Get ahead of the game: TEACHING REVIEW Lesson 5

Sometimes despite the best will in the world things don’t quite turn out as you expect. Take our Game Golfer who retired a year ago. He has enjoyed nearly 25 pleasurable years of playing golf yet has never got lower than a 28 handicap.  It’s not through lack of trying, he says, although he does admit that he never used to practise.  He had a very simple game plan: drink a cappuccino in the clubhouse and then head straight for the first tee.  His last lesson was his first lesson back in 1990.  Until now, that is.

 

Our Game Golfer has surprised himself (and his golf friends around the globe) by taking part in a special winter training programme organised by ‘Golfing Inspirations’.  He began at the end of October.  His goal?  To get his game into shape during the winter months ready for the new golf season in the Spring.   A lower handicap is his dream, so he is keen to learn, whatever the weather.  We’ve been following his progress during a series of six lessons with PGA Holland Professional Mariëtte de Groot at Kralingen Golf Course, near Rotterdam.

 

 

  

 

Grooving the swing for Spring

 

Our local weatherman, Leen de Koning, measured 296.6mm of rainfall in his back garden in December, January and February. No wonder many golf courses were regularly closed this winter.  On ultra-soggy days even driving ranges and sodden practice greens were out of action.  So how has our Game Golfer been coping with the weather?  Is the urge still strong to get ahead of the game and groove his swing for the Spring?

 

 

 

First the shocking news. It is now three months ago that our Game Golfer had his last lesson! Heading the long list of excuses: the weather.  Now that’s understandable as huge deluges of rain aren’t exactly inviting conditions in which to practise.  Add to that the lazy Christmas and New Year period, a two-week bout of the flu in January, his pro on holiday for a week in February, and then the rain, followed by even more rain.

 

But does this mean to say that he hasn’t touched a golf club in three months? No, of course not! Phew! So what’s been happening? Our Game Golfer brings us up to speed with the help of his golf diary.  These two entries typify the see-saw effect he is experiencing …

 

Dear Diary …

 

Monday 7 December

“Sunny afternoon so hit a few balls at the G&CC Capelle. Chipping went well – managed to create a better shape to my shots.  Then hit 30 balls on the range.  Hit a couple of decent shots.  Then played 7 holes in 40 strokes.  Generally pleased as I hit a few good shots, but probably with my old swing because I just wanted to hit the ball!”

 

Wednesday 9 December

“Lovely and sunny so headed to Capelle again feeling very positive, but it was a disaster!  As someone was on the chipping green, I went directly to the range.  Topped every ball just 20 metres into a puddle – splosh!  After 20 balls I gave up.  I’ve completely lost it.  Wish I’d never started with the lessons – it’s even worse now!  What a waste of time!”

 

 

Game Golfer’s plea for help!

 

Time for ‘Golfing Inspirations’ to step in and remind our Game Golfer about the ‘Golf Academy 9-Step Plan’ and the fact that his pro is available for advice between lessons.  Feedback on lessons and updates on how her pupils are putting their tips into practise are welcome via her website.   Finally, a few days later, he sends her an email with a plea for help.  Mariëtte’s same day reply:

 

TIP: “Try and vary clubs and distances during practice.  For example, don’t just focus on your 7-iron.  Go through all the exercises again.  Avoid trying to hit the ball too hard.  Concentrate on a good take-away of the club so as to avoid the ‘out-to-in’ loop in the swing.  Good luck!”

 

 

Christmas was to be a turning point. After countless days of turkey and duck indulgence, it was time to focus on the birdies out on the golf course and get ready for the “shooting low season”!  He is full of energy and enthusiasm again, as his diary reveals.

 

Monday, 28 December

“The sun is shining. It’s 12 degrees and they forecast a 10 for today – the perfect weather scenario. I’m trying out my new ‘FootJoy Wintersof’ gloves which I got for Christmas.  Verdict?  Magic gloves!  My first five long-range chips all finished within 1-2 metres of the flag.  Then holed out for a score of 12, including the chip.  The range didn’t go quite so well.  However, when I checked in the mirror I could see I was hunching my shoulders again and pulling the club across and inside to my left side.  Once I kept my shoulders down, things improved immediately.  Then played two holes which also went well.  All much more promising!”

 

 

 

Tuesday, 29 December

“It’s still 12 degrees but there’s a slight drizzle today. Never mind, I’m off to play 9 holes at Capelle with my son.  Feeling positive.  My focus today: “Keep the shoulders down”! Arrived early to warm-up.  First chip on practice green from 18 metres went in!  Looked around, but no-one saw it – shame!  Next chip finished half a metre from the hole.  Again no-one saw it!  Then it was shank, shank!  And probably everybody saw those shots.  That’s golf for you!  Out on the course, I played reasonably well – some very good shots mixed with some average shots, but it feels good and we enjoyed ourselves.”

 

“It’s a bit like running a marathon.  You need to experience ‘the wall’ before you reach the finish line. I’ve just hit the wall and now I’m ready to improve”.

 

Thursday, 31 December

“My first round of 18 holes since I started my winter training. Nice way to finish the year by playing a 3-ball match with two friends in the morning.  After 9 holes I was leading!  Alas, on the back nine my old swing crept in – a little tired and  loss of concentration.  Yet it all feels very promising.”

