Golf Trick - Share yours!

[andrew.r.w]

The recent posts about math, probability, etc. got me thinking about this golf trick I learned years ago. It's called "Cheating on Breaking Putts" but it's not really cheating. More a matter of using probabilities and the laws of physics to advantage.

http://thesandtrap.com/extras/playin...breaking_putts

The article gives you the nuts and bolts of it and it really works. 2/3 of the shots will go in. The trick is based on a couple of principles:

1) Never up, never in. If you've golfed you have heard of the concept that putts have to at least get to the hole to have a chance, so folk wisdom is to aim for a foot or more past the hole.

2) Pro side/amateur side. On a missed breaking putt it's said that the pros miss on the high side, amateurs miss on the low side. The physics of this is interesting enough to make me practice breaking putts often.

The thing is, if anything goes wrong in golf the result is about 90% of the time going to result in less distance rather than more (the obvious exception is the bladed wedge shot near the green, which whistles by at knee height never to bee seen again).

If you golf, try this "cheat". Save you a couple of strokes per game. For extra fun, try explaining it to your foursome on the course.

[LinuxRandal]

Never understood a game where shooting your age is a good thing, because after 18, it would all be downhill then.

[Ken Massingale]

The best golf trick I know is to plow up all that wasted land and plant it in something useful.

[Tequila]

The best golf trick I know is to plow up all that wasted land and plant it in something useful.

I'm a little surprised by that comment. I didn't think we were in the habit of shooting down other peoples hobbies around here.

[Ken Massingale]

I'm a little surprised by that comment. I didn't think we were in the habit of shooting down other peoples hobbies around here.

I apologize, Joe. I thought I had put a Wink at the end. My comment wasn't meant to be serious, I should not have posted it like that regardless of how it was taken.
Again, I am sorry.

[sparkeyjames]

Golf as a hobbie out of control.

I used to golf. If you could call it that. There's nothing like trying to hit a small unmoving sphere. It seems to put a fear into the below average golfer. I like to walk my golf outings. I called it a hike in the park, more usually it's a hike in the woods trying to find my ball. Found many other peoples golf balls just never mine. The slice I had would make golfers behind me duck. I called fore before I hit the ball. Ok enough with the golf cliches. Then I thought it might be the cheap set of clubs I had. Looked around and found that I could build my own custom set of clubs. Cost about half what a good store bought set would cost and low and behold my slices were now only half what they used to be. Now I only had to call fore to avoid hitting the golfers from the group in front of me who were still in the woods looking for their ball.
For a long time I hacked away not making much progress to the golf nervana that is a single digit handiecap. Then the age of video came upon us. Every so called knowlegable golf pro was now hawking his tape to the minions. Making claims so grandios it had the minions drewling copiously. I bought a few from the more well known players of the time. Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and even Dorf. I played golf 3 times a week after work and maybe 2 to 3 rounds every week end. I was now firmly hooked. I noticed that my golf rounds now took far less time. I wondered why. So I started to keep score again. I had stopped years earlier because the swing numbers always came back in 3 digits for 18 holes. I found that my scores and improved considerably I was now in the high 80's low 90's. I had improved from absolutly terrible to merely well below average.
I kept on hacking away. I followed with religious zeal the advice of the golf gods on video. I played in rain, I played in searing heat. Once in the middle of January in Michigan when the temp went up into the 70's for a week all the snow melted and one lone golf course opened for business I was there. It was quite windy that day and one of the other hardcore golfers who was there that day was wearing a toupe and I guess the tape failed because on one hole it blew off and he had to chase it down the fairway. The other 3 of us were in uncontrollable laughter. When he got back near us he just glared grabbed his bag and left. We barely noticed through the tears in our eyes. I think that there might be a lesson there but I'm not sure what it is.
Still I kept on hacking. Then one day out of the blue I had the round of rounds. My score on the front nine was PAR farking PAR on a par 72 course I was in golf heaven. The random people who had been thrown into my group were looking at me with jealous glances. I hoped they would not beat me to a pulp on the back nine and leave me there as fertilizer. Knowing that the golf gods had given me a gift I continued anyway. I was determined to finish out the 18 holes par or better. I finished 3 over par that day. I have not played since.


sparkeyjames

The events above are true
I lived and breathed them.
I still want my money back.

