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Is trying to get better always a good thing?

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“I don’t want to be the golfer I was in 2001, I want to be better,” Tiger Woods once said. Golfers sometimes fight too hard to make improvements, and find themselves doing more harm than good.

Rory McIlroy is seemingly approaching “Tiger in 2001” status at this point in his career, but he seems to have one valuable lesson figured out: Don’t try to get better. 

In addition to his physical abilities, McIlroy seems like a bright young man. I don’t know him personally, but judging from his media presence, he is certainly wise beyond his years. He hasn’t put any added pressure on getting to a certain number of wins (like Tiger did with the number 18), and he isn’t obsessing over mechanical changes. Maintenance, especially for McIlroy in the coming years, is the name of the game. Not improvement.

“Maintenance” is a word most great golfers dislike. It connotes staying where you are, and not trying to “be all you can be”– an idea that may be perfectly OK for the U.S. Army, but might actually be dangerous for elite level golfers.

For the last three weeks we have witnessed Rory playing at a level very few players ever get to. Truly rare air. If he were to not get one bit better than he is right now, he might win 20 majors! He’s that good. And if he learns anything from Tiger, it should be to maintain the level of play he is at right now, and not entertain thoughts of “better.” I personally believe Tiger made that mistake. The constant chase of perfection has haunted him somewhat and left many wondering why he ever wanted to change the way he played at the time of the Tiger-Slam. If he had stayed where he was, he might be at 25 majors!

Every so often a player reaches the point of “all he can be” and that level is enough to beat every player on the planet. That’s what being the best means, by definition. Rory is currently at that point. Does this mean he shouldn’t practice or keep working hard on his game? Of course not. It means he need not try anything new; no new theories, no new coaches, not even a new workout routine. Just honing.

Rory’s past three weeks have been the finest exhibition of driving the golf ball any of us have seen in a long time, and if he stays healthy, there is no reason that he can’t continue to do that for a long time to come. He seems more content with dominance than others have before him.

Tiger decided to switch coaches after winning the Masters by 12 shots, then again after winning 8 majors, then again after 14 majors! Contrary to popular belief, he’s certainly not the only one that has tried to improve after proven success, either.

During the broadcast on the Sunday of Rory’s 2014 PGA Championship victory, Ian Baker Finch made reference to a time in his career that he made a grip change and it “ruined my career, really.” That was after he had won the British Open. Stewart Cink had a similar experience after his Open Championship win. So did David Duval. John Mahaffey, a fine tour player and major winner, has said the same of his game: “too much tinkering.” Bill Rogers, the leading money winner on Tour in 1981 and The Open Champion, decided he needed to hit the ball further.  He never won again. And then there’s the story of Raplh Guldahl, a back to back US open winner in the 30’s, who lost his game after writing a “how to” book on golf! The irony is biting.

Perhaps one of the reasons Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Gary Player lasted as long as they did is that they stayed with what got them to the top. Ben Hogan found his “secret” late in life, but never changed it a bit once he found it.

In this era of enlightened golf instruction through technology, the players have to be very careful. They need to be hyper-aware of what got them success in the first place. Some prefer “digging it out of the dirt,” but most now go the route of coach and radar systems. Whatever route the players chooses, he or she needs to know when they have “got it”, and stay with that feeling, that swing, that timing – whatever it might be. Thinking there is always something to improve on might actually be detrimental. It certainly doesn’t seem to have worked in Tiger’s best interest.

We can all learn from the lesson that sometimes complacency is a good thing. Often, I am approached by single-digit handicap golfers who want to “get to zero.”  I am always quick to point out that, say a 5 handicap, is already a very good golfer and we need to approach his changes with caution. No good teacher wants to make your swing prettier, we just want to make it better. Now, you may never reach the level of a PGA Tour player, but your own game means as much to you, so be careful how you approach your changes.

A major overhaul in your swing is rarely necessary to lower your scores.

We all have a core golf move, so you have to work within that basic structure. One of the secrets to Butch Harmon’s success with tour players is that he embodies a style of teaching that fits the individual. I’ve spoken with him about this, and he has said many times: “If a player does something very naturally, just stay with it; make that the basis around which you work.”

Words of wisdom for golfers at any level. Embracing your natural, inherent movements will give you the best chance to hit the ball better, and get the results you want. As John Jacobs has often said: “If that was a band aid sir, you need to go buy a whole box of them.” Don’t perform surgery when a band-aid will do the job!

