Metallion on golf

Leaderboard

2008-09-01T00:18:00.001+02:00

Slår du för högt och för kort?

2007-08-31T00:46:00.001+02:00

Filma dig face-on. Du kommer att se att händerna är bakom bollen vid impact.

När du konstaterat det är det "bara" att se till att de i stället passerar bollen innan impact.

Det effektivaste sättet att komma tillrätta med det är att gå till en pro och be honom hjälpa dig att åstadkomma en enda sak: "Händerna skall ha passerat bollen vid impact". Normalt kräver det tämligen omfattande ändringar av svingen. Går inte över dagen.

Förvänta dig inte att något som låter så enkelt i text är enkelt i praktiken. De flesta kommer aldrig i närheten.

Jag anser att det går det snabbast om man:

Lär sig chippa med händerna framför bollen vid impact
Lär sig pitcha med händerna framför bollen vid impact
Lär sig puncha med händerna framför bollen vid impact
Lär sig slå fulla slag med händerna framför bollen vid impact

Kan man inte 1 så kan man inte 2
Kan man inte 2 så kan man inte 3
Kan man inte 3 så kan man inte 4
Kan man inte 4 så kan man varken slå långt eller lågt

Underskatta inte hur svårt det är. SKulle säga att det krävs minst 1000 korrekta chippar innan man kan bocka av punkt 1.

Se animationen nedan eller titta den här filmen på YouTube. Lyckas du pausa den precis innan impact så ser du att händerna sett med Tigers ögon redan passerat den främre foten innan klubban träffar bollen. De flesta blir förvånade om de ställer sig i en sådan position. Händerna (sett "från ögonen") har redan passerat båda fötterna innan klubbhuvudet träffat bollen.

The money they make and lose

2007-04-02T00:20:00.000+02:00

2007 Shell Houston Open. Not by any means the biggest purse on tour.

Scott and Appleby comes to the difficult last hole. Appleby trailing by 1. Next contender still on the course would be Bubba Watson, but he is trailing Appleby by 3.

First price is $990.000. Second is $594.000. A par by Watson would earn him $319.000.

So Scott and Appleby is fighting over the close to $400K difference between first and second. That is money anyone would play anyone a par 4 to earn.

Appleby may be thinking: Watson is three behind. I need to play for birdie. Worst I'll do is a bogey, and the birdie might earn me an "extra" $400K.

Scott may be thinking: Birdie is unlikely for anyone. A par here and the "extra" $400K is mine.

Appleby tee-off. Keeps it to the right and lands it in the fairway bunker. Safe, but not what he was asking for.

Scott may be thinking: Apples is in the bunker with 200 yards. A par will do.

Scott hits it into the water to the left.

Appleby in the bunker. He can tell that Scott need to drop more or less on the same distance as him. So the run for the $400K is TIED as this point. Are half of the $400K already earned?

Both players @ some 190 yards. Appleby in the bunker. Scott dropped on fairway. Same number of shots used. Margin of 2 to next player. Who will make the up and down?

Appleby hits it into the water. Devastated.

Scott fires it on the green, but away from the hole. Difficult putt.

Appleby gets it on the green in 4. Has a shot at holing for bogey.

Scott has 2 difficult putt for his par. Very unlikely. He just need a two-putt to win. He holes it.

Appleby obviously deflated. He two-putts for a double-bogey.

Only 7 birdies have been made on this hole all week. And Watson need a birdie to tie Appleby. So Apples can more or less consider the $594K as pocketed - or?

Well it turns out Watson makes his birdie. Steals a T2 with Appleby and gets $484.000.

So:

Scott earned the silly $990.000 even though he was in the water.
Appleby lost $110.000 playing for birdie
Watson gained the unlikely "extra" $165.000 by making birdie while Apples made a 6.

Putting checklist

2006-09-25T01:17:00.000+02:00

Got some good stuff out of a recent clinic with Geoff Mangum. Here's a quick summary for my own benefit (to help me remember). Others who have been to his clinics will recignize some or all of it.

Don't think. Thinking draws blood from the cerbellum. Cerbellum will produce if you provide blood.
Find the target spot by a "spider " assesment of the green. One target for any putt from a given distance. (Ondulations not taken into account).
Eyes pointing straight out of the head
Keep putter face perpendicular to target in impact zone.
Consider skipping practice swings. Cerbellum does not care.
Hold putter primarlily along lifeline of left hand. Right hand only for support. Multiple-overlap grip.
Start swing with left shoulder
Use "rear-eye-arrow-method" for aiming

EDIT August 2007: But one thing is more important than any of the above: RHYTHM

Golfswing Aesthetics

2006-09-07T12:18:00.000+02:00

Just bumped on this post by Tongzilla. A reply to what makes a swing look good. Liked it!

