Why Your TARGET is Most Important

I have often talked about the importance of your TARGET when playing golf, and in this post I would like to highlight a few key reasons. Because in my opinion, if we can build our golf swing around the target, good things will happen on the course.

ALIGNMENT - When you stand behind the ball and then take your stance while focusing on the target, it is difficult to not be lined up well. It is when we are fixated on the ball that we can easily become poorly aligned, so if you can continually look towards the target during your setup routine you will be well within an acceptable alignment position.

SWING PATH - As you stand over the ball preparing to hit your shot, vizualize how you want to get the ball to your target. By swinging the clubhead towards the target, your are far more likely to begin the ball in the right direction. Most of the time, when the ball starts out on line it will stray very little and the result will be good.

PROPER IMPACT - When the clubhead is swinging towards the target, instead of directed towards the ball, a number of good things happen.

First, there is much less of a tendency to strike the ball to steeply. A swing that approaches too steeply has a much smaller margin of error. Shots are often hit fat or thin, whereas a more sweeping swing will make those fat shots thinner and those thin shots better.

Secondly, a swing towards the ball tends to force the approach to the ball on an "over-the-top" path. This steep, over-the-top swing path leads to worse shots. Your "misses" are much better when we swing towards the target.

Finally, as Harvey Penick is credited with saying, when we "take dead aim" we are more likely to hit confident, focused shots. After all, our intent should be to hit our target. By simply focusing on the TARGET, lining up and swinging towards it, this alone will fix so many common swing faults. Try it, and you might be surprised how easy it is to play great golf.

Tension

Effortless power, fluid swings, tempo. We have all heard these phrases used to describe ways to perform our best. What all of these have in common is lack of tension. Why is it that we often hit a bad shot when a lot of people are watching, or when there is water in play, or any other trouble like that? Usually the answer is tension. Now this tension that is present can stem from many sources. Some of it we put upon ourselves, such as if we have a good round going and don’t want to hit that bad shot as we try to bring it home. Other tension may be caused by having to hit a shot when our partner is out of play or our opponent has just knocked one next to the pin. Yet still more tension can be caused from simply not feeling comfortable with the situation, whether it be in front of a crowd or staring at OB stakes to the right of the fairway. But no matter where tension originates, when it gets into the golf swing, it can create all kinds of problems.

Understanding Swing Path Variables

While I would not recommend one specific swing path, I believe it is important to understand what the different variables mean to our games and our ability to control the ball. To find out what “neutral” is, we need to find the extremes on either side, and what tendencies each has. Let’s first talk about the swing path as if it were viewed from behind the player and along the target line. For example, Player A has an upright swing path, and Player B has a flat swing path. When viewed from behind, Player A’s clubhead deviates less laterally from the point of full extension when compared to that of Player B. We call this swing more upright, and let’s talk about the pros and cons of a more upright swing. Because the swing deviates less laterally, the chances that the clubhead will be delivered along the intended swing path are slightly better than that of a flatter swing. Just imagine this swing path when viewed from the top down. The path near the impact point is less arced than the flatter swing plane and therefore has a “straighter” path into the ball. From a playing perspective, this means that the more upright swing path can be beneficial to someone who has plenty of power and was to improve the consistency of the initial direction of ball flight.

Sounds great!! Why not get as upright as we can? Well, there are certain drawbacks to this, so we must try to achieve the balance for our own game by experimenting with both extremes. Try a drill for me to demonstrate something. Take your normal stance and swing the clubhead back and forth through the impact zone. Feel how much the clubhead rotates around the shaft (releases). Gradually begin to lift the clubhead off the ground, eventually reaching a baseball type swing where the clubhead is traveling on a nearly level plane. Essentially as you are doing this you are making a flatter and flatter swing path, and as it changes let’s begin to feel the difference. As the plane flattens, notice how the clubhead feels as if it releases more and more through impact. By the time the swing path has flattened completely (waist high) the clubhead is practically turning the hands for you. And turning consistently too. So, the flatter the swing, the more rotation the clubhead gets (power), and the easier it is to allow the clubhead to work for you. Upright swingers need to be very aware of the clubhead and need to have great feel in order to be sure that the clubhead is working properly. In addition, the upright swing will have less “release” on it than the flatter swing, meaning less power than a flatter swing at the same speed.

What I typically see is that better players work on trying to get their swing planes a little more upright. The benefit they are looking for is that consistent approach into the ball with less “release” on it. Distance and power already exist with them, and now the goal is to improve the consistency. Opposite to this, I will usually try to “flatten” the arc of average players in an effort to both allow the clubhead to work more for them and to improve their power and distance by increasing the “release” of the clubhead. Very often this is simply done by having someone hit balls on a sidehill lie with the ball above the feet (simulates the drill where we swing like a baseball bat). Learning to feel that release immediately can be taken to a normal lie and be reproduced quite effectively.

