So many UNtruths!

So Many Falsehoods!

Over my many years as a successful competitive player, instructor and also student of great instructors, I've heard a big number of false comments or untruths. When I watch unqualified golfers attempt to teach others, or hear what students share with me in terms of "supposed golf knowledge", I shudder. Many of these folks are terrific athletes because they actually get around the golf course and shoot a half decent score with terrible golf swings. Good for them! It frustrates me because they could do so much better, and would have more fun if they had better swings.

Golf is an extension of the entertainment business, same as NFL, MLB and NBA. The idea is to enjoy the exercise, companionship, competition and much more. If golfers are failing in their minds, and wasting precious time, while spending money to do so, eventually they quit. As I said, we are an extension of the entertainment world so we grow in spite of the attrition. But why allow those who currently play, leave, let's make them better!

The first falsehood is to keep your head down. Your head is on top of your shoulders, not in front of them. Keep your head up, just as we do in all other sports. The better phrase would be to keep your eye on the ball.

Stiff left arm for right handed golfers. Not true! Athletes do not LOCK joints unless they want pain. The left arm is to remain taut, affording us good extension.

Sit down at address. No. We assume the position of ABOUT TO SIT. Just bend slightly at the hips and you're pretty much done.

Snap wrists. Not so. The wrists do not flip or slap. Our left wrist, for right handed golfers, never loses it's full extension; it rotates or does not rotate, (you're choice), hinges like a hammer on the way up, down and up again, but never flips!

Shoulders face the target when swing is finished: partially true. If it is only shoulders minus leg and hip rotation, it's incomplete. The entire body turns left, or in other words, fully to the target, not just shoulders.

Club face remains square to the target, absolutely wrong! In a good swing the club's face remains square to the player 100 per cent of the time. The face is only square to the target for a nano second and it's not important. The combination of clubface and swing path make the clubface move from in to out forcing the ball to the right then returning slightly left to the target.

Now you know WHAT to do and WHAT NOT to do! Just focus on the positive things and the negatives can't find space. We always replace poor moves with quality moves to realize success!