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The People's Game |
"Grip it and rip it. It works for John Daly. It never worked for me. All I did was wear out golf gloves."
Chuck Stark, The Sun Link, June 17, 2003
Hints for Hackers |
How to Score Better without Practice
We all want to contribute to improved play, quicker play and lower scores for hackers, and these are some tricks you may not have heard of from your PGA Professional.
Warmup?
Flexibility and the muscles firing are so important for decent play early in the round, so whether you do some stretching, isometrics, bends, or other forms of warm-up, at least do something to get the muscles firing before you tee off.
If not, swing easy early on just to find some tempo. Remember, a round is not made on the first ...you have 18 to play, and the last is as important as the first. There are some terrific warm-up devices out there too, like the heavy club, or the weight you add to a club, or those super inexpensive little exercise bands you can find almost anywhere.
Shot Savers.
Okay, you're 30 feet off the green and another 50 feet to the pin, or in other words, you're some 30 yards to the pin with nothing in your way. Leave your 60 degree in the bag and roll up with a lower lofted club, unless you really have mastered dart throwing your wedges. A ball rolling is more accurate and better able to be near the pin than trying a delicate lob wedge, and you take out the skulled bladed shot that skitters off the green. A lot less embarrassing, too.
Another point: let's say you have a very tight pin with only a few feet of green on either side of the pin, with the green widening above the flag. You're off the green with little chance of keeping the shot on the putting surface then try this: don't go at the pin, instead, take an easy wedge to the larger part of the green, keeping it in two-putt range, but still on the putting surface. In other words, when a target is not accessible, think about where you want to leave yourself for your next shot.
Distance Control on the Greens.
One thing about hackers is they have no clue how hard to hit a putt that is past, say, 25 feet. They're either pitifully short, or woefully long ...as in three-putt long. Try this: When you're practicing putting, simply take a ball in your throwing hand, and face the target, now roll the ball underhanded toward the target. Notice how you don't even think about how hard to throw it? It is instinctive, not a thought or mechanical process. The same is true for putting ...line up the putt, take your position, now one last look your target, and simply visualize rolling it with your right hand being the face of the putter ...and roll it up there ...aiming is not nearly as important as speed ...so once you are lined up, forget aiming ...and just roll. It won't matter where are aiming if your speed isn't close to being right, and worse case, hey you leave yourself a tap in. No more embarrassment. And, hey, back to that pace of play thing ...while your playing partners are putting, how about lining up your putt at the same time as long as you're not in the line of sight (in front or behind) the guy who is putting!
Big Numbers and Being a Hero.
Okay, the big boy bangs a huge drive into the trees ...and as he surveys his options, he now tries a virtually impossible shot to keep going toward the green, with a two degree opening in the trees ...the heroic shot! But for hackers the best tip is, find the biggest opening you have, 9 iron, 3 iron or whatever, and leave yourself in a position for your next shot to be heroic. You then have only lost one shot! You may make it up with a good putt, so leave yourself a chance.
Hackers always go for it, and they almost as frequently don't come through. Take a long par 4, not a bad drive, but you have a very long shot to a heavily guarded green. Instead of trying that almost perfect shot that has a very small percentage of success, why not just lay up with a club you can hit well, leave it in a good angle to attack the pin, and pitch on for an easy putt, or at worse, a bogey? The other long shot leaves you most likely in a trap, with little ability to control where you land on the green, and that is assuming you get out in one. So, again, avoid the big number.
Pace of Play revisited
When riding in a cart with a partner, when your shots are far apart ...why not drive the guy who is closer to the green and leave him with a couple of clubs so he can assess his shot, while you go back to your ball, make your shot, and go pick him up (he can hit, right after you do) instead of him sitting there wasting time watching you hit and you wasting time driving to his spot and watching him hit. These ways to play will almost double how quickly you play!
Anger Management
In the immortal words of Tommy Bolt, “You ain't good enough to get mad!” Enjoy your golf!
