| ext">IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING IT SIMPLE | | | | — it came closer to being horizontal. |
| How to swing — golf at its best must be | | | | The point is that I am not the only one to not realize |
| simple. If you watch the pros like I do, and take in | | | | how far back my backswing goes. This is a common |
| every golf magazine and instructional program on the | | | | self-misperception. Going back too far is a problem |
| Golf Channel, you will come away with one main golf | | | | because the farther I take it back, the more |
| swing tip: Keep It Simple, Superman (or | | | | movement I put into it. Not a good formula for good |
| Superwoman)! Ernie Els, the Big Easy himself is the | | | | golf. The question is, how short can I make my |
| premier example. He has a seemingly easy | | | | backswing to eliminate as many mistakes as possible, |
| backswing, under total control, that he unleashes into | | | | without sacrificing distance? |
| one of the most powerful swings on the PGA Tour. | | | | THE NO BACKSWING GOLF SWING |
| He doesn’t swing hard. | | | | Okay, there is no such thing as no’ |
| On the other hand, take a look at the grip and rip | | | | backswing. It so, it would consist of addressing the |
| it’ violence of John Daly’s swing. Big | | | | ball and then pushing it forward. The no’ |
| John is famous for his prodigious drives, starting with | | | | backswing is really just a highly abbreviated |
| a backswing that goes so far back past horizontal | | | | backswing. If full means 100%, then no’ |
| that weekend golfers have done major damage to | | | | means more like 25%. The position of the shaft goes |
| their lower backs mimicking it. | | | | to vertical, that’s all. |
| Big John has the athletic talent and experience to | | | | Nevertheless, the power that you can generate with |
| play winning golf at the highest level, in spite of such | | | | only a 25% backswing is surprising. And the control |
| a violent swing. Big Easy does, too, in spite of his | | | | of the swing is tremendous. There is almost no |
| easy, controlled swing. The example for me to | | | | chance for that little waggle at the top, or any other |
| imitate is obviously the easy swing. Swinging too hard | | | | ineffective movement of the club — after all, |
| almost never works. | | | | there is no top to this backswing. |
| TOP GOLF SWING TIP FOR CONTROL AND | | | | I got pretty excited about this when I saw the |
| ACCURACY | | | | video. My first swing was at a local golf course in |
| This is where one of the most useful tips I have | | | | Phoenix on June 21. I sliced it my first shot. I got the |
| ever discovered for my own game applies. Since | | | | hang of it after a couple more hits. I recommend |
| most of the mistakes in a swing come during the | | | | working out the kinks on the driving range, not like I |
| backswing (I have heard 70%), that is where to | | | | did in a live round. |
| concentrate on simplifying. Here is what I discovered. | | | | In spite of my early glitches, I hit my drives as far as |
| First, I had the opportunity to get lessons that | | | | ever and consistently straighter than I have in years. |
| included taking a video of my swing. (Then the | | | | In fact, I didn’t chicken out like I usually do |
| instructor put it side by side with Tiger’s | | | | and pull out my fairway metals on the tee box for |
| swing, which is a brutal comparison for any weekend | | | | the final few holes, just to avoid my driver-only slice. |
| golfer!) When the instructor asked me to take my | | | | Nope, I used my driver all the way to the end, and I |
| backswing to horizontal, I did so. However, the video | | | | was very pleased with the results. The no backswing |
| showed me going way past that. When he asked me | | | | golf swing worked for me, and I suspect it will work |
| to take it straight up — i.e., not past vertical | | | | for a lot of other weekend golfers as well. |