The post That’s it… I’m pulling the pin appeared first on Golfixation.

New rules of golf

Not sure if you heard but the rules of golf changed this year… and it produced some really great storylines.

To leave it in, or pull it out?

Of all the rule changes this was probably the biggest. Would leaving the pin in for a putt help the pros make more putts?

The rule immediately divided the tour. You had players like Bryson DeChambeau and Adam Scott say they would use the pin to their advantage. And guys like Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka say they would always pull it.

And then science came into the conversation. MyGolfSpy released their findings from an experiment that showed that leaving the pin in would help you make more putts. Not to be outdone Golf Digest released their own independent study that showed the opposite. What was a golfer to believe?

Given that the rule was originally created to help speed up play, I wonder if the governing bodies will reconsider making adjustments to the rule.

At the end of the day, these guys on tour are already such incredible putters that it likely wouldn’t have an effect. I think it was really just a crutch for those guys trailing in the putting category.

Drop it like it’s hot

If you would have told me before the start of the season that the new rule to drop from knee height, was going to cause such a stir. I’m not sure I would have believed you.

But it certainly did…

Both Jordan Speith and Bryson spoke out about how absurd the new rule is. But then Rickie Fowler took a penalty for a bad drop. And then he responded as only Rickie can #savage!

With a year of this new rule out of the way, I don’t expect much more talk about it. The knee drop did feel weird the first few times. As I’m sure dropping from shoulder height did for those guys who had to drop it behind their backs.

Kuchar stiffs his caddie

Admittedly, this should have been a non-story but the way the Matt Kuchar handled it made it bigger than it ever should have been.

Should Kuch have just paid his local caddie as he would have his regular looper? Yes.

Did he think he was going to make it better by trying to explain his reason for not? I’m not sure. But it became clear pretty quickly it didn’t. And in the end, he paid up. However, his reputation may have taken a bit of a hit.

I know one person who didn’t want to let Kuch forget… the FedEx Cup Champion!

Tiger was back!

This year’s Masters was one of the moments in sports history when you remember where you were when it happened. Tiger winning his 5th green jacket was truly special. And up until the second 9 on Sunday, I’m not sure if anyone really thought it would be possible. Well, maybe this guy did.

After the first 2 days, there were a bunch of Major champions within 3 shots of the lead. It was really anyone’s tournament.

I don’t think I will ever forget that moment when you realized that Tiger might actually win his 15th major. The second 9 on Sunday was such a special 9 holes. Of course, it was shocking when Brooks, Tony Finau and others in contention for the lead rinsed their tee shots into Raes Creek on the 12th hole “Golden Bell”.

Then, like out of a movie. If there wasn’t already enough drama, Tiger almost makes a hole-in-one on the 16th hole with Michael Phelps watching behind him. So amazing!

Finally, there was his reaction after making his putt on the rebuilt 18th green. Tiger said the putt didn’t move the way his past experience led him to believe. And as he walked behind the green he shared an amazing moment with his kids, which many contrasted with his embrace with his Dad Earl. As I sat there in shock about what I had just seen, his words from his interview at the start of the week struck me. “I don’t need to win… But I really want to”. Yes, yes he did.

The next day after I woke up and knew it wasn’t a dream. I was left thinking about what this means for the rest of the year. Could this be the year he breaks Jack’s record? Everything seemed to be lining up. He had won majors at both Bethpage and Pebble Beach, and he could always find a way at The Open. Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be and he struggled much of the rest of the season. But there was still no doubt. Tiger was back!

Brooks the Major killer

There is no denying that Brooks Koepka is a major player. Yet I still don’t think he gets the respect he deserves. But I don’t think people expected Brooks to come out with such a demonstration of confidence.

First, he was quoted in saying that “majors are the easiest ones to win”. Then he said “I just practice before the majors. Regular tournaments I don’t practice”. Putting a bad taste in the mouth of some. But at the end of the day, you can’t argue with the results. With back-to-back US Opens, almost making it a three-peat with a runner up finish at Pebble this year. Back-to-back PGA Championships, by destroying Bethpage Black. Rounding out his major season with a T2 at the Masters, and T4 at The Open. It was one of the best single year major performances in recent memory.

