My name is Andy Patterson and I am delighted and honoured to be the new Head Professional at what is, without a doubt, a gift from nature and the Island’s finest golf course.
My aim in these posts is to provide an interesting read for all, and perhaps to shape your game, (hopefully for the better!) as we play this wonderful and frustrating game!
I would love to begin this first one by asking you to think back to how you started in golf. I would take a stab that, like myself, you got some lessons, bought golf magazines and played with friends, and continued in this manner, eagerly trying every tip ‘under the sun’ in an effort to improve your skill, and perhaps it would be fair to say that most players are still involved in this cycle, and, let me add, that this is all fine and to be expected.
My impression of this type of development could be described as ‘conceptual’ learning, the sort that we are exposed to from the moment we sit behind a desk in our early schooldays. Another way of putting this is that our minds are ‘filled up’ with information. Of course, because of this, I have the knowledge that 6 + 6 =12 and that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. Good memory!!
But is this the best type of learning for golf???
If we take a moment to think of all the amazing physical skills we have learnt in life, tying shoelaces, riding a pushbike, they have, in my opinion, been achieved by ‘experiential’ learning. By being aware of the task, trying, failing without judgement, and trying again until we became proficient at the skill. Could you imagine reading a book that gave tips on how to balance? Now that would be interesting! In golf it is all too easy to get tied up with the technique and forget the task!
I remember that whenever I went to practice, my aim was to hit the ball ‘straight,’ swing ‘correctly’ or to work on my latest ‘swing thought’ and got upset and frustrated with myself when I failed to hit the shots I’d hoped to. Do your experiences match? No matter how much you ‘know’(conception) about the swing and what should happen, the ‘experience’ of it is far more crucial.
Can you sense how this is in direct conflict with the learning of all other physical actions? When I go practising now, I love to swing in lots of different ways, hitting all sorts of shots, good and bad. Seems crazy doesn’t it? However, it’s helped my golf and I have fun too!
Bit different!?...Absolutely More appropriate...definitely
Hope you enjoyed my first piece and if you have any questions, thoughts, would like to email me, or indeed, to come and see me, I would love to hear from you.
Regards
Andy Patterson
‘AA’ PGA Professional
Welcome again to the spot on the website where Ill try to give you some ideas about this magical game that we all love (sometimes!)
Continuing on the theme of how we might improve our golf, I mentioned in my first article how, if you were to read a book about the technique of learning to balance on a bike, it may recommend that you need to experience imbalance first, but how does this relate to golf?? Well, if your anything like the majority of people, myself included, you will have spent quite some time trying to ‘do it right’ searching for ‘the secret’ hoping your latest ‘tip’ will make you into an ‘Open’ contender and trying to hit it straight.
In my opinion, if we can learn anything from other sports involving hitting a ball, it’s that it’s essential to feel all different ways of contacting the ball, both appropriate and inappropriate. Let’s give you a great example relating to golf. Perhaps if you could intentionally make the ball curve in the air left and right, your chances of hitting it straight when you need to are greatly increased. The desirable ‘straight’ shot becomes more of a ‘choice’ to you rather than a ‘hope’. Of course to do this would require some guidance and a willingness to explore! Most people’s reactions to this might be “I’ll just get my swing right first so I can hit it straight, then I’ll try all that fancy stuff” TRUTH IS, IT NEVER GETS ‘RIGHT’
So only by consciously becoming more aware of the many different ways you can swing a club, without the burden of doing it ‘right’ can you start to develop more feel. For those that go to the range, could you go with the idea that today I’m going to see how many different ways I can swing this thing and simply observe the results, no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ rather than the point of view that ‘something is wrong with my swing and I’ve got to fix it?’ If this rings any bells with you then great, and perhaps this will give you a different point of view.
If golf clubs were flat faced!!
Hello and thanks for checking out my 3rd blog (whatever that is!) regarding ways in which you may improve your game. I hope you have enjoyed reading them so far, and I would imagine that some of you will have found the material challenging and thought provoking, if so, then great! In this piece we are going to have a look at what tasks are required to play golf.
- Directing the ball appropriately (accuracy)
- Control of distance
- Control of strike
- Control of height
That’s all we have to do, sounds easy doesn’t it?!!!!!!! HA!
Now, if we concentrate on number 4, every club, apart from the putter, is designed to impart backspin on to the ball, which in turn makes the ball lift. So, generally speaking, the loft on the face of the club controls the height the ball flies. More loft...higher flight, less loft...lower flight. We certainly have big parts to play in no’s 1, 2&3; however we do not have to influence no. 4. What is so clear the more I watch people hit shots, is that we try to get involved in ‘lifting’ the ball, sometimes consciously, for the most part, not. Perhaps it tends to happen more so on shorter shots, chips & pitches, although it can occur with all other shots too. The results of our interference are tops, thinned shots, duffs and a general feeling of ‘scooping’ the ball and, without a doubt; we have all experienced these horrors at some time!
