​

GOLF TIPS TO USE TO IMPROVE YOUR ENTIRE GAME (scroll down farther for putting tips)
29 Mar

There are a lot of factors in "working" the ball to do what you want it to do, or getting close even when you mishit. (This is an awfully long blog, so break out that Snickers Bar...it's going to be a while....lol) Don't get frustrated or impatient with it, as there is a wealth of information in it and you will be surprised if you choose to master it and apply it. Good luck reading. LOL

DRIVING AND IRONS (STEPS)

​

The order that I figure out a shot goes as follows: Distance, elevation, hazard such as rough, sand, mulch, fescue (if needed), wind, spin or no-spin, angle of club percentage add depending on spin, division by club rating and ball rating combination, then final addition of Shot Pal error. This order is ultra-important. The steps below cover each part in great detail. Learn the steps and follow them and you'll stick balls close to the hole or get out of that trouble effectively. This is not rocket science, but some think it is. All of this can be done on a small hand-held calculator that has percentage adds or subtraction a Memory + key and a Memory minus key as well as the four basic keys for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Stuff you learned by 4th grade. (at least I hope you did...lol)

​

1. First, figure out how FAR the hole is from the ball or where on the fairway you want to put your drive. Easy enough.

​

2. Add HALF the ELEVATION when you want to hit the ball right on the button close to the intended target on the fairway or green. Subtracting one-third of  the elevation on a drop shot works on most shots on most courses, but you CAN'T go wrong with ADDING half the "up" elevation when you figure a shot. However, subtracting 1/3 of the elevation in feet will translate to taking that many yards off your shot in most cases. If I have a shot of 113 yards, and the elevation is up 5 ft, one would THINK to add 5 yards to the shot if one thought that converting feet of elevation to yards of addition. This is not true. I add half of that 5 yards, which is 2.5 yards. This now makes a base shot of 115.5 yards.  If I have a shot of 200 yards, and the drop is 30 feet, I take 10 yards (1/3 the feet converted into yards) off the shot and I now have a base shot of 190 yards.

​

Want a little extra distance on your drives? Take the little dot on the ball that is down in the lower right-hand corner of your screen, and look at it. The dot on the ball is presented to you in the middle of the ball. I call this the "equator" of the ball (just like looking at a globe in school..remember?) and I move the little dot down just a bit (about 1/3...this will be dependent on how much spin rating is on the ball...Nikes have a higher spin rate and you don't have to move it down so far, whereas a starter ball has no spin rate and you will have to move it 1/2 the way down) and this will increase your launch angle to a maximum of 45 degrees, which is ideal for all projectiles launched for maximum distance. That's what javelin throwers shoot for, people shooting artillery shells, and even throwing a baseball or football (American football..lol) do when they want that maximum distance. Another method to help on your drives is to move the aimer about 10-15 yards farther on a drive down the fairway. This works on clean fairways where there are no impediments. The ball seems to want to "seek" the little triangle. Try it and see if I'm not crazy. I've improved my driving distance a lot using this trick. Watch out for that wind, though...the more backspin you put on a ball, the more the wind affects it.

​

ELEVATION RATIO  I usually do this calculation BEFORE I add half the elevation because adding half the elevation is  not perfectly accurate. Adding half the elevation will get you on the green and close to the hole in most cases, and leave you with a short birdie putt. However, to be hyper-accurate, I found that using a simple factor called "elevation ratio" that seems to be programmed into the game, you can get shots to land within a foot or two of the hole when shooting for accuracy to the pin. If you have a shot of 150 yards and an elevation of 25, adding half that (12.5) on a full-spin shot will get you awfully close, but many times take you a bit past the hole. What I do is take that 25 ft elevation and divide it by the distance of 150 and come up with a percentage of subtraction from the overall half-elevation number. If you divide 25 by 150, you get .1666 or 16.66%. The original half-elevation number was 12.5, so I subtract 16.66% from that 12.5 and get 10.417 and that is my new elevation number to add to my distance. So a shot of 162.5 on your original calculation becomes 160.417. Not much, but it gets you closer to the hole. Of course, wind has to be figured in yet, plus club angle percentage of add, so you aren't finished with calculating your shot as accurately as possible, so read on. This will help you get those mystery shots that seem to go long many times when you are hitting shots to the green and ESPECIALLY on wedge shots to the pin. So many times I have added exactly half the elevation on a 60-yard shot with a 12-foot elevation, thinking 66 yards was my base shot, and the truth was it was a 64.8-yard shot. You'll find this out as time goes along that this math is absolutely correct and begin to trust it to the point of sticking balls even closer to the hole than previously imagined. Certainly, you must try to ding the meter, but even slight mishits will be closer, thus making your birdie chances better. Try it and see.

​

3. INHERIT THE WIND. Figuring wind was somewhat accurate before, but I have found simple calculations for wind. Most of my shots to the green with irons and my hybrid work with this formula, and many times with my 3-wood.    BUT...you can hit accurate shots figuring the wind after you figure elevation by adding or subtracting an exact amount of yardage on most courses. I used to guess, but I went to a site called "The Physics of Golf" and studied the formulas for wind vectors. It's complicated as all get-out, so I decided to simplify it. It involves trigonometry, and the hardest part of trigonometry is spelling it. You won't have to do it for wind, because I am now going to provide you with a simple chart of 6 angles and their wind calculation factors to multiply by before you add full spin on a shot.

​

The multiples are for the angles of the wind, from dead straight in your face or dead straight behind you, and then the 5 angles in between. It involves sine angles and the physics of wind, but don't be scared. I'm doing the math for you right here and now. When the wind is in your face and straight at you, use a full spin shot and add half the average of the wind. Straight in your face is what I am going to call here a 90-degree angle for the purpose of simplifying the trig multiples. Straight from the side will be referred to as an angle of 0, and in your face (wind against you..parallel to the shot line) is 90.

​

Here is the table:

Wind at 90....multiple is 1.00

Wind at 75....multiple is  .965

Wind at 60....multiple is .866

Wind at 45....multiple is  .707

Wind at 30....multiple is   .50

Wind at 15....multiple is    .25

Wind at  0....no effect. Wind directly from the side with a perpendicular angle (a right angle) to the ball flight is non-existent with a full-spin shot.