A case of bad luck

2006-08-21T01:54:00.000+02:00

Just heard this: Another example of how bad it can get:

Swiss Open (soime year): A (italian?) player needs to finish with a par on the last hole. His teeshot ends up in a good spot. One more shot for glory. Just hit the green.

The ball sails towards the flagstick. Hits the very TIP of the flagstick and bounces out of bounds behind the green.

That was said to be the defining moment for that particular player. He reportedly decided to quit his golfing career after that.

Someone got

2006-05-09T22:00:00.000+02:00

...to play Augusta National. A few nice photos to get an idea what the experience might be like and not just the common tournament photos: http://flickr.com/photos/defrances/sets/358373/

What every golfer need to know before getting a job interview

2006-02-12T05:17:00.000+01:00

Reasons why you do not have to back off if your employer accuses you for having a handicap too low to be serious:

Scott McNeally of Sun (3,2), Jack Welch of GE (3,9) and Donald Trump of His Empire (was a 0,8).
And Warren Buffet carried a 1,3 HCP during high school.

Dollar Bill (Gates) carries a 23,9 and is a spokesperson for Callaway.

Courses of interest - Italy

2005-10-22T17:53:00.000+02:00

Toscana
Golf Club le Pavoniere
Lazio
Le Querce +39-0761-600780
Castelgandolfo +39-06-9312301

Courses of interest - Central Europe

2005-10-18T23:53:00.000+02:00

Germany
http://www.golfclub-segeberg.de/

USGA Handicap

2005-10-11T02:00:00.000+02:00

See this link about the exact calculation formula för USGA Handicap. I'd say the short-form is "slope-adjusted average of the best 10 rounds - of the last 20 - multiplied by 0,96".

Section 10 USGA HANDICAP FORMULA

Pro swings

2005-10-05T00:52:00.000+02:00

Not many pros posting their swings on the homepage. At least here's one I found. Will add more if I come across them.

Mathias Grönberg

Golf Ball's Interaction with Air

2005-09-14T19:24:00.000+02:00

Here's a decent article on the golf ball's interaction with air. There is a lot of misunderstandings around. I do not know if this article delivers the perfect final truth, but the pictures are great. One thing I miss is a discusson about why the turbulent flow points for the dimpled ball is directed slightly downwards from the center line - as opposed to the laminar flow for the smooth ball. I believe it is an important concept. Might look deeper into this when winter comes.

Courses of interest - Ireland

2005-09-05T21:04:00.000+02:00

Some courses to consider when visiting Ireland. On a sidenote during the 2007 Shell Houston Open, Padraig Harrington was asked about the best course on Ireland. Without a second of hesitation, his answer was:

"- Royal Portrush!".

Dublin
Druids Glen
Carton House

South
Old Head
Fota Island

New on the radar
Carne Links

I'd like to become a professional player!

2005-08-26T23:25:00.000+02:00

Or would I really? This summer I played a round of golf at a wonderful course in California. I was to play alone but one guy did show up & asked me if he could play with me. I said fine & hit my teeshot.

At the moment I saw his swing I understood he could certainly play. I have been to see four different major tournaments so I do not lack experiences from seeing the best play. This guy had a better swing than many of the top professionals in the world. I asked him, and Yes. He was playing on one of the more important tours.

He was a really nice guy. I asked him a bunch of questions. One of them was: How much is it?

Answer: If you stay with your parents you can play a year at a budget of $40.000. If you live by yourself & have a house somewhere you need $70.000 a year.

No wonder the guys are eager to make results & get some good sponsors. $40K + housing is not exactly the type of financial burden you want to put on your parents year after year.

Still interested? Can play? Ok then. Just make sure to file the application no later than Sept 7, 2005.

Aiming on sideslopes (Putting)

2005-08-17T04:01:00.000+02:00

This is trivial, but I feel there is no harm in creating this pic & posting it. Have discussed this with other golfers & been surprised to hear that even pretty good golfers "never thought of it" or do not even get it if explained. Then it stunned me that even Pelz classified it (or more or less the same idea) as "research results".

Any decent golfer is capable of more or less identifying the highpoint, i.e. the point where the perfect putt will be furthest from the straight line to the hole and starting to turn back towards the hole again.