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Dennis Clark is a PGA Master Professional. Clark has taught the game of golf for more than 30 years to golfers all across the country, and is recognized as one of the leading teachers in the country by all the major golf publications. He is also is a seven-time PGA award winner who has earned the following distinctions: -- Teacher of the Year, Philadelphia Section PGA -- Teacher of the Year, Golfers Journal -- Top Teacher in Pennsylvania, Golf Magazine -- Top Teacher in Mid Atlantic Region, Golf Digest -- Earned PGA Advanced Specialty certification in Teaching/Coaching Golf -- Achieved Master Professional Status (held by less than 2 percent of PGA members) -- PGA Merchandiser of the Year, Tri State Section PGA -- Golf Professional of the Year, Tri State Section PGA -- Presidents Plaque Award for Promotion and Growth of the Game of Golf -- Junior Golf Leader, Tri State section PGA -- Served on Tri State PGA Board of Directors. Clark is also former Director of Golf and Instruction at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Dennis now teaches at Bobby Clampett's Impact Zone Golf Indoor Performance Center in Naples, FL. .

84 Comments

84 Comments

  1. Dennis Clark

    Aug 15, 2014 at 11:26 am

    Carefully 🙂

    Seriously body type only tells me part of the equation. I have on on line video review program if You’d like Ill take a look , [email protected]

  2. John

    Aug 15, 2014 at 3:39 am

    This is a psychological issue. Earl had Tiger hitting balls on the Mike Douglas show when he was two years old. TWO. Push, push, be better, hit more balls, hello world, he’s gonna be the best that’s ever been, change the world, etc. His dad may have been gone for six years, but he’s still in his ear. More workouts, train harder, be a seal, more women, more wins, more majors, more, more, more. Of course he’s changed coaches and swings trying to “get better”. That’s theconlybway he knows how to be. I agree with you Dennis, but it’s very hard for people to change fundamentally who they are, and especially a driven guy like Tiger.

  3. Dennis Clark

    Aug 14, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    Sorry for those typos but you get my drift.

  4. Dennis Clark

    Aug 14, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    Authors note: Fun discussion and great comments but lets not forget. I was talking about a tiger but mainly using him as an example of what might e a mistake for the rest of us. That is, knowing when it’s good, being aware of what you’re doing when you’re playing your best, and MAINTAINING IT. Accepting that this might be as good as it gets and I’m really enjoying this level of golf is so important for your game AND your enjoyment. Thx again to all for participating. I always welcome swings on my Facebook page.

  5. Mitchell Beck

    Aug 14, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Thanks Dennis – I enjoyed the article and agree with the sentiment, especially the teachings of Harmon and the wisdom of Jacobs.

    I think I have a minor correction, however. You wrote: “Tiger decided to switch coaches after winning the Masters by 12 shots”

    I believe Tiger was already working with Harmon prior to his US Amateur wins in the early ’90s, and he wanted to overhaul and change his swing with Harmon after watching tape of the Masters he won by 12.

    I think, in keeping with your article, that at some point Tiger wanted to do more (2002 or so) and Butch said, “No need, swing is good, just need to fine tune it and you’re ready to go” and Tiger’s obsessive mind couldn’t handle it.

    Unless it was hurting his knee, there was no reason to switch. If he just worked on his driving (or maybe switched to a more forgiving model of driver – something with a 43.5″ shaft and a 460cc head) that dude would have won more.

  6. John

    Aug 14, 2014 at 5:44 pm

    I am a 52 year old, 6 handicapper who on good days shoots 76-80. When I asked my pro how I could become better he told me he would not mess with my full swing because it could do more damage than good. He said at this stage of my life I should work on my 50 yards and in and try and maintain my 6. He pointed out there is a reason why there is a senior tour!

  7. Mike

    Aug 14, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    Sucks to read this that after 6 years playing and practicing I’m going to have to deal with periods of literally hitting 180yd toe hooks or shanks all of my life and I’ll always be chasing the center of the face only to never truly find it 🙁

    A 5 or 6 handicap may be deemed as “pretty good”, but there aren’t many days that I DON’T feel like a complete hack while playing.

