What complicates it is the timing and sequence of the shift, something that takes intensive practice after skilled instruction to get it right and keep it right over time. Most get it right on the relatively leisurely backswing, although, even there, the weight can drift to the outside of the right foot, causing the problem of swaying on the backswing. But at the transition, when things really get moving, is when problems increase.
Fundamentals
The Basic Chip
I don’t know about you, but the simple chip right off the green can drive me nuts at times. It’s either a great effort for a tap in par or a flub that challenges my commitment to mindful golf.
Goldilocks Golf: Not Too Fast, Nor Too Slow, But Just Right
With Buddhist practice, we aim for the Middle Way–something between the extremes the Buddha discovered by trial and error. The golf swing should be approached in like fashion.
Learning from One of the Greatest Ball Strikers of Them All
I’ve been studying the swing of Lee Buck Trevino lately. And there are several aspects that particularly strike me, and lead me to think we moderns have much to learn from from this six-time major and 29-time PGA victory winner. The guy goes after the ball like no one I’ve ever seen. Nearing impact, Trevino […]
Get a Grip
Arnold Palmer famously told of his father setting his hands on the club when he was learning the game, and told him never to change that grip. And Arnold never did. Arnie, though, had the hands of a blacksmith and probably would have excelled with just about any grip he chose. Gripping the club is […]
Putting Basics
Inbee Park hit five buckets of range balls when she was first introduced to golf, but it wasn’t until she got to the practice green that she was hooked on the sport. She just liked the way the ball fell into the cup and the sound that made. The rest was history as Inbee went […]
Making the Most of Time on the Range
I enjoy time on the range as it allows honing your skills without the pressure of performance that playing presents. The range provides a significant level of privacy that we often don’t get in everyday life. You’re usually alone in your own hitting station, absorbed in your swing, your body’s reactions, how you’re doing, and […]
Staying Down on the Shot
You’ve heard the advice, I’m sure. “Stay down on it, Stay down on the shot!” And it really is important in achieving a consistently reliable swing. The other day on the course, I was not staying down and suffered the consequences–consistently lousy shots going this way and that. But before that round was over, I […]
The Art of Holding Off at Impact
One of my teachers, Jim Knego, the eminent pro at Bennett Valley in Santa Rosa CA, took a look at my swing once and noticed I was pulling everything left. His prescription was to hold off the club face at impact. And once I got the hang of it, it worked. Of course, in the […]