Tales From The Bunker

We are taking this week off for a working vacation in Florida.

I decided to sneak in a round of golf late yesterday afternoon. As usual I rushed to the course and, with just a few minutes until my tee time, started whacking balls quickly to warm up. As always this was deadly. You start hitting balls faster and faster, getting tense and then rushing to the tee. What have you accomplished? You have just destroyed your rhythm.

We all are not professionals who have an hour to warm up. Since life happens, sometimes we only have ten minutes to warm up.

What is the best way to warm up in a few minutes? Obviously stretch to get good and loose, focusing on the all important wrists and forearms.

Next it is important to hit at least a few shots using your full pre-shot routine. This is the best way to establish rhythm quickly.  Be sure your routine is unhurried and natural. Continue the same routine throughout the round and you will be pleased with the result. Now if I had only practiced what I preach…..

Man is it hot down here.

Until next time remember to keep ‘em in the fairway.

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Raise your hand if you can hit a wood great but feel weak in the knees if you have an iron in your hand.(My hand is raised)  Everyone who did not raise their hands probably has the opposite problem.

For me the problem is all about swing plane. My natural swing path is relatively flat and works well with woods. Put an eight iron in my hand and I feel unnatural and feel that I need a more upright plane. The result had been an inability to find the correct swing, usually resulting in either too steep a plane or I start the club outside the correct plane and never recover. Welcome to shots off of the toe and divots the size of a football field.

For me the key to finding the correct swing plane was a drill very similar to the “9 O’clock drill” below. I found that when I took an eight ion to the nine o’clock it was not even close to being in the correct position. If I did the same thing with a five wood, I was spot on.
It is not easy to break old habits but by looking in the mirror at my 9 o’clock position with irons I was able to slowly change my muscle memory.

The following drill basically takes the same drill to the driving range and allows you to execute the correct swing plane. Although the instructor considers the drill for people who have problems starting their swing, to me it is about getting your club on the correct plane. (Note that when you see him hit the second shot he pulls it left. They might have considered a retake on that shot)

Hank Haney preaches swing plane, swing plane and more swing plane. Since he probably knows what he is doing, try the drill and see if it helps you get all your clubs on the correct plane.

Until next time, keep ‘em in the fairway.

Tags: Tips by admin
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Tags: Tips by admin
2 Comments »

I have absolutely no preference what golf ball I use. Price and availability are the two main factors. When I get low on balls I usually either go to the local mega sports store looking for the best price on a ball I am not ashamed to play, or if I have the time I look on eBay to see if I can find a great deal. Is this the best thing for my golf game?

On the PGA tour the longest hitters swing speed is around 130 miles per hour. The shorter tour hitters are around 107-110 mph. Impressive! The average male middle handicapper’s swing speed is 80-90 mph. Women generally average around 60 mph.

Another way to look at this comparison is by ball speed. A tour player’s ball speed for a driver is around 170 mph, for a three iron 150 mph, for a 5 iron 140 mph and for an 8 iron 120mph.  The ball speed for an average male player’s driver is around 145 mph; the speed for women is around 115 mph.

That is a lot of numbers but are they relevant to your choice of ball. The high performance golf ball manufacturers (think Titleist)  want you to believe that since tour players must employ lower swing speeds to execute certain shots, a high performance ball ( think Pro V1) is designed to perform for all golfers at all swing speeds.

With a thank you to Livestong.com  let’s take a closer look at different types of golf balls:

Premium Balls
The Titleist ProV1 and ProV1x are the clear leaders of the golf ball industry. The ProV1x has slightly lower spin rates and so is more suitable for faster swing speeds.. The reason that they offer two or more versions of the same ball is related to swing speed. Higher swing speeds, as a rule, create more spin and so the lower spin versions are for faster speeds and the higher spin balls are for more moderate swing speeds.

Quality Balls
The second tier of golf balls caters more for moderate swing speeds. The use of lower compression cores allows for greater energy transfer and increased ball speed. Balls in this sector include the Titleist NXT Tour and the Nike One Vapor Speed, each designed for swing speeds of 85 to 95 mph.

Women’s Balls
Women’s golf balls are designed for slower swing speeds.  Women’s golf balls are designed with very low compression cores that help to increase ball speed. Most feature ionomer covers for improved feel. The Nike Karma is designed for women with swing speeds between 70 and 80 mph, who are looking to increase carry distance.

2-piece Balls
2-piece golf balls are suited to players who have average or slow swing speeds and are looking for distance. These golf balls provide a higher launch angle and have low spin rates. You may struggle to stop a 2-piece ball on a firm green but with the extra yards from the tee, you’ll be a little closer to the green than with a softer ball. The Callaway Diablo, Maxfli Noodle and Pinnacle dimension are all 2-piece balls .

My conclusion, when I am looking for bargains for golf balls I am most likely purchasing a ball that is designed for my slower swing speed. So I think no change in strategy is necessary.

Bottom line – I am going to lose the golf ball anyway so why spend big bucks!

As always, keep ‘em in the fairway!

Tags: Tips by admin
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