Back in the Burgh this week after a great trip and Christmas visit with the grandkids. Did not get to play any golf this week because of holiday duties, but this week our weather is looking none too bad, so maybe a round or two may get played this week. This week I thought I would write about the recent ruling that will eventually ban the use of the belly putter and the long putter. I admit, I haven’t read a lot of articles about the rulings but the one thing that I haven’t seen discussed much, is why now. These two types of clubs have been around for a long, long, long, long time. Phil Rodgers used a belly putter in the sixties no less and the long putter has been around since the early eighties. So is this what dictates the rules of golf. Its not the method, but how much success the method creates, that determines if it should be banned or not. If this was such an offensive way to get the ball into the hole, why wasn’t it banned in 1985 or 95. Its not like these are new ideas. I think the ruling bodies of golf,namely the USGA, do as much to deter people from playing golf as they do to promote the game. There is no question there should be 2 sets of rules in golf. One set for the elite 300 to 400 PGA and European pros, and another set for the recreational player. All other sports have different rules at different levels. Some rules that should be changed are out of bounds, tapping of spike markes, lost ball and more lenient ground under repair which would allow a player to take his ball out of a divot. The USGA does nothing to really help speed up play. Changing the above rules would speed up play. I am still more mystified by the timing of the rulings than anything else. Was it ok for older guys to use these methods but when the younger players started to resort to belly and long putters,the USGA just couldn’t take it. Do they really think these methods give an unfair advantage to the ones that use it. If they do, then shame on them for taking this long to do something about it and for letting them continue to use these implements for another 3 seasons. How will Tiger ever win another major with all these belly putters around for the next 3 seasons. Holy shitballs! Well as I said before it looks like I might be able to get a couple of rounds this week and next week will be a year in review. See you then.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
The blog is coming from sunny San Diego today as I am spending a little pre Christmas time with the grandkids. This blog as promised, will discuss the book The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, by Ben Hogan. Even though this book is considered one of the classics, I think this book is one of the worst instructional books ever written. Is there any redeeming qualities about the book. Yes, the illustrations are great and the writing itself is very concise and easy to understand. Lets look at the book chapter by chapter.
The Grip
The biggest problem with this chapter is the position of the right hand. Hogan advocates a position where the V’s of the right hand point at the chin. This puts the right hand too much on top of the shaft. A great comparison would be to look at the position of the right hand in Tiger’s book. While is left hand is pretty much with the thumb straight down the shaft, his right hand is in a position where the palm is more or less facing the target with the V’s pointing between the right shoulder and the right ear. With the position that Hogan advises, it is almost impossible for the average golfer to square the club head. A much better explanation of the grip and what it is supposed to do is in John Jacob’s book Practical Golf.
Stance and Posture
This is where the book really goes off on the deep end and advocates things that even Hogan himself did not do. First of all he advises to keep your right foot perpendicular to the line of flight. This may be ok for the really advanced golfer, but to slightly flair the right foot out at a 10 to 15 degree angle will make the hip turn a lot easier for the beginner. The book says that the feet should be shoulder width for a 5 iron shot and then wider for the longer clubs. Again such a wide stance makes turning more difficult. The feet should be about shoulder width for the driver and then begin to get narrower as the clubs get shorter. But the final thing is the instruction to keep the elbows and the arms as close together as possible at address and throughout the entire swing. If you look at pictures of Hogan at address he really did not follow this. If you try this, it just creates a lot of unnecessary tension in the address position. The other thing that was interesting Hogan used a closed stance for the longer clubs even though he was a fader of the ball. He discussed this at the end of the book. Even with a stance that favors a hook, Hogan could still fade the ball with the technique he describes in the book.
The First Part of the Swing
He writes about the hands starting the swing and the plane concepts really means advocating a one plane swing. He claims that you are heading for disaster if you thrust your arms up above the plane so that they would shatter the imaginary glass plane running from the ball through the shoulders. It makes you wonder how Nicklaus ever won a tournament.
The Second Part of the Swing
There is over emphasis on turning of the hips and not enough on the lateral shift the hips must make in order to clear the hands and arms so they can approach the ball from inside the line. The illustration of Hogan half way down, so ex saturates the inside position with the club shaft almost parallel to the ground, that I defy anybody to duplicate that position and hit a straight shot. Of course we wind up with supination. Try to do that and see how far it gets you.
