Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"A good golf course makes you want to play so badly that you hardly have the time to change your shoes. " |
-Ben Crenshaw |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
Instruction
|
||||
|
Patient: Male Age: 40 Current Handicap: 14 Lowest Handicap: 6 Plays: Once a month Practices: Never Ailment: With kids, family and work commitments, there is little time to play golf. I love to play but can only get out about once a month. Is there a quick practice routine I can go through before my infrequent rounds to keep my skills sharp? Prescription: Visualize the tempo of your swing and how the course is supposed to be played. Can you use a driver on most holes? Are the greens fast, slow, level or undulating? These factors will dictate your practice prior to your round. Once you arrive at the course, do some stretching before swinging. Concentrate on your hips, legs and lower back. On the range, practice with the clubs you think you'll use most during the round. Don't just go through the entire bag without purpose. Focus on tempo and practice the shots you'll face on the course. Practice medium and long putts to gauge the speed of the green. Make sure to work on three-footers. Making them on the practice green will give you confidence on the course. Patient: Male Age: 34 Current Index: 10 Lowest Handicap: 10 Plays: Two or three times a week Practices: Once a week Ailment: I typically play with a Titleist ProV1, but my friends say the ball doesn't go as far in cooler weather. They also say the ProV1 isn't a good ball for windy conditions. If so, what ball should I be playing in the winter months? Prescription: With today's technology, changing golf balls for different weather conditions won't provide much of a change. Shot-making skills and course management are the keys to better scoring. Most balls have the same compression and only the cover determines the hardness or softness. There is some difference in spin factors, however, and in windy conditions a ProV1x will perform slightly better than a ProV1 - if the ball is struck correctly. If the course is long with soft greens, I would use a ProV1x. If the course has hard greens, I would choose the ProV1. Soft or soggy fairways dictate using a ball that stays in the air longer, while fast and hard fairways call for a ball with less spin and more roll. n Marc Minier is the PGA pro at Glen Annie Golf Course and the 2006 South-ern California PGA Teacher of the Year. He can be reached at (805) 681-1987. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
