Siloam’s Voss takes ‘perfect swing’ to state
Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/hl/Sports/25107/
The scorecards that Siloam Springs junior Don Voss turns in aren’t typical of someone who’s only been playing golf for two years.
People who have been playing the game for a lifetime haven’t gone as low as the mid to low 70 numbers he consistently cards. His steep learning curve made him the points leader of the Northwest Arkansas PGA Junior Tour. Voss will represent the tour’s Northwest section in the state championship Thursday at Greystone Country Club in Cabot.
Voss was a baseball player when he made his first foray into golf in the spring of 2006, playing a leisurely round with a friend. He quickly developed an affinity for the game and shifted pursuits.
“ I was hooked after that, ” Voss said.
He missed making the state tournament in his first year of varsity golf by two strokes. He might have qualified had the team bus not accidentially ran over his golf bag. Voss shot 80 at Harrison Country Club playing with borrowed clubs. He’s since replaced the smashed set with new Mizuno irons.
Voss’ natural aptitude enabled him to break 90 soon after picking up the game. With the help of instructor Bill Brown, his scores went significantly lower. Brown weakened Voss’ grip.
Instead of three knuckles on his left hand visible at address, Brown made sure Voss could only see two. The result was a high, soft draw to his ball flight rather than the snap hook that had afflicted him.
Brown was introduced to what’s known as the “ perfect grip, ” by the late Harvey Penick, whom Brown befriended when he played golf for the University of Arkansas in the early 1970 s, and has been an exponent of it ever since.
Brown was played in the Southwest Conference Tournament at Penick’s home course, Austin (Texas ) Country Club. He complimented Brown’s swing but noticed that his grip could use improvement.
Brown said teaching Voss the “ perfect grip” has allowed his natural gifts to become more prominent.
“ He has perfect mechanics, ” Brown said. “ He was born to play golf. The ‘ perfect grip’ lets his hands flow. He can swing the clubhead and the results are automatic. You could see it once we made the change. It was like a light came on. ”
Brown has been working with Voss since January 2007.
In that short time, Brown has marveled at Voss’ facility for absorbing instruction.
“ He’s really an excellent learner, ” Brown said. “ He has an incredible ability to be coachable and apply what we’ve talked about.. ”
Brown said Voss’ late introduction to the game is almost a boon rather than a bane.
He hasn’t had to overcome the bad habits that can accrue over time. Voss’ swing needed only minor refinements when he began taking lessons from Brown.
“ He was a natural, ” Brown said. “ You could see it. His swing had such a natural fluidness to it, and he had the gift of repeatability”.