These two videos are the best examples of Dr. Kwon’s method to learn what I think are the fundamentals of an efficient and consistent golf swing: an active back swing, continuous motion, using the legs for a vertical rhythm, a mature back swing, and letting it go.  Golf is not about trying to hit the ball.
Dr. Kwon rope drill
Dr. Kwon club swing

This video of Bobby Jones showing how the end of the grip pushes against the left little finger to let the back swing mature.  This also shows how relaxed the little fingers must be in order to allow the wrists to flex.
Bobby Jones using the fingers

This video of Tom Watson’s secret to the golf swing shows Dr. Kwon’s method on how to start the down swing by keeping the arms in front of the body and letting it go.
Tom Watson Secret

This video of Kyle Birkshire showing how to get more distance shows Dr. Kwon’s method of using an active, vertical back swing motion, continuous motion, using the legs for a vertical rhythm, a mature back swing, and letting it go.
Kyle Birkshire Improve Distance

In this video of Kyle Birkshire’s swing, notice how Kyle has the patience to let the back swing mature even though the back swing and down swing are just blurs.  The majority of the time taken for Kyle’s swing is used to let the back swing mature.
Kyle Birkshire Swing

Finally, this video of Tiger at 2 years old showing Dr. Kwon’s method of an active back swing, continuous motion, using the legs for a vertical rhythm, a mature back swing, and letting it go  Amazing!
Tiger Woods at 2 years old

After 40 years on my golf journey and many blog articles, I have settled on what I believe is required to successfully learn how to achieve a consistent golf swing based on my High Percentage Golf method.  The key is to not focus on the ball but, instead, focus on doing a few efficient movements and feeling the automatic reactions to the movements.

My blog post, “The Mental Game,” describes why golf is really a mental game that requires mental strength in order to develop a consistent swing.  My blog post, “It is a Challenge for Adults to Learn the Golf Swing,” describes the mental challenge that adults face when trying to learn the golf swing.

My blog post, “Action vs Reaction,” describes that the movements that are taught in traditional golf instruction are really reactions to the movements of one or two points of the body.

The movements of a few points of the body will result in a consistent and efficient “High Percentage Golf Swing.”  If these points become the focus of the swing instead of focusing on the ball, everything else in the golf swing, back swing and down swing, will become automatic.  The golfer does not need to attempt to focus on anything else to achieve a consistent and efficient golf swing.  This is hard to believe, but true.  It is so totally illogical that very few golfers will even attempt to go down this path.  That is why golf is so hard.

Golf is a mental game so if the average golfer has the mental strength to focus on moving these points of the body, and not the ball, the results will be mind-blowing.  This is easy to say, but extremely hard to do.

Visualize the points as specific pin points on various parts of the body that must be engaged.  The movement of these points feel relaxed, loose, smooth, and stretching.  The movements are not tight, jerky, or violent.

Focusing on what is in front of the body, the ball, and trying to hit the ball is a very inconsistent and inefficient way to swing.  By focusing on the points of the body, the focus shifts to the body.  Again, this is easy to say, but extremely hard to do.

It takes commitment to train the mind to focus on moving the points of the body and feel the reactions without doing additional motions.  If the mind truly focuses on these points during the swing, the mind cannot focus on hitting the ball.  The task of the golf swing is to redirect the mind from hitting the ball to making an efficient and consistent motion.  The ball’s role is to be a feedback mechanism to indicate how efficient the golf swing was executed.

Embracing and trusting the goal to focus on moving the points takes time.  Starting with small swings of four feet in length and gradually progress to longer swings is an effective way to start to trust the focus on moving the points of the body.  My blog post, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes how to feel the right pectoral and the front right hip bone.  My blog post, “How to use the Fingers,” describes how to engage the inside of the tip of the little fingers.

The Right Pectoral and the Front Right Hip Bone

The stretch up of the right pectoral causes the upper body to react by rotating over the supporting lower body to build energy.  The upper body, arms, and hands react to the vertical motion of the right pectoral.

The reason vertical movement of the right pectoral causes the upper body to automatically coil is because of the tilt in the spine.  When the spine is vertical, moving the right pectoral up and down causes the upper spine to tilt back and forth like a tree swaying in the wind.  But, moving the right pectoral when the spine is tilted causes the upper body to rotate around a stationary spine.  When the upper body coils, the club moves away from the target.  When the bottom of the front right hip bone “bounces” up, the upper body uncoils and the club moves toward the target.

