Sat. Jul 27th, 2024

Improving My Golf Game With Hickory Sticks

By admin Jun5,2024

Last night I brought out my hickory sticks for the first time in 2024. It was a perfect opportunity to play nine holes with some you players, Alex and Cedar, who have amazing potential. Both are hooked on golf and love to practice as much as play! Looping around the links, we talked plenty of golf. We did not discuss their swing much, but more about how to course manage their round. With me using my hickory sticks, it afforded us an opportunity to discuss potential shots as I was considerably shorter than both of them on every club, but still scored the same at the end. Using my hickories accentuated some swing challenges I was experiencing, but also provided an opportunity to fix my errors…..which I did. Playing with hickory sticks is fun and educational; what a great combination!

Before I start with the rest of my article, if you are looking for more information about Hickory Sticks then I recommend you visit the Golf Historical Society of Canada. They provide an awesome opportunity to learn and experience the history of golf. I know that I was hooked about 5 years ago when Lorne Emery, current GHSC president, introduced me to hickory sticks. I now have my own set and love playing them. Thanks Lorne!

Clubface: blade type profile on the irons

Back to my round last night. When I started off the first tee, I realized that my current swing was a bit bullish. I was trying to muscle my shots and as a result mishit more balls than expected. This swing fault is nothing new with my modern clubs at the beginning of each season. However, I was having difficulty adjusting back to a smoother tempo. Playing with my hickories fixed that and by the 5 hole, I was feeling like may old self. So, tempo was my first fix.

The clubhead on old clubs have a very thin sharp edge at the bottom of the club face. This design turns these clubs into shovels if not hit properly. I found that I was standing too erect and the ball was in the wrong position in my stance. It is amazing how moving the ball an inch or so back in my stance help improve my chipping.

Lastly, a minor swing error was not staying down in the proper swing position after making contact. I realized after the third hole that I was trying to watch my ball flight too quickly. This movement caused my to ‘pop’ out of my correct swing posture early cause more mishits. Funny how I could not figure things out before last night. Regardless, the heavier clubs helped accentuate this error that I was able to fix.

Overall, I was very happy with my round yesterday. I shot two birdies, 5 bogeys and two pars. Not bad for playing hickory sticks for the first time in 2024. Alex, Cedar and I had a great time playing last night. These young golfers have a great future and both enjoyed playing with hickory sticks (Alex played in the Northern Tour last year and Cedar hit a few last night). For me, hickory sticks help me analyze my swing and improve my game. Hence, I will be using my vintage clubs more this season.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

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By admin

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