Phil Silvers And A Morris Minor

In the normal scheme of things I'm a great believer in the old adage "you only get out what you put in." However my faith in this is being sorely tested by the ongoing battle, mind over matter almost, that is my short game. I spent another 90 minutes last night in a biting wind looking for a swing that worked consistently. It is in there and I've gone through the ABC checklist (address, ball position and confidence in what I'm doing) and to be honest it feels right over the ball. It's what happens next that's the issue. Let me make one thing perfectly clear though. Whilst it is still a mess, it is still fundamentally better than before I had my chipping lesson a couple of months ago. The issue is it isn't reliable enough yet. Until I get that I can't refine it to something that is akin to a single figure player which is still the driving aim.

I've had problems keeping it all connected before, particularly the right arm and turning through impact. The right arm tends to get loose and in the old chicken wing position and the swing tends to be all arms and not a crisp turn with the torso through impact. The issue isn't so bad when the shot is 20-30 yards and I have room to make a confident swing and turn. As the distance becomes shorter, the stroke becomes quicker and jerkier. Things get loose and it's a horrible mess.
It was brought to my attention by a local PGA pro whilst practicing at the weekend that the backswing was very rigid with the wrists stiff and firm and that the swing path was very much on the inside. We spent a little time trying to get the club going back on a straighter path and letting the wrists hinge naturally and making a good turn. The question is why could I do it under his gaze and it click into place so readily with the ball popping up and landing at will. Left alone to my own devices last night I was more Phil Silvers than Phil Mickleson.

My gut feeling is there was way too much going on in my little golfing brain and it had reached overload. Keep the right arm connected, wrist hinge, keep the swing short and crisp, tempo, turn, landing area and follow through. Strangely enough when the wife turned up to see where I was (I promised I'd only be an hour) and we just stood there and chipped and chatted there was suddenly a release and freedom and some of the results were better. Clearly there has to be some correlation. The problem harks back to that word that has been absent throughout my game for so long - TRUST. I have it in spades on the long swing with all the work I've put in since Christmas and have it in the bunkers now following my recent lesson. Why can't I get it with the short game and chipping and why can't I find a stripped back and simple technique.

I look at my partners most weekend and all of them, even guys off much higher handicaps, manage to make it look so easy. There's me, a head full of chocolate frogs and producing something short and stabby or too long and floppy. Where is that compact crisp strike others find so easy to master? I need to empty my head on the first tee. I can do it. The Easter weekend success proved that. It just needs refining and I'm prepared to suffer a few nights like last night to build something solid and reliable.

Maybe it's as simple as getting use to a different swing path and keeping it working as one unit and just needs bedding in. Maybe the ravages of a hectic day and train cancellations got into my psyche and it was just a poor session. Maybe, like the long game you need the odd bad one to reiterate the process and make you enjoy the good ones. Maybe.
The plan for the rest of the week was to give the long game a tune up as it was mis-firing last weekend. I think it was just a blip as there was some good stuff at times but I wanted to get it back purring like a finely tuned Rolls Royce engine. It was more Morris Minor but I know the problem and the fix. However it's the weather that may be an issue. Heavy showers I can cope with, even blowing straight into the bay. It is the gusty, strong winds that will be an issue. Range balls are notoriously unstable at the best of times but trying to hit them in the wind can lead to some erratic ball flight and it can be hard to decipher poor shot from wind affected. If it does hose it down and blow a hoolie I'll stand there and chip. Not ideal off a mat but needs must. Let's make no bones about it, there is huge room for improvement but it is getting better. Perhaps not as quickly as I'd like but the work won't stop. Practice makes permanent providing it is done with a purpose and done properly. You DO only get out what you put in so my rewards can't be far away.