A 3 ½ month recap - and a bold (cold?) prediction

It’s cold and dreary and wet and a perfect day for navel gazing. Or golf recapping, at least. So how far have I come since agreeing to help write Dave Wilkinson and Steve Gould’s latest Knighstbridge instruction book?

A long old way, I’d say.

My handicap is currently down to 10.9 – it was about 12.8 when I began the book in early August – and my winter campaign saw me reach the semi-finals of the men’s scratch knockout competition at Lindfield Golf Club (unprecedented – lost on 18^th hole), I won the final of the men’s handicap knockout (unprecedented – won on 18^th hole) and lost in the final of the foursomes (lost on first extra hole).

It doesn’t get much better.

All of which is irrelevant.

What really matters is that, in just three-and-a-half months, I’ve turned a loose, slappy, sliding, cutting, over-the-top golf swing – my constant companion since taking up the game proper in 2006 - into a tighter, much more compact, almost in-to-square-to-in action. Almost. An action which includes, probably for the first time in my life, 1) a controlled transition, 2) correct hand release and 3) real ball compression.

Even more importantly, I’m enjoying the game like never before. Hitting it properly – and expecting to hit straight - does that for you.

I began the year as a 14 handicapper, so I was already improving when I started interviewing Dave and Steve. But  the chance to tap their thoughts in such depth and at such length – I’ve written 9 chapters of the book to date, and each has followed a three-hour interview session with them – has been, well, a privilege.

What they don’t know about the golf swing could be written on the back of a stamp.

Equally exciting has been the attempt to strip out the jargon - and to focus on how impact really works. It's been a revelation.

Looking back at my notes, I find that my game is changing. I used to get round nicely with my long game – six fairways out of 13 would be about right for me – then hope for some short-game inspiration.

At times it worked. I went round in a for-me extraordinary 76, for instance, to beat 7-handicap Nick in the men’s scratch singles by doing just that – hitting 8 fairways, 6 GIRs, getting up and down 5 times out of 7 and throwing in two miraculous 25ft putts.

On my last outing, meanwhile, I hit 11 fairways out of 13. The chipping, though, was lukewarm and the putter cold. But I still scored 78. If I can improve the short game and retain the my D&S swing, who knows how low I could go?

I’ll stick my neck out and predict I’ll reach single figures for the first time in my life before the book is published next year.