This winter I learned how to hit the ball in both directions — curve it left, curve it right — on command. Those are good skills to have , in that learning them makes you really think about what you’re doing when you hit the ball. It’s not just rear back and fire. There has to be a purpose to the shot, and playing with direction focuses your mind in that regard.
Even though that sounds like it might make the game harder, knowing how to work the ball actually makes the game easier.
I’ve been playing lots of practice rounds since the new year began, and when I first went out I was hitting the ball straight, as usual, or at least trying to. Lately though, I have been noticing that it is easier to curve the ball on command than it is to hit the ball straight on command. A lot easier.
For instance, the 18th hole on my home course present you with the Scary Tee Shot. Water on the right, trees and a creek on the left. There’s no room to be anything but straight. Normally I play left to avoid the water. That puts bogey in play to avoid the double.
For some reason, today it just made sense to start the ball out to the left and swing it back into the fairway. So I did that. Worked like a charm, and it was stress-free!
I knew at worst that the ball couldn’t swing left, it would just stay left and end up in the fairway on that side. I also knew the ball couldn’t go in the water, because the could not swing that far to the right.
So the shot comes off just as planned and I’m in the fairway, dead center. It was easy.
Back up to the 12th hole, and I’m in the fairway, right side, of a right-angle dogleg hole with a tree between me and the green. So I just took out my 2h, drew the ball around the tree, and got a room-service birdie putt. Without knowing how to curve the ball, I would have had no option but to punch up the fairway.
I do not believe that learning to work the ball is an advanced skill. It is an intermediate skill that will help to turn you into an advanced player. Get lessons, work on it, learn to apply it on the course. You will be amazed at how easy golf can be.