Moving the right pectoral is an efficient way to move the club away from the target.  Moving the right pectoral during the back swing creates momentum in the upper body and eliminates the need to actively move the arms and hands in order to move the club.  The hands just hang onto the club.

The Inside of the Tip of the Little Fingers

The stretch up of the point on the inside of the tip of the little fingers is engaged throughout the swing.  The engagement is a feeling of vertical action.  This causes the hands to stretch up and the wrists to cock.  The reason to focus on vertical action of the little fingers is to eliminate the “hit” or “help” action of the hands that is natural whenever the golf ball is present.  That is why the practice swings of most golfers are free and rhythmic but most golfers will use a jerky and violent motion when the golf ball is present.

Use the vertical action of the little fingers to override the “hit” or “help” tendency.  During the swing, focus on the stretch of the little fingers.  This helps keep the club moving away from the body during the down swing.  Which is how Jack Nicklaus described the feeling of the motion of the club during the down swing.

The stretch of the little fingers is the best way to have the club head make solid contact with the ball because the stretch of the little fingers causes the club head to “shallow out” at the bottom of the swing.

My blog post, “Famous Golfers Swing Videos,” shows the swings of famous golfers.  They stretch the little fingers.  They use the momentum of the right pectoral to swing the club up in the back swing and use the action of the front right hip bone to swing the club toward the target in the down swing.  This movement of the points of the body may not be readily apparent, but by watching the videos and focusing on the specific points of the body, the movement can be “felt” or “sensed.”

What can we learn about the golf swing from the legends of golf?  The primary concept that we can learn is that the golf swing is counter intuitive.  My High Percentage Golf Learning System describes the counter intuitive concepts regarding how to develop a consistent and efficient golf swing.

The High Percentage Golf Learning System’s major concepts are:

• How to Feel Rhythm
• How to Use the Fingers
• How to Feel an Efficient Swing

The following are quotes from golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and Moe Norman.   These quotes are the “secrets” that very few golfers learn.  These counter intuitive “secrets” are also the key concepts of the High Percentage Golf Learning System.

Gary Player – Gary Player said that golf is about the mind and putting.  This means that there are a lot of counter intuitive concepts about the golf swing that requires a strong mind to embrace.  My blog article, “The Mental Game,” describes the mindset that is required to create a consistent swing.  Golf is really about putting, but most golfers do not spend the time to learn to putt well.  The professional golfer that wins a golf tournament on any given week is the golfer that had a good week putting.  My blog article, “Putting,” describes the process of putting.

Jack Nicklaus – Jack Nicklaus said that in the down swing he felt that he was trying to keep moving the club away from body.  An efficient way to keep moving the club away from the body in the down swing is to stretch the hands away from the body as described in my blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing.”

Jack Nicklaus said that the key to putting is to have the confidence to “believe” that you can make the putt.  Adopting a confident attitude is the key concept.  The golfer must not wait until putts start going in the hole in order to “build” confidence.  My blog article, “Putting,” describes how to develop a confident attitude.

Lee Trevino – Lee Trevino said that during the down swing he felt that he was momentarily slowing the left arm and left shoulder.  This concept is what Jack Nicklaus said about trying to move the club away from the body during the down swing.  My blog article, “How to Feel Rhythm,” describes how the Pause can create the momentary delay.

Moe Norman – Moe Norman is a Canadian golfer who is described as the best ball striker who ever lived.  He said that he along with Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino were the only golfers to swing under the body while most golfers swing around their body.  My blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes how to swing under the body.

Moe Norman said that he does not think of distance when he is executing his swing.  He only focuses on the “purity of technique.”  My blog article, “How to Feel Rhythm,” describes what to focus on during the golf swing.

Sam Snead – Sam Snead said that the golfer should move right shoulder down and towards the ball in the down swing.  This action is automatic when executing an efficient down swing as described in my article, “Feel an Efficient Swing.”

Tom Watson – Tom Watson said that in 1994 he found the secret of the golf swing where he moved his shoulders down the same plane as the back swing plane and this move felt like he was coming “over the top” instead of a reverse C:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=piHHfKxNP9w .   My blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing” describes how to swing like Tom Watson.

