John: Okay, we've arrived at the lesson that I promised you last week would be the one that I enjoy as much as you two, and the reason is simple, just seeing your face, hitting that first good shot when it comes right off the middle there, worth its waiting gold. I always get a big kick when I watch my beginners doing this, okay. So, let me try and go into the explanation of the Wooden Club.
Remy: What is a big difference between a Wood and Iron?
John: Well, this is the physical difference the fact that it's longer, it's longer. It's a little flatter that is to say, the angle between the club head and the shaft just a little bit more pronounced there. And of course this rather bulbous looking effect that you don't get with the iron. I know that's a rather simple explanation and it's fairly obvious because you can see that. But I suppose the real difference is the fact that when you hit the ball, your flight and trajectory are quite different. You're going to hit the ball farther with a 3-wood for example than you will with a 3-iron okay. This is simplifying a little but as the other lessons come on you're going to understand the difference.
In today's lesson, we're going take with this 3-wood and I'm going to show you how to use the 3-wood off the tee, okay, alright.
So, now Ruth, I think a little while ago you said to me, what club do I use for my first shot when I get on the course? I think you remember. Okay, it's the 3-wood. It's going to be the 3-wood. And I think for the viewers at home to try and explain this a little better, there's rather a lot of clubs on the market: ones, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes and sevens, and this is too complicated for you to understand and for you to -- I think you should settle on 2-clubs. Put 2-clubs in your mind as the clubs that you're going to need to learn to play golf with, just for the first couple of months. 3-wood and 5-wood. 3-wood for your basic tee-shots, the first shot okay, and 5-wood is straight off the fairway.
Ruth: How do you know what club you have to use when you are on a real course?
John: Well, it depends on the length that you've got to play. For example, let's take a little case in point. I've got a 3-wood and I make my shot and I find myself down 200 yards of the tee and I have only got another 100yards to go, then I wouldn't take another wood, because the wood goes too far. So I select one of my irons okay.
Ruth: Can't I hit not-so-hard so the ball doesn't travel so far instead of using another club?
John: Oh sure, you could do, but it's really not a good idea because you've sufficient clubs in your bag to give you various distances.
Remy: Oh, yes.
John: As I explained to you the other night at the hotel, if you remember.
Remy: Yes, I remember.
John: You remember that. Each club has a certain value. A value in distance not always the same for everybody. It can be slightly different for you and different for Ruth, different for another, different for me. But we each have a certain distance that we can hit a number of clubs, okay. But in general, so as not to be confusing and remember all my lessons are supposed to be based around easy learning and easy golf. 3-wood for the depart, it's the driving, driving of the Tee. 3-wood for that and the 5-wood for the average fairy shots and both these are power shots. We're trying to go distance okay. Alright! Why don't I hit one for you? If you like to come over there just a second to watch me or you can-- oh, perhaps you can stay there as long as you don't get too close. Right.
I'm going to use the 3-wood now and what I'm going to do here just to show you both, look I'm going to place the ball on the inside of my left foot there, like that. If you remember with the Iron, we were like this.
Remy: It's different.
John: It’s different now, because we're trying to hit the ball on the upward swing when the club is on the upward movement, okay, when it's rising here. Oh, this will come very easily to you and very clearly to you.
So, I place the ball forward in my stance. I'm a little farther away from the ball naturally because the club is longer, and the arc of my swing, or if you remember in one of our lessons we were talking about lift long, the plane of the swing is just that little bit flatter, just that little bit flatter with the wood. So here we go, no complication.
Remy: Oh it's fantastic.
John: You see the look on my face. I still get the thrill after 28 years of teaching golf when I hit a good one. And don't say, I don't hit too many good ones. Okay, here we go again. You see? And the idea of keeping that rhythm like this that centrifugal force is so important to you, so important. Alright, I think Remy it's your turn this week to give us the exhibition, isn't it?
Wide swing good, that's the way super and again. One more practice swing and then we will try it for real. Okay, off we go. No laughing Ruth, it's your shot turn in a minute. I know she is going to be kick out of. Okay, don't let us down. Super swing, off you go. Relax a little bit, that's it. Okay now, a little flatter and throw. Okay, well, the beginner always slices his first shot, nearly always but it's not a problem. The club is so long. The club has a tendency to be a little bit lengthy.
Remy: Oh yes.
John: But don't worry. Okay again.
Remy: I try again?
John: Yes we're going to try again. I just have to adjust your grip a tiny bit there. That's good. Okay, remember the new position with the ball, don't you? That's most important. Good. Relax your knees a little more. Okay that's a good finish, much better with the right leg, very much better. Okay, and again. That's much better very, very good.
You have got to loosen up, keep that wrist flexible and find the ball, use your hands, find that ball. Hold it. Okay, see how are you falling over. I think I'd better do one for you. Okay stand over there for a moment please. Okay watch.
You're going and the top of your body is making you fall over. Okay, do you remember that exercise when I put the feet together?
Remy: Yes.
John: Okay, same thing again. Look at this. Okay, I can't fall over now, if I keep my arms and hands relaxed. So one more, there you go. Okay, one last shot then we'll ask Ruth to do it, because I want you to finish on a good one for me. Ah! Great shot Remy! At last you got it there. Okay Ruth, your turn to practice okay. You like to go over there?
