Editors Note: Each week, we receive hundreds of questions for our PGA Experts. Though we can't answer every one of them, we will take some of the most illuminating and beneficial questions and have one of the top authorities from the PGA of America to answer them for you. We are in the process of finding ways for more experts to answer more of your questions! Thank you for your support and keep the questions coming!
Instruction: Bill Forrest, 2006 PGA Teacher of the Year
I need a drill to work on my tempo. I am way to fast...help me please.
steven whittenore
Steven: The key to your tempo are these two words.........even pace. The swing should feel as if it is balanced, unified, blended or the same speed back, same speed through. Practice hitting some short irons with three different speeds........soft, medium and strong. Tee up four balls for your driver with about six inches separating them. With your full swing hit a 100 yard drive, a 150 yard drive, a 200 yard drive and then go after the fourth one.
Perhaps you don't need to slow down your swing, you just need to even it out. By slowing down your backswing you will cause an imbalance between the speeds of your back and through motions. Learn to control your swing speeds, as you did with the short irons and your distance control with all your clubs will improve.
Bill
Why do I hit longer off a tee then the fairway? I am losing 10-15 yards with my irons when I hit them from the fairway verses a tee. Is that normal?
paul covert
Paul: There are two types of golfers.......swingers and hitters. When the ball is teed one tends to be more of a swinger, when on the ground more of a hit is applied. Perhaps when you tee the ball, you not only swing the club better, but you hit it with an ascending blow. Your swing is more descending and more of a hit when the ball is grounded. Practice hitting your longer clubs off a low tee with a long, smooth, sweeping motion, then ground the ball and sweep it off the ground with the same swing. This will make you more of a swinger.
Bill
Equipment: Tom Henderson, PGA Professional & Master Club Fitter
I just had one of my irons, which is my go to club in my bag reshafted with the same flex, but just a new aftermarket shaft(UST Pro V2 75). The new club is 3/4 longer than OEM Callaway Big Bertha irons due to fitting. My question is..for some reason, the ball wants to always go right on me, almost like a slice. Since it is a regular flex, graphite shaft just like my current irons, and I swing the same, what is causing this? Thanks Sir!
Todd
Todd:
Thanks for your equipment question on PGA.com.
I would you to double-check two areas: shaft frequency and lie angle.
Find a PGA Professional with a frequency machine and check to make sure that the CPM's (cycles per minute) are similar with the rest of the clubs in your set. In the past, I've seen many cases where two "identical" shafts turned out to be very different. Also, re-check your lie angle dynamically. Hit some shots with your newly-shafted iron off of a lie board while observing actual ball flight. Check the impact marks to see if they are on the toe side (flat side)of the sole. A club with a lie angle that is too flat will send the ball out to the right (for a right handed golfer).
Good luck with your research.
Morning...I recently hit graphite irons for the first time, they felt great. I understand that consistency with shot pattern was the negative, is this still true? I'm 58, in excellent shape, and carry a 6 course index. Thanks....
Rich Berman
Rich:
They feel pretty good, don't they?
Graphite shafts generally feel better than steel for two reasons: weight and vibration-dampening characteristics. In general, graphite weighs less than steel which may lead to additional clubhead speed. With it's vibration- dampening feature, graphite seems to work better if you have some aches & pains caused by "golfer's elbow", arthritus, etc. Graphite also allows you to try a longer length without making the club feel too heavy.
Graphite shafts have come a long way over the years. If you need "lighter" and "less vibration", give graphite a try. However, if weight isn't a big issue and you are physically fit, I would stay with steel.
Tom Henderson, PGA Professional & Master Clubfitter
Rules: John Crumbley, Certified PGA Professional & Rules Expert
If you chip onto the green and your club hits the ball twice during the swing. What is the rule on this(?) 2 strokes and no penatly??
Bob Waier
Bob,
You have only one stroke and because you hit the ball more than once you have one penalty shot for a total of two. Let's look at the definition of a stroke and rule 14-4 for clearity on this situation.
Stroke
A "stroke'' is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.
14-4 Striking the Ball More than Once
If a player's club strikes the ball more than once in the course of a stroke, the player must count the stroke and add a penalty stroke, making two strokes in all.
When you mark your ball on the green, can your opponent request that you leave the ball on the green so that he could use it as backing?
Wally Bailey
Wally,
No you may not leave a ball to assist another player by request. Doing so could get you and the other player disqualified, see rule 22-1.
22-1 Ball Assisting Play
Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist any other player, he may:
(a) lift the ball if it is his ball, or (b) have any other ball 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.
In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any other player, they are disqualified.
