If you’d like to read more on Rhein Gibson’s incredible round of 55 then check it out here.

The other day I wrote about the worst golfer in the world. Rhein Gibson is the exact opposite, having shot the best score ever in the golfing world. His 16 under par is quite incredible and has the golf world talking.

What interesting to me is this quote from the man himself,

“I had this song playing in my head. It is that new one from the Eli Young Band. It was in there all day.”

When you’re occupying your conscious mind for the duration of the shot you’re playing automatically. Automatic golf allows your subconscious to take over and perform the motion with limited interference. Distractions and interference are a golfer’s worst nightmare and one of the easiest way to play automatically is to sing a song in your head.

I’ve been saying for years now that automatic isn’t magic, but simply increases your chances of playing well. Gibson would have certainly encountered some mental obstacles, but his ability to keep playing automatically “all day” gave him the round of a lifetime.

Interestingly, when Aaron Baddeley was busy beating a classy field of professionals in the 1999 Australian Open, he too sung his way around the course. So if you’ve got a game this weekend maybe you could arm yourself with your favourite song and see how you go. You’re not going to shoot 16 under, but you might learn something significant and this is most important of all.

Check out his scorecard. He started play from the 10th tee.

Rhein Gibson's record score

The late great PGA champion and TV analyst Dave Marr believed the best way to learn to play golf was to pick up a stick, and whistle it through the air. “There: That’s your golf swing,” he would say.

That’s another quote from the full Sally Jenkins article.

If you’re stuck in a fix it mindset and like technical instruction you will think this is horrendous teaching.

“This is the worst advice I’ve ever heard.”
From the comments section of the Washington Post

And it is terrible teaching.

He doesn’t tell you how to stand.
How to hold the club.
Or how to make a backswing.

But it’s brilliant coaching. And there’s a vast difference between coaching and teaching.

The teaching mindset is all about telling the pupil what to do. And most of us lap this kind of thing up – we hate having to figure things out for ourselves. It seems far easier to put our trust in someone else and get them to simply tell us what we’re doing wrong.

I know that seems like a pretty solid deal but how has that been working for you? Is your golf game where you want it to be? Most golfers I know are somewhere between frustrated and in a slump.

Compare that to a coaching philosophy. There’s room for experiment, individuality and flair. There’s even scope for some fun. Marr’s coaching here is profound.

“Swing a stick and whistle it through the air.”

While he doesn’t tell you how to hold or swing, he gives you enough to be dangerous. If you follow his objective you’ll develop a perfectly fine swing. To make the stick whistle you’ll have to swing it quickly. To swing it quickly you’ll need a certain type of grip and stance. Your learning machine will take care of this without you having to over-think the situation. This like pivot, swing plane and rotation will all be there but there’s nothing messy or getting in the way. It’s natural learning plain and simple.

Best of all it will be your swing. It will be natural and instinctive and you’ll have it whenever you need it. It can give you years of enjoyment and I’m willing to be that it would be far better than any contrived motion that you’re currently working on.

The problems

You’re the biggest issue here. You’ll doubt yourself and you’ll think you’re doing something wrong. You’ll want outside influence to help you correct any flaws. You’ll panic after a bad shot or two. Don’t. Resist Pesky and get on with it. If you follow the objective you can’t stuff it up. Your swing will be perfect. And as Dave Marr says, “There: That’s your golf swing”.

I don’t think anyone could help this poor guy. At least he seems to have a good time and beats his previous score.

I caught the end of a popular Melbourne radio show yesterday. It’s a regular golf segment and they tend to finish off with some listener questions, with a local golf pro offering advice.

One guy called in and wanted to know how to stop fatting the golf ball. His thinking was he wasn’t getting onto his front foot in the follow-through.

The pro’s answer basically revolved around stopping the hips from sliding outside of your right hip (assuming you’re right handed) in the backswing. The pro went as far as to suggest you can even put an umbrella in the ground (outside your leg) to help avoid any lateral slide.

I find this coaching really narrow and limited. Scratch that. I find it bad coaching. Why?