​

Now comes the easy part...the entire formula for perfect distance control providing you ding the meter. Slight mishits from under 150 won't penalize you much, and you will stick the ball left or right of the hole and still be pin high. Sounds nuts, doesn't it? Well, the vector forces on projectiles hurled into the air involving windage are as accurate as anything, and artillery shells wouldn't hit their mark if it didn't. LOL The longer the shot, the more the wind will affect it. The shorter the shot, the less the wind will affect it. It's a matter of "air time."

​

(Distance plus half the elevation OR minus 1/3 the drop) - (elevation ratio) + (half the average of the wind x the angle factor shown above) + 5% (roughly...SEE CLUB ANGLE ADDS) of that total for a FULL-SPIN SHOT.

This formula works every time on just about every course for every distance and wind with every club. Even at ocean courses, but mainly from 150 yards AND shorter. For OCEAN courses that have shots longer than 150 yards, add 50% to your wind calculations. See also the specific "adds" in percent for each club below.

So, if you have a shot to the green of say, 150 yards that you have figured after adding half the elevation, then simply add the two wind numbers on the meter, divide by 2, and then multiply the wind calculation by the angle you figure the wind is coming from. A 30-degree angle has a sine of .5, a 45-degree angle has a sine of .707, etc.

If the wind is at a 45-degree angle and you have already figured your distance and elevation, then multiply half the wind by .707   So, if the wind average is 18, then divide it by 2....getting 9...and then multiply that answer (9) by .707, which nets you 6.363 yards to add to your shot.

​

Now the yardage is 150 + 6.363 giving you a base shot of 156.363 yards and then you have to add ABOUT 5% to that total (more on specific percentages of add for club angles later) to compensate for a full-backspin shot. So, 156.363 + 5% of that is 164.181. Then simply divide by your swing meter and take the shot. Of course consider your ball rating to figure the total impetus of your shot. Starter balls have no distance rating so your club won't throw the ball any farther than what is indicated on the club selection chart, but a Nike(with a distance rating of 5) will throw the ball 5% farther, so you have to consider that extra amount when dividing by your swing meter. Don't forget that part...lol

Hit the ball 164.81 and ding the meter and watch it stick near the hole or go in. This works. Trust the math. Full-spin, ding the meter.

​

USING THE SHOT PAL EFFECTIVELY  (PRECISION RATING)

I have been hitting a lot of approach shots to the greens and found something out recently that has allowed me to put the ball incredibly close to the pin...even MUCH closer than previously figured. Many times, I was estimating the amount of percentage to use on my Shot Pal, and coming up a yard or two off on my shots even when I dinged the meter. First and foremost, if you aren't using the Shot Pal, you are REALLY doing yourself a disservice. You get a free one when you join a club that is past Level 3 in the country clubs, so I urge you to do that. Yes, some clubs are real snooty and they get all wrapped up in the formality of it all, but there are some clubs that don't worry about such things, and my club is one of them. You actually get a free Shot Pal AND Putter Pal when you join and you keep it for the duration of your stay in the club. Kind of nice of them, don't you think? 

​

I use the Shot Pal and Putter Pal religiously when doing the numbers in WGT golf, and what would be the point of all this math if I didn't? You should too, if you are actually interested in getting better. HOWEVER, as I said before, I found out that there is an interesting anomaly on the Shot Pal. The Shot Pal is actually the measure of PRECISION for the rating on your clubs and balls. I have a  precision rating of 3.5 on my ball and a precision rating on my clubs. The closer that rating is to the number 5.0, the more accurate the Shot Pal is when you draw the meter back to a certain percentage on your shot. SO...I have to actually  ADD 1.5% on most of my shots to make it coincide with the PRECISION of the ball and clubs I use for a full back-spin shot. I always wondered about "precision" ratings, and used to think that the Shot Pal was "off" but the truth is...the PRECISION rating is a factor in your clubs and especially the ball you use. Of course, the more expensive balls and clubs have higher precision ratings, but you can make up for that error if you know what the PRECISION rating on your clubs and balls are...even STARTER sets and STARTER balls. Yes, adding as much as 5% on a full  backspin shot with a starter club and starter ball will get you close to the pin. Fear not...I bring you good tidings of great joy. LOL

​

Here's an example. This is unique to my clubs and balls, so you will have go to your own inventory and see the club and ball precision ratings to determine the addition to YOUR percentages. Every club and ball set combination is different, but follow this example.       You have a 170-yard shot to an elevated green that has a 20-foot elevation. Wind is against you at an angle of 45 degrees from the left. The wind speed is 10 on an ocean course. Now, you have all the factors to put into your math calculations. First, I take the 20-yard elevation and divide it by 170 yards to determine the subtraction of elevation ratio from half the elevation. 20/170 comes out to 11.764% Now, I take half the elevation, which is 10 and subtract 11.764% from that, giving me 8.8236 yards to ADD to the original 170-yard shot, thus making my base shot so far at 178.8236 yards. (Stay with me, because you are going to amaze yourself IF you are smart enough to punch numbers into a tiny calculator, and you wouldn't be this far in this blog if you weren't...so be patient and follow the process)

​

Now, you have distance and elevation, and it's time to figure wind push against you. The base wind average is 10, BUT it's at an ocean course, and the distance is MORE than 150 yards, so the multiple of 50% is increased to 75%, thus making wind push against the ball at 7.5 mph. Now, take that 7.5 mph and multiply it by the angle of the wind, which is 45 degrees, thus making it a .707 amount.  7.5 x .707 = 5.3025 yards to add to the shot.

​

So...178.8236 + 5.3025 = 184.1261 yards. Using this number, you then have to determine what type of shot you are going to use and which club. The amount of impetus will vary from a full-spin shot or a no-spin shot. I PREFER a full backspin shot because of the bite involved and the numbers crunched. Looking at the number, I have to select a club in my bag that will go a bit FARTHER than 184.1261 yards, and my 185-yard 5-iron combined with my addition of club angle percentage will leave me a bit short on a full backspin shot because the angle add on a 5-iron is approximately 5.6%, so I'd need to hit it 194.4437 yards with full spin (I always refer to "spin" of any kind as backspin...rarely will you use overspin except on drives up hills) and if I selected my 200-yard 4-iron, which has a club angle addition of 4.4%, I'd have to hit it 192.2227 yards. Therein lies my decision. I am officially between clubs. So, I have to figure which is best, and which will clear trouble, and how much roll I'll get with the higher club. The 4-iron will have more roll even on a full-spin shot than the 5-iron, and the 5-iron on full mode at 100% will come up a bit short with my Callaway HEX Chrome 33+ balls at 190.55 yards. That's with the 3% addition for the ball rating. I either have to take a bit of spin off (not much at those high distance clubs...just a hair) and hit the shot at 100%, which is preferred, and gamble with the roll, OR I have to take the 4-iron and divide the 192.2227 by 206 (my 4-iron rating with the HEX Chromes) and come up with 93.3314% on my swing meter. However, I have to add that last 1.5% for the swing meter error, and it gives me a safe margin at 94.8% on my swing meter, which is acceptable. I don't like hitting shots lower than 95%, but in this case it is definitely close enough. The shot will fly VERY close to the hole if you ding it...I mean VERY close either way you choose to hit it with either club. Trust me...I've been doing this for a while now, and found out it WORKS. Here are some of the club angle adds to help you out on full-spin shots...

