Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[Reasonability]

Oh ye grillers listen to my rant. I have learned this lesson over and over probably 40x. Last 2 outings I stank like bait left out on the docks. These days I play only every other week with a couple friends who aren't "real" golfers in the WRX sense of the word (although I noticed last few times they were on the driving range when I rolled up). I remember shooting a 96 last round, and they are mid 90s golfers so they were quite please with my demise, especially at that stupid 3 way game bingo bango boingo.

 

So today we head out, it was perfect weather, mid 70s and breezy. I was determined to not skank my way around the course again, esp as we were playing capped matches, so I reverted for the billionth time to just use my patented 'grandma swing' and take what I could get. I had done this countless times in the past when I was playing bloodthirsty skins sharks, and every time always got away from it over time. Why is that?

 

Think Payne. You never saw him 'rip' a shot like TW or Rory. He wouldn't know how. So I took deliberate slow motion practice swings and tried to reproduce them during the real thing. Of course, during a real swing you're not going to swing slow motion but the intent is there. The weird thing is whenever I have reverted to my 'grandma' swing I have never noticed any loss in distance (actually longer sometimes), only a big uptick in trajectory and placement.

 

I shot a nice pedestrian 83, and that with a triple and two doubles. The question I pose here is, why can't I keep that swing in my bag over the long run? Why must I start to crank it up and start jerking and lurching until I learn my lesson and start over from scratch?

 

Well played, Sir. Why do you and I (and 99% of the golfing world) convert a nice flowing Payne swing into a fliching/lurching mess?

 

That may be the question of of the century. Jim Waldron calls it the "hit implulse". I've heard Rad speak of preferring a "swing" ahead of a "hit".

 

There's a flow to a swing, and there's a herky/jerky/tension-filled disaster with a hit is all I have to serve up. I've got one of those Swing Caddie devices and have measured my swing speed enough to know one thing. The harder I try to pound the living crap out of the ball, the more I only get at best a couple mph of swing speed. The more I relax and LET it release as part of a nice flowing swing, the faster SS goes up while also hitting with most solidly. I only WISH I knew why and had the ability to find better words for it.

 

Remember Ham from the Guam area? He called it "sleepy eyes". Be it a putt or a drive he had found a way to put that practice swing on the ball. He saw the ball down there but his "sleepy eyes" allowed that flowing practice swing to operate when it counts.

 

You Sir, have just posted what is DEEP inside all of this stuff. Goes WAY beyond anything we will find in mechanics, videos, or what shaft we play. Call it metaphysical. Call it physical, Call it mental, emotional, or call it "Fred" for all it matters. It's a DEEP thing and the mere fact you recognize it means you know exactly what it is and how to embrace it. Even when it's fleeting and harder to embrace, you know it and seek it.

 

Granny swing the crap out of if Dude!

[billh17]

Lots of good info again ! My little talisman is I will picture the swing of the golfer that i try to get my swing to look like. It does NOT

look like their swing,but it makes me slow it down and smooth it out. Like Reason and Thug, If I try to speed it up,it gets herky-jerky

and the results are not usually very good.

The golfer? Not Fred...not Arnie, Payne.......

its Annika...pure smooth from start to finish. I have kissed the 250 yard drives goodbye...the 165 7 iron is a thing in the long ago

times...the 220 yard 3W ...well hell, it never was anyhow,so no loss there !

Beautiful outside today guys...will be teeing off around 6pm...should be a perfect evening...crowds gone...temps good....mom is going too

so it will be a short round and then some Barney's Bar-B-Que ! catch ya later

[Spooky67]

Have you ever made a video of your swing?

 

I've never made a video of my swing. I'll see about getting one next time I'm out and let y'all take a look! Thanks!

[scomac2002]

Normally it takes me a full breakfast time to catch up with the Grille talk, yesterday I was incognito so I was expecting a massive read this morning.

