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Feedback helps me, help you.
Richard@thinkandreachpar.com
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Comments from subscribers:

Tom Gensel is putting together a memorial for our veterans.
Information below.

The 11-Day Golf War will take place from the 1st of July through
the 11th. Hopefully Golfers across this GREAT Country of ours
will all participate.

I'm putting Flyers in the various Pro Shops and hope to have
T-Box signs on the 1st Tee prior to the end of June.
Also a Letter to the Editor has appeared in our local paper this
past Sunday. A few radio talk shows are lined up for next week.
Tom Gensel
3272 SE Aster Ln. G-151
Stuart, FL 34994
772-781-0379
Fax 772-781-9319
Cell 772-708-7300
e-mail: tgensel@bellsouth.net
Web site: www.ecoquestintl.com/tomgensel (Not included as a
solicitation)


I just started playing golf about two years now. Every now and
then, I hear the word "LINK" course. What do they mean by Link
Course?
Confuse!!

R.M. When we refer to a “links” course, this is one that is
located close to the ocean or salt water. I think the correct
definition is a golf course within 4 miles of the ocean, but I
always think of a links course on or near the ocean. Good
question.
Richard, I read the request concerning the plane sticks. If the
person is talking about sticks that can be stuck in the ground at
specific angles, he can use old shafts stuck in the ground as
Vijay Singh uses when he practices.

If he is talking about the sticks that have a light in each end,
he can make himself, very simply. All he needs is a 2 foot piece
of PVC or CPVC pipe and two mini Maglite type of flashlights, the
kind that take 2 AA batteries, not the AAA batteries, they're too
small. Insert one of the flashlights in each end and mark off the
distance from a straight line, such as a baseboard, for a driver,
5 iron, and wedge. Standing this distance away from the straight
line, turn on the lights in each end and swing slowly, keeping
the front light beam on the line. When at full back swing, the
light in the other end should be on the line. On the downswing,
the end light should follow the line back through the ball, then
the front light beam should also follow back along this line
through the ball and stay along the line for a period after the
ball location to the finish position. Be sure to swing slow, the
flashlights could fly out.

A few notes, before buying the plastic pipe, first buy the
flashlights and use them to determine what size of pipe you need.
Don't buy a pipe with a larger diameter than you need, the lights
should fit fairly tight, so that they won't simply fall out. If
you buy pipe that is too large, the pipe outside diameter will be
considerably larger than an actual golf club grip and you don't
want that to happen.

Mag lights are expensive, there are a few knock offs that should
work as well. Here in Colorado, I've found them at an auto parts
store, but I have no idea where the requester would need to shop
for them, just make sure that the flashlights are similar to
Maglites, the barrel must be centered on the head and it would be
nice to be able to turn the lights on and off by turning the head
and not using a switch.

I had to use CPVC pipe, it's slightly more expensive than PVC,
but not prohibitively so. I had to cut a slit in each end the
length of the flashlight barrel and use O-rings to keep the
flashlight inserted. You need to be careful when cutting the
slits, if you need to do so, the pipe will crack and break easily
if you twist the saw blade while cutting. It works well. I
believe that the 3/4" inside diameter pipe is the one I used, but
the builder will just need to try.

I had the teaching pro at my course look at the device and he
said that it looked great to him and would definitely do the
trick.

These same type of items, but more professional looking, sell for
around $70.00, if you can find them. Even if you need to buy new
flashlights, the total cost of these shouldn't exceed $20.00 and
even less if you can locate the knock off lights.

By the way, I didn't come up with this idea, it was printed in
the clubmakers club magazine about a year ago. This publication
is produced by Golfsmith. If you call the toll free number, they
may be able to supply you with a back issue of the magazine or
the exact article.

