Thought of the Year (2010)

How do you define a good swing and a bad swing?

Is it one that looks different but produces good shots, or is it one that looks great but doesn't fit the mould?

Edited for simple folk

?

A golf ball, believe it or not, is not hit on the backswing and though it is possible to hit a straight shot with other methods, i.e Lee Trevino, the only reliable method is to be square at impact. Jim Furyk is a modern day example of what I have just said.

If you honestly believe, jonny, that you can hit a ball straight by completely forgetting about technique yet will the ball to go where you would like, then, either you are just attempting to have a wind up, or you are showing yourself to be completely ignorant about what is required to be a very good player.

 Tom Wieskopt had the best swing but his reults don't impress.

Good video, jonny, seen it before, but it does go to prove that Hogans method was superior for consistent accuracy. That is why he used to 18 greens in regulation regularly.

Interesting that he mentioned bobby locke and his putting skills. I witnessed them myself when I had a game with him at Muswell Hill Golf Club, many moons ago.

Patrick, good technique  gives a nice swing automatically, but to win tournaments one has to have the ability to hole more putts than your opponents. That is the only difference between winners and losers.

Jonny, you may be able to reproduce a slice 100% of the time but it is a lot more difficult to produce a straight shot or fade, or draw, 100% of the time.

The extremes are very easy to achieve but the fine movement of a golf ball take a tremendous amount of skill and all the photos you showed of the different planes on the backswing by those very fine and well know players will all come together, and be identical at impact.

Your own swing is very orthodox and one that I wish I could emulate, but my body is now not designed for it, so I have to compromise, but in doing so I have to ensure that I get into positions that are recognised as technically correct by the majority of experts so that I can hit the ball wth some degree of accuracy. I can manage to achieve this with my irons but still struggle with the woods.

Ah, the infamous Mr Bonar.

Yes, Jonny all natural, yet all recognisable as golf swings as we know them. Not a natural instinctive hand eye co-ordination as in  moving ball sports.

I have always played with swing thoughts, cannot see how you do without them, after all it is no good attempting to swing a club as if it were a tennis racquet, Baseball bat, cricket bat or snooker cue. The bottom line is that a golf club has to be swung in a pretty conventional manner or the results will be awful.

The only amateurs that progress beyond scratch are full time players. I had to work for a living, so I count myself very lucky that I achieved the level I did and maintained it for a number of years.

The only difference between my game then and your game now is that I used to hit far more greens and that is the answer. GIR.

+4 handicappers do not just grab a club and hack it.

Looking at you last three rounds and having played all of those courses you seem to be better than the majority of top flite professionals. Your score at Donnington grove must be a new course record. That is one long and difficult golf course.