I’m always an early bird, so I was pleased that I could enjoy watching coverage of the LPGA’s Asian Swing last weekend. It was great to see Jeeno Thitikul finally get it done on home soil at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The battle between Jeeno and Japan’s Chizzy Iwai was nip and tuck down the stretch, with Jeeno eventually edging her out by a single stroke.
But the real highlight wasn’t the result; it was the scene on the 18th green. This is the only tournament Jeeno’s mother gets to see her play in person, and the moment they embraced after the final putt dropped... well, let’s just say there wasn't a dry eye in the house (or in my living room)!
Singapore is the next stop on the calendar, and the HSBC Women’s World Championship has once again attracted a field that lives up to its 'Asia’s Major' nickname. Nine of the world’s top 10 are teeing it up, competing for the $3 million purse. The only notable absentee is Nelly Korda, who has skipped Asia completely and won’t be back in action until mid-March at the Founders Cup.
On another subject, as we’re officially in lesson season, many of you are likely spending quality time in a cold coaching bay trying to find your swing before spring arrives, but are you asking the right questions?
Emma Booth has taught hundreds of golfers and in this article she highlights the common questions asked, but while there is nothing wrong with them, golfers might be better to ask in a different way to speed up their progress.
Emma makes a good point about how we tend to treat symptoms rather than causes. She compares it to putting duct tape over an engine warning light on your car. You might stop the light from flashing, but the engine is still overheating underneath! In golf, your ball flight is that warning light, and if you just try to fix the flight without understanding the cause, you’re just reaching for the tape.
For instance, we all go into lessons asking, "How do I hit it further?" The temptation is to just swing harder, but Emma suggests we should really be asking what is actually limiting our distance. Is it the strike, the speed, or the launch? If you don't know which one it is, you're just making a faster version of a flawed swing.
The same goes for the holy grail of consistency. We ask for it every year, but Emma argues that inconsistency is just a label we give to fluctuating strike and distance. To get better, we need to ask exactly what is changing from shot to shot. It’s about building clarity rather than just looking for a quick, cosmetic fix.
So, as you head into your next session, try to look past the warning lights and start asking the questions that actually get to the heart of the engine!
By Alison Root, Women's Editor Golf Monthly.
