Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Michelle Wie
June 1, 2004
Atlanta -- Hawaii's Michelle Wie, 14, Monday accepted a special exemption into the U.S. Women's Open, July 1-4 at the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass. The gesture by the United States Golf Association, which eased Wie's busy travel schedule, immediately created another opportunity -- one with far-reaching possibilities. Wie also has filed an application to qualify for the U.S. (Men's)
Public Links, July 12-17 at Maple Grove, Minn., and has chosen the 36-hole sectional qualifier June 18 at Manada Golf Club in Hershey, Pa. The significance? If she secures a spot, it's a tournament that sends its winner to the Masters. While it's certainly a longshot, the teenager has mentioned repeatedly her dream to compete as the first woman in the Masters. Wie was practicing with her Curtis Cup team members this week at the Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga. It was the first time an amateur has been given a special exemption to the U.S. Women's Open, for which Wie qualified last year and tied for 39th. With the exemption, the USGA already has guaranteed Wie's presence in three of its main summer events. She will playing in
the Curtis Cup matches in Merseyside, England, June 12-13, then will defend her title June 22-27 at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in Williamsburg, Va. Prior to being awarded the U.S. Women's Open spot, Wie's father, B.J., said last week that her travel schedule, which then had to include a qualifier for the Women's Open, was too tight to attempt qualifying for the men's Public Links.
Custom clubs
Atlanta -- Hawaii's Michelle Wie, 14, Monday accepted a special exemption into the U.S. Women's Open, July 1-4 at the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass. The gesture by the United States Golf Association, which eased Wie's busy travel schedule, immediately created another opportunity -- one with far-reaching possibilities. Wie also has filed an application to qualify for the U.S. (Men's)
Public Links, July 12-17 at Maple Grove, Minn., and has chosen the 36-hole sectional qualifier June 18 at Manada Golf Club in Hershey, Pa. The significance? If she secures a spot, it's a tournament that sends its winner to the Masters. While it's certainly a longshot, the teenager has mentioned repeatedly her dream to compete as the first woman in the Masters. Wie was practicing with her Curtis Cup team members this week at the Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga. It was the first time an amateur has been given a special exemption to the U.S. Women's Open, for which Wie qualified last year and tied for 39th. With the exemption, the USGA already has guaranteed Wie's presence in three of its main summer events. She will playing in
the Curtis Cup matches in Merseyside, England, June 12-13, then will defend her title June 22-27 at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in Williamsburg, Va. Prior to being awarded the U.S. Women's Open spot, Wie's father, B.J., said last week that her travel schedule, which then had to include a qualifier for the Women's Open, was too tight to attempt qualifying for the men's Public Links.
Custom clubs
Aim Correctly
Aim Correctly If You Want To Hit The Ball Straight
In my 30 years experience as a golf professional one of
the most common faults I seen the average golfer make is
that they don't know how to set up correctly.
A lot of players think they have to aim their body at the
target and forget where their club face and feet are
pointing.
The best thing to think of for a correct set up is to
picture yourself standing on the nearest track of a rail-
way line to hit a golf ball sitting on the other track.
Your feet, hips and shoulders don't aim at the target
they aim parallel but to the left of the target. The
only thing that aims at the target is your club face on
the other line.
Such a set-up encourages swinging the club face through
the ball along - rather than across - the target line.
Try it you will soon see your shots fly straighter.
Custom clubs
In my 30 years experience as a golf professional one of
the most common faults I seen the average golfer make is
that they don't know how to set up correctly.
A lot of players think they have to aim their body at the
target and forget where their club face and feet are
pointing.
The best thing to think of for a correct set up is to
picture yourself standing on the nearest track of a rail-
way line to hit a golf ball sitting on the other track.
Your feet, hips and shoulders don't aim at the target
they aim parallel but to the left of the target. The
only thing that aims at the target is your club face on
the other line.
Such a set-up encourages swinging the club face through
the ball along - rather than across - the target line.
Try it you will soon see your shots fly straighter.
Custom clubs
Wind Play Tip
Wind Play Tip
"When it's breezy swing easy."
How many golfers have heard this old stand by? Let's get
into just a little bit more detail about this. What will
swinging easy do for you when the wind is up?