This book tells how to keep from hitting a duck hook or a hook of any kind. If that had been the emphasis of the book or stated in the forward of book I would have no beef. But to claim that this is the fundamentals of golf, let alone the modern fundamentals, has probably caused more people to quit the game than the book has helped. But if you know anybody that can not keep from hitting a duck hook then give them this book. You will have made a friend for life.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Well, here we are December 2 and we were able to get in 18 holes of golf today. Went to Riverview today and broke the streak barely with a 79. In the beginning the putter was kicking ass again as I three putted the first 3 out of four greens. Then I settled down and even though I had only 2 one putts, did not three putt again and parred 11 out of the last 14 holes. It was a very good ball striking day as the weather did turn a little nasty with some wind and rain but for this time of year in the Burgh it was a very good golf day. Now on to another subject that is really bothering me. In some other blogs and in general, the book Five Lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, by Ben Hogan, is regarded as one of the best instructional ever written. Some great pros Nick Price and Larry Nelson, to name a few, have said that this is the book that they read when they first started to learn the game. I maintain that this is one of the worst books written on golf instruction. The main problem is with the title. If it had been titled, Golf My Way by Ben Hogan, then there would be no complaint. This is not to disparage the golfer Hogan in any way. There is no question he is one of the top 3 or 4 players to have ever played the game and arguably the best. He just wrote a bad book. Remember this is a book that is just about how to hit a golf ball. There is nothing in it related to the short game, putting, or playing the game. That is not a criticism of the book but just to make clear that this is a book strictly about the golf swing. So I am heading out to San Diego next week to do a little holiday celebrating with the grandkids. This will give me a little time to go through the book in more depth so I can really rip into it next week. As I said in an earlier blog if you are a duck hooker then this is the book for you. However this book has about as much to do with the “Modern Fundamentals of Golf” as horseshoes.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Only got in one round this week, as the weather turned colder after Thanksgiving. Wednesday was a nice day in the 50’s, and for the fifth straight time I played Scenic Valley, and for the fifth straight time did not break 80 as the putter was bulky for an 83. The only good thing about this scoring stretch, is we are past the time we are supposed to post scores so I don’t have to look at these scores for the next fifteen rounds. I thought I would have a little fun with this blog and go through the 10 worst experiences we have had on this 86 golf course trek so far. With fourteen courses to go I thought it would be unfair to rank the best 10 experiences because there might be better ones in future days. Hopefully, there won’t be any worse than these 10. Even some of these weren’t too bad because you can’t have a really bad day on the course. Some of these near the bottom came close. Here are the 10 worse experiences over the last 2 years.
10. Blackhawk July 20 2011 Not a bad course but after playing the front nine in 1 hour and 29 minutes they told us we would have to speed up so we wouldn’t hold up the women’s league. They also stopped us twice to tell us which nine to go to. They have 4 nines which they call, are you ready 1,2,3, and 4. This golf course should have a sign in front saying Keep Out.
9. Moon Township. May 12 2011 Just not in very good shape and maybe looked worse because we had played similiar smaller courses that were in very good shape.
8. Westwood. November 3 2010 The greens were bad the price high no hot dog at the turn and an attitude.
7. Lindenwood September 17 2011. Real pricey, the greens were slow and no service at the snack area even though people were calling anybody back there. Unfriendly starter.
6. Hickory Heights September 15 2011 Not offered senior rate even though on their web site they said they had one. Poor designed course and sullen pro shop staff. Prozac anyone.
5. Strawberry Ridge July 11 2011 Crazy course only in fair shape Take used balls because you are going to lose some.
4. Roseridge July 2 2012. Even though this course made me think of playing in the 60’s the greens were slow not even a 4 on the stimp. Just in bad shape.
3. The Phoenix at Buffalo Valley. September 9 2012. Again just in bad shape and an overpriced hot dog at the turn.
2. Foxwood Acres August 31 2011. No sign, no hot dog, no nothing, terrible condition. Could crabgrass be the new po
1 Kennsington August 12 2010. By far and away the worse experience of the trek. Nine greens were completely burned out, and the fairways weren’t much better. We were not told this and the price was not discounted. No hot dog at the turn, even though we made the turn at 11am. WOW.
