Senior Golfer - Play the Right Shat and Hit it Deep

 No one wants to hit if farther than the typical senior golfer.

So, lets make it happen.

What shaft should senior golfers play? I believe seniors often, too soon, go for the softer shaft, then slow down their swings and seem satisfied with the down the middle 185 yard drive. Not sure that is the way to go, or best for your game.

Not everyone can have a pro check their swing and measure swing speed but everyone can do the following.

1.     Look at your ball flight-If you are hooking the ball even occasionally, do not go to a softer shaft

2.     If you slice bad and have a decent swing, go to a softer shaft or go to the drill below and help out you game and yourself

3.     If you want to stay with the shaft you are using but age is slowing you down—go to a good exercise program-too lazy to exercise? Try this drill.

-The Stay Young and Hit it Drill-

    Using a full length driver (not over length) take 20 swings a day concentrating on getting the weight on the inside of your back foot – shifting - and finishing with most of you weight on the inside of your front foot.

    Increase swing speed with each repetition until you are swinging faster than normal.

    Make sure you are getting a full turn with each swing

    At the end of the swings do five, eyes closed swings. These will allow you to feel the balance. WARNING—Start with a scaled down swing speed, you will lose your balance on these swing the first few days.

    Add 10 more swings each week until reaching 50 and stay with that.

    This drill can be done on the deck, in the back yard, driveway anywhere you can take a full swing.

    This is a great off season drill to get in shape for golf season.

One more mile-per-hour will add two or three yards. Use this drill five days a week for five weeks and you will see the gain—most senior players from 10-20 yards.

A good walking and stretching program will help get you closer to the 20 yard gain.

*Note-It’s January and I played 18 today, get out when you can!

Tiger and Rory play Like a Couple of Slappies

Well, that was a disappointment,Tiger and Rory both miss the cut, take their million dollar appearance fees, respectfully lower their heads (until on the plane) and fly home. Mcllroy even ditched his new Nike putter and broke out the old Scotty Cameron the second day, but he did keep the Nike putter cover on it.

Wasn’t too long ago Tiger kept going back to his old putter also—maybe they are better than the Nike putters. DUH

And on the rumor front—did you see Tiger was asked if he was getting back together with his X. Didn’t say No!

 

Golf Season - Yeepee It's Here

Looks like the golf channel turns 18 tomorrow, happy birthday. I watch a lot of it; love it in the winter when I cannot play here in the Wyoming high country.

Golf season is rolling now, the first full field tournament last week and this week two big ones. It will be great TV, especially if your Football team has checked it in for the season. Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, with the world’s number one and two and now best friends playing. We will see about this best friend stuff when one or the other starts dominating his new best friend.

Sorry Rory, but I think this may be Tiger’s year- now that you are both playing with the almost good enough equipment and balls - the field had leveled.

The other tournament this week – The Humana challenge, should be a birdie filled, fun to watch event. Look for a score of -25 or better to win. And the winner is---

Matt Kuchar, Pat Perez, Brandt Snedeker or the guy we will say, “who dat guy.”

Until next time, Happy Golfin’

Three Million-Come on Man

 Looks like Tiger Woods will not be playing in the Qatar Masters, this year. Woods three million dollar appearance fee was too steep for the tournament that has a total purse of about two and a half million.  I like Tiger, always have, love to watch him play, great, fierce competitor. But like the NFL folks say, “Come on man,” three million is a little steep for the world’s number three.

Let’s see if the average American lives on about $50,000 dollars a year it would take 60 years to make the three million that Tiger needed for less than a week of work-good deal if you can get it, but even Tiger couldn’t pull this one off.

 

 

I still think a quarter a hole is a big deal match! And maybe a beer a side.

Is this a Bad Sign?

Too much wind to play golf in Hawaii-too bad. I see where one famous teacher said playing in conditions like that could ruin a golfer’s swing.

I now feel much better about my ruined swing, playing here in Wyoming, with a lot of wind that must be what happened.

Hope they do get the tourney going, feel like watching some golf later today. The first pro tournament does tell me that warm weather is getting closer, not farther away.

 

Remember- There are two ways a golf ball bounces: unfair bounces, and bounces just the way you meant to play it.*

*Not sure where I saw this first but always thought it was appropriate

The Great Golf Ball Test --2013 soon

I bought ten dozen (at least) new golf balls, (OK, so sometimes I get a little carried away on E-Bay) can’t wait for spring and a chance to use them. I will let you know what I find out after using at least a sleeve of each. I am still on the quest to find a mid or low priced ball that fits seniors who are still serious about their game. But like me, seniors on a fixed income that makes the top balls a little out of reach, or we would have to give up food or alcohol or some other meaningless wants we have to buy them.

I will be testing three Wilson Staff Balls, two Taylor Made balls and one Calloway and one Bridgestone to start.

Wish me luck, gonna be tough having to play all those rounds, oh the sacrifices I make in the name of good golf.

“Golf is golf. You hit the ball, you go find it. Then you hit it again.” ~Lon Hinkle

No Golf Today

Jan 1, 2013 – Going on official record – “I love the New Year and I love New Year’s Resolutions.”   "And I will play more Golf in 2013"

6:00 a.m. - Eight hours of sleep, healthy, balanced breakfast, went for a walk, did my stretching and lifting workout, spent some hobby time, did some putting away and picking up in my workshop.

8:00 a.m. - New Years are great-reinvigorating, life anew - and soon more golf

9:00 a.m. - Feel like I need a nap, have a bit of an upset stomach, my shoulders, hips and feet ache.

10:00 a.m. – Doing much better now, reclining on the couch, watching first of many New Year’s Day Bowl Games, still resting after my workout, and dreaming about the next year.

