Owen McClain, PGA Teaching Professional
What To Work On….
A stretch of unusually mild weather arrives, and the golf impulse arises. Off to the course we go, and for eighteen holes we’ve hit the ball reasonably well, missed a chip and a putt or two, and scored just a little higher than average. Next round, things begin to deteriorate. Off line shots, three putts, and mental miscues. Round three is a little better, but ball striking leaves a lot to be desired. Putting is so-so, chipping mediocre, score is high because of missed fairways, short tee shots, and missed greens. During the next two weeks, more golf and a few trips to the range don’t seem to give us the answers, and if not for bad luck we wouldn't have any luck at all! After such a promising start, what in the world is going on?
Let’s start with the good: your touch around the greens is improving. This, despite the fact that it’s the last place you’ve thought of practicing. The bad news is that it, too, will deteriorate if you don’t spend some time working on it, because as spring advances, greens speed up and become less forgiving.
Next, your mental game. To draw an analogy from car racing, you’ve not been behind the wheel in a while, the steering is loose, and you’re just starting to get a feel for the track. You’re not ready to be precise in your ball striking, and you get punished for it. Relax, the mistakes will diminish when the crew gets the steering adjusted, and you gain a better sense of the feel of the track.
The swing is more of a mystery to you, less of a mystery to me. When you lose your swing, instinct tinkers with the motion. Wrong. Alignment, posture, and timing are where you need to look first, and then balance. Of these, timing will give you the most grief, but it is dependent upon the others, believe it or not. Change any of those, and your timing changes. Compound that with weakness in the muscles that control balance during rotary motion and you’ve got a swing running on three cylinders.
The solution? Start getting in shape right now. You can use balance discs to strengthen those muscles. Swing a weighted club. Swing or hit balls with your feet together. Walk the course to get your legs back. When you have the chance to swing the club, pay attention to your alignment and posture. Finish in good balance. And RELAX. If you are still struggling after a few rounds, a tune up form your PGA professional would be a good idea.
By April, you’ll be well ahead of the game.
About Owen: PGA Professional Owen McClain has been instructing Grant County golfers for the past three seasons, teaching at Moses Pointe, Colockum Ridge, and Crescent Bar. In final tests for PGA membership, he is the only professional in the PGA's history to achieve perfect test scores for knowledge. For lesson information visit the website, www.owenmcclaingolf.com.
