Cut That Putter!

This past weekend I was lucky enough to take a Dave Pelz 1-Day Golf Clinic, out at Wyncote Country Club in the Philadelphia-Wilmington area. The day focused on short-game skills. I initially had some reservations about participating since my short game has been not so hot lately (wait, isn't that what clinics are for?).I hopped in the car early Saturday morning and headed out into the rolling green hills of historic Southeastern Pennsylvania. Surrounded by lovely vineyards and crisp summer air I was no longer upset that the clinic was an hour outside the city. After arriving at Wyncote I found myself seated amongst a group of professional-aged men. As I sat feeling groggy (I play better without any caffeine in my system) I listened to the discussion of courses and the latest golf tools technology has to offer ... in addition to numbers like 1, 3 and 10, which were the handicaps of my fellow students. Several others arrived, including two women and the lesson began.

The instructors were David LiCalsi and Anne Sparks and we spent the morning working on wedge shots, greenside chipping and bunker shots. I was happy to start off with the wedge shots, as the set-up, form and swing my lessons instilled in me was very applicable. After seeing fantastic results and being able to control the ball in a short range, I had my head on straight for the rest of the day! Working out of the bunker and greenside I actually appreciated the fact that my swing is new and mailable. Some of the veteran players had more difficulty adjusting their swing and set-up due to fixed habits and perceptions. Now I can't wait to get out on the course and find my ball in a sand trap next to the green!

After lunch we focused on putting. This session was really an eye opener but in a more technical way. First of all, most people's putters are way too long (I need to cut 4" off mine). The other putting skill presented was green reading. Dave Pelz is a man of science and to accurately understand a successful put based on the apex, science was referenced. The two instructors put on a little experiment to prove that one cannot sink a putt by simply aiming for the height of the apex! Mind-blowing ... some might even call it heresy!The clinic taught me something else: golf is like a faith. There are many different ways of thinking and theories of swing/set-up, like there are many different religions. Many of these methods and beliefs contradict each other, but they all serve the same goal: better performance on the golf course.

I definitely recommend it to anyone willing to spend the money. Especially if you're a rookie. Better to form good habits early!