Start 2008 Studying The Rules

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The No B.S. Golf Newsletter

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Golf Potpourri

by

Mac Stevenson

Start 2008 by Studying the Rules

One of your first 2008 New Year's resolutions should be to
study the most important rules of golf until you're
thoroughly comfortable with their details.

That sounds so simple. It isn't. Some of the rules are
complicated and difficult to understand. The rules book
published by the USGA is a good place to start, but don't
try and absorb everything in the USGA's booklet; it's tough
going. Check your library and you'll find some
well-illustrated books on the rules of golf. When you find
a rules book that's easy to understand, it would be a good
investment to buy one for ready reference.

The following are simple definitions of the most basic and
frequently used rules that average golfers need to
understand:

* OUT OF BOUNDS--This is the same as a lost ball. You must
go back and hit your next shot from the same place that you
hit the ball that went out of bounds. You add a one-stroke
penalty and also lose the distance. No exceptions.

* LOST BALL--First of all, forget hazards. This
information is for amateur golfers who lose their ball in
the rough or trees and need to know what the options are.
Many players think it's all right to drop a ball where they
think the lost ball is and go ahead and play. This is okay
in a friendly game if you want to save time. But, in
tournaments, you have just one option: You must return to
the place where you hit the shot that resulted in the lost
ball and play another. The penalty is stroke and distance.
If you hit one in the rough off the tee and lose it, you
must go back to the tee and hit your next shot, which will
be your third shot.

* FREE DROP--When you take relief from ground under repair,
cart paths, staked trees, or an immovable object, there's
no penalty. You simply take a stance and place the
clubhead (no closer to the hole) where you will strike the
ball. Put a tee down where the clubhead is and you get one
club length from there to drop your ball. The problem area
has to interfere with your stance or swing; a
line-of-flight dilemma isn't a justification for relief.

* UNPLAYABLE LIE--You can declare any ball from any lie
unplayable and take a drop. It's a one-stroke penalty.
You have three options: (1) You can take the ball back to
the location where you hit the previous shot and hit your
next shot from there. (2) You can drop your ball within
two club lengths from the unplayable lie, no closer to the
hole. (3) You can take your ball back as far as you want
in the line of flight (that means keeping the spot where
the unplayable lie is and the flag on the green in a
straight line back to where you want to drop the ball).
It's important to find your ball because the penalty is
only one stroke for an unplayable lie and two-strokes for a
lost ball. Quite often your only option on an unplayable
lie is to go back and hit from the position of the previous
shot. If two club lengths won't give you relief and taking
it back in line-of-flight just takes you further back in
the trees or out of bounds, you have no other alternative.

* NEAREST POINT OF RELIEF--This is supposed to be a
simplified definition as described in the USGA rules
booklet: "It is the point on the course nearest to where
the ball lies: (i) that is not nearer the hole, and (ii)
where, if the ball were so positioned, no interference by
the condition from which relief is sought would exist for
the stroke the player would have made from the original
position if the condition were not there." Most
professional writers average 13-16 words per sentence; this
definition is a 59-word monstrosity that might as well be
in a foreign language.

* HIT THE WRONG BALL--One of the most common errors made by
average golfers is to hit the wrong ball, usually on the
second shot on par fours or the second or third shot on par
fives. This is a costly mistake. Hitting the wrong ball
is loss of the hole in match play and two strokes in medal
play. In medal play, you have to go back and play your own
ball and add two strokes to your final score on the hole.
It's an easy mistake to make and that's the reason you
should mark your ball with some kind of symbol that's
easily recognizable.

These are just a few of the rules that are often
misunderstood by amateur golfers; there are 34 rules of
golf. You can check your library for good books on the
rules, or you can order the official rules booklet from the
USGA. It's available online (www.usgapubs.com) or you can
call toll free 1-800-336-4446; the cost is $3.50 and that
includes shipping and handling.

If you play golf seriously, it's a necessity to become
well-versed on the rules. And that's not easy. In
fairness to the USGA and all involved, some of the rules
are--by their very nature--complicated, and it takes some
serious study to become skilled in the clear understanding
of the rule book.

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Richard's Quick Tip

The Importance of Relaxed Legs

Being tense ruins more golf shots for more players than any
other thing. When a golfer is all tightened up, he doesn't
have a change to swing correctly at the ball. These
un-relaxed golfers figure that the faster they swing the
more distance they'll get, and you've seen hundreds of them
who go back as fast as they come down. They're the boys who
have inspired that popular hustler's slogan: "Give me a man
with a fast backswing and a fat wallet."

Rhythm and timing are the most important things in a golf
swing. You can't get them--you can't even come close to
getting them--unless you're relaxed; and I mean relaxed not
only in the arms and hands, but throughout the body,
especially through the legs. Walter Hagen used to say that
as long as he could keep his legs relaxed he didn't worry.
The rest would take care of itself. I agree with him one
hundred percent. When your legs and ankles are nice and
supple, only then will your muscles be able to do the work
you want them to do. Only then can you pivot right and get
that sense of rhythm that helps you to go back in one piece
and to start down from the top with everything moving in
close harmony.

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Quote:

"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain
nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to
practice being brave."
Mary Tyler Moore Actress
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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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