by Sandell Bennett on August 26, 2011
Golf’s an individual sport – especially when you stand over your ball in competition. As Chris Mile writes, it is a “juiced up form of the game”, incredibly fun for some and a form of torture for others. Oh yeah.
To competitors who have played under pressure this season, a tip of the cap to you all. In local league, club and city championships, or in competitions more distant and difficult, cheers to you. A special shout-out goes to several local women who competed in the National Senior Games in Houston and to Sarah Hoffman who won the Ann Arbor City Tournament, a three-peat!.
Now to the rest of us – the competition-is-torture crowd…
There IS a middle way between competition and no competition. Call it team golf, events in which you work together to achieve a winning golf score. A few of us have just returned from the Western Michigan PGA Pro-Am, a women’s event in Grand Rapids - competing has never been so fun.
WM PGA Pro-Am Format
- 3 amateur women and one golf professional on each team
- Net best ball – on par 5’s, use one best ball with handicap; on par 4’s two balls; on par 3’s, 3 balls
- Women played forward tees
Teamwork is Tantamount
Love that collaborative, fired-up feel, helping each other read putts and cheering each other on. One shot might affect others, dictating caution or a go-for-it approach, so it was strategic too.
The Heat’s (Mostly) Off
One might (just possibly!) blow up on a hole, but there were teammates – and their better scores - to ease our frustration and preserve our team score.
The Pro’s of Playing with a Pro
We played with Tim Katanski, an assistant golf professional at our club. It was fascinating to observe the focus, routine, and extraordinary play of someone who makes golf his living. And, how beneficial was it to have his input as we made our way around the course? Big. Our dedicated expert!
Now, at a level a universe beyond our own golf ability …
Let’s Talk Teamwork USA
Each year there’s an opportunity to watch team golf in its most rarefied form and patriotic intensity. US Women and Men professional golfers compete with European counterparts in alternate years in the Solheim and Ryder Cups. US men also compete against an international team less the Europeans, in the biennial President’s Cup in years alternating with the Ryder Cup.
- Solheim Cup –12 US LPGA player-team vs. Europeans at Killeen Castle, Ireland, Sept. 23-25.
Team includes Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, and Julie Inkster, team player and assistant coach, who will be the oldest player to ever compete at age 51. Catch the action on the Golf Channel.
- President’s Cup - US men vs. International Team (but not the Europeans), Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Australia, November 14-16, 2011. Captain Fred Couples leads e 12 US players in match play.
- Ryder Cup – 2012 seems far away, but it’s actually perfect timing if you are interested in seeing the US men in action against the Europeans. The late September competition will be at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, only a 4.5 hour drive from Ann Arbor (!) Random Draw to determine who may purchase tickets is open now through September 30.
Thinking a 2012 outing with a couple of friends to the Ryder Cup would be a great “team” experience indeed!
by Sandell Bennett on July 20, 2011
Last week during league play, an empty golf cart rolled down the hill and tipped into a bunker. File that under amusing/unexpected/semi-dangerous golf moments – really, the game never fails to entertain.
The runaway got me thinking about smart cart usage …
Who doesn’t love golf carts with their cartoon look and silly beep-beep backups? Is there anything finer than hopping aboard with your favorite partner, anticipating the hills and thrills of the next few hours? It’s worth noting though - carts cause much more damage to the course than walkers, and are involved in many serious injuries each year.
BE KIND TO THE COURSE
ALWAYS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S WET
- Know the local cart rules
Before beginning a round, ask about the course’s cart rules – they may change daily based on course conditions. Can you drive on the fairway, is the 90 degree rule in effect, etc.
- What IS the 90 degree rule?
Use cart path until you get parallel to your ball, then enter fairway at 90 degrees. (My friend has her personal interpretation – when it gets to be 90 degrees out, take a cart!!)
- Steer clear of delicate areas of the course.
Don’t drive:
- Within hazard boundary lines
- Close to water hazards or bunkers (unless there’s a path)
- Over or close to tee boxes
- Through mud or casual water
- Close to greens
CARTS SHOULD INCREASE SPEED OF PLAY, NOT HOLD IT UP
Always be thinking how to use the cart efficiently.
- Drive & Drop
If you and your partner hit balls to different parts of the course, drive to nearest ball, drop off the player with several clubs and proceed to the next ball. Players can be ready more quickly, and play moves along. Likewise, as you come to the green, you might drop off a player with his wedge and putter while you go park the cart. Efficiency in all things!
