| If you watch the Golf Channel or read | | | | the area of the short game and the |
| any of the magazines and books on golf, | | | | mental game. |
| it will be very hard for you to miss the | | | | This is absolutely true for the average |
| basic theme that "There is a perfect | | | | golfer but it may be true for all |
| swing and you will do the most for your | | | | golfers as well. There is loads of |
| game by trying to get it". Even when you | | | | evidence on the pro tours that the ones |
| watch a tournament on TV, you see the | | | | making the money are those best at |
| commentators participate in this | | | | chipping and putting. The golf research |
| conspiracy by showing us frame-by-frame | | | | guru himself, Dave Pelz, actually |
| analysis of the pro and critiquing his | | | | followed tour players around for years |
| her every move. Now, maybe we can give | | | | taking detailed statistics and he proved |
| the TV guys a break because they are | | | | it (see his book, My Short Game Bible). |
| just trying for some entertainment value | | | | In addition to that, there are too many |
| and let's face it, most of us are | | | | pros to list that admit that their swing |
| interested in the details of the swing | | | | is not "technically correct" or maybe |
| because we've been brainwashed by years | | | | not even very good...BUT THEY WIN |
| of this theme. | | | | TOURNAMENTS! Look at Jim Furyk, 2003 |
| For many years, I too was a "swing | | | | U.S. Open winner. He actually has a big |
| zombie" in my quest to improve my golf | | | | loop in his backswing. Lee Trevino |
| game. I even participated with a group | | | | always told people that they should not |
| of golfers that all had our swings | | | | copy his swing. Even Jack Nicklaus says |
| videotaped and then we critiqued each | | | | in his books that he wasn't a very good |
| other in a classroom setting. The | | | | ball striker. Bruce Lietzke has won |
| feedback I received from all of us | | | | tournaments on the PGA and Senior tours |
| watching my swing ran from "very smooth" | | | | playing his left-to-right shot his whole |
| to "way off-kilter". Everybody had a | | | | career - And he says he rarely |
| differing opinion of many of the swings | | | | practices! On top of that, the tours are |
| that we watched and at least for me, it | | | | littered with past champions that |
| only confused me more. | | | | totally lost their game AFTER they tried |
| In my younger years, I had a typical | | | | to change it for the better. And now |
| amateur slice swing that obviously came | | | | they are begging their sports |
| out of my years of playing baseball and | | | | psychologist to help them "find" their |
| softball. In those days, I would just | | | | old swing. |
| aim for the left edge of any fairway and | | | | I have talked to PGA golf instructors |
| I could count on the ball moving left to | | | | that say it's their clients that want |
| right, at worst ending up in the right | | | | the swing advice (just like I did) even |
| rough but usually hitting the fairway. I | | | | when they recommend working some other |
| enjoyed playing golf those days but I | | | | part of their game first. So maybe it's |
| always felt that something was missing. | | | | our own fault for the most part in |
| So when I could finally afford it,I | | | | creating the current situation where |
| decided to take a set of lessons from a | | | | average scores of amateurs has not |
| pro. Of course I told him that I wanted | | | | dropped one stroke in the last 50 years |
| to get rid of my slice swing and he | | | | despite the advances in equipment |
| asked me back "are you sure?". This | | | | technology. Now don't get me wrong, if |
| answer kind of shocked me but he was a | | | | you are a true beginner, you really |
| very good instructor and by the end of | | | | should start out with learning the |
| the lessons, I was able to hit the ball | | | | basics of the golf swing. But if you're |
| out of bounds both ways, left and right. | | | | hitting it solid most of the time and |
| I figured that it would just be a matter | | | | finding the fairway half the time, you |
| of time until I "dialed" in to hitting | | | | are good to go for a real scoring quest |
| it straight. To make the story short, 5 | | | | as more swing advice is not the quickest |
| years later and I was still "dialing" | | | | way for you to drop your score. There is |
| and getting wrong numbers (ob, jail, | | | | just so much more that you can do, on |
| water,no score improvement, etc.). | | | | and off the course, that will pay you |
| Looking back, I honestly believe now | | | | back in saved strokes for far less time |
| that if I had stuck with my old left to | | | | spent than changing your swing. Most of |
| right swing and just used the rest of | | | | us have precious little free time that |
| what I learned from the pro, that I | | | | we can work to improve our games so why |
| would have improved significantly. Why? | | | | not work on that which will give us the |
| Because I was a typical golfer and not a | | | | greatest bang for our (time) buck? |
| 15 handicapper trying to become a | | | | And so, let me be the first to make a |
| single-digiter. Studies have shown that | | | | pledge to the golf spirit inside me (I |
| the overwhelming majority of amateur | | | | always thought that golf is like |
| golfers shoot in the 90's or above for | | | | religion): |
| men and it's over 100 for women. If you | | | | I for one, do solemnly swear that I will |
| are in that group, then you really | | | | not pay attention to any swing advice of |
| should be working on parts of your game | | | | any sort until I can score in the 70's |
| that will give you far more efficient | | | | consistently with the swing I have (and |
| score improvement for the time and | | | | maybe not even then). |
| effort spent. This would primarily be in | | | | |