Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / Ben Hogan

The regrip in transition, ...

You mentioned this before. I don't doubt it, but you are the only person I've ever seen mention it. Do you have any references to this? It would make an interesting read.

Topic: The Lounge / David Hicks

I smell something rotten with the whole process. Firstly his two civillian lawyers were not allowed to be present during the hearing yesterday after they rejected the Court's demand that all their conversations be taped. The judge then ruled on his own behalf, whether he was suitable for the trial.

All lawyers have to be recognised by the court. This isn't as unusual as it sounds. They were allowed to be present as legal advisors but chose not to. The sticking point was that they had to be bound by rules which they felt were not fully detailed, and were harsher than they were prepared to agree to.

Judges always make decisions on whether to disqualify themselves from cases. This again isn't as unusual as it sounds.

I would probably go for a plea bargain too. This is the first time the Hicks team has actually acted in his interests. The time it has taken is almost 100% down to the idiotic tactics they have employed almost from day 1.

Topic: The Lounge / Domestic Violence

Doesn't the mufti give us these examples? Uncovered meat I think was his message of feminine responsibility

That's getting out there toward the extreme. I don't mind the odd bit of raw meat on display, as long as I don't get caught perving. See the power structure? Women can show. Men can't look without permission.

It goes further than that though. Anybody who suggests in a public forum that women should moderate their behaviour in any way is asking for trouble. More power structure. Check out the reaction above when somebody dared to suggest that women bashing men is an under-recognised problem.

Men know that if they bash someone they're in trouble. Why the advertisements?

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / Country courses around racetracks,

Ingham (between Townsville and Cairns) is a racetrack course. Has the inner 9 and the outer 9.

Topic: The Lounge / Domestic Violence

Kicking, biting, scratching, spitting, slapping?

...and the all encompassing power of the pussy!

I was just checking to see whether anybody was awake.

The message that the anti-violence advertisements carry is clear enough,
but there is a subtext which goes something like "whatever the woman says is law".
She can provoke, nag, mislead, anything she likes. Men just have to take it. If
men respond in any way at all (not just physically) they are criminals.

Where's the accompanying message for women to be responsible and accountable
for their actions? Watch the broader set of advertisements on TV carefully for male/female roles and you'll see what I mean.

Topic: The Lounge / Domestic Violence

Female forms of exercising power are valid and need no restraint.
Male forms of power are invalid and must be eliminated.

No. That doesn't mean that I condone men hitting women, or men hitting weaker men for that matter.

Big topic!!

Topic: The Lounge / What can I do about my scumbag neighbors?

Holding parties in the backyard and advertising them is the height of stupidity and is an open invite to a mob of 500 under-age retrobates to gather outside.

Either confirm that the local police are supervising or seek a quia timet injunction.

Topic: Golf Talk / VGA Pennant 2007

Have you got Gordon back in the harness again this year Boonie?

Topic: Golf Talk / Your longest drive ever?

Back in the persimmon days, I drove it to about 15 feet from the hole on the 8th at Riversdale during the Riversdale cup. I don't remember the length but I think the hole is about 330m (downhill). I'd made two putt birdies at the 6th and 7th and made another two putt birdie at the 10th. Four in five holes. By far my best ever streak of power hitting!

On the 14th at Kingston Heath I drove past the pin on the 15th green. I'd guess at 330m for that one as well.

Topic: The Lounge / What is your favourite song..

Not particularly obscure, but Queen -- Fat Bottomed Girls

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / Outside to In - Part 2

So what happens when a marionette and an animatronic fall in love?

Thunderbirds are go. Puzzle me it does.

Topic: Sports Talk / Grand Prix

And just doubled the IQ in both towns

An oldie but a goldie. Boom, boom.

To quote Agarn from F-Troop "who says I'm dumb?"

BTW: Do you live in THAT city with THAT transport system and did you get the train to work on THAT day? Poor buggers stuck on the train. I couldn't handle that!

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

I must be missing what you mean or the garden path being wandered is a true tangent

Me? Going off on a tangent? Never!

The legal profession assures me that correct terminology is "off on a frolic of my own".

I'm out of time for today, but I'll try to explain further on the weekend.

Topic: Sports Talk / Grand Prix

Glad it's not in my town though.

As we all know the only reason that the race is in Melbourne is that Adelaide had it, and to feed the crow eater paranoia Jeff & Co just had to have it.

This principle is also illustrated by the way Sydney consistently sucks the economic life out of the rest of Australia.

Hey, I live in Cairns. We've stolen all the rain and we're not giving it back until you guys fix the earth's atmosphere!

Oh, a token comment to keep the message on topic. One of my friends has flown down from Cairns to Melbourne just to watch the race.

