Gary Perkinson & T. J. Tomasi 
When Bad Things Happen to Bad Golfers [EPUB ebook] 
Troubleshooting the 150 Most Troublesome Shots

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

Part I: The Five Faces of the Perfect Club.

Ball Position.

Shoulder Position.

The Five Faces.

Part II: The Tee Box.

Chapter 1. Trouble Ahead.

1.1 What’s the best way to prepare myself for my tee shot?

1.2 Which club should I hit off the tee?

1.3 How should I grip the club in the tee box?

1.4 How do I know if I’m standing properly on the tee?

1.5 How do I know if I’m aiming properly on the tee?

1.6 Where in the tee box should I tee the ball?

1.7 How high should I tee the ball?

1.8 How do I adjust my tee shot for the wind?

1.9 How do I keep from getting fleeced on the first tee?

Chapter 2. Tee-Box Swing Disasters.

2.1 I keep hitting the ground behind the ball with my driver.

2.2 I keep hitting the ball thin, off the bottom of the clubface.

2.3 I keep hitting grounders off the tee–I can’t get the ball airborne.

2.4 I keep missing the ball completely on the tee.

2.5 I keep popping up my tee shots.

2.6 I can’t get any distance with my driver off the tee.

2.7 My tee shots go straight right.

2.8 My tee shots go straight left.

2.9 My tee shots start right and then slice farther right.

2.10 My tee shots start left and then hook farther left.

2.11 My tee shots start straight and then slice right.

2.12 My tee shots start straight and hook left.

2.13 My tee shots start left and slice right.

2.14 My tee shots start right and hook left.

Chapter 3. Tiny Terrors.

3.1 Where should I aim my ball on a par-3?

3.2 How much less club should I take on a downhill par-3?

3.3 How much more club should I take on an uphill par-3?

3.4 Should I ever lay up on a par-3?

Part III: The Fairway.

Chapter 4. Okay, Now Do It Without a Tee.

4.1 Which club should I hit from the fairway?

4.2 When should I lay up? How do I pick a layup spot?

4.3 What should I do if I’;m ‘between’ clubs?

4.4 How do I know if I’m standing properly for a long shot from the fairway?

4.5 How do I adjust for the wind on shots outside 100 yards?

Chapter 5. The Unfairway.

5.1 My ball is above my feet in the fairway or the rough.

5.2 My ball is below my feet in the fairway or the rough.

5.3 My ball is sitting in a divot on the fairway.

5.4 My ball is sitting on a downhill slope.

5.5 My ball is sitting on an uphill slope.

5.6 My ball is sitting on bare ground.

5.7 My ball is sitting in heavy rough off the fairway.

5.8 My ball is sitting in light rough off the fairway.

5.9 My ball has landed on a bed of pine needles.

5.10 My ball has landed in the middle of a fairway bunker?

5.11 My ball has landed in the back of a fairway bunker.

5.12 My ball has landed under the front lip of a fairway bunker.

5.13 My ball is buried in a fairway bunker.

5.14 My ball has landed on a cart path.

5.15 My ball has landed in rocks.

5.16 My ball has landed in a stand of trees.

5.17 My ball has landed close to a wall, a tree, or another large object.

5.18 My ball has landed in a couple of inches of water on or near the fairway.

5.19 My ball is sitting in the weeds.

5.20 My ball has landed on a parallel fairway.

5.21 I need to hit a blind shot over a hill to the green.

5.22 I need to hit a high shot over an obstacle.

5.23 I need to hit a low shot under an obstacle.

Chapter 6. Fairway Swing Disasters.

6.1 I keep hitting my ball fat with my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.2 I keep hitting my ball thin with my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.3 I keep topping my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.4 I keep missing the ball completely with my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.5 I keep shanking my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.6 I can’t get any distance with my hybrids and fairway woods.

6.7 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods go straight right.

6.8 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods go straight left.

6.9 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start right and slice farther right.

6.10 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start left and hook farther left.

6.11 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start straight and slice right.

6.12 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start straight and hook left.

6.13 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start left and slice right.

6.14 Shots with my hybrids and fairway woods start right and hook left.

Part IV: The Short Game.

Chapter 7. Getting Closer.