Seems the problem is that so many are occupied with determining that point that they actually take a DEAD AIM at it.

The pic should be obvious. You need to aim ABOVE the highpoint for the ball to actually pass it & make its way back to the hole.

Courses of interest - Scotland

2005-07-27T23:35:00.000+02:00

Compilation of a list of courses in Scotland I'd like to play before my days as a golfer has come to an end. Obvious ones (such as the Old Course are omitted).

North Berwick Golf Club - featuring "the most copied hole" in the world. No 15 - named Redan. Definition of "Redan Hole". Location: East from Edinburgh.

Cruden bay Golf Club Said to be Tom Watsons favourite course in Scotland. Location: Northeast from Aberdeen.

Courses already played:

Lundin Links. Several times a course where final local qualification for The Open Championship is played. Played it just days after the 2005 edition; scoreboards still in place. Very nice course location. I liked several holes a lot, but the pace was quite horrible. Took a looong time even though teetimes were pushed 30 minutes ahead. Greens were very good. So were the fairways. But the course was a bit on the short side for my taste. Greenfee was reasonable. Vertict: 3.5/5. Would play again, but not worth a journey.

Turnberry Aisla. Colin Montgomeries favourite links course. (He is from Troon, but has his Links Academy here. Super resort and super course. Would play it again and again. Expensive. I feel there is no need for "yet another review".

Royal Troon Old Course. Excellent facility and a super course. Would play it again and again. I feel there is no need for "yet another review". Need to say that Troon (as many other traditional courses in Scotland) does not have a driving range. Only a practice field a pretty long walk from the clubhouse. Price is upscale & I'd rank Turnberry Aisla higher - although that is probably reflected in the price.

Manzella podcasts

2005-07-26T22:29:00.000+02:00

Interesting stuff broadcasted by Brian Manzella. He seems to stick to a schedule of 1/3 tour talk, 1/3 instruction talk and 1/3 equipment talk. Listen here

Satellite /aerial photos of golf courses

2005-07-26T16:17:00.000+02:00

Decent resolution
CA: Cypress Point Club
CA: Pebble Beach Golf Links
CA: Pasatiempo (16th)
CA: Spyglass Hill
FL: TPC Sawgrass - finishing holes
FL: Grand Cypress
GA: Augusta National
SC: Kiawah Island (17th)
Low resolution
Scotland: St Andrews

Golf expressions

2005-07-20T22:09:00.000+02:00

Here's a few

English expression	Swedish expression	Translation
Feed the dog	Mata hunden	Hit driver
Wok pan	Wokpanna	Oversized driver

Pured or not

2005-06-10T18:20:00.000+02:00

I recently got the information that the shaftmakers will do the following deals with companies selling clubs fitted with pured shafts: Get 10000 shafts. Measure them, pure them, sort them. Get the ones you want. Then send back 1/3 of the shafts to us at no cost.

Who gets those shafts that were sent back? The average golfer does.

Next time you buy clubs off the shelf you need to ask yourself a question:
- Do I feel lucky today?

If not. Consider pured shafts.

You will never see a tour player with the shaft manufacturers label oriented the same way through the entire set...

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club

2005-04-22T23:48:00.000+02:00

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club - The Legend Page
"Built upon the ancestral lands of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is a celebration of their rich culture, as well as their perseverance."

Amazing story about a golf course managed by native american indians. Azalea course has had several Golf Magazine U.S. top 100 awards. Designed by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate.

Bobby Jones Swing

2005-04-22T00:48:00.000+02:00

Bobby Jones Swing
Pretty amazing footage of Bobby Jones swing. Taken by Bernie Baymillers father when his dad worked for Spalding back in the 1940's. Don't miss the impact position.

On women being invited to mens tourmaments

2005-04-20T11:29:00.000+02:00

DN - Sport - Goosen mot att kvinnor får frikort

Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter today reports that Retief Goosen is against women being invited to mens tournaments. (Here we do again ;-) Basically the same argumentation as Vijay Singh had last year. His idea is basically:

Handing out invitations to popular female golfers is wrong
If they qualify, it's perfectly ok that they participate
It is fine to compete with women in special tournaments, such as the one he was involved in earlier this year.

This is a discussion that stirs up a lot of emotion. Personally I think that Goosen is right, but that Vijay was only basically right. Reason: It was time that such a great player as Annika got a chance. The world wanted it to happen. Too many years had passed since someone else did it. I also have a personal reason that most certainly affects my standpoint: Seeing Annika at Colonial was for me the single reason I rediscovered golf again & started playing after basically holding up for five years. With that in mind, I think I am entitled to have my positive opinion about Annikas participation, regardless of what others may think.