    • Bainz

      Aug 15, 2014 at 7:18 am

      It is the hackers that have most to gain from coaches. Dennis was talking about Tiger getting obssessed with improvement not an average hacker.
      We all develop a certain way to swing club which can be hard to unlearn. But if you have a bad fault you have to change it, but working on your own is impossible. See a good coach and work on game together.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 15, 2014 at 9:16 am

      The article states: when you have peaked, reached the limits of your physical best…180 yard toe hooks doesn’t sound like you’re quite there yet. Keep practicing. Thx

  8. Jafstar

    Aug 14, 2014 at 2:53 pm

    I think it’s weird how Tiger is breaking down before Phil.

    Did Phil go through this at age 38? What has Phil been doing to keep up with the pack that Tiger isn’t able to do, at least this year anyway.

    I think Tiger just looks tired with bags under his eyes all the time. Maybe he should break up with his girlfriend like Rory did, might give him that boost he needs.

    • Ballstriker

      Aug 14, 2014 at 3:55 pm

      I’m thinking’ it’s because Eldrick has been through some 8 or 9 surgical procedures since college that Phil has not. Too many to list, I’m sure someone here will list them chronologically. A mild brain injury stemming from losing the respect of colleagues and fans world wide because of his poor choices as a husband. His swing violence at 120 plus miles an hour has been far more destructive to the body than Phil’s “slide back and slide through” hope I don’t block or yank it move. What injuries were incurred during the infamous ’09 fire hydrant incident? Who knows? Phil’s ills seem to be biologically linked, and he’s been lucky to not have had a catastrophic injury. The next 5 years for both aging war horses will be interesting to watch. Can either man pull off a late major into their mid forties like the Golden Bear did? We shall see, we shall see.

      • Knobbywood

        Aug 16, 2014 at 2:17 pm

        Tiger took a nine iron to the side of his face courtesy of an angry Valkyrie woman and I think that actually caused some kind of physical damage to him and his golf has suffered because of it… Balance, feel, and sight lines could have been altered

    • M-smizzle

      Aug 14, 2014 at 4:22 pm

      As a former weightlifter, I’d have to say that a lot of this can be chalked up to overtraining…back in my hayday everything hurt but you gotta keep goin but maybe I’m wrong..anyways it’s his life and people need to quit criticizing him for doing what he wants
      There’s a big difference in what he wants vs what we want for him; right chamblee?

      • Dennis Clark

        Aug 14, 2014 at 6:42 pm

        One would think with all the expert advice available to him, he’d know the lengthen as you strengthen school of thought. Maybe not?

    • Gautama

      Aug 15, 2014 at 11:15 am

      By appearances, Phil has also led a completely different life. We don’t know the truth of any of these guys’ lives, but it would seem that Phil has always led the more balanced life of the two, also finding happiness in family, friends, and activities off the course, while Tiger’s self image and happiness seems to be entirely defined by his record. Doesn’t take a psychologist to figure out who the happier person is likely to be and I think that has a lot to do with long term performance. Tiger has always seemed to be a deeply unhappy, lonely person to me, and thy a just has to take a toll on every part of your life. If all there was to life is how you’re hitting a golf ball right now, wouldn’t you tinker with your swing to no end?

      • Knobbywood

        Aug 16, 2014 at 7:27 pm

        Wow because you have enough insight into both tiger and phils personal lives to make such a judgement

        • Gautama

          Aug 16, 2014 at 11:55 pm

          Well, as I said we don’t actually know anything about these guys but what we see from the outside… But yeah with that caveat I’d say it’s pretty glaringly clear that they’ve led very different lives and that Phil’s has been the more balanced of the two.

  9. Scooter McGavin

    Aug 14, 2014 at 1:59 pm

    I can definitely see the value in this concept from a shorter time frame. But, would this same principle still apply when you consider a long time frame, where one must take an aging body into account? As a player gets older and cannot swing the same way as they could when they were 25, won’t their swing need to evolve, and, in a sense, develop to accommodate this? In that sense, the player would need to find ways to improve his efficiency, which, I would consider “improvement”. Thoughts?

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 6:39 pm

      Sure move up two tees. I used to hit 12/13 greens, at 66 if I played the tees I used to play Id be lucky to hit 8/9. I’m hitting the same clubs into greens I used to hit. Just playing 30 yards closer:). Swings shorten and lose speed but don’t change a lot really.