The best tips I can give you is buy a few DVD's made by a really good golf pros. Follow the advice. Spend LOTS of time at the range. Till your hands hurt. Use the grass tees at the range for your iron shots. Analyze what you have done at the range and make adjustments. If possible video tape your swing with all your clubs. Find the flaws. Correct them. Have your clubs custom fit. Don't buy clubs off the rack.

[Ed62]

I played 18 holes one time, about 35 years ago. I think I shot somewhere in the low 600s. So the trick for me, and I know it's not for everybody, was to stay away from golf courses. This trick has served me well.

Ed

[JTimmons]

The best golf trick I know is to plow up all that wasted land and plant it in something useful.

I used to feel the same way until recently. I never understood the need to smack the you know what out of a little white ball and then chase it down the green only to smack it and chase it again.

One morning after a horrible night at work, I came home to one of neighbors going to the range with his new set of clubs asking if I wanted to join him. My first response was no, then I decided what the heck and went out with him, borrowing his old clubs.

The following weekend I am making a trip to Golf Galaxy and getting completely outfitted, clubs, shoes, glove, bag, shorts, pants, shirts and even a Callaway golf hat to go along with the clubs. To make matters worse my wife played in high school and both brothers play as well, she completely supports it.

I am a beginner, distance and keeping my eye on the ball don't seem to be a problem. At the range 1 of every 10 balls go where they are supposed to go, the others go far right into the neighboring fairway and I often see golfers poking their heads over the hills to see who and the he** hit it over there, my follow through isn't what it should be. I also seem to have a problem slowing down to learn my swing, the baseball player in me wants to kill the ball, I even have a difficult time keeping my left foot planted, wanting to lift it and power through it.

On the course, it's different though, I seem to relax a little and just play. Theres nothing like it, I understand the desire to be out there, good days are awesome, but even the really bad days playing wise are worth every penny.

Yes sir, I am hooked. What was soon to be the home theater room, I am now planning on an indoor driving range for the cold snowy winter months here in Colorado. Golf Tips and Golf Digest are now sitting among the Fine Woodworking and Wood magazines.

I can't wait to get my next fix, wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow morning.

[ragswl4]

Hooked (pardon the pun) on Golf

I have been playing golf for about 20 years. Like everyone (nearly) I hit a lot of balls that were never to be seen again and many times the folks I was playing with would yell, "wow did you see that, I didn't know you could hit a ball that far off the course".

After many years of flailing around (score in the high 90s, low 100s), my brother and I went to Arizona for a 4 day golf school. After the school and practicing what they preached for about 3 months my scores were consistently in the 80s and at one point I had a 7 handicap. (Not bragging, just getting to the point).

After many $100s spent on the Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made and various other clubs I discovered, "it's never the club dummy" its your swing. So my golf trick is "get professional help if you want to play serious golf". Otherwise, just go have some fun and don't even keep score. After all, it is not supposed to be work.

[ryan.s]

Never understood a game where shooting your age is a good thing, because after 18, it would all be downhill then.

When they say shooting your age is a good thing they usually mean the total score and not the overage. So basically it will be impossible to shoot your age until your in your late 50's or above. Typical championship type courses have a par of 70-72 so if your 70 years old and are able to shoot scratch then you've done something not many people have been able to do.

I for one used to love the game and was thoroughly addicted. Was able to post some decent scores during my prime but no where near my age since I was still in my late 20's/early 30's back then. Unfortunately I haven't really played in several years. What got me was the time factor. Whole days are shot playing a round of golf plus all the range time on weeday nights. Even then it's still a blast to go out maybe once or twice a year and hack it up with some buddies. I just gotta remember not to get my expectations up to high on my abilities to hit the ball straight. =)