Annika did reasonalby well. She was not far from making the cut and beat several men. Not bad considering the huge media attention and enormous pressure she had to take heading into the event.

Finally a prediction: The next big story in this chapter will probably be Annika qualifying for The Open Championship or Michelle Wie qualifying for U.S. Open.

I do think that any woman will have success playing with the men until they manage to get their clubhead speed up. Main difference is that women are generally not able to spin the ball as much as needed to make it bite on the fast greens on the mens tours. Annika has indirectly stated this on numerous occations.

For this reason I think that The Open Championship is the most likely venue where a longhitter woman would stand a chance. On that venue the greens do not seem to be as fast as on the Masters or the U.S. Open - the challenge being more weighted to playing in the wind.

Still The Open Championship is not a benign challenge, and any woman playing there would face pretty brutal conditions - as the men do.

(I reserve the right to edit this post later on :-)

Equipment (configuration)

2005-04-19T14:59:00.000+02:00

I do think that having a set of golf clubs made for YOU is a good thing. I had a pretty bad experience spending 3-4 years with off-the-shelf equipment. When I eventually made it to see a clubfitter I found out that the lies were completely off and that the shafts were not correct for me - lengthwise or regarding stiffness.

It was not that the clubfitter "sold me" the idea of my clubs being off measure. It was a combination of seeing a good instructor and a clubfitter in the same time. I understood that I badly needed to do something - which I did.

It came out nicely. I am tall and my shafts are now extended by a full 1.25 inch. Thats A LOT. And the lie was adjusted by 4 degrees. Thats also A LOT.

Some of you reading this may say that's just too much. I don't know. So far my results have been really good. I am not saying that I will never go back to standard length clubs, though. It may happen any day. But for now I stick with it.

The really bad part of having clubs with incorrect lie is that the lie will cause your swing to change. Since I had clubheads 4 degrees flatter than I should, I eventually developed a very flat swing to accomodate that. My experience was that I could not change my swing until my clubs were altered.

So: If I change my swing significantly again, I might change my clubs too.

Equipment (brands)

2005-04-19T14:54:00.000+02:00

I won't post any details regarding my equipment, brand-wise. I do have opinions, preferences and very dear pieces of equipment of all sorts, but I do not consider it an important part of the game itself.

My first year as a golfer I played with a half set. Did pretty good. I have to admit I currently have three sets that are pretty professional stuff. I'd sauy they are far above my skill level, which is sometimes more of an embarassment than an asset. Still I have spent more money on taking instruction than on getting equipment. I am proud of that & think it's something any golfer should do.

I guess the ideal would be to spend 10% on equipment, 60% on instruction and 30% on greenfees & memberships. In other words I do not consider it worthshile to talk about equipment until I am down to a solid scratch handicap. More or less.

Chuck Evans Golf - Here's What He (Homer Kelley) Had To Say:

NWG: What is the primary object in taking a golf lesson?

HK: I suppose it is to lower the handicap, shoot a better
score and look like a golfer.

NWG: Should that then be our yardstick or benchmark as
golfers?

HK: I think so; it's the satisfaction of the game. There is
no sense in developing a game that you don't like. You might as well
learn one that you like. That's the whole idea of the thing, it's not a
job.

Books worth reading

2005-04-19T14:48:00.000+02:00

Instruction

Homer Kelley - The Golfing Machine. A catalog of components in a sensible golf swing. Each component has a number of variations. It is a heavy read and almost impossible to digest without access to an Authorized Instructor and/or video and other side information. Still a BEST BUY for the non-quitter.
Ben Hogan - Five lessons. Even though there are at least five pretty severe errors in the book. I might list them here somewhere. In short, Hogan did not play the ball the way he thought he did.
Dave Pelz - Short Game Bible. The interesting stuff is the PEI, the shortgame handicap and his scientific approach. That is only 5% of the book. I do not think the other 95% is worth that much. The clock swing is often referred to as a marvel. But it is not. While Homer Kelleys pressure point approach is.

Biographies

Davis Love III - Every shot i take. A good read. Recommended.

Videos

2005-04-17T02:52:00.000+02:00

Instruction videos

Ben Doyle: How to build a G.O.L.F. game
Brian Manzella: Confessions of a former flipper
Jim McLean: Ben Hogan, The Golf Swing

Tournament videos

1986 Masters Tournament
2004 Masters Tournament