Golf/Questions Answered by Expert dan

SubjectDate Asked
Handicap after a long time not playing10/28/2011
  Q: I was wandering if you could help me. I have put my name down for a fun local golf tournament, but ...
  A: Under the rules of the United States Golf Association, the highest golf handicap is 36.4 for a man ...
gross score9/29/2011
  Q: after my round of golf i enter my score but enter 6 on the sixth hole which is par 3 and 3 on the ...
  A: Please refer to the rule below. 6-6. Scoring in Stroke Play d. Wrong Score for Hole The competitor ...
Lost Ball9/26/2011
  Q: We have been getting quite a bit of rain here and plugged balls or balls lost in the fairway due to ...
  A: The player may take a relief in an abnormal ground condition if rule 25-1C can be applied. In rule ...
course records8/21/2011
  Q: recently a friend of mine shot the lowest score ever at our club, a 63. he started on the back nine ...
  A: Please see the rule, 801.04 Playing the Stipulated Course. B. Specific Types of Misplay and Penalty ...
Hitting hooks8/12/2011
  Q: I am hitting hooks, going to the left. I am pretty sure my set up is correct. I try to release the ...
  A: It may be a little hard to give you any recommendation without seeing you hitting the ball. But, I'd ...
Nearest point of relief7/29/2011
  Q: Situation: The ball landed about 20 yards off the green, and lies near the stone wall (immovable ...
  A: Definition: Definitions from the Official Rules of Golf appear courtesy of the USGA. Nearest Point ...
Casual Water in Trap7/15/2011
  Q: While playing after a rain storm a party in my foursome hit his ball into a green side bunker that ...
  A: If your ball comes to rest in casual water within a bunker, you may drop without penalty at the ...
Swing7/14/2011
  Q: Dan I am compensating for my stocky build, big abdomen (not fat) and short arms and legs by using my ...
  A: I think you can try a couple of different ways. First, try to bend down from the waist a little ...
rules7/13/2011
  Q: I have a bet with my dad about practice putting in stroke play on the pga tour. I am familiar with ...
  A: I don't think PGA has a special committee. I understand USGA rule governs all golf games. If you ...
rules7/12/2011
  Q: I have a bet with my dad about practice putting in stroke play on the pga tour. I am familiar with ...
  A: Please see details below. ------------------------------- 7-1. Before or Between Rounds • a. Match ...
range or 9 holes?6/23/2011
  Q: Dan I am luckey enough to live close to a par three 'learner' course with a driving range. I have ...
  A: I hope you can do both, but I think you are in a position to choose only one. Here is my humble ...
Just getting started3/16/2011
  Q: I have only played 3 times so far and only once was 18 holes. But I am hooked on this game and don’t ...
  A: I never had such a challenging and career-deciding question like this. Being a Pro in Golf is not ...
push slice with new driver3/10/2011
  Q: I have recently swapped my taylormade burner 10.5 stiff shaft driver for a tour preferred burner 9.5 ...
  A: I think I agree with you that 2 degree more open in the club could be the cause. However, before ...
putting~ new item2/26/2011
  Q: i am currently watching the WCG Accenture match play championship at the Ritz-Carleton GC Dove ...
  A: It was a very good observation. WCG Accenture is a match play instead of a stroke play. In other ...
Grips1/4/2011
  Q: I am planning to purchase custom clubs in the near future. With all the grip choices available, I am ...
  A: First, you need to consider what size would be best for you. Smaller size (thin) tends to be good ...
bunker ruling11/25/2010
  Q: Can a player take 2 clubs into a bunker , lie one down on the sand and use the other club without a ...
  A: Rule 13-4 (Ball is Hazard; Prohibited Actions)is the guideline. According 13-4-b, Touch the ...
putting out10/9/2010
  Q: Can a player elect to carry on putting after his first put to put out even if he takes another two ...
  A: Golf is a game of manner and courtesy. I think in your case you want to ask for permission ...
rules of golf9/7/2010
  Q: are fences considered a free drop when it is obstructed a swing
  A: You have a free drop if a fence is immovable object. In rule 24-2(i), it says that the player can ...
golf rule / decision7/22/2010
  Q: Better ball match play. Partners A and B balls are on the green and in play. Partners C and D make ...
  A: You pinpointed the exact rule. If you read further, the rule says that: In stroke play, there is no ...
bogey7/16/2010
  Q: I am somewhat ignorant about golf. If I read in the newspaper that a golf player hit a “bogey” did ...
  A: Golf game is to play 18 holes. And each hole has its regulated number of shot, and when the hole is ...
huge distance loss7/13/2010
  Q: Recently in the past two weeks i have lost an enormous amount of distance. I can't think of a ...
  A: You are very seasoned and experienced player. Yet, I will try to give some thoughts what I an ...
jameswagner50@gmail.com7/6/2010
  Q: I play with a guy that hits the ball, off the tee on a par 4, into the woods and declares a lost ...
  A: I think he could be right, but the only thing I want to ask is that how he dropped the ball in the ...
golf rule6/27/2010
  Q: A player lifts a ball from a hazard to take a penalty drop but is unaware they have dropped it back ...
