Confirmation

In my previous post about being rather more sane and simplifying my approach to the golf swing and putting I mentioned a couple of plans for future rounds.

So far, the signs are good that the simple approach works. I have even taken it a step further. I had been fussing about my grip - stronger, weaker, just right - but have now found that I can simply grip the club in a way that feels natural. This means just grabbing the club, without looking at my hands, and setting the club down with a square clubface.

The results have been surprisingly good - a slight draw with most shots - provided, of course, I don't set up with open shoulders or in some other 'non athletic' position. But I've long since ingrained a square to closed, athletic (for me) set up. So it all works quite well.

My other issues have been with the so called scoring shots - pitches, chips and putts - but even here my approach is now simpler and more effective.

With pitches and chips it is really only critical to trust your brain to calculate where you want to land the ball (having chosen the loft needed) and to make sure you commit to the shot. That is, make sure you don't try to a) steer or b) finesse the shot, which almost always leads to deceleration - the BIG NO NO in the short game. A positive pitch or chip beats a half-hearted, cautious, one 99 percent of the time.

Putting, now this has been a bogey of mine for some time. But help has come in the form of simplification - no grip trials, no theory about swing length, no other technical thoughts - just a focus on smoothness, rhythm and trust. There are still some misreads, mishits, nervous twitches at times, but golf, putting in particular, is not a game of perfect.

Only one qualification to the above. I have adopted a standard Vardon grip for putting (little finger of bottom hand overlapping forefinger of top hand) as is used by many golfers for the full swing. I find this technique, traditionally used to slightly weaken the lower hand and reduce clubface closing, useful in putting, and more effective than the much more common reverse overlap most putters use.

I use a ten finger grip for full shots. I am not a pro and see no reason to weaken my lower hand for full shots. I like the feeling of control acquired by having all my fingers on the club - as you would with any other bat or racquet sport!

Anyway, I'm quite pleased to have confirmation (so far) that simplicity is good. Perhaps I am moving closer to being 'The Effortless Golfer'?