      • Scooter McGavin

        Aug 14, 2014 at 6:43 pm

        Sorry, I should have clarified. I meant with competitive golfers, esp. on Tour. The aging tour players can’t move up tees, but they still have to find ways to keep up with the younger players who are hitting it 300. Does it basically get made up for in better course management?

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 7:18 pm

      Scooter. That’s why after mid 40s on the regular tour they start to fade. The senior courses play SERIOUSLY shorter than the jr tour. I personally think the senior tour might wanna move up to 45-47.

  10. rockflightxl1000

    Aug 14, 2014 at 1:53 pm

    Dennis, out of curiosity with natural moves do you ever see it as a result of a physiological compensation? I’m speaking in the context of the low handicap players.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 6:36 pm

      Stocky gets short, often lays it off. Have to live with it.
      Natural lefties playing righty are almost always flat.
      Lanky types get loose and move excessively. Gotta widen the base to tighten em up a bit.
      Lots really.

  11. Andrew Cooper

    Aug 14, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    Interesting read as always Dennis. Amazing how many seemingly “quirky” swingers have had amazing consistency and longevity- Monty, Couples, Furyk, Leitzke, Peete, Barber and so on…and seemed to require little maintenance too. They all knew their swings and games and had the good sense not to change them-something in that I think.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 1:18 pm

      So many…Acceptance is key in golf. It will never be a game of perfection, and one only funds trouble looking for it! You’re right there is a lot to be learned in those swings for all of us!

  12. Pingback: Is trying to get better always a good thing? | Spacetimeandi.com

  13. Chris Costa

    Aug 14, 2014 at 7:16 am

    Great story, Dennis!

  14. whatisthis

    Aug 14, 2014 at 1:38 am

    Enjoyed reading the article and all the comments. I’m not a single digit player, but I have a tendency to tinker with my swing. I think the article makes sense. The problems is being able to repeat that great round when you’re a once a week golfer. It would be great if I was that talented to repeat a great round without practice…

  15. Jeff

    Aug 14, 2014 at 1:33 am

    I think Rory is fun to watch, he’s a great player, making history. But, he’s got to win a 5th one, then come down from the high, a 6th one, a 7th, 8th, and 9th. Then he’ll have 10. Then we can start to talk about whether he’s avoided making mistakes that have hurt other great players.
    Its unfair to say Nicklaus and Snead and Player did something Tiger hasn’t, or couldn’t do longevity wise, and he compares favorably to any of them in most every possible performance measurement except for majors won. His career has already covered almost 20 years, if you start with the his US Amateurs.
    Rory has the game, and now he’s shown a penchant for winning on the biggest stage. Now he’s gotta win a handful more, and I’ll be rooting for him, for the same reason I like Tiger, I like history.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 7:18 am

      I agree. The only history on the current tour is Tiger Woods. No question.

  16. John

    Aug 13, 2014 at 11:00 pm

    We have a saying where I come from. “Dance with the one that brung’ya.”

  17. ada

    Aug 13, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    Rory should be focused on getting better. That doesn’t mean he makes big changes to his swing. Maybe it is time to become a top 10 putter.

  18. Long

    Aug 13, 2014 at 9:56 pm

    Could the reason be Tiger listens to his body and tried to change the swing in order to have less stress on his aging body ?

    • Joe

      Aug 13, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      Yes! I believe he didn’t change his swing to get better. Even during “maintenance” little tweaks are made, almost daily. The only reason he completely overhauled his swing is because he had to in order to keep playing.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 7:14 am

      What in his new swing is easier on his body?

      • Jeff

        Aug 14, 2014 at 2:09 pm

        lololol. I’m a huge Tiger fan, and sometimes Tiger apologist, but you hit the nail on the head right there. Maybe he needed to challenge himself the way Haney claims in “The Big Miss” if only to stay motivated, that understandable. But in time his swing has only become more and more, he would say explosive, I would say violent.

  19. cdvilla

    Aug 13, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    This is a great article. I’m a 10 (and dropping) and have used software to track my game for the past few seasons in order to pinpoint areas to improve. I think that most people think that they know but do they? I know that bad driver swings cost me strokes but if I hit the fairway, I make par 3/4 times. No need for a full-bore swing change but certainly a need for a change to my process in the tee box.