REMEMBER, SWING SLOWLY. These trainers are for teaching and
impressing the correct swing plane on the user, not actually
swinging full speed at a ball, so, they can be used in the house
or at the range.
Regards,
Wayne Falcone

Hi Richard
You recently had a question from a lady called Ann who asked "is
there a cure for the yips". I work as a Hypno-Analyst here in the UK and
can tell you there is a cure for the" yips". It works on the simple
principle that for every effect there must be cause. People with the "yips" are
reacting to something that is buried in the subconscious mind. I recently
treated a client who suffered with "Dartitus" his arm would go back and
forth but he couldn't release the dart. I was able to cure this problem with
one session of Therapy. This was achieved by using the emotion from a recent
event and then building a bridge back in time to the first time those
emotions were experienced. In the "Dartitis" case the client had fallen out
with another lad in School, a fight had been arranged after School. When the
client had turned up for the confrontation there was a big crowd of kids
there all wanting to watch and this had unnerved the lad. He was getting a
subconscious reminder of that event ( which incidentally had been
buried from his conscious awareness) each time he stood before the
opposing teams to throw his dart. Uncovering the originating event cures the
problem.

Kind regards Derek Brownhill dhp M.I.A.H.

R.M. Thanks for the info Derek! Good stuff!
=====================================

Discover A Little-Known"SYSTEM" You Can Use (Right Now) To Slash
10 Strokes Off Your Game... In One Season. This Teacher Swears
His Method Will Work For Everyone! Check It out:
www.thinkandreachpar.com

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If you like this newsletter, I would appreciate it if you would
forward a copy to your friends and ask them to subscribe. It's a
free gift!
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Quote of the Week:


"Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago?
How did they work out? Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on
account of most of them? Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?"

Dale Carnegie
1888-1955, Author and Trainer

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Golf quote of the week:

"Golf is very much like a love affair, if you don't take it
seriously, it's no fun, if you do, it breaks your heart. Don't
break your heart, but flirt with the possibility."
Louise Suggs
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Questions and Answers by Teaching Pro Mr Joe DeLorenzo THANK YOU
for taking your time to answer these Joe.
Joe is also available for private lessons. "For private or group
lessons in Chicago's northwest suburbs, contact Joe at
golfwithjoey@yahoo.com



nice newsletter.
Where can I get some info/help. I make solid contact, I keep
pulling my ball about 30 yards left with my irons, this is killing me. What to
fix? What doing wrong?
thanks!
Ralph

Hello Ralph,
There are two possibilities here, grip or swing path, maybe both.
First the swing path. Most people think they are swinging down the target
line, but while the body is turning, by the time the clubhead gets to the
ball, it is no longer down the target line because your turn is pulling the
club inside
the target line. Let's say the target line is 12 o'clock. If you are right
handed, your path is probably pulled toward 11 o'clock, and you
can see this in your divots. To correct this, swing toward 1 o'clock and
exaggerate the follow-thru in that direction. For the grip, my first guess is
that you are using the interlock grip, which I have seen many people struggle
with. My second guess is the overlap, which I myself have used for over 40
years with some success, but now I am using the ten finger grip because I
have gotten in the habit of having contests with myself using different
methods, and the ten finger grip won. Try such contests yourself and use the grip
that works best for you.
Joe


Dear Joe
First I like to say I enjoy reading your e-mails, I learn a great
deal.
I have been playing golf for approx. 2 years. I am having trouble
hitting with my irons (yes with all of them.) The trouble is that I
cannot get any loft on the ball, it flies just above the ground. What do I need
to do? Thanks for taking the time to read my e-mail.
Garry Rodriguez
Lubbock, Texas

Hi Garry,
Many new golfers do the same as you because they are trying to
lift the ball and therefore hit it too thin. Start with a wedge or 9-iron and
try to hit the ball down into the ground. You may have noticed the pros on
TV usually take a big divot on fairway shots. That is caused by striking the
ball with a downward blow, and the club continues downward into the ground,
producing the divot. In golf, you have to hit down to make the ball go up.
You can see the same result with a ping pong paddle and ball. If you chop
down on the ball, you give the ball underspin and the ball rises. If you
swing up at the ball, you give the ball overspin and it drops quickly. When you
can successfully hit down properly with your 9-iron, it will also
work with your other clubs. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Joe


