As a young man I never played golf during the weekend I only practiced; all day long, sometimes I practiced with a single club for the whole day.
It could be my pitching, or short irons into the green, or even a Driving wood directly off the grass which is the shot I want to tell you about today.
Knowing how to play shots like these can save a shot and that shot could save the hole and that hole could save the game and the day, so sometimes you have to decide when to gamble.
My friend Allan was the young assistant professional at my local club he was 17yrs old and I would always give him four strokes I didn't have a handicap at that time (But I played off about 4) but we knew each other's game backwards so four strokes was the correct amount to balance our skills Now you see what I mean by your true handicap amongst friends.
On Allan's day off we used to visit a different club in the south of England (Kent or Surrey) each time we played, and because he was a professional (In the business)he played for free while I had to pay a Green Fee, so he very generously would buy me a couple of golf balls.
On one of our weekly outings we were strolling down the third fairway after driving off, and as we approached our golf balls both lying in the middle of the fairway he started to laugh so I asked him what he was laughing at.
He then described exactly how he would win this hole and why.
He went on this hole is 500yards long I'm 230 yards down and your about 260 yards down, I'm going to hit a three wood from here and I'll be just short of the green, you're going to do the same and you also will be just short of the green then I'll chip on and two putt for a five net four, (He got his first stroke on this hole) and you will also chip on and two putt for a five, and only a single putt from you can change that outcome.
He then took out his 3 wood and with a lovely smooth swing he put the ball in front of the green just as he said he would do, and then he turned towards me with a smile and with an upward palm pointing towards the hole challenged me to beat that.
BUT; he hadn't reckoned with my Driver off the fairway shot.
Which is the shot I want to tell you about today.
With match play it doesn't matter if you score a horrible 8 trying something to get you out of a desperate situation in Match play you can only lose the hole once and if you do your one down against your opponent, then on to the next hole.
Now back to the Driver off the fairway.
This is a very difficult shot and has to be approached with a great deal of thought about conditions and the dangers around the hole but on this occasion my ball was sitting up and almost smiling at me, down at the green there were bunkers on the left side off the green and all down the right side but the front was quite open so I positioned my body to line up with the left of the green slightly left of the bunkers then placing my driver behind my ball, I slightly twisted the shaft to the right to open up the face of the club in order to give the ball some height when It's struck, otherwise with such a flat club face the ball would want to scurry along the ground, and because I have opened the club face when the ball is struck the angle of ball spin is going to be left to right (Sideways) hence my facing to the left of the green because the ball will drift from left to right slightly.
So I played my shot making very sure I kept my head very still and behind the ball, and instead of rolling my hands after the strike to bring me to a follow through position I allowed my hands to move forward in the hitting area just to allow the clubface to remain open for a bit longer.
(A little extra margin of error for a difficult shot) The ball shot off the fairway like a rocket and headed towards the left bunker gradually climbing as It went, about half way to the hole the sideways spin took over and it started it's drift to the right across the bunkers and landed on the front lip of the green just left of the centre it took one large leap then a small hop and rolled to the centre of the green about ten feet from the pin.
After Allan had a few seconds bringing into question my parentage we strolled down to the green where it was now Allan's shot playing three net two, now; because my gamble has paid off.
Allan's original scenario has changed he knows that I will score four or possibly even three so in his head he needs to now chip in, or get stone dead with this 50 yard pitch, the tension on him was too great and he fluffed the shot he then chipped on two putted for a six net five.
I two putted for a four to win the hole, but you know if Allan had kept his head and done as he had predicted he would have walked off the green with a half.
But both Allan and I know that this was only one hole with 15 to go and to Allan's credit he never did get mad and I guess that is why we always had a great day's golf, two good friends enjoying a lovely day out.
A great day, a great game, and great company.
So keep practicing, see you next time.
Tony Vallerine.
PS.
I believe it was Sam Snead who said this line first when he chipped in from a bunker an onlooker said "Gee Mr Snead you sure are lucky" Sam replied "Yes son, and the more I practice the luckier I get.
