Instruction
Do you have a swing flaw or an idiosyncrasy?
The more technologically advanced we’ve become in the golf instruction world, the better we’ve gotten at correcting swing flaws. We’ve also gotten better at recognizing swing idiosyncrasies. Deciphering between the two — a swing flaw and an idiosyncrasy — is now our job as swing instructors.
When I was growing up, video cameras were very expensive and not readily available to the public. They were reserved for TV news crews. Around the early 1980s, however, cheaper video cameras were introduced to the general public. That allowed people to take video of anything and everything. It was during this time that today’s “golf instructors” were born.
I have to admit that when my parents bought their first camera, all I wanted to do was take it to the range and see what I looked like compared to the guys I watched on the PGA Tour. I finally had an opportunity to “see” what I looked like — an eye-opening experience.
In the early days, programs like the Neat System, Astar, Swing Solutions, and the V1 allowed us to see the swing as it’s shown above. This is when we entered into the era of “position golf.”
The idea was that if the swing wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, then it was ill-suited for the player. The belief was that if a position was “off” then it would keep a golfer from playing well. We became a nation of golf instructors that taught aesthetics over function, myself included.
Therefore, if Jack Nicklaus had come to us with his flying right elbow, we would have all tried to correct it. Lee Trevino would have been told to line up straight, and Fred Couples would have never existed with that funky lift and reroute. Sadly this was very common in the 1990’s when amateurs took lessons.
Now, there has been a new advent of golf instruction and it is slowly helping us to understand that there will always be “funky” moves that players have, and those moves aren’t necessarily a career killer. Trackman has shown us that the ball only knows what happens during impact, and if a player can consistently find repeatable impact characteristics, then it doesn’t matter much how the swing looks. We are in the age of preaching function over aesthetics.
I personally couldn’t care less HOW you do “X” or “Y” as a better player. Golfers should strive for consistent numerical numbers that create the ball flight that the they desires. This line of teaching has now given players the freedom to swing in a way that works for THEM — not to be forced into a swing model or position that doesn’t. In fact, I can put just about everyone into a position that looks better on camera, but you still won’t be able to “play from there.”
Therefore, we must now ask the question: “Is it a swing flaw, or is it an idiosyncrasy?”
- If it’s a move that causes a player to fight something on the way down, then it’s a flaw.
- If it’s a move that does not alter the player’s ability to swing the club down into impact consistently, then it’s an idiosyncrasy.
Therefore, if Nicklaus can fly his right elbow and have success in delivering the clubhead and clubface to the ball with reasonable consistency, then he is welcome to fly away. If it gets aggressive to the point of detriment, however, then we must move it back to his normal right elbow position. You should never try to permanently eliminate a natural move, no matter how goofy or funky it may be, if golfers show proficiency with it.
By accepting idiosyncrasies, we can rid players of nit-picking positions on video and saying hypersensitive things like, “I hate my backswing and my right arm position at the top.” Those things just simply aren’t that important if you’re hitting the ball consistently.
So remember, your funky move might simply be an idiosyncrasy. Stressing about changing it will only do you harm in the end. Ask your teacher (or find one!) who can help you learn if you have a swing flaw or an idiosyncrasy.
- LIKE5
- LEGIT4
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP1
- OB1
- SHANK1
Some call the image on the left laid off, but if you are hitting a fade, this could be a perfect backswing for it! Same for across the line for a draw! Stop racking your brain with perceived mistakes and simply match backswing to shot shape!
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.
As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.
The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.
Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:
Mis-aligned hands
By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.
The position of the grip in the upper/left hand
I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.
To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.
Too much lower (right) hand on the club
It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.
Gripping too tightly
Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.
So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
- The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
- The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback
- LIKE86
- LEGIT13
- WOW6
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP4
- OB1
- SHANK8
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?
- LIKE0
- LEGIT2
- WOW2
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK2
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)
Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees...
Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx) Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)...
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole4 days agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole3 days ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole1 week agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Pingback: How to Hold a Baseball Bat Right Handed? A Step-By-Step Guide!
Mad-Mex
Dec 26, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Nice article, refreshing in the cookie cutter swing era, I am sure no one would teach the Arnold Palmer or Trevino or Rodriguez swing!
Matthew Carter
Dec 25, 2014 at 11:29 am
Jim Furyk comes to mind….
Tom Stickney
Dec 25, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Matt- no doubt
Andrew Cooper
Dec 24, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Great article Tom. I hope you’re right and golf instruction is moving into a more enlightened era.
Jump
Dec 24, 2014 at 9:19 pm
Well thought out article. +1
Tom Stickney
Dec 25, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Jump. Thx.
Tom Stickney
Dec 25, 2014 at 4:22 pm
And– thx. Hope so
Shwing
Dec 23, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Swing your own swing!
