Testing the Swing

"No matter your age or ability, everybody can gain yardage without losing any accuracy at all" Danny Maude.

Hear it "Swish"

I finally got to test the swing Danny Maude reintroduced me to. If you refer to my blog, “The Swish of the Swing” it will explain why this swing is suitable for senior golfers. The test was over 9 holes on 3 separate afternoons at Chamberlain Park. As usual the course was busy, I joined with others to play the back 9 on all 3 days. At this time of the year the late afternoons are comfortably warm. Summer is a flattering time to play, the ground is dry and firm, and the atmosphere light. The ball has less resistance in the air and on the ground it will roll further. You gain easy distance during the summer months. I mention this because gaining easy distance happens even with a less-than-ideal swing.

Positive Signs

Each time I went out, I tried to remember the swing. On the first afternoon, the opening drive was promising, it was straight and long on the par four hole. It landed 125m from the pin. Not confident with my irons, I chopped down on the utility club to punch it into the green. It didn't go well; I shanked it right landing a short distance from the fringe. The chip in was particularly good, much better than my usual approach. Adapting the new swing for a successful chip gave me confidence. Although I three putted for a double bogey, the drive and a good chip were still positive for me.

Iron Trouble

The next hole a par three, I shanked my 5 iron off the tee. Once more the short game saved me, the chip toward the pin was close enough for a par but I finished with an easy bogey. My drive drew right but the distance was still good on the par five. I pulled out the 5-wood keeping the new swing in mind, the ball flight was flat and penetrating, landing pitching distance to the pin. The pitch landed close to the pin, but it rolled through due to a trailing wind, and a dry and sloping green. I almost holed the return chip, stopping centimeters short for a tap in par.

Another par 5 followed, this time into the wind. I topped the drive; it didn’t go far but the fairway wood I used for the second shot was magic. It stopped in a perfect spot looking down to the green, across a creek for the approach. My approach was short stopping in the fringe, leaving a lengthy uphill chip to the pin at the back corner of the green. A bogey on the hole.

Confidence Shaken

After a bogey on the par three, I hit as good a drive as I could to the best possible position for a second shot across a creek to an elevated green on the number stroke hole. While trying to find a consistent swing, I’ve lost count of the number of balls hit into that creek. It was no different on this occasion, I used a utility club to top the ball straight into the creek. I finished with a seven. The last three holes went bogey, par, bogey, a total 45 for the nine holes played.

Two More

The second afternoon of nine holes went the same as the first afternoon. At last, I thought, consistency is happening. I was completely wrong, the third afternoon was a disaster, I tried to get the takeaway as Danny Maude described and make sure the follow through mirrored it. Most drives were weak, while the short game was patchy. Two positive signs came out of the third afternoon, the drives on both par fives were the best I have driven, especially on the first par five. For this par five, tees were put back to the maximum, adding 50 yards to the usual 489 yards. The extra length was compounded by having to hit into a head wind. I still got to the green in three.

What I Focus On

Start takeaway with my shoulders, set trail wrist and elbow angles early. Maintain flat lead wrist for the short game.

Summary

45 for nine holes doesn’t seem like much, but for me it’s a good achievement. After struggling for years to find a swing that helped me score in the 80s when a young man, the swing recommended by Danny Maude, also known as the ‘L to L’ swing, has shown enough for me to persist with it. My short game has improved because of the swing. It is possible for me to hit drives with added distance due to the speed I now have using my hands and arms.

Time will tell; however, I now have the tools to improve, even in my senior years.

Try it you could be surprised.