THE FRONT ROW WITH BRUCE BOURQUIN: Friday, May 13, 2016

Post Falls golfer Joseph Glenn had what golfers called the ‘yips.’

For some reason, either unexplained or known, golfers sometimes just cannot nail down those putts from just a couple of feet away. The yips have been described as “a movement disorder known to interfere with putting,” and is something that happens to older golfers, not teenagers. Rather than a fluid back-and-through putting stroke, golfers going through the yips may hesitate during the stroke, or jerk the putt off line. Even the former No. 1 golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, has had them during his recent struggles.

For this senior team captain, this happened during this season’s first six tournaments, starting about a week before March 14, with the Clarkston Invitational and lasting a full month, leading up to April 19 at the Lake City Invitational.

“It was like I had anxiety putting right-handed,” Glenn said. “It was like a mental block, I wanted to get it over it, instead of catching up to that.”

With the help of Trojans coach Maria Kostina, who consulted with sports psychologist Chuck Hogan, who is based out of Bend, Ore. and has helped several golfers at many levels, including the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, and with Darrell Hull, the Director of Golf at The Links Golf Club in Post Falls, Glenn experimented a bit with different things. Kostina has been Glenn’s coach since his sophomore season.

“During our practices and some tournaments, he’d look at the hole, not look at the hole, hit one-handed (with his right hand), close his eyes, hit cross-handed,” Kostina said. “The closer to the hole he got, the worse it was. But he still shot a 73 or so, which is impressive.”

None of those things worked, so Hogan suggested one more change to his game. The switch was pretty big, but Glenn literally — and figuratively — turning things around. For the most part, Glenn has averaged an 18-hole score of 74 in tournaments this season.

“Maria had this idea that I’d putt left-handed,” Glenn said. “I started putting this way at the Coeur d’Alene (Shootout on April 26) at the (Coeur d’Alene) Resort. I just hit 15 putts the night before. At first, thinking about it at the time, I figured it can’t get any worse. I found out I’m left-eye dominant. For the time being, we’ll go with it. So whatever works. It’s amazing, I feel blessed about it.”

But someday, sooner or later, Glenn will have to face whatever demons are roaming in his mind. Though so far, he has won two tournaments and finished third twice. So he’s chugging along.

“We found a way to cope for now,” Kostina said. “When he goes back to putting right-handed, we’ll have to deal with it. What’s unusual about it is it usually happens later in life.”

WITH HIS newfound switch, Glenn will join his Post Falls teammates in aiming at a state 5A boys golf championship, a 36-hole tournament coming up Monday and Tuesday at the BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, located 10 miles northwest of Boise. Last year’s state tournament at Avondale saw the Trojans finishing fifth, with a team score of 646, while Eagle is the defending champion and shot a 600. Glenn finished 11th overall.

“I’m not going there with any expectations,” Glenn said. “I know my game is there. Last year, I went in with expectations and I wasn’t mentally prepared.”

By the way, did I mention this Trojan is 5-foot-3, 115 pounds “soaking wet” — his words, not mine? In an era where strength and size does matter — witness the top guys on the PGA Tour like Jordan Spieth, who’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Jason Day at 6-foot, 165 pounds and my personal favorite, Phil Mickelson at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds — Glenn gets by with other strenghths. He has also spoken with colleges such as Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho.

“I’ve always been the smallest golfer in each tournament,” Glenn said. “I can’t change my height. What I can change is I took the Gary Player approach (Player was 5-6). Just outwork my opponents physically, always work out, get my golf swing quicker and stronger. I’ve worked with coach Kostina and Darrell on my swing. I’m one of the longer hitters in our league. I’d say I average 275 to 280 yards (off the tee) and when I get a hold of one, it’s more than 300.”

GLENN WILL embark on a two-year LDS Church mission to Macon, Ga., starting July 6. He will get to see the southern part of Georgia. He will begin his mission one month after he graduates on June 7 and his birthday is June 2.

Poor guy, huh? Though he said he’d love to watch The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., he also said he’ll focus on his mission and will probably not be able to watch one of the PGA Tour’s major tournaments. For such a fan of the game, I’ll believe that when I see it, so to speak.

“I’ll put everything down and serve our Lord,” Glenn said.

Glenn credits Hull with getting him back into golf when he was 13, after he took two years off to play a little baseball.

“He pulled my dad (Dan Glenn) aside and said, ‘I can take him far.’ In January, I played in the St. George (Utah) Amateur tournament. I was 3-under the first day and finished tied for 11th. I went there to meet with the head coach of Brigham Young University and Dixie State (in St. George).”

Both of Glenn’s parents encouraged him to get into the sport. Dan was a police officer in southern California and his mother’s name is Dori.

“It was funny because my parents never pushed me into it,” Glenn said. “My dad would go golfing and I’d ask, ‘Mom, where’s Dad going?’ And she’d say, he’s at a golf course. So he bought me a plastic golf club and golf balls. I broke my mom’s clocks and stuff, so my Dad took me out on the course at 2 1/2 years old.”

Later on as a freshman with Post Falls’ golf team, he was battling for the No. 4 and 5 spots.

Kostina has plenty of compliments for her small but vital leader.

“He is fearless,” Kostina said. “It’s not about height and weight, it’s about heart. He mentally got stronger this season, he disregarded the bad stuff, he got more positive. When he was a freshman, he was hard on himself. It’s been a privilege coaching him. He almost always outdrives his number one opponent.”

And Glenn has as good a shot as anyone at winning an individual state tournament.

“He’s coming in strong,” Kostina said. “He shot under par (during regionals) in hail and wind. That says a lot. He has a lot of confidence.”

While putting left-handed or otherwise.

Bruce Bourquin is a sports writer at The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2013, via e-mail at bbourquin@cdapress.com or via Twitter @bourq25