Digging into Ken Duke’s Game
Alright, so I spent some time looking into Ken Duke’s approach to golf recently. Wasn’t like a deep dive, just some casual watching and thinking while I was tinkering with my own stuff. You see guys like him on tour, maybe not the biggest names always, but they stick around, make cuts, have their moments. Makes you wonder what they’re doing right.
First thing I noticed, or maybe remembered, was his swing. It’s not exactly out of a Ben Hogan manual, you know? Got its own rhythm, its own look. It’s kind of unique. So, I went out to the range, not really trying to copy it exactly, because that never works, right? But I tried to capture the feeling. Seemed like he really focused on consistency over power. Just hitting the same shot shape again and again.
So I grabbed my 7-iron. Didn’t try to smash it. Just focused on making the same swing, smooth tempo, trying to get that repetitive motion down. Felt a bit mechanical at first, not my usual swing thought. But after maybe half a bucket of balls, I started seeing a tighter grouping. Not necessarily better shots every time, but less wild ones. Made me think about how much we chase distance when maybe just being reliable is key.
Putting Like Duke?
Then there’s his putting. He’s known for being a solid putter, sometimes using that claw grip, or variations of it. I’ve messed around with different grips myself over the years, always looking for something.
- Grabbed my putter.
- Went to the practice green.
- Tried holding it kinda like I’ve seen him do.
Man, it felt weird. Really awkward at first. Like my hands were fighting each other. Rolled maybe 10-15 putts from about 6 feet. Missed almost all of them, felt totally unnatural. But I stuck with it for another 10 minutes. Slowly, it started to feel a tiny bit more stable. Sunk a couple. Not saying I’m switching, definitely not, but it opened my eyes.
The takeaway for me, really, wasn’t about his specific swing or grip. It was more about how he found something that works for him, even if it looks different, and he just grinds it out. He sticks to his process. So many folks, myself included sometimes, are always searching for the ‘perfect’ swing or the ‘secret’ move. Maybe the secret is just finding your move and trusting it, day in and day out. Just keep plugging away. That’s what I got from looking at Ken Duke’s game this week.