 

Heeeeeeellllllloooooooooooooo. Is that an echo in an empty room I can hear.

 

 

Morning billh good to see someone up and about.

 

 

Son back home from his first week ever of skiing, he has a second weeks holiday and was planning to use it to continue the alteration in the garden. I thought he may be hoping too much and I was correct, he is hurting in places he never knew existed, he said he stopped counting how many times he fell over after the first post lesson run on day one. He was improving untill the last afternoon when he miscalculated a stand up after a face plant and did the splits, Wednesday now and he is starting to walk. Little better.

 

One surprising thing for me was the amount of serious injuries they have in ski resorts, he was told on the first morning one in twelve new comers will break something in the first day, seems that was an under estimation as the stretcher parties were working almost non stop for the full week. Why would you spend $4,000 on a weeks holiday to be bumped and bruised to the extent you require another week to recover.

 

I told him he was mad, not only the pain but the cold, who deliberately goes to an area that is minus *c night and day, not me that's for sure, like my warm days.

 

Stay safe Grillers, drop in later to check on attendance.

 

Hi all! Been working my way back periodically today through the mass of posts made since I left for vacation.

 

First off, let me assure you that no fingers were pulled by stewardesses or other females that I don't have a legal relationship with...

 

I used to ski a fair bit too. Did a bit of it in my early 20's when i was in college and then gave it up for lack of time and the necessity of travel while we were raising a family. Got back into it again about 10 years ago and for a number of years had a season's pass at Holiday Valley in upstate NY.

 

We were weekday skiers with other seniors so accidents were rare as ego had long since taken a back seat to safety and sensibility. If you stick within your abilities injuries are no more common than any other pastime. That said, #2 son broke his collar bone in three places when he was a teenager skiing the glades and then wiping out into a half pipe. I wouldn't wish that on anyone! He basically lost a season of competitive hockey due to that injury and was never quite the same player again.

 

Fitness is another matter and you have to work at it if you're an older participant in order to enjoy skiing to the same extent rather than being sore or worse all the time. Road cycling wasn't a bad off-season alternative as it builds stamina while maintaining leg muscles and balance.

 

Back to my reading, I have several pages yet to go. Will bring you up-to-date on what happened rather than comment much on what's been posted... Not TOOL'd yet, but I'm sure that's not far off...

[tolmij]

Lots of good info again ! My little talisman is I will picture the swing of the golfer that i try to get my swing to look like. It does NOT

look like their swing,but it makes me slow it down and smooth it out. Like Reason and Thug, If I try to speed it up,it gets herky-jerky

and the results are not usually very good.

The golfer? Not Fred...not Arnie, Payne.......

its Annika...pure smooth from start to finish. I have kissed the 250 yard drives goodbye...the 165 7 iron is a thing in the long ago

times...the 220 yard 3W ...well hell, it never was anyhow,so no loss there !

Beautiful outside today guys...will be teeing off around 6pm...should be a perfect evening...crowds gone...temps good....mom is going too

so it will be a short round and then some Barney's Bar-B-Que ! catch ya later

 

Possibly The only thing I miss about the UK is the long drawn out evenings, being sub tropical in Queensland night time is always early and quick, from dusk to dark is only 30 mins, golf is finished by six but with dry winters golf is a 52 week sport.

[tolmij]

Normally it takes me a full breakfast time to catch up with the Grille talk, yesterday I was incognito so I was expecting a massive read this morning.

 

Heeeeeeellllllloooooooooooooo. Is that an echo in an empty room I can hear.

 

 

Morning billh good to see someone up and about.

 

 

Son back home from his first week ever of skiing, he has a second weeks holiday and was planning to use it to continue the alteration in the garden. I thought he may be hoping too much and I was correct, he is hurting in places he never knew existed, he said he stopped counting how many times he fell over after the first post lesson run on day one. He was improving untill the last afternoon when he miscalculated a stand up after a face plant and did the splits, Wednesday now and he is starting to walk. Little better.

