Perhaps one of the most talked about shots during last week's PGA Championship came from the First Round when Rory McIlroy's drive on #3 came to rest up against a substantial tree root. As everyone in golfdom surely knows by now, Rory elected to play the shot forward rather than take the safe route and chip back to the fairway. As a result, he sustained a significant injury to his wrist that required ice for the remainder of the round and a lot of physical therapy overnight. Fortunately, he's young, fit and extraordinarily talented so he was able to play well enough to make the cut but was never really in contention as he was expected to be.
It's amazing to me how many people jumped on Rory's caddy, JP Fitzgerald, blaming him for not stopping McIlroy from making a dangerous shot. As it turns out, the next day DJ hit a ball near where the root in question is located. While I was waiting for DJ to make his way to his ball, I struck up a conversation with a bystander who was in position to see and hear everything that led up to the shot the previous day. This fellow says the first thing Fitzgerald said was "Chip out" and the last thing he said to McIlroy was "Chip out!".
So what can everyone, including Rory, take away from this event? First off, play smart and recognize when a particular shot may lead to serious injury to yourself, your caddy or other people near you. You always have to take what the game gives you and sometimes you just have to accept that bogey may be the best outcome you have. If McIlroy was in a tight match in the final round where bogey might knock him out of contention, then perhaps taking a risk like that could be understood. But certainly he wasn't facing that situation on the third hole of the first round.
Secondly, it's always the player's final decision on how to hit a shot so criticizing his caddy, particularly without having the facts, is just dead wrong.
Finally, whenever we make a poor choice out on the course, we need to learn from our mistake and move on. No one knows how Rory's career will eventually turn out, but given what he said about his decision to hit that 7-iron, he is showing me that he has the makings of one of golf's greatest players in history.
'It was dangerous. '¦ I thought if I could make contact with the ball and just let the club go, I might get away with it. You know, in hindsight it would have been better to chip out sideways.' 'Rory McIlroy, reflecting on his decision to hit his ball that was resting against a tree root on his third hole of the 93rd PGA Championship.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
I didn't think that trying to
I didn't think that trying to advance the ball forward with as much club as he wanted to hit was a bad play.
I just couldn't believe the swing he took.
I have probably hacked as many golf balls out the tree roots as anyone has and I always try to get as much as I can out of the shot.
The difference is that I only swing as hard as I can safely hit the root and with very stiff wrists anticipating the sudden stop of the club.
If I was his caddy and he asked for a 7 iron I wouldn't have thought anything of it until I saw that full back swing. If I was quick enough that is the point that my natural reaction would have been to tackle him before he could hit the shot.
I happened to have a lie between some roots last Friday and I yelled at the other guys to come and look because I had the same lie that Rory did.
I took a 5 iron and hacked right down on the back of the ball with the club stopping as it hit the root.
The ball came out fine and went up beside the green.
I don't guess there is a formula for how hard I can hit into a tree root without hurting myself but it seems a little common sense has done just fine so far for me.
we duffers also dont get new
we duffers also dont get new clubs on demand.ÃÂ if my club risks injury i always take the easy way out.ÃÂ to heck with an extra stroke or two.
Amos - I haven't seen the
Amos - I haven't seen the Music Man, however, Professor Hill & I may be related - I am Overthe Hill
Brain sends messages to the body
What messages?
The ones you have visualised - useful or not useful, it sends them
Visualisation is one of the factors of co-ordination
That's why Don uses so many word pictures
Picasso Jack
I like Rory too it was an
I like Rory too it was an unwise choice that was ultimately inconsiderate. The thing that makes it appear selfish and dangerous not only to him but to all near by, was the fact that in his interview he said he pre-planned to let loose of the club as he swang. Really? That is a plan for disaster and a flying club.
Personally I don't think he felt there was any possible danger to those nearby.Iin other words I don't think there was any ill intent on his part. Hopefully he has not jacked his right hand for future problems. As someone with arthritic hands and and stiff painful challenges with a couple of my fingers that are especially jacked up,ÃÂ I know about hand and arm injuries. They seem to never totally "go away" but return to haunt us, Let's hope that's not his fate. He's a good kid and I wish him only success.
ÃÂ As a side note, in his interview he also said that his caddy was not like his father so and it was his ownÃÂ decision.