Because it is making a huge assumption that the golfer’s fat shot is all related to the hips. There’s a chance it could be but I doubt it. It literally could be a thousand things, and probably a combination of things past our understanding. To have such a narrow view point is unlikely to help the student and won’t allow them to play their best. What tends to happen is the golfer will focus on the hips for a while and get some relief. Then what happens? The fat shots return and he needs to find another solution. It goes on and on with no real breakthrough or improvement made. Does that sound familiar?

So what’s the answer?

My viewpoint is pretty strong here. Good coaching is not rocket science and only requires a grade 1 level of human learning. Not sure why it is, but the golf industry likes making things way more difficult than necessary.

I would have said something along the lines of…

Ok, so you’re hitting the ball fat. That’s not great because you’ll always struggle to get the ball to the target. I want you to see if you can top the ball for the next few minutes. Let me repeat.

I’m not interested in seeing beautiful, long and straight shots. I want you to top the ball. Your objective here is to strike the ball above its equator. Hopefully, we will see some worm burning action soon.

A request like this usually gets some push back. Golfers (humans) are trained to not make mistakes. But if you’re going to learn to NOT do something, then sometimes you’ve got to break your comfort zone and deliberately exaggerate.

The chances are the pupil will struggle for a bit. Some encouragement will be needed to keep him focused on the task. It’s easy to get distracted.

Come on. You’re not focusing on the task. I want you to hit the top of the ball. It’s going to feel awkward and uncomfortable but keep going. I want you to focus on the point of impact and see if you can tell me if you’ve topped the ball. Good, even miss the ball if you have to, but hitting the ground first is no longer an option.

This is a perfect objective to get the pupil away from thinking about crazy things like his hips. It is only a matter of time before he will be able to hit a perfect topped shot. And he would have done it without any instructional/technical advice. It never surprises me how successful this kind of coaching is.

I really shouldn’t get all excited because this learning all very natural to us. It’s how we learn to walk and most other things we develop while young. The adult mind, bad coaching and an almost compulsive desire for control really does get in the way.

Objective based coaching is fun. Both for the pupil and the coach. When you are encouraged to break a few rules and not worried about making mistakes you free up. You relax. And with this comes greater enjoyment and learning.

The coach isn’t repeating the same drivel day after day. They need to come up with challenging exercises to help each student. I can’t even imagine how boring it must be teaching the other way. But with this style of coaching both are learning in each session.

And there’s an even better reason this coaching is so good.

It’s scalable.

In the fatting example, you could get the pupil to hit less and less of the ball. An extremely tough shot is to just nick the ball so it travels only a metre of so. This shot is way harder than a standard shot (it’s also harder than it looks). Just think about the control and skill required to take a full swipe at the ball and just brush the top of it. Have you ever tried it? If not get outside and have a go.

The hip and umbrella drill doesn’t offer the same scope. There’s no clear objective and it’s hard to know when you’ve accomplished the task. But with topping the ball, the ball doesn’t lie. You get immediate feedback so learning takes place more quickly.

To be honest, if you can deliberately top the ball you can do almost anything. From here, hitting the ball solidly will not be a problem. In fact, it will seem easy. And I can certainly guarantee that fatting the ball will no longer be an issue.

The great coach can take this concept even further by experimenting with ball flight when the student is ready. For example, learning to hit a low fade will challenge anyone with a dose of the “fats”. But if done right the student will learn new shots and will have improved their skill level far beyond what the “other” method offered.

So there you have it. A natural and simple way of curing a fat shot. It’s way better than thinking about your hips or making up some other story.

Final point: If you’re having trouble with a certain shot break free and exaggerate in the opposite direction. You’ll probably surprise yourself but don’t tell your golf pro.

Side note: If you can approach golf learning like this you may find that certain things in your swing will fix themselves. So where you once had some terrible hip movement or body action they could improve without any thought. You may even finish your swing on the front foot. This is natural learning at its best and is so much easier than the alternative.

Leave your thoughts below and share some problem shots you’re having. We might have some fun working those out in a later post.

Sally Jenkins’ article is spot on.

Here are a few quotes with my thoughts below.

What that ought to tell you is that there’s no ”right” technique, and you should fire your instructor if he insists there is.

CS: Couldn’t agree more. While there are certain principles that are important, you’ve gotta find your style.

