Article #31
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Dear Jitterbug Gang:
When it comes to the short game, is it technique or touch that means the most?
Jackson Harding
Knoxville, TN
Jitterbug:
Actually, Mr. Harding, touch and technique intertwine so that neither makes much headway without a little pull from the other.
I'll give you a for instance. Let's suppose you were a beginner golfer, and somehow found yourself stranded on a desert island with nothing more than a sand-wedge, a practice green and as many balls as you can chip and pitch.
My guess is that without any instruction, and probably within just a few days, your ball contact would improve dramatically, so that you might say, "Hmm, I'm starting to develop some touch. This game must be all about touch."
But, soon after, your island-mate says to you, "I can tell you've gotten better. You're not rocking back-and-forth when you swing like you did before."
Isn't that strange? In only a few days, whether consciously or not, and without any instruction, you stopped swaying back-and-forth during your swing, an indication of better technique.
So, the question remains, "Is it touch or technique?"
I believe the answer is that touch and technique develop side-by-side, never too far apart on the graph of improvement.
Mr. Vaughn:
That's well said, Jitterbug, but I believe touch and technique combine to bring about a third attribute, which I call poise.
You see, poised players are smooth. Whether faced with a four-foot putt or a sixty-foot chip, poised players got no jerks or jabs anywhere in their motion.
Just as importantly, poised players are balanced, especially at the finish. Sure, a lot of people set up to the ball with balance, but only poised players carry balance through to the finish, which makes poised players look cool. And, believe me, there ain't nothin' cool about doin' the moonwalk after nervously slappin' at a short putt.
So, say what you want about touch and technique. To convince me, you're gonna have to show a little poise.
Lord Berry:
Taking the words of Jitterbug and Mr. Vaughn seriously, one thing is clear: You can study up on touch, technique, poise, confidence, fluidity and balance, and get nothing for it. But, with practice, you get it all for free.