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How to take ownership of your golf swing

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A troubling trend I see with golfers today, both amateur and professional, is the lack of overall ownership they have with their golf swing. I have always said that good golfers are like lambs; they follow the lead of their best golfer friend in order to seek out the magic teachings of their guru, instead of getting their own or working with the coach they currently have. In fact, countless PGA Tour players have left their coach for their friend’s coach, the most legendary example being Tiger Woods’ decision to leave Butch Harmon for Hank Haney, who he met through his best frient Mark O’Meara.

Whether you believe Tiger’s decision was a good one or a bad one, coaching switches have stalled the careers of many great golfers, which could have been avoided if they took better ownership of their golf swings in the first place.

The idea of owning of your swing mechanics was taught to me early on by a Golf Machine Teacher out of Memphis named Charlie Long. He introduced me to Homer Kelley’s great work, and without him I would have never made the idea of swing ownership such an important part of my teaching — and I know after reading this, some of you will alter what you do when it comes to instruction, too.

Here’s the concept in a nutshell: Good golfers know what they feel, know their body, and understand their golf swing mechanics and why certain things work and don’t work for them. For the process to be successful, golfers must buy into the golf swing they have, as well as the golf swing they want to have. Because if you don’t own the knowledge of your current swing — its feels, how it reacts under pressure, and what things negatively affect it — then you will be lost on the golf course.

I’ll admit; this process isn’t easy, and you can’t just trust the first instructor you meet. Finding the right coach is something you as the player should take very seriously, since this will be the person you trust to help you get to the next level. I always say that you should have an idea of what shots you need to eliminate under pressure, and what swing flaws you know causes them. That is ownership — you know what you want to accomplish, and you have a good idea of what could get in the way.

Next, I would suggest you sit down with your new potential teacher and explain what you feel and what you think. See what he says. This interview process helps you filter out teachers and swing philosophies that aren’t a fit for you. From there, I suggest your new teacher perform a simple 5-minute swing analysis, with him explaining what he would like to do and why. This is where you have the chance to speak up, ask questions, and eliminate any misconceptions or confusion before you get to work.

My biggest pet peeve is hearing a golfer say, “I took one lesson from this guy and it screwed me up.” If you owned your swing mechanics, you would have never have let that happen. You would have interviewed the teacher and weeded him out within the first 5 minutes.

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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. Dave

    Aug 2, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    Very interesting article.

  2. Dropping three / hitting four

    Aug 1, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Tom – insightful article, thanks.

    Is it reasonable to ask a PGA Professional “Hey I’m committed to improving my game and want to make sure you’re the right guy for the job”? If they don’t want to have that initial conversation should we just run for the hills?

    Golf lessons are a big investment — time, money and (ultimately) the quality of our golf game. Just wondering how to approach professionals in those initial discussions.

    • Jay K.

      Sep 4, 2016 at 6:56 pm

      “If they don’t want to have that initial conversation should we just run for the hills?”

      I would. Good teachers work with what you have. I am sure many have a swing in mind, they want you to learn, but the really good ones realize not everyone can do what is necessary to make that swing work. So, they work with what you can do, and teach you how to get the most from it.

  3. MattSihv

    Jul 30, 2016 at 12:57 am

    This is true! I had someone change my entire swing and after two years with the new swing, my game had completely fallen apart. Went to a new teacher, and he immediately got to the root of the problem. We got back to what was natural for me, and started building from there. The improvement has been mind-blowing.

  4. Philip

    Jul 29, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    Very true – I’m in the process of accepting (owning) my swing. I also know what I am doing incorrectly that would take it to the next level, but I finally realized that my body knows more than myself or any golf instructor will ever know about how it wants to work. Thus, I just keep nudging it along – being sure to never try and control (restrict) my swing – just being aware of of what the club head is doing and what ball flight will most likely result. Golf sure starts to be fun when the ball goes in the direction you are expecting, whether it is a great or mediocre swing. I still have a swing coach I like to review my setup and overall swing fundamentals with, but I accept responsibility for the results.

  5. ILoveHateGolf

    Jul 29, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    Boredom alert. You’ve been warned.

