What can we learn from the Ryder Cup?

Well, in the end it was a little predictable. A very good American team overcame a relatively inexperienced European side and comfortably won back the Ryder Cup. Let's be clear, I think the best overall team won. I said so before and it isn't a huge surprise. But I'm afraid I can't just let it lie there.

Two things spring out from this Ryder Cup that don't really seem to have been learned from previous Cups, and one of them we can all learn from:

Firstly, how not to handle rookies. David Howell, commentating on Sky, made a very interesting remark regarding his rookie appearance. He was put out with fellow rookie Paul Casey. Many would say that is suicidal and rookies should always be put out with one of the experienced players. He said the exact opposite - it took all the pressure off them and he was really glad it was done that way. And doesn't it make sense? Clarke put out all six rookies with experienced players and only two of them had any success and one of those only happened as a result of a last minute 'option'. In doing so he also took points away from the experienced players playing with them.

If you follow Howell's idea you could put all six rookies out in the first two days and only risk losing three points. I'm not saying that's what I'd do, as I'm about to contradict myself, but logically it's a fact. Instead Clarke pretty much nailed Fitzpatrick and Sullivan by putting them out once with experienced players and then dropping them until the final day, when he put them out at the rear of the field. What kind of message did he think he was sending them? Did he even think about that? The two who really came off were Pieters and Cabrera Bello, but was it really a surprise that they did? Both have been consistently good all year, rising through the rankings and contending when they weren't winning. Pieters had been awesome in the build-up and is widely tipped, with all his ammunition, to be one of the top players in the world. C-B has one of the great swings in golf at the moment and has been appearing at the top of leaderboards for a few years now. His partnership with Sergio is surely one we will see again along with Pieters and McIlroy.

So, the first lesson should be to take pressure off rookies by putting them out together. They'll feel less pressure from their partner and less pressure as there is only one point at stake, instead of spreading them into two games and risking both points.

However, the second lesson is clearer and perhaps more important - form in golf is everything. Going in, who were our form players? McIlroy obviously, and he was awesome, even in his last game with Reid when it came down to the last hole. Pieters certainly, C-B certainly, Rose, Garcia and Stenson not so much but all have class. Rose, however, had publicly said that he couldn't seem to start his putts on line of late and so it turned out. Danny Willett played really well two weeks ago but perhaps other influences spoilt his Ryder Cup. After that, we were struggling for real form. How frustrating then that Paul Casey, arguably in the top five players in the world of late, and Russell Knox who has had a stellar year, were not in the side. Stupid rules about tour membership, similar to the stupid rules in rugby about players playing overseas, need to be dropped and quick. What we all want is the best American side playing the best European side, period.

Future captains then need to learn - take the pressure off your rookies, don't heap it on and then make them feel unwanted and useless. And while class is permanent it is no replacement for form. Rookie or not a top player in form is one of your best players. Ignore them in your picks at your peril.

So what is it we can learn ourselves? That bit about form - we all know it works with pros and also at the 18 handicap level. Suddenly someone keeps winning and drops a few shots on their handicap, only to disappear again a few weeks later.

The question is then, how can we produce good form regularly? Almost without doubt if I ask any of you what was the secret behind your last good spell of form you wouldn't really know. You may have had a feeling or thought that worked, but trust me, if we compared you on camera before and then with the 'thought or feeling' there would be very little difference. The truth is it was probably just timing. No magical change to your swing or technical improvement, just timing. Oh and your putter probably behaved!

So how many of you work on timing? None of you? Possibly because you have no idea how to. Let me stress - it doesn't matter how you swing the club if you time it well you will consistently hit the ball well and you will see one predictable flight. Now you can play! So if it's that important shouldn't we all be practicing our timing? Yes is the simple answer, but that firstly requires you that you practice in the first place. The long gaps between our good spells of form can be largely put down to lack of play and practice, but how you practice is where you can really make ground. Too many bashed balls at the range with long clubs, very often trying something they saw in a magazine that may have no relevance to them and their swings at all. I believe it was Sam Snead who, when asked in his later years if he would have changed anything about how he practiced, said that he would have concentrated almost totally on his wedges and driver.

There are two reasons why this is a wise thing to do: firstly, you need to be timing your wedges really well to hit them well. I love practicing with my lob wedge because I want to feel the ball really solid in the middle of the club and to feel the ball spinning away. If I'm mishitting it at all, I don't get those feelings even though the result may not be too bad. So it helps me to isolate what is really important. Secondly, you are going to hit more short clubs than long, in any game, so it makes absolute sense to concentrate on them. If they are going well, the chances are the rest will follow suit. One last advantage - if you have limited time to practice then it make sense to hit shorter shots, especially if you have to pick your balls up!

So, some practice is essential but, if you are going to, then ditch the long stuff and concentrate on wedges. It will help with your timing and with the most important part of your game. Listen to your elders - not me, Snead!!


 

You will all be pleased to know that there is new stock arriving as we speak. We have already received a new range of waterproofs from Island Green, which are incredible value at under £90 a suit. We also have a range of Nike cover-ups on their way. There will also be additions to our lambswool sweaters both crested and non-crested. So keep looking - there will be lots of ways to spend your account winnings!