The post Rules Guy: Does an OB boundary extend past the last stake? appeared first on Golf.

The post Rules Guy: Does an OB boundary extend past the last stake? appeared first on Golf.

Our course has an in-course OB to protect players on an adjacent fairway. About 240 yards out, in said fairway, is the last OB stake. Our pro says the OB extends on a line parallel to the last two OB stakes “indefinitely.” I say OB ends at the last stake. Who’s correct? —Tim Slauter, West Lafayette, Ind.

The answer should be specified by the local rule that creates the boundary; if not, the pro, as the de facto committee, is the decider.

Important to note: Boundaries and markings don’t just “stop,” and when a marking “ends,” typically it is by either tying into another marking or is extended to infinity. Your pro appears to be alluding to the latter, which is generally indicated by a “double-stake” marking, with two stakes placed within a yard of each other.

As to what the marking should be, that depends upon the nature of this internal OB and the geography — and is above our pay grade.

Rules

For more OB guidance from our guru, read on …

I’ve got a question that has caused a heated debate at my club. If a tee shot on hole No. 1 crosses the out-of-bounds mark, crosses the adjacent street, then enters through the out-of-bounds mark on hole #10 and comes to rest in its fairway, is the ball OB or no? —Mario Polit, via email

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Rules Guy isn’t being philosophical or mealy-mouthed; there’s a Model Local Rule (A-5) that would treat a ball that crosses a boundary as out of bounds even if it comes to rest on another part of the course.

Without the Model Local Rule, then if the ball comes to rest somewhere that’s on the course (i.e., in-bounds) it doesn’t matter whether it crossed completely over a boundary or not — the ball is on the course. Which means Rules Guy gets to ask you a question: Does your course have said Model Local Rule in effect?

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from Golf Logix.

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

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The post CBS course reporter and Subpar cohost Colt Knost is living his dream — and he still can’t believe it appeared first on Golf.

The post CBS course reporter and Subpar cohost Colt Knost is living his dream — and he still can’t believe it appeared first on Golf.

***

The scene: Calling from his car in Scottsdale, Ariz., after leaving the set of GOLF’s Subpar podcast.

Dylan Dethier: You’re on a break from your TV gig. Does this feel like your off-season?

Colt Knost: It’s definitely my off-season. I’ve done a few things for work here and there. I still do our SiriusXM show [Gravy and the Sleeze] and GOLF’s ‘Subpar.’ But, for the most part, I get to play a lot of golf this time of year.

DD: Are you playing at home with a regular group or are you now, like, America’s guest?

CK: Yeah, mostly at home at [Scottsdale’s] Whisper Rock. I’ve played a few member-guests. I just got back from Vegas, playing the Southern Highlands, which was a blast. I travel so much during the year that it’s hard for me to say no to a member-guest, but I also enjoy being home. It’s the best time of year in Scottsdale.

DD: You were a Tour pro for nearly a decade. How has your relationship with playing golf changed these past few years?

CK: I have way more fun now. It’s not a job to me anymore. I just go out and have fun with the boys, gamble a bit and let the best man win. I definitely don’t get as upset over bad shots. And, when I practice, I feel like I can play as well as I did on Tour, probably because I don’t care as much.

DD: Is there anything you’ve learned that you’d tell yourself 10 years ago?

CK: Definitely. I’d tell myself to be more focused and more accountable when things went wrong. But, honestly, I think this was all meant to happen this way. The game has changed so much. I was never going to be a guy who carries the ball 300 yards like most of the PGA Tour does today. But I put in eight years on the Tour, made amazing relationships and got to play at the highest level. When I’m old, I can tell stories around the fire. That’s pretty cool.

DD: These days, between SiriusXM, “Subpar” and the CBS job, it seems like you’re having almost nonstop surreal experiences. Do you still pinch yourself?

CK: I pinch myself all the time. I was a kid who went to a small high school in the middle of nowhere [in Texas]. To be where I am now, meeting these athletes — it’s unbelievable. Golf has connected me with so many people. For instance, I have a great relationship with Charles Barkley. If you’d told me at 12 years old, when I was watching him on TV, that I’d be friends with him and we’d talk trash all the time,I’d have thought you were out of your mind. Or that I’d meet Tony Romo when he was a third-string quarterback with Dallas because he just wanted to play golf, and then he turned into … Tony Romo. There will be moments with people I’ve met where I’m like, Wow, I can’t believe I’m sitting here having a beer with you right now.

