When amateurs watch golf on television they see professionals taking forever to play a shot. There are many reasons for this. First of all they are playing for millions of dollars and every stroke can make a huge difference. Second of all, it is guaranteed to take five to six hours for them to play. With the cameras, waiting on rulings, and crowds, the players have learned to take their time on every shot rather than wait time after time. If at any time they are distracted they will start their pre-shot routine all over again. The most important factor is skill level. When a person has the ability to control a shot within a yard or two it take more time to determine which club to hit, how hard to swing, and what shot shape to select. All of these factors lead to slow play on the PGA Tour. The problem is the amateurs that see this and believe that following their example will improve their game, which unfortunately is not true.

For the average golfer the truth is that taking too much time is detrimental to their game. It is far more important to have a solid and consistent pre-shot routine that is expedient. By repeating this routine before every shot you will increase your chances for a successful shot. Walking around a putt unnecessarily will only make most golfers unsure about their initial reaction to the circumstances. There is nothing wrong with preparing for a shot, unless it is taking so long it begins to negatively impact your ability to play.

The appropriate fix for slow play begins on the range. Develop a short pre-shot routine, something that takes around 15 to 20 seconds. This can consist of anything that signals your mind to think about the swing. It is all up to you, just stay consistent. Next time you are on the course concentrate on keeping this routine consistent throughout the round. Be prepared when it is your turn to play and start your routine. You will be surprised how much your play can improve and speed up.

The rules of golf are convoluted, silly, and most of the time just aggravating. It can seem that whoever came up with all of these rules has never played the game at all. The fact is that it is the best that man can do. Changes are made often in attempt to make them reasonable, sometimes with little success. For those of us that choose to play this game the rules are part of the territory. Nothing can destroy a golfing reputation more quickly than cheating, and nothing can bolster it more than a self imposed penalty. We can all learn something about the game from Brian Davis.

Many people have their opinions and they range from declaring him an outright cheater, to others who believe he is doing nothing wrong. While this debate can go on forever the fact is that he is not breaking any rules according to the USGA. Other players and fans may not agree, but the bottom line is he can play them all year if he chooses. I don’t believe the groove rule should have ever been enacted so I applaud him for shoving it back in the face of the USGA, an organization that seems to make it as difficult as possible to play by the rules. Having said that it his decisions may show some poor taste given the current state of affairs on the PGA Tour. Without Tiger in the picture it seems as though the PGA may have a rough year.

I am in no way condoning what Tiger Wood’s did in his personal life. However, it does remain his personal life and it should not detract from the fact the he is the greatest golfer to ever live. He lives a life that few others have to live and clearly did not handle his personal life as many expected him to. He has let down millions of fans, sponsors and more importantly his family. It is now time to move on. The fact is the PGA Tour needs Tiger Woods to thrive. He has given golf the excitement that kept it from being considered a mainstream, or cool, sport for so many years. Tiger needs to come back so Phil can have someone to take the heat off his wedge situation.

While many have speculated that he may not return in 2010 I have to disagree. Whenever he comes back he will face the backlash for months or years to come so he might as well get it over with. I just can’t picture Woods missing a Master’s in April. So until he makes his return we will continue to talk about Phil’s wedges look for a newcomer to make a rise to the top.

Some changes have been made to the schedule, such as Waste Management taking over as title sponsor for the FBR Open and the date being pushed back a month. Two goals will hopefully be accomplished by this move; putting an end to frost delays and getting a stronger field. The Waste Management Open will now be played the week after the WGC match play which is just north of Tucson. The hope is that with the top 64 players in the world an hour away to the week before, more will stick around for the WM Open. The tournament is famous for having outrageous crowds of over 100,000 a day and some 25,000+ on the 16th hole alone.

The player to watch has to be Phil Mickelson after his strong finish in 2009. If Tiger stays away for an extended period of time and Phil plays as well as he did last year we could have a new number one golfer in the world. Adam Scott seems to be coming back after a terrible year with some solid finishes in the fall. It seems as though every year on the PGA Tour the tournaments are more exciting and the fields are more evenly matched. Look for the spring schedule to bring some great tournaments to your TV.

The 2010  USGA Groove Rule also takes effect January 1. We may not see the full extent of the change until this spring and summer when the Tour heads to courses with long, thick rough. There is no doubt that it will have some affect but it may be hard to notice to those of us watching at home.

