Mechanical Failure

Have you ever noticed that when you make a mechanical change to your golf swing, you usually end up hitting some of the worst shots you have ever hit in your life? I have even seen it so bad that people will actually whiff because they are so focused on the mechanical aspect of the swing - and I am talking about good golfers! I saw this the other day as I was warming up to play golf.

I was watching an individual working on his swing - checking his backswing positions, focused on his plane, and tossing more sod than landscape crew. It was so obvious that this person had absolutely NO FEEL in his hands that he just couldn't make contact. While I recognize that swing mechanics are important, I like to believe that good mechanics are a result of good feel, not the other way around.

My point in this is that FEEL should be paramount in your focus, not mechanics. Look at the good players out there. They are very mechanically sound, but when they are playing well these mechanics are so far removed from their thoughts and they are relying on their confidence and feel. Tiger Woods is a great example - when he has been in his so called "slumps," it has been during the midst of a swing change and a focus on mechanics. The best golfer in the world struggles when he has to focus on mechanics, and plays his best when these thoughts are out of his head.

Tiger made these changed methodically and under the extremely watchful eye of an instructor. I would doubt that any of us are able to devote the time he does to these changes, nor are we able to have a full-time instructor watching every step of the journey. All of this being said leads me to believe that unless you are serious about challenging Tiger for the #1 player in the world ranking, drop all of the worries about your mechanics and get back to basics - feel the club, swing the club, and play the game. You will play better and will have more fun. Its GREAT GOLF!