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Patient: Male Age: 37 Current Handicap: 11 Lowest handicap: 7 Plays: Twice a month Practices: Once a week Ailment: There is nothing flashy about my game. I’m painfully average and my scores have shown it. This year, I’ve tried being more aggressive and got a new driver. I’ve also started firing at flags and tried to get every putt to the hole. This has led to more offline drives, difficult recovery shots, more three-putts and higher scores. How do I become more aggressive without sacrificing the game I’ve already created? Prescription: Being aggressive might result in lower scores for top players, but others need to pick their spots. If you’re inside 130 yards to the green, fire at the pin, but if you’re farther out, play to the fat part of the putting surface. Make sure your driver fits your swing so you can drive the ball farther without hitting it harder. And get in the habit of lagging the ball as close to the hole as possible on long putts. Play to your strengths and spend most of your practice time on the scoring shots from 130 yards and closer. Patient: Male Age: 55 Current Handicap: 12 Lowest handicap: 9 Plays: About twice a month Practices: Once a month Ailment: I played for years with all the irons in my bag, including a 2-iron. Over the past several years, I added a 5-wood and a 7-wood. Now I see everyone using hybrid utility clubs. What’s the difference between using an iron, a fairway wood and a hybrid? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Prescription: I can relate to your story as I’ve done the same thing the past five years. It takes a lot of clubhead speed to get balls elevated off long-iron shots. But hybrids have a lower center of gravity, which gets the ball up without swinging as hard. The only disadvantage I’ve found with hybrids is a tendency to hook. I corrected this by using ones with interchangeable weights. If you need to hit a straight shot 230 yards or more, use a fairway wood. Between 190 and 225 yards, try the hybrid. For shots of 190 yards and less, use an iron. This formula has worked great for me and many of the best players in the world are changing as well. SG PGA professional John Mason is the director of golf at Encinitas Ranch Golf Course. He can be reached at (760) 944-1936. |
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