Conference 7.286::golf

    
    Hi Bob,
    
    	When I first started to get my swing repetitive I found
    	that when my game went bad, it was due to something I
    	already went through. Like forinstance, I started to
    	spray the ball... and hit shots fat/thin etc. , the
    	fix was to place the ball in the EXACT same spot relative
    	to my left foot (I'm a righty). Anyhow it frustrated me
    	to continuously re-correct my swing by re-learning
    	what I already knew.
    
    	So I decided to keep track of anything that worked to
    	make my swing better. I have a file on putting, chipping,
    	the full swing (grip,stance,tempo  etc.). I truly believe
    	it has been the single most accelerator to lowering my
    	handicap... and recovering from a slump pronto. Practice
    	and playing is devoted mainly on ingraining good habits...
    	or learning more advanced shots	and not wasted on re-learning.
    
    	The golf swing is VERY complex, when you want to make it happen
    	the same way over and over. There's just too much stuff to
    	remember... and so little room in my brain to store it! :)
    
    
    	good luck,
    
    	Walta
    
    	

    
    Good note, I'm sure going to pay attention to this one.  I too am in
    a slump of sorts.
    
    I really feel that I've gotten better at this game, but I just don't
    seem to score any better.  I'm still stuck right around a 100 for 18.
    
    Instead of playing very mediocre on every hole, I can string together
    3-4 pars, a boggie here or there.  But I still have those big blow up 
    holes that keep me from really showing improvement on the score card.
    
    Saturday is a good example.  I shot 48 like this:
    
    Double, Triple, Bog, Par, Par, Par, Par, Bog, Quad.
    
    Sometimes I think I better learn to be satisfied at the level I'm at.
    
    Shane the VT Hacker  :-(

CUres for a slump:

1. Take some time off; you may be playing too much.  Even the pros take a
   week off every so often.

2. Take a lesson or two; you may be getting away from a sound swing & flaws
   may be creeping in.

3. Quit trying so hard & enjoy; the pressure you are putting on yourself
   is affecting your swing.

4. Practice putting; you won't have to try  to hit the ball stiff, if you're
   making some putts

    I'm not really in a slump, but I'm like .2 where it's just a few
    holes that kill my score.
    
    Off the tee I'm fine and my putting is good.  My strokes come when
    I have to use the 'P' word.  I'm just not hitting the Pitching Wedge
    well and it's counting for at 6-9 extra strokes each match.
    
    But then, when my Pitching Wedge is working for me, I'm usually bad
    off the tee or my putting stinks.
    
    Oh!  To be able to put together a perfect round ;-).  Practice,
    practice, practice...
    
    
    Shawn

    RE:CURE FOR SLUMP
    
    As one of my teachers told me some time ago...Take two weeks off...then
    quit.  
    
    SCD

    For me, the grip is always the basis for my problems......
    ......A recent grip tip has really worked wonders for me.
    It had to do with first taking your normal grip, then lifting the club
    up via your arms, holding it up a few seconds and then returning the
    club to its normal spot behind the ball.
    ......The key here is to "accept" what ever grip and pressure happens
    when you lift the club and don't change when you return the club back
    to the "normal" address position
    
    I find that it allows me to properly grip with the two left hand
    fingers and the one right hand finger.....i.e. I hold the hands
    properly and with the correct amount of pressure.
    I achieve this condition by only lifting the club about waist high!
    
    This tip is being followed by many of the flat belly pros and the Lord
    of Latrobe. Must be a good setup key if they use it.
    
    The key success factor may well be:
    *****Proper hand position(i.e. Vs to the right shoulder)
         Proper pressure in each hand
         Reduction of pressure/tension in the arms or shoulders
         Proper grip strenght(i.e. right hand position)
    
    Works very well for me and allows me to hit straight and long versus my
    often "bannana ball" results if my hands are not in a correct position.
    Tom

    Re: .4
    
    If you're wasting strokes around the greens, leave your wedge in the
    car next round.  You'll be amazed that you don't HAVE to use a wedge
    around the green to score well. Many players underestimates the precision 
    required to use the wedge to finesse the ball.  I'm sure everyone in
    this notesfile has experienced this:  you hit a great shot to the green
    but the ball came up few feet short of the green or the ball trickeled
    off the green.  You take out your wedge and...THUD, you just wasted a
    shot...or worse you skull it over the green into a trap or water. You
    tell yourself you could've putted that shot better than thta.  Well, 
    if you did use your putter or chip it with 7 or 8 iron you probably did
    had a good chance to make that putt.
    
