Hello golfers,
Many of you who read my emails will know my views on the relative importance of technique in golf. It seems that over the last 25 years there has been a move towards technique over everything, probably started by the Nick Faldo phenomenon, a word I use advisedly.
That to me is somewhat incredible considering the evidence which I would like you all to ponder. Moreover I have a theory about the need for the belief that technique will save the day and I think it is very important. We are in a wonderful time for golf. The last 18 years have been dominated by Tiger Woods (which looks like it has now possibly come to its end) and he has almost single-handedly dragged the sport to the heights that it now finds itself in.
Today's Game
I am talking about wealth and the level of athleticism that we see in the game. His era has given birth to the standard of golf we see across the board now and the strength in depth we see week in, week out. We now have the next golden era happening as we speak. Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlory and now Jason Day lead the way at present but the number of great players right behind them is staggering - Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, I could go on and on. For those of us who love to watch golf, particularly the big events, this really is a wonderful time.
Of course there was another era when the big three wowed everyone, elevating the sport as they did, but at that time there wasn't the strength in depth behind them. Wealth creates that as everyone wants a piece of the pie and they are prepared to work harder and harder when the rewards are there. So what's my point?
It is this - with the notable exception of one person, not one of those mentioned above, including the big three (Palmer, Nicklaus and Player) had perfect techniques. In fact some of them were miles away. Let me prove it:
Spieth - strong right hand grip which means he has to hold the club off through impact hence he is disconnected in his left side.
McIlroy - beautiful in many ways but tends to take it away outside meaning he sometimes develops quite a loop inside at the top - can cause a push or hook.
Day - probably the most technically sound but goes at the ball incredibly hard which can cause problems.
Bubba - where do I start!! Genius hands.
Johnson - famously strong left hand which gives the incredibly bowed left wrist at the top. Fights the hook as a result and suffers with wedges.
Rose - arms get away from him through impact which can result in a leave to the right - something he has worked on for years!
Tiger - in 2000 his swing was one of the greatest ever seen (just watch the slow-mo on youtube from then - it is quite stunning to watch) but he has always dropped hard from the top and fought with getting too inside and therefore hooking the ball - even back then. Lately this seems to have got worse culminating with the duffed drive on 13 at the Masters this year, something you'd think impossible of any tour pro let alone Tiger Woods.
Palmer - basically home-made with a finish he often lassoed to stop a hook.
Nicklaus - the greatest tournament golfer ever but he took the club away steeply outside and dropped it back inside - hardly perfect.
Player - small so he used lots of body movement and often threw himself at the ball. Not a great ball striker but one of the greatest short games ever!
Even if we go to Ben Hogan, someone many talk about in reverential terms, including Warren, our ex-tour pro, you will see him whip the club low and inside in the backswing so he gets to a point at the top with his hands low and level with his right shoulder (compare that to Bubba Watson!). He then keeps his hands incredibly low as they come down which resulted in his clubs being 4 degrees flat! (Warren has actually told me his famous 1 iron was recently found to be 8 degrees flatter than current 'standard' lies!!)
I could go on and on. Even Faldo did not 'perfect' his swing. What he did, according to Faldo himself, was create a swing he could trust implicitly even when under the greatest pressure. And in that comment we get to the crux of the matter. Everyone of the players above has something that is not perfect about his swing but they all repeat them, even under the greatest of pressure. The other major winner this year, Zack Johnson, is another who has an individual swing (stands open but hits from the inside very like Tom Lehman) and can only move the ball from right to left (which flies in the face of those who think great players have to move it both ways). But it repeats time after time.
Is there such a thing as a perfect swing?
Possibly the most perfect swing on tour is Louis Oosthuizen and although he's had a good year it is strange that the best swing does not win all the time. So, you have to ask yourself why everyone wants to concentrate on technique so much. Why when almost every tour pro is imperfect does everyone think their swings have to be perfect? I believe there is a simple answer to this and it is one I would very much like you all to ponder. The common thread with all players who reach the top is that their swings repeat. That comes from working on the little things that make THEM inconsistent (this is an important point - they are not always the same things for every player) and then they practise and practise.
