Monday, June 20, 2016

Beginners Series - Part 2: Where to start

One of the biggest challenges when you're first taking up golf is dealing with the overwhelming number of concepts, rules (written and un-written), swing thoughts and techniques that flood into your head. 

There are countless golf magazines, blog articles (whoops!), YouTube videos and more that offer up a never-ending stream of "tips" to fix this, cure that, add this or increase that. The absolute best are total gems you'll get from other golfers who can't help themselves but to try to help you. 

You're supposed to be learning, having fun and getting better, but how do you know what will work for you vs. what is just "head-filler"?

Golf demands - above all else - focus, balance and a clear head. You can't be standing over a shot with 20 different things running through your head (this happens to EVERYONE, by the way).

Like a lot of people who pick up the game as adults, I got caught up in all this when I first picked up the game, thinking that understanding every aspect of the game would help me learn and get better faster. Man was wrong. And I want to help you avoid as much of that as I can. 

Having gone too far down that path, I can confidently say that the best thing you can do for your enjoyment and learning curve, is to keep it simple. Focus initially on just a few key aspects of the game and your swing. 

Here's what I recommend:

1. Learn how to chip like a champ
"Huh? That flag is like a million miles away from the tee! You want me to focus on chipping?"
Yes. I know it seems like the moon is closer than that green, but don't get seduced by the long ball. At most, you'll hit a driver 14 times a round. When you first start out and are likely shooting well over 100 for 18 holes, that's only around 15% of your shots! Also, even if you can manage to master the long ball (which is really hard, by the way) that doesn't necessarily translate well to other parts of your game. You're actually more likely to create bad habits that are hard to un-learn.

Chipping, on the other hand, is easy to learn (though hard to master). More importantly, it's the simplest version of the golf swing... so learning to chip well will translate to the other clubs in your bag.
Phil Mickelson,
THE ultimate short game wizard

There's a very simple method for chipping that you can learn from one of the best short-game players of all time, Phil Mickelson. Check out his "Secrets of the Short Game" videos. They're short, simple and actually pretty entertaining. His technique is easy to learn, and is the same basic approach whether you're chipping, putting, or pitching. That makes it easier to be consistent. He even throws in a few trick shots to impress your friends.

With a little practice, you'll be chipping it close in no time, which takes pressure of other parts of your game. Didn't quite get it on the green? No problem. Having a hard time putting? No worries. It'll be closer to the hole thanks to your chipping prowess.

2. Focus on staying relaxed and balanced
Golf is one of those damnable things in life that are completely counter-intuitive. Whatever it is common sense would dictate you do in any given situation, you almost certainly should do the opposite. 

For example... Common sense would dictate that to hit the ball further, you need to swing harder, amiright? Guess what? The exact opposite is true. 

"WTF?", you say! Sorry, friend. It just isDon't fight it. Just accept it as truth and go with it. Trust me on this one. You'll be a happier person.

A muscular swing creates tension, which actually reduces "club head speed" and leads to greater inconsistency in where you strike the ball on the surface of the club. A more fluid, relaxed swing creates more speed at the head of the club (where it matters).

Here's a world-class example, Freddy Couples:



It looks like he's barely swinging! Guess what, he's always been one of the longest hitters on the PGA tour. 

Forget being like Mike... be like Fred. 

3. Get Lessons! 
Seriously! A good teacher makes a massive difference, especially early on

So many new players think they need to achieve some basic level of play before they invest in lessons. That's a mistake I made and regret. Some folks don't want to spend the money until they know they'll keep playing. How are you ever going to get there without some help & knowledge from an expert?

Honestly, though, I think most are actually afraid to end up with a crusty old pro who'll make fun of them. Who wants to be embarrassed flailing away in front of some golf pro that you just know can shoot under par while blindfolded, hung over and in a bad mood (ahem... every day)? 

Here's the thing... you don't know the POWER of the dark side... of golf. It's so easy to fall into bad habits without realizing it. What feels natural for you to do with your swing is probably far from what you should be doing. As Yoda told Luke on Dagobah, "You must unlearn what you have learned." 

On the flip side, if you learn good habits early on, you'll get better much, much faster. And that means you'll hit more good shots, score better, and that all adds up to enjoying your time on the course more often than not. 

Fortunately, there are a lot of Yodas out there (and very few Qui Gonn Jinns). The VAST majority of golf pros teaching today do it because they love to help people get better at the game (they sure don't do it for the money - at the public courses, anyway!). So, odds are pretty low you'll get a dud pro. Most pros offer free one-time lessons to drum up new clients, and these are great ways to see if you're compatible. 

Give it a go! You won't regret it.
 