DD: How’s your work with CBS going?

CK: I love it, and I think it’s going well. I get excited to go to work every day. Sitting with Jim Nantz, Frank Nobilo, Trevor Immelman, Dottie Pepper, Mark Immelman, Amanda Balionis — it’s crazy. When you think about golf and the broadcasting world, there aren’t many jobs out there. And the fact that I’ve been able to get better and to grow — it’s awesome. The Nantz thing is still surreal to me; he’s been with CBS since 1985, the year I was born. I’ve never known anyone else in that job. Now he’s a friend. That’s so cool.

DD: On “Subpar” you sometimes show us a different side of golfers and other athletes. Who has surprised you the most and who do you hear about most from fans?

CK: The second part is easy: Mike Commodore, the former NHL player. Everyone loves him. They love those old-school guys [and their] wild stories. Guys like George Brett, Mark Grace. They lived in an era when there was no social media; everyone didn’t whip their camera out when stuff happened, so they have great stories. As for surprises, I already know most of the guys personally, but it’s great when the audience gets to learn more about them. Scottie Scheffler, for example, comes off as this great golfer and person, but people don’t realize he’s also sneaky funny and talks trash.

DD: There on the ground, what’s a Tour moment that stands out from this year?

CK: Walking with Viktor Hovland and Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday at the PGA — that place was rocking. Both of them were 6 under through 17 holes, I believe, and the crowd was all about Bryson, and he was talking back to them, having a great time. It was just an electric atmosphere.

DD: Who are players you think might create some of that electricity in 2025?

CK: I’ll give you one right off the top of my head: Max Greyserman. He has a ton of upside — he smashes it, he’s a great putter. He’s finished second in three of five events [in 2024]. And I’m excited to see what Jordan Spieth does coming back from wrist surgery. It’s something he’s been dealing with longer than I think he let on, so I’m excited to see him 100 percent healthy.

DD: People think of golf as a sleepy sport, but, in person on Sunday afternoons, I think they’d be shocked at the intensity. What’s it like being inside the ropes with the final group in the final round?

CK: I get excited. I feel the adrenaline, and I want it to be a battle. Or, if I’m not with the last group, [I want] my guy to make a move and get those big crowds yelling. Hell, I get yelled at too. But when it’s a big moment, there’s nothing cooler than trying to make an awesome call on a shot, because if you nail it, it’s on every highlight. Honestly, when I look back, I don’t remember a lot of the calls. I’ll rewatch some because people always tell me, “Listen to yourself, see what your tendencies are and where you could do better.” And sometimes I’m just like, That [call] was stupid. But I just like making it fun, man. Look, it’s a TV show; it doesn’t have to be serious at all times. I just hope to bring some energy to it every day and to bring people from their couch into these moments.

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The post Are you a self-handicapper? Here’s how it can help — and hurt — your game appeared first on Golf.

The post Are you a self-handicapper? Here’s how it can help — and hurt — your game appeared first on Golf.

Self-handicapping is a psychological term for the rationalizations we make to protect our self-esteem. We don’t like to fail, so we preemptively and defensively identify a reason why we might. Two summers ago, in fact, this magazine ranked the most common first-tee excuses — alibis like “I didn’t have a chance to warm up,” “I’ve never played this course before” or the leader of the lamest line list: “I haven’t played in a while.” How many of these have you heard — or said — this season?

I do it too. On a recent, rainy Saturday, I was playing poorly. Shot after shot, I heard myself complain. “My grips are wet,” I said. Then, after the rain stopped, “These grips are old.” On the back nine it was: “I didn’t bring another glove.” I kept finding reasons to make myself feel better about the missed shots.

Professional golfers issue their own versions of these self-handicapping excuses. At a recent PGA Tour event, the co-leader chunked his wedge in the water on 18. He stared at his clubface as if faulty grooves had ruined the shot.