    Try it next time, it should save you some strokes.  I know...I used to
    give my friend stroke-a-hole and still win my 'lunch money'. Then I
    made a mistake of telling him of the advice and now if I give him more 
    than 3 a side, I can't count on winning my 'lunch money' anymore.
    
    I'm not saying NEVER use the wedge, there are shots that you should use 
    it but most of the time you'll have higher percentage with less lofted
    clubs.

    Well, here it is Saturday morning and I just finished my round with the
    boys.  I considered myself in a slump since the beginning of the year. 
    I've been a 14 handicap and since the beginning of the year had a hard
    time breaking 90.  I gave up last week and swore off the golf course
    and spent a week(every day at lunch and in the evenings) at the driving
    range.  This morning I was real disappointed when I started playing,
    shot a 44 for the front 9. Had a bogey on number 10, but felt a
    difference in the swing.  I started feeling the same swing that I had
    felt all week at the driving range and had the best back nine of my
    life, an even 36.  Had 4 birdies for the eighteen, pitched two of the
    birdies in, so don't necessarily forget your pitching wedge, for an 80
    for the round.
    
    I guess my point is, GO PRACTICE!  I, probably like many others out
    there, practice day in and day out at the beginning of the season, only
    to have a few good rounds.  Then we say "Hey, this game isn't all that
    hard", and forget what got us where we are. PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
    PRACTICE!  I am a beliver once again that for every good round I have
    there is probably 2-3 days at the driving range that allows me that
    good round.
    
    

    Bob, get a new partner. That is half you problem.
    
    
    
    
    
    John, you're the best.

    Break a golf club, beat the wife, kick the dog, kill a bottle of jack,
    and wash it down with a 12 pack of your favorite ice cold beer.
    
    
    AHHHHH! MUCH BETTER!
    
    Now go out and play the best round in your life.
    bob
    

    That last entry was a joke, in all reality, I notice that taking a
    break is in proper order.  When you get back to the course, don't spend
    more then a few seconds at address.  I notice that when I spend to much
    time at address, I hack big time.  When I grip the club, line up my
    shot, I step up to the ball, and less then 2 seconds later, I take a
    smooth swing.  Boom.  Now I just hack.
    
    bob
    

    SLUMP????? Boy, I can identify with that! As some of friends can attest
    to in the Corporate Cup Challenge, I am in the worst slump of my
    golfing career. I am hesitating in the middle of my back swing and
    losing all my balance, kinda look like a drunk trying to play golf. I
    have gone from an 18 to a 21 handicap over the last month, not much
    fun, very frustrating. I like the advise of taking some time off. I
    also feel and did this is the advise of going to your PGA pro and take
    a lesson. I feel it helped me 110%. He gave me something to work on and
    it took my concentration off of the hesitation. My scores are not where
    I want them but it will come with PRACTICE. Last but not least keep
    smiling, a positive attitude is half the battle. It may be frustrating
    but I have had to laugh at it at times. I know the folks around me were
    laughing whether it was outside or inside, my swing was horrendous!!!!!
    but halarious at the same time. Keep swinging!
    
    Gordi

    
    Well I hope everyone's right about taking a lesson to get out of
    a slump.
    
    Went out last night, shot another 55.  I was cruising right along on my
    way to a nice sub 50, when BANG, I pulled my tee shot into the woods
    O.B. the 6th hole, a par 5.  Reteed, hit a mediocre shot, hit the next
    one in the woods.  You could hear the wheels coming off for 10 miles!!!
    
    The only positive thing that happened after that was that I didn't lose
    my cool.  Just finished out, practiced some chips and had a beer, (well
    I had 2).
    
