When playing golf we see an array of shots from poor to amazing. As a coach of all levels of golfers, I see a vast range of golf swings which result from watching golf on television and reading magazines. There are other golfers who have created their swing watching their mates, and finally, there are golfers who have received professional coaching.
I can tell you that receiving professional advice will benefit your golf for the long term. When receiving a lesson, the golfer gets a lesson based on his/her skills rather than a generalised tip.
Each golfer is unique and should be treated as such. I hear many comments from all golfers saying that they saw a particular golfer on television swing it in a particular way, therefore the club golfer feels they can attempt the same move. Is this possible? On many occasions the answer is no. This can be due to the club golfer’s lack of flexibility, strength, and actual understanding of what is required to make such a swing.
This is where I feel personalised coaching can give you a stronger chance of becoming the golfer you want. The golf professional can see your strengths and weaknesses and work on those aspects to make you the golfer you want to be.
I see many golfers with great potential who simply get the wrong information, and have the wrong idea of what is required to hit a good shot, regardless if it is a tee shot or a putt. On the other hand, you see golfers who maximize what ability they have to make the most of their game.
In the end, understanding what you require to do to hit a good shot beats a golfer who simply takes “pot luck” and hopes that they will hit a good shot.
No matter what swing you have, in the end, the club face will be a strong factor of determining where the ball will go. Many golfers simply swing with the intention of finishing their swing in a particular pose or position. This can be helpful at times, but it takes away the focus of where your body and club face need to be at the point of impact.
Just remember, a straight back and straight through swing will not result in a straight shot. You need to swing the club on an arc and have a good body rotation with a square clubface at impact.
Many golfers try to create speed in the swing by moving their arms and hands really fast. I can tell you now, without a shadow of a doubt, having fast hands and arms will not create anywhere near the speed as a golfer who times their shot well and moves their body into the shot. A good example of this being done well is by watching Fred Couples and Ernie Els.
Being able to create speed with the addition of power to your shots can be simply created by having your body in the right position at impact, which will allow you to create maximum power to your shots. Believe it or not, it does not really matter too much how flexible you are or how old you are, it simply has to do with you moving your hips into the right position (which does not involve much speed), having good balance, and having a square clubface.