 

One surprising thing for me was the amount of serious injuries they have in ski resorts, he was told on the first morning one in twelve new comers will break something in the first day, seems that was an under estimation as the stretcher parties were working almost non stop for the full week. Why would you spend $4,000 on a weeks holiday to be bumped and bruised to the extent you require another week to recover.

 

I told him he was mad, not only the pain but the cold, who deliberately goes to an area that is minus *c night and day, not me that's for sure, like my warm days.

 

Stay safe Grillers, drop in later to check on attendance.

 

Hi all! Been working my way back periodically today through the mass of posts made since I left for vacation.

 

First off, let me assure you that no fingers were pulled by stewardesses or other females that I don't have a legal relationship with...

 

I used to ski a fair bit too. Did a bit of it in my early 20's when i was in college and then gave it up for lack of time and the necessity of travel while we were raising a family. Got back into it again about 10 years ago and for a number of years had a season's pass at Holiday Valley in upstate NY.

 

We were weekday skiers with other seniors so accidents were rare as ego had long since taken a back seat to safety and sensibility. If you stick within your abilities injuries are no more common than any other pastime. That said, #2 son broke his collar bone in three places when he was a teenager skiing the glades and then wiping out into a half pipe. I wouldn't wish that on anyone! He basically lost a season of competitive hockey due to that injury and was never quite the same player again.

 

Fitness is another matter and you have to work at it if you're an older participant in order to enjoy skiing to the same extent rather than being sore or worse all the time. Road cycling wasn't a bad off-season alternative as it builds stamina while maintaining leg muscles and balance.

 

Back to my reading, I have several pages yet to go. Will bring you up-to-date on what happened rather than comment much on what's been posted... Not TOOL'd yet, but I'm sure that's not far off...

 

My son decided to do the board instead of skis and he realised his mistake, the board was more difficult to control for a novice. On his last run of the last day he stood up incorrectly and did the splits, beautiful coloured bruise from knee to groin and our gardening exploits for his second weeks holiday did not happen. He intends to ski instead of board next time, despite all his other bruises and pains he is going again. Aparently the medical teams were fully occupied removing injured participants off the slopes with a motorised stretcher, and they call this fun ?

[Reasonability]

No finger pulls Scomacer? Well crap! There went 50 bucks! Welcome home.

 

Spooky - if you can mount your camera phone (tripod or whatever) about belt-high you've got step one. From face-on just far enough back to see the club in motion all the way to the top and through the ball to the finish. From down-the-line, same thing. A fixed belt high view somewhere along the target line or toe line and far enough back to see the whole swing and club motion from start to finish. Whatever club or clubs you want to swing are OK. If it were me and I were only going to film one club - I might pick something along the lines of 6 iron since it's pretty much in the middle of the bag. You want both views (FO and DTL) or half the story is missing. There are things that can't be determined if one of the two views isn't there.

 

If/when you want or care to - guys in here will help you out. If not - no prob. Totally your call.

[Spooky67]

No finger pulls Scomacer? Well crap! There went 50 bucks! Welcome home.

 

Spooky - if you can mount your camera phone (tripod or whatever) about belt-high you've got step one. From face-on just far enough back to see the club in motion all the way to the top and through the ball to the finish. From down-the-line, same thing. A fixed belt high view somewhere along the target line or toe line and far enough back to see the whole swing and club motion from start to finish. Whatever club or clubs you want to swing are OK. If it were me and I were only going to film one club - I might pick something along the lines of 6 iron since it's pretty much in the middle of the bag. You want both views (FO and DTL) or half the story is missing. There are things that can't be determined if one of the two views isn't there.

 

If/when you want or care to - guys in here will help you out. If not - no prob. Totally your call.

 

Thank you for the info! If you hadn't provided that I would have likely propped my phone up on a tee box marker...lol. I'll be glad to post it up for review, my golf ego is very, very small. Thanks again!

