The Crucial Four-Footer

Dear Seth,

The No B.S. Golf Newsletter

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Richards Quick Tips

The Crucial Four-Footer

Like all professional golfers, I have tried to work out a
set of fundamental procedures for keeping my putting
strokes as consistent and as reliable as I can make them.
Staying with these fundamentals has helped me a good deal;
particularly in holing the short ones--those crucial
four-footers that make or break a golf round more than any
other shot in the game.

As for my grip, I've discovered that I have a much better
touch if my right hand rides high on the shaft. Besides
eliminating the tendency to pull the putt, this position
helps me to get a uniform speed on the ball.

As far as address goes, I find it valuable to use a slight
forward press: of the hands before taking the blade back.
Too much of a forward press can be bad because a golfer
then tends to jab the ball down into the grass. A slight
forward press makes it easier for the left hand to go
through the ball after contact, to move a little more out
toward the hole. This, I find, enables you to get the slow
speed on the ball that's so desirable. As for my right
hand, I like to feel that the right palm is: moving
straight along the line of the putt to the hole.

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I would like to thank Mr Joe DeLorenzo for taking the
Time to answer these questions for us!

Joe is available for private lessons in the Chicago area.
If you are interested, let me know.

Joe is a very good instructor and does an excellent job, so if you
Are having a problem, send it to me and he will answer your
questions.

A Bit of Golf Trivia
Confucius is well known for his words of wisdom and
profound quotes. One of these quotes suggests he was a
poor golfer who had a problem with distance judgment.
Can you guess what it was? (answer is below)

On a known golf course, on one of the greens, a bare
tree stump of height 3.5 ft and 5 ft dia has been
placed at the bottom of the green. Its part of a new
green and since the stump already existed ,it is not
being removed!! Is this 'permissible'? coz God forbid,
you are any way near the stump, its MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE to par the hole!!
Rgds,
Robert

Hi Robert,
Several years ago I saw something like this on a
course named Cascades east of Seattle, so I guess it
is not only permissible, but also desirable for course
owners who want to stimulate conversation, you just
have to use some course management skills to stay away
from such objects. There are many other golf holes
that have bizarre dangers. I recall Tiger and David
Duval on TV playing a hole in CA where there was a
large boulder right in the middle of the fairway 300
yards from the tee. Tiger's shot flew over it and
Duval's shot nestled underneath it. In your case, the
stump does not result in a penalty as does a creek or
missing an island green. I would prefer the stump over
one of those deep pot bunkers you see at the British
Open, which might cost you several strokes to get out.
The stump may only cost you one stroke if you are up
against it, or maybe you can pitch over it if you are
not too close to it. So big deal if you cannot get a
par, so what, you are still out there playing the
world's greatest game, which has many other ways to
'stump' you (groan).
Joe

Joe,
I can hit the ball better than my buddies, but they
usually beat me because they putt better. I don't
understand why I cannot putt as well as my buddies if
they are not as athletic as I am. Help!
Harold

Hello Harold,
Sometimes we overlook the little things. Any one of
the following points might make a difference. For
example, are you more like Golfer A or Golfer B?
Let's assume Golfer A and Golfer B have similar
putting strokes and they can both read a green equally
well, but Golfer A makes more putts and 3-putts less
often than Golfer B. How can this be?

Golfer A uses a putter design that is weighted at the
toe and at the heel, but not in the center. Golfer B
uses a straight blade. Since they both have similar
strokes, they both miss the sweet spot on the putter
by the same amount. Golfer A gets better results due
to a larger sweet spot.

Golfer A has confidence in the read and can
concentrate fully on executing the stroke. Golfer B
changes the read as he/she stands over the ball (why
bother with the original read in that case?). This
can result in a tentative stroke due to worrying about
the read instead of executing the proper pace of the
stroke.

Golfer A aims at a spot on the green on the way to the
hole, a spot that is close enough to hit every time.
Golfer B does not use an intermediate target.

Golfer A improves touch for distance control during
practice by noticing how far the backswing goes for
certain distances, and then steps off those distances.
Golfer B just relies on feel without thinking about
the exact distance. As a result, Golfer A's second
putt is usually 1-2 feet long, while golfer B's second
putt is usually 3-4 feet long.

Golfer A's putter has a fat grip, Golfer B's putter
has a skinny grip. In both cases, any accidental hand
rotation will cause the putter face to rotate off
line. Due to the fatter grip Golfer A's putter face
will rotate less off line than Golfer B's putter.

Golfer A observes the terrain while walking up to the
green from 100 yards on in, and can see which way
water would most likely drain off the green, because
this is the way all putts will break if you are not
sure of other reads. Golfer B only reads putts after
he/she gets on the green.

Both golfers have the Yips, but Golfer A uses a belly
putter, which reduces the effect of the Yips.
Good luck Harold, I hope this helps!
Joe

Question for the Evil Twin:
Jody, what kind of courses are your favorite and least
favorite?
Answer - I like uncrowded courses that are not too
expensive. Unfortunately these can be hard to find.
What I really do not like is when I get talked into
going to an upscale course, and two guys grab your bag
out of your trunk before you can get your shoes out.
Then you park your car and pay your greens fee and if
you are lucky you can find your clubs somewhere on a
motorized cart about a half kilometer from the
practice area. You might be wearing your best golf
outfit, but compared to everyone else you look like a
commoner. Then you finally get to the first tee and
then you get a lecture from a "course host," who has
more stories than Mother Goose, and finishes by
admonishing you that if your cart leaves the cart
path, or if you cannot keep up with the Pace rules,
you will be asked to leave. Having to stay on the cart
path usually means a six-hour round, but they put you
on the time clock anyway. Then another host takes
pictures of your group and tries to sell them to you.
Then you have to decide which of the 5 sets of tees to
play. Then you finally get onto the course and then
the beverage cart girl drives up, and if you order
something and hand her a 5, she gives you that hurt
puppy look if you ask for change. At the turn the
least expensive fast food is a gourmet sandwich for $7
and a $3 drink, and don't forget the tip. When you are
done, whether you like it or not, a couple of kids
grab your bag and start cleaning your clubs, and of
course you will feel guilty if you don't tip them too.
Then a guy drives up in a golf cart and offers to take
your clubs to your car. Where does it end? When you
drive to the exit, there might be a guy who politely
asked if you enjoyed your experience here, are we
supposed to tip him too? These places are for people
who say "Tally Ho the Fox", but not for people like me
who prefer to say "Let's get the little *!@#$>". In
light of all this, I cannot wait to get back to my
wonderfully comfortable scruffy cheap plain vanilla
local muni course.

Answer to the above trivia question - With the
following actual quote, Confucius seems to admit to
being a hacker who had poor distance judgment:
"To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short."

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"Behold the turtle: He only makes progress when
he sticks his neck out."

James Bryant Conant 1893-1978, Educator and
Diplomat

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Until next time...good golfing!

Richard C Myers

http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/
http://www.golfforleftys.com/
http://www.totalgolfdvd.com/
http://www.ourdreamrv.com/

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