Tuesday, April 06, 2004
The perfect wedge
1. PGA TOURS
2. GOLF CHUCKLE
3. PRO REPORT - The perfect wedge
PGA TOURS
SCHEDULE
PGA TOUR
WGC-Accenture
Match Play Championships
-- Site: Carlsbad, Calif.
-- Schedule: Wednesday-Sunday.
-- Course: La Costa Resort & Spa (7,002 yards, par 72).
-- Purse: $6 million. Winner's share: $1.05 million.
-- Television: ESPN (Wednesday-Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday,
10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), ABC (Saturday, 3-7 p.m.; Sunday,
3-7 p.m.).
PGA TOUR
Chrysler Classic of Tucson
-- Site: Tucson, Ariz.
-- Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
-- Course: Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa
(7,109 yards, par 72).
-- Purse: $3 million. Winner's share: $540,000.
-- Television: USA (Thursday-Friday, 6-8 p.m.; Saturday-
Sunday, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.).
CHAMPIONS TOUR
-- Next event: The MasterCard Classic, March 5-7, Bosque
Real Country Club, Mexico City, Mexico.
LPGA TOUR
-- Next event: Welch's/Fry's Championship, March 11-14,
Randolph North Golf Complex, Dell Urich Golf Course,
Tucson, Ariz.
GOLF CHUCKLE
A little girl was at her first golf lesson when she asked
an interesting question:
"Is the word spelt p-u-t or p-u-t-t?'' she asked the
instructor. "P-u-t-t is correct,'' he replied.
"Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means
merely a vain attempt to do the same thing."
PRO REPORT
The perfect wedge
During an average round of golf, 65 percent of a player's
shots are taken within 100 yards of the hole, so wedge play
is a critical element of the game. To be a good wedge player,
you should know how to match the bounce on your wedges to
your swing and to the course conditions (grass and sand).
Bounce is the angle represented by a line drawn from the
bottom (sole)of a wedge to the leading edge.
The rule of thumb is that players who come into the ball
from a steep angle do better with clubs that have more
bounce because it prevents the clubhead from digging into
the ground. Players who sweep the ball using a shallow
angle of attack need less bounce to avoid skidding along
the ground and contacting the ball in the middle -- the
dreaded "skull" shot that goes screeching over the green.
Your divots will tell you what type of wedges you need.
If your divots are generally long and deep, use wedges
with lots of bounce; if your divots are thin and short,
use wedges with little bounce.
The conditions of the course are also important. If the
ground and sand are soft, you need wedges with lots of
bounce to avoid digging too deeply. If the ground and
sand are firm, you need just the opposite -- a club with
less bounce for a more solid hit.
Of course, different courses present different conditions,
so be prepared to change wedges depending on where you are
playing.
For example, at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii, 14-year-
old sensation Michelle Wie said that the PGA Tour field
staff made the sand more "fluffy" than she was used to.
Such a condition should dictate the use of a sand wedge
with more bounce.
2. GOLF CHUCKLE
3. PRO REPORT - The perfect wedge
PGA TOURS
SCHEDULE
PGA TOUR
WGC-Accenture
Match Play Championships
-- Site: Carlsbad, Calif.
-- Schedule: Wednesday-Sunday.
-- Course: La Costa Resort & Spa (7,002 yards, par 72).
-- Purse: $6 million. Winner's share: $1.05 million.
-- Television: ESPN (Wednesday-Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday,
10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), ABC (Saturday, 3-7 p.m.; Sunday,
3-7 p.m.).
PGA TOUR
Chrysler Classic of Tucson
-- Site: Tucson, Ariz.
-- Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
-- Course: Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa
(7,109 yards, par 72).
-- Purse: $3 million. Winner's share: $540,000.
-- Television: USA (Thursday-Friday, 6-8 p.m.; Saturday-
Sunday, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.).
CHAMPIONS TOUR
-- Next event: The MasterCard Classic, March 5-7, Bosque
Real Country Club, Mexico City, Mexico.
LPGA TOUR
-- Next event: Welch's/Fry's Championship, March 11-14,
Randolph North Golf Complex, Dell Urich Golf Course,
Tucson, Ariz.
