So you’re on the second green and you just putted for your par.
It was a pretty good try, but ‘just a bit outside’. Maybe you have 20 inches or so left. Straight in and no break to speak of.
Your buddy says “That’s good, pick it up”. Don’t do it!
I can almost hear you saying, why the hell not take a gimme putt?
There are thousands of golfers that never play in an organized tournament of any kind. For these folks ‘gimme putts’ and ‘mulligans’are part of the game. So are ‘winter rules’ for those of us that live in colder climates.
I have and do play under those guidelines a lot myself. For the vast majority of golfers an occasional gimme putt speeds up the game.
Besides, we’re out on the golf course for the fun of it, not to make a living. Well, I take that back. Sometimes it does seem like my buddies make a living out of winning golf bets against me!
So, with all that in mind why not take a gimme putt?
I’m really only speaking to those golfers that do play in tournaments or scrambles. How many of you have had that 20 inch gimme putt to tie or win a hole?
Doesn’t look so short now does it? In fact it looks more like a four footer. Right about now you’re wishing you had putted all of those tiny little gimme puts.
When playing a casual round of golf with friends, you don’t have to mark and clean your ball. You don’t have to look at the putt from all sides of the hole. Heck, you don’t really even have to putt it!
But why not sink that gimme putt anyway? It’s great practice and it just might mean the difference between winning that scramble or not.
There is no better mental image than seeing the ball go into the hole!
For more great tips on the game of golf, Click Here.
P.S. Today is Pearl Harbor day. If you know a veteran or anyone in the military, please thank them for a job well done!
I’m going to get a little off topic today. Just wanted to say a few words of
thanks to our special military men and women stationed around the world.
Because of these fine soldiers and the many who came before them, we have the freedom to play golf anytime we want. At least as often as we can afford it!
With all the focus on the fighting in the Middle East it’s easy to forget that we still have a military presence throughout the world, including Europe, Korea, Japan and Kosovo.
My Grandfather Wes served in France during World War One and My Uncle Dex served in the African theatre in World War Two.
Both of my nieces have been lucky enough to find young men who have military backgrounds. Nick was in the marines and Adán is serving in the Air Force. We’re all proud to have them in the family.
So, it’s getting close to that time. Time to set down to a table full of turkey and ham. Spuds and gravy. Stuffing and cranberries. And pies. Don’t forget the pies.
Thanksgiving Day is special in numerous ways and it seems that in today’s culture many Americans have forgotten the reason for the founding of the United States. Tyranny and oppression is still rampant in much of the world. We are incredibly fortunate to have the freedom to live as we do.
I won’t get to play golf today so will have to settle for practicing some putts on the living room carpet.
Hope you all have a safe and satisfying Thanksgiving.
I’ll bet you read that and said to yourself…. Not bloody likely
you damn fool!
I did get your attention with the ‘swing your golf club slowly’ statement though, didn’t I? Or was it the obvious lie about being able to out drive Tiger?
We all know that it’s an established fact that the harder you swing a golf club at the ball, the further it will go. Right? In fact if you really take a slash at it, no telling how far it will go! Or where!
In my experience one of these following things usually occurs. * Not necessarily in this order!
• I top the ball a few yards past the women’s tee box. Not Good!
• I hit so far behind the ball it takes two people to retrieve the divot.
• I immediately start screaming ‘Fore’. This could be in response to either a slice or a hook. I can easily go both ways!
• I disregard the ‘swing your golf club slowly’ rule again when I sling the club at my bag after the horrible shot!
Actually I don’t do this anymore since I broke the graphite shaft on my 5 wood that time!
So, you’re wondering what the alternative really is. Well, did I mention that you should swing your golf club slowly? I think I may have.
Watch Freddy Couples on tv some time. In person would be better of course, but tv will do. Like most good golfers what you see is smooth effortless power. Timing and rhythm trump lunging at the ball every time.
Sure there is more to it than that. You need to store the power in your wrists and uncock them at precisely the correct moment, etc. However this post isn’t about the mechanics of the swing.