    Lessons start next Tuesday, 3:00 p.m, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Shane
    

    What happens to me more than not is that I tend to slump with a
    particular club, usually the 3 wood. I never hit a driver, so I usually
    use a 3 wood off the tee. If that starts to fade, then I'll drop to the
    5 wood, better acuracy but fewer yards. But I'd rather be in play. I
    think everyone has a favorite club, they consistantly hit well. I'll
    try to play that to get some confidence back, than gradually bring the
    other clubs back into play. Works for me.
    
    
    Fore !!!
    

    RE: .14
    
    Shane this is not a slump!
>>  I was cruising right along on my
>>  way to a nice sub 50, when BANG, I pulled my tee shot into the woods
    You have convinced yourself that playing under 50 is not your game.
    I remember when I was first trying to break 80, somehow I'd always
    finish double, double for 81.  You need to forget about the dam score
    and just hit the ball.  I know you can do it, now all we have to do is
    convince you that you can do it!
    
    
    						KO

    
    KO,
    
    I'm sure you are right. Maybe my first step towards that was the fact
    that I managed not to get upset when the wheels came off.  I kept an
    even mood and did make some good shots going out.
    
    Shane
    
    
    
    

    .16 is right on the money.....we all have our scoring comfort
    zone and the trick is to either 1) forget about the score or 2)
    give yourself tougher goals to reach when scoring...
    
    one method works for some the other method works for others...

    
    KO,
    
    You sure are right about this comfort zone thing. Last night I started
    really bad.  Got to the 6th tee and duffed the drive.  I managed to
    calm myself, and hit the best 3 wood I've ever hit.  Got me going
    finished with 2 boggies, and 2 pars.  Final score "50".
    
    
    Call me Mr. 50......
    

    Re: Slumping with a particular club.
    
    	I have now officially graduated to a full-fledged mental-block
    against hitting my 3-wood.  For the past couple of years, I've had some
    trouble with it (usually slicing or pushing it way right).  Last
    weekend, on the 7th hole at Maplewood, a par 5, I hit my drive
    straight, but a little shorter than usual.  Usually, I'll hit my 5 wood
    (which I have no trouble with) on the second shot, and be in position
    to go for the green with my 3rd shot.  Since I was a little shorter
    than usual, I pulled out "Boo-Boo" (I have a "bear" head-cover for the
    3-wood 8-).  I then proceeded to hit one of the fattest shots I've hit
    in a long time.  Maybe I should just leave the 3-wood in my trunk.
    
    Any advice?
    -Tom

    RE: .19 Shane
    
    >> Call me Mr. 50......
    
    When will this be shooting your age? :-)
    
    Next time out don't try so hard.  Think about making a bogey on each
    hole.  That would give you a score of 45.  When you get on the tee the
    object is to get the ball into play, the next shot near the green then
    chip and 2 putt.  The mental image is not to hit it "dead solid
    perfect".  This should help take the tension out of your upper body and 
    let you relax and make a normal swing.  Also while your out there enjoy
    the day, your playing partners and the view.  Once you've broken the
    barrier a couple of times, your comfort zone will change then you can
    go after the next barrier.
    
    
    						KO

    
    KO,
    
    I've got 17 more years to get ready for the Sr. Tour.....:-)
    
    Shane
    

    re: .20
    
    Sounds like you've got a mental block.  The best advice I could give
    you is to take only your 3 wood to the range for a day.  Make sure that
    your stance, posture and ball position are correct and then work out
    the kinks with this club.  Remember, the swing used with the fairway
    woods should be a sweeping swing.  If you're taking divots with these
    clubs then either your ball position is incorrect (too far back in your
    stance) or you're trying to hit down on the ball when you should be
    hitting through the ball.
    
    Remember, you payed good money for all those clubs.  No reason you
    shouldn't be able to use them all.  Also, there are many times when you
    need to hit a 3 wood whether it be for distance or accuracy.  Many
    courses force you to hit something other than the driver off the tee
    for position.  Others make it necessary to hit a 3 wood on the second
    shot to a par 5.
    
    Good luck and let us know how things work out.
    
    Jeff
    
    p.s. as a last resort have the club checked to ensure it's swingweight
    	 and overall weight and make sure the head hasn't swelled.
    

