I recall a discussion between Dave Pelz and Paul Azinger. It was probably from Short Game Bible, but might have been an interview. The story was that Pelz was testing various (tour and average) players ability to hit a target at a specified distance. When Zinger visited with Pelz, he was asked to hit that specific target that so many others had done. I believe the discussion was:
Pelz: I'll give you 25 balls. Let's see how many you can land on that target 17 (or whatever the distance was) yards away. Azinger: Sorry. I don't have a 17 yards shot. Pelz: You don't? Then what do you do if your ball is 17 yards away. Azinger: I'd fire my caddie.
If this story has any truth to it, certain distances shorter than 50 yards are an issue for some tour players.
How should we interpret that:
Interpretation 1
Azinger was so full of Pelz clock swing system that he'd lost his ability to think outside the box.
Interpretation 2
Azinger did not care about the clock system but was effectively using club selection, lag pressure, hinge actions and ball position to accomplish his shots. But he still did not have a combination of lag pressure and hinge action to accomplish 17 yards. At least not one he felt comfortable with.
Interpretation 3
If Azinger knew what lag pressure, hinge action, ball position and plane variations could do to his game he'd never say that.
Can we imagine this: Hole 1
Azinger: What's the distance.
Caddie: 23 yards
Azinger: SW please
Hole 13
Azinger: What's the distance.
Caddie: I am sorry boss. It's 17 yards
__________________
When James Durham recorded 94 at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1767, he set a course record that lasted 86 years. Golf: A curious sport whose object is to put a very small ball in a very small hole with implements ill desiged for the purpose - Sir Winston Churchill
Hole 13
Azinger: What's the distance.
Caddie: I am sorry boss. It's 17 yards
It just so happens that Paul Azinger's caddie, Ted Scott, is now my student. Since we both have a vested interest in this situation -- 17 yards = no job = no lessons! -- I'll ask him what Paul is doing to solve the problem.
It just so happens that Paul Azinger's caddie, Ted Scott, is now my student. Since we both have a vested interest in this situation -- 17 yards = no job = no lessons! -- I'll ask him what Paul is doing to solve the problem.
LOL thats interesting. I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find the story in SGB, but no success. I then called a buddy that I thought might have told me the story, but it was obvious he'd never heard it. I am not sure it the distance was 17 yards or another distance. Thinking of it again it might have been a bit longer - such as 30 or 45 yards.
The conclusion from the story was obviously that Azinger thought his high-percentage shots were either closer to or farther from the green and that he did not want to mess with certain distance intervals - at all.
__________________
When James Durham recorded 94 at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1767, he set a course record that lasted 86 years. Golf: A curious sport whose object is to put a very small ball in a very small hole with implements ill desiged for the purpose - Sir Winston Churchill
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