Back to basics - again!

My last round and my attempt to shorten my backswing (with a view to better control) proved to me again that there is a real problem in trying to implement theories and tips whilst actually playing golf.

The reality is that one's golf swing can only emerge or evolve over time, and it will be good or bad depending on the learning process followed and the fundamentals one has adopted. Nothing about a golf swing can change - for the better - in the short term.

I'm inclined to think that some of the world's best golfers (and I include said Tiger Woods) have made the mistake of trying to move to a swing that is unnatural to them, despite starting with a much higher level of expertise and hitting a lot more golf balls than the average golfer. Changing a swing that is good and hoping for perfection is, I'm forced to conclude, a recipe for disappointment.

My view now is that once some of the 'true' fundamentals of a golf swing have been put in place, the focus of all golfers should be on rhythm and timing, and you can add concentration, provided excessive tension does not creep into one's game.

I think the 'true' fundamentals, as I call them, relate to set up, that is before the club is swung. In summary, this means:

- having a good grip, not too strong and not too weak, and acquiring some awareness of the club face angle or position;
- having an athletic set up posture, so that you are less likely to sway or dip, and so that you give yourself the best chance of swinging strongly and efficiently;
- aligning correctly to the target, including a square or slightly closed shoulder alignment (far more important than feet and hips) so that there is a better chance of creating a decent swing plane - i.e. in-square-in.

What is not fundamental is how hard one hits, how long one swings, what shot shape one tries to groove, etc. etc. These are not fundamentals, but personal choices depending on ones ability and ambitions. Course management will come into play here, which can probably be otherwise called common sense. Time and opportunity to play and natural ability are other variables, not be all and end alls, but nonetheless will in most cases place a limit on golfing potential.

Anyhow, in my own case, I'm certain that mechanical thoughts (including all of my theories) have been interfering with my ability to play good golf, or better and more consistent golf (since I do hit some good shots), and that I need to change my approach.

My next round will be a back to basics round, hopefully including my true fundamentals, but mainly with an attempt to focus on rhythm and timing - and to use what little common sense I have.

Short and sweet

My last couple of rounds have been frustrating, mainly because of inconsistency. One round I putt well; the next I putt atrociously. One round I drive well; the next I hit every second drive into the trees. The rest of my game has much the same characteristic: very inconsistent ball striking.

Now, putting being the main cause of my frustration, I need to address this first. My inclination is to yet again go back to my old Ping blade putter. I think I spent so many years putting in the backyard with old blade putters, that I just can't get used to the newfangled centre-shaft, flying-saucer shaped putters.

All blade putters are of course different in that with a medium sized 2 to 5 metre putt, the blade will open and close quite naturally without any real problem. However, with shorter 1/2 to 2 metre putts this opening and closing (although slightly reduced) is likely to produce a little more inconsistency of line than a centre shaft patter, which is likely to swing a little more upright and stay squarer for longer during the stroke.

The particular blade putter I have is also old school, with no insert, so that the sweet spot is not as big, meaning in turn that with longer putts I have a tendency to mishit them slightly. This can be either toe or heel hits, or sometimes even a bit fat or thin. Perhaps a new blade putter will be the go - I just need to justify the expenditure.

But in relation to the full swing shots an equipment change is not on the cards. The swing is the thing - not the equipment. In this area, I am thinking and talking about applying a theory that I've employed before when accuracy with a fairway wood was a high priority. It's something I've also researched and found some general agreement on its merits.

The theory relates to the shortening of the backswing. There seems to be general agreement that an overly long (John Daly) swing will not work for many people. The hand-eye coordination and timing required is phenomenal. However, there also seems to be quite a bit of resistance to the idea of deliberately shortening the backswing, mainly because of the potential loss of timing that can result.

Before getting too much into the mechanics, I should state what I consider to be the benefits of a shorter backswing. The number one benefit is more consistent club face contact. The club does not have as far to travel and for most people is less likely to get off plane. The other benefits are that the player is also less likely to sway. lose balance or to manipulate her or his arms in the quest for power.

One potential downside of a shorter backswing is a loss of power - with less time to generate club head speed. Another potential downside is the unconscious tendency to hurry the swing - in an attempt to generate the power that the player feels they are losing. Loss of timing is the possible consequence.

These potential problems must be considered because I've experienced these very things - loss of timing in particular. However, I feel that if I can control the urge to hurry the swing or swing significantly harder with a short backswing, the results will be good. And, by results I mean better club face contact, straighter shots and little, if any, loss of distance.

Notwithstanding the need to control the hit impulse, a shorter backswing seems to encourage good acceleration of the club head. Witness this by hitting some short pitch shots to a flag with a shorter backswing. Your brain seems to tell you to swing that little bit faster (or harder) to match the distance required. The result for me is usually crisper shots, reduced risk of deceleration (the enemy of the short game) and plenty of spin when required.

