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Golf tips with Aideen Rogers
Which Club and Why? From your first tee shot to your last putt, what club do you select for each shot? If you are a beginner, five considerations are all you need to think about in making this selection: dis-
tance, trajectory, obstacles, elevation and wind. Step 1: Determine the actual distance (in yards) from your lie to the hole. Distance markers and the flag color are there to assist you with this. Be aware that distance markers are to the center of the green, not to the hole. If the flagstick appears to be at the front of the green, subtract 10 yards from the distance-marker yardage. If the flag is behind the center of the green, add 10 yards. Step 2: Visualize the trajectory needed for the ball to take a clear path to the hole. The clubs are designed with loft (angle that the clubface is at when it strikes the ball). More loft (steeper angle) makes the ball trajectory higher. As club numbers descend, loft decreases and the ball flies lower. As club numbers ascend, loft increases and the ball flies higher. A ball struck with a low trajectory runs farther after landing.
for lost trajectory and run. If downhill, subtract 10 yards for added trajectory and run. Step 5: Determine how the wind is behaving (direction and strength). If it is blowing into your face as you face the hole, add 10 yards to the yardage-marker distance to compensate for the wind resistance. If it is at your back, subtract 10 yards to allow for the wind's help. For strong winds, add or subtract more yards accordingly. Step 6: From driving-range practice and previous play, you should know your approximate ball distance with each club. If not, and you are an adult Female beginner, assume you will hit the ball about 100 yards with a 5-iron. Add 10 yards each as the club numbers descend (130 yards with a 3-iron) and deduct 10 yards each as the club numbers ascend (80 yards with a 7-iron). Male Beginner 5 iron = 150 yards, 7iron = 130 yards, 3 iron = 170 yards. Step 7: Determine the correct club for the actual distance based on your game. Adjust the yardage (club selection) for trajectory, obstacles, elevation and wind.
Step 3: Determine any obstacles that are in the direction and trajectory of your desired ball flight. If there are obstacles low, or on the ground (bunkers, water, sprinkler heads, bushes, etc.), you will need to loft the ball over them with a higher-lofted club. If there are obstacles high (tree branches, electricity wires, etc.) you will need to slip the ball under them with a lowerlofted club. You may need to compromise distance to avoid an obstacle, but this is better than going for the distance and colliding with the obstacle.
Tips & Warnings: Whenever you have the choice, lower trajectory is usually safer because you have more control. The "Texas Wedge" (using your putter to putt onto the green from off the green, when the turf you will putt across is free of obstacles and closely mown) is a good example. In similar conditions, "bump and run" with a 7-iron from 75 yards out rather than trying a high-trajectory shot with a wedge. As a beginner, leave your driver at home. Use your 3-wood for your longest tee shots. You will have much more control.
Step 4: Determine the elevation change between your lie and the hole. If you are hitting uphill, add 10 yards to the yardage-marker distance to compensate
Visit Aideen Rogers in Portmarnock Driving Range at 'The Strivers Golf Academy' call to book on 0879906738 or email info@striversgolf.com
www.aideenrogers.com • Mobile 087-9906738
Arts Angle
The Informer
With LA Speedwing
The Royal Hibernian Academy There’s no such thing as the Royal Horse Artillery in Dublin. However there is another RHA. It stands for Royal Hibernian Academy and although there’s no artillery, there were horses only just last month. Exhibited in many shapes. The Horse Show presented horses in paintings, sculptures, video and last but not least seethrough inflatable nylon. The latest, Max Streicher’s installation was quite wonderful and intriguing. Alas no more. This show ended to let other specimens in such as birds from Stephen McKenna. His paintings demonstrate a classical approach to still life and might stir some life into you. If it doesn’t, paintings from Sam Douglas might just do the trick. His travel experience to various mountain ranges have filtered into a recent series of paintings called 'Remnants 15', you will escape reality or at least find a new way to enjoy erosion and sedimentation. The RHA is welcoming another eminent artist
such as Corban Walker who represented Ireland at the 54th Venice Biennale last year. His large-scale sculpture composed of 160 inter-connected open-framed stainlesssteel cubes called 'Please Adjust' found me still adjusting to its statement but if you haven’t adjusted to this, you might adjust to Brendan Earley’s constructions. Through one of his large sized paper artworks the artist wanted to explore “those large swathes of land we pass through without much regard. These areas are not meant to be seen (never mind mapped), except perhaps as a blur from a car window.” These “Places Between”, composed of both handmade and consumer goods will hopefully shake you from the state of inbetweenness that one might be in when looking at modern Art sometimes.
Where: 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2. When: Exhibitions available until the 29th April. 11am – 5pm- Except Wednesday – Saturday until 7pm. Sunday 2 – 5pm
Women’s fiction and children’ s stories available for 0.99 cts on Smashwords from L.A. Speedwing