T
his is an interesting moment
in golf.
With the emergence of toptier swing coaches, plus easy
access to high-speed video
cameras and sophisticated
technology, even high-handicappers have
become obsessed with the golf swing.
Not the game, mind you—the swing.
Reinforcing this, every generation tries to
emulate the habits of its most successful
player, which means people who have no
business trying to copy Tiger Woods are
imitating his overly technical approach to
the game.
But guess what? Few amateurs are good
enough to play the game that way. In fact,
90 percent of the golfers on the PGA Tour
aren’t at that level, either.
I’m an instructor, too, but I don’t give
swing lessons. If anything, I give “undo”
swing lessons, trying to get my students—
amateurs and professionals—to be less
technical and let their innate ability and
habits take over.
FRED VUICH/GETTY IMAGES
DON’T PLAY GOLF SWING—PLAY GOLF
If you can walk, talk, run, eat, drive a car or
brush your teeth, you can hit the golf ball
to a target. The key is picking a target and
reacting to it. Don’t think about the swing
before every shot. Simply see the target and
react. Camilo Villegas hadn’t won in three
years on the PGA Tour because he was
thinking too much about mechanics. Once
he started seeing the hole and reacting to
it, he won, posting a one-stroke victory at
the Wyndham Championship last August.
Reacting also made him one of the faster
players on tour, which is a good lesson for
all of us.
THINK, BUT DON’T OVERTHINK
There’s a tipping point when thinking too
much about your swing stance and game—
or anything—becomes counterproductive.
So clear your head. Do not have more than
two thoughts, keys or feels for any shot. If
you’re a really good player, three keys may
be acceptable. Keep it simple, a rule that
applies to just about everything in life.
FOCUS ON RHYTHM
The difference between good golf and bad
golf is usually the difference between being
in rhythm and bein