- Be a smart parker. When you get to the green, park your cart at the back or on the side, positioned so that you can walk off the course and be quickly on your way to the next tee. You will not hold up the players in back of you. Remember – score when you get to the next tee.
BE KIND TO OTHERS
- Carts are noisy. Stop when someone is about to hit the ball. Carts are VERY noisy when going in reverse.
- If you have to drive to another part of the course – say you’ve left a club behind – be very aware of other golfers and where/when they are hitting.
CART SAFETY CAN BE BOILED DOWN TO THREE WORDS - “DON’T BE STUPID”
It’s a day of golf, not Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
by Jeanne Myers on May 24, 2011
“You can take the ball back on the line of flight.” True or False?
The most widespread myth is that when taking relief from a water hazard or an unplayable lie, you may take the ball back on the line of flight. You may not do that in any circumstance! Neither rule says anything about “line of flight.”
One of the options under the water hazard rule is to drop behind the hazard - keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
The unplayable ball rule has a similar option - to drop a ball behind where the ball lies unplayable, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
Jeanne Myers, GAM Assistant Director of Rules & Competitions
by Sandell Bennett on May 24, 2011
Does my tennis-loving friend Janet play with a wooden racket like Bjorn Borg in the 1970’s? Not for a minute. So after a couple of weeks using Borg-era golf clubs in her beginner lessons, she was eager to find out what new clubs could do for a beginner.
What should you consider before purchasing that first set of golf clubs? What’s the process at Miles of Golf? What did Janet find out?
Evaluate your level of interest and dedication before you set foot in a golf shop
- Do you have personal golf goals, however rudimentary? Playing in retirement or making a team, joining a league, playing with a spouse, learning golf for business - these are good beginner golf goals.
- Will you be taking lessons and practicing?
- Do you have time to practice and play?
- What budget do you have in mind?
Check, check, check, said Janet. So she set up a time to meet Pete Farner, Miles of Golf Club Fitter. Here’s how it went…
Off to the Cluboratory - Private, Sheltered, Filled with Clubs
The Cluboratory at Miles of Golf is equipped with state-of-the-art ball launch monitors to satisfy the needs of high-level players who come from all over the area. But hear this, it’s also a comfortable place where a beginner can work one-on-one with an expert who has experience fitting ALL LEVELS of players.
Intros & Insights
Janet and Pete spend several minutes talking about goals, skill, and budget.
Warm Up
While Janet loosens up with a 7 iron, Pete gathers some clubs that he wants her to try.
Try, This … And This … And Let’s Try This One Again
After several minutes with one 7 iron, Pete substitutes another and then another. He’s looking at length and lie angle. They try a shorter shaft and revert to a longer one. By process of elimination and examination, two clubs are obvious favorites. Janet is a beginner (consistency-challenged!) yet there are obvious standouts.
Tech Talk
Pete explains the benefits of perimeter weighting of the club head, and the trampoline effect of the thinner face of cavity backed heads. This sounds hard, but he’s a master explainer. And let’s not forget the things a graphite shaft can do for our golf games!
“I’ve Seen It All”
The vibe of the session is low-key and comfortable. No pressure to hit a stellar shot, no cringing when one goes wild – Pete’s seen lots of golfers with many levels of “skill.”
Back to the Favorites - And Then to THE Favorite
More hitting with the two 7-irons that Pete and Janet have zeroed in on. More discussion. One club is identified, and the set it comes in is well within the budget.
Into the Shop and Out the Door
Janet meets her new bag of clubs, the Square Two Lady Bliss Full Set, everything from putter to driver. The fitting with Pete costs $25, but it is refunded because she purchased clubs. She doesn’t forget a range card with $10 – that’s a Miles of Golf Women’s Club benefit, so if you haven’t asked for one, do it!
Long-Term Planning
Janet’s clubs are a suitable for learners and designed especially for women. In a few years, she’ll consider more advanced clubs. Right now, as a beginner, she can concentrate on lessons, learning and practice, assured that she has technology on her side. The latest clubs make golf so much easier – and that makes it fun-ner!