Logical thought
Dec 23, 2014 at 12:36 pm
What if your own swing is terrible and causes you back pain?
tom stickney
Dec 23, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Shw— got to find what works!
tom stickney
Dec 23, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Logical– time for a change
Logical thought
Dec 23, 2014 at 7:33 am
Professionals with inefficient swings have been doing that move(s) since childhood and it’s one of the big reasons they have success with it. Most amateur golfers have a late start to the game and will never have the time to find that level of success. So my question is this Tom. Might a more mechanically sound swing be easier to become consistent with? Should we not be looking for the swing method that is simplest to learn and therefore quickest to become consistent with?
Tom Stickney
Dec 23, 2014 at 11:49 am
See my last article on swing methods and models.
Logical thought
Dec 23, 2014 at 12:40 pm
I’ve read it.
I’m more or less asking this: With all the research and technology going into the golf swing, shouldn’t researchers and instructors be looking for a way to measure the efficiency and simplicity of a swing so we can determine which methods are best? And in turn which are easiest for an amateur to learn and yield the best results.
Logical thought
Dec 26, 2014 at 4:52 am
As usual. No response to comments trying to incite discussion, only responds towards the praise….
Dennis Clark
Dec 22, 2014 at 6:53 pm
The golf hall of fame has its share of “funky” moves. This we know for certain. Good job Tom.
Tom Stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Thx sir!
golfing
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Jack was across the line at the top, but his teacher never told him to do
otherwise, we see that new coaches tech by the looks of it, instead of the
results of it… to mechanical or visual positions, but it´s much more than
that, we humans are all different and have ways to to the job a little different from each other, the finesse of the swing is what Tiger had that
take him apart, how we (you and the club) swing, in relation to the ground
as your guide.
golfing
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Also the tour pro swing you try to copy, is not going to help you
much, as a higher swing speed needs a very stable lower body, and
for your swing you need rotation on the back swing or you will get
stuck behind and play catch up.
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Golf- Tour pros’ motions do require some different motions
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Golfing- we all made mistakes in the video era, but hopefully we won’t do the same things numerically with Trackman in this generation!
golfing
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Ok we all agree that the mechanical swing is killing
the swing or golf game, people are getting frustrated.
But Trackman is a visual thing too, the swing should
be seen as a Art more than a Science.
Tom Stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Golf– TrackMan can be used to also teach feel.
other paul
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:13 pm
I play a flat swing plane because of a shoulder injury and I just can’t lift my rear arm high enough. Instructor told me to feel like I am going higher when i practice. And I have gotten a bit better. Ball flight isn’t so low and fat shots are decreasing.
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Other– you have to find what works for you for sure!
Andy Nelson PGA
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:02 pm
Tom-
Great article, its quite a sight to see how golf instruction has evolved over my years in the business. In terms of instruction, the guys that focus on improving someone’s natural motion, aka Butch Harmon’s style in my opinion, are the ones that generally stay busier and have happier students.
Well done!
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Thanks Andy
Crash2k1
Dec 22, 2014 at 1:42 pm
Outstanding! The ball does not know or care how the club gets to impact. Once I figured how to hit shots vs how to make a pretty swing my ball striking became more consistent and more easily repeatable. Remember: you record strokes, not aesthetically pleasing swings.
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Thanks!
Zra
Dec 22, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Nice writeup, Tom.
I always believe that there’s more than one way to swing a club. The general ideas of great swing may be roughly the same, but how the swing is delivered can be varied.
My parents took me to instructors since i was a kid, so my swing is pretty nice standard looking. For some people though, my tempo was too fast, and try to suggest i slow down. Never worked out for me, and now i tend to tell other people who attempted to talk me to “slow down and swing easy” that even though Nick Price isn’t swinging it smoothly like Davis Love III is, he is still just as successful” lol.
Tom Stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 12:51 pm
Thx sir!
patricknorm
Dec 22, 2014 at 11:40 am
Excellent article Tom. I have a bent right arm ( I’m a leftie), hip replacement and knee replacement and a wonky lower back from a car accident and, I’m a 6 handicap. And If you saw a video of my swing its easy to criticize. I don’t like the way it looks but I know how it should feel and look. I consistently hit the middle of the club face and am fairly straight. I’ve had many lessons from a pro who gets my swing and deficiencies.
Last March I went to a club fitter who tried to change my swing. Ruined my back for months. I tried to explain my quirks but he would have none of it. Clubs were fine until my back finally settled down. Regardless, I know my Trackman numbers and often make adjustments to suit my ball flight during a tournament. This article was indeed a breath of fresh air.
tom stickney
Dec 22, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Thanks Patrick
Andrew
Dec 22, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Tom, Your article is encouraging. I have a flying elbow, nearly to the point it looks like a baseball swing. Maybe, I need to accept it and focus on other parts of the game. Andrew
Tom Stickney
Dec 23, 2014 at 1:22 am
Andrew- try the other way of thinking for a bit; you’ll know what works!