Are most amateur golfers being mislead on how to swing?

A typical amateur golfer tries to emulate the textbook swings of top professionals. Among other endless criteria, he generally tells himself that he's got to get the club parallel at the top of the back swing; shift his weight at impact without moving his head or altering his spine angle; and end up perfectly balanced on his target foot after a smooth follow through.

However, a top professional has a rather lengthy and complicated regime for his swing which, for him, is an imperative for successfully reproducing the miracle shots required for his trade. This regime involves: one to two hours of stretching and exercise before going to the range/course; working for 2-6 hours on various elements of his game with his coach/caddy/video feedback equipment; and then putting this all together playing nine or eighteen holes of golf. This is a normal non-tournament day for the average modern professional and only the cream of the crop manage to put it together well enough to make a living on one of the tours.

I could go on and on but my main point is that there's a swing for pros and therefore there must be a less structured and more individual swing for amateurs. We all walk, run, jump, swim, drive, ride a bicycle etc and although we do these similarly there are no strict directives on how to do them.

I coach this game and, in my opinion, the main mistake that golfers are making is trying to emulate the pros. And it's not their fault! All the magazines, books, videos, golf channels and most teaching pros insist there is only the pro's way. The logic is... they do it best, so they are doing it correctly.

Well so are professionals in other sports but I don't see amateur skiers taking corners at 70 mph cutting the snow with a half inch edge of their skis; or tennis players busting a gut trying to place a 100+ mph service in the correct part of the court; or driving a car with slick tyres into a sharp bend at over 150 mph and applying the brakes at the last second in order to glide round the inside of another driver with the same goal. I say different levels for differing skill standards.

I recently took up tennis and decided to follow a training video to improve my service and quickly realised that the hours of precise practice and timing just weren't possible for me. I'm miles away from hitting the ball at professional levels because my consistency and control suffer when I do. I play tennis and golf to my capabilities, the same way as I do every other physical action.

So why does an amateur golfer feel he has to try to swing like a pro? Mainly because that is the way they have been instructed and the pros look really good the way they are doing it. And we've all had those days, rather seldom may I add, where our golf swing just knitted together and the results were way above our norm, only to return another day back to square one. There must be a more consistent alternative.

When anyone comes to my school for a golf lesson, I always ask two very important questions before I start...

How much time do you intend to spend practicing each week?

Do you intend to adopt a stretching routine before each practice session and for how long?

These questions put me in a better position to advise my students on how they will be able to swing and I can also clear up the myth of why they shouldn't or can't adopt a pro-like swing. Most people want to play for hours on end but devote less than one hour per month on practice. On the same breath, a couple of minutes of stretching each day is well above average.

I have devised an easy drill that proves why this textbook swing is more athletic than golfers are led to believe. (Up to this point they have been so obsessed with looking ''correct'' at the end of the back swing that they were ignoring natural swing fundamentals. Typical errors include: lifting the club to this position; weight over the target foot; straightening of the off target leg; over rotation of the hips and many more.) Performing my drill, my students manage to experience back swing restriction for the first time. The fittest of my students have trouble stretching further than a three quarter length back swing. Putting it simply, how can a regular golfer who hasn't, and normally doesn't want to, put in the practice hours or essential stretching required, be expected to accomplish the very atheletically challenging conditions achieved by the top athletes of the sport.

My biggest problem when I coach this game is unfortunately all too common. This textbook swing is so deeply imprinted in every golfer's mind that a much more natural swing with important qualities like fluidity or back swing restricion is a rarity. I used to lose students when I told them they weren't fit enough for a complete backswing. Most of them had the same visual impression of how to swing properly and didn't realise there should be natural restriction. These days most of my new students are promptly introduced to this natural condition with my aforementioned drill.

Let's get down to this simple drill and for most of you it's time to feel this backswing restriction for the first time! I prefer to introduce this drill to my students without a golf club because with one they do the 'same old - same old' and don't feel the natural back swing restriction that I am trying to portray.