The lesson amateurs should take from pro golf’s most recent events is that we’re being oversold, over-studied and over-confused by a consultant class. For some the swing is a manufactured move and for others it’s a more natural move. For Na, it’s a counter-intuitive motion, self-conscious to the point of phobia.

CS: How refreshing. Love it.

For Fowler, it’s an entirely different game – loose and fast and unthinking – but it led to first and second place finishes in the past two weeks. ”If you asked me to discuss the mechanics of my swing, I’m afraid it would be a short conversation, I’m a feel player,” he once said.

CS: While Fowler only won for the first time last week, he has been a very good player for a few years. He is completely uninhibited and certainly doesn’t let thoughts of swing get in the way.

You’d do better listening to sports psychologist Fran Pirozzollo, who once said: ”A physicist can describe the perfect golf swing and write it down in scientific language, but the smart golfer doesn’t read it. The smart golfer gives it to his opponent to contemplate.”

CS: What a great quote. Science is a fantastic way to learn more but knowledge isn’t always enough. You need to be able to apply the scientific reasoning in a meaningful way. I should know, when I was involved in a biomechanical study of the golf swing it came close to destroying me. Information by itself can be dangerous.

But it seems too much teaching leads to too much thinking. ”You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about,” Bobby Jones said.

CS: This might be the most profound quote in the entire article. If not, this one from Peter Alliss talking about Tiger Woods comes close,

If he couldn’t be put right in an hour, I’d go home and stick my head in a bucket of ice water, because it’s so simple. You stand and you swing.”

I know the golf coaches are going to be up in arms with an article like this. They do have to defend themselves because if they promoted this kind of teaching they would be out of business. Or would they?

The way I look at it great coaching (and that’s what the natural approach is) would allow more people to play better golf. With better play comes more confidence and a desire to play more. This has other economical benefits for the pro willing to change his financial model.

Plus, a coach with a difference will stand out in a crowded marketplace. And currently there would be no shortage of victims who have been left paralysed by a crazy system.

Anyone for a golf lesson?

Read the full article here.

Episode 12 of The Rogue Golfer is live. This episode is all about how to get your way out of a slump,

• How to get your game back on track even if you’re struggling.
• How to remain cool and calm, even if you think you’re game is garbage.
• My own story of a golfing slump and what I did to get out of it and play the best golf of my life.

Check it out here now.

I didn’t start out to write this many golf tips but it just sorta happened, once I got started I couldn’t stop. It’s a long list, some are little tidbits that will challenge and inspire you to take action. Others will require deeper thought and contemplation. And some are golfers, books and other things which have inspired me.

There’s some repetitiveness here. This highlights the importance of the concepts. Enjoy,