    I really like the idea of playing bogey golf to break 50. Golf course
    management is very important. A tip I was given once was look at every
    par as one over; 3's being 4's; 4's being 5's and 5's being 6's.....it
    helped to a point until I figured I ought to be able to par a hole more
    often then not. Now, I just play the more difficult holes as bogey
    holes. It is difficult at times to tell yourself not to go for the
    green but more often then not if you can convince yourself to do it,
    you'll start reducing your scores. Good luck.
    
    Gordi

re.23>    p.s. as a last resort have the club checked to ensure it's swingweight
re.23>    	 and overall weight and make sure the head hasn't swelled.
    
  My head swelled once and made for a real tough back 9  ;-)

Mike.

    Swing et al.
    
    First, I refuse to comment on the swelled head topic.  Second, I tend
    to disagree with the commenton swing vis-a-vis the fairway.  I think
    most golfers, especially those shooting 50+ have problems because they
    don't pinch the ball off the fairways, causing many topps, rollies and
    shanks.. Hitting into the back of the ball will cause a cleaner shot,
    but may cause some slice because the club head meets with resistance. 
    I can now hit my driver out of most fairways and donot carry a three
    woods anymore.  The divot you take should start after the ball is
    struck.  IF the divot starts before the ball, then this "fat" shot is
    not because of the club but more likely the result of "dipping" or drop
    the right side to get some "extra" distance.  We all do it.
    
    Allow for the fade, hit into the back of the ball, try you driver out
    of the fairway or do like the MadHacker does and hit it so far off of
    the tee you don't need a three wood.
    
    SoCalDandy ( just burned a course a 38-42,  Rated 73 (125 slope) Gave
    me a net 66.  Never broke 85 on the course before...maybe I'm on the
    right side of a slump) 

    I prefer to keep my driver in the cart and on the path, that way
    the marshal leaves us alone. As far as slumps go, don't worry about
    it !!! Slumps come and goe like mother-in-laws. When they are around
    your whole life is screwed up and when they go, its like they were
    never here !!
    
    Mad Hacker

    
    Well, I went for a lesson last night, and the instructor picked
    out two big flaws with my swing, both to do with my left side.
    
    Seems I've been spinning out on my left foot, and locking my
    left legt straight at impact.  He has me working on going from 
    the inside to the outside of my foot, without getting up on my
    toes, and keeping my left knee flexed through out the swing.
    
    Feels strange right now, but at least now I know what to look for
    and feel for.
    
    Hopefully this will be a big step in the right direction.
    
    Shane
    

    
    Things may be looking up, I took my wife to the range during my
    vacation, to try and help her out. She did pretty good. Anyway, in
    the course of this, to show her some things I hit a couple of balls
    (went as usual, great takeoff then sudden right hand turn). Anyway, 
    she was watching some golf on TV and pointed out that the guys on
    TV, when they are done with the swing, the hand are high, when I did
    it my hands were on my shoulder.  This never occured to me, but when
    I thought about it it did seem familiar. Off to the range and 
    concentrate on swinging through (not at) the ball and extending the
    arms all the way through the swing, guess what, started banging the 
    ball long and straight again.
    
    In my last league match I shot a 41 with an OB ball that was caused by
    lining up to play the slice then hitting long and straight. 
    
    Hopefully the slump is over, here are the things I need to concentrate
    on:
    
    1) Swing through the ball, not at it
    2) hands finish high, not on my left shoulder
    3) Concentrate on alignment (seems the course is wide open and I have 
       fallen into a trap of not concentrating and lining up correctly, the 
       bad shots I hit last week were the result of not concentrating and
       rushing)
    
    Hopefully the slump is over and the good times can roll on.
    
    --Bob
    

    According to Joe Garagiola, Yogi Berra called to ask him if he was
    playing golf. Joe was recuperating from an operation at the time, and
    told Yogi he hadn't played golf for six weeks. Yogi replied,
    
    "Don't worry about it. You always play better when you're not playing."
    
    Words to live by.
    
    	Frank

    
       I watch the pros, pick out one specific thing , and try to
    see what they are doing. Not a big believer in lessons , once you have
    reached a certain "stage". For me the stage is "I'll figure it out
    myself ".  Also called arrogance.
    
        My slump is at least 2 years in duration. And started with some
    injuries but we won't discuss.
    