I use a carpet beater when I introduce this drill. (A tennis/squash/badmington racket does the same job.) At ground level, I place a cushion against the wall and procede to hit it one handed - my dominant hand - with a forehand action and don't think about golf but naturally striking the cushion. You should feel little or no backswing restriction at this point and you should notice that you don't take the racket back as far as the conventional parallel position at the top of the advised golf swing.

Within a few swings you should feel that this is a very natural task for you that belongs to other motor skills in your repetoire that have been mastered. You are now ready to feel natural backswing restriction! It's time to use the other hand but we don't want this hand to interfere with what I describe as your own natural swing. This hand has to be put in place as a non-interfering passenger. Lie the four fingers of this hand on the back of the hand holding the racket and fold the palm snugly above the adjacent thumb. Now repeat the forehand action. I expect most of you won't get your hands much higher than your hips on the back swing.

This drill makes you experience tighter restriction than the conventional grip but the important thing is to feel this natural condition. At this point everybody is surprised at how fit you have to be for a full back swing

A golf swing without restriction is always unnatural and almost always wrong.

I repeat...

A golf swing without restriction is always unnatural and almost always wrong.

Well, Patrick, I have read your post thoroughly and am lost for words as to what you are attempting to put acoss.

Wouldn't work for me as my dominant hand is my right, but I play left handed.

Patrick, I am CAC handed and I have such restriction that I cannot get my back swing past the vertical. Would you say I am doing something right ? What do you tell your students that their ultimate aim is 18hcap 10 hcap. How low can you go with a restricted backswing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6HCWI8aDNw

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

Hi Patrick

Not sure i understand your post fully, but i will tell you where i am with it.

one of my regular practise drills is 1/2 swings one handed (right) or raquet shots as the pro calls them.

I can see the logic in this, but this is linked with clearing space around my right side so that i can start the downwsing without rolling the hands and coming over the top.

i am not sure i understand the restriction element, but i also work on my shape against a so called wall to produce something to hit against with my right side.

Infact i have just read your post again and i am sure i dont understand the restriction side of it.

I think that i will stick to the teaching plan my pro has come up with for me.

i tried at least !!

Thank you Patrick. Your post made a lot of sense. I have played many sports, particularly tennis and golf in later life and concur with your thoughts strongly. Well said! Mike.

Ah!!!! Got it, having seen the video.

Unfortunately Patrick this is rather old hat as Henry Cotton used to use a tyre for the same reasons in the 30's. Just a gimmick I'm afraid. Sorry.

I do like all this banter, I havn't played another sport where all this goes on, I think we are all looking for that one thing that will have us going round in +, but I am afraid unless you start young and are dedicated and have that wonderful thing ability, then we can only improve to our capabilities, but it's good fun winning the odd £20 and then spending £25 in the bar.

Happy golfing

Patrick, I will agree with you about the flaws in the coaching of the golf swing. I honestly believe that the PGA doctrine is not having any success in raising the standards of this game.

The old saying that those who can, do, and those who can't teach is pretty much evident in the average Pro shop in the country. Being charged £30 for half an hour of misinformation by a qualified PGA Pro soon puts ones heckles up.

It is about time that players realised that to achieve a high standard in this game requires far more than a good technique.

When I was a scratch amateur and played against my peers in the top amateur competitions of this country, I found that even when one is regarded as equal  there is indeed a pecking order, and it is only when one can win against the stronger players does one start to achieve.

I have no doubt that you are a firm believer in your methods of coaching, but like every other coach,  differences in the way this subject is approached is so varied that one does not know where to turn for the right instruction.

I have more success with players from the clubs I have been a member of than most professional coaches. Why? because I do not attempt to change swings to my thinking, but keep it simple by introducing the basic fundamentals that are required for a sound, consistent method.

John, how do you go from scratch to 18?

How did I do that? good question.

I was fortunate enough to be granted a 6 handicap after six months of playing this game after leaviing the Army after National Service. I became Scratch the following year, wehich I mintained for 4 years till the powers to be introduced a new scheme and I went up to 1, which I maintained for a further 8 years.

