Lag, Glorious Lag!
My practice time has been minimal of late because of work and very hot weather. I’ve only been able to practice on weekends in the morning, after 11AM it is just too hot. However, a thunderstorm came through the area today, so I took advantage of the cool weather to hit some balls after dinner.
I warmed up with my usual routine, then put down my alignment shaft and worked on my irons. At first, I hit the ball poorly, making just about any fault you can name. Finally, in desperation, I teed up a ball a half-inch off the ground and ran a drill from George Hibbard’s book Golf’s Critical Details. I hit a couple of balls with my 9-iron using the two-handed drill and suddenly, my lag is back. I started hitting great shots, consistent, perfect trajectory, good distance. I ran through my irons trying to achieve good lag with each club, even getting some very good shots with the 5-iron. For about 20 shots, I hit the ball about as good as I’ve ever hit the ball.
The perfect swings didn’t last, as some of my faults crept back in (pushing short irons, hooking long clubs), but I was extremely pleased that I was striking the ball so well. I hit every club well, with the exception of the driver and 4-wood. Those clubs always seem to take more practice to get going than my other clubs, and I ran out of time and balls before I really had the chance to work on them.
I didn’t have time to putt or practice the short game, but I always emphasize those aspects of my game during the weekend practices.