Ask the Pro Archive - 2008
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Here are all the golf questions and answers that appeared on the "Ask the Pro" page in 2008, from most recent to least recent, top to bottom. Links in the left menu column give a "keyword" indication of the topic and will take you directly to that entry on this page. Also see the Ask the Pro Archive Index for longer descriptions in categorized and somewhat alphabetized form.
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Golf Questions and Answers (2008)
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Question:
April 29, 2008
What is the purpose of a back swing in golf?
Omar Nour
New York, NY
Answer:
Hi Omar,
The main purpose of the backswing is to stretch the muscles that are going to accelerate the club in the downswing. There are other important things that may be associated with the backswing -- like initiating the rhythm of the swing, establishing the swing's plane and path, getting the body and club in good positions, etc. But the backswing's purpose is the stretching of the muscles used in the downswing -- much like the purpose of drawing an arrow back against a bow's string is to create potential energy with which to accelerate the arrow.
The details of the backswing, and the rest of the swing, are covered thoroughly in my book "The Full Swing."
And to learn to hit the ball farther, come to work with me in person in a Private Long Drive School or get the book "Hitting it Longer: Getting More Distance in Your Golf Game, with the Driver and Throughout Your Bag."
Thanks for visiting PGAProfessional.com. MB
Equipment > The purpose of grooves on the club face
Question:
April 21, 2008
What is the meaning of grooves on the club face and why [is it that] it varies from club to club ... for 3 woods it's different than 5 woods ...
Pritam H
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Answer:
Hi Pritam,
Grooves are mainly for channeling moisture off the club face (like the treads on a tire). With clean contact in dry conditions you don't even need grooves. But since grass usually has moisture in it, grooves come in handy. Irons usually have more grooves than woods/metals and I'm assuming (but could be mistaken) that that has something to do with the fact that iron faces are flat and wood faces generally have some kind of bulge and roll (the face is not flat). But different manufacturers experiment with different groove configurations, and they each probably have their own research information and marketing "rap" on their different styles. Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
Miscellaneous > Terminology - Words and Phrases > The phrase "moment of inertia"
Question:
March 30, 2008
What does moment of inertia mean?
Matt Gibson
Cape Coral, FL
Answer:
Hi Matt,
Moment of inertia is a physics phrase, not a golf-specific phrase. It has been adopted in reference to golf clubs (I suspect) for marketing reasons: "high-tech" golf clubs go hand-in-hand with sophisticated-sounding terminology, eh? Anyway, for practical purposes moment of inertia means the same thing as swing weight. It's a measure of how heavy a club swings, or its resistance to a change in angular momentum. For a simple example, if you take your driver and have it lengthened by an inch (everything else staying the same) it now has a heavier swing weight, more resistance to a change in angular momentum and a higher moment of inertia than it did before the lengthening.
If you're interested in a complete explanation of moment of inertia, angular momentum and the other forces involved in rotational movement there are plenty of them on the web. Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
Rules, Etiquette and Procedures > What determines whether the flagstick is removed or left in the hole
Question:
March 12, 2008
When a golf player is approaching a golf hole, what determines if the flag pole stays in the hole or is taken out of the hole?
Sheridan Mowrer
Dublin, CA
Answer:
Hi Sheridan,
To remove the flagstick or leave it in the hole is always at the discretion of the player when the ball is not on the putting green. But once the stroke will be played from on the putting green the flagstick must not be touched by the ball, so it can either be removed prior to the stroke or attended and removed after the stroke is played but before the ball reaches the cup.
The most common reason for having the flagstick attended rather than removed prior to a putt is to more easily see the location of the hole -- mainly on longer putts. In terms of leaving the flag in or removing it when hitting shots from off the green, I have heard aphorisms like "take the flagstick out when you're trying to make the shot and leave it in when you're just trying to get the ball close." That may be a valid general rule, but it's more of a personal preference and feel thing, to me.
Also see the rules FAQ. Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
Long Game > General > How grip position (strong, weak, neutral) affects the club face
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Question:
February 29, 2008
How [does] the grip affect clubface position?
Sean Cahalane
Brewster, MA
Answer:
Hi Sean,
It's a pretty involved topic, with lots of variables. But generally, assuming that all else is in good working order, a weak grip would tend to promote an open club face at impact, a strong grip would tend to promote a closed club face at impact and a square or neutral grip would tend to promote a relatively square club face at impact. Things get more complicated when one hand is a certain way (e.g., weak) and the other hand is different (e.g., strong), and then far more complicated when you start involving the other variables in the swing.
Of course, there have been players in the past, and there are some players even now, playing just fine with what one might call a weak or a strong grip position with one hand or both. There is a "least complicated" way of doing it and then many "other" ways, all of which may be made to work depending on the individual and the amount of time spent developing the swing. For the details of the grip and the entire swing see my book "The Full Swing."
Thanks for visiting PGAProfessional.com. MB
Equipment > Getting smaller grips
Question:
February 22, 2008
I have ... irons with a .580 shaft and a [men's] stanard grip, how can I get a little smaller grip put on them and ... can that be done with any club with any size shaft?
Dwayne Stiffey
Stoystown, PA
Answer:
Hi Dwayne,
You can get a ladies or junior grip, or grips can sometimes be stretched when installed to decrease the size. Check with a local club repair person. Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
Miscellaneous > Golf course-related > Why the colors of flags on the greens vary
Question:
January 28, 2008
What is the significance of the colors of flags on flagsticks?
Jerry Hert
Bremerton, WA
Answer:
Hi Jerry,
It certainly is not always the case, but it is fairly common practice to mark the depth of the pin into the green in some way that is visible from the tee or while approaching the green. For flags a very common color scheme is red = front third of the green, white = middle third and blue = back third (as also commonly red tees are front, white tees are middle and blue tees are back, when there are three sets of tees). Again, it is not a rule and every course will have its own "style" but this color scheme is common.
It is also pretty common for a course to use a smaller flag or the little plastic balls that can be adjusted up or down the flagstick to indicate the flag's position on the green. In this case, if the pin is in the front third of the green the indicator (little flag or ball) would be down toward the bottom of the flagstick, if it's in the middle third the indicator would be at about the half way point of the flagstick, and if it's in the back third of the green the indicator would be up near the top of the flagstick just under the main flag.
See also Pin depth, flagstick depth -- front, middle or back of the green. Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
Rules, Etiquette and Procedures > To replace or not to replace divots on the teeing ground
Question:
January 20, 2008
I have been told I cannot replace a divot from the tee-off area. Why is this? I made a divot and was told not to replace it.
Wendy McKiernan
Scunthorpe, N. Links, UK
Answer:
Hi Wendy,
Grasses vary, but if the divot is thick and easily replaceable it's probably okay to replace. It's also common practice to just fill-in the areas with sand or sand-seed mixture to keep things smooth and level -- replacing divots can make things bumpy. Check with the golf shop or maintenance crew at the course you're playing to see how they prefer it done.
Thanks for visiting and best of luck with your game. MB
