Rules Guy: What happens if I lose the ball I just marked?

RULES GUY Friday, January 11, 2019

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

After marking ball on green and picking up ball, golfer or caddie drops ball, which rolls into water hazard, not retrievable. Replacement ball of exact brand and kind not available. What is penalty and how to continue?

—EARL HUSBAND, ODESSA, TEXAS

Ball lifted from putting green must be replaced. Must be exact ball. If not same ball, make/model no matter—substituting ball without authority under Rules. Two strokes or loss of hole is penalty. Also, One Ball Condition of Competition only encouraged for pros. Top-tier amateurs, too. Not for club play. Suggest: Grip ball tight!

https://www.golf.com/instruction/2019/01/11/rules-guy-what-happens-when-you-lose-a-marked-ball/?fbclid=IwAR11WsdtyZU9C7UU0p1QE1hg2Y8cKpXLWR3L2x-u8SZ-q2M8ywzfs6bGsWg

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Use This Simple Trick to Hit the Ball With Power Consistently

By Staff

When it comes to improving your swing with irons and hybrids, you have a useful training tool at the ready: your golf bag. At the range, stand your bag up and address a ball with your backside pressed against the bag. Take the club to the top while keeping your right cheek touching the bag. As you swing down and through impact, smoothly transfer contact from your right cheek to your left. Try to feel as though you’re rotating around your spine instead of moving laterally toward the target.

By remaining in contact with the bag, you’ll maintain your body angles longer on the downswing and have an easier time releasing the club and making solid contact. You’ll also train the pelvis to stay back instead of thrusting forward toward the ball—a common downswing fault known as early extension that leads to weak shots to the right. Think “cheek to cheek”— your ballstriking and accuracy will thank you for it.

Keeping your backside in contact with the bag throughout the swing—first with your right cheek, then with your left—lets you maintain critical body angles farther into the swing for more accuracy and consistency.

https://www.golf.com/instruction/use-simple-trick-hit-ball-more-power

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Spring Newsletter

It’s almost time!

Spring is here and we’re awaiting more sunshine and green grass.

Greg reports our grass is healthy and equipment is ready.  He has been diligently preparing our course for enjoyable year.  

RJ and Linda are giving the pro-shop a fresh look this year.  Our athletic wear lines are coming in; including Greg Norman and Antigua.  We continue to carry Acushnet products in our shop.   They have been busy adding personal touches to catch your eye when you arrive. 

A soft open for the range and pro-shop is scheduled for April 27th, and a  May 1st start for the course, mother nature permitting.

Upcoming Events and News

Ladies Leagues and Men’s Leagues begin the first week in June.

Women’s Day -June 4th- 5:00-7:00pm (complimentary)

Ladies Clinic- May 9th start – Every Thursday  at 5:30pm (complimentary)

PGA Junior League – Brand New !! – Wawenock Golf Team!  TBD start date.

Wine, Nine and Dine ! – New and exciting!

Social Scrambles, Tournaments, Fundraisers and more!

New Yamaha Golf carts this year!

That’s not all….. The White Owl at Wawenock Restaurant will be opening and everyone will be amazed at the elegant dining style coming to our beautiful golf course.

We would love to welcome all of our new members to WGC this year!

Once you arrive for your first round of golf, you will be home.

Choosing to be part of our club means we will do our best to give you, and all our returning members, the best customer service, and a great golf experience.

When you are finished golfing for the day, we encourage you to relax on the porch, or in the dining room, for a refreshing drink and a delicious meal.

Again, thank you to all the members who have joined, and to those who have renewed.  If you haven’t renewed or joined please sign up online at wawenockgolfclub.com.

It’s going to be a wonderful year for family golf or golfing with friends at WGC!

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Squat For Power

Squat For Power

Tiger’s dip can add distance to your game

By Sean FoleyPhotos by J.D. Cuban

Nod of approval: Tiger’s head dips as a result of squatting. Then he pushes up to create power.

One of golf’s oldest clichés is “maintain your posture” throughout the swing. The in-tent of the message is good: To help amateurs avoid rising out of the address position–either from a lack of hip flexibility or because they’re trying to help the ball into the air. But keeping your head level might be robbing you of some distance.

What you want to do is squat as you swing into the ball. This move is similar to what any athlete would do before leaping. Many long-ball hitters drop several inches as they start the downswing. Tiger Woods has been doing it throughout his career, and it has served him well. You can see it here (above).

