It’s highly likely that you don’t need a new golf club (or multiples). Chances are your current set is perfect – that they are good enough and can allow you to play your best golf.
My first set of golf clubs were purchased from Kmart. My Grandparents bought them for me and the total set was worth around $100. They were cheap and nasty but looking back on it I played some great golf with them.
Despite the clubs not being matched and having the odd bend in the shafts I learned to play golf with those relics. When the time came to change them (they were in a state of disrepair!) I had maximised everything I could get out of them. After two years I was scoring around par and could beat most of the older golfers who were using expensive brand name clubs.
I’m not trying to gloat here – my point is that many golfers wrongly believe that a new set of clubs are the answer to a better game. Usually it is not.
There is no colleration between playing great golf and owning good equipment. None.
The big golf manufacturers would have us believe that it’s possible to buy I better game. Again, I don’t think we can. You might get a little surge in confidence, but your old game will return before long.
I call it the myth of the fancy tool
A friend and client of mine is obsessed with his clubs. He is buying a new club (or set) every other month and hassling me with questions like, “should I have a 65 gram shaft or a 55 gram shaft?” or “do I need a low or high kick point?”.
His handicap? High 20′s. Would different golf clubs help him? I don’t think so. It really doesn’t matter.
If you believe in fancy tools you still have to learn to play. Find your own golf swing and learn to bring that to the course. There is no getting away from that and one reason why golf is such a great game.
Believing in the myth of a fancy tool usually results in you hiding from the truth. You’re hiding from the fact that you have weaknesses and you don’t know how to fix them. You are hoping against all hope that a new tool will deliver you a magical quick fix. This rarely happens.
What’s my solution?
Own a good set of golf clubs. You don’t have to buy the best, something good will do the job (I still think your current set is all you’ll ever need).
Then play. Forget about shaft flex, lie angle and all the rest of it. Play golf and ignore the distraction of your tools. Learning to play golf is the number one skill – a fancy tool gives a poor golfer an excuse to hide behind. One reason why there are so many hackers with the latest Callawey.
This post was inspired by the fact that I took ownership of some new irons over the weekend. After eight years my Maxfli irons needed retirement and I’ve scored some top line equipment. I’ve played two games with them – both rounds have been poor because I’m thinking too much about the clubs and not enough on playing golf. It’s time to get bact to normal.
OK – so you’ve been playing automatically but you now want to improve your golf swing. What’s the best way and how do you do it?
Great question and one that needs some attention.
First off, you need to have spent some time playing automatically. This is key. If you’ve never given automatic a chance you’re wasting your time and will NEVER experience your best golf. Why? Because you will get a mixed bag of results and will have nothing solid to work with. After all, it’s impossible to fix anything if you keep making different mistakes each time. When you play automatically you’ll actually find your game, and this, believe it or not, will be fairly consistent.
Secondly, it’s crucial that you only attempt to fix something that’s broken. Don’t make up stories and don’t fix something just for the sake of it.
It’s also important to choose one thing at a time to work on. It’s just not possible to fix your grip, backswing, downswing and follow-through all at once. Make it easy on yourself and stick to one thing at a time.
With these in mind let’s look at how to make an improvement to your golf swing.
Get the best information
Do everything you can to find the best information. Beg, borrow or steal it if you have to. I was so disgruntled at the contradictory nature of golf instruction that I embarked on a journey that led to a major scientific study into the golf swing. A little bit overboard perhaps, but the information I was left with ended the confusion and self-doubt that I once had.
How do you find that information? BioSwing is a good place to start. I would avoid any radical teaching theories. Anyone claiming to have invented a new swing, grip or special technique is likely selling snake oil. If you can find a golf coach that is prepared to help you enhance your natural swing (not take it apart and destroy it) and teach you a free flowing action, you’ll do just fine. If she wants to get too technical and try and turn you into a robot I would encourage you to run, not walk, the other way.
How to make swing changes
Assuming that you’ve got some good instruction and you’re working with a golf coach that isn’t trying too technical, here’s a method for integrating changes into your game.
Note: I’ve adopted the following techniques from Carey Mumford’s 32 ball drill and from working with my mentor Michael Craig. Michael Craig has been an Olympian and national hockey coach for Australia and Japan.