11:00 a.m. - Very soar, dull pain starting on top of my head and ending on the bottom of my feet, not feeling well at all, will take a handful of pain killers and continue resting on couch.

I really do not like New Year’s—except for the Football

Noon – Drinking soda, eating chips and peanuts, still resting on couch, feeling some better, game has reached halftime, watching shootout on the Western Channel until second half starts. Golf is all reruns.

“Maybe Next Year, never have liked New Years stuff, too much hype, just another day for this ol’ cowboy”

-Happy New Year-

Still trying to hit the ball longer-who isn't? Tried new driver or two, several new balls.  Here is what I have learned-fitness is the key. Stretch, get stronger (I am using the long bands and enjoy the exercise). And work on developing your stamana, thats about it. At 64 it is hard but I will continue my attempt to hit it deep.

Two old golfers (much like me) stood looking across a river that boarder number six on the front.  One old duffer looked at the other and said, "Look at those idiots fishin' in the rain, what's the matter with them" .

Thoughts on Harry Ted Potter Jr., John Daly and Q-School

So another new winner on tour—Ted Potter Jr. wins at Greenbrier. Missed five straight cuts then wins, shows just how fickle this game can be. Looked like he was heading back to Q-school (the last one) and instead he has two guaranteed years on tour and a ticket to the Master’s.

And what is going on with John Daly? He is looking like the Daly of old. If he can come up with enough sponsors’s exemptions I think he will win his card back. Fans love him and he is proving he still has game. He needs four years to reach 50 and the seniors tour, I expect he will be welcomed there with open arms, he flat out brings in fans and $$$. Hard to keep a player with a 70.1 scoring average out of tournaments but some of these good-old-boy tourneys remember too many of Daly’s bad moments. Hope they open up and let him play. He is playing this weekend so I will set my DVR as we will be on the road to a family reunion (please feel sorry for me, it won’t help but I need it).

The Web.com Tour instead of Q-school and everyone needs to earn a card through a year on this tour, good-old-boys at work again. This concept is as bad as the BCS and the Hockey (let everyone in) playoffs and the NFL Pro Bowl. Golf never has reached the viewing numbers it would like and this will not help. Will we see the good young players on other tours (Europe, Australia) come to America for a year in the minors so they can play the PGA tour? NOPE!

Golf In the Heat - Hey, It's 100 Degrees

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad.

 ~A.A. Milne

Gotta be past 60 to enjoy golf when it is 100 degrees out, seems like everything works better when it is warm. Have to tell myself to face the target (turn) in my swing, warm weather helps.

Seems as I get older I have had to narrow my stance, too wide restricts the chance for the hips to help you finish the swing.

Best thing about playing golf past 60 – I never feel bad about riding, no walking for me, well maybe if it’s flat and I play just 9, and it’s not too long. Oh-forget it I am gonna ride.

Enjoy the Fourth-and be safe.

These Guys Are Good

Phil Michelson has Bones pull the stick on 18, just in case. When I am hitting a ball in from more than a hundred yards out, I just hope to get it close enough to avoid a four putt.
The Farmers tournament was really good this year and with no football, unless you call the pro bowl later, football, I hope the ratings were good.
Good to see David Duval, Tiger and John Daly hitting a few good shots and staying around for the weekend.
Nice to see Bubba Watson win again, remember the famous quote, when a very young Jack Nicklaus won the 1965 Master's? Golf legend Bobby Jones said he “was playing a game with which I am not familiar.” That is the game Bubba plays, but he seems like a great guy and is fun to watch.

Sorry Padraig --We Caught Ya

For the second time this year a professional golfer has been disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. After a viewer emailed in a rules violation by Padraig Harrington he became this years number two. Seems his ball may have moved a full dimple, or even a dimple and a half. This was determined after careful slow motion study of Padraig bumping his ball as he picked up his marker.

He said all the right things about the rules and the disqualification later, but I bet he was steamed. All of the sudden viewers think this is the home shopping network and they are supposed to call in.

I love golf but do not believe we should have turned the game over to television snitches. By the way if I could just move my ball a dimple and a half closer once in a while, I believe I could go to the tour – from my double digit handicap now.

Golf and Snow

We have snow and cold here but the PGA is off and running in Hawaii. Love watching golf this time of year. Can’t play golf in the snow, so watching on TV is the next best thing-

“I never did see the sense in keeping my head down. The only reason I play golf is to see where the ball goes.”
Charles Price Golfer-at-Large (1982)

Viewer Call In Golf

So here we go again a viewer calls in a violation and Camilo Villegas is gone from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Villegas was chipping up a steep slope to the 15th green and twice the ball rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted (Craig Stadler and John Daly style) away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot while the ball was still rolling down the side hill.

That is a violation of Rule 23-1, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty was two shots. Villegas had already signed his card which disqualified him for signing what was now an incorrect score card.

Well, all is not lost, Camilo still got $50,000 plus for his day of golf.

Ever wonder what would happen if we started calling in basketball, football and baseball rules violations the officials missed? Sometimes the penalty seems a bit harsh for the violation. But that’s just me speaking.

-Enjoy the golf-

More Golf Now

If you just cannot get enough golf, the golf channel’s new morning show is just what you need. Just premiered, I think today, on the Golf Channel.
Morning Drive will show every weekday for two hours starting at seven A.M. Eastern Time. For those of us not living in Eastern we will have to figure it out all by ourselves.
The show host’s (Regis and Kelly of the Golf World) are Erik Kuselias and Gary Williams and will be talking everything golf every weekday. I will give it a try, but not until summer when I am in the real golf mode.

How Do You Spell Graeme Anyway?

Graeme McDowell has been voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America. Not sure I will ever learn to spell his name. I am good with the spelling of Tiger or Phil just in case they rise again next year.