PS. Bjorn Borg won 4 Wimbledon’s with his beloved Donnay Allwood.
by Sandy Wagner on March 27, 2011
Doesn’t everyone want to get better at golf? Of course! And “get better at golf” means something different to each and every player. Maybe it’s a lower handicap, or a higher level of comfort and confidence. Maybe it’s all about having more fun with the game. Think about what “get better at golf” means to you. That’s the starting point for setting some measurable short-term goals for the new season. Goals keep us focused and motivated so let’s get to it…
A Goal is…
- Not necessarily score-based, but measurable
- Challenging and realistic – think Goldilocks, not too big, not too small, just right
- Not in concrete – you can change them over the season
- Documented. Write them in your golf journal. Don’t have a journal? Start one - there’s a measurable goal right there!
3 TYPES OF GOLF GOALS
1. Performance Goals
Consider strengths and weaknesses in your game. Think about last year. Talk to your instructor. Pinpoint areas of weakness and make a plan to improve.
Example: Lower my putting average by 3 strokes by October
- Take a putting lesson in May
- Do a putter fitting to find out best type of putter for my swing
- Find a set up routine that works and use it every time I putt
- Practice putting 1/2 hour 3 times a week
- Keep track of putting stats throughout the season
2. Mental Goals
On the course we can go from confident to confused in a matter of minutes. Identify the mental skills you want to sharpen. Facing down tension? Maintaining commitment? Staying focused on your game instead of what your partner is doing?
Example: Increase my comfort level playing golf
- Join a league or be a sub for a league
- Play that course you always avoid
- Play a round alone – you’ll feel what relaxation can do for your game!
- Play in one event this summer
- Play on a Saturday or Sunday morning when the course is busy and everyone’s watching
3. All-About-Fun Goals
Never forget why we play golf! It’s all about having a good time, and whether your personal definition of “good time” is a championship trophy or a grandkid’s smile, there are lots of ways to get there. Here are some All-About-Fun Goals for the upcoming season. Be sure to make several!
- Play in a charity event
- Sign up for a competition and prepare to succeed
- Take a lesson or clinic with a friend or two or three
- Make a FIRM date with person you always mean to play with, and never have
- Play with a kid – Huron Hills has Wee Tees!
- Get 3 friends together for a golf get-away
- Ask a new golfer to play with you
- Go see some competitive golf in person
Write them down; make them yours. Golf goals are all about “getting better” one way or another!
by Sandy Wagner on February 20, 2011
Time to start the transition from practice to play!
Many of us have used the winter to improve and groove our golf mechanics. Love those heated tees! Now it’s time to start thinking about the golf course again. Let’s start to make our practices more like real play. And attention, you folks who put clubs in mothballs for the cold months, and you lucky souls who go south and play all year – making the range more like the course is a good move for everyone!
- Visit your favorite course – in your head!
On the range paint a picture of a specific hole. Bring the trees, bunkers, slope, etc. into focus – and don’t forget to add a dab of sunshine! Now plan your first shot. Determine the club, visualize the ball path, take your swing. Did you slice it right? Then go from there, visualizing the next shot from that position. You can have lots of fun with this drill. Picture your not-so-favorite hole and see what you can do with it!
- Introduce some course-like stress into your practice.
For example, select a target and try to hit it 3 times in a row. Keep at it until you do.
- Use your pre-shot routine
On the course a consistent routine is a player’s friend. It’s a comfort and confidence builder in times of pressure. So incorporate it into your practice! Step off the mat. Visualize your shot. Pre-season is the ideal time to develop the routine that works for you.
- Master the mats and your alignment
It’s easy to get on auto-pilot at the range, using the alignment of the mats to dictate our set up. Forget the mats! Put special emphasis on lining up on targets that are left and right. Alternate it.
- Change it up
Select different targets frequently. Move from club to club often. That’s more like course play. Hit some hybrids into a “fairway”. Try your using your wedge for 3 different distances. Hit long, hit short. Pull out your driver and give it a go. Get your brain – and your swing – working in a more course-like mode.
With some creativity we can make our practices more like real golf play. It’s time to make that transition – spring will be here before we know it.
by Sandell Bennett on February 20, 2011
Get out your golf bag and ask some questions
Pre-season is the perfect time to give our golf gear a critical once over. Pull out the golf bag; think back to last season; think ahead to the coming year. We’ve put together 8 basic questions to consider - just a conversation between you and your clubs.
Maybe your “team” of clubs did the job last season or maybe you’ll be making some changes. The new clubs for recreational players are lighter, bigger, more forgiving – and more fun – than ever. Talk with a professional club fitter who can assess your game and your clubs, and tell you about all about new options. Test some new gear at the Miles of Golf Cluboratory. And when the weather warms up, you’ll be ready to hit the links.
