Get past the driving range

First up, go watch the video at this link.

You watched the video? You did? Great. If not, go and watch it now and come back.

I agree with Shane Lowry. 100%. A better golf game is to be found out on the course, not on the driving range. The driving range can be a horrible and stale place. It’s all too easy to get caught up in trying to hit perfect shots and you end up playing “golf swing” – not golf. Science doesn’t agree with it either.

I’m not surprised that these words came from Shane Lowry. Earlier this year I got to see him up close at the Dunhill Links. I was caddying for Matt Guyatt, and on the last day we were paired with him (and Romain Wattel).

And I was certainly looking forward to watching him play. He had a great run at the US Open, has won some big events and to me, he just looks like a guy who plays the game without a lot of messing about. He appeared to play the game and dance, and that was what I was looking forward to see.

Starting on 10, he rolled in a curling putt for birdie.

He hit a great shot into 11 and lipped the putt out on the high side (it looked in for all money).

He drove the green on 12 and stroked two good putts. Birdie.

Par on 13.

Two awesome shots on 14. He left the eagle try short from 13 feet (I reckon it was a complete mutant putt) but made the birdie putt.

Nearly holed his approach from the left rough on 15. Tapped in for birdie.

Par on 16 but had a very good look from around 15 feet.

Birdied the Road Hole. He made another nice putt here.

On 18 he hit an exquisite pitch over the Valley of Sin to 6 feet. Everyone knew he was going to make it and turn six under. But he missed it. Probably not his best effort.

The last nine holes were uneventful in the fact that he made 8 more pars and a solitary birdie (on the par 5, 5th). But he played the same way. He kept swinging the sticks and kept hitting nice shots. As is golf, the putts didn’t drop coming home. But he played equally as well on the back nine and could have easily shot 10 under!

The main point here, is the Big Guy walks his talk. He plays golf! He doesn’t mess around and when he’s on he’s on. And although we tend to think that our golf swing needs to be perfect and that we need to hit a lot of balls on the practice fairway. We don’t. The secret is out on the course!

You’ve gotta get past the driving range.