[scotee]

Good on Kevin Na! There is hope for "those" with mental golf issues.

[Spooky67]

Good on Kevin Na! There is hope for "those" with mental golf issues.

 

Agreed. Nice to see him win and you could tell by his post win interview that it meant a lot to him.

[Conrad1953]

I'm happy for Kevin Na. He said he found something in his putting; something that gives him much

better control. His caddy will be on with Dennis and Carl tomorrow on ITR Radio. They have what

they call "Caddy Corner" and virtually each week they have the winning player's caddy on. I really

like hearing what the caddies have to say about their players each week.

[Conrad1953]

So…………..Tiger vs Phil...……………...forget the money...………….what should the loser have to do that

would be painful and embarrassing enough to make them sweat over every putt? :D

[Reasonability]

So…………..Tiger vs Phil...……………...forget the money...………….what should the loser have to do that

would be painful and embarrassing enough to make them sweat over every putt? :D

 

Pink Slips. Might mean a little something different to each of them but it would be game-on for sure. :derisive:

[scomac2002]

Can't say that I've given your posts the attention that they deserve, especially all the detail that Reasy has supplied with his swing thoughts. For the record, we took the red eye home last night and i got in at 5:30 am. Haven't been to bed yet, but did fall asleep in the recliner a couple of times for an hour, so my concentration isn't likely to be the best. On the plus side, having hired a lawn service does have its advantages as the place is looking tip top even in my absence, but it isn't quite so sanguine with a bill waiting for me when I went through the mail. As with all things in life there is a trade-off.

 

The trip out west was a bit of an ordeal as I didn't sleep the night before and was hurting on top of it. I never used to be a poor traveler, but this maybe increasingly becoming an issue with me. That said, we made it out to Victoria and went on a food tour the first afternoon we were there. Talk about being thrown directly into the fire, but i suppose it was appropriate as I was reading a book during the flight that talked about the mental side of dealing with chronic conditions and how they can come to define you. It was probably just what I needed to hear and made me focus on something other than how I was feeling.

 

We did everything that my wife wanted to do except doing a drive up the coast, so her plans didn't really suffer. The highlight for me was high tea at the Empress Fairmont hotel on the Thursday afternoon. I remember going to tea when I was a child at Royal Turnberry and memories come flooding back. Who knew that a fancy high priced lunch would turn out to be an emotional experience?

 

WE walked miles which probably was therapeutic. Took in the Butchart Gardens. Ate a a bunch of different places that my wife had discovered during a previous trip and generally had a great time that was high-lighted by the mid 60's temperatures while the rest of the country was enduring an epic heatwave. I was feeling pretty smug as I enjoyed what seemed like an endless supply of affordable and tasty craft brews.

 

Five days later we flew into Kelowna and met up with #1 son who was flying out of Toronto to head down to Penticton to stay with #2 son and his new bride. Turns out that the next door place has a vacation rental in the basement so we took that over rather than crowding in with the newlyweds. Again more eating and drinking and general merriment ensued for the rest of the week.

 

I finally found myself actually missing golf when my two boys went out to play on Tuesday afternoon. They played at the Pentiction Golf Club which is private, but open to the public in the afternoons. It wasn't so much the golf that I missed, but the time spent with my boys doing something we all enjoy. The three of us haven't played together in over two years. I have no idea when the opportunity will arise again and that's what bothers me the most. Golf is just a game, but it's the lost time that hurt.

 

Out last couple of days were spent in Kelowna overlooking a resort course from another VRBO property. We had a great view of the 4th green and I was able to make a few observations.