WATCH NOWAND THE WINNERS OF GOLF’S FOUR MAJORS WILL BE…

Essentially you’re creating an explosive action by lowering and then pushing off the ground. It helps you swing into the ball with considerable force. If you were to maintain your posture, it would be impossible to get to the ideal low point of your swing, four or five inches in front of the ball.

If you want to understand the science behind squatting, here it is: Bending your knees lengthens your quadriceps (thigh muscles), and hip flexion lengthens your glutes (buttocks). You’re now in a position to contract these muscles in an upward thrust and deliver a lot of energy into the shot.

So the next time you swing, pretend there’s a banana lying lengthwise under your front foot. Your goal is to squash it as you swing down. Do this, and you’ll really compress the ball.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR GRIP

Most golfers tighten their grip as an unconscious response to fear and doubt. In a heightened state of tension, blood leaves the capillaries in your hands and supports your vital organs and their functions. When this happens, you lose some feeling in your hands, and the natural reaction is to grip the club tighter to try to regain it. My advice is to constantly check your grip pressure because it changes all the time. The more aware you are of gripping the club too tightly, the better chance you’ll have of making a good swing and releasing the club at a consistent point.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/sean-foley-power

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Cameron Smith’s trick for tight-lie chips: Turn more!

By Luke Kerr-Dineen

January 12, 2019

TOUR-TESTED TIPS: Golf’s best players make the game look effortless. How do they do it? That’s what we wanted to find out. Luckily, these guys were more than willing to talk. We tracked down Cameron Smith to teach us the secret to tight-lie chips.

Cameron Smith:

“Weekend players fear tight lies, but the setup is really the same as a basic high chip. My keys are to open the face, position the ball just forward of center in my stance, and make sure that my spine angle is perpendicular to the ground.

From there, I pick out a spot where I want to land the ball on the green then take a final moment to soften my arms and release any tension. From this relaxed position, all you need to do is rotate around your body, back and through, at a smooth pace. There’s no need to lift the ball into the air. The loft on your wedge does it for you.

“Once you take your setup position, pick the spot where you want your ball to land, and commit.”

https://www.golf.com/instruction/2019/01/12/cameron-smith-chips-tight-lies/?fbclid=IwAR3lAX0qVubT4CdpBvAX9T39WvtXPJz7GmkftPdRiNCZcFNSAEYNmz5Uczo

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How to hit the deceptive ‘fluffy’ lie chip shot, according to a three-time PGA Tour winner

By GOLF Editors

February 16, 2019

PGA Tour player Russell Henley explains how to hit the tricky, fluffy chip shot…

You missed the green, but hey, the ball’s sitting up in the rough. Good, right? Maybe. In this situation, it’s not always certain how the ball will come out. As with all short-game shots, crisp contact is the key.

Step 1: Even if you’re short-sided, refrain from opening the face too much. With the ball up, you risk sliding the club right underneath it if you add extra loft. The ball won’t go anywhere. I keep the face square in this situation, or barely opened if I really need more loft to stop it close.

Step 2: I swing as if I’m hitting a little draw, with the club moving in-to-out and my hands rolling over slightly through impact. This helps the club remain shallow, which usually results in cleaner contact. My main thought is to get as many grooves on the ball as possible. Think “glide,” not “chop.”

https://www.golf.com/Instruction/2019/02/15/fluffy-lie-chip-shot-how-to-russell-henley?fbclid=IwAR0IVdZS4-c0fR5cbM4Fmt1Em4d7rl2XKpEwmJL8iI9w231Rt3UzQXgrgEI

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How a Doorframe Can Help Your Golf Swing

Source: GolfDigest

By Keely Levins

Learn how to turn back, not sway.

Let’s talk about hip turn. James Kinney, one of our Golf Digest Best Young Teachers and Director of Instruction at GolfTec Omaha, says that from the data GolfTec has collected, they’ve found lower handicap golfers have a more centered lower body at the top of the swing. Meaning, they don’t sway.

If you’re swaying off the ball, you’re moving yourself off of your starting position. The low point of your swing moves back when you sway back, so you’re going to have to shift forward to get your club to bottom out where the ball is. That takes a lot of timing, and is going to end up producing some ugly shots.

So, instead, Kinney says you should turn.

“When turning your hips, you are able to stay more centered over the golf ball in your backswing and the low point of your swing stays in the proper position, resulting in consistent contact.”

To practice turning, Kinney says to set up in a doorway. Have your back foot against the doorframe. When you make your lower body move back, your hip will hit the door fame if you’re swaying. If you’re turning, your hips are safe from hitting the frame.

Remember that feeling of turning when you’re on the course and your ball striking is going to get a whole lot more consistent.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-a-doorframe-can-help-your-golf-swing

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