  20. Dennis Clark

    Aug 13, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    Thx for the interest all…remember I’m a teacher and this was written for all of you and directly about Tiger Woods. I’m a huge Tiger fan have been since he came on the scene, but he MIGHT have made a mistake? Its a pitfall that all athletes have to be careful of and it applies to the rest of us as well. HOW you change, IF you change might need some careful consideration

  21. Mike

    Aug 13, 2014 at 2:32 pm

    There is clearly a strong consensus that Tiger played his best golf under Butch Harmon and had he stayed with Butch he would have broken Jacks major championship record by now. I too felt this way but I decided to look at a timeline of his career and calculate his winning percentage with each coach. He actually won a higher percentage of events he entered under Hank Haney. 32.98% versus 25.16% under Butch. Yes he had that amazing year in 2000 where he won 9 or 20 events (45%). But in 2006 under Haney he won 53.3% of his starts. Still the only year of his career where he won more than half of his events. He also had a big equipment advantage for the majority of 2000 that no one ever talks about. In fact, I’m not sure how many people are even aware that in the late spring of 2000 Nike developed the first multilayer, urethane covered golf ball which Tiger put into play right away. For most of the rest of the players on the PGA tour, it wasn’t until that years Presidents Cup in the fall that Titleist introduced their first ProV1. We all know that the multilayer golf ball was a game changer on tour and Tiger was using one for most of the golf season including the 3 majors he won that year while the rest of the tour was using a wound balata covered ball. Also if you look at a larger snapshot than just a single season, say that great run he had with Butch from 1999-2002 you’ll see that he won 34.61% of his starts. In comparison his best stretch with Haney came from 2006-2008 where he won an amazing 51.35% on events he entered on the PGA tour plus majors. So after looking at the numbers more closly it appears he played his best golf under Hank Haney. As for Sean Foley, Tiger has had to suffer through too many physical problems to give a fair assessment of their work together. But if you’re interested his winning percentage is 15%. But if you just look at the two years he was basically healthy 2012-13 his winning percentage was 22.86. Much closer to that of the Harmon years.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 13, 2014 at 6:42 pm

      Every player has “natural tendencies, things they do that are in their golfing DNA. A good teacher/student relationship is where the instructor does not remove or totally eliminate that move. Particularly if a player has had success with a certain move. In Tigers case, he was always standing up, moving off the ball, driving hard to his left and freely releasing the club. An in-to-out pattern that yes, had him hitting down on the driver. He won 14 majors and everything else you can think of with those tendencies. I think Hank and Butch both recognized that. Now his core, his player’s soul if you will, has been surgically removed from his game. Granted it is very different body but I’m just sayin…

      • Old Tom Morris

        Aug 14, 2014 at 12:19 am

        I was just curious but of Tigers 3 swings (Harmon, Haney,Foley) which one do you think is the most technically sound to be the best ball striker. If you say either Haney or Foleys do you think switching from his Harmon was a mistake because it was just an improved version of what Tiger had been doing naturally since he was a kid?

        • Dennis Clark

          Aug 14, 2014 at 6:47 pm

          Old Tom: I will go on record as saying this officially once and for all: I think Tiger Woods made a mistake leaving Butch Harmon!

          • Old Tom

            Aug 14, 2014 at 9:17 pm

            Interesting, any chance you could explain why. I was just wondering if there might be a golf lesson hidden somewhere in your answer since I’m going down a swing change at the moment.

  22. John

    Aug 13, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Very good read. And actually very relevant to me. I’ve been hovering around a 10 hdcp all season, dropped 3 strokes from the last couple years, and my goal is to get to a 5 before next spring. Didn’t go to a swing coach, but I obsessed over some videos I took at the range, trying to find some improvements, and then I realized after a couple rounds that it was my putting, and to a greater extent, my scrambling that needed the most improvement. I go to the range often, but now hit less balls and try to spend as much, if not more time on the putting/chipping green.

  23. dapadre

    Aug 13, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    As always, nice read. The funny thing is I was discussing this with a golf mate, that is the urge for golfers to always “want” to get better, without questioning if we arent already at out best. I think it has to do with the fact that golf is one of those very few sports were perfection is impossible. Think about it, a perfect score card is one with 18 hole in ones, Impossible yes, we know but that is perfection. Its like the 100 meter sprint, the obsession to see how fast we can go.