• Most players are terrible around the green
  
• Women are better players then men on balance because they stay within their abilities
  
• Quick greens lead to tentative putting and habitually leaving the ball short of the hole
  
• Most golfers are way too stiff and mechanical, they have lost their fluidity if they ever had any in the first place
  
• You won't run across more than one player in a hundred
  

[PeanutsDaddy]

So…………..Tiger vs Phil...……………...forget the money...………….what should the loser have to do that

would be painful and embarrassing enough to make them sweat over every putt? :D

 

Pink Slips. Might mean a little something different to each of them but it would be game-on for sure. :derisive:

 

Purple nurples on live television.

[Reasonability]

I feel a little bad for Kevin Na. He gets attention for the swing yips - scoring 16 on a hole (once) - overruling his caddie. It's almost as though everyone's waiting to pounce on the guy for any little dirt that can be dug up. He's a golfer. He messes up sometimes. Fun to see a golfer that doesn't win for years step up and bag one. See you at the Open Kevin! Well played.

[Conrad1953]

From what I hear, despite his slow play, Kevin is well liked by his fellow players. I like the guy too. Even though

this is only his 2nd win, before today he had racked up over $25 mil in tour winnings. I think he can suffer the

crap the media gives him, lol.

 

Guys like him and CH III may not win much but they're making a boatload of money out there. I'm sure among

his family and friends, Kevin is a pretty special guy.

[tolmij]

From what I hear, despite his slow play, Kevin is well liked by his fellow players. I like the guy too. Even though

this is only his 2nd win, before today he had racked up over $25 mil in tour winnings. I think he can suffer the

crap the media gives him, lol.

 

Guys like him and CH III may not win much but they're making a boatload of money out there. I'm sure among

his family and friends, Kevin is a pretty special guy.

 

I have read many blogs rubishing these players, saying they will never be any good. To me 25 mill in golf and endorsement earning makes them a success. There can only be so many winners but the prize money for back in the field is not to be dismissed. Being a day three and four player in any major tournament means you have made it to the big time. Not everyone can win, not everyone even amongst the pros are too concerned if they don’t win, being that near to the top is a win in itself.

[scomac2002]

Talk about losing a day. I'm not sure what happened yesterday now as I found myself still in my recliner at quarter to five this morning... :huh:

 

I remember being on-line, but don't recall turning off the TV and lights, let alone covering myself up with a blanket. Don't know why I didn't just go to bed other than it's hot upstairs in the bedroom or at least it was when I finally got there.

 

Missing the cool mornings that you get out west. This humidity is for the birds!

[Reasonability]

From what I hear, despite his slow play, Kevin is well liked by his fellow players. I like the guy too. Even though

this is only his 2nd win, before today he had racked up over $25 mil in tour winnings. I think he can suffer the

crap the media gives him, lol.

 

Guys like him and CH III may not win much but they're making a boatload of money out there. I'm sure among

his family and friends, Kevin is a pretty special guy.

 

You brought some true perspective by pointing out how a tour player can not be in the winner's circle yet still become very wealthy - by simply hanging on to his card.

 

Played golf last week with an old HS buddy who had been one of those tournament volunteers at the Greenbrier years ago. Said he enjoyed it, but won't be doing it again. It occurred to him players were walking right past him who collect more in one month that he would in five years. Said he wasn't at all upset it works that way but he suddenly wondered why at least a minimum wage stipend wasn't available with all the cash flowing around. Btw he's a great guy - but has really put on the pounds in the last 10 years. Something tells me standing on his feet for that long was prolly in the mix, too. He was totally gassed by the end of our round. But so was I. It was very warm, humid day.

[thug the bunny]

From what I hear, despite his slow play, Kevin is well liked by his fellow players. I like the guy too. Even though

this is only his 2nd win, before today he had racked up over $25 mil in tour winnings. I think he can suffer the

crap the media gives him, lol.

 

Guys like him and CH III may not win much but they're making a boatload of money out there. I'm sure among

his family and friends, Kevin is a pretty special guy.