Thanks to the Miles of Golf staff for sharing their expertise.
- When did you last replace your grips? Worn grips make us hold the club too tightly, leading to forearm stress and a host of bad swing things. A fresh grip provides traction, allowing you hold the club lightly – and correctly. Replace your grips every year, especially if they look shiny.
- Do you carry a club that just doesn’t work, that you dread using? Dread is never a good swing thought. How about that 3 wood? Many golfers hit their 5 and 7 wood farther AND more consistently. Maybe some of the clubs you carry no longer deserve to be on the team.
- Do many of your clubs go the same distance? Slower swing speeds often see very little yardage gaps in stronger lofted clubs (3 wood, 5 wood, 3,4,5,6 irons).
- How old is your driver? More than 5 years? Retire it, says Stina Sternberg at Golf Digest. New technology will bring a new level of enjoyment and performance to the tee.
- Are your shafts right for you? If you are using steel shafts, you’d better be young and strong. Graphite’s flexibility rewards the slower swinging player (women) with improved feel, distance and performance.
- Blades vs. cavity back irons? A blade has a smaller sweet spot, requiring more accuracy, and is generally played by the low handicapper. A cavity back iron is more forgiving, its weight is lower on the club to get the ball up in the air, and distributed around the perimeter to create a larger sweet spot.
- How about hybrids? They combine the best traits of fairway woods and long irons, and for most players they are easy to hit, go high and go straight. They have brought a new level of fun to the fairway – and the rough. Read more.
- Is a fully configured set of clubs for you? Manufacturers have put a lot of research into making golf easier for the newer player. They offer sets fully configured with the woods, hybrids and irons all designed to work together for players with slower swing speeds. These sets are very popular with women.
If you are in the market for new golf equipment, schedule some time at the Cluboratory at Miles of Golf. Bring your old clubs, test some new ones. The $25 fee is refundable with a purchase. Read here about testing clubs at the Cluboratory.
by Sandy Wagner on September 9, 2010
How often does this happen? You’ve hit your ball into a bunker and now you stand over it, uncertain of what exactly to do. You take a swing. The ball goes a few feet and lodges close to the lip of the trap. Now the lie is worse, your confidence is gone, and your mental game has unraveled. It’s the bunker blues.
If you hit a bunker ball without commitment and/or wrong technique, things can get worse fast. Here’s a practice routine and tips to conquer bunkers. Practice builds consistency, and consistency builds confidence and commitment. No one practices sand play enough!
THE DRILL
In a typical bunker shot we’re just moving sand. We’re not even making contact with the ball. So let’s practice that, and practice it a lot.
- Forget about the ball. Really. This drill begins with NO ball. Just you and your sand wedge.
- Make a line in the sand, maybe 6’ long and straddle it, positioning it slightly forward in your stance. Practice hitting the line. Work your way down the line, splashing sand out of the bunker.
- Now focus on your divots. Smooth out the sand and make a new line. Try to make dollar bill sized divots that start on the line and extend forward. Keep splashing sand out of the bunker.
- A bad divot is one that starts too far behind the line. The club takes too much sand, the shot loses energy, and the ball stays in the bunker.
- Now introduce a ball. Make a new line. Place several balls just on the front of it and practice making that same divot you’ve been practicing. You never actually make contact with the ball. Just splash the sand and the ball will follow!
SETUP AND SWING TIPS
- Open up club face (the face will be more UP)
- Think of 3 lefts
- Lean left with 60% of weight on left foot
- Aim left of target
- Position ball left of center
- Use pitch-chip or full pitch swing (see Sandy’s Cheat Sheet for specifics)
MAKE A NOTE
In your golf journal, keep track of what works and what challenges you in the bunker.
BE CONNECTED TO COMMITMENT
Treat every bunker the same. The sand may be different, conditions may be different – simply commit to your shot. You’ve practiced the fundamentals of the bunker shot, now go with it. Splash it out and leave the bunker behind!
by Jeanne Myers on September 9, 2010
If you substitute a ball when you are not allowed to, or drop or place a ball in the wrong place or otherwise not in accordance with the Rules, and you haven’t played it yet, you are allowed to lift it without penalty and correct your mistake. This is the Rule that officials call the Great Eraser Rule!
