Just after reading Marc’s description of his ball rolling back to its starting point, I saw David Feherty on TV roll a ball on the 16th at Turnberry in Scotland, site of the British Open this week. I could not help but feel Marc’s pain…almost seems unfair after a good shot. At Turnberry, on the 16th hole, it is likely that if players do not get the ball far enough onto the green with their approach shot, it will roll back off the green…into a creek. Keep an eye out for painful facial expressions on this hole. They may even look live average golfers!

What I like most about watching the (British) Open…I can watch golf at the crack of dawn (or whenever I wake up), with breakfast.

I predict that Marc will make at least 2 birdies before the week is out. He and I are playing Saturday morning at 6:30 (we couldn’t get the 5:30 tee time). He will make a bird….btw Marc, we are playing the blue tees! Tape the Open.

Golf lingo quiz: what does “buzz his tower” mean?

How about, “hockey sticks”?

Tiger hits it at 4:09 ET on Thursday…may not be up for that!

http://youtu.be/nvI1htm53F4

Golf is Hard TV Episode 52 tackles putter technology. Grab your putter and find out about face balanced and droopy putters.

http://youtu.be/BdQ0r0hb4UY

We’re back with another episode talking about putting… Golf is Hard TV, episode 51 will have you puttering around.

Hello again GIH Fans!

Here are a couple of recent emails and questions from your fellow fans, we wanted to be sure you had the chance to enjoy them as much as we have.

Thanks Eddie and Dave for your questions and comments!
D&M


From Eddie S:

I just discovered your shows. I love it. I down loaded all of them on my Zune so I can take to the course with me. I will continue to follow you guys.


From Dave in Scotland:

Guys, could you so something on ball below the feet (hanging lies) and ball above the feet? Cheers

To Dave in Scotland:

Hi Dave, Great idea! We will do an episode on uneven (hanging) lies. For now, be sure to aim to the right (if you are right-handed) when the ball is above your feet and grip down about the same distance the ball is above your feet. The more loft on the club the more right you need to aim. We will get into why this happens. Practice some shots to get a feel. For a ball below your feet, you will need extra knee flex to get down to the ball, aim to the left and concentrate on keeping your balance and keeping your eyes on the ball thru the shot. This will get you going for know, keep an eye out for video. Thanks for your note, hope all is well in Scotland.

Coach Dave

Dave’s (Scotland) reply:

Thanks for the response! I’m telling anyone who will listen about what you guys are doing. Your approach is bang on. d

The golf industry provides jobs to over 2 million people in the US, with a total wage income of $61 billion and raises approximately $3.5 BILLION for charitable causes every year.

Go forth and sign the petition and show your Congressional Leaders that Golf is important to you and you have been impacted positively by the game we love.

Dave, Thanks sending your thoughts, we are excited to hear that your short game is getting better and you are enjoying it. Have fun out there!

Dave & Marc

Guys,

I’ve been fighting with a rubbish short game for years. Your chipping vids have transformed my short game, I now actually understand what I’m trying to achieve.Sessions on the short game practice area are now a joy!

Thanks!!!Dave, Scotland

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/volleynerd/61150961/)

Recently, Golf is Hard TV ran a survey asking how aggressive you are on the golf course. Do you typically lay up, go for it or always play safe.

The results were:

• Risk taker: I always go for it 26%
• Moderate: I tend to lay up 65%
• Safe: I always lay up 8%

For me (this is Marc posting), in almost all cases, I think the answer is “it depends.” In asking myself this question however, I started to think about my own playing habits, and in some cases, the decisions I make off the golf course. I’m wondered if my risk taking on the golf couse matches my poker playing style, my approach and work, and in life in general.

In sports, gaming and fun, I tend to be a go for the glory kind of guy. There is nothing like that feelng of hitting a bottom of the 9th bomb to win it all or sinking a last second 3 pointer to win a game. Similarly, it’s an enormous amount of fun to double down in blackjack, and is there a person on the planet that wouldn’t get a thrill from saying “I’m all in.” Doubtful! I also happen to be a notoriously aggressive chess and monopoly player!

In my personal and business life, I tend to play it a tad safer, but I’ve certainly taken my share of big career and personal risks as well. I’ve taken jobs that paid thousands of dollars less because I saw opportunities for the future. I got married early, went to college thousands of miles away from home and risked being a “goddamn independant” instead of joining a fraternity in college.

What does it mean for me on the golf course? It means when the time is right, if you are playing against me, I’m probably pretty easy to bait into doing dumb things for the thrill of it. There is one shot in particular I can’t seem to avoid trying… anything over water or a long iron shot into the teeth of a bunker. In my head, that’s a shot at glory… something I can’t seem to resist!

What about you - are you a risky golfer? Does your risking taking of the course match how you are off the course? Let us know!

It has to be the most exciting golf week of the year, can’t believe it’s April already and Masters week is upon us. Mark and I will be taking a closer (and slightly different) look at some memorable moments in Masters history…so keep an eye out here at Golf is Hard TV, coming this week. Go get ’em Tiger and oh yeah…watch out for the Shark, I have a feeling he will be in the mix on the weekend.

Well, as Marc said, it was great to get out on the course for the first time. It started out with multiple layers of clothing for the 10 am start, but by noon we were warming up and shedding the top layer. Of course, I kept the hat on for most of the round, as you will see in the video. I had very low expectations for the day, just get out and have some fun. I figured that if I could swing with decent rhythm, then I would hit some good shots (I only remember the good shots by the way). So, I hit some great drives (some with Marc’s driver) and my short game wasn’t bad either. Definitely something to build on for next round. As far as Marc’s putting, easy to fix. He will be in the 80s by the end of this year.

Thanks for your comments from Sweden ‘Backspin’, sorry to hear it’s still snowing there but guessing you will be out soon. In the meantime, work on those basement putting drills.

Dave