Given that in the other 16 non-major events that he played in, he finished on average in 31st. So it’s clear where his priorities lie. And yet he is still first on the PGA Tour Money list with 9.68M (before the Tour Championship). So it looks like his strategy is working, and I think we should all leave well enough alone.

Predictions for 2019-2020

Why not make some early predictions for the next PGA Tour Season which kicks back off next month at The Greenbrier. But I don’t think you will see most of the big names until at least October. But here a few predictions:

• The rules changes will be a non-issue, but we will still deal with slow play.
• Kuchar will play nice when he returns to Mayakoba and will pay his caddie well
• Tiger will get reenergized after the Presidents Cup and will start to look for win 82, to tied Sam Snead.
• I see no reason that Brooks will slow down in majors. He will probably win 1 and top 10 in each of them.
• With Rory finding success this year, I think he carries that forward and we maybe see him complete his grand slam.

What are your predictions? Leave a comment down below.

The post 2019 PGA Golf Season in Review appeared first on Golfixation.

Carly Peister, a Canadian golf teaching professional at Merry-Hill Golf Club. Who’s mission is to “bring back the fun to golf”. As a US Kids Golf certified coach she’s a huge supporter of junior golf. She puts a particular focus on making sure they have fun first and learning proper golf techniques second.

Michelle Holmes, the Director of Instruction Michelle Holmes School of Golf in Virgina. A U.S Kids Golf Master Professional and a top 50 U.S. Kids instructor. Her programs are structured so that everyone from the beginner to the advanced player can get involved.

Their first swings

As I mentioned before, one of my favorite things to do is take my son to the course with me. Even if the only thing he really wants is to help drive the cart, having him on the course with me is fulfilling in a new way.

Get them on the golf course, walking around and seeing how beautiful it is.

Carly Peister

I heard a great bit of advice once about how to introduce a child to the game; let them choose what golf means to them. If they pick the ball up and throw it, that’s golf. If they roll it or kick it into the hole, that’s golf. If they run down the middle of the fairway while you chase them with the golf cart, that’s golf. Maybe one day they will even pick up a club (plastic or real) and swing at the ball! But first let them create those positive associations with the course and the game.

Should I get them a set of kids golf clubs?

We’ve heard the stories of Earl cutting down some old clubs for his son Tiger Woods – but this isn’t the late 70s. Holmes says “Too many children use clubs that are too long, too stiff and too heavy”. It’s important to start them out on the right foot. “When a child plays with clubs that fit, he or she is able to develop consistent swings that will stay with them forever”. And isn’t that what we all want, A forever love of the game?

But don’t limit your child to what some might call “regular” golf clubs. Carly loves the idea of oversized club heads like SNAG (Starting New At Golf). Their launcher helps kids get the ball airborne easily which means more fun! 

Too many children use clubs that are too long, too stiff and too heavy… remember they should grow out of their clubs, not into them.

Michelle Holmes

You are their first golf coach

Golf is a very tough sport, you likely know this first hand experience. It’s easy to get discouraged. So as a parent it’s so important to control your emotions. Remember that kids will always imitate their parent’s behaviors. Any outburst of frustration will quickly be replayed for you from their perspective.

“You want your child to look back on their junior golf experience with a smile”.

Carly Peister

Sometimes it’s also important to take a step back and “allow [your] child to develop their own passion and work ethic for the game” says Peister. And when your child comes of age “let the right person teach your child. Sometimes it is you, sometimes it’s a professional, and sometimes it’s a mix of the two.” says Holmes.

But most of all Peister says “You want your child to look back on their junior golf experience with a smile”.

Make kids golf easier

Kids like to succeed. So why not make kids golf easier for them to do so? But there isn’t much that you can do with making the golf swing easier but you can make it easier to hit a ball and get it into a hole.

I already mentioned SNAG. The oversized launcher and roller make it so much easier to make contact with the balls. Plus the targets are large and covered in velcro.

At Merry-Hill Golf Club, Carly is doing just that. She has started using larger golf balls. They are meant as a putting aid but she found they are easier to hit and get into the air.

Another great thing that I have witnessed first had at Merry-Hill is one of their 9-hole courses has larger golf holes cut into each great. It’s amazing the difference a 6-inch hole can make!

Game-ify the game of kids golf

It’s no secret that kids like to play games. Look at play-based-learning. When kids play games they experience enjoyment, pleasure of achieving goals, and challenges and frustration.

