Pro tips: Sandra Palmer
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Profile: Sandra Palmer won the 1975 U.S. Women's Open and was named LPGA player of the year in 1975. She won 19 LPGA titles. She was a student of famed instructor Harvey Penick ("The Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf.") She was recognized during the LPGA's 50th anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA's top 50 players and teachers. The Texas native joined the Sahalee Country Club teaching staff this year. She succeeded on Tour with accuracy and her short game because at 5 feet, 1-1/2 inches, she wasn't among the game's long hitters. She charges non-members $100 an hour for lessons at Sahalee.
Q: The legendary Harvey Penick of Austin, Texas, was your instructor. Tell us about that.
A: Wasn't I lucky? One of my favorite stories is the time I called him from a U.S. Women's Open and said, 'Harvey, the greens are really fast.' I thought he might tell me to get another putter or maybe choke down on my putter. So what did he tell me? He said, 'Don't hit them so hard.' He was just a master of psychology and common sense. Another time I called him from a tournament when I was having trouble with my driver. I said, 'Harvey, I did something on these four drives.' He said, 'I bet you missed more putts than drives.'
Harvey said the three most important clubs in order were putter-driver-wedge. Ben Hogan said it was driver-putter-wedge. I agree with Harvey.
Q: You have a special slogan about golf fundamentals. What is it?
A: LPGA. People talk about PGA — posture, grip and aim. I put an 'L' in front of it for LOTS of posture, grip and aim. The grip is the most important of the fundamentals. Harvey used to say, 'Unless you have a good grip, you don't want to be a good player.' If you don't have a good grip, you're always making compensations. Setup is so important that I'm sure you've heard the old saying, 'Don't miss the shot before you hit it.'
Q: What's the most common problem average golfers have to overcome if they are going to improve?
A: Statistically, probably 75 to 90 percent of people slice. And the more they slice, the more they aim to the left and that exaggerates it. ... A lot of times, players have their left-hand grip way too weak (hand is turned more to the target than in a neutral grip) and it produces that slice."
Q: How important is the right equipment?
A: The golf club can influence a lot about your swing. For example, if you have a club that is too stiff for you and you are trying to hit it, you end up falling back on your back foot trying to help the ball get in the air.
Q: You can't improve without practicing. Give us some thoughts on practicing.
A: I played with Arnold Palmer — that's the other Palmer, you know — in the mixed-teams tournament a few times. He used to say, 'Practice like you play and play like you practice.' When I was growing up, I had a 'shag bag' of balls. I would put the bag out on the range as a target. Then I would go back and hit the balls. Because I had to do the work of picking them up, I would take a little more time with each shot and work on my pre-shot routine. It helped me.
Q: What is the hardest thing to get people to practice?
A: Putting. It's not as much fun as other parts of the game and it's kind of hard on your back because you are bent over a little bit.
Q: You have one stat that seems to sum up the importance of pitching, chipping and putting in lowering scores. What is it?
A: Contending men and women Tour players average 13 to 14 greens a round in regulation and they still shoot under par. They are getting that ball up and down every time they should and they are converting every birdie opportunity that they should.
Q: How much can an average person absorb in a golf lesson?
A: There is a limit. The people I teach also are continuing to play rounds for fun or they are in various competitions. When they go out to play, I don't try to give them too many things to work on. I figure if we can have one or two at a time, that's plenty. Learning to play golf or taking lessons to improve your game is a lot like learning to drive a car — you are processing information that is new to you. But after a lot of practice, we all got to the point where driving a car is automatic for us. That's where you want to get with your golf swing.