Three S's of the Golf Swing & learning to Play

With the golf season just starting to get underway here in Michigan, golfers get excited as it warms up.  A lot of golfers seek lessons, a lot of golfers head to the practice range, and eventually all of them end up on the golf course.


When it comes to the golf swing, there are three levels of learning.

1. Learning to Swing the club.
2. Learning to Strike the ball (PRACTICE)
3. Learning to Score on the golf course.

We can learn to strike the ball without learning to swing the club.  You can just go out to a practice range, lay the ball down and find a way to get the ball in the air.


We can learn to score on the course without step one and two.  We can go out on the course and hit the ball around until we get it into the hole.  Repeat this eighteen times and you've played a round of golf.


However, most of us want to improve.  So we watch the Golf Channel, read books and take lessons.  Once you decide you want to use this information, you cannot skip step two - you must practice.    When giving a lesson, I always ask the golfer how much time they have to practice.  This will help give them a realistic idea of how rapid their improvement will be.


So if you decide to try the new hot golf tip, make sure that you spend a few days on the practice tee before taking it to the golf course.

Golf Instruction Video Series #5 - The soft left arm

So far, most of the videos have focused on the function of the right arm.  We use both arms in the golf swing so here is what happens with the left arm.

Instructional Video Series #4 - The Rope Handle Technique

In this video, Gooch demonstrates the rope handle technique and how a towel can help you develop lag and clubhead speed.

 

Instructional Video Series #3 - Extension and the Function of the Right Arm

In this video, we will explain the function of the right arm in the golf swing.  One of the drills is something I borrowed from Tom Tomasello.  The split hand drill is one I learned from a gentleman named Jim Netto who worked with Fuzzy Zoeller. 

About Me (Original Gooch) & Why and How I Teach

As the Head Golf Professional at Lake Michigan Hills in Benton Harbor, Michigan, I feel one of my most important tasks is to help people enjoy themselves and an important key to enjoying golf is learning to perform better.  I have a few keys to my method.

1. A golfer doesn't have to devote hours every day hitting balls to improve.  If they are willing to spend five to ten minutes daily on a consistent basis repeating drills, they can and will improve.
2. I have two important jobs.  To understand the complexity of the golf swing is number one.  Secondly, to communicate the information in a clear, simple way that a student can understand immediately.
3. As a golf professional, there is no greater joy for me than seeing the smile on a student's face when they improve.

A lot of what I teach is based upon a little yellow book The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelley.  Five years ago, it was hard to find a lot of information to help understand this book, but now with YouTube & Blogger making numerous videos available with just a point and click, the information is right at my fingertips.  In fact, until recently it was hard to find mainstream teachers who taught using the principles of this book.


Now you can find Martin Hall on Golf Channel's School of Golf, Sean Foley who is Tiger's new teacher, Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer of the Stack & Tilt commercials who all having been influenced by the Golfing Machine.  Basically, this book that has terms such as pressure points, power accumulators, and dual horizontal hinges has helped me understand that all athletic motions are similar whether it is baseball, bowling or even my own background as a gymnast. 


Which leads to one of my basic thoughts where "Everyone is capable of making a good swing."  If I can help a student believe that if they can lift their arms, look to their right, look to their left, and hold a 10 ounce golf club in their hands, the student has all the physical ability to play this game well.  All I ask is that they give it ten minutes a day.

Thoughts on taking golf lessons

When it comes to giving golf lessons, as an instructor or coach, I have the easiest job of all.  I explain the information and give the drills for the student to improve upon their swing, but the student has to do all of the work.  I never take credit for the success of the student's improvement because they made the decision to change and hit all the balls.
Even the slightest change or adjustment can feel drastic.  Try this, cross your arms.  Now cross your arms the opposite way.  This isn't physically impossible, but we feel much more comfortable doing things the way we always have.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy golf.  It is an athletic activity I can enjoy as I get older and still try to improve.  Just like every aspect of life, if I'm willing to step out of my comfort zone I can see the positive results from the willingness to change.  Whether it's learning a new skill on the computer (would a blog be this simple to produce three years ago) or improving the flight of my golf ball, the results of change towards improvement is a deeply satifying reward.