by Cameron Strachan on June 3, 2009
For those that want a more in depth view of my thoughts and approach to improving my game here it is:
These softer shots go against my natural instincts. After reflection I have decided to add them to my arsenal, hoping they will add a new dimension to my game. First things first,
I have learned to automate my “aggressive game”. I can tee my ball up anywhere, hit the autopilot button and play reasonably well. This step is what the vast majority of golfers don’t do. My advice? Learn to automate!
Prydie, I’m pretty sure that you have missed this point - you are always in thinking mode. Automatic is vitally important because:
- It allows you to find your natural swing
- You can play your best golf with what you’ve got
- You have a solid foundation to work from
If you miss this step I believe you’ll never be able to play your best golf. You’ll get a mixed bag of results with most of it being ordinary. The first step? Learn to automate (sorry for repeating myself - but it is really important).
Once automatic has become comfortable you’ll know with certainty what your natural tendencies are. This now makes it easier to improve your game. This is like reverse engineering the problem but is highly effective.
In my case I know that I’m not as good as I can be with the finesse shots. So I’ve got to learn a new shot. Please keep in mind that I’m not rebuilding my swing or getting confused with an array of technical thoughts - I’m simply learning to hit the ball with a slower and more controlled swing - I’m changing gears so to speak. My objective is to use my normal swing but swing with more finesse. A simple objective and one I know I can handle. I’m not rebuilding my swing.
This process does require some thought. I’m not automatic at this stage. Yesterday’s round went like this:
I was automatic on all the tee shots - I just did what I always do - swing my driver freely at the ball.
On all shorter iron shots I geared back and played a softer shot. I was thinking about this - I even had a practice swing or two (I don’t normally do this). Because I was thinking about what I was doing I didn’t perform that well. I didn’t feel comfortable and I played some awful shots. Unfortunately this is part of the process.
But (and this is important Prydie)
I will eventually make the finesse shots automatic. I will not think about what I’m doing and analyse forever - I will follow the same process that I use for my long game and putting. How long will this take? I’m not sure. When I can make 8 out of 10 successful shots in practice I know I’ll be getting close. In the meantime I get to play golf and work on ONE part of my game. I’m not trying to rebuild the lot.
Prydie, for what it’s worth here’s my opinion on your game.
You do not have major technical flaw in your game. Yes, you hit the odd bad shot but so does everyone. You are good at making stories up about your game and these are what are holding you back. You must learn to let go and play. Doing so will unlock your true genius and give you an insight into your natural game. Automatic will always be the first step - improvement comes after automatic - not before.
Leave your thoughts below - I’d like to hear them.
by Cameron Strachan on June 2, 2009
I‘m on holidays. I’ve taken a week off and I’m visiting Port Fairy. It’s time to do some reading, writing and get my mind off “real” work.
Today I took a look at the Port Fairy golf course. It’s well worth a visit. It’s a true links course that will test any golfer - especially with a strong wind. Best of all it offers all level of golfers the opportunity for a great day.
I took this solo game to try some new things. In particular I’m keen to improve my finesse game. I’ve got plenty of power - but my game gets a bit ordinary from inside 120 metres. Mike Clayton laughs at me when I can smash a drive 320 metres but then leave myself a long birdie putt. It’s not uncommon for me to out drive him by 70 metres but watch him nestle a 5 iron inside my wedge. Funny game really.
My motivation to keep improving got an injection when I read an article about Tiger Woods. It basically went on to say that his biggest strength is finessing shots closer to the hole than everyone else. His power game is not what makes him so good. Although I sort of knew this already, it was a “kick in the bum” to get me going in the right direction.
But this is going cause some problems.
I’m going to get worse before I get better. On the ninth hole (a fantastic 129 metre par three) I knew I could smash my sand iron somewhere onto the green. It might not end up close to the hole but I’d be pretty confident I’d be able to make three. So this is the dilemma I face. Do I hit the shot that I know I can secure par, or do I attempt to finesse a shot close to the pin and make more birdies? My mind is made up that I’m going to learn more of a controlled and accurate game. I want to keep getting better and add another gear to my game.
The big problem is that a smooth and controlled swing is not automatic for me - I’ve got to think about it and the results can be fairly ordinary. On this occasion I took my pitching wedge and tried to make a smooth swing. The ball came off straight left and missed the green. This new swing feels terrible and can make me look like a hacker.
The hard part for me will be committing to these softer shots during practice and then using them during play. It will take some time for them to become automatic and the chances are I’ll get worse before I get better.
This is exactly what newbies experience when they first try and play automatic golf. It feels awful and uncomfortable. You’re unlikely to get the results you want and quite possibly, your current play can be better than what automatic golf will give. So it’s easier not to commit and keep doing what you’ve always done.
But if you can climb the small mountain something magic happens.
It begins to feel normal and bit by bit you see positive results. Most never persevere and give up long before real improvement happens. This is why improvement can be so difficult. We want it both ways - to play good golf and to have it feel comfortable. But it’s not possible to have both.
After stuffing up half a dozen shots the sixteenth hole gave me some encouragement. After a long drive I had 125 metres to a front left pin. The temptation was to hit something hard. Sticking to my guns I took the eight iron and made the softest swing I could. The ball came out low and straight for the pin. It felt easy, like a big chip shot. It landed next to the hole and stopped quickly. For me this was the best shot I’ve played in a long time. I got a little rush and was able to bomb some long drives on the remaining two downwind holes.
I enjoyed today. The self-reflection has fired me up to keep improving my game. I didn’t play that great - how can you when wedge shots keep missing greens? But I know that if I keep practising and then learn to automate these finesse shots that my game will improve a notch or two.
Ultimately, I’m prepared to get worse before I get better. It might get ugly but I’m sure it will be worth the effort. Are you prepared to do the same with your golf game? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