I gave the dates if you want to read in more gory details these wonderful experiences I had playing these courses. It looks like the golf will be few and far between now, but you never know. In the next few weeks I will start to discuss the new swing thing I have been doing the past year. See you next week.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Another week, where the scoring was not that good, but there were some positive things that happened this week. I hit the ball very well today but 39 putts will kill any round. I probably swung at the ball as well as I have in long time. A change in the pre shot routine helped tremendously with the swing and the ball striking. I played 18 holes at Mt Lebanon on Thursday and after double bogeying the first hole I went around the rest of the way only 2 over par. It was on this day that I started the new pre shot routine which really helped me take a solid swing at the ball. On Wednesday at Scenic Valley in the cold again I went around in 86 blows. Today despite hitting 13 greens in regulation, thanks to the putter I could only muster an 82. So I guess I know what I have to work on. The weather looks pretty good this week, so I think I will be able to get in a couple of rounds this week, even though I am the Thanksgiving day chef, which means I will be cooking something everyday this week, but Tuesday. The key to making a big feast is getting things ready days in advance. Yes, it is this time of the year, to give thanks and be thankful. The first thanks is to Tiger Woods for putting Thanksgiving back on the map. What will it be 3 years since that magical day after Thanksgiving early morning where it was shown that even the great Tiger can’t drive an SUV to0 well when someone is chasing you with a 5 iron. Thank God Tiger was not a bowler. I am thankful for many things, but not the least of which is my good health. I try not to take for granted feeling good, and being able to play this game at a pretty good level since 1958. Every one that I really care about is also in very good health with no major problems. After it is all said and done, nothing else in life truely matters. I think I will go on Ebay now to find a new putter, it has to be the club.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Another week where the weather and daylight limited play. Wednesday went to Scenic Valley where I shot a smooth 82 and went back there today and shot an even smoother 86. The 82 I can blame a little on the weather as it was cold 42 but today I can only blame that score on my pea brain. Needless to say tweaking the tweak did not work at all, although a lot of my scoring was due to a very bulky putter. Just like I said my pea brain. The debate that I am having with my pea brain right now is whether to talk about the swing thing I have been doing. I probably will write it about in later blogs since I did write about all the assinine things I tried before I find the thing, despite these last two rounds, that has given me the best success I have had on the golf course in a long time. This week is looking pretty shaky weather wise so we will see how much golf I get to play. Discouraged but not defeated this golfer will carry on.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Well no golf this week, as from Sunday to Thursday it rained continuously, but fortunately it was a very light rain most of the time so no major flooding. The temps were between 38 and 45 most of the week, but I am not complaining considering what the east coast went through. The burgh came through again, and avoided truly disasterous weather. I am anxious to play of course, but for a little different reason. I have been swinging the club about the same way for about a year now. Despite shooting one of the best rounds of my life a 4 under par 69 at Rolling Acre, I tweaked the swing about a month after that, because of some research I had done on the function of the muscles of the body. After about a month however I untweaked the tweak as I called it, by going back to the original way I was swinging. Now I am about to tweak the tweak. Only a golfer could know what I am talking about. If this tweaking of the tweak (don’t you just love that) works out I may be ready to reveal what I have been doing the last year. I have been very secretive about this swing thing, only because I want to make sure it is not crap. There is so much out there that is, I do not want to add to the fertilizer. The week coming up is not looking that great with temps barely getting into the upper 40’s but it is suppose to be dry and hopefully I can get out there a couple of times this week. Chomping at the bit, searching for the answer, we’ll see if I get a little closer this week.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