With short pitch shots, of course, you don't have to worry too much about timing the swing of the arms and the turn of the body - you are generally pre-set slightly open and need only to put in a little knee work during the shot. With full shots, there is a need to take a little more time on the backswing, to help avoid any desire to rush the shot, and make sure that body turn is not compromised. That is, it is still essential to turn or coil as far as is comfortable. A shorter backswing doesn't mean a significant reduction in body turn, but it does mean that the impulse to turn too far is reduced, another side-benefit of this theory.

The proof of this theory will be, as they say, in the pudding. I'll be sampling my short and sweet pudding (and re-acquainting myself with my old putter) next time out on the links.

PS. A short full swing is, in my definition, where the club is just past vertical - at about 1 o'clock looking face on. This is VERY short by anyone's assessment, but what it is is what it is.

When a plan ...

What a week of golf - from the deep lows of a disastrous final hole to redemption when a final hole strategy paid off in a very satisfying way.

I played well on the weekend, very well in fact, only to blow a certain win with a triple bogey on the last hole. It was like a Jean van der Veldt replay where a series of misfortunes compounded the error of a poor drive. I didn't sleep well that night.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity of replaying that hole during my next round only a few days later. This time, I hit iron, iron, and pitched and one-putted, for a par and a lovely feeling of redemption. Maybe the purists would say 'get back on the horse, hit driver', but I found my allegedly ultra-conservative strategy very satisfying nonetheless.

Course management is surely the strength of those golfers who are consistent over a long period of time - the Jim Furyks of the golfing world. The big hitters and gamblers might snare all the headlines, but the steady, smart players prosper and endure.

A course strategy a choice, of course, and no strategy is set in stone. Circumstances change and strategies can even change during a round. This shouldn't be a problem provided each hole or shot strategy is carefully considered in advance, not hurried or made on the basis of anger or hope.

I should confess, the reason I am upbeat about my last round is not entirely related to a successful course management strategy; I am putting better.

Putting has been the bane of my golfing existence in the past month or two. But finally I have realised that no manner of grip changing or swing thinking can substitute for good old fashioned confidence and concentration. The former is about having confidence in one's ability (e.g. I am a good putter) and the latter is about applying one's skills and experience in green reading (i.e. closely linked to imagination) and controlling one's hands and wrists and thus the club face.

As for the full swing, I'm sticking to my plan of not worrying about the precise length or direction of my backswing, other than in keeping the club in front of me (sorry, a slightly technical term), while concentrating on making good contact with the ball (no swaying, dipping, flipping, etc.). It's paying off I think. I'm generally happy with my driver and woods and my irons are improving.

As for chipping and pitching, I'm sticking to my plans of pitching with my gap wedge and chipping with my nine iron, whenever possible, and the recent results have been quite good.

All in all the plans are working well, my handicap is coming down again, slightly alarmingly in fact. But I'm not complaining about that - it is part of the plan.

Simplicity itself

I've been playing a little better lately, though not with much satisfaction. The main reason for playing better has mainly been down to my resolve to keep it simple (stupid). The main reason for my lack of satisfaction has been my ability to finish off my rounds and score as well as I should.

By playing better I mean I'm hitting the ball better - driving a bit more consistently and playing some decent fairway woods and iron approaches, including pitches and chips. However, the putting demons are still lurking and at times I have been missing short putts that I shouldn't miss.

I'm driving better because I've done away with the strong grip I was employing, moving to a neutral, almost weak, grip. This has meant fewer hooks, particularly snap hooks, although it has encouraged a few fades that I could have done without.

I've also stopped worrying about my backswing positions, except to try to keep the club in front of myself a little more, which probably means picking it up a little. But mainly I've been trying to focus on tempo and follow through, with some success. The bad shots have tended to come from pull shots (from over the top swings) for which there really is no excuse, in my view.

My plan to help with this tendency is to try to mimic my 1 o'clock (neutral) left hand grip with a swing follow through that is directed at 1 o'clock (where 12 o'clock is the target line). It's a simple concept, sometimes used to help slicers (which I'm not) but which could help in simplifying the whole swing dynamic. I'm not sure it's a good idea, but we shall see.

I'm also going to go with an Adam Scott swing thought, i.e. start down with the upper and lower body at the same time. He acknowledges that a good swing doesn't really happen like this, and that the lower body probably starts first, but this swing thought might actually help one avoid an over active lower body (hip) rotation that can lead to push shots and other poorly timed shots.

As for putting, I heard something on the TV this morning that might help me with the dreaded three putts and missed opportunities that have been troubling me recently. The commentator suggeste the way to minimise the stress of difficult short putts (the dreaded four footers) is to concentrate on hitting the ball on a good line and forget about the result. This sounds reasonably easy, but of course it isn't. However, there is a lot to be said for just trying to put a good stroke on the ball. What could be simpler?