The good thing about bad shots, the odd thing about learning…

The good thing about hitting a bad shot is that it makes you think. In this regard, I may have picked up something valuable in defeat last week.

I think I still lift (and pull round) my left shoulder a tad as I come into impact occasionally, thus changing the angle of my spine and ultimately leading to me imparting a cut to the ball.

Sadly, I did just that with my drive on the 15^th during the Foursomes final on Friday. Not the hole to do it. Into the lateral hazard it flew. "You don't like this hole, do you?" said Partner Adam. He may be right. I certainly didn't like the swing.

Must get back to Knightsbridge soon and get an expert opinion on this DIY diagnosis. But I think I’m right. And if I am, was it worth losing the game to uncover the fault? Arguably, yes (Adam, I expect, would not agree). By pulling out of the shot in this way, I can’t stay on the hard arc after impact.

Dave swears by the hand arc (the line the hands follow during a good swing – a bit like an imaginary Explanar, if you’ve ever seen one of those, but for the hands rather than the club head).

I didn’t know what he was talking about when it came up during our first interview for the new book.

Now I swear by it too. Funny how learning works, though. If I tell my left shoulder not to lift and pull, it ignores me. But if I tell my hands to stay on the arc beyond impact, both my hands and shoulder behave.

Which feels like treating the symptom to cure the cause. Very odd. One for the psychologists.