Joe,
If someone is in the sand trap and the golf ball is unplayable.
So they take a unplayable ball do they have to put it in the sand trap or
can they take it out of the trap and play it on the fairway? Let me know.
I was told you can take it out of the trap and put it on the fairway as
an unplayable ball.
Thanks Pati

Hello Pati,
According to Rule 28 you have 3 options, all of which are a one
stroke penalty. You can replay your previous shot by walking back to
where you started (not recommended due to pace of play),
or you can drop the ball as far behind your spot as you want, as
long as you stay in the bunker, or you can drop in the bunker sideways to
your spot within 2 club lengths but no closer to the hole. You cannot drop
in the fairway, so if your unplayable lie happens to be against the back
edge of the bunker, and there is nowhere else to legally drop in the
bunker, you have no choice but to go back to where you started (I hate rules
that hurt the pace of play). Now remember these are rules for formal
competition. If you are only playing for fun, then you and your partners can
agree that hey, you have already been hit with a penalty, so drop it wherever you
want. If you go back to the tee, the Ranger will kick you off the course
for playing too slow. The USGA police have better things to do than arresting
you, although they might arrest me for saying that. I won't snitch if
you won't.
Joe


Joe,
Thanks for the ongoing tips, I've taken some of the advice and
been successful at improving little aspects of my game. I am a 22
handicap and only an average putter (32-35 putts/round) and would like to
improve that aspect. I would like to incorporate the "plumbing" aspect to
improve on ability to read the proper breaks. What is the proper way to
learn and use this technique?
Peter

Hi Peter,
Plumb-bobbing does not work for everyone, Lee Trevino was asked
about it and he said the only thing he saw when he tried it was "Stiff flex"
on the shaft. Anyway, the way it is supposed to work is to hold the top
of the grip lightly and look at the putter's shaft against the hole, and see
if the hole line is perpendicular to the shaft, or does it tilt one way or
the other. If there is a tilt, then the putt will likely break toward the low
side. This could give you a false reading if your putter head has more
weight away from the shaft line, so be careful to rotate the putter head to a
position where the shaft is hanging straight down. Do this inside a building
against an inner wall's floor line that you know is level, and then you will
know the correct way to hold the putter on the green.
Joe


Joe,
The pro's are able to swing smoothly inside, outside to back
inside. They are able to open there shoulders very soon. Most everyday golfers
slice and never get that swing plane where it belongs. I know there are
many gadgets and simple fixes out there for sale. How about a simple training
tip for free that can get people swinging on the right track.
Jim West

Hi Jim,
I'm not sure there is such a thing as a "simple fix", there is so
much information available that you never know which piece is best for
you. It depends on your individual physique and how you swing, and since
I have never seen you swing, I can only suggest a few things. Slices (or
hooks) occur when the clubface is not square to the ball at impact, so
you may have to adjust your grip. Swing plane could be a factor if the path is
not square to the target line. When analyzing a pro's swing, pay less
attention to the shoulders and more attention to the way they execute the
downswing, especially the weight shift to the front foot. The Body Golf
videos have some excellent drills for this, and for fixing slices.
Joe


Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, regarding your comments on the Rules of Golf, it seems you
are not a "Team Player", don't you know there is no "i" in "Team"?
Answer: Yes, but Team does have "m" and "e".



===================================================

How A Golf "Beginner" In Massachusetts Completely Beat The Odds
And Slashed Over 40 Strokes Off His Game…In One Season…And,
Swears His Method Works For Anyone. How Does He Know? People All
Over The World Are Now Doing It Too! Check Out the Body Golf
Videos at www.thinkandreachpar.com
=====================================================
Richard’s Quick Tips:

Blade It

If you’ve ever watched the top players using a wedge from around
the green, you’ve probably seen some of them blade the ball.
This is deliberate. It’s a shot they go to when their lie is so
thick that they cannot hit firmly enough to combat the rough and
still hit the ball delicately.

