Shaping Shots Under Pressure

What a great week on the PGA TOUR! Another down-to-the-wire finish and another first-time winner. And finding a champion for the week wasn't a battle of attrition, Brian Bateman earned his title with some spectacular golf. But other players really played great too. Fifteen players finished within three shots of Bateman and had Brian not made that incredible putt on #18, we would have had a four-man playoff. How's that for a Sunday finish? Before we get to this week's lesson, I want to add -- I just love stuff like the CBS "Bizhub" swing analysis. I think I learn something every time I see one of those segments. On Sunday, they showed Woody Austin's swing for the tee shot on #18. What stuck out to me was how still his head was during the entire swing. His head did not move more than an inch in any direction. This is a trend I see in both TOUR swings and in teaching. And I think it is a good trend. For a while teachers had gotten away from a still head and were teaching moving off of the ball in the back swing and then moving back to the ball in the down swing. I feel this took too much timing. Keeping the head still and either over the ball or just a hair behind it helps put the bottom of the swing arc on the ball for better impact between the ball and club head. I know this is one of the big changes in Tiger's swing under Hank Haney. Tiger's head barely moves at all now. Try swinging in front of a mirror to see if your head is moving too much. Or have a friend hold your head while you swing. Week after week we see it is putting that makes the difference on the PGA TOUR and this past week was no different. Brian Bateman made some key putts coming down the stretch today to win. Two of them came on #17 and #18. On both putts Brian did just as I said you should in my last article, A Lesson Learned from The Memorial, he committed to the line, kept his head still, and held his finish position until the ball fell in the hole. If you want to be a good golfer learn to love putting and work hard at it. It pays off. We can also learn from a couple of off shots Brian hit today under the pressure of trying to win his first PGA TOUR event. On his approach shots to holes #16 and #17 Brian came up out of the shots a little early and the ball finished short and right of target. This comes from being anxious about the outcome of the shot. When under pressure slow down, stick to your routine and stay down through your shot. Brian did this perfectly on his tee shot and approach shot on #18 and hit two great shots to set up the birdie to win. Also of interest was the success of two players, Jason Gore and Justin Leonard, who had lost their way in trying to get better and left their teachers of years to try something new with the "hot" teacher of the day. Both guys have returned this year to their old teachers and are returning to form. Every teacher or method is not for everyone. Find the one teacher and method that fits you and stick to it through thick and thin. The greatest ever, Jack Nicklaus, stayed with his teacher Jack Grout throughout his career until Mr. Grout passed away late in Nicklaus's career. He did this even though Jack Grout was not the most famous of teachers out there. But he got there with Jack Grout and he stayed with him because he felt comfortable with him and his teaching. It is better to know your swing even if it is not perfect than to always be changing it trying to find perfection. Under pressure you need to feel comfortable with your swing and know what it will do or not do for you. Find a good PGA Professional to work with and stay with them. I know I learned a few things today from watching the tournament today and I hope this article helps you learn a few things from it too.