GOLF CHUCKLE
A little girl was at her first golf lesson when she asked
an interesting question:
"Is the word spelt p-u-t or p-u-t-t?'' she asked the
instructor. "P-u-t-t is correct,'' he replied.
"Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means
merely a vain attempt to do the same thing."
PRO REPORT
The perfect wedge
During an average round of golf, 65 percent of a player's
shots are taken within 100 yards of the hole, so wedge play
is a critical element of the game. To be a good wedge player,
you should know how to match the bounce on your wedges to
your swing and to the course conditions (grass and sand).
Bounce is the angle represented by a line drawn from the
bottom (sole)of a wedge to the leading edge.
The rule of thumb is that players who come into the ball
from a steep angle do better with clubs that have more
bounce because it prevents the clubhead from digging into
the ground. Players who sweep the ball using a shallow
angle of attack need less bounce to avoid skidding along
the ground and contacting the ball in the middle -- the
dreaded "skull" shot that goes screeching over the green.
Your divots will tell you what type of wedges you need.
If your divots are generally long and deep, use wedges
with lots of bounce; if your divots are thin and short,
use wedges with little bounce.
The conditions of the course are also important. If the
ground and sand are soft, you need wedges with lots of
bounce to avoid digging too deeply. If the ground and
sand are firm, you need just the opposite -- a club with
less bounce for a more solid hit.
Of course, different courses present different conditions,
so be prepared to change wedges depending on where you are
playing.
For example, at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii, 14-year-
old sensation Michelle Wie said that the PGA Tour field
staff made the sand more "fluffy" than she was used to.
Such a condition should dictate the use of a sand wedge
with more bounce.
FINDING THE RIGHT 'BOUNCE'
1. ASK THE PRO
2. STILL MAKING IT
3. THE GOLF DOCTOR - FINDING THE RIGHT 'BOUNCE'
ASK THE PRO
Q: The other day, I bought a used putter that I really
like. It's an Odyssey putter with a "Stronomic" insert.
I have two questions: What is "Stronomic"? Is it some
kind of metal (I looked it up, but couldn't find it)?
And why does it feel so much better than my old putter?
-- Brian G., from the Web
A: Stronomic is a lightweight synthetic polymer. The name
was made up by Odyssey. It feels good at contact because
the insert is much softer, especially if you play with a
hard-feeling, two-piece/solid-core "distance" ball.
Odyssey was founded by an engineer named Brian Pond, who
revolutionized putters with his insert innovation. Today,
we find putters with inserts made from all sorts of polymer
recipes, as well as lightweight metals and metal alloys
such as aluminum and beryllium copper. These lightweight
inserts allow the weight that was saved to be moved to the
perimeter of the club face. This acts to stabilize the
putter at contact and effectively increase the size of the
"sweet spot." Incidentally, Odyssey was sold to Callaway
Golf in 1997.
------------------------------------------------------------
STILL MAKING IT
A look at the ages of some of the top money winners in the
world:
Ranking Player Age Winnings
1 Vijay Singh 41 $2,003,140
9 Jeff Maggert 40 $682,800
13 Kirk Triplett 41 $576,343
19 Skip Kendall 39 $486,000
20 Davis Love III 39 $481,400
21 Jay Haas 50 $459,553
22 Duffy Waldorf 41 $442,958
------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOLF DOCTOR
FINDING THE RIGHT 'BOUNCE' KEY TO OPTIMAL WEDGE PLAY
During an average round of golf, 65 percent of a player's
shots are taken within 100 yards of the hole, so wedge play
is a critical element of the game. To be a good wedge player,
you should know how to match the bounce on your wedges to
your swing and to the course conditions (grass and sand).