If you thing that a putter would be a better choice of club, bear
in mind that your putter won’t be able to cut through the grass,
and you can use its leading edge as, effectively, the face of
your putter.

Address the ball as you would a putt, then strike it sharply on
its equator. The ball likely will come out with some topspin,
and initially you’ll find yourself hitting past the hole.
Practice will make perfect.

==========================================
Medal Play vs. Match Play

by
Mac Stevenson

The mental and strategic approach to playing in a medal play
tournament as opposed to a match play tournament is surprisingly
dissimilar.

Defining the difference in match- and medal play is best done by
description. In match play, you can take a seven on the first
hole while your opponent birdies it with a three, and you’re
still just one down. If you make a four on the second hole and
your opponent makes a five, the match is all square--even though
your total score is three strokes worse than you opponent.

In medal play, all that matters is the total strokes after 18
holes. In other words, every stroke on every hole counts; a putt
for a double-bogey is just as important as a putt for a birdie.

Golf is a mental game and that’s very obvious in medal play
tournaments. If possible, it’s important to get off to a good
start and establish a confident attitude. However--as we all know
from painful experience--it doesn’t always work that way.
Sometimes you’re going to get off to a horrid start and the most
difficult thing to do in medal play is to pull yourself together
and play your normal game.

It’s easy to say to yourself, “forget the last shot and
concentrate on the next one,” but hard to do. When you have a bad
hole, a feeling of desperation creeps into your persona. You feel
like you have to birdie the next hole to get it back on track. Be
patient. You can’t recover the lost strokes on one hole. Golf is
a game of streaks and you have to keep your composure until
you’re able to reach the groove you’re looking for.

In medal play, it’s vital to avoid really bad holes when
possible; sacrifice shots from trouble are one of the keys. When
you have to hit a sacrifice shot out of heavy rough or trees,
make sure you don’t get careless and compound the problem.
Concentrate on the sacrifice shot and be sure you get your ball
back in play. Everyone has been guilty of getting angry and
hitting careless sacrifice shots, which inevitably puts you in
even more trouble. When you’re in deep trouble, go for the easy
bogey or hard par--forget trying a miracle shot that won’t work
out.

The biggest difference in medal play and match play is putting
strategy. In medal play, you have to make thoughtful decisions on
how to hit each putt. In match play, you’re often in a position
where you have to make a putt or the next one doesn’t matter. Not
so in medal play.

In medal play, there’s a fine line between being too aggressive
or overly cautious while putting. You must concentrate and play
within your abilities. Limit your aggressiveness on treacherous
putts that can get away from you, and recognize those situations
when you can be aggressive without risking a three-putt.

Don’t become afraid of success when you’re having a good round.
Fear of failure can creep into your mind and ruin a good day.
When you’re having a hot round, you cannot allow yourself to
start thinking about what you’ll shoot if you par the last few
holes. Just try and do as well as you can with each shot and your
score will take care of itself. Here again, much easier said than
done. Don’t try and stay where you are in relation to par during
a hot round, keep attacking with an aggressive and positive
attitude.

Keep your normal pre-shot routine during any tournament. If you
change your everyday ritual before shots, it invites unwanted
tension. Don’t look at putts from every angle when you don’t do
it during your normal rounds.

Seemingly small distractions can become killers during tournament
play; sounds that don’t usually bother you sound like a cannon
boom. If you’re serious about tournament golf, play in as many
tournaments as you can. You’ll get used to the pressure and
routine of playing in serious competition. One thing is certain:
Play will be slower than you’re used to and you’ll have to adjust
to that as well as the added tension. But you will learn how to
handle it if you play in a lot of tournaments.

Play with renewed determination after a really bad hole, but not
desperate determination. Be patient and play the game you know
you’re capable of. And concentrate and grind on every
shot--you’ll find yourself becoming a tournament player.


===============================================

Richard’s Thoughts

Great Idea

Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, an annual grow-the-game
effort in the U.S. sponsored by the National Golf Course Owners
Association, takes place July 5-11 this year.

