I agree 100% on the course variation adaption to become a better golfer. Many people I know can play a certain course very well becasue that is all they play on. Take them out of their element and place them in an unfamiliar landscape and they play much worse. Everyone needs to venture out of their element to advance their skill level. Good blog, i enjoyed it

My pre-game routine? I smoke a few cigarettes, drink a couple of beers . . . . Sometimes I don't even hit balls . . . .

The new drivers are a puzzle to me, as I'm used to swinging down and through instead of teeing the ball so high, and hitting up on the ball. I cannot get the ball airbourn consistently.

Beverly, Great tip. Email me to catch up .

Greg

I coach a high school girls team and we always end practice sessions on the range by focusing our efforts on playing a three-hole practice round. Visualize a tough par three, par four, and par five, ideally ones that call for different shots. Hit 5 iron to the par three, three wood and seven iron to the par four, and driver, hybrid and pitching wedge to the par five. It works!

Driver is the only club I can hit consistently, though!

Actually, upon reflection I realized that I knocked TWO stiff and holed another that day.

Beverly,

I want to thank you. I had heard this advice before, but hadn't thought about it recently. Anyway, I've incorporated it into my play during the last couple of rounds, and today I knocked one stiff and holed another.

I figured that golf blogging is mostly a thankless job, so you might like to hear this.

Thank you, Beverly.

Ron,
To answer your question, I have seen my students vary their backswings for distance control but tend to decelerate as they approach the ball, causing very inconsistent results...even having to play another bunker shot next! Physics would say, yes, to your question...but the follow through has to vary also. But by all means, try it and see what works for you. I just find it easier to be consistent in your distance control with the same backswing and vary the followthough. This method promotes acceleration through the shot versus deceleration, which is disastrous in playing bunker shots.

Can the bunker shot be controlled by the reverse? Can the short back swing, medium back swing, long back swing determine distance?

Bev,

Many years ago there was a baseball movie "Bang the Drum Slowly." In that flick the players engaged in card game called TEGWAR - The Exciting Game Without Any Rules. Let's hope that golf does not meet such a similar fate.

really enjoyed golf school and look forward to keeping up with your blog!!
now if I could only walk, I hurt my back after looking at my video!!

Don´t glorify Jones outside of golf. He was somewhat backward in his views on human rights, as many of the landed southern gentry are. Actually, I puke when I think of Jones the human being, preferring instead to think of Jones the comic-book hero.

when you wrote how important it is to understand the southern culture, i read on. but you didn't talk about it at all. would jones be disappointed? who knows? but he wasn't going to stand on the railroad tracks of progress (if we can it that) and get run over. a friend of mine argues that the masters shouldn't be a major. why? the lack of rough, or as he said, if seve can take his second from a parking lot and still par the hole, it isn't worthy of a major. i don't agree. the history and majesty of the course and the tournament is a wonderful american sporting event. it's one of the few sports that any kid can watch and learn ... plus it brings a great lineup of the world's best players, including amateurs and guys who are old enough to be my uncle. thanks for writing!

I also agree with the point regarding approaches. I have often said that one reason why the pros "putt so well" is that their long games are far better. Don't get me wrong, they are excellent putters. But let's face it, you're going to have a tough time avoiding three-putts if you leave your approaches far from the hole on a consistent basis.

I'll only part company with what is implied by the "YOUR truth" line, as that smacks of relativism. There is absolute truth that pertains to putting, as there is with everythng else. And the truth is that while there are a few basics, there is also room for tremendous personal variation.

Beverly, Interesting thoughts. When I teach putting I tell my students to practice putts no longer than 10-12 feet with the majority half that length. Theory being a mediocre chip or pitch or putts gets you to 10-12 feet and a good one to 5-6 feet.

Bottom line: you're absolutely spot on. A good approach with solve a hell of a lot of putting - and scoirng - woes.

Stacy,

You might think otherwise...Unfortunately, it does not seem to work off the golf course for you.

Hi Beverly. Welcome to Worldgolf.com! Your blogs are very entertaining.

With regards to your question, "how does an adult who is just taking up the game learn these important (etiquette) lessons?"

When I first took up golf, I was very interested in making sure I did everything correctly. Perhaps I was in the minority but I found that watching the PGA/LPGA tour pros on T.V. helped quite a bit.

They are gracious when they lose, even more so when they win.

To this day, I pay attention and try to emulate these characteristics when I go out onto the golf course.

Beverly, it's great to see your blog, and your "herding cats" post is very entertaining. Being a man, I could never get get away with writing something like that, could I?

You're a great teacher. I know. I'll be visiting your blog. I have two: FLIGHTS OF PEGASUS http://flightsofpegasus.blogspot.com/ and VIEW FROM THE MOON
http://viewfrommoon.blogspot.com/
I hope you'll have a look.

I have to agree with Mr.Mon. Why would a woman listen to advice if she felt she was on the right track? However the point could be that it's distracting and annoying. Unless the guy's really hot, in which case it's still distracting but not annoying).

"GEEEZZZ .... why do women get all this friendly advice? They wouldn't dare give all that advice to a man!"

MY question is, why do they listen? They can fake listening, like faking other things, and continue to do what they do successfully. I was with you until you cried the "poor me" cry of women. However, since I coach a local girls high school golf team, I shall follow your blogs with great interest.

As a fellow teaching professional, video is not the answer for all... Hogan said if he had video.........

Hogan obviously was a visual learner.

How about talking more about the feel or listner? Can't just lump students into video only. Taped a guy once and he said that was not him, he did not swing like that. Video lesson over. Pure listener and feel player...

Gonna print, expect to get shot at...