                     #1 Watched all pro tournaments and only watched the
    the back of the left hand's plane in relationship to the plane Ben
    Hogan talks about. Then watched right hand in the set position on
    the back swing AND what it did on down swing. Then go practise
    what i saw. After 2 or 3 months, it felt comfortable. And I stopped
    hooking wedges thru 6 iron. Point is IF you know what is wrong,
    you should be able to fix by watching and doing.
    
                     #2 In order to NOT worry about this plane and have it
    be a natural, I turned my left hand over a little to a stronger
    position. Again watched the pros, only their left hand grip. And
    after practising found it not only "more natural" and giving more
    distance, it actually felt better with the "fat" part of the palm
    cushining my shaft for a nice "firm but soft" feeling. Again it was
    watch and practise.
    
                     #3 Since driver is my toughest club, That's what I
    practise the most. You can't fool a driver. And for people who say
    "don't hit them then" aren't doing you any favors. It's like saying
    I want to go to MIT but don't bother me with math !! Even if you
    aren't hitting them well plan ahead and say " On this hole, I can
    get away with a lousy driver shot" . And use it.
    AND spend 60% of your practise time with the driver.
    
                      I'm not back yet but the above 3 items have really  
    helped. 
                                                            Ang
    
    
                       
     
    
    
                        
     

    Re: Watch and Practice
    
    Good points Ang.  But lest we forget, not all people learn by or translate
    well what they see others do.  I have found this technique to be very
    valuable, but many just don't copy well.  If this were so then some of
    the swings you see on a golf course could never be explained.  
    
    A recent article talked about a new way to practice at the range.  Take
    two clubs...Driver and pitching wedge.  The premise being that these
    two clubs cost you moe strokes and can therefore take off more strokes
    than any others.  It's is a replay of the hit it in the fairway and get
    it on the green approach.  I have tried this...and guess what...it
    works.  My drives are better and even my other irons have improved,
    partially because of the swing and also because I do not fear missing s
    shot nearly as much because I now think I can at least get it in the
    hole in three strokes from the fringes and sometimes two.
    
    Now that I have recovered from a bout of "sandtrapitis" I can even go
    for more greens and not worry about the dry hazards.  The pros seldom
    worry about such things, therefore they are rewarded more than punished
    for bravado on the course.  This confidence carries over...remember Ian
    Baker Finch on the tee at 17 and the announcer said..."no reason to hit
    a driver here"  and Ian takes out his driver and splits the fairway. 
    Confidence is a wonderful thing and it is usually what is missing
    during a slump.
    
    SCD

    
    SCD,
    
    right , I see teaching pros at Stow Acres and it's either a wedge
    or a driver that they practise the most with. I try to alternate
    driver/wedge at driving range in order to transpose the better
    wedge swing to the the driver swing. I try to murder drivers at a
    range, and all it does is cause more problems.
           You make birdies and pars with the driver, not the putter.
    Or at least a 3 wood. Unless it's a super easy, short course.
    Baker -Finch, yes , you are right. NEVER saw so much confidence in
    a golfer !! And the drives set up his putting attitude, I think.
    
            To make sure I "copy" right I have my 18 year old son check me
    out to see how it looks. So I do have some one who can play the game
    check me out. But mostly I'm on my own;  my DEC league partner
    Walter"the train" Lenehan  helps, so I got two low 'capers always
    looking at my swing. 
    
                          Ang
    

    re: .33
    
    > you make birdies and pars with the driver not the putter....
    
    I disagree, putting and the short game(missed greens) are at least
    50% of the game...that's why the professionals spend more time
    working on the short game than other aspects.......IMHO

    I totally agree with .-1. I can hit a fairly consistant drive. I loose
    it with the short irons and putter. I wish I had a buck fro every 
    green I 3-putted this year.
    If only I could use my 3 wood nearer the green?!?!
    
    Mike

RE: Last three

I have to agree with both sides.  I think I have the same problem as Ang,
which is, once  I  get  off the tee, I feel confident on making it to the
green or around and  get  a par or maybe even a birdie, but my drives are
very inconsistent.

For those of you who  have  steady drives, then the game around or on the
green is what you consider critical.