The effort is promoted through the NGCOA's consumer Web site,
GetLinkedPlayGolf.com The NGCOA hopes to encourage the entrance
of more young girls into the game.

During Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, golfers can take
their daughter, granddaughter or niece to participating golf
courses where the youngster will be able to play free of charge
(when accompanied by the adult).

In 2003, nearly 600 golf courses around the U.S. participated. In
2004, the NGCOA expects more than 1,000 to take part, and more
than 15,000 girls to get free golf


How is the Etiquette on Your Course?

Etiquette is a word that's often heard in relation to golf, more
so than with any other sport. But it's not just about manners.
The rules of golf etiquette are what they are for several very
important reasons: Many of them relate to the safety of golfers,
many relate to pace of play (which helps keep the game
enjoyable), and other rules of golf etiquette relate to
maintaining the quality of the golf course.
In other words, golf etiquette is an essential part of the game.
And it's something that newcomers to the game often learn as they
go - on the course, when playing with more experienced golfers.
If you are new to the game, or just need to brush up on your golf
etiquette, here are some basic rules of the road that will help
keep the game enjoyable for you and those around you.
Keep It Safe
• Do not swing your club until you know that others in your group
are at a safe distance.
Likewise, keep your distance when others are swinging. Be aware
to steer clear of trouble.
• When practicing your swing, never swing in the direction of
another player. There may be pebbles or twigs or other matter in
the grass that could fly up and injure a playing partner.
• Do not hit the ball until you are certain that the group ahead
of you is out of range.
• If your ball appears headed toward another player or another
group, give them a warning by yelling out, "Fore!"
• Observe the safety suggestions posted in golf carts and drive
carefully. Golf etiquette requires keeping your cart off the
grass as much as possible.
• Never throw clubs in anger. In addition to being rude and
childish, it could also be dangerous.
Maintain a Good Pace
• Keep the round moving by being prepared to hit your shot when
it is your turn. You probably don't like waiting on other groups
- don't make other groups wait on you.
• The player who is away hits first in a group. However, in
friendly matches (as opposed to tournament play), this rule can
be ignored in favor of "ready play" - players hit as they are
ready. All players should agree to "ready play" before it is put
into effect.
• Do not spend too much time looking for a lost ball,
particularly if there is a group behind you ready to play. If you
insist on taking the full five minutes allotted to look for lost
balls, golf etiquette says wave up the group behind to allow them
to play through.
• Always try to keep pace with the group ahead of you. If space
opens in front of you, allow a faster group to play through.
• When two players in a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole,
drive to first ball and drop off that player with his club, then
drive to the second ball. After both players hit, meet up farther
down the hole.
• When walking from your cart to your ball, take a couple clubs
with you. Taking only one club, then having to return to the cart
to retrieve a different club, is a huge time-waster.
• Always leave the putting green as soon as your group has
finished putting.
Be Kind to the Course
• Observe cart rules. Some courses will post "cart path only"
signs; others will ask you to observe the "90-degree rule." Do as
you are told.
• Keep carts away from greens and hazards.
• Repair all divots
• Repair all ball marks on the green.
• Always rake sand traps after hitting to erase your footprints
and damage to the area where your ball was.
• Never take a divot on a practice swing.
And a Few More Golf Etiquette Hints
• Quiet, please! Never talk during another player's swing.
• Do not yell out following a shot. Even if boisterous behavior
doesn't bother your playing partners, there are other people on
the course who may be within earshot.
• Be aware of your shadow on the putting green. Don't stand in a
place that causes your shadow to be cast across another player or
that player's putting line.
• Never walk through a playing partner's putting line. Your
footprints might alter the path of a partner's putt. Step over
the putting line, or walk around (behind) the partner's ball.
In my book “Beginning Golf” Think And Reach Par’s The Rules
Simplified, I cover the basic rules of golf.
Until next week…good golfing!

Dr Richard Myers
www.thinkandreachpar.com
www.bodygolf.com
864.675.0038