A golf handicap is the single most important number for leveling the playing field, turning any round with your friends into a fair and exciting competition, regardless of skill. This article will show you exactly what a handicap is, how the modern system calculates it, and how you can use it to track your progress and enjoy the game even more. We’ll break down confusing terms like Slope Rating and Adjusted Gross Score into simple, understandable concepts.
You’ve probably seen the phrase on a flyer for a charity tournament or a corporate outing: 9:00 AM Shotgun Start. While it sounds a bit dramatic, it’s actually one of the smartest and most common ways to run a large group golf event. This article will walk you through exactly what a shotgun format is, how it works from check-in to finish, and give you practical tips to play your best when you’re part of one. We'll cover the distinct advantages and a few of the downsides, so you know just what to expect next time you sign up.
Nothing sours a promising golf hole faster than a wayward tee shot that leaves you staring at a ball nestled deep in the rough, tucked behind a tree, or sitting in a fairway bunker. Your mind races with questions: What club do I hit? Can I even get this to the green? In these moments, your best friend on the course is a recovery club. This article will break down exactly what a recovery club is, the different types you can use, and how to execute the perfect shot to turn a potential disaster into a saved par.
Trying to figure out exactly when a short shot around the green is a chip can be surprisingly confusing. While golf often seems full of rigid rules, the definition of a chip shot is more flexible and depends less on a precise yardage and more on the kind of shot you’re trying to hit. This guide will clear up the confusion by explaining not just the distance of a chip shot, but also what a chip truly is, how it’s different from a pitch, and how to execute it with confidence.
If you're tired of watching your shots balloon high, get eaten by the wind, or suffer from that destructive hook or slice that seems to appear out of nowhere, you’ve likely felt the frustration of an unstable clubface at impact. The anti-roll method is a modern approach to the golf swing designed to eliminate that instability by changing how you deliver the club to the ball. This article will show you exactly what this method is, why top professionals use it, and provide you with a clear, step-by-step guide to integrate it into your own swing for more consistent, powerful shots.
If you've ever watched a pro golf tournament and heard the announcer declare a winner by a score of 5 and 3, you might have been left scratching your head. This phrase comes directly from one of golf's most exciting formats, match play, and it’s a scoring system that turns every round into a head-to-head battle. This guide will walk you through exactly what 5 and 3 means, how match play works, and the strategies you can use to dominate your next one-on-one game.
A poorly struck shot leaves your ball dribbling just a few yards off the tee, and before you can even mutter a word of frustration, your playing partner cheerfully calls out, Take a Gilligan! You're relieved, but also a little confused - a what? A Gilligan in golf is one of those unofficial, friendly terms that adds to the camaraderie of a casual round. This article will explain exactly what a Gilligan is, how it differs from a mulligan, the unwritten rules of using one, and whether these free shots are actually helping or hurting your game in the long run.
If you've ever watched a major professional golf tournament or thought about entering a competition at your local club, you've almost certainly come face-to-face with stroke play. This format is the backbone of most competitive golf, but what does it actually entail? This guide will walk you through exactly what a stroke play tournament is, how it works, and most importantly, how to approach it with the right strategy to give yourself the best chance of posting a great score.
Thinking about scoring factors is the first step toward shooting genuinely lower scores, moving past just tinkering with your swing. A scoring factor is any part of your game - be it physical, mental, or strategic - that directly adds or subtracts strokes from your scorecard. This article will break down the most significant scoring factors in golf and give you a clear framework to identify which ones are holding you back.
If you've ever glanced at a PGA TOUR leaderboard on a Sunday afternoon, you’ve likely seen a long list of numbers and letters that can look a bit like alphabet soup. When you see a T next to a player's name, like T17, it's a simple label for a common and important aspect of tournament golf. This article will break down exactly what T17 means, explain how tournament organizers handle ties for prize money, and show you what happens when the tie is a for a first-place trophy.
Ever notice more and more yellow golf balls popping up on the course or at the driving range? You're not imagining it. This guide is here to explain exactly what the yellow ball in golf is, why so many players are making the switch, and whether it could be the right choice for your game. We'll look at the science behind visibility and bust a few common myths along the way.
The straightforward answer to what degree is a 7-iron? is that there isn't one. The loft of a modern 7-iron typically falls somewhere between 29 and 32 degrees, but this number changes drastically depending on the aclub’s age, brand, and who it was designed for. This article will explain exactly why that number varies so much, how loft impacts your shots from distance to spin, and what you should <em>really</em> be focusing on instead of a specific number.
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