Tavo

    
    reply last few;
    
    	Hi ,
    
    		For the "pro's" it's all putting and chipping etc. seems
    they all hit it far enough to have good/great greens in regulation
    stats... But, then again a pro who hits it 10 yards farther than the others
    scores even better. So it seems both the short game and long game
    rate highly on lowering your scores.
    
    	What's the stroke saving secret for your game?  Find the worst
    part of your game and work on improving that priority one. Continue
    until you simply brush up on each part of your game to keep 
    playing well. In about 50 or so years? you'll be ready for the
    super seniors tour! :)
    
    	Walta
    
    	

    re 33
    You make birdies and pars with the driver, not the putter.
    
    Everyone has his/her own opinion.... but I think most golfers will
    agree with the 'drive for show.... putt for dough' saying.
    
    3 wood or driver.... doesn't make a difference.. 10-30 yards.. So I'm
    hitting a 6 iron your hitting an 8... You still gotta get it on the
    green THEN MAKE the putt.
    
    	Smitty

    
>    		For the "pro's" it's all putting and chipping etc. seems
>    they all hit it far enough to have good/great greens in regulation
>    stats... But, then again a pro who hits it 10 yards farther than the others
>    scores even better. So it seems both the short game and long game
>    rate highly on lowering your scores.


	This may be what people percieve but in fact the good/great GIR's 
is only about 11-13 GIR per 18 hole round for the pro's who are best at it.

	The rest have great short games to be able to compete. Hitting it
far enough has nothing to do with GIR's, hitting it on line does....the
farther one hits the ball the harder it is to keep on line, most pro's
can keep the ball in the fairway at around 255-265 yards but the closer 
they go toward the 280 mark the more offline they get....if it was the
longest hitters with the best GIR's it would show up in the weekly stats
but over 30 years the opposite has been true except for one pro who stood
out over the rest....NICKLAUS...he could belt it 260-270 and still keep
it in the fairway....

so, the pro who hits it 10 yards farther does not score even better, and
once most of us amatuers realize this and start keeping the ball in play
instead of seeing how far we can hit it, the we'll score better maybe and
maybe even enjoy the game again.....

keep blasting away.....{;^)	    
    
    	

    Ang,
    
    Good luck, with Walta's help you should probably ask for more stokes. 
    I think it is interesting how the game has changed with the advent of
    high tech, more fogiving woods and irons.  Now with swings like Eamon
    Darcey's and Freddy Couples to choose from, the swings of the "Fat
    Bellies" on the seniors tour,  the game is much more a game for the
    masses.  Calvin Peete where are you?  Best advice I ever saw was by a
    golfing Physicist.  He explained how the swing was important for two
    feet behind the ball to two feet in front after contact.  Everything
    else was "frosting".  He also said something that else that stuck...the
    speed or tempo of a swing can change from back swing to down swing,
    this violates some law of physics and prevents the club from return to
    square.  Creates an interesting mental image and can help those of us
    in a hurry to get the club to the top or in a hurry to hit the ball.  
    
    Hope someday Walta has to copy your swing.
    
    SoCalDandy

    Re: Drive for show...
    
    What a discussion...which came first the chicken or Colonel Sanders? 
    If you think back to the the last several tournaments, the tee shot has
    been the demise of most of the golfers.  Second was their inability to
    hit a green or hit it close enough to have a chnace to make the putt. 
    Third was the missed putts.  Everything has an impact, but mentally, if
    you are in "deep sneakers" off of the tee, the rest of the hole is an
    abomination.  If you are always hitting long or medium irons to the
    greens, you are also tempting fate.  Watch the Senior Open this weekend
    and see what they say about either 17 or 18.  Used to be a par five, so
    it has a small green.  Now it is a long par 4 and is not made to accept
    two irons or woods...too small.  This is the way many courses are
    designed.  If you go against the design...you have to have one or more
    strong parts to your game to survive.
    
    I never know which one of me is going to show up...maybe Freud should
    have been a golfer.  I pushed the ball all around the other day, hit
    every iron stiff, missed 6 birdie putts and still shot an 82 (easy
    course 109 slope, 68 rating).  Philosophically, if my drives had been
    straight, I'd have muffed my irons.  If I had hit normal irons, I
    wouldn't have had realistic birdie putts.  
    
