Alright, so today I actually got out to the driving range. Felt like I needed to work on something specific, not just hitting balls randomly like I usually do. My swing’s been feeling kinda rushed lately, you know? All arms and no rhythm. I was thinking about some of those older guys on tour, the ones with that super smooth, effortless-looking swing. Guys like… well, I just kinda dubbed the feeling I was going for as the ‘boonchant golfer’ style in my head. Not sure if that’s a real thing, probably not, just what popped into my mind. Maybe thinking of someone like Boonchu Ruangkit, that smooth Thai player. Yeah, let’s go with that vibe.
Hitting the Mats
So, I started off with my trusty 7-iron. Usually, I’d just try and hit it as hard as I can. But not today. My whole goal was tempo. Slow takeaway. Really focused on feeling the clubhead go back smooth and wide. No snatching it back. Then, tried to get that little pause at the top, like the old timers do. Let the club settle.
Then the downswing. Again, resisted the urge to jump at it. Just tried to let it flow, unwind naturally. Felt super weird at first. Honestly, felt like I was barely swinging, like the ball would just dribble off the tee. And the first few? Yeah, they weren’t great. Felt weak.
But I stuck with it. Maybe 30 balls just focusing purely on that slow, smooth ‘boonchant’ rhythm. Back slow, transition smooth, finish balanced. After a while, something started to click. The contact felt more solid, surprisingly. Even though I wasn’t swinging out of my shoes, the ball flight was straighter, maybe even a little higher. It felt… easier. Less strain.
Moving to the Big Stick
After feeling okay with the irons, I dared to pull out the driver. This is where things usually fall apart for me. The urge to smash it is just too strong. But I told myself, stick to the plan. Same ‘boonchant’ tempo. Slow backswing. Smooth transition.
Man, this was harder with the driver. Way harder. My body just wanted to go fast. Hit a few shockers early on. Big slices, couple of hooks. You know the drill. But I kept focusing on the rhythm, not the result. Slow, slow, smooth. After maybe 15-20 driver swings, I hit a couple that actually felt good. Not bombs, but solid, straight-ish drives. Felt effortless, kinda like the irons.
Finished up the bucket feeling pretty positive. It wasn’t magic, didn’t suddenly become a pro. Still hit plenty of bad shots. But focusing on that smooth rhythm, that ‘boonchant’ idea, definitely helped. It showed me I don’t need to swing violently to get decent results. It’s all about tempo and sequence. Something I definitely need to keep working on. Making it stick on the course is the next challenge, right? But yeah, decent practice today.
