Perfect golf swing
Golf swing pictures
The number one swing fault in golf is the destructive use of the arms and shoulders as a power source: the dreaded heave. The heave is an overuse of the upper arms and shoulders – the effort zone. Even the best players hit bad shots because they have used this part of the body to force or manipulate the clubhead. Allow me to teach you how to use your hands and wrists instead to create clubhead speed.
Modern teaching has introduced many complications. Probably the most damaging is the term 'passive hands'. But how else can Tour players hit the ball 300 yards if not by using correct hand action to multiply speed into the clubhead? We call it second gear, the first gear being the body turn. Remember, the correct swing is simply two movements: the body turn and wrist hinge, and the control area (the triangle). Of the thousands of golfers who have attended our sessions in recent years, not one has known how to use his hands and wrists correctly. With correct training and an understanding of how the arms fold, the hands will naturally snap through. I see people struggling trying to keep their hands out of the swing or to keep their wrists rigid. But if the hands are not consciously trained to deliver the strike, the arms will take over in an attempt to replace lost energy.
The professionals - From the pictures of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam, we can see how their hands have crossed over. The gloved hand is visible, allowing the transfer of maximum speed/energy to the clubhead. Note how close their elbows are and that the triangle shape of their forearms has been maintained.
They are all turning through from the hips. Their arms are reacting, not supplying the energy directly. This results in the so-called late hit, or the lag, which is the result of moving correctly, not something that can be achieved in isolation. The hands and forearms cross and the momentum pulls the body into the full followthrough position with shoulders pointing left of target.
The amateurs - The three pictures of amateurs tell a very different story. The front arm is pulling and the elbows are splaying, preventing their hands from crossing. Most of the energy is lost in the upper arms and shoulders, resulting in poor hip movement, weight transfer and little hand delivery. In marked contrast to the Tour players, the triangle has distorted. This really is a fundamental problem and it comes from a lack of understanding of how to create speed. Remember golf is a speed sport, not a power sport.
So much of the nonsense we hear does not explain the concept of HIGH-SPEED movement. For example, trying to create a wide swing arc is, in fact, a fault. If the basic movements are applied, the detail will take care of itself. All the positions and angles are the result of moving correctly while controlling the upper arms and shoulders. Golf instruction too often starts at the detail level instead of these simple core movements. Henry Cotton was probably Britain's best-ever striker of the ball and he always advocated 'hands'.
One of his drills involved his pupils hitting car tyres with the specific aim of training more energy into the clubhead through hand delivery, NOT using the arms. You can get the same feeling by performing a half swing in long thick grass. And Christie O'Connor was always called 'Wristy Christie' as if he was good in spite of, rather than because of, his ‘wristiness’. In fact, ‘wristiness’ or the late hit are the complete opposite of the heave.
Whatever your playing standard - from a high handicapper to scratch, do you really want another year's frustration with your golf? Now is the time to learn that there is a much simpler answer to hitting the ball long and straight - consistently.
The way to achieve this? Buy the DVD now! - Click here
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