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What is it about the Toshiba Classic - it produces more lengthy play offs than any other tournament I can readily draw to mind.
I always enjoy watching the Champions Tour Tournaments, there is a camaraderie that you don’t see so much on the so-called ‘main’ tours and a sense of enjoyment amongst the players. This weekend was no exception with the Toshiba Classic, and it was demonstrated extremely well by the reaction of both Langer and Haas on the fifth play-off hole when they both made birdie. This tournament never ceases to amaze me, year after year it produces a tie after regulation play and a playoff is required. And what playoffs they turn out to be, at only seven holes this year’s was quite reasonable - it has gone to nine before now.
I think one thing that does come from this is that a course doesn’t have to be lengthy to be challenging. The Newport Beach Course is under 7,000 yards but has some very challenging holes, particularly the Par 3 17th. Makes you think doesn’t it - what is the truer test of your golf skill, hammering the ball hundreds of yards down a fairway or being able to play those tricky short holes with challenging greens well protected by hazards?
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Much is talked about the pro’s and con’s of having your clubs custom fitted. There is no doubt that most golfers would love to have a complete set of clubs custom made specifically for them but the costs involved in that are prohibitive. Will it improve your golf technique that much?I always had mixed feelings about this, mumblings of workmen and tools can be heard coming from various corners of the changing rooms when the subject is raised. I can only speak from my own experience.
I play with TaylorMade clubs, which I have to say I love dearly. I do have a Nike Lob Wedge and an Odyssey 2 Ball Putter but all the rest are TaylorMade and I wouldn’t swap them for the world. I’ve had my Irons about two years and whilst I know technology has moved on I have no desire to swap them. There is a simple reason. When I bought them I had them ‘tweaked’, it came as part of the deal. I spent a while on the range playing with the 7 iron whilst being observed by the Sales guys. Coloured strips were put on, marks were made, results compared, there was much sucking of teeth and chat backwards and forwards.
After all this the end result was that each of my irons were ‘opened’ by almost a whole degree! Now that might not seem much to the uninitiated but the difference it made to my shots was quite dramatic. More important still, it gave me enormous confidence in my new clubs and that improved my game. Do I think that little tweak is worth it - you bet I do!
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The best golf technique is not to take unnecessary risks. Playing good golf is about considering the chances of success of a planned shot. This holds good for all parts of the game particularly your short game. It is where many people come unstuck. There are few basic rules that help you choose which clubs to use, all based on the principal of least risk.
Rule number one is to always use your putter if the ball will roll. Even if you are slightly off the green, if there is no possibility of the ball bouncing then it is sensible to use the putter.
Rule number two, if there is a possibility of the ball bouncing then opt for a chip and run. This will get your ball into the air just long enough to clear the danger areas and onto the green, running straight to the hole. The direction and pace of the ball is easier to control if it is rolling along a smoother surface.
Rule number three - only to be used when the two previous rules can’t be applied! Get out one of your wedges. This should be done with caution as unless you are an experienced golfer, or practice a great deal, wedges offer less control and more room for error as there are many factors that can determine the outcome of the shot. The most influential of all those factors is your confidence with your wedge. One of my favourite shots when faced with a small area of rough is to use my Lob Wedge as if it was a putter. It takes a degree of self control not to swing the club but when mastered it is a neat little shot that can serve you well.
The secret to an effective short game is practice, you should devote time to perfecting your chip and run technique as it can be a match saver when used effectively. Get a few balls and scatter them around just off the green at varying distances and practice chipping them onto the green as close to the edge as possible and with enough momentum to reach to the back of the cup.
This simple golf technique can often help make the most progress towards reducing your handicap so it is well worth the time you devote to it.
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I wrote a few days ago about the Dream Swing, an excellent training aid for improving your swing, probably the most important golf technique there is. I’ve had several queries asking for more information so in the firm belief that a picture is worth a thousand words I’ve put a video here for you to have a look at so you can see how it works. Enjoy - I’m off to practice using mine!
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What a tournament that turned out to be. Ups and downs for so many players as matches went this way and that. It was an absolute joy to watch those masters of their craft in action. I don’t know about you, but I was glued to it.
Whilst the course was not perhaps the most challenging – unless the wind blew, it was enough to cause some troubles to one or two players in the early stages. Watching Tiger Woods claw his way back in the first round was an exhibition of golf at it’s best. He continued that display on the final day with a masterly round which left his opponent, Stuart Cink, with little chance.
The short game skills of all the players were thoroughly examined during this tournament with some excellent scrambling by players to salvage halves or wins from tee and fairway shots that were sometimes a little wayward. It just bears out that constant mantra of ‘practice, practice, practice’. And when you think you have practised enough, practice some more!
Tiger Woods certainly seems to be unbeatable this year so far, there were voices muttering that having a family might well pull his game down but Butch Harmon has been proved right in his belief that it would give him even more focus. I suspect we are in for an interesting season this year – and maybe a few more records will tumble to Tiger.
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The amount of technological development that goes into golf is probably amongst the highest in any sport. The development of many golf products from clubs to balls, is unending as modern technology pushes the boundaries further and further. How far we have come from the old gutta balls. I sometimes you wonder where it will end but there are potentially a lot more exciting development yet to come.
When we watch golf on TV we have the yardage from ball to hole instantly delivered to us via GPS, ball flights are tracked and we know what is happening where down to the very last inch. Taking that a step further, imagine never having to worry about losing your golf ball again, unless of course it lands in a water hazard. No matter where your ball may land you will be able to find it via GPS tracking. The technology is already available to embed devices into golf balls so they can be tracked. There will, no doubt, be the inevitable increase in price but think of all the money that could be saved by never losing a ball - the record holder for lost balls at my club would b delighted to pay a little extra and keep his ball - he allegedly lost 54 balls in one round to the many hungry lakes on the course. If you consider the number of balls that are found on golf courses each week that could add up to a substantial saving except for those players who use ‘found’ balls all the time! As these tracking devices become smaller and smaller their applications become more practical with items such as balls. There would certainly be a market for such a ball, and where there is a demand someone will decide to supply it sooner or later, and golfers are notorious buyers of gadgets.
Technological advance in clubs mean we might all be driving as far as the Pros of today assisted by the constant development of balls that are easier to hit and travel further, however there is one thing that will always make golf a continuous challenge. It is something we willl never fully master and that is ourselves. We can have the best golf clubs, balls, shoes and more and still make a mess of the simplest shot if our mindset isn’t right. That is the simple reason why so many people all over the world go out week after week and still try to master the game.
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