Unfortunately I decided to give up the playboy life as an amateur playing everything that was out there and decided to go back to work. Golf was then just a hobby to be played between trips to Baghdad, Afghanistan and the Middle East countries.

Over the years I gradually declined and moved up to a full circle of 6 handicap at the age of 62.

2 Heart attacks within a week as well as Atrial fibrillation problems and now being fitted with an ICD stopped me playing for 8 years and on moving to Reading five years ago I started back playing, but of course my start back handicap at Sherfield Oaks (13) has now drifted out to 18,

The reason is quite simple, I do not have any strength at all and my drives go barely 190 yards, which on the 7150 yard course that I now play, designed for professionals with bunkers across the fairways short of the greens, I find it impossible to hit any green in regulation. That should answer your question, but I will also say that having played off the drives of one of our young assistants I manged to shoot 1under par gross, so my short game is still fairly good. Off drives of 290 yards I would still be a very good player.

If I had been a professional, like you, then I too would no doubt have kept a higher standard throughout my life, but sometimes work has to be done.

You are fortunate indeed to be coaching  in a most delightful part of the world to players who are keen and willing to learn. The attitude to lear ing is far more ingrained into the eurupean population than it is here.

I may not have your record but I have always felt that the 10- 36 hole Scratch events that I won over the short period that I played at this level, was pretty good and I am proud of those achievements.

I wish you every success in your venture, in fact I am jealous, but at 75 I feel that there is not much golf left in me, other than for exercise.

I am sure you will be better than that provding you maintain your health. All my friends are good players and make sure that I keep on playing. Not that they have to drag me out..

All the best to you Patrick, keep up the good work. Good coaches are rather thin on the ground these days.

It might appear good to you, Matt when compared to your short game, but I can tell you that it is nowhere near at the level it used to be when I had a decent overall game.

Patrick, maybe I've missed something in translation but on the one hand you hit the nail on the head of what many amatuers feel is the problem with the old pga way of teaching, i.e. it used to be to try and give everyone the same swing.

But in that respect I thought the pga had recognised that failing quite a while ago and had embarked on on a teach the individual what best suits them, albeit within the confines of what the golf swing is.

Sadly, for me anyway, you've then gone on to a more narrow "this is the way" forward that works for everyone. Personally I'd rather see an acknowledgement that a bit of everything, in different proportions, is what each individual needs.

As for my swing, its ugly and rarely gets beyond halfway but I'll stick with it.

Patrick, This impact bag thing ? Whats it supossed to do.? If you are getting a feel for some great resistance where the ball will be, isnt this the exact opposite of the"swing as though there is no ball there" theory ? Im not poo pooing your ideas Im really open to anything that may improve my game. As for me being able to swing like a pro, Ive got more chance of winning spot the ball.

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

PS a copy of  "Lorn yisel Geordie" is on its way.

Hi Patrick , Welcome to the forum. I must say thats a fantastic idea  which I believe most ranges would benifit from. So when your balls hit that beautiful mountain they run back to you,genius! http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/devil_smile.gif" title="devil" width="20" />

I've done your impact drill many times,but I use an old tryre so obviously not used a driver. I also do what I call the carpet drill where you push a 7 iron down quite firm and push about 10" through impact

Hi patrick

tried the drill at the range last night to feel the resistance element. Obviously left hand over right felt strange, but lots of resistance in the left shoulder.

I dont swing far past vertical on my back swing anyway, so this felt quite normal, but as i said , at the moment i am working on leaving room for my right side ( just like a strong forehand ground stroke in tennis ) by staying forward with my left side and not shifting my weight back then forward as many old school coaches suggest.

i didnt mean my remarks to sound disparaging before, its just that there are so many different opinions out there that i need to stick to the method that is working for me at the moment.

I also use the impact bag, but tend to push against it rather than hit it. i push against it until i feel it begin to move and then check my position in the mirror. For me this is the shape i need to get into to make sure that i dont come over the top.  

Tim