Chipping ,Pitching and Putting.

Today Akbar took me through the rigmarole of Pitching and Chipping. we went to the green beside Nikhil's workshop and there at the Practice Green, he gave me an hour of basic classes on Pitching and Chipping. I will begin what he called Rolling as we are on the green but slightly rough and not the actual roughness. The Clubs used are 7 Iron or above. This all depends on what distance you would like to achieve with the stroke. 

Rolling

The club face is placed behind the ball and is kept more or less closed. This means that there should be no loft on the ball. The body is slightly angled away from the target. The club is held close to the left leg and held lower down so that there is more control on the club. The elbows are stiff and the whole upper body is moved to start the swing. The swing now  strikes the ball and moves on slightly more distance than what was started.

The ball now hit firmly rolls towards the hole and enters the hole.

Pitching

Here the only difference is that the club is held higher on the shaft and the legs are slightly wider than the stance for the Rolling, but not as much as the Iron driving. We now start the swing :-

• The hands are stiff and Club raised above the right knee.
• The stroke is completed which will loft the ball up and take it to the green.
• Concentrate on the distance and the Flag to ensure that the ball lands close to the hole.

Putting

Grip

The Grip here is different, we will have to take your Putter and place it on the left hands life line on the palm and wrap your fingers around it. The Right hand is placed below the left hand and slowly moved up to cover the left hand. The putter is also aligned along the centre of the palm of the Right hand. The fore finger of the left hand cover the fingers of the right hand.

Stroke

Keep the elbows touching your stomach so that there is not much movement from there. The whole upper shoulder swivels and strikes the ball cleanly. Sloping of the green is important to understand the way the ball will play.


Learnt a new trick at the Trivandrum Golf Club, I was asked by both the Caddie Master and a Caddie to play a 2X2 or a 1X1. This I had deduced to be a two feet by two feet swing or a one foot by one foot swing. Of course the distance here is the distance the Golf Club will have to move from the lie of the ball.

Driving ....continued

Its the 27th of January and  I have now been working on my drives for quite sometime. I thought I needed to scribble down the very critical points before I again typically forget the whole thing. As Akbar cited, I was working on my stance and posture. The prime thing which I am having difficult in comprehending is the distance to stand from the ball. Of course the earlier  lessons clearly advised me to bend down from the waist, spine straight and arms dangling. This will identify the position where my hands grip the Club. Spine straight- well sometimes I put the whole spine in an arch and this make a mess of my drives.

Ok now that I have my arms gripping the club and also have my spine bent at an angle. I start my drive-

• First the left hand should be straight and the right hand taking a 90 Deg angle as if slapping a person.
• The next step is to move the hips in line with the direction.
• Of course the head is straight down peering over the left shoulder, chin on the top of the shoulder.
• The swing starts down.
• Hips take over the swing.
• The shoulder and head are directly behind the ball and in line completely particularly when the club head strikes the ball.
• The head continues to be there until the strike is over and then only starts tracking the ball.
• Swing continues on.
• Left leg is completely taking the weight.
• The right leg is up and on the toes.

My newCoach

Sometimes i get a feeling that this game is jinxed for me. My first coach Joseph seems to have resigned accepting a new position at BGC. Lam  allotted me to Akbar whom I met on Friday 15 th January. I also had a session with Nikhil the Club Fitter who advised me against buying new Clubs but use the old one. He fitted two grips to my Spalding set for the Pitcher and the 8 Iron. Today I had my first session with Akbar, he looked at me and began coaching me.

Important Tips.

1) There are mainly five critical parts to the start Golf Game.
- First is the Grip
- Second is the Ball Position
-Third is the Stance
- Fourth is the Posture
- Fifth aim and alignment

2) Ball Position

This is when you are facing the ball. Put both your feet together and center the ball at the joint. Then spread your left leg and right leg equidistant to each other from the center. The distance should be shoulder length. This is maintained for drives with Iron, for the woods, it should be a wider stance and the ball towards the left leg. For putting the feet are almost together.