Bounce is the angle represented by a line drawn from the
bottom (sole) of a wedge to the leading edge. The rule of
thumb is that players who come into the ball from a steep
angle do better with clubs that have more bounce because it
prevents the club head from digging into the ground. Players
who sweep the ball using a shallow angle of attack need less
bounce to avoid skidding along the ground and contacting the
ball in the middle -- the dreaded "skull" shot that goes
screeching over the green. Your divots will tell you what
type of wedges you need. If your divots are generally long
and deep, use wedges with lots of bounce; if your divots are
thin and short, use wedges with little bounce. The conditions
of the course are also important. If the ground and sand are
soft, you need wedges with lots of bounce to avoid digging
too deeply. If the ground and sand are firm, you need just
the opposite -- a club with less bounce for a more solid hit.
Of course, different courses present different conditions,
so be prepared to change wedges depending on where you are
playing. For example, at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii,
'14-year-old sensation Michelle Wie said that the PGA Tour
field staff made the sand more "fluffy" than she was used
to. Such a condition should dictate the use of a sand wedge
with more bounce. Ask your professional which wedges are
best for you. -- T.J. Tomasi
------------------------------------------------------------
To SUBSCRIBE visit: http://www.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-golf.html
2. STILL MAKING IT
3. THE GOLF DOCTOR - FINDING THE RIGHT 'BOUNCE'
ASK THE PRO
Q: The other day, I bought a used putter that I really
like. It's an Odyssey putter with a "Stronomic" insert.
I have two questions: What is "Stronomic"? Is it some
kind of metal (I looked it up, but couldn't find it)?
And why does it feel so much better than my old putter?
-- Brian G., from the Web
A: Stronomic is a lightweight synthetic polymer. The name
was made up by Odyssey. It feels good at contact because
the insert is much softer, especially if you play with a
hard-feeling, two-piece/solid-core "distance" ball.
Odyssey was founded by an engineer named Brian Pond, who
revolutionized putters with his insert innovation. Today,
we find putters with inserts made from all sorts of polymer
recipes, as well as lightweight metals and metal alloys
such as aluminum and beryllium copper. These lightweight
inserts allow the weight that was saved to be moved to the
perimeter of the club face. This acts to stabilize the
putter at contact and effectively increase the size of the
"sweet spot." Incidentally, Odyssey was sold to Callaway
Golf in 1997.
------------------------------------------------------------
STILL MAKING IT
A look at the ages of some of the top money winners in the
world:
Ranking Player Age Winnings
1 Vijay Singh 41 $2,003,140
9 Jeff Maggert 40 $682,800
13 Kirk Triplett 41 $576,343
19 Skip Kendall 39 $486,000
20 Davis Love III 39 $481,400
21 Jay Haas 50 $459,553
22 Duffy Waldorf 41 $442,958
------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOLF DOCTOR
FINDING THE RIGHT 'BOUNCE' KEY TO OPTIMAL WEDGE PLAY
During an average round of golf, 65 percent of a player's
shots are taken within 100 yards of the hole, so wedge play
is a critical element of the game. To be a good wedge player,
you should know how to match the bounce on your wedges to
your swing and to the course conditions (grass and sand).
Bounce is the angle represented by a line drawn from the
bottom (sole) of a wedge to the leading edge. The rule of
thumb is that players who come into the ball from a steep
angle do better with clubs that have more bounce because it
prevents the club head from digging into the ground. Players
who sweep the ball using a shallow angle of attack need less
bounce to avoid skidding along the ground and contacting the
ball in the middle -- the dreaded "skull" shot that goes
screeching over the green. Your divots will tell you what
type of wedges you need. If your divots are generally long
and deep, use wedges with lots of bounce; if your divots are
thin and short, use wedges with little bounce. The conditions
of the course are also important. If the ground and sand are
soft, you need wedges with lots of bounce to avoid digging
too deeply. If the ground and sand are firm, you need just
the opposite -- a club with less bounce for a more solid hit.
Of course, different courses present different conditions,
so be prepared to change wedges depending on where you are
playing. For example, at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii,
'14-year-old sensation Michelle Wie said that the PGA Tour
field staff made the sand more "fluffy" than she was used
to. Such a condition should dictate the use of a sand wedge
with more bounce. Ask your professional which wedges are
best for you. -- T.J. Tomasi
------------------------------------------------------------
To SUBSCRIBE visit: http://www.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-golf.html