George Knudson – A Canadian golf professional who is said to be as good a ball striker as Ben Hogan.  George said about the golf swing that “It’s not what you do that matters.  It’s what you attempt to do.”  I take this to mean that hitting the ball is not the goal.  Instead, the proper golf swing is what matters.  George also said “Golf is a stationary ball game in which we make a motion towards a target.  The ball simply gets in the way of the motion.”   This again means that the objective of the game is about making a proper motion and is not about hitting the ball.  My blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes how to make an efficient and proper motion.

None of the golf legends said anything about trying to hit the ball.  They all talked about what the golfer should feel.   Learning how to feel an efficient golf swing is the best way to develop a consistent golf swing.

Golf is challenging because the golfer must focus on feeling what the body is doing.  Being in tune with the body is very difficult for most golfers because the focus of most golfers is to try to hit the ball or try to help the ball up into the air.  This focus on the ball prohibits any focus on feeling what the body is doing.

If the golfer is successful in focusing on feeling what the body is doing, the next challenge is to accept the fact that what the golfer feels in the body in order to execute a successful golf swing is not reality.  By this I mean that what is felt must feel exaggerated.  The reality is what is felt as being an exaggerated motion would actually measure much less than what is felt.

Here are some examples of exaggerated feelings must be felt:

Grip Pressure – Most golfers grip the club too hard.  This tight grip prevents the wrists from moving efficiently.  The grip pressure must feel like a pressure of 2 where 10 is maximum pressure and 1 is minimum pressure. What feels like a pressure of 2 would actually measure more.

Aim Parallel Left – Most golfers turn their heads to much to the left to check their body alignment.  This causes the body to aim too much to the right.  In order to align the body correctly, parallel left, the golfer must feel as if the body is aiming left.  What feels like aiming left would actually measure parallel left.

Tilting the Pelvis – Most golfers feel self-conscious about sticking their buttocks back in order to develop correct posture in the golf setup.  But if the focus is on tilting the pelvic floor up and back, it accomplishes the same thing.  What feels like an exaggerated tilt of the pelvis is actually perfect posture.

Change of Direction – Most golfers do not have a rhythmic swing. The biggest factor preventing a rhythmic swing is the transition.  A quick transition results in a jerky swing.  It requires patience to feel the half-second pause before starting the down swing.  This pause provides the time to feel the loading of the right forearm and the hands and to feel the energy gather at the start of the down swing.  What feels like a half-second pause would actually measure a one-tenth second pause and appear as a more rhythmic swing to the observer.

Action of the Fingers – The stretch of the little fingers as described in my blog post, “How to Use the Fingers,” is key to preventing the right hand from overpowering the left hand.  What feels like an exaggerated action of the fingers is invisible to the observer.

Vertical Motion Creates Horizontal Motion – The vertical motion of the right upper arm as described in my blog post, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” creates horizontal motion of the golf club.  It is difficult for the golfer to believe that vertical motion will cause the golf club to move horizontally.  Trying to move the golf club by moving the arms in a horizontal motion is a very inconsistent and inefficient motion.

Use Less Force – Most golfers swing with too much force.  If the golfer used what feels like 30% less than their usual force, the swing will be more rhythmic, the contact will be more solid, and the ball will travel straighter and farther.  What feels like using less force will appear as a more rhythmic swing to the observer.

The exaggerated feelings that the golfer feels is not reality but correct. Embrace focusing on feeling what the body is doing in order to become a better golfer.

My previous article, “Do More by Doing Less,” talks about the fact that, in golf, trying harder never works.  I also described how to determine the amount of force to use that will produce the straightest and longest shots for your swing by discussing the law of diminishing returns.

In this article I want to tell you what happens automatically when you have achieved an efficient down swing as presented in my article “Feel an Efficient Swing.”  When you can produce an efficient down swing, a lot of actions that you think you need to do will be done automatically.

When you have an efficient down swing, you will feel that you will be doing less with your lower body, upper body, arms, and hands.  When you try to do too much with your lower body, upper body, arms, and hands, you are using a very inefficient down swing motion.

The following will describe the Automatic Actions created as a result of an efficient down swing.  I will also describe the cause of the Automatic Action in an efficient down swing.  Since the following actions are Automatic Actions you do not need to focus on trying to do these actions.