3) Bend the spinal cord forward stiffly from waist above (do not arch the spinal cord). Now dangle the hands down loosely.

4) Join them at the palms. This is the position of the Golf Clubs shaft. We grip the golf club here.

5)The shaft is leaned towards the left thigh. The mark on the golf club should be centered on the top which will open the blade of the Club Head.

6) Start the drive - towards the right. The left had is stiff and straight, the right hand is bent at the elbow and almost in a slapping position. If the Club is not there the thumbs must be facing up.

7) Drop the club accelerating down. The weight should be on the right leg.

8) When we strike the ball the body should be dead centre to the ball and face down.

9) Continue the motion, the right legs is lifted at the heel and swivelled

10 ) The left leg take the complete weight of the body

My second attempt.

On my last trip to Trivandrum, had made a completely out of schedule visit to Golf Club, totally unexpected with Pramod Chettan. On just exchanging conversations realised that they were looking for new Members and had permission to take in about 200 new members. I jumped in and threw in my application and a cheque immediately. In November I got a letter telling me that they have admitted me into the Club and this was for a period of six months after during which I would need to learn the game, buy a set of Clubs and have a round with a "Captain" (Goodness only know who that is) and have him certify me. Now I have to play the game and try to master it, if not for anything else but to save my investment.

I took a leisurely trip to Touche'. Collected the necessary details and now am just waiting for the right moment and the right time in other words, in other words trying to get out of the procrastination mode, I am presently in. This continued for a period of time and finally I decided to take the bull by the horn and on the 31st December morning, had me driving to Touche' again. Paid the Rs.26,000 and now am a member of Touche'club for the next 6 months. I better now catch up on my golf both theoretically as well as practically. I started to log into web sites and began reading up. I realized that Golfing Clubs was a science by itself, or at least that's what we are made to believe. Every club can be broken up into the Head, Shaft and the Grip. Every Golf bag can only have 14 golf clubs inside the same when you T off.

The Clubs primarily consists of  Drivers, Irons and Putters - of course now Hybrids have come into play. The Fairway shot or the second shot in every hole is an Iron. Closer to the Greens would be a higher numbered iron. The difference of these clubs are primarily the length and the "loft angle" maintained at the head. The main woods or Wood 1 has a Loft angle of 7 -12 Deg, this keep going up like the Wood 3 has a loft angle of 15-18 Deg and the Wood 5 has a loft angle of 20-22 Deg.

The day dawned brightly it was the second day of January and I decided to go to Touche' . Lam introduced me to Joseph who was a coach there. Joseph asked me to spend sometime putting and then he would take me to the Driving Range. There are a few pointers which Joseph gave which I will try to put it down here :-
1) The Grip : This has been detailed in my earlier Blog, so I am not repeating it. Strangely he did not give me much tips on the grip but concentrated on my strokes.
2) The stance should be wide and shoulder width. There should be balance in the stance. One way to se that is to take a stance and then hold out your hands in the front with both palms together. Play the stroke, you will notice with no weight the body is quite stable and both legs are anchored to the ground. This is what is required when the stroke is played.
3) He also advised to practice standing on the wooden log and maintaining balance with a wide stance.
4) The flow should be smooth, the left hand should be straight the right hand should move back and the wrist up with the Golf club. Now the turn should start from the hips and rotate.
5) Maintain balance and continue the flow till the Golf Club is over the left shoulder.
6) The club face should strike the ball underneath. So divot should be generated. To less means you are striking the top of the ball, too much means that you are way underneath the ball.
7) The face should be on the ball continuously until the ball is struck, only then should it be turned away.

I now continued this exercise for the balance of the buckets. Next day I was there again and used up two more buckets driving away. This practice I gather will work on the game.

