Article #54
Teacher: Jitterbug, Mr. Vaughn, Lord Berry
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Dear Jitterbug:
I have a tournament in two weeks, and wonder how I might best prepare.
Mel Hanson
Jitterbug Gang Fan
Jitterbug:
I tell you what you do. Take six practice balls, your sand-wedge, 9-iron, 6-iron and putter, and head for the practice green. Ideally, your practice green has at least three holes, and the terrain around it such that you can chip up-, down-, and side-hill to every flag. Your job is to get up and in (chip to a hole and one-putt) at least 100 times, always changing the club you use to chip with. Do this every evening until your tournament, and YOU WILL show up as a better player than your handicap indicates.
And, since I'm on the subject of getting the ball up and in, let me add one thing to it. I suggest you always bring a putter when you practice chipping. Knowing that you have to roll a putt from where each chip stops will keep you interested longer. And tallying the number of successful bids will keep you interested longer yet.
Mr. Vaughn:
As good an idea as it is to work on the short game, it's as bad an idea to go diggin' in to your full swing with only two weeks to prepare.
Why? Well, chipping and putting confidence comes from repetition. You get up and in 100 times each evening, and you'll have confidence. You won't think about how you're supposed to do this or that; rather, you'll simply know you can get it done.
The full swing doesn't work that way. Instead, full swing practice, for an undeterminable period of time, makes people think technical thoughts, which is never good. After all, you can't be good at nothing as long as you still have to think about how to do it. And, nothing brings about "how to do it" thoughts as much as full swing practice.
If you're not satisfied with that, and just insist on one little gold nugget of full swing instruction, then here's one for you. Decide that you're gonna finish every swing in balance. Practice your full swing with NOTHING more than balance as a goal. That's the only piece of full swing advice that won't destroy you.
Lord Berry:
Since balance is so largely dependent upon rhythm and tempo, I suggest you spend most of your full swing practice with three-quarter wedge swings. Determine how far you hit your pitching wedge, find a flag ten yards short of that distance, and hit a bucket of balls at it every day. Soon, you'll know what it feels like to swing smoothly and in balance.
Good luck in your tournament.