    I agree that nothing beats 2000-2001 Tiger, was phenomenal and something tells me that Rors wont make that mistake, so we have a lot to look out for.

  24. IH8

    Aug 13, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    I get what you’re saying, i.e. beware the pitfalls of chasing perfection, but I gotta challenge you (and those who put this warning out there) on something.

    Some say that if Tiger had changed nothing he’d have 18 or more majors. You say that if Rory keeps this up, he might win 20 majors. Maybe, but here’s the thing about being the best: you become the bar, and that bar becomes what everyone strives for. I totally get that completely overhauling everything may be a disaster (or it could make you better….but lets ignore that) but to just maintain means you’re standing still while everyone is running to get to you. If you do that, eventually, someone will pass you by. Right now, a whole world of touring golfers are looking at Rory as what they gotta beat and, more importantly, a world of junior golfers are looking at Rory as what they gotta be to win the big ones. If Rory stays exactly as he is, you don’t think some of those folks are gonna get better than him? Yes, an overhaul may screw everything up, but if he keeps everything exactly as it is (even his work outs, which is odd as you can get stale in the gym pretty fast) you don’t think someone’s best is eventually gonna be better?

    Look at it this way: do you really think Rory would be where he is right now if he didn’t push himself beyond his best?

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 13, 2014 at 3:36 pm

      I think we don’t know; I think if and WHEN these people start beating Rory, then Rory might wanna consider a change…My question about Tiger is why change when NOONE can beat you? It’s a risk he took and now older and injured we may never know. Thx for reading

    • Christosterone

      Aug 13, 2014 at 4:12 pm

      No offense but rory’s career barely matches some of tigers better years.
      Tiger had over 25 wins by rory’s age…what does he have, 7 maybe?
      Rory is an awesome player but he is nowhere near tiger or jack. Those guys(tiger especially) didnt miss cuts left and right…
      The memory of the golfing public is either extremely short or nostalgically long….
      Tiger was the embodiment of domination through the entirety of his first 15 years.
      And for the guy claiming tiger had an equipment advantage….are you kidding? Phil is on record as calling tiger’s equipment out(correctly imho) for being antiquated.
      And he was still dominating the world of golf.

      • Philip

        Aug 13, 2014 at 10:44 pm

        Well the year isn’t up yet for Rory so he may get another one or two, but if we compare till the end of the calendar year as of their 25th birthdays (if I didn’t mess up the counts) :

        Jack – 17 (4 majors)
        Tiger – 24 (5 majors / 3 World Championships)
        Rory – 13* (4 majors / 1 World Championship)

        * and counting for the rest of the year

        • Christosterone

          Aug 14, 2014 at 12:54 am

          I stand corrected on the wins.
          thanks

      • Dennis Clark

        Aug 14, 2014 at 7:01 pm

        Agreed I don’t think anyone is comparing Rory to a young Tiger. And he’d be wise to avoid that pitfall as well!

      • Dennis Clark

        Aug 14, 2014 at 7:07 pm

        Agreed I don’t think anyone is comparing Rory to a young Tiger. And he’d be wise to avoid that pitfall as well!

        Read more at http://www.golfwrx.com/237847/its-not-always-good-to-try-and-get-better/comment-page-1/#DxCqyoPCXSoMptCh.99

    • Jeff

      Aug 14, 2014 at 2:14 pm

      I don’t think Rory needs to get better. 16 under at both the Open Championship and PGA will win outright, just about every year. I’m always on WRX, hearing about how great it is to get fit correctly. Maybe Rory just finally found the Head-Shaft combo he’d been missing with his driver? Maybe if all WRXer’s foubnd that combo they could drive it just as good? jk

  25. tom stickney

    Aug 13, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    Great thoughts Dennis…sometimes trying to get better can hamper your success as we all know, but what if it had worked out and he really did get better than he was in 2000? Or is that EVEN possible??? Quite the question to ponder.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 13, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      You’re right Tom…hard to imagine better than then, anyone. I give him credit for trying; didn’t work this time but who knows? I myself miss those days!

  26. Joey

    Aug 13, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    Tiger’s too big now. Dude got addicted to physical fitness in the wrong way – he’s too jacked up and not as agile as he should be as a golfer.

    I think this is the biggest mistake he ever made.

