Conference 7.286::golf

    Walta,
       
       Write a letter to doctor Bill Mallon at Golf Digest. And for this
    I would leave no stone unturned. I would also try all the alternative
    non-traditional healing methodologies, like acupuncture, chiropractic,
    etc. On your own you should try to do some rehab ie strengthening of
    the area as much as possible. And please tell Dr Bill I sent you.
    
    Just don't fix it before we play the next nassau!    B^)
    
    Good Luck,
    -S.

 Walt,

 Do what I do. PLAY LEFT_HANDED !!

 - Sully

    Hey Walta,
    
    Nothing wrong with the ten finger or baseball grip.  I have used it
    with some success in the past and a few fellows on the tour have used
    it.  One was a winner a few years back.  Good Luck.  Be careful because
    after a few months of the ten fingered grip, your knuckles start to
    drag on the ground and you have a strong craving for bananas.
    
    SOCalDandy

    
    Hi Guys,
    
    	You guys crack me up ! :)  
    
    	The funny part is Dave ... As a last resort I am going to try 
    	playing lefty.
    
    	I stopped off at the indoor range last night, and tried the
    	baseball grip (not the normal, ten finger as you suggested
    	SoCal) , this one IS a baseball grip   minus the bat. 
    	The first few years I played using the ten finger grip...
    	until someone said "Hey, what are you doing man? You'll
    	hook everything with that grip." At the time I was fading/slicing
    	everything, but changed it anyhow , for no real reason like a 
    	dummy.
    
    	Anyway, initial results were VERY good. The control I lost
    	is completely back. When you're swingin a 14 ounce golf
    	club, with a grip you could swing a 34 ounce bat with....
    	control is no longer a problem ! 
    
    	I'm looking forward to trying it out on the course... 
    
    	So Steve... lets get  Andy and Don and head out somewhere
    	this weekend? I know Don will go, just tell him about my grip
    	change... he'll see dollar signs ! :)
    
    
    	I truly hope this works as good as it seemed last night... 
    	otherwise my tax return money is in jeopardy.
    
    	Walta

    Walta,
    	Good luck with whatever you try and also good luck finding a place
    to play this weekend not snow covered.
    	Not many give a good try at the true baseball grip simply because
    we're taught otherwise - I fear you may have a slicing problem to
    correct and a possible loss of distance.  By the way has anyone tried a
    golf type of grip on a baseball or softball bat?
    
    	Another possiblity - crosshanded - there is a pro who uses it and I
    have known fairly good amateurs who use it.  Richie Hebner pro baseball
    player and top prep hockey player used it (I was told).
    
    	Question was your original grip overlap or interlock; if former
    perhaps try latter with top hand moved down on the club so it is not
    on top where (left for you) thumb connects with hand.  I played with
    a fellow who gripped the club like that and played excellent with great
    length coming from a controlled hook.
    
    	Could a pro help here with the problem.
    
    	As a lefty who has tried like the rest of the golf maligned
    left-handers to play righty I see little hope for you switching
    although there was a point last summer that I was ready to try it
    again.
    
    good luck
    

    Re:  Golf grip for baseball.
    
    Other than the fact that the weight of the bat requires a greater
    amount of strength that two hands provides, plus when you are done
    swinging you usually have only one hand on the bat (interlock grip
    would make this difficult) as well as having the thumb down the bat
    handle giving you a problem, I guess you could try it.  The use of the
    fingers in the grip is or should be very similar to a golf grip, but
    the wrist roll (snap) is different and the interlock and overlap grips
    tend to preclude the full wrist roll as well as proper knuckle
    alignment.
    
    As for golf, this grip has worked for me (40 years of baseball is hard
    to overcome) but because I bat left and golf right I may have
    compensated for the fact that the grip tends to create a very dominant
    top hand(right if you are right handed).  Good for baseball but the
    pundits say this is bad for golf.  
    