1. Stop thinking so much.
2. Practice like you play.
3. Be clear with your intention.
4. Don’t panic.
5. Golf is about hitting the ball to a predefined target.
6. The walk to the ball is more important (maybe more important than the swing).
7. The practice fairway is for warming up.
8. Practice nets are underused by most golfers.
9. Learn about course design.
10. Teaching others is the best way to learn.
11. Stay present.
12. Your grip should allow you to swing the club with speed.
13. Look with soft eyes.
14. Play the game.
15. Moe Norman.
16. Visualisation just prior to hitting the ball is not a good thing.
17. Play the shot you know you can hit.
18. Write about your experiences.
19. Awareness.
20. Ignore Pesky.
21. Feel the wind in your face.
22. Smell the roses.
23. Don’t obsess about the result.
24. A bad shot doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.
25. A good shot doesn’t mean you’re a good person.
26. Why do you play?
27. Watch a young kid play the game.
28. Fear is when your brain stops working.
29. Choking is over thinking.
30. Help others.
31. Ignore your playing partners if they offer too much swing advice.
32. The swing is not the game.
33. Your subconscious is king.
34. If you can throw a ball and ride a bike you should be playing better golf.
35. Your handicap is a stupid number.
36. Don’t be defined by your handicap.
37. Play how you want to.
38. The short game really is important.
39. Swinging slower doesn’t really help.
40. Can you feel your swing from start to finish?
41. Focus on the weight of the club head.
42. Don’t hit the ball unless you have a target.
43. Hit the ball first – worry later.
44. If in doubt, take a conservative approach.
45. Keep the ball between the trees.
46. Chip with a 6 iron.
47. Write down your thoughts.
48. Create your own par.
49. Make practice fun.
50. Try new shots.
51. Stop reading magazines for the quick tips.
52. Watch Seve.
53. Play from the back tees.
54. Leave your ego in the car.
55. If you coach, keep the rules simple.
56. More swing instruction rarely helps.
57. Learn to hit a bunker shot.
58. Practice short shots from tough lies.
59. A small slice is ok.
60. The want for longer shots is your ego talking.
61. New clubs probably won’t help your score.
62. Course strategy is more important than your swing.
63. Everyone should be a good putter. There’s no excuse.
64. Practice your chipping. Often.
65. Almost Golf Balls are better than good.
66. You can learn a better game in your backyard.
67. Don’t work on your swing at the course.
68. Practice swings are overrated.
69. Breaking the swing down into many parts is making golf hard.
70. Are you aware of your thoughts?
71. Don’t waste energy on your alignment – your subconscious knows what’s best.
72. If you’re going to get mad, be quick.
73. Slow play is a problem. Do your best to play more quickly and encourage others.
74. Reading greens isn’t a science, it’s an art.
75. Look and shoot.
76. You miss small putts because you’re trying too hard.
77. It’s a silly game.
78. Play.
79. Short and sharp practice sessions are best.
80. St. Andrews.
81. What’s the worst thing that could happen?
82. Playing safe is the worst thing you can do.
83. Be remarkable.
84. Play different courses.
85. Stop complaining.
86. Focus on what you want.
87. Give every shot your full attention.
88. Most swing theories are a distraction.
89. Watch the golf telecasts with the sound off.
90. Learning to control distractions is more important than your swing.
91. Golfer’s Nightmare.
92. Scott Barrow.
93. Play golf your way. (also the name of my first book)
94. Don’t forget it’s about hitting the ball.
95. Children are the best coaches.
96. Let them play.
97. Stats are important for golf commentators.
98. Stats are not important for players.
99. Become a player.
100. Stop thinking so much.
101. Your golf coach doesn’t know your swing as well as you do (or should).
102. Awareness makes the pain go away.
103. What are you feeling now?
104. Analytical golfers are boring.
105. Bubba Watson.
106. Stay in the moment.
107. Don’t stress about what could happen.
108. If short on time, chip rather than putt.
109. Golf carts are not a good thing.
110. Play more than you practice.
111. Playing is practicing.
112. Can you hit a draw?
113. Can you hit it low?
114. Can you hit it high?
115. If not, why not?
116. Everyone gets nervous.
117. It’s easier to run your chip shots.
118. Good golfer: “Where do I want the ball to go?”
119. Bad golfer: “What’s wrong with my swing?”
120. Golf coaching needs to be made more enjoyable.
121. Video is not always an effective learning tool.
122. Rangefinders (lasers) are an awesome asset.
123. Aaron Baddeley.
124. More golfers should carry their bag.
125. Go to Scotland.
126. Play with your heart.
127. The golf swing is a throwing motion.
128. Technical instruction doesn’t help you play the game.
129. Work on your swing at home.
130. The Inner Game of Golf.
131. Pesky is a little turd.