Overall the new season will have plenty of drama. Tiger will most likely have to dodge questions for his first few tournaments and Phil is playing the best golf of his life. It all sets up for a great year for golf fans.

The J38 line is a continuation of the Bridgestone J series, which started with the J33 line, and continued last year with the J36 line. Bridgestone has long been known for their high quality clubs and superior array of performance golf balls. With the previous release of the West Coast Design wedge they also became a serious contender in the wedge market. The J38 continues this move with a similar design, new finish, cleaner looks, same great feel, and conforming grooves.

Looks:

Like most companies today, Bridgestone has ditched the chrome look and gone with the popular black oxide finish. Everyone that has played with a chrome wedge on a sunny day knows it can be extremely distracting. The black oxide finish takes care of the problem. The thing that first caught my eye is the simplicity of the graphic design. Too many companies are creating clubs that look more like a billboard than a golf club. The J38 brings us back to a time where a brand, model, and loft were enough. It makes for a very classy wedge.

Grinds & Design:

The J38 series has the same variable bounce technology that the West Coast line featured last year. This grind creates low bounce areas in the heel and toe of the club allowing for a more versatile wedge. The J38 is made from soft heat treated 8620 mild carbon steel and incorporates a milled face. The heat treating makes the metal 13% softer than a Vokey wedge. The micro-milling process actually increases spin when the wedge face is open for shorter shots and lessens spins on full swings. As stated previously, Bridgestone has incorporated V-Grooves to conform to the upcoming USGA rule change.

Performance:

The 52, 56, and 60 wedges were tested in a variety of lies from the sand, rough, and fairway. All three wedges exceeded my expectations. Whatever concerns I had about being able to spin the ball out of the rough were quickly dismissed. I had no problem putting spin on shots out of freshly watered two+ inch rough. The wedges performed well from the sand and fairway but the variable bounce is what won me over. Testing shots with the face wide open, closed, from buried lies, and from a flat surface were all met with great results. Overall the J38 line was everything I expected and more. After more golfers test these wedges, I believe the bickering regarding the new rule will quickly fade. As many of us will be forced to look at wedges, along with irons, I strongly recommend testing these before making any decisions.

The J38 series wedges will be offered in lofts of 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 degrees. They will be shafted with a True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip. Custom options will be available as well.

The complaints coming from players is the amount it will change their games. With current rules they are able to play wedges that allow them to spin the ball from the rough and from tricky lies. If the new rule is implemented it will hamper their ability to do so, even though companies have known about the rule change for some time now.

The Advisory Board will most likely release a decision in the next day or to as to what their recommendation is. At this point it looks like they will do all they can to postpone or cancel the changes.

First of all check to see what color the stakes, or lines, are around the hazard. There are more options with red stakes than yellow. Remember that there does not have to be water for an area to be marked a hazard and if your ball is in a hazard you cannot ground your club prior to hitting the shot. If you take relief from a hazard it is always a one stroke penalty, but there are many different options and knowing them can save you strokes.

If the ball is in a hazard marked with yellow stakes you have several options. You can play the ball out of the hazard if possible, which should be considered but remember that in most cases it is best to drop the ball under a penalty of one stroke unless you have a high percentage shot out of the hazard. The next option would be to replay the shot from the spot from which it was originally hit. This does not sound like a great option but some times it is the best one. You may also drop the ball keeping the spot where the ball last crossed the hazard line in between you and the hole. You can go back as far as you want so it is best to find a nice even lie if there is a slope near the hazard. A shot that is ten yards longer from a flat lie is much better than a downhill lie closer to the green. Just remember that if the hazard line is yellow you have to keep the spot the ball last crossed between you the and the hole.

If the hazard line is red you have the options above plus two more. You can drop the ball, while incurring a one stroke penalty, within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the hazard line but no closer to hole. You may also go to the other side of a hazard and drop the ball, must be the same distance to the hole.

Now that you know the options take the time to think it over before just throwing another ball down. Sometime there is such a thing as a good bogey.

The USGA offers a quiz online, that can tell you just how well you know the rules. While it is nearly impossible to know every rule, the USGA Decisions book has roughly 1,200, every golfer should know the basics. Over the next few weeks there will be articles covering rules that affect golfers on a daily basis. In the meantime pick up the latest rules book from your local course or online. It is only a couple dollars and can save you countless strokes over the golfing season.