  A: I had to take some time for research. In Rule 20-2 Dropping and Re-Dropping and b (Where to Drop): ...
pga help4/26/2010
  Q: Im 19 years old and i have been playing the great game of golf since i was 6 i won a junior ...
  A: First, please consider to compete with State Pro's in their tournament. Each State has their ...
Lateral hazard4/21/2010
  Q: If a ball lies in water which is outside the margin of a hazard, is the ball in the hazard or in ...
  A: There are two stakes or lines to identify the water: One is Yellow stake or line to identify Water ...
Chip or short range shots4/16/2010
  Q: dan I am an occasional when I havethe time golfer so I am not that serious yet. I understand the ...
  A: First of all, in golf, tempo is very important for every shot: driver, iron, short iron and ...
shaft angle/high,low hands?3/31/2010
  Q: Hanging your arms relaxed and naturally down at address seems to be the best advice from everything ...
  A: I believe you are a really well established player based on the question you raised. I agree with ...
Golf Handicaps3/22/2010
  Q: We have an annual trip from 2 golf clubs. For the past 8 years the winners has always been from one ...
  A: I think in this case you may want to consider some adjustment if two courses have different ...
Rules3/12/2010
  Q: can I hit a provisional ball off the tee, even though I can see my 1st ball in the middle of the ...
  A: This is a very good question and a lot of people are not quite clear about this. In this case, it ...
Using a lob wedge3/10/2010
  Q: BUT recently I've been consistently 'squirting' my lob wedge shots to the left (I'm left handed) ...
  A: I am not sure what you exactly mean by squirting. I assume you mean it by hitting to the left, kind ...
pulling with the left side3/5/2010
  Q: I am a right-handed golfer. I tend to pull hard from the top with the left side, arm and shoulder. I ...
  A: First of all, please try to see the imaginary swing plane that surrounds you, and make sure the ...
Lost Ball Rule Question3/1/2010
  Q: I'll try and keep this brief to explain a situation that happened to me whilst playing a stroke play ...
  A: In your situation, your friend can not call it a lost ball. Since the ball was found, he has to ...
penalty stroke2/27/2010
  Q: I saw an answer of yours earlier that stated, if a tee shot goes in (deep) water, the golfer can ...
  A: You mentioned this - my only choice is to basically hit 3 from behind the water, and I don't feel ...
penalty stroke2/21/2010
  Q: I saw an answer of yours earlier that stated, if a tee shot goes in (deep) water, the golfer can ...
  A: and sorry for late answer. If the ball you hit went into the lake directly, you need to re-tee, and ...
iron shots go left2/19/2010
  Q: I hit my irons fairly consistently and crisply. The problem is that 4 out of 5 go left on me. I'M ...
  A: I will try to give my best based on what you described. I want to point out two things. First, ...
Too many provisional balls hit2/2/2010
  Q: I play with a guy who hits too many provisional balls. He uses the provisional as practice, knowing ...
  A: The rule 27-2 is describing about Provisional ball. Definition: A second ball played by a golfer ...
tilt vs turn1/16/2010
  Q: I am a tall guy -6'5". I tend to tilt my shoulders back and through rather than turning/rotating ...
  A: Based on what you described, I will try to give my best opinions for you, and hopefully they help ...
swing practice1/5/2010
  Q: I now feel that with a 9 iron I swing pretty well, and I feel that I am doing things correctly. ...
  A: As you may know, there are many clubs in Golf bag, woods (3) and long irons (3,4) and middle iron ...
hybrid clubs11/17/2009
  Q: when hitting with a hybrid club...i am confused on ball versus hand/shaft position? should my ...
  A: Hybrid has been introduced to help golfer hit better and easier. Of course, everything will depend ...
score cards11/2/2009
  Q: Is there a penalty for handing in an illegible score card.
  A: Sorry for late response. I was out of town. As you know, Score card needs to be signed by the other ...
rules of the game10/29/2009
  Q: If a yardage marker (pole stake) is between you and your intended shot line are you allowed to ...
  A: Yes. Yardage stake is normally considered as a movable Obstruction in this situation. In Rule ...
golf course marketing plan10/10/2009
  Q: Can you find me a "cheat sheet" that I could use to write a golf course marketing plan for a year ...
  A: Nicki. Thanks for asking this question. It sounds like you have a great business plan to launch and ...
Putting9/25/2009
  Q: during putting if the player puts his putter in front of the ball on the ground then puts his ...
  A: Yes. This is O.K. You may remember that pro Nick Price does that quite often. I am including some ...
Clothing9/6/2009
  Q: Is there a rule against leaving the course of play to change clothing? I live on the course, and we ...
  A: I did some research and found the rule that can explain your situation best. ...
Provisional Ball8/31/2009
  Q: I shank a tee shot deep into the woods during match play. Believing the ball is lost, I announce a ...
  A: In Rule 27-2 C, it is stated, If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player ...
obstruction.8/25/2009
  Q: My TEE ball finished rolling between the cart path and a tree. Since I am a right hander the tree ...