Thursday, September 26, 2013

Beginner's Series - Part 1: Etiquette (in plain English)

So you've finally caught the golf bug. You hit that one good shot on the driving range, and now -- like the rest of us addicts -- you want MOAR. 

Here's the thing, golf can be really intimidating to learn and play for someone who's new to the game. It's an old game, with lots of strange rules. I know a lot of new golfers who are afraid to get out and play rounds because they don't want to play too slow or offend their playing partners by doing something wrong. I certainly felt this way when I started, and always wish someone had made a simple, not-too-jargon-filled primer. So... here ya go. 


We'll do this in a Q&A format:


Question #1: When's it my turn?  

Answer: According to the rules, whoever is furthest from the hole should play. So look around; if you're furthest away, it's your turn.

This is pretty straight-forward to follow in most situations, but there are a few where it can get tricky:

  • When teeing off on a hole, players from longer tees should go first (which is consistent with the rule). So if you have two golfers playing the far tees (we call them "the tips"), one playing the second tees and one playing the forward tees, they should go in that order.
  • Golfer X and Golfer Y are teeing off from the same tees. In this case, both players are the same distance away, so now what? Well, this is where "having the honor" comes in.

    The player with the best score on the previous hole goes first. If Golfer X shot a 5 on the last hole, and Golfer Y got a 6, Golfer X goes first; she "has the honor".

    If they tied on the last hole, you go back to the previous hole's score, and keep doing that until someone has the honor.

    If you just started the round - it's traditional to "toss a tee" in the air between the two players before you tee off on the first hole. Whoever it points towards, goes first. It stays this way until one of the two players gains the honor by getting a lower score on a hole.
  • Here's a tricky one around the greens that most golfers get wrong -- The rules say it doesn't matter who is on/off the green -- whoever's furthest from the hole should go first. Most people think everyone should get on the green first and then you take your turns from furthest away.

    FWIW -- don't be adamant about this. If you're off the green but closer and your playing partners insist you go, go for it. It can save time so go with the flow. 


Playing "Ready Golf": Follow these rules as best you can, but on most rounds you should be prepared to play "ready golf". That means you should be ready to play (technically "out of turn") when another player is hunting for their ball or not ready to tee off, in order to keep things moving. Just make sure your playing partners know you're taking your turn, and be aware of what they're doing. Generally, you don't want multiple players hitting their shot at the same time.

Playing ready golf is one of the most important things you can do to help with our next question…




Question #2: How do I keep from playing too slowly?

Answer: As a new player, you will hit more shots, that's just a fact of life. You'd be surprised to know that's not what leads to slow play (in most cases). The one aspect of play where players - new and veteran alike - lose the most time on the course is the time between when you get to your ball and when you actually hit your shot. 

With that in mind, here are a few tips that will help you be efficient without rushing between shots…


#1: Start prepping to hit your next shot as you are walking/driving up to your ball. You can find the yardage, decide what club to hit and be ready to hit pretty quickly if you get in the mental habit of doing this as you approach your ball

Many players wait to get to their ball, then walk around finding yardage markers, hemming and hawing over which club to hit, and before you know it, five minutes have passed and your playing partners are all waiting on you. 

Most courses have 200, 150, and 100 yard marker posts in the middle (or edge) of the fairway, and a majority have yardages on sprinkler heads in the fairway. These can sometimes take a little hunting to find near your ball, so keep an eye out as you're walking/driving to your ball. If you have a GPS, GREAT! Have it out and ready. 

#2: If you need to walk far from the cart or your bag, and aren't sure what club you will need, take 3-4 clubs with you so you have options. This will save you the time of running back and forth to the cart to get different clubs. 

#3: Take one or two practice swings at the most, and do it away from/behind your ball. New players often feel they need to do 4-5 practice swings, and do it as close to their final swinging position as possible (probably because they see the Pros doing it). However, studies have shown that more than 1-2 practice swings leads to poorer shots. The extra 2-3 swings add tension to your body and are more likely to let small faults sneak in. Doing them away from the ball will reduce tension (that little white ball gets in your head real quick!)

#4: As soon as you're standing over the ball (at the "address" position) and are balanced, start your swing. DON'T WAIT. Every extra second you spend standing over the ball at address adds tension to your hands, arms and shoulders, and greatly increases the likelihood that you'll hit a bad shot. 

Note: If you're looking for a good example on the PGA tour, look no further than Brandt Snedeker. He decides what he's going to do while standing well behind his ball, takes a few quick practice strokes, then walks up to the ball and swings quickly (especially when putting!) No muss, no fuss! Just a good, relaxed swing and good results!