    WHy not two gloves and pine tar for extra control?  Then we could have
    a batters box painted in the tee area.  Of course, no digging in could
    be allowed (tough for the maintenance folks).  COme to think of it,
    mulligans are sort of  like foul balls.  Some of my tee shots look like
    pop flies and many more look like grounders back thru the box.  I've
    hit many deep but foul.
    
    SoCalSoggy   

    Reply last two;
    
    	Hi,
    
    	By taking my left thumb out of the picture, I can swing hard
    again... It seems anything I try with the thumb extended doesn't
    work. Except when trying to hitch a ride somewhere ;) .
    
    	I've continued to swing clubs down my cellar and it still
    feels great. I'm hoping to make a run down the Cape this weekend
    to try it out.  
    
    	One thing I know for sure, it can't get any worse than last
    season ! 
    
    	thanks for the info,
    
    	Walta
    	

Hmmm, not knowing much about baseball - it not being a native 
sport here in the U.K. - I was astonished to learn that baseball 
players chew bubble gum.  Since childhood, I have always thought 
that they chew tobacco, and take great delight in ejecting this 
from their mouths extraordinary distances.  I think I must have 
been brought up on too many old American B movies.

However, having clarified this point it has now removed one of my 
great fears about playing golf in America.  I have an irrational 
fear of putting my hand into a golf hole to retrieve the ball, 
just in case some slob of a baseball player had used it as a 
spittoon.  After each hole, I have the habit of licking the ball 
and wiping it clean on my trousers.  The thought of extracting a 
ball covered in tobacco chew turns my stomach.

Keep up the interesting articles.  I don't play much golf in the 
winter, spending most of my time ski-ing.  Come March I'll be 
back in the swing of things.

Randall

RE: -.1

>After each hole, I have the habit of licking the ball 
>and wiping it clean on my trousers.  

I don't know about in the UK but in the US is is not healthy to lick your
golf ball.  The fertilizers & pesticides they use to treat the course 
accumulate on the ball.  Some of these are definitely not healthy for you.

Larry

    this reminds me of the famous mrs. arnold palmer incident
    on the tonight show.
    
    johnny says, 'what do you do to give arnold luck before
    a match?'
    mrs. palmer says, 'i kiss his balls'.'
    johnny says, 'i bet that makes his putter rise.'
    exit mrs. palmer!
    
    

    Re: "chewing" (.8) - This golfer "dips" snuff.... You'd be amazed at
    the number of courses in the U.S. where you can't get a dip...
    
    __Jack
    

    Actually, those of us that used to chew now do sunflower seeds when
    golfing.  It's great to spit the shells on the green so that the group
    behind you has to sweep them out of the way.
    
    As for licking your ball....I won't even comment.
    
    SCD

Re: .9

Thanks for the advice.  It doesn't seem to have done much damage, 
although some friends would says there needs to be a brain first 
before any damage can be caused.

However, I would say that I have never suffered from thatch nor 
exsessive moss in my life.  Although occasionally, I do have a 
problem with worms, especially when it rains.


Randall ;-)

I'll stop now before I get into serious bad-taste mode.

    RE: JC show - I heard it as putter flutter not rise.

    i hope putter flutter is right, it sounds more lyrical.
    
    i stand corrected.
    
    

    I was watching that show and what he said was "I bet that makes
    his putter stand up !"
    
    Mad Hacker

    To Mad Hacker
    
    Thanks - I wanted to hear first hand what really happened. It must have
    been funny when she said that and Johnny probably gave his sly smile 
    before he responded. I heard she sued JC. Did she walk off?
    
    							Phil

    She was a little embarassed but finished the interview.
    
    Mad Hacker

    WALTA,
    
    My husband Michael is a Golf Professional and he has some advice for
    you.
     
    You are not the only person in the Golf world that has this problem. 
    It is caused from griping the club too tight with your hands and an
    easy cure for this is to take a weak grip with your left hand by
    placing your thumb straight down the shaft where you can't see any of
    your knuckles of your left hand.  Then to off set the weird feeling,
    drop your right hand back so that you can see the inside of your right
    thumb. 
    
