Duffers Corner

Hard Spikes do more damage to the greens than soft spikes?

Whose idea was it to ban metal spikes? Are you kidding me?

You’re telling me that hard spikes do more damage to a green than soft spikes? Do you know that golf shoes usually have between 16-20 spikes per pair and each spike has 8 points of contact? Now that equals out to how many little plastic points that are chewing up your beloved greens?

Come on, I have kept quiet for this long, I want someone to tell my why every golf course has adopted a soft spike only rule? I have heard the numbers about greens keepers saving between $125,000 and $200,000 in maintenance costs per year if their course switched to soft spikes only, well show me the proof! Personally I have seen damage done to greens by soft spiked golf shoes, are metal spikes really that much worse?

Now, I am not that crazy! I do enjoy soft spikes and I am not complaining in any way about their performance or their traction, someone just tell me a valid reason why they’re that much better for the greens than metal spikes.

Oh how my short game has caused me so much pain over the years…..I can’t even begin to explain. I have tried everything from shorter wedges, jumbo sized grips, goofy stances, even played a complete round chipping cross-handed, and nothing seemed to work. At times I can mentally work passed it (having a couple of beers before a round tends to help), but for the last 7 years it has plagued my confidence to a point where if I’m within 10 feet of the green, I’m putting!

Last week I got an email from a golfing buddy with the subject header “Possible cure for your terminal disease…..the Yips!”

OK, you have my attention!

He forwarded me an article from cnn.com about a Mayo Clinic study that pinpointed possible reasons to why some golfers suffer from the ‘Yips’ or Focal Dystonia – a disorder characterized by involuntary, rapid muscle movements.

“You have got to be kidding me…” I emailed back to him, “There are horrendous, untreated diseases in this world, sick children who aren’t receiving medical care, emergency rooms filled with injured people who can’t receive immediate medical attention and we have doctors studying why I shank all of my putts within 5 feet of the hole?

Where can I sign up for this case study?

The article said the Mayo Clinic, right?

How are the summers in Minnesota?”

I’ll let you know….Duff

Tiger Woods to undergo reconstructive knee surgery and miss the remainder of the 2008 season.
According to TigerWoods.com

Tiger, you gave all of us golfing fans a Fathers Day weekend we will never forget, now its time to take care of yourself! We are sad to hear about how severe your knee injury really is and we wish you all the best towards a speedy recovery.

Golf fans of the world

Now I’m not one Tigers biggest supporters (I mean the guy does have some freakish golf skills) but after reading an msnbc.com article “Sorry, Tiger won’t tame this U.S. Open”, I have to come to his defense. Never count a guy out with his track record, no matter what odds he’s against. I understand the course is not as friendly for his type of game (tight fairways, deep rough) and he’s coming off an injury that might hamper his strength and distance, but Tiger has this driving force behind him that no other golfer has or will ever have. This force molded his work ethic, refined him into a leader, told him to ‘push harder’ when the going got tough. Even though it has been over 2 years since his passing, Tiger’s father Earl Woods still inspires a big part of what he brings to the golf course for every round he plays, so never count him out of any tournament.

Golf is not a game of X’s and O’s, its about course management and execution, that’s part of Tigers game that cuts himself apart from the field. If you think for a second that a guy who hits a high percentage of fairways if going to win the Open, then Olin Browne, Mark Brooks, Fred Funk, Scott Verplank and Bart Bryant should all be right there in the mix of things on Sunday (BTW those guys are the top 5 leaders in Fairways Hit percentage as of June 10^th, 2008).

Yes, the U.S. Open is one of the toughest tournament playing conditions of the year, which levels out the playing field quite a bit, so look for Tiger to hit a fair number of 3-woods off the tee (stingers) and try to manage the course with his iron play.

Have a great Fathers Day weekend!