Golf is about 10% physical and about 90% mental. A golfer has an inventory of
various moods while on the course, awareness of these moods and being able to
control them is what can make or break a golf game. A very crucial point in golf
is determining your club distances. Many golfers really don’t know how far
each club can be hit. In addition to knowing how far you must hit a club, a
golfer must also be educated on how to play under different weather conditions.
One area that can really make emotions take off is putting. Putting is a part of
the game that takes the most concentration because there really is no single
correct way to putt. Determining your club distances can be a bit tricky at
times because many variables can come into play such as wind, altitude,
temperature and excitement level. Winds depending on their speed can make the
ball go long, short, to the left or to the right. Also the higher the altitude
the further you will hit the ball. For example, a golfer teeing off on a par 3
(179yards) with a 10 mile per hour wind behind him may have to use a 7 iron
instead of a 5 or a 6. This is because the wind could push or carry the ball an
additional 10 to 15 yards farther. Weather conditions can come into play as
well. The sun in particular can make the course conditions very dry and hard.
When the landscape of a golf course is dry and hard the ball will have a
tendency to bounce and role a significant distance farther than normal. In
contrary, when the conditions are wet, like after it rains, the ball will stick
or not go very far from were it landed. For example, a golfer may have played
two rounds of golf on two different days, the first may have been a beautiful
sunny day with dry conditions and the other may have been a day after a night of
rain, in turn made the conditions of the golf course change dramatically. This
dramatic change has altered the way this golfer must play. The first day was
worry free because conditions were ideal, but playing the second day the golfers
had to anticipate where their ball was going to land and maybe use a longer club
because the air is saturated and more dense than usual. Another aspect of the
game is knowing how far each club in bag can be hit. At average a 3 iron should
be hit around 190 yards, 4 iron around 180 yards, 5 iron around 170, 6 iron
around 160, 7 iron around 150, 8 iron around 140, 9 iron between 115 and 130, PW
(pitching wedge) 110 and a SW (sand wedge) up to a 100 yards. The putter is in a
class of its own, it can’t be hit as far as any of the other clubs but it is
the most important club in the bag. There is no style when it comes to putting;
it’s getting it in the hole that counts. There are so many different kinds of
putters available and so many different stories about how a proper putting
stroke should be executed. The fact of the matter is about 80% of tournament
players use a grip were the upper hand is on the grip with the index finger
clear of the grip and with the lower hand on the grip allowing all the fingers
to hold the grip. Ball positioning is very important the ball should be in the
middle of the stance, the putter face should be square to the ball and the
putter face should be at a ball to target line with your eyes directly over the
ball. Knowledge on how to play under different weather conditions, knowing how
far each club in your bag can be hit and the know how on putting are all very
crucial in the game of golf. If a golfer is cultured in all three, he/she will
be on the right track to becoming a better golfer. Even if the ball doesn’t go
straight!