Monthly Archives: May 2013

Chain of Command in the Down Swing

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When I speak of the chain of command in the down swing, I am using the military command structure to describe what must happen in the down swing.  Most golfers only use their arms and hands in the down swing and usually create very inefficient down swing.  When the down swing is inefficient, the shots lack power and consistency.  So my contention is that most golfers need to maintain the chain of command in the down swing.

I believe that an efficient and repeatable down swing has the body leading.  The body is much stronger than the arms and hands.  Swinging the club using only the weaker arms and hands is not efficient.  Using the body to lead the swing is much more efficient.   In my chain of command analogy, the upper body is the General.  In the military chain of command the General is the leader.  Everyone follows the General.  I view the lower body as providing support for the upper body.  I will designate the lower body as the officers in the chain of command.  The lower body supports and facilitates the action of the upper body.

I designate the hands as the Privates in the chain of command.  The hands are the lowest ranking members of the command structure.  The duty of the Privates is to follow the General.  But most golfers allow and even encourage the hands to dominate the movement in the down swing.  When the hands move independent of the upper body, the upper body slows down or stops moving.  This break down in the chain of command is the reason for poor or weak golf shots.

When the down swing chain of command is maintained, the lower body, (the officers), provides a platform of support for the upper body (the General) to stretch up and then snap down as described in my blog post, “Feel an Efficient Swing.”  The hands (the Privates) respond to the action of the upper body (the General) to be snapped to a balanced finish.  Any attempt by the hands (the Privates) to hit or lift will destroy the chain of command.

It is important in any military organization that the lowest ranking members do not interfere with the operation of the military unit.  To carry the analogy to the down swing it is imperative that the hands do not interfere with the upper body stretch up and then snap down.  Maintain the proper chain of command in the down swing in order to ensure that the ball will go straighter and farther.

 

Be a Magician on the Golf Course

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My blog post, “You Must Believe in Magic,” states that you must believe in magic in order to have the proper mental attitude for developing a consistent swing.  In addition to believing in magic, you must be a magician on the golf course.

Why a magician?  A magician does magic tricks that amaze your friends and family.  That is how you should view your golf swing.  It is a swing that will impress your friends and family.  In order to perfect a magic trick, the magician must spend many hours practicing before the magic trick is perfected.  The magician must be very precise, have a rhythm in the banter and timing of the moves, and do it the same every time the trick is performed.  When the trick is successful, you wonder how it was done, it is magic.  To the magician, the satisfaction is not the final effect that amazes the audience.  Instead it is the satisfaction of executing the intricate and precise process that results in the desired effect.

This is how you should approach your development of your full swing.  Your magic trick is an effortless looking golf swing that makes the ball go far and straight.  But the focus should be on executing the motions that result in the desired effect: a good golf shot.  This approach defines what you are doing on the practice range.  Instead of just beating the balls as hard as you can, your objective is to make your swing look effortless.  You must practice being focused on being precise.

You must practice to develop a precise:

  • Setup
  • Rhythm
  • Efficient Swing

A magician does not do the magic trick in a haphazard fashion.  You may not be aware of it but the magician is highly focused on the precise execution of the trick.   Precise focus is required every time the trick is performed.  The golf swing has the same requirement for precise focus.  When the golf swing is successfully performed, it is like magic.  The ball goes straight and long and the swing feels and looks effortless.  Magic!!!

The reason you need to be a magician is to override the logical and natural thoughts that interfere with executing a consistent golf swing.  When you focus on producing magic, your focus is extremely precise.  Thoughts of avoiding hitting into the water, bunker, canyon, or rough are blocked if you focus on performing your magic.

Golf is a mental game.  You need to adopt a mental attitude and focus that allows you to avoid distractions and execute your swing.  Adopting the approach that magicians use can help you develop your mental game.  Magic asks you to suspend your belief in the logical and embrace the possibility that anything is possible.  When you focus on the process to execute precise motions, you will block out doubt or worry about executing your swing.

One of the easiest magic tricks to do on the golf course is to show how you can hit the ball farther and straighter by not swinging very hard.   It takes some practice, but the trick is to be rhythmic and smooth.  This is a secret that nobody will notice.  Only you will know how you are creating the magic!  Your secret is safe with me.  I won’t tell anybody.

Another trick is to show how hitting down makes the ball travel up.  This is not as impressive, but still a good trick to show.  It is not as easy as it looks.

The hardest trick is to show how to make the golf club swing towards the target by not trying to push the club towards the target with the right hand.  The secret to this trick is to focus on what I have described in my blog posts: “Feel an Efficient Swing,” “How to Use the Fingers,” and “How to Feel Rhythm.”   Mastering this trick will show that you are a true magician on the golf course.

Be a magician on the course and you will amaze your friends and family.