Week 29: The one club you cannot use

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Is there one club in your bag that you just can't use?

Do you have one club in your bag that you cannot use successfully under any circumstance? Maybe it is the driver that taunts you from your golf bag as you hit 3-wood after 3-wood off the tee? Or perhaps it is the pitching wedge that sits idle, as you try to muscle a sand wedge or lighten up on a 9-iron to reach the green. We all have one club that seems far more difficult to use than it should be. Here is how to conquer the hex on your troublesome club.

Do not avoid the problem -- If you cannot hit a ball well with your 3-iron, swinging your 4-iron harder is not the solution. You have to face the problem in order to bring it to a resolution. The more you avoid the club in question, the greater the power it holds over you. It is just a golf club. No matter how pricey that club may be, it does not have a personality. It is not jinxed. Like anything else in your golf game, it probably requires some minor adjustments in your approach and your swing.

Take a lesson -- Even the best golfers in the world have coaches constantly watching their swing and making adjustments. If you have trouble with a club, you have probably made so many minor adjustments to compensate for bad results that you cannot even remember how to naturally swing with the club. Bringing in an objective observer will allow you to give yourself mental permission to start over. Your teacher will break your game down to the fundamentals and see what is troubling your swing.

Build confidence -- The next time you go to the driving range, just bring the troublesome club and no others. The temptation to put the tough club aside and hit shot after majestic shot with your favorite club is too great. There is a reason why you are so good with that club. You use it all the time! By forcing yourself to get to know the difficult club, you will begin to get a new feel for it. Over time, your mental block will lessen.

Use it during crunch time -- At some point, you will have to graduate and use the club during a round when it can mean the difference between winning or losing a round. As much as you may hate to lose, in the long run, conquering your fear of the club will help your golf game for years to come. Even if you are not successful the first time, you will be emboldened by the fact that you can use that club at any time and hit a winning shot. Once you do, the curse will be lifted, and you will be the master of your clubs once again.

Now that you have conquered your mental block with your most difficult club, it is time to conquer your knee troubles. If knee pain is preventing you from performing at your best, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is for patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple pain relievers like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy. ORTHOVISC® is not for use in people with known allergy to hyaluronate preparations, to gram bacterial proteins, with infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site or joint. Common side effects include joint pain, back pain, headaches and pain or redness at the injection site.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.