"Dink and Dunk"

Learn across disciplines. One of my favorite sports books is Dr. Bob Rotella's Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect. Rotella simplifies the game to:

• Think well.
• Manage the course.
• Put the ball in the hole.

He explains how one of his mentees on the PGA Tour was lamenting shooting a 73, which is not 'winning golf'. Rotella broke down the round for the "big hitter." 50 of the 73 shots were wedges and puts. The saying, "drive for show and putt for dough" didn't arise in a vacuum.

Yes, it has been exciting to watch high velocity hitting over the years. But success follows Rotella's principles - think well, choose your shots, and put the ball down. A smash into the net, into hands, or outside the court doesn't score points. 

Let's examine some clips from old video against Lincoln-Sudbury:

Win battles at the net. Sarah McGowan was about 5'9" but often won at the net. 

McGowan managed the game with both power and craft. She elevates aggressively but doesn't assume the "hunter's attack position" and wins with a tip. 

Punish mistakes. McGowan places the overpass short for a winner with craft not velocity. 

 

Quickness eliminates opponent reaction time. 

Setter dumps are another "short game" scoring tool. 

The message is clear, "Manage the game." 

Lagniappe. Coach Jiri shows the elegance of the "power tip."