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05/28/2014 12:00 AMThe game of golf runs deep in Zach Schatz's family, which is a big reason why he started playing at the young age of five. The one way Zach differed from the rest of his family, however, was that Zach's clubs were for a left-handed player.
"The only thing I'm left-handed in is golf," says Zach. "As far as I know, I never had a right-handed set of clubs. I tried to find the story about how I picked up a left-handed club, but nobody really knows. It just kind of happened."
The extra years of experience Zach had on the course growing up have helped him become a much smarter player. He notes that he doesn't have to kill the ball on every single swing to be successful, a mindset that has lead to great growth over the years.
"It's about knowing how to play smarter to make it easier on myself," says Zach, who recently helped East Haven win its division. "I don't have to hit the ball 300 yards. I can hit it shorter, layup, and just play smart. That's the biggest thing, is playing smart, and not going for everything."
What allows Zach to play smart on the fairways is a great tee shot. He knows his best asset on the course is the way he hits the ball off the tee, setting himself up for nice approaches toward the pin.
"That's definitely my strongest area. I swing a lot harder and a lot faster off the tee and get a lot more yardage than I do off the ground," says Zach, who has been a two-year captain and one of East Haven's top golfers for the past three years. "Obviously if you're on the ground you might get a bad lie or you might be in dirt. Off the tee, you're teed up a little bit so it's easier to get a better contact and hit it in the sweet spot."
The thing that makes a great tee shot that much more useful for Zach is the fact that his short approach game isn't far behind.
"The short game is probably my second best part from 100 yards in," says Zach, who will be playing club golf at Albertus Magnus while the school is transitioning to the Division III level. "I just try to stay calm because you get a big adrenaline rush when you hit a good tee shot and you just have to calm down a little bit after so you don't skull it over or hit it too short."
Zach had the luxury of working out his swing all winter at the driving range and with a professional coach once a week. That combination has led to lower scores all season for Zach and the Yellowjackets, who recently wrapped up the SCC Tier 2 title.
"It's a great feeling," says Zach of the division win. "I was there every day for a couple hours just hitting golf balls and trying to get myself better for this year because I knew this year was going to be important."
Zach's approach to the game will be missed by Head Coach Dave Augustine next season, who says his athlete acted almost like a second coach on the course.
"I have known this fine young man for four years now and I will miss him very much next year," says Augustine. "I will remember all he has done and won't be able to thank him enough for his dedication to the team and me."