​

CLUB ANGLE ADDS FOR FULL-SPIN SHOTS

I did some research online and found something interesting about that "5% addition rule" that I originally put out. On the wedges, irons, and woods, there is a vast difference between club angles and this changes that "addition factor" by quite a lot in some cases because of a thing called the "Magnus Effect" that shows how a golf ball really flies instead of being a perfect arc. That perfect arc is not the case with a dimpled golf ball, wind effect, and even club angle effect. Here are general club angles and percentage adds that I have found to be even more accurate than the "5% addition rule." Remember, this is for FULL-BACKSPIN SHOTS ONLY.

CLUB                    CLUB ANGLE             % OF ADD FOR FULL SPIN SHOT

ULW                       64                               10.7%

SW                         56                                11.4%

PW                         48                                6.5%

9-IRON                   45                               6.1%

8-IRON                   40                               5%

7-IRON                   35                               6%

6-IRON                   30                               6.4%

5-IRON                   25                               5.6%

4-IRON                   20                               4.4%

3-IRON                   15                               3%

HYBRID                 14-16                          -0.4% (NOTICE THE MINUS)

3-WOOD                11-13                          -1.1%(NOTICE THE MINUS)

DRIVER                  8-11                           1.93% 

​

Some courses have trees on either side that are very tall, and they act as a wind buffer, such as at Pinehurst. Wind from the side at Pinehurst is different than wind from the side at open courses like St. Andrew's or Royal St. George's. Courses by the ocean will have a generally greater wind effect than those that are protected from the wind. Wind HELPING can be as much as TWICE the average indicated, and I've gotten wind help of as much as 50 yards from a trailing wind of 27-30 at St. Andy's or St. George's. Be ready to understand that the physics of wind resistance and wind aid to a ball in flight will mainly be determined by the lay of the land at the course you are playing and the amount of backspin you put on a shot. St. Andrew's doesn't have as many hazards as St. George's or Kiawah, and as you play them, you have to be careful how much spin you put on a ball at those places, since the more spin you put on a ball, the greater the wind effect. When I have wind in wide-open courses, I ADD 50% TO THE WIND, and then do my calculations. For instance, a 20 mph wind in your face would normally be cut in half to 10 miles per hour, but since it is in an open space with no impediments, I would add 50% to that calculation, making my wind calculation in my face at 15 miles per hour. I have found this to be also true on other courses when golfing in heavy winds for my full-spin calculation. Another simple way to cut down one calculation is to simply multiply the average wind speed by .75 or 75%. For no-spin or partial-spin calculations, I usually take 1/3 of what I have figured for wind effect.

Wind behind you (helping wind) works the same way, and all you do is figure the angle in those nice little 15-degree increments (you'll have a hard time figuring any angles closer than that with the naked eye on the wind direction indicator) and then subtract that amount that you figured using the chart above. The reverse angles of the wind HELPING are no different.

I have also found out that there is a "twilight zone" of wind effect at the 150-yard mark. Below 150 yards, the wind effect is 50%on  most courses, even ocean courses when using a full-backspin shot. OVER 150 yards at ocean courses, the 75% wind effect factor comes into play. For NON-ocean courses, the wind effect is generally 50% of the average indicated for all distances.

Here is an example on an ocean course.

Wind is at 45 degrees from the left (in this case, the Northwest...North being straight ahead) and your shot is 215 yards. The average wind indication for this Pebble Beach shot is 14 mph.

The first thing I do is take 14 mph and multiply it by 75%, giving me 10.5 yards of base resistance. THEN I multiply that by the sine of 45 degrees, which is.707

So, .707 times 10.5 yards comes out to 7.4235 yards of ADD to the shot. I add that original 215 yards to 7.4235 yards, and use a full-backspin shot of 222.4235 yards. Of course, there are further factors of club angle adds that have to be considered, but after a while, it becomes almost automatic. In my case, the club-angle add for 222.4235  yards makes it a 225-yard hybrid for me, so I actually subtract 0.4% for my hybrid (the hybrid and 3-wood in my bag actually have subtractions instead of additions like all the rest of the clubs in my bag) and figure what the distance will be with my HEX Chome 33+ balls of a distance rating of 3 (adds 3% to the distance off the club face)

​

My 225-yard hybrid actually will be rated at 225 yards with starter balls, but with Callaway HEX Chrome 33+ balls of a distance rating of 3%, they should go 231.75 yards. I have that written in the margin of my putting charts for quick reference on all clubs.

Now I take that 222.4235 yards and divide it by 231.75 yards and get a percentage to drag the swing meter back to.  The percentage on the swing meter comes out to 95.9756% (96% for all intents and purposes) and I wind it up and try to ding the meter. 

​

Here's one more example for a full-spin shot on a non-ocean course. The distance is 145 yards and the wind is dead in your face at 10 mph. The multiple for the sine angle dead from the "north" is 1.00, and I take HALF the wind average. So, I have 5 mph of wind to add, translating to 145 plus 5 yards, which comes out to 150 yards.

Now I have to figure a club to select that is higher than 150. I have a 155-yard rated 7-iron (I run MAX Meter irons and wedges) and with the Callaway HEX Chrome 33+ balls, the distance on the 7-iron becomes 159.65. The club angle add for my 7-iron is 6%. That makes the 150 yard shot a 159-yard shot. (150 + 6% = 159) This will be for a FULL-BACKSPIN shot only. (no backspin changes everything)

​

So now, I have nice 159-yard shot and divide by my 159.65 of the full rating of my club and ball and come out with 99.592% on the shot meter. Dinging the meter will throw the ball that exact distance.

