It’s been a whirlwind few days for Liz Young since she earned her first LET title at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open on Saturday.
Following on from a day of celebrations at home in the New Forest, she travelled across the Channel on Monday and has been practising at Golf Barrière in Deauville ahead of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
Distance control with her irons was one of the keys to her victory and she is sticking with the unusual swing thought that she created with her coach, Peter Thompson, to give her the same yardage every time.
She explained: “The first part of my swing is about making sure that the clubhead starts outside the hands and then it’s ‘swing slow to Frances.’
“In my coach’s studio, he has pictures of all his students on the walls, when they have done something good, and I need my hands to stop where Frances is on the wall behind me. I swing slow to Frances! I have that picture in my head so I know what that feels like and then I swing down with the arms.
“I’m going to go into this week as I have the last few weeks with that swing thought on every shot. If I make a good swing on each shot, then that will produce a good shot and give me a chance to make birdie.
“It’s also about making the putts when you get the opportunities and I did that last week, like on the last hole, to win by one. The four or five footers, I didn’t miss one of them and that makes a massive difference to your score.
“I wouldn’t have said it was my best striking of the ball last week so there’s still more to come. It’s huge to have the reassurance that you have a winner’s category. I’ve been on Tour 14 years and never had it. It makes life a lot easier, especially having a family at home. I can plan better and perhaps not play as many tournaments, but I love to compete and that’s why I’m still out here.”
