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You don’t really want to improve your swing, do you?

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Some golfers want to implement the swing changes their golf instructor suggests, but simply do not have the talent or time to make lasting improvements. This article isn’t about them. It’s about the golfers who have the physical ability to make certain swing changes, but refuse to let their ingrained motions be altered.

Why would someone spend the money to take lessons from a teaching professional and either not listen to the instruction, or not take the necessary steps to ingrain the changes? I’ve found that most of these golfers, often better players, do not understand the process required to make real, impactful improvements to their game; improvements that will allow them to succeed under pressure in competition.

Homer Kelley’s book The Golfing Machine has a few great quotes regarding the process of proper instruction. One of my favorites: “The student must approach instruction as a step-by-step process. The only real short cuts are more and more know-how. Every board and every panel must be cut to fit its place and fit in with the overall design. It’s premature to expect the complete results of instruction before the last factor is fitted in, understood and mastered.”

Kelley goes on to say that each player deserves instruction tailored to their skill level: “The student who can play and practice only occasionally should not be induced to proceed on the lines and precision that a prospective champion would need.” In my instruction, I always tried to build the best, most consistent swing I can for my students with the least amount of work on their part. And for me, keeping most of their original swing pattern intact is usually the path of least resistance.

The instructor’s job is to “inform and explain, the players’ job is to absorb and apply,” Kelley wrote. Therefore, a teacher and a student must work together, because a one-sided teacher-student relationship just will not reap meaningful benefits.

Good golf instructors WILL NOT want to change what you’ve always been doing in your swing unless it’s for the betterment of your game… trust me on that. A successful golf swing is full of compensations for moves that are idiosyncratic to each player. But if I’ve determined that you need to change your position at the top of your swing and you’re not allowing me to show you how or help you through the process, then our progress will stall.

Golfers taking lessons also need to remember that improving a golf swing takes time. The pieces come together in stages, and it may be awhile before your new swing feels natural. Depending on the severity of the change, you may spend days, weeks or even months trying to ingrain a new motion.

Let’s say your trouble shot is a low hook, and you decide you want to fix it. You ask around and decide to take lessons from a reputable instructor who has a solid track record working with golfers of your skill level. He offers drills and technical information tailored to your game, and uses technology (high-speed video, a launch monitor, etc.) to provide real feedback. And after one or more lessons, he will provide an ultimate “fix” for your low hook.

Now the hard work begins. Your instructor is there to help you through any stumbles that might occur, but are you up to the challenge? Will you make the time to change? Are you able to deal with higher scores in the short term for lower scores in the future?

If not, then you don’t really want to improve your swing, do you? And that’s OK. Golf is supposed to be fun, and you don’t have to shoot low scores to enjoy your time on the course. Just be honest with yourself before you spend your time and money on lessons, or criticize a golf instructor who did his or her best to help you.

Here’s a four-minute video of Rory McIlroy taking about the work he’s done to improve his game.

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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.

25 Comments

25 Comments

  1. Dill Pickleson

    Dec 12, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    Do your research as opposed to expect a pro to just magically get in your head and find out why you lift when he says rotate. Have an understanding of the swing and what your issues may be and talk to your pro. I’ve found the more I know, the more I get out of the pro. My experience is they all have a lot to offer.

  2. Myron miller

    Dec 12, 2016 at 9:04 am

    I’ve had a number of intructors over the years and i’d say over 90% of them (and possibly even higher percentage) have made a swing change and then said continue doing that with no type of anything to how to continue doing the change or how to make the change permanent. No plan for how often to practice or what to practice (drills, etc) to make the change stick. Its all well and good to have the person make the change at the lesson tee but if he can’t really feel it and can’t continue it, with no way to really ensure that the change continues, what good is blaming the student for not practicing enough.

    I’ve taught other things and I have learned thru the years, that if follow-ups and drills or things are not provided with plans on how often to do them, that the student will never actually learn the subject/change. And I put that blame on the instructor and not the student. its also on the instructor to understand how the student learns – visually, verbally or what and to help him with ways to make the changes needed.

    And as someone mentioned, the student’s body has a lot to do with things. Having the student do moves that he can’t consistently repeat due to body issues is not productive. I’ve had more than a few instructors try to have me do things that I can’t physically do repetitively. I have a lot of physical issues and can’t do many things do to physical limitations.

    So I would disagree that the onus is the student’s problem for not practicing and following up enough. Yes, there are students that are not motivated. but many of us, need followup plans and drills to help with reasonable recommendations on doing the drills given that we have other lives and can’t practice 10 hours a day like some people. Most of us are lucky to practice once per week besides playing. So reasonable expectations and suggestions on what it will take are useful.

  3. TexasSnowman

    Dec 11, 2016 at 11:11 am

    Tom, you must be an exceptional teacher. I am single digit, and I have only taken a few lessons in my 46 yrs of playing. One reason I have not taken more is that I feel I have gotten low-value from the pros I have engaged. I share many of the frustrations voiced in some of the other comments. Many of the golf pros I have encountered are just too into themselves. Paragraphs are overrated.

