Johnny Miller’s rules
In his prime, Johnny Miller was one of the purest ball strikers the game of golf has ever seen. He was often brash, and highly opinionated on the golf course.
As a commentator, you learn to either love him, or hate him. There is no middle ground. I, personally, think he is a great commentator. I appreciate his honesty, and he provides tremendous insight to the game.
Recently, I came across a list of 10 rules that Miller wrote for playing better golf. I think they are great, and I wanted to share them with you followed by thoughts of my own.
Play more than you practice I’ve always been a fan of this idea. When you play, you encounter shots that the practice range just can’t offer you. You become a better player by learning to adapt on the course.
Don’t fall in love on demo day This is a good one. As important as I feel demo days can be, they can also give you a false sense of security.
Often times, the clubs you have are as good as any you can buy.
Listen to your shots Nothing sounds more pure than a well hit shot. Practice trying to create that sound.
Distance is every bit as important as direction
Often times, I feel that distance control is more important than direction. This is especially true with putting.
Get down on impact Most amateur golfers struggle with being too high at the moment of impact. Learn to stay down on the ball and you will become a much better player.
Take one extra club and swing smoothly
Don’t let your ego convince you to hit less club than necessary.
Don’t sweat every detail Learn how to handle less than perfect results. Don’t beat yourself up so much.
Photograph impact Try to capture a picture of yourself at impact. Focus on your balance and the clubhead position.
Brush the grass under the ball on all fairway shots
This is great advice. A great drill is to stick a tee low into the ground and practice striking it out of the ground.
Speed kills This also requires that you check your ego at the door. Slow down and relax.
Thank you, Miller. Have a great week everyone.