I played nine holes on Saturday with Mike Clayton. A successful touring professional in the 80′s and 90′s, Mike has turned his hand to course design and imparting his golfing wisdom through writing.

I should add here that he won the Senior Victorian Open last week playing at The Dunes – his game is still in great shape. Maybe he is aiming for a senior tour somewhere?

What I like most is his passion for the game. He loves course design and is always suggesting new ways courses can be improved for both playability and enjoyment. He also has an incredible knowledge of golf’s history. Ask him who won any major event and he’ll not only tell you the winner but the place getters, what course it was played at and a brief rundown of the drama over the last nine holes. Incredible.

I also think Mike has the potential to be a great golf coach. I’m not sure if this is something he is interested in but I like his style and think he could quite easily assist an up and coming player or even an established tour professional.

In my case he was complimentary of my game but he could see a weakness . After smashing a three-wood over fairway traps I had about 100 metres left to the pin. The approach shot was pulled way to the right – not a good shot. Mike’s comment was, “how can you hit such a perfect shot with three-wood and then be so ordinary with the wedge?”.

On the second hole, a par 3, I hit an eight iron and Mike a 5. A big difference in power but we both had similar length birdie putts. By the fourth hole Clayton starting talking. He wanted me to ease up with the irons a little. Play them with a lower ball flight and work on accuracy instead of power.

After another good three-wood I had about 210 metres into the par five 4th. It was downwind and I was itching to hit my 5 iron. Hitting flat out feels good to me, it’s something that I’ve got used to. I hit a pretty good shot with the 5 iron but Mike was not impressed. He suggested a 4 iron – but this time he wanted me to “cruise” it instead of hitting flat out.

The resulting shot was not that good but Mike said it was an improvement. We moved to the 5th hole.

I hit a good drive into the wind on the par four 5th. This time I was left with 119 metres. Normally I feel comfortable hitting the ball really hard – in this case I went back to the 9 iron and tried to smooth the ball onto the green. The second I hit the ball Mike said, “take the 8 iron!”. I dropped another ball and took the 8 iron from my golf bag.

I realised that even though I tried to swing smoothly with the 9 iron I was still swinging too hard. Instantly I needed to change my thinking with the longer club. A hard swing would send the ball well over the green. It felt like I had to chip the ball, rather than swinging hard. I made a really smooth and controlled swing – somewhat like a big chip. The ball came out low and dead straight. I was surprised at the result. It felt completely different but the ball hit the green and stopped quickly.

Mike suggested this was a better swing for those shots into the wind, “more control and better ball flight”.

On the 6th, a par five, I hit another good drive. I was left with 202 metres to the pin. In normal circumstances I would have reached for the 4 iron – but today I was in learning mode and chose the 3 iron. Again I made a smooth swing – it felt really soft – and once again the ball came out lower and sailed directly at the pin. While the ball was in the air Mike commented that it was a perfect shot.

By this time I was excited about these new shots. What I really liked was Mike’s simple approach. He didn’t tell me how to swing – but rather he gave me a simple objective (to swing smoothly) and let me work out the rest. So although I was working on technique – it wasn’t overly complicated.

The seventh required a high and soft 201 metre shot. Playing downwind to a hard green I could have hit a 5 or even a 6 iron. I decided on the 4. I made another smooth swing and hit one of the best shots I’ve played on this tough hole. The ball started to the right and then drifted back to the left and came down very softly. It hit the green and stopped a few metres from the pin.

This was turning out to be one of those special learning experiences. Mike’s instruction had struck a chord with me and my mind and body was able to follow. The par 5 8th allowed me to cut loose with my drive. I hit this one hard, which felt great after gearing back for a few holes. I was left with 174 metres to a front pin. Under normal conditions I would take the most lofted club possible and hit the ball at full power. This time mike suggested a different approach.

He handed me a five iron – downwind on a hard course this was way too much club. Mike wanted me to hit a low shot, really low. The idea was to land the ball short and let it run up the bank guarding the green. This was a shot that I’ve rarely attempted in recent times – my flat out approach has served me well but has left me with a few weak links. Most notably playing these type of delicate shots.

I got comfortable and made the smoothest and softest five iron swing I could.

The ball came out low and with a tiny draw. It tracked dead for the flag – run up the bank and stopped two-metres from the pin. I don’t think I’ve hit a better shot in my life.

Walking to the 9th tee Mike wanted to know my thoughts about how I’d played the last few holes. I was happy – it was like he’d given me a new gear. Yes, I could smash the cover off the ball if I needed to (and sometimes this is necessary) but Mike had also unlocked a new area to my game – a smoother and more controlled game.

Golf is primarily about scoring – the lowest score wins. Although hitting the ball a long way is a lot of fun, it’s not the most important thing. By playing these shorter shots with more control I should be able to hit the ball closer to the pin, especially when it’s windy or playing to difficult hole locations. This will give me the best chance of shooting lower scores.

Beaming with confidence I hit my drive from the 9th with everything I had – I then played a soft and controlled pitching wedge that landed near the pin.

“That’s exactly how Tiger plays”, Mike said. “He hits the ball hard when he needs it, but then uses control and finesse to get the ball close to the pin”.

I realised then and there that I’ve been too one-dimensional with my game. Mike has given me the challenge to work on these controlled shots for the next year.

Did you get that? He didn’t say practice for a week or two but a year. I like that – it’s not a promise or a quick fix but something that will require commitment and dedication.

What can you get from this post?

I don’t think it matters at what level you play, I think all golfers can learn from this round with Mike Clayton.

Firstly, I would suggest becoming a golfing buddy with a better player. They can be a fantastic resource and can give you plenty of advice on how you can improve.

The second thing you can do is take some time to work on a weakness. It’s not easy and feels uncomfortable. If you can get some good advice and be prepared for the long haul you’ll see some significant improvement.

I’m definitely not suggesting that you or me can actually play like Tiger Woods. That’s not possible – but by pushing our limits and continually striving for improvement we can be the best that we can be. And that’s not a bad deal!

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