Everyone, at one point or another, needs to let out a little frustration when playing golf. Some choose to swear, others take it out on the golf course, and the really angry golfers select throwing their clubs as the method of stress relief.

 

Famous for his temper on the golf course, Professional golfer Tommy Bolt once remarked about today’s touring pros “They throw their clubs backwards and sideways, and that’s wrong.  You should always throw a club ahead of you so that you don’t have to walk any extra distance to get it.”

 

One of the funniest quotes I ever heard from a caddy also involved Tommy Bolt. Near the end of one of his infamous high volume, temperamental, club throwing rounds, he asked his caddie what club he should use for a shot of about 155 yards.  His caddie said: “I’d say either a 3-iron or a wedge, sir.”  “A 3 iron or  a wedge?” asked Bolt. “What kind of stupid, #*!~%^* choice is that?” To which the caddy replied. “Those are the only two clubs you have left in the your bag, sir.”

 

Once, in my younger years, I got so upset at missing a short putt I threw my putter up in the air. It nearly landed on one of my playing partners, an older gentleman who was a member of the club. He asked me to come over to him and he said “If you ever throw a club when you are playing golf with me I’m going to pick it up and wrap it around your neck.”

 

Since that day I have never thrown a club straight up

 

One of the things I remember most about Scott Hoch’s missed 2 footer on the final hole of the ‘89 Masters was the fact that he nearly added “injury to insult” by throwing his club in the air and nearly beaning himself in the head. In case you missed the famous “Hoch Choke”, here is the video.

 

 

One of my golfing buddies recently sent me  a link to one of the funnier golf videos I’ve seen lately. Here is the link to The Proper Way to Throw Your Club. Unfortunately, if you follow this technique, you don’t get your club back. He does show the proper technique, just not the correct aim.

 

So to wrap up this post, here are my suggestions for letting it fly:

• Never throw a club backwards or sideways. Not only do you risk injury to yourself or others, you will need to retrieve the club.
• Never throw a club straight up in the air. Unless you are a former drum major or baton twiller, most likely your throw will not land where you expected.
• Do not throw a club anywhere near a tree. I knew a guy who did that with a $500 driver and never got it back. Tall, thick pine trees are nearly impossible to climb and are very good at catching what’s thrown.
• Along the same lines, do not throw a club in a lake, pond, ocean or other body of water unless you plan on never seeing it again.

 

Thanks for reading and keep it straight!