In all truth the differences are very minute, but, as golfers, we know that minute things DO make a difference, so finding our own ideal is important. As I mentioned above, I often see tour pros working on making their swings more upright to try to achieve the consistency. A phrase used to describe this is keeping the clubhead down the line longer. Again, the idea is that the longer the clubhead can remain square, the better the chance is to hit a straight shot. Listen next time you are watching golf when the commentators analyze a player’s swing. You will hear the phrase “swing plane” referred to often. Tour pros play a different game than most of us, and they use certain techniques to play their best that may differ from what we use. Certainly all of the things they do ARE valid, and learning about what each one is doing is a good thing. But as with everything, it is important to understand why we attempt to do what we do and how it affects us. So when we watch golf on TV and listen to the commentators analyze the world’s best players’ swings, there is a lot that we SHOULD NOT take to our own games. This is one area that is talked about time and again, yet should not be part of the average golfer’s swing. However, understanding what works for whom and why is good to know, even if it may not work in our own swing. Try things, sure, but don’t try to pattern yourself after anyone else. Your swing works best for you, and work to find it.

Second Set of Eyes

The basics are quite simple to understand, however, what we see when we are in position to hit a shot is often not what is reality as our perception from above the ball may be slightly off. Alignment is best practiced with the help of another individual that can see what you cannot when you are in position to hit a shot. Hopefully you have someone with whom you play a lot of golf that can be very helpful in making sure your alignment is consistent and accurate. Spouses (yes, I know this goes against the good nature of many of us) are an excellent choice, especially if he or she plays golf. I would suggest you pick someone who is willing to partner up with you to practice what good alignment looks like while you are over the ball.

Rhythm

Balance and rhythm go hand in hand, because good rhythm leads to good balance. When one swings with a good rhythm, one is usually in good balance as well. Let’s talk a little about the importance of rhythm and how to make it work for you.

First of all, good rhythm does not automatically mean swinging slowly. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Good rhythm, like so much in golf, is unique to the individual. Very often your proper swinging rhythm mirrors your characteristics, such as the way you walk or the way you do other things. If a general trend in your life is that you are relaxed, walk smoothly, and do things at an even keel, then more than likely you will swing with a smooth, slow tempo (ie. Fred Couples or Ernie Els). If, however, you are a more fast paced person, you do things quickly, you walk at a brisk pace, then your swing will work well with a faster tempo. The key in BOTH cases is that you know which way you do it best, and that you consistently swing in that manner.

There are so many examples of this on tour. I listed two above but let’s look at a few others. Nick Price. He walks quickly and swings quickly. How about Tiger? Pretty even tempo, I would say. You could probably take almost every successful player and relate his tempo to his walk. Watch for this. In fact, I cannot think of any player that walks quickly and swings slowly, or vice versa. So look at yourself and your playing partners and see how you do. We can learn a lot from ourselves if we learn to look for things like this.

Two Styles - Where Do You Fit?

As I both teach and watch golf, I believe there are basically two types of golfers based upon two types of swings and mentalities. Each has its positives, and each has its negatives. Both can be very effective, as is evidenced on Tour, yet it is important to know where you fit and what things you can look out for in your own style.

Simply put, the two basic styles are:

1. Those with beautiful swings utilizing the large muscles of the body, dependent largely upon mechanics, and very capable of playing perfectly from tee to green.

2. Those with more handsy swings, dependent largely upon feel, and reliant upon scoring ability to compete with those in the first category.

As I mentioned above, each style has its own positives and negatives, so let's break down the two and help you determine where you fit.

STYLE 1 - Pure Swingers

This type of golfer is the one we like to talk about, and probably all secretly wish we were. Guys on Tour like Ernie Els, Adam Scott, and Charles Howell III. This player is the one who will shoot course records, and will have amazing rounds of pure ball-striking. Watching one of them hit balls is a spectacle - long, high, towering shots with seemingly no effort at all. However, when things go wrong, it is usually very difficult for the player to recover, and very often this type of golfer either shoots very low or very high. Another factor that often hurts him is less than ideal conditions, whether it be poor weather or poor course conditions. Adaptation is not a strength, but when things fall into place, this player has the ability to shoot a great score.

STYLE 2 - Feel Player

The "Feel Player" is the one you just can't stand. He rarely hits balls, and when you play together, it seems like he scrapes it all over the place yet at the end of the day beat you by 6 shots! OK, this may be a little bit extreme of an example, but I think you catch my drift. This player does not hit the prettiest of shots, may not be capable of launching high rockets over trees, yet he can keep the ball in play and get it in the hole. Jim Furyk is a great example of this, as is Master's champion Zach Johnson. Opposite of Style 1, Style 2 players typically shoot similar scores, no matter what the conditions. Even on bad days, their reliance upon feel allows them to manage to keep it together and avoid shooting a very high number. However, this player is less likely to hit every fairway and every green, and will only shoot incredibly low scores by chipping in a few times and making a mile of putts. Poor weather or conditions is usually not a detriment, and wedge play and short game are the equalizing factor.

