IS IT THE ARROWS OR THE INDIAN?

When I know a student is serious about improving and has the time to devote to a program I give them a calendar – a “when to do what” guide for improvement.

To give this guide some sense of chronological order, I've broken it into weeks—13 of them—which gives you roughly 90 days to reach your goal. And please keep one thing in mind as you proceed; it's best to approach each task separately because it gets too confusing if you try to do many things at once. Every self- help book that says the same thing-- make a plan, divide it into manageable tasks, then focus on one task at a time until you reach your goal.

 Week One: Sometimes it’s the Arrows not the Indian

 The first topic on the calendar is to review your arsenal.

 --Check the loft on your driver. If the loft isn't stamped on it somewhere, have a pro measure it for you. Remember, too little loft is a big mistake—unless you have a very high clubhead speed [e.g. over 105 mph] nothing less than 10.5 degrees works. If you don't like what you have, hold an "audition." Try out all kinds of demo models. Ask for some impact tape and check how often you hit each driver in the center of the clubface. Do the same with your irons. Remember solid contact in the center of the clubface is the key to good golf shots.

--Consider dumping the long irons and replacing them with hybrids. For most hybrids are easier to hit and very versatile.

 --Check your wedges. If you don't have an L-wedge (58-60 degrees or more) add one to your set. If you can’t afford it, have your sandwedge bent to 58.

 --Have a clubfitter or golf professional check the shafts in your club for two things: [1] Are they the proper flex for you? [2] Do they match throughout your set? (Not just the irons, but the woods as well.] Another way of doing this is to hit various demo clubs and hit the clubs of some of your friends. Try all of the basic flexes: regular, stiff, extra stiff, seniors. If you're a female, ask about women's flexes – you should match your swing speed to the correct flex. And while you're at the club-fitter, have the lie of your irons checked as well.

 --Are your grips the proper size? If you think they're too small, wrap some gauze around and hit some practice shots.  And if you haven't changed your grips in the past two year spring for new ones.

 --Vet your ball. Buy three major brands and take them to a practice area. Play some pitch shots, hit some chips and roll a bunch of putts, all the time monitoring them for feel and control. They'll all perform nearly the same distance-wise but from close in you may detect some difference in the feel. Use the one that feels best.

So start the ball rolling: You have a week to get this done just make sure that at the end of the week there is a big X signaling completion.