POWER MOVES + CHIPPING + SWING STUDY + PUTTING + TOUR INSIGHT + FIVE-MINUTE LESSON + STRATEGY + PUTTING
FROM
OUR
ARCHIVE
TOMMY HORTON
1987
“Tilting the shoulders and
hips is a common cause
of swaying. Many golfers
believe it creates a wider
swing, but too much
lateral movement inhibits
the swinging of the club.”
GARY PLAYER
1993
“Golf is played from 100
yards and in. Surely it
makes sense to have the
equipment you need
from those distances, but
a lot of people don’t
– and that amazes me. ”
LEARN FROM A LEGEND
BYRON NELSON’S TIMELESS ELEGANCE
Byron Nelson was one of the most graceful and elegant golfers of his time – of any time, in
fact. There’s so much to admire and enjoy in this photograph, taken on the practice range at
Augusta National in the 1950s. And the golf swing is only a part of it. For a start, although
Nelson is not wearing his usual trademark sweater, his polo shirt is neatly buttoned all the
way to the top. He has the deep baseball cap of the time with the cord resting above the
peak. His tailored trousers are perfectly creased and he’s sporting a pair of pristine
black-and-white brogues without the kiltie. The image captures a beautiful moment in time.
Even though modern swing theory has evolved greatly during the past few decades,
there’s still so much to learn from Nelson’s classic fundamentals. You can see here that his
left arm is in perfect line with the ball, that his right elbow is soft and that his grip is as pure
as the driven snow. His weight has rolled calmly onto the outside of his right foot and his
head, neck, spine, and even his tie, are all in perfect alignment. With just a handful of balls on
the ground, he has just ‘bruised’ the turf with the flange of the club through impact.
42 G o l f P l u s
APRIL
2020
NICK FALDO
2006
“With a buried lie close to
the flag, I play the ball
back, rest the back of my
right hand on my knee,
cock my wrists parallel to
the ground and then
drop the club on the ball.”