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TomTuckerGolf.com |
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Prepare to play your best golf by doing something now! To comment or respond to this newsletter, please click here ttucker@rochester.rr.com In This Issue - Tom's Featured Tip: Q&A: Changing Balls During A Round - Tour Greens: - Tour Quality Synthetic Greens - Tom's Bonus Tip: Compete Against The Course, Not The Players - Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say - Sponsors: Plum Creek Driving Range Batavia Country Club Tour Greens Western New York Genesee Community College Golf Management Program Click here: INDOOR GOLF LESSONS for details on how to improve your game over the winter. PLUM CREEK DRIVING RANGE IN BATAVIA, NY, IS OPEN ALL YEAR Check out the Equipment & Apparel and Simulator Course Play Specials: http://www.plumcreekdrivingrange.com Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve your simulator time! Buy Gift Certificates for Lessons Sample Gift Certificate Golf lessons - Outdoor and Indoor - are available at Plum Creek, please call me at 716 474 3005, email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com, or visit my website at http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html for details. Subscribe - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/signup.html If you like this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it to your friends so that they may subscribe, thanks! The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. Tom's Featured Tip: Shoulder Turn For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective. Q: Hi Tom, I play with a friend who says it's alright to switch balls during a round. On long par 5's he tees off with a Pro V1x and when I see him putting I swear it's with a Pro V1. Is that legal? Name supplied but withheld by request. A: Thanks for the question. I normally don't answer questions in the newsletter when a person wants their name withheld, but I'm making an exception here because it's an interesting topic. I also suspect that this ball switching situation happens more than most of us might think. The short answer is that it's OK to play a different ball from tee to green, including putting, on any hole that you are playing. The exception would be that you're playing in a tournament that stipulates that the One Ball Rule applies. In that case, you would need to play the same brand and type ball for the entire round. I'll explain that a little more later, but in answer to your question it's permissible to change balls from hole to hole, but the same ball must be played for the entire hole. If your "buddy" is playing a longer ball off the tee (Pro V1x) then switching to a feel ball for his putting (Pro V1), he's breaking USGA Rule 16-1b, and you are getting taken for a ride if you have a wager on the game. In match play the penalty is loss of hole, and in stroke play it's two strokes. It's clearly an advantageous situation for him to play a long ball off the tee and a softer ball for putting. I would suggest that you politely inform him of the rule so that he stops doing that immediately. Then pay attention to what he's teeing off with and what he's putting with in the future, just so he doesn't make an honest mistake. The One Ball Condition of Competition (see USGA Rules of Golf Appendix I; Part C; Section 1c). This optional condition (usually referred to as "The One Ball Rule") is generally adopted only in events that are limited to professional golfers or highly-skilled amateur golfers. Generally, this condition of competition is not adopted in club-level competitions. That means that unless it's specifically stated as a rule for a specific non-professional tournament, it does not apply. When the One Ball Rule is in play, you must start and finish the round with the same brand and type of ball you started with. If you happen to run out of balls of the same brand and type when you are playing, you're out of the tournament - unless a fellow competitor lends you a ball or you can get one without unnecessary delay. Hope this gives you the information you need to keep things fair and square. Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, Tom Tour Greens: Tour Quality Synthetic Greens For Superb Short Game Practice Would you like to be able to practice with purpose in your own back yard? Would you like your short game to progress from bad to good, or from good to great? Would you like to get the ball up & down with more frequency? Would you like to have a short game practice area in the privacy of your yard for practice and for friendly competition with your kids, your wife, and your friends? Click here TourGreensWNY.com for photo galleries and more information. If the thought of having a beautiful tour quality practice green in your yard appeals to you, you're in luck. In addition to my golf instruction business, I am also the exclusive Western New York sales associate for Tour Greens Western New York. With Tour Greens you can experience the ultimate home short game practice solution. Click here to read what Tour Pro's Fred Couples, Rich Beem, Boo Weekly, Blake Adams, and Chris DiMarco have to say about their Tour Greens. You all know me well enough to know that I don't affiliate with any product that I don't have a passionate belief in. These greens are the real deal. They are extremely durable - and they LOVE Western New York weather! For more information please click here: TourGreensWNY.com, or feel free to call, text, or email me to discuss your needs. Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, Tom Tom's Bonus Tip: Compete Against The Course, Not The Player For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective. I was reading Zen Golf for the third or fourth time, and saw a quote that I wanted too pass along, enjoy. "In golf we don't compete directly against the other player. No one is trying to block your shot. No one is swinging at you. If you compete against the course rather than your opponents, you're less likely to defeat yourself through assumptions, predictions, and other mental mistakes. " From ZEN GOLF: Mastering the Mental Game by Dr. Joe Parent Obviously I recommend the book. It has many pearls of wisdom just like the above. Try it, buy it, read it, you'll like it! Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, Tom Golf Lessons I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility there's a link for Plum Creek info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com for more information. Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html Indoor Lessons Details and Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html Driver Fitting Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html Testimonials: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html Sponsors Plum Creek Driving Range and Simulator Outdoor range and play indoor golf on any of our 40 Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve time for simulator play or practice! Batavia Country Club Great rates, the best greens in WNY, Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State. Tee times online or by phone in season. www.bataviacc.com (585) 343-7600 Tour Greens Western New York Practice with purpose in your own back yard on your own synthetic practice green. Our greens LOVE Western New York weather! Genesee Community College Golf Management Program Click on link for more information if you or anyone you know is interested in a dynamic career in the golf industry, or in teaching golf. All the best, Tom Tucker Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher" USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional Cell: (716) 474-3005 Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com http://www.usgtf.com/top_100_wgtf.html "There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!" ~ Ben Hogan |
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