Alright, let’s talk about this Nordquist golf thing. Heard about it a while back, figured I’d give it a shot myself. My short game, especially putting, was just going nowhere, felt like I hit a wall. Someone, I think it was Dave down at the range, mentioned this Nordquist method. Said it was unconventional but, you know, maybe worth trying if nothing else worked.
So, I decided, okay, let’s do this. Didn’t really find a manual or anything official, more like piecing together whispers and tips I picked up. Seemed to focus a lot on a really specific setup and stroke, particularly for putting. Sounded fiddly, but I was kinda desperate.
Getting Started with It
First thing I did was head to the practice green. Went super early one Tuesday, less chance of folks watching me struggle. Took my usual putter. The core idea, as I understood it, involved changing my grip quite a bit. Felt really weird, like holding a dinner fork wrong. My wrists were locked in a way that just felt… unnatural. Spent a good thirty minutes just trying to get comfortable with the grip alone.
Then came the stance. It wasn’t crazy different, but it emphasized posture in a way that made my lower back feel tight almost immediately. Maybe I was doing it wrong, who knows? There wasn’t exactly a coach standing there.
The Actual Practice Runs
Okay, so I started rolling some putts. First few were just awful. Pulled left, pushed right, distance control was non-existent. It felt like I had zero feel for the putter head. Honestly, it was frustrating. Really tempting to just drop it and go back to my old ways, even though they weren’t great either.
But I stuck with it for that session. Maybe an hour and a half in total? Started focusing less on the weird grip and more on just a smooth tempo. Tried to ignore how awkward it felt.
- Focused on keeping my head still.
- Tried to make the stroke back and through the same length for short putts.
- Really concentrated on hitting the center of the putter face.
Towards the end, I did see some improvement. A few putts rolled smoother, stayed on line better. Wasn’t a miracle cure, maybe like hitting 4 out of 10 reasonably well instead of my usual 2 out of 10. Progress, I guess?
Did It Stick?
I kept trying the Nordquist way for maybe three or four more practice sessions over the next few weeks. The awkward feeling never really went away completely. Some days felt okay, other days it felt like I was starting from scratch again. Consistency was the big problem. I couldn’t trust it.
Tried it on the course exactly once. Just a casual round. Nope. The pressure, even just a little bit, made it worse. Felt clumsy, uncertain over every putt. By the 12th hole, I ditched it and went back to my old familiar, flawed stroke. At least I knew what kind of bad putt to expect then.
So, my final thoughts on the Nordquist golf stuff? For me, it wasn’t the answer. Maybe it works for some people, maybe Dave had a specific issue it helped with, or maybe I just didn’t have the patience or the right instruction. It felt too forced, too unnatural for my body. Plus, that slight backache worried me. Sometimes these specialized techniques sound good, but they don’t fit everyone. Back to basics for me, just trying to build a solid, simple stroke the hard way.