For one thing it increases the chances of solid contact
creating a more penetrating ball flight. (Swinging harder
in an attempt to fight the wind makes it more likely you'll
make poor contact for various reasons: contracting the wrong
muscles in the wrong sequence, losing your center of balance,
increased grip tension, the list goes on...)
For another thing it compresses the ball less causing it to
spin less, which also creates a more penetrating ball flight.
Notice the theme. A solidly struck ball with a more penetrat-
ing trajectory is less affected by the wind. Swinging harder
when the wind is blowing is a powerful instinct to overcome.
But if you can discipline yourself to use more club and
swing easier (like all the textbooks and great players and
teachers have been recommending forever) it will have a
wonderful effect on your ability to control the ball in the
wind.
Custom clubs
"When it's breezy swing easy."
How many golfers have heard this old stand by? Let's get
into just a little bit more detail about this. What will
swinging easy do for you when the wind is up?
For one thing it increases the chances of solid contact
creating a more penetrating ball flight. (Swinging harder
in an attempt to fight the wind makes it more likely you'll
make poor contact for various reasons: contracting the wrong
muscles in the wrong sequence, losing your center of balance,
increased grip tension, the list goes on...)
For another thing it compresses the ball less causing it to
spin less, which also creates a more penetrating ball flight.
Notice the theme. A solidly struck ball with a more penetrat-
ing trajectory is less affected by the wind. Swinging harder
when the wind is blowing is a powerful instinct to overcome.
But if you can discipline yourself to use more club and
swing easier (like all the textbooks and great players and
teachers have been recommending forever) it will have a
wonderful effect on your ability to control the ball in the
wind.
Custom clubs
pitching
Q: I'm a 2-handicap, but I have never taken a lesson. I've
learned by reading and observation. I especially enjoyed
your book "The 30-Second Golf Swing"; it helped me a great
deal. However, in developing the "strength and weakness
profile" that you suggest, I discovered a flaw in my game;
my pitching, compared to the rest of my game, is weak
(about like a 5- or 6-handicap) and is keeping me from
scoring better. Can you suggest a book on pitching and/or
give me a few rules of thumb? -- Bill R., from the Web
A: Often, pitching seems to be the last shot good golfers
take seriously. My book "Play Better Golf" has a lot of
material on it and will help. But in the meantime, here
are a few "rules" that you requested:
1. Use a narrow stance and play the ball back. Start, swing
and finish with your weight on your forward foot.
2. Pitching should be done with "dead" hands. They should be
used only to cock the wrists on the backswing. There should
be no independent effort to hit the ball with your hands.
3. Begin your wrist cock as soon as you take the club away
from the ball. The wrist cock should be gradual and
completed by the end of your back swing (differing lengths
for different length shots).
4. On the downswing, keep everything synchronized. Rotate
your body to produce the stability necessary for an
efficient, repeating, pitching motion. Remember, you are
rotating around your front hip socket, employing no
independent force from your hands and arms.
tip from
http://www.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-golf.html
Custom clubs
learned by reading and observation. I especially enjoyed
your book "The 30-Second Golf Swing"; it helped me a great
deal. However, in developing the "strength and weakness
profile" that you suggest, I discovered a flaw in my game;
my pitching, compared to the rest of my game, is weak
(about like a 5- or 6-handicap) and is keeping me from
scoring better. Can you suggest a book on pitching and/or
give me a few rules of thumb? -- Bill R., from the Web
A: Often, pitching seems to be the last shot good golfers
take seriously. My book "Play Better Golf" has a lot of
material on it and will help. But in the meantime, here
are a few "rules" that you requested:
1. Use a narrow stance and play the ball back. Start, swing
and finish with your weight on your forward foot.
2. Pitching should be done with "dead" hands. They should be
used only to cock the wrists on the backswing. There should
be no independent effort to hit the ball with your hands.
3. Begin your wrist cock as soon as you take the club away
from the ball. The wrist cock should be gradual and
completed by the end of your back swing (differing lengths
for different length shots).
4. On the downswing, keep everything synchronized. Rotate
your body to produce the stability necessary for an
efficient, repeating, pitching motion. Remember, you are
rotating around your front hip socket, employing no
independent force from your hands and arms.
tip from
http://www.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-golf.html
Custom clubs