"
It could be my pitching, or short irons into the green, or even a Driving wood directly off the grass which is the shot I want to tell you about today.
Knowing how to play shots like these can save a shot and that shot could save the hole and that hole could save the game and the day, so sometimes you have to decide when to gamble.
My friend Allan was the young assistant professional at my local club he was 17yrs old and I would always give him four strokes I didn't have a handicap at that time (But I played off about 4) but we knew each other's game backwards so four strokes was the correct amount to balance our skills Now you see what I mean by your true handicap amongst friends.
On Allan's day off we used to visit a different club in the south of England (Kent or Surrey) each time we played, and because he was a professional (In the business)he played for free while I had to pay a Green Fee, so he very generously would buy me a couple of golf balls.
On one of our weekly outings we were strolling down the third fairway after driving off, and as we approached our golf balls both lying in the middle of the fairway he started to laugh so I asked him what he was laughing at.
He then described exactly how he would win this hole and why.
He went on this hole is 500yards long I'm 230 yards down and your about 260 yards down, I'm going to hit a three wood from here and I'll be just short of the green, you're going to do the same and you also will be just short of the green then I'll chip on and two putt for a five net four, (He got his first stroke on this hole) and you will also chip on and two putt for a five, and only a single putt from you can change that outcome.
He then took out his 3 wood and with a lovely smooth swing he put the ball in front of the green just as he said he would do, and then he turned towards me with a smile and with an upward palm pointing towards the hole challenged me to beat that.
BUT; he hadn't reckoned with my Driver off the fairway shot.
Which is the shot I want to tell you about today.
With match play it doesn't matter if you score a horrible 8 trying something to get you out of a desperate situation in Match play you can only lose the hole once and if you do your one down against your opponent, then on to the next hole.
Now back to the Driver off the fairway.
This is a very difficult shot and has to be approached with a great deal of thought about conditions and the dangers around the hole but on this occasion my ball was sitting up and almost smiling at me, down at the green there were bunkers on the left side off the green and all down the right side but the front was quite open so I positioned my body to line up with the left of the green slightly left of the bunkers then placing my driver behind my ball, I slightly twisted the shaft to the right to open up the face of the club in order to give the ball some height when It's struck, otherwise with such a flat club face the ball would want to scurry along the ground, and because I have opened the club face when the ball is struck the angle of ball spin is going to be left to right (Sideways) hence my facing to the left of the green because the ball will drift from left to right slightly.
So I played my shot making very sure I kept my head very still and behind the ball, and instead of rolling my hands after the strike to bring me to a follow through position I allowed my hands to move forward in the hitting area just to allow the clubface to remain open for a bit longer.
(A little extra margin of error for a difficult shot) The ball shot off the fairway like a rocket and headed towards the left bunker gradually climbing as It went, about half way to the hole the sideways spin took over and it started it's drift to the right across the bunkers and landed on the front lip of the green just left of the centre it took one large leap then a small hop and rolled to the centre of the green about ten feet from the pin.
After Allan had a few seconds bringing into question my parentage we strolled down to the green where it was now Allan's shot playing three net two, now; because my gamble has paid off.
Allan's original scenario has changed he knows that I will score four or possibly even three so in his head he needs to now chip in, or get stone dead with this 50 yard pitch, the tension on him was too great and he fluffed the shot he then chipped on two putted for a six net five.
I two putted for a four to win the hole, but you know if Allan had kept his head and done as he had predicted he would have walked off the green with a half.
But both Allan and I know that this was only one hole with 15 to go and to Allan's credit he never did get mad and I guess that is why we always had a great day's golf, two good friends enjoying a lovely day out.
A great day, a great game, and great company.
So keep practicing, see you next time.
Tony Vallerine.
PS.
I believe it was Sam Snead who said this line first when he chipped in from a bunker an onlooker said "Gee Mr Snead you sure are lucky" Sam replied "Yes son, and the more I practice the luckier I get.
"