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While playing in a tournament
While playing in a tournament about 22 years ago, I had a shot behind a root like Rory's and I also chose to hit it. I was playing with laminated woods at the time, took a full swing with my 3-wood, and put the ball on the green from 185 yards. In the process, I shattered my 3-wood and broke my arm just above the wrist. I didn't finish the tournament and couldn't play golf for 2-1/2 years.
To add insult to injury, if
To add insult to injury, if you were playing in our social club you would have to shout everyone in your group a drink for not getting past the ladies tee!
I say that's what practice
I say that's what practice rounds are for. The more holes you play, the more you know what you can and should do. I usually like the safe route, but where is the glory if we don't "go for it" once in a while? I agree with Surge - the context of the shot should determine how much risk you take. First round, third hole, probably not. Also, don't forget the role of adrenaline sometimes elevating our strength and focus for those 'heroic' shots.
Take your medicine so that
Take your medicine so that you don't have to take medicine!
In our social club we don't mess around with tree roots and such, we treat it as GIR so that it takes away the temptation to make a crazy shot that can hurt you. ÃÂ We are generally older working Joe types and it is definitely not good for say a painter to be off work with a sprained or broken wrist :-( ÃÂ Regards, Craig
I can't bring myself to click
I can't bring myself to click like on this one because...OUCH!
Years ago Steve, I was stood
Years ago Steve, I was stood the the right rear of the tee box, out of the line of sight of a mate who was teeing off. I was stood with my right hand on my hip, elbow out. My mate hit his driver, the ball hit the concrete tee marker on the ladies tee and bounced straight back thru' the gap between my hip and elbow. Scary. A lady had been killed the week before after being struck in the temple by a fellow player's miss hit ball!
PS Just read Robert F's post.
The guy who hit the ball that day was an Ammo Tech and the day the club had a shotgun start.He tossed a stick of dynamite over the reverse side of an old underground storage bunker, with me crouched beside him. They were still talking in the married quarters area about the huge bang which rattled windows half a mile away for days. Naughty, naughty boys!
Years ago I was under a tree
Years ago I was under a tree among tree roots. I had read somewhere, that, instead of aiming away from the tree trunk, aim just away from it a little [gullible golfer that I was]. I swung at the ball, trying to take the cover off the ball.Result of this MIGHTY jet-propelled swing? The ball ran up the tree trunk, ran along the underside of the large branch above my head and dropped on MY HEAD! I can still see myself on my knees shrieking with laughter.PS lesson learned. heh heh heh.
Ouch! Kevin. It was only the
Ouch! Kevin. It was only the Oirish in yer me boyo! Big punishment for a moment's paddy like shot!A painful lesson indeed, but you've learned the lesson my friend. Your blog was painful for you, but may make other golfers think. Me for one.
Keep it long, straight and pain free Kevin.
That reminds me of a shot I
That reminds me of a shot I had a few weeks ago out of a pine thicket.
I had a small window about 2 feet wide and needed to hit the shot about 250 yards to clear the tree line and give myself a birdie chance.
I was only paying attention to my shot and hit a three wood through the "window". When I turned around the guy riding in the cart with me was peeking out from behind the cart and was down on his knees. I started laughing and said "what, you don't trust me?"
He said he didn't trust anybody THAT much and said something about me being crazy.
But I made my birdie. Ha ha!
Neil,Thanks for getting back.
Neil,
Thanks for getting back. I agree whole heartedly. As Gil mentioned in his post, some catch on quicker than others.I would add that even amazingly athletic and talented golfers like Tiger Woods struggle mightly when making swing changes (though I feel he'd be better off at this stage with this swing).
Glad to hear you haven't given up and you're playing better. I do hope you review the drills and videos I recommended. I think they will(with practice) help you move past what you perceive as unnatural.
Good golfing to you mate.
Cheers and
PMG!
Surge, as a marshall at last
Surge, as a marshall at last week's PGA you are correct! The mediaÃÂ reported that it was up to the caddy to instruct him on what to do.ÃÂ We heard over the in-house communications that the caddy told him to chip out several times prior to him hitting the now famous root. Its always the player's final decision to go or not to go with a specific club or shot selection. In this case Rory made a poor choice that hopefully he will learn from. The best route for any golferÃÂ is to take your medicine and get it back into play. Don't be a hero, deal with the bad shot and move on to the next one.
