- Admin
- #26
Lots of talk about how people play it, but not a lot of talk about how people practice it. Im not a fan of "you just have to keep hitting it from different lies" mentality because it brings bad habits. The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results (according to Einstein).
I practice this a lot and have 3 schools of thought.
1. The motion is what matters.
This is the truth. ****** technique is going to bring bad results regardless of how ingrained it is. Might make bad results less often, but they are still there. You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig (sorry Ham Solo). I practice the actual motion and technique and do so from different ball placements to achieve different results. Make sure for ball first contact, working on accelerating through the ball and that my feet and body are in the proper setup before I even start.
2. 3 flights matter
This is something I learned from a tour player at a clinic with an OEM. He said "practicing for different flights brings a confidence in technique and contact more than it does practical use". I wrote that thought down and save it on my computer. I practice the high shot, the very low runner and the normal pitch that varies by loft. Each one is slightly different and by working on all three, it gives me the same goal as the end result, which is clean ball first contact, with no decel.
4. Go To Shot
Everybody needs it. Its the one that no matter how bad things are going, they can rely on. I know on the internet nobody really misses greens, but I do. And I do in all kinds of grass and different lies. This is a shot that I can play from virtually anywhere, that I dont get cute with and barring bunkers or unforseen issues, can be played most of the time. For me its the ball in teh back of the stance, shaft lean forward with my weight and virtually a putting motion with a lower lofted wedge (PW or 50*) with clean contact. Its a bump and run for many, but it can be played also as a 1 hop and stop with good technique.
I work on all of these shots and do so from 4 different distances.
I practice this a lot and have 3 schools of thought.
1. The motion is what matters.
This is the truth. ****** technique is going to bring bad results regardless of how ingrained it is. Might make bad results less often, but they are still there. You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig (sorry Ham Solo). I practice the actual motion and technique and do so from different ball placements to achieve different results. Make sure for ball first contact, working on accelerating through the ball and that my feet and body are in the proper setup before I even start.
2. 3 flights matter
This is something I learned from a tour player at a clinic with an OEM. He said "practicing for different flights brings a confidence in technique and contact more than it does practical use". I wrote that thought down and save it on my computer. I practice the high shot, the very low runner and the normal pitch that varies by loft. Each one is slightly different and by working on all three, it gives me the same goal as the end result, which is clean ball first contact, with no decel.
4. Go To Shot
Everybody needs it. Its the one that no matter how bad things are going, they can rely on. I know on the internet nobody really misses greens, but I do. And I do in all kinds of grass and different lies. This is a shot that I can play from virtually anywhere, that I dont get cute with and barring bunkers or unforseen issues, can be played most of the time. For me its the ball in teh back of the stance, shaft lean forward with my weight and virtually a putting motion with a lower lofted wedge (PW or 50*) with clean contact. Its a bump and run for many, but it can be played also as a 1 hop and stop with good technique.
I work on all of these shots and do so from 4 different distances.