Mickelson and Singh pursuits fall short of Tiger Woods perfection. Getting out of a divot and onto the green, sweet spot myth and when balls collide

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Where an eleven on a hole is a mishap which any golfer would prefer to forget, Phil Mickelson will be reminded of his m/c at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for weeks, even months to come. He wasn't even in the list of golfers on the cut line who got paid for their efforts and went home...nope, not Lefty. He made sure that this collapse would be one for the history books. Recall the 2006 U.S. Open? I'm sure talk of that previous loss will now be regurgitated along with this mishap throughout the golf season until Mickelson returns to form, does something spectacular and/or wins a major tournament.

And what about Vijay Singh who easily had the edge on Sunday but fell apart when his solid play needed to carry him to victory? Singh held a three-stroke lead with only five holes remaining...the deck was stacked in his favor! Defeated by Steve Lowery, a player who was 305th in the world rankings prior to this weekend and had a seven-year gap in the "win" column of his PGA Tour resume, this loss looks strangely familiar to last week's playoff defeat of Mickelson to relative unknown J.B. Holmes.

Singh stated, "One bad shot after another, three holes in succession." Phil's statement? He's says striking the ball well but he "never felt good on the greens".

Those words could have been echoed by either Vijay or Phil, take your pick. Playing aggressively instead of safely, choosing the wrong clubs, problems with the putter...these errors happen to even the greatest golfers. Well...almost all of the top golfers...all except Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods has the mental game needed to rebound from a slight lapse in judgment. He doesn't dwell on his mishaps but uses quick thinking to adjust to his surroundings and overcome obstacles. Both Mickelson and Singh made errant shots which caused their following efforts to careen into a downward spiral in which they could not mentally recover.

This could be the difference between winning the Grand Slam this season and simply accepting loss as a part of the game. As Phil remarked, "Well, it's just the way it sometimes goes. Sometimes I just don't score well, and I try not to weigh too much into that because I hit a lot of good shots this week." Would Woods have taken an eleven in such a matter-of-fact manner?

This week's Golf for Beginners podcast is loaded with tips from the fairway to the green. What happens when your beautifully hit tee shot woefully lands in a divot? How do you recover? We also discuss the sweet spot myth with the assistance of LPGA Teaching Professional Lana Ortega and the Rules of Golf that pertain to hitting another golf ball either when chipping up, or, from on the green.


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Mickelson answers putting question, Tiger Woods tenaciously scrambles. Also, Laura Davies doubts Michelle Wie's mental state. And, Odyssey XG Two-Ball

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It's easy to see why professional golfers become distracted when Tiger Woods is somewhere in the pack. If he's only a few strokes back, chances are his resolve will carry him to victory. That is precisely what happened this weekend at the Dubai Desert Classic.

On the flip side, no one seems to be afraid of Phil Mickelson.

J.B. Holmes' memories of a 2006 victory at the FBR Open was all he needed to maintain his purpose for this year's event. And, the claim to fame that he beat Mickelson was also a good incentive.

Phil's putter let him down once again claiming that a misread putt and a few that "slid by the edge" contributed to a playoff. Although Butch Harmon has been working with Mickelson on his 150-yard approach shots, Lefty found that his golf ball wasn't as close to the hole as was Na's. That must have also frustrated him.

This week on our Golf for Beginners podcast we discuss Mickelson's views from the putter. Is it better to keep your eyes over, or behind, the ball?

We also talk about how the amateur golfer can use Tiger Woods' scrambling ability and tenacity to improve your own game.

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Michelle Wie takes center stage once again as she receives an exemption to the Fields Open. Has her physical injury healed? Has her mental game improved? All questions will be answered in two weeks.

Is Michelle Wie ready for 2008?

Laura Davies believes that psychological damage that Michelle Wie endured from playing golf in men's tournaments will take a year to heal. She also thinks that her own game is ready for the next level, affirming that this is her year to dominate the LPGA Tour..and that includes toppling Lorena Ochoa! At least Davies understands what it takes to win, but, at forty-four years old and with a plethora of new stars on the horizon as well as Annika Sorenstam back in form, the LET star is going to have her hands full.


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The Odyssey two-ball putter has become a mainstay on the PGA Tour. From professional golfers to amateurs, all gain assistance from the golfball-sized white discs on top of the clubface which help align a ball to its target.

Where the design was initially unusual, the technology which offered exceptional resiliency and performance became the mainstay of Odyssey's line-up of putters. And, with the introduction of the elasticore multi layer insert technology, the advancements are noticeable.

With the introduction of the Divine Line of putters designed specifically for women, I wondered if I would notice a difference between the new White Hot XG and the Divine, or if one should rely on a putter's performance predominantly based upon the length of its shaft?

This question, and more, are answered in our golf podcast.


Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

Subscribe to our newsletter!
Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages and Florida Golf Travel.

This podcast is supported by New Roc Harley Davidson, your worldwide parts and accessories distributor. Great rides start here!.

Photo Credit: © Art By Grant.Photo Credit: © Cartoon Stock.Photo Credit: © ESPN.