So which one is ideal? Neither. As is shown above, each has its negatives, so a combination of the strengths of both makes for a rare and incredibly gifted golfer. Enter Tiger Woods. Tiger has the ability to play perfectly, with the strength to overpower the course and the field. And when he is off, he is also able to recover and salvage a bad round. His feel is tremendous, and his wedge play and short game are among the best. There is no doubt he is the best player in the world, and I believe his ability to utilize the strengths of both styles is the reason why.

So evaluate yourself and learn where you fit in. I recognize that although the thought of being a Style 1 player is enticing to me, I must recognize that I will probably have more success working on the strengths of a Style 2 player. Style 1 golf requires more time and effort in maintaining the machine. And knowing the limits on my own time, I would be better suited relying on my scrambling ability and natural tendencies. But know who you are, work on the weaknesses in your game, and learn to play to your strengths. Golf should be fun, and by achieving your own personal goals it is made rewarding. Enjoy the game!

How Do You Practice?

One thing I realize more and more is that most of us treat golf UNLIKE any other activity we do. This especially comes to mind with regard to practice. For example, here is how many of us would practice for a basketball game if we did it like golf: go to the gym and spend five minutes shooting 5-foot jump shots, then 10-footers, 15-footer, all the way back to a bunch of three-pointers. Heck, if we're really dedicated we will probably finish by getting close to the rim and tossing in 10-minutes of lay-ups. OK - I'm ready to go - bring on the big game! Well, I can't remember practicing like this when I played ball in high-school, and I doubt this method is being used much today, either. Yet we practice EXACTLY like this for golf, and then expect to get to the course and shoot a great score every time.

Just a few more examples of this:

• Does a concert pianist practice stiking the same key over and over?
• Does an NFL quarterback throw pass after pass from a standstill?
• How about baseball? How often do you see a short-stop checking his elbow position as he gets ready to throw to first?

So how can we take examples of other sports to our golf "rehearsals?" Let's continue back with the example of the basketball. Usually the first few minutes of time is devoted to the warm-up. Randomly shooting short shots, long shots, and throwing in a lay-up or two - basically getting a feel for the ball as the body loosens up and get's ready to go. This is a great way to begin our golf practice session - hit some chips and pitches, high-and-low shots, and vary the distance of each. Focus on getting the feel in your hands: re-connecting your body with the game enabling your natural ability to take over. Eventually you will want to lengthen the shots so that you are swinging fully, but continually change from driver to iron to wedge and so on. Like a basketball player, every shot you'll face on the course will be different. Get your body ready for this.

In basketball, once the team is warmed-up, there are often new plays or drills to simulate a game-scenario that are worked on. Coaches work these drills over an over to make them second-nature, not to figure out how they work. Practice golf with the intent that it is also becoming second-nature. Let your natural swing achieve the desired result for you instead of forcing something un-natural. Calling a play in basketball is equivalent to determining the shot you want to hit (ie. a low draw, a half-wedge, etc.) on the course. Ultimately the play enables the player to take the shot, so it is important to have the shot. For example, if we want to add the knock-down shot to our game, work on it on the range until it feels natural (this is the drill). But our focus should be getting us confident enough to be able to hit the shot on the course.

Finally, when the warm-up is completed and the drills are done, usually the rest of the time is devoted to real game simulations. In golf, it means GET OUT ON THE COURSE. Practce out there. You don't have to play an entire round - it could be four or five holes. And like a coach observing a practice, if the team messed up a play, he may require them to do it again. If you're on the course for the purpose of practice, allow yourself to hit the occasional second try. However, if you have a recurring problem with a certain club or shot, note it to yourself and if time allows, spend a few minutes back on the range when you are done.

One other note - we hear stories of Tour pros hitting thousands of balls. Well, this is true. But trust me, those guys PLAY golf nearly every day. Their entire life is devoted to the game, so they take the time to play AND work on the smaller details over and over. Just like an NBA star - they too may shoot a basket-full of three-pointers or 100 free throws in a row, yet this is not nearly the majority of their practice. When you observe the entirety of their practice sessions, you will realize that playing the game is a BIG part of it. Golf is a game that is meant to be played. When we look at golf in the same way as other thing we do well, we can begin to make it a more normal action and make it more fun. Play the game. Get on the course. Trust your natural abilities and enjoy the game!