What’s happening here? Justifications serve a productive purpose in that they protect us from seeing our mistakes as personal failures. But, as academic researchers on self-handicapping have found, there is also another benefit to this tactic: It actually helps us enjoy the game more because it helps us discount unfavorable results. As most commentators on the mental game of golf suggest, we usually play better when we stop obsessing about our score.

The authors of an important study on this corner of sports psychology found that pinball players who used excuses like those golfers rely on — “I didn’t practice,” for example — were much more present in their games. Excuses, the research suggests, create less anxiety, lower stakes, more space to have fun and permission to be imperfect.

Excuses can even be a reflection of a participant’s passion. We care about how golf makes us feel. That love of the game and the desire to succeed was a big part of what I was experiencing during my waterlogged round.

But self-handicapping is not always the best strategy for every golfer — certainly not my PGA pros. Tour players depend on high performance and are paid for results. Excuses that deflect accountability also stunt learning, inhibit growth and restrict resilience.

News

Learn from 2024 Olympic gold medalist Scottie Scheffler. On the 7th hole of his second round, Scottie found himself hacking out of a terrible lie in the tall grass. He took a big swing that advanced his divot farther than his ball. The next shot’s lie wasn’t much better. About that frustratingly relatable sequence, Scheffler said: “I know if I stay patient around this golf course and play well, I can shoot a low score. It’s just a matter if I start freaking out and start forcing things, you’re going to get in trouble really fast.”

Scheffler didn’t dwell on the bad shot that got him into trouble nor the unsatisfying attempt to get out of it. Instead of self-handicapping, he stayed focused and positive.

That’s the difference between an amateur like me griping about my grips and the pro who blames the bug on his ball. For all the side benefits of excuses, they still set a negative tone. After all, how many start with “I didn’t” or “I haven’t”? At the professional level, negativity is kryptonite for concentration and diminishing energy.

One of my clients was recently comparing his range game to his real game and made an astute observation: “I hit it too good in practice to not realize that when I am playing in the tournament, I am more likely to lose my rhythm or start to feel tension and not swing freely.” In competition, swing coaches say, pressure changes a player’s physical movements, compromising everything from swing planes to wrist tension to tempo.

Golf is hard; assessing ourselves honestly is even harder. For the amateur, the self-awareness you’ve previously read about in this column remains a key to success. If self-handicapping helps you enjoy your time out there, that’s fine. It’s important to have fun. Just be conscious of what your excuses are and are not — and when you hear them from your playing partners, no need to roll your eyes. Understand their frustrations, stay focused on your game and move on to your next shot.

Excuses are like cholesterol: There’s a good kind and a bad kind. But there are no good excuses for being unaware.

Julie Elion has worked with half of the top 10 earners of all time, representing over $500 million in career earnings, 150 PGA Tour wins and 25 major championship wins.

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The post How to personalize and stamp your wedges at home appeared first on Golf.

The post How to personalize and stamp your wedges at home appeared first on Golf.

Here’s how you can stamp your own with a quick visit to your local hobby shop.

1. Secure the wedge with two-sided tape to a stable base that won’t bounce when you strike it. This will prevent the punch from moving when you hit it. 

2. Use a piece of masking tape to mark out your design. That way you don’t run out of space. 

3. With a small dot punch and a two- to three-pound mini sledgehammer, follow your design until complete. Remove the tape and reveal your stamped wedge!

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The post The ‘master recipe’ for hitting a high spinning pitch shot appeared first on Golf.

The post The ‘master recipe’ for hitting a high spinning pitch shot appeared first on Golf.

Here’s what I mean. 

Short Game

First, you’ve got to keep the shaft lean fairly neutral, and the clubface must be slightly open at setup. Second, the length of your backswing has to be a bit longer than normal. I also recommend using some wrist hinge, which allows for a little bit of release down onto the ball. 

The key to this is using softer grip pressure, so take it down from a 10 to about a four. 

Finally, to get that funky action you’re looking for, you need to deliver some speed at about one foot before impact, which will allow you to pull off the high spinner you see on Tour. 