132. Your playing partner doesn’t know what’s wrong with you.
133. There’s more to golf than your score.
134. Good golfer: “I’m gunna go play”
135. Bad golfer: “I need to go practice”
136. The pros know how far they’ve got to hit each shot. Do you?
137. Automatic is the secret to better golf.
138. Ball first then divot. (except from a bunker).
139. A long putt is better than a chip shot.
140. Coach: “how would you like to play?” Teacher: “do this”.
141. Good club management: “go play our course and have fun”.
142. Bad club management: “back tees closed”.
143. Any thought on follow-through is a waste of energy.
144. Play in a way that is meaningful to you.
145. If you’re playing poorly, ask “what’s the simplest and easiest shot I can hit right now?”.
146. Keep score.
147. Focus is power.
148. Control of your swing only happens when you let go.
149. Don’t tell stories.
150. Take a deep breath, relax. Now go hit that ball.
151. “Trust your swing” – this can only happen when you understand automatic.
152. Child-likeness is on the right path to better golf.
153. Be aware of your thoughts.
154. Mind Swings. (worth tracking a copy down)
155. It’s ok to show emotion.
156. Ask, “how do I really want to play today?”. Then do it.
157. Feel.
158. You can play great golf when you’re not feeling great.
159. Sing when you play.
160. Ask, “is how I’ve been playing all this time been worth it?”
161. Don’t forget to breath.
162. Nervous? Slow your mind down, this is the quickest way to start feeling better.
163. Realise you’re always improving.
164. Mike Clayton.
165. You are more than your golf swing.
166. The more you enjoy the course the better you’ll play.
167. Give 1% attention to your swing and 99% sustained attention on playing the game and you’ll play way better than you thought possible.
168. Learn something about your playing partners. (their name is a good place to start)
169. Learn to hit a high pitch from a tight lie (this will save you lots of strokes).
170. Go with the flow – don’t fight your swing or the conditions.
171. Ask, “how can I play more naturally”.
172. If a swing theory doesn’t sound right or feel good it’s probably worth leaving alone.
173. The golf of your dreams is a journey, not a destination.
174. It’s better to be in the arena and playing poorly than be sitting on the sidelines and being critical.
175. Tiger Woods.
176. Love to learn new shots, courses and playing partners.
177. It’s not always about the score.
178. Ask, “how would I play if I new I wasn’t going to fail?”.
179. Then ask, “why aren’t I playing like that right now?”.
180. Mistakes are good.
181. Nobody ever learned a better game without making lots of mistakes.
182. Successful golfers focus on changing their attitude, average golfers focus too much on their technique.
183. It’s never too late to start playing the game.
184. Find a mentor who understands learning and performance.
185. Play an entire round with your 5 iron.
186. Success is walking off the course with more energy than when you started.
187. Trying fails.
188. You’ll hit the ball further if you stop analysing and controlling.
189. Breathe. Deeply.
190. Ask, “can I really hit this shot?”
191. Good golfer when asked how he played: “I shot 79″.
192. Poor golfer when asked how he played: “My swing was off and I putted terribly. Made double on 11 after a 3-putt. If only I wasn’t so unlucky….”.
193. It really is too late to fix a shot after you’ve hit the ball.
194. Dance.
195. Your golf swing should must flow.
196. Kendal McWade.
197. The best player in your club probably has more fear than you realise.
198. Focus on what you want – not on what you don’t.
199. Realise that we all have bad days. A poor score is part of the game and there’s no need to rebuild your game.
200. Laughter is the best medicine.
201. Your current golf ability is not your future.
202. Good golfer’s mindset after 3 bad holes in a row: “Where do I want this shot to go?”
203. Poor golfer’s mindset after 3 bad holes in a row: “Shit, I hate this hole. Why did I stuff up the last hole?”
204. Worry about what has happened or what could happen is a waste of time.
205. Stay in the moment.
206. Three-putting is costing you more shots than bad driving.
207. Learn to love the game.
208. Playing good golf requires you to own your routine.
209. And then do it over and over and over.
210. There are no miracles.
211. Let your clubs do the talking.
212. Good golfer after missing an important putt: “It missed”
213. Bad golfer after missing an important putt: “I lifted my head” “The green is bumpy” “I’m a bad putter”.
214. Smile.
215. Laugh.
216. Laugh at your mistakes.
217. Encourage others.
218. Help your opponent look for his ball.
219. It’s ok to lose.
220. Poor coach after seeing his pupil hit a good shot: “that’s better, you’re doing it right now”.
221. Great coach after seeing his pupil hit a good shot: “(says nothing)”.
222. Don’t be scared to try something new.
223. You’ve got to play the hole, not the course designer, so don’t be afraid to play the hole the way you want.
