Imagine yourself with 160 yards to a slightly elevated green (maybe a 7 iron for a stronger players but maybe a hybrid for many...). The lie is good but the ball is slightly below your feet and there is a bunker short right. The flag stick is fluttering quietly in the breeze just over the bunker and looks... very tantalizing. Why not get a little greedy and throw a dart in there and impress your playing partners with a short putt for birdie?
Over the ball a bit of doubt, not much but enough, creeps into your mind. "How strong is that wind?" or "How far below my feet is the ball?" or, my favorite, "I wonder if I was supposed to pick up dinner...?"
Sure enough you scull the ball, or you lay the sod over it, or the ball squirts too just enough right to end up in the bunker. What happened to that dart? That short birdie putt!?
Golfers have heard Harvey Pennick's sage advice "take dead aim" from his wonderful book, "The Little Red Book." And I think that is a fantastic concept but... take dead aim... at what? The water? The bunker? The Flagstick? For me this sage advice leaves too much for interpretation So I have a slight variation on his otherwise masterful concept in my version. For a positive swing thought while playing in a tournament or, for that matter, any golf shot that is meaningful is to "SWING HEROICALLY AT A CONSERVATIVE TARGET."
Many, if not all, of golfer's poor shots are a result of one of these two concepts being broken. The player who swings too conservatively (or tentatively) at an aggressive target leads to the biggest risk and generally, the BIGGEST number!
SWING HEROICALLY
Swing heroically is a positive re-enforcement of the ability to swing with confidence. Confidence is the golfers 15th club and, in my eyes, the most valuable skill to possess for good golf. Swing with absolute confidence and without any doubt is a skill that must be mastered. Trust within oneself that your swing, no matter what the swing, is the an ABSOLUTE for quality golf.
I know what most players will say to this point... My swing isn't that good. I have some bad habits. All I can say is THANK YOU FOR PROVING MY POINT! These players have zero trust in their swing and can not see the ability to swing like a HERO. This skill must be developed.
Think of a hero. Who is your hero? One of your parents? A head of state? A sports star? Are they perfect? Of course not. They are human and have human flaws just like the rest of us. But they are still your hero. Just like your golf swing. No one has ever had the perfect golf swing. Even Hogan made bogeys!
Just like your heros your golf swing has flaws. But the biggest flaw is not the mechanics of the swing. It is your trust and ability to swing like a HERO! Now a hero is not overly aggressive - it is not the biggest, strongest or fastest swing. It is the one you can repeat.
ON A CONSERVATIVE TARGET
At a conservative target leads the player to play within themselves and move through shots avoiding trouble. Golf is hard enough to attempt to hit the green much less hit at a specific target. Good golf is as much about avoiding trouble and avoiding big numbers (I consider a bogey a big number) and allowing the birdies and pars to just happen.
Think of the shot(s) in your own game. How many times did you aim at exactly at the flag and then hit it in? (I am willing to bet never) How about hitting it fairly close? (Again willing to bet almost never) How about somewhat close? (Ok I will let you say sometimes) Now, how many times have you hit it next to the flag without trying? The ball just one and a while ended up next to it. Again, I am willing to bet that most of the time your ball ended up next to a flag with any shot outside of 100 yards it was by ACCIDENT.
Let's go back to our shot. Most likely, unless you practice this type of shot and even when you do practice this shot, the best practice is to take a heroic swing on a conservative target. Make the best swing possible (the ball below your feet is tough enough to take clean, crisp contact) toward the center of the green. The lie in and of it self will let the ball drift towards the right and allow the ball to work closer to the hole.
Obviously this topic is much larger than any one post so look for much more on this topic.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via email. john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf...
John Grothe, PGA
No comments:
Post a Comment