Encouragement award

Back on the course recently and I've discovered a couple of benefits from the research I've been doing, especially my rereading of Bobby Jones' great thoughts on the golf swing.

First and foremost, Jones emphasised the necessity of finding one's own swing, having first acquired a decent grip and set up. I have also benefited from freeing up my backswing, allowing my lead arm (left for me) to bend a little and letting my left heel lift a touch. Overall, my swing is feeling quite free, less strained, which I hope will help reduce wear and tear.

The other recent change has been my concentration on hitting down and through the ball (other than with driver). I haven't changed anything else (ball position, weight distribution, etc.), but I believe I'm hitting fewer of the thin shots that plagued me for a few months.

This greater freedom and new swing focus has not, so far, come with any loss of control or accuracy, which was a potential concern, or so I thought. In fact, I don't know if I can drive the ball or hit fairway woods any better than at present - but there are plenty of other areas needing improvement.

These other areas are short game related. The idea of using the trailing (right) knee when pitching and chipping is problematic, simply because it is one of those conscious actions that don't help unless they are developed in practice so as to become unconscious. I tried using more knee action - it did not help!

Putting is one area in which I feel very happy with a new concept. Basically, I am back to using my lower (right) hand to power my stroke. The 'don't use your wrist' invocation just doesn't work for me. Putting, especially lag putting, is about feel, and I get most feel, distance control in particular, from my dominant right hand. Short putting is also fine with a dominant right hand - provided I stabilise the putter shaft with my left arm and hand. There's more to say about this, but that's for another time.

In the meantime, my recent game and score qualifies me, I believe, for the encouragement award.