Steady as she goes

I've carried on about connection (left shoulder unit / upper chest - right handers) previously. Of course, I have gone away from that concept and tried numerous other ideas, with very limited success.

So,  I'm back with connection ... and liking it. The thing is it has to be combined with a couple of other swing thoughts or concepts, neither of which I hadn't fully engaged with in the past.

Connection is simple, it can be developed by using the towel or head-cover in the armpit or simply by feeling the connection. The difficulty is getting used to the backswing shortening effect. You have to accept that the shorter backswing will be compensated for to some extent by a greater use of the bigger muscles of the core.

A shorter backswing can also become or at least feel too quick. This means it is important to take a slight pause at the top of the backswing. But this is not a Matsuyama pause, it is much less pronounced; it is really no more than making sure the transition from backswing to downswing is quiet and deliberate and in no way rushed.

There is one other aspect of connection: it means that a draw becomes one's dominant shot shape. This is fine for most players and situations, but there is always a slight risk of draws becoming hooks. As Lee Trevino said, I'm paraphrasing only: you can talk to a fade, but a hook doesn't listen.

Anyway, once these issues have been acknowledged and incorporated, connection becomes a very comfortable, and I must say reliable, way to play golf.

Now, the putting game. At last I have found a way to grip the putter that feels right. Simply, left hand rotated left (super weak) so that the face cannot close easily, combined with a right-hand palm grip matching the clubface. For me there is complete separation of the hands, with the (low) right hand in charge of the stroke.

All this has made be more confident of keeping the putter face square and has also allowed me to more effectively, and more consistently, feel the distance required. Some of my confidence has returned - which is so important for good putting.

All I have to do now is keep it steady as she goes.