Lockers - What is the point?

Ian Poulter and Tiger Woods lockers

My club has 750 members so lockers are in demand. After being on the locker waiting list for 4 years I finally got mine yesterday. I dashed down to get my key and was chuffed to find I had a ground level one, no need to lug a big bag above my shoulder. I was also pleased to see my big bag fitted snugly in.

So there I was all pleased with myself when i started thinking of the practicalities of it. When I finish a round of golf I like to clean my clubs in my own time, so the clubs would have to come home with me anyway. I also go to golf from home so I'm properly dressed when I arrive. I drive to and from the club so its easy to throw the clubs in and out of the car.

So I think my locker is a white elephant. The only time i can think of it being any use is the one day of the year where i play and then get drunk afterwards but even then a taxi would take my clubs.

Who has lockers and can anyone tell me what use I can make of mine now that I have finally got one?

No bad shots

John Daly hits a bad shot in bad pants

It may sound overly simple, but the key to a round is usually not in how many good shots you make, it’s how few bad shots you had. A bad shot is not only one that isn't good aesthetically, it’s bad because it didn’t help you at all, takes you from not being in trouble to suddenly being in major trouble or it throws off your whole course management game plan. You don't have to risk hitting that bad shot. Usually, there is a safer way of getting ‘ there” that avoids the unnecessary risk of a bad shot. You might have to hit some risky shots at times, but when there’s potential for bad results, choose a safer route. Don’t risk hitting bad shots when you don’t have to.

Get up and down

John Daly in jail

Unless you're totally “in jail,” here’s one tip which – provided you make the putt – will allow you to get up and down. First, identify the shot you want to make – be it a chip, pitch, Texas wedge, etc – and then pick the area where you want the ball to land. The key is giving it the proper amount of room to roll. Finally, be crisp through the ball – toward the target, and be sure to strike it clean. It is much better to be positive and aggressive in your approach, than weak and tentative.

Value of the short game

The following example will help illustrate where and why pros are so superior to the average golfer. Say you happen to get your new, extra-long hitting driver and with your new metal three wood you’re able to bomb two shots and carry it through the back of the green to some light rough in two. If you have a great short game, you hole out the chip for an eagle. If you have a good short game, you chip up close and sink the putt for a birdie. If you have an OK short game, you probably chip up to ten feet, take two putts and get a par. If you have a poor short game, you stub your chip, take three puts and bogey the hole. See the difference between a potential eagle, and a bogey (or maybe worse)? Right. Your short game. Always end your practice with some short game work.

Your work is done

A lot of golfers have a control issue with the game of golf. They think they can influence where a ball goes after it’s been struck. You can't. Once it's been hit and is on the way, it's out of your hands. You can yell at it. You can encourage it. But in reality, your influence over the shot only exists before and during the shot. Once the ball's been struck, it will go where? Right. Where you hit it. Worrying about where it's gonna go immediately after you hit it is often what causes problems – like looking up, topping the ball, hitting it thin – during the swing. So don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on the shot at hand. Then, your work is done until the next shot.

Texas wedging

You may have heard the adage “your worst putt is still better choice than your best chip.” Try testing this theory someday on the practice green. Take a half dozen of two different types of balls – be it brand, color or numbers. Choose three spots off the green – yet relatively close to the green – which mimic actual situations you might find yourself in during a round. Alternate between chips and putts from each of your various lies. The goal is to get close enough to get up and down. Then look at the results. If you aren't chipping better than you putted, you may want to seriously consider how much better you might score utilizing the Texas wedge (the putter) when you’re off the green.