Next time you are on the practice green with your child, try these favorites from Carly Golf. They help them learn distance control and aiming without them even realizing.

Closest to the line

On the practice green, set up two tees to create an imaginary line. Bonus points if you tie a string to those tees to create an actual line.

With either a chipping club or a putter, have your child hit shots towards the line. Trying to get as close as possible to it.

Tic-Tac-Toe

A more advanced version of closest to the line would be to set up a Tic-Tac-Toe board with tees and string.

With the board set up, play a game with your child and see who can putt their balls into the board and wins

The post Kids golf – How to get your kids started appeared first on Golfixation.

Of course, Mark didn’t have to worry about making it onto the USGA conforming list. But who cares. It’s a rocket golf club! But maybe this can be a future change to the rules of golf.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

What’s even better, he published how he made it.

What do you think? How far do you think the balls actually went? Let me know below.

The post Rocket Golf Club: The next big thing in golf? appeared first on Golfixation.

Since Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts started the Masters Tournament in 1934, there have been 82 playings of the tournament, and 53 different Masters Champions.

Leave a comment below. Who you think will be the next person to slip on the Green Jacket this year as the 2019 Masters Champion.

The post All 82 Masters Champions appeared first on Golfixation.

New rules aside because I think in most cases the USGA and R&A did the right thing to modernize the rules.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest controversies that USGA has endured with Mike Davis as the CEO since 2011.

Let’s start with the most recent event, that everyone is taking about.

I’m not sure who is in charge of the PR account at the USGA. But typically PR teams are trying to clean up messes from others in the organization. Instead, they are the ones creating the controversy. And for something they didn’t even need to address.

2016 US Women’s Open

Hot off the heels of what was likely the biggest black eye for the USGA (keep reading). The USGA paired its black eye with two broken legs.

First was the penalty to Anna Nordqvist that eventually handed the tournament to Britney Lang. I do give the USGA credit for working to change the rule that inevitably allowed this penalty to take place.

I’m also not saying that Anna Nordqvist wasn’t to blame. And there was a penalty. It’s just the manner in which it was dealt with. Which seemed the be the norm in 2016 for the USGA.

Now fast forward to the trophy ceremony. The then President of the USGA Diana Murphy proceeded to get Britney Lang’s name wrong 4 times. Calling her instead Bethany. Cringe…

2016 US Open

This was likely the biggest mark against the USGA in recent memory.

The original rule that gave Dustin Johnson a penalty at the 2016 US open was vague, and hard to understand. Again I give them credit for modernizing this rule. It was actually their eventual handling of the penalty that was the real issue.

The putt in question occurred on the 5th hole of the final round. DJ explained the situation that the ball moved but he had done nothing to make it move. And it is deemed that no penalty will be assessed. No harm, no foul.

Then on the 12th tee, the USGA’s top official comes to talk to Dustin to inform him that a penalty may be assessed. But they would review it after the round.

So now DJ is expected to keep playing without knowing if he has 2 shot or a 1 shot lead…

Rory pretty much summed it up.

The USGA has two major tournaments a year to showcase great golf. But they are always so focussed on setting up the toughest challenge in golf and “protecting par”. I think they forget that the millions watching on tv just want to watch these great players do what they love.

In my opinion they need to take a step back and reevaluate and stop taking them selves so seriously and really listen to what the pros and the fans are saying.

The post Time for a change at the USGA? appeared first on Golfixation.

In the world of golf practice there are two main types of practice. Block and random and each has their place and are both effective.

Block Golf Practice (AKA bashing balls)

When I was going through swing changes last year my coach talked to me about two kinds of practice. When you are trying to get a feeling you have to keep doing the same thing over and over. That is block practice. He gave me a good example, to illustrate the point.

He asked me math question, to which I needed to think about the answer. After I answered, he immediately asked the same math problem again. Thinking it was a trick question I hesitated but gave him the same answer. But it was easier than the first attempt. He asked me one more time, and that response was faster than the previous two.

Admittedly this math problem is way more simplistic than the golf swing, but it illustrates how something can become easier over time after repeated use.

Once you have the right feels, you have to transition them to the golf course.