  A: I didn't understand the situation fully. There is an exception to the rule 24-2. A player may not ...
obstruction.8/22/2009
  Q: My TEE ball finished rolling between the cart path and a tree. Since I am a right hander the tree ...
  A: Rule 24: Obstructions. Since you are standing on the cart path, you can find the nearest point not ...
Golf Adress8/21/2009
  Q: I have a prostaff set and a 60 degree lob wedge. I was wondering how far away my hands should be ...
  A: I think you maintain the same distance from your body for each club. Just keep it as comfortable as ...
putting7/29/2009
  Q: When I line up my putt from behind the ball ( using a line on the ball ), it seems correct. When I ...
  A: First of all, this is a great question. I have been working on this for a long time as well. When ...
marking ball on green7/27/2009
  Q: Is there a penalty for marking and lifting my ball on the green while another player's ball is in ...
  A: Please see the rule below... Rule 22-2 Ball Interfering with Play Except when a ball is in motion, ...
downswing7/23/2009
  Q: im having trouble with my transition from the backswing to the downswing i was wondering if you have ...
  A: The idea is that we want to move down the handle from the top simultaneously with your hip rotation ...
Obstruction on the putting green7/12/2009
  Q: A player is putting - while the ball is in motion - another player notices that a club is lying on ...
  A: The following is the quote under Rule 24-1: Movable Obstruction. "When a ball is in motion, an ...
Hazards7/8/2009
  Q: The course that I play has two water hazards marked with both red and yellow stakes. One water ...
  A: It is somewhat hard to envision the situation. Let's say the ball completely crossed the Red Area ...
ruling7/1/2009
  Q: in a recent match my ball landed on the green about 6 or 7 inches from the fringe, but a sprinkler ...
  A: Yes. You will get the relief without penalty. Rule 24-2 Immovable Obstruction. When the ...
College Golf6/17/2009
  Q: Entering college what is the rule for GPS or laser rangefinders duing competition
  A: The USGA states in rule 14-3: "Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the ...
golf shafts6/4/2009
  Q: what shaft should i use on my driver if my back swing is around 93-95
  A: Normally, the swing speed is measured with the down swing when it generates most of power. With ...
rules question6/2/2009
  Q: On a recent golf trip we had a dispute and need a ruling if you could help. The event is two man ...
  A: Two person best ball match can be played in two ways: stroke play or match play. If the game were a ...
golf rules5/30/2009
  Q: I drive my ball into extremely high rough, impossible to hit the next shot. I'm in bounds but the ...
  A: You take an unplayable lie, take a one stroke penalty and drop. You would drop the ball on the line ...
high shot5/28/2009
  Q: I just bought a ft-5 callaway driver with a 11 degree loft. My shots are usuaally low shots.I would ...
  A: The first and most important thing you need to understand is that the golf ball has be picked up by ...
Handicap and Tee selection4/29/2009
  Q: what is the best way to determine as to what Tee you play from based on Handicap and/or slope of the ...
  A: Most of golfers want to set a higher standard before starting out playing. My rule of thumb would ...
Golf Rules- Provisional ball4/25/2009
  Q: Can a provisional ball be played if there is a doubt whether, following a stroke, a ball has entered ...
  A: You can use a provisional ball anytime you think you may not locate your ball. If you think it has ...
yellow stakes4/22/2009
  Q: What is the stroke difference between yellow and red stakes? Ex- par 3, hitting over water to green, ...
  A: The rule is described below: 26-1. Relief for Ball in Water Hazard It is a question of fact ...
reverse hand position3/21/2009
  Q: My Grandson is almost 15 yrs. and swings right but with a reverse grip( left hand low ) His drives ...
  A: My son has played in High school team for two years, and I understand how your grand son is feeling ...
HIP ROTATION3/20/2009
  Q: My shoulders at impact are at approximately 17 degrees and my hips 24 degrees open. My ball flight ...
  A: Denis: Can you focus on your thumb footfinger of your right foot a little more? In other word, you ...
Over the top3/12/2009
  Q: I can even see my practice swings are ott. And even small chip shots have a deep divot pointing ...
  A: I am very glad that you bring up this question. First, make sure your stance is very square. Do ...
OB3/10/2009
  Q: I have 2 questions: 1. From the tee, my first shot went OB, so I tee up again. Would the second hit ...
  A: First, your tee-up-again will be provisional shot will be considered third shot if you declare you ...
rule on yellow stake hazard2/23/2009
  Q: Yesterday, I played golf with a young man who hit his drive approximately 330 yards into a pond ...
  A: There will be two options: 1. Tee off again which will be his third shot. 2. Draw the line between ...
center shaft golf clubs2/4/2009
  Q: Does someone make center shaft golf clubs?? In other words, the shaft is attached to the middle of ...
  A: You can find some putters with center shaft. Check this site. ...

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Golf Swing, Simple swing, Improving Golf, rule of game, PGA tour event.
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I have played golf for over 20 years. I am an avid golfer and went through many things that I can broadly share with others. I will share my findings and tips.

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