Picking full-backspin, partial backspin, and no backspin will be up to you. Knowing how to use the math and the amount of backspin takes a bit of time to learn, but it's deadly accurate.

4. Once you have figured out distance, elevation, and wind, you will come up with a number. From THAT point, you will divide that number by the maximum of the swing meter on a certain club and decide to either put full spin on it or not in order to create a "full" shot (as close to 100% as you can) with whatever club you have chosen.

​

BEING IN BETWEEN CLUBS

HOWEVER, many times you are caught "between" clubs, and you have to choose which is more beneficial for a "miss." You won't "ding" the meter every time, and you need to think, "Do I want to come up short or long on a miss?" The other consideration is trying to make it so you hit anywhere between 95-100% on a full shot, ESPECIALLY with longer irons from the 8-iron to the 3-wood. Shots with shorter irons and wedges can take "partial" shots down to around 75% and still be accurate on a mishit. Shots that are around the 75% number to 90% on longer irons will PENALIZE you radically on a mishit, so the prudent thing to do is figure out how close to a "full" shot (95-100%) you can make with those clubs. Picking the right club is not the one that is always suggested by the "caddie" and I've fired many of them over the months, but I've realized many times when in rough or with goofy wind, the "caddie" errs on the side of caution. However, the calculations I gave you for the sine of the angles is solid, and the programmers HAD to use them to design the game to work properly and mirror real golf. Now, with the same math they used in the program, the distance is no longer a mystery...it's an exact number, and you will wow your friends and enemies with it. 

​

The "go for it" golf that people try to play on here costs them more strokes than they can imagine, and until you get a feel for wind, elevation, rough, and distance, "working" the ball is futile. Having said all that, just know that ultimately YOU are your own caddie, and making the decision to go with spin or no spin will affect the distance and "bite" of the ball. When you don't put spin on a long iron, it will fly a bit lower, be affected by the wind less, bounce less steeply, and roll farther. Sometimes, that's exactly what you want, but other times, you have to clear a bunker or rough near the green, and you have to fly the ball a bit farther to make it to the flag or just short of it. This will require either full spin or partial spin to counteract all the forces working on the ball and still hit a "full" shot (100%) to make the ball control much better. All shots are different, but you'll get a feel from practice. Use starter balls in practice so you don't "burn out" a good store-bought ball with "-2" (twice the wear for mulligans) on each practice shot. The only way to get good at controlling the ball with all the factors involved is to get really good at using starter balls, and THEN you will see how well the good ones respond. Plus, you should always note from course to course just how far your ball flies before it lands for each club on each shot. Eventually, you will get a feel for how far your ball is flying, and the numbers for each club will become almost automatic, ESPECIALLY ON THE LONG IRONS, WOODS, AND DRIVER. Knowing THOSE numbers will keep you out of a lot of trouble, and you will golf mostly from the fairways and hit your greens with greater accuracy. Your misses won't hurt as much..

​

Using different balls will affect your play. Personally, I use Callaway Hex Chrome 33's which have a distance factor of 3 and a spin factor of 3.5. . I have a few sleeves of Nikes that people gifted to me but I save them, since the distance, meter speeds, and spin rates are all much higher, and I have to actually WAIT for the meter to get to that certain point on my swing meter, and it throws my mental timing off when I hit a shot. PLUS, they are hideously expensive, and at 500-800 credits per sleeve, you drop more than $2 each time you lose one. That's not in my budget. A lot of the "big hitters" and "sharpies" use the Nikes, and because I understand how to work the ball. I KNOW most of the time on the first hole whether or not my opponent knows how to USE his clubs and balls properly by the type of shot he or she hits. THEN I determine how "safe" I have to play to beat them. Sure, I run up against some "razors" that have all the equipment and the talent and knowledge to work the ball, so I break my own rule and play "go for it" golf against them and let the chips fall where they may.

​

5. Putting full spin on a ball will need about 5% more impetus on your Shot Pal than figured,but I have included the specific percentage addition factors for each club in previous paragraphs. The spin actually throws the ball a bit higher and SHORTER, so you have to compensate for that. My 8-iron is rated at 140 yards, and my Callaway Hex Chrome 33's have a distance rating of 3, and this adds 3% to every shot I take with it, even down to the 60% range. So, I have to figure a full shot with the 140 club (8-iron) will go 144.2 yards, and I have to take that into account when I am shooting. If the shot calls for 139 yards, I may add the 5% of 139, thus making the shot 145.95 yards, and a full-spin shot may come up 2-4 yards short. Every ONE yard of misfigure usually translates to TWO yards difference when it lands on the green. this is something to seriously consider when shooting. However, if I am between yardages like that, sometimes putting half-spin or 3/4 spin on a shot will get it to go the correct distance, and a slight mishit either way just lands the ball a yard or two left or right. If you saw some of the "darts" I've been throwing, you would know how well I have learned to work the ball with the math I have provided. I used to load replays of shots each day but it is tedious now since I stick so many close to the hole ever day, but if you have nothing better to do, look at what the math does for me. Yes, some of the shots are older, but unless I make a double-eagle or hole in one, what's the point? LOL

​

Rule of thumb for spin and no-spin shots is ADD 5% to your final calculation when using full spin, and allow for about 5% bounce and roll with no spin. Those numbers should get you hitting balls close to the pin and making more birdies. Also, when hitting shots with store-bought balls, you have to consider the distance rating and SUBTRACT that many percent from your final shot. I know that my 4-iron of 200 yards will go 206 with my Hex Chrome 33's because their distance rating is 3% more, so when I want to hit a shot of 195 yards, I have to divide 195 by 200, which is 97.5%, and then subtract 3% on the meter down to 94.5%, and it usually produces a perfect shot. I don't like to go below 95% most of the time on a shot, but sometimes the conditions dictate that I do. On shots like that, I either put a small bit of spin and hope I've made my calculations as accurately as possible. I made it easy for myself by making a macro and micro-putting chart, and on that chart on the side, I have the full distances of EACH of my clubs paired with my Hex Chromes written in the margin and it's quite easy to divide by THOSE new numbers instead of guessing. For the most part, THE MORE YOU GUESS, THE WORSE THE RESULT if you mishit. Don't do that to yourself now that you are armed with accurate math.

