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The Weapons of Mental Destruction
The weapons of mental destruction are the 14 golf clubs in your golf bag.
The driver is the fun club. It gives you the feeling of power and adventure. You will probably travel where man has not traveled before and at the end, minus six balls, you will be able to brag about that 399 yard drive you hit.
The irons, three through nine, are to be used when you are within striking distance of the green. For the average player each club is supposed to represent a 10 yard difference, plus or minus. For example, a five iron should travel 10 yards further than a six, and 10 yards less than a 4. You will notice that the ball does not always go where intended with any one of these clubs, while many devious opticals are strategically placed to catch these shots. Irons are also used in helping you get out of the trouble one of the other clubs has put you in. They also are handy in the case of snakes.
The putter, of course, is an evil instrument and will not be discussed here.
The wedge shot, next to long drives, produced by the pros is probably the most antiquing. They can make it spin back, to the right, to the left, stop dead, or roll. The wedge, in the hand of the expert, saves them stokes. The wedge, in the hand of the average golfer, can make their scores rival the national debt.
A majority of golfers watch the Golf Channel and absorb all of the lessons. When they get on the first tee they will produce a reasonable facsimile of a golf swing, but when the moment of truth arrives and the ball is placed before them, they will look as if they were beating a chicken to death.
Using a wedge properly is not just a matter of mechanics, but requires the touch of a brain surgeon. It is a matter of feel, and can only be achieved by countless hours of practice, which most people cannot fathom.
My favorite man to caddie for was a middle-aged gentleman who had 2 golf holes built on his land. He practiced constantly around these greens. He won the club championship seven straight years, through his ability to get the ball in the hole from around the green. His theory was to use a club that would give you just enough loft to get your ball on to the putting surface, and let it roll. The easier you hit the ball the more control you have. With a lofted club you had to hit the ball harder, and are never sure of the results. You will hit one fat, or hit one thin, that goes across the green. He would use primarily the same stroke with these clubs, as he would with a putter. There is a club called a “chipper”, which is a great stroke saver around the greens.
The purpose of this game is to have a low score, and not just hitting an occasional spectacular shot. Put the wedge in the closet, unless you need it for snakes.