 

I have read many blogs rubishing these players, saying they will never be any good. To me 25 mill in golf and endorsement earning makes them a success. There can only be so many winners but the prize money for back in the field is not to be dismissed. Being a day three and four player in any major tournament means you have made it to the big time. Not everyone can win, not everyone even amongst the pros are too concerned if they don’t win, being that near to the top is a win in itself.

 

Agree. The Na bashing got pretty stupid for a while there, from WRXers all the way to professional commentators. I remember thinking it was just like elementary school when everyone joins in picking on one poor different or unpopular kid. I guess the hyena mob mentality doesn't necessarily go away for some people when they become adults.

[Reasonability]

Talk about losing a day. I'm not sure what happened yesterday now as I found myself still in my recliner at quarter to five this morning... :huh:

 

I remember being on-line, but don't recall turning off the TV and lights, let alone covering myself up with a blanket. Don't know why I didn't just go to bed other than it's hot upstairs in the bedroom or at least it was when I finally got there.

 

Missing the cool mornings that you get out west. This humidity is for the birds!

 

Jet lag is a hairy beeotch, ain't it? I'd go as far as to call it "travel lag" since for me, any time spent away from home over night introduces all sorts of changes to the routine, including normal sleep habits. One of two things happen to me personally when traveling. I sleep like a log - or not very well at all. Never know which wave is going to crash-in but it's normally one of those two extremes. Don't know how Rad does it night after night.

[thug the bunny]

Talk about losing a day. I'm not sure what happened yesterday now as I found myself still in my recliner at quarter to five this morning... :huh:

 

I remember being on-line, but don't recall turning off the TV and lights, let alone covering myself up with a blanket. Don't know why I didn't just go to bed other than it's hot upstairs in the bedroom or at least it was when I finally got there.

 

Missing the cool mornings that you get out west. This humidity is for the birds!

 

Jet lag is a hairy beeotch, ain't it? I'd go as far as to call it "travel lag" since for me, any time spent away from home over night introduces all sorts of changes to the routine, including normal sleep habits. One of two things happen to me personally when traveling. I sleep like a log - or not very well at all. Never know which wave is going to crash-in but it's normally one of those two extremes. Don't know how Rad does it night after night.

 

You get used to travel pretty easily after a bit. I generally sleep like the dead on the road, especially now that hotels have put much more emphasis on the quality of their beds and bedding.

[Reasonability]

Should any tour player (this isn't just about Mr. Woods!) continue to be world ranked if he hasn't played for months? Should there even be a "lifetime" exemption?

 

I've got mixed feelings about it. I don't understand how players who grind out a heavy schedule could possibly end up ranked lower than someone who hasn't been seen in months. Statistically and mathematically, I get it. But in my mind stepping aside should figure into the rankings math - AND - maintaining a grind-it-out schedule should figure in as well.

 

I don't know enough about medical "leave" inside the ropes to comment on it in any detail. But to me, their "ranking" might slip to the bottom but they shouldn't be penalized to the point of losing their card for taking care of much needed business outside of the ropes.

 

Lifetime exemption - totally different can of worms but I do wonder if it's OK to maintain a place-holder for a golfer to show up or not at will for the rest of his life. Yes, he earned it. But wouldn't it be a little more fair to classify such players as available to play by "invitation" to any/all events rather than saying it's OK to show up once every five years if you want??? Just asking here. Not sure I know where I land on this stuff so thought I'd ask.

[Reasonability]

OK 'Spooker'... here's another promised installment of homemade swing aids. This one is for putting.

 

The big box hardware stores all sell dowel sticks. Normally 4' in length for prolly less than a buck. Diameters are half" and down. Go for two of them anywhere around 1/4" will do.

 

In one hand hold the two stick parallel to each other and "telescope" one of the two back and forth making the combined length a little more than 4'. Now what you're going for is to play with the total combined length until you can just barely slip the two side-by-side sticks under either of your armpits when standing erect. When you can barely feel it touch the bottom of one arm pit as the other end stands on the ground next to your ankle, you've got a perfect length that customized for YOU in what follows. Still holding the two sticks in one hand to that exact length, just grap a little tape and wrap both sticks about a foot from either end to hold this customized "thing" in place.

