It's The Little Things
Golfers are people and people whether golfers or not tend to think of scoring. Nothing wrong with that. You will need a bit of luck, timing, form, etc. but these are things that are not on tap or can be saved as memory as in a computer and repeated all over again. You need consistency and purpose. So one way of scoring is in not trying too hard to score as we may not even have the skills set so what we should aim to do is to do the simple things well and to make less and unnecessary errors. This will keep your score sheet more decent. Often in golf as in life, it is the little things that really count. Let me share some.
Loft & Distance
Most folks need more loft not less. I know you may feel more macho telling people you play with a 9 degrees lofted driver. Very few people can handle that well. You can have a 9 degrees driver with regular shaft but in Singapore due to the smaller pool they normally bring in 9 degrees in a stiff shaft. A golf ball has to reach an apex in trajectory to reach a maximum distance and each of us has a different launch angle.
The slower your swing speed the more loft you need. When you are not hitting it up (not ballooning) you need more loft. I see many golfers struggling with this on a golf course so they really need 12 to 13 degrees loft in a driver. You can increase your distance by another 30-40 m by switching from 9 to 12 or 13 degrees if you have been struggling with getting the ball up and away. Besides, going for a lighter shaft will quicken your swing speed naturally. Instead of using a longer shafted 3 wood at 15 degrees, do also consider a 4-wood at 16-17 degrees too. The trick is really to hit the sweet spot more often.
Tee Up
Tee up your shots especially for your driver. Just like the correct driving position when driving your car and how the position of the headrest should be at in relation to your head. The top of the headrest should be in line with the top line of your ears. Similarly, think of the headrest as the top of you driver and the top of your head is the top of your ball. So when teeing up and ready to drive, your driver top should be in line with the equator of the ball. Try it. You will get straight and long all day!
Strength & Weaknesses
What are your strengths and weaknesses? We are all of different built so our swing plane and arc are different. We all play a seven-iron to a different distance. You can use a different club to reach the same distance. Play to your strength if that means you have to lay out for the next shot. No two persons play the same way. If you are very good with the 8 iron, lay out for that distance.
Distance is macho but it might wreck your game. Think accuracy. You can have the best driver or any other club in the world today but at most it will give you 10m more - only if you hit the sweet spot. Manufacturers sell you the long game and they can only do it by extending the shaft or making the shaft and overall club weight lighter. Lifting or swinging with a lighter weight automatically increases your swing speed. They can do this because today's club head has more perimeter weighting when they use material to make a thinner and lighter club face.
Every time you have a shorter club you increase your chance of hitting the sweet spot. Always use a driver by half an inch shorter if you can. The average driver length used by the pros were just 44.5 inches. Today they sell an average length of 45.75 inches. Some has gone up to 46.25-46.50 inches. Tiger Woods at his longest use only 43.5 inches. You may lose a little distance by using a shorter shaft or club but you increase your accuracy by much more therefore, gaining more control. Whenever you hit the sweet spot, your shots are longer.
Learn To Play A Draw Shot
The worst shot in golf is a slice (right to left like a banana kick in soccer). You often land in the jungle or water or OB. Next is the dreaded duck hook. A hook goes right to left in an extreme way and a duck hook is an accentuated hook. It is almost as good as a slice. Many pros like to play a fade, a power fade where the ball goes almost straight and then turn slightly right before landing. It gives them control knowing the call will not misbehave on landing.
This shot does not deviate too much and will land quite safely most of the time but it is not as long.
A straight shot induces back spin, it is longer than a fade but shorter than a draw due to more back spin generated. Today's drivers spin less and so does the ball. The draw shot is perhaps the best shot in golf. Firstly, you will take the left side of the fairway out of play as you will not land there. You will actually compress the ball more and a draw shot is never afraid of the wind as it will bore through the wind much better. You will hit it the furthest too and all you have to do is focus to swing from the inside out and turn over with the wrist at the right time. Easier said than done but worth emulating. Play a draw. It is like an in-swinger in soccer.
We wake up to a different swing everyday. Some days you could do no wrong and others you can become inconsolable. You could be hooking all day and you try to do correction, you adjust,wrestle with it but the more you fight it the worse it gets. Learn to accept it and play around with the shot for the day. That will make a big difference.
Muscle Memory
Golf is also about muscle memory. It cannot get better if you do not play more. Even if you can't play as often, you need to go to the practice range to build your muscle memory. Get tuned up and toned up to build confidence. It requires discipline. I won't say practice makes perfect but practice certainly makes better.
Turn Your Hip
Many golfers just use their hands to hit the ball. You will never get better distance. Often, some even try to scoop the ball to help it up. Every club has a loft to give you that required distance. Some folks like to make very big moves with their shoulders and the back swing goes all the way such that you are almost whipping your own back. Only John Daly and some mediums do that. The bigger your moves and the further back you take your club the more mistakes you will make when coming back down. Be very economical with movements. Your shoulders will mimic the hips as you turn and they are parallel. Think like you are a trigger of a revolver being pulled and coiled back and the hip is the fulcrum from which you turn. Keep that spine angle as your pivot and you will be pounding away. We can't turn well when our body is too stiff so keep nimble. Hip hip hooray!
Check Grip, Set-Up And Your Feet
Before anything else check your grip. Grip should be firm enough but not tight with tension. The feel is one like holding a bird in your palm. If the bird dies you fail. If you grab your fork and spoon like your golf club with lots of tension you will die of starvation. Have a comfortable feel during the set up. If not, stand straight and redo it. You know it when you are too close or too far away from the ball. The position is like your driving position when driving a car. You feel discomfort when your hands are too near or too far from the steering. Likewise your feet from the pedals - the brake and accelerator. Even at your most comfortable sitting position, you will adjust and change after a few month trying to find an new or even better position.
Foot position is critical. If you hook often, keep your front (usually left foot) slightly closed. To have more power open your front (left) foot 45 degrees or less to help facilitate the turn to maximum effect. However, overdoing it can cause problem when swinging back.
The only way to improve is really to play more. Within three days of your last game, you would have rusted a bit. One week and the joints are creaking. One month and you will find rust forming. May be a spider could have spun a web around you. Even your body may not be able to turn naturally. I will suffer the same too or even if you were a pro.
I hope this will serve as a reminder for you and hence to enjoy golf even better. Life is the same, take care of the little things and it will work itself out. I wish you many more joyous golf occasions. Just keep plugging away.
Golf as in life, play as it lies.
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