​

6. AIMING   Once you have figured all the distance, spin, wind, and bounce and roll, you'll be able to create different types of shots for different situations and the only thing left is aiming and dinging the meter. Most of the time, one of the "looks" from the green approach or behind the green will have a blue line that you will line up with a little white dot between your figure and the ball. If you look VERY closely, you will see it on all drives and fairway shots from the reverse angle. Lining up the blue line with that white dot will be accurate for a safe shot most of the time and many times be the EXACT compensation you need to make the perfect shot. I've discovered that they give you all the tools to figure out each shot perfectly, and once in a while, it's half or double the amount of aim OR on the wrong side of the hole when figuring indicated wind push, but for the most part, it's quite accurate for the "safe" shot to the right part of the green or fairway. The same is true on putting when you aim. ALWAYS look at the aimer from both angles, and you'll find that it's usually the average of the two looks or the exact aim from one look if you feather a putt, and the exact aim when you ram a putt. (more on aiming putts later) Sometimes it's the addition of both, so you have to judge for yourself when the camera angle isn't right.

​

7. DINGING THE METER   

THE KWAI CHANG CAINE EFFECT OF DINGING THE METER

Recently, I have been dinging the meter much more often than before. Another "aha moment" came to me as I was golfing and struggling at times to get my timing right. The biggest factor in getting your timing down is to match your entire set of golf clubs from driver to putter with the EXACT SAME METER SPEED. Only then will good timing come more naturally. However, even though my club set was  matched for an awfully long time, I still had trouble being at or near the ding UNTIL I started doing hyper-accurate math on my shot and putting calculations. Many times I would get ready to play a tournament that had Championship green speeds, and I knew I had to be accurate on my drives and approach shots in order to be closer to the hole to give myself a chance to putt the greens well.

​

So, I set about doing my math as accurately as my little $4 calculator and two handwritten homemade charts would allow me, and aiming as perfectly as possible to allow the meter to adjust to my shot timing. It always seemed that the meter would try to compensate for an inaccurate calculation and this threw a lot of shots off that I thought I had calculated correctly. It was almost like the meter became the "Kwai Chang Caine" character in the old television series, "Kung Fu." The meter, much like Caine, would have a mind of its own and say to you, "I must HELP you." I remember how annoyed the people in that series used to get when Caine "helped" them in ways they didn't really like at first, and eventually they saw the error of their own ways when Caine fixed things for them. Well, the meter is just like Caine.

​

The meter actually tries to compensate for inaccurate math, improper spin, wrong club selection, and lousy aim. Every one of those factors is taken into account by the computer when you click on it to drag it back to the precise point of release. If you violate any one of those factors, the meter will do its best to speed up or slow down to affect the shot and not only throw your timing off, but many times throw your golf ball in places you don't want it to go. Call me crazy, but it works.

Lately, from doing hyper-accurate math and not guessing or golfing by feel, the meter has been MUCH more cooperative, and my timing in dinging the meter or being slightly (a frog's hair) early or late without much damage to my shots or putts. The accuracy of being at or near the ding has gone from 40% or so to more than 80% of the time and even when I am a bit more than a "frog's hair" off, the shots are close enough to make the next shot easy or much more manageable.  That's a significant improvement. You'll see what I mean once you go from guessing on shots to using the math to help your game. This blog is published to "help" you, and while I am not Kwai Chang Caine, I know it works.

​

Example #1.   175 yds.   15 ft. UP elevation   Ocean course. Wind in your face (dead from the 'north') at 15 mph.

15/175 = 0.08571 (elevation ratio) is 8.571%

15/2 = 7.5 (half the elevation)

7.5 - 8.571% = 6.8571 (true elevation)

175 + 6.8571 = 181.8571 yds. (distance plus true elevation)

15 mph x 75% = 11.25 yds add (ocean course...over 150 yd. shot) [wind multiple is 1.00...no change for angle]

181.8571 + 11.25 = 193.1071 yds. (new adjusted shot for wind)

193.1071 + 4.4% = 201.6038 yds  (addition for club angle add for 200-yd. 4-iron)

201.6038/206 = 0.97865 or 97.865%  (swing meter pull-back and adjusted ball distance add of 3% for my Callaway HEX 33+ Soft balls) [this will vary with the type of ball you use]

97.865% + 1.5% = 99.3% (precision adjustment for swing meter for most clubs) [starters will have no adjustment]

Yes...NINE calculations for a full back-spin shot....BUT...you stick the ball within a yard provided you aim at the pin and ding the meter. (My recommendation is to PULL THE PIN so you don't whack it and end up 20 yards from the hole...lol...trust me)

This calculation can be done with practice in about 45-50 seconds. It takes a few extra seconds if the wind is at some other angle. Now, if you are in an Alternate Shot game, you have 45 seconds to aim and shoot if you have a 90-second shot timer. If you are by yourself, you have all day to make the calculation correctly.

Example #2.  145 yds. 15 ft. DROP  Wind 14 mph from the "southeast" (or 45 degrees over your shoulder from the right)

15/3 = 5 yds. (drop calculation)

145 - 5 = 140 yds. (true shot calculation distance)

14/2 = 7 mph for wind

7 x.707 = 4.949 (true wind push)

140 - 4.949 = 135.051 yds, (true shot minus true wind)

135.051 + 5% = 141.803 yds. (club angle add for 8-iron full backspin shot)

141.803/144.2 = 0.98338 or 98.3338% (division for swing meter using Callaway HEX Chrome 33+ Soft balls...this will vary for the type of ball you use) [normal 8-iron shot for me is rated at 140 and I have to add 3% for the ball type]

98.3338% + 1.5% = 99.838% (swing meter precision error for club set)

Aim right using the blue line and line it up...most times the blue line will help in adjusting for wind push ....DON'T AIM AT THE PIN...LOL. The blue line is there to help you AIM. The blue line (or red when you extend it) is usually the exact amount you need to adjust for wind push. I have used it effectively in tons of cases and when I ding the meter, I have to actually have the pin pulled so I don't smack the pin.

