| If you watch the Golf Channel or read any of the | | | | game.This is absolutely true for the average golfer |
| magazines and books on golf, it will be very hard for | | | | but it may be true for all golfers as well. There is |
| you to miss the basic theme that "There is a perfect | | | | loads of evidence on the pro tours that the ones |
| swing and you will do the most for your game by | | | | making the money are those best at chipping and |
| trying to get it". Even when you watch a tournament | | | | putting. The golf research guru himself, Dave Pelz, |
| on TV, you see the commentators participate in this | | | | actually followed tour players around for years taking |
| conspiracy by showing us frame-by-frame analysis of | | | | detailed statistics and he proved it (see his book, My |
| the pro and critiquing his/her every move. Now, | | | | Short Game Bible). In addition to that, there are too |
| maybe we can give the TV guys a break because | | | | many pros to list that admit that their swing is not |
| they are just trying for some entertainment value | | | | "technically correct" or maybe not even very |
| and let's face it, most of us are interested in the | | | | good...BUT THEY WIN TOURNAMENTS! Look at Jim |
| details of the swing because we've been | | | | Furyk, 2003 U.S. Open winner. He actually has a big |
| brainwashed by years of this theme.For many years, | | | | loop in his backswing. Lee Trevino always told people |
| I too was a "swing zombie" in my quest to improve | | | | that they should not copy his swing. Even Jack |
| my golf game. I even participated with a group of | | | | Nicklaus says in his books that he wasn't a very good |
| golfers that all had our swings videotaped and then | | | | ball striker. Bruce Lietzke has won tournaments on |
| we critiqued each other in a classroom setting. The | | | | the PGA and Senior tours playing his left-to-right shot |
| feedback I received from all of us watching my | | | | his whole career - And he says he rarely practices! |
| swing ran from "very smooth" to "way off-kilter". | | | | On top of that, the tours are littered with past |
| Everybody had a differing opinion of many of the | | | | champions that totally lost their game AFTER they |
| swings that we watched and at least for me, it only | | | | tried to change it for the better. And now they are |
| confused me more.In my younger years, I had a | | | | begging their sports psychologist to help them "find" |
| typical amateur slice swing that obviously came out | | | | their old swing.I have talked to PGA golf instructors |
| of my years of playing baseball and softball. In those | | | | that say it's their clients that want the swing advice |
| days, I would just aim for the left edge of any | | | | (just like I did) even when they recommend working |
| fairway and I could count on the ball moving left to | | | | some other part of their game first. So maybe it's |
| right, at worst ending up in the right rough but usually | | | | our own fault in creating the current situation where |
| hitting the fairway. I enjoyed playing golf those days | | | | average scores of amateurs have not dropped one |
| but I always felt that something was missing. So | | | | stroke in the last 50 years despite the advances in |
| when I could finally afford it,I decided to take a set | | | | equipment technology. Now don't get me wrong, if |
| of lessons from a pro. Of course I told him that I | | | | you are a total beginner, maybe you should start out |
| wanted to get rid of my slice swing and he asked | | | | with learning the basics of the golf swing with a |
| me back "are you sure?". This answer kind of | | | | lesson. But if you're hitting it solid most of the time, |
| shocked me but he was a very good instructor and | | | | you are good to go for a real scoring quest as more |
| by the end of the lessons, I was able to hit the ball | | | | swing advice is not the quickest way for you to drop |
| out of bounds both ways, left and right. I figured | | | | your score. There is just so much more that you can |
| that it would just be a matter of time until I "dialed" | | | | do, on and off the course, that will pay you back in |
| in to hitting it straight. To make the story short, 5 | | | | saved strokes for far less time spent than "fixing" |
| years later and I was still "dialing" and getting wrong | | | | your swing. Most of us have precious little free time |
| numbers (ob, jail, water,no score improvement, | | | | that we can work to improve our games so why not |
| etc.).Looking back, I honestly believe now that if I | | | | work on that which will give us the greatest bang for |
| had stuck with my old left to right swing and just | | | | our (time) buck?And so, let me be the first to make |
| used the rest of what I learned from the pro, that I | | | | a pledge to the golf spirit inside me (I always thought |
| would have improved significantly. Why? Because I | | | | that golf is like religion): |
| was a typical golfer and not a 12 handicapper trying | | | | "I for one, do solemnly swear that I will not pay |
| to become a single-digiter (a good golfer trying to | | | | attention to any swing advice of any sort until I can |
| become a great one). Studies have shown that the | | | | score in the 70's consistently with the swing I have |
| overwhelming majority of amateur golfers shoot in | | | | (and maybe not even then)".Visit Craig Sigl's website |
| the 90's or above for men and it's over 100 for | | | | at: It is dedicated to score improvement for golfers |
| women. If you are in that group, then you really | | | | with little time to practice. Download free ebook |
| should be working on parts of your game that will | | | | "How you can play better golf using self-hypnosis". |
| give you far more efficient score improvement for | | | | Sign up for ezine "The Very Busy Golfer." Ecourse |
| the time and effort spent. This would primarily be in | | | | with golf instruction tips from a major pro, articles on |
| the area of the short game and the mental | | | | golf equipment and free golf games. |