Over my 40-plus years in the golf industry and a lifetime in the game, I have had the opportunity to observe thousands of recreational golfers of all skill levels. I believe the common thread between all of us – from scratch player to high-handicapper – is that we all would like to get better. And in the context of golf, “better” usually means more consistent.

While I am blessed to have been introduced to golf early in life by a scratch player father [I actually do not remember life before golf], I am totally aware that most golfers took up the game much later and are self-taught for the most part. And therein lies the problem that obstructs meaningful improvement for so many.

It is often said that the golf swing is very unnatural – of course it is, because there is nothing else in your life that requires that particular set of body movements. But under detailed “de-construction, I’ve long believed the golf swing is made up of a series of very natural movements that anyone without serious physical infirmities can learn to execute.

As I observe recreational players, it is readily apparent to me that the movement most of them exhibit is the result of a serious misunderstanding of just what the objective is to move a golf ball from here to there. Logic drives this, as you are standing there with a striking implement in your hands, and there is a ball sitting there that needs to be propelled “that way.”

The natural tendency, therefore, is to rely on whatever eye/hand coordination you may possess, wrap that club around behind you somehow, and deliver a blow to the back of the ball, all while controlling the club primarily with your master hand — which is your most developed eye/hand coordination.

Great — it makes sense — but that notion is totally wrong.

At its simplest, the movement required to efficiently propel a golf ball is a learned method of swinging the club, first into the end of the backswing, then through the ball to a full finish. The legs and body core provide the power, and the arms and hands guide that rapidly moving clubhead through the ball into a follow-through. It’s not a “hit.”

Once the swinging motion is learned to some level of repeatability, then you can easily learn how to stand so that the ball will be precisely in the way of that swing. And if you can grasp that concept — the need to evolve your hitting action into a swinging action — you have made the first giant step to “changing your stripes.”

The “secret” is that such a swinging motion is much easier to learn how to repeat than is a “hit” at the ball. So, if you want to make giant strides in your golf – regardless of your skill level – figure out how to evolve your “hit” into a “swing”. And I’ll share that this un-learning and re-learning process is best done far away from the golf ball.

Of course, I cannot help you completely rebuild your golf movement in this blog, but I can share one simple drill will help you “change your stripes” for the 2022 golf season, no matter what level of skill you have attained to date — that is, if you really want to take on that challenge. And that drill is simply this:

Get a club – preferably a short iron or wedge – and place only your lead/upper hand on the grip. This is where a sound, fundamental grip begins, by the way. The handle should be underneath the heel pad of your hand, and the fingers wrapped around it. You should feel control of the club in the last three fingers, not in the thumb and forefinger.

With this hold on the club, begin to move it back and through in short pitch-shot-length swings using only your lead hand. Keep your master hand totally off the handle. That will force you to push the club into the backswing, and then use the rotation of your body core to pull the club through to the finish. As you develop a swinging rhythm, gradually extend the length of the backswing and follow through by allowing your shoulders and hips to turn more, which will then cause your weight to move into your rear leg on the backswing and your forward leg on the follow-through.

Because of this hold on the club, you will feel your lead hand moving through “the impact zone” closer to your body, and you’ll feel the clubhead rotating through impact, also because of this hold on the club.

As you swing the club back and forth repeatedly, your body will find the most efficient way to achieve this movement within the boundaries set by any physical limitations you may have. And that will be pretty close the foundation of a repeatable, powerful golf swing.

At this early stage of learning, don’t even think about a ball or its location in your stance. In fact, let your stance change as it must to allow you to remain balanced as you make these back-and-through swings. Allow the clubhead to swing a foot or more off the floor to get the feel and flow of this new swinging motion, which will feel very different from the “hit” you have always relied upon.

As you get more and more comfortable with this motion, you can then allow the club to brush the floor to move into a proper swing plane. With that figured out, then and only then you can let your master hand return to the club so the motion is more similar to a real golf swing.

Yes, the golf swing is an unnatural movement, but this drill will help you make it much more natural and take the first giant step to “changing your stripes” for the 2022 season.