A beautiful weather week that turned nasty on the weekend, so just two rounds of golf played this week. Wednesday went to Quicksilver and pretty much stunk out the joint and staggered around to an 84. On Thursday went ot Butlers Woodside and shot a much better 74. This cold dreary wet weather looks like it is here to stay for awhile, so it looks like there might not be much golf played week this either. As I look back on this year it has been a period of the most solid golf I have played in a long time. Is this due to the new method of swinging the golf club or is it due to the fact that I have swung the same way for over 12 months. That answer will determine how much I write about this new swing thing over the off season. I am optimistic, that there is some golf left for the rest of this season, which will help in deciding what I will do. Mean while, the mental game seems to be as perlexing as ever. This year I will have dropped my handicap from the mid 5’s to the mid 3’s, a definite improvement but I have been there before. I have shot the most consistant golf with many rounds between 74 and 78. I have done all that with suffering through the chip yips and missing more than my share of short putts. So beside putting on some finishing touches on the physical side of the game, I am hoping to find the answer to why we can’t function on the golf course, at times. What makes this game so damn exasperating. The search continues.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Finally played a new course this week, as we traveled to Norvelt Golf Club, in Novelt, Pa. about a 70 minute drive. This course was a very pleasant surprise. The course plays about 6600 yards from the blue tees has many diverse holes and was in very good condition. The big surprise was the greens were the fastest we have played during this 2 year plus trek, as they ran a solid 9 on the strimp. The greens had some good slope on them too, so getting above the hole was deadly. The fairways were in great shape and the roughs were grown in well. The course was very hilly and had some really up and down holes. The course did have some blah easy holes, but more than made up for it, with some great scenery and some very tough spectacular holes. The greens were the thing. It took 86 courses to finally have truly fast greens. The hot dog at the turn was mediocre at best, but I would rather have great greens. I have already experienced the great dog and just fair greens at Firestone Farms. The only negative note was because of some lack of course knowledge, and some occasional poor ball striking, my 16 consecutive rounds in the 70’s came to end with an 82. Pete had an 84 and with great weather we had a very enjoyable day. This course was worth the trip. Today I went to Rolling Acres and got back in the groove with a 3 over 76 but it leads to talk about what I consider the most frustrating part of this game, namely the short putt. I missed a couple of real shorties today. Even when I shot the 69 at Rolling Acres this year I missed a couple of short putts, with one being around 2 feet. First lets define a short putt. I consider a short putt anything from 18 inches to 4 feet. I probably have even missed putts shorter than 18 inches but lets stick to that distance frame. The two most famous short putt misses in the history of modern golf is Doug Sanders at the British Open in the sixties, and Scott Hoch at the Masters in the nineties. What is amazing about both of those putts, is at the most they were 2 feet, and neither player even touched the hole. I’m not being critical because I do this all the time. So what is it about the short putt, that even brings golfers at the top level to their knees. I am going to touch upon some things that make short putts unique and hope to have some answers to the problems, which I do not have now. The short putt puts you in the “should” mode, like you should make it. If you miss a putt in the 5 to 10 foot range, even though you may be disappointed you still know that it can happen. But when you get inside the 4 foot range, then you think you “should” make all of them, and when you don’t, it can be a confidence shaker. The short putt increases your decision making processes. On a longer putt you are thinking optimum speed. If you miss it you want the putt to stop close to the hole. But on the short putt you got to think about hitting it a particular speed. The two extremes would be to die the putt in the hole or bang it in the back of the cup. This also will affect the way you read the break of the putt. Finally, the short putt, is just flat out, the most important shot of the hole. It is the final, hopefully, shot of the hole. Miss this and there is no tomorrow. Golf’s version of sudden death. Except it can happen 18 times and the death is your score. Well, with that happey note, I will leave you for another week. Eighty six down and fourteen to go.
The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer
Back in the Burgh after a great week in San Diego with the grandkids. The best part of the week was that I got to play golf with my daughter on Monday morning with the kids in school and pre school. We played 9 holes on this executive course which had three par 4’s and six par 3’s. My daughter did amazingly well considering she had not played in about 5 and half years. She was able to muster up a 42 thanks to some great tee balls and very nice chipping. She had 2 pars and did have some bad holes but overall played very well. I shot an even par 30 with the help of some great putting. Got back to Pittsburgh very late on Friday night and was in no shape to play on Saturday but got to Scenic Valley today on a very nice fall day with temps in the mid 70’s. It was a very ho hum day with 7 bogies and a chip in birdie for a 78. This week I should get back into the swing of things and may even be adding a new course or two. The weather is looking pretty good for mid October. The search for the answer will continue in earnest this week.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 