Choosing the right graphite golf shaft might be among the most complicated tasks you will undertake. The reason is simple — there are more variables and options to choose from than you can shake a shaft at. Although it’s possible to do it yourself, it could take you months if not years to find the best shaft. Yet, it’s a crucial decision if you want to play your best. As “Golf Magazine” notes, “Choosing the right shaft is crucial to lowering your scores as well as giving you the feel and control you desire.” The articles goes on to state, “You can make the process easier by working with a qualified club fitter or professional.” “Golf Tips Magazine” is even more blunt — “leave the details to someone knowledgeable and simply get fitted by a professional club fitter.”

Some golf instructors don’t focus heavily on the hands and wrists, but former LPGA great Patty Berg believes “hand-wrist action constitutes the most important factor in a golf swing.” Whether you focus on your wrists directly, or allow their movements to flow naturally from your overall mechanics, the wrists must work together to promote a sound swing.

When a golfer must lift his ball from the ground, he uses a marker. Normally, the need to pick up a ball is restricted to the green, but occasionally you may have to pick up a ball from elsewhere on the course to identify the ball, replace the ball if it is damaged, or — if the rules permit — to clean the ball. No matter the circumstance that causes a player to lift his ball, it must be marked properly.

Posting your golf scores is a vital part of the United States Golf Association’s handicap system. A player’s USGA handicap index is based on the best 10 of his previous 20 rounds and is updated throughout each golf season. Players must report every 9- or 18-hole score, provided it’s achieved on a course with a USGA slope and course rating, which includes the great majority of courses in the U.S. Posting each score keeps a player’s handicap index “accurate and up to date,” says the USGA.