224. Rule #1: Be clear of your intention and accepting of the result.
225. Rule #2: Repeat.
226. Set small achievable goals.
227. Flow.
228. Aim to be freer with each shot you play.
229. Talent is a myth.
230. Learn from the masters but don’t be afraid to add your own style.
231. Consistent golf is not all it’s cracked up to be.
232. Feeling like you’re getting worse is a sign you’re improving.
233. Avoid hitting two bad shots in a row.
234. Improvement is not always obvious – just keep moving.
235. Short game will always be important.
236. Ask lots of questions.
237. Don’t settle.
238. Playing in the zone only happens when you stop thinking/analysing/worrying/panicking.
239. Barnbougle Dunes.
240. Good golfer’s mindset on way to course: “Let’s go play and have some fun”.
241. Bad golfer’s mindset on way to course: “Hope I don’t hit it out of bounds on the 1st”.
242.  Hitting downwind is easy. Into the wind is where it matters.
243. Dave Pelz.
244. Invest in good clubs but don’t tinker. Set and forget.
245. Walk your course every now and then. Walk it backwards too.
246. Play a course within the course. Can you make up a new hole?
247. Leave your lob wedge in the car once in a while.
248. Ask, “how would you play today if it was your last?”.
249. Play with the best player in your club.
250. Ask the pro to a chipping competition. The results may surprise you.
251. A great player attitude: Will play anywhere with anyone.
252. A poor player attitude: Only play the courses he likes.
253. Extraordinary Golf.
254. Don’t put your ball in your mouth. Ever.
255. Rake bunkers.
256. Don’t be slow.
257. Donate your old clubs to a junior program.
258. Leave your mobile phone in your bag.
259. Don’t wear headphones when you play or practice.
260. If you’re struggling then keep going.
261. Par is a stupid number. Would golf be better without par?
262. Learn to swing the other way.
263. The best golf drill is hitting the ball.
264. The next best might be throwing the club to the target.
265. The best players live, breath, eat, sleep and dream about the game. This is the kind of commitment required to be really good. Point? Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t play to par and only can play once a week.
266. Playing without expectations is more fun.
267. Golf is just like any other skill. Most of us make it way harder than it needs to be.
268. An open club face is essential out of the sand.
269. Exaggerating your mistakes is a great way to learn. i.e. hit a hook if you’re slicing the ball.
270. A dead straight shot is almost impossible to hit.
271. You’re always learning.
272. Never give up.
273. Play with half of your clubs to improve your shot making.
274. The best club for a beginner to learn is a 7 iron.
275. Forget fairways – between the trees is good enough.
276. Good golfer: “I love playing on slow greens”
277. Bad golfer: “I always play badly on slow greens”
278. Husbands should never coach their wives.
279. Walking while bouncing a tennis ball will teach you a lot about playing golf.
280. Learn to swing a full, half and quarter speed.
281. Pre-setting is a masterful technique for combating pressure.
282. It would be good if you could mark your score at the end of the day.
283. A rangefinder is better than a GPS.
284. Play your way first – worry about what others think later. In fact, never worry about what others think.
285. When in doubt swing more freely.
286. Learn a basic chip/pitch shot you can hit with your eyes closed.
287. From Greg Norman: think >> choose >> do
288. Learn to occupy your conscious mind for the duration of the shot and you’ll be dangerous.
289. Shivas Irons.
290. It’s only a game.
291. Nerves are a sign you’re ready to play. Learn to embrace this feeling.
292. Luck always evens out.
293. Good golfer after a lucky round: “I need to work on my game”.
294. Poor golfer after a lucky round: “I played well today”.
295. The drive home is perfect for reflection.
296. Pesky is always there to challenge and stop you from success.
297. You’ll never ever feel 100% confident all of the time.
298. Play first, worry about confidence later.
299. Confidence comes when you are free from expectations.
300. Confidence comes when you realise your subconscious can hit the ball for you.
301. Don’t be too precise.
302. Practice your 3 foot and 30 foot putts and the rest will take care of themselves.
303. Long practice sessions are overrated.
304. Bagger Vance.
305. General exercise is better than golf specific ones. (have you heard of kettlebells?)
306. Awareness is better than any video camera.
307. Don’t only count your shots – be sure to add the number of “fear free” swings you made.
308.  Ask, “what did I learn today?”
309. Ask, “what would I do differently next time?”
310. Make all those 3 footers in practice rounds. No gimmes.
311. How would you play if score didn’t matter?
312. Rory Mcilroy
313. Ask, “what’s my ultimate golfing goal?”
314. Get outside and go play!