Random Golf Practice

When you are playing golf, how many times do you typically hit the same club and the same shot back to back? Save for a penalty or a bad shot, the likely answer is once.

Have you ever heard “Practice the way you play”? I grew up hearing my Dad say those words over and over.

So if you want to get your game ready for the course, why wouldn’t you practice with random distances, shots and clubs.

Practice the way you play.

How I Practice

When I have an hour of practice, this is how I like to break it up.

• 5 minutes – Warm up with half swings usually with a 7 or 8 iron
• 15 minutes – Block practice with odd or even irons
• 10 minutes – Block practice with Driver or Fairway wood
• 10 minutes – Block practice with wedges
• 20 minutes – Random practice game (See details below)

Random Practice Games

During random practice, you can certainly just pick yardages and try to hit it. But you want to be able to track your progress. That is why I created a skills challenge game. It not only helps me track progress and find strengths and weaknesses, but it also puts a little pressure on me to perform well. Because this way each shot matters.

Skills Challenge

Many of you might have already seen the FSX Skills challenge on YouTube channels like Peter Finch or Rick Shiels. It’s a great example of random golf practice that I modeled my practice after.

While I do have access to a GC2 launch monitor it’s not tied to the new FSX software. So I have to track my progress on my own. But it’s pretty simple.

The main point is to pick a number of increasing or decreasing shot lengths. For me I go with the following:

20, 40, 60, 100, 120, 150, 165, 180, 200, 215, 230, 240+ (Driver)

Like the FSX Skills challenge, I give myself 5 points for being with 5 yards of the target, 3 points for 10 yards, 1 point for 15 yards, 0 for anything outside of 15 yards.

I have found this process extremely useful in taking my game from the range to the course. Hopefully you find the same.

To help track I have created a downloadable speadsheet to help you track your progress. Check it out below for FREE.

The post Golf Practice: How do you Practice, Block or Random? appeared first on Golfixation.

On a recent episode of the Erik Anders Lang Podcast. Matt Ginella from Golf Channel’s Morning Drive was a guest. And early on in the podcast he made a great point on the recent changes to the rules of golf. “The Pros play a different brand of golf”.

This year’s changes to the rules of golf were focused around making the game faster. Which is certainly a great idea. Rounds are longer than ever and guys like Brooks Koepka are definitely in favor.

“We can play something that is similar to [tour players], we can have variations of the rules. But at the end of the day, we don’t play the same game that they play.”

Matt Ginella

Pin in or out

When talking about keeping the pin in. Matt goes onto say that the intention of the rule was to help amateurs when the pin is far away that they can putt without fear of a 2 stroke penalty. Which should speed up the game.

But instead what you see if the pros looking at how they can use it to their advantage to hole more putts. And just like Matty G, I think it will actually slow down play.

“Leaving the pin in, tapping everything down on the green, dropping from your knee so you don’t have to repeatedly re-drop. It makes sense for the amateur game.”

Matt Ginella

So perhaps the amature game would benefit from this change to the rules of golf. But in the tour game it will take away from the challenge of putting the ball in the hole. And perhaps even slow down play.

Anchors away

In 2018 the USGA and R&A jointly made a change to the rules of golf that banned the use of an anchored putting stroke. Citing that “The [putting] stoke is a fundamental element of the game”

A stroke is a fundamental element that defines the game of golf and is meant to involve the player freely swinging the entire club at the ball.  Anchoring the club relieves the player from making a free swing by restricting the movement of the club as if it were physically attached to the player’s body and thereby providing extra support and stability for the stroke.

R&A

So then how is making a putt without using the flagstick as a backstop not also fundamental to the game?

Amature vs. Pro

There is a lot made about the difference between amature and pro golfers. Ask anyone who has turned pro and wanted to get their amature status back.

If the governing bodies that make the rules of golf are so sticky on the difference between these two statuses then why not have two different sets of rules?

Too much distance

Another topic that has been picking up more steam is the debate on rolling the golf back back to slow it down. With the golfers getting more and more athletic, the balls are certainly travelling further. But I think the jury is still out on if it’s actually the ball.

If a golf ball roll back were to happen, it’s my opinon that it should only happen at the pro level.

“The idea that [amateurs] play the same game is ludicrous.”

