Beyond Fundamentals

We all know the importance of the fundamentals in golf. You have to line up well, swing with a good rhythm, and maintain your balance. But have you ever experimented trying to find your limits? Ever tried to "push the envelope?" I have always believed golf is an ongoing experiment, and learning the game happens when we experiment with it.

So here is what I want you to try. This is only ONE example of the endless ways we can learn about our games by experimenting. Take your normal set-up and hit a shot. Now, I want you to experiment with the ball position by moving it farther forward and farther backward, and hit shots from there. How far can you move it and still hit a good shot? Do you do better when it is extremely forward or extremely back? Which way does the ball move? CAN I EVEN HIT IT THIS WAY? Some of us may be able to hit good shots from extreme positions, while some may struggle when we are only slightly out of the norm. If you ARE able to hit good shots from these odd positions it means you have a very good feel for the club and probably deal well with bad lies, poor weather, odd shots, etc. If not, this is a good way to improve your feel and should work to get more comfortable doing so.

All of these are great ways to learn about OUR OWN CAPABILITIES. Each of us is different, so there is no one right answer for everyone. Some of us may find that moving it back or forward helps our consistency. IF IT WORKS WELL AND WORKS CONSISTENTLY, THEN WHY NOT USE IT? Sometimes odd experiments end up finding great solutions, and sometimes trying to find one answer leads to another. We can try this with multiple basics of the game such as tempo, grip, posture, or balance. YES, EACH ONE OF US HAS FUNDAMENTALS THAT WORK BEST FOR US. As in this drill with ball position, the only way to find OUR best position is to know what is NOT our best position. Too far up, or too far back won't work. We achieve balance by experiencing imbalance.

Fundamentals are part of the keys to consistently good play. By discovering YOUR fundamentals and recognizing what works and what doesn't work, we can all take that next step in understanding our game. And when we understand our game, it is easier to improve and easier to have fun, which is why we should play in the first place.