I'll have to concur with
I'll have to concur with Robert on this one...almost one of those been there,done that moments. "painful memories"
Neil, re your 1,000 actions
Neil, re your 1,000 actions to facilitate change
There is a way to accelerate that learning process
VISUALISATION
If you repetitively visualise a new action, it is accepted &ÃÂ "grooved in"ÃÂ faster than just doing the physical repetitions
Some Tips
(1) Get it clear in your head what it is you wish to do
Faulty visualisation is as counterproductive as poor practice, perhaps worse( grooving in the garbage)
(2) ÃÂ FEEL it while visualising -
Involve as many senses as you can (imagination)
e.g. hear the sound of contact - smell the grass being shaved - feelÃÂ the movementsÃÂ - see theÃÂ club behaving as you wish
(3) Make your visualising a realistic movie that you canÃÂ feel from within & that you can view yourself from suitable viewpoints as an observer
Some proponents of this technique claim it takes 21 days to "own the change"
The beauty of it is, you can do it anytime, so you can rack up 1,000's of repetitions in a short time
Imagine great golf
Jack
Surge, you are absolutely
Surge, you are absolutely correct when telling people to play safe and playing safe is playing smart.
For Robert Meade, from
For Robert Meade, from yesterday's blog:-
Am slowly understanding the mechanics now, butÃÂ the feeling is totally different from
what I perceived.ÃÂ ÃÂ My point is that this action is not natural and must be contrived,
even more so with a club. Some poeple who may have very little athletic ability and or experience like myself, find this action awkward at the onset, it must be ingrained, first
by a conscious action and then developed un-conciously. I've read coaching articles
in the past where at leastÃÂ 1,000 actions are required to change any action inÃÂ a golf
swing before theyÃÂ can take effect, more so from any person who has littleÃÂ experience in hand/eye/club co-ordination.Don't get me wrong, the Surge's technique is starting to work for me, but it's beena long haul. Played 9 holes this morning and really worked hard on the FUS toaÃÂ T finish, hit some lovely shots even out drove some of my mates with a 3W versus the driver. I have a mindset now that I can reach any green in regulation,it doesn'tÃÂ aways happen, but I'm getting there.ÃÂ This site is a big bonus in learning the art of golf, thanks to all who contribute.
good thoughts from everyone.
good thoughts from everyone.
ron
".... and just let the club
".... and just let the club go ..." shows that he thinks little about the people around him. A typical overhyped kid who thinks he's next to God. I saw that club fly, and it was close to a young kid who could have been hurt or blinded if the club had gone a little more left. Rory should have cleared those people out of there if his intent was to let the club fly. He showed little regard for the people who pay the bills and make him famous.
How worshipful would the public be if he had seriously injured someone with this stupid stunt?
One of the times I nearly
One of the times I nearly brained myself with the ball was actually a tee shot. The course used colored cubes for tee markers and I hit a low screamer into the block for the ladies tee, which happened to be squared up right back at me. My next shot was from 30 yards further back out of some trees. I didn't make a birdie that hole. ;-)
JackOz:
JackOz:
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Is this similar to "Proffessor Harold Hill's "Think system"" -- for playing music ?ÃÂ LOL
ÃÂ Check out the "Music Man" -- my favorite Musical comedy
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Amos
Thanks for the reminder,
Thanks for the reminder, Surge. We duffers, who are more likely to find ourselves in that sort of situation (since we're more likely to so badly miss fairways) need to also learn that lesson from Rory. If it's a choice between one more stroke on the card and potentially permanent physical damage, the one stroke hurts a lot less. Back in the folly of my youth, I tried a few shots along those same lines, and more than once narrowly escaped significant injury (more than one ball whizzed back past my head at 100+ mph). The safer shot almost always led to a better score in the end.
And one quick note to
And one quick note to everyone, DJ tees off about 1:30 Eastern time tomorrow, so if you're interested in following his progress, you won't need to worry about waking up early (Friday will be the early day).
DJ, Fairways and greens and may the first putt drop most of the time. We're here pulling for you.
Craig63:
Craig63:
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ That is not so bad sompared to SOME placesÃÂ I have played before --- seems there is some quaint custom regarding "dropped trousers" - or playing the hole with your "Pride and Joy" hanging out for all the world to see!!ÃÂ ÃÂ LOL !ÃÂ ÃÂ
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Amos