| I stood at a suitable distance and watched the | | | | club to the ball when we are all playing the same |
| morning parade of locals teeing off and I was | | | | game? Surely there should be much more |
| amazed at the vast differences in the approach | | | | uniformity in the execution of the fundamental |
| to launching that first ball. | | | | actions required to hit the ball - but obviously not. |
| It reminded me of that film - the Good, the Bad | | | | The problem is we learn to play golf the hard |
| and the Ugly - with an occasional gem from a | | | | way. We start off being coached by a well |
| player that is was a joy to watch. | | | | meaning fellow players who have not been playing |
| Every style was in evidence - the practiced Slicer, | | | | long themselves and unfortunately most of the |
| the committed Hooker, the Worm Burner, the | | | | advice is wrong. We start of as social golfers and |
| Sky Rocket and the Shanker - they all showed up | | | | build in all the wrong aspects of the game before |
| that day. Back swings varied from slow and | | | | we take stock of it and realise the handicap will |
| deliberate to faster than the eye can follow and | | | | never go down any more until something changes |
| included the long lingering 160 degree sweeping | | | | to our own personal style of the game. |
| contortionist-like loops, mostly from the ladies. | | | | That is the time to book a few lessons with your |
| Don't get me wrong - at various times in my golf | | | | local golf professional - get down to the practice |
| experience I have been most of those - except | | | | range regularly and work on those exercises he |
| perhaps not the looper - and I have morphed out | | | | gives you. Ensure you have clubs that are suited |
| to become a mixture of all of them I guess. | | | | to you stature, age and physical strength. Utilise |
| These golfers all had average handicaps that they | | | | the training aids designed to help you to get that |
| can consistently achieve by working within their | | | | inside out swing that you have admired when |
| personal variations of the swing. | | | | performed by others. |
| I asked the same question of as many of them | | | | Discover exactly where on the club you are |
| as would talk to me: "When did you have your | | | | consistently hitting the ball is it that "sweet spot" |
| last golf lesson with a pro - how many years | | | | because not centering the ball on the club is one |
| after you first started playing?" Almost without | | | | of the main reasons for many of the problems I |
| exception the answer was never or many years | | | | saw on my morning of observations. |
| ago. | | | | Hit the ball on the centre of the club every time |
| Which leads me to the basic question - why is | | | | and the results will come quickly and your game |
| there such a range of styles the delivery of the | | | | becomes that much more enjoyable. |