We’re heading into the thick of summer now, and over the past few weeks, I’ve been playing quite a bit of golf, trying to establish a routine to my game.
I asked Richmond Country Club head pro Mark Strong if it’s better for me to be hitting balls at the driving range or actually playing on a course and he opted for me to do the latter.
In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone on my own to the range. However, Strong and I were just there the other day for what I would call a Q and A session concerning my short game.
Over the past three months, I’ve been able to improve and manage my drives by teeing the ball up to my front foot, finding the right tee height, squaring my shoulders, closing my grip (club face) and pointing my hip out. All in all, most of my drives still have slices, but they’re manageable and I’m hitting the ball straight sometimes.
But my mid to short range game is a concern.
With greenside chipping, I’m becoming tentative to follow through on my swing. Strong notes this is a common symptom of often topping the ball, thus sending it far beyond my target.
In this case, I felt practising at the range was needed, so I could become more comfortable with my wedges.
I asked Strong about two specific shots that are troubling me.
First, when the ball is on a hard-packed surface with no grass, I’ve been finding myself topping the ball. Strong says you still need to get under these balls, but one tip is to close the face down when you strike it. It’s still an odd feeling not getting under the grass but these are common shots, especially when the summer heat dries the ground around trees.
The second shot is the opposite of the first shot — having too much grass between the ball and where contact will be made. In this instance, I’m finding the clumps of grass are an impediment to clean contact.
In this case, Strong says the approach needs to remain relatively the same, but the ball may not spin as much when it strikes the green, so you may want to consider club selection when assessing the green.
Again, I’d recommend mocking up some of these shots at a practice facility and looking at how the ball reacts differently.
As for club selection, I asked Strong if I can use the same club, such as a pitching wedge.
He said ultimately using more clubs will add to your arsenal, but if I’m only comfortable with one wedge then I should just go with that for the time being.
I don’t like using a sand wedge from about 20 yards out. I find I’ll either under-hit it or send it way past the flag.
I prefer a less lofty pitching wedge or even a nine iron, probably because that’s what I used when I frequented pitch and putt courses.
I have only been using my sand wedge when I absolutely need to, such as in cases where I need accuracy, like plopping the ball up a hill, onto a plateau.
On a final note, Metro Vancouver is now restricting golf courses to watering their fairways just once a week. Expect fast fairways and slick greens from here-on out.
I’m wishfully exploring how I can get a better, lower trajectory on my drives to roll the ball.