Also, to be a top tournament golfer you have to have a great short-game - period! Spieth is setting records with his putter, Day is none too shabby, Nicklaus was famous for holing big putts when he had to and Tiger was the best ever from inside 8 feet. Rory is very up and down with his putter, as I have talked about before, but when it's on he's almost unbeatable. Both Zach Johnson and Spieth are incredible with their wedges as well. Technique is not everything then but please don't get me wrong - your technique needs to be good enough to hit the ball well, and consistently well. But if you can hit the ball once the way you'd like to then you can make that consistent. It is then a matter of sorting out the little things about what you do personally that get in the way of being able to do that, and then it's about practise!!
Here's my big theory - wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a secret thing that we could find that would make us suddenly awesome? If I could bottle the 'great swing' elixir how much would I make? Millions, because most people would love it to be that easy! Most people are in the mind-set that the key to their golf is out there, they've just got to find it. Now, in some respects that is true, but unfortunately the other truth is that it is not that easy. I could take any one of you for lessons and I will be able to show you very quickly the route for you to follow to solve your issues so that you can be far more consistent. Not perfect, just more consistent. The problem with that is, it's not immediate!
Remember this quote (it's not mine by the way but I totally agree with it):
It is not good enough to just know something, you have to get to the point where you don't even remember what it is you knew!
Think about it - if you don't drive and someone showed you how to use the clutch so you could move a car you would know it straight away. 'Ok, I slowly lift the clutch while pushing on the throttle and the car will move, got it!' How long would it take before the beginner can actually do that without stalling the car? Then do it while on the road in traffic? How about do it quickly to avoid trouble? How about do it for miles without remembering he'd done it??? You see, you have to go through the uncomfortable learning stage until you don't even know you're doing it and that means hard work! It also means sticking to the one thing until you've got it and that can be very hard.
The lure of moving onto something else as that 'might be the magic cure' is so strong especially when it feels so hard, and sometimes futile, working on the one thing we know we have to! The fact is there is no magic cure and it is impossible, and, as all the evidence proves, it is unnecessary to be perfect. Don't keep looking for magic cures. Work with a pro who examines your swing and shows you why YOU are inconsistent and then stick to one improvement at a time. Go through the tough bit until you have it. That can take months (I have been making a concerted effort to change my backswing and I am into my second year, probably because I don't practise enough!!) and on the way can be tough. One lesson will only tell you how ('yep, got it!') but remember it is not good enough just to know. A series of lessons keeps the momentum up and helps you to really conquer the problem and get through the learning stage. That is what a good coach can do for you. If you see someone who keeps coming up with different ideas all the time, leave him or her! They won't help you and they are possibly also in the 'magic cure' brigade.
I hope the above gives you real food for thought. If I can help you know where to find me and I would be very happy to discuss this with you. I don't promise any magic cures but sometimes some problems can be solved quickly and give fairly immediate results (set-up issues can be like this but rarely swing issues). What I do promise is that you will understand and know exactly what you have to do - the rest is mainly up to you (practise!) but I will help you all the way until we move onto the next step.
With winter ahead now is the time to set about improving your golf.
So we have a winter offer for you:
For a limited period of time you can book 5 x ½ hour lessons with myself or Simon for just £99!!
Come in or get in contact here and book now! (Other packages available so please talk to us).
It's going to rain soon and get cold!!
I hate to even think about it but it's true and that means warmer layers will be required.
We have new Glenmuir crested and un-crested, lambswool and cotton pullovers and half-zips in stock as well as the latest high tech garments from Nike.
We will soon have a special deal on a high quality waterproof suit so watch this space.
This is also another time when grips become even more important so come in and see the new ones available from Lamkin and Golf Pride. We have deals for quantity on all of them so I'm sure we can help you.
Good luck to everyone in the Autumn Meeting this weekend. I believe the weather is looking good so it should be a great few days. See you all soon.