Just doing these handful of things will reduce time lost on the course, help you play better and keep up without feeling rushed.  

Question #3: Where can I walk on the green? I see other players trying to avoid something. What am I missing?

Answer: It's bad etiquette to walk on another player's putting line to the hole. We wear golf spikes/cleats, and they leave indentations on the green that can alter a putt. Putting's hard enough as it is, so this is a sign of respect for your fellow players. When you see the pros walking a LOOONG way around to their ball, or standing awkwardly on a close tap-in, they're trying to be respectful of their playing partners' line to the hole.
Tip: Once your group is on the green, take a quick look around to see where your fellow players balls/markers are, and where they're likely to putt their ball to reach the hole (their "line" to the hole). Don't worry, you don't have to get it exact, but you want to avoid stepping on their line to the hole. You also usually want to walk around -- rather than step over -- their line. Just think of it as extra steps for your [insert fitness tracker of choice here].

Also, if someone else is putting, you shouldn't stand directly behind them, or directly behind their ball (looking down the line of their putt to the hole) while they're putting. The former is a courtesy, the latter is against the rules.

Question #4: Is it OK to share clubs?

No, it's not. It's technically against the rules of golf, but the bigger issue is that it almost always leads to slow play (i.e. - when you both need the same 8 iron and you're on opposite sides of the fairway). If you've just started playing and don't have all the clubs, that's okay. I recommend using the closest one you DO have. If all you have is a putter - rent clubs from the pro shop (seriously). 

Question #5: When is it NOT OK to talk?

It's not OK to talk (or make distracting noises) from the time when another player nearby has started their pre-shot routine until they've finished their swing. 

This is about being respectful of your fellow golfers, and allowing them to concentrate while hitting. Talking, clanging your clubs, driving your golf cart or cracking open a cold one in someone's back swing is a BIG no-no, and is a sure-fire way to get yourself in hot water (or tossed into the water hazard, if you do it repeatedly).

Pretty much any other time is OK to talk. Recreational golf should be a social experience, so feel free to chat away. Just do so respectfully and not at the top of your lungs. 


Question #6: Anything else I should know?

Answer: One of the most overlooked aspects of golf etiquette is taking good care of - and having respect for - the course itself. Nothing's worse than playing on a beat up course that the players before you haven't done their part to keep in good condition.

Courses with lots of dents in the green (called "pitch marks") and unfilled/seeded divots on the fairways/tee boxes are less fun to play - and both of those things are preventable. Here's how you do it:

  • Replace/fill your divots - If you take a big chunk of grass & dirt when you swing - called a divot - don't worry; it's normal (all the pros do it!) Just make sure you replace it. If the divot is all in one piece, go grab it and place it back in the hole. If the divot came apart into a bunch of pieces you can't easily replace, use the little container tube thingy of sand/seed (usually mounted on the side of every golf cart) to fill the divot. This stuff is called divot mix. Some courses don't have any divot mix handy, in which case don't worry about it. They usually have someone go around end of day to fill them in. 

  • Fix your pitch marks: If your ball lands on the green and leaves a small dent where it landed (called a "pitch mark") use a tee or a divot tool to flatten it out again. While you're at it, find and fix one more. Just don't take forever to do it. Here's a helpful video (youtube) on how to do it correctly (doing it incorrectly can harm the grass).

  • NEVER swing a club in a way that will take a chunk out of the green. Frustrated for missing that putt and tempted to smash your ball off the green? Don't do it. I learned this one the hard way (It's been 4 years and I still won't play at the course where I did this because I feel so guilty). Greens are VERY expensive to repair and maintain, and golf is more fun on courses where the greens are in great shape. Treat them delicately.
Last tip…

Try really hard to keep it light and HAVE FUN, even when you're struggling. Golf is a VERY challenging game, and it will test your patience like few things you've ever done. That's what makes it so exhilarating when you're playing well. However, nothing sucks the fun out of a round quite like playing with a hulking rage monster (of any size or shape) who can't cope with a few bad swings or bad breaks and starts throwing clubs, berating other players or abusing the course.

We all play bad at times and we all get frustrated regularly but even when nothing's going straight and you can't buy a putt. 
Take a deep breath, calm down, and remember that you're still playing a magnificent game in the great outdoors. There's an old golf axiom that says, "The worst day of golf is better than the best day at work" so enjoy it!
 


Sunday, June 17, 2012

My golf goals for 2012 (Jaim)

Wind back the clock six months to the beginning of 2012, and there I was, trying to figure out what I wanted to experience and accomplish with my golf game this year. Steam poured from my poor little ears as I tried to conjure a few measly goals that were both aggressive and attainable. It was tough! I was in a rough patch, people.

