I recently had an interesting discussion with a new friend who was determined to “take up golf this season”.
It’s always fun and educational to talk to a non or aspiring golfer as their different perspective brings up unique questions about the game and its details.
As a golfer, I tend to talk about golf primarily with other golfers. You may be the same.
Turns out, there are plenty of people who are fans who have never swung a golf club. I am continually reminded of that fact!
This particular person had been curious about the sport but had been reluctant to get involved because they felt they were too old to really improve to a level where it would be a worthwhile endeavor. They were also convinced that you needed to begin playing as a young child to really achieve an advanced level of play.
I pointed out that there were plenty of professional golfers who had late starts in the game.
It is well documented that Senior Tour player Larry Nelson took up golf at 21 after returning from military service in Vietnam. He went on to win 10 PGA Tournaments including 3 majors. He has also been a dominant force on the Champions Tour having won 20 titles on that venue, and was inducted into the prestigious Golf Hall of Fame in 2006.
I also noted that Ernie Els took up golf in earnest at the age of 15. His accomplishments in the sport are well documented and include 16 PGA tour events including 3 majors, and 22 European Tour events.
He is also currently the 11th best player in the world with a win on the PGA Tour in 2008.
On a personal level, I relayed that I took up this game in my early 20’s (some 25+ years ago) and only 13 months years later broke 80 for the first time.
Now I had really captured the attention of my friend. I could see the wheels of possibility spinning in her head, and a smile that this golf thing could be “doable”. Then I threw a wrench in the conversation when I added:
“But make no mistake, the golf swing is complex.”
And that’s the truth, it is. But like a lot of endeavors, when it is broken down into its components, this complicated movement is merely the sum of individual parts, most of which are quite easy to master!
Master the parts, and you’ve mastered the swing!
I like to compare the complexity of the golf swing to the task of driving a car with a manual transmission. For those of you who drive a standard or manual transmission, the process is second nature. But imagine trying to describe each step to a new driver. It may go something like this:
- Start by taking your left foot off the brake and press the clutch pedal.
- Now quickly shift the gear lever into first gear and slowly release your foot from the clutch pedal.
- As the gear engages, push the gas pedal just enough so that the car moves forward, but not so much that the engine races, or so little that the car “bucks” and the engine stalls!
- Now repeat 2 and 3 for all gears until you are at the desired speed.
- Oh, and reverse the process when you want to come to a stop. It’s Simple?!
Driving a car with a manual transmission is complex for new drivers but the individual steps aren’t!
It isn’t too difficult to push the gas, depress the clutch, or shift the gear lever individually! But the better you do these things in sequence, the better driver you become. If you really master the sequence, you may have a future as a professional race car driver!
Developing a Great Golf Swing is quite the same.
In fact, it is more accurate to state that hitting a golf ball straight is complex, rather than that the swing itself is complex. Here’s a big reason why:
A golf ball sits on a tee loaded with “potential” energy. Along comes a club head moving at 80, 100, or even 120 mph! A massive collision results and the club’s energy is transferred to the ball. The ball then does exactly what the club face “told it to do”. If the club face is off line, then look out!
If you watch golf on TV, you’ve seen what happens when the top players in the world are out of sequence. With club head speeds of 120 mph, an errant sequence sends the ball wildly left or right. In many cases the player is playing his next shot from an adjacent fairway!
How does a golfer, novice or skilled, learn to create perfect impact? In more detail, how does the golfer go from Point A (Address) to Point B (Impact) on the way to Point C (Finish Position)?
Like the successful automobile clutch operator, the skilled golfer has blended the individual steps of the swing together in perfect sequence.
This goal is same for any golfer, whether they are picking up a club for the first time over the age of 40, or trying to shave off those last few strokes to break 70.
Over the past 6+ years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching over 5000 golfers from 61 countries the simple Key I discovered that puts their golf swing on auto pilot and delivers the club head right back through the ball, for precision shots and lower scores.
If you remember my earlier report on Proper Alignment (and the accompanying illustrations), you are already on your way to Mastering one of the simple parts/steps that comprise a solid, Tour Caliber golf swing.
Would you like to learn the other parts?
In the new 7th edition of “The Key To A Repeating Golf Swing”, I show you exactly how to deliver the club head right back through the ball at impact with tremendous power and control:
Thousands of golfers, from beginners to scratch players, have put The Key to work in their games and the results have been astounding. You can read more about their experiences all over this website.
I invite you to discover the common swing denominator shared by every great player, past and present.
Turn your body into a “golfing machine” and have the best 2011 golf season you’ve ever dreamed of with longer drives and lower scores.
And Remember, you will have Instant Access to my entire Six (6) part instructional package which now includes my new book, “Putting Rebel – Conversation with a Putting Wizard”.
Bonus: You’ll also be receiving a Personal Golf Ball Recommendation in <48 hours from a professional golf ball engineer to go with that new golf swing:
RC,
The (recommended ball) are the best balls that I have ever hit and I have hit everything over the years.
I really think I have found the correct ball for my game. Wow!
Thanks again and have a great 4th.
Jim G. – Texas, USA
I look forward to working with you on your game – Robert C.