    Give this a try and see if this helps and grip the club like you would
    if you had a bird in your hands, very loosely. 
    
    Michael will be teaching starting April 1st at the Sterling/Chocksett
    driving range in Sterling if you would like him to work on this with
    you.  
    
    Let me know how this works.
    
    Ginny Elliott

    
    Hi Ginny,
    
    	I know Mike... 	but I know his old roommate Scotty much better.
        I am a member at Monoosnock CC. 
    	
    	Mike Elliott is FAMOUS around the area for his great golf,
    	especially his incredible distance ! Scott is more famous
    	for his sense of humor... shhh  don't tell him I said that! :)
    
    	Thanks for the tip/advice  ...  I spent last year trying
    	EVERYTHING to help the problem, including your suggestion.
    	The one thing that seems to correct the problem, is taking 
    	the left thumb off the club. I now let the left thumb wrap 
    	around the grip, and use a ten finger grip. I still need to
    	watch some ball flights to verify I'm hitting it OK... but
    	the club control is definetly back.
    
    	Congratulations on your marriage! Mike is quite a gentleman.
    	Now Scotty  , on the other hand....???
    
    	thanks Walta
    	

    Walta,
    
    I presume that you have solved the problem of clearing the right side?
    
    Rich

    
    Hi Rich,
    
    	I am totally convinced that even if end up with a technically
    perfect swing... like say a Purtzer, it may not be the swing that
    "you" can repeat time and time again. Some things seem to happen
    with my swing when I just get up and hit it... compared with thinking
    about all the correct positions to get in.
    
    	Usually if my brain becomes engaged I'll choke. Its ugly. But when
    I don't think about ;
    
    		grip it easy
    		head behind ball at impact
    		ball 2" off left heel
    		tuck right elbow in on downswing
    		keep take away low+slow
    		don't overswing
    		don't decelerate
    		keep shoulders square through impact
    		clear hips
    		don't dip shoulder
    		keep head still
    		don't sway
    		full shoulder turn
    		transfer weight 
    				etc. etc. etc.
    
    
    	and instead think "Gee what a nice day,  Ooh my turn to hit? 
    			How far? 150? Ok 8 iron. setup, swing.  done."
    
    	I'll score much better. Which is my real goal. :)
    
    	I used to read Golf Digest cover to cover... now I just look at
    	the pictures !
    
    	thanks  Walta
    

    Walta,
    
    Yeh, reminds me of when I am trying to get in the last three holes
    before dark. Hititfindithititputput- three pars!!!
    
    p.s. Signed up for the school at "The Fox" in June. Maybe when I am
    through I will be able to keep up with you!
    
    Rich 

    Rich, I'm sure you're gonna LOVE the school. Past results have been
    impressive.
    
    __Jack

    Jack, I'm really looking forward to it. Three days of beating golf
    balls, chipping, putting, sand shots and nine holes of course management
    per day. Twelve students per school, four instructors, 15 hours total
    of instruction including video. Plus, there is a dinner the evening
    before the first day to get everyone introduced to each other.
    Can't wait!
    
    Rich

    One of the most compelling features of the school, Rich, is that all
    the instructors are "on the same page," meaning that they are used to
    working with small groups and use a consistent approach to
    instruction. I've sat and talked with the Professionals after one of
    the school sessions (we're all pals), and believe me - they take it
    very seriously. They always debrief, i.e., talk about how things are
    going, glitches in logistics that could be changed to make things even
    better, teaching challenges, etc. Plus, the student-teacher ratio is
    about as good as it can get for groups. You can pay a lot more for
    other schools, but you won't get much more (if any..) improvement -
    IMO.
    
    __Jack

    Rich (or Jack)
    
    Where can I get info on the "Fox" school?
    
    Tavo
    

    Tavo,
    
    You can call Ron Beck, the head Pro at Crumpin' Fox, 413-648-9101.
    There are three spots left (as of two weeks ago) for the May 21,22,23
    dates. The June 4,5,6 had one (me) and the June 11,12,13 dates were
    pretty much open.
    
    Rich