    • Tom Stickney

      Dec 12, 2016 at 8:44 am

      Contact me and I’ll find a teacher for you

      • Dill Pickleson

        Dec 12, 2016 at 6:08 pm

        thanks, that’s a more constructive response.

    • Dill Pickleson

      Dec 12, 2016 at 6:07 pm

      Sounds like the opposite to me….

  4. cgasucks

    Dec 10, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Convincing a person to change his/her flawed golf swing is like convincing a drug addict to get clean…

    If they want to improve their lives they must do 2 things.

    1 – Admit they have a problem
    2 – Have the motivation to do something about it

  5. Dan

    Dec 10, 2016 at 1:37 am

    As a golf coach from australia, the first point of call is to ask the student what they wish to achieve? Then follow that up with a conversation about their lifestyle, time to practice and play? Do they have any injuries or anything that may cause an issue with swing instruction that I need to be aware of? Should a coach be accountable? Absolutely! But accountability is a two way street! I don’t personally believe in drastically changing a players natural hannits, unless it is a serious cause of poor shots! I do believe that a player playing off of 18 has had to shoot 13over par or better once, a ten marker he shot 5over par or better at least once! This leads me to believe that they are capable of better golf with what they are currently doing! What we as coaches should be doing is identifying players strengths and weaknesses and letting the player know what they are.
    It’s quite often going to be inconsistencies in the swing, that’s not saying that a visually good or bad swing are better than one or other, but a good coach can identify ways to help build a consistent swing with what they player is already doing.
    All I hope to achieve with my players is that they shoot better scores, enjoy the game more and understand their own swings.

  6. Philip

    Dec 9, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Maybe because the instructor is focused to much on the result and not enough on the cause – and no matter what you tell the individual “brain” the body will continue to do what is necessary to reduce pain and stress on the body – in spite of what the individual wants to do … just a thought. It has worked well for myself, starting to listen to my body instead of fighting it. I do not expect an instructor to know what my body needs and wants to be able to make the better golf swing the instructor is trying to help me achieve – I just let my body guide me towards the end goal the instructor has shown me … in the only way my body can do it, which would be impossible for any instructor to know. If an instructor thinks they know better than any students body .. then that instructor doe snot understand cause and effect and the uniqueness that each of us has. We are not robots – and even robots are not exact.

  7. KK

    Dec 9, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    Easiest way to cut strokes is to work out 4-5 days a week. Most golfers don’t have the drive to do that. They sure don’t have the drive to incorporate swing changes. Let’s start teaching robots to golf instead.

    • David Ober

      Dec 12, 2016 at 3:09 pm

      Work out? As in “lift weights, stretch, and do cardio”?

      Honestly? You think that’s going to help a 15 get to a 6? I can’t tell you how many wonderfully fit and limber guys I know who play golf two or three days days a week, who simply can’t figure out how to truly play this game.

      If you don’t “get” the golf swing, working out isn’t going to make you appreciably better. The guys I’ve known who have made large strides in their games (I’ve seen a guy go from 12 to 2, for instance), have all dedicated themselves to learning how to strike the ball more consistently, while simultaneously working on their short games and mental games.

      In my opinion, doing that takes work on the range and on the course, not the gym….

  8. Jeff D.

    Dec 9, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    So, I’ve taken a lot of lessons over the years from different instructors. I think that we see the same thing happen in lessons and business presentations. I think people in both settings absorb very little of what is presented and what they do initially absorb – they quickly either completely forget or partially forget and misconstrue.

    So while some people do their best to practice- the practice is imperfect – at best. For a few years I have believed MEGSA type equipment might allow for “Perfect Practice” and make the learning curve much shorter.

  9. J

    Dec 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    This is my biggest complaint with golf instruction. I have never gone to an instructor (as an adult anyway) and been given a plan and a road map. If I were an instructor I would plan out a strategy over a time frame and plot checkpoints to hit at certain intervals. As it stands now there seems to be almost no accountability on the instructors side. If a player does not improve, it must be the students fault because “they really don’t want to improve”, or “they’re just looking for a quick fix”. Part of the instruction process should involve the analysis and goal setting with a correlation to not just understanding what to work on but also understanding how to work on it. From my point of view, golf instruction is and has been broken for a long time. You may be one of the exceptions Tom, but I have for the most part, been incredibly disappointed as an adult with the quality and focus of the instruction I have received. I think the pro’s who teach a lot of junior golfers are much better at this type of thing, providing structure and instilling discipline. I agree it’s much easier to communicate from the position of authority and elder status to a 12 year old kid than a 35 year old lawyer or such (can’t fill a cup that’s already full philosophy), but many adult students crave that firmness and discipline and imho showing the student (of any age) how to empty their cup and learn through process is just as important as any mechanical swing instruction and I think that is rarely a focus. I don’t want a buddy or partner as a golf coach, I, and I believe others want an authority figure who will also take some ownership and responsibility for the success or failures of the student and this means earning trust, having someone to support you. Unfortunately. My experiences as an adult trying to improve has been mostly suffering my failures and frustrations alone (to the point of contemplating quitting the game, a place I’m in even now.) then trying to squeeze as many questions and as much understanding I can into a 1 or 2 hour lesson as often as I can afford the 125-250$ an hour price tag. We learn nothing else in life in this fashion, why has this become the acceptable standard? If I were an instructor, the 1 hour lesson would not exist.

