Two things I've learnt

A recent experience at a driving range (not a common hangout for me) taught me just how important it is to get onto the front foot for all full golf swings and even shorter chips and pitches.

It was on the second level of the driving range, perhaps fifteen feet above ground level. And as someone more than a little afraid of heights, the five feet in front of the mat before open air oblivion was too much (or should I say too little) for me.

Consequently, I hit every shot (more than 100 balls) off the back foot - and all extremely badly. I could not get myself to move towards that deadly drop off. I could not swing hard at all and eventually had to resign myself to hitting little flatfooted chips - a waste of time and money.

A related issue for me is my putting stroke, which probably for reasons also relating to fear, gets extremely short. My lags are, by the way, often also extremely short. It's not about weight transfer in this case, but it it about completing the stroke, that is, following through and holding that finish - virtually pointing the putter at the hole.

I've experienced some of my best ball striking when I was able to get myself to swing right through the ball to a solid finish. I've also read that you can judge the result of a golf shot just by looking at the finish position. Short jabs might work in boxing, but rarely in golf.

So, perhaps it's really only one thing I've learnt - finish the shot. In one case, it's about getting one's weight through the shot; and in the other (where weight transfer is not an issue) it's about getting the putter through the shot.

PS. I've considered and tried the Speith 'look at the hole' putting technique, but I think hitting through putts and holding the finish feels more comfortable to me, and achieves a similar thing by avoiding the short, yippy putting stroke that plagues many golfers from time to time (including me).