​

 PUTTING (9 STEPS TO BETTER PUTTING)

The steps for figuring putts is laid out as follows. Distance plus/minus elevation, times green speed factor, times distance touch factor, divide by meter, store in memory, figure elevation ratio add/subtract in percent times ten, store in memory plus or minus, figure grain flow in seconds, add or subtract percent, figure break flow in seconds, swing the aimer, figure wind resistance, then ding the meter. You will lag putt great with this and the ball goes in the hole or dies near the hole. I am NOT a proponent of going too far past the hole by "ramming" putts. Some people are, but I find that giving the exact impetus to a ball and seeing it die in the hole is much nicer than going 4 feet past when you miss and turning a birdie into a bogey. That's not my idea of smart golf. Of course...that's my OPINION...LOL  Read on for the steps. Many have benefited from this method. Lots to read and absorb, so get that Snickers bar out. (They should pay me for advertising)

​

Before you even begin the process of putting, make sure the distance is correct. Sometimes, you see a putt distance of 17 feet, and if you move the aimer a bit, farther past the hole or even inside the hole, you find out that the putt is 18 feet instead of 17 feet. Be careful to make sure you do this first before you start your first step. The grids are 24 inches long and 24 inches wide, so you can get an idea of how many inches to add onto your putt in order to get the number of FEET of distance for your putt. If you move that aimer around, the grid will move with it or stay stationary depending on whether you lock or unlock the grid. Look at the aimer and see when it changes to the next foot. This will happen on putts of 11 feet or longer, so be aware of the EXACT distance of your putt. For instance, if you see it is 1/4 of a grid farther than 17 feet, then that means you add 6 inches to the overall distance of your putt, thus making the putt 17.5 feet instead of 17 feet. This will make for a more accurate putt and fewer misses or putts that come up just short. Now, let's begin the process of calculation. It's not that hard, and you can do all of this on a cheap little calculator like I do and learn to do it fast ONCE YOU LEARN TO DO IT CORRECTLY. It seems like a lot of work, but those that guess at this are doomed to do this work eventually, so the smart option is to learn how to do it now.

One of the main things you want to do in putting is NOT BLOW the next shot.  If you are putting for eagle, make sure you don't blow birdie by coming up too short, too far left or right, or going too long. If you are putting for birdie, don't blow par. If you are putting for par, don't blow bogey. Too many times in the past, I got aggressive on putts and figured on ramming a short putt in the hole for birdie and ended up making bogey or worse because I felt bold or out of sorts. EACH PUTT COUNTS THE SAME AS A 290-YARD DRIVE. Think about that when you begin figuring out how to putt properly. Remember...you drive for show, and putt for dough. Too many people think that buying that big hot driver will solve all their problems, and find out that they should have worked on putting first. The driving is the LAST thing in your game you should work on perfecting. The thought of golf is to work from the hole BACK to the tee. The short game is the fastest way to improve your overall game and it STARTS with good putting....especially lagging the correct distance. Sure, you'll mishit once in a while and come up a bit short, but for the most part, this blog is designed to get you TO THE HOLE  or just a tad past. Once you master that, the rest is simply a game of aiming the putt. 

​

Step 1. Add or subtract the height (elevation or drop) in inches to the distance of the putt in feet. (everyone ...even the hacks figure that out)

​

Step 2. Multiply by the green speed factor. (charts will be included further on for all green speeds you will encounter in normal play from 2-100 feet along with a micro chart for the majority of putts, which are under 8 feet.) This will give you a new distance for the putt. Green speeds will remain constant throughout the course, so once you understand how to multiply by the green speed factor, then you can move on to step #3. For SLOW greens only, don't go any farther than this step OTHER THAN USING STEP 4.

​

Step 3. Look at the new distance for the putt and then multiply by the "touch" factor. The "touch factor" is a product of the overall impetus or "oomph" you are putting on the ball from different distances. It is NOT LINEAR, so there is no "set" formula for figuring it out. I've made charts for you up to 100 feet. (Scroll down and you will see that charts are included for this factor from 2-100 feet. Nice of me, huh?) For STANDARD and SLOW greens, don't use this step.

Step 4. Divide by the swing meter distance. For instance, if you have a calculated putt of 10 feet by the time you get to this step, and you have a swing meter of 15 feet, then divide 10 by 15 and you know that your base impetus is now 0.667 or 66.7%. If you have a swing meter of 10 feet, then divide that 10 feet by 10 and you get 1.00 or 100%. Easy enough. Now comes the the beginning of the tricky parts of figuring a putt..

​

Step 5. Add or subtract the RATIO of elevation or drop in percentage For instance, on that putt of 10 feet that you just figured out to be 66.7% of your swing meter, you now have to factor in the ratio of elevation or drop. This will be a small percentage that you add or subtract to the total putt. So, if the drop was 2 inches, and the distance was originally 12 feet, then you would take 0.167 then multiply that by ten in order to make the actual percentage of 1.67% to take off the total putt you have figured so far. So, that 66.7% you originally figured for the putt becomes 65.03%  Now comes the really tricky part. LOL  (For SLOW and STANDARD greens, ignore this step and all the others beyond.) This elevation ratio is crucial to figuring putts more accurately. The elevation ratio does NOT come into play on DOWNHILL PUTTS ON SLOW GREENS OR STANDARD GREENS, SO IGNORE IT. It ALWAYS comes into play on UPHILL PUTTS ON ALL GREENS, BECAUSE YOU ARE FIGHTING GRAVITY. Something to remember.

​

6. The trick to figuring grain flow toward you or away from you AND figuring break is a matter of counting the dot flow in the last TWO grids of a putt for grain, and looking at the overall flow left and right for break. This will radically impact how far your ball goes. This grain flow is a product of the number of seconds the flow is from one grid to the next nearest the hole in the last two grids. Use the vertical "grain" flow of the little dots to determine how many percent to add or subtract for your final calculation. (all of this is explained a bit  later in this blog) Again, as always, downhill dot flow does NOT come into play on slow and standard greens. UPHILL DOT FLOW COMES INTO PLAY ON ALL GREENS....you're fighting gravity. 

​

7. Figure wind resistance.(this is also expounded upon later in this blog) Wind resistance in general once you figure the percentage of a putt is usually .1 percent addition (point one...or one-tenth of a percent) for every mile an hour of wind in your face AND using the wind angle factors...yes...those come into play also)

​

8. Aim using your aimer. (all of this is explained a bit  later in this blog)  A somewhat tricky process that I still haven't mastered, but there are plenty of hot tips on how to aim as properly as you can, so don't ignore the tips as quack technology. All the indicators you need for aiming are THERE, and you have to decide whether to aim a bit wider or ram a putt a bit harder. That's the essence of good putting once you learn to figure out distance using this method. All my putting stats have improved using this method, and nothing happens in golf overnight. That's the fun of the game.

