Important Random Thoughts That Help (Lesson No. 31)

For the new golfer, here are some helpful ideas that will improve your game:

A. During the hot summer months, you will need more than one golf glove. Spend a little money and buy some golf gloves (more than one). You will need to change gloves every 2nd or 3rd hole! High humidity and temperatures command that you do this! It is part of the cost of playing the game. A new glove on the tee, or in the fairway makes a huge difference in your game. Dry them out at room temperature.Save them and reuse them.

B. Check the humidity on your local weather channel or radio station before you play. Humidity will effect your swing more than you realize. Give thought to the fact that humidity slows down the club head speed; slows down the golf ball and probably slows down the golfer, too. You can lose seven to 12 yards with your 7 iron for example on a humid day! Believe it or not, that could be a one or two club difference and usually is at least that, when very humid!.

C. Do not take for granted the shaft in your clubs. Shafts can be regular, stiff or Lite. They make a difference. Go to your club pro and ask to use demo clubs on the range and find out if you have the correct shaft in your clubs. Our ages and abilities are vastly different. The lie angle of the shaft can be changed inexpensively. Demo clubs can often have different shaft lie angles for your experimentation. Try 2 degrees upright. Tom Watson said recently that the shaft is the most important element in your clubs! 

D. You should be talking to yourself when practicing or playing golf. You will need to invent your own language  for reminders. For example here are some lingos I use:

Putting- (4 L's) Load, Lock, Lift & Line, referring to hands and wrists at address

Iron play - First "this" then "that".

Driver - "Late lift" and "get back" referring to a second effort  in the back swing and then the hip slide and  hips return to the ball in the down swing. Very effective!

Chipping - Take the pledge (wrists), make the sling (first two fingers of both hands), align those same knuckles for the back swing. Translates to "pledge, sling, align to target."

Try different demo clubs! Learn to talk to your self in  your own abbreviated lingo. It helps.

RHE