Stop Choking the Chicken!

I have been playing so much golf recently that my hands are starting to hurt! As Slim Whiskey says: I am "choking the chicken" and I need to hold the club like I am holding a dove in my hands. I decided to try this at the driving range. I held the club lightly in my hands and after banging range balls for an hour my hands did not hurt and, as an added bonus, I was able to get more clubhead speed.

I feel like I am on the verge of a breakthrough! It is about time to go back and visit my golf guru, Bob. I have been working on hinging my wrist and loading my right side, hitting through the ball so that I take a divot in front of the ball, and holding the club like I am holding a dove in my hands. After checking my progress on the full swing, I want to work with Bob on the short game, pitching, chipping and putting.

Every high handicapper (especially me!) wants to hit the driver on the range, but I know in my heart of hearts that I lose way too many strokes within 50 yards of the hole and the quickest and easiest way to lower my handicap is to improve my pitching, chipping, sand play and, most importantly for me, putting. I have been concentrating on making solid contact on my chips so as not to chili-dip the shot and trying to get the chip shot to or past the hole instead of leaving it way short and then two or three putting. I have not figured out how to hit the chip shot so that it takes two skips and stops. I am also working hard on getting my putts to the hole following the old adage "never up, never in".

Many golfers that learn to play at a young age develop good short games because they are not long enough to consistently reach the greens in regulation and, therefore, need to learn to chip and putt to save par. A perfect example of this axiom is Tim Clark, the little South African golfer. He was magnificent this weekend at the President's Cup. He was the shortest hitter at the event, but he was deadly from 100 yards and closer. Invariably, he hit his wedges and short irons inside 10 feet and his putting was spot on. He had 8 birdies (in 15 holes!) and no bogeys in his singles match on Sunday against a shell-shocked Zach Johnson, who finished with 4 birdies in his last six holes.