That’s it for the moment. Feel free to add your own thoughts/comments below.

It’s easy to get caught up in your score or how you play. While this is understandable, could you be missing out?

For so long, my golf has been defined by score alone. If I played well I was happy – and unhappy if the score didn’t live up to expectations. The more I write about learning (and walking my talk) I’ve realised I’ve redefined what’s important.

On Sunday I missed a sitter of a putt. It was only about a foot long and straight in. Not sure what happened and to be honest I don’t want to know. It’s not like knowing is going to make it go in. And will knowing prevent me from missing one again?

Onward.

What surprised me was my reaction. I was a little shocked and annoyed, but not overly so. Normally a miss like this would result in more attention and frustration. I was calm and focused.

I realised right there that score isn’t overly important to me anymore. Sure, it’s nice to play well and it would have been better if that small putt had found the hole but I didn’t really care. I made a joke about it and moved on.

So what is important?

For me it’s about playing the game with full attention. On learning (I’m still learning) to play automatically and trust my swing when the pressure is on. I’m also keen to explore new shots and work on these shots so I can give them my full attention under the heat of competition.

I know score will still be a factor, but it’s not going to be the most important thing for me. I’m well aware that this sounds airy fairy and most will ignore it and/or think I’m going crazy. I’m comfortable with that. We’ve all gotta walk to the beat of our own drum.

One thing is for sure. Learning, attention and trust are far bigger than just the score. They’re also miles ahead of grip, stance and swing. And when we aim for something larger it’s when the unexpected hits us between the eyes.

- a truly satisfying score
- deeper meaning and more enjoyment
- or hitting the pin from 103 metres and making birdie (which happened to me after missing that silly putt)

Are you missing something with your game? And how could you play that would give you something bigger?

Chipping is the worst skill I see in most amateurs. Many golfers will argue with me and say their driving is worse but it’s not. Chipping is by far the biggest cause of high handicaps the world over. I’m willing to bet that you’re not special or any different here – if you’re reading this then you’ve probably got a horrible chipping game. Let me share a story with you.

Peter’s body is broken down. He has got a bad back, sore knees and can hardly walk. He’s well into his seventies now and has to rely on a motorised cart to get him around. If he was a pet you’d think about putting him down – I’m sorta serious here because he is always complaining about this or that. He’s a bit of a character to play with (at least I think so) but many can’t stand him. He actually drives people nuts because he’s always talking and dishing it out to his playing partners. It’s quite funny really.

His ball striking is a constant source of amusement. While he can hit it straight, he doesn’t hit it very far or that high. He struggles to reach many of the par 4′s in regulation and needs a series of drivers to reach the par 5s. It’s funny because as Peter gets older the more he complains about the lack of distance – and people like me keep reminding him.

But he has an amazing part to his game. He has a dynamite short game. Now while it doesn’t look pretty, he is able to get the ball up and down from all sorts of places. And he is able to do it time after time. In fact, I’ve been playing golf with Pete for over 15 years now and his consistency with the short shots is quite incredible. His handicap got as low as 7 and he hovers around 9 or 10. If you saw him hit the ball you’d agree this is quite an achievement.

Pete’s chipping/pitching keeps him in the game and makes him extremely competitive. He beats almost all the low markers in the club and there were some vicious rumors going around that he could be me. They may or may not be true.

Pete’s Secret

We can all learn from Peter and I would like to share with you what makes him so good around the greens. Here goes.

1. He hits the simplest shot he can. I’ll explain this in more detail below.

2. He uses smart course strategy to avoid the serious trouble (again, more on this below)

3. He doesn’t hit the miracle or hero shot. This is related to point #1. He resists the temptation to go for the high risk shot.

Pretty simple huh?

Now let me give you some more info.

Here’s a list of the possible chip shots in order from easiest to hardest. Take note.

- Putt from off the green. Yep, I count this as a chip shot and it’s the most underrated shot in golf. It’s so easy, yet golfers are afraid to use it. Peter is a master with this and uses it wherever he can.

Sidenote: Some golfers seem like it’s a dent in their manhood if they putt from off the green. The choice is yours, either play better golf or keep wasting shots around the green.

- Chip with a 5 or 6 iron. This is one of my all-time favourite chip shots. I wish more people would at least try it. It’s almost like a putt but not quite. Easy and almost eliminates the chance of duffs, shanks, chilli-dips, bladed chips etc.

