What the biggest thing that I learned at the open?

[chrisd]

After Monday and Tuesday at Sandwich I learned several things but the main one was

On the tee, all the pros took dead aim, had great grips and posture and swung much slower from the top than almost every club golfer I see on their weekend round. I's a great thing to watch as they all just deliver the club head with increasing velocity through to impact

Did you go and did you see anything that will help your game?


Chris

 

[granters]

I didn't go but i'd agree totally with the swing tempo thing having been to past events. It's something i always have to remind myself as i tend to get too quick- keep it smooth. It's probably the biggest tip i'd give anyone as it's amazing how far you hit it with an easy swing.

The pros spend probably twice as long making sure the fundamentals are correct before starting the swing. If you can get your grip, alignment, posture etc correct then you've obviously a fighting chance of getting it straight.

 

[Jimbooo]

After Monday and Tuesday at Sandwich I learned several things but the main one was

On the tee, all the pros took dead aim, had great grips and posture and swung much slower from the top than almost every club golfer I see on their weekend round. I's a great thing to watch as they all just deliver the club head with increasing velocity through to impact

+1

 

[RGDave]

Did you go and did you see anything that will help your game?

I've been and will go again. It's a great experience and I marvel at the pros playing. They are SO amazing in terms of posture/alignment/tempo.....just accurate golfing machines.

In all honesty, I can't think I've seen anything that will help my own game, I know the value of the stuff they do, but I don't have the discipline, even though I'm quite disciplined....if you know what I mean.

They are awesome though...

 

[chrisd]

I can't think I've seen anything that will help my own game,

What about the rhythm of their chipping?



Chris

 

[MashieNiblick]

Agree with Chris absolutely about the pros tempo. When I first saw the top pros I too was completely amazed at the effortlessness with which they seemed to generate power that we could only dream of. Same at Wentwoth this year. Whether a "big unit" like Els or someone like Donald it just doesn't look like they are swinging the club at 100 mph even when they are.

 

[chrisd]

The main thing, for me is, if they can do it so can we!

Looking at Rory I made an amazing discovery - he only had two arms, two legs and a head and body so, in theory, we should be able to copy him. Now I'm not stupid (no - don't take a vote on that)and realise there's a gulf between him and us in ability - but - I see and I'm sure you see, guys on a Sunday morning stand mis- aligned to the target, swing back nicely and then try to hammer the s**t out of the ball and wonder why their "over the top" swing sliced the ball 40 yards into the cack

I cant help feeling that if all golfers went to watch the top players and sat behind them on the tee they would see the golf swing in a whole different way. It's rhythmic and the club head hits straight because the swing flows and the speed is only through the hitting zone.

The oldest plyer I saw was Tom Watson and hes slightly built and older than me - and he hit it a fair distance past what I would do


Chris

 

[MashieNiblick]

I think one of the other key things is that that they make a pure strike, i.e. off the sweet spot with the club face square and on line, nearly every time. We may think we are good ball strikers but these guys are on another planet.

 

[Mongoose]

I went, and the same two things struck me that always do when I see them in action.

First, their tempo/timing is pretty much the same for all of them, they may have idiosynchrasies in their swings but the rythym etc is all pretty much the same.

Secondly is how still their bodies are. Worst instructional stuff in golf is get your weight through, their lower bodies are pretty much static until the follow through. They keep their height and head still, and really do just swing around their bodies.

As always I go down range afterwards fired with this is how to do it, and as always a couple of hours later have reached the same stark conclusion that I just cant do it that way, which is why I'm a hacker and they arent.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Read Garcia talking about iron play and he says he never hits it full out and for the most part is nothing more than 80%. Not sure most club golfers have anything less than 100% in ther game. It is something I worked hard on, tempo and length a year or so ago and it really worked. However like everything it needs constant work and having made some big changes over the winter bedding these in took precedence. If I am swinging well my tempo is much better than it use to be but I can still swing close to the speed of light on a bad day with usual consequences

 

[G1BB0]

my pro told me in a lesson to always swing at 70/80% so I always do 120% for about 15 holes then manage to find a rhythm and a bit of tempo

214yd par 3 and they were taking 5 iron today ffs!!!

 

[Mark_Aged_42]

totally with the swing tempo thing

+1 to that, I was stunned how easy the pros swing. It really made an impact on me (excuse the pun), and I can't wait to get out this weekend.

From the sublime to the ridiculous. How cr@p was the organisation - have a guess how long it took to get from the end of the queue for the car park to actually seeing a ball struck.....
two and a half hours. Yes 150 of your earth minutes. Incredible. Huge queue from the motorway to the car park, huge queue to board a bus, bus travels at walking pace for most of the journey to RSG, where the bridge across the stream onto the course was closed.
Every other mass sporting event is able to get people in and out in under an hour. This was just p1ss poor.