​

9. Ding the meter.

Here's the overall formula for in words for putting. I hope it simplifies it for some, although I had a terrible time with math back in school until I realized everything boils down to the four basic operations. If you can use a small hand-held calculator, you can get this formula down to 35 seconds. I do it all the time.

(Putt distance plus or minus elevation)  X  (Green speed factor)  X  (Touch factor) divided by (swing meter distance chosen) plus or minus (elevation divided by distance times 10) plus or minus (grain factor) plus (break factor) plus wind.

This is how it looks in math language for you math geeks like me. [([Dp  +/ -  E)  x (Gsf) x (Tf)]  /  [(Smd)]  +/- (E/Dp) x 10] + /- Gf  +/- Bf + Wf

Dp = Putt distance

Gsf = Green speed factor

E = elevation or drop

Tf = Touch factor (amount of "oomph")

Smd = Swing meter distance chosen

Gf = Grain factor

Bf = Break factor

Wf = Wind factor

Real simple, huh? LOL.  If you follow the formula, it works every time, and all you have to figure out is how you aim, and I have that covered if you read on. The main steps are now explained in detail in the next portion.

GREEN SPEED FACTORS (STEP 2 in the process)

All green speed factors are at a baseline of the "FAST" green number "9" and the division INTO 9, is the key.

FAST (9) ...9 divided by 9, which is simply one to one, or 100%

VERY FAST (10)...9 divided by 10, which is 90% or multiply by .90 (that's point nine-oh...lol)

TOURNAMENT (11.)...9 divided by 11, which is 81.8% or multiply by .818 (that's point eight one eight...you get the idea)

TOURNAMENT (12)...9 divided by 12, which is 75% or multiply by .75

TOURNAMENT (13)...9 divided by 13 which is 69.23% or multiply by .6923

SLOW (7.4)...9 divided by 7.4 which is 121.6% or multiply by 1.216

STANDARD (7.9)...9 divided by 7.9, which is 113.9% or multiply by 1.139 (or 1.14...close enough for government work)

​

This will always work. The math of the green speed factors is always true, and  these baseline numbers are programmed into the game. I have heard rumors that WGT changes the green speeds slightly from day to day, but THIS IS NOT TRUE. There is no way the programmers could ever do that.

​

IMPETUS OR "TOUCH" FACTORS (STEP 3 in the process)

Touch, or impetus, is a factor of the distance you are hitting the ball. Generally, the shorter you hit the putt, the more OOMPH (impetus) you have to put on the putt and the longer the putt, the less OOMPH you have to put on the putt. Here is a table of OOMPH (impetus or "touch") factors for distances from 1 to 100 feet. They work every time, and the closer you pull the swing meter back to the exact percentage, the better you will get at longer putts. Frankly, a 3-5 foot breaker is more daunting than a 50-foot straight putt. You'll see what I mean as time goes along.

1 FT...(don't bother...just ram it)

2 ft.... 107%

3 ft.... 106%

4 ft.... 105%

5 ft.... 104%

6 ft.... 103%

7 ft.... 102%

8 ft.... 101%

9 ft.... 100%

9.5 ft.. 99%

10 ft... 98%

11 ft.... 97%

12 ft.... 96%

13 ft.... 95.66%

14 ft.... 95.33%

15 ft.... 95%

16 ft..... 94.83%

17 ft..... 94.66%

18 ft.... 94.5%

19 ft.... 94.33%

20 ft... 94.16%

21 ft... 94%

22 ft... 93.8%

23 ft.... 93.7%

24 ft.... 93.6%

25 ft.... 93.5%

26 ft..... 93.4%

27 ft.... 93.3%

28 ft..... 93.2%

29 ft..... 93.1%

30 ft..... 93%

31 ft..... 92.8%

32 ft..... 92.6%

33 ft..... 92.4%

34 ft.... 92.2%

35 ft..... 92%

36 ft.... 91.8%

37 ft.... 91.6%

38 ft.... 91.4%

39 ft.... 91.2%

40 ft.... 91% (linear from here on)

41 ft..... 90.9%

42 ft..... 90.8%

43 ft..... 90.7%

44 ft..... 90.6%

45 ft..... 90.5%

46 ft..... 90.4%

47 ft..... 90.3%

48 ft..... 90.2%

49 ft..... 90.1%

50 ft...... 90%

55 ft...... 89.5% 

60 ft...... 89%

65 ft...... 88.5%

70 ft..... 88%

75 ft..... 87.5%

80 ft.... 87%

85 ft.... 86.5%

90 ft.... 86%

95 ft..... 85.5%

100 ft.... 85%

 

Upwards of 100 feet, you have to be HYPER-accurate on the exact amount of percentage you pull your swing meter back to and I've found that using the "touch factor" doesn't work as well. Use the green speed factor after you figure out the elevation to drop addition or subtraction, but you have to ding the meter, since usually after 40 feet, any slight mishit will produce a radical change in distance (short) in your putt.

​

More on putting...when you look at the grid for the left-right break (horizontal), don' t forget to use the up-down grain (vertical) when you get ready to putt. Some putts have the grain running INTO your putt when the up-down arrow shows DOWN, or AWAY from you. (WGT gets tricky on occasion..lol) You have to add 2-10% on your swing meter on some putts to get it up the little hill that is not normally shown on short putts. On long putts, (20 feet or more) look at the run of the grain and understand that your putting will be dependent from that point on the rise and fall or "grain" of the green AND the break  This will help get those nasty long putts to either go in, or settle nicely by the hole on a slight mishit or a mis-aim. Then you can turn a possible difficult 3-putt on a green into an easy 2-putt and save your hole and thus your scores.  Even on short putts that would normally be a bit scary, you can figure out whether to "ram" a putt or feather it in with the break and a nice touch. It's lowered my scores considerably when I finally discovered that the vertical "grain" is just as important as the break. I consider any putt under 50 feet a make-able putt now.