 

New goal for the New Year

 

Indeed our Game Golfer is getting fired-up for the next golf season. In the clubhouse he made a bold bottle-of-wine-bet with a group of 8 friends.  Their goal is that they should all achieve a 15% reduction in handicap by November 2016.  Sounds a good incentive.

 

With the busy Christmas period over and garden duties finished until the redesign in the Spring, it looks as if the reshaping of his swing (and rebuilding of his confidence) could perhaps be ready in time for the new golf season after all. His plan was to get cracking with lessons again in the New Year yet the rain just went on and on and when it eventually did stop mid-January, a cold snap arrived which turned the golf course into a frozen winter wonderland for a week.

 

 

Great weather for a healthy walk and then to snuggle up by a log-fire with a good book. And that’s what he did.  Finally he felt inspired to read a golf book given to him by a friend a few months earlier while he was recovering from an operation on his arm.  “Golfen Met Je Ogen Dicht” (Golf with your eyes closed) by Birdy Mulligan was a compelling read.  The high handicap golfer in the book could so easily have been our Game Golfer!  And so it was, inspired by this whacky book, that he finally touched a club for the first time in 2016.  Here’s an extract from his diary …

 

Saturday 23 January

“A sunny day so went and hit a few balls at Hitland GC. The course and practice green were closed so it was busy on the range.  Went badly at first, so tried swinging the club with my feet together.  Gradually improved.  Finished on a good shot – achieved by leaving the last two balls in the basket!”

 

 

  

Getting in some extra practice at Hitland GC works wonders.

 

Monday 1 February

“I’ve been down with the flu for the last few days. Hope to be fit for another lesson next week.  Today I read through my first four lessons on the Golfing Inspirations website to refresh my memory.  Decided to start with lesson number 4 and work back to the first lesson for the feel good factor.  It worked!”

 

However, the next few weeks were hit and miss. Whilst practice sessions increased to three times per week, the flu boomeranged back, hence he was out of golfing action again at the end of February.

 

 

Q&A

 

So are you now back on track with your golf?

“Yes, thankfully.  My golf really wasn’t going so well after the last lesson.  I practised a few times on my own in December,  but then decided to take a break.  And that ended up a lengthy one.  As I hadn’t played for so long, I really wanted to warm-up a bit before lesson number 5.  It was important for me to feel that I’d mastered at least some of those early tips.  So I practised regularly by hitting a bucket of balls and played a couple of times on the course.  By mid-February my swing was getting back on track, then …

 

I feel a big but coming on here …

“Yes, I was getting really keen again and was practising 3-4 times a week, even in the rain. Then one day I went practising with a friend at the local driving range …”

 

And he gave you some advice?

“Yes, with all good intention, naturally. But everything went a bit pear-shaped after that!”

 

You know what they say about having more than one teacher!  Did your golf pro come to the rescue?

“That was the idea but she was skiing that week. Fortunately though, the sun began to shine again a few days later as I headed back to the range one more time before my lesson and got a few things sorted out.”

 

  

Kralingen Golf Club, Rotterdam.

 

 

LESSON 5 Tuesday, 1 March 2016 at 13.00 hrs

 

Time for the long overdue swing check …

 

The day sees a sunny start but by the time our Game Golfer arrives at Kralingen GC it has started to rain and a cold wind is howling over the course. He is early so there is time to enjoy his cappuccino in the clubhouse before heading off to warm-up before the lesson.  Thankfully the range is sheltered and out of the wind.

 

A few minutes later, his pro arrives with a healthy mountain glow in her cheeks. They exchange a few friendly words and then it’s down to business.  He enthusiastically shows her what he has been working on recently.  And then hits a few balls.  She gasps and asks politely: “What has happened to you?”

 

Nearly three months without a lesson has taken its toll. But her expert eye spots the cause in an instant.  The position of his hands at the top of the back swing look more ready for baseball than a game of golf.  From this position, there is only one place the ball will fly – everywhere!  And that is exactly what was happening.

 

She repositions his hands at the top of the backswing. This is something he’ll need to keep a check on himself.  Mariëtte’s tip for our right-handed golfer: “Remember that you shouldn’t be able to see the emblem on the back of your glove on the left hand at the top of the back-swing.”

 

He follows her advice and his shots improve immediately.   Slipping into this bad habit since his last lesson will take a bit of ironing out, but our Game Golfer is keen to learn so he stays behind after the lesson to hit some more balls.  Mariëtte is busy with another lesson but looks across at him occasionally and gives him some welcome words of encouragement: “Yes, much better –  good!”

 

  

Back home our Game Golfer does the logo check.  The correct position is pictured right.

 

Inspired by his coach, the longer days and the prospect of Spring being just around the ‘dog-leg’ corner, he is feeling happier and more positive about his golf again. Roll on lesson number 6!

 

 

Our special thanks to PGA Holland Golf Professional, Mariëtte de Groot and to Kralingen Golf Club, Rotterdam.

 

 

Follow our Game Golfer

We’ll shortly be posting the final lesson in this special feature series.  Check out: “Golfing Inspirations/Reviews/Special Features”.  Click here for previous lesson … Click here to go back to Lesson Number 1. 

 

Some useful Dutch golf websites:

Nederlandse Golf Federatie: www.ngf.nl

PGA Holland: www.pgaholland.nl

PGA Holland Golf Professional, Mariëtte de Groot: www.degolfprofessional.nl

 

© Photography by Golfing Inspirations.