• Rhythm – The stretch to the right of the point in front of the right ear, at the end of the back swing, creates the pause that automatically creates a rhythmic swing
• Weight shift – The stretch of the back inside of the ball of the right foot and the stretch of the hands away from the body automatically causes the weight to shift to the left
• Unwind the Upper Body Towards the Target – The snap down of the back of the upper right arm causes the release of tension, created during the back swing coil, automatically unwinds the upper body
• Move the Club Towards the Target – The snap down of the back of the right upper arm automatically pivots the right arm at the right shoulder and pivots the upper body at the spine to move the club towards the target
• Snap the Hands Down – The snap down of the back of the right upper arm uses gravity and centrifugal force to automatically snap the hands down
• Lag, Increased Club Head Speed, Increase in Distance – Less tension in the fingers and arms and the stretch up of the right little finger causes the club head to lag behind the movement of the upper body and arms. The lag increases the club head speed and increases the distance of the shot.
• Supination – Feeling the stretch up in the right little finger during the down swing automatically creates the supination of the wrists and eliminates the distance robbing pronation of the wrists
• Solid contact – Focusing on a rhythmic swing, feeling the stretch of the inside of the tips of the little fingers, and doing less with the arms and hands automatically creates better contact
• Balanced Finish – Starting the down swing from the ground up using the back inside of the ball of the right foot and allowing the body to react automatically produces a balanced finish

There is no need to do inefficient motions when using just the right upper arm, the tips of the little fingers, and the back inside of the ball of the right foot is enough to create a consistent and efficient golf swing.

I have been taking Tai Chi, a Chinese form of exercise, and I believe there are a lot of things that I have learned doing Tai Chi that has helped me develop a consistent golf swing.  The benefits of Tai Chi for golfers are both physical and mental.  The following are the benefits that I have gained from doing Tai Chi.

Be calm – You must be calm to do Tai Chi. You also must be calm in order to play golf.  The average golfer worries or is anxious before hitting their golf shot.  Learning how to consciously be calm will help block distracting thoughts.

Focus – Focus on being in the present is required to correctly perform Tai Chi movements. Thinking about the past or the future will hamper the execution of the current Tai Chi movement.  The average golfer is constantly distracted with worry, stressing over previous shots, or thinking about results.  Learning how to  be in the present and focus on your swing will help the golfer win the mental game of golf.

Feel Proper Posture, Weight Shift, and Balance – The slow movement of Tai Chi provides the opportunity to learn to feel what the body is doing.  It is important to feel the proper posture, to feel the shifting of the weight from one foot to the other, and to feel balanced.  The average golfer does not consider that the proper posture, the proper weight shift, and balance are important.  Learning to develop feel for the proper posture, weight shift, and balance, is crucial in order to develop a consistent golf swing.

Execute Precise Motions – Tai Chi requires the execution of precise motions.  The movement of the feet, legs, body, arms, and hands must be precise in order to be correct.  Golf is an extremely precise game yet the average golfer is not aware of the precision that the game requires.  The average golfer is focused on hitting the ball or trying to help the ball in the air.  When the average golfer executes a good shot, the golfer is not aware of the motions that resulted in the good shot.  Tai Chi will help the golfer develop the mental and physical skills needed execute precise motions.  Learning to execute precise motions is crucial in order to develop a consistent golf swing.

Leg Strength – Over time, Tai Chi maintains or increases leg strength.  Golf requires strong legs to support the motion of the upper body and arms.

The Power of Intent – Intent in Tai Chi is a mental component that leads the body.  When the intent moves, the body follows.  In the golf swing, feel the intent coil back and then move towards the target and feel how the body automatically follows.

Arms and Hands Coordinate with the Lower and Upper Body – Tai Chi requires that the lower body and upper body support and prepare for the movement of the arms and hands.  The average golfer moves the arms and hands without precise coordination with the lower and upper body which causes inconsistent results.  Learning to develop a consistent golf swing requires that the arms and hands precisely coordinate with the movement of the lower and upper body.

Dantien the Source of Power – The Dantien is the center of the body; an area three fingers below the navel and two fingers behind.  Energy or Qi (pronounced “chi”) produced from the Dantien requires less effort and yet is more powerful.  Tai Chi movement originates from the Dantien and radiates out towards the fingers.  The average golfer originates movement with the arms and hands and at best has the lower body follow the hands. The majority of the time, the average golfer does not use the lower body efficiently in the golf swing.  Using the Dantien as the source of Qi for the golf swing is the best way to develop a consistent and efficient golf swing.