​

I have included a putting chart to use with all putters and swing meters at the very end of this blog for you beginners who putt "fast" and "very fast" greens so you can get an idea of how to do the first two calculations. Copy it down on a sheet of paper, and use it. You'll automatically become a better putter, I GUARANTEE it or your money back. LOL (of course, this is free, so you don't get anything back)

​

WIND FACTOR   There is also a wind factor on each putt, (yes, wind affects putts..how about that?) and adding or subtracting .1% for each mile per hour (that's point-one percent for those of you who don't know math well) of wind is going to get you in the hole or darn close. If you have a 30 mile-per-hour wind in your face, add 3 full percent to your putt. By the same token adding 2% on a 20-mile per hour wind will get you to the hole if it's in your face. Same thing is true with a trailing wind and use the sine angles for wind from the side or at an angle. It works.

​

READING THE GREEN USING THE DOTS (FIGURING BREAK AND GRAIN) (STEP 6)

When I am lining up a  putt and want to figure break, I look at BOTH VIEWS, forward and reverse. Many times the putt will show it straight in the hole with one look and possibly a full grid the other way. Therein lies decision time, and I look at the dots flowing left or right both ways.and ADD the break calculation. I'll cover break calculation in a few paragraphs, so don't worry yet.. This will get you in the hole, provided you check the SPEED of the impending putt for VERTICAL GRAIN.

Vertical grain, or the flow of the dots in the OTHER look when you click on the horizontal/vertical button (the little arrows in the lower right-hand corner) and see the "flow" of the dots, there is a formula for adding or subtracting THAT MANY PERCENT to or from your final calculation. If I have a putt that works out to 50% on the meter, I COUNT THE SECONDS on the flow from the first grid (0-2 feet from the hole) and the second grid  (2-4 feet from the hole). A 5-second count will produce a 5% addition or subtraction from the impetus needed on the putt. Rule of thumb: 5 seconds -- 5% added,   4 seconds -- 6% added  3 seconds -- 7 % and more than 5 seconds, it goes 6 seconds -- 4% added  7 seconds --- 3% added and so on down. Now you don't have to RAM a putt and ruin the hole with a mishit. Many MORE mishits will go in with this formula, and the lip-outs won't be as severe, nor will the comeback putts be any more than 4-inch tap-ins.should you miss your longer putt. I consider this final read the MOST VALUABLE final tool to use when putting. More of those tricky 4-8 foot putts will go in, and the maddening 3.5-foot breakers will drop in for you. I know, I've seen it happen in my  putting stats. (Yes, I keep track in a notebook of all my major stats every few days to see my progress,and it helps immensely when I see room for improvement....yes, I'm a geek, and so are you if you have read this far)

​

I found on my "dot flow" calculations that the dot flow is wholly dependent on the swing-meter increments, and I have to go and mention that  now. I realized that my MAX Meter Control Master putter has increments of 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80. 100, 200, and 300 that the majority of putts are under 40 feet and the division by those increments changes from putter to putter, so I have to clarify it.

For instance, a 5-second flow in the last two grids  for a 10-foot swing meter would calculate out to a 5% addition or subtraction of impetus to a putt uphill or downhill on a T- 11, T-12, or T-13 green but if the increment of the swing meter is for an uphill putt, and you pick a 20-foot swing meter, the percentage of add changes to 2.5% because you are fighting gravity. It does not change for a downhill putt for those green speeds. Conversely, if you pick a 30-foot swing meter, the 5-second dot flow changes to 1.666% (a division of 3) of add for an uphill putt, and it gets even smaller for a 40-foot swing meter, dialing down to 1.25% ( a division of 4) of add. Many putters have different swing meters, and the ones with 15-foot meters as their lowest increment will be 2/3 of what I have talked about in the previous paragraphs above. Make note of this, or you will be putting a bit longer and a bit too strongly. The dot flow addition is wholly dependent on the swing meter chosen. Dot flow subtraction is dependent on gravity and the faster the green, the more accurate that dot flow subtraction is. A "fast" green won't affect a downhill putt as much as a "Tournament 12" or a "Tournament 13" green. Tournament 13 greens putt as true to the numbers as you will see, and any mistake in calculation or not pulling the swing meter back to the exact number will be magnified and not forgiven. There isn't much forgiveness on T-13 greens as you will eventually find out. On slower greens like "slow" and "standard" the dot flow downhill is essentially ignored. On all putts UPHILL, the dot flow MUST be taken into consideration at all speeds. The reason is because you are fighting gravity.

​

Once you have figured vertical grain, you have to consider the dot-flow left and right to figure the addition of the break factor in percentage. This will be a small amount, but you have to overcome the break, since it is gravity or the resistance of the sideways grain that is fighting against you.

​

Break is a bit tricky, but not impossible. I use what I call the "Rule of Half" and the "The Rule of 10's." My swing meter distances at 40 feet and under are perfectly matched to the Rule of Tens, so I know that a putt for a swing meter of 10 feet (like on my MAX Meter Control putter...if you don't have one, get one..I have yet to see a putter that makes calculating easier) will calculate perfectly with the Rule of Half with no compensation for distance. At 20 feet on my swing meter on my putter, the calculation for break becomes a bit trickier, but I've devised a way of figuring that perfectly. If I want to putt a ball with my 20-foot swing meter, ADDING 1% will give it more impetus (twice...how about that?...lol) than it would be for the 10-foot swing meter and the break involved. So if the flow of the vertical grain is into you at 20 feet, and you figure that the grain flow into you is 4%, then only take 2% addition to the vertical grain, and then figure the dot flow sideways in seconds across the grids from the ball to the hole.

​

A flow of 5 seconds across the path at 10 feet will normally follow the Rule of Half. This means that you would ADD only 2.5% to the putt to make up for the impetus you have to put on the putt to overcome the sidehill or the grain of the green running sideways.Subsequently, at 20 feet, the calculation  for a 5-second flow is further divided by 2 down to 1.25% because of the greater impetus or OOMPH you will get from a 20-foot swing meter. For a 30-foot putting meter, you divide the calculation by 3, and for a 40-foot calculation you divide by 4, and so on up the swing meter distances on your putter. So a 5-second flow at 20 feet, you only have to add 1.25% to the putt to overcome the sideways break. A 5-second flow across the one grid at 30 feet, you add only .833% and so on up the distances. Whatever the break flow is in seconds, first divide by 2, and then divide again by the factor of the greater distances in increments corresponding to the first number on your swing meter. 1 at 10, 2 at 20, 3 at 30, 4 at 40, 5 at 50 etc.....see how that works? You will when you start dropping longer putts or leaving 30-footers on the lip.

​

​