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Dave Pelz on Damage Control

By John Ehle

The best golfer in the world is mired in the deep rough and possibly out of bounds which makes prescient the arrival of Dave Pelz' new book this week. Titled "Damage Control", Pelz has addressed the many round-wrecking situations which can drive us to distraction and he has given us scientifically derived solutions to either avoid them or escape from them.

Pelz, a former NASA scientist, is probably the best-known short game teacher in the world. Using scientific principles and quantifiable information, Pelz takes students through a very organized set of protocols at his schools which are based on the following: 60 to 65% of our strokes are taken inside 100 yards and 80% of our strokes over par occur inside that distance as well. This is compelling information. I don't know anyone in my age group who hasn't begun to work hard on his/her short game in the past several years.

Until now, Pelz' focus has been on the preventative side of the equation. His new publication identifies "how to save up to 5 shots per round using all-new, scientifically proven techniques for playing out of trouble lies". Damage control.

Pelz proposes that most of us have a few "disaster" holes which result in high scores. We can play at or below our handicaps for 13 to 16 holes but that our unwillingness or inability to get out of trouble without making yet another errant shot ruins our scores.

Golf courses are designed to get us into trouble. It's part of the game. Damage Control is an approach to potentially disastrous situations which limits scoring damage to "less than one stroke" each time you get in trouble. Most of us have approached the game by practicing shots from less than troublesome lies. So when we are in a situation that could lead to double bogey or worse, we have neither the mind-set nor the skills to improve our situation. We frequently go from bad to worse because we don't know what to do! Big numbers may follow.

Pelz' approach can be subsumed under the "five skills of Damage Control.
1. Setupology: How to set up for trouble swings
2. Swing Shaping: How to execute escape swings
3. Hand-Fire Feel: How to use your hands in escape shots
4. Red-Flag Touch: How to plan for the launch behavior of trouble shots
5. Damage Control Mentality: How to think and plan when you are in trouble

Life and golf are rife with unforced errors. Seldom is there an "intervention" on the golf course which is unanticipated or unfair. Dave Pelz has written a book which may change our attitude toward this wonderful game as much as it leads to actual physical changes in our approach to trouble shots. We will be in situations and resulting lies which Pelz describes as "Safe, Marginal, Frying-Pan and Fire". Clearly, to go from the frying pan into the fire affords us the richest opportunity to add significantly to our score. Avoid this by pretending to be you: play within your capabilities.

"Damage Control" will give you the opportunity to go deep into the myriad situations that you may find yourself in on the golf course. Your ability to engage in what Pelz can teach you is limited only by what you're willing to take to the experience. It may be a fruitful engagement or it may be a breezy stroll down the fairway but if you absorb his point of view and his 50+ years of golf knowledge, you will benefit and your zeal for your next golf experience and your practice regimen will be enhanced.

Damage Control was released on November 12 by Gotham Books. $35. For more information about Dave Pelz go to www.pelzgolf.com

 Article Tags: Dave Pelz, Golf Book Damage Control

Revised: 12/22/2009 - Article Viewed 3946 Times

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