf, a strong foundation starts in the legs and hips. This is where power is generated and where a smooth consistent swing starts and ends. Well putting is no different, except it has less moving parts in the upper body. So our next step to consistent putting deals three important aspects of putting that will improve your game.

Everyone is shaped differently. So it is very difficult to tell you exactly how to stand. Additionally, some people have physical challenges that prohibit certain motions; so do what you can and what you are comfortable with. As you go through the various tips, make sure you are comfortable and standing with complete control of your body. Here we go:

Eyes – I always start with my eyes. I stand with my dominant eye over the ball. I believe it is the best way to line up the center of your ball with the two marks you have chosen 3-feet in front and the further. Golf.com talks about your dominant eye and putting. The article is very good and will help explain the importance of your dominant eye when putting. It is very important to keep your eyes on the ball when making contact. Additionally, I count to two before following the ball on its path; this ensures you follow through on your line and focusing on initial contact.

Posture – Once your dominant eye is over the ball, bend your knees slightly so if you drew a line from your right shoulder to your toes and your knee are touching that line. Now, straighten your knees so you are standing comfortably. It is impossible for anyone to tell you how to stand, but your stance should be comfortable and allow a smooth shoulder movement.

Building a Triangle – The putting triangle is not unique. Virtually all the resources I checked stated that the triangle between your shoulders, arms, head and hands is the key to good putting. I agree. Once you have formed your triangle, it is important to keep it solid through the entire swing. It is the foundation to a great putter. When putting your elbows and wrists must remain locked in position and the swinging motion is completed with a shoulder turn with very little lower body movement. This is something that is different for every player, but the mechanics are the same.

Well that is it! These three points are my keys to putting success. The mechanics of putting is different to every player and unique to their skills. If you follow these three tips, I believe your putting will significantly improve.

While researching putting, I found a few websites that may be helpful – Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P60F_wu1pBk&list=UUuXIBwKQeH9cnLOv7w66cJg&index=16 – Lots of golf videos – Putting Triangle Drill is very good.

http://www.golftipsmag.com/instruction/putting.html – Golf Tips Mag has many tips and an extensive putting library.

http://golfhabits.com/ – Ian Hardie has many tips on putting and other aspects of the game worth reading.

I am a grateful golfer – see you on the links!

Putting Guides – Part 3 of 5

December 17, 2012January 29, 2017 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

My next putting tip has to do with how aggressive you want to play. Many advisers, coaches, pros, and friends have varying views on this topic. It is very difficult to determine what is best and when.

Many will say that if the greens are playing tough to lag putt outside of 15 feet. Others will suggest to always attack the hole. Dave Pelz at Scoregolf.com says that for putts 35 feet or longer to image the hole is 6 feet wide. This lag putt will hopefully cut down 3 putts.

Chris Czaja from Golfinstruction.com states that “One basic rule I have golfers follow is that if you are outside four paces from the hole, just go for a two putt.” He is also a strong supporter of practicing you putting stroke for 30 minutes a few times a week.

Ask yourself, when you have to make an approach shot or long putt….how often are you short of the hole? I would suggest that you are short most of the time. As a result, here is my view:

100% of short putts don’t go in!

I never intend to lag putt. I believe that by trying to sink every putt is the only way to play golf. I know that many players will not agree with my view, but I think that most players need to be more aggressive when they play and it starts on the green.

What do you think? Is lag putting the way to go or is being aggressive a valid alternative?