- 3 wood. This is actually a very easy shot but comes in at #3 because it’s a bit different and something you’ve unlikely tried. Also like a putt, the ball comes off nicely and there’s virtually no chance to duff or stuff it up. It’s a belter! Only requires a little practice to get good at it.

- Chip with 8 – PW. These are nice little shots that get into the air but also trundle along the ground for some distance. (these are Peter’s favourite shots, he’s so good at them that it makes me sick thinking about it)

- Chip with SW/LW. The most common club for the pros.

- Lob shot. Last resort and unless you are confident and have some sort of clue it’s best you leave alone for a while. Peter almost never tries this shot, he takes his medicine and chips the ball back onto the green where he can safely two-putt. No damage done.

So there you have it. A guide to better chipping. You may notice that the easier shots have something in common – that is the ball is not getting off the ground. Once you try hitting the ball higher you complicate the technique and bring in other factors as spin and loft. While I’m not saying NEVER hit the higher chip shot, try and choose the easier option first. Be like Peter. He spends most of his time hitting his chip shots along the ground and he’s almost unbeatable.

A challenge

Don’t use your lofted clubs for chipping for the next 3-5 rounds. Go on, give it a go and report back to me with your findings. Here’s just some of what you may discover,

- putting from off the green is really easy.
- chipping with a 6 iron is easy and maybe preferable to the putter if your course has hairy surrounds.
- the 3 wood is almost like cheating it’s so easy
- you don’t duff or skull any chip shots – this saves you so many strokes
- the ball will end up considerably closer to the hole more of the time. This instantly improves your putting
- keeping the ball to the ground might look ugly/weak/soft but it’s so much easier that you don’t care
- your scores improve and it’s almost impossible for your playing partners to know why
- a better short game improves your confidence and consistency with all your clubs – you may even find yourself hitting more greens.

Let me know your findings?

A little technique

Back to Peter. He’s a good person to learn from.

The ball is always back in his stance. Because he is hitting the ball along the ground there’s no temptation to hit the ball high. So it’s very normal to have the ball back in stance (like off the back foot). And this is exactly where it should be. Why?

Because when the ball is back you minimise the chance of hitting the ball fat (ground first). This might be the biggest fault amateurs make. Hitting the ground means the ball will never find the target. Then, you tend to slide/lunge to hit the ball. This results in thin and skulled chip shots. Arrgh! Ugly.

So placing the ball back simplifies the motion. It really is a back and through motion with little hand action. One way of looking at it is just like a big putt. There’s definitely no major hand action.

When the ball goes back the hands will go forward – this helps hit the ball first (and not the ground) and ensures a low, consistent ball flight.

What about pitch shots?

These can get complicated if you start adding lots of wrist action and try and hit the ball high. So my advice is don’t try. Stick with the rules above.

If you struggle with the sand iron and lob wedge leave it in the bag. Is there anything wrong with playing a less lofted club from 30, 50 or 70 metres? Your goal should be simple,

Get the ball on the green

I know the pros are masters of these shots and consistently get them close to the hole. They also practice them daily which most of us don’t have the luxury of doing. When you start getting good a these pitch and runs, you’ll then have the confidence to go to the higher lofted clubs when needed. But learn the easier shot first, the “sexy” higher shots will come second.

What about hitting over bunkers etc?

This question comes up all the time. You have a few options.

1. Play around the hazard with a low running option. (takes more courage and discipline than you’d think)

2. Use your higher lofted clubs but focus on getting the ball onto the green – not next to the pin.

There’s something else you need to consider if you continually are left with delicate little shots over hazards to the green.

a. you play at a tough course and you had better practice the lob style shots.

b. your course strategy is hopeless. You need to adjust your plan so you stop leaving yourself lots of these types of shots. This means you should play away from the bunkers, aim for the biggest part of the green and stop shooting at the pin if it’s tucked near trouble. I know this is boring but it’s important to do if you’re the type of golfer that has nightmares over a shaky short game.

The best way to change you plan is to leave the sand iron in the car. This way you’ll be forced to leave yourself chip and pitches that you’ll be able to easily get onto the green. Safer strategy equals easier shots. Easier shots equals lower scores. It’s as simple as that.

Let me know how you go or if there’s any questions.