    Hit each shot like it was a single event...the sum of the total is not
    nearly as important as one of the single events.
    
    SCD

    re: .41
    
    Yes, everything does have an impact BUT.....
    
    you can partially miss a driver shot, a fairway wood, a long iron
    and recover....if you miss a chip or putt you've lost a stroke....!!!!
    
    

    
    For me it's always been my drives. My iron game is pretty good. It
    probably has to do with when I grew up as a inner-city kid and could
    only use the park over my back fence to play golf. I could only use my
    6-9 iron's. I couldn't afford to go to a REAL golf course until I was
    in the Army.
    
    As for the pro's, I think may be a individual thing as it is here in
    the notes file. I remember watching the masters several years ago, and
    they were talking about how Jack was having such a bad year. He hadn't
    finished near the top in any of the turnaments he entered, yet he was
    2nd on the tour for GIR. Obviously something else was wrong!!
    
    
    Mike
    
    

    re: .39
    
>	This may be what people percieve but in fact the good/great GIR's 
>is only about 11-13 GIR per 18 hole round for the pro's who are best at it.
    
     For tour players at the top of the GIR statistical category, they will
    average between 13 - 13.5  greens in regulation.  I would say a good
    number would be an average between 12 - 13.  Below 12 and you probably
    will find players struggling to remain on tour.   It is not unusual
    to see a tournament winner hitting 85 - 90% GIR over four days.  On
    the other hand, it seems like most of the greens the pros hit to
    are huge.....
    
         ....which brings to light the importance of putting.  Putting
    can be easier by hitting and chipping to spots where you leave
    yourself more makeable putts.  So, one way to fight your way out
    of a slump is to use the mind and develop a strategy for playing
    the next shot.  More on course management and less focus on the
    swing will aid concentration and take some of the tension/pressure
    off the swing itself.
    
    -rick

    SoCalDandy;
    
          Your physicist may be right.
          The offspring ties for low gross and wins a free golf lesson.
          Off course, the old man needs it more than him. So I take it
          at Marlboro with an asst pro named MARK.
          Comments:" You have been swinging OFF balance for 19 years"
    
          Ok , now give me the bad news!!
          "Your right hand comes out about an inch on your down swing."
    
          I knew I had "right hand yips" but this!! Swell, anything else ?
          "My main concern is BALANCE and that the balance is arrived at
           by a lot of work with feet and shoulders. YOUR shoulders
               ride up on your back swing.
        Solution: Glue the left foot to the ground through out the back
                   swing and FEEL the coil build up in the right leg;
                    and your coil unloads TOWARDS your target at impact.
               WAS STRANGE !! But actually I did feel in control for
             the first time.
               He says:" You have the swing and especiallly the hand action
          of an 8 handicap now, so next year I expect to see big results"
    It's the balance that gets the club face going in the right direction
             and keeps you "centered". Everythings else is secondary.
    And it may take a YEAR, to lose my old bad habits!!
            After 10 to 15 4 irons, I could feel what he was talking about.
    
                              OK Walt and Mark, get you guys NEXT year,
    
                   Ang
    
    
    
                     
    
          
    

    Good advice...I see too many golfers trying to raise the left heel and
    figure out when to set it back down.  Keep it on ht eground makes
    since.
    
    By the way, another way to cure a slump is to do what I did.  Played 4
    rounds in three days on courses ranging from 72.8 to 75.8 in
    difficulty.  Add to it 30 mph wind, and rain and you return to the
    basics quickly.  No room for errant shots.  Played every par 4 like it
    was a par five and managed to par half of them.  Even shot an 88 at the
    "Bear" at the GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT (146 slope, 75.8) as a 12
    handicapper, this is great...prettiest course I ever saw, wind howling,
    rained for 6 holes, and loved every minute of it.  The guys I was with
    thought I was nuts, but I had the entire course to myself.  Forgot
    about my slump and just had fun.
    
    SCD

Re: -.1

>    Even shot an 88 at the
>    "Bear" at the GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT (146 slope, 75.8) as a 12
>    handicapper, this is great.

     I've played the Bear, that's one tough course, not what I would
     recommend for curing a slump, but if it works!