Allow Energy to Flow from the Dantien – An important Tai Chi concept is to feel the Qi, originating from the Dantien, expand through the legs, body, arms, and fingers. Patience is required to feel the complete flow of energy from the ground up through the hands.  The movements described in my blog post, “Feel an Efficient Down Swing,” are all initiated by the Dantien as the following describes:

• Feel  the body settle and then feel the flow of Qi from the Dantien initiate the back swing coil and the expansion of energy is felt up through the legs, lower body, upper body, and arms to finally feel the stretch in the fingers
• At the end of the back swing, feel the energy settle down over the right foot and feel the increased stretch.  This is used to gather the Qi before feeling the Qi flow, from the ground up, to snap the right upper arm and the hands down

Learning to have patience to feel the Dantien be the source of power, for the back swing and the down swing, will greatly improve the golf swing.

All golfers are searching for a repeatable golf swing.  Achieving and retaining a repeatable golf swing is the most challenging thing to do in golf.  In this journey to develop a consistent golf swing there is a lot of focus on swing mechanics and swing positions.  Unfortunately, the two most important components of a consistent golf swing is a rhythmic and efficient motion.

In order to develop a rhythmic and efficient motion, there needs to be a change in attitude and focus.  Most golfers are trying to hit the golf ball.  If the focus is on hitting the golf ball the motion will be very inefficient.  When the focus is on hitting the golf ball, the result is a swing that is controlled by the hands and arms.  Controlling the swing with the arms is extremely inconsistent and inefficient.

The attitude must change to focus on developing a consistent rhythm and an efficient golf motion.  I discuss these topics in my blog articles “Rhythm” and “Feel an Efficient Swing.”

A rhythmic and efficient motion has no appearance of a violent or unsynchronized motion.  A rhythmic and efficient motions looks like the energy just flows from the ground up through the lower body, upper body, and finally the arms and hands.

A rhythmic and efficient motion can be seen in the motion of baseball pitcher Madison Bumgarner and golfer Inbee Park .  Their motions seem like they are not trying very hard and the motion moves from the ground up.  They establish a stable lower body to whip the upper body and then the arms and hands.

To view their rhythmic and efficient motions just click on the videos below.

Madison Bumgarner:

Watch the fluid motion of Madison Bumgarner.  His motion is so rhythmic that it does not appear that he is trying hard, yet his pitches can reach a speed of 94 miles per hour

Inbee Park:

Whether you are watching Inbee Park in slow motion or normal speed, it does not appear she is swinging hard, yet she can drive the ball 250 yards

The most consistent golf swing is the swing of Moe Norman.  Moe Norman was a Canadian golf pro whom everyone felt was the best ball striker they have ever seen.  His swing was always the same: rhythmic and efficient. Moe’s view of the motion is summed up in his words: “Stabilize, Energize, Contain, and Release.”  Moe never thought about the ball, he was divot oriented.  His rhythmic and efficient motion created the divot and the ball just got in the way.

This change of attitude to not focus on hitting the ball but to focus on creating a rhythmic and efficient motion is the key to a repeatable golf swing.   The challenge is not in developing a rhythmic and efficient motion, the challenge is to mentally embrace the concept that golf is not about hitting the ball, but of focusing on a rhythmic and efficient motion.

There is a secret society in golf.  This secret society is a society of accomplished golfers.  This group of golfers is what all golfers aspire to: have a consistent golf swing.  A lot of the members of the society learned the game of golf early in their lives so it is difficult or impossible for them to describe how or what they do to become a member of this secret society of consistent and skilled golfers.  There is reluctance by members to reveal the secrets, so these secrets are rarely revealed.  The secrets are sometimes hinted at.  This blog article reveals the secrets that are shared by all members of this secret society.

The biggest secrets are: attitude, visualize, focus, and feel, how to feel rhythm, how to use the fingers, and feel an efficient down swing.

Hints from Society Members

Here are some quotes from two great ball strikers and my interpretation of their quotes.

Moe Norman

“Come on now, let’s not be a ball beater, let’s be a mind beater.”  – This means that golf is a mental game.  It is not about hitting the ball, but about being mentally strong enough to focus on the swing.