Parker McLachlin is a GOLF Teacher to Watch and short-game expert. Learn more from McLachlin at shortgamechef.com. For more great tips from McLachlin, sign up to become a Short Game Chef member below. Use promo code: GOLF50 for $50 off an annual membership.

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The post How to easily improve your distance control with your wedges appeared first on Golf.

The post How to easily improve your distance control with your wedges appeared first on Golf.

Technique is even more critical on shots inside 100 yards since you need to generate a consistent trajectory to control distances.

Short Game

A good drill I use with some of my high-level players is to take three balls and hit from a variety of yardages. Start at 20 yards, then move back five yards until you get to 50. Simply chart your distance control and see how far the ball is carrying from each location.

Parker McLachlin is a GOLF Teacher to Watch and short-game expert. Learn more from McLachlin at shortgamechef.com. For more great tips from McLachlin, sign up to become a Short Game Chef member below. Use promo code: GOLF50 for $50 off an annual membership.

Short Game Chef membership

Expert advice from one of the top short-game coaches in the world.

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The post Use this ‘magic move’ to get rid of your slice appeared first on Golf.

The post Use this ‘magic move’ to get rid of your slice appeared first on Golf.

Next time you practice, position a ball just off your back foot as you see I’ve done here. Set up like normal and swing.

Using your peripheral vision as you start down, use the second ball as a guide for your clubhead, making sure it stays behind the ball instead of moving in front of it (as in away from you).

The trick is to allow your trail arm to elongate while keeping the bend in your trail wrist (i.e., how it’s set at the top) for as long as possible.

Clubhead behind hand path: no slice and plenty of power.  

Give it a try.

David Woods is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and the CEO of ProSENDR Golf.

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The post A foolproof method to stop coming over the top on the downswing appeared first on Golf.

The post A foolproof method to stop coming over the top on the downswing appeared first on Golf.

Set up like normal but with a second ball placed roughly two clubhead widths in front of the one you’re actually going to hit. The goal here, as you can probably imagine, is to hit the first ball and miss the second, something that’ll be difficult to do if you swing over the top.

Before you start, reach down and touch your trail leg as a reminder to hang back on your trail side longer as you start down from the top. When you actually swing, think, Flat through impact, not steep, feeling just a touch of hang-back  and that the club is moving up.

Keep in mind that these are indeed feels — i.e., you never want to “hang back” when hit – ting an iron. Sometimes you learn faster when making exaggerated swings. Try it.

Jason Birnbaum is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who is the director of instruction at Manhattan Woods Golf Academy in West Nyack, N.Y

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The post How to flight your wedges like a Tour pro appeared first on Golf.

The post How to flight your wedges like a Tour pro appeared first on Golf.

1. Set up to the ball as normal. Whatever the yardage, grab one more club than you think you need and grip down on the handle as you see above.

2. Remove your lead hand from the grip and place it on your lead thigh.

3. With the help of your hand, push at least 65 percent of your weight over to your front leg. It should feel like you’re leaning a bit toward the target.

4. Without moving anything else, place your lead hand back on the grip. This setup ensures a proper delivery and crisp contact without having to manipulate loft or your hands.

When you go to swing, simply turn your belly back and through, making sure the shaft of the club points at your midsection from start to finish. Experiment with different wedges and backswing lengths to create an inventory of distances. Now, you’re a player.

Scott Munroe is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who teaches at the Boca Raton Club in Boca Raton, Fla., and Nantucket GC in Siasconset, Mass.

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The post How to find the perfect position at the top of the backswing appeared first on Golf.

The post How to find the perfect position at the top of the backswing appeared first on Golf.

Grab any iron from your bag and fold it up over your trail shoulder, keeping your elbows in tight to your sides. Have a buddy place an alignment rod across the inside of both elbows. (You can do this by yourself, too, after you hinge the club up.) Important: Make sure the rod sits parallel to the ground and adjust as necessary.

Now, make a mock backswing by turning and then extending your arms. Again, check that the rod is parallel to the ground and not tilted or has slid off. This is perfect for 90 percent of rec golfers. From here, you’ll avoid coming into the ball too steeply (potential slice) or too far from the inside (potential push or hook).

To learn more from Jake Thurm or to book a lesson, visit jakethurm.com.

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