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Dr. Golf
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 Patient: Male Age: 44 Current Handicap: 14 Lowest Handicap: 14 Has played golf for: 10 years Plays: Twice a month Practices: Never The symptoms: I almost always use a sand wedge around the green for pitch shots, but I watch my friends use a variety of different clubs. I have one friend who uses a 5-wood for some chip shots. I’ve never had much luck using anything other than my sand wedge. Is there any benefit to using these different clubs and how do you know when it’s the best situation to use them? Dr. Golf’s prescription: Using just one club around the green is not a terrible thing. At least you’re getting good with that club and you probably have confidence with your sand wedge. However, I believe your short game should be like your portfolio — diversified. If you have a good lie and there’s lots of green between your ball and the hole, a low-running chip shot is ideal. A 7-, 8- or 9-iron, or even a 5-wood, can be used in this situation. Grip down on the club and swing it like you would for a long putt. If there isn’t much grass beneath your ball, the bounce on your sand wedge makes this shot even harder. The most common miss is a bladed shot well across the green. Try your pitching wedge, 9-iron or putter to eliminate that miss. Try experimenting with these different shots. Patient: Male Age: 58 Current Index: 12 Lowest Handicap: 7 Has played golf for: 32 years Plays: Often Practices: A couple times a month The symptoms: I’ve been playing for a long time and it seems like there are more golf balls on the market than ever. How in the world am I supposed to know which ball is best for me? The Titleist Pro V1s are popular, so should I be using those? Tiger uses a Nike ball, so if it’s good enough for him, shouldn’t it be good enough for me? Give me your best suggestion as to how I can find the right golf ball for my game. I drive the ball about 230 yards and typically shoot in the 80s. Dr. Golf’s prescription: Using what the pros use might sound like a good idea, but they don’t use the same equipment that is sold to us. There are three basic things to consider: cost, distance and feel. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Maxfli Noodle and Titleist DT SoLo are good balls in the lower price range. If you’re looking for more yardage or roll, a ball with a low spin rate like the Pro-V1x will get the job done, but they are costly. Basically, it comes down to what you like, so try them all to see which yields the best results. Erick Arbe is the head professional at Cresta Verde Golf Club. He can be reached at (951) 737-2255 or erick@arbegolf.com. |
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