“I’m not ball oriented.  I’m divot oriented.  Swing past the ball.”  –  Again, the focus is on the swing (taking a divot) and not the ball.

“Everyone swings around their body except Hogan, Trevino, and me.  We swing under our body.” –  The down swing is a vertical motion.  The top of the left arm pit snaps up and the right hand snaps down under the left side.

George Knudson

“It’s not what you do that matters.  It’s what you attempt to do.”  –  Focus on making a consistent and balanced swing and the flight of the ball will be a reflection of the swing.

“Golf is a stationary ball game in which we make a motion towards a target.  The ball simply gets in the way of the motion.”  –  The focus is on the motion, not the golf ball.

Attitude

The biggest secret is to adopt the attitude that hitting the ball is not the objective of golf.  Members of the society understand and embrace the fact that a repeatable motion is the objective.  This sounds illogical, but if you want to become a member of this secret society, you must be willing to suspend logic.  The secrets that are being revealed are not logical.  If you suspend logic, you will be open to embracing the secrets.

Visualize, Focus, and Feel

“Do not think.”   This is a common advice on what to do if you want a repeatable golf swing.  It should be “Do not think, just visualize, focus, and feel.”  Do not think about swing mechanics, do not think about the ball, do not think about the past, do not think about the future, do not think about results, and do not worry.  All of this “thinking” is “natural” but creates distractions.

In order to block distractions and don’t think, you must develop a pre-shot routine that you do without thinking.   Part of the pre-shot routine is to focus.  Focusing is not thinking.  Focusing on a swing thought is not thinking.  Focusing on feeling your motion is not thinking.   If you do not focus, you will think and get distracted.

Your pre-shot routine must include the visualization of the shot, the focus on the motion, and the feel of the motion.

Members of the society feel the golf swing.  They visualize what they want the ball to do and execute the required motion.  The focus is on feeling the motion.

How to Feel Rhythm

The secret is that rhythm is the most important part of the golf swing.  Every member of the secret society has their own rhythmic swing.  The secret to creating a rhythmic swing is to take the time to feel the pause that occurs between the back swing and the down swing.  The pause must feel longer than it actually is.  The pause may feel like one-half second but the pause will not be visible to onlookers.  The noticeable difference will be a rhythmic swing.   My blog article “How to Feel Rhythm” describes how to develop and feel your rhythm.

How to Use the Fingers

The members of the secret society know how to use the fingers to prevent the hands from destroying the down swing motion.  If the fingers are not engaged during the down swing, the hands will naturally overtake the motion of the body and destroy the down swing.  The secret is to engage the right ring and middle fingers to snap down along the right side of the body in the down swing.  My blog article, “How to Use the Fingers” describes how the fingers are used in the golf swing.

Feel an Efficient Swing

Members of the secret society of accomplished golfers all have a rhythmic swing, know how to use the fingers, and have an efficient golf swing.  An efficient golf swing builds and releases energy efficiently.  “There should be no tension in the golf swing” is the common advice.  What is really meant is “there should be no tightness in the golf swing.”  If there is no tension created between the lower body and upper body there energy is not efficiently created and released.  If there is no tension created between the fingers and the upper body, energy is not efficiently created and released.

Most golf instruction teaches swing motions and swing positions, but there is no focus on feeling the tension that is built and released.  The secret in an efficient swing is to focus on creating vertical motion by feeling the back inside of the ball of the right foot snap up and the right upper arm snap down.  My blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes the secret  swing moves and what to feel in the down swing.

Breaking the Silence

I am not concerned about ramifications from revealing these secrets because one of the hardest things to do in golf is to embrace these secrets and it is even more difficult to remember these secrets.  Now that you know the secrets of the society of accomplished golfers I hope that you can embrace and remember the secrets so they can help you become a member of this elite society.

The golf swing needs to be rhythmic and efficient.  Most golfers want to hit the ball hard which results in a violent motion.  Also, in the attempt to hit the ball hard, there is no rhythm to the swing.

One only needs to look at the LPGA golfers to see rhythmic golf swings.  Their rhythmic swings result in drives of 250 yards or longer.  There are no violent swings on the LPGA.  Their power comes from rhythm and efficient power.  It is amazing to see women who are a little over five feet tall hit those long drives.  The key to hitting the ball farther is to have great rhythm.

