Golf Myths

I will tell you right here and now that this is some very serious stuff. When we start comparing our golf swings to Tiger Woods we are really really going out there.

But, hey, so what!

If we can’t use one of the most classic swings on the earth to learn from, than we would be pretty limited in our thought process. Wouldn’t we?

I am toying with the idea of making this article a two or three part article for brevity purposes. Comparing our swings to Tiger’s, first requires that we understand what Tiger is doing.

Believe me, that is not an easy task. But,even though it’s not easy, it is doable.

Let’s take a look at Tiger’s grip.

Does your grip look like his?

His grip is neither strong or weak. It is about as neutral as you can get. Is your grip neutral? Chances are strong that your grip is on the weak side. And that when you look down at your grip you see one knuckle on your left hand (righties). And your right hand is more on top of the club than on the side or under.

This, of course, describes the grip of 90% of all golfers. And it is wrong. Tiger’s is correct, your grip is wrong. I apologize if you have a good grip and don’t mean to lump you in with those poor grippers.

Sorry!

For those of you who have read any of my musings, you know, by now, that my one pet peeve is a poor grip. You will not see a good golfer with a bad grip.

Almost never.

If you are an average person with average athletic abilities, a bad grip makes you a bad golfer.

Tiger Woods has an excellent golf grip. Is that a surprise? No, then a least let’s try to copy his grip. That should not be that hard since it requires absolutely no movement at all.

Left hand on the club with two knuckles showing, right hand on the club, exactly facing the left hand. Right hand a little on top is not a bad thing. Having it on the side ok. Having it under the club is not allowed. Try it!

The setup is the ignition of the golf swing. Think of it as the key to the engine. If the key doesn’t fit you will not get started or, if you do, the engine will skip and backfire.

Tiger’s set up is so perfect it is scary.

His balance is beautiful and his alignment is right on. Every single time he sets up. All PGA players are very very particular with their set up. Never are they lackadaisical in their set up.

This is a position that you all can do unless you have a bad back, or some other limited physical issue. You should look like Tiger, Great balance, back reasonable straight, knees bent over the top of your shoes. Butt out and you are bent from the hips. Every part of your body is in alignment. And you are absolutely square to the target line. And last, but not least, your chin is not resting on your chest. It is up so that you have room under it to move your left shoulder into the backswing.

So far it is relatively easy to immolate Tiger. Don’t you think that almost every one could do this grip and set up thingy? If you say you can’t do it, I would have trouble believing you. It would probably be more like you won’t do it. Not can’t!

There is no doubt that as a golfer you will need extra discipline with the little things in the swing. But lets face it, if the best in the world thinks set and grip are so important that they make every effort to get it right every time, well, shouldn’t we also?

Now Tiger is ready for his first move away from the ball. This is one area that we will have trouble with. Us mortals. Tiger gets tremendous separation and extension of the club and arms on this move. He keeps the clubhead low and long and delays any wrist cock until very late in the back swing. All the while maintaining superb balance as he shifts his weight to his right side in preparation of the downswing.

He ” loads up” the right side better than anyone in the game. His club is on plane and is perfect to the top where he finally lets his right wrist get into the trayed position.

An incredible athletic move that few of us will be able to do with any regularity.

I want to take a minute and debunk this move as it sometime taught on our driving ranges across America and beyond.

First it is almost impossible for you to incorporate this move into your swing. Heck your having trouble with the grip and that requires no movement at all. So let’s all get real.

This long and low with big extension idea is not for us. It is more of a timing issue than anything else with the better player who does this. And, just so you know, fewer and fewer players are embracing this move.

Does it provide more power? No it doesn’t. Here is why. The power is always generated on the downswing, not on the takeaway. The problem exists when a golfer picks the club up early and fails to turn his shoulders. This picking up early is a common error. And it is usually accompanied by a severe bending of the left arm.

This is where the power drain is located. So to defend against this move. golf instruction has included the low and long idea. This, so the thought goes, prevents that early pickup and bending left arm. Does it? Sure it does. But no body except the most athletic can do it.

This low and long move almost always causes the weight to move too far over the right foot, outside the right foot and makes it impossible to get a decent weight shift if any shift at all.

Tiger can do it. You can’t.

But you can still get into the exact same or close to the same position on the backswing as Tiger and be in a powerful position to hit the ball.

Here is how. Push your right hand bent early in the move away. That is to create an angle between you right wrist and your right fore arm that is as close to 90 degrees as possible and then turn your shoulders so that you left shoulder goes under you chin. And do not collapse your left arm. Keep it straight but not stiff.

That’s it. I am going to make good on my threat to make this more than one part. This, I think is enough to absorb for one session.

Lesson over.

By: Paul Macleod

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