Do you really think your swing's good enough?
Why on earth would you? Look at all the bad shots you've hit, those tops, slices and duck hooks you can't seem to eradicate? The times the divot flew further than your ball?
OK, so there's one or two good shots there from time to time. But that doesn't mean you can play; the ball rarely flies exactly as you envision. Doesn't that define a bad shot, even if you manage to scramble some kind of result?
Do you believe your poor shots result from your poor swing which in turn means you're a poor golfer?
Your shots are bad which means your swing's bad which means you're bad.
No wonder you're frustrated.
You need a nice big dollop of swing change, a slice of mechanical practice washed down with video analysis.
Don't you?
I look at things a little differently.
I think we've got this back to front.
After all, there are occasions where you've hit the ball beautifully.
You've experienced that odd little frisson when you return to your senses after an effortless swing to see the ball fly as you intended.
You've hit chips and pitches that have left your fellow competitors slack-jawed with astonishment.
You've done this with your current swing.
So why change? What will you gain from a painful and difficult overhaul of your swing? Do you really think that swing change will lead to you playing better shots than the ones I've described?
Why then do you feel a need to "fix" your swing? Could a "broken" swing really have given you the moments of pleasure described above?
I think not. Here, instead, is Dr Geek's Swing Critique.
- Are you frustrated because your best swings aren't good enough?
- Or does your frustration arise because your best swings happen so infrequently?
- Do you really need to fix your swing?
- Or should you be focusing on making your best swings more often?
Starting in competitive golf as a 28 handicapper, I was astonished to find little difference between my best swings and those of 10-15 handicappers.
The difference in our skill level was obvious from our poor swings, rather than our good ones.
There were obvious differences in both skills and scores. The lower the handicap, the fewer the mistakes. Their misses were less severe and less often and even when then found themselves in real trouble they extricated themselves with minimal damage to their scorecard.
Crucially, their misses were much more predictable. This allowed them to plan their shots taking into account the likely reward and risk scenarios.
Most of us are time-poor. We have jobs, families and commitments which mean we don't have as much time as we would like to devote to our obsession.
As I've stated above, major swing changes can take a lot of time and dedication to complete. Very few of us have that time to spare. Although we try to convince ourselves otherwise, it's quite likely life will prevent us following through with it.
So what happens if we fall off the "Swing Change wagon" ?
Let's see if you recognise this scenario...
Disillusioned and desperate, you head to see a new Pro. He might video your swing; he'll certainly point out all you're doing wrong before starting to set it right. By the end of the session your weak slice has become a draw and you're excited. You make time for the range every night for the next week; although work's busy you're fired up with enthusiasm.
You've got another lesson 2 weeks later. You're at the range twice a week by this stage, which you tell yourself is a manageable minimum...and then life gets in the way. Work's busy; family and friends need your time. You're out of the habit; you spend your spare time resting and suddenly it's three weeks since you've been to the range...
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not calling your commitment into question.
It's just what happens to us all. Even golf has to take a back seat sometimes. But what happens to our swings?
If we're lucky...nothing. We regress back to our standard swing and forget what we've been taught...if we're lucky.
What's more likely is that we remember bits and pieces of the information we've been given, but we've lost the teacher's framework, the context. We remember our description of the how the swing felt, not realising we may well have distorted this over time. Effect is mistaken for cause.
In short, we're a mess.
Time lost and financial cost with significant risk of getting worse. Surely there's a better way?
Perhaps we should concentrate on the swings we have rather than the swings we want?
Maybe we should work towards making our best swings...more often?
If I were to play my best shots 10% more often I'd be delighted.
That figure might seem terribly low to you. But 10% more perfect shots means 10% fewer imperfect ones. And that's not even the main benefit. It'd be impossible to hit the ball beautifully 10% more often without significantly improving control of the club face through impact. This means misses would become less severe and more predictable.
You might not need to fix your swing. Scrape away all of the things you've added over the years in an attempt to "improve" and you might just find it's a whole lot better than you realised. It's all too easy to focus solely on your swing and neglect everything else.
Before embarking on a major swing change ask yourself this:
"am I squeezing every last drop of performance from my current ability?"
If the answer's yes, then by all means go ahead and overhaul your swing. But if not, please consider correcting this before taking on a major change.
But you don't have to take my word for it. If you're at all unsure, please feel free to make that change. Particularly if you'll be playing in my club championship. I quite fancy a run at the matchplay stages and would be delighted to see my competition tie themselves in knots.
Seriously though, if you do go ahead and make that change, stay in touch. Drop by halfway through the season and let us know how it's working out for you. I'm always happy to re-examine my ideas in the light of new evidence.
But until then, I know what I'll be doing. I'll be here,working to make what I already have the very best it can be.
Shall we see who gets the most from their efforts?
As ever, I'd be delighted to hear your thoughts should you agree or disagree. Leave a comment down below and let's start a conversation.
Tweet me up @The_Golf_Geek at any time for golf related chat.
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