    Have taken many lessons from many coaches. Made the ‘take just 1 lesson’ mistake a couple of times early before I committed to getting better. Then I made the mistake of taking 12 or so lessons from a McLean guy who ‘taught’ me to move laterally back 2″ off the ball during my backswing. Learned that what goes back must go forward and was stuck with a sway for years. So I read a lot, mostly conflicting stuff like ‘keep your head still’ and what that nitwit Flick wrote in his (in)famous “Beware keeping your head still!” Golf Magazine article. Took more lessons from a different guy. Stopped seeing him after a $400+ playing lesson and still kept swaying. Decided, like Hogan, to ‘dig my swing out of the dirt’ and after thousands of range balls and 2 Cortisone shots the only thing I dug up was more dirt. Quit golf for 2 years after shooting 93 and 77 in the same day, but am back at it hard again. I have learned plenty over the years, and agree 100% with the idea of ‘owning your swing’. For me it means:
    it’s a swing, not a strike (“ball striking” is a cursed term for me). pulling with the left rather than hitting with the right (I’m RH, and this alone keeps me from lunging at the ball; where were you 20 years ago??). Need to turn all the way through the ball and not stop at impact and start up again. Keep your damn head down, stupid! (I think I need a lesson in positive self-talk.) Keep your grip strong but your pressure light.

    • ILoveHateGolf

      Jul 29, 2016 at 11:53 pm

      And it’s a journey, not a destination. The journey can be and has been mostly fun but not knowing diddly about how you’re supposed to swing and making the same mistakes over and over again is misery. Looking back and realizing most of the lesson guys don’t really know how to make us better was a revelation, as was understanding the folks who experience the most success at Golf Schools are those who cash your ‘tuition checks’. I’d gladly pay a lot of money to a coach who could cut my handicap in half. In fact I offered to do just that to a Trackman joint – with the caveat that if I did what they recommended, practiced 2-3x a week, and played at least 27 holes/wk and didn’t lower my 10 handicap to 5, they would refund my money. Unsurprisingly, no takers there.

      So if you aren’t lucky enough to have played in HS or College, or aren’t a freak with a natural talent, you have to own your swing, do the homework and put in the work yourself while seeking the ‘right’ instructor for you (and depending on where you are in your development, the right teacher now may not be the right one down the road). Good luck. Lord knows in this game most of us need it.

      • Leftienige

        Aug 1, 2016 at 9:45 am

        I had a few lessons from a new pro at my club . He was obsessed that all faults could be cured with a correct grip . After several sessions, and no improvement, I said I’d go my own way for a while . His suggestion was I should come back and see him once a month “To Get my cheque gripped ” .— Freudian slip ?

  6. Mike

    Jul 29, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Finding the right coach to help you fix swing flaws is a road to nowhere. And it certainly will not lead to any kind of “ownership” of your swing.

  7. Mat

    Jul 29, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    And for anyone on here that spouts of about not buying something and “get a lesson” is very much perpetuating the stupidity.

    For what it’s worth, I worked with a coach for a while and stuck with it through two injuries before I stopped. It’s very hard; he’s a great coach, but it didn’t work for me.

  8. Mr. Wedge

    Jul 29, 2016 at 11:04 am

    The process of finding the “right” coach for average golfers is more difficult than people think. Here’s why: 1) There aren’t any good repositories of instructor reviews. So this leaves us to choose based mostly on recommendations from friends, whose swing could be completely different from yours. 2) You have to invest the time and at least 3-4 lessons before you can tell whether you are making progress or heading in the wrong direction. I was always told, a new swing mechanic may feel wrong just because it’s different from the normal. So how do we differentiate that, from a move that is not right for our swing? Takes time to tell. and 3) Because of both #1 and #2, finding the “right” coach can be a very expensive process that just isn’t feasible for the average golfer. That’s why the “3 lessons for $99” at your local golf store are so popular. But that’s also a waste of money, just a smaller amount to shell out at once.

  9. Andrew Cooper

    Jul 29, 2016 at 9:02 am

    Good stuff Tom. I just think that it is difficult for a learning golfer to know what they need out of a coach. The golfer really into seeking perfect technique, could actually benefit from a more feel based coach-and vice-versa. So maybe keep an open mind too.

  10. Scott Shields

    Jul 28, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    I’m a golfing machine guy myself.

    What’s nice is that nearly ANY move can be found in that book as one of the component variations, and quantified. You’ll understand its place in YOUR swing, and more importantly, by understanding your own swing, you can understand how your feelings and mechanics inform each other.

    Good read.

    • 8thehardway

      Jul 29, 2016 at 12:38 pm

      No, it’s not a good read; even with 7 editions under its belt there’s no editing, the format actually impedes comprehension and the overall impression is that whoever inherited the copyright to this work resented the bequest.

  11. 4pillars

    Jul 28, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    I don’t know what happened between Tiger and Butch, but what I have read suggests that there were very serious underlying issues in the relationship, which have nothing to do with his following another golfer to another teacher.

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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