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

Learn a stock horizontal hinge for all those long shots ...

Guru, how does this stack up against all of the photos and shaft data which suggest that a powerful stroke has the left arm and shaft very close to straight at impact (looking down the line of the shot).

The hands in this position are quite a long way from the thighs. I would associate a horizontal hinge with hands much closer to the thighs.

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

Being able to distinguish the differences allows one an educated means to get the ball to do what you wish it to.

In the sense of varying the action from shot to shot or in the sense of developing a reliable swing?

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / St Andrews Beach

Doak hasn't finished the greens on the Gunnamatta course? No wonder they look so small.

At long last the truth is out. Who were those people trying to convince us that it was a deliberate design decision? Bah humbug!

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / Outside to In - Part 2

With a closing clubface, there is no glancing force except for backspin.

Bugger. You know what a pedantic sod I am.

Just when we reached agreement, you have to go and spoil it

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

Thanks Matt, I thought I had really lost the plot!

In TGM terms, my busted and bent hinges are probably most closely
related to the flat left wrist, or rather the absence of a flat left wrist.

I can't see that it is possible to perform any of the hinge actions if, for example, your left wrist is cupped rather than flat. It is like a hinge on a door that hasn't been put on straight. The hinge on the door will jam up when you open or close the door.

I know this it a strong part of TGM theory, but I'm always surprised that the FLW doesn't get more airtime when hinge actions are discussed.

I see the two as closely related under the general category of mechanical efficiency.

The pure word makes more sense of the statement. Otherwise you would believe that you cannot control the clubface and its just there for the ride and so is uncontrollable.

Guru, I suspect I trimmed words out of the post whilst you were replying. I don't believe that the clubface is uncontrollable, but I don't believe in the existence of vertical or horizontal hinge shots in real full shots either. I would assert that all full shots are angle hinged with some closer to horizontal hinging and others closer to vertical hinging. Most hinges are bent or broken though, and I think all hinge discussions should carry a FLW disclaimer.

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / Outside to In - Part 2

Hi Ben

Closing the club face will result in a higher ball speed because of the compression it will generate. Opening the club face will typically always result in a lower ball speed.

Can I say that I have no difficulty with the conclusion, but reserve judgment on the reasoning?

The reason you might swing outside-in with an open face for this type of shot is to achieve a more glancing shot with LESS power and more spin.

Yes, this nails it. Full marks!

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / Outside to In - Part 2

A closing clubface will transfer energy more efficiently to the ball than the glancing strike of an opening clubface and a closing clubface will have far lesser 'effective' loft than an opening clubface. These factors are are commonly accepted truths and are why a draw will always go further than a fade.

I agree with the conclusion, I agree that the drawn ball has far less stopping power, I agree that drawn balls often (perhaps usually) fly lower, but hmmmm...

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / Weakest stretch of holes

If you use that criteria there isn't a par five on the west course.

I think that is widely acknowledged.

Is it possible for a great course to have no real par fives - or is it a museum piece these days?

Yes, it is possible for a great course to have no par fives, and to have a "par" of 68.

RMW is most certainly a museum piece and would not be built the same way today. How lucky we are to have it preserved almost perfectly intact.

Perhaps one day the game's administrators will have the sense to introduce a "slower" ball when professional tournaments are played on the world's classic courses. How long will it be before we see the first 600 yard par 4?

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

Hi Matt

I'm sorry, but I don't see why you quoted me.

I wrote

I am not a believer in existence of the horizontal or vertical hinge in real world full shots

You conclude

rarely are pure horizontal or pure vertical used in the real world

Would you be happier if I'd put the word "pure" in?

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

While I take on board what you are saying, I think you are looking a little too deeply into Hinge Actions. They are a fairly simple concept but the only thing I will say is that they are not absolute.

I think I said most of that, but there's no such thing as giving a theory too much scrutiny.

You have the extremes of full Horizontal Hinge through to full Vertical Hinge but the vast majority of players have hinge actions between these extremes.

Two things here.
Lest the casual reader think the three options you mention are the only ones, I think special mention should be made of all the busted and bent hinges.

I am not a believer in existence of the horizontal or vertical hinge in real world full shots. All I can see are either angled hinges (very rare) or hinges that are busted or bent.

Is that what you meant by "absolute"?

Topic: Ask Golf Guru - Golf Instruction / hinge actions

As I said in the golf school article, I get 8 year olds able to do them so they are not hard at all to actually do:)

G'day. I won't be around for the follow up, so I'll just agree that the practical side is much better than the theory side. That was what I was trying to say above.

The problems come with the words and people trying to wring more out of them than they should. Like I said I'm 10c each way.