Most golfers are inconsistent because of incorrect focus. By this I mean that most golfers focus on trying to hit the ball instead of focusing on executing a precise swing motion.
To be consistent, the focus must be on executing the same precise swing motion. The best chance to execute a precise motion is to focus on rhythm, the little fingers, vertical motion and the amount of force. Current golf instruction emphasis is on executing positions and motions that are the result of a precise swing motion. The focus on rhythm, the little fingers, and vertical motion will automatically create the shift of the left hip to the left, the right elbow dropping down, the lag, and ball/turf contact.
RHYTHM
Rhythm is created by a proper length pause at the top of the back swing. The Pause is the most critical focus of the golf swing. As the arms are swinging up, feel the right pectoral stretch up some more, feel the bottom of the front right hip bone stretch up against the resisting top of the front right hip bone, and feel the stretch up of the hands mature. This stretch completes the gathering of energy at the top of the back swing and automatically creates a proper length Pause. When a golfer, even a professional golfer, has a bad shot it is because the pause was too short and resulted in a rhythm that was too quick. This is described in my blog article, “How to Feel Rhythm.”
THE FINGERS
An important feeling in the golf swing is to feel the inside of the tip of the little fingers stretch up. This vertical engagement is used to minimize any attempt to use a hitting or lifting action of the hands in the down swing sequence. Feeling vertical energy also improves the chances of contacting the ball with the “sweet spot” of the club. This is described in my blog article, “How to Use the Fingers.”
VERTICAL MOTION
The golfer must embrace the fact that vertical motion causes horizontal motion in the golf swing. There should be no attempt to move the arms in a horizontal direction. Execute vertical motion but feel the resulting horizontal motion. Vertical motion in the down swing is efficient because vertical motion is very precise and uses gravity. Horizontal motion is inefficient because it is very imprecise and goes against gravity. Vertical motion of the upper and lower body permits the golfer to swing the arms down with abandon and not caring where the ball is going. This is described in my blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing.”
Some golf instruction talks about dropping the club into “the slot” during the down swing. The “slot” is not a fixed area to the right of the body that the golfer has to aim into which to drop the club. The slot position changes depending on the length of the back swing and is automatically created using vertical energy. The back of the slot is created by the upward vertical energy of the right oblique and the front of the slot is created by the downward vertical energy of the right upper arm. Using vertical energy, the club automatically drops into the slot.
AMOUNT OF FORCE
The focus on rhythm, the inside of the tip of the little fingers, and vertical motion requires very sharp focus. The final focus of precision is the amount of force to build up and release during the back swing and down swing. The amount of force used in the full swing should be the same amount of force. Whether the amount is 40, 50, 60,70, or 80 percent, it should be the same. Using the precise amount of force is obvious in the short game. It is equally important in the full swing or pitch shots.
Swinging at 100 percent of force is never a good choice. Accomplished golfers always use the same amount of force on the full swing and choose the correct club to have the ball go the precise distance. The biggest challenge occurs when using the driver. It takes tremendous focus to use a precise amount of force when using a driver.
These four areas of focus are the only things that all golfers should focus on. Use this focus in the full swing, pitching, chipping, and putting. If you are really focusing, the golf ball will disappear from sight because the mind can only focus on one thing at a time and if the focus is on the motion, the golf ball disappears from the mind’s focus. Trust that this provides the best chance for a successful golf swing. Golf is not about hitting the ball.
Is focusing on feeling rhythm, the fingers, vertical motion, and the amount of force too much for the average golfer? Golf instruction has always maintained that the golfer should only have one or two swing thoughts. The theory is that any more than one or two swing thoughts is too confusing for the average golfer. Jack Nicklaus said that “most golfers can think of one, maybe two, things during the golf swing. I can think of five or six and do them.”
The swing thoughts are sequential and not all at the same time. Jack Nicklaus cannot be focusing on the golf ball if he is focusing on doing five or six things that he knows will give him the best chance for a good shot. Jack is also blocking out distracting thoughts by consciously focusing his mind on his swing thoughts. You can say he is not leaving his swing to the chance of being distracted. I believe the average golfer is mentally strong enough to have more than one or two swing thoughts. It could be that one or two swing thoughts may not be enough to eliminate the mental distractions that normally fill the golfer’s mind: hit the ball, help the ball, don’t hit it in the water, etc. So, don’t leave anything to chance, focus on rhythm, the little fingers, vertical motion, and the amount of force.