I’m not big on tooting my own horn, but this is one of those major accomplishments I simply must share. The last time I broke 80 was 1997, until two weeks ago when I shot a 77 at Bennett Valley in Santa Rosa CA, a tree-lined muni that is quite challenging. These 13 years have been frustrating as far as my golf goals are concerned. Swing, club, and ball changes. Different putters. Lessons. Books on the mental game. And looking for that elusive chipping stroke that helped me break 80 a number of times when I was a teenager. I felt sentenced to a 13 handicap, unable to break that magic barrier. Big numbers on any given day would sink the good ship 70 something.
But I’d stumbled on something around my swing and my chipping technique, which I will share with you, not so much intending to instruct but to inspire you to keep trying, keep experimenting, keep hoping, and keep expecting the best from yourself. I got very discouraged during this journey for the Grail, but, though I thought of doing so, I never gave up the game. If I paid close enough attention, each round could provide another piece in the massive jigsaw puzzle of golf.
Here are some of the pieces. From Jack Nicklaus’ IPhone app, Golf My Way, the head must be steady throughout the swing. I like his image of a stake through the center of the body, and swinging around that stake. My tendency was to move the head forward on the downswing, throwing everything into a crapshoot. I began to swing on our patio on a piece of artificial turf, either watching my shadow or my image in the sliding glass door. No ball needed as I could tell from the contact with the mat how the swing felt.
Next, I integrated what I learned a number of years ago with teaching pro Gary Fain at Adobe Creek Golf Course in Petaluma and observing touring pros Ryan Moore, Hunter Mahan, Fred Couples, and aspects of Rickie Fowler. To counteract my tendency to come over the top a bit, I began to bring the club back more upright so the shaft was nearly vertical. This decreased the perceived weight of the club in my hands, as Fain had pointed out but I doubted for years. Then, at the start of the downswing, as Ryan Moore does so effectively, the club is rerouted to the inside as the head remains rock steady. There’s a bit more to it, but that’s the essence of the swing change. I saw results immediately. Crisper, high soaring irons that stayed on target (if I aligned carefully), occasionally pulled some but easily corrected. And woods solidly contacted and in the fairway, with longer than my usual shortish length. I started to get on or around the green more consistently.
But the greatest improvement came to my short game. I could chip like Tom Watson when I was a kid but somewhere lost the touch and the memory of how I did it. I knew the memory was still in my brain but I just couldn’t recapture it over the years. Well, one day, I found the feel I was looking for–found it by ignoring modern instruction around chipping, and reaching back and doing what came naturally. What I did was free up my wrists more in the backswing and let the forward swing take care of itself. Now I had the consistent contact I remembered. I just needed to find the speed and choose the right club for what the chip or pitch called for. It worked on the practice chipping green and started working when all I had was one shot at it on the course. My chipping yips were cured, and the feel I had when I was 17 was back. I started saving pars as I once had done so readily.
The last round before the 77 was an unheralded 88 so I had little hope that day in late August of breaking 80. But right from the start I could see that things were clicking: sharper, more accurate drives, irons right on the money, chips close enough for decent tries at up and downs, and putts that dropped or just missed. I had two birdies that day and should have had four. And the day was capped by two flubbed shots on the par 5 18th, followed by a career 4-wood to 35 feet, and dropping the breaking putt for a closing bird. 37-40. The best score I’d carded since I was a youngster, just two months away from my 65th birthday.
Two weeks later, yesterday, I played nine with my buddy Steve and shot 43 with three doubles. But I also had a bird and three pars, so I wasn’t too upset. The memory of 77 was still fresh in my mind, and will be, God willing, for years to come.
Way to go Steve! But don’t forget to give credit to your last blog about patience. How much did being patient and taking what the game would give you factor in that 77?
Ah yes. Thanks for the reminder, Richard. Patience did indeed play a part in this process. There were times I wanted to give up the game but pulled back on the reins and counseled myself on what this game is all about.
There aren’t many Stephen Altschulers in the world but I send congratulations from one to another! By the way, my game is tennis.
That’s great. Thanks, Stephen. I also have a cousin in Boulder named Stephen Altschuler. Maybe we should convene all of us sometime. No need for name tags.
Good luck with the tennis game. Keep those knees healthy.
Best, Stephen
Awesome!! I agree with the patience post needing a little credit… it’s when we let go that we play our best!
and BTW that course takes some good putting ~ extra congratulations on what must be an awesome short game!
Thanks, Kirsten. It’s true about letting go. Dustin Johnson has some of that in his game and look where he’s going. My short game was definitely the key that day…and every day I play. What does BTW mean?