When you want to make swing changes or alterations to your game you have to enter what I call “training mode”. Training mode is focussing your attention on the ONE aspect that you want to fix. You are not fixing your golf swing, trying to play golf and attempting to hit perfect golf shots all at the same time. This is a recipe for disaster! Work on one thing and that thing only.
I have always found that best results are achieved away from the golf course. One of the best things you can do if you want to work on your swing is to find a practice net. Installing one at home or the office is well worth it if you’re serious about improvement. I like to keep the golf course for playing golf and the practice net for “training mode”.
The idea of training mode is to make four or five conscious attempts at whatever you’re working on. Remember, your focus and attention is on the drill or the action – don’t worry about the quality of the strike. Good or bad at this stage it’s irrelevant. Too many golfers want to hit perfect shots during practice, when they don’t get it they lose concentration and interest. Forget about results during training mode – your attention needs to be on whatever you’re working on an that’s it!
The next step is important and one that Mumford and Craig are big on. You have to simulate “play” after a short while. There’s no point hitting hundreds of shots and expecting changes to be made. After four or five attempts you need to simulate play on the course. You do this by going through your full routine and striving for automation. This is the time to forget about swing thoughts and play golf.
The final part is to repeat the above two steps a few more times. That is, hit a handful of balls thinking about your technique then let go and hit some automatically. This process ensures your practice sessions are short and sharp and all changes are integrated into your game. This is what practice is all about. Learning to make changes and then being able to take them to the course.
I wrote the following story in 2002 after a trip to the UK. Although it’s outdated slightly, the message is still relevant. It’s a little long but contains some great advice and gives an insight into my early golfing concepts.
The 2002 Open Championship (British Open) was my first visit to one of golf’s majors. It wasn’t until I exited the A1 (the main motorway heading east from Edinburgh) that I realised the enormity of the event.
Fifteen kilometres of jammed traffic!
The normally quiet country road was clogged with cars, buses and limousines. After driving through the small town of Aberlady I finally made it to Gullane. Gullane is, essentially, a golfing town. The Gullane Golf Club consists of three courses (1, 2 and 3) and is famous for the big hill that rewards the golfer with million dollar views across the links land to the Firth of Forth and beyond.
School children were playing on the small pitch-and-putt course oblivious to the fact that the world’s greatest golf tournament was being staged only a kilometre or so away. Everyone else was marching down Gullane’s narrow streets in the increasing Scottish mist with one objective. Muirfield!
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G’day there,
I’m back after a short break.
A question that I keep getting asked is, “I’ve tried automating my swing but I’m still hitting poor shots”.
The first thing is that golf really is a difficult game and no matter how much you practise, how good your technique and whether you learn to automate your game or not, you will still hit poor shots. Sometimes they will come at the worst time. The goal of learning automation is to maximise your chances of playing your best golf.
The second point is automatic golf gives you a process to deal with poor shots. I sometimes think that playing good golf is not about hitting great shots – it’s about dealing with indifferent play and learning to minimise the damage.
Let me explain more …
One of the hardest things about playing automatic and instinctive golf is to keep the process going after a bad shot or two.
The temptation to make changes to your technique is strong when things go awry. But you must resist this change if you’re going to be the best you can be.
Yesterday, playing in a big club event, I hit one the worst tee shots in a long time. Using a three wood, I skied the ball off the toe of the club. The ball went straight left (I’m left handed) and into big trouble. Luckily for me the event was foursomes and my partner played two miraculous shots and got us out of big trouble.
The temptation was there to analyse what I did wrong and play safe. I did neither. Standing on the third tee I recommitted myself to letting go and trusting my subconscious to get the job done. Using my three-wood I pulled the trigger and nailed the shot down the middle of the fairway.
Instantly my confidence returned and I was able to perform well for the rest of the day. This is the magic of trusting the natural learning process and not getting bogged down on technical thoughts. I’m sure if I’d tried to work out what I did wrong with the first shot, I would have spent the rest of the day fidgeting and worrying about my swing.
This appears to be the right thing to do. Unfortunately I don’t think it works. For me, the most courageous and beneficial thing you can do after a bad shot or two is to think less and play more. Yes it can feel uneasy but you’ll maximise your chances of playing better and getting your round back on track. And it sure beats a long and boring round of working on your golf swing and chipping out of the trees.
