During my golfing career I have had numerous tips and advice. I firmly believe most is well intended. My experience tells me most advice is limited in value because there is always more to the story. Actually, there is usually a lot more to the story.
Tom Watson said, "This game is not easy." Jack Nicklaus said, "There is no secret to this game." The game may be easy for some few, but it is not easy for me or anyone I know. Old advice said to keep the left arm straight. Butch Harmon says it is OK to let the left arm bend in the back swing. Advice is therefore questionable, at the least.
My advice is based on what works for me. It is tried and proven, for me. Many pros say when putting the grip must be soft. Jack Nicklaus said, "Sometimes I willed the ball into the cup." Very difficult to explain how one wills the ball into the cup. But, it must require a lot more than we are told about.
I cannot tell you just how many times I have gone to the course and played a practice round and fixed a bad shot. Quite often I have to fix a shot. But I rely on my own advice. Taking the club back and inside with some pull with the right hand usually fixes my shot. It takes the club to a preferable position at the top of the back swing and I hit more greens and better drives.
Yet, there are more add ins to fix a shot than I have said with all simplicity. I have other things to do. I might say, "Quiet my lower body." Or, I might say, "That was a mistake in my posture." Often I will say, "I must stop bending my knees when coming thru the ball!" Another is to say, "My head is moving up and down. I am over swinging, or was it posture?." It is important to learn what error you committed in the bad shot. Practice rounds and the driving range let you work on those things.
So, today I am suggesting that because there are so many elements to a good golf shot you must think differently than you have been told. One swing thought? Maybe on the back swing after you take the club back and inside, one swing thought. But, many thoughts must precede the back swing. Here is how I accomplish that.
I have key words rather than swing thoughts. I start with an easy one. Ball position. Absolutely a necessary thought otherwise you'll forget. Before the back swing there is the matter of balance. You need a word for that. Maybe "balance". You need some reminder about torque in your arms , maybe "torque". Torques lets you build the club/ arm rotation so you don't putt your 5 iron. There is a matter of lift in the back swing. The questions are how much and when to assert - "lift". I find it is different for each club, maybe similar for the 3 & 4 iron but different from the 9 iron for example. A very individual thing. But you have to experiment to find what is best for you.
Does this sound like one swing thought? Of course not. Many necessary thoughts at address and a means of reminding one's self of each in tandem without forgetting one of them. And finally maybe one swing thought in the back swing after all the other thoughts have been implemented at address.
There are a few words underlined in this lesson. Try to remember them all when you go to the course this week. Like memorizing a poem or lines in a play. Except much easier than a poem or a part in a play. A few simple words. Very easy and very necessary if you are looking for consistency.
Richard Englefield