Matt Ginella

Imagine taking 10 to 15 yards away from a weekend hacker because they have to use the same balls as the pros. If you want to “grow the game”, this change would have the opposite effect.

Having a different set of rules would allow for changes to the ball at the tour and pro levels, but leave the recreational golfer to choose the ball they want.

Examples from other sports

You don’t have to look far to find examples of rules being different between pro and amature sports.

Being Canadian, it’s easy to look at Hockey. The rules that the NHL and international hockey use are different. The rinks are even different sizes. Penalties are also differnt. In the NHL fighting is allowed and only penalized with a 5 minute penalty. Where as in other levels it’s prohibited and will get your ejected from the game.

In american football a ball is only considered to be caught if two feet touch in bounds. But in college (amature) football only one foot is required. Why? Because its so much harder to do.

In baseball, the pros are only able to play with wooden bats. But in lower levels metal bats are allowed. If professional baseball players could hit with a metal bat, every hit would be home run.

Even in the new rules of golf one of the changes only affects the recreational golfer. Only for recreation golf, the stroke and distance penalty is changed for any shot that goes out of bounds. So why not just have an entirely different book?

It’s a net positive

Overall I believe the changes made this year are a net positive for the entire game of golf. But a few other rules and future rule changes could and likely should change to just be for the amateur game.

The post Making a Case for Separate Tour and Amateur Rules of Golf. appeared first on Golfixation.

I certainly think this is a good rule change and do plan on leaving the pin in as much as possible. Especially, after seeing the results from the MyGolfSpy team. The evidence is pretty clear that keeping the stick in will help you sink more putts. At the very least leave you with a shorter miss.

But in some cases I am skeptical if this will actually speed up play…

I don’t actually think the USGA and R&A are trying to speed up play on Tour, but let’s use the tour as an example of where this might fall to pieces.

Let’s assume that Bryson DeChambeau, who has said and demonstrated he will keep the pin in for every putt. Say he’s paired with Justin Thomas who has said “I can’t really take myself seriously if I kept the pin in”.

If Bryson wants it in for every putt and Justin wants it out, one of their caddies will be running back and fourth with the stick to replace and remove it.

When the flagstick rule slows down

Admittedly this scenario won’t play out often, but just humor me for a minute.

If both players are on the green and Justin is away he will have his caddie pull the flagstick. Justin misses his putt and is left with a 5 footer. With Bryson away he has the pin replaced, because… Bryson. He in turn also misses his putt and is now 4 feet away and marks.

With Justin now away he has the flagstick removed once again and makes his putt. He is a pro after all. Now Bryson with his 4 footer keeps to his convictions and has the flag replaced. Bryson makes his putt and they head to the next hole.

If you are still with me, the flag was removed and replaced a total of 4 times. Using last years rules in this same scenario the flagstick would have been removed and replaced, once each. That just doubled the time on the green, possibly more.

So at your local course when you don’t have a caddie to do this work. What would you do?

Personally, I’ll probably just point anyone like Justin Thomas to the MyGolfSpy article to help change their mind. Then we will all fly through our round and make more putts without having once removed the stick.

On tour, I believe more players will see the success that Bryson is having and will follow suit. But I’m super interested in what will happen with this rule.

The post Why the new flagstick rule might not speed up play appeared first on Golfixation.

One of the great things about travel is being able to connect with the locals to learn more about their city, and culture. So what better place than the islands municipal golf course.

Once you step up the first tee you can see why the locals love to play here so much. The first 3 holes of Wailua Municipal Golf Course run along the ocean with views through the trees. I especially liked the view behind the Par 3, 3rd tee box.

For non-residents weekday rates of $48, and weekend rates of $60 you would be very lucky to find a better value on the island.

If you come to Wailua Municipal Golf Course and can’t play the full 18. I suggest you do. Make sure you play the second 9. There are a number of great holes on the second 9, but the one you want to see is #17.

The 17th hole is a medium length downhill par 3, with the Pacific ocean as the backdrop. It’s as challenging as it is beautiful with 3 large bunkers surrounding the front and sides of the green. It’s truly an amazing hole.

Don’t want to take my word for it, maybe Matt Ginella will convince you. He ranked Wailua Municipal Golf Course the best value on Kauai.

The post Wailua Municipal Golf Course: A muni with a view appeared first on Golfixation.