 

Now what you do is find that little U shaped dip in the front of your collar bone, below your adams apple. One end of this stick is going to rest there when you setup to putt. If your putter has a little flat open cavity or flat little flange right behind the putter face... the other end is going to sit right in there - right behind the sweet spot. If you have a mallet type putter and there's no where to sit the lower end of the stick, you might have to temporarily put a little two-sided grip tape on the end of the stick to hold it in place.

 

OK - Here's what happens. Most everyone goes through a little uncertainty about swinging the putter straight-back-straight-through versus on an arc from inside to square to inside - or perhaps inside and down-the-line. AND...sooner or later most people wonder about letting the putter head rise going back, drop back down to the ball and then rise again after contact. So all these possible brands of what SHOULD happen gets in our head and the next thing you know, a little bit of all the above is happening and it varies from stroke to stroke. What this doo-dad is going to help you do is end the mystery so much you don't even think about it going forward.

 

So pick a target - doesn't matter - 5' away, 10'... just drop a ball somewhere and putt toward it. Now, swing it HOWEVER you want. In-to-out-to in. Then try straight back and through. Then just for grins, make a figure 8 swing back and through.

 

All you want to be aware of is TWO things.

 

A) Try to NOT let that stick poke you hard in the bottom of the neck - nor should it fall off of you or the putter back and through to the finish.

 

B) At address when you look down through this stick to the putter - notice that your putter shaft and the stick probably from an upside letter "V". And, depending on how much you personally like to lean the handle toward the target at address or not, that "V" might look to your eye to be very skinny - OR it might be a bit wider. Whatever it is you see is FINE. BUT the trick is to maintain that shape back and through. DO NOT let the shape of your own individual "V" change from start to finish.

 

OK, when you made all sorts of various path type swings while dong this, what did you see?

 

Ten bucks says... the ball went to wherever you had the face of the putter pointed at impact. Even the figure 8 stroke sent it just about where any other stroke style sent it. Now how is that possible? lol

 

I'll let you answer that question and reason it out on your own. But it's pretty much fool proof. The point of this is to take pressure off yourself about the "perfect" arc, in-to-out or straight back and through. If you don't change the "V" it doesn't matter does it?

 

AND,,, what you also did by not letting the stick fall away from you or poke you hard in the neck... the amount of arc up in the air, back down to the ground, and back up after impact... that just went on auto-pilot.

 

Here comes the best part of this. Do three of four with the stick and chuck the stupid thing aside and just hit putts. Forget the stupid stick and jusf feel what you've got up and running. 20 minutes later, if you put the stick back to use, are you still maintaining that "V" shape? If so - you just took a giant leap forward with putting for about 2 bucks!

[billh17]

You have raised a very interesting subject Reason. I actually don't know enough about the rankings and how it works to give an opinion

I don't think they should lose their card for Medical reasons either. But ...i do have one area that I will probably not be in sync with a lot of our

fellow Grillers. If the Medical issue is to attend rehab...drug/ booze facilities...then I say they should be on their own. I am out of sympathy for

the drug users. Guess I have seen too much . I feel the same for the baseball/football group who get suspended for drug use...then are

returned to their playing totally un-bothered by a penny (to them) fine and a pat on the back.....I am of the opinion that NO ONE held a gun to

anyone's head and made them use the dope....it was a choice they made and we have gotten so use to seeing/hearing about it as a society

that we no longer consider the use as anything wrong. It may not be the ruin of this country but it isn't helping either.