It’s about the mindset you should have when you address the ball each time. Don’t try to kill it! By swinging your golf club slowly, you just might be able to out drive Tiger Woods. I wouldn’t count on that though.
Will replacing the grip on your golf clubs really make a 
dramatic difference in your game?
Probably not, but it’s a relatively cheap way to improve your game. What I mean by relatively cheap is that a new set of quality golf clubs can cost anywhere from $300 to well over $1000.
Given that fact, a much better alternative is too replace the grip on your old golf clubs.
Think of it this way. I used to play in a foursome made up of four confirmed bachelors. One of these guys loved living alone but hated cleaning his apartment. His solution? Sign a 6 month lease and move often. Expensive, but it solved his problem.
Most of us hackers just don’t have enough money to replace our clubs when the grips get worn and slick. Your best bet is to replace the grip instead.
Have you ever been browsing through the used club barrel at your home course and discovered a nice looking gap wedge that some poor disillusioned golfer had sold. Of course you know that owning that club would knock at least 2 strokes off your score each round?
One problem! The grip is so slick you darned near took out the assistant pro when the club slipped out of your hands on the follow through.
Don’t worry! You can easily replace the grip on the wedge yourself or have the assistant pro do it. That is if he’s still not mad at you for nearly beaning him.
Heck, I still play with a set of Calloway irons with the original RCH 96 graphite shafts. I bet I’ve replaced the grips on those old golf clubs a dozen times through the years.
I mentioned replacing the grip on the old wedge yourself. We’ll get into that another time, but it’s cheap, easy and fun to do!
We’ve all heard it. Drive for Show, Putt for Dough!
Why don’t we listen? Deep down we know that it would be a good idea to practice putting before every round. But, cranking out those long drives feels so good!
I have to admit I’m guilty of one of the most common mistakes made by the average golfer.
I rush to the course about half an hour before my tee time. Darned if I want to try that first drive on #1 without being warmed up, so better get a small bag of range balls.
The logic is this:
• I need to warm up the old bones so I don’t screw up the drive on #1!
• Since the ego says I need to use the driver on #1, of course that’s the club to beat a few dozen quick balls with!
• Having a long straight drive on #1 will ensure a good confident round and a great day on the golf course.
Uh oh, just heard our group called. We’re next up on the tee box.
Wonder how the greens will be rolling today? Guess I better practice my putting for a few seconds before getting started.
Now to reality:
• Sliced the ball so badly on #1 that my second shot was from the trees between the first and second holes.
• Hitting all those balls with a driver in warm up did no good at all.
• Since I had no feeling for the green speed I took 3 putts to get down.
• My confidence and faith in a great round of golf has taken a severe beating.
Next time I’m going to practice my putting to warm up for the round of golf.
Yeah! Sure I will!
Why should you get a Golf Handicap?
Heck, why would you need one?
If you don’t play in scrambles or tournaments, it may seem like going to the trouble of getting one is a waste of time.
Maybe yes and maybe no!
A huge majority of golfers around the world are ‘weekend warriors’. A few friends get together every Saturday morning to hack the ball around, tell big stories and lie about how good their game is.
For them, the idea of spending extra time and money seems crazy. They just don’t care!
Here are a few reasons I feel every player could benefit from having a golf handicap.
1. Men, what if all of a sudden your friend says, Hey Hooters is sponsoring a really cool 2 man scramble. Let’s join up. Now who in their right mind would pass that up?
Yes, you need a golf handicap to participate.
2. Ladies, what if, all of a sudden your friend says, Hey Hooters is sponsoring a really cool 2 woman scramble. Let’s join up and whip all those ‘pathetic men who keep lying about their golf games’. Now who could pass that up?
Yes, you need a golf handicap to participate.
3. On a more serious note, having one can help because it gives you a benchmark to judge your game by. I also find that putting in a little extra time at the course, working on your game, enhances the overall experience.
Thanks for coming to check out my new blog. Hopefully you will take something good away with you. I welcome any comments. Feel free to share any ideas for making this a more interesting blog.
Now, turn the darn computer off. Sign up for a golf handicap. I’ll be here every few days to give some helpful tips. Allen
