Editors Note: Each week, we receive hundreds of questions for our PGA Experts. Though we can't answer every one of them, we will take some of the most illuminating and beneficial questions and have one of the top authorities from the PGA of America to answer them for you. We are in the process of finding ways for more experts to answer more of your questions! Thank you for your support and keep the questions coming!

If you could only have one club to use from 40 yards and in, what club would you choose? I always have trouble deciding what club to use. Do I run it up or fly it to the hole...I know it depends on what you have to hit over....Just wondering what I should chip with most of the time.

Matt D

Matt: I can remember working with a long time PGA Tour player on swing mechanics and happened to be hitting a 40 yard shot .I asked him " how many times a year would you have this shot on Tour ? " He answered, " maybe a couple of times and those were by accident." You can see that even the best players in the world don't want that 40 yard shot ! They either hit it very close to the green or lay back to a full wedge of some kind. You should do the same. To answer your question, a lob wedge can be hit high or low.....an 8 iron cannot. If you had to master this shot.......do so with the lob wedge. Take a lesson from your local PGA professional on how to use your most lofted wedge.

Bill Forrest -- 2006 PGA Teacher of the Year

My home course sand traps are hard packed sand, with low lips at the grass line. my question is should i hit 2 inches behind the ball and blast out or with a lofted club just try and pick it up and out without the big back swing sand blast? - Bill D.

Bill:

When the sand is shallow, wet, and/or coarse some adjustments are required in your address position. If you are in a green side bunker, begin with slightly more weight on your forward foot and the ball near the middle of your feet. If the ball is too far forward, you'll have a tendency to bottom out behind the ball,the club will skid off the hard surface sculling the shot.Also, be sure that the weight remains on the forward foot and the takeaway path is straight back or slightly outside.An inside takeaway can cause the dreaded " drop kick " as well. The shot is very much like a high pitch shot off a tight lie. Get yourself a 60 degree wedge and a " hard pan " bunker lesson from your local PGA professional.

Bill Forrest -- 2006 PGA Teacher of the Year

Mr. Phillips, I pulled my left oblique about a month and a half ago. It still doesn't feel strong yet. I'm afraid to take a full swing and have a set back. What can I do to strenghthen the area and aid the healing process. Thanks!! Kris

The obliques are the most important muscles for rotating the trunk and the pelvis in the golf swing. It is imperative that you have health non-injured obliques before you start swinging a club. I recommend seeing a medical expert in your area to do some manual therapy on the obliques. Sometimes adhesions can develop around the injury site that can prolong the healing process. A good manual therapist can release any of those adhesions and get the muscle functioning back to normal faster. Also, many times the oblique muscle is injured due to mobility restriction in the thoracic (mid-back) spine. When the spine does not rotate the obliques have to work twice as hard. Once the pain is gone, focus on exercises to improve range of motion of the thoracic spine - like chops and lifts - see www.mytpi.com for descriptions of those exercises!

Dave Phillips - Titleist Performance Institute

*I have been working with several senior citizens who have arthritic conditions and are limited in their range of motion. Most of them are not capable of turning their trunks to any extent or lifting their arms without bending at the elbow. Is there any technique developed that I may suggest to them that will allow them to generate ANY clubhead speed with these limitations in mind. Thank you, Paul C

My recommendation is to get them working with a manual therapist to help get some elasticity back in their muscles, even if the joints are arthritic. #2 - make sure they have a good set and release with the wrists since that joint can develop speed. #3 - focus on balance and stability since they can only swing as fast as they can stabilize. One leg drills go a long way in developing stability and residual speed for these players.

Dave Phillips - Titleist Performance Institute

When setting the pin, is there a requirement stating that there must be at least a 3 foot flat area around the hole? I have been told that pins set on a crest of a slope are illegal. Thank You. Ken M.

Ken,

There is no "rule" within the USGA Rules of Golf saying where a hole can or can not be set on a green. Most golf associations that run golf tournaments do however have guidelines they use for setting hole locations to make sure the course is set up fairly. These guidelines may include how close to a slope, how close to the edge of the green and what degree of incline the hole can be located on. The "Committee" will also have to consider the conditions on a day to day bases. High winds and dry or wet conditions will have to be considered. We all remember what happened at the US Open at Shinncock a couple of years ago during the fourth round. Very dry conditions and some wind made some of the greens nearly unplayable. Also the ability of the field must be taken into account. The average golfer would not handle "tour" hole locations very well. During practice rounds of tour events, PGA Championships and other majors you will s ee the committee spending lots of time on the greens looking for the best 4 hole locations for the tournament. They will want to make it fair but also a good test.

John Crumbley, PGA Professional

How many holes need to be completed to officially record a hole in one?

Stacey

Stacey,

Most golf associations that give reconition for a hole in one require either a regulation 9 hole round be completed or a regulation 18 hole round.

John Crumbley, PGA Professional

We were recently playing in semi-wet conditions and the greens were soft. A player hit the green and the ball plugged on the slope of the green. When removed, it was impossible for the ball to stay on the spot where it had embedded because of the slope. How should we have proceeded?

Derek

Derek,

Rule 20-3d of the USGA Rules of Golf reads "If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot which it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on the spot: (i)except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard." In your case the "nearest spot" may not be on the putting green and may be farther from the hole. The rule requires that you find the one true nearest spot where the ball will rest. I would have the player move the ball one or two inches at a time until we found the spot.

John Crumbley, PGA Professional

I have played golf for years and years and am ready to take the next step with my equipment. I have always played with clubs off the rack and want to know if I should spend the money to be fitted for new clubs when I go for some new clubs? Does it really make that big of a difference?

Jeffrey H.

Jeffrey:

If you are thinking about upgrading your equipment, it's an absolute MUST that you GET FIT for a custom set of clubs. The chance that an "off the rack" set being right for you is slim to none. If you were buying an expensive suit, would you purchase it and not get it altered? The same reasoning applies to buying golf equipment. Every Tour player plays with custom fit equipment. They are looking for every and any advantage they can get. If the best players in the world use equipment tailored to their physical specifications, shouldn't you? Find a PGA Professional with a club fitting background and GET FIT before making your next equipment purchase.

Tom Henderson, PGA Master Club Fitter

My friends think its a good idea to soak golf clubs in warm soapy water to clean them. I happen to think this is a terrible idea. I believe it will loosen the connection between the head and the shaft. I asked them to keep in mind that clubs need cleaned several times a season. Best wishes, -Bob

Thanks for your question on PGA.com.

Don't bet the ranch with your friends on this one! It's very important to keep your equipment clean and the best way to accomplish this is with a soft brush and.......warm, soapy water. The temperature of the water would have to be extremely hot for an extended period of time for the epoxy bond to loosen. If your worried about your heads coming loose, be careful not to leave them in the trunk of your car on a hot summer day. This will surely cause a problem. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me or ask your local PGA Professional.

Tom Henderson, PGA Master Club Fitter