For example, if you take relief from a lateral water hazard and drop a ball within three club-lengths of where it last crossed the hazard margin (instead of within two club-lengths), you have dropped in a wrong place. If, before you play a stroke at that ball, you realize what you have done, you may lift the ball and drop in the correct place without penalty – you just “erase” your mistake.
Or, take the case of your ball lying on a cart path, and you decide to take relief. After you have determined where to drop the ball, you mistakenly drop a ball other than the original. You have substituted a new ball when you are not allowed to do so. If you notice it before you make a stroke at it, you may pick it up under the Eraser Rule and drop the original ball as required, and there is no penalty.
Many golfers like to use a “water ball” when they have a hard shot over water, or a “putting” ball because they believe that a brand new ball is going to roll truer on the green. The Rules say that you must use the ball that you play from the tee throughout the entire hole, unless it becomes lost, is hit out of bounds or you substitute another ball under a Rule. There is no Rule that allows you to substitute a ball so that you don’t lose a brand new ball in the water, or to substitute a new ball on the putting green just because you believe it will putt better. You can do it, but it will cost you a two stroke penalty. So, if you have substituted a new ball on the putting green, and someone lets you know you are not allowed to do that, as long as you haven’t hit it, you may lift it and replace the original ball back in the correct spot without penalty. The player who lifted his ball in play in the fairway and replaced it with a “water ball” is not quite so lucky. As long as he hasn’t hit the “water ball,” under the Eraser Rule he can replace the original ball and avoid that penalty. However, he will still receive a one stroke penalty for lifting his ball in play when he had no right to do so.
If you drop a ball when you should have placed it, or placed a ball when you should have dropped it, under this handy little Rule, you may lift the ball and correct your error without a penalty. If you mistakenly drop a ball a third time, instead of placing it on the spot where it hit the ground on the second drop, you can “erase” that under this Rule also.
You won’t find this helpful Rule in the Rules of Golf listed as the Great Eraser Rule. It’s just hiding out unobtrusively under Rule 20, Clause 6. This is one of those little gems that good golfers should know to help them get out of trouble. Not all the Rules of Golf are bad!
Jeanne Myers, Assistant Director – Rules & Competitions
Golf Association of Michigan
by Sandell Bennett on August 6, 2010
Yes, the long drive that splits the fairway is a thing of beauty, and a perfect approach is satisfaction guaranteed. But it’s on the green where strokes are quickly won – and lost – and the tale of the golf day is told. In an even par round of golf 50% of the strokes are putts!
What type of putter compliments my particular stroke? Why do I miss putts the way I do? What do I need to work on to improve? Good questions – and we got answers during a putter fitting with Brent Norton, Miles of Golf Club Fitting Manager. With SAM Lab technology and years of experience, Brent zeroed in on our putting particulars.
Everyone needs a putter that fits. Spend some minutes with an experienced club fitter who can expertly evaluate your physique, posture and stroke. Or go for a putter fitting session with state-of-the art technology that analyses the distinctive features of your stroke, identifies areas for improvement and suggests the putter best suited to your game.
GETTING FIT - A BASIC FIT
An experienced club fitter looks at height, arm length, posture at set-up, hands, grip and stroke to suggest a putter that fits well. The right putter is a confidence booster – and who doesn’t need some confidence around the cup?
GETTING FITTER - BEYOND THE BASICS WITH SAM LAB PUTTER FITTING
Sam Lab technology enables us to look closely at multiple variables in a golfer’s putting including face, path, rotation and tempo. Head style of a putter should compliment the golfer’s stroke and SAM Lab picks up vital info about stroke path and rotation that no natural eye can see. Am I swinging straight back and through or arcing? Am I always aiming – and missing left? Am I rotating the face too much? How about swing tempo? Sam Lab is a fountain of information.
A VISIT TO THE MILES OF GOLF CLUBORATORY FOR A SAM LAB PUTTER FITTING
One golfer, one experienced club fitter, one hour and the latest technology yielded the following personal putting info.
- Consistently aiming left of target
- Set up too closed, leaning over too much
- A straight back, straight through stroke
- Too much rotation, opening and then closing the club face too much at impact
- Too small a grip
- A very slow and too long backswing
- Good loft!
- Plenty of info for future putting practice – personalized “putticulars”
Recommended:
- Odyessey 330 mallet, 33” with medium grip, 74 degree lie angle and 45 degree toe hang