  27. Christosterone

    Aug 13, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    To be fair, Tiger was BY FAR the best driver and player with the shorter smaller headed drivers.
    He has need to change and adapt his game to more technological changes than Nicklaus or Hogan ever could’ve dreamed.
    Notice Tiger still hammers the shorter, smaller headed 3W and pounds his hogan era blades(4iron at 24 – pw at 50)
    If the equipment had not changed and given guys like Yang, Wier, Micheel, Hamilton, Curtis, and numerous others the chance to hit it off the center of the clubface he would probably have 18 by now and perhaps mid to low 90s in total wins.
    The fact is that 45″ drivers require an entirely different swing while Tiger was always a one swing guy like Nicklaus from his driver to his sw.

    • Joey

      Aug 13, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      Tiger is TOO MUSCULAR now, that is the biggest problem. He went and got all muscle-hungry and addicted to being big, and IMO that’s why he’s lost agility and the swing that made him all those majors.

      Seriously, just look at footage from 1997-2002 and tell me that when he was there as his most dominant his figure wasn’t light years from what it is today.

      • Christosterone

        Aug 13, 2014 at 12:58 pm

        I agree he went the peter lonard route to his detriment(possibly)..
        I like the sinewy look he had or vijay…vijay is the perfect example because his swig. Is a reverse c(supposedly the hardest on the body) and his swing is identical to the 1994 version..and its beautiful.
        Tiger would’ve been well advised to stay lean and sinewy(like jordan in basketball)….
        But he has an insane desire to do everything to the extreme…he cant just run like a normal person, he has to do it with navy seals..
        Personally i have no clue why he went so bonkers working out…but my point about the equipment stands. I believe guys like michael campbell would not have made the us open cut without a 460 driver and prov1x.
        Whereas tiger wouldve with a tiny driver and balata.
        To give u an idea of what has undergone since tigers 97 masters consider this: justin leonard’s 3w in 1997 was actually made of wood….lol

        • Dennis Clark

          Aug 13, 2014 at 1:18 pm

          you have to remember that the obsessive trait got him to be Tiger in the first place? The best Ive ever seen for a while…

          • Christosterone

            Aug 13, 2014 at 1:26 pm

            And he won like 8 out of 9 tournaments i believe in 08 or 09…which would be a massively successful career, let alone a year or 2.
            So we cant be too quick to call his bulking up a failure.

          • Christosterone

            Aug 13, 2014 at 1:31 pm

            Also please forgive the fact that my comments read like illiterate ramblings at this time.
            I am posting from an ipad and i hate software keyboards and find it too time consuming to edit posts…

      • Max

        Aug 13, 2014 at 1:05 pm

        You can be big and swing from the inside and hit a draw. I think that’s what he should do. And not these fades all the time.

        • Dennis Clark

          Aug 13, 2014 at 1:17 pm

          In my teacher opinion I agree; his body is not fast enough to play fades, at least right now

          • Jeff

            Aug 14, 2014 at 2:17 pm

            But if he hits a draw he will be more prone to hooks, and from what I can tell of Tour Pros, they hate hitting hooks more than just about anything

      • RobG

        Aug 13, 2014 at 4:51 pm

        Go back and take a look at Tiger when he was dominating in 2005-2008/early 2009, he was WAY bigger then than he is now – he was winning at 50% clip and bagged 6 majors and had an average club head speed of 124 MPH.

        Tigers problem now isn’t that he is too muscular, it’s that his body is broken and he has dirt poor swing.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 13, 2014 at 1:27 pm

      He never drove it better than the 43.5″ steel driver he used to use

    • Rich

      Aug 14, 2014 at 5:46 am

      You are certainly on Tigers band wagon aren’t you? There was no better driver of the golf ball with a small headed driver than Greg Norman. He was absolutely amazing. Tiger could only dream to hit the driver like Norman.

      • Jeff

        Aug 14, 2014 at 2:21 pm

        And that’s why Tiger is still chasing Greg’s stellar two majors? C’mon, Tiger the kid lapped Norman before the turn of the century. Chased him out of the game.

        • Rich

          Aug 14, 2014 at 6:24 pm

          He never DROVE the ball as well as Norman. The comment I replied to was that he was BY FAR the best driver of the ball with a small headed driver. I was simply saying Norman was better. No one was talking about how many wins they had.

