You don't need an aesthetically pleasing swing to play golf well

It feels like a lot has and is happening right now.

The clocks have gone forward, plenty of golf has been played, more golf is coming my way - hopefully that's the same for you too. The equipment is set for the year, I had another lesson last week and played in the final Winter Fourball event of this 'Winter' at Felixstowe Ferry last Tuesday. I’m not sure how much I will squeeze in this week, but with bank holiday weekend on the horizon and a trip to the Home of Golf the following week, I may use this week to try and bed in those changes I am still trying to make. 

I say trying, because anyone that tries to develop and get better at this game will know the struggle can sometimes be real.

Do You Need a Pretty Looking Golf Swing to Play Well?

For me personally, I quite enjoy a period of change, I enjoy taking myself off and hitting a bucket of balls. Recording, checking, feel vs real. It’s all part of the journey that I really love. For those of you that follow me on social media, you would have seen my swing and seen that for some reason, over the past 18 months I have developed a tendency to go way past parallel at the top. Whilst the driver and mini driver look bad, if I square the clubface up it's playable. But with the irons it can be restrictive to my ball striking - and it's costing me shots. 

On Thursday, under the watchful eyes of coach Sam Forgan, we tried to get my takeaway going in slow motion to the point we wanted it to 'stop' and hold it there to make me 'feel' what that is like. The issue I then have is when I try to hit it at full speed it's almost as if the weight of the club head takes the club way past the point we want it to stop. I tried experimenting with a pause, then hit (like a poor man's Hideki Matsuyama - just dressed better in my opinion) and for now, it seems to be working on the range and if it continues like that, I may well just adopt that on the course too. 

Whilst it's nice to have an aesthetically pleasing swing, results come first and if that leads me to hitting more greens, then I'm all for it. 

To put it bluntly, in pursuit of lower scores, I'll try anything once. 

What Golfers Should Be Focused on This Spring

With the longer days now upon us, I am excited to get the season going about a month out until my first couple of big open comps of the year and I'm itching to get going. So, I thought this was a good chance to share this link with those of you who might also be interested in some open comps this year - we all need something to look forward to, right?

There is a long list of open events here. These are a great way to play a course - usually at a cost below the usual green fee rate - and get some competitive golf in too. 

And for those of you that might be in a similar situation to me right now, this is a great time to start tracking your stats. Golfshake has - in my opinion - the best stat tracking service which is free to use if you hit the sign up button. Something I have always done since I started playing golf with my 25 handicap. 

Before I head off for this week, I just wanted to say another thanks to all those people that reach out (you know who you are - yes, I’m talking about you Skip) following this weekly column. It means a lot that people take the time to read it in a world where there is so much content to consume. Those that send messages of feedback, keep them coming. And if there is anything you want my opinion on just ask, I'm always happy to stir the pot where possible. 

Have a great week.