Crosshair Golf Blog
June 3, 2010
The Golf Frustration Blues
I am in the middle of the fairway, 150 yards out, no wind, no shadows. I take my 8-Iron and go through my routine. I address the ball, keep my head down and wham……Worm Burner. You guessed it, I topped the ball.
Simple 94 yard par 3. You can do this every day. Except some masochistic course designer thought the fairway between you and the hole is a great place to put a pond, maybe he likes fishing. But I digress, my ball is in the water. I do not know why, this is a shot I make all the time when there is no pond in my way.
They say that golf is a “Mind” game, or golf is a “Mental” game. Well, I am here to tell you “They” are wrong. Golf is a head game. It gets in your head and torments you. It beats you down. It makes you do crazy things like pay $500.00 for the newest, latest, greatest, driver. A driver that will send the ball farther and straighter than any club before. That is, until you get it in your hands and slice the ball onto interstate 90 that runs along the par 5 5th.
So, why do we do it? Why do we keep going to the course, weekend after weekend? I will tell you why. Sometimes that Golf Bug that has gotten in our heads is asleep. We step up to the first tee and take out our Driver and hit it straight and true. Then, hole after hole we make sweet shots and finish, maybe not with a pro tour score, but we break 100 or even 90.
We beat the demon in our heads.
October 16, 2009
Fourteen Sticks in a Sack
Per U.S.G.A. rules you can have 14 golf clubs in your bag.You can only have 1 putter, in fact, you can only have one club set up like a putter. For instance, some people have chippers in their bag, these clubs have to be set up like an iron even though you stroke them like an iron. The rest of the clubs are up to you. Phil Mickelson, for a while, was carrying 2 drivers.
What do you have in your bag? When I got my first set about 7 years ago, I had the typical Driver, #3 and #5 Fairway Woods, 3 thru 9, Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge iron set, and a putter. That is 13 clubs, I felt I needed 14. At that time hybrids were in their infancy and they were more like woods than irons, so I got one. I got one that was similar to a #7 wood, it was the first to go.
Then I got rid of the #5 wood. Now, when I get new clubs I only get the Driver and #3 for woods.
I got rid of my Sand Wedge and now i have a 64 degree wedge, in the sand i open the face of my pitching wedge, it works for me. And I now have a Hybrid equal to a #1 iron.
I have a putter also, that makes my set 13 clubs. There is no rule that states I have to have 14 clubs, but I will probably get another wedge.
Basically, my message in this article is this. Get the clubs you use, if you use them you need them, if you don’t use them then you don’t need them. Do not get clubs that the Pro’s use because they use them. I love to watch Tiger play. I am inspired by his playing, he carries a 5 wood and I have no intention of getting one.
If you are new to golf or have no Idea what clubs you need, then get the basic set. Driver, #3 and #5 Fairway Woods, 3 thru 9, PW, Sw Iron set, and a putter. Then if you are not hitting your long Irons, (#3 and #4) try replacing them with some hybrids. Get some wedges if your short game is strong. Experiment, Experiment, Experiment.
As you learn the ways of your clubs don’t worry about the 14-club rule. When you are out with your buddies for round just tell them you are bringing a few extra clubs to try out, as long as you are not in a tournament or league event they shouldn’t mind.
After a few months you should have the perfect set, although, it will only last a month or so before the next best thing comes along. Enjoy many years of collecting Golf Clubs.
