Wow thats mighty generous of you...
Could you share with us how you teach students how to use the driver?
Comdpa,
This advice would be tailored to low handicap golfer. To adjust, I would choose the longest club that can be hit consistently.
Already in another post--Don't go for extra on long fours and short fives. You will be able to reach them from the fairway but not the rough. It's OK to let out the shaft on long fives and short fours.
On a straight hole with constant width of fairway and no water, OB, or pot bunkers, hit the driver. If there is a dogleg, but it is created by traps rather than trees and the carry is manageable, go ahead.
On a tree-lined dogleg, if a good tee shot that flies too straight will go through the fairway hit a three wood. Don't try to sling it around the dogleg (as a rule).
If the fairway pinches, and there is a hazard or deep rough, lay back.
On lay up holes, pick a good spot, measure the yardage so you can adjust to conditions. People often just do the math. Hole is 340. They like 80 yards. Hit it 260. That might not be the best spot based on width of fairway, slope, view of the green. It might be better to lay back to 110. Watch getting too close to the green with a front pin over a trap, esp. if greens are firm. Go ahead and get close with a back pin, esp. if the greens are soft.
Birdies are made with iron shots. While you want to be aggressive, you don't want to give away a hole by taking needless risks from the tee.
It's OK to back off your plan if you don't feel it. Hit three wood instead of driver. Seldom should you change your plan to be more aggressive.
Be aware of changing conditions. If the wind is opposite or it has rained the club will likely change.
This advice would be tailored to low handicap golfer. To adjust, I would choose the longest club that can be hit consistently.
Already in another post--Don't go for extra on long fours and short fives. You will be able to reach them from the fairway but not the rough. It's OK to let out the shaft on long fives and short fours.
On a straight hole with constant width of fairway and no water, OB, or pot bunkers, hit the driver. If there is a dogleg, but it is created by traps rather than trees and the carry is manageable, go ahead.
On a tree-lined dogleg, if a good tee shot that flies too straight will go through the fairway hit a three wood. Don't try to sling it around the dogleg (as a rule).
If the fairway pinches, and there is a hazard or deep rough, lay back.
On lay up holes, pick a good spot, measure the yardage so you can adjust to conditions. People often just do the math. Hole is 340. They like 80 yards. Hit it 260. That might not be the best spot based on width of fairway, slope, view of the green. It might be better to lay back to 110. Watch getting too close to the green with a front pin over a trap, esp. if greens are firm. Go ahead and get close with a back pin, esp. if the greens are soft.
Birdies are made with iron shots. While you want to be aggressive, you don't want to give away a hole by taking needless risks from the tee.
It's OK to back off your plan if you don't feel it. Hit three wood instead of driver. Seldom should you change your plan to be more aggressive.
Be aware of changing conditions. If the wind is opposite or it has rained the club will likely change.
Henny,
Sorry, did not see that this was under Caddy Shack, so my question was irrelevant,
Sorry folks.
__________________
Golf is an impossible game with impossible tools - Winston Churchill
Last edited by Amen Corner : 06-29-2007 at 03:59 PM.
Reason: did not understand that this was under Caddy Shack
What technical advise would you give the student when talking about the driver?
When getting this far, have you assured if the student is a hitter or swinger and adjust the technical advise to that?
Thanks in advance
Amen Corner,
Certainly there are more qualified people on this board to field swing questions. I do have recommendations about driver set up. While we all like to max out distance, confidence in the club outweighs other considerations. You need to know that your regular swing at your regular force and a little more (for those days you swing esp. well) will put the ball in play.
The tour reps have backed off some of the extreme launch conditions they were spouting a few years ago. I don't know the numbers. Point is: you want a driver that is relatively easy to hit, produces enough distance, and does not require much adjustment from iron swing. I want a driver with enough loft that I feel like I can tee it low, hit it with some downward motion, and lean the tee over.
Although I have access to the new stuff, I'm still playing a 510 (is that ok to say?). I trust it to go where I swing.
One more for Compda: I think that you should stick with a basic ball flight for most tee shots. It's nice to have the abilitiy to work it, but avoid fancy play.
Regarding the database you talked about: Carry, release.
Let's say a tournament would be staged including all players on tour. Each player gets to hit full iron shots from the same spot on the fairway while attempting to do nothing but carry all his balls to the same spot. There is no wind.
What results would you expect to see regarding length & direction?
If they used PW's?
If they used 8-irons?
If they used 6-irons?
If they used 4-irons?
Example of the type of answers I am looking for:
- The winner would hit 90% of the PW's within 3 feet in length and 6 feet wide
- The average player would hit 70% of his 8 irons within a 20 feet diameter circle
etc
Or you may have some other way you can indicate how accurate the tour players are.
__________________
When James Durham recorded 94 at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1767, he set a course record that lasted 86 years. Golf: A curious sport whose object is to put a very small ball in a very small hole with implements ill desiged for the purpose - Sir Winston Churchill
You've said quite a bit on ball flight already. What I'd like to know is:
1. As a good player, and as someone whose been around the tour, are there particular ballflights that work better in certain situations (besides the low wedges you mentioned earlier), and on tour setups in general?
2. Also, you always hear that the fade is "the preferred shot" for tour players and better players. Is that really the case? Is there much difference between a tour fade and a tour draw (ones that don't move a great deal), in yardage, spin and trajectory?
Regarding the database you talked about: Carry, release.
Let's say a tournament would be staged including all players on tour. Each player gets to hit full iron shots from the same spot on the fairway while attempting to do nothing but carry all his balls to the same spot. There is no wind.
What results would you expect to see regarding length & direction?
If they used PW's?
If they used 8-irons?
If they used 6-irons?
If they used 4-irons?
Example of the type of answers I am looking for:
- The winner would hit 90% of the PW's within 3 feet in length and 6 feet wide
- The average player would hit 70% of his 8 irons within a 20 feet diameter circle
etc
Or you may have some other way you can indicate how accurate the tour players are.
Metallion,
That's a really tough question. My job is to collect data on a particular player in order to make informed decisions for the shot at hand. I have tried to keep short term results of distance from the hole to help organize practice sessions. ie-- what's working and what's not.
As for as the contest, how many balls per player? The more shots, the greater the dispersion. I don't really need you to reply about the number of balls because I would just be guessing.
I will tell you that you might be surprised how poorly pros would do in this contest. The way it works on the course is that they make alot of putts inside 10 feet. They make mostly pars from everywhere else. So while it may cause more stress, shots outside 10 feet don't hurt them much. In order to shot good scores they really only need 6-8 legit chances including par fives.
Due to the nature of their swings, I would think most players would have oblong shaped dispersion patterns. Some swings produce staighter misses with more distance variance and vice versa.
I'm trying to think of a way to answer your by-club comparison. I keep getting images of great shots and awful ones. It looks like a big grid to me. There's not many TGMer's out there.
Sorry, I'm not happy with this post, but I've got to run. I'll think about it and revisit.
One more for Compda: I think that you should stick with a basic ball flight for most tee shots. It's nice to have the abilitiy to work it, but avoid fancy play.
Agreed...I like to think that a straight shot is an accident. I play a soft draw most of the time. Aim right and bend it back.
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