As golfing legends go on British shores, Sam Torrance is right up there thanks to his exploits in the Ryder Cup both as player and captain.
A three-time winner of the great tournament and a win as captain in 2002 mean Torrance is forever etched in the history of the Ryder Cup for Team Europe.
Nowadays, at 72, we hear less and less from Torrance but he does surface every so often, whether that be in the commentary or analysis booths or now, it seems, on social media.
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Luckily for us amateur golfers, Torrance has taken his knowledge and skillset to the YouTube world and thankfully, given us a few tips to help us along the way.
Sam Torrance’s tip for amateur golfers to hit better iron shots
Hitting a good iron shot can make or break a round of golf for many an amateur.
Oftentimes, we’ll see players more than adept at getting off the tee before then ruining things by either duffing or shanking an iron, or when it comes to the par threes, making a mess of things.
Indeed, according to Torrance – speaking on James Robinson’s Golf channel – it’s all down to being in control and not forcing things.
Asked by Robinson what his top tip was for amateurs who may be getting on in life a bit, Torrance explained how modern tech and a smooth swing can help.
“These (hybrids) certainly help, no question,” Torrance said.
“That was a lovely height. It’s simple to get it up in the air. With the swing, a lot of amateurs try to hit too little a club. They’ll smash say a nine iron when really it’s all about control. Especially with short irons.
“Get a distance that you hit a wedge, say, and just hit it that distance. If it’s 110 yards you hit it and you’ve got 110 then hit it. If you’ve got 120, then don’t force it, hit the 9-iron.”
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What Tom Watson said older golfers need to do to improve
Another man who knows a thing or two about the golf swing and has experience to go with it is Tom Watson.
The American has won countless tournaments and majors and he very much knows what needs to be done to keep playing now he’s at the grand old age of 76.
Indeed, Watson has shared his three top tips for older golfers previously and they fit in with what Torrance is saying too.
“When I’m asked about senior golf, there are a few things I talk about before we even get to the swing. The first thing is your equipment. This is your friend, a hybrid is your friend, all the way from four to eight hybrid, get something that has a big sole to it so if you hit a bit behind it, it’s going to go right through and you’ll get the elevation you need. The problem in senior golf is we don’t get the ball elevated enough,” Watson explained first.
“The second thing is the golf ball. Don’t play with a pro golf ball or something like that. You can’t compress it anyway, so make sure that that hard ball will just jump off the club face and go further in distance.
“I talk to seniors about grip and set up and mainly the grip has to be light. It has to be light as you want to get your hands active in the golf swing. You can’t turn your body very much but you have to keep your hands as active as possible. 80% of your speed comes from your hands and arms and in senior golf, more like 100% as your body doesn’t help you so much.
“So, the thing I like to do, light grip pressure, in the stance, narrow it and pull the right foot back, that helps for more turn and so you can a little behind it with your left shoulder. The key is to get as far back as you can and with light grip pressure, you can just come in and hit it.”
Listening to Torrance and Watson, then, might be the ideal tonic for those still looking to improve at the game as they reach a later stage in life.
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