Career Grand Slam

photo credit: nsaplayer   Five golfers have won the career Grand Slam:  Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player and Ben Hogan.  What follows are the players who won three legs of the Slam and never got the fourth:  Sam Snead, U.S. Open (Snead won 7 Majors).  Arnold Palmer, PGA Championship. Palmer finished tied for second in the PGA Championship three times.  Tom Watson, PGA Championship.  Lost in a PGA playoff in 1973 to John Mahaffey and Jerry Pate.  Byron Nelson, British Open.  Nelson played only once in a British Open and tied for fifth.  Ray Floyd, British Open.  Tied for second in 1978.  Lee Trevino, Masters.  Never came close at Augusta.  Walter Hagen, Masters.  At forty-one he came in eleventh in 1936 with a winnings of $100.

Caddies Nicknames

photo credit: nsaplayer    “Asbestos” – Steve Duplantis, longtime caddie for Jim Furyk, was fired for being late one too many times.  “Big Country” – Scott Tway (Bob Tway’s brother), works for Scott Verplank.  “Boats” – Greg Rita, with feet the size of boats, worked for Dr. Gil Morgan.  “Bones” – Jim Mackay, tall and lanky, works for Phil Mickelson.  ”Fluff” -  Mike Cowan, caddied for Peter Jacobson and then Tiger Woods until March 1999, now Furyk’s caddie.  “Killer” – Sammy Foy, known for being a ladies’ man, worked for Hale Irwin and Phil Blackmore.  “Professor” – Brad Klein,  caddied for Lon Hinkle, Bernhard Langer and Don Pooley.  Holds a doctorate in political science.  “Squeeky” – Jeff Medlen,  Nick Price’s long time caddie.  Caddied for John Daly for his win in the 1991 PGA Championship (died of lukemia in 1997).

How to Rattle Your Opponent

photo credit: GoOregonDemocrats   Gamesmanship is an important part of golf.  Its not “dirty pool” as some people claim.  If it were, PGA Professionals would not utilize it but they do!  Try the following if you find yourself falling back in a match:

1)  Make sure your opponent putts every putt, even if its a foot away.  By doing so, it establishes the fact that YOU are now in control of his shots.  2)  If your opponent is a fast player, play a little slower.  If he is a slow player, play faster.  The fact that someone is waiting for him will tend to make him nervous.  3)  If his par attempt rolls a few feet past the hole and your ready to try for a birdie, don’t immediately give him the putt.

For the Weekend Golfer

photo credit: danperry.com   Here are some tips for the “weekender:”  1)  Take one more club than you need to reach the green.  2)  Don’t move your head when putting.  3)  Don’t start your downswing before making a FULL backswing.  4)  Transfer your weight during the swing by turning not swaying.  5)  Use lighter clubs.  6)  Hit some practice shots before playing (if there is no range just chip or pitch).  7)  Chip with a less lofted club.  8)  Don’t ”hit from the top.”  Distance comes from a delayed uncocking of the wrists.  9)  Practice at least once during the week, even if its just swinging a club in your yard.  10)  In the left hand of your grip, you should see only the thumb and two or three knuckles.

Gutta-Percha Ball

photo credit: Andy on Flickr   The advent of the gutta-percha ball led to several changes.  Harder than a featherie, which came before the gutta-percha, it could damage the skinny wooden-headed clubs.  Many golfers found their clubs breaking where the neck joined the head.  Clubmakers designed smaller, deeper heads to better absorb the blow against the harder “guttie.”  The clubhead began to assume its squat appearance. 

Later a club called the “bulger” (the face bulged forward), was used.  A “brassie” found its way into the game, so called because of a piece of brass put on the sole of the club to prevent damage when it hit the hard ground such as roads or footpaths which were found on courses.  The brassie was close in loft to the driver and eventually became the 2 wood.

Ancient Courses

photo credit: danperry.com   In golf’s early days, course conditions were far from what they are today.  Back then, the game was played on fields barely cleared.  Courses weren’t maintained, they were just accepted. 

The first ball in use was called the featherie and it was prone to splitting.  It also got much heavier when wet.  What followed wasn’t much better: the gutta percha ball was introduced in 1848 and was a rounded piece of tree resin.

Greens were hardly distinguishable from fairways (the word fairway wasn’t used until the late 1800’s), nothing like today’s manicured surfaces. 

Golf began in the British Isles and was played under horrible conditions.  Once the game started, it was customary to complete the round, even in a raging blizzard.  How would today’s players fare under those same conditions?

Fed Ex Playoffs

photo credit: nsaplayer   The PGA Tour was the only major sport that did not have playoffs and its own “super-bowl.”  Then came the Fed Ex playoffs, a series of four tournaments, played within about five weeks of each other.  Who ever has the most points at the end of the 4th playoff event, wins the Fed Ex cup and becomes the so called “best player.”

Unfortunately, the schedule and method of play is a failure.  There is little excitement generated with the way the schedule is now played.  It is my view that there should be only three tournaments, with the final playoff being a match play event. 

In the first half of the 1900’s, most tournaments were match play.  Match play is more exciting, and excitement is what golf has been lacking.

“Go in the Hole!!”

photo credit: linein   Tiger is on the tee, you could hear a pin drop.  He hits his drive and you hear “go in the hole!”  If he’s hitting a fairway bunker shot, if he’s in the woods behind a tree, if he’s got a 99 foot bogey putt, someone yells, “go in the hole!”  Can you imagine what this must be like for Tiger?

Where did it start?  If you know, let us know, but I think it actually started with Tiger’s ascension into the limelight.  People who yell, “go in the hole,” are obnoxious, rude and insecure and I think it demeans the magnificent game that golf is.  It lowers golf to the caliber of the NFL, permeated with players with criminal records.  Golf fans should be above that !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its “go in the hole!”

Putt vs. Chip

photo credit: Elite PhotoArt   Some players feel compelled to chip the ball even when their ball is on the green’s fringe.  Putting from the fringe, if you’ve got a clean lie, is always a surer bet than chipping.  The reasons:  1)  Too many things can go wrong when using an iron.  2)  There is a possibility of “chunking” the shot with a lofted club.  3)  With a pitch shot, the ball will be in flight which can be unpredictable at times.

In almost every case, using a putter when off the green is a sure bet.  Putting is all about feel, its much easier to “feel” the distance your ball needs to travel by putting it.  Stroking the ball with an iron can have serious consequences.  Putting puts the odds in your favor !

Don’t Sway

photo credit: spaceamoeba   The correct address position should duplicate the exact position you should be in, when you make contact with the ball.  Many players do not fully understand this important swing fundamental.  

Swaying to the right on the backswing (right handers) will make it nearly impossible to return the clubhead squarely to the ball.  During the backswing, do not move your weight to the right, if you do, your head will move off center and that can be detrimental to hitting a good golf shot.  Try placing about 75% of your weight on your left side at address.  Place your weight on the inside of your right foot.  On the backswing, make sure that your weight does not move to the outside of the right foot.

Next Page »