Instruction: Bill Forrest - 2006 PGA Instructor of the Year
Hi - If there is one swing thought that I could have out on the course that could help me to stop hitting iron shots fat, what would that be?
Thanks, Patrick Bourke
Patrick: Your mantra should include a tempo related cue. Something like "one-two", "tick tock", "New York-New York" or simply "go" after you have completed your backswing. It sounds like your getting stuck on your back foot and possibly starting your downswing with your upper half. You gotta go!
I have recently had a large increase in club-head speed and driving distance after a few tips from a retail pro. I have loosened my grip, adjusted my address to the ball to accommodate the bigger club face, lessened my forward press at address, and am shifting my weight much more. I?m hitting 260+ drives consistently now, which is more in line with my 150+ eight iron. The problem is now I?m having trouble with my swing path or something, and I?m hitting massive, straight, high drives pushed to the right across the adjoining fairway. I am trying not to swing too flatfooted, but it?s hard to control all that on the tee? I am 6?1? and have a pretty big arc, so if I swing aggressively I can be all the more wrong if my direction isn?t good. I?m still using my Adams RPM 460 driver with a regular shaft.
If there?s anyone who can address that, I?ll be checking back on the website.
Thanks; Ron D? (Rochester, NY)
Ron: Commonly, golfers with the big forward press, that you described, have a tendency to take the club too much to the inside on the takeaway. Continue to lessen that press and for the first 18 inches or so, take the club back on a straighter line. This should eliminate the push to the right. The "high" part of it relates to your hand action and/or your weight shift. Work on shifting off your back foot and finishing more in balance on your front foot. Also, practice hitting some punch hooks........this should take the height out of the shot and produce a little right to left ball flight.
Rules: John Crumbley - Certified PGA Professional, Rules Expert
Is relief allowed for an ant bed in a water hazard?
John Pyron
Maybe is the best answer I can give. Without seeing the exact situation I can not give you an answer. You could receive relief under rule 1-4 for a dangerous situation. But it must be determined if the ant bed is dangerous and you can not use this rule to get free relief if it is clearly unreasonable for you to make a stoke at the ball for any other reason. If you do receive relief for the dangerous situation you will have to remain in the water hazard.
1-4/10 Dangerous Situation; Rattlesnake or Bees Interfere with Play
Q. A player's ball comes to rest in a situation dangerous to the player, e.g., near a live rattlesnake or a bees' nest. Does the player have any options in addition to playing the ball as it lies or, if applicable, proceeding under Rule 26 or 28?
A. Yes. It is unreasonable to expect the player to play from such a dangerous situation and unfair to require the player to incur a penalty under Rule 26 (Water Hazards) or Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).
In equity (Rule 1-4), as an additional option the player should be permitted, without penalty, to drop a ball on the nearest spot not nearer the hole which is not dangerous.
If the ball lay in a hazard, it should be dropped, if possible, in the same hazard and, if not, in a similar nearby hazard, but in either case not nearer the hole. If it is not possible for the player to drop the ball in a hazard, he may drop it, under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard, keeping the point where the original ball lay between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
If it is clearly unreasonable for the player to play a stroke because of interference by anything other than the dangerous situation he may not take relief as prescribed above, but he is not precluded from proceeding under Rule 26 or 28.
I was playing at my club with the boys and on the last hole of the day (18) i hit my second shot into front bunker, when i went into the bunker to see that my ball was next to another ball that was hit by one of my playing partners. we had are bit discussion on what we need to do. i was away from the hole, i was going to go first so i had the other player pick his ball up and i played my shot and he replaced his ball to its original place and he hit his shot. What is the real way to handle this kind of situation? should he mark his ball in the bunker? then pick it? the problem was that we could not hit either shot without hit the other players ball. Thanks for any help you can give me on the bunker rules.
Jim Overmyer
Jim,
It sounds like you did things correctly. Rule 22-2 covers this and is copied below. A couple of things to note here is one be sure not to clean the ball that is lifted, that would be a penalty on the player whose ball was lifted. Also if the lie of the ball lifted is altered by the playing of the other ball then the lie should be recreated without any penalty. Be sure to mark the ball to be lifted even if the mark is going to be knocked away in playing the other ball.
22-2 Ball Interfering with Play
Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that the ball of another player might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted.
A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21).
In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball.
Note: Except on the putting green, a player may not lift his ball solely because he considers that it might interfere with the play of another player. If a player lifts his ball without being asked to do so, he incurs a penalty of one stroke for a breach of Rule 18-2a, but there is no additional penalty under Rule 22.
Penalty for Breach of Rule:
Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.
A few days ago i was playing golf with my brother inlaw. On a 150 yards par 3 hole i hit the ball perfect, it was high and headed right for the hole. When it came down it landed right in the cup and bounced out about 15 feet in the air and off the green. My question is, is that considered a hole in one?
Thank you,
Rich from Albany, NY
Rich,
Great shot, but no cigar! It is not a hole in one. The ball is not holed until it is at rest below the lip of the hole. Better luck next time.
Equipment: Tom Henderson - PGA Professional & Master Club Fitter
How much do fitted equipment help. If I am a 10 handicapper would fitted clubs help me more versus if I was a 20?
Thanks Curt
Curt:
Fitted clubs benefit everyone!
The fact of the matter is: Every Tour player plays with clubs that have been made specifically for them. If the most gifted golfers in the world are playing with fitted equipment, shouldn't us mere mortals do the same? After all, don't we need as much help as we can get?
You will absolutely benefit from the proper equipment and the 20 handicapper will benefit even more.
Tom, I recently bought a set of clubs from a local sporting goods store.. The set came with all the standard selections. I was wondering what you suggest as the ONE or TWO clubs which aren't normally included as must haves on the golf course.
Ron Watson
Ron:
I typically would suggest that a student purchase a few fitted clubs verses a full set of "off the rack" clubs. However, since you already made your purchase, I would strongly recommend that you try to get your clubs "retro-fitted".
You may be able to get your PGA Professional to make changes like lie angle and grip size adjustments. As far as additions to your set, get fitted for a lob wedge (60 degrees) and think about replacing one or two long irons with hybrids (they are much easier to hit). These additions will pay dividends immediately.
