Getting a Swing, And Getting a Game
After years of playing the game (sort of), and thousands of dollars in lessons, I finally got a handle on where that pesky slice was coming from. I not only found out how to eliminate it, I found out how to fade or draw the ball, at will. It didn’t take a ton of lessons, either. Just a couple of good books and the right concepts…
Ball position makes a lot of difference. Because of the way the swing travels in an arc, it makes the ball go low or high, and it produces a push or a pull which turns into a hook or slice. More than anything, it’s important to get consistent ball position — and that’s one variable you can control that doesn’t involve timing things during the swing.
Golf’s real lesson may be in overcoming fear — in learning the art of deep, internal relaxation in the face of pressure, because excessive tension in the arms translates to the “yips” when putting, and to an open clubface in the full swing, which promotes a slice.
In a couple of different ways, “pretty good” is what matters. Let’s examine the multiple meanings of that phrase, and see what it means to play that way.
A “good” teacher is the right teacher — right for your ability level and for your swing. Finding one that’s right for your ability level isn’t all that hard. But finding one that’s right for your particular swing is real trick. Even touring professionals have made fatal miscalculations in that regard, and some previously stellar performers are now struggling.
It makes the game faster, and more fun. What’s not to like?
Pace of play is a serious problem in golf. But much of that problem is a matter of perception. Eliminating the stroke and distance penalty would go a long way towards solving the problem.
Marking a ball on the green in order to clean it or protect it from another putt will no longer be a nerve-wracking experience!
To my mind, there is nothing wrong with distance apps — with any and all bells and whistles their designers are able to include. They are wrongfully outlawed under the rules of golf. There are free apps that give you a “plays as” distance based on elevation changes and weather-report wind speed, and everyone has a cell phone. Why outlaw those apps?
Slow pace of play is the curse of the weekend golfer. Compounding that problem is the stupidest penalty in golf: Stroke and Distance.