    • KK

      Dec 9, 2016 at 8:02 pm

      Step 1 of your plan should be to stop yapping so much. GolfWRX is not your diary.

      • Jafar

        Dec 9, 2016 at 8:37 pm

        Step 2 Ignore idiots like the above

      • J

        Dec 9, 2016 at 9:20 pm

        Perhaps I’m just a person who sees an established pro who is well respected and has won lots of awards and accolades from different golf publications and establishments in a bloated industry that like to pat eachother on the back and give eachother awards for the purpose of selling more books or instruction. The only thing that matters is how well you serve the guy standing in front of you at the time and as a whole I believe golf is failing at this. This is not my diary, but it’s the best avenue I have to express my opinion which is that PGA professionals should expend more effort to helping players and taking some ownership of the poor state of instruction and, in many ways the poor state of the industry as a whole instead of pointing the finger at the student and perpetuating the idea that their students are just unmotivated and lazy. A student requires a teacher to give them tools, then help them use those tools effectively. Giving a student tools with no knowledge is just as useless as asking someone to perform a task that requires a tool they do not possess.

        • KK

          Dec 9, 2016 at 9:50 pm

          And learn to use paragraphs. Please. For the love of humanity.

  10. ASUgrad1988

    Dec 9, 2016 at 6:23 pm

    Tom:
    I would change my swing if it would help. I’m retired so I have a lot of time. I’m a low single digit player, but my game is getting a little worse every year. I’m 62 and the main problem is I don’t hit as many greens, so consequently I practice my short game a lot so I can keep my handicap low. My driving distance is in the 245 yard range where its been for the last 4-5 years. I do stretching, and cardio work, so people tell me they hope to be as flexible as I am when they are 62. If we had someone who could actually help me I would be glad to change, but there isn’t anyone close by. I’ve taken videos of myself and I see parts of the swing I don’t like, but I don’t know how to fix it to get better.
    Any suggestions? Is there a swing instructor that would look at my swing from just a video or do they all want to see the player in person?
    Thank you, and great article!

  11. Ron

    Dec 9, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    I used to be a good golfer. I beat balls into the night. When I worked on the night shift, I played a round every morning after work and got to near scratch.
    And then I got older. A practice session that lasts more than 30-45 minutes means I can’t practice tomorrow. I can’t hit balls with the frequency necessary to ingrain anything a coach might give me. So, I guess I’m as good as I’m going to get now.

  12. Steve S

    Dec 9, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    After watching numerous “coaches” at my local driving range I would say that Tom Stickney is a unique individual. I’ve watched numerous folks pay a lot of money to get instruction that I would say is “canned”. I think it is also telling that none of the single digit handicappers that regularly use the range use any of the local half dozen or so instructors.

    For me I find that using video from my iphone has been valuable in analyzing and improving my swing. What it has shown me is that I have to improve my flexibility to get better.

  13. tom stickney

    Dec 9, 2016 at 11:58 am

    Don, you must decide just how important you golf game is to you and what you are willing to “spend” to get to the next level.

  14. tom stickney

    Dec 9, 2016 at 11:57 am

    The student ALWAYS leads the lesson direction from day one…the interview process we conduct before the first ball is hit will determine our direction and my experience will help the student to understand if this goal is attainable or not…from there we determine a short, mid, and long range plan for success.

    Instructors that just “begin” without asking the students what their main objective is will hamper their progress

  15. Robin

    Dec 9, 2016 at 11:47 am

    I was a real good boxer in the day. I was what you would call a scratch boxer according to golf. But CTES are starting to set in as I grow older,,, I have a tough time remembering swing thoughts…
    But when I go to my lessons my swing coach says there isn’t anything wrong with that swing… But when I play I am so inconsistent I wonder why I play. Why is it that ?
    All I know this game hurts more than boxing

  16. Scott

    Dec 9, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Tom,
    Should an instructor ask the student if they want to make a change and get rid of an obvious fault or try to make their swing work the way it is?
    One story I have from this summer was watching two players under instruction. One, the more experienced player of the two, was very larger. He had a horrible sway back and through. He was awful,but because of his size, maybe he could not rotate and the sway was the only thing he could do. He had a much thinner friend who appeared new to the game and could not get the ball off the ground. The large man wanted his friend to swing like he did and he tried to copy this horrible sway – C to reverse C. Now maybe the instructor was between a rock and a hard place, with the large man shouting instructions, but I do not think the teacher should have allowed the poor instruction to continue. He appeared content to allow the poor motions to continue.

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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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