Blogging can be addictive … I’m pretty obsessive, so look out.

We have to talk about the golf swing. At the moment, I’m in Beaufort, SC – been here for a week. Probably played more golf this week than I did last summer. I play quite a bit with my neighbor – an ex-Marine who’s really gotten into golf. So this neighbor is always reading about the golf swing and asking me questions. He gets frustrated because much of what he reads contradicts itself – which it does … and here’s why: Golf instruction needs to be understood in the phases or evolution of the golfer’s swing. What might be great advice for an expert, can be terrible advice for a beginner. But, you say “aren’t fundamentals true for all players?” Yes! But, golf instructors don’t agree on what are fundamentals.

Let’s start at the beginning: most people are poor golfers because of one of two things (or both)

1.) They want to scoop the ball up into the air.

2.) They pick up the club and smash down into the ball. Ironically, they scoop iron shots and smash down with the driver off the tee – they would be much better off scooping tee shots and smashing down on iron shots. The expert player doesn’t have these problems – what he’s looking for is a more controlled swing. But, the suggested ways to tighten up the expert’s swing are usually the worst advice to the average player who needs to free up and develop his swing. Most people need to learn to make MORE of a weight shift and MORE of a turn. They also need to learn to keep their wrists firm on chip shots and learn to rotate their wrists on full shots. Average players also have to learn to swing inside-out.

Expert players already make a good weight shift and a good turn and rotate their wrists on full shots and swing inside-out … they are usually working on toning down those actions so that they are more in control. Thus, golf instruction has to be fitted as to where the golfer is at in terms of his evolution. And you can see why so often “tips” are not beneficial.