      • Christosterone

        Aug 14, 2014 at 8:31 pm

        Fair enough. Norman was astounding with the smaller headed driver.
        As Butch Harmon has always said, Greg was the best ever with that tech.
        But Tiger’s era marked the end of Greg’s with maybe a 3-5 year overlap.
        While Norman(in his prime) was striping it in the 80s and early 90s can hardly be equalled, Greg was no longer drilling it 270+ center cut at the turn of the century just prior to the 460cc explosion.
        So I stand by my statement that Tiger(at the turn of the century) was the best driver with the small headed woods.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 14, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      He used to release his driver better. I teach and believe the two swings are different in what they are trying to accomplish, so differ considerably from each other in motion. He has gotten into handle dragging with the driver in an effort to zero out his path, to his detriment. He used to instinctively feel the difference. He’s lost that distinction and it’s killing his driver swing.

  28. palmer

    Aug 13, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    With the greats mentioned, remember one thing. Any avid golf fan can recognize Nicklaus’ swing from a distance, or Hogan’s Or Palmers, Or Nelsons. It was their trademark- their thumbprint.

    Tigers swing? So many changes- you can’t pick it out anymore.

    The Tiger Era is done. It was from the Masters 1997- to the 2008 Open. The BEST, being from 2000-2001. best and most solid swing and putting stroke.

    Tiger will need to change the way he plays to have any further Big Stage (major) success. Mickelson did it. Trevino did it. Face the fact’s Tiger.

  29. Archie Bunker

    Aug 13, 2014 at 11:55 am

    So True. I can’t think of any other great golfer that has attempted to do so much to his swing and physical self in an attempt to “improve” as Tiger has. Multiple “swing coaches”, laser eye correction, blood doping and probably more than we will ever know. He certainly might be paying the price right now. The great players of the past (Snead, Palmer Hogan, Jones, Nicklaus) never needed to do any of the above, and it worked out well for them. Let’s hope Rory keeps his “natural” swing and stays away from the Foleys, Ledbetters, and other shortcuts to “improvement”.

  30. Alex

    Aug 13, 2014 at 11:53 am

    This is a phenomenal article with particular relevance to low handicap golfers. Sometimes, you need to accept that there’s a difference between your “lowest scoring” swing and your technically best swing.

    I’ve always had a very flat swing (probably because I have very long arms). I tried to change my backswing to get a more “classic” position at the top of my backswing because I thought it would improve my consistency and distance. Instead, I went from a 4 to a question mark–shanking 50% of my wedges and hitting an off the planet slice.

    I really hope that McIlroy recognizes the danger of messing with some of his idiosyncrasies (straight left leg at address, tons of knee action and ridiculously fast hips) and sticks with what works.

    • Dennis Clark

      Aug 13, 2014 at 1:13 pm

      One thing I hope you did when you made that change was a stronger grip…needed for more upright in most cases. Thx for reading

      • Alex

        Aug 13, 2014 at 4:04 pm

        I’ve always had a fairly strong grip. The problem with the change is that making my swing more upright required me to disconnect my shoulders/hands from my chest, leading to a loss of secondary tilt and all kinds of bad things. Although I was flexible enough to get into that position, it just doesn’t work with my body (I’m between 5’9 and 5’10, but my wingspan is between 6’1 and 6’3).

        • nikkyd

          Aug 13, 2014 at 5:04 pm

          Your built like an orangutan dude! Wow. I get so jealous of those lanky 140 lb 6 foot tall guys that are fluid and graceful.

        • Dennis Clark

          Aug 13, 2014 at 6:34 pm

          Ive never seen more upright NOT disconnect; its the less effective way to swing IMO because of the timing involved. I prefer rounded flatter moves that have a better arc and more passive club face squaring. Just a teachers opinion…

          • jm

            Aug 14, 2014 at 1:53 pm

            dennis,

            would you say tom watson disconnects? i think he looks fairly upright and connected.

            also can you define what you would call a “better” arc?

            and can you explain passive clubface squaring vs aggressive?

            thanks for all of your great insight in your articles

          • Bainz

            Aug 15, 2014 at 7:36 am

            Dennis how should a 45 year old who is 224 lbs and 5 foot 10 swing?? Left leg is 3/8ths of an ich shorter than left (childhood bone disease) and I play right handed. 🙂

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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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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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