Peter Alliss - The Lazy Golfer’s Companion

COPYRIGHT Copyright Foreword 1. A Typical Weekend Fourball 2. The A to Z of Equipment Distance or Control – That is the Question The Right Mix of Materials Green Lies The Saville Row Option Club Combinations Balls for All Needs 3. The Lazy Golfer’s Swing Technique The Classic and The Not So Classic Swing Supertips from Top Pros GASP Comfort Zones Swing Reflexology 4. Remedies For Slice and Hook The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time The Reverse Pivot Spine Jerkers and Others Hook as You Stand 5. The Easy Approach Making a Pitch The Gentle Roll Chips Anyone? 6. Escape From The Sand Sweeping the Long Shots The Gentle Splash How Far Behind, Open or Hard? Up and Down in Two 7. The Final Stroke Square to Square The Sweet Spot Speeding over the Breaks The Writing on the Green 8. The Game Plan No More Guesswork Tactics from Green to Tee Score on the Odd Pars Never Give Up 9. Matchplay: The Lazy Golfer’s Game Win Slowly Seven Mistakes a Round Nerves and Jitters Playing as a Team Lose One, Win One 10. Practice For Fun Know Yourself Trials and Try-outs Great Games to Score Practising on the Course Index About the Author About the Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Copyright © Peter Alliss and Mike Wade 1995

Peter Allis and Mike Wade assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this book.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Illustrations by Bruce Allard

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Source ISBN: 9780002187084

Ebook Edition © December 2016 ISBN: 9780008240509

Version: 2017-01-10

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword

1. A Typical Weekend Fourball

2. The A to Z of Equipment

Distance or Control – That is the Question

The Right Mix of Materials

Green Lies

The Saville Row Option

Club Combinations

Balls for All Needs

3. The Lazy Golfer’s Swing Technique

The Classic and The Not So Classic Swing

Supertips from Top Pros

GASP

Comfort Zones

Swing Reflexology

4. Remedies For Slice and Hook

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

The Reverse Pivot

Spine Jerkers and Others

Hook as You Stand

5. The Easy Approach

Making a Pitch

The Gentle Roll

Chips Anyone?

6. Escape From The Sand

Sweeping the Long Shots

The Gentle Splash

How Far Behind, Open or Hard?

Up and Down in Two

7. The Final Stroke

Square to Square

The Sweet Spot

Speeding over the Breaks

The Writing on the Green

8. The Game Plan

No More Guesswork

Tactics from Green to Tee

Score on the Odd Pars

Never Give Up

9. Matchplay: The Lazy Golfer’s Game

Win Slowly

Seven Mistakes a Round

Nerves and Jitters

Playing as a Team

Lose One, Win One

10. Practice For Fun

Know Yourself

Trials and Try-outs

Great Games to Score

Practising on the Course

Index

About the Author

About the Publisher

PETER ALLIS WITH ARNOLD PALMER.

FOREWORD

I’ve known Peter Alliss for almost 35 years. We first met in 1960 Open Championship at St Andrews and then played against each other in the 1961 Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham. It was a terrific battle, which fittingly ended in a draw, and from then on our friendship grew.

Over the years, we have often discussed the great game of golf in all its details. We both agree that the average club golfer makes it much more difficult than it is. For one thing, he does not work at it, although in many cases the available facilities are not very generous and that discourages practice. But very few golfers have the right mental approach to the game, which brings success at club level in both medal and matchplay.

This is why this book is so important for the average golfer. Its sound instruction on clubs, swing problems (with ‘quick fixes’) and shotmaking techniques (from driving to putting) is very valuable. Its thoughtful advice on the mental side (especially on course management and matchplay tactics) is invaluable. All in all, it will help any golfer to improve his game quite dramatically.

Arnold Palmer

1

A TYPICAL WEEKEND FOURBALL

It is 09.48 on a sunny Saturday; the scene of a typical club fourball, almost anywhere in the world. On the first tee, Doug and Brian have been loitering around for four or five minutes, swishing the odd club and talking sotto voce about share prices. With one eye on the clock, as their starting time is 09.50 (where on earth are Matt and Bob?) they are also wondering if they will finish the round in time for a leisurely drink. The ritual session at the nineteenth is indispensable for all.

The ‘early birds’, an assorted bunch of club members who tee off often at first light (possibly because wives demand they are back in “reasonable” time for shopping, visits or even gardening) are well over the horizon. Moodily they watch the four in front criss-crossing the fairway in the mid-foreground at an agonisingly slow amble.

They turn at the squeak of a trolley behind. Matt puffs up followed closely by Bob, who is struggling into a sleeveless sweater. “Had to stop at the garage,” he says. “ Just in time, as usual.”

They toss their balls for partners, the two lying closest together playing together and Bob draws Doug, as he feels he does far too often. They are a well (or ill-) matched pair. Bob habitually slices, while Doug mostly has a horrendous hook (not surprising as you couldn’t hammer a nail in with his right hand under grip).

TOO MANY THOUGHTS CAN FREEZE THE SWING.