This week I am featuring my friend John Dalby, who along with his girlfriend Alison, are visiting us from Bristol England. Last October my wife and I visited John and Alison in Bristol for her daughter’s wedding. This year they are reciprocating by attending one of our best friend’s daughters wedding. However, I would to talk a bit about Bristol, as it was voted the most livable city in Britain.
It’s a University city situated on the river Avon which is a tidal river about 25 miles inland from the Atlantic. One of the world’s great engineering feats is featured in Bristol and that is the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge. At the time of construction it was going to be the world’s longest suspension bridge. As well, the replica of the Matthew is situated in the Bristol harbour. It was John Cabot’s ship which left Bristol in 1497 and “discovered” Newfoundland Canada. You will also see the SS. Great Britain in the harbour but I will let you google that one for its significance and place in history and its connection to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Lots of great history and a link to Canada in Bristol if you should ever visit and I highly recommend it. Also, you just might run into one of its residents, Poldark, as we did at one of the harbour restaurants.
John is a recently retired lawyer, who plays off a 20 handicap at the top club in Bristol, the Bristol & Clifton Golf Club. The pro there is Paul Mitchell who is the coach for the Ryder Cup Englishman Chris Wood. When I played the course Paul was nice enough to lend me his Titleist clubs which were great except for perhaps his 8.5 driver!
While here, John and I played a couple of rounds at Lakeside Greens and I gave him a few tips especially concerning his bent left elbow. Unfortunately, John bends his elbow rather than his wrists as you can see in the photo. Not fully cocking his writs robs him of power and the bent left elbow creates an added movement and steep angle of attack. To get more consistent and more power we have been working on straightening that left arm and looser wrists at the top. I am really looking forward to my visit back to Bristol this fall, playing John’s club and seeing his improved position at the top. These two changes will go a long way to a happier retirement for John and allowing him to play HIS best golf!