Now, how about this. Let’s say that we could play golf along the ground, with no pressure of having the ball lift. It would require a golf club with no loft at all, a flat faced club, which we simply belted forward along the ground. Now the question is “Would your action change if knew you didn’t have to make the ball go up? Well, it’s a fantastic thing to ask yourself, and I think for many golfers it may.
I’m not a great fan of ‘training aids’. I think they are sold on a theory that somehow, something is lacking in you, and if you just had this latest ‘gizmo’ your swing would improve. Having said that, a friend of mine who played on the European Tour and in the Dunhill Cup has made a golf club with no loft which you can hit shots with. It is simple yet incredibly effective for translating the old phrase “let the club do the work” into feelings. I have observed huge differences in pupils’ swings after using this aid and it really brings to light how they had been trying to ‘get involved’ in lifting the ball. So if you ‘scoop’, try to get underneath the ball, try to make it lift, top, thin or duff your shots, this is a brilliant tool to own. If this is you, come and see me and spend a few minutes with this club and I guarantee you it will help you look at how you apply your club very differently. As usual, I would love to hear what you think of my blogs!
The Holy Grail, what we’re all looking for, “if only we were more consistent” golfers say, “We’d enjoy it much more”.
Well how do we start to gain more of it? “Ah” the $64000 dollar question, but for what it’s worth I’ll give you my view on it.
The dictionary definition of consistency is ‘unchanging’ but when we look at the challenges involved in golf, and the variation within it, we get a sense that that definition is impossible to achieve. So perhaps consistency in golf could be expanded to read ‘fairly consistent shots with fairly consistent swings giving fairly similar results’.
It’s important to remember that your sense of feel for your swing is dampened when you’re constantly thinking of ‘tips’ such as keeping your head down.
Now this idea may seem crazy, but if there is one thing I’ve observed in over 20 years of coaching this game is that these ‘tips’ make no difference to a players ability to develop their swing. Remember, there are no secrets, no one tip, and no ‘quick fix’ that will lead to long term improvement and, if anything, ‘tips’ interfere with your ability to grow as a golfer. As I was growing up as a golfer I think I tried every tip under the sun, none seemed to work for more than a few shots, and very quickly I scampered off looking for the next one. It was like a merry-go-round that never stopped, and I’m sure my experience is not unique. Can you see how absurd it was, but it was the way I, and many generations of golfers were conditioned.
The essence of physical learning in golf, as well as all other activities, is to pursue distinctions, i.e. becoming aware of the differences between two actions and recognizing the consequences of each. But to do this you need to stop seeing certain actions as wrong, and be prepared to practise swinging the club in as many different ways as you can think of. Take a look at what’s possible, swing in exaggerated ways, very fast, very slow, extremely inside-outside, stand too close then too far away. Don’t worry about the ‘right’ way, which logically we give so much attention to, because that will come.
So there you go! In my opinion then, consistency will not come from thinking about tips, or constantly ‘fixing’ your action, but will be derived from a willingness to explore your swing in a massive way, and with this, increased feel will be your reward, and with that more consistency.
Let me know your views on these, or anything to do with the game, and some questions from you would be great, and I could do my best to answer them in my next blog .
Better still come and see me at Castletown and we can play some holes or have an incredibly effective coaching session!
May I take this opportunity to congratulate the recently formed Isle of Man Golf Partnership who are charged with increasing and retaining golfers on the Island. They do a wonderful job and I’m sure will continue to do so.
As introducing, and retaining youngsters is a major priority for the organisation, I think it would be appropriate to offer some personal views on the coaching of children, not so much by so called experts, but more so from parents and family, and after all, this is what they will be exposed to most!
As all parents realise, much of a child’s formative years, necessarily involve many instructions, some form of teaching, you know the sort of comments, “sit up properly”, “eat your greens”, stop shouting!” However it’s also easy for these types of commands to surface when a parent plays or practises golf with their children. Now, in my opinion, a ‘lighter touch’ approach i.e., less instructions, would serve to allow him/her to develop their game with a sense of freedom, where it’s ok to experiment, without fear of having to adhere to the latest ‘tip’ and as a result, develop skills quicker. Of course, some small adjustments may be necessary, but the familiar orders that are barked with the best of intent, “keep your head down”, bend your knees”, “left arm straight” only serve to stifle development, and with a more ‘hands off’ approach, I think we’d be surprised at what they learn!
Without a doubt, the golfing atmosphere in the family is a vital component in a child’s experience in the game too. The first question after arriving home should not be “what did you score?” Judgements like this, on performance, increases the pressure a child feels under when playing, and you don’t need to increase their awareness of score or scoring well... the golfing world will soon see to that!
Why not ask them “what did you learn?” or “did you have some fun?” I suppose the initial answers may go something like “huh” “eh” or “don’t know”, but if you stick with it the child will be more attentive to these vital ingredients in growing up and staying in love with the game.
If you have any questions on golfing development for beginners, juniors or established players I would love to hear from you.
GREEN FEES 2010.
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