“Every cure is temporary. But it’s nice while it lasts."
– Jack Nicklaus
My home course, The Kansas City Country Club, is now out of commission. Our members are excited that Andrew Green is doing the renovation work on our Tillinghast course. Given the fact that his other restoration projects include Inverness, Congressional CC’s Blue Course, Oak Hill’s East Course, Scioto CC; Interlachen CC and East Lake GC, we know that our course is in good hands – actually great hands.
However, the renovation means many of us are trying to figure out where to play over the next 18 to 20 months. Some of us will be playing a variety of public golf courses, others have joined other area clubs and there are those of us who have “other” clubs across the country.
Golf will be less convenient for me and many of my friends, but as you know, golfers golf. And like every other golfer, I will continue to search for ways to improve my thinking and my swing.
To that end – improvement – I thought I would go to the BEST GOLFER OF ALL-TIME, Jack Nicklaus, for a few thoughts, tips, hints and reminders. I don’t care what anybody else says, he is the UNDISPUTED GOAT!
Here are a few facts that back up that claim:
- Major Championships: He won a record 18 Majors, which is the most in golf history. His Major wins include: Masters: 6 times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986); U.S. Open: 4 times (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980); British Open 3 times (1966, 1970, 1978), and PGA: 5 times (1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980).
- PGA Tour Wins: A total of 73 PGA Tour events, ranking him third on the all-time list behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods, who had 82 each.
- Professional Wins: In addition to his PGA Tour victories, Nicklaus has over 100 professional wins worldwide, including victories on the Champions Tour.
- Major Runner-Up Finishes: Nicklaus finished as a runner-up in major championships 19 times, showcasing his consistent performance at the highest level.
- Top 10 Finishes: He had 73 top-10 finishes in Majors.
So, as I continue to play golf here, there and everywhere, here is what Jack Says about scoring well.
- “Aim and alignment are by far the most important elements of the act of moving a golf ball from A to B. Rub the magic lamp, get the genie to give you any golf swing of your choice from history and if you don’t direct it correctly from the beginning, it still won’t reduce your present score by even one measly stroke.”
- “Chipping has never come easy to me, but I’ve found over the years that the SLOWER my tempo on these little recover shots the better I play them.” (From the book, Play Better Golf: The Short Game and Scoring, Pocket Books, 1981.)
- “If you’re missing a lot of short putts, try making a conscious – even exaggerated – follow-through along the path you want the ball to take.”
- “Keeping the right knee slightly flexed yet firmly in position during the backswing is tough for many golfers. The trick is to set and keep your weight on the inside of the right foot.”
- On Chipping & Pitching: “Roll is easier to judge than flight.”
- “Rather than tamper with what comes naturally, strive to swing rhythmically whatever your pace. Rhythm is the quality with which you meld all the moving parts of the swing, and the smoother it is the better your timing will be.”
- “The greater the pressure, the less you should try to ‘finesse’ the shot. Take your time in analyzing the situation, then go with the highest percentage club – the one you can swing most normally.”
- “The harder I want to hit the ball, the slower I start my takeaway. I want it to be just fast enough to avoid being jerky.”
- “There are a lot of ways to play good golf, but they all have one thing in common: a steady head.”
- “Work on the feeling of turning the shoulders fully, then keeping them fully coiled as long as you can while your knees move targetwards and your hips unwind.”
Play Away!
Allan Stark
Photo credits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
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