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Afternoon all. It's been a while!
A long while, in fact. I hadn't had a range session in 8 months. Played four times in that time. A sorry state of affairs!
But what a blessing in disguise it has turned out to be.
I went to the range twice in the last fortnight. The first range trip was just me getting used to practicing again and having a club in my hands. Once I got back into it it was OK, but the same old shot pattern emerged.
I noticed, however, that the intense "golf babble" had gone from my mind. I used to play and/or practice 4 times a week up until last July, caring intensely about my game.
So I used the opportunity to revisit Mr Hogan and his Five Lessons. It was like I'd read it for the first time. Because I knew I wanted to change my old shot pattern, and seemingly cared less about my game, I was prepared to try things I'd never really properly tried in order to improve. Like starting all over again. ANd yet I'd read 5 Lessons a lot before. But somehow not all of it sinks in, or you think to yourself "that can't be right!". How little I did know. Despite thinking I did.
So I read Five Lessons. Front to back. Taking my time and ingesting it all. Putting it down after every page and applying to every last detail what I had just read. Then I went out on the range last night.
Oh my.
I'm a habitual slicer of varying degrees. When I was "on" last year I would hit decent shots but always with a leaky push/slice tendency. I've heard it said many times that Hogan's fundamentals are no good for habitual slicers, especially because of his grip.
Well, all I can say to that is: what utter twaddle. His grip is what makes solid shot making possible.
I did everything he described to a T regarding grip, stance, ball position, backswing and downswing. Last year I wouldn't have recommended it as BH was 5'8" and I'm 6ft. Pfff. So what. I can honestly say that I have never ever hit the ball so hard and so straight in all my life. Better than when I was playing regularly. And all this in one week of reading and true application.
By two thirds of the way though my bucket of balls I was hitting it low, high, fading and drawing with apparent ease. I felt I could do what I wanted with the ball. I was taking aim with my driver at a telegraph pole at the end of the range and striping it dead at it. I'm talking right down the pipe from the moment the ball left the club, and finishing accurately to within 5 yards of the pole. If I miss-hit it, it may have missed by 20 yards. The odd old habitual one crept back in during my 100 ball stint. But old habits die hard. My wedges had real zing, and I was drawing 3 irons off the deck. You won't know my game, but that has never ever ever ever ever been even remotely close to happening before.
So for anyone out there that's been struggling with their game, listening to all and sundry about rotation & passive hands, I can only say this. The golf swing is dictated mostly by your hand and arm action. For it to perform at it's optimum.
As Bagger Vance once said, "Your hands is wiser than your head's ever gonna be". So true.
Your only connection with the club (and so the ball) is via your hands. To not use your hands and arms in your golf swing is like asking Cristiano Ronaldo to score a 40 yard free kick without using his leg and foot.
Use your hands and arms people, and the body will react accordingly and adjust to allow your arms and hands to deliver the necessary blow. It just so happens that this means you'll open your hips and not slam the top half of your body at the ball. You can then learn to manipulate your hands to hit it any which way your choose.
For those habitual slicers, read what Hogan says about supination. If you hate slicing it, get any cup out of your left wrist and begin bowing it towards the ground from the beginning of the downswing. You won't ever have seen power and accuracy like it.
I now have true appreciation of what clubhead speed really is. When it's happening, you can't stop it even if you wanted to.
You can read it, but you won't believe it until you do it. And to so many of us stuck in our ways (despite thinking we're always changing things) it's a real leap of faith to dry something drastically different. Who wants to be the bloke down the end who came in with all the gear looking like a golfer only to top a load! Fair enough. But you'll top it loads before one comes out like a screaming mimi. Then watch everyone turn round to stare!
Eureka.
I'm buzzing about golf again.
Just in time for my Stag Do this weekend when we happen to be playing the Forest of Arden and Warwickshire golf clubs!
Zang!
A long while, in fact. I hadn't had a range session in 8 months. Played four times in that time. A sorry state of affairs!
But what a blessing in disguise it has turned out to be.
I went to the range twice in the last fortnight. The first range trip was just me getting used to practicing again and having a club in my hands. Once I got back into it it was OK, but the same old shot pattern emerged.
I noticed, however, that the intense "golf babble" had gone from my mind. I used to play and/or practice 4 times a week up until last July, caring intensely about my game.
So I used the opportunity to revisit Mr Hogan and his Five Lessons. It was like I'd read it for the first time. Because I knew I wanted to change my old shot pattern, and seemingly cared less about my game, I was prepared to try things I'd never really properly tried in order to improve. Like starting all over again. ANd yet I'd read 5 Lessons a lot before. But somehow not all of it sinks in, or you think to yourself "that can't be right!". How little I did know. Despite thinking I did.
So I read Five Lessons. Front to back. Taking my time and ingesting it all. Putting it down after every page and applying to every last detail what I had just read. Then I went out on the range last night.
Oh my.
I'm a habitual slicer of varying degrees. When I was "on" last year I would hit decent shots but always with a leaky push/slice tendency. I've heard it said many times that Hogan's fundamentals are no good for habitual slicers, especially because of his grip.
Well, all I can say to that is: what utter twaddle. His grip is what makes solid shot making possible.
I did everything he described to a T regarding grip, stance, ball position, backswing and downswing. Last year I wouldn't have recommended it as BH was 5'8" and I'm 6ft. Pfff. So what. I can honestly say that I have never ever hit the ball so hard and so straight in all my life. Better than when I was playing regularly. And all this in one week of reading and true application.
By two thirds of the way though my bucket of balls I was hitting it low, high, fading and drawing with apparent ease. I felt I could do what I wanted with the ball. I was taking aim with my driver at a telegraph pole at the end of the range and striping it dead at it. I'm talking right down the pipe from the moment the ball left the club, and finishing accurately to within 5 yards of the pole. If I miss-hit it, it may have missed by 20 yards. The odd old habitual one crept back in during my 100 ball stint. But old habits die hard. My wedges had real zing, and I was drawing 3 irons off the deck. You won't know my game, but that has never ever ever ever ever been even remotely close to happening before.
So for anyone out there that's been struggling with their game, listening to all and sundry about rotation & passive hands, I can only say this. The golf swing is dictated mostly by your hand and arm action. For it to perform at it's optimum.
As Bagger Vance once said, "Your hands is wiser than your head's ever gonna be". So true.
Your only connection with the club (and so the ball) is via your hands. To not use your hands and arms in your golf swing is like asking Cristiano Ronaldo to score a 40 yard free kick without using his leg and foot.
Use your hands and arms people, and the body will react accordingly and adjust to allow your arms and hands to deliver the necessary blow. It just so happens that this means you'll open your hips and not slam the top half of your body at the ball. You can then learn to manipulate your hands to hit it any which way your choose.
For those habitual slicers, read what Hogan says about supination. If you hate slicing it, get any cup out of your left wrist and begin bowing it towards the ground from the beginning of the downswing. You won't ever have seen power and accuracy like it.
I now have true appreciation of what clubhead speed really is. When it's happening, you can't stop it even if you wanted to.
You can read it, but you won't believe it until you do it. And to so many of us stuck in our ways (despite thinking we're always changing things) it's a real leap of faith to dry something drastically different. Who wants to be the bloke down the end who came in with all the gear looking like a golfer only to top a load! Fair enough. But you'll top it loads before one comes out like a screaming mimi. Then watch everyone turn round to stare!
Eureka.
I'm buzzing about golf again.
Just in time for my Stag Do this weekend when we happen to be playing the Forest of Arden and Warwickshire golf clubs!
Zang!
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