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Dang Nguyen, 29, is a novice golfer in search of a better game. He’s receiving regular instruction from Jason Taylor, the Southern California PGA’s Golf Professional of the Year. We are monitoring his progress. Nguyen had a revelation. He realized that to score better he needed to improve from 100 yards and in. Unfortunately, he was having trouble controlling his distances and was wasting a lot of shots. Month 5 assessment: “Dang is very patient, which is great, but sometimes he’s too accepting of slow progress,” Taylor said. “Because he is a new golfer, he doesn’t have many experiences to draw on, so I want him to experience a lot. I want him to see other golf courses and face different challenges. Sitting on the range and beating ball after ball is a pattern many golfers fall into. The best way to play better golf is to learn the fundamentals, then get out on the course and play. It will improve your feel and you will score better.” The big swing flaw: Nguyen hits a lot of balls on the range but isn’t focusing on the touch it takes to play shots of varying distances. “I’d have a 70-yard shot and one time I’d hit the ball way short and the next time I’d hit it over the green,” he said. “I couldn’t get the feel.” Taylor worked with Nguyen on varying his targets on the range and introduced him to using different clubs around the green. “I was pretty much only using my lob wedge around the green,” Nguyen said. “Jason showed me the different situations to use different clubs — all the way down to a 5-iron. I learned when to use them and experimented with how each shot reacts.” Nguyen’s take: “Golf can be frustrating. I hit lots of balls on the range and I find a good groove, but it doesn’t always translate to the golf course. I think I need to start playing with Jason so he can show me what I’m doing wrong on the golf course. I’ve also become less stuck on trying to hit the ball far. I now know that I can shave a lot of shots by being better from 100 yards and in.” Taylor’s final thought: “I like players to expand their experiences and that means playing different golf courses. They also need to adjust their expectations. Dang has started playing some more difficult golf courses and his scores are going up. He needs to take that into account. I’m very happy that he’s recognized the importance of the shots from 100 yards and in. It’s something a lot of golfers don’t pay attention to. I’m also pleased that he wants to start adding playing lessons to his program. You just can’t simulate everything that happens on the course during a lesson on the range.” Jason Taylor can be reached at Jurupa Hills Country Club at (951) 685-7214. |
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