I talked to a lot of avid golfers about their swing and they tell me that they “swing to fast” or “come over the top” and then I ask them whether they have ever seen themselves on video and the most common answer is “no”. Most of them watch golf and know what a good golf swing looks like so it is very important that they get to see themselves on video to actually know what they are doing.

This would be the first step that I recommend to everyone out there that plays golf and wants to improve. You must know what you are doing as oppose to what you think you are doing. It would help also to have a qualified golf instructor analyse it and give you positive steps to improve your motion.

The golf swing is a complex motion so anyone that tells you that it is simple then I would look for another person. It is a series of motions and compensations that end up in you overall motion. If one part is changed it changes other reactions and results so you need someone who knows the whole motion and all the parts of it that affect other parts. Most of the time instructors are trying to correct the effect rather than the cause. This just leads to more frustration. For example the head comes up for a reason in other words coming up is the effect, what is the cause, improper weight transfer or fluctuations in spine angle, physical problems, clubface correction, proximity to the ball or any number of other things. The next time an instructor tells you that this is happening in your swing make sure you ask him why that is happening. If he can’t tell you then he doesn’t know the cause either.

Tags: General, Golf General, Lessons in Golf by John White
No Comments »

I meet many golfers and if I ask them what they are trying to do in the golf swing I get many answers. “Keep my head down”, ‘Turn my shoulders more”, “Slow down” are all things that I hear and my next question is it working? A lot of times they will say “When I do it right, it works”.

I would like people to really assess their games and tell me if what they are trying to do is making them better. Golf is a tough game and we seem to need a swing thought or tip to be thinking about when we hit the ball, but I believe that if we just aim and swing then we would be better off. I am not saying that we can not get better by working on our swings in practice. On the practice tee is where we think about things and experiment with different motions or positions, when we go to the course, aim and fire.

I would challenge everyone the next time they play to trust their swings for the whole round. Aim, relax, trust and let if go. The whole round! No matter what happens. This will be tough because we are going to hit bad shots so we want to correct them, especially if we hit two or more in a row. My challenge is to not correct it but just trust and swing. After the round asses the shots you hit and you might find your faults or have something to work on. Good golfing.

Tags: General by John White
No Comments »

I had the pleasure of playing The National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ontario last week and what a treat. I can see why it is traditionally the #1 golf course in Canada. I hadn’t been there in 20 years and I still remembered a lot of the holes. That is a sign of a great golf course.

The new clubhouse is spectacular and the service was outstanding. From the minute we entered the parking lot until we left we were treated royally. The gentleman on the first tee was amazing as he told us about the certain rules and the fallow holes.

The golf course was in amazing shape and the trees were beautiful in their many different colors. Adam Brown, the host pro, had told me that it was the best course to play in the fall. Actually it is the best course to play anytime.

If one ever gets the chance to play there, don’t pass it up. I hope I do not have to wait another 2o years to play this great golf course.

Tags: General, Golf General by John White
No Comments »