Larry

    SoCal,
    	So that's where you were.  This notes file has been pretty dull
    while you were playing the "Bear".
    	I go out to Michigan every Summer and end up playing my
    brother-in-law, giving outlandish strokes and always winning. (didn't
    make it this year but that's a long story).
    	So last year I end up with him and his buddy who are going to play
    me as a team and still get strokes.  He tells me I should give "Joe" a
    stroke a hole and he'll take a mere 9 since "Joe" had a 110 his last
    time out.
    	Well "Joe" and I shared a cart and about the 7th hole after 2 pars,
    3 bogeys and only 1 double I find out the "Joe"'s last round was at the
    "Bear".
    	Fortunatly my putter was hot, I WOULD not lose to my brother-in-law
    and I ended up 1 up in the match.  The way I have played this year I
    would have been the one asking for strokes.
    
    
    Bill

    re:47,48
    
    I would recommend the course to anyone.  Just a tremendous "commune
    with nature" experience.  The hitting of the golf ball was an added
    benefit.  I also played a course called Highpointe, about one mile up
    the road from the Bear.  This will be a great course too, but now is
    only half of a great course.  It is about three years old and is one
    half "Scottish LInks" and one half "Bear".  The nine thru the trees and
    up on the hill(Thus the name High Point) is gorgeous.  Crowned greens,
    elevated crowned greens, sloped fairways, severely sloping fairways,
    par fives with two shots over water,, this course was great fun.  One
    green was at least twenty feet back to front in elevation change, with
    three tiers ( pin on the back tier for me).  The wind adds 30 yards to
    most holes and the back tees make you pucker when you try to squeeze a
    straight shot into the gaps in the fairways.
    
    More Bear...best part about the course is that it rambles thru apple
    and cherry orchards.  The apples were ripe...best and freshest I've
    ever had.  Easy to see how someone could shoot a 110 and feel good
    about it.
    
    SoCalDandy

    
        More on slumps and getting rid of them...
        In 3 Sundays I have 22 pars and 3 birds since concentrating on
        BALANCE . That's with NO practise in between. 54 holes of
        just getting out there and only hitting some range balls before.
        And that's on a slope 124 course , soon to be 130.    
    
        So I'm "in the hole" 46% of the time. It's been over 3 years
        since I've done anything like that.
    
        I now watch only the pros, feet , ankles , and lower legs to
        see what they do  before during and after the swing.
        There not ALL like JACK where the left foot looks "out of
        control"
        Balance also relieves the pressure of the right hand , since when I
        swung "out of balance" I would use it to "jerk down" and that
        just created horrible shots. 
        CHECK THOSE FEET on TV  , and see how smooth some of them really are.
        No tippy toes action , no big curl of left or right foot.
        ONLY the right foot can release into the left side after you
       hit through the shot. On a natural release action
    
           Ang, also known as Angie-ball, coming back!  

    I had a dropped into a terrible slump beginning with the last nine
    holes of Shattuck when I just couldn't hit an iron.  Tried to shoot out
    of it on the range and got worse - every iron a hook.
    
    Had a chance for 18, went to Green Meadow and changed shoes and simply
    tried to strike the ball - these other shoes seem to set me back on the
    heels rather than up on the toes.  Managed to play around with 90%
    bogies and rest pars with 9th and 18th the only poor holes.  But it was
    better balance that made the difference.
    
    Speaking of Shattuck and the famous 7th, Gary Wilson and I had a side
    match against Rick and put two balls in the hazard but made bogie on a
    60' putt to halve the hole.  I will let Rick comment on how he felt
    about that one.
    
    Bill

    
>    Speaking of Shattuck and the famous 7th, Gary Wilson and I had a side
>    match against Rick and put two balls in the hazard but made bogie on a
>    60' putt to halve the hole.  I will let Rick comment on how he felt
>    about that one.
    
>    Bill
    
       Oh great, not only do you sink a putt from Venus but you don't even
     know what it was for.  That won the hole for you!  The BB's took a
     double on that.  After you sank that no-brai....  , wonderful putt, Jeff
     and I proceeded to miss our 2 foot bogie putt.  Yeah, we were shaken.
     We had a nice comeback on 8 (the final hole) though, eh?
    
    We'll get you next year
    
    -rick