Reverse Engineering In Golf

June 8, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Yesterday, my friend and I left the first tee with a high GAF (Golf Attitude Factor) and strong feeling of wellness. How could we not; after the fourth hole the beauty of our home course was only overshadowed by quiet serenity of playing golf with no one else around. No kidding, we owned the course and calmly played the rest of the round bathed in the beautiful sun, the musical harmony of nature and the refreshing aroma of life rekindled. It really was a great round of golf and more importantly, I learned something new!

Course management is as important to lower scores in golf as mustard is on a hot dog at the ballpark. They really are inseparable and if used together a positive outcome is almost assured. During our many conversations, my friend reminded me of a very important and often overlooked aspect of good golf; that course management always occurred from the green backwards. The Golf Channel has a great article for review of before mentioned points about course management. There are many ways to effectively use course management techniques, but no matter what, the process is still the same.

It is critical to work from the green backwards. For a par 4 let me explain:

Looking backward – to approach from the right side of the fairway is best.

Every green has its challenges. Most of the time, aiming for the center of the green is the safest and most effective shot, especially for those trying to break 100. For players who want more of a challenge, it is important to consider the location of the pin. Sometimes the pin will be tucked behind a bunker or near the dreaded knoll that makes putting extremely difficult. Pin location will determine whether your previous shot should be on the left or right side of the fairway. Knowing what side of the fairway your second shot needs to be will help set up your tee shot.

Tee up on the left to ensure the best approach to the green.

Now that you know what side of the fairway you need to be on for your next shot, setting up for your tee shot is easier. A general rule I use is that – left side fairway, right side tee box; right side fairway, left side tee box. By setting up on the opposite side of the tee box to where you want your ball to finish helps reduce errors and ensures that even on miss hits the probability of success is higher.

If you are playing a par 5, add one more step using the same logic and process. It may seem like I am suggesting a crisscross pattern down the fairway, but I am suggesting that you choose the path that best suits your game and achieves the result of playing the ball to improve your chances to score low.

On a par 3, I would recommend that the general rule of alignment still works. Obviously, hazards and pin location are very critical for shorter holes, but I think you get the point.

Reverse engineering in golf applies to course management. Working from the hole backwards is the logical way to lower your scores. Course Management from the green to tee will cut mental errors, lower your score, and improve your overall mastery of golf.

As the late great Bobby Jones said, “The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two.” That is course management in a nutshell!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Putting for Success

May 15, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 15 Comments

This year’s goal to be a scratch golfer is going very well. I maintained a good fitness program, educated myself on the finer points of breaking 100. 90, and 80, and I am starting to implement some new techniques to help build consistency and confidence in my golf swing.

My first major change is how I line up putts. Many golfers already use this technique, but until recently, I was a “feel” putter. Additionally, I would use a mark on the green about 1-2 feet in front of my ball as my alignment point for my putting line. Having a fair amount of success, I never felt the need to change – until this year.

So, after a fair bit of research, I decided to use “the line on line” putting technique. I drew a black line on my ball and decided to use that as my alignment guide. I would read the green; pick my putting line; then match up the line on the ball with my putting line. It does take a bit of practice to align everything, but once you have the technique down, the process simplifies putting tremendously.

With both lines in sync, I was able to focus on squaring my putter (putter face perpendicular to the line on the ball) and making solid contact with my back 6 forward 12 putting rule. Additionally, I am able to concentrate on speed and as a result I sink more putts and my misses’ end up closer to the hole. Overall, I am already saving strokes and as a result my season is starting off on a high note.

The main point I learned from this new technique is that my earlier putting style resulted in a closed putter head on alignment. I realized that I was setting up with a closed putter head all because the visual queues to my new alignment style caused me think. After figuring out the disconnect, I realized why I struggled with putting the past couple years.

Now that this epiphany has resulted in a positive change, I can hardly wait to see what my next round brings. Identifying a need for change through analysis was not easy, but once I decided that I required a different approach to my putting the process took care of itself. You can make changes to lower your score as well, the first step is to choose.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Chipping to Break 100

May 9, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Golf is a crazy game! On Tuesday I shot 78 with bogies on the last three holes – with two 3 putts! Thursday, I shot 76 with 2 birdies and two pars on the last 4 holes! I felt exactly the same, played almost the same way and scored two strokes better. As I think back to my round, and I know most of you analyse your last round of golf, I was wondered what the difference was between the two rounds. My conclusion is that It all came down to chipping.

I have talked about practicing my 3-6-9 chipping drill before and suggest that it will help anyone break 100. The most important aspect of the drill is just to practice and develop a solid go-to stroke that will help build consistency. As I played today, I realized that chipping is as important as putting to score low.

I could go on about how to hold your hands or how to grip the club or where to align or, or, or. As your skill develops, there will be time for improving and refining your chipping touch. The trick to breaking 100 is to build a consistent chipping technique. The video below outlines a repeatable process that will benefit all players trying to break 100.

The clock drill is very good for using the same swing for multiple shots. It helps develop consistency and improves your chance of lowering your score. Give it a try; let me know how it works.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!