The Lost Art of Etiquette

Have you ever played a round of golf with a new golfer and

felt like you spent your whole day teaching them etiquette?

I hear from so many players about the problems with etiquette, but I hear so little from them on how to fix the problems. What if each player spent five minutes before each round, on the range, on the putting green or in the restaurant talking to new golfers about where to walk on the green, how to fix a divot or how to fix a ball mark? What kind of new golfers would we be bringing into the fold?

When I was working in Belgium in the early 90’s I was a member of the British Golf Association and before you were allowed to play the course, you had to establish a handicap of 30 or less and play a practice round with a board member to ensure your handicap and your knowledge of rules and etiquette. That is not practical these days, but we can take something from it, and that is how important etiquette is in this grand old game.

How about posting monthly rules and etiquette columns in both locker rooms, the pro shop and send them out in newsletters. What more can we do?

As avid golfers, if we introduce new golfers to the right way of playing this great game, they will in turn introduce more new golfers. What better way to keep the traditions of golf alive and growing?

Weekly Swing Reminder - Bottom Of The Circle

What does "Bottom of the Circle" mean to you? I'm sure it has all sorts of meanings, but to a golfer, it should mean "where the club bottoms out".

So, if we think about it in that context, shouldn't that be where the club impacts the ball? Would that possibly be where you would want your ball position to be? Is it the same for every golfer? Let's answer these questions.

Yes, the bottom of the circle would be where your club first hits the ground or in the case of a long iron, hybrid or metal wood, where it becomes level with the ground.

Yes, this is where you want your ball to be, so that it gets the best impact and where the club face is square at impact.

No, it is totally different with every golfer. We are not all built the same, so it has to be different.

How do you find your bottom of the circle? Head down to the local driving range, get some stretches in and hit a some balls to get warmed up. Then get out your favorite iron and take a few swings to see where it actually hits the grass first. Now, put a ball down and see if this is your normal ball position. It may or may not be, but trust that you just did the drill to find the bottom of the circle. Hit a few shots with this ball position. You should hit the ball better, and yes, it might take a few more swings to get the feel of the new position. Now, switch to a longer club and do the same drill. You should start to make better contact with the ball, no matter what club you are swinging. Swing all of your clubs to find the bottom of the circle, you might be surprised that you had the ball in the wrong position. Believe me, the ball doesn't have to be out of position much to make a big difference.

I hope this helps you make better contact with the ball and hit more consistent shots. Have a great golf week.

Just A Thought

The next time you're sitting in another
long, boring meeting think about this:

The Romans did not create a great
empire by having meetings, they
did it by killing all those
people who opposed them.

Have a great day.....

Weekly Swing Reminder - Stop Thinking & Start Playing

Do you go to sleep over the ball? Do you over think
every shot? If you do, STOP THINKING and
START PLAYING.
Golf is so much a mental game, the more you think
the harder it is to execute the shot. If you know what
shot you want to play, why do you have to think about
it until your mind almost explodes? Once you
decide on what shot you’re going to play, don’t
waste time. Step up and play the shot. Golf is a
game, over thinking is not going to make you play
better, or have any fun. Try it and I’ll bet you
play better golf.

Happy 4th of July

Just hoping everyone has a great 4th of July weekend. Get out and watch a parade, cook some dogs, play some golf, spend some time with your family. Say thanks for living in the best Country on Earth......Have a great weekend.