7.1 Which club should I hit from inside 100 yards.

7.2 How do I adjust for the wind inside 100 yards.

7.3 What’s this funny-looking thing on the bottom of my sand wedge.

7.4 My ball is above my feet near the green.

7.5 My ball is below my feet near the green.

7.6 My ball is in a divot near the green.

7.7 My ball is on a downhill slope near the green.

7.8 My ball is on an uphill slope near the green.

7.9 My ball is on bare ground near the green.

7.10 My ball is in heavy greenside rough.

7.11 My ball is in light greenside rough.

7.12 My ball is sitting on pine needles near the green.

7.13 My ball is in the middle of a greenside bunker.

7.14 My ball is in the back of a greenside bunker.

7.15 My ball is buried in a greenside bunker.

7.16 My ball is half-buried in a greenside bunker.

7.17 My ball is under the front lip of a greenside bunker.

7.18 I’m in a greenside bunker with very little green to work with.

7.19 My ball has landed in a pot bunker near the green.

7.20 My ball is in the middle of a bunker fifty yards from the green.

7.21 My ball is in the back of a bunker 50 yards from the green.

7.22 My ball is half-buried in a bunker 50 yards from the green.

7.23 My ball is in an uphill lie in a greenside bunker.

7.24 My ball is in a downhill lie in a greenside bunker.

7.25 My ball is in deep rough 50 yards from the green.

7.26 My ball is in the rough at the base of a steep greenside hill.

7.27 My ball has landed in rocks near the green.

7.28 My ball has landed in a stand of trees near the green.

7.29 My ball has landed close to a wall or a tree near the green.

7.30 My ball has landed under low-hanging branches near the green and I can’t get an iron on it.

7.31 My ball has landed in a couple of inches of water near the green.

7.32 My ball has landed in the weeds near the green.

7.33 My ball has landed in a waste area.

7.34 I need to hit a high shot over an obstacle near the green.

7.35 I need to hit a low shot under an obstacle near the green.

7.36 My ball is in a wet sand bunker.

Chapter 8. Short-Game Swing Disasters.

8.1 I keep hitting the ground behind the ball on full shots with my short and mid-irons.

8.2 I keep hitting the ball thin on full shots with my short and mid-irons.

8.3 I keep hitting grounders on full shots with my short and mid-irons.

8.4 I keep my missing the ball completely on full shots with my short and mid-irons.

8.5 I keep shanking my short and mid-irons.

8.6 I keep pulling my full-shot short and mid-irons.

8.7 I keep pushing my full-shot short and mid-irons.

8.8 I keep hitting the ground behind my ball on chips and pitches.

8.9 I keep hitting my chips and pitches thin.

8.10 I keep leaving the ball in the sand on greenside bunker shots.

8.11 I keep skulling the ball out of the bunker.

8.12 I just can’t hit a proper greenside sand shot. Is there an alternative.

Part V: The Green.

Chapter 9: Getting Ready to Roll

9.1 Which type of putter is best for me?

9.2 What’s the best way to grip my putter?

9.3 How do I know if I’m standing properly as I putt?

9.4 What’s the best way to stroke a putt?

9.5 What can I learn from the design and topography of a putting green?

9.6 How does plumb-bobbing work?

9.7 How will bent grass affect my putts?

9.8 How will Bermuda grass affect my putts?

9.9 When should I putt from off the green?

9.10 When should chip from off the green?

9.11 Should I keep the flagstick in when putting or chipping from off the green?

Chapter 10: You Want Me to Aim This Where?

10.1 How do I putt downhill?

10.2 How do I putt uphill?

10.3 How do I read and stroke a left-to-right putt?

10.4 How do I read and stroke a right-to-left putt?

10.5 How do I determine the break on a short putt?

10.6 What’s the best way to determine the speed of a short putt?

10.7 How do I determine the break on a long putt?

10.8 How do I determine the speed of a long putt?

10.9 How do I putt from a lower tier to a higher tier?

10.10 How do I putt from a higher tier to a lower tier?

10.11 My ball is blocked by a dogleg in the green.

Chapter 11: Putting-Stroke Disasters.

11.1 I keep bouncing and skipping my putts.

11.2 I keep hitting the ball with the toe of my putter.

11.3 I keep hitting the ball with the heel of my putter.

11.4 I keep hitting the ball with the bottom edge of the putterface.

11.5 I keep hitting the ground behind the ball with my putter.

11.6 I keep missing my breaking putts on the high side.

11.7 I keep missing my breaking putts on the low side.

11.8 I keep missing my putts long.

11.9 I keep leaving my putts short.

11.10 I keep pushing my putts right.

11.11 I keep pulling my putts left.

Glossary.

Index.

Gary Perkinson is a senior editor at
Golf magazine, where he works with the magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America to provide readers with the most popular and comprehensive golf instruction in the world. He has also worked as a writer and editor at
Golf Illustrated,
Senior Golfer,
Golf for Women, and
Travel + Leisure Golf.
T. J. Tomasi, Ph.D., is a Class A PGA professional at Nantucket Golf Club in Nantucket, Massachusetts. His articles appear regularly in Sports Illustrated, Golf, Golf Tips, and other publications. He has authored or coauthored thirteen books.