I can go with the lifetime exemption...to a certain age..for the events a player wins...but I dont think the winner of the masters should be

given automatic entrance to any other tourney because of it. But....these guys for the most part are so good that they may end up with

250 entries for every tourney..lol enough rambling on from me... The Missus and I got nine in last evening. Good time had by all

[Conrad1953]

Should any tour player (this isn't just about Mr. Woods!) continue to be world ranked if he hasn't played for months? Should there even be a "lifetime" exemption?

 

I've got mixed feelings about it. I don't understand how players who grind out a heavy schedule could possibly end up ranked lower than someone who hasn't been seen in months. Statistically and mathematically, I get it. But in my mind stepping aside should figure into the rankings math - AND - maintaining a grind-it-out schedule should figure in as well.

 

I don't know enough about medical "leave" inside the ropes to comment on it in any detail. But to me, their "ranking" might slip to the bottom but they shouldn't be penalized to the point of losing their card for taking care of much needed business outside of the ropes.

 

Lifetime exemption - totally different can of worms but I do wonder if it's OK to maintain a place-holder for a golfer to show up or not at will for the rest of his life. Yes, he earned it. But wouldn't it be a little more fair to classify such players as available to play by "invitation" to any/all events rather than saying it's OK to show up once every five years if you want??? Just asking here. Not sure I know where I land on this stuff so thought I'd ask.

 

There's only 4 guys with a "lifetime" exemption out there currently that I know of; Tiger, Phil, Vijay and DL III.

As far as I know that exemption only gets them into regular tour events; no majors, no WGCs, no invitationals.

Those they have to qualify for in other ways or in the case of the invitationals; be invited.

 

I don't know how long the list is of players who have reached 20 tour wins in PGA Tour history. I don't think

it's enough that the numbers are a concern. Most are dead or no longer playing. DL III doesn't play all that

much as far as I know. Vijay splits his time between the tour and the champs tour. So it's Tiger and Phil for

the most part and they still qualify in other ways besides their lifetime exemption.

 

Looks like Furyk won't get past his current 17 wins. DJ is getting close with 18. Quite a few out there in the

10-15 range; including Jordan, Rory and Bubba. The way it's going we could have half dozen make it in

the next few years. Still, that's not enough to worry about IMO.

 

I think I'll go look it up.

[Conrad1953]

OK, check out this link. It lists all the players with 15 or more PGA Tour wins and current players with

between 10 and 15. Only 37 players in history have reached 20 wins. Poor Ernie, stuck on 19. No

wonder he keeps trying, lol.

https://www.thoughtco.com/most-career-wins-pga-tour-1561103

[Reasonability]

Didn't realize Ernie was so close yet so far.

 

Yea I can honestly say I don't personally get too upset about a lifetime exemption. Guess what leaves my head scratching is tour pros lose their card every year. Maybe rightfully so when you think about it there needing to be standards set to keep the best of the best out there. But am I wrong in thinking for each "lifer" there's one less spot available for the rest of the field?

 

Heck I dunno. Maybe for each lifetime exemption, the tour opens up one more card availability in the field.

 

LOL - If you haven't noticed, I'm in over my head on this one. Just asking dumb questions out of pure ignorance.

 

(I majored in Playing Dumb - Aced every exam!)

[Conrad1953]

Didn't realize Ernie was so close yet so far.

 

Yea I can honestly say I don't personally get too upset about a lifetime exemption. Guess what leaves my head scratching is tour pros lose their card every year. Maybe rightfully so when you think about it there needing to be standards set to keep the best of the best out there. But am I wrong in thinking for each "lifer" there's one less spot available for the rest of the field?

 

Heck I dunno. Maybe for each lifetime exemption, the tour opens up one more card availability in the field.

 

LOL - If you haven't noticed, I'm in over my head on this one. Just asking dumb questions out of pure ignorance.

 

(I majored in Playing Dumb - Aced every exam!)

 

If I was a player out there fighting to keep my card I wouldn't be worrying about the 4 guys with lifetime

exemptions; I'd be worried about guys like Joaquin Nieman, lol.