There is a myriad of information sources available to today’s golfer. There are libraries of information written about the golf swing, swing faults and all that goes on around the game. Based on this you would think that it would be easy for players to learn about the swing and what they need to do to play better.
There are two major problems with that assumption:
- It is often impossible for you to discern if the information you are getting is coming from a knowledgeable source;
- If you don’t understand what your current tendencies are then you have no hope of knowing if the information you are reading is relevant to your swing issues.
In my experience there are only two possible reasons that a player has a swing fault:
1. Conceptual Problem This means that the player has a belief that the body and club should move in a particular way in order to produce the desired shot, and they have practiced hard to accomplish this. Unfortunately, their original assumption was flawed. The player could also believe they are moving the body and club the correct way even though the reality is they are not. Their feels are not providing them with accurate feedback on the exact swing motion.
Players can often make the mistake of reading part of a bigger article, misinterpreting what they have read, received their information from a dubious source or the information was good, they understood it but applied it incorrectly. Regardless of the reason, the way to improve the golf swing is not through a quick tip, reading more articles or watching more instructional DVD’s. This player needs to get with a knowledgeable coach who can explain clearly what is actually happening in the golf swing and provide feedback as the player works through the change.
The player’s concept must change before there is any chance of them making a technical improvement to their golf swing.
Physical Problem In this case the player understands what they should be doing but the swing fault they make is a direct result of their physical inability to do anything else. Players who have this problem rarely understand the reason why they are unable to make the change they want, despite their many hours of practice and lessons.
The body can only move in certain ways if there are restrictions in the range of motion or strength. The body will always seek to stay in balance, as your subconscious will always work to stop you from falling. Your body will also always work into positions where the areas of most strength are doing the majority of the work. The body and subconscious primary functions when it comes to movement is to get the motion done as best it can with the flexibility and strength available. That is rarely the most efficient way to produce a powerful, repeatable golf swing.
A player with this issue must get a physical screening from a qualified health professional or golf coach, and start work on an exercise program to correct the imbalances. Only then will they have any chance of obtaining an optimal golf swing.
So if you have been struggling with your golf swing for a number of years and have been unable to make the improvements you want, the time has come for you to find a qualified coach that will work with you to better understand your particular swing faults and the optimal way to correct them forever.
Click here to learn more about working on your own game with Derek
I hope you enjoyed this post. As always comments are welcome and appreciated
Good Golfing