That previous fall I felt like I was on my way to being in the 80s regularly and a sub-20 handicap. My iron play was locked in, short game was its usual self, and I'd found a workable (if not happy) medium with my driver, where it wouldn't bite me so hard if I didn't let it out of the cage too often. Then it all started to go downhill. Lost the feel & timing and - to be quite honest - I feel like I've just started to get it back this summer.

So... what to do when your game is essentially off the rails? I didn't even feel like I really knew where I was at, so how was I supposed to figure out where to go? Well... I decided to start with changing up the environment a little bit, and focus on some aspects of my game that should be easier to improve at. 

So here they are... the goals I set for myself this year:
  1. Get some experience playing competitively >> This was the environment changer... I just felt like it was too easy for me to get into the same old groove and lose focus on improving during our regular "fun" weekend rounds. I also felt like I could learn a lot from playing around/near a variety of players in a tournament atmosphere. To do this, I joined the Golf Channel Am Tour.
  2. Get to a 15 handicap by end of year. That's 5 strokes to shave. To do that, I came up with the following two goals that should get me there (assuming other areas of my game don't take a huge step backward in the process):
    • Improve your putting >> Goal: Average 30 putts/round by end of year. (I currently average 34)
    • Get in the fairway >> Goal: Average 8 fairways hit per round by end of year. (I currently average 5). So... how to do this? 2 things:
      • Re-incorporate woods back into your game - I all but gave up on them, but realize they're important not only for being a back up to the driver off the tee, but also for making up distances when I do make mistakes off the tee.
      • Dial the driver swing back to 80% - Just take a little off. Don't have to King Kong it! I'd rather be 230 and in the fairway than 280 and hitting from the trees.
  3. Start taking lessons regularly (monthly, at least) >> I tend to overdo adjustments, so getting a trio of lessons once per year isn't frequent enough to keep me from veering all over the place. 
You'll notice there's nothing in here about hitting it longer or learning any "new" shots (as tempting as that is for me... I like learning new shots). That's because the process of trying to hit longer usually is counterproductive to hitting it straighter (for me, at least). I also already have pretty good distances with all my clubs, so I don't feel like distance is a real problem. I also don't feel like I should be trying/learning new shots (i.e. - a cut) until I've got a good handle on my normal shots (usually a small draw).

So... if I can manage to accomplish these by end of 2012, I'll be a pretty happy golfer, and feel like I'll be setting myself up to make a big step forward next year. I'll try to keep you all posted on my progress. ;)

'till next time...  
[Jaim]

Saturday, June 16, 2012

What's In My Bag (Jaim) - 2012


I've had a lot of fun assembling my collection of clubs and equipment. I'm really happy with what I've been able to put together, and the number of good deals I've been able to secure in the process. 
You can also assemble a great bag without overspending by knowing where to make good, strategic big purchases (in my case, the R11 driver) and a lot of smart shopping. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (like we do), your local GolfMart is a treasure trove of good used equipment. Believe it or not, I got my 4 wood, hybrids and wedges all used, all name brand (TaylorMade and Titleist) in great condition, for good prices. It can be done, folks!
Here's my gear (distances in parentheses):

A few tips...
Don't be afraid to borrow/try other people's equipment. It's a great way to try things on the course with no commitment (provided you don't have anger management issues). For example, I've always  used a blade putter, but started struggling with my lag putting and ended up convincing Peggy to swap with me for a few rounds (she has the original Corza Ghost mallet putter). She was struggling a bit with the mallet and wanted to try something else. After swapping, we both putted better consistently, and we've now made it permanent (in fact she's already re-gripped it).

Obviously, if you're 6'2" you'll have a difficult time swapping with someone who's 5'8", but in this case - we both use putters of similar length so it worked.  
Game Improvement Irons WORK. The best purchase I ever made was the Cobra S9 irons (2008). I got them new just as the S9-IIs were coming out, so I got a good deal ($449 – at the time). They’re forgiving without being clunky, have nice large faces and are very durable. These are great irons for high handicappers. 
Get Grips that FIT your hands. I had to re-grip a wedge a while back and decided to try going up a size (I've got bear paws for hands). I can’t tell you how much this helped my feel and my confidence. It helped me loosen up and trust my grip more, and a looser grip means a quicker swing and more distance. I definitely noticed the difference, and went up to mid-size on all my clubs.

Need a little anecdotal proof? I used to wear holes in the lower palm of my gloves and have to switch to a new one about every 6-8 rounds. This was from gripping the club to tightly. Now I can go 2 dozen rounds on the same glove, in fact I usually replace it from getting crusty, not because I wore a hole through it.