Friday, May 22, 2009
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Saturday, May 2, 2009
Golf's Secret Society
Is there some sort of secret society in golf? Do golf instructors know something that the rest of the golf world does not know? And if they do how is the decision made with whom to share these secrets?
These are all questions that should, and need to be addressed.
First of all put 100 golf instructors in a room and ask them what are some of the fundamentals of golf. You will get answers like grip, stance, posture, aim, and alignment.
Let's define fundamental - one of the minimum constituents without which a thing or a system would not be what it is.
Let's go through each of these and see if we can come up with a logical answer.
1. Grip - instruction tells us that this is one of the keys to playing good golf but yet great players have used a number of different grips. Harry Vardon used an overlapping grip, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods use an interlocking grip, and Moe Norman used a ten finger grip.
So as you can see there is no commonality in the grip type.
How about whether a grip is strong, weak, or neutral? Ben Hogan used a weak grip as does Jose Maria Olazabal. David Duval, Paul Azinger, and Gene Sarazen use a strong grip and others use a neutral grip.
So grip would NOT be a fundamental since you can use just about type or style and still play great golf.
2. Stance - Sam Snead used a closed stance and Jack Nicklaus an open one. Fred Couples and Lee Trevino also use an open stance while Lee Janzen and Tom Lehman use closed ones.
Again, there is not ONE stance that is used by every player so that cannot be a fundamental.
3. Posture - Ben Hogan stood almost straight up while Hubert Green is bent over. Dan Forsman also is more bent over then is commonly recommended and lots of players are somewhere between these two extremes. So posture cannot be a fundamental.
4. Aim - On a shot that is 200 yards of length a study on the PGA Tour concluded that ZERO players aimed at the flag! They aimed in the DIRECTION of the flag! Again, this cannot be a fundamental.
5. Alignment - Sam Snead set up right of target and Jack Nicklaus sets up left of target. There are numerous players that set up closed and open.
A few years ago another study was conducted of amateur golfers and Touring Professionals for similarities. 76% of ALL right- handed golfers aimed and set up to the right of target! Another fundamental down the drain!
So if all of the above are NOT fundamentals then what are? What do great players all have in common?
1. The ability to strike the ground, in front of the ball, in the same spot every time. Great players don't top the ball down the fairway or generally hit fat shots!
2. The players hit the ball a manageable distance to play the holes or the golf course.
3. All these great players took all the things mentioned such as grip, stance, posture, etc. and adapted all these variations so they could have a predictable flight of ball curvature that they could manage.
So the end result is, if you can hit the ball the proper distance for the shot at hand, control the curvature of the golf ball, and strike the ground in front of the ball in the same spot every time your handicap will go down.
Chuck Evans
Executive Director of Instruction
The Medicus Golf Institute
These are all questions that should, and need to be addressed.
First of all put 100 golf instructors in a room and ask them what are some of the fundamentals of golf. You will get answers like grip, stance, posture, aim, and alignment.
Let's define fundamental - one of the minimum constituents without which a thing or a system would not be what it is.
Let's go through each of these and see if we can come up with a logical answer.
1. Grip - instruction tells us that this is one of the keys to playing good golf but yet great players have used a number of different grips. Harry Vardon used an overlapping grip, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods use an interlocking grip, and Moe Norman used a ten finger grip.
So as you can see there is no commonality in the grip type.
How about whether a grip is strong, weak, or neutral? Ben Hogan used a weak grip as does Jose Maria Olazabal. David Duval, Paul Azinger, and Gene Sarazen use a strong grip and others use a neutral grip.
So grip would NOT be a fundamental since you can use just about type or style and still play great golf.
2. Stance - Sam Snead used a closed stance and Jack Nicklaus an open one. Fred Couples and Lee Trevino also use an open stance while Lee Janzen and Tom Lehman use closed ones.
Again, there is not ONE stance that is used by every player so that cannot be a fundamental.
3. Posture - Ben Hogan stood almost straight up while Hubert Green is bent over. Dan Forsman also is more bent over then is commonly recommended and lots of players are somewhere between these two extremes. So posture cannot be a fundamental.
4. Aim - On a shot that is 200 yards of length a study on the PGA Tour concluded that ZERO players aimed at the flag! They aimed in the DIRECTION of the flag! Again, this cannot be a fundamental.
5. Alignment - Sam Snead set up right of target and Jack Nicklaus sets up left of target. There are numerous players that set up closed and open.
A few years ago another study was conducted of amateur golfers and Touring Professionals for similarities. 76% of ALL right- handed golfers aimed and set up to the right of target! Another fundamental down the drain!
So if all of the above are NOT fundamentals then what are? What do great players all have in common?
1. The ability to strike the ground, in front of the ball, in the same spot every time. Great players don't top the ball down the fairway or generally hit fat shots!
2. The players hit the ball a manageable distance to play the holes or the golf course.
3. All these great players took all the things mentioned such as grip, stance, posture, etc. and adapted all these variations so they could have a predictable flight of ball curvature that they could manage.
So the end result is, if you can hit the ball the proper distance for the shot at hand, control the curvature of the golf ball, and strike the ground in front of the ball in the same spot every time your handicap will go down.
Chuck Evans
Executive Director of Instruction
The Medicus Golf Institute
