You're totally correct Mike. I would have regular playing pupils come to me complaining about their game. Often I'd start by asking them to take a 7 or 8 iron and just knock some balls 50-80 yards. The result was most of the time thin, fat, topped , sculled shots. So I would point out you want to control your long game but you can't hit a few decent controlled short shots. I would then get them to build up control from 50 yards to 100 yards and learning compression. Once they understood how to execute the short shots their long game improved rapidly. My old friend Ryder Cup player Jimmy Adams said a drive is just a big chip shot and a chip is a small drive. I think Sam Snead said if he had his time again he would just mainly practice pitch shots because a 3 iron shot is just a bigger pitch shot. Jimmy Adams also told me the swing should ' feel ' small and not feel big ! That doesn't mean a short swing but ' feel ' small.
This video is fantastic because it shows the correct hand and wrist action at close up, absolutely spot on, if you can't hit small shots regularly and consistently, absolutely no point working on full swing
The fact that you said that tells me you get the process. Your game will continue to improve. It is how I practice every day. I start over. Jack Nicklaus told me one day. "Every day is an opportunity to reinvent myself". He had a decent career so it might be applicable to the rest of us. Thanks Mike Malaska
You're totally correct Mike. I would have regular playing pupils come to me complaining about their game. Often I'd start by asking them to take a 7 or 8 iron and just knock some balls 50-80 yards. The result was most of the time thin, fat, topped , sculled shots. So I would point out you want to control your long game but you can't hit a few decent controlled short shots. I would then get them to build up control from 50 yards to 100 yards and learning compression. Once they understood how to execute the short shots their long game improved rapidly. My old friend Ryder Cup player Jimmy Adams said a drive is just a big chip shot and a chip is a small drive. I think Sam Snead said if he had his time again he would just mainly practice pitch shots because a 3 iron shot is just a bigger pitch shot. Jimmy Adams also told me the swing should ' feel ' small and not feel big ! That doesn't mean a short swing but ' feel ' small.
A house is only as good as its foundation !
This video is fantastic because it shows the correct hand and wrist action at close up, absolutely spot on, if you can't hit small shots regularly and consistently, absolutely no point working on full swing
This has absolutely been true for me. Good stuff, Mike.
This lesson makes me want to work hard on my short game.
If you are going to learn a movement you want to learn it correctly and start small and build up and drop back if it breaks up when going faster.
Great stuff Mike
Thanks Mike
The fact that you said that tells me you get the process. Your game will continue to improve. It is how I practice every day. I start over. Jack Nicklaus told me one day. "Every day is an opportunity to reinvent myself". He had a decent career so it might be applicable to the rest of us. Thanks Mike Malaska