They are all correct

Every book, every magazine article, every golf video has correct information. Some of them talk about using the big muscles of the body others say your arms must swing faster.So how are we to determine which group of opposing ideas we try to use? To answer that question I think we need to remember the five things that are critical to each golf shot. They are;

1. Club head speed-How fast is the club moving at impact?

2. Centeredness of impact-Did I hit the ball on the sweet spot?

3. Angle of attach-Did the club approach the ball not to steep, not to shallow but just right? If you are on the correct swing plane as I teach then you will be correct.

4. Club face position-Was the club face at right angles to the target at impact?

5. Club swing path-Was I approaching the ball from the inside?

The answers to these question will tell you what you need to be working on. You will notice that 4 of the 5 of these question have nothing to do with how hard or fast you swing. I believe that we must answer questions 2 through 5 in the affirmative before we become to concerned with speed. Numbers 2 through 5 require a blending of both body movement and arm/hand movement not with the idea of creating additional club head speed but with creating the angles necessary to make solid ball strikes. Ultimately how fast I swing is determined by one, my physical limitations and two, by my ability to maintain the correctness of 2 through 5. Of the two the latter is more important.

My teaching is geared to these ideas. I believe you should swing as fast as you can AND successfully adhere to the correct positions required by 2 through 5.

The purpose of hitting one handed golf shots or half wedge shots or one armed putts are all geared to getting 2 through 5 in place. The better you have these in place the faster you will be able to swing and keep the golf ball on the golf course which for most of us results in lower scores, the primary reason we play the game.

Tim Cusick, my primary instructor when I was talking lessons at Hank Haneys told me that you get more benefits from hitting half wedges in practice than you do with your driver. He was right.

Tell next time