My first steps

It was a chance sighting, coming back from a Ground Breaking Ceremony, on the curve from Yelahanka towards  Kannur. There was a Speed Breaker and I slowed down the car. "Touche' Golf" said a small sign pointing right-"at the Dead end" , it also said. A thought flitted through my mind...Ah! looks like a Golf Course, I mentally indexed it and filed it away for a later exploration. Few days later,  on FM Radio One, came a drab Advertisement about learning to play Golf etc. a nondecrepit advertisement which did not register my thinking anywhere but triggered off my filed away memory. Few moments I again forgot about it.

 

It was during around 4PM when I was contemplating the next line of action in a day which had a lot of routine activity, when this random thought again sprung up. "Touche Golf" . Googled Touche' Golf and a site sprung up. Checked out the phone number and dialled out. A bored voice came on, my query was answered ...yes its a Golf School where they taught you the basics of Golf and yes it also had a six hole Golf Course where you could play too. I was given directions and advised to go have a look at the place. 

It was late in the year of 2012. Golfing had taken my fantasy and I seriously decided to give this a shot. Had been watching considerable Golfing Telecasts on television and this had just whetted my appetite. The remarkable landscapes , the green pastures and stunning visuals did goad me on. I broached the subject very hesitantly at the Tennis courts and there were a couple who piled on the wagon - Pramod and Anil. Both were quite enthusiastic about the same.

On the 12th of November picked both the guys and we landed at the Course. It was impressive; large tracts of Green landscaped country side, dotted with determined people concentrating on their swings and a few bored instructors trying to keep pace. We were advised to register on the net and come for a evaluation which will be fixed by their director. We presumed that the evaluation would be primarily to evaluate our capability to pay out.

 

We did this later and was called for the evaluation on 19th. On the 19th promptly we were there and met Mr. Vijay Divecha. It was a small pep talk from him on the course and a self pat on his contacts in the Golfing World. It was a sales pitch through and through. Paid up the required amount and fixed the first lesson the very next day for the 20th November at 7.30am. Coach assigned to me was Mr. Rahim a young Golfer who on meeting did not waste too much time but immediately got his phone registered with my Black Berry. Communications line were drawn.

 

20th Dawned bright and sunny and we were at the Course bang on time. We were straight moved to the Greens at the entrance and lessons started earnestly with regard to the strokes. We began Putting. The first lessons taken was on the Grip.

 

Grip, Stance and Stroke:

Putting Grip. Place both the palms on the Golf Club's handle. Slide the right hand down and with the Left Palm grip the Club in the middle of the palm ( Life line in Palm to match the Golf Club.) Left hand Thumb to be in line with the Golf Club. Close the Right Hand Palm over the exposed left thumb and grip the Golf Club. The Right Palm's thumb to also be in line with the Golf Club. Drop a Ball. The Ball should be exactly in line drawn from the ball between the legs or between the feet. Stance to be wide and leaning forward, eyes to be exactly right over the ball. Elbows toward the body and a Y to be created with the forearms and the club. No wrist action to be played but to move the Y against the ball.

 

I again went back on the 22nd November - Tuesday. This time left and reached there at 6.15 AM, classes were scheduled for 7AM. It was a foggy day and we could not see more than 25 feet Spent about 45 minutes putting with Pramod, lost a match with him on Putting....looks like all lessons learnt is forgotten when you play a match. Rahim came in about 7.05AM and we went to the distant Green where Chipping is taught. Now this was something. Chipping, A stroke which is used when you are not on the green but close to the Green in the rough.

 

Chipping/wedging Grip:

 

Here the left hand palm is wrapped round the club and is not centered but closer to the right side of the palm. The ball of the palm(under the thumb) is over the club.  The right palm is wrapped close to the left palm and over the Thumb. The right palm's pinky is locked between the fore finger and middle finger of the left palm. The right Palms fore finger and Thumb grip the club also with the Thumb facing or pointing away from the club. Viewing the grip will reveal two knuckles of the left Palm and one knuckle of the right palm.

 

We spent the hour Chipping, well it was a strain on my back as we were bending partly the whole time. I was advised to walk around a bit and stretch every five to 10 minutes as this could have a strain on the back. The bucket of balls were over and we refilled it at the greens itself, by about 8 am we were finished but I decided to go on and chip more. By about 8.30am I called it a day and went home.

 

Today I was at the gates of Mantri at 5.50 am itself- I was impressed with my dedication. Pramod came like clockwork at bang on time -6am and we were at the course by about 6.15AM. It was a clear day but a bit chilly. Went to the hut and picked up the wedge or Chipper and also a bucket of Balls. Prithvi - Pramod's coach came in. Went to the Distant Green and began Chipping away. There were two more guys who were at it also. Not one of my balls were holed. This was something I have to change. About 7.15am completed the practice and went home. Intend to go back again on Thursday. Ran across a website which helped my stance http://www.free-golf-lessons.com/golf-chipping-tips.html. This helped me correct a few basics.

 

 The 6th lesson was over on the 7th December, it was primarily a reality check where you realised what you did not know. We went to the Touche' course and have a mini game. It was catastrophic for me. My Drives were abnormally dismal. The ball was going where no ball has ever gone before. My coach looked at me with exasperation and resignation. Its okay .....he kept repeating, now I realise he was calming himself more than his intention to encourage me. Golf is taking a toll on my equilibrium. Long long ago at the Birdie Range I had driven a few balls way out into the horizon and I had presumed that I was a natural to this game. Now I know that I am wrong. My Coach Rahim wanted Gurudakshina, this he claimed is when you are taken first to the course. I did not have my wallet with me so I could not fulfill his wish. After a torturous hour we called it a day and fixed up for the next lesson on the Sunday at 8 am.

 

Driving

Driving was a lesson in Classes 3,4 and 5. We used the Pitcher and Iron 8 for this. Looked quite easy but just never meshed properly. With a lot of effort the balls were just going all over the place and just not where it was intended too. The grip is similar to a Chip but then the primary thing is the relaxation of the arms and raising the Triangle formed rotating the hips and making contact with the ball. This is crucial. I have been trying this the whole week and have made myself only more frustrated.

 

Today is the 9th of December, my Drives were resonably okay enjoyed it. Actually I fitted my Tennis elbow guard on my left hand and this helped. I need to remember a few things simultaneously :-

- Grip which should have two knuckles on left hand seen and one of right hand.

- Raise the Club in front of you. The line from the Clubs shaft should be in line with the blade of the club.

- Lower the Club with your eyes in front and after reaching the maximum slowly bend your body till you reach the ball. This is the distance you have to maintain behind the ball.

- Raise the Club for the backward swing moving the Triangle of left and right hand.

- The bottom of the club should now be pointing at the ball.

- Start the swing as a slice lowering the club face and keep your hands loose and grip firm.

- Swing through the ball scraping the grass.

 

You need to have a good drive just to be in the game. A bad drive will knock you out of the game completely and also frustrate you.

  

I needed to put down my thoughts in particular to the Driving and Chipping Lessons.

 

- In the Backswing take back your clubs in the form of a V with upper body movement only.

- The Club Head should be raised.

- Drop the club head with your hand relaxed so that the drop is on normally and put speed or velocity to the club head and not force.

- It should be like a slice down.

- Right knee needs to be unlocked and slightly bent if possible.

- This will ensure that the body movement is on.

- The Hands and upper body begins the swing followed by the Hips later.

- Follow up should be clean and continuous.

 

For Chipping too the same should be followed with emphasis on the club striking the grass below the ball. In Driving the Divot raised out is actually the grass in front of the ball....the club strikes the ball and onward goes into the grass and raises the Divot.

 

Use the 7 iron to play the putting shot from the edge of the green to the centre of the hole. Stance exactly the putting stance

- Narrow stance.

- Head over the ball.

- Grip like driving.

- strike the ball in the centre.

- Only upper Body movement.

 

 This was the best I came too, I stopped my Blog and I stopped my Golf. I really have to have a drive to restart the same again. Okay only time will tell.