Good golfing,
Cameron
Golfers like to work on their swing and search for the ‘secret’ or golf tip that can help them improve. Although I’m not a big fan of quick tips or jumping around looking for a miracle cure, correct golf mechanics are important.
There is so much contradiction available in the golf world that it can be hard to know what is right or wrong. I have found that if golfers get correct information they can swing better and with more confidence. This is always a good thing 
In 2004 I was involved in a scientific study of the golf swing. This was a comprehensive study and involved analysis of motion, ground reaction forces and muscle activity. After nine months of researching the scientists had come up with some interesting results. These results contradicted many traditional concepts. Below are three ideas that can help you improve your golf technique;
Scientific Secret #1 – Power comes from your hands and arms, not your body
Most of modern instruction places an emphasis on spinning (turning) your body for maximum power. This is not correct. This spinning and turning causes most golfing problems – most notably a weak slice.
The key for maximum power is to swing your hands and arms. The body acts as a support mechanism – moving in response to your hands and arms. Move your arms first and the body will follow. It should never be the other way around.
Have you ever been stuck under a tree with a restricted back swing, then been surprised at how far you’ve hit the ball? This has happened to many golfers and represents the scientific secrets to a better golf swing. With a restricted backswing you are forced to swing your arms, which is exactly what you’re supposed to do.
Scientific Secret #2 – How to have perfect timing
Golfers report that when they are playing well they have more time to hit the ball. During these times their timing is spot on. Scientific analysis has helped identify the secrets to having perfect golf swing timing. Here they are;
- club head traveling along the target line for a longer period of time
- club face pointing at the target for longer period of time
We termed this the Flat Spot Principle. Learning to perform the FSP will give you an unfair advantage. You can hit the ball with confidence because you’ll know that the ball will travel longer and straighter more of the time.
Scientific Secret #3 – How to hit the ball further with less effort
Science has shown it is possible to get more power without straining and hurting your body. Here are the key concepts for doing so;
- Use a shorter back swing. It was found that when golfers relaxed and attempted a shorter back swing they actually INCREASED the length of their swing. This could help explain why golfers can report better results when they swing easier and take a three-quarter length swing.
- Allow a bending of your left arm (your right arm if you’re left-handed). This not only reduces strain and makes the swing easier to perform, you’ll also give yourself a mechanical advantage. A slight bending of your left arm at the top of the swing reduces the moment of inertia and allows you to start the club down more quickly. This will allow your swing to have more speed at the ball.
- Don’t wind your body like a spring. Turning your body tight or as far as you can is not the right thing to do. This is sometimes referred to X factoring. You should strive for a relaxed and comfortable swing – not one that causes you pain or is difficult to do
A bonus Scientific Secret – The Grip
Learning how to hold onto the club can be a difficult thing to learn. There are many pieces of advice to choose from and deciding on the right one is not always easy. Our scientific data identified two key areas that are most important. Get these two concepts correct and you can forget about the rest;
- Choose a grip that allows you to swing the golf club with speed. This should be your greatest priority.
- Choose a grip that YOU find comfortable – not what your instructor says so
This means that you don’t need to worry about Vardon, interlocking or overlapping grips. Find method of holding the club that satisfies the above principles and you’ll do just fine.
As an extra bonus you may find bulking up your grips to your liking. Get your golf professional to add some extra tape under your grip or experiment with some chunky grips that are now on the market. I should have some of these new grips in stock shortly. If you’d like to learn more please contact me.
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These scientific secrets form the basics of BioSwing. One independent scientist was so impressed with the golf swing model that he described BioSwing as the golf swing of the future. To learn more about BioSwing view my Golf Instruction 2.0 package for full details.
No matter how good you golf swing mechanics are you still need to perform the swing automatically and naturally. I still believe this to be golf’s most important skill – when you have good mechanics and can automate that swing you will become the best golfer you can be.
Good golfing,
Cameron
Many golfers spend so much time worrying about their golf swing technique that they have little or no chance of playing their best golf.
Traditional instruction focuses almost exclusively on golf mechanics so it really is not surprising that golfers place a high amount of emotional energy on their golf swing. They don’t know what else to do!
I have said that to play golf well you need to take counter intuitive steps – that is, you might need to do things that aren’t obvious or go against traditional concepts.
It might not seem obvious, but your routine is more important than your golf swing. Let me explain more…
A correct routine will enable you to work out what you need to do behind the ball (think) and then give you a process to walk to the ball and execute the shot automatically (and hopefully successfully).
Thinking about your golf swing while you are over the ball is NOT the right thing to do. This will almost always lead to failure.
It doesn’t matter how good your golf swing is – if you don’t get your routine right you will undo all of your hard work. If you can’t hit the ball instinctively and automatically you won’t enjoy the benefits of a good golf swing.
A good routine has two parts, the physical and mental. The physical part of your routine is less important. It allows some variance, for example you may choose to have a practice swing or you may not or you make take three waggles instead of four. It doesn’t really matter.
The mental part of your routine is less flexible. You MUST be consistent with your thinking on each shot. You will become a remarkable golfer when your mental routine becomes consistent over a long period of time. Here are the keys to a good mental routine.
- Work out what you want to do when you’re behind the ball. How far do you want to hit the ball? Where do you want to hit the ball? What club do I need to hit? These are questions that you need to ask each and every time. This process is done behind the ball before you start walking towards the ball. NEVER over the ball.
- Once you know what you want to do you must execute the shot automatically. Automatically should be interpreted as playing naturally or instinctively. This is allowing your subconscious to take control. Subconscious control leads to mastery and remarkable golf and is what I call golf’s vital skill.
Greg Norman was a master at the above steps. He spoke about Think, Choose and Do in one of his books from the 90′s. He thought about his options on each shot, he then chose one and then executed the shot without fuss or doubt. He then repeated the process over and over. I believe this allowed him to dominate golf for so long – not his golf swing.
If you want to be the best player you can be you must lose your attachment to your golf swing. Emotional attachment or believing your golf swing is a priority causes you to become tight and powerless. Your golf game won’t flow and you will be anything but remarkable. Over concern for golf technique and mechanics is the biggest fault in golf today. Let it go! It’s not that important!
A correctly performed routine will allow your game to improve naturally over time. You will continue to learn and make steps forward. You will get better with each round you play. By leaving your golf swing alone that too will get better. It’s like magic – it will improve without you knowing how. This is natural learning at its best and it certainly beats the alternative.
For more information about obtaining a better routine check out my book, Play Golf Your Way – I cover the steps above in greater detail.
I’ve been receiving quite a bit of email about golfers struggling with their short game. I think it’s time to cover some of the basics. Before I do that, there is one key issue holding most golfers back…
They don’t practice!
If you are continually let down by poor chipping, bladed pitch shots and duffed bunker shots, then you need to spend some time (maybe ten minutes per week) practicing these shots. There are no miracle cures. If you aren’t prepared to practice then I don’t think you can be helped. I will cover some aspects of practice below.
Now that’s out of the way let’s get into the good stuff
To master the short game (to your own unique level) doesn’t require any special skills or talent. I have found most golfers who have been playing for any length of time have good skills around the green. They can chip and pitch the ball well – but struggle to be consistent on the golf course.
The short shots can seem easy (at least easier than the long game) and this is a problem. Golfers like to be careful and try hard with the short game – thinking that the easier the shot the more they can think about it. This is not good. You must let the short game flow and be natural. Trying hard fails. Being careful and safe is worse.
How would you throw a ball to someone? Would you think about how hard to throw or do you look and shoot? Most people can throw a ball well by looking and then throwing. There is no complication or over thinking. A complete emptiness of approach allows throwing to be a simple and easy task. If you want to be successful with your short game then you need to follow the same approach. There is no other way!
Thinking less can be uncomfortable, so you may need to put it into practice before taking it to the golf course. Here’s a little practice session that should work well for you.
Take a handful of balls to the local park or pitching green. I don’t like driving ranges with synthetic grass – best you find an area with real grass. It makes the experience more real.
Start with small chip shots. Get comfortable (most important) and feel like you’re moving the club gently through the ball. You don’t need much power at this stage. You’re only after a short shot. Your mind should be free of technical thought. Leave concepts like, wrist cock, weight shift, back swing length and follow through at home. Keep moving the club through the ball and see what happens.
After a few shots you can apply more power. Creep up on it…don’t go for full shots too early. Gradually pick up speed, just like you would if you had to throw a ball to someone who keeps moving further from you. Once the shot feels good you can apply more power. You should be able to feel more wrist cock and a bigger back swing – but don’t analyse. Keep the club moving through the ball and observing the distance each shot travels.
If your mind is clear and free of technical thought this should be easy for you. If you want to hit the chip or pitch further you apply a little more power and vice versa. There’s nothing too complicated. You’re simply chipping or pitching (throwing?) the ball different distances.
You can then step this up a little by experimenting with different ball and club face positions. What happens when you move the ball back in your stance and close the club face? You should get a low running shot. What about doing the opposite by moving the ball forward and opening the club face? You should now get a high and soft landing ball flight.
Keep experimenting and learning what you can and can’t do. It will also help to watch those better than yourself. See how they hit a high soft landing bunker shot. In your own time you can learn the same shot. The key is to keep the task simple. Try and relate your short game to throwing a ball. Keep away from technical thought and analysis. It will only slow you down.
The big trick is to take this natural and instinctive approach to the golf course. Let the short game flow. Look at the shot and pull the trigger. Your subconscious will work out all the minor details like direction and distance – like it does when you throw a ball. If you get stuck play conservatively. If you haven’t tried a super lob in practice then don’t try it on the golf course. Best you aim for the middle of the green with a shot you know you can play.
The short game should be fun – there are also no limits. You have fourteen clubs in the bag and you may use all of them for those little shots around the green. Tiger Woods is a master at using his three wood for chip and runs. Is this something you have tried? Or what about using your 9 iron to get out of a bunker?
A good short game will improve your score. If you keep the process simple and strive for automation you will get better. I guarantee it – but only if you practice!
Let me know how you get on.
Good golfing,
Cameron
With the Masters over for another year I thought it would be a good time to talk about playing golf under pressure. It doesn’t matter how good a golfer you are, you will experience pressure on certain shots, and if you don’t know how to cope with the pressure and nerves you’ll NEVER be able to play your best golf.
Experience tells me that most golfers play worse under pressure not better. This is unfortunate because if you can get a handle on the butterflies and nerves you should be able to play the best golf of you life. This allows golf to become truly enjoyable and exciting. Something worth striving for…
Strategy #1: Relax your face
I learned this from a scientist during some scientific testing I was involved with. The scientist told me that if your face is relaxed your entire body and mind will be too. If you are relaxed you will maximise the chances of playing good golf. Getting tense and tight is a sure swing and score destroyer.
The best way to relax your face is to first tighten the facial muscles and then let them go. You should feel a rush of blood and then a wave of relaxation enter the facial muscles. It doesn’t have to take much time and you can do this anytime you start to feel a build up of pressure.
Strategy #2: Focus on what you want to do:
It’s very normal to start thinking about what you don’t want under pressure. We can start thinking about water, mis-hits and other potential disasters when we get nervous. You have to force yourself to think about what you actually want – not what you don’t want.
I like to ask myself a simple question to get my mind back on track. “What do I want to do?” or “where do I want to hit the ball?” work well. I then have to think logically without worrying about anything else that won’t help me.
For example, I might want to hit the ball 125 metres or get the ball onto the front right of the green. This is a positive action – much better than thinking “don’t go long” or “keep the ball out of the bunker”.
When you’re under pressure think about what you want to do. Don’t waste time and energy thinking about the negative. The more you do this the better you will become at making the right choice under pressure.
Strategy #3: Stay in the present
When you’re in the present your mind and body will perform at its best. Sports psychologists have identified the importance of staying in the present. Here’s how to do it….
Before an important shot take a moment before walking to the ball to hear/feel/see your environment. You might listen to the birds, look at cloud formations or feel the wind on your back. It doesn’t matter what you choose, any of the three will get your mind where it needs to be.
Strategy #4: Play automatically
The above three strategies will help you deal with playing golf under pressure. Learning to play and swing automatically is the final piece in the puzzle. When you are playing golf automatically you are not concerned with your swing or technique. You are playing golf and allowing your subconscious to do what it does best.
This is golf’s most important skill and is the difference between being a good golfer and becoming remarkable.
If you’d like to learn more about these ideas and playing golf under pressure then check out my book, Play Golf Your Way.
Good golfing,
Cameron
