U.S. Professional Hickory Championship/Chipping Line

Sorry for the delay in posting… I was away from my computer all day yesterday competing in the United States Professional HICKORY Golf Championship.  Yes, that’s right, hickory!  It was an incredible experience, meshing the finesse and feel of the modern game with its historical roots.  Stepping onto the practice green dressed in a long sleeve button-down, tie, sweater and slacks, and then proceeding to play an untouched, early-century golf course (Temple Terrace) felt like being in a time warp.  I picked out my own set of original hickory irons and woods that morning and used a replica mesh pattern golf ball played pre-1930 to shoot 76 (+3).   I was pleased with my ability to figure the clubs out as the round progressed.  They force you to stay smooth and languid or else the massive torque of the hickory shaft takes over and you’re not sure if you’ll even make contact.  Interestingly, I found the most challenging adjustment to be on simple chips around the green… I could feel the play in the shaft, and the sharp leading edge of the niblick made crisp contact very difficult.   

Great experience, wonderful event, definitely want to try it again…  Many thanks to Mike Stevens of the Hickory Golf Association and Temple Terrace Golf Club.  If you want to read more about yesterday's event check out today’s NY Times article --> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/sports/golf/hickory-golf-championship-is-played-with-wooden-clubs.html

On to this week’s drill…

Chipping line

Enhances your feel for chipping at different distances

What to do:

You’ll need your wedges and at least 10 balls.  Go to the chipping green and pick a shot that is fairly straightforward, where the pin is about 5 paces from the collar.  Drop a ball just off the green onto the fringe, then drop another 2 feet behind it.  Keep doing this until you’ve made a line with all of your golf balls stretching back away from the hole.  Each ball should be spaced about 2-feet from the previous.  Once you have this you’re ready to begin.  Return to the first ball and execute the shot.  Simply step back and hit your next shot in the line.  Continue doing this until you’ve hit all of your shots.  Your only goal for this drill is to hit each shot as close as possible.

How I did:

This is obviously more of a drill or style of practice than an actual game, however I feel it is beneficial enough to include in this blog.  Try to hole out as many as possibly in your line of 10, and track that.  Do this drill a couple of times during one practice session and you’ll definitely be able to feel a difference in your touch around the greens.

No Scaling.