It is a myth that one should learn to try to hit as far as you can first and then learn to hit it straight later.  One should learn to develop a rhythmic swing first.  Rhythm is the most important part of the golf swing, yet it is seldom taught.  A rhythmic swing provides the best chance to make solid contact with the golf ball.  When a golfer tries to hit the ball as far as possible, the natural tendency is to only use the arms to swing the club.  Using only the arms is the most inefficient way to swing the club.  This also results in a violent and jerky action instead of a rhythmic and explosive swing.

Attitude

A proper attitude is crucial to making a rhythmic, non-violent swing.  This is where a consistent pre-shot routine is required.  Instead adopting an attitude of “I am going to address the ball and hit it hard,” The pre-shot routine is a reminder to focus on executing a rhythmic swing.  The swing thought is the final part of the pre-shot routine.  So finding and using an effective swing thought that results in a rhythmic swing should be a priority.

Focus on the Change of Direction

When the focus is on trying to hit the ball hard instead of making a rhythmic swing, the transition time from back swing to down swing is extremely fast.  Focus on making the transition time much longer than you feel is necessary.  The transition time feels like a pause during the swing.  This pause should feel like almost one second.  When the pause feels like almost one second, the actual transition time is only two-tenths of a second.  The brain slows down time because of the “oddball effect.”  When the brain experiences something unusual, it focuses harder on this “odd” detail.  The sharper focus seems to take longer than it really does.  The pause is the “oddball” of the golf swing.  This is the most difficult part for most golfers to grasp.  What feels like a long time is actually a very short time.

Swing at 70% of Maximum Effort

Trying to swing using maximum effort always results in a violent action.  The focus should be on using only 70% of maximum effort.  Professional golfers, who have swing speeds over one hundred miles an hour, only swing at 80% of maximum effort.  If the focus is on using less effort, the result will be much better.  This concept is also difficult to grasp by most golfers.  It is natural to believe that trying harder will produce better results.  We have been told this all of our lives, but in golf trying harder never works.

Golf is a long journey.  Eliminating violence in the golf swing will make the journey more enjoyable.

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.

Same is a word that is seldom used in describing the golf swing.  If you want to be a good golfer, you need to focus on doing the same. Same is not the goal of the poor player.  The obvious discrepancy occurs when comparing the practice swing and the swing used when the ball is present.  Most poor golfers have a much better practice swing.  When the ball is present, poor golfers use a different swing, not the same swing that was used for the practice swing.

Same starts with a consistent pre-shot routine.  The pre-shot routine should put you in the mind set of doing the same routine.  If you use a practice swing, focus on using the same swing when the golf ball is present.  Poor golfers have smooth swings for their practice swings but use a jerky swing when the golf ball is present.

Same is the focus in using the same rhythm during the golf swing.  Most poor golfers are not even aware of their rhythm or if they are, they are not using an effective rhythm.  Good golfers have an effective rhythm and they repeat the same rhythm with every swing.

Same is the focus when building and releasing energy during the golf swing.  A big trap is the driver swing.  Good golfers swing the driver using the same swing that they use to swing the wedge.  Poor golfers use a harder swing to swing the driver.

One way of focusing on the doing the same is to take the person out of the swing.  Poor golfers relate their swings to something very personal such as “I need to make a good swing”, “don’t hit it into the water”, “I need to make a par”, etc.  All of these thoughts and all other similar thoughts focus on what the golfer must do.  Good golfers have a different attitude.  Good golfers focus on executing the same swing.

Taking the person out of the swing is not easy.  You must look at yourself not as a person, but as a machine, platform, or robot that is built to swing the golf club.  A swing machine is expected to do what it is designed to do the same way every time: produce good golf shots.  Your focus is to only do the same thing and not let distracting thoughts make you to swing differently.

One tip that helps to take the person out of the swing is given by Ben Hogan in his book Five Lessons.   In his book, Ben Hogan says to visualize a pane of glass resting on your shoulders that slants from your shoulders to the ball.  The objective is to keep your back swing and down swing below this pane of glass.  If you lift your arms too soon you will break through the pane of glass.  The “engine” of the golf swing is the right side that controls the arms and hands.  On the down swing feel the right side, or “locomotive”, pull the arms and hands “the caboose” down and through the “tunnel” formed by the imaginary pane of glass.  Now you have an image of a tunnel formed by an imaginary pane of glass and a train locomotive pulling a caboose down and through a tunnel.  It is no longer about the person needing to accomplish a goal.  Your focus is about making that locomotive go through the tunnel using the same for each swing.  Ben Hogan called the movement of the hips, upper body, arms, and hands as “the machinery”.  Ben Hogan is telling you the secret on how to develop a repetitive swing.  Think of machinery swinging the club instead of a person swinging the club.

The best way to become a good golfer is to not get distracted and to do the same for each swing.  The best chance to not get distracted is to take the person out of the swing.  The best way to take the person out of the golf swing is to think of a machine swinging the club.  One way to take the person out of the golf swing is to use Ben Hogan’s tip to have the machine swing the club back and through while keeping the arms beneath the pane of glass.

If you are serious about improving your golf swing, develop one swing that you can focus on doing the same.

Do more by doing less.  This concept is so foreign and so difficult to embrace by the average golfer.  If you want to be a better golfer, you must understand the concept of doing more by doing less.  The final step is to fully embrace and practice this concept.  Just talking about it will not work.  The true reflection of how much you accept this concept is seen in the improvement of your golf shots.  When you actually do less, your golf shots will improve.

In my previous blog, “Channel Adult Training in Golf”, I discussed how the training to become a successful adult interferes with playing golf. We are trained that trying harder (doing more) will result in better outcomes.  We are also trained that doing a little extra (doing more) will give more benefits.

The most important concept about the golf swing is that, in golf, trying harder never works.  We also know that even though doing the extra credit problem on a test will give you a higher grade on the test, but doing a little extra in the golf swing will give you a failing grade in golf.

When I talk about doing less I am talking about the amount of force and motion that is used in the golf swing.  The average golfer “just swings” and is not really aware of the amount of force of the swing.  In most cases the force of the swing is the result of a violent swing instead of a rhythmic and efficient swing.

I want to bring up the business concept of The Law of Diminishing Returns. This is a concept that states that as you add more resources to a project, the returns will improve proportionally.  But a point is reached where additional resources will actually result in diminishing returns. This applies to how much force you use in your swing.

The length of the back swing controls the amount of force in the down swing.  Being aware of the length of the back swing is foreign the average golfer.  In order to do determine your maximum back swing length, you must be precisely aware of the length of the back swing.  You want to find your personal point of diminishing returns.

The best way to do this is on the driving range.  Go through your pre-shot routine, use your rhythm, and swing in balance to make a swing that uses about what you feel is 40% of your maximum back swing length.   The ball should go straight.  Note the distance the ball travels in the air.  Swing at 40% of maximum back swing length for five to ten shots until you hit shots that are fairly consistent.  I determine the length of my back swing by focusing on how I raise the right upper arm and the hands.

Now increase the length of the back swing to what you feel is 50% of maximum.  The shots should still be going straight but a little farther in the air.  Again, swing at 50% of maximum back swing length for five to ten shots until you hit shots that are fairly consistent.

Keep increasing the length of the back swing you use by what you feel is 10% more back swing until you reach a point where the ball does not travel further in the air or is no longer going straight.  You have reached the point of diminishing returns.  Now drop back down to the previous back swing length and your shots should now be going straight and about the same distance.  This is the length of back swing you should be using for your full swing.

You will feel that the length of back swing that produces the best result is a lot less than their “normal” swing.  This drill will show the concept of “do more by doing less.”

The most difficult part is to embrace the concept to do less is a requirement of an efficient golf swing.  As soon as your shots get worse, it is because you tried too hard.  You reached and went past the point of diminishing returns.  You will do more by doing less.

The reason the ball travels farther when the length of the back swing is increased is because the muscles are increasingly stretched.  The reason for reaching the point of diminishing returns is because the stretch in the back swing transforms from the stretching of the muscles to tightening of the muscles.  Once the muscles tighten, the energy dissipates.  What is thought to be building more energy by increasing the length of the back swing is nullified by the tightening muscles.  Tight muscles result in shorter distance.  What feels like 50% of your maximum back swing length is your